sippin' stock

So homemade stock is something that my mom taught me how to make, by simply doing it. I don't remember ever having a lesson but I watched her do it growing up multiple times and eventually caught on.

I typically make my own stock with bones from chicken, roasts... because of how cheap and easy it is to make.

What I am just now learning is how incredibly healthy it is for you!!

As part of the yearly cleanse my husband and I are doing now, they recommend sipping stock. So that is what we are doing and although it's not cold out, the stock is so yummy and soothing going down the throat. I love it.

The health benefits I have learned about stock/broth include but are not limited too:

Stock is loaded with calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus  from the bones. Make sure and add some apple cider vinegar to your water when you boil the bones so that the minerals can leach out.

Bone broth contains glucosamine and chondroiton which are used to prevent joint pain. Pretty sure this should help my joints in preparing for the 5k run we are in this weekend.

Bone broth contains gelatin which aids in digestion, helps your nails and hair grow, also improves joint health, and helps our body use the protein we are eating.

The more I read the more intrigued I am by this simple food. I have read that it improves immunity and has many other beneficial health factors.

The recipe I am using is copywrited but google stock and try to make some. Then you can sip along with me.

crock pot goodness

So I took a package of this organic ground chicken and threw it in the crockpot with about an inch of water and a half an onion, chopped. I turned the crockpot on low and let it sit for about 5 hours. Then I added two sweet potatoes, skin on, chopped into cubes, one can of drained black beans, and 5 tomatoes that I blended in my ninja. I let that cook for about 2 more hours. I seasoned it with a little cumin and chili powder and garlic powder and wa-la.

We ate it over wild rice for dinner Monday. It was delicious and easy/cheap.

I get the organic chicken at Fred Meyer. It's frozen and in the healthy food section of the store.

Oatmeal Sundaes and Kale

Not together, silly!!

This morning was oatmeal Sundaes! My kids got excited when I told them what we were having. Anything with the word Sundae at the end just sounds exciting and delicious, right.

I soaked my Gluten Free Oats overnight. Just a pot full of the oats, covered in water, with a Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar. Overnight it sat. You can read more about soaking oats here if you want.

This morning I drained the water and put in fresh. Then I cooked the oatmeal as usual.

After the oatmeal was cooked I put a scoop in each of the kids bowls. 

Then they got to take it from there.

I had chopped up

almonds

walnuts

bananas

blueberries

and kefir if they wanted to mix some of that in as well, which of course they did!

They anxiously filled their bowls with whatever they wanted.

They totally loved it!!!

And yesterday I made these again for the first time this season. I had some extra Kale from my harvest bin and it needed to be used. The C cousin loved the kale chips as much as B-Rax.

Time to Spring Clean your Body!!

Remember when I talked about Candida and how I think everyone in our nation is suffering from it's ill effects? Remember how I promised I was going to go into more detail on it and teach you how to self diagnose it and how to treat it?  Remember that I never did that?

Well.....

Come on over and cleanse out your system with me!! My good friend, Brenda Wollenberg, is a licensed Holistic Nutritionist. She does this for her career and she is amazing. She is coming to my house to do a  5 hour group session/detox program and you really don't want to miss it. This woman changed my life. She is smart and healthy and she has a wealth of knowledge on women's bodies.

So join us!

Saturday, April 20th. 12-5:00pm

Email me or comment if you want more information or to reserve yourself a spot. The program is a 2 week cleanse and then adapting your lifestyle to healthier choices after that. The cost is $150 which is a killer savings compared to what she charges her clients. It includes a real food vitamin supplement and  If you chose to participate you will fill out paperwork before hand so that Brenda can adapt the plan to your personal body type/needs. This is a worthwhile opportunity for anyone seeking better health, increased energy, weight loss,...

Check out Brenda's website here!

Here is an expert from the website about the program you will be participating in:

For those looking for a short and sweet gentle dietary detoxification or weight loss kick start, In Balance also offers a four week 4Real program. With a base price of $325.00 (HST included) and the addition of our cost-effective all-in-one whole food multi vitamin/mineral, antioxidant and cellular communication supplement ($75.00 including HST), for a total of $100.00/wk, participants get four weeks of nutritionist support, 4 - 75 minute long weekly group sessions, a supervised and personalized food and lifestyle plan and an In Balance 4Real Guide to help keep you focused and on track. Because of the short duration of this program In Balance provides more time per session and supplies an additional amount of daily whole food nutritional supplementation to support you through cleanse and any needed weight loss kick start.

lemon quinoa muffins

These were a hit with my Sunday School Class today. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and are sweetened with pure maple syrup. They were yummy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix together 1/3 cup softened butter (butter isn't considered dairy, it's considered a fat)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 eggs
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Once that is all creamed together add
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats (I soak mine overnight first)

In a separate bowl combine
3/4 cup quinoa flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 Tbs. chia seeds
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix together. Add grated zest from one lemon.

Spray mini muffin tins. Fill with batter.
Bake for 20 minutes or until done, maybe a couple minutes less would work ;)

Eat your heart out!

*remember quinoa is high in protein and chia seeds have more calcium than milk and loaded with omega 3's

Granola bars take 2

My 7 year old put it best when he said, "she just keeps adding and adding stuff trying to get the perfect granola bar."

My 4 year old was shocked to hear some of the ingredients and said, "what? There's beans in there?"

So, my friend suggested adding a ripe banana for moisture and I had left over black beans so I tossed them in too.

Today's granola bars were more moist than last weeks, and, I think they tasted better. Plus, the bananas were the only sweetener (aside from the chocolate chips of course) so that was handy.

Here is the new and improved recipe:

1/2 cup pureed black beans
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup softened butter

Mix all that together then add:

1 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup Raw Almond butter ( I use this brand)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbs. chia seeds
1 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
4 cups gluten free oats

Mix until combined and cook in 9 x 13 sprayed pan at 350 degrees for only 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Yum!

Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole

So I never claimed to be a photographer... for the record.

Good thing looks aren't everything ;)

The other night I made this for dinner and it was really delicious. Common folk think that breakfast casserole has to be smothered in cheese and loaded with cream and bread but we over here aren't your everyday common folk.

So I took a package of ground sausage out of the freezer. Jimmy Deans, baby. I do not think Jimmy Deans is "healthy", but I do think it was in my freezer and when things are tight you somethings have to make use of what you've got. So, that's what I did. 

So I put the frozen hunk of goodness and stuck it in my crockpot with about an inch of water and cooked it on low for the day. You can't get much easier than that.

At around 4:30 I chopped up 3 leftover baked potatoes into hefty chunks. I put them into my 9x13 favorite pan in the world (stoneware pan). Then I drained the cooked sausage and poured it evenly over the potatoes. Then I cracked 10 eggs into a bowl and whipped them with 1/2 cup of water and a little pepper. I figured Jimmy Dean took care of the salt for me! I poured the egg mixture on top of the sausage and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes? Basically until the eggs are cooked... I actually do not remember if it was a half hour or maybe an hour?? Maybe in between the two somewhere. Just watch it. 

So this was gluten free and dairy free.

It was really good and really simple.

We had veggies on the side. You could add veggies and cook them in it but I knew my kids little girl would prefer it without the broccoli cooked in. So, improvise. Enjoy!