Simply Healthful

A World of Wisdom

2009-11-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Looking for a GREAT cookbook. Check this one out! It's A World of Wisdom by Amy Jones. I first met Amy about 7 years ago right after my daughter was born. I loved her energy and I loved her healthy living focus and dedication. I've actually only met Amy that one time face to face. However I have keep up with her threw e-mail and her website ever since.

About four years ago I purchased her cookbook and I LOVE it. It is by far one of my most used books. I love that it is a seasonal, grain based, low animal product cookbook. It is so convenient to turn to "Fall" and find such wonderful, yummy recipes that are using in season produce and ingredients. Also her book is full of very inspiring quotes and thoughts threw out the book among the recipes. This is a must have cookbook and a wonderful gift!

As you look threw her book and try her recipes you will know without a doubt that her book and her recipes are from the heart. Thanks Amy for helping me feed my family healthier!

You can also check out her blog here.

8 Weeks to a Healthier You

2009-08-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tammie over at Simple. Healthy. Tasty. put together 8 weeks of suggestions to applying healthier habits into our lives. I really enjoyed her advice, and she shares some really great knowledge about what we put into our bodies. I wanted to share them here because I really think her advice can help us all be healthier and her information can also help us to become wiser on nutrition. She also has some great recipes on her blog! Thanks Tammie!!!

Enjoy!

Black Beans

2009-07-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

My husband is famous from these black beans. They look like just ordinary bean, but don't let them trick you because they have kick and tang!

Cook your black beans up which ever way you usually do. Dry beans or canned, it doesn't matter. Season with Braggs Liquid Aminos, Cayenne Pepper, Fresh Lime Juice, and Real Salt. So Good!!! Cilantro would be great too!

Serve with rice, tacos, wraps, fish, or any kind of mexican food. Enjoy!

Refreshing Summer Salad

2009-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

8 cups organic spring greens
1 medium mango, sliced
1 1/2 cup pink grapefruit segments
1 1/2 cup raspberries
1 1/2 cup blackberries
1 large avocado, diced
Blackberry Vinaigrette

Gently toss first 6 ingredients together. Serve with Blackberry Vinaigrette.

Blackberry Vinaigrette:

1/2 100z jar seedless blackberry preserves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp real salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper

Place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!

Healthful Joes

2009-05-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

These are also known as Sloppy Lentils. Lentils are a great, inexpensive way to add fiber to your diet. And Healthful Joes are a yummy way!!!

3 cups water
1 cup lentils, rinsed
1 cup chopped onion
3 tb olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can organic diced tomatoes
6 oz can organic tomato paste
1 Tb chili powder
2 Tb Braggs
3 Tb maple syrup or natural sweetener of choice
1-2 Tb yellow mustard (wet mustard)
1 tsp real salt

Put lentils is a sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the lentils are simmering cook onions with olive oil in a large skillet until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and minced garlic, cook for about five minutes. Add in the rest of your ingredients, including the lentils, and simmer 5 - 10 minutes.

Serve on whole grain, or sprouted buns.

Add some watermelon and sweet potato fries for a nice summer dinner. Enjoy!

Roasted Potato Salad

2009-05-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

6-8 medium Red Potatoes, sliced and chopped to bite size
1 medium Onion, diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Favorite spices for roasting
Real Salt
1/2 cup Cucumber, finely chopped
2 Tb Green Onion, sliced (about one stalk)
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup Vegenaise

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Spread potato mixture onto a jelly roll like pan (this is when I like to salt the potatoes again), and roast at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. When done and lightly browned on edges remove from oven and cool. Place potato mixture in a bowl and finish the cooling process in the refridgerator.

When completely cooled, add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve or chill until ready to serve.

Why flax and what exactly is it anyway?

2009-05-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Here at Simply Healthful we like to add flax to lots of our recipes, but why? What is the purpose and is it worth the extra effort? We think so! So to help you understand what flax is all about I have put together a little Flax 101 article. So here we go.

First off lets start with what is Flax?

Flax comes from a blue flowered plant. This plant provides us with a tiny seed that has been used nutritional for thousands of years. Flax comes in two variates, brown and golden, nutritionally they are equal. To fully extract the flax seeds nutrients it needs to be ground, sprouted or pressed into oil. Once one of these techniques have been done your flax needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Flax has many, many benefits but one down fall is that it can go rancid quickly. Refrigerating it will prolong it's life and nutrients.

Why is Flax known as a true health super food?

Flax is know as a super food because that tiny little seed is packed full of nutrition. Here are some of the rich nutrients in the flax seed...

Omega-3 - Omega-3's are a very important part of a health diet. Flax is nature's richest plant when in comes to Omega-3 fatty acids. This makes Flax a wonderful brain food.

Protein - The Flax seed contains a high quality of protein. Two Tbls of ground flax gives you 3 grams of protein.

Fiber - Flax is a great source of fiber. Two Tbls of ground flax gives you 4 grams of fiber.

Lignans - Lignans are plant estrogen's with powerful antioxidant properties which has been known to fight cancer. Flax contains 100 times more Lignans than most plant foods.

Vitamins and Minerals - Flax seeds contain vitamins B-1, B-2, C, E, and carotene. These seeds also contain iron, zinc, and trace amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.

What are some health-promoting properties of flax?

To answer this question I turned to Dr. Sears. This is what he has to say about the health-promoting properties of flax...

"Flax oil, flax seeds, and the omega-3 fatty acids they contain are good for your health. Here are some of the ways flax helps your body.

1. Flax promotes cardiovascular health. The ultra-high levels of omega-3 fatty acids lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Fish oils and algae are also good sources of essential fatty acids.

2. Flax promotes colon health. It has anti-cancer properties and, as a natural lubricant and a rich fiber source, it lowers the risk of constipation.

3. Flax supplements can boost immunity. One study showed that school children supplemented with less than a teaspoon of flax oil a day had fewer and less severe respiratory infections than children not supplemented with flax oil.

4. Flax provides fats that are precursors for brain building. This is especially important at the stage of life when a child's brain grows the fastest, in utero and during infancy. A prudent mom should consider supplementing her diet with a daily tablespoon of flax oil during her pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

5. Flax promotes healthy skin. I have used flax oil as a dietary supplement in my patients who seem to have dry skin or eczema, or whose skin is particularly sun-sensitive.

6. Flax may lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood-sugar levels.

7. Flax fat can be slimming. Fats high in essential fatty acids, such as flax, increase the body's metabolic rate, helping to burn the excess, unhealthy fats in the body. Eating the right kind of fat gives you a better fighting chance of your body storing the right amount of fats. "

So now that you have learned what flax is and why it is so good for you and your family lets discuss ways to use it and how you can add it to your family's diet.

One of the easiest whys to use flax is to ground the seeds into a mill using a coffee grinder or buying it already as a flax mill. Remember to store your flax in the refrigerate or freezer. I store mine in the freezer, which ever way is great. Your ground flax can be used so many ways.

You can add 2-4 Tbls to your morning cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, pancake batter or smoothies. It can be added to salads or pasta, cookies or baked goods. You can add it to your kiddos juice or even sprinkle it onto their ice cream. The possibilities are endless really.

Another great way to use ground flax is as an egg, butter or oil replacement.

1 egg = 1 tbsp Flax plus 3 tbsp water. Mix in a small bowl and let it sit for a couple minutes then add it to your recipe.

1 tbsp butter or oil = 3 tbsp Flax

Another way to add Flax to your diet is to buy Flax seed oil. When picking out your oil make sure to purchase flax oil stored in a dark container. Store your flax oil in the refrigerator also. Flax oil is not meant to be cooked with. Doing so can turn your healthy oil in to a harmful one.

Flax oil can be added to salad dressings, sprinkled on foods or you can just simply take a tbls a day on a spoon.

One more way it to sprout it. When sprouted, flax has a slightly spicy taste to it. It would be wonderful added to a salad or sandwich. To learn how to sprout flax go here.

Add don't forget to try one of our recipes containing flax...

Breakfast Flax Muffins
Almond Butter Balls
Nut Cereal
Carrot Cake Bliss
Simple Berry Salad

These are just a handful of recipes we have containing flax. Feel free to search our recipes to find some more.

Well I hope this was helpful to you in learning more about flax and why it should be a part of our daily diet. We would also love to hear what you know about flax. So let us know!

Nourishing the Body

2009-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

With recent concerns of illness, I felt it would be appropriate to discuss ways to nourish and build the body. Often times we hear of "fighting" a cold or flu, which seems to imply opposition and struggle. Rather, I find it helpful to think of nourishing and building our bodies; feeding ourselves the proper nutrients to strengthen our body's ability to heal itself.

Of course a healthy diet is important, as well as proper rest. Many times we can incorporate simple things into our diets that are nourishing and help our body's to build and strengthen. Here are a few of my favorite nourishing herbs we use regularly.

Garlic
According to The Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason
"when the plagues ravaged europe, the populace ate garlic daily as a protection against the disease. Garlic is known as a natural anti-biotic, without the deleterious effects of the drugs that kill all life within the body...Because it is a natural anti-biotic, it helps to control fevers and combat viruses...Garlic is one of the many Super foods that some consider to be one of the most potent healing herbs in the world."

If you want to test the potentcy of garlic, try rubbing a clove on the bottoms of your feet. Within minutes you will notice garlic breath! That is how quickly it travels through the body.

How to use Garlic
There are countless ways to incorporate garlic in the diet. Here are few of my favorites in addition to cooking with it regularly.

1) Garlic Lemonade
To make, simply slice 4-5 cloves of garlic (do not press as I find it to be too overpowering). Then simply place in a quart jar and cover 3/4 of the way with boiling water. Place the lid on and let sit at least a half an hour or so. Then add enough lemon and honey to taste. I usually add the juice of 2 lemons or so, and enough honey to sweeten. This drink is pleasant and nourishing and my children actually love it! I offer them 1-2 cups a day when I am working on helping them nourish and build.

2)Garlic Shooters
This recipe comes from The International Garlic Festival, by Caryl Simpson

Freshly squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into a cup. Add 1-2 T of water and then add a fresh, crushed or pressed garlic clove. Immediately swirl the cup to achieve a circling motion and drink in one gulp.
The 'shooter' experience is reportedly followed by an immediate feeling of rejuventaion called the 'shooter rush'.

Note: Once the garlic is added you will want to drink this quickly as the garlic tends to "heat" quickly once in contact with the liquid. It is surprisingly pleasant to drink and even my 4 year old enjoys them. The quicker you drink them the easier they are to get down and the less likely you are to even taste the garlic.

Rose Hips
What are they and what is their history?
Rose hips are the small berry-sized, reddish seed balls, that are left on the tips of the stems of roses. They are amazing sources of vitamin C. During WWII, there was a shortage of citrus fruit in England due to a German submarine blockade to the British Isles. The government organized the country to harvest all the Rose Hips to be made into a Vitamin C Syrup for the people to prevent scurvey.
"It seems that one of the richest sources of Vitamin C today is Rose Hips. It reportedly has 60 times more Vitamin C than citrus fruit... Large quantities of Vitamin C can be most useful for a great many of the comon diseases we have today to include the common cold, flu, pneumonia and many other common complaints. Another good use of Vitamin C can be as a cleansing, so as to avoid a disease problem before it happens by using it on a daily basis." The Little Herb Encyclopedia

How to use Rose Hips
Rosemary Gladstar's Rose Hips Jam
Dried seedless rose hips make a delicious and easy to prepare jam. Simply cover them with fresh apple juice and let them soak overnight. The next day the jam is ready to eat. Cinnamon and other spices can be added for more flavor if desired. I also like to add a small amount of honey to sweeten it slightly, although that is optional as well. Serve a tsp or so on morning toast or any other way you like!

I purchase my dried Rose Hips Here, although many health food stores may have them as well. They can even be harvested from your own rose bushes, but take care to never harvest from a bush that has been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.

There are many, many other nourishing herbs that could easily be added to this list. These are just a couple of family friendly suggestions that my family uses on a regular basis. They are simple and easy and pretty easy to keep on hand. Louis Pasteur was quoted on his deathbed as saing, "it's not the microbes, it's the environment." Remember that if we keep the environment of our body healthy, nourished and strong, then it will be its own best defense against any microbe that comes it's way. Try adding some of these nourishing herbs to your family's diet!

The Feel Good Cookbook Winner is...

2009-05-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

number 11 - Jena Demarco

who said...

I totally have been looking for a cookbook like this. I hope I'm the lucky winner this time!

Well you sure were the lucky winner this time, congratulations Jena!

Your new cookbook will be on it's way soon.

And thanks again to Jonell for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway!

Mango Blackberry Salsa

2009-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

This salsa have an amazing flavor! I enjoy this most served with grilled Alaskan Salmon. So Good!

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
2 small avocados, peeled and diced
1-2 cups blackberries sliced in half
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
real salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill for at least 30 mins. This would be great served atop most fish and grilled turkey breast or tenderloin.

Enjoy!

Close Second, Cafe Rio House Dressing

2009-04-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

For all you western Cafe Rio lovers, this one's for you! This is a wonderful healthy option for their house dressing they use on their salads. We love to make cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, and gaucomole with romaine lettuce and fresh cilantro for our salads. You could also roast or grill up some veggies to top it off. Enjoy this for Cinco de Mayo!

1 cup Vegenaise (I like the kind made with grape seed oil)
1/2 bunch Cilantro, washed
1/3 cup Goats Milk, or favorite milk option
1 half fresh Jalapeno or Tomatillo, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Cayenne

1/4 tsp dried Dill Weed

1/2 tsp Onion powder

1/2 tsp Parsley Flakes

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

1/2 tsp Real Salt or Himalayan Salt

Combine all ingredients into a Vita Mix blender or food processor. Start blending on low until cilantro is fully chopped and then gradually turn up the speed until you have a fine creamy consistency. Store dressing in a container and chill for at least 30 minutes or over night. Enjoy on a salad, in burritos, or any other Mexican dish you like.

The Feel Good Cookbook Giveaway

2009-04-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce this giveaway of The Feel Good Cookbook. We all want to feel good right? Well this cookbook can help you with your journey to a feel good healthful diet.

Here's what Jonell Francis has to say about the foods we eat, feeling good and her cookbook...

"There is a strong connection between food and feeling good, between diet and disease. Read on and be amazed at how directly the foods we eat can affect the way we feel - in energy level, in mental clarity and mood, even in the degree of pain, inflammation and stress our bodies experience.
When I learned of the link between food and feeling good, I began looking for ways to feed my family healthier fuel -- free of refined sugars, flours and allergenic dairy products. Also, wheat and gluten sensitivity for some family members invited me to explore the strange new world of gluten free dining. Discovering the goodness of whole foods has rendered some wonderful new meals that my family actually prefers to the canned soup casseroles of the past.
Whether you want to eat more whole foods, build your immunity, or heal a specific health problem... this book is for you!"

Read this great testimonial of her book...

This is a long-time-coming creation of my friend, Jonell Francis, who has completely healed from what doctors were calling chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. At age 32, she was told she'd just have to be tired and in pain the rest of her life -- nothing could be done. Enter several life changes, and at age 43, Jonell is the picture of perfect health, jogs regularly and has just had her ninth child! Changing her family's diet to whole foods (and at the beginning, excluding allergy and gluten foods) has changed their lives! And she has mentored countless others, including me, to break free of their health struggles too, or to simply improve their family's daily eating. Everyone, including me kept asking, "when are you going to publish a cookbook?" Well, here it finally is. Jonell can take good ol' comfort food, Betty Crocker, PF Chang, Café Rio, and Magleby's, healthy-ize it, and WOW, this food is GOOD !!!! Every single thing she has cooked for me has been five star. And I've tasted a lot of her recipes over the nine years I've known her. --Becky, Syracuse, UT

Jonell Francis has been so kind to donate one of her amazing cookbooks to one of you lucky readers. Thanks Jonell!

Also if you would like to order or learn more about The Feel Good Cookbook go here.

To enter this giveaway please-
~ Leave a comment on this post by Thursday, April 30th @ 12am PST
~ The winner will be announced Friday, May 1st

National TV - Turnoff Week

2009-04-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

Did you know that this next week, April 20th - 26th, is National TV - Turnoff Week. That right, it is and it happens twice a year. I think it's a great idea! My family will be participating and I'm getting all geared up with fun activities to do with my kids, maybe even a NO TV Party!

Here is a great resource on why to go TV free for the week and some great ideas for alternative activities.

Here are a few websites that also have some fun activities...

Makes and Takes
Family Fun
Unplug Your Kids
Enchanted Learning

Also Amy over at Super Healthy Kids will give one of her Healthy Habits Plates to anyone who successfully goes TV free for the week and shares their story with her.

So will you be TV free this week? If so let us know how it goes and how it made you feel. Hopefully your family can have a chance to spend more time together and feel a little bit more healthy!

And most importantly HAVE FUN!!!

Nut Cereal

2009-04-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Pour raw almonds a little over halfway full into a quart jar, fill with water and let swell for several hours or over night. When ready, chop into small pieces along with any of the hard nuts and seeds. Many of the following ingredients are optional and the recipe is limited only to your imagination! Store in the refrigerator for a week +. We like our nut cereal topped with soy milk or rice milk, we've had it with yogurt and like it as a topping on other dishes.

Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, etc.
Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds (ground)
Coconut flakes

Carrot Cake Bliss

2009-04-09T04:36:00.000-07:00

This is a healthier variation to a Wilton recipe I love. Very rich in taste, I feel like there only needs to be a dollop of frosting to go with. Enjoy sparingly, although that may be hard!

1 Banana, mashed
4 cups Carrots, shredded
2/3 cup Pecans, chopped
1/2 cup Golden Raisins
1/2 cup fresh Pineapple, crushed and drained
2 1/2 cups Agave
1 tsp Vanilla flavoring or extract
3 cups Flax Meal
2 cups unbleached Wheat Flour or Cake Flour, sifted
2 tsp Baking Soda, non-aluminum
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp each of Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, and Real Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together first seven ingredients through vanilla. In a separate medium sized bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly incorporate. Next, pour the dry ingredients into the wet gradually, folding together until wet. Pour cake mixture into 2, 8 inch cake pans, lightly sprayed with olive oil and floured.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool cakes in pans for at least 10 minutes on cooling grid or rack. Then cool completely out of the pans on cooling grid or rack.

These cakes do well being frozen especially when frosting perfection is desired as well as a moister cake. For frosting I just used an organic frosting mix out of convenience. One day I will have a perfected recipe to share. Til then, enjoy!

Simple Berry Salad

2009-04-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

This is a family favorite and a refreshing way of adding Fiber and Omega - 3 oils into your family's diet.

Sliced Strawberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Ground Flax Seed
Honey

I really don't use measurements for this berry salad. Just mix together in a bowl all the berries you want, a generous amount of ground flax seed and enough honey to make it as sweet as you would like.

That's it! That's why it's called Simple Berry Salad. Enjoy!

Herbs...Where do I begin?

2009-04-06T08:35:00.001-07:00

Many times, people ask me, "How can I learn more about herbs?" Of course there are many answers to that question, but I always love to start with a good book. There are hundreds and hundreds of herbal books on the shelves, but I thought I would recommend a few of my tried and true favorites; the ones I turn to most often. I thought I would start with my top 3 choices, in no particular order. These are all, in my opinion, worth having on a shelf in your home.

Herbal Reference Books:

#1: Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal
I love this book! Rosemary Gladstar is considered the "mother of modern herbalism," and has been a driving force in herbal education. Here is a quote from the book description of this book, as found on her website (www.sagemountain.com):

"Her herbal recipes address everyday ailments, ease stress and anxiety, and promote radiant beauty within and without while nurturing longevity and well-being throughout the life cycle. An herbal apothecary at the end of the book provides an A-to-Z guide to herbs and their healing uses, along with safety precautions, dosage information, and guidelines for when to seek traditional medical help."

What I really love about htis book is that it is a collection of many books that the author has written over the past 30 years. It is broken into easy-to-read sections such as: Home Remedies for Everyday Ailments, For Children, For Women, For Men, For Elders, etc. There are many recipes and formulas included, as well as great insights, tips and inspirational quotes. This book is beautifully put together and I find myself returning to it time and time again for the valuable information, formulas and insight it contains.

The new paperback edition is now available here.

#2: The Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason
This book is probably the one most often pulled from my shelf. I often use it to look up an unfamiliar herb, reference a favorite one, or just to read and enjoy interesting facts, info or uses and history of herbs and health conditions. This 400 page reference contains an alphabetical listing of individual herbs, their bodily influence, and describes their history and uses. It is a fabulous resource for wanting more information on individual herbs and their actions for the body. It is a great place to start for those just beginning to use herbs, as well as a fabulous reference for even the most seasoned herbalist. It is one I would not do without on my shelf.

This book can be purchased here, as well as many other online sources. A simple search will pull up many options for purchase.

#3: The ABC Herbal, by Steven H. Horne
This small book packs a big punch. It is a great resource for parents concerned with the health and well being of their children. The author shares many of his "tried and true" remedies and approaches to health he used with his own children. He also has many years experience as an herbalist. I gained so much insight as to the functions of our bodies as well as how illness affeects them, by reading this little book. This book also shares simple methods and preparations for herbal remedies, and how to use them with children. The book is broken into several valuable sectiins with an emphasis on three major areas that are as easy as "A-B-C: Activate, Build-up, and Cleansing."

I have turned to this book often as a reference for my children, but also for the amazing insights offered into how using herbs helps the body to heal. Don't be fooled by this books small size, the information inside is huge!

This book can be purchased here, here, and many other online sources.

I am a book-lover, and I also love herbs! Over the past several years I have purchased many herbal books and references, so at first to narrow the selection to three seemed difficult. But as I thought about which I turned to the most often, as well as which have given me the greatest insights, the choice became simple. These three books are a great addition to any herbal collection, as well as a perfect place to begin one. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Natural Colors for Easter Eggs

2009-04-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

By Guest Blogger: Amy Nelson

All natural dyes for your Easter Eggs: Go "green" this Easter and color your eggs with foods and spices from the grocery store!

For all dyes, bring dye mixture to a boil, remove from heat and cool and strain liquid into a medium bowl. Submerge 4 to 6 hard-boiled eggs in dye for up to 30 minutes, depending on how deep you want the color to be. Remove from dye and place on a cooling rack to dry. Store in fridge until ready to use.

ORANGE: 2 cups water
2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon paprika

BLUE: 2 cups water
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1-1/2 cups blueberries

PINK: 2 cups water
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup chopped fresh beets

GREEN: 2 cups water
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoon turmeric

When Marleen and I tried this we found the pink worked great. The blue works best on white eggs, not the best if you dip it in a different color first. The green and orange were a bit iffy. In fact I think the orange made a wonderful yellow. These colors came out to be muted and pastel-like. However, we did not leave the egg immersed the entire time. I'm thinking if you used white eggs in one color, they turn out with a truer color.

Both Marleen and I commented that even if the egg cracked during the dying process, we felt more at ease at eating it and not worrying about the weird chemical dye that we'd be digesting.

(Marleen, how did we have yellow? you might want to explain that; I just remembered that yellow worked well too).

*Editor's note: Answer to Amy, I thought we needed yellow more than green since we had the primary colors to make green so we made yellow coloring with using only turmeric. It turned out to be a beautiful pastel yellow.

Guest Blogger: Amy Nelson

2009-04-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

A quick note. We will be having another wonderful guest blogger either today or tomorrow! Amy Nelson, is a wonderful church friend that I am so privileged to know. She knows that I have been running this blog and from time to time she will send me wonderful health tidbits. I love it! Make a mental note of that. I love to hear from all of you too as well as the other contributors.

Amy has a very cool post in celebration of Easter coming up. Try not to miss it!

Natural and Safe Hand Sanitizer

2009-04-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

If your looking for a cheap and safe hand sanitizer try this. This formula is also less harsh on your skin. It works great and the essential oils give it a wonderful antibacterial boost. And it smells lovely!

1/4 cup Pure Aloe Vera Gel (note: the aloe vera gel pictured is not pure, I usually use this brand)
1/4 scant cup Witch Hazel
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
15 drops Tea Tree Oil

Essential Oils:
Grapefruit
Lemon
Sweet Orange
Coconut
Lavender
Rosemary

Mix and match what oils you would like to customize your scent. About 10 drops of what ever you choose should do it. If you want a stronger scent add more. The list above is just suggestions you can use any essential oils that you would like.

I think this works best if you use a lidded jar to mix the ingredients. Just place all of the above ingredients into the jar and shake in till mixed. Then pour into a small squeeze or spray bottles. Check the travel section at your local store. That's it. Carry it in your purse or send it in your child's backpack for a quick cleaning when water and soap are not available.

To read what Mothering Magazine has to say about using essential oils for its antibacterial benefits and hand sanitizing go here.

An Almost Guiltless Treat

2009-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

By Guest Blogger: Jena Demarco

Mini loaves for the adults and mini muffins without chocolate chips for the children.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
¾ cup Oatmeal Flour
¼ cup milled Flax
1 Tablespoon Wheat Germ
1 teaspoon Baking Soda (aluminum free)
½ teaspoon Real Salt
½ cup Egg Beaters*
2 cups Mashed Bananas
½ cup Honey
¼ cup Applesauce
1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips(optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Combine wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake mini muffins at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes or until done. For large loaves bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until toothpick/knife test comes out clean.

*Note: I leave out the eggs and just add a little more banana and flax seed. I have yet to notice a difference in the banana bread.

The Secret of Quinoa

2009-03-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

By Guest Blogger: Jena Demarco

Quinoa has become a favorite food to my family. You will not find our refrigerator without a bowl of cooked quinoa. In fact my husband just ordered us about 50 pounds for our food storage! I really don’t know how we will get through it all, but I think the way we are consuming our quinoa, it’s probably a good possibility that we will.

Some of the benefits of eating quinoa, besides the fact that we love the taste of it, is that it is a complete protein. Meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids! It is also a very good source of manganese, iron, copper and phosphorus. It is also low in gluten content, so it is one of the least allergenic grains.

There are many other benefits of this simple grain, for more information go to this site. They will give you the history and some other recipe ideas.

Here are some of the things we do with this grain that are simple and tasty.

First we cook the quinoa according to package directions so that we have it on hand for making these recipes. Like I said we usually keep a bowl of cooked quinoa for lunches and quick dinner preparations.

To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain (make sure to rinse it well before cooking) to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. We have enjoyed it warm and cold with the following recipe.

Quinoa Salad (pictured above)

We just eyeball the amounts, if you like lots of veggies do more, and if you want more grain do fewer veggies. All veggies are cut up. This is just what we had put in and found we like, so by all means add your favorite vegetables and take out what you don’t like.)

Cooked Quinoa
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Avocado
Basil or any other favorite fresh herb you have
Mung bean sprouts or Alfalfa sprouts
Juice of a Lemon (to taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (just enough to coat the grain)
Salt to taste

Quinoa Patties

Cooked Quinoa
Milled Flax seed
Egg
Shredded: carrots, zucchini, cucumber
Fresh cilantro and parsley
Salt and other seasonings you like

Make into patties and grill with a small amount of olive oil. We like putting avocado on the top.

Guest Blogger: Jena Demarco

2009-03-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

Didn't you love our last guest blogger post! A huge thank you to Ashley for doing that for us.

I'm really excited to introduce our next guest blogger, Jena Demarco. If you know Jena and her family you will know that their favorite room in thier home is the kitchen! Recently, Jena and her husband changed their eating habits dramatically to be healthy and ran a half marathon together. Her husband has lost 30+ pounds and Jena has never looked and felt so great being pregnant. Way to go you two!

Jena is also my herbie partner. We are just finishing up our second herb class together and have loved it! Welcome Jena.

She will have some great recipes to share so check back!

Classic Green Salad

2009-03-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

We had a few people wanting to know what we put in a typical family salad so here it is! We also love to put cucumbers and red pepper as well as sprouts when ever we can.

Favorite fresh Lettuces and or Spinach
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Avocado
Julienned sliced Zucchini
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Pine nuts

To assemble salad you can layer each ingredient starting with the lettuces similar to how the picture looks. Or, you can toss all ingredients together. Top with favorite dressing. You can also make a simple dressing with extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, or Udo's oil and lemon juice with favorite seasonings including Real Salt and freshly ground pepper.

No Bake Cookies

2009-03-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Now that Spring is upon us and the weather is heating up, who needs to heat up the house even more with the oven. Try this healthy version of a traditional no bake cookie.

My kids LOVE these!

6 Tbs Soy or Almond milk
2/3 cup Sucanat or 6 Tbs honey
2 heaping Tbs Cocoa or Carob powder
3 tsp Vanilla or Almond Extract
2/3 cup Natural Peanut or Almond Butter
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
2 heaping Tbs wheat germ (optional)
2 Cups Oats

Mix the last three ingredients in a mixing bowl. If you do not use the wheat germ replace it with a little more flax or oats. In a sauce pan mix together the first five ingredients. Heat just enough to make it smooth. Add the peanut butter mixture to your dry mixture and blend together. Let your now cookie dough cool down a little, then place small spoon fulls onto wax paper. Let your cookies sit at room temp or in the frig to firm up a bit.

Makes 20-22 cookies. Enjoy!