Homemade Superfood

This taste awesome and it is so easy to make.  Easier if you have a Vitamix so not real sure how it will mix in any other type of mixer but it doesn't hurt to try!  We seem to be on the run ALL the time and I really hate stopping for a snack in order to tie us over until we get home so this is GREAT for on the go.  Just grab some spoons and go.  A good size spoonful usually does the trick until we can make it home for REAL food!

I take each of the following in these amounts:

1 Cup peanuts

1 Cup cashews

1 Cup sunflower seeds

About 1/8 cup chia seeds.  

A couple TB of whole flax seeds

1 large spoonful each of coconut oil and honey

First put nuts in jar then add the other ingredients on top and blend on high using a tapper to keep tapping it down towards the blades.  It usually takes about a minute.  

Place in a jar and enjoy!  NOTE: You can add whatever you want if these ingredients don't work for you!  Whatever seeds, fats, or sweetener you prefer!  Anything goes!  I use it in the same way any nut butter is used.  Smoothies, sandwiches, cookies, etc.  

Kitchen Creations

June here in Wisconsin brought some amazing strawberries.  We were very blessed to be able to go pick twice at a berry farm nearby.  The girls and I packed away 35 pints of jam and 12 gallon size bags of frozen strawberries.  There is just something amazing about strawberry jam.  And spread with homemade cream cheese on a warm, toasted homemade roll is the best.

Freezer strawberry jam

Picking strawberries

Homemade cream cheese is truly delicious.  Once you try it you will never go back to store bought.  And the crazy thing is is that it is super easy to make.  HERE is a very simple recipe.  If you already have your yogurt made just skip to the cream cheese section.  All you need is a quart of plain homemade or store bought yogurt, a cotton tea towel or cheese, and a bowl to catch the whey.  I find myself starting a new batch around 3-4 times a week because it disappears so quickly.

Once it has drained overnight this is what you get!  Not to mention a couple cups of whey to use in recipes or to drink.  Which my husband grabs up and drinks before I can get a chance to use it!

My bread recipe turned rolls!!  I usually make a batch every other day.  I tend to make the dough into rolls since they are so much easier to slice and toast than a loaf.  But then it's most likely me since I cannot shape a loaf to save a life!!  Recipe is HERE

Chocolate chip cookies are a must in every home!

Homemade soaked oatmeal granola.  LOVE this.  Recipe is HERE.

LOVE this protein smoothie!

One cup "milk" (whatever your favorite - hemp, cow, oat, 7 grain, coconut...)

5 T Whey

1 tsp Maca Powder

Fruit, whatever you choose.  My favorite which is pictured had frozen strawberries and 1 organic banana.  I prefer fresh strawberries but I used them this morning so I had to resort to my frozen. Whirl in blender and enjoy!

Just know that this particular brand of whey tastes very good.  It doesn't have a grainy texture to it, funny taste, or any of the negatives that pure whey can have.  I purchase it HERE!  I highly recommend it if you want a delicious and "so good for you" pure and natural whey powder.

If you love yams!

Then you must try this ice cream/pudding dessert.  Whatever you call it it is delicious and so good for you.  When we were at the Whole Foods in Denver earlier this month a company out of Boulder was sharing samples of their new recipe.  Sweet potato ice cream.  Sorry, I didn't catch the name or brand of it but it was excellent so I was determined to try it when I got back to Wisconsin.  I don't remember the exact taste of the one in CO but nevertheless this was still delicious.

I took 3 organic yams and baked them as usual.  I put them in the fridge for a day or so to get plenty cooled.  I then peeled them, mashed them, and added the rest of the ingredients I thought up.

3 yams

1 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped pecans (more or less)

2 T. organic vanilla

2 cups cream 

Mix well and eat this way or freeze.  We did both.  We ate some and the rest we froze.  It was a really good hit with my family!  You should try it.

One Mother's Homeschool Days and so much more

January-March 2014

Where has the time gone.  I cannot believe how little time I have to blog.  I enjoy blogging but only when it's convenient rather than MAKE time for it in the past.  Plus I love looking back and be able to see where we were and how my family has grown and changed over the months and years.  The year 2014 has been full of life and I, along with my family are trying to enjoy each and every moment!

Our academic journey

2014 brings a new year for our homeschool.  This year I am schooling 7 children.  Our son will graduate this year and we have been blessed to add our niece Mauriela to our home, family, and our homeschool.  She fits in perfectly with my 5 girls.  And she is moving along very well with her cousins. And I'm sure that when the school year is over we will be sad to see her go.  However, there is a very big possibility of her return for her next year.  Back to academics.  We are keeping quite busy with 3 of the girls doing Sonlight, and 3 of the girls doing a more eclectic version of learning which includes ambleside online and memoria press! and LOTS of books from the library.  But neither is without our favorite tool for learning - our learning journals or common place books.  Here I am sharing some photos from some of their work.

My younger girls mapped out a route for a 'mock' trip.  We printed a road map of the state of Wisconsin and they located our city, then they chose a city they'd like to 'visit' and mapped out the closest route. They said though that the coolest thing about learning map work is learning that from East to West all major highways are an even number and all major highways from North to South are even numbers.  Fun little tidbits to know!

Here are a few from my older girls.  I love seeing the creativity that comes from each of them through their journals.  They are all so different and yet the same.  Full of fun and interesting learning.

Janai preparing a keyed map of earthquake zones.

I really enjoyed our study of the Netherlands.  The internet and the library are full of wonderful information.  Youtube has an incredible amount of videos on HOW the dikes work and how they are made.  Not to mention how windmills used to be used to divert the water and how they pulled it off. Very cool stuff. 

Here are some examples of my youngest girls' entries into their journals.

Mary's earthquake zones map.  We found a really neat printable online and they choose the colors of their choice to key in geographical areas.

Goals and or Ideas...With the addition of our niece coming in our home we have enjoyed redoing the girls' room.  We found really cool bunk beds online and they work perfectly for all 6 of the girls.  We ended up purchasing a full on full and one twin over twin.  The girls love them and are always switching up their sleeping areas with each other.  One would think having 6 girls in one room would be crazy but with ALL clothing downstairs in the laundry room and a walk in closet for all their "junk" it only leaves the beds and a table in their room with plenty of space left over.

I really enjoyed…Our small taste of spring.  Next week we are expecting cold weather again.  It's been a reeeeeally long winter.

Activities...I wrote a while ago that we were hoping to join the YMCA.  Well we did and we are really enjoying our visits there.  It's about 20 miles away so our days there are limited to only two or three times a week!  With such a long winter this year the swimming pool has been a huge hit to give the kids something to do.

What mother is wondering/thinking about...

 My favorite "Kids Talk Moment" When my daughter asked me if her puppy Saphira will go to heaven and will she see her ever again!  I love the sweet faith of a child.

What's cooking...Bread!!!  Every single night I begin soaking my whole grain flour in apple cider vinegar, butter, and milk and the next morning I add the remaining ingredients.  It's not unusual for me to make our own bread but these days I have an "extra fun" toy to make it even more enjoyable.  Last month I was very blessed to be able to purchase a Nutrimill grinder.  It is fabulous.  So much quieter and more efficient than my older one.  It's definitely one of the best ones on the market.

The simple life…Fresh whole grain flour, reading, writing, & arithmetic! I love the basics! Quite often, less simply is more.

Living with gratitude...As the photos clearly show we will be adding two babies into our family this year.  We are so very excited for Robyn and Luke, and Christie and Jeff as they each bring their first babies into the world.  Such huge blessings to say the least.

Robyn and Luke are expecting a girl in April

Jeff and Christie are expecting a boy in July

Favorite "Life with Kids Moment"

Walking through the room to go to the kitchen I said to Kaydee, "Good job Kaydee, you are really flexible."  Upon entering the kitchen I saw Kaydee stirring the oatmeal on the stove!  I stopped in my tracks, turned around and said, "Oh, Emma that was you.  Great job on your flexibility."  I love having TWINS!!!

What Mother is reading

Here is a short description from amazon.  Click on the link below to read more.  It really is an enjoyable read and very informative.

Free Range Learning presents eye-opening data about the meaning and importance of natural learning. This data-from neurologists, child development specialists, anthropologists, educators, historians and business innovators-turns many current assumptions about school-based education upside down. The book's factual approach is balanced by quotes and stories from over 100...to read more about Free Range Learning go HERE

Some photos to share.  I've said it a million times.  I love looking at their faces and seeing the interest they show while reading a good book or having an interesting conservation.  They engage themselves fully and it makes me feel like I'm doing my job.  The job I've assigned to myself years ago -  to give them the gift of loving to learn.  Not just 'doing something' because they have to but because they want to.  And of course it helps a ton when the work they are required to do is interesting and not boring and dry.

Some random pics from our "school days"

Tips or advice.  My kids love the library.  We always have.  But what I love is watching my kids choose what interests them.  Of course they have their "required" assignments of reading and study but seeing them in their element is what brings my joy.  Joy in knowing they are pursuing their loves and interests.  Not just with books.  But life in general.  Then I try to feed that passion if I can.  

While I'm speaking of books!  I love using whole, living books to learn from.  The stories are enjoyed while at the same time facts are learned.  And having them journal their reading and learning is the icing on the cake.  Truly brings home a lesson.

Pictured below are a pile of books belonging to my 13 year old daughter.  She is really, really interested in midwifery!  That's what makes being a parent fun.  Is watching their children grow into themselves through their loves and passions.  And a plus is that through homeschooling they also have the benefit of time on their side.  It's so great that they finish their assignments in good time because then they have the time to pursue their own interests and passions and don't have to worry about keeping up with dead lines and assignments from outside sources. 

Praying for...My kids as they work through our loss.  How do I even express the sorrow and sadness of our last weekend.  Our sweet puppy was caught in a trap near our home.  We were hoping that it was one of those things where the vet would clean her up and send her home but we were sadly mistaken.  The end result was we had to put her down.  My heart was broken for our puppy and especially so for my kids.  They were so attached to Saphira and our weekend was full of more tears, hugs, and cuddles than we've ever had before.

A couple kids got up early the next morning and this photo pretty much shows how our weekend was spent.  The girls especially just wanted/needed to be held.  It's Tuesday and and we are just now starting to see things turn around with them.  It was a very difficult time!  Saphira will be extremely missed.  She was basically our first dog so she was much loved.

We snapped a photo of Saphira on the way to the vet.  She was so calm.  Poor little thing.

Powerful Oatmeal

How do you enjoy your oatmeal?  We have discovered many ways to enlist this power house food into our daily diet.  I have to say though that our favorite way lately has been to use these ingredients.  It hits the sweet spot in of the longest, coldest winter I can remember!

It keeps well in the fridge for several days.

First I soak it for up to 24 hours.  Picture above is 10 cups oatmeal, 10 cups water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup chia seeds. After the soaking period we pop some in a pan, add a bit of water to desired thickness, throw in some cinnamon, vanilla, honey, and butter.  It is so yummy and so good for you!  Add a bit to your favorite smoothie each morning for a great nutritional boost!

Kids, greens, and grains...

If you're one of those moms who have kids that would rather NOT have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, or, never have a bowl of oatmeal there is still a way to get those nutritious grains and greens into them with a little imagination.  I am sharing here the many different ways in which I get both of these un-favorites into my kids.  Do you have a favorite and creative way to encourage your children to eat healthy?  If so please share.

see how yummy this looks.  tastes yummy too.

I nearly always begin with yogurt and milk.  Depending on what I have it can be our raw milk, oat milk, hemp milk, rice, flax milk, or whatever liquid you prefer.  I never measure.  Just kind of watch the consistency.

At this point my imagination takes over.  For my grains it is mostly millet, barley, steel cut oats,  quinoa, or cracked spelt which is always presoaked in one cup water to one T. yogurt and one T. chia seed overnight in a glass jar. (can't forget the chia)  And my greens are mostly kale and spinach.  Normally I add one cup of grains and a handful of greens per blender load. After my yogurt, milk, grains, and greens are in the blender I add the following....

Banana,  honey, agave, or maple syrup for sweetener
peanut butter or almond butter
strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, and pineapple are our faves,  "or whatever fruit sounds good" I'm really bummed too because finding these fruits fresh is getting harder and harder with the change of season.  I prefer fresh but frozen works well too.
Once in a while I'll add a scoop of Raw Meal powder if meal time is going to be a while yet.  Ties them over real nice.

Blend and serve.  My kids love it.  And so do I knowing something healthy goes into them once in a while.

Canned bananas

Why on earth would anyone want to can bananas?  They are always readily available anytime of year after all.

Well when I have a family that hates running out of them, uses them in smoothies, hot cereal, bread, and anything else they can think of I really don't like not having them around! But more than that, we found them for 20 cents a pound!  THAT alone is reason enough!  And they are so very easy to can. Today we did 17 pints and as long as the prices stay low I plan on doing more.  Not sure how much more, I'm thinking maybe 13 or so more pints to make an even 30!

It takes about 28-32 medium size bananas to make 7 or 8 pints. Mash them well in heavy pan, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or citric acid and heat to boiling stirring constantly. Once it reaches the boiling point I turned off the heat, added the bananas to hot pint jars, sealed the jars with hot lids and put into boiling water bath for 15 minutes!  I let the hard sit for 24 hours, then I take off ring cap, wash the jars and store away!  So easy!

Sometimes three makes PERFECT company

Time once again to enjoy this delicious squash.  Acorn squash is very good tasting and very good for you.  Here are just a few reasons to add some of these to your diet.

1. It only has 115 calories per cup

2. 9 grams of dietary fiber

3. 2 grams of protein 

4. Vitamin A for vision, Vitamin E and B6 plus minerals, potassium and magnesium and 30% of your daily Vitamin C.  Who knew. And I just thought it tasted good and was cheap!

I love using it in many ways. I put it into soup, smash it for quick breads, and even throw in a cupful into my smoothies. Some folks around here like it with salt, pepper, and butter. Some with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup or honey. But whichever way you choose it is worth baking some up and adding it to your meals. I normally cut them in half, wrap foil around the exposed part and bake it at 400 for an hour or so. Pretty much like a baked potato. Very simple and fast! Tell me, do you have a favorite squash recipe you'd like to share?

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Or rather, a favorite cookbook of necessity? One that stands the test of time, gets used over and over, and needs to get replaced several times! Four times to be exact. I bought my first copy probably 20 years ago. This one shown is the fourth, and it is showing the wear! I love it! Anyone else have a favorite, or a necessary favorite? I'd love to hear about it!

7 up biscuits

These are the best biscuits ever. You really have to try these!

They call for

2 cups bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7 up

1/4 cup melted

Knead together first 3 ingredients while butter is melting in the pan. Roll out dough in about 1/2 cup bisquick and cut into shapes. Place in pan with melted butter and back for 14 minutes in 450 degree oven.

My substitution for these today were:

I used my own homemade biscuit mix (recipe below) and homemade creme fraiche for the sour cream.

Biscuit mix

6 cups flour ( whole grain, part, or all white)

1 T sea salt

6 T baking powder

6 T sugar

2 cups powered milk. (I never add this because I always use milk with the mix when I make pancakes)

To use for pancakes/ waffles take 1 egg, 1 cup water or milk, 2 tablespoons melted fat and 1 1/2 cups mix.

Canning butter

I have been wanting to can butter for a long time and now I can say that I've pulled it off. You can google 'canning butter' and find many ways in which to do it. I began with 11 pounds of butter. (photo shows 12 but I only used 11 for 12 pint jars) HERE are the perfect directions!

I very slowly melted them until nearly boiling.

There is a white layer of foam that will appear on the top when it reaches the boiling point and this I skimmed off and set aside to put in the fridge for later use or you can pour it back in and stir it down. It didn't want to stir down well so I just kept it separate.

I took 12 pint jars and placed in the oven on 250 for 20 minutes before filling them. The seals I boiled and kept hot. I then ladled the hot butter into the jars and let sit until the lids began to pop. At this point I shake the warming jars every 15 minutes to keep it from separating until it consistently seems not to separate. At this point put in fridge for 24 hours until it solidifies and then they can be stored on your pantry shelf for up to 3 years!