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.  

Homemade ginger ale

Homemade ginger ale is easy and delicious.  Once you get the ginger bug made then it's smooth sailing from there.  The first photo is the ginger bug and the second the completed batch of ale.  If you want to give it a shot click HERE for the full recipe and wonderful and simple directions!

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.

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.

Exceptional Black Forest Cream Cheese Pound Cake

4 Eggs

1/2 Cup Milk

1 8 ounce cream cheese softened

1 Box Supermoist chocolate milk cake mix

1 Teas. Vanilla extract

3/4 cup cherry pie filling

Whipped cream

1.  Mix eggs, milk, eggs, and cream cheese until smooth.

2.  Add cake mix and vanilla extract and mix well.

3.  Pour half of cake batter into a well greased pan.

4.  Add cherry pie filling to form a layer on top of batter.

5.  Pour in remaining cake batter.

6.  Place cake pan in 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.  

Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Super easy individual foil pizzas

These are super easy to make.  So easy that even young children can do it with little or no supervision.  But of course with directions!

We used whole wheat tortillas, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.  Any combination of ingredients can be used depending on your desire.

Prepare according to photos!

Roll up as you a burrito.

Wrap your final creation in single pieces of foil.

Place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes!

And enjoy!  It was a BIG hit!

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?

Whatever you do, wherever you go, please

don't let the beautiful autumn season disappear without preparing these two yummy treats!  So, so delicious.  

Fall Pumpkin Cupcakes (or in this case, fall pumpkin bars in a pan.  I have an aversion to washing all those tiny holes found in muffin tins!)

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups raw sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teas. baking powder

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 teas. ground ginger

1/2 teas. ground nutmeg

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped (optional)

Mix well and bake in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes

Pumpkin Pound Cake (my edited version recipe)

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teas. baking powder

2 teas. pumpkin pie spice

1 teas. baking soda

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups butter

6 eggs

3/4 cups canned pumpkin

3/4 cups sour cream, milk, or creme fraiche

Bake at 325 degrees in greased loaf pans for 50 minutes to one hour

While I'm on the subject of cookbooks!

I have my unnecessary favorites! Heritage of America is awesome. I think your best bet us to search your library. I found this one at a thrift store a few years ago. It not only has awesome recipes from all over the country old and new it also serves as a sort of history book. I love it!

Another not so necessary cookbook is this one that only portrays cupcakes!  Oh so irresistible! 

And this one is just plain cool.  I found it hanging around my big sister's basement that is full of antiques. Unfortunately I don't have the time to commit myself to most of these recipes but one thing is for sure!  Those 1950's husbands were sure lucky!

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!

Homemade Candles

I never realized making candles could be so easy! At least these candles were easy. Plain and simple as can be!

This is what the melting wax looks like. Using a double broiler OR if you don't have one like me you can stick one pan inside another pan that is larger.

I bought soy wax 444, wicks, and holders for the wicks. I ended up buying a whole string of the wicks rather than pre cut ones because it was so much cheaper and I will have more for the next time I make them. It can all be bought from most craft stores or from amazon.

For the jars I just used random ones I found around the house.

After the melting was complete I poured it into the jars and baby sat the wicks by keeping them straight until it had solidified enough to stand on their own. From what I understand from the directions each jar should burn for 6-8 hours. Not real pretty or fragrant but they'll work great the next time the power goes off in a storm. (Which happens a lot where we live)

Canned pound cake

Shortly after I was married a group of ladies I knew from church cooked up a bunch of pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, and pound cake and baked then in canning jars. They sealed them right in the jars and gave away for gifts and for their own pantries. I lost the original recipe for doing it but I found THIS one online and made some. It turned out perfect! It's no secret that pound cake is one of my favorite treats and I look forward to popping open a jar of 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!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

Weeks of March 25th, to April 7th 2012

In my life this week....We are busily preparing for our trip out west and to partake in the wedding of our sweet daughter Robyn who will be getting married in Denver. Happens most of our family is in CO so it's a perfect wedding/vacation spot. Robyn was smarter than the rest of us though as she flew out this week rather than take the long haul with her family in the van. (smart girl) Her big sister Juli took the most awesome engagement photos and their gallery can viewed HERE and HERE.

In our homeschool this week....We are learning all about weather. But our main focus has been tornadoes. We are continuing with our Amanda Bennett Tornado unit study and doing lessons from The Weather Book.

The girls designed their own version of a weather map and described what the symbols meant, how the patterns affect our weather and how to read a weather map.

Every morning this is where we find our twins. Same chair, same corner, doing the same thing.

They not only read and do their lessons together but they love sewing and coming up with ideas to create. Here they decided it would be fun to sew up some curtains to hang in our hall window. They found them online along with a tutorial of how to sew them.

We have now entered into the world of Eugene Delacroix for our picture study. I love seeing how much the kids' knowledge and their talent in drawing is coming along and I believe I owe it to the exposure they have had in years past to great artists. If they choose not to do a copy drawing of the weekly print then they write or tell a story that the picture brings across to them. The variety of tellings I get from them are amazing to me and testify of the many different personalities between them.

Helpful homeschooling tips/advice....As summer approaches I suggest light schooling with our children. We continue our lessons through the summer months but on a smaller scale. A summer day might look like this: After chores are complete we do a few math problems from a lesson, an hour or so of independent reading, some copy work and memory work, and finishing up with mom reading aloud from some books we are in. Lunch, then hopefully some swimming, taking a walk or a picnic, or just playing in the yard running in the sprinkler or jumping on the trampoline or whatever the kids want to do.

I am inspired by....The faith of Job. Complete and total faith and trust that in all things the Lord is in charge, will never leave us, and does all things for our good.

Places we're going and people we're seeing....We are heading out west for a wedding and fun with family. We will end our time with spending a few days tending to 3 grandkids while their mom and pop take a quick trip together. Should be a ton of fun seeing extended family and spending time with our 5 wonderful grandkids.

My favorite thing this week was....Flying through the wooded outdoors while taking my kids rides on the motorcycles. The weather was screaming for us to come out and play!

What's working/not working for us....Our commonplace/learning journals. They are an irreplaceable tool in the children's learning. I am amazed at what they retain when they journal what they are learning through their reading of whole books. It's simplicity in the purest form but it brings the utmost in a quality education. I am at the point where I have volumes of them saved up from previous years and I love looking through them and see how far the children have come.

Questions/thoughts I have....I've been thinking a lot about "losing" another daughter through marriage. But at the same time, while it makes me sad, I love seeing the branches of our family tree expanding and growing new limbs. So really, I'm not "losing" anything. I'm only being added upon!

Things I'm working on....Strengthening my faith in the Father. Putting things into perspective, straightening up my spiritual vision and trusting more, questioning less.

I'm reading....Power Yoga

I'm cooking....Bust Your Buttons Buttercake. Or rather Miss Emma is. My Emma loves to bake. But her favorite baking project is bread. Every other day you will find her in the kitchen whipping up her favorite bread dough. And it is delicious.

I'm grateful for....Luke. Luke would be our future new son and our Robyn loves him very much and he loves her. Grateful that he is a strong man of God with faith and a vision to walk hand and hand with our girl forever.

I'm praying for....Safety on our trip, happiness for my bride to be daughter, and for smiles all around as we look forward to an extremely crazy, busy couple of weeks.

A photo and quote to share....Per my little daughters request. I am showing all the "blog people" how well she can balance!

Quote....There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent. ~Ghandi