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!!!

What's for Dinner?

Tonight's dinner was WONDERFUL Chicken from HERE. I put it in the crockpot this morning with carrots, a red onion and stuffed a small apple inside. Sprinkled sea salt, pepper and organic garlic powder on the top....turned the crockpot to low and we headed outside for a couple hours of fun in the cloudy, overcast day (perfect!)

Side Note: I am the queen of putting a roast or chicken in the crockpot with random veggies, a piece of fruit inside every chicken and then various seasons and spices.....we have yet had one turn out that was yucky. Some we didn't like as well as others (tonight's chicken is in first place thus far).....it seems it's hard to go wrong with a crockpot! Pretty sure it was Rachel Ray who said that if spices smelled good together they would taste together.....experimentation is fun! Be bold and have fun! If it's yucky just put some organic ketchup or homemade bbq sauce on it and it's fixed, haha!

Around 5 I headed into the kitchen to do dishes (for the second time today, amazing I know!), boiled our sweet potatoes and sauteed some swiss chard. It was an "empty the fridge" dinner because I haven't been to the grocery store in two weeks. We ate what was left and it was oh so yummy!!! Dinner was on the table by 5:45

Swiss Chard:

• Washed and Sliced (thick stem sliced out)
• coconut oil, ginger powder, turmeric, garlic powder and a bit of soy sauce
• Saute for 5 minutes until it just starts to wilt
• Cover and remove from heat
• The key is for your veggies not to be all mushy....I'm starting to find the balance but it's hard!
  

Sweet Potatoes : I prefer my sweet potato bake but mashed sweet potatoes was a new thing....probably one I won't do again.

• boiled sweet potatoes
• cinnamon
• flax seed meal
• vegan butter
• almond milk
• sprinkle of nutmeg

Sweet Potato Bake (what I usually do)

• Clean, and half peel sweet potatoes
• slice and put a layer in small glass baking dish
• sprinkle chopped nuts (almonds or pecans are our favorite), flax seed meal, and cinnamon
• put a few slices of vegan butter and drizzle with honey
• continue with steps 2-4 until you are out of sweet potatoes. I usually do about three layers ending with nuts and honey is always drizzled on top
• bake at 35o for 30-45 minutes (until potatoes are tender)

Oh so yummy! I have also made this with apples, pears and turnips layered instead of sweet potatoes (you need to have apples and/or pears with the turnips or there isn't much taste, turnips are pretty bland)

I love my co-op and the opportunity to try new things! Josh isn't a big fan of the swiss chard but I could eat the entire bunch sauteed...mmmm! So looking forward to our next pick up this coming Tuesday and all of the yummy things my fridge will be full of.....right now it is looking pretty sad. I will stop by a local farm stand Saturday to pick up a few things to get us through until Tuesday. We are down to two apples, a grapefruit and a bag of carrots.....that's just unheard of!

Have a great weekend! Farmer's Markets are starting back up.....visit one and enjoy the AMAZING taste of farm fresh produce (and many have farm fresh meat as well :) Organic isn't the end all.....Local Farms are a treasure to enjoy (just ask about farming practices and pesticide use)

Why a Blog

This is a blog to document our food journey for my own reference as well as friends and family (or anyone else who stumbles upon it). Thanks to Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution and the WONDERFUL Food Inc friends and family are no longer calling me crazy but actually calling and asking for my advice! I am NO EXPERT on health/nutrition or anything of the sort! All I am is a Wife and Mommy who is doing the very best she can do provide her family with the wonderful food God has given us. I am researching, questioning and praying all in hopes of bringing quality, nutritious foods into my house so that we are able to enjoy food as well as enjoy being healthy and fit.

In 4 months I have lost atleast 40lbs of "baby weight" thanks to the changes in our diet and breastfeeding. I eat ALLLLLL the time! I am careful what I bring into the house so that when I am hungry I only have healthy choices (and lots of them)! I enjoy TONS of fruits and veggies, nuts, avocado (mmmmm, always have them in the house) and a LOADED salad full of all the "goodies" as my grandma says (sans the sweetened dried cranberries, those are reserved for treats :)

I am off all but one of my allergy/asthma medicines (down from 5 at best, 7 at worst), ADHD is not an issue any longer and I feel amazing! I am a busy momma who survives on little sleep and have been able to keep exhaustion and illness away. The same is true for the hubby. His schedule is beyond crazy! I pack his lunches/snacks, and a cup of hot tea each day. He has managed to stay illness free and keep up with his schedule. My toddler is amazing and her behavior is predictable. She is cranky when tired or hungry.....who isn't! Her behavior is night and day when comparing how we eat on a regular basis vs a day where she has had a "treat" at a bday party of family gathering. The days we deviate from our normal eating I pray for patience!! Her constant runny nose is a thing of the past as is her eczema. Woohoo for food ;)

No, I'm not saying food cures all or is the cause of all.....but I believe it is a huge factor. God provided us with amazing things to eat and we have taken them, changed them and tried to create something "better".....really?? It seems that the further away we get from eating food as God created it we end up with more illness, more obesity and more hunger (I'm amazed at how I can be hungry after eating a large order of fries!! What's in those things???) What the Bible Says about Healthy Living discuss much of this.....as does Food Inc. My favorite "food rule" from the movie is that we shouldn't eat anything our grandmother (or great grandmother) wouldn't recognize as food.....makes things pretty simple :)