Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate

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I know I'll never be one of those hugely popular bloggers, mainly because I'm not a photographer.  Case in point:


Nothing fancy about my pictures, just a quick shot of what I happened to be making and consuming in my kitchen on a normal basis.  So, sorry no fancy pictures or props today, just a mug of hot chocolate.

But this mug of hot chocolate is divine.  I LOVE hot chocolate and I LOVE spices, so combining the two is something that happens quite often for me.  The pumpkin gives it a nice creaminess and compliments the spices without being overwhelming.  I added some essential oils into mine, it's totally optional, the hot chocolate is fantastic without them, but it does give the spices a different depth of flavor.  Please make sure you use oils that are safe to take internally if you do add the oils.


Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate for One
1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 oz Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (about 2 tablespoons+1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop Protective Blend Essential Oil Blend (optional)
1 drop Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil (optional)

Directions
Heat almond milk over medium heat, until hot and steaming.  Stir in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and coconut sugar.  Mix well, then add in the chocolate chips and stir constantly until chips are melted and mixture is hot and steaming again.

Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the vanilla and essential oils.  Pour into a large mug and enjoy!

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Gluten Free Friday, Whole Food Friday, and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.
Posted by at 8:13 AM 2 comments
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Saturday, October 26, 2013

Weekly Menu (10/27/13-11/02/13)

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This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:
  • romaine hearts
  • yellow squash
  • cucumbers
  • onion
  • fennel
  • blackberries
  • bananas
  • kiwi
  • persimmons
  • apples
  • watermelon
  • pinapple (gave to my brother)
We also has pears, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatoes

The kids are in school now so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:
 lunches will consist of:
  • Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
  • or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
  • or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
  • chips or crackers
  • fruit (usually applesauce, mandarin oranges, or bananas)
  • milk
Sunday: 
  • breakfast:  smoothie (I'll be using bananas, kiwi, persimmons, and berries this week)
  • lunch: sandwich, apple
  • snack: cucumbers and hummus
  • dinner:
    • pizza
    • green salad
    • watermelon slices
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: 
  • breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: persimmon and cashews
  • dinner:
    • french toast
    • hashbrowns
    • apple slices
Friday:
  • breakfast:  smoothie
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: crackers and hummus
  • dinner:
    • Juniper Takeout
Saturday: 
  • breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
  • lunch: sandwiches
  • snack: cucumbers and hummus
  • dinner: (our church fall festival)
    • chicken soup (expermenting)
    • salad
Posted by at 1:22 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Oven Baked Asparagus Fries

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After sharing the Asparagus Fries recipe from The Veggie Book, I ended up switching it up a lot and making my own version of Asparagus Fries.  I used my flour mixture from my fried green beans, replacing the cornmeal with almond flour...holy cow, these are good! The cayenne pepper just brings it to a whole new level.


Oven Baked Asparagus Fries
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten
~1 tablespoon water
1 bunch of asparagus (try to have young, thinner asparagus if possible)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F and grease a large baking sheet.  In a medium bowl (or even a gallon sized ziploc bag), combine together the flour blend, almond flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and the water.

Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut the stalks in half. Toss the asparagus in the egg, then coat them in the flour mixture.   Place them evenly on the baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425F, or until desired doneness is reached.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, and Whole Food Fridays.
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Sunday, October 20, 2013

Weekly Menu (10/20/13-10/26/13)

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This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:
  • green apples
  • bananas
  • red pears
  • persimmons
  • pomegranates
  • cucumbers
  • yellow squash
  • beet
  • lettuce
  • red onions
We also has green peppers, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and tomatoes

The kids are in school now so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:
 lunches will consist of:
  • Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
  • or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
  • or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
  • chips or crackers
  • fruit (usually applesauce, mandarin oranges, or bananas)
  • milk
Sunday: 
  • breakfast:  muffins
  • lunch: sandwich, apple
  • snack: cucumbers and hummus
  • dinner:
    • spaghetti and meatballs
    • green salad
    • pear slices
Monday:
  • breakfast:  grapefruit and scrambled eggs with veggies
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: cucumber and hummus
  • dinner:
Tuesday:
  • breakfast:  smoothie
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: kiwi and cashews
  • dinner:
Wednesday:
  • breakfast: smoothie
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: cucumber and hummus
  • dinner:
    • pork tamales
    • beans and rice
    • pear slices
Thursday: 
  • breakfast:  scrambled eggs and veggies
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: persimmon and cashews
  • dinner:
    • one-eyed sandwiches
    • bacon
    • hash browns
    • sliced apples
Friday:
  • breakfast:  smoothie
  • lunch: (having a work Halloween party) Zuppa Tuscana soup, veggies, and pumpkin bars for dessert
  • snack: carrots and hummus
  • dinner:
    • pizza
    • green salad
    • apple slices
Saturday: 
Posted by at 1:51 PM 0 comments
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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Yes, I'm definitely on a pumpkin kick.  I love fall, I love the weather change, I love the holidays, I LOVE the food.  So, this week's recipe is another pumpkin one, cookies this time, though.  I realized I didn't have an pumpkin cookie recipes on here, so I needed to remedy that.  Enjoy!


Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from here)

 1 1/2 cups palm oil shortening
3 cups coconut sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3 cups gluten free flour blend
3 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (10oz) package Enjoy Life dairy-free mini chocolate chips (~1 3/4 cups)

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and coconut sugar together.  Add in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour blend, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Chill the cookie dough for aobut 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper (if desired).

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets and bake at 375F for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top.

Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the pans, then remove and finish cooling on wire racks.

Yield: ~4 dozen cookies.

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, and Whole Food Fridays.
Posted by at 5:00 AM 1 comments
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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Asparagus Fries from Harvest Your Health Bundle Sale

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NOTE: This offer is no longer available.

If you saw my posts on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you know that I am helping promote the 'Harvest You Health' bundle sale.  I thought it would be fun to share a couple of recipes and pointers from some of the books.  Today's recipe is Asparagus Fries  from The Veggie Book: How to Pick, Prepare and Plate by Sara Shay, Danielle Tate, and Debra Worth.  The Veggie Book helps you turn the veggies you want to serve into veggies they want to eat.  It features 10+ veggies in over 150 pages of recipes, nutrition, and storage information for veggies many of us grew up eating out of a can.

image from The Veggie Book by Shay, Tate, and Worth

Asparagus Fries from The Veggie Book
10-12 asparagus spears
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs (use GF)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon parsley

Trim off the root end of your asparagus and cut each spear in half.  If you have spears that are thicker than others you may want to cut them in half length-wise to ensure even cooking.  Place eggs, beaten in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl or plate mix together your salt, pepper, parsley, and breadcrumbs together.  Dip spears into egg mixture and then breadcrumbs. Place on greased pan and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes until desired tenderness is reached.

 There are some fantastic dipping sauces (orange mayo dipping sauce and herb dipping sauce) in the book to serve with the asparagus fries, so go check it out!

The following is the list of all the eBooks, meal plans, online magazine subscriptions and discount codes included in this once in a lifetime offer. Use the links to obtain more detailed information on each specific category or book.  If you are interested in purchasing the bundle go here:



Cooking/Preparing Paleo Food

Cooking/Preparing Real Food

Meal Plans

Personal/Home Care (Skin, Hair, Teeth, Cleaning)

Fertility, Pregnancy, Babies, Children, Motherhood

Inspiration

Fitness

Intentional/Simple Living

Informational

Detoxify

Online Magazine Subscriptions

Discounts




Posted by at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Weekly Menu (10/13/13-10/19/13)

Yum
This week in our Bountiful Basket we got:
  • asparagus
  • cherry tomatoes
  • lettuce
  • green onions
  • celery
  • green bell peppers
  • potatoes
  • apple pears
  • red pears
  • apples
  • bananas
  • grapefruit
Our garden is winding down, but we still have kale and some tomatoes from our garden

The first half of the week we'll be home, but we are leaving Wednesday morning to visit my sister and her family, so the kid's breakfast and lunches will be the same as mine from that point on.

 The kids are in school now so breakfasts will consist of their choice of:
 lunches will consist of:
  • Sandwiches (Peanut Butter and Jelly or Ham)
  • or Pizza Flatbreads (Schar crispbread topped with cheese and pepperoni)
  • or Crackers, veggies, and hummus
  • chips or crackers
  • fruit (usually applesauce, mandarin oranges, or bananas)
  • milk
Sunday: 
  • breakfast:  nothing, fasting as part of my religion
  • lunch: nothing, fasting
  • snack: nothing, fasting
  • dinner:
    • tomato soup
    • asparagus fries
    • apple slices
    • green salad
Monday:
  • breakfast:  grapefruit and scrambled eggs with veggies
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: celery sticks and almond butter
  • dinner:
    • tamales for the family
    • quinoa with veggies for me
    • sliced apple pears
    • green salad
Tuesday:
  • breakfast:  green smoothie
  • lunch: leftovers
  • snack: pear slices and cashews
  • dinner:
    • hot ham and cheese sandwiches
    • oven fries
    • sliced apple pears
    • green salad

Wednesday: (the start of our road trip)
  • breakfast: grapefruit and scrambled eggs with veggies
  • lunch: Chick-fil-a
  • snack: apples and Enjoy-life smore's decadent bars
  • dinner:
    • peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
    • applesauce
    • chips
    • celery sticks
Thursday: 
Friday:
Saturday: (we'll be on the road on the way home)
Posted by at 8:18 PM 0 comments
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Friday, October 11, 2013

Homemade Lip Balm using Essential Oils (more tips from Harvest Your Health Bundle Sale)

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NOTE: This offer is no longer available.

 If you saw my post on Monday and the other one on Wednesday, you know that I am helping promote the 'Harvest You Health' bundle sale.  I thought it would be fun to share a couple of recipes and pointers from some of the books.  Today I wanted to share a little bit from some of the non-cookbook ebooks.  If you follow my blog at all, you know my love for essential oils.  I've been on this path toward natural living, and I still have a ways to go.  Well, there are quite a few books I'm so excited about, that will help me on my journey, these include: Salve made Simple, My Buttered Life (4 books total), Natural Cleaning, Simple Scrubs to Make & Give, Homemade Health and Beauty, and The Holistic Mama's Guide to Homemade Skin Care.  It's a lot of helpful books, isn't it?  I now have so many ideas for shampoos, deodorants, face cleansers, lip balms, salves for wounds, and more.  To say I'm excited about these books is an understatement.

I thought I'd share one recipe from My Buttered Life: Gift Edition by Renee Harris, lip balm. It's simple and would make a fantastic gift or to just have on hand for those winter months, I know my family goes through a lot of lip balm in the winter, so I'm very happy I now have this recipe on hand. She also has a youtube video on how to make the lip balm:



Flavored Lip Balm
by Renee Harris

1 oz Beeswax
1 oz Shea butter
1 oz coconut oil (a little more during cooler months)
3/4 teaspoon essential oil of choice
18-20 lip balm tubes

Place beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil in double boiler.

Melt and stir with a wooden skewer.  Drop a small amount for testing on foil or wax paper. Once cool, test on lips.  If it's difficult to apply to lips, melt in a bit more coconut oil and repeat this step.

Remove from heat, wait a few minutes, and add essential oil(s).

 Stir with wooden skewer and then drop liquid into lip balm tubes using a medicine dropper.
The following is the list of all the eBooks, meal plans, online magazine subscriptions and discount codes included in this once in a lifetime offer. Use the links to obtain more detailed information on each specific category or book.  If you are interested in purchasing the bundle go here:



Cooking/Preparing Paleo Food

Cooking/Preparing Real Food

Meal Plans

Personal/Home Care (Skin, Hair, Teeth, Cleaning)

Fertility, Pregnancy, Babies, Children, Motherhood

Inspiration

Fitness

Intentional/Simple Living

Informational

Detoxify

Online Magazine Subscriptions

Discounts



Posted by at 7:00 AM 0 comments
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