I've had a craving for broccoli lately. Specifically in the form of broccoli salad. Here is my healthy version of a classic.
2 heads of broccoli, just the florets (save the stems for soup, stews or stir fry)
1 med shallot (or 1 small red onion), finely minced
5 full strips of uncured bacon, fried, drained & chopped
2 tsp raw honey
4 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soaked & roasted sunflower seeds
~ 1/2C homemade mayo
Basically put everything in a big bowl and mix. Salt & pepper to taste. Toss in the fridge and serve cold.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Homemade Mayo
Mayo can be healthy as well as yummy. And homemade mayo is super easy.
2 yolks from pastured eggs
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt
plop of dijon style mustard (optional)
3/4 to 1C oil - we use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil
I make mine in my kitchen aid mixer, with the whisk attachment, because my blender and food processors are terrible, and because my immersion blender bit the dust. I used to prefer the immersion blender because I thought it was the fastest and easiest method and yielded the most consistent final product.
In my mixer I put the yolks, the vinegar, the salt & the mustard and turn it on. Mix well. While mixer is running, slowly drizzle in oil. At first do it super slowly, almost drop by drop, but then you can increase to a larger stream. Just watch to make sure the oil is being entirely absorbed so you get that yummy, creamy emulsification.
I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge.
2 yolks from pastured eggs
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt
plop of dijon style mustard (optional)
3/4 to 1C oil - we use a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil
I make mine in my kitchen aid mixer, with the whisk attachment, because my blender and food processors are terrible, and because my immersion blender bit the dust. I used to prefer the immersion blender because I thought it was the fastest and easiest method and yielded the most consistent final product.
In my mixer I put the yolks, the vinegar, the salt & the mustard and turn it on. Mix well. While mixer is running, slowly drizzle in oil. At first do it super slowly, almost drop by drop, but then you can increase to a larger stream. Just watch to make sure the oil is being entirely absorbed so you get that yummy, creamy emulsification.
I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Arrowroot Apple Crumble
Adapted from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions
8 tart apples, peeld, cored & sliced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 C + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 C palm shortening, softened (or coconut oil or butter)
1/2 C + 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
dash sea salt
pinches of nutmeg, clove, ginger, and/or cinnamon
1. Mix apple slices with lemon juice.
2. Mix 1 tbsp maple syrup + lemon zest + 1 tbsp arrowroot. Mix into apple slices & lemon juice.
3. Pour apple mixture into a greased glass pan.
4. In a separate bowl, mix spices, remaining arrowroot, maple syrup and melted shortening with a fork. It should start to make small balls in the bowl as the arrowroot absorbs the oil & syrup. Add more arrowroot as needed to get a clumpy crumble.
5. Crumble arrowroot mixture over top of apple slices.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350*F for roughly one hour.
8 tart apples, peeld, cored & sliced
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 C + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 C palm shortening, softened (or coconut oil or butter)
1/2 C + 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
dash sea salt
pinches of nutmeg, clove, ginger, and/or cinnamon
1. Mix apple slices with lemon juice.
2. Mix 1 tbsp maple syrup + lemon zest + 1 tbsp arrowroot. Mix into apple slices & lemon juice.
3. Pour apple mixture into a greased glass pan.
4. In a separate bowl, mix spices, remaining arrowroot, maple syrup and melted shortening with a fork. It should start to make small balls in the bowl as the arrowroot absorbs the oil & syrup. Add more arrowroot as needed to get a clumpy crumble.
5. Crumble arrowroot mixture over top of apple slices.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350*F for roughly one hour.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Welcome Fall!
We have been busily enjoying the last days of summer as we transition into true autumn. Bike rides, kite flying, baking, apple sauce making... I foresee a trip to an apple orchard here soon, and a pumpkin patch not too long after that!
Aevryn has figured out her big bike to her complete and total comfort and has been riding laps around "the loop" on our cul-de-sac. Today she fell off for the first time, but immediately jumped right back on and kept going. She really loves her bike.
She also started gymnastics at the Y with her cousin last week. Her energy level is usually quite high, mixed with a desire to flip and jump. We thought gymnastics would be a great fit for her.
Lily is nose deep in a book at nearly all times. I'm starting to hear her use expressions and turns of phrases that are not necessarily common in our house. It's wonderful to hear how she chooses to express herself when she has the entire English language at her disposal.
She has started her pre-ballet with tap class. I have never seen this girl so serious about anything in her life. It's astounding to watch her maintain a lazer-sharp focus for an hour. Then she comes home and practices for another hour or more.
I've been focusing on yoga a few mornings a week, for the sake of my hips, back and shoulders. Pregnancy really wrecks havoc on my body.
I'm also starting to gear up for the holiday extravaganza. Plotting & planning & acquiring supplies. I'm pleased that I have a trip-of-necessity to the fabulous out-of-town yarn store to look forward to soon.
Dave is hard at work on his own new project. So everyone is contently busy, as we start to feel the pull inside, more and more.
I'm getting the nest-y feelings early, and I've really been wanting to put up a lot of food. Soups, sauces, and spices are all finding their way into my rotation here. I've got this feeling that we're in for a doozy of a winter. Or it could just be that I'm expecting a baby in late February or early March. Either way, I'm going to make sure I'm prepared!
Aevryn has figured out her big bike to her complete and total comfort and has been riding laps around "the loop" on our cul-de-sac. Today she fell off for the first time, but immediately jumped right back on and kept going. She really loves her bike.
She also started gymnastics at the Y with her cousin last week. Her energy level is usually quite high, mixed with a desire to flip and jump. We thought gymnastics would be a great fit for her.
Lily is nose deep in a book at nearly all times. I'm starting to hear her use expressions and turns of phrases that are not necessarily common in our house. It's wonderful to hear how she chooses to express herself when she has the entire English language at her disposal.
She has started her pre-ballet with tap class. I have never seen this girl so serious about anything in her life. It's astounding to watch her maintain a lazer-sharp focus for an hour. Then she comes home and practices for another hour or more.
I've been focusing on yoga a few mornings a week, for the sake of my hips, back and shoulders. Pregnancy really wrecks havoc on my body.
I'm also starting to gear up for the holiday extravaganza. Plotting & planning & acquiring supplies. I'm pleased that I have a trip-of-necessity to the fabulous out-of-town yarn store to look forward to soon.
Dave is hard at work on his own new project. So everyone is contently busy, as we start to feel the pull inside, more and more.
I'm getting the nest-y feelings early, and I've really been wanting to put up a lot of food. Soups, sauces, and spices are all finding their way into my rotation here. I've got this feeling that we're in for a doozy of a winter. Or it could just be that I'm expecting a baby in late February or early March. Either way, I'm going to make sure I'm prepared!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Mmmmmm
I'm dehydrating celery tops for use this winter. The whole house suddenly smells like soup. YUM!
Monday, September 13, 2010
chocolate chip coffee coconut ice cream
1 can coconut milk (~1 3/4 C)
1 C strong, fresh-brewed coffee
2-4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp arrowroot
3 Tbsp chopped & lightly toasted almonds
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
Mix the 2T arrowroot with 1/4C of coconut milk and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat coconut milk, coffee, and maple syrup until just boiling. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in arrowroot mixture. Stir continuously, otherwise the arrowroot will clump. Batter will thicken noticeably. Stir in vanilla.
Allow to cool in fridge or freezer before pouring it into your ice cream maker. Stir in almonds & chocolate chips into batter in maker right before it's done, or just sprinkle on top after.
1 C strong, fresh-brewed coffee
2-4 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on desired sweetness)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp arrowroot
3 Tbsp chopped & lightly toasted almonds
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
Mix the 2T arrowroot with 1/4C of coconut milk and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat coconut milk, coffee, and maple syrup until just boiling. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and stir in arrowroot mixture. Stir continuously, otherwise the arrowroot will clump. Batter will thicken noticeably. Stir in vanilla.
Allow to cool in fridge or freezer before pouring it into your ice cream maker. Stir in almonds & chocolate chips into batter in maker right before it's done, or just sprinkle on top after.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Homeschooling, Day 2
Kids are currently grating laundry soap & making laundry powder. Together, without fighting, without my direct supervision or assistance. (I mean, I set them up, but now it's *their* project.)
Just today, we've also:
Played dress up and pretend Halloween.
Went grocery shopping, with Lily in charge of checking things off the list. Listened to Winnie the Pooh books on CD on the way there and back.
Done a quick survey of the changing weather and already found our first fallen leaves and pinecones. Which were promptly painted. Which then led into painting on paper... "My hands are FILTHY, but it was WORTH it, because this picture is SO GORGEOUS."
Built barns out of blocks, made elaborate jewelry out of pop beads, made houses for quarters out of puzzle pieces...
All that and dinner is simmering on the stove.
On my end, I've taken a hives-relieving bath (going on two weeks now, arg!), got a week's worth of grocery's purchased & put away, cleaned the entire kitchen, took a LLL helping call, caught up with a friend, did a load of laundry...
Sometimes you have to sit down and take stock of your day. Here I was feeling all lazy and unmotivated... just had to realize I'm not beholden to any schedule, and I don't need to be in a constant frenzy of "busyness" to be productive.
Just today, we've also:
Played dress up and pretend Halloween.
Went grocery shopping, with Lily in charge of checking things off the list. Listened to Winnie the Pooh books on CD on the way there and back.
Done a quick survey of the changing weather and already found our first fallen leaves and pinecones. Which were promptly painted. Which then led into painting on paper... "My hands are FILTHY, but it was WORTH it, because this picture is SO GORGEOUS."
Built barns out of blocks, made elaborate jewelry out of pop beads, made houses for quarters out of puzzle pieces...
All that and dinner is simmering on the stove.
On my end, I've taken a hives-relieving bath (going on two weeks now, arg!), got a week's worth of grocery's purchased & put away, cleaned the entire kitchen, took a LLL helping call, caught up with a friend, did a load of laundry...
Sometimes you have to sit down and take stock of your day. Here I was feeling all lazy and unmotivated... just had to realize I'm not beholden to any schedule, and I don't need to be in a constant frenzy of "busyness" to be productive.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Prepping for the Annual Labor Day Weekend, aka Food Extravaganza
We're off for our annual Labor Day "retreat" to a gorgeous ranch in the middle of nowhere. That's not to say that there isn't an abundance of things to do... including eat. For some reason, this holiday weekend has turned into an all-you-can-eat style family reunion. This year, Lily has been especially sensitive about foods other people are enjoying that are off-limits to us, so I've been working really hard to come up with our own special stuff.
My "bring-along" list this year:
canned chicken
an outrageous amount of fresh fruit & veggies
homemade, thoroughly local pemmican w/cranberries
dehydrated cucumber chips with dill & sea salt
kale chips
applesauce cups
banana chips
chocolate coconut flour zucchini muffins
sweet potato chips (Terra Brand)
lemonade
and...
relatively safe-ish marshmallows
safe chocolate bar
do you see where this is going?
If only I had a graham cracker recipe. I did find this one, but we're not doing almonds, especially roasted almonds, at the moment. I thought I'd made plain arrowroot cookies (like the cocoa ones I made in July), but it turns out I only have 1/2 C of arrowroot in the house.
What to do, what to do? Wing it, of course!
This is my attempt at a totally last-minute, thrown-together graham cracker cookie replacement, using only the ingredients I had in the house. What resulted was decided NOT a graham cracker... Instead, it was sweet arrowroot "chebe style" crackers. Which, if it's even possible, are better than their tapioca counterpart. Serendipity!
Sweet Arrowroot "Chebe" crackers
1/2 C arrowroot starch
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Mix wet ingredients.
3. Mix dry into wet ingredients.
4. Pour over a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet (I also oiled the tin foil after I lined the pan just to be safe).
5. Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes, stopping after about 5 or 10 minutes to poke holes in the top, since it will be getting puffy.
6. Cool and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.
My "bring-along" list this year:
and...
do you see where this is going?
If only I had a graham cracker recipe. I did find this one, but we're not doing almonds, especially roasted almonds, at the moment. I thought I'd made plain arrowroot cookies (like the cocoa ones I made in July), but it turns out I only have 1/2 C of arrowroot in the house.
What to do, what to do? Wing it, of course!
This is my attempt at a totally last-minute, thrown-together graham cracker cookie replacement, using only the ingredients I had in the house. What resulted was decided NOT a graham cracker... Instead, it was sweet arrowroot "chebe style" crackers. Which, if it's even possible, are better than their tapioca counterpart. Serendipity!
Sweet Arrowroot "Chebe" crackers
1/2 C arrowroot starch
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Mix wet ingredients.
3. Mix dry into wet ingredients.
4. Pour over a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet (I also oiled the tin foil after I lined the pan just to be safe).
5. Bake at 350*F for 25-30 minutes, stopping after about 5 or 10 minutes to poke holes in the top, since it will be getting puffy.
6. Cool and cut into squares with a pizza cutter.
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