Homemade Cream of Wheat - Blendtec Recipe

For Christmas we got a Blendtec from my father-in-law.  I've always wanted a fancy blender but I already had one and I had a blender attached to my Bosch mixer so there didn't seem to be any point in buying a new fancy blender, but when your father in law gives you one...well then that really is Christmas.  I mainly use my Blendtec to make green smoothies.  It is awesome at that but yesterday morning while I was in bed I suddenly wondered what the heck was in cream of wheat.  I loved cream of wheat as a child.  Oatmeal....well that was OK but cream of wheat was my favorite.  Now as an adult I don't eat it nearly as much as I want to.  Cream of wheat is not cheap.  My husband laughed at me when I said this but it is true.  Cream of wheat cost more than oatmeal so I buy oatmeal.  But yesterday morning I was really craving cream of wheat so I got online and typed in homemade cream of wheat.  Turns out you can totally do it and thanks to my blendtec it was super easy!  There are tons of recipes of this online and honestly I just spent about ten minutes trying to find where I found the recipe...I can't but there are lots of recipes out there so use my write up or find one you like.

I threw a bunch of white wheat in my Blendtec and just hit pulse.  In less then a minute I had a nice coarse ground.  Then I put ground wheat, milk, and water in a pan and let it simmer.  I just keep stirring the stuff because it sticks like crazy to the bottom of the pan.  In less than ten minutes I had homemade cream of wheat!  A little butter, a little brown sugar and I was in heaven.  My kids loved it.  Can you believe this is the first time they'd ever had cream of wheat.  So exciting to find out it was so easy, so cheap, so not full of preservatives....

2/3 cup ground wheat
1 1/3 milk
1 1/3 water

Mix, simmer, stir, keep at it until the liquid is boiled off and the wheat has softened, then enjoy!

Pinned It - Something Sweet

 I've never made fresh lemonade.  Is that weird?  I grew up in Arizona with grandparents who had citrus in their backyard.  I've made and drunk gallons of orange and grapefruit juice but for some reason no lemon.  This week I had a bag of lemons.  I needed two.  Thank you pinterest.  Because of weight watchers I only had a small sip but it tasted delicious and the kids LOVED IT!  Who knew lemonade was so easy to make.  With the hot summer on the way we are definitely going to be making more of this.

 March 14, the day nerdy foodies like to indulge in a little math joke.  This year with strawberries running a dollar a quart I went with this little beauty.  Something about a cool pie, so yum!  Anyone want to sit and eat and get fat with me this summer :)

 I holidays traditions for the kids and St. Patrick's Day is no exception.  I love to put a little something/something together for them.  This year it was this great idea.  How cute are these rainbows?

 These two weren't pins, but I almost felt like they should have been.  G bear came home with this leprechaun paper plate face mask and every time I look at it I just crack up.  And then there are the magazines.  These are just a few of the magazines Dr. J has gotten over the last few months...so many that I swear he's never going to read them.  Why can't this stuff just all be apps on your I Phone?  Stop killing trees med profession.  And while we are on that it's time to move away from pagers.  2012, please start texting!  Ok off the soap box.  I want to toss these magazines but they are what is current in medicine and sometimes Dr. J likes to flip through them, but they were driving me crazy falling down on the shelf, so I found these cute magazine holders at target.  Just a dollar a piece in the dollar section.  Hurrah!

Pinned It

I love Pinterest.  It takes bookmarks, allows you to organize them by category, add a picture so you can actually remember what the heck they represent, and see what your friends are looking at as well.  For people who love projects, well it is amazing. There is some concern going around that make me a little nervous about the terms they use.  Like really if they think they own pictures that are posted, well that just doesn't make sense, but as it is currently being used as a photo bookmarking site with social media bits, well that is fun and addicting.  My friends send me to blogs I never would have found, introduce me to knew recipes, and give me so many project ideas.  The only thing I dislike, pins on facebook.  But that's just me.  These are things I saw on Pintrest and then did this week.  To be clear, I don't own these ideas, or the sites, or the photographs on the sites :)  I just pinned them or saw them on a friends site pinned and I went to the site and did them.  Now if you want you can go and do them to.  Yes I recommend it!

Have a lot of bags laying around.  Sure I have reusable bags but about half the time I forget to put them back in my car, and so I always have grocery bags.  We use them for our bathroom trash cans but they drive me nuts because they are all over the place.  This site shows you how to to roll those puppies up and pull them out one by one :)

I let my kids watch way too much TV, I mean way too much.  Sometimes I have hard time coming up with things to do.  Well guess what let's go back to the basics.  I made homemade play dough with the kids one night off this site and they had so much fun picking out the colors and everything I needed was in my cabinet.  

Ahh my counter is such a mess all the time.  Why didn't I think of bringing file folders downstairs to use?  I have categories like bills to pay, papers to file, a folder for all the kids school work, and any papers I need for any up coming appointments.  

My mops group and I did a really cool service project.  I was responsible for the salads and decided to make an Oliver Garden Dressing to come along.  YUM!

Heard about eating quinoa for breakfast instead of oatmeal.  Have been loving quinoa, bananas, some pecan slivers, a drizel of honey, and a 1/2 cup of almond milk for breakfast.  So yummy!  Turns out you can make quinoa super simple in your rice cooker.  Check out how, here.  The only negative...my hubby and son hate the smell of the quinoa cooking.  Still delicious!!!!

Need something new to do with your hair, try a top knot.  Great way to deal with that post prego hair loss.

Desert for breakfast, how about cinnamon roll waffles.  They use canned ones for these but I just rolled some left over pizza dough I had, added some brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and raisins, rolled it back up and sliced.  Delicious!!!!!  You should be warned though...difficult to clean the waffle iron after.  I think I just need to make regular waffles and throw the first one away :)

Finally I bought a ton of flowers to make hair clips for the girls.  I was thinking about where I was going to put them.  Pin!

Robyn's Granola

This is a Green Smoothie Girl Recipe...that I totally love.  It is super easy to make and the ingredients are stuff I have in my house.  If you don't have some of the dry ingredients you can leave them out and be fine.  Today I left sesame seeds out because I couldn't find them.  I know I have some, they were just lost in the disaster I call my pantry!

Mix Well:
8 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup raw wheat germ
1 cup shredded coconut (I buy this at the health food store, unsweetened)
1/2 cup freshly ground flax seeds
1 1/2 cups nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds...pretty much any variety or type you like)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Heat on stove until barely melted, stirring together:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses or Grade B maple syrup (maple syrup is my favorite, but today I used molasses because I have some that is never going to get used otherwise and it still taste great, maybe just not quite as sweet)
1/2 cup water (haha, I forgot the water today and it turned out great, in fact I'd say that I actually got more chunks which is my favorite part)
1/2 cup coconut oil
optional: 1 tbsp. maple flavoring or vanilla

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until distributed evenly (this takes a few minutes).  Bake at 250 degrees, stirring every 20 minutes for 45-90 minutes or until dry (I usually only do 40 minutes because I don't want to risk burning it).  Keep in the pantry for up to 2 weeks in cooler weather, or the fridge for up to six weeks. 

Homemade Magic Shell

Childhood memories are so sweet.  Who didn't love a Dairy Queen dipped cone?  They actually have a product called "Magic Shell" which allows you to relive that memory at home.  Turns out you can make your own with chocolate chips and coconut oil.  Thanks to a friend's post on facebook I got the recipe here at http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/07/08/diy-magic-shell/ . 

Recipe:

Measure 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips into a bowl and add 1/2 cup solid coconut oil.

Microwave 1-1 1/2 minutes.

Stir.

Dribble over ice cream (We used a medicine dispenser but you can also just pour).

That's it, easy peasey.  I put the finished product in a jar in the fridge where it can be reheated in the microwave whenever we need.  I love being able to make products like this at my house with stuff I just have in the cupboard.  Hurray for facebook and cooking blogs!    

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup solid coconut oil.

Just mix after melted.



Easy way for the kids to disperse it!

This was the most delicious desert I've had in years...Homemade raspberry pie, a scoop of ice cream, magic shell on top.  SO YUMMY!!!!!

Chicken Soup

Every family has a couple of go to comfort dishes, and chicken soup happens to be my personal favorite.  My mom would chop up the veggies add tons of chicken and then we'd garnish with lime, cilantro and chips.  The combination of salty, tart, and just a little sweet was always divine.  Last week when everyone was still sick I decided to cook up a pop of chicken soup.  My kids love their soup with noodles so I threw in some egg noodles.  Egg noodles how I love you.  A make a pile of flour in a bowel and mix in a sprinkle of salt.  Then I stir in one egg.  Too sticky, add more flour, too dry add another egg.  When I have a nice dough I roll it out, cut it into strips and add the noodles to the boiling pot of soup a small handful at a time.  They take 10 minutes to prep, 2 minutes to cook, and just a few seconds for my kids to eat.

Ain't No Fool

I waited until the last minute to plan my day today so I turned to Family Fun to solve my April Fool's day dilemma, such a great site for parents!

 I found these cute little donut seed packets.  Print, cut, glue, fill with Cheerios...the kids loved these. 

 Breakfast was french toast cut into strips with jam.  I told the kids we were having french fries and ketchup for breakfast.

 They had this game of memory, where none of the pictures matched.  The first time I looked at this I thought yuck how jerky.  I could just imagine my kids getting frustrated, one of the reasons I'm not a fan of pranks.  But then I thought, this would be a perfect way to get dad.  So I printed off the memory.  When Dr. J came home Captain E was ready.  "Dad will you play memory with me."  It didn't take long for Dr. J to realize no pairs were popping up and then Captain E got to yell, "April Fools!" 

For dinner we had grilled cheese and pie :)  The grilled cheese was toasted pound cake with orange frosting and our pies were deep dish pizzas.  I was going to make a Sheppard's pie with "frosting" potatoes but I just didn't have the stomach for it.  Can we say it was long whiny day for my kids.  This was fun as well.  What kid doesn't like pizza and the kids sure were surprised when they bit into there "grilled cheese". 

Miss Peach has been sick for a week.  Can you tell by looking at her hair?

Crunchy Garlic Chicken

I decided to start with something classic and simple, crunchy chicken, who hasn't made it.  Jamie's recipe, 241, it is quick, easy, and all kids love it.  This particular recipe is delish!  It calls for plain crackers which I just never seem to have around, so I replaced it with a slice of toasted bread.  I mean who doesn't have bread.  You could pan fry or bake, I choose to break.  What was different?  Well for one, fresh parsley and a garlic clove food processed with the bread crumbs.  It made for a great flavor.  I was worried that Captain E would reject the chicken outright because the flecks of green on it.  Nope, instead he said and I quote, "This is the best thing I've ever eaten."  G bear took one bite and said, "Sweet."  Peach said, "Yum, yum."  Total prep with cooking, 30 minutes!  I paired it with a yummy salad.  Jamie does a pick and mix style p. 118, pick a soft, crunchy, herby, veggie, cheese, and topping.  Dressing p. 106, 1/3 cup yogurt, 2 tablespoons of red vinegar, 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper...put in the jar, add a lid, and shake.  It isn't ranch but it is simple, decent, and a good use of my homemade yogurt.  Overall it was a yummy meal. 

Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie

For my nieces birthday....little A wants a drink that is pink and her mom wants one that healthy.  This is Robyn Openshaw's, the Green Smoothie Girls recipe.

1 1/2 cup coconut liquid
1 large carrot, cleaned and cut into 3 pieces (or 5-6 baby carrots)
1/4 or a medium beet, raw, peeled
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup chopped dates
2 tsp. vanilla
12 frozen strawberries

optional: 1-2 tbs. hemp protein or Sun Warrior brand fermented brown rice protein powder
optional: 2 Tbsp. kefir or yogurt

Puree all ingredients except the strawberries and hemp protein in your high-power blender for 90 seconds.  Add the strawberries and puree on high until smooth.  Add the hemp protein for the last 5 seconds.

Jamie and Me

My personal life revolves around hunger.  I wake each morning with an empty stomach because my three baby birds are squawking to be fed.  I climb out of bed and feed them.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, planning, buying, preparing, eating, cleaning up after...FOOD RULES MY LIFE!  There was a time when I actual enjoyed food, but nine years of being the major procurer and preparer in my home has left me in a lurch.  Peanut butter and jelly, quesadillas, pancakes, green smoothies, spaghetti, tacos, cereal, stir fry, salad, hummus, pizza.  We eat the same seven or eight things almost constantly.  If I ask the kids what they want their answers will be pizza, chicken nuggets, or eggs.  If I ask Dr. J, ninety percent of the time he will say stir fry or pasta.  WE NEED AN INTERVENTION!  I tried making dhal and naan using some online recipes I found.  At best you could describe my attempts as bland.  A friend suggested I grab Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Today I picked it up and found three new recipes I'm willing to try this week and so here it is, Jamie and Me, a blatant rip off of The Julie and Julia Project only much simpler because let's face it I'm never going to be up to Julia Child's cooking caliber or for that matter Julie Powell's writing and daily blog prowess .  Also only three people are ever going to read it.  You guys know who you are!  I need a lift though and I'm hoping Jamie can bring it. 

What I need from a cookbook:
-Food affordability.  There is only a certain amount of money to spend each month.
-Quality ingredients and Health.  Whole food, home prepared, lots of veggies, fruits, variety, and organic are important to me.
-Easy.  I hate when cookbooks are hard to follow.
-Availability of ingredients.  Three kids mean I only want to shop once a week at one store.  If they don't have what I need them I'm out of luck.  Recipes that take too many fancy ingredients or fancy equipment aren't for me. 
-Limited prep and cook time.  Who wants to be in the kitchen forever?
-Taste.  Who wants to eat something that taste like hud.  I don't and there is no way I could force my three baby birds to either!

Jamie save me!  Take this stay at home mom out of her rut!  Interested in his movement, check it out here.  Thanks to April, who is a cooking and cook book fiend, for cluing me in.

The Best of Clean Eating - Slow Cooker Carrot Cake

 A couple of weeks ago I found this book at Sam's club.  I'm loving it.  For the most part I've cut most of the sugar out of my life but occasionally I want a sweet treat that has a little more nutritional value.  I've been doing a lot of green smoothie girls stuff but I needed some variety.  Two Sunday's ago when Peach was too sick to go to church I made this little dish.  It wasn't like the carrot cake I get at the hospital...I have a secret love affair with the hospital carrot cake, push a baby out, order carrot cake twenty minutes later.  Have my appendix out, order carrot cake for breakfast, so it isn't that good but for something pretty darn health it tasted pretty darn good.  Dr. J didn't like the frosting, he thought it should be sweeter.  Go figure.  Here is the recipe exact...

Ingredients

olive oil cooking spray

1 1/4 cups all purpose spelt flour

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup unsweetened sultana raisins (golden raisins)

1 large egg white

1 tsp flaxseed, ground, mixed with 2 tsp water

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 oz carrot, peeled and finely shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

cheese honey drizzle ingredients

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 Tbsp raw organic honey

1 lemon, finely zested and juiced, divided (Dr. J thinks this is to much lemon and not enough honey :)

Instructions:

Cut parchment to fit bottom and sides of stoneware insert.  (worked perfect with my 3 quart slow cooker...might not be enough for a big slow cooker).  Spray inserts or dish with cooking spray and line with prepared parchment. 

Place flour, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk lightly to combine.  Stir in raisins.

In a separate large bowl, combine egg white and flax-water mixture and whisk until bubbles form.  Add honey, applesauce, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until well blended.  Stir in dry ingredients, until just mixed.  Fold in carrot and pour mixture into prepared stoneware dish.  Cover entire top of slow cooker with three layers of paper towel and secure with lid.  This will catch the extra condensation in the slow cooker and prevent the cake from getting too moist.  Bake for two hours on low or until a knife inserted in centre of cake comes out dry.  Remove stoneware dish and place on cooling rack until cool.

Slice cake into ten equal portions, about three ounces each and serve warm or at room temperature with one tablespoon Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle.

Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle

In a small bowl, heat cream cheese on high in microwave until slightly warm, about 10 to 15 seconds.  Remove from microwave and use a rubber spatula to stir honey into cream cheese until smooth.  Add pinch lemon zest and two teaspoons lemon juice and continue to stir.  Slowly add two tablespoons water, a bit at a time, until mixture is consistency of thick cream. 

Calories for 3 oz cake and 1 tbsp drizzle is 190.

Yummy No Meat Dinners - Lentils with Noodles, Fake Lasagna

In my day I try to eat about 60% raw but that doesn't mean I have any desire to be a vegetarian.  I like meat.  It taste good.  That being said I've watched enough Eating Meat documentaries to have some qualms about the stuff.  So for the most part I try to only eat the best product I can and limit how much of it we eat.  So here are two fun meatless dishes we ate this week.

Lentils With Noodles

Saute the white part of green onions and garlic in olive oil.

 Add broth, either veggie or chicken.

After the lentils are soft add stewed tomatoes. 

Boil water and add ditalini. Boil for 7 minutes.  Strain.

 . 

 Put noddles in a bowl, throw lentils on top, add sliced scallions.  For extra goodness throw on a few chunks of cream cheese.  This dish is totally delicious.  It is like something we ate in Egypt that I still dream about.  It is also popular in the Mediterranean. 

Fake Out Lasagna

One of the meals that Captain E really enjoys is stuffed shells.  The problem, I always end up with way to much stuffing.  I decided that I would use the extra to make lasagna.  Imagine my surprise when I realized I only had three levels left.  Ahhh.  So instead I just cooked up some whole wheat penne noodles and my three .  I added a just a plain spaghetti sauce (sauteed garlic, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, a dash of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, oregano, basil).  I added it to the penne noodles, threw the ricotta mix on top, added mozzarella, and then put the three lasagna noodles on top.  More sauce and mozzarella and I was done :) 

Day 50 - Alone...Wow these post are getting boring ;)

So here we are at day 50 alone.  Peach wants to say bye, bye :)  Good for her.  The end is at hand.  Dr. J is doing his last Chicago interview.  There are three more that he for sure is doing.  He cancelled four others today.  The interview process is so draining emotionally, physically, monetarily (don't believe me ask my bank account which gone into protective custody).  At a certain point when you are relatively sure you have secured a yes at more than one place that you happen to really like, well then maybe it is time to pack some of them in.  This leaves his with fifteen interviews, probably ten places that we would be really excited to go.  So the hope is that other candidates who maybe didn't get as many interviews will get some more.  There are two other interviews that we are still on the fence on. They are great places to go but because of their distance from home (we are talking far north east) and the fact that the interviews practically overlap each other we're having trouble being excited about them.

Tonight I made the kids oatmeal.  Yup, that's where this crew happens to be on their culinary delights tour.  I know it sounds horrible but the kids were excited.  I wouldn't say they are picky but they definitely prefer plain.  They had theirs dripping with brown sugar.  I added sliced bananas and pecans to mine, my favorite way to eat oatmeal...and it was divine!!!!  The bananas give it sweetness the pecans give it crunch.  Yesterday we did sweet potato quesadilla an idea I got from my friend Linda.

I sauteed 1/2 an onion in olive oil, then added two grated sweet potatoes.  When the mix was nice and cooked I three in a cup of cooked black beans.  Then I made quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas.  In my frying pan I had, tortilla, layer of cheese, sweet potato mix, layer of cheese, and another tortilla.  Cooked on one side until it had browned, flipped and cooked on the other side.  I served them with sour cream and homemade salsa.  So yummy!!!!!!

Whole Food Thanksgiving Pitfalls

As a girl who appreciates food Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  There is something about is, family oriented, wholesome, delicious, and yet some of the foods that we think of as wholesome are not only calorie laden but are far from whole food.  Here are some of the most common Thanksgiving Pitfalls.

Pumpkin Pie:  I bought pie pumpkins this year and thought I was so ahead of the game.  Then I threw a can of of evaporated milk into my cart.  Ingredients: Milk, dipotassium phosphate, carrageenan, Vitamin D3.  It isn't a ton of stuff but I really just wanted milk.  Want to add Ready Whip to the top: Cream, milk, corn syrup, sugar, mono-and diglycerides, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, nitrous oxide.  A frozen pie crust: Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil), Water, Dough Conditioner (Dextrose, Wheat Starch, Salt, Baking Soda, Calcium Propionate [A Preservative], Vegetable Shortening [May Contain Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/Or Cottonseed Oil], Sodium Bisulfite), Salt. Contains: Wheat, Soybean.

OK, NO THANKS!!!  I found this recipe on a whole foods site by Rachel Wood and this is what I'm going to make...although I'm going to try coconut oil instead of butter.  I'm going to top it with cream I whip myself.  Make sure yours is just straight cream, some have weird preservatives in them.

Pumpkin Pie

Accompanying article: Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
Makes one 9-inch single-crust pie
For the crust:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted, cultured organic butter, well chilled
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

1 sugar pumpkin
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups organic cream
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and add them to the flour mixture. With your fingertips, quickly and deftly rub the butter into the flour to make a dry, crumbly mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the mixture. Using a fork, rapidly stir the dough until it gathers into clumps. If the mixture seems dry, add more water to hold the dough together. Gently form the dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator to rest and chill for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, place the pumpkin halves in a pan, shell side up, and bake for 1 hour or until the pumpkin is tender and exudes liquid and the shell starts to sag. Scrape the pulp from the shell and purée it with a fork or potato masher or in a blender. Measure 2 cups of the purée and set it aside. Reserve any additional pumpkin for another use.
Lightly butter a 9-inch pie pan. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and, starting from the center out, roll the dough to about 2 inches larger than the size of the pan. Loosen the pastry, fold it in half, lift it and unfold it into the pan. Press it into place, trim off the excess dough and crimp the edges.
Increase the temperature of the oven to 425°F.
In a large mixing bowl lightly beat the eggs. Add the puree and the remaining ingredients and stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the dough-lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake an additional 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Stuffing: A typical bag: Enriched flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin, mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, whole wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% or less of each of the following: yeast, spices, dehydrated onion, salt, wheat gluten, ascorbic acid, dehydrate parsley, autoyzed yeast extract, distilled vinegar, TBHQ, soy protein.

Great, yuck.  Instead for stuffing I like to just chop up bread and toast it in the oven (it can be homemade bread if you like).  Chop up half an onion, half a thing of celery, add parsley, and a little onion salt.  Meanwhile I boil the giblets on the stove.  I add the chopped up giblets and then shove a bunch of it i the turkey.  I know they say you shouldn't but I still love it that way.  The rest goes in a cake pan and I add a little giblet water.  Then I bake it in the oven with foil over the top.

Cranberry Sauce: Wow who doesn't want to say yes to that can shape...um gross.  If you want to make your own.

12 ounce of cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice

1) In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice.  Stir in the cranberries and cook unit the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes).  Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl.  Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.  Wow so easy!

Gravy: Canned gravy: Wheat Starch, Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid), Lactose (Milk), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer), Chicken Fat, Turkey Meat, Silicon Dioxide (Added to Make Free Flowing), Onion, Torula Yeast, Caramel Color, Spice, Natural and Artificial Flavors and Sulfiting Agents.

Wow.  Tons of stuff in a little can.  My gravy is so easy.  I melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour until it has balled up.  Then I just use my turkey baster to suck out turkey juice from the bag.  I always cook my turkey in a bag.  It keeps it nice and moist while you are waiting for the dark meat to cook all the way.  I use a whisk to whisk butter, flour, and turkey juice and watch it thicken on low heat.  Super easy, super delicious.

Day 14 Alone-Menu Item on Monday

Waffle and fruit syrup recipes at the bottom!!!

Today I didn't:

-clean the bathroom

-make my bed

-get dressed until two

-make dinner, thank goodness for left overs

Today I:

-clean up after dinner

-vacuum and clean the floor of course...have to keep the mojo :)

-made homemade granola and yogurt

-helped Captain E with homework and Tae Kwon Do.  How do people deal with homework and extra curricular when they have more than one kid?  Like the Duggers, I mean seriously how do you get all the stuff done...I mean seriously.  

-missed my hubby like crazy

Today I'm thankful for: My hubby!  Oh how I miss you Dr. J.  I know we'd had this conversation a ton of times.  I'm always giving you a hard time saying that I do all the cleaning around here...well apparently I was wrong.  I am sweeping and vacuuming every day and there is still a ton of mess on the floor.  I knew you took care of the floors occasionally, I just didn't realize how often it was :)  Can't wait until you are home to sweep for me again!!!!

We eat a lot of waffles in this house.

A week ago I tried some of Robyn's Pumpkin Oatmeal Waffles-This recipe is so/so in my opinion.  I thought it tasted good but I just struggled to get it to cook right.  The outside would get nice and toasty but when I went to pull it out it would split in two because the center just would not cook.  I think I'd like to try it again in pancakes.  

2 c whole wheat flour (soft white preferable)
2 c regular rolled oats
1 (30 oz) can pumpkin
1/4 c coconut oil (liquid)
3 tbsp sucanat
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (no aluminum)-reduce by 1/2 tsp. if you soaked grains overnight
1 c yogurt or kefir
2 1/2 c water
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

mix oats in your blender to a coarse meal.  Mix the whole-wheat flour, oats, yogurt, and water together, then cover and let it sit overnight.  In the morning, add the remaining ingredients and mix by hand but don't over mix.  Batter is dense, and baking time usually must be longer than waffle timer indicates.

This recipe works out a lot better for me.  It is my favorite Betty Crooker Recipe with some variations
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sucrant
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Mix batter and put 1/4 cup on hot, lightly greased griddle.  Yum, they are good.

As for syrup options these come from Robyn and they are delicious!!!!!!
Quick Raw Applesauce
4 large Jonathan or Fuji apples, washed, cored, and quartered
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup maple syrup
Pulse all ingredients in your high power blender for a chunky sauce.  Serve over waffles or pancakes.

Berry Sauce for Waffles/Pancakes
6 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 c maple syrup
1-1 1/2 c hot water
Puree or pulse all ingredients in your blender until desired consistency is achieved.

Day 11 Alone

Today I didn't:

mind spending $124...ok I minded a little but I needed my washer back

snap my daughter in half when she threw a royal fit at the Halloween Party...I was amazingly calm...for once :)

Today I:

got the washer fixed

vacuumed the floor

washed dishes and clothes

messed with my guitar...messed is the word ;)

walked the girls to the playground...it was so cute watching GiGi run around and Peach get distracted by every little thing

took the kids to my city Halloween Party, all by myself, I rock!!!

Captain E is so old.  He comes up to my chest now.  The kiddo is tall.  He is losing his second tooth.  He would have lost it already if daddy was home.  For two weeks he's been asking me to pull it with pliers.  I'm not going to lie, I'm to much of a nancy to do it.  Reason 517 "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home".  One of my favorite things about Captain E is what a sweetie he is.  When I make a dinner he likes, something like cheese crisp or meaty spaghetti he will say, "Oh mom, thank you, this is my faaaavorite."

Gigi loves art.  She holds her pencil like a champ and really enjoys writing and drawing.  Yesterday we carved a pumpkin, giving it two faces.  Captain E designed the one side, grouchy, Gigi did the other side happy.  I was getting a knife while they designed their faces.  When I turned around I said, "Wait who drew that smiley face?"  Turns out it was Gigi, and for three years old it was pretty darn good.  I thought her brother drew it.  She also likes to see how things work.  When the washer repair man was here she sat on the table watching every little move he made.  I wanted her to get out of the way but she just said, "Mom I'm trying to learn how to fix the washer."

Peach walked herself over to the playground today.  She was so proud of every little step she took.  I can't believe how old she is getting.  Gigi and her had so much fun, especially on the swings and the rocking horse, they are both dare devils.  She also is the cutest little talker.  When ever I open the van door and the van lights goes on she says, "What's that?"  She also cracks us up all the time with her "Knock, knock."  My only complaint is she wants to be held all the time.  If I try to put her down for a nap she cry, cry, cries until someone (me) picks her back up.  I've been pretty grouchy about it and then today I stuck my finger in her mouth...tuns out she has four molars cutting as well as one of her bottom front teeth.  No wonder she is miserable. 

On the whole food/ raw food kick I'm in the process of making some Robyn Openshaw Live Granola.  I tried the ice cream I started yesterday, it was DELICIOUS!  My girlies loved it as well.  So today I'm trying the granola.

Live Granola -Robyn Openshaw-12 Steps to Whole Foods

Put in a very large bowl, cover with water and soak for 24 hours

1 1/2 c sunflower seeds

1 1/2 c oat groats

1 1/2 c pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 c raw almonds

1 1/2 c raw walnuts

6 c rolled oats

Add to the bowl for the last few hours of soaking:

1 c flax seeds

1 c sesame seeds

rinse, drain, and grind the mixture with a nut chopper or food processor

Next puree in your blender

1 c coconut oil (liquid, container warmed in a sink of hot tap water)

1 c raw honey

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

Stir this into the seed, nut, and oat mixture.  Spread on dehydrator trays and dry for 24 hours, then stir in any dried fruit you like (raisins, etc.).  Store in the fridge if this batch will last you longer than a week.

I'm hoping it is good.

Dr. J had an awesome first day in the ER yesterday.  I'm trying to remember all the stories...maybe I'll have a medical Monday :)

Day 10 Alone

Today I didn't:

get Peach to nap...I mean seriously what more can I do? I just barely got her into bed just now, please let her sleep!!!

Today I:

mopped the floor, hurray it has been days!!!!

picked up the living room

did the dish

cleaned the bathroom

actually cleared the table after dinner, I was very busy today.

got clearenced out PJ's at Children's Place for the kids.  I'm one of those mom's who think kids need new PJs for Christmas.  This just helps the bottom line :)

fed my sourdough starter

started soaking almonds for ice cream

started soaking seeds for live granola

So I haven't mentioned this before but I've been following a lot of food advice from the GreenSmoothieGirl.. 
I can't buy everything that she does but I am into a lot of it.  It helped me lose the ten pounds I gained at my mom's house.  I hope in the long run it will help me be a little more healthy.  The things I hold to, green smoothie in the morning for breakfast, salad with most of my dinners, whole grains, a lot less animal products and the big kick for me no sugar.  Ok, I occasionally have a little agava syrup or maple syrup but for the most part none.  Some of her recipes are great, some haven't work.  It is still fun.  Here is a sugar dish I'm trying out this week.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

4 cups water

1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight and drained)

2 1/2 C young Thai coconut meat

2/3 C chopped dates

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2/3 C peanut butter (no sugar added)

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp maple syrup 

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

Blend water and almonds in a high power blender until very smooth.  Pour out 2 1/2 c into a jar and refrigerate, leaving the remainder still in the blender.  Add coconut, dates, vanilla, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt to the blender, and blend on high speed until smooth.  Freeze this mixture in ice cube trays.  

When you are ready to serve, put the reserved refrigerated almond milk in a high power blender and blend on high speed while gradually adding the frozen mixture cubes.  Blend until the mixtures is thick like ice cream.  Sprinkle pecans on top right before serving.  There is a link to Robyn Openshaw making this here. I've wanted to try it out since I saw this.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

Day 3 Alone

Target Steal-I almost hate to mention this because it seems like Target has no hard and fast rules but today when I was there they were practically giving there towels away.  $1.24 for a full sized towel, $.98 for hand towels.  It was a steal of a deal.  I snagged two different colors for our future guest bathroom, lets hope they match, and four new white towels.  I love white towels, I can't help it.  Peach continues to gain more words.  "Up, hot, and Grace."  Captain E had a much better day at school today.  Thank you cold lunch.  Gigi was a happy girl at preschool today.  We did have one small fight tonight.  Gigi is hording baby dolls.  She had something like ten stuffed animals on her bed and eight baby dolls.  I requested that she give a tiny little doll back to Peach and it was a major battle.  Shesh!

Today I Didn't:

vacuum the living room

exercise

read my scripture

find young Tai coconuts, I've decided no one sells them in my town

Today I:

talked to my hubby on the phone three times, I LOVE the end of rotations!

washed dishes

cleaned the kitchen including the floor

cleared the kitchen table...FINALLY!

read with the kids

fed my sourdough starter

played outside

bought three pounds of spinach

made really great spaghetti for dinner and was very sneaky with the veggies: I baked spaghetti squash at 325 for an hour, then I cooked half the amount of regular noodles.  I mixed squash and noodles dependent on how much veggies each kid likes.  For the sauce I sauteed garlic in olive oil.  Then I added a can of diced tomatoes with petite onions.  I blended the concoction so Captain E wouldn't know there were onions in it.  Then I added sauce and Italian seasoning to taste.  The kids ate and were none the wiser!!!!

Day 2 Alone

It amazes me how aware Peach is.  She likes to scrunch her eyes up during prayer and has recently started saying "Amen" at the end of prayers, this is both at home and at church.  This morning Captain E was going particularly long on his prayer, "Please bless that I have a good day and get extra Wii time on the way.  Please bless me to get more Wii games.  Please bless me to get to watch more movies."  At a certain point it was just getting ridiculous.  All the sudden we heard "AMEN!"  I looked up and Peach was laughing.  Knock, knock jokes are a favorite pass time for my children.  Peach must be hearing a lot of them because she has started saying "Knock, knock."  "Knock, knock."  Cracks me up every time.  Dr. J has his second interview yesterday.  He was told by more than one of his interviewers that if he wanted them they would have him, that if he wanted to he wouldn't have to interview anywhere else.  This after his second interview...it is great to know it is there :)  Gigi went back to preschool today.  Considering she's been gone for three weeks I guess she did OK, that's what the teachers said.  I'm assuming she was stubborn.  Big surprise.  Captain E apparently cried twice at school today.  Rough day I guess.

Today I didn't:

wash clothes

make dinner, we went to subway after Tae Kwon Do, I had a veggie sub...yum!

clean out my car

Today I:

got the kids off to school

took Peach to the library 

cleaned up the living room

got the dishes done

helped Captain E with his homework

feel asleep on the couch and woke up when Peach hit me in the head with a shoe

took Captain E to Tae Kwon Do

ate mushroom brown rice with cold spinach, cucumbers, and sliced almonds drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for lunch, yum

I made yogurt today with a recipe off my sister's friend's blog (thanks Kami)

crockpot yogurt

8 cups whole milk

1/2 cup yogurt culture

(this is either plain yogurt from the store with live active cultures or yogurt saved from a previously cultured batch)

Pour 8 cups of milk into your crockpot. Turn the crockpot on low and let sit for 2 1/2 hours. Turn the crockpot off and let sit for 3 hours.  Stir in the 1/2 cup yogurt culture into the milk gently with a wooden spoon.  Replace the lid on the crockpot, wrap it all in a couple of heavy towels, and let sit for 8-12 hours. the yogurt is done when it smells like yogurt and tastes like yogurt. Transfer to fridge. You can strain it with a cheesecloth if you want it thicker.  Eat it plain or add honey, maple syrup or stevia.