Chicken and gravy

This has become a regular at our house.  Hubby LOVES his meat and potatoes covered in gravy (such a man) so I figured out a way to make this "traditional" meal yummy and healthy.  We eat it once a week and he gets the leftovers for lunches....he's a happy hubby!

A ton of veggies of course, some fresh from the co op and some frozen organic from costco.

Yummy gluten free gravy.  Chicken juices (easy and healthy since I cook the chicken in the crockpot and use no oil),  a bit of coconut milk (the carton, not the can) and some brown rice flour.  Maybe salt and pepper...depending on how I seasoned the chicken.

This week I was out of potatoes (gasp!!).  However, I did have cauliflower and parsnips.  I boiled them in some salt water, drained them and pealed the parsnips.  I then mashed them with a bit of coconut milk (carton), vegan butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder with my fabulous hand masher.  The hubby didn't know the difference (until I told him).  Typically I add either parsnips or cauliflower to mashed potatoes...again sneaking in as many veggies as I can into each meal :)

The chicken (after I had taken the juices out for gravy). Isn't it pretty!  Yummy pastured, happy chickens raised the way God created and processed on site by the family.  If it wasn't for farmer like Windy Meadows we would be vegan!

The final product.  Super traditional meal made super healthy. I ate most of my veggies before I remembered to take a pic :/  They are so pretty in color!! Fresh, organic produce makes all the difference in color, taste and nutrient density!

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Burger night

Burgers have become sort of a staple at our house.  Hubby loves them, they are easy and I have been able to sneak more veggies in so it's a win-win for all :)  Here are a few pics I snapped of this weeks burger night (one of two we had, haha!)

"shaving" the broccoli to add to the meat.  I forgot to take a pic once I had mixed the meat together and formed the patties :/  I put this entire head of broccoli, 1lb Livestock First ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chopped onions, an egg, 2Tbs flaxseed meal ( or some sort of gluten free flour) and a dash or two of BRAGGS Organic Sea Kelp season mix.  this makes four fabulous burger patties :)

MMMMM, cooked up nice and juicy in my cast iron skillet.  If I forget to clean it a bit of olive oil and koesher salt makes a great little scrub for stuck on burger.  Most nights I just leave it and clean the following day...hate doing dishes after a great meal, would much rather hang with mi familia :)

Mixing fresh cut potatoes (sweet, japanese sweet and white) with some coconut oil, salt, pepper and BRAGGS Organic Sea Kelp season mix.  I cook them about 30 minutes at 350 then 10 minutes high broil.

Toss the fries half way through cooking.

Now that's a mans burger!!  Toasted Garlic Sourdough bread, avocado, tomato, lettuce and mustard.

**Organicville makes a wonderful ketchup and mustard that is organic (duh) and is sweetened with agave and not sugar.....all that and gluten free, woohoo!!  (they also have salsa, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and marinades)

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Chicken soup

This has become a staple in our house!! It's easy, cheap and super nutritious. Here's the scoop on our veggie soup!

After Roasting a chicken all day for dinner I use the juices for gravy. The chicken is then removed from the crockpot and strip the bones in a baking dish. The meat is enjoyed for dinner and the leftovers are divided, bagged and frozen. The bones, scrap meat, cartilage and such go back into the unwashed crockpot (everything but the skin goes into making stock). I then add filtered water so it's just covering the bones. Dash some salt, grind a bit of pepper, add a bayleaf and about 2 tablespoons of organic white vinegar. I set this on low and let it simmer all night. The vinegar helps break down the minerals in the bones....making this healthy stock even better :) whenever I get around to it the next day (no less than 12 hours, the longer the better) I strain the stock from the stuff and trash the "stuff".

The stock is either jarred and frozen for later recipes (I never purchase broth or stock anymore) or it is dumped right back into he unwashed crockpot for a yummy veggie soup!

For veggie soup I add the following, all organic (approximates....add or substitute for what your family likes and what you have on hand. It can be as simple or complex as you want. My ingredients and consistency of soul vary each time :)
-cup of frozen corn
-cup of green beans (fresh or frozen)
-two fresh tomatoes, diced
-baggie of crushed spinach or kale (I am lazy so I bag spinach and kale in pint freezer bags. When I want them for a meal I take them out and crush them in the bag....when frozen the leaves almost shatter....no chopping required, and no mess :)
-2 carrots thinly sliced (skin on!)
-whatever else I have that sounds fun...parsnips, potatos, onion, celery and broccoli are favorites
-1/2 to 1 cup Quinoa (depending on how soupy vs stewy you want it)
-salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaf and BRAGGS Sea Kelp Season Mix to taste

I leave the crock pot on low all day and we have a fragrant house along with fantastic dinner!!

If I'm feeling extra lazy I simply let the crockpot cool a bit (cool enough to pick it up but still warm) and put the "pot" portion in my fridge on a dish towel. Wake up the next morning, put it back in the heating base on low and vualoa....yummy lunch and snacks (ours is simmering a second day as I type). Tonight I will freeze it in individual servings for hubby to take as a lunch rotation next week :). Tonight my crockpot will get a rest.....until Monday morning that is :)

This girls not messing around!!


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Vitamix....where have you been all my life????

I was finally able to purchase a refurbished vitamix blender and am IN LOVE!!!!  I make soups, dips, breads, ice cream (dairy free of course) and the BEST SMOOTHIES EVER!!!!!!!  Seriously! I can throw anything in this blender and it still makes a perfectly smooth, drinkable, frozen smoothie.....EVERYTIME!!  Green smoothies have become a big deal at our house....only to become even more of a staple in 2011!  Like I have mentioned before, I have become a bit relaxed the last two months but a ready to hit the ground running and make 2011 amazing!

Hubby didn't like the smoothies I made with my kitchen aide because they always had little spinach or kale chunks in them.....the vitamix makes everything so silky smooth.....it's fabulous!  I made big sister the best berry "ice cream" with frozen berries and some coconut milk.......she asked for coconut sprinkles and ate it like it was a dessert, yummy!!  The book that comes with the blender has a ton of recipes and the dvd is a great help! I watched it first and then read through the book to get ideas.  Now I just throw in what I have on hand.....haven't had a bad concoction yet ;)

I am forever sold on owning a commercial blender! The more I try to eat raw the more in love with this blender I am!! Make a giant smoothie in the am and head out the door with the kiddos....I can sip on it all morning driving around town.  As tasty as Starbucks, not full of ick and packed full of more nutrients than Starbucks could even dream of.  MMMMMM, getting hungry typing this! Looking forward to my smoothie in the morning :)

PS, if you don't like shopping online Vitamix does demo shows at COSTCO.  Call your local COSTCO to see when a Vitamix rep will be visiting.....super fun! You can also youtube videos of all the wonderful things your Vitamix can do.

Where this journey has brought us....random babbling

Crazy food rules, vegan, snowball of destruction and finally balance and joy in eating.  The last year (specifically the last 6 months) have been crazy when  it comes to food!  In the last year we have gone 100% dairy free and haven't looked back!  We then went to all organic produce and pastured meat/eggs in our home but still made some exceptions while out.  Sometime in May or June I went crazy (and was making myself even crazier) with all sorts of food rules and regulations.....I was taking a ton of information I was reading and just making rules for us without researching further, praying and chatting with the hubby.  A trip to California had me eating whatever was available (but always dairy free) and this forced me to relax......it was a good thing!  I have continued to research, experiment, pray and listen for what God wants our little family to do......it's a process for sure!

2010 is coming to a close and 2011 will be much smoother when it comes to food.  I am finally at a place where I can simply love and enjoy what I am eating.  I am careful to only bring quality foods into our home so whenever I am hungry I can eat whatever I have :)  Between having a baby, breastfeeding and changing how we eat I have lost 60-70lbs this year.....back into jeans I hadn't worn since before  having Stephanie.  This is all icing on the cake when compared to the amazing health benefits we have all experienced!  Major illness has stayed away, sinus infections have been cleared up with my apple cidar vinegar concoction and energy level for this mommy stays high despite being up all hours of the night to take care of kiddos :)  I continue to be amazed at the healing powers of the things God provided for us in nature and the insanity that is the prescription drug industry!  Our bodies are amazing and when fueled with the right things they work so much better.  I had no idea how much my traditional american diet was impacting my body and life until I changed it....wow!  Anytime I get relax and indulge a bit I am quickly reminded as to why that is a bad idea.....I feel like garbage shortly after :/  Great motivation to stay on track though!

So, what do we eat?

• We are still eating all organic foods, pastured meat and no dairy in our home.  I have also started to do limited gluten and seen some benefits with my allergies :) 
• We order a basic share, extra fruit and extra veggie from our co-op (your health source).  Our little family has no trouble devouring this produce in two weeks!  Thanks to my wonderful MIL we will also be enjoying a variety of dehydrated fruits as I become familiar with my new dehydrator :)
• I was vegan for a month and a half....LOVED it! Loved the freedom, loved how I felt....just loved it! Sadly the more research I have done I have decided that being vegan isn't the healthiest choice for me...especially breastfeeding.  I'm eating meat again, not as often as the food guide pyramid says I should ;) I'm eating it often enough to provide little bit with the best quality milk I can....when I am done breastfeeding I will probably try being vegan again.
• Chipoltle, Z Pizza and MooYahs (they have a FABULOUS black bean patty) are our "go to" out to eat places.  We have made some exceptions and QUICKLY pay for those decisions :/  2011 will be the year of NO MORE DRIVE THROUGHS.....I'm very excited! 
• I have to bend a bit.....we will eat at a "forbidden restaurant" if it is for the purpose of fellowship.  I realized all my rules were great for our family, They are great for health, $$ and the way we feel God has called our family to live.  The hubby also helped me understand that these rules don't have to be black and white, end all rules.  If our foster agency has a family night at a local fast food restaurant we should go......despite the "rules" it's breaking.  My food rules need to be flexible, more like guidelines.  This is something I'm working on....I can't help it! I like rules :)
• Our food choices and homeopathic options have been noticed and people are asking me questions....this makes me happy!  Living this way has become such a passion for me and the more I am able to share with people and help them on their own journey to healthier living the happier it makes me!  The drastic measures we have taken in our family aren't for everyone, but every small step helps :)

God has brought so many people into my life to help me keep perspective, share their wisdom and to help me through this crazy journey.  Our family is a zillion times better off than we were a year ago (when at exactly this time I was enjoying a HUGE rare steak after just delivering a baby.....wow how times have changed!!).  I look forward to 2011 and what I will be able to say about our food habits this time next year!

Things to Come

• Vaccines.....do your research BEFORE you take your kiddo in! THIS is a great place to start.
  

• Recipes....learning how to modify a favorite to make it a healthy favorite

• Blogs to help us on our healthy journey

• Herbs/Homeopathic.....passing on what I learn to you

• NEW Pediatrician!!! We found a homeopathic Pediatrician and I'm in LOVE....YES she is a real MD ;) Dr Deborah Bain, Frisco I had been with our old pediatrician since I was 2 (yes, 27 years!) and have now changed the girls over.....breath of fresh air!
  

• Organic vs Local...what to ask at the Farmers Market (Thanks Niki, I had NEVER thought about this!)
  

• Do you know what you are putting on your (or your kids) skin? check out THIS before you cover your largest organ with toxins (man was I EVER surprised!)

Green Smoothies

At our house we have tried both Juicing and Green Smoothies. I used a WONDERFUL juicer that my dad let me borrow for almost a year. We would drink wonderful creations and felt great, but I was having a VERY hard time with the amount of waste (aka pulp) that I was scrambling to bake into breads/muffins or else feeding to our worms. I don't have enough $$ to be throwing that much food away! I finally discovered the art of Green Smoothies and am IN LOVE! There are a variety of ways to make these, people with all sorts of ideas and opinions on what veggie and fruit combination's are best for "proper absorption" but in my mind it's just awesome that we are taking in our wonderful organic produce on such a large scale so if it tastes good we drink it....no matter the combination of fruits and veggies :)

Here is a link that helped get me started (did not buy any of her products but a girlfriend has her book and LOVES it, much more than just recipes) and here is a typical smoothie (Dino Drink as Stephie calls them) at our house. Tip, if your kid doesn't like the idea of drinking this green concoction give it a cool name. Some moms call it a Shrek smoothie but since we are not at Shrek age ours is Dino Drink and she LOVES them!!! Many of my girlfriends have made this one of their first steps in eating healthier and noticed a difference right away :) Plus it's GREAT to take on the go (and Starbucks sells these cute, reusable cups that look like their Frappuccino cups....we have three "Venti" and they are ALWAYS in use! BPA free ;)

Green Smoothie Girl (love her newsletter!)

Our typical smoothie (created in my wonderful KitchenAide blender. It has held up great but when it dies I will be looking into Vitamix blender. YES it's costly but I use my blender for hummus, daily smoothies, soups, sauces and soon babyfood.....I will need a more commercial grade to avoid constant motor burn out)

• 2 cups filtered water
• fill but don't smash blender with spinach (Costco) and red leaf lettuce
  
• Blend until smooth
• Add half or whole cucumber and blend again (I love the taste but only use when I have on hand, won't buy them just for this)
  
• Add small bag of frozen peaches, blend
• Add 2-5 chunk of pineapple
• Add 1/2 bag frozen berries and some mango (berries from costco)
• blend well, add honey to taste and blend again
  
• Add banana, orange or apple if there is still room :)
• Blend and enjoy! I keep them up to 24 hours in the fridge....almost always have 2-3 glasses a day.

**All fruit is organic. Fruit is from my Co-op unless otherwise noted**
The only thing we don't like in them is grapefruit and local greens (they are too bitter). Otherwise we have yet to find a creation we didn't like....or couldn't "fix" with a bit of honey. I have added cinnamon, coconut and flax seed meal depending on my mood. It's so much fun! I make a WHOLE blender full.....but we go through them quickly. Many of my friends just make half a blender so it's able to be gone by the end of morning.

I've heard it's best to eat fruit and veggies along and not have anything 40 minutes before or after. Supposed to help with absorption....haven't looked into it. As it turns out that's pretty much how things go for me in the morning anyways so it's perfect! I try to do the smoothie alone and in the (40 minute) window....but still have fruit with pretty much every meal as well :)

Enjoy and post a comment about your favorite smoothie creations!!!