Simple. Healthy. Tasty

Tummy Troubles

2012-01-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

There are two things that I use first when my kids have tummy trouble. The first one is Kid-e-Col, if there is throwing up, diarrhea, bloating or just general tummy upset, this stuff works great! I always used it for colic and teething with my babies and loved it for that. But as I was learning about the herbs Catnip and Fennel and how good they are for most upset stomach problems I thought that since these were the ingredients in Kid-e-Col that I should give it a try. I found not only did it work excellent with the children but Ryan and I also found it work great for us too. I now always have some on hand.

My other favorite is Di-gest essential oil blend. This stuff is awesome! We have found not only does just smelling it help with a tummy ache, but rubbed on the stomach helps with indigestion, heart burn, bloating, and most any upset stomach trouble you can think of... even over eating. These are my favorite most used remedies for stomach upset, sometimes I use just one or the other sometimes both. They are both excellent!

Here is a list of other good tummy trouble remedies that we have used before and found to work well.

Red Raspberry Leaf and Peppermint tea: Great for nausea and also adding good fluids back when someone has been throwing up.
Lobelia: A tincture of this is good to have around in case someone starts to throw up violently and can't stop. This helps to calm that so they can keep fluids down and not get dehydrated.
Ginger: Also good for nausea and excellent for motion sickness. Candied ginger or ginger candy is the best way to get kids to take it.
Peppermint Gels: You can find these at a health food store they are little gel-caps that contain peppermint oil, fennel and other good things for tummy upset. I like that it takes a while to dissolve so you can get it down to the problem area if you know what I mean. ;)
Plenty of liquids and green smoothies: If there is a lot of throwing up I wait to have them drink anything heavy until that is over with. So to start just water, raspberry leaf tea and other clear liquids. Coconut water is excellent for this because it's full of electrolytes. (I never use drinks like Pedialyte or Gatorade because they are full of bad ingredients like refined sugar, food coloring and many times Aspartame aka NutraSweet) Once they are able to keep clear liquids down for a day or two I will give green smoothies with Young Coconut Water in them, I have found all the nutrition in a easy to drink for really helps them bounce back to themselves again quickly.

There you go! That's just what we have found works for us. I have loved that you are leaving comments about what works for you! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience please continue to share away! We learn so much for each other! And don't forget if you would like me to post about a certain condition you can put that in a comment too. Also please don't forget about the disclaimer at the bottom of my blog. I'm not licensed or prescribing anything here just sharing what works for us.

In Health,

X-Ceptic for Pink Eye

2012-01-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

X-Ceptic is something that, after using it a few times, I have never wanted to be without it. I have found it to be great at clearing up some tough stuff. First I will list a few things I have used it for then I will "show" you how I use it for pink eye.

I buy my X-Ceptic here at Dr. Christopher's Herb Shop online.

It is excellent to use on the belly button of a new born baby to keep the umbilical cord place clean and to help it dry up and fall off quickly. I just swab it on with a Q-tip.
I have diluted it with water and used it as a gargle or mouthwash when I had a really scratchy sore throat. (I would only use this for adults though I don't think children will appreciate it.)
I have used it lots when my kids had a bad cold or cough. I rub Glandular System Massage oil on first then the X-Ceptic. I rub it behind their ears, on their back, chest and sometimes feet. The Glandular oil helps to break up congestion and the X-Ceptic helps to fight off the bugs.
If I was worried about a bad cut or something getting infected I would add a few drops (not much cause it could sting) to Complete Tissue ointment and use it like a triple antibiotic type ointment.
It's known as Natures prefect antiseptic, full of natures most potent bacteria and germ fighters.
My very most favorite use is for Pink Eye. See what I do below. You want to be careful because it does contain Cayenne and will sting if it gets in the eye.

Using X-Ceptic for Pink Eye:
I take just a small drop and lightly rub it on my finger.

Then I gently rub it under the affected eye being very careful not to get it in the eye.

With older children I will then rub my finger on their eyelid. I have actually rubbed a little X-Ceptic in my eye when I had a bit of pink eye, it does sting pretty good although it cleared up the problem in one application it isn't at all what I recommend especially for children as they will not every let you near them with it again. ;) My experience has had pink eye clear up most every time with only one or two applications. A couple of times we had a stubborn case that took a few more applications than that but still cleared up in less than a week. I have even used this on infants with pink eye you may want to dilute the drop (although I didn't) with a little water before you rub it under their eye and only rub under their eye not on the lid just to be sure you don't get it in their eye. Be sure to wash your hands good afterwards so you don't spread anything.

I have also learned that placing Chamomile Tea Bags (I'm assuming wet ones) on the eyes helps to clear up pink eye and would be much more mild if you are worried about stinging or oversensitivity. I have never tried this because the X-Ceptic works so fast and is easier than trying to keep tea bags on the eye. But it is supposed to help too and is used quite a bit so I figured I better mention it. There are probably other natural remedies for pink eye it's really about just helping to kill the infection without having to use prescription antibiotics especially since more often than not Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is viral.

Either way I hope my experiences can help if pink eye ever shows up and your house and that I have convinced you that having a bottle of X-Ceptic in your first aid kit is a good idea! I'm sure glad I have it!

In Health,

Hot Honey for Strep Throat

2012-01-19T12:02:00.002-07:00

I only remember having strep throat once in my life but oh my I will never forget it. It wasn't too long after we started out on our health journey. I had recently signed up for the School of Natural Healing Courses and had done quite a few of the assignments. I had never had such a sore throat in my life I did all the usual things plenty of water, Orange juice, etc. but it didn't help a bit. After a day or two, wondering what the heck was going on and what I was going to do to get rid of this awful sore throat, I noticed that I had white spots on the back of my throat. I realized that it was a tell tale sign of strep throat, I also knew that strep throat wasn't something that you messed around with and that it didn't just eventually got better like most sore throats. It needed strong treatment! So what did I do? I of course called my Mom.

She had recently borrowed a few of my School of Natural Healing Videos and I told her I thought I remembered David Christopher teaching about what can take care of strep throat in about 24 hours. She found the video where he talked about it and gave the recipe below. I of course had all of the simple ingredients and so I made some up and took it faithfully. My strep throat had gotten pretty bad so it did take a couple days of taking the hot honey (what we affectionately started calling it) before my throat was completely better. But I got better, just from simple ingredients I had in my pantry. I didn't need antibiotics and when the kids started complaining of a sore throat I immediately started giving them some and it nipped it in the bud. It didn't get near as bad as mine did and they were better within 24 hours. Since then we haven't ever had strep throat again but we have used the Hot Honey recipe for other things. When the kids were younger and couldn't swallow capsules I would make up a less potent version when they got a really tough bug they liked the sweet taste and would usually take some and every time it helped to get rid of the bug. Note that I have heard raw honey can be given to children under one year old but even though I used raw honey I stilled didn't give this to my babies under one. After they were one I didn't think twice about giving it to them. Please choose what works best for you and study up on it. Also did you know that 4 cloves of garlic is like one adult dose of penicillin! Ryan is allergic to penicillin and quite possibly some of the kids (although I wouldn't know for sure, most of them have never had an antibiotic) but they are not allergic to garlic. I hope that this recipe can bless your family as much as it has mine.

Hot Honey

4 cloves of garlic, Minced
1-4 Tablespoons of Honey
1/8-1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Stir ingredients all together in a small bowl. Take about 1/2 a teaspoon ever half hour or as desired. For sore throats be sure to let the mixture sit for a few minutes on the back of the throat, do not wash down with liquid. The Cayenne helps bring blood to the area for healing the garlic helps heal quickly and the honey holds it all together and also contains healing properties when raw.

Herbs and Oils Our Family Uses

2012-01-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Since we are at that time of year I thought I would bring this post forward. I'm also going to take the next few weeks and address specifically what we do when someone in our family is sick. If you want me to address something specific (like I was asked about Strep throat in the comments of the last post) just ask in the comments of this post and I'll see what I can do. I want to have a series of helpful posts that can be easily referenced. For now I hope this post is helpful!

Since we are in the thick of Cold and Flu Season and February can really get us all down. My children have been notorious about getting sick in February! This year their timing was much better and they had their round of sickness in January. I thought it was a great way to start the New Year by cleansing and strengthening their immune systems so they can be well for the rest of the year! ;)

There has been some BAD bugs this year. My kids did well and were only down in bed for a day or two (depending on the child, some were not really even "down"). As you know it's been over 11 years now since they have needed a M.D. I thought you might find a list of herbs and essential oils our family uses to be of some use to you! I like using things that are pure and natural, created by God, and that..... well have a really long track record! These things have been around and been used all through the ages. Even modern medicine can't say that, it's too....... "modern." They have what maybe 200 years under their belt? Like I have said I'm grateful they are there but for me and my family they are the alternative. I really want something that has stood the test of time when it comes to my health and the health of my family!

Be sure to note my disclaimer at the bottom of this site! Can't forget the fine print!;) Note that this is just what I do and what I have found works for me. Don't be afraid to find what works good for you and your family! I am also ALWAYS sure to ask God to direct us in each individual circumstance and I try really hard to listen, be humble, open minded and teachable. Even if it's something that doesn't make sense to me I trust that God knows and will direct us! Also note that I don't do everything every time it just depends on the person, what they have etc. and again what I feel inspired to do. I know real scientific but it has worked well for me for quite some time!

Remember I'm pretty picky about who I trust and what brands I buy! And I ALWAYS read ingredients!

I get my Herbal Formulas at:

Dr. Christopher's formulas are EXCELLENT we have used them for over 11 years. I highly recommend them!

My Single Bulk Herbs, along with lots of other great cut herb blends, oils and butters (like Coconut oil, and Shea butter), natural beauty care making supplies (like beeswax, citric acid etc.) and other supplies from:

Such a great company! I have been so impressed!

I get my Essential Oils from:

I haven't used better oils at a better price!

I have these links along with others that I like on my sidebar and also on my "I Recommend" Page. For easy reference!

Onto my list. I hope you find it easy and fairly self-explanatory. If not, feel free to ask questions!

Dr. Christopher Formulas I have on hand for my little ones:

Kid-E-Mune: 5-10 drops every 30 minutes - 2 hours, when they are sick in bed. I also give them this a few times a day if they seem under the weather or if there is something going around. I do about 10 days on 4 days off.
Kid-E-Soothe: I use this in place of Kid-E-Mune for Curtis who has Asthma. If you have a child who deals with an autoimmune issue, Echinacea seems to rev the immune system up to much causing it to overreact even more. Kid-E-Soothe helps strengthen yet calm the immune system it also works great for his cough. This one we also use for allergies it works great to calm the system when it's overreacting to an allergen!
Kid-E-Col: If there's a stomach ache, bloating, or throwing up. It's also great for teething and colic!
Kid-E-Reg: If they have not pooped in a while. A good bowel movement seems to really help with fever among other things.
Glandular System Formula: We like the ointment and the message oil. If they are congested and coughing, I rub this on their chest, back, neck and behind ears after a warm bath.
X-Ceptic: I rub this on them AFTER the Glandular Ointment it helps kill germs.
Ear Oil: For Ear Troubles.
Oil of Garlic: I love this to rub on my kids feet and well pretty much all over them when they are sick!
Anti-Plague: (Also known as Super Immune Garlic Formula) The taste isn't really kid friendly but it's so great for really tough bugs. I couldn't have made it through Curt's Asthma issues without it!
Lung and Bronchial Formula: The glycerine extract is my favorite! This is WONDERFUL for coughs! I use it whenever my kids are coughing a lot especially at night. I feel like this formula (along with the good diet of course) is what kept us from needing a inhaler for Curt.
Anti-Spasmodic Formula: I use this one with the formula above if a cough is keeping them up at night. I just rub it on their chest (it has cayenne and is too hot for a kid to take internally) it helps quiet down the coughing spasms.

Dr. Christopher Formulas for our older kids and the adults who can swallow capsules:

Cold Season Formula: One of my favorite formulas. It's great for kids and adults I take it myself if I am feeling like I'm trying to get sick or if there is lots of crud going around.
Lymphatic Formula: I use this formula with the one above every time I'm sure that I'm trying to come down with something. It usually stops it right in it's tracks. I am very rarely sick I blame this. It's also great for all types of infections! Another favorite of mine! I wouldn't be without it!
Chest Comfort Formula: Another favorite I buy in bulk! It's a great mild yet hard working formula wonderful for cold and flu season! I especially like it for coughs or tight chest. It helps loosen things up quickly! I use it a lot of times in conjunction with the other 2 formulas above. I have also noticed a big difference since Curt has learned to swallow capsules and can take this formula when he has a cough. His cough seems to clear up faster!
Sen-Sei Ointment: This one is great for when you are stuffed up and can't breathe it helps open things up so you can breath!
Complete Tissue and Bone Formula: We mostly use the ointment but I also like the massage oil! This is by far our most used ointment. We use it like you would an anti-biotic neosporin type ointment. We find it works great on cuts, scrapes, bruises and I'm told even broken bones luckily we haven't had any of those.
Sinus Plus Formula: We like this one is for colds and allergies, runny nose, watery eyes etc. I like the extract because it works quickly but the capsules are great too!

Dr. Christopher Formulas I don't use as often but wouldn't want to be without:

Black Ointment: Not one I typically use but I will never be without it. I had blood poisoning from a cut that got infected once and my Son had a boil that also got blood poisoning. This ointment quickly pulled out the infection and saved us emergency room trips!
False Unicorn and Lobelia: I was grateful to have this around when I threatened to Miscarry with Curt!
Iron Assimilation Formula: I love this one for helping rebuild my iron after I have had a baby or if I feel at all anemic during pregnancy. (I'm usually not as long as I'm getting my greens!)
Itch Ointment: This one is what we used when my kids all had the chicken pox! We also use it on itchy rashes or bites.
Plantain Ointment: I love this one for mosquito bites! It's also a drawing ointment and helps get out slivers.
Kid-E-Trac: This one is supposed to be for kids but I got it for me. It's supposed to help bring mental clarity and emotional balance. It's very helpful for those times I seem to be emotionally out of balance and/or overwhelmed!
MindTrac Formula: I have found this one is wonderful for depression and those times where you just want to run away, even from yourself. It helps keep you grounded and thinking clearly! I haven't had to use it very often but when I do I'm really glad that I have it. My daughter also found it is very helpful for period cramps, and I only gave her one capsule!
Kidney Formula: I like this one with cranberry concentrate and gallons of distilled water for Bladder Infections.
Vitalherbs: I like to get my "vitamins" in the form of a green drink or green smoothie but sometimes it's hard to get enough especially when I'm pregnant or under a lot of stress. This formula really helps give me the added nutrition I need all from whole foods! Not synthetic!
Herbal Cleansing Kit: We all need a good "cleaning" once in a while! It's all about cleansing and nourishing so the body can heal itself. It's like Dr. Christopher always said there is only one disease and that is constipation so lets get it cleaned out! ;)

Single Herbs I love having around and use lots and lots:

Chaste Tree Berry Powder (aka Vitex): I take 3 capsules of this everyday and have been for about 9 months now. I find it really helps with all that girly type stuff. I'm trying to get my oldest daughter in the habit of taking it to I have found it to help so much. Less cramps, less mood swings, less heavy flow. A great women's herb!
Red Raspberry Leaf: Both cut and powdered. Great for colds and flu, pregnancy, nausea, and all sorts of female stuff. Another one that I take daily and try to get my teenage daughter to also.
Cayenne: Would never, ever, ever be without this herb! It's so good for so many things! My favorite is how quickly I have seen it stop bleeding. Great for bloody noses etc. Study up on this herb it's AMAZING!
More Herbs I Wouldn't Want to Be Without!

Essential Oils that my family uses and I make sure to keep on hand: These oils are wonderful and I'm finding them to be the icing on our cake of herbs! ;) I believe the two together can help with even very serious conditions! I'm just going to list my absolute favorites. You can really break the bank trying to get all the great oils at once. You know me I like to keep it Simple and I'm already afraid you are overwhelmed and that I should have saved the oils for another post.

Spice for Life: This is probably our most used essential oil blend! (I have found I like it better then the Thieves formulas or On Guard type formulas, maybe it's because it has multiple citrus oils.) The whole family uses this one especially during cold and flu season! I will give them a lick of it or put it in a carrier oil and rub it on them, feet, chest, neck, back.
Spice Spray: (At least that's what we call it) I make this one myself by taking 30-50 drops of Spice for Life essential oil blend and put it in a 4 ounce amber glass spray bottle and fill it half way with water and half way with vegetable glycerine. It works great as a sore throat spray or I line the kids up and give them a spray before we go to church or somewhere that I know will have lots of people coughing etc.
Di-gest: This is great to rub on upset stomachs or for heart burn, bloating, or any other digestion issues.
Breathe: This one is great for allergies and I like to diffuse it in Curt's room at night if he is coughing it really helped him when he was wheezy. He doesn't get wheezy much at all anymore but I'm still glad to have this formula.
Lavender: I keep this one in the kitchen to quickly put on burns. It's AMAZING!
Defence: I use this along with Breathe and Spice for Life in a carrier oil when the kids are really sick or Curt is wheezy. I usually put it in almond oil as a carrier but olive oil would work too.
Mars and Venus Blends: These are great for Hormone balancing I'm glad I have them!

Thousand Island Dressing

2012-01-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

Thousand Island Dressing

1 cup Vegenaise
¼ cup Ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon Agave
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon fresh onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
Real Salt to taste (optional)
2 teaspoons Shoyu or healthy Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Raw Cashews, soaked and drained (optional)
¼ cup Better Bread and Butter Pickles and 1 Tablespoon of the juice

In blender place everything but the pickles, blend until nice and smooth. Add pickles and pulse until chopped up good or just chop them up and add in after all done blending.

Broccoli Salad

2012-01-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Howdy Folks!

While harvesting loads of broccoli from our garden, I tried to find new and tasty ways to use up the green goodness.
I was trying to imitate the broccoli salad that hosts bacon, which I used to love...back in the day.
Since it was Christmas time, I decided to throw in some dried cranberries and pomegranates.
It's funny how most everything I add pomegranates to, ends up being a big hit 'round here!
Hope your family enjoys it as much as we do.

Broccoli Salad:

1 head fresh broccoli cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pomegranate {seeds}
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:

1 cup vegenaise
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar {or agave nectar}
3 tablespoons coconut vinegar {or apple cider}

Mix together all salad ingredients. In a separate container mix together dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour dressing mixture over salad and toss to coat.

Quick Last Minute Gift Ideas

2011-12-19T22:47:00.001-07:00

Just thought some of you might like a few ideas on some easy, quick, last minute gifts that are sure to please! Especially since you can show how much you care by making them yourself but with minimal effort on your part! Like with most everything I like to keep Christmas Simple too! Here are a few links with ideas and recipes from past posts. Then be sure to look below to see something you can make while NOT in the Kitchen!

During dry winter skin time who wouldn't love this cream, or these hard lotion bars or this lip balm.
Or what about some Cookies, Candy, or Popcorn all healthified of course! But only you need to know that! ;)
Of course who wouldn't love a book from my shop or even a bundle of books! On sale now until the New Year for 20% off! A super great deal especially when you buy in bundles! Discount automatically deducted in shopping cart.
Or how about a warm Winter Rose Headband! (Look below for more details)

It's cute, stylish, super simple and fun to crochet and it only takes about an hour to complete. (You do need to know some basic crochet of course!) I made up this pattern the other day and I already have 3 or 4 made up for gifts and plan to make a few more! Yeah Crochet is the only craft I claim to be any good at, and boy do I love it!



Winter Rose Headband Pattern - Comes with both adult and child size patterns! Get yours now! Instant download!
price: $3.20

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas!!

Home and Garden Available

2011-12-17T17:21:00.001-07:00

Hope you don't mind but this is way off subject, this is more of a personal post.

Many of you may not know but we recently moved. It was a surprise move that we found out about just over 2 months ago. Ry's work needed him back home and we felt like it was kind of a now or never time to be back closer to family. We loved where we were and we will so miss our neighbors, it's the pretty much the only home our kids remember.....by far the hardest move we have ever made but things seem to be working out.

Now you know why I haven't had many new posts or recipes lately. Don't worry those will be back soon although it might be sporadic for a while since we are in transition. Right now my biggest focus is to have our home in Eagle Mountain taken care of. After trying to have a property manager rent it and finding he didn't have our best interests at heart before we even had renters..... we decided it wasn't worth the hassle and have fired our property manager and decided to sell.

It's a great home, especially for those who want to live a bit away but still like the city. It's in a nice quiet but central location, walking distance to the main area of the Ranches in Eagle Mountain including churches, parks, and schools. And with lots of years of hard work it has a EXCELLENT Garden (both herb and vegetable) and fruit trees that have started to produce. We always seem to move just as we have things the way we like it. Remember my Garden Posts from this summer? If not one is here and another is here. The house is also wonderful and we had just finished final shelves and things for optimal organization. My kitchen was awesome, super practical with the ability to make tons of healthy food in! I loved it and would love someone else to love it too! If you are interested contact these ladies. I would love my home and garden to become a home of someone who could love and appreciate as much as we have!

Just a few more things about the house.

It's a 4 bedroom 3 and 1/2 bath
3 Bedrooms upstairs with a loft that I used for a office
Laundry/Bathroom another bedroom a familyroom with fireplace and coldstorage/utility room in the basement
The main has a large living room with celing open to the top floor, the kitchen, dining, half bath and entry.

Gingered Carrots with Honey

2011-12-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

This "recipe" came from my Brother-in-law who I think would make a wonderful gardener and chef at the cafe I sometimes dream of having! ;)

Gingered Carrots with Honey

Fresh whole carrots, scrubbed and sliced (don't bother peeling)
Ginger, to taste fresh or powdered (remember ginger is strong start with less add more if you want)
Real Salt, to taste
Olive Oil
Honey

In steamer, steam ginger and carrots until just tender. Drizzle with a little olive oil and honey sprinkle with salt. ENJOY!

Zesty Dairy Free "Cheese" Ball

2011-12-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for this one! My Mom and Sister came up with it quite a few years ago. But I made it a 4 or 5 years back at Christmas and now my husband asks for it every year. It has become a tradition! It's very good with veggies or crackers!

Zesty Dairy Free "Cheese" Ball

2 cups almonds, soaked for 8 hours

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours and sprouted for 4 hours (or just add 3 cups of soaked almonds instead of 2)

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 cups chopped green onions

1/4 to 1/2 cup Tahini

1/4 cup Shoyu

3 slices sweet onion, cut in small chunks

1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

6 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, minced

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of ginger powder

pinch of cumin

pinch of paprika

1 can crushed pineapple, drained very well

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Place the soaked and drained almonds and/or sunflower seeds, lemon juice and water in a food processor and process until smooth. Scoop into a large bowl. Stir in the chopped green onions, tahini, shoyu, onions, parsley, bell pepper, garlic, cayenne, ginger, cumin, and paprika. Add the crushed, drained pineapple into the mixture till well blended. Shape with dampened hands into a rounded ball shape and place carefully on a plate or dish (approx. eight inch diameter) Press the chopped pecans onto the ball with your hands so that the ball is covered with nuts. Can garnish with a parsley leaf and dried cranberry if desired.

Turning my Crispy Caramel Corn into Chewy! MMMMmmmMMMMmm

2011-12-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

We recently found that this crispy caramel corn recipe also makes a great chewy caramel corn recipe. By just leaving out the baking part. A great recipe either way! It is actually just really similar to this recipe but this one seems to just melt in your mouth more and for some reason we like it better. Both are good but you know how it can be with recipes. Enjoy!

Crispy or Chewy Caramel Corn

1 cup coconut oil

2 cups Sucanat

1/2 cup Agave Nectar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

20 cups (5 quarts) popped popcorn

Place popcorn in 2 large shallow baking dishes. I used my two rectangular bakers (large cake pans) if you have the smaller average size cake pans you could use those too but it will probably take 3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. (skip this first part if making chewy)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt oil. Then stir in Sucanat, Agave, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn stirring to coat. (if you want chewy you are done if you want crisp more like cracker jacks go ahead and bake) Bake in oven stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Let cool completely before breaking up and EATING!

Simple Healthy Success Story

2011-12-05T20:19:00.001-07:00

A few months ago Courtney over at Nurturing the Nest posted this about her success with a Simple Healthy Lifestyle! Many people have written, posted or told me about their Simple Healthy Success Stories and I never tire of hearing them! It's the whole reason I started Simple Healthy Tasty! It has blessed my life and my families so much I just couldn't keep it to myself!

Ginger Bread Cookies

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

and/or Ginger Snaps!

Ryan has always liked molasses type ginger bread cookies. I finally tried healthifying some a while back! Ry said they were perfect and we have had them many times since because they are Simple, Healthy, and Tasty! If you want the harder Ginger Snaps just bake them longer; Simple! I hope you enjoy them I know we have! So fun this time of year and the aroma that fills your kitchen is so yummy, warm and cozy feeling!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ginger Bread Cookies

3/4 cup coconut oil melted

Egg Replacer for 1 egg

1 cup Sucanat

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

2 cups soft white wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves,

nutmeg, and sea salt

Cream together oil and Sucanat. Add Egg Replacer and molasses then mix in spices, soda and salt. Add flour last mix well roll into walnut sized balls. Gently roll in Raw sugar place on cookie sheet press down gently with hand to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or 10-12 minutes for Ginger Snaps. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from pan to cooling rack.

Homemade Cranberry and Apple Stuffing

2011-11-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last year this was part of Whole Foods for the Holidays! I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Can't wait to make it again! ENJOY!!

Cranberry and Apple Stuffing

1/4 cup coconut or olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 ribs of celery, sliced

2 medium apples, chopped

3/4 cup dried, fruit sweetened cranberries, divided

1 cup sliced or slivered almonds, divided

8-10 Cups dried bread crumbs, this is about 1 loaf depending on the size of the loaf (I cut my own whole grain bread up into squares and dried them for a couple hours in my dehydrator, you could also just dry them in the oven at low heat or just out in the kitchen uncovered overnight)

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1-2 teaspoons Real salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

4-6 Cups Vegetable broth, warm (I make mine with this broth powder)

Preheat oven to 325°. Oil a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, apple, 1/2 cup of the cranberries, and 3/4 cup of the almonds; cook over medium heat until just tender. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix well. Add the skillet mixture to the bowl and toss. Add the vegetable broth to the mixture, 1 cup at a time. Mix well after each addition. How wet you like your stuffing, how dry the breadcrumbs were to begin with, and weather conditions will determine how much broth you will use. Add the stuffing to the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining sliced almonds and cranberries over the mixture. You can also choose to cover or not while baking depending on how moist or dry you like your stuffing. Also if you like your stuffing moist be sure the bread crumbs are extra wet if you like it on the dryer side just be sure they are wet but not too much so. Stuffing dries out quite a bit during baking especially if uncovered. Bake at 325° for approximately 45–55 minutes.

Time to Prepare: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45-55 minutes

Book Bundles

2011-11-21T09:37:00.001-07:00


SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! Just added to my shop! Get my books discounted when you buy them in bundles! In plenty of time for gift giving!
Simple. Healthy. Tasty. - Menu Plan Bundle
		Save lots when you buy both at once! Get both Simply Scheduled books for one discounted low price!
~~price: $25.90~~ price: $16.95 Includes
Simply Scheduled: 2012 Simply Scheduled: On The Go Pay through PayPal download instantly no waiting on me!



Simple. Healthy. Tasty. - Cook Book Bundle
		Save a bunch when you buy in bundles! Get all 3 cook books for one discounted low price!
~~price: $30.80~~ price: $19.95 Includes
Book 1 - Main Dishes Book 2 - Sweets Book 3 - Salads, Sandwiches, Sides & Soups Pay through PayPal download instantly no waiting on me!



Simply Scheduled Plus Cook Book Bundle
		Save the most when you buy it all! Get the Menu Plan Bundle plus the Cook Book Bundle for a super deep discounted price! OVER HALF OFF!
~~price: $56.70~~ price: $25.95 Includes
Simply Scheduled: 2012 Simply Scheduled: On The Go Book 1 - Main Dishes Book 2 - Sweets Book 3 - Salads, Sandwiches, Sides & Soups Pay through PayPal download instantly no waiting on me!

Simple Healthy Pantry Handout Download!

2011-11-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

What to have and where to get it!

Start living the Simple Healthy Tasty Lifestyle now!

I have finally started working on making my handouts from classes I have taught available on my blog. I hope to one day have a page where they are all available to easily download and use. Today though you will have to be happy with this one. It's my Simple Healthy Pantry handout. I get questions all the time on where the best place to get stuff is, and the top healthy "weird" items to buy if you are just starting out and want to make lots of my recipes. It also includes our families top 10 sure to please meals. You can also click on the underlined links and go directly to the sites I order from or the recipe I use! The handout is full of lots of helpful info so be sure to download it. Hope you find it helpful!

Click icon to download

Frustrating but a must see!

2011-11-14T09:44:00.001-07:00

I grew up in the Valley that Quail Hollow Organic Farm is located. I know the people well. Hits a little too close to home! It's frustrating to watch but I'm sharing because we need to know stuff like this happens and has been happening and will continue to happen if we don't become informed and stand up for.........well for FREEDOM. I am so baffled that fast food and convenience foods are "safe" but home grown organic food isn't? How did we ever get so confused? And why is it up to government to decide what is safe for me to eat anyway? If I want to eat junk food that should be my choice if I want to eat local home grown organic food that should be my choice also!

Oh and by the way it ends well! So important to understand and know our fundamental constitutional rights.

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent!

2011-11-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

After a while of trying different combinations and some trial and error I have made what I think is my all time favorite natural laundry detergent. Know though that I have been using natural, chemical free detergent for a long time now so my perspective is a bit different! ;) From my research this is much cheaper than the natural brands I had been buying and it works just as good if not better! Plus it's super fun and easy to make! Give it a try!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1/4 cup liquid castille soap
1 cup baking soda
2-4 cups borax
1 cup white vinegar
2-4 cups washing soda
1 teaspoon sweet orange essential oil
1 teaspoon grapefruit essential oil

In large bowl combine all ingredients stirring well adding more or less or borax and washing soda to get desired consistency. Be sure the wet ingredients are mixed in well and that you add enough washing soda and borax so it will not be wet or become a hard to break up mass when it dries. Don't be afraid to add more powder if you think it's too wet. I like mine to be a crumbly powder that breaks up easily. I use about 1/4 cup to each load of laundry, 1/2 cup for more soiled or larger loads. Add the detergent to the water in the washing machine before items to be washed.

Oh be sure to note that this detergent works great in HE washers because of it's low sudsing.....ness! ;)

Caramel Apples

2011-11-02T15:39:00.000-06:00

I'd say it's the perfect time of the year for these and since we didn't tank up on junk this week they are sounding pretty tasty! ;) I was at my Sister's this weekend and her house smelled so delicious just like Caramel Apples! It's funny what orange crunchy leaves, smells and a chill in the air will make me love this time of the year even when it's colder than I really want it to be!

Caramel Apples Made Better

Apples, washed stem removed stick inserted on top (I used 19 medium to small Macintosh, that's what I had, Granny Smith are always good too if they are large Apples you may use only 10-12)

2 cups Sucanat

2 pinches of Real Salt

1 cup Vanilla Maple Syrup (how to make this below)

1/3 cup agave

1/2 cup coconut cream

4 Tablespoons coconut oil (mixed with a drop or two of butter flavor if desired)

To Make Vanilla Maple Syrup

Just combine 100% pure maple syrup and vanilla extract to equal one cup. If you are using my homemade vanilla I did about 3/4 cups syrup and 1/4 cup vanilla because I wanted plenty of vanilla flavor and mine isn't quite as strong. If you are using regular vanilla extract 1-2 teaspoons mixed with the syrup to make one cup should be plenty. Feel free to use more or less depending on your tastes. And don't be afraid to taste! ;)

In Large pot combine Sucanat, Vanilla Maple Syrup, Agave, salt and coconut cream. (To get the coconut cream I just take a can of Thai coconut milk that you get in the Asian section of your grocery store and put it in the fridge overnight, then when I need the cream I just open the can and the thick cream is at the top I spoon that off and then just use the rest of the thinner clearer liquid for smoothies or something. You should get at least 1/2 cup from one can.)

Stir ingredients all together and place on the stove at just below Medium-High! Then with a candy thermometer bring it to 250 degrees. You can stir some but as it starts to bubble you don't want to stir but you kind of want to keep moving the pot so the stuff kind of swirls around as it gets to temperature.

As soon as it hits 250 degrees, remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil. Have cookie sheet with wax paper plastic wrap or oil on it all ready to go take you apples and dip them in the caramel mixture (you will probably need to tip the pot a little for this) until they are well coated. Then set them on your tray with wax paper. Let cool completely. If you want to roll them in other ingredients do this before you set them down to cool!

Pumpkin Carob Chip Bread

2011-10-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

It's just that Pumpkin time of year! Another Pumpkin recipe that we love!

Pumpkin Carob Chip Bread

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 to 1 ½ cup Sucanat (for desired sweetness)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tablespoons ground flax mixed with ½ cup water and set to gel
1/3 cup water
½ cup carob chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 medium loaf pans. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and then stir in dry ingredients. Stir in carob chips. Put into pans. Bake 45-50 minutes. You can eliminate the chips and replace all or part with nuts, dried cranberries or raisins.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

2011-10-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

Just bringing this forward AGAIN! We have it every year and we love it! It is so very good!

Also just in case you were wondering we don't go Trick-or-Treating around here! Obviously it doesn't seem to fit with our lifestyle! ;) The kids love to dress up and hand out toys or healthy treats at the door, we play games, have our traditional dinner and sometimes friends come over and sometimes we take our dinner over to friends for a party. But every year it's lot of fun!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 medium size pumpkin

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 head of cauliflower chopped

3 ribs of celery chopped

1 large onion chopped

4 Tablespoons Sucanat

2 Tablespoons Nama Shoyu

1 recipe "cream of something soup"(below)

4+/- cups cooked brown rice (or you can use a mix of cooked wild and brown rice)

1 can water chestnuts (drained)

1-2 cans sliced mushrooms (drained)

Cut off top of pumpkin and clean out the seeds and pulp.
Draw a face with a marker if you want.
In very Large skillet or large pot add olive oil, cauliflower, celery, onion, Sucanat, and soy sauce. Saute for a few minutes then add the soup, rice, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. Simmer for a few minutes, Spoon into pumpkin.
Place pumpkin with top on onto a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour until pumpkin is cooked to desired softness.
When spooning out filling be sure to get some of the cooked pumpkin with it. MMMmmmmMMMmmm!

Cream of Something Soup

(I call this cream of something because I use it in place of things that call for cream of mushroom or chicken etc.)

2 1/2 cups rice milk

1 Tablespoon vegetable bullion

3 rounded Tablespoons whole wheat flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons Nama Shoyu

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (from health food store)

In a sauce pan put 2 cups of the rice milk mix with the bullion bring to a boil at medium heat.
In a cup or small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup rice milk with the flour.
When the first mixture is boiling; slowly add the flour mixture while stirring. Turn off heat mix in rest of ingredients.

Note: The first picture was taken BEFORE it was cooked, the second picture after.

Pumpkin Cookies

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

These cookies have been a family favorite for a while now and seem quite versatile. We have made cookies (of course), muffins, (will need to cook longer), bars (just spread the dough out onto a cookie sheet), and I think my mom used the recipe once to make pumpkin rolls (she left out the carob chips and nuts for that though). A great recipe we really enjoy especially this time of year! Last night I made them using Fresh ground Spelt flour instead of whole wheat and they turned out excellent! Have fun!!

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup coconut oil (melted)

4 cups Sucanat

2 Tablespoons Ground flax seed mixed with ½ cup water

and set for a minute to gel

5 cups whole wheat or Spelt flour

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon all-spice

1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt

1-29 oz. Can of pumpkin

1 cup Carob chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat oil and Sucanat in mixing bowl. Add Flax seed mixture and beat well. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt. Add Sucanat mixture alternately with pumpkin into flour mixture. Stir well after each addition. Fold in Carob chips, walnuts, and vanilla.

Drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown at 350 degrees.

Serves: A whole lot! This makes about 70 cookies - you may want to cut this recipe in half. But we like them so much we usually wish we had doubled it!!

Stuffed Zucchini

2011-10-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

These are a tasty way to use up lots of Zucchini in one simple meal! I have made them twice now and Ryan loves them! He loved taking the leftovers to work for lunch! I have found though that they should be covered during part of the cooking time. The first time they got over cooked and chewy on the top and then the second time I didn't let them get quite done enough. (See pictures below) Maybe learning from my mistakes yours will turn out perfect! Good Luck,

Stuffed Zucchini

4 cups Brown Rice or Quinoa, cooked
1-2 cups walnuts, crumbled fine in food processor
1 cup Cheezy Sauce, or more for desired consistency
1 Tablespoon Tahini, optional
Juice of half a lemon or one lime
1/2 teaspoon chili powder and/or Mexican seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cumin, optional
Real Salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped (parsley would work if preferred)
2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
6-8 medium sized zucchini's, sliced in half the long way and seeded (like in picture)

Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a large bowl stir in all ingredients except zucchini. Take the filling and fill up each half of zucchini. Place on a cookie sheet or cake pans and cover and bake for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Then uncover and bake just until filling has lightly browned on top. (about 10 more minutes)

Flatbread Falafel Sandwich

2011-10-07T10:50:00.001-06:00

Another new favorite at our house! We love trying new things and this is super yummy! The Falafel is good on it's own or with any toppings you like in a sandwich or flatbread style! Enjoy!

Falafel

2 cups dried garbanzo beans, cooked and drained or 3 cans, drained
1 large onion chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Real Salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon coriander
4 Tablespoons Flour (Can use whole wheat flour, or rice flour for gluten free)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 2 Tablespoons dry
2 teaspoons baking soda

Puree cooked beans in blender or food processor, if you need to add a little water you can one teaspoon at a time be sure to not make to moist you want the pureed beans almost crumbly. Place mashed beans in a large bowl and add the rest of ingredients and mix well. Warm up about 1/2 inch of coconut oil in a frying pan. Roll mixture into golf ball size balls and slightly flatten. If you want more like patties you can flatten them more. Place in oil cook until brown on the bottom then flip to fry other side.

Flatbread Falafel Sandwich

1 Recipe Best Yet Whole Wheat Bread
Cooked Falafel (recipe above)
Hummus or Cheezy Sauce to spread on bread
Other optional toppings of choice:
Romain Lettuce
Sprouts (any kind or multiple kinds)
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Cucumber
Sliced Onion
Sliced Avocado
Ranch Dressing

Take bread recipe and made the dough. Separate the dough into 8-12 pieces (depending on the size of flatbread you want) and roll into a 8 inch circle 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Place flat bread on a warm griddle or in a frying pan, let brown on the bottom then flip and cook until browned on the other side and cooked clear through. On the cooked flatbread spread Cheezy Sauce or Hummus add three cooked Falafels and other toppings of choice. Fold in half and eat! Super filling and very Tasty!

Simply Scheduled: 2012

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have said many times if someone would just tell me what to fix I will happily fix it! Most of the complication with meal times seems to be deciding what to fix! Read about why I thought I didn't need menu planning and what made me change my mind! If there had been something like this available years ago I would have bought it! I searched and searched and finally realized I would have to do it myself! And now I'm very excited to share it with you! I hope you will find it as helpful as I have!

This downloadable guide is delivered instantly
via PDF format. This 31-page download includes a pre-planned menu calendar for every month of the year, including October-December or 2011! It also provides you with an ingredient list for each months meals. Take a peek inside! See additional information below.

		Meals are planned with calendar and ingredient lists included.
		No more wondering what to make for dinner.
		See what the Simple. Healthy. Tasty. Family eats on a typical day!
		Shop Less. Save Money. Save Lots of Time. Make your Life More SIMPLE.
		Pay through PayPal download instantly no waiting on me!
		All for just $12.95.

Table Of Contents
Chapter 1 - My Aversion to Menu Planning..............................................	Page 4
Chapter 2 - How the Menu Plans Work...................................................	Page 8
Chapter 3 - The Master Ingredient List..................................................	Page 13
Chapter 4 - A Typical Day the Simple, Healthy, Tasty Way........................	Page 14
Chapter 5 - A Year of Simple, Healthy, Tasty Meals Planned for You............	Page 15

Some reasons this is my favorite time of year....

2011-09-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

...in pictures!

Can't wait to get me one of these!

2011-09-21T20:39:00.001-06:00

Blendtec has a new twister jar that is supposed to help it easy to make thicker things like nut butters, hummus, dressings and more! I've been hoping they would make a smaller jar that would work good for those smaller, thicker things! It's going to be perfect for pureeing beans and making My Favorite Whipped Creme in. I can see me using it for so many things! I'm pretty dang excited and know what's going at the top of my wish list! Check it out!

Quinoa Salad, Fiesta Style

2011-09-19T13:14:00.000-06:00

We all enjoy this salad warm with dinner or cold leftovers for lunch! Ryan even likes taking it with him to work. Great versatile salad that can easily be doubled or just "stretched" by adding more Quinoa! Makes a great side or main dish, also excellent for picnics and potlucks and of course great with these Quesadillas! ENJOY!

Fiesta Style Quinoa Salad

Salad Ingredients:
3-4 cups cooked Quinoa (warm or cold)
1 avocado, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1 can olives, sliced
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans rinsed and drained (opt.)
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (opt.)
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
2-3 Large tomatoes, diced

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
zest of 1 lime
1/4-1/2 cup fresh lime juice (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons agave
1 teaspoon Real Salt
Favorite Mexican seasonings (optional) I like a little cumin and chili powder

In large bowl stir together the salad ingredients. In a 2 cup measuring cup whisk together dressing ingredients and pour onto salad. Stir well and enjoy. This salad is really good made with warm Quinoa that was just cooked or cold.

Try this post to see an easy way to cook Quinoa!

Dairy Free Quesadillas

2011-09-08T17:13:00.000-06:00

Yep that's right these are No Queso, Quesadillas! ;) No cheese or dairy of any kind in them, but I have to say they are not at all missing any flavor! I love it when I try something for the first time and the whole family loves it! That's when I quickly write it down so I don't forget what I did! These were another instant favorite and so much better for you than the "normal" version! I have also included the lime and cilantro sour cream recipe that was tasty to dip them in. The Quinoa Salad that is also pictured was really good too but you will have to wait until another post to get that recipe!

Dairy Free Quesadillas

1 can chick peas
1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons water
1 heaping teaspoon Tahini (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup Cheezy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Real salt to taste
2 cups mixed chopped veggies, lightly sauteed, then chopped finer or added with puree
(we used 1 Anaheim chili pepper, some red bell pepper, onion, zucchini and mushrooms)
6-10 whole grain flour tortillas (depending on size)

In blender or food processor puree chick peas with lemon juice and water. (If you want the veggies unnoticeable to your picky eaters you can also puree the sauteed veggies in with this mixture.) In a bowl mix the purred bean mixture with the rest of ingredients, except tortillas of course.

In a frying pan heat up a little coconut oil, spread the filling thinly over half of a tortilla then fold in half and then using a spatula place in pan. Fry in pan, until the bottom is golden brown then gently flip to brown the other side. Repeat until filling is used up.

Lime and Cilantro Sour Cream

1/2 cup Vegenaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
pinch of Real Salt
1/4 cup Sunflower Seed Sour Cream (optional)
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Use as topping or dip for whatever you think it would be good with!

Allergies and Cancer!

2011-09-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered why there are so many food allergies these days?
Why do more and more people seem to get cancer at younger and younger ages?
This video is EXCELLENT and helps shed a little light on these questions!
I say it's a MUST SEE totally worth the 20 minutes!

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” ~Edward Everett Hale~

I'm more of a go with my gut kind of gal but I just love it when those analytical types find the stats and things that help prove my gut right! ;) I am for sure going to read Robyn's Book, The Unhealthy Truth!

Each one of us has the power to help change the Health Crisis here in America and I believe that it starts with one SimpleHealthyTasty meal at a time! Not only will families be healthier but also stronger in so many ways! You nourish much more than the body when you have your family sit down to a healthy homemade meal.

In Health,

And the winner of my newest recipe book is.......

2011-09-06T16:53:00.000-06:00

Brandi!!

Brandi, if you will contact me I will get your ebook to you!

Thanks for all of you who participated and thanks for helping spread the word! I know Healthy Tasty food can be a benefit to everyone! Remember you all can be winners by getting the super low introductory price of my newest recipe book clear through the month of September. See more details here!

Missing in Action!

2011-09-02T18:37:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness have you noticed I haven't been posting or answering your questions or doing the giveaway that was supposed to happen on Tuesday? So sorry! My internet went down last Friday and just now has gotten fixed and is back up. Because of that I'm extending the low introductory price through to the END of September and the giveaway until next Tuesday, the 6th of September. Again very sorry for just kind of dropping off! ;) Don't worry I'm back and have lots of tasty and healthy things to share including.....some yummy Quesadillas that were a huge hit at our home and my favorite homemade cleaning products that I have been wanting to share with you for a while now!

I will also work hard to get questions answered etc. ASAP! In the mean time be sure to enter the giveaway if you haven't already. And check back plenty next week while I catch up on posting!

Giveaway and Final Week of Low Introductory Price!

2011-08-25T11:13:00.000-06:00

It's time to giveaway my newest ebook!
Win my recipe ebook:
Salads, Sandwiches, Sides & Soups!

Note that the introductory low price will only last until the ~~end of the month~~.
Extended until the end of September since I was missing in action! SORRY! AGAIN!
Giveaway will close Tuesday, ~~August 30th!~~ September 6th!!!

For one entry just leave a comment
For a 2nd entry become a fan or follower and let me know in another comment.
For a third entry share about this giveaway on your blog, facebook or other social media, let me know in another comment.
For 10 (yes TEN, really increase your chances) additional entries add my button to your blog, if you already have my button on your blog be sure it is the most current button and just let me know either way in yet another comment. More people need help feeding their families healthy and I need your help in sharing that healthy doesn't have to be hard and that it can taste really good too!

Take a peek inside!
See additional information below.

		Over 70 of our favorite Salads, Sandwiches, Sides, Soups etc.
		Page numbers for easy reference.
		Easy to print pages choose full or half size.
		Keep your recipes ORGANIZED.
		Table of Contents with Page Number for EVERY recipe.
		Save Lots of Time. All for a limited time introductory price of ONLY $6.95

Garden Update, August

2011-08-23T10:32:00.000-06:00

We have grown a garden most every year since Ryan and I were married! This is by far the best one we have had yet! It's been lots of fun and giving us lots of food! We love it! Remember when I took you on this quick tour earlier in the season. Check it out it's fun to compare how things have grown! So amazing!

We have pole beans ready to harvest.....

and some of the cabbage looks ready too!!! We have picked lots of peas and we keep getting more. The secret to peas all season is a fairly cool shady spot!

Remember how small they were before!

We strung the tomatoes up differently this year and broke off the excess leaves and branches. We have been amazed at how many more tomatoes we have gotten and how much faster they have ripened just by stressing and training the plant a bit! We have already picked a bucket full and another bucket full or more is about ripe. LOVE IT! We have never had Tomatoes ripe in August before, in fact a lot of times they weren't ripe before the frost.

Kale, Kale, Kale all season long!!!

All kinds of peppers are ripening. Jalapenos, Bells, Anaheim, Cayenne and others!

We have loved having fresh basil to put in our recipes! So good!

And we just love our blackberries!

Even though it tried to attack us! ;)

I just love having a herb garden. Look how tall the evening primrose is, and it's about ready to bloom!

Apples......Mmmmm we can't wait for the apples!

Charly helped me harvest our beets!

We found the easiest thing to do was to put them all in a large tub tote thing. ;) And then wash them off.....

.....then cut the greens off without cutting the beet. They will keep better this way until I can freeze and/or pickle them. I keep them in bags in the fridge until I'm ready they will keep for a while that way.

The greens I also bag and put in the fridge after they are washed and dried they won't keep as long though so we will steam some to eat and use some in salads then freeze the rest for smoothies!

I am finding the best hint I can give you about gardening is to just do it and keep on trying. The soil improves every year by tilling in the garden after harvest in the fall and adding organic material in the spring. So much of gardening is just trial and error. Practice, practice, practice!! Just like anything the more you do it the better you will get at it. Hardest thing with gardening is that when you mess up you usually have to wait until the next year to try it again. I have decided to try keeping a garden journal to help me remember things from year to year, what worked and what didn't! I went looking and found lots of them free to download online I think this one is my favorite Simple, not too many pages, yet has enough to be thorough! Next year I'm for sure going to remember to start pepper seeds a good 2 weeks before everything else. Who knew they took so long to germinate! ;) Happy gardening hope you are all expecting lots of harvest!

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

2011-08-18T09:13:00.006-06:00

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a while now! I'm finally getting around to doing it! This is super tasty! Reminded me about back in my college days of our regular trips to D.Q. to get a breeze. (See even back then I was trying to get what I thought was the "healthier" version! The breeze was frozen yogurt, the blizzard was regular ice cream. Not really sure now if one was any better for you than the other but at the time I thought it was! All I know is that both were full of WAY too much sugar and not very good kinds of fat along with who knows what else! They also contributed to a pretty substantial weight gain for me during those college days! *Sigh* If I only knew then what I know now! ;)

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

2 Cans coconut milk (not light)

1 quart of Rice milk

1-2 Tablespoons Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter (optional)

1 1/2-2 cups raw sugar or Sucanat

Homemade peanut butter cups cut into chunks

ice cream machine

ice cream rock salt

plenty of ice for ice cream machine

Mix first 5 ingredients all together till smooth if the coconut milk is very thick you may want to blend ingredients in blender first so it is well blended. Just don't over blend at too high of a speed, this causes coconut milk to separate and you will have the wrong texture! Put into your ice cream maker container. Follow the instructions on your ice cream machine to freeze. When the ice cream is just about frozen add the peanut butter cup chunks so they will be blended in well. Let it continue to freeze until done.

Raw Brownies n' Ice Cream.

2011-08-14T15:51:00.000-06:00

When my husband and I changed our diets 8 years ago, we ate 95% raw food for the first year. In my pile o' recipes...I still have several of the 'thumbs up' ones from clear back then. The other night, I busted this brownie one out that I had received from a friend. It is still as tasty as we remember.

This ice cream is nothin' but frozen bananas run through the Champion Juicer with the blank cover on. Go ahead and love on my mom's avocado green juicer, she's and oldie but a... beauty.

Jan's Brownies

1 cup dates, soaked 3 hours and chopped {save soak water}
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup raw carob powder
1 cup raw tahini {sesame seed butter}
1 cup raw almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup date soak water or 1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cup raw walnuts, soaked for 2-3 hours, drained

Place all the ingredients into a food processor in order given. Pulse after adding every two ingredients. Process until well combined. Add walnuts last and pulse in. Press into lightly oiled 9x11 pan. Chill. Cut into squares. Keeps well in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Hot Carob Mix

2011-08-11T10:23:00.004-06:00

I know, I know, it's Summer and I haven't had A/C all week. So why am I thinking about Hot Chocolate?....Well we are going camping this weekend and we have enjoyed having this mix with us while we have camped this Summer. Great for those cool evenings or chilly mornings in the mountains! So I thought I would share!

Homemade Hot Carob Mix

2 cups powdered coconut milk
2 cups carob powder
2 cups Sucanat or Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals
1 vanilla bean, cut into pieces
Pinch of Real Salt
Small handful of carob chips, optional

In a large bowl mix powdered coconut milk, carob powder and salt. In blender or food processor mix the Sucanat with the vanilla bean pieces. Strain vanilla sugar through a wire mesh strainer into bowl with other ingredients. Mix well. Mix in carob chips if you want a more “chocolaty” flavor. Feel free to adjust amounts to fit taste....for example if you want a more rich, creamy flavor use more coconut milk and less carob and more vanilla etc. Mix 2-4 Tablespoons of mix with every cup of boiling water.

Rawchos.

2011-08-09T09:38:00.003-06:00

My little family loves nachos and we eat them for dinner every Friday night. When we discussed eating raw for an entire month...the kids first question was, "what about Nacho Friday?" I scoured the internet looking for good Raw Corn Chip recipes. I found a few, but this one looked the easiest and the best. I made just a couple of changes to the recipe and we were all delighted about how tasty they turned out.The only thing that wasn't completely raw on our Rawchos were the beans. I soaked some dry pinto beans for 24 hours changing the water every 8 hours. Then I turned the crock pot on low and let them slowly cook for about 16 hours. Finally, I drained the water and added raw ketchup, raw mustard, black strap molasses, honey, onion and seasonings to the beans and let them cook a little longer. The result, although not totally raw, was delicious. And much healthier than canned.I'll share that recipe soon.Anyway...enough blabbering, I present to you......

RAWchos:

Corn Chips

6 cups Frozen Corn
1 red bell pepper
Juice of 2 limes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water

Combine all ingredients, one by one, in food processor and pulse until a paste is formed. Remove from processor and stir in the flax seeds. Spread onto teleflex sheets as thin as possible for crisy style chips. Dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour then 114 for 5-6 hours. Flip chips over, remove teflex sheets and finish dehydrating until dry.

Nacho Cheeze

1 cup water
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1 teaspoon mexican seasoning {or chili powder}
1 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water if too thick. Add more cashews if too runny.

Raw Almond Ranch Dressing

1 cup raw almonds, soaked
2 cups water
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 soft dates, pitted
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/8 cup finely chopped green onions {optional}

Blend almonds, water and oil together in high powered blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.

Raw Toppings

Grape tomatoes
Green onions
Red Bell Pepper
Fresh Mushrooms
Jalapenosetc..Any raw food toppings that you can dream up for Nachos...chop 'em up and sprinkle on top!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Cherry Chocolate Mint Smoothie

2011-08-04T12:27:00.005-06:00

There is lots of green in this smoothie but no one will know but you! ;) It's a pretty potent smoothie full of.....well everything good for you! One of my favorite things about Summer is that I'm consistent in making green smoothies because a cold smoothie actually sounds good in the Summer time!

At our house Ryan and I have a funny saying, it goes like this......"But it's sooooo good for you!" To Ryan this means..."Oh man Tammie is made something super duper healthy that is NOT going to taste good like most of her food!" To me it means, "Dang this really doesn't taste to bad for how healthy it is.....I can totally drink this, it's not like delicious but it's not nasty either I don't gag when I eat it....and wow it's so good for me that makes it taste even better!" So we see things just a little differently. I try really hard to make all my food really taste good but sometimes when it's this healthy to just be pretty good is alright in my book and Ryan he is even a big boy and drinks it up!

And just so you know when I made this for the kids the other day they were like thinking it was a treat because I put carob in it! They drank it right up and said, "Mom that's really good, make it again soon okay!" Because it was a different spin on their regular green smoothie.

Cherry Chocolate Mint Smoothie

3 cups water
20 baby carrots
1/2 raw beet
2 Heaping Tablespoons Raw Carob Powder
1 Tablespoons Chia seed
1 teaspoon Sunwarrior Ormus Greens
2 teaspoons Sunwarrior Liquid Light (optional)
2 Large handfuls Spinach
1 Large Kale Leaf
1 large or 2 small dandelion leaves
2 cups frozen cherries
3 frozen bananas
2 cups frozen blueberries
1 Heaping Tablespoons Thick Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Agave (optional)

In blender combine first 10 ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients blend again until smooth. Makes well over 2 quarts probably closer to almost 3 quarts. If you don't have a large Blendtec Wild Side jar you will probably want to half the recipe. If you are wondering where the mint comes in it's in the Ormus Greens.

Dear Dad,

2011-08-03T15:05:00.000-06:00

I watched this movie last night and found it truly inspiring! I hope you are doing well with your Simple Healthy Tasty Lifestyle! I thought you also might find this movie to be inspiring! You can watcher the trailer below!

I love you so much Daddy and admire you in so many ways!!!! You are my Hero!

Your Daughter,

P.S. Movie can be rented or purchased by clicking here!

Raw Veggie Crackers

2011-08-03T10:52:00.002-06:00

It has been a long while since I posted here on Tammie's blog. I have no excuse other than I can't seem to get my lazy bones to post recipes anymore. Yet, here I am attempting to mend my slothful ways and bust out some goodies.

My little family has decided to make this August a month of raw food. We are calling it 'Rawgust' and we will be trying out lots of new raw recipes. Tammie asked if I would share some of the tasty ones with all of you. Here is our latest and greatest favorite. It has kept our dehydrator working day and night.

Raw Veggie Crackers

2 1/4 cup carrot chunks
1/2 cup raisins
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
3/4 cup golden flax seeds
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. sea salt
dash of black pepper

{Pizza Flavored}
1 1/2 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. ground fennel
2 tsp. fennel seed

{Sun-ripened Tomato and Jalapeno Flavored}
1/2 cup sun-ripened tomatoes
1-2 jalapenos {with or without seeds}

{Mexican Flavored}
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 jalapeno {with or without seeds}

In a food processor with S blade, blend carrots and raisins together until very finely chopped. Add lemon juice and slowly add in sunflower seeds and flax seeds, pulsing until all incorporated. Then add the rest of the ingredients, pulsing.
The mixture does not want to be completely smooth. If the processor gets bound up add a little water and continue pulsing. Spread mixture, about 1/4 inch thick, onto dehydrator teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 125 degrees for 6 hours and then flip over for another 6 hours or until completely dehydrated. Cut into squares and store in air tight container.

Get creative and make your own flavors! So Tasty!!

Pan Fried Eggplant with Marinara Sauce

2011-08-02T16:09:00.001-06:00

I'm bringing this forward for my Sister Emily, she has a bunch of eggplant in her garden she needs recipes for! ;)

This was so fun and so easy and very very TaaaaaaSTY! I'm pretty sure you can use this batter for about any veggies just by making it thicker or thinner! So far we have tried the onions, zucchini and eggplant all and have been really good! We actually made fry sauce with Vegenaise and ketchup with a little mustard to dip the onion rings and zucchini in. And below is what we did with the eggplant I don't use eggplant much but we had got some from our CSA and I thought it would be a good way to use it up. Also I like that it is just pan fried it uses A LOT less oil then deep fried would! And since I only use the best most healthiest oils. I like that it saves me money by not using more then I necessarily need. I pretty much pan fry anything that needs to be fried even doughnuts when we make them and I ALWAYS use coconut oil to fry with! Enjoy!

Pan Fried Eggplant with Marinara Sauce

2 medium sized eggplants, sliced the long way (you could peel it we don't)

This Batter Recipe made a bit thicker by adding about 2-4 more Tablespoons Chickpea Flour I also left out the coriander and used less chili powder

1/4 cup coconut oil

a 8-10 inch round frying pan

This sauce recipe can just be cooked less or even just warmed and maybe added a little more spice too and it makes a great marinara sauce

Hemp seed, we like to sprinkle these on top it's kind of our simple nutty Parmesan cheese substitute that tastes great and is FULL of GOOD fats and essential amino acids

Warm oil in pan you want it warm enough to fry but not so hot it smokes and splatters everywhere. Take sliced eggplant and coat well with batter. Place in the oil until golden brown on the bottom then using a spatula carefully turn it to the other side until the other side is golden brown also. Place on a plate with a paper towel so they won't be overly greasy. Serve on a plate with some whole grain pasta and cover the pasta and eggplant with the marinara sauce and sprinkle with hemp seed if desired!

Book 3 - Salads, Sandwiches, Sides & Soups

2011-08-01T14:27:00.000-06:00

A Simple Healthy Tasty Lifestyle wouldn't be complete without Salads, Sandwiches, Sides & Soups! Sandwiches are great during warm weather and we love good hot soups when it gets cold outside! If you know us Salads are a must everyday and sides well that just makes it that much more fun. You will also find salsas, dips, dressings and things that kind of help put it all together. Be sure to note that with Book 1-Main Dishes and this book you should have all the recipes that are used in the Dinner Menus of Simply Scheduled! This should make it so you aren't having to look the recipe up here on the blog. You will be able to have them all organized and easy to find. At least that is the goal! I'm printing this up right now to add to my recipe binder! I know it's going to save me even more time in my kitchen! I hope it will for you too! I'm offering a limited time introductory extra low price so.....get your copy TODAY!

Take a peek inside!
See additional information below.

		Over 70 of our favorite Salads, Sandwiches, Sides, Soups etc.
		Page numbers for easy reference.
		Easy to print pages choose full or half size.
		Keep your recipes ORGANIZED.
		Table of Contents with Page Number for EVERY recipe.
		Save Lots of Time. All for a limited time introductory price of ONLY $6.95

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dressings Just Like Mom’s Homemade Ranch Dressing…..4 Sunflower Seed Sour Cream………………………………4 TomatilloDressing with Lime and Cilantro……..4 Honey Mustard Sauce and/or Dressing..…………..5 Poppy Seed Dressing……………………………………………..5 TeriyakiSauce …………………..…………………………………..5 Thousand IslandDressing……………………………………,6 French Dressing…….………………………………………………..6 Oil and VinegarDressing……………………………………..6 Salads Really Easy Fruit Salad.………………………………….…..7 Cucumber Salad .…………………………………………….…….7 Potato Salad………………………..………………………………...8 Macaroni Salad..…………………………………………….……..8 Cole Slaw..……………………………………………………….……….9 Pasta Salad………………………………………………………………9 Crunchy Cabbage Salad….………………………………..10 Strawberry Summer Salad with a Kick…….…10 Cabbage and Cauliflower Salad……….............11 Italian Salad….………………………………………………………11 Tossed Honey Mustard Salad…………………………..11 A Great Big Salad………………………………………………….12 Asian Salad……………………………………………………………12 Sandwiches Grilled Veggie Sandwiches..……………………………….13 Summer Squash Patties………………………………………13 Avocado Herb Sandwich……..……………………………..14 Mushroom and Rice Cheezy-Q’s.……………………..14 Veggie Bean Burgers.…………………………………………..15 Creamy Cauliflower Sandwich..…………..……………..15 Chickpea Salad Sandwich……………………………………16 Sloppy Veggie Joe’s.……………………………………………..16 Crock Pot Sloppy Joe’s made with lentils………17 Very Veggie Sandwiches……………………………………..17 Quinoa Burgers………………………………………………………18 Waldorf Wraps……………………………………………………..18 Green Spinach and Olive Wraps………………..….19 Simple Quinoa Veggie Burgers………..………………...19 Sides, Salsas, Dips LemonPepper Pasta……………………………..………………20 GreenBeans Kids Love…………………………………..……20 OvenFries……………………………………………………………..20 Sweet Potato Fries w/ SWFry Sauce………….21 OnionRings…………………………………………………….……….21 SpanishRice…………………………………………………………22 Lime Rice …..…………………………………………………………..22 Better Bread andButter Pickles…………………22 Thick and Chunky CilantroSalsa……………………23 Easy MangoSalsa…………………………………………………23 Chipotle CornSalsa………………………………………………24 PersimmonSalsa…………………………………………………..24 Pico DeGallo………………………………………………………….25 PeachSalsa…………………………………………………………….25 Missy’s Favorite FreshSalsa…………………………….26 Restaurant Style Salsa.…………….………………………..26 CheezySauce……………………………………………………….27 Hummus …………………………………………………………….…..27 Curry Dip………………………….…………………………………….27 Soups OurFavorite Lentil Soup……………………………………28 Sweet PotatoSoup………………………………………………28 Spicy Pumpkin Soup…………………………………………….29 Borscht .…………….……………………………………………….29 Throw Together What I’veGot Soup…………….30 Spicy ThaiSoup…………………………………………………….31 CreamyVegetable Soup……………………………………..31 TacoSoup……………………………………………………………….32 Hearty VegetableChili………………………………………..32 Split PeaSoup………………………………………………………33 Super Easy Cream of TomatoSoup………………33 Cauliflower CurrySoup………………………………………34 Spicy Black BeanStew………………………………………..34 No-Fuss PotatoSoup……………………………………………35 Crème of BroccoliSoup……………………………………..35 Yummy Three BeanSoup……………………………………36 Broccoli CheezSoup…………………………………………….36

Very Veggie Sandwiches

2011-08-01T10:41:00.000-06:00

A family favorite that is great for an easy lunch or a quick dinner when you don't want to heat up the stove and you have lots of fresh garden veggies that need to be used! Mix and match use whatever you like. Can be great even daily because you can change up the veggies and toppings and have it taste different!

Very Veggie Sandwiches

Sandwich fillings:

Tomatoes, thick slices

Cucumbers, thinly sliced

Red pepper rings

Green pepper rings

Onion slices

Sprouts, any kind (we like alfalfa or sunflower seed sprouts)

Green or red leaf lettuce

Avocado, sliced

Mushrooms, sliced

Zucchini slices

Olives, sliced

To add flavor:

Vinegar and olive oil, sprinkled on vegetables

salt and pepper

favorite herbs and spices

Artichoke Hearts chopped

Sandwich spreads:

Vegenaise

Mustard

Guacamole

We have taken whole wheat bread and spread coconut oil on both sides and toasted it in a frying pan and then made our sandwiches. They are really good that way or on an Ezekiel bun or how ever you like it. We have found with all these yummy toppings we wouldn’t have room for the meat and cheese if we wanted them.

A lot of times when I have leftover Fajita filling or Taco Sunday stuff I can make a really good veggie sandwich for lunch without much effort. Also using pita bread or a tortilla and making a wrap instead of a sandwich is also really good and gives some variety to the same easy thing.

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

2011-07-28T21:08:00.000-06:00

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 can garbanzo beans drained and kind of chopped but still coarse
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 avocado cut up in small chunks
2 or 3 green onions sliced
1 pickle chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup Vegenaise (can add a little more or use a little less depending on how creamy you want it)
1/2 teaspoon pickle juice (optional)
1/2 Tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Seed Sour Cream (optional I use it if I already have some made)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
dash of dill
dash pepper (white or black)
sea salt to taste (I just used a few dashes)

Take all the ingredients and mix together in a bowl. Put on whole wheat bread with sliced tomato and romaine lettuce leaves.

These Sandwiches remind me a lot of Chicken Salad Sandwiches and/or somewhat like tuna only these are way better, cheaper, and just as easy if not easier to make! Great for Summer Picnics or a quick, cool, didn't have to heat up the stove dinner! ;) Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Snow Cone Syrup

2011-07-27T21:55:00.005-06:00

Strawberry Lemonade Snow Cone Syrup

6 Strawberries, stems removed
Juice of one Lemon
2-4 Tablespoons Agave Syrup (depending on how tangy you like it)

Blend ingredients together in blender. Pour into a squeeze bottle, may strain if you don't want the strawberry seeds. Pour over shaved ice just like a snow cone! Yummy, lots of fun and has real flavor! You won't taste the color red cause it isn't it there! ;)

We have had lots of fun making these this Summer!
We have used my Champion Juicer
with the blank or my Pampered Chef Ice Shaver
to shave the ice to snow cone texture! We love this flavor and the wheels are turning thinking of more fun flavors. Raspberry? Blueberry? Tropical? Have fun see what you can come up with and be sure to share if it's a good one!

Apple Pie Turnovers with Campfire Option

2011-07-26T10:36:00.000-06:00

Last year I bottled a bunch of quarts of this Apple Pie Filling but I have noticed that we weren't using very much. So I have been trying to think of ways to use all that pie filling. We are also always trying to think of fun ways to roast things over the campfire when camping, since hotdogs and marshmallows don't work to well for us. ;) Some friends of ours told us about turnovers that they love to make with campfire sandwich roasters, they said they used pudding or pie fillings etc. and that got me thinking!! Here is our final product. They work perfect over the campfire using roasters like
These Square Ones
or
Round Ones Like These

You can also make them in your Kitchen by using one of those electric sandwich press things we have one
Like This
or maybe even a waffle iron would work! So how about the recipe! I hope you enjoy, we have sure had fun making them at home or camping this Summer!!

Make Your Own Healthy Apple Pie Turnovers

Coconut oil
1 Quart Apple Pie Filling
1 Loaf whole grain bread
Caramel Sauce (optional)

Spread coconut oil on the outside of the bread or coat the inside of the press with it. Spoon Apple pie filling in between two pieces of bread, press together in press (Campfire or Kitchen one). Cook until toasty and golden brown on the outside. Drizzle with caramel sauce if desired, also great with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

Caramel Sauce

2011-07-26T10:02:00.001-06:00

Caramel Sauce

1/4 cup Sucanat

a pinch of Real salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 Tablespoon agave (or more maple syrup)

2 Tablespoons coconut cream (the thick stuff off the top of cold can of coconut milk)

1 Tablespoon Coconut oil (mix with a drop of natural butter flavor if desired)

In a saucepan combine all ingredients except coconut oil bring to a good simmer. Stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut oil. Stir well and combine. Is best warm left overs can be kept in a jar in the fridge.

Lots of Help Reading Ingredients

2011-07-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

I came across this site the other day! I was a bit intrigued yet skeptical! So often I see things like corn syrup touted as all natural and fine in moderation and give a big sigh when I see it's funded by the corn refiners association. I looked around for a while and was quite impressed to say the least. The info seems accurate, at least to my knowledge, and I thought it must be a pretty good site if they are defining yeast extract as "an often used synonym for Monosodium Glutimate (MSG), to which many people have adverse reaction to." I also loved that they had definitions right from the FDA for things like Natural Flavors! You will soon see why I try to stay away from that ingredient.

It was started by Stan Rak who noticed there was lots of confusion and misinformation when it came to food ingredients! And that most consumers where unaware of "hidden ingredients." I haven't spent too much time on the site but the time I did made me think this could be really helpful to people who aren't like me and enjoy learning about and memorizing ingredients! ;) I did some comparing of what the site said about ingredients to My Ingredient List and it seemed to match up in a lot of ways.

Check it out there is even a app for your phone, in case you are at the store and need help!

Like I said I haven't spent a lot of time over there so please don't think that I agree with everything on the site I probably won't get the time to read it all. But if I have a product I'm wondering about I will for sure be using foodfacts.com to look it up and then of course use my own good judgement do what I feel best about even with this more trusted source! Just thought I'd share maybe it can be another tool to help you sort through all the ingredient confusion out there.

Instant Oatmeal, How to make your own

2011-07-21T09:33:00.001-06:00

All these years I've been paying for "healthy ingredient" instant oatmeal for camping and hiking trips when I could have been making my own! Just be sure to get quick oats to make it with! We have been using it for camping a few times now, and it has worked great for my boys on their Scout hikes! So Simple and even WAY cheaper than the not so good ingredient stuff! Plus it's easy to have everyone's favorite flavor on hand!

Make Your Own Instant Oatmeal

Basic Instant Oatmeal:
13 cups quick oats
1-2 cups Sucanat or other dry natural sweetener of choice
2 teaspoons Real Salt

Combine all ingredients into large bowl or Ziploc bag and mix or shake well. To serve take ½ cup of well stirred mix and put in bowl and pour about 1 cup of boiling water over the top of. Let sit for a few minutes may add a little rice milk if desired. For other flavors divide basic recipe into 4 bowls add one of the following flavors to each bowl, if desired or come up with your own:

Cinnamon Raisin Add:
½ cup Raisins
½ Tablespoon Cinnamon

Flax and Walnut Add:
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
½ cup chopped walnuts

Berry Almond Add:
½ cup freeze dried berries of choice
½ cup sliced almonds

It's NO Secret; You Can Make Your Own Natural Deodorant

2011-07-20T14:09:00.001-06:00

Update July 20, 2011: Just thought I would let you know that it has been over a month now that I have been using my revised recipe with all arrowroot powder (1/2 cup) and no baking soda! It works great I can put on as much as I want without worrying about it! No burning, no breakouts, and NO B.O.!!!! Still the best deodorant I have ever used! I have found it works better then the stuff full of chemicals and any other natural deodorant I have tried! I love it!!!!

Update June 12, 2011: Today I am making more of this and I thought I would give a bit of a update now that I have been using it for almost a year. Ryan and I and my 2 oldest children have been using it and I have friends who have made some and been using it or that I made some for. Here is what's up. After I used it for a while I found it kind of irritating and burning to my armpits. I surely didn't stink but it's no fun to have burning and rash/breakouts periodically. At first I thought it was the essential oils causing my sensitive skin to burn. But I found I could put the oils on straight and didn't have a problem. I also found if I just put a little on my fingertips and applied it that way I didn't have as much problem but there was still some issues. My daughter also had some issues and I had some friends say they were having some problems. But it wasn't everyone. Ry uses it everyday and hasn't had issues and smells better than ever by the way!

After some trial and error and deductive reasoning we have decided it is the baking soda in it. (Which was also in the stuff I had tried that had Cocoa Butter....read below...so maybe I can try cocoa butter on my skin again. Or maybe not... remember the face cream...again read below........What is it with me and "Chocolate"!!!???) Baking Soda just seems to be too strong for some people and kind of burns, also (I think especially those who shave there) the small particles can clog pores and cause breakouts. I tried making it with less baking soda and didn't have the burning but still had some breakout problems. So today I am making it without any baking soda. I hope it will work as well I know the baking soda helps with the deodorant part of it I will just add extra Tea Tree oil and hope that it is still just as effective. I will replace the soda with extra arrowroot/cornstarch I know that it helps to absorb the wetness and keep my shirts from getting pit rings hopefully that helps smell too. I will let you know how it goes! Oh and by the way my sensitive skin has not ever had a problem with the Baking Soda in the Fizzy Bath Bombs being diluted and dissolved in a tub full of water makes a big difference.

I have made updates to the recipe below! Also the story in black below is from the initial post!

Original post: Hopefully most of you have not used antiperspirant with aluminum for a very long time! Those of you who still do I urge to learn about some of the potential side effects of it. Also just so you know stopping your body from sweating is really not a good thing. Sweating is one way our body gets rid of toxins stopping and plugging up pores anywhere on your body really isn't a good idea even if it is just your armpits.

But unsightly sweat rings on your clothes and being afraid to lift your arms ever isn't the best thing either. I have bought natural deodorant for a long time now especially when I found "regular" deodorant didn't contain aluminum but did contain Propylene Glycol. (aka anti-freeze) didn't figure that should go in my pits either. (you even need to watch out for some bad ingredients including the anti-freeze in a lot of so called "natural" deodorants.)

Anyway I found a brand that I was fairly happy with and for the most part it worked okay. Usually on a hot day I would have to apply it twice and I felt like by the end of the day (especially during that time of the month, do other women feel like they have more body odor during that time?) I didn't dare hug or get to close to anyone let alone raise my hands! ;) So I went looking for something better. I tried just baking soda mixed with some corn starch and it worked alright. It absorb the sweat pretty good but was a pain to apply (and MESSY) and I felt like I didn't take too long to kind of stink. I tried the deodorant stone things; TOTALLY DIDN'T WORK. I then found a solid that had great ingredients and seemed to work pretty darn good. Then I noticed some pain and a rash under my arms after using it a couple of weeks. I knew it had to be the cocoa butter in it. It seems like no matter how I use "Chocolate" I have some sort of reaction. I had tried mixing cocoa butter once with coconut oil to use as a moisturizer and it made be break out with great big pimples. When I use just coconut oil I have no problem. I guess Chocolate just isn't my friend.

So I went back to the first one I tried and made do. Thinking that more naturally minded people just have a little different scent about them. But then about six months ago I thought I should try making my own solid. I tried just coconut oil with a little beeswax adding the baking soda and arrowroot powder (like cornstarch) with some good quality essential oils. It worked wonderfully except I found with the warm weather it didn't stay solid unless kept in the fridge and since I don't put deodorant on in my kitchen that didn't work too well.

So I tried again this time adding more beeswax and some Shea Butter (it is solid at room temperature like cocoa butter) IT'S PERFECT! And just to be sure of that I used it and used it and used it. I put it to the test. I exercised with it and smelled myself afterwards WOW! I smelt good. I even had Ryan smell me sometimes just to be sure! (He hopes you appreciate what he goes through for you all! ;) I tried it through that time of the month when I tended to be more stinky! Hummm, still smelt good! Honestly I was surprised! And just because I love you all so much I did the unthinkable. I didn't shower for three days and only applied the deodorant at the beginning of the first day! Okay I'll admit by the end of the third day I wasn't smelling super sweet but I didn't smell all that bad it seemed to work pretty well until It wore off a little ways into the third day! All I can say is I am NEVER going to have to buy deodorant again this works so much better then anything I have ever tried! The only down side that I noticed was if I put too much on I would sometimes get a waxy yellow buildup on my under shirt it appears to wash out pretty good though and isn't a problem if you don't put on too much! Mostly I just love that I don't have to worry about stinking anymore and I don't have to put chemicals in my pits!

As I have told others about it they say I should start selling it. And who knows maybe someday I will but way before I ever do that I will share with all of you my recipe! WHY? You may ask! Well because I believe we all benefit when we share what we know and what we are learning. You know how the saying goes "What goes around comes around!" I just figure the more good I put out there the more good I will get back! Even if it's just a good smell! ;)

It's NO Secret

Best Natural Deodorant Ever

1/4 cup Baking Soda (for people with sensitive skin replace with more arrowroot or cornstarch)

1/4 cup Arrowroot Powder

4 Tablespoons Beeswax

1/4 scant cup Shea Butter

1/4 heaping cup Coconut Oil

Favorite good smelling Essential Oils

I used Tea Tree, Lemon, Grapefruit, and Orange 1-10 drops of each according to "smell" and potency of oils you are using. You could use other oils you like but I would for sure use some Tea Tree and some Grapefruit I think these are key to smelling good they not only have a good smell themselves they help fight potential bad smell from you. I like to just use other citruses because that way the batch doesn't smell too feminine and Ryan can have a stick from the same batch. But have fun and use whatever you think will work for you!

Mix the Baking Soda and Arrowroot powder in a medium sized bowl. In a double boiler melt the Beeswax, Shea Butter and Coconut oil. When melted remove from heat and add the essential oils. Then pour onto powder mixture and mix. Quickly Pour (before it sets up) into empty deodorant containers or other container of choice. Should make about 3 sticks. Enjoy being B.O. free!! Naturally!

Better Bread and Butter Pickles

2011-07-19T15:08:00.000-06:00

I made these last year, they went great on the relish tray for Thanksgiving, perfect on sandwiches, and now I'm wondering about chopping some up and making a relish of sorts! It's about time for me to start thinking of doing some canning! The beets are about ready and we hope many other things are soon to follow. What do you do to get ready for your canning season?

Better Bread and Butter Pickles

Cucumbers, sliced to fill about 4-7 quart jars, about a dozen cukes depending on size
(Regular Garden is what I used Armenian are also really good done this way)
1 onion chopped or sliced, optional
5 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups Sucanat
2 cups Dehydrated cane juice crystals or a less amount of agave (or to desired sweetness)
1 Tablespoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon whole cloves
Real salt to taste

In a large pot, mix everything but the cucumbers and onions together. After it is mixed well add the cucumbers and onions. Bring mix just to boiling, remove from heat, spoon the veggies into clean quart jars immediately. Pour the hot liquid over to cover leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Cover and keep in fridge or cold bath can for 10 minutes to store on shelf for a year or more.

For more firm pickles you can layer the sliced cucumbers with crushed ice and salt (like in the picture below) and let sit in the fridge for three hours before making. Be sure to drain before using.

Beet Boost Smoothie

2011-07-18T11:01:00.007-06:00

I love this smoothie! It gives me tons of energy and stays with me most of the day! If I know I'm going to be really busy or running all day and not have time for a big lunch, but need to keep going strong, this is my smoothie of choice! The coconut water is full or electrolytes and combining them with the kale has been compared to a blood transfusion. Chia seeds are a complete protein, super high in antioxidants, and are said to have been the food of choice by Roman Legions in the middle ages because it gave them strength and energy to fight and was compact and portable and filling! I have also read that they can remove up to 40 times their weight in toxins from the body! Chia seeds aren't just for chia pets!!!! A great food storage item! Beets are amazingly good for you along with everything else! This is just a awesome smoothie! Give it a try!

Beet Boost Smoothie

Water from one Young Coconut
½-1 cup water
1 small beet
1 large Kale leaf
1 small bunch of beet greens
10 baby carrots
10 frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen blackberries
1-2 frozen Bananas
1 Tablespoon Chia seed, optional
2 teaspoons agave, optional

Place liquid, greens, beets and carrots in blender. Blend until smooth. Add the rest of ingredients blend until really smooth. If you have smaller then a 96 ounce blender container cut recipe in half.
Makes about 3 quarts.

I have Blendtec's Total Blender, Wild Side with the huge jar and I love it! Note that they are having free shipping in July, great time to get one if you have been wanting one!

Greek Spinach and Olive Wraps

2011-07-13T23:42:00.006-06:00

This one is super good, really fast, simple and oh so tasty!
It comes from my Mom who did the healthifying shared the recipe with me!
I love it when she does that because....well Mom's food is always the best!!
Thanks Mom!!!

Greek Spinach and Olive Wraps

2 Portobello Mushroom caps, sliced thin and chopped into 1" pieces
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
Olive oil, Vegetable Broth Powder, Garlic powder, and Real Salt to taste
1 can black olives, sliced
3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 cup marinated sun dried tomatoes drained (the olive oil and herb kind)
1/2 cup Raw Goat Milk Feta, Crumbled OR 1/4 cup hemp seed (optional)
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Fresh Spinach

Saute mushrooms in a little olive oil, add seasonings to taste and the bell pepper. Add olives and sun dried tomatoes. Warm all together, if there is excess oil you may want to drain off so it won't drip out of your wrap. Then add feta or hemp seed if desired.

To make the wrap place a layer of fresh spinach on a tortilla and then spoon some mushroom mixture down the center. Roll up like wraps, serve warm! Really, Really, Good!! Makes about 6-8 large or 12 small wraps.

Quick Tour of our Garden

2011-07-12T13:51:00.005-06:00

Remember the post of our yard and garden plans,
and this post updating how our plants were coming?

Well we are having lots of fun and seeing that you really can grow A LOT of food in not much space. We can't wait until everything is more mature. But so far we are getting quite a bit of food! These pictures were taken 2 weeks ago and with all the rain everything is growing FAST! Including the weeds! ;) We'll get out and get more pictures soon, but for now enjoy these! We still have lots of work to do to make it just how we want but we are so excited how everything is coming along!

Most of the garden in the back yard, we want to do bark, or gravel paths to help with the weeds!

Our first handful of Strawberries. There has been quite a few handfuls since these!

Beets! I love the Beet greens for steaming and Green Smoothies.
And the beets for Smoothies and Pickling!

Pole Beans we love this recipe and hope to have lots of beans to make it with!

Zucchini! Lots of plans for this, this, this and many other things!

Oh tomatoes can't get better than homegrown!
My favorite uses for them are here, here, here, and Me and Missy love to just eat them right off the vine!

Romaine, our favorite leafy green for salads!!!

The Peppers have had a slow start but they are much bigger now and I think they will do pretty well!

Just look how cute that little cabbage is! I hope it gets nice and big and that we will have plenty to eat and make plenty of Sauerkraut which I have figured out how to make without any problems! ;)

Peas! There are peas all over our vines and we are munching them down!

Kale! It goes in Green Smoothies and we love these!

Our Blackberry Bush, is a beast we watch it grow and it tries to attack us on our porch!
Branches literally grow overnight!! We have to put on our armor to train it back to where it goes, because of all the thorns! But oh the berries are soooo good, like blackberry pie in each fresh picked bite! These all get ate up but if there ever gets to be more than we can eat they will for sure be frozen for smoothies!

Yarrow! Just one of my favorite medicinal herbs! Great for bleeding, fevers, and bug spray!

I wouldn't be an herbalist if I didn't love this little guy!
Of course we have much more then we need! ;)
But if you can't beat 'em join 'em, right!
Wonderful liver tonic/cleanser, blood purifier and great source of minerals!!!

The Raspberries and Blueberries are younger then the Blackberries, but we have high hopes for them too!

Well there's a quick little tour of our garden. That wasn't all of it and it's still a work in progress! But I'll continue to share in our gardening journeys! How is your garden coming?

Salsa, Like at the Restaurants

2011-07-08T23:08:00.004-06:00

MmmMMMmmm we love this Salsa and can't wait until we have fresh ingredients from our garden to make it! Because of course it is better that way! It reminds me of the really good Restaurant Style Salsas, you know those fresh tasting ones with lots of garlic that they can't bring you enough of! Oh by the way I our garden is coming along wonderfully I can't wait to take you on a little tour!

Restaurant Style Salsa

15-20 Large Tomatoes
1 Large Green Bell Pepper, optional
1-2 Large Jalapenos, seeded
1-2 large onions
4-6 cloves garlic
1 large bunch of Cilantro
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 2-3 limes
1/2 -1 Tablespoons Real Salt, or to taste

In blender place 2 tomatoes quartered, peppers, 1 onion and the other ingredients. Pulse in blender until chopped well. Add the rest of the tomatoes and onion, pulse just until the consistency you like it. If you like a few bigger chunks dice some of the tomatoes and some onion by hand and add afterwards. I also like to add a little hand chopped cilantro because I like a strong cilantro flavor.

Tammie's Summer Slushy

2011-07-06T22:19:00.018-06:00

Here's a great Summertime treat that I came up with years ago that put to good use my Pampered Chef Ice Shaver! It also helped my kids not feel so left out when they saw everyone standing in line at the snowie shacks. But instead of tasting like the color Red (yep that is what that sugar syrup tastes like to me now might as well melt sweetened crayon and put on it ;) it actually has real flavor!

Tammie's Summer Slushy

100% juice, frozen in ice cube trays or containers
Shave juice in ice shaver, or blend with a little juice in blender
Squeeze half a lime into each cup
That's it!
Very Refreshing!

What a Salad!

2011-07-01T21:26:00.000-06:00

A Great Big Salad

1 head read leaf lettuce

1 handful of spinach

1 head romaine lettuce

½ head thinly sliced red cabbage

2 carrots, grated

2 cucumbers sliced (optional)

1 cup chopped broccoli (optional)

2 cups sprouts

½ cup sliced olives

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced into small wedges (optional)

½ cup sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pecans (optional)

½ cup raisins (optional)

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Cut or tear greens into bite sized pieces. Toss with other vegetables. Top with the croutons, chopped tomatoes if desired and your favorite dressing when ready to serve.

Croutons:

½ cup olive oil or coconut oil (melted)

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

½ teaspoon Real salt

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Mix crouton ingredients in large bowl. Take bread slices and stack on top of each other and slice into cubes. Mix cubes of bread in bowl and stir until well coated. Spread out in one layer on baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees until crisp. Cool.

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2011-07-01T11:24:00.002-06:00

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Pasta Salad

2011-06-29T22:00:00.003-06:00

Pasta Salad

1 box favorite whole grain pasta, Cooked and drained, we like Rittoni
Favorite veggies, chopped
We like, onion, grape or cherry tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, olives, carrots
Favorite oil based dressing, we like my Honey Mustard, or this dressing:

Oil and Vinegar Dressing

1 part olive oil, use light if not used to strong olive flavor
1 part honey or agave
1 part apple cider vinegar and/or balsamic
1 clove garlic
Italian Type Seasonings

In large bowl combine all salad ingredients. In cruet combine dressing ingredients, shake well pour over pasta salad. Best if made ahead of time and can marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Taco Sundays

2011-06-29T16:00:00.004-06:00

Over a year has gone by since I have featured this recipe! I'd still say it's our most eaten dish! Yummy filling and everyone can make according to their tastes and we just don't seem to get tired of it!

Not only did I feature this recipe almost 2 years ago! We like it so much I'm featuring it AGAIN! It really is so Simple, Healthy, and Tasty and a great way to clean out the fridge! And the best part is EVERYONE likes it! Also note the few additions and ideas I made to it like the Lime Rice and the Mango Salsa. Also if you put it in a large bowl with a whole wheat tortilla your family might think they were dining at Bajio or Cafe Rio!

This has got to be our family's most eaten dish. I bet we have it at least once a week. It's so easy to throw together, you don't have to have everything for it either and it is still good. I just put some brown rice in the rice-cooker (if you don't have one check out the one I recommend, Stainless Steel Rice Cooker Model ME81 (Formerly ME8) - by Miracle Exclusives ) and pull out what ever is in the fridge. It's filling and just good! My picky kids don't have to put the things they don't care for on it so everybody is happy too. Also it's an easy way to eat a lot of fresh vegetables.

Taco Sundays

Cooked Brown Rice (or my Lime Rice recipe)

Beans of choice (refried, pinto, black,

kidney, etc.)

Cheezy Sauce Recipe

Corn

Onion chopped

Bell Pepper chopped

Zucchini chopped or shredded (optional, I only use this if I have some that need using)

sliced olives

diced tomatoes

Favorite green leafy lettuce torn into small pieces or spring mix salad

Tortilla Chips

Salsa

Guacamole

Just Like Mom's Homemade Ranch Dressing

Lime and Cilantro on top or added to your Salsa

Mango Salsa is also a Tasty option

(a little mango with onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime zest and juice and a little pinch of sea salt)

Using the above ingredients make up a salad however you want it. I usually like to put the cooked rice on my plate first then the beans, corn, and Cheezy Sauce. Then all the fresh stuff and then I top it with the Salsa and add guacamole and dressing if I have them made up. If I have fresh mushrooms that need to be used I will slice them up and saute them with onions in a little olive oil and Shoyu or Balsamic Vinegar and maybe a few spices;) And also put them on top of the rice too. Very Tasty!

Applesauce Cake

2011-06-26T22:46:00.007-06:00

Applesauce Cake

1 Cup melted coconut oil
1 Quart unsweetened applesauce
2 ½ cups Sucanat
½ Tablespoon Molasses
Egg Replacer for 3 eggs
4 teaspoons baking soda

Stir soda into applesauce and when foamy add in oil, Sucanat, Egg Replace, beat.

Add :
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 cups raisins and 2 cups nuts
4 ½ cups hard white wheat flour

Mix batter well then fold in nuts and raisins. Spread Batter onto lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with turbinado before baking or Powdered turbinado after baked and cooled. Or is great with a simple frosting of powdered turbinado sugar mixed with a little coconut oil and rice milk until frosting consistency and a little vanilla. You can also make a thinner glaze and put it over the cake made in a bundt pan. Really yummy and pretty made this way too!

Labels!

2011-06-23T14:41:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking about Labels A LOT lately!.....No it's not food labels this time. Even though I'm an ingredient freak and think the ingredients on food labels should be listed in bold letters on the front of the package...that's really not the kind of labels that I think the most about. I've been thinking about those labels no one ever sees but seem so pervasive in our society. What is it about us wanting to put labels on each other? You know it's gone on most all of your life. Maybe you were one who got called goody-goody, geek or you were with the "in" croud. Maybe you were bullied or maybe you did the bullying. I'm sure you could think about it and dig down pretty deep. But that's not my intent today.

I just want to get out some of these thoughts in my head and maybe make them more concrete by writing them down. Many years ago when I had the desire to learn and try to become more health minded, it was all very new and very unsettled ground for me. Because it was so different, especially then, people were really quick to want to label me. I don't think most people had bad or mean intentions, but they just didn't understand. At first I bought into all the labels, I embraced the term "Vegetarian" for a while and almost wore it like a badge of courage. I hated the term "Health Nut" and was overly sensitive when called it because to me they were implying I had gone nuts! Although I wondered myself I certainly didn't want others inferring I was going crazy.

Well some time past and when I would get questions like, Are you Vegan? I would kind of cringe and say that I didn't really profess to be following any certain label. I started to feel like the Labels Vegan or Vegetarian were labels of more than just what a person ate but a huge belief system that frankly I didn't feel I completely subscribed to. Besides that I wasn't against people eating some animal products in fact I would even say if I could get such and such (stick in something like Free Range Eggs, Raw Goats Milk Kefir, Wild Alaskan Salmon, etc.) I would eat some every now and then. I meant that, and when I have found some available at affordable prices we have had some.

It's funny what time will do and how our attitudes can shift. I see things a little differently now. When people ask me if I am Vegan or Vegetarian I respond differently depending on the circumstance. If it's a server at a restaurant that asks I usually just nod my head yes, smile, and don't worry about it. I want them to think that I am cause I would really like my order to be right. ;) If I'm talking to or meeting new people that I may or may not ever see again and they ask I will usually say, "No, I'm basically just a health nut!" ;) If it's people I have or will potentially have a relationship of sorts with or they are friends and family.....I usually try to quickly explain the reasons why I don't consider myself Vegan or Vegetarian. Then I mention that Cancer runs really strong in my family and this is the best way I have found to empower myself and do whatever I can to prevent it!

I do have a confession to make though. I kind of use the cancer thing as an easy excuse that people seem to accept. It is true there is a strong history of cancer in my family, but that wasn't really my deciding factor, but I will have to talk about that another time because today I'm talking about labels.

I have noticed that the medical community uses labels A LOT! Labels aren't always bad....But do they sometimes cause us confusion? For example, ADD and ADHD lots and lots of children and now even adults are being labeled with it. As I have tried to observe and be understanding and sensitive I feel like these labels don't help give us a full understanding. Although there may be certain personality traits and commonalities in people labeled with ADD it doesn't automatically mean they need a drug to control it or that they are abnormal because they have some tendencies. I have a younger brother who as a child was really struggling in school and basically couldn't sit still. My Mother knew that doctors would just try to put him on Ritalin if she asked them for help. So.......she pulled him out of school and started homeschooling him because she knew that he just wasn't going to fit the cookie cutter mold the school system was wanting to put him in. Especially through Junior High. She already knew from the time he was a baby that he was allergic to milk as he got older his symptoms were not as bad and I don't think anyone had ever told her or that she realized that the milk could still be causing him problems. She would probably tell this story better but I remember she did notice that when he had those red popsicles.... that they made him crazy! We all quickly learned NOT to give him anything with red dye. Years later and after learning lots my Mom also is sure he's allergic to MSG (Who isn't! But we are all affected differently, I have found it makes me depressed and overwhelmed, like really bad I do so much better without it!) and now that he's an adult he sees the connection to what he eats and how he feels. Of course this doesn't always stop him from eating it but at least he knows.

So maybe a better label would be something like Food Additive Induced ADD or something like that!

Have you heard of the book
Healthy Kids, Smart Kids: The Principal-Created, Parent-Tested, Kid-Approved Nutrition Plan for SoundBodies and Strong Minds

I haven't read it yet but it's been in my Amazon wish list for years. This is what some of the description about it says:

"When she became principal of a 1000-student Georgia elementary school, Dr. Sanders-Butler was disturbed by the high number of visits to the school nurse, disciplinary problems, tardiness, and inattention, to say nothing of so many children being overweight. Convinced the problems were directly related to the pizza, sodas, and sweets the school offered, she launched the Achieving Academic Excellence Through Nutrition program, which banned refined sugars and high-fat and processed foods and drink from the cafeteria.

The results were immediate: better attendance, improvements in attention and energy levels, plus higher grades. Now, she shares with parents everywhere the lunchroom lessons that will help their children thrive"

I think sometimes labels just give us an escape goat, an excuse to not measure up to our full potential. I honestly believe that EVERY single person is a genius! I also think that many people never realize their full potential or their genius because of labels they or others have placed upon them. When you look at your children or anyone for that matter, do you see a label or do you see the potential to overcome....do you see the greatness within everyone?

C.S. Lewis said, “The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken. It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations… This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption… Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.”

So should we suppress symptoms with drugs, stifle creativity, and insist everyone fit in the nice "normal" mold? Oh I think labels can be useful in helping understand BUT only if we look toward causes and not let that label keep us from being exactly what God wants us and our children to be! Now don't misunderstand me I'm not saying that just because you find the cause and change some things that all of a sudden your child is going to be just like those amazing kids down the street, I think my point is more that we shouldn't use labels to hold us back or keep us from becoming who we were meant to be and I promise we weren't meant to be like the Mother down the street she has her own mission and her children have theirs. I guess mostly what I'm trying to say is it isn't always productive to label and compare and that we should be aware and be careful in doing so. I know God knows us each as individuals and he isn't comparing us to anyone else or labeling us with some type of disorder. We are all divine in His eyes and he deals with each of us individually! I think we should do the same. Full of love, mercy and understanding! I recently read this quote that explains it better.....

"No one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us - insecurities, anxieties, poor self image, and all. He doesn't measure our talents or our looks; He doesn't measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."
~Jeffrey R. Holland

Well I think that helped clear my head a bit to ramble on. I hope that made some sense. I have a gift of saying a lot but never making a clear point, just ask Ryan! ;) Maybe you could help me clear things up even more by sharing your thoughts about labels!

How to make your own Trail Mix!

2011-06-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

Great for hiking, travel, or just a quick easy high energy snack!
Making your own trail mix not only saves you lots of money but you can be sure only ingredients you want are in it. Many trail mixes have lots of added sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and lots of preservatives that you really don't need or want! I like making it in a big gallon size bag and keeping smaller serving size bags in with it that way when traveling etc. I can easily hand out single serving sizes to the kids! Super easy, great snack that you can totally fit to your families tastes!

Homemade Trail Mix

Roasted Cashews
Roasted Peanuts
Raw Almonds
Raw Pumpkin Seeds
Raw Sunflower Seeds
Dried Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Carob Chips
Raisins
Dried Fruit Juice Sweetened Cranberries
Carob covered Raisins and/or Almonds
Other Dried Fruit

Take ingredients of choice above and combine in equal parts or in amounts desired! I always use more of the things I know everyone likes! ;)

Mock Almond Joys and Vanilla Macaroons

2011-06-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

Mock Almond Joys

3 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

dash of pure vanilla

dash of sea salt

Almonds

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients above except almonds. With a small cookie scoop or spoon make little "blobs" on wax paper or plastic wrap. If you feel like a nut place an almond on top of each one. Refrigerate or freeze to set up for a few minutes. Make up your choice of chocolate topping and just spoon topping onto each mound. Refrigerate or freeze till set up then enjoy. Keep left overs refrigerated!

Options for "chocolate" on top

1 cup carob chips melted with 2 Tablespoons rice milk in double boiler so it won't burn.
The Truffles recipe
Some melted coconut oil with some carob powder and a little maple syrup would also be good and easy to whip up.

Also I thought you might like this recipe too! It's where the inspiration for the Almond Joys came from. Ry and I even like them better!

Vanilla Macaroons

1/2 c. raw almonds

2 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4-1/2 c. pure maple syrup (start with 1/4 and add more if needed for sweetness)

1/4 c. coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp pure vanilla

dash sea salt

In a food processor pulse almonds until they become a coarse powder. Then in a bowl combine almonds and remaining ingredients, except for coconut oil. Pour the coconut oil over the coconut mixture and stir well. With a small cookie scoop or large melon-baller, pack mixture into the scoop and then plop onto a serving tray. When all the balls are formed, place the tray in the refrigerator or freezer and chill until firm. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Let's Giveaway, Simply Scheduled: On The Go

2011-06-16T19:00:00.000-06:00

.....And the winners are.......

selected from Random.org......

Liz who said: I would love this!

And

Traci who didn't even enter except that she bought 2 of my ebooks during the giveaway and was entered 20 times automatically!
Congratulations!!!!
Remember be sure to contact me so I can get you your prize!!

Healthy Menu Plans for Camping, Picnics, BBQ's and Traveling Tips for Eating Good On The Go!

In celebration of warm beautiful weather finally making it my way! I thought it would be lots of fun to giveaway my newest eBook!

To Enter: All you have to do is leave a comment.

If you would like a second entry: Spread the word about my new eBook on facebook or your blog then let me know about it in a second comment.

For a third entry: Become a fan and/or follower (box just below "our favorite readers" on the side bar and let me know in yet another comment. If you are already one just remind me in another comment.

For a fourth entry: Subscribe to my newsletter and let me know you did in ANOTHER comment. Again if you already subscribed remind me. You will get my Food Storage eBook free when you subscribe too!

For as many more entries as you want: Each Item you purchase from my Shop between now and the close of the giveaway your name will automatically be entered TEN MORE TIMES for each item purchased!

I will giveaway at least 2 books, but if there are more then 200 entries I will giveaway another book and then another every 100 entries after that. Basically the more entries the more I giveaway! So tell your friends!

~~The giveaway will be opened until Thursday, June16th at 7:00 pm.~~

This Giveaway is Closed

Simply Scheduled: On The Go
Healthy Menu Plans for Camping, Picnics, BBQ's and Traveling Tips for Eating Good On The Go!

I hope this book will help make travel fun,
healthy and enjoyable for ALL!

Take a peek inside!

See additional information below.

		Over 80 pages of charts, lists, menus AND recipes!
		Recipe cards included with each menu,
		AND included an entire On The Go recipe book in traditional format!
		OVER 50 RECIPES! Many of them not seen yet on this site!
		Keep your life simple and ORGANIZED while on the go!
		Save Lots of Time. All for ONLY $12.95

Seasoned Almonds

2011-06-16T10:07:00.009-06:00

Don't forget drawing for giveaway tonight at 7:00 pm. Be sure to enter!

Ryan bought some Jalapeno Smokehouse almonds as a quick snack from time and time. When I tried them they were pretty tasty but I was very suspicious of them. I of course read the ingredients this is what was in them.

Ingredients: almonds, vegetable oil (canola, safflower and/or sunflower), salt, maltodextrin, torula yeast, spices, jalapeno pepper, onion powder, natural smoke flavor (contains soybean oil), natural flavors, and garlic powder.

The biggest red flags for me aside from the bad oils and the sugar disguised as maltodextrin was torula yeast, spices and natural flavors. More then likely they are all forms of MSG torula yeast being pretty much guaranteed! And after trying them and wanting to eat the whole can I knew there is some MSG in there and I needed to give Ryan a better snacking option.

We have lots of truly raw almonds that I buy in bulk every fall, so I soaked (sprouted) them and dried them and... well just follow the recipe! They make a excellent snack with lots of live whole food nutrition! Almonds are so good for you loaded with fiber, protein, potassium, calcium, among other things and are known for being effective at lowering cholesterol! Being sprouted this way not only gives them a extra fun crunch but also makes all their wonderful nutrients and enzymes wake up and feed us that much more! ENJOY!

Oh by the way Ryan loves them and so does everybody at work! ;)

Seasoned Almonds

10 cups raw almonds, soaked 6-8 hours or overnight and dehydrated at 105 degrees approximately 12 hours
1 cup olive oil mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and an optional few dashes of Tabasco sauce

Seasoning Mix:
1/2 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons onion powder
4-6 Tablespoons favorite seasonings (like chili powder, garlic powder, chipotle, jalapeno powder, dried bell peppers, celery seed, curry, etc.)

In blender, blend together seasoning mix ingredients.

My favorite seasoning combo is a few Tablespoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon chipotle (less if you don’t like hot), 1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper powder, 1 Tablespoon dried green bell peppers, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. You could also do a more BBQ and or smoked flavor by adding a sweetener, Sucanat would be my choice, with favorite BBQ type seasonings. If you want to go with a more cheesy flavor add some nutritional yeast and things. Be creative make a flavor you love!

Take dried almonds and dip ½ cup full in the olive oil mixture take out with fork or strainer and let most the oil strain back into bowl place “oiled” almonds onto a plate with a paper towel on it coat well with seasoning mix, place on dehydrator trays, repeat with all the almonds. You should have leftover seasoning mix to use another time or for other things. Dry almonds at 105 for a few hours, overnight or until they are no longer greasy/wet.

More About My Favorite Hair Clip

2011-06-15T11:16:00.006-06:00

First don't forget about the giveaway!

Remember when I posted about Hair Clips?

We have enjoyed trying fun styles like in the videos below!
I can't believe how easy it is!
I have even found I like them better for a pony tail than....well pony tail holders! ;)
I love that I can also have beautiful up-do's that are almost as easy as a pony tail!
I just need the one clip without lots of extra pins, barettes, etc.
And it STAYS! So Simple! I love it!

I figured out what sizes would work best here!

Thanks

Coleslaw, made without dairy or sugar

2011-06-10T10:26:00.001-06:00

Don't forget about the giveaway!

I wanted a good coleslaw recipe that was easy to throw together. I did a little research then wrote out this recipe. The first time we made it I was making something else in the kitchen and Ryan was helping me put this together. Although I had made up the recipe I didn't remember how much lemon juice it took, so when he asked how many Tablespoons were in one lemon I didn't even think about it. I just answered that there is usually 1-2 Tablespoons in a lemon depending on the size. So he juices 2 lemons and puts all the juice in. I go to test the sauce to see if it's sweet enough and I'm like, "Wow that's sour." I ask Ryan how much lemon he put in he says 4 Tablespoons. I look at the recipe and see that he has confused Tablespoons for teaspoons. I add extra agave and announce we will be having extra lemony coleslaw. ;) Missy laughs at her Dad in understanding because years ago when she was learning how to cook I had to teach her to be careful of the same thing.

I proceed show Ryan that in my recipes to help not confuse the two I ALWAYS use a capital T in Tablespoons. He felt pretty sheepish he's really a pretty good cook. I try to be good and not get frustrated because I want him to continue to be willing to help out in the kitchen! Good thing we weren't having company. ;) Everyone ate the coleslaw and liked it just fine but it was better the next time we made it with less lemon. Ryan even said, "Yeah I like it better with less lemon!" It's super easy and quick, (especially if you have Sunflower Seed Sour Cream already made in your fridge) and of course it's Tasty and Healthy!

Coleslaw

Vegenaise to desired creaminess
Drizzle agave to desired sweetness
2-4 Tablespoons Sunflower Seed Sour Cream
2-4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons stone ground mustard, optional

½ teaspoon celery seed
Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 green onions, sliced, optional
1-2 bags of coleslaw

Take first 7 ingredients and mix together well. Add coleslaw and optional onions stir well.

Potato Salad

2011-06-07T12:04:00.001-06:00

I used this recipe in one of the menu plans in my Simply Scheduled: One The Go ebook! It's great for those summer time picnics! This potato salad is egg and dairy free but has all that classic potato salad taste! ENJOY!

Potato Salad

8-12 medium Potatoes, cooked, peeled & diced
1 Small onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, chopped
chopped dill pickles, to taste
1 can olives, sliced, optional
Paprika
Basil, Dill, Parsley Chives, optional

Mix first 5 ingredients above into a large bowl. Fold in sauce and optional herbs add salt and pepper to taste if desired. Sprinkle with paprika on the top.

Sauce:

½ cup water
1 cup raw cashews
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons Agave

½ teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt

½ cup Vegenaise

Blend everything but Vegenaise until smooth in blender, fold in Vegenaise. (Could add some mustard and dill pickle juice in place of some or all the vinegar if you like that kind of tangy, I like it that way cause that's how my mom always made it!)

Thick and Chunky Cilantro Salsa

2011-06-06T19:00:00.003-06:00

My Cilantro is doing well this year in my garden I have ordered Organic Tomatoes from Bountiful Baskets. I'm looking forward to making this again soon!!!

Thick and Chunky Cilantro Salsa

1/2 medium onion

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper

Directions: Place ingredients in blender jar in order as listed and secure the lid. Press the Pulse button 3 to 5 times or until ingredients are chopped.

Add:

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vinegar

5-7 Tomatoes - quartered

3 drops Tabasco sauce

3/4 tsp salt
Any other desired seasonings

Directions: Press the Pulse button a few times until salsa is blended to desired consistency. Remember if you want "thick and chunky" don't blend much!

Meat & Potatoes Man

2011-06-02T16:47:00.004-06:00

I have a treat for you all today! I finally got Ryan pinned down and had him post some thoughts from the husbands point of view, on all this Simple Healthy Tasty stuff! I encourage you to post whatever questions you have for him in the comments section! I would really love to see how he answers them! ;)

Also, as a side note from me: Please know that we have never tried to push Vegan or Vegetarianism and that we do not consider ourselves either, but I will post more about that at another time.

Now I don’t consider myself an unusual man, I like guns, the outdoors & FOOD. Until recently my heritage on both sides have been farmers & ranchers. Camping, Hunting & fishing defined who we were. The rural lifestyle & it’s diet are deeply ingrained. Dad grew up on a sheep ranch, they ate what they raised. Mom “reminisces” about her creative uses of lamb burger when first married. Even after college & a desk job Dad would still purchase a combination of Beef, Lamb & Pork at the local auction each year. I fondly recall coming home on Sunday afternoons to the warm wonderful smell of pot roast & potatoes. I sincerely can’t decide which I liked more, the greasy well done pieces from the bottom of that Roast or the thick sliced Ham for breakfast on Saturdays w/ Eggs & pancakes. As I said, I don’t feel all that unusual. So how’d I get from there to here? It’s not all that far and it wasn’t really all that hard.

When a man, any man, really loves a woman there is not much he won’t do for her. And if he does occasionally experience a little stubborn streak she usually knows exactly where & how to coax it out of him. Incidentally, I believe that to be one of the greatest skills of womanhood, to be the master of her home while allowing her man to believe that it is he who rules the roost. Mildly stated, I did not warm to our lifestyle as readily as Tammie. There were tense conversations, hesitancy & disagreement. It was hard to accept that what everyone else was doing & had done for generations was not necessarily the best thing. No meat was strange, but no milk or cheese? Really?? And Rice…milk….? what is that? That was outright weird. Besides….what would people say? Nevertheless, it felt right to Tammie. (Confidentially, she can be so aggravating when she insists on following her feelings in the face of my “logic”. The worst part is that her gut is rarely wrong & I know it. Dang!) For me it boiled down to two major issues; our relationship & not who but what was right.

Pre- Simple Healthy Tasty Lifestyle

Long time readers know that we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. We believe that Families are Eternal. Marriage does not have to end with death. Tammie & I plan on being together forever and I want that to be a pleasant experience. Accordingly, some concessions may/will be required. To admit one has been in error, even innocently, is a difficult thing but as I studied the scriptures, both ancient & modern, I determined that my diet had not been sufficiently sparing. When the Lord tells us that the flesh of beasts is to be used sparingly & w/ thanksgiving I do not believe that he means meat at every meal.* I felt that I needed to follow the knowledge we had been given and support my wife. At first meals were rather plain & repetitive. We did not have the benefit of blogs or even of the internet. Today I have no reservations about how we eat, I prefer to eat at home. I eat better. The food tastes better. My only regret is that I am not able to be here more. My pallet has changed. I love a whole variety of flavors & textures which I once refused. Tammie has tweaked our favorite recipes, we eat extremely well. Life is gooood!

I can look back & see the fruits of following Tammie’s inspiration. Weight is not an issue. Overall good health comes naturally. We avoid Doctors, drugs & the associated bills. This has proven to be both a physically & fiscally rewarding way of life. Despite my initial hesitance, time has again proven Tammie right. I support her in living & sharing what she knows. I love you sweetie!

For what it’s worth –

Ryan

Mr. Simple Healthy Tasty

*Doctrine & Covenants 89:10-13, Doctrine & Covenants 59:16-20, Genesis 1:29&30, JST Gen 9:10,11