Gluten Free Oat Flour Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey everyone! Today I am sharing one of my favorite recipes with you! These cookies are so yummy! They turn out so good! Always gooie, chewy, soft, and so, so very chocolaty. This recipe was adapted from my favorite chocolate chip recipe that uses oat flour. You can find that recipe HERE. 

My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe uses oat flour and turns out absolutely perfect every time! I adapted it to have cocoa powder because I couldn't find a chocolate, chocolate chip recipe that uses oat flour. The oat flour doesn't make it taste like an oatmeal cookie, but gives a subtle sweetness and tenderness while still holding together nicely. So, so much better than any other gluten free flour. 

Anyway, All I did was replace a cup of the oat flour for cocoa powder, and I like to use pink Himalayan salt in these. I also use high quality chocolate chips and I like to use big ones and little tiny ones when I have them because it's more fun that way. 

Melt the butter, but not quite all the way then beat with the sugars. I like to add the vanilla in here. Then beat in the egg, but not all the way. Beating the egg to much can make the cookies a bit tough. 

Add in the dry ingredients Until just combined. You don't really need to worry about over mixing since their is no gluten, but I find them to stay a little softer when I don't over mix with the spoon. Instead I finish mixing it all the way when I add in the chocolate chips. 

 Usually when my son helps me though, the chocolate chips get added in with all the dry ingredients because that's his favorite part. 

 I always flatten them out. If I don't then I need to make sure they do so on their own while they bake, or I have to help them along by pressing them down with the back of a spoon. 

But I always have to do that with cookies, I used to not need to, but ever since I started using other ovens I've had to. Do you have to do that, or does dolling them out work just fine for you? 

I actually used to have the problem of them being to thin because I would always melt the butter (using a basic chocolate chip recipe) and changing nothing other than using a different oven they no longer do that. Except I've made cookies in that old oven again and I still had to flatten them out. So... I do not know. 

Anyway, they turn out so, so good! 

GF Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Makes 1 1/2 dozen cookies

1 stick butter, partially melted
1/2 cup turbanado sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 egg
1 tsp to 1/2 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1 1/4 cup oat flour 
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 

Melt a bit over halfway then mix together with the sugars. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.  Sift the flour and cocoa powder then mix in all the dry ingredients reserving the chocolate chips.  Mix until it just starts to come together then add in the chocolate chips. The dough will be a bit sticky and thats just fine. Bake on greased baking sheets for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just browning up. They need to still be soft on the inside so that they will stay gooie and have that brownie flavor.

Mmmmmmmm.

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How to make milk kefir with kefir grains and raw milk

Making kefir with a grain is very easy, and in my opinion much easier than using powdered starter. When using a kefir grain instead of the powdered starter, you also get a lot more probiotics.

To make kefir with a kefir grain, just add your kefir grains to a nice clean jar. (I usually like to make a quart at a time.) Then add in your milk. Put the lid on and place in a darker area for 12 to 48 hours, depending on the temperature of your house. Usually during the winter it takes longer than the summer, for most of the time 24 hours will be just fine. You will know when it is done by it having a buttermilk kind of tang to the smell as well as a healthy yeasty smell, like rising bread or beer. It should also be at least a bit bubbly. Strain out the grains with a non-metal strainer. At this point you can rinse them in non chlorinated water but it is not necessary. Put them in a small jar, cover with milk and store in the fridge or go ahead and make another batch.

For a second ferment, take your strained kefir and add fruit. Either blended/mashed berries, or a lemon rind are my favorites. let set for another day and you have a tasty drink!

To make kefir cheese let the strained kefir set out until it separates. Then scoop out the top creamy layer for a delicious spreadable cream, or scoop it out and strain in a cheesecloth until it is even thicker. The bottom layer is whey. You can make all sorts of things with this! Some more popular things to do with it is making homemade sodas, and cultured vegetables such as pickles and beets.

When making kefir with raw milk it is important that you have strong grains. If you order your grains through the mail then you must soak your grains in pasteurized milk before putting them in raw milk. This is because the raw milk has its own probiotics that can take over a week kefir grain. The first time you make kefir with raw milk and your new grains, make sure you use fresh milk, that way the bacteria in the milk hasn't grown so it will have a lower chance of overtaking your kefir grains. If your grains are nice and healthy though then you should not have any problems. Often times I use the last of my milk from that week to store my kefir in or to make kefir with and it does just fine.

When you have made enough kefir, store it in the refrigerator in fresh milk for up to two weeks, changing out the milk half way through. If you still don't need a lot of kefir at the end of those two weeks, make a small batch or two of kefir just to help it stay healthy. If your not in the mood to drink it you can always use it in place of buttermilk. So for things like, biscuits, fried chicken, pancakes, or for cakes and things that the flour is soaked with the kefir overnight to make a more nutritious batter.

The reason for storing milk in kefir is so that it has something to live off of while its in storage. Kefir grains live off of the sugars in milk, which is very helpful for people who are sensitive to lactose or for people who are trying to not have as much sugar in their diets.

Cows milk will make the kefir thicker usually, while goats milk will turn out a bit thinner. If you use a lower fat milk it will not be as thick, and it will also need to be re-fed with some whole milk.

You can also use cream or half and half to get thicker more creamy results. You can use a tablespoon or two in some cream to ferment it so that your kefir grain doesn't get coated in the cream. If you do ferment the cream with your grains, just make sure to rinse them off, otherwise they could get a crust on them. The crust is removable though and your grains will be fine.

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Green tea and mango smoothie

This smoothie is soooo good! Basically its just a cold green tea late blended with mangoes, but even simpler than that to put together. The mango gives it an extra creamy fruitiness that really compliments the matcha. Have you ever had mango green tea? Or maybe a green tea with tropical fruit flavors in it? It's like that but cream, delicious, and smoothie-fied!

Ingredients

• Frozen mangoes 2 cups (fresh can be used but it will turn out more like a fresh lassi)
• Yogurt 1/2 cup (optional)
• Kefir 1/2 cup (optional)
• Milk 1-2 cups [depending on if you use the yogurt and kefir or not (nut milks may be substituted)]
• Matcha powder 1/4tsp - 1 tbsp (depending on your taste (you will need a bit more than usual)
• Water, only if you need more liquid and you are keeping it low on the milk

Additional supper foods

• Collagen powder (optional but it adds extra nutrition and creaminess)
• Whey protein (grass fed and processed on a low heat. Mix enough with water and it can replace the milk)
• colostrum powder (can be mixed with water to replace the milk and it makes it so creamy!)
• Maca or other kinds of super foods that go well with late flavors. I personally don't like maca or mesquite but if you do have at it!

I also really like brewing gean and white teas, and blending them with fruit and a little honey. My favorite combination is green tea and peaches. Something about it is just so incredibly delicious, like the tea and the peaches with the honey just bring out so many delicious flavors!

If your interested here is the link to my green tea late recipe.

Thanks for reading! 

cream of chicken stew

So, I made this stew the other day, and it is delicious. It is one of the best stews/soups I have ever had. It has a sweet flavor that is accented by some fabulous herbs and it is wonderful.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (cover in water and cook on low for a day on the stove or in a crock pot substitute chicken broth and cooked chicken)
• 2 cups of chicken broth (from the broth you made or good quality store bought) 
• Meat from 1 whole chicken cut up (you could use 6 chicken thighs)
• 2 Tbsp of butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• Optional red peppers, mushrooms, corn, peas, other veggies
• 2 tsp-1 Tbsp of sea salt (do not use if substituting store bought chicken broth)
• 1 tsp-1 Tbsp of pepper
• 2 tsp of dried thyme
• 2 tsp of dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp of dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp of mustard
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 2 cups of full fat milk (can substitute coconut milk)
• 1/2 cup of cream. This is optional, it tastes great with or without it.

To make the chicken broth and cook the chicken, Place the whole chicken in a stove or crock pot, (Remove the bag from the gizzards and cook them too) cover with water and cook on low for a day. You can add in herbs or veggies to make the broth more nutritious. Remove the chicken from the pot, carefully, into a large bowl. Let cool until you can manage to handle it. Remove the meat and put the bones back into the broth and continue to cook on low for a day. You can either continue to cook the gizzards in the broth, eat them, or put them in the stew. The next day you can strain out the bones and put into jars and keep in the refrigerator. this tastes great to cook rice, veggies, add to sauces or drink by itself. 

To make the stew, melt the butter in a pot (I like my dutch oven) and cook your vegetables until the onions become translucent. (If you are using raw chicken, add them in now and cook before adding everything else)  Add everything else and simmer for about an hour. 

Recipe inspired by the chicken stew recipe in the cookbook, "part time paleo"

Easy Asian ground meat with veggies

This is an incredibly easy meal to make, that serves several people on a budget. 

Prep time: 0-5 min Cook time: 20-30 min Serves: 4 or more

Ingreedients:

1/2 cup of rice per person

1 pound of veggies of choice (I love green beans or broccoli)

1 pound of ground meet of choice

1 tbsp of sesame oil

1/4 cup of soy or tamari sauce

2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar (red wine vinegar works nicely also)

1 tbsp of honey

2-4 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 to 1 inch of fresh ginger minced or grated. (you can use powdered) 

Asian hot sauce to taste 

Directions:

Cook the rice however you like, I do 1 cup of rice with 2 and 1/4 to 1/3 cups of water boiled then simmered until it is done. I just kind of guess basically, you may want to follow more specific directions though. 

In a pan or wok cook any onions and hard veggies first. Add in the ground meet and let it start cooking, then add in all the flavors (everything but any other veggies). Once the meat is cooked add in any other veggies you want cooked. I usually add in the frozen veggies now on top and put a lid on. Any water that comes off of the veggies helps to make a sauce. You can always defrost any veggies before, I just always forget and this works fine. add your meat and veggies to some rice and eat up. I never said it was classy, just delicious ;)

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Healthy pina colada

I've been adding coconut oil and heavy cream to my smoothies for the extra nutritional fat. Today I had fresh pineapple so I changed up my usual pineapple smoothie (pineapple, water, and aloe vera) and ended up with a delicious pina colada.

For two servings.

1 medium pineapple, skinned, cored, and chopped.
1 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 cup of milk (can use coconut milk)
3 tbsp of cream (can use the cream from canned coconut milk)
1 to 2 tsp of honey if your pineapple is on the tart side.
Optional 1 aloe vera stem de-skinned

If you use coconut milk and coconut cream then you may want to cut down on the coconut oil.

Blend and serve.

The easiest sauerkraut recipe

This sauerkraut recipe is so simple and takes very little time. You can make this recipe with just cabbage, or with other vegetables and greens or even fruit. Also, you can make it with or without salt. The salt does give it an extra bit of crispiness. No water, culture, or whey is needed. 

Fermenting your vegetables makes them more nutritious, unlocking nutrients and culturing beneficial bacteria to help your body thrive!

For one batch

Prep time: 10 min Fermentation time: 5-10 days

Equipment:

Make sure all equipment is sterile, you do not want to introduce bad bacteria. 

1 bowl

1 mason jar

a knife

a cutting board

something to press your kraut into the jar with (optional, if your hand fits in the jar you can just use your fist/knuckles)

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

1 tsp of sea salt (optional)

I like to make mine with cabbage, carrots, beats, and swiss chard, you can also add in apples, dried berries, spices such as caraway, ginger, garlic, celery zucchini, basically whatever you feel like. 

Adding more veggies, herbs such as parsley, and garlic and ginger make for an awesome immune booster. Not only are their going to be more nutrients from the food by fermenting them, the beneficial bacteria are going to make you have a better immune system also. The probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, in our guts protect us from parasites, harmful bacteria,  and toxic substances including mercury! 

Directions:

• Wash your cabbage. 
• Take of the first 1 to 2 layers of leaves off your cabbage and discard.
•  Take off another layer and save it for later.
•  Take out the core of your cabbage and shred it by slicing it thinly with a knife (I do for one batch) or with some sort of cheese grater. If you are adding any thing else you will want to shred it as well, except for greens like swiss chard just chop those finely. 
• Place all ingredients in a bowl with the salt if you are using it.
• Using your hand, squish and kneed the mixture until the juices are getting released. 
• Press the mixture into some sort of jar with a lid that will seal, such as a mason jar. You want this to be packed tight!
• Using your reserved leaves, cover the top to take up any extra space.
• Cover and keep in a pantry or some place similar. You want the area to have little to no light, be dry, and not to warm or cold. 
• Let it sit from 5-10 days. A week usually works perfect for me but if it is unusually warm or cold it may take less or more time. You may want to keep a tray underneath because it has a tendency to bubble and leak. 

Middle eastern type tomato chicken stuff... or something like that

This was something that I made the other day trying to use up the chicken and couscous that I had, and it turned out really well for such a simple recipe.
Chicken in a tomato and turmeric sauce with vegetables and couscous.

Prep time: 3-5 min Cook time 8-15 min Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces.

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp curry seasoning or 1 tbsp each of coriander and turmeric (you can fiddle around with the spices)

2 tsp to 1 tbsp of garlic powder

1 pound of fresh or frozen veggies, cooked (I used broccoli) 

1 cup of couscous 

1 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (water will work if need be)

salt and pepper if you used tomatoes and broth without salt

Directions:

Bring the broth to a boil. Add in the couscous, cover and turn to low cooking for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, fluff the couscous, cover and let sit for another 10 minutes.

Cook the chicken breast in a bit of oil in a pan. Add in the tomatoes (with the juice) and the seasoning. Let that heat up. You can cover it and let it cook on low for a bit to let the spices integrate more if you would like. Put down the couscous first, then the veggies, and then the chicken and tomatoes layered on your plate. Now you have dinner for two. 

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Easy creamy tomato pasta

This is really delicious and so easy to make. It can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken.

Takes about 20 minutes to cook, 10 if you make the sauce while the pasta is cooking, and serves 4.

Ingredients: 

1 pound of pasta cooked, drained and buttered or oiled so that it doesn't stick.

2 tbsp of butter

1 red onion, minced

1/2 pound of chicken thighs or breasts cut into small pieces, about 1/4-1/2 inches

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes chopped (Don't get rid of the juice! This goes in too) or a can of diced tomatoes (you might want to chop them up a bit more)
1/2 cup of cream cheese
1 Tbsp of oregano
1 Tbsp of basil
1/2 cup of olives, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped artichoke hearts
Parmesan or asiago cheese to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in your pan (I left the pasta in the colander and did this in my pot to save of dishes but you can just as easily do this in a saute pan or skillet with high sides.) Cook the onions in the butter with some salt to help them sweat for a couple of minutes or until they soften up and start to become translucent. Scootch the onions to the sides of the pan and add in the chicken. You can season the chicken if you want. Since they are small pieces they should take 2 to 3 minutes to cook. Add in the herbs and tomatoes and let them cook a bit, don't forget to add in the juice that was released when you cut them up. Add in the cream cheese and let it melt into the sauce. Add in everything else but the pasta and let it mix up then combine it with the pasta. Whala you are finished.

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Kefir, yogurt, and prebiotics

We have all heard of yogurt, but maybe not kefir, and quite likely you have not heard of prebiotics (not to be confused with probiotics). They all have to do with intestinal health, and consequently the health of your entire body, but they all have different functions.

Prebiotics are the food for your intestinal flora, or the beneficial bacteria in your colon. Prebiotics consist of fiber that our bodies can not digest, but the flora can. Not all fiber is food for the probiotics, the fiber that isn't basically just cleans out the colon. Where fiber that isn't a prebiotic is still beneficial, if you aren't getting a wide enough range of fruits and veggies you may be hindering the health of your intestinal flora. 

You can take prebiotic supplements, but foods like asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, onions, cabbages (including broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts) radish, rutabaga, leafy greens, bananas, kiwis, etc.

Yogurt contains probiotics, but not very many and different kinds of probiotics than kefir. The probiotics in kefir do NOT colonize the colon, but rather provide food for the beneficial bacteria already in your intestines. If fiber is the broom that sweeps out your colon, then yogurt is like a mop that cleans and makes everything happy. Yogurt is so easy to make, my cousin has a marvelously easy recipe that you can find HERE.

Kefir is awesome. Let me tell ya, where yogurt fails, kefir succeeds at colonizing the intestinal tract with over 30 types of beneficial bacteria. It also has way more of the bacteria in the actual amount of product. Where 500 ml of yogurt contains close to 1.5 trillion organisms, kefir has 5 trillion in 500 ml. Not only that but it also has beneficial yeast that take out the bad yeast and parasites. The kinds of  yeast and the probiotics in kefir create more nutrition as well. Kefir has many amino acids, calcium, magnesium, loads of B vitamins, phosphorus (the second most  abundant mineral in the body which is critical in helping our bodies utilize what we put in it).

Kefer is so good at what it does, that when E.coli is put into kefer the beneficial bacteria obliterate it within 24 hours. Kefer also creates a protective lining on the intestines that keeps parasites from going through, and creates an environment where harmful bacteria can't thrive but beneficial bacteria can. Kefer is also a natural antibiotic because it protects the body from harmful bacteria. Various medical reports have shown that Kefir has been helpful in the treatment of psoriasis, eczema, allergies, migraines, gout, rheumatic arthritic conditions, candidiasis and colitis. The World Health Organization has

reported that Kefir has been effective in treating tuberculosis and typhoid fever. 

Some of the known health benefits of live Kefir made from live Kefir grains (from http://www.orhaolam.com/uploads/KefirInShort.pdf):
1. Strongest natural remedy against any allergy
2. Strongest natural antibiotic without side effects
3. Treats liver disease
4. Treats gallbladder, dissolves gall bladder stones
5. Clears the body of salts, heavy metals, radionuclides, and alcoholic products
6. Cleans the body of chemical antibiotics
7. Treats kidney stones
8. Good bacteria in kefir are able to fight off pathogenic microorganisms
9. Lowers level of LDL cholesterol
10. Cleans the gastrointestinal tract
11. Treats Irritable Bowel Syndrome
12. Treats gastritis
13. Treats pancreatitis
14. Treats ulcers
15. Prevents and treats colon cancer
16. Improves digestion
17. Improves the body functions
18. Improves the human immune system
19. Cures Candida
20. Cures hypertension
21. Stops growth of cancer cells
22. Speeds up healing process
23. Treats psoriasis
24. Treats eczema
25. Treats inflammatory diseases
26. Reduces size of tumors
27. Treats heart disease
28. Reverses calcination of blood vessels
29. Clears the blood vessels
30. Boosts the bodies energy
31. Natural “feel good” food
32. Treats lung infections
33. Normalizes metabolism thereby can be used for weight loss
34. Cures acne
35. Has anti-oxidants and anti-aging properties
36. Nourishes hair
37. Treats the gum disease parodontosis
38. Lessens side effects of medicines
39. Replenishes body of good bacteria after antibiotic
40. Balances the microflora of the body’s digestive system
41. Regulates blood pressure
42. Lowers blood sugar
43. Lowers blood lipid levels or cholesterol and fatty acids
44. Treats diarrhea
45. Treats constipation
46. Promotes bowel movement
47. Anti-stress properties
48. Treats sleeping disorders
49. Treats depression50. Treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
51. Improves the brains neuro functions like reflexes, memory retention, attention, the five senses
52. Reduces flatulence
53. Lactic acid fermentation enhances the digestibility of milk-based foods. People who cannot otherwise digest milk, can enjoy the vital calcium rich Kefir.
54. Treats yeast infection
55. Eliminates vaginal odors
56. Cures wrinkles
57. Treats arthritis
58. Treats colitis
59. Treats gout
60. Cures migraines
61. Treats rheumatism
62. Treats other stomach disorders
63. Detoxifies the body
64. Improves protein quality of milk, and enhances absorption and digestion
65. Good bacteria manufacture B vitamins such as B3, B6 and folic acid.
66. Aids in treating tuberculosis
67. Treats stomach cramps
68. Treats chronic intestine infections
69. Treats liver infections
70. Treats asthma
71. Treats bronchitis
72. Treats sclerosis
73. Treats anemia
74. Treats hepatitis
75. Healing effects on catarrh, digestive nodes, astral nodes, bilious complaints
76. Treats leaky gut syndrome
77. Prevents metastasis

You can make kefir from patruized or raw milk, although the raw milk will be better for you, and if you have any feer of "bad stuff" in your milk the kefer grains will kill it. You can also make it from nut milks, coconut water, juice, and sugar water, however kefir from dairy milk has the most benefits.
How to make Kefir
How to make almond milk kefir

http://www.kefir.net/kefir-vs-yogurt/
http://simplyhealthyfam.blogspot.com/2011/03/kefir-vs-yogurt-put-this-on-your.html

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Easy cream cheese dip/frosting/filling

This recipe is amazing. I have been looking for the perfect fruit dip for ages and finally figured one out. Before I go any farther I should probably tell you that unlike most of my recipes this is not helthy. I don't have any substitutes for the sugar in the condensed milk but all the fat in the milk and cheese will give you more time to use up that sugar before it turns to fat. Haha! However I do suggest you use a sweetened condensed milk with just milk and sugar, no carageen or other additives.  

You can use this as a dip, a frosting or a filling. If you want a carmel-ie flavor you can substitute dulce de leche. You can also use just milk and powdered sugar but that would be more frosting-ie. But it is easier to substitute the sugar that way. And depending in your taste you can use less sweetened condensed milk. Oooo! Also if you fold in some whipped cream; let me tell you. That, is delicious. Its more fluffy that way.

Ingreedients:

8oz (1 package) cream cheese, softened
1 small can of sweetened condensed milk (or dulce de leche)

1tsp vanilla

1tsp of lemon juice (don't use if you use dulce de leche)

*optional you can fold in a cup of whipped cream or a couple tbsp of blended up fruit. (Pineapple and strawberries work nice but not with dulce de leche) 

Directions:

Beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Use as a frosting, filling, or dip for fruit, gram crackers, or pretzels.

I post recipes, diy's, healthy living tips, and urban farm type stuff usually twice a week so if you want more check out my posts which have been organized for the most part in the categories above or you can subscribe via email or google and I think I have another option on the sidebar.  Also you can follow me on Twitter (sneak peeks to new posts) and on pintrest. Have a fantastically marvelous day!

 

Chicken curry

This is a very easy recipe for chicken curry and it is so tasty. It works best to use a cast iron pot (dutch oven) or a deep saute pan but this can also be done with a frying pan and eather a crock pot or a baking dish.

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs
Palm oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
Chicken or vegetable broth (enough to cover chicken legs)
1 can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
3-5 cloves
1 bay leaf
Whatever veggies you like. I used carrots, frozen mixed veggies and okra. The okra helps to thicken the sauce.
Some maple syrup, molasses, or honey is optional to sweeten things up a bit.
Corn starch mixed in cold water is also optional to help thicken it.

Directions:

Pan fry the chicken legs and saute the onion and garlic in the palm oil. Salt the onion a bit to help it release the water and soften faster.
Add in everything else. You may need to add in a bit more broth to cook the veggies.  Just keep in mind that if you use frozen veggies they will release water as they defrost. If the chicken is already cooked through then the dish is ready to eat when the veggies are cooked, but the flavor improves greatly with at least 2 hours of cooking.
Cover it and cook on low. Make sure to stir it every once in a while and make sure it has eniough liquid. 
If you want to cook this all day in a crock pot throw everything in and turn it on high untill everything starts to get heated up. Leave it on low all day. Just make sure you give it enough time to cook the chicken.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but my computer has been out of commission. I usually post recipes, beauty DIY's and health tips twice a week so if you want more then subscribe over on the side bar. :)

2 Recipes with Summer tomatoes

Summer tomatoes are the best. They are so ripe, and have such incredible flavor and I have bean using them like crazy.  

For the first recipe I took 3 medium-small tomatoes (2 red and 1 yellow) from our greenhouse and one sweet pepper from farmers market. I sliced them and roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, kalamata olives, and basil on 2 slices of bread (I used a sprouted grain bread) then topped them with some raw monterey jack and some herbed goat cheese. You can either roast everything separate from the bread and then top the bread with it later, or you can put the bread on a sheet pan with some olive oil on the bottom and put all of the toppings on it minus the cheese and broil it for 10-20 minutes in the middle of the oven then top with the cheese and let it melt.The 2nd option is a little more tricky to get the bread toasted and the veggies roasted just right, but either way you are left with deliciousness. 

This next recipe is even easier. Cut up some sweet peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers (I used lemon cucumbers) and toss with olive, a bit of vinegar (balsamic or red wine) goat cheese, basil and/or other herbs, salt and pepper. This recipe is so easy to change that it makes a great salad to start with if you are wanting to start branching away from recipes to make your meals more personal.

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Restful tea recipe and how to brew and store tea

I have been making this blend to help my husband sleep. This tea is flavorful and nicely calming. For my husbands tea I use chamomile as a base, but since I have read quite a bit that pregnant women shouldn't use chamomile, I use Red Bush tea for my base. (consult with your Midwife or Dr. before trying any herbal teas.) Red bush tea has many health benefits to it and is so sweet and delicious on its own. Read about red tea HERE.I buy all of my herbs in bulk because I like to make my own tea blends and also make herbal infusions to put in my beauty products. If you have a store that sells herbs in bulk you will likely be able to purchase only the amount you need rather than huge quantities.

2 Tbsp of chamomile flowers
1 1/2 Tbsp of passion flower
1 tsp of lavender flowers
1 Tbsp of rose flowers (optional)
1 Tbsp of Red Bush tea (optional)

This will be enough to make a 4-6 cup pot of tea. Bring your water to a roaring boil, the hotter the water the more nutrients are extracted. Steep for at least 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.

When brewing tea I go by teavana's brewing times. White tea will be 3 to 5 minutes depending on the quality; green tea will take less than 1 minute to 3 minutes, and black tea will take 2 to 5 minutes. White, green, and black teas will become bitter if you use to hot of water or steep the tea for to long.
If you want a stronger flavor use more tea. Do not extend the brewing time.
You always want to follow the times recommended on bagged teas because they are often times in cardboard boxes instead of tins and are from scraps or "tea dust". However, not all boxed teas are inferior. There are plenty that are supper yummy, you will just need to use them up much sooner or transfer the bags to a tin.
To properly store your tea keep it in a sealed airtight container in a cool place. If it is in a glass container make sure it is from amber glass or stored in a dark spot. Tins work marvelously at preserving tea. I have a couple of teas that I keep in the refrigerator because they are very high quality and refrigeration helps to keep them better preserved. If you do put any dried teas in the refrigerator make sure that is is air tight so that no moisture gets in. You don't want moldy tea.

Happy brewing, and don't forget to subscribe via email, google, or blogger over on the side if you want more diy's, recipes, healthy living tips and whatever else I decide to post.

A book and a recipe

I read "The Fault In Our Stars" By John Green yesterday. Let me tell you, it is one of the best books I have ever read. Though it is a young adult book, adults would love it too. This book is narrated by a 16 year old girl with terminal cancer who meets a boy at a cancer support group. The two make a hilarious and insightful duo that ask and attempt to answer so many questions that most of us don't think about because we oftentimes like to think ourselves invincible or at least years from death. Yes, their is a lot of melancholy to this book, some might even call it down right depressing, but it is beautiful non the less. This book had me laughing even during the darkest moments. Truthfully I laughed far more than I cried, which really helped to give it a balance that left my heart feeling light.

Now for a recipe. This is just a simple way to cook eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes.
Slice up your veggies width wise so that you form circles. You will want them to be about 1/4 of an inch thick, but my husband likes them to be more like 1/2 an inch thick.

For the sauce you will need to pure 8 ripe tomatoes with 5 sun dried tomatoes that have bean soaked, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt, pepper, 1-2 cloves of garlic, and a small handful of basil.

Pore a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a pan and put down a layer of veggies. A layer of sauce, a layer of veggies. Continue until you have reached the top but make sure you have sauce on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 min to one hour.
*When preparing eggplant make sure to drain the bitters. Put down a layer of paper towel with salt on it, and your eggplant, more salt, and more paper towel. Make as many layers as needed and put some bricks or canned food on top to squeeze out the bitter juices. Depending on how thick the slices are it takes usually takes 1 to 4 hours. 

Basic Quiche recipe

Today I realized that I have never posted a quiche recipe. Which really, is quite a shame because I love quiche and make it all the time, especially in early fall because it gets me back into the baking mood. Quiche is so versatile and you can make it for any meal. Basically whatever type of food you'r in the mood for, you can make a quiche to go with it. If you want a Mexican quiche then cilantro, green chilies, cumin, Mexican cheese and whatever sounds good can go in. Even some beans if that sounds good to you. For an Italian quiche doing a margarita style with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes tastes great! You can go with a home style quiche with bacon and cheese or even sausage. Greens such as kale and spinach taste great too. I like to use amaranth greens in place of spinach because it grows much better in the summer than spinach. I usually just use whatever needs to be used up. You can always cook the veggies first, especially if you want caramelized onions, but the only veggies that you must cook before are root vegetables and squash. (Zucchini and yellow squash don't need to be cooked before hand) harder vegetables need to be cut up small so that they will cook. 

What you need is:

1 pie crust (if it is homemade then bake it for 10 min)

4 eggs (if you don't have very many fillings then you will need 5)

1/2 cup of whole milk

1/2 cup of cream

Whatever fillings you want

Bake at 350 for about an hour or until a knife comes out clean. 

The easiest moisturizing body spray

Today I am going to share with you a recipe from my mom. This is the easiest moisturizing body spray ever!
All you do is mix equal parts rosewater and vegetable glycerin (make sure it is from a natural source) stir it until the glycerin has fully dissolved into the rosewater, and put it in a spray bottle.

Each batch will make two bottles. I mixed them up in a pitcher and pored half into the rosewater bottle to use the sprayer on it, and half in the glycerin bottle. Once you've used up the spray bottle fill it up with the glycerin bottle. The next time you make it keep your old spray bottle so that you have two to use. Then the next months bottle you can use for an easy diy gift. 

It smells wonderful and it is made from food grade products so your skin isn't absorbing any yucky chemicals. The rosewater helps sooth irritated skin, reduce inflammation, moisturize and repair skin. The glycerin locks in moisture. You can keep it in the refrigerator for in the summer as a refreshing mist. 

Foraged goodness.

   I made two delicious treats yesterday, bolth with foraged goodness in them. One was a cherry pie filling, and the other was a delicious pineapple smoothy. For some reason I forgot to take a picture of the smoothy, but the next time I make it I'll put a picture up.

To make the pineapple smoothy, cut off the skin and the pokey things. Core it and dice it. Put the diced bits in a blender with some foraged mint,  you can also add in some other greens such as comefrey, dandelion, mallow or barrage. You can also add in some alovera just not to much or it will make it taste funny. If it needs some sweetener then add in a bit of honey. Add in some water just to help it get started. You don't need much because the pineapple is plenty juicy. Blend and drink. If you want it a bit colder add some ice or frozen strawberry to your glass. This will make a meal for two people, but as a drink it will serve at least six.

It's cherry season right now, and that means that all those people who don't eat the fruit off of their trees let us go and pick all we want. If you notice a fruit tree on someone's property that isn't being harvested, then chances are if you ask they will let you pick to your hearts content. But, if the branches are hanging over the fence then in many towns the fruit is considered public property, just make sure your not breaking any laws. Or don't, just causally pick a few as you walk by, no one will ever notice. Well, except for maybe the old guy that always hangs out at the buss stop.

Step one, get a husband or a slave or something.  Step two, canoodle or order that husband or slave to go pick some fruit (in this case, cherries)
Feel free to pick fruit too, or don't, thats what we have them for! Lol
Step three, pit the cherries. If the cherry is still on the stem, hold the stem and pull the cherry off by pinching it away from the stem. Almost like rolling it away from the stem and off the seed. The seed will probably be attached to the stem and not to the fruit. It dosn't always work quite right,  but I'm sure you'll get it.
Step four, heat the cherries on medium heat, just until they start to let go of their juices.
Step five, add in some cornstarch or arrow root powder. The amount you use will depend on how much starch to add. About 1 tbsp for every cup. You may need to add more or less. Once the powder has turned from making the juice milky-ish to being the color of the cherries see if it needs to be a bit more thick or if you need to add a bit of water. To do this take a spoon and dip it in the stuff and let it cool. If you like the consistency then it's time to move to the next step.
Step six, sweeten to taste. If you have honey bees, use that honey, if not use whatever sweetener you like, and however much of it you want. I recommend honey,  sugar,  or like xylitol or stevia. Just not something thats going to alter the taste to much like maple syrup. 
Step seven, add in a touch of almond flavor.

You can use this in pies (duh), jam filles cookies, on ice cream, whatever sounds good. Y ou can can it, use it right away or keep it in the fridge for like a week.

Happy foraging!

Tacos and Lasagna rolls

I have a couple of rather delicious and easy to make recipes for you today. The first on is a one pot meal for beans and chicken tacos, it tastes almost like a Mexican barbecue of sorts. The second is lasagna roll ups/spirals (I'm really not sure what their called) that can be made with any filling and any sauce. It isn't as easy as lasagna because the noodles need to be cooked before you put everything together, but it is relatively simple.

In a dutch oven (a cast iron pot) saute a chopped onion. Put in a can or two of pinto beans depending on how many people you have and a half a can of water. Put in a couple tbsp of coriander and cumin in, a tsp to 1 tbsp of chili powder depending, a pinch of cayenne, a couple tsp of molasses (you can also put in some maple syrup or honey in if you want the beans sweet) juice from a lime,a couple to a few cloves of minced garlic, and about a half a bunch of chopped cilantro. Put a pound of boneless chicken in the middle, making sure that they get covered in some sauce. You might want to add in some more water so that the beans are just covered. cook at 350 until the chicken is done. About 40 minutes or until the temperature reaches 165. Shred the chicken, place in taco shells with some lettuce and such. 

Cook your lasagna noodles and drain. Make sure to coat them in some olive oil so that they don't stick. In each lasagna noodle, spread some of whatever filling you decide to use in it and roll it up. place in a pan on its side like a small enchilada. Continue until you have your pan filled. Cover with the sauce of your choice and bake at 350 for 40 min. Put some cheese on top if you wish, and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Both of these recipes are easy to alter and make your own, like the tacos, you can use just simple Mexican seasoning, make it more of a tex-mex, or add in some Indian spices such as turmeric or some coriander which would be quite nice if you make the sauce sweeter. Have fun! 

Cranberry macadamia nut cookies

These cookies are absolutely delicious! With just a hint of almond, oohmygoodness! So good! And the batter? Oh let me tell you! Awesomeness! I used Pamela's flour mix to make these in place of flour, it acts exactly the same way as wheat all purpose flour.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of turbanado or brown sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 tsp of almond extract
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 -1/2 cup of macadamia nuts choped
1/4 -1/2 cup of dried cranberries

Directions:

Mix everything together. Heat oven to 350. Make balls of dough and flatten them out a bit.
Put them on a greased baking pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.