Juicing vs. Smoothies

Posted on: March 21, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 6 Comments

Juicing
I think juicing is so important, especially for those with health issues. Juicing takes all the nutrients out of the fruits & vegetables and when you drink it, those nutrients go through your body a lot quicker than if you had eaten them, and in a larger quantity. We don’t usually eat that many fruits/vegetables at a time and you might juice something you wouldn’t normally eat. Like for me I wouldn’t normally eat a beet but I would juice it with other fruits & vegetables and eat it that way. Yes, juicing does leave a lot behind (the fiber). But that can be harder to digest and if you want to get a lot of nutrients into your body at once, like a detox, this is a great way. For those of us with autoimmune diseases or other health issues, we need this. I juice periodically. Usually once on the weekends, just because of time and money. It does cost a lot to juice because you have to buy a lot of fruit and vegetables in large quantity, and you want them to be of the highest quality (organic). Some people go through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Or you can buy large quantities of what is on sale.

I recommend watching the documentary ‘Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead’. I watched it through Netflix. It’s about a guy (Joe Cross) that is going through all these health issues and taking all these medications. He decides to do a juice detox and ends up clearing up all his health issues and weaning off all the meds he was on, in addition to losing a lot of weight. The documentary also shows another guy and his situation of health issues and going through the juice detox. I have never done a detox, but I try to juice when I can. Like I said, I would like to do more juicing but it really only happens once/week for me right now (and I have really been slacking since we bought the NutriBullet because it is more convenient to use and clean! More on that below. But I will get back to my once/week juicing regiment). I don’t think a detox is needed unless your health is so bad that your body needs it to try to get on track. Like the situations shown in the documentary. Back when I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I think a detox would have been good if I was more aware of it. Instead I had switched the type of food we were eating and later incorporated juicing into my diet. (Here’s my post on switching to organic foods and how I lost 30 pounds.)

Here’s the same brand of juicer we use-Breville (I couldn’t find the exact model):

This is what we typically juice, just because it’s what we always
have on hand (and I like to add ice to mine):

carrots
apple
orange
celery
spinach/kale
ginger*

*I don’t use a lot of ginger because it has a very strong flavor. You can use fresh ginger or sprinkle in ginger after you are done juicing and just stir it up.

Some things to know about juicing: Make sure to rinse everything thoroughly. Cut off the ends of the carrots but you don’t have to peel. You don’t have to peel an orange when juicing and it’s actually good for you to do it this way but it can taste very different. You don’t have to peel the apples, or the ginger. You can put the whole apple in, even stem and seeds. You will just probably have to cut it in half to fit it in the machine. Celery leaves should be included in juicing. I put the ingredients in the machine in order of speed. So, hard veggies first, then apples, citrus, soft fruits. Then I turn the machine up to full speed to kind-of clean it out before shutting it off. Stir and drink! The juice needs to be consumed right away, or you can put it in the refrigerator (covered) but it goes bad after about 24 hours. It is at it’s very best fresh.

Juicing is also handy when you want to make the juice to add color to frosting. Beets are good for red, spinach for green, and I found that raspberries make a pretty pink rose color that was great for my daughter’s birthday cake. Or let’s say you have a watermelon that is kind-of soft inside and no one wants to eat it but it’s still good (hasn’t gone bad). I just juice it and make popsicles with the juice or put the juice in my daughter’s lunch. She loves it! One time I had an abundance of cucumbers and we love cucumbers but I was worried about us not eating them fast enough, so I juiced several of them and we drank the juice. It was so good, and good for us. I bet my daughter would love a cucumber juice popsicle too! 🙂

Smoothies

I do think smoothies are a healthy way to go too. It’s how I get the majority of the fruit I consume, just because I’m so bad about eating fruit. I do like fruit, it just doesn’t sound appealing to me all the time. Smoothies are great as a healthy drink or even for dessert! Mix in some ice cream and whatever fruit you want. Yum! You can do yogurt instead of ice cream. We have been into the hemp milk lately for our healthy drinks.

Here are the reusable straws that we use and we invested in a NutriBullet recently. Here’s one through Amazon:

This is our basic recipe, but we just throw in whatever fruit we have
(no measuring necessary):

blueberries
mango/pineapple
banana
strawberries/raspberries
spinach/kale
hemp milk
chia seeds/flax seeds (ours are usually ground)

(then I sprinkle in ginger & turmeric in mine)

Comparison of juicer to NutriBullet and juicing vs. smoothies
I think we need to juice and make smoothies. Incorporate both into our diet. I juice on the weekend, so once/week, and try to make a smoothie every day. Juicing is not as convenient as my awesome NutriBullet. It is so easy to use and easy to clean. The juicer takes more time to use and is so bulky. There are so many parts. Yes, they are dishwasher safe but it takes up the whole top rack! I would love to drink a freshly made juice every morning, but this is costly and inconvenient. So instead, I choose to make a smoothie every day. The reason I think we should do both is because juicing takes all the nutrients from the fruit/veggies without the fiber that can be harder to digest, and when you drink it these nutrients go right through your bloodstream. And you can drink a juice a lot faster than sipping on a smoothie. We can consume the amount of fruit/veggies that are recommended in a day, which is a lot harder than trying to eat that many in a day. And I do like that there isn’t any waste with the smoothies. But we are going to start composting, so the ‘waste’ from juicing will be great for that. Which will be good for our garden!

Here’s Food Babe’s info on common juicing mistakes: http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/05/juicing-mistakes/. If you type ‘juicing’ into her search bar, you will find all kinds of great information and recipes about juicing. She is like the Juice Queen! 🙂

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Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes

Posted on: March 15, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

I have been making these potatoes long before switching to organic/natural foods, but now I am using real butter instead of margarine and sea salt instead of table salt, etc. These satisfy my craving for french fries. They are so good that there usually aren’t any leftovers but if there are, they would be good for breakfast. 🙂 We like to add a little ketchup. I buy the Trader Joe’s brand that has less sugar than Annie’s or Muir Glen brands. There’s a picture at the end of this post.

Ingredients:

4 regular size potatoes
1 TB melted butter
1 TB olive oil
2 tsp dried parsley flakes (or 2 TB fresh chopped parsley)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

(I have used thyme & oregano instead of parsley & rosemary if I was out and it’s good too – use whatever herbs you have or the ones you really like.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, peel potatoes and cut into wedges, put the potatoes in a large bowl and add the melted butter, olive oil, parsley, rosemary, onion powder & garlic powder. Mix up thoroughly with your hands until the potatoes are coated. Grease a baking sheet (I use coconut oil or olive oil). Spread the potatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and bake for 45-50 minutes, turning once about half way through. You can use foil to line the baking sheet but you should still grease it so the potatoes don’t stick.

Here’s the ketchup I buy from Trader Joe’s. It’s 2 grams of sugar per tablespoon as opposed to Annie’s and Muir Glen that have 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon.

Baked Potato Soup

Posted on: February 19, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 1 Comment

This is a great soup for those cold and stormy days. Or, just because! 🙂 The whole family loves this soup. We buy either the Applegate or Simple Truth brand of bacon without nitrates. Simple Truth is found at Fred Meyer. You can leave the sour cream out and it’s still the perfect consistency, but we love it. I have also used regular onion in it because I didn’t have any green onion or leeks and it worked just as good. I like to set aside some of the shredded cheese to add on top when serving. And I have added celery before when I used regular onion. It gave it a crunch. Eliminate the bacon for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:

6 – 8 slices of bacon
4 large potatoes
4 green onions (or 1 leek)
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk (we use organic whole)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
Fry up the bacon until crispy. While that’s cooking you can peel and cut your potatoes into cubes (see picture below) and cut the onion or leek. (You will want to have as much prepped ahead of time as possible because when you put the milk in it has to be whisked consistently so it doesn’t burn.) Set the bacon aside when it’s done. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk, turn up the heat, and continue whisking until thickened some (about 10 minutes). Stir in potatoes and onions. Add the garlic powder, salt & pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes (stirring frequently), or until you have the right consistency and the potatoes are soft. Crumble the bacon. Shred your cheese if it’s not already shredded. Add the bacon, cheese, and sour cream to the pot (you could leave some of the cheese out for topping). Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the cheese is melted.

The potatoes, cut-up into cubes (or triangles).
They don’t have to be perfect, just as long as they are cut-up into small chunks.

Fried Rice

Posted on: February 5, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 1 Comment

My dad is the one that first taught me how to make fried rice. It has always been a favorite of mine, and now it’s a favorite for the whole family. I used to make it using vegetable oil and minute rice. Vegetable oil is manufactured in a factory using genetically modified crops that have been heavily treated with pesticides. Unlike butter or coconut oil, vegetable oils can’t be extracted by pressing or separating naturally. They are chemically altered. Minute rice is rice that has been cooked and then dried again. While that may not be so bad, it is the rice that is used to begin with that is the main problem. Has it been genetically modified? Most likely. Now I use either the bacon grease or coconut oil to fry up the rice, and I use an organic rice. We like Jasmine or Basmati. You can use brown rice or I have even seen quinoa used instead of rice. We haven’t tried that yet but I plan to one of these days. Use chopped almonds instead of bacon for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of rice, 3 cups water (or chicken stock)
1/2 lb. of bacon
1/4 cup of coconut oil (or use the bacon grease after cooking the bacon)
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves minced garlic
Pepper (sprinkle desired amount)
2 eggs
2 TB soy sauce
Other ideas are chopped almonds, peas, chopped ham, green onion, broccoli, bell peppers, chicken, shrimp, zucchini, etc.

Directions:
Boil three cups of water (or chicken stock), add the rice and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. While the rice is cooking, get the bacon started in a frying pan and chop your veggies/onion.

Flip the bacon and fry until crispy, then remove from the pan and set aside. Either leave about 1/4 cup of bacon grease in the pan or drain the grease and add 1/4 cup of coconut oil. Add the cooked rice and fry on medium high heat. Stir frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Add the veggies/onion, minced garlic and pepper, then keep frying. Then make a well in the center of the pan and scramble 2 eggs.

Mix in with the rice/veggie mixture. Crumble up the bacon into pieces and add to the pan. Add a tablespoon of soy sauce. I use the Bragg natural soy sauce alternative (pictured below). Mix everything up and keep frying until the veggies are tender (about 15 minutes total frying time).

Or you can use Coconut Aminos, soy sauce alternative, found below. And here’s some coconut oil (I have heard this is a good brand):

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Posted on: January 30, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 3 Comments

Everyone loves these potatoes! They are very tasty, and there’s no comparison to the ‘potato buds’ in a box that we used to eat. Do you know what is in those potato buds, besides dried potatoes? Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Bisulfite and BHT. Say what?? Exactly. What is that? I can’t even pronounce the first couple. BHT stands for butylated hydroxanisole and is an additive for preserving food. It has been linked to possibly causing cancer and behavior problems. Unfortunately, it is used in a lot of different foods you find on the grocery store shelves and is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Well these cheesy garlic mashed potatoes only contain the ingredients you see listed below. We don’t carry BHT in our kitchen. 😉 The recipe calls for russet potatoes but I have used yellow or red potatoes too and they are all good. I just use whatever I have on hand. I will admit, I don’t measure all the ingredients but rather just pour them in and taste test, so my measurements below are a good estimate of what I use.

Peeling or Not Peeling Potatoes: Cutting and peeling the potatoes really doesn’t take that much time, and it could be fun for a helper to do too! 🙂 But I did see something about boiling the potatoes with the peeling on and then when they are done the peeling comes right off. I tried it and yes, it does work but I can’t decide which method I like better and which one takes less time. I cut the potatoes in half before cooking and when they are done the peeling comes off easier on some of the potatoes than others. You will want to rinse under cold water when you are peeling them or let them cool a little because they will be really hot.

Tip: If you end up needing more time to complete the other parts of your meal: After the potatoes are cooked, drain them and then just put them back in the pan and remove from heat until you are ready to finish them.

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes or 4 regular size
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup milk (I use organic whole)
1 TB dried parsley flakes (or fresh)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt & pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional).

Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot. While the water is heating up, peel and cut the potatoes (or leave the peeling on and pull off the peeling after they are done cooking – see information above on this). I cut once lengthwise and then cut in half again. After the water is boiling, add a little salt and then add the potatoes. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pan/pot. Then turn the heat up high and start mashing with a potato masher for about 30 seconds. This dries the potatoes. You can then add the butter, milk, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper, cheese, and sour cream. Stir it all up until the butter and cheese is melted. You can also whip your potatoes if you really want to make sure you don’t have any lumps.

Need a potato masher? Here’s one that’s stainless steel:

The Lunch Rotation

Posted on: January 21, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 3 Comments

There are about five different lunches my daughter really likes so we rotate between them. There are still some lunch ideas I want to try with her that I found on 100 Days of Real Food but we know for sure that this is what she likes, and she’s so familiar with them she will tell me which one she wants. She helps make them sometimes too and I think involving them really helps so they will eat all their lunch! 🙂 The following are the main items in the lunch. I also add fruit/veggies, a drink (a little organic juice and she takes water every day too), and sometimes a piece of string cheese, a snack, a smoothie, frozen yogurt, etc.

Boiled Egg and Salad
I boil the egg and prepare the salad the night before. The best way I have found to boil an egg is to boil the water, lower the temp right away to medium, and add the egg to the boiling water carefully, using a soup ladle. Cook for 12 min, uncovered. (I found a tip about adding 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the water while the egg is cooking and it will make the shell easier to peel. I tried this and it didn’t really make it easier for me but I don’t really have a lot of trouble peeling them.) Then take off the heat and let cool. I add ice to help it cool faster, then peel off the shell. Our eggs come out perfect every time and these are brown, cage-free organic eggs, of course.

Homemade Lunchable
I used to buy the lunchables at the store but they are full of preservatives, fake cheese, nitrates in the meat and the drinks that come with it are usually full of sugar and dyes. Plus the candy/cookie that comes with it is full of refined sugar, dyes, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Just make your own! We use Late July organic classic crackers, Simple Truth or Applegate lunch meat (nitrate free and uncured), and organic or local natural cheeses.

Peanut Butter & Jelly or Honey
Good old peanut butter & jelly (or honey). I started using my old bread machine again and make our own yummy fresh bread each week. I buy Cascadian Farm brand or Trader Joe’s juice-sweetened organic fruit spreads, local raw honey, and Trader Joe’s organic peanut butter. It is one ingredient, organic peanuts! You do have to stir the peanut butter before use but it’s really not a big deal and you only have to stir it up once. Then you refridgerate it and it’s fine. If you need a peanut-free alternative, there’s almond butter, sunflower seed butter, hazelnut butter, and other options out there. Served with Annie’s organic bunny crackers.

Variety of Stuff
This could consist of many different things. It just depends on what we have at the time but some ideas are: homemade trail mix, cheese & crackers, snack items, nuts, humus & carrots, frozen yogurt, a smoothie, etc.

Leftovers
My daughter likes cold pizza, or cold noodles/rice with butter, a little parmessan cheese and salt & pepper. That’s right, she will actually eat cold rice. I will usually add something like ‘ants on a log’, which is celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins.

The sandwich container and smoothie-pop-molds can be found here. And here’s an environmentally friendly option for a lunch container, and what we use to keep the lunches cold:

Party Appetizers

Posted on: December 27, 2013 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 4 Comments

When preparing for New Year’s Eve, appetizers are #1. Food can definitely make a party a hit! Here are some great ideas for your New Year’s party or for any party.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers (makes 12 poppers)

Ingredients:

½ dozen jalapeños
1 block cream cheese (organic preferred)
4-8 slices of uncured bacon (like the picture shows or if you want to double up for extra yumminess). 😉 Or, eliminate the bacon for a vegetarian option.

Directions:
Slice each jalapeño down the middle and remove stems & seeds (you may want to wear gloves for this or just be really careful not to touch your eyes with the jalapeño juice on your hands). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the bacon slices in thirds. Fill jalapeño halves with cream cheese. Wrap a piece (or two) of the cut bacon around each jalapeño, with the bacon seam on the bottom. You may have to pull to stretch the bacon a bit. Put foil on a baking sheet and place a cooking rack on top. Put jalapeños on the rack, spaced apart about an inch. Bake for 20-25 min, or until the bacon is crispy.

BLT Deviled Eggs (makes a dozen)

Ingredients:

6 eggs
½ cup mayonnaise
3 slices uncured bacon
2 cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
sea salt and pepper

Directions:
Boil the eggs (bring water to a boil, reduce heat, gently place eggs in the water and cook for 12 min). Cook the bacon until crisp, then allow to cool. Then break up the bacon into small pieces. Seed the tomatoes and finely chop. After the eggs are boiled and cooled, halve them lengthwise. Remove the yolks and add to a medium bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and stir in the mayo, bacon, tomatoes, and parsley flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and blend well. Fill the egg whites evenly with the yolk mixture and garnish with bacon, if desired. Arrange in a container and store, covered, in the fridge until ready to serve.

Here’s a deviled egg holder if you’re looking for one. This one has a lid too!

Cheese/Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 lb. shredded cheese
tortillas
chicken (cooked and cut into small pieces)
salsa
sour cream
guacamole
butter

Directions:
Butter one side of a tortilla, fold in half with the butter side on the outside, place one side onto a heated skillet and fill the tortilla with cheese and chicken (if desired). Fold over the tortilla and cook each side until a golden brown. Cook two or three of these and then slice into triangles, using a knife or pizza cutter. Ideas for dips are salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Mixing the sour cream and guacamole is pretty good too, or mix salsa and sour cream.

Tip: For chicken quesadillas you can mix up the chicken with my taco seasoning and maybe add some bell peppers and onion, then cook with the cheese in the tortillas.

Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1 dozen chicken wings
1 egg
½ cup of flour
¼ cup of melted butter
¼ cup of your choice of hot sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Beat the egg in a bowl and dip the chicken wings into the egg, then into the flour in a separate bowl (you can add some paprika or cayenne pepper to the flour mixture if you want), covering both sides of each wing. Place the wings on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for approximately 45 min. Combine the melted butter and hot sauce for a dipping sauce.

Fruit Tray with Vanilla Coconut Yogurt

Ingredients:

Variety of fruit of your choice
16 oz. vanilla coconut yogurt (I used the So Delicious brand)

Directions:
Spread the fruit out on a tray (cut-up, if necessary). Put the yogurt in a bowl in the middle of the tray. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:

2 – 8-oz. packages of crescent roll dough (I have found organic crescent roll dough in the tube or you can make your own. I will have to come up with a recipe sometime.)
1 – 8-oz. package of cream cheese – softened
ranch packet (I use Simply Organic)
sour cream to mix with the ranch (follow the amount listed on the ranch packet)
bell peppers, cucumber, tomato, broccoli and cauliflower (use any veggies you like)

Directions:
Leave cream cheese on counter for at least a half hour to soften, chop all veggies and seed cucumber & tomato. Mix the ranch and sour cream. Press the dough into two greased baking sheets and bake each one at 375 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow each one to cool. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the ranch/sour cream mixture. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Top with your chopped veggies and cover. Chill for about 2 to 4 hours.

Guacamole Dip

Here’s the link to my guacamole dip. One reader said they made it and their kids really liked it! They tried other recipes before that their kids did not like at all. That made me so happy! 🙂 The recipe: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/12/guacamole-dip/.

Zingers

This recipe is from the Grain-Free Family Table cookbook. I’m making it for Super Bowl Sunday and really excited to try it! I will post an update on how we liked it. You can find the recipe here: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/11/cookbook-review-grain-free-family-table-deliciously-organic/.

Quiche, Two Ways

Posted on: December 18, 2013 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 1 Comment

I have never been a quiche person. Or eggs for that matter! Now, I love them, and I can finally say I love quiche. This is a pretty easy recipe, derived from 100 Days of Real Food. You can put what you like in it, these are just my ideas and what my family likes. It’s even good cold the next day for breakfast or lunch! In the picture below, we did half with ham, cheese, onion, spinach; and half with bacon, cheese, onion, tomatoes and kale. Just eliminate the meat for a vegetarian option.

RECIPE

Pie Crust:
In a 9 inch pie pan, combine 1.5 cups of flour, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons milk. Mix with a fork. After a dough is formed, ball up the dough and press into the pan. Bring it up on the sides and pinch the top to form a pie crust (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Set aside.

Filling:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix 1.5 cups of milk, 4 eggs, sprinkle some salt & pepper, maybe a little garlic powder, and your favorite spice (i.e. paprika, nutmeg, cayenne pepper). Whisk together and pour into the pie crust. Add the ingredients you want. Ideas are: ham, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, cheese, onion, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, kale, parsley, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, green onions. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until filling is set. Let sit for about 5 minutes, slice and serve. Note: It will take a really steady hand to get the quiche into the oven without mixing the two halves or the filling spilling over.

Mix up the milk, eggs, salt & pepper and whatever spices you like:

Pour into the pie crust:

Add the ingredients you want, then put it in the oven @ 375 for 30-40 min:

Here’s a quiche with a layer of cheese on top of all the ingredients,
instead of mixing it in. A nice golden brown!

Need a pie dish?

5 Quick and Healthy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings

Posted on: December 6, 2013 by: Tara Canlett

Mornings can get crazy, especially if you are trying to get ready for work and get the kids ready for school. It can be tempting to just let the kids have breakfast at school because it’s convenient. Trust me, it’s not worth it. Just to give you an example of some of the breakfast items served at school: my daughter was getting fruit loops (full of refined sugar and dyes, among other things), a cinnamon roll (do I need to explain that one?), french toast sticks w/fake syrup (see below on what is usually in fake syrup), and other sugary items. Kids need a healthy breakfast to start the day off right, especially when they need to go to school and learn all day. They have to be able to focus and give it their all. Here are some easy healthier breakfast choices, some which can be prepared ahead of time. My kids love these! These are good for kids or grown-ups. 😉

Note: I serve fruit with every breakfast.

Hard Boiled Eggs – You can make these the night before or just always have some handy in the fridge and the kids can just grab one. Fill a small pot with water, ¾ full. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium. Gently place the egg in the pan (I use a soup ladle) and cook for 12 min. Remove from heat and drain the water out. Let cool. You can add cold water and ice to cool the egg down quicker before peeling.
Oatmeal – This can be made the night before so you can just warm it up in the morning or it is pretty quick and easy to make the morning of. I buy the 100% whole grain quick oats and follow the directions on the container. Then I add pure maple syrup and cinnamon. You can add other things like fruit, honey*, vanilla. This is just how my son likes his. And we also tried adding apple sauce and cinnamon to his oatmeal. He loved it! Tip: You can use whole milk instead of water when making the oatmeal, my son likes it with milk. (*Honey is not recommended for children under one.)
Yogurt Parfait – Just add fruit and granola (or cheerios – we use Mom’s Best brand) to their favorite yogurt. Organic preferred or as natural as possible. I know there aren’t a lot of good options out there. We like Stonyfield organic vanilla whole milk yogurt. Trader Joe’s has a good plain yogurt but we didn’t like the taste of it, even after we sweetened it with maple syrup or honey*. But the ingredients are good. (*Honey is not recommended for children under one.)
Leftover Pancakes – I make pancakes on the weekend sometimes and there are usually leftovers, or you can double the recipe. Then you will have some to eat during the week. Just warm up 1 or 2, with real butter and 100% pure maple syrup or organic jam. We have also put honey* on them instead of syrup, or even just butter and cinnamon. This is our usual pancake recipe: Apple Cinnamon Pancakes – http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/04/apple-cinnamon-pancakes/. I experimented with different types of pancakes recently. My recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes can be found here: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/10/pumpkin-recipes/. For Zucchini Pancakes, go here: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/07/zucchini-recipes/. You can also make Banana Pancakes using just 1 banana and 2 eggs, mix them up really good using a whisk and fry them up. (*Honey is not recommended for children under one.)
Cereal – There are organic cereals out there but you really have to read labels, or you can just use granola. For homemade granola, 100 Days of Real Food has a good recipe: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/04/recipe-granola-bars-cereal/. I found some good granola at our local food co-op. Just add milk and maybe some fruit and serve. For the kids I use whole milk and for me I use hemp milk. The kids aren’t crazy about the hemp milk but they don’t mind it in smoothies. My son loves organic O’s (like cheerios) with whole milk and some fruit on top.

For maple syrup, I use Trader Joe’s organic maple syrup. It has one ingredient: 100% organic pure maple syrup. It usually costs around $7.99 but it’s worth it to get real maple syrup instead of the fake stuff that usually has high fructose corn syrup, lots of sugar, artificial flavors and preservatives, and usually no maple syrup even in it! A bottle will usually last us a month or longer, depending on if I am using the syrup in recipes too.

Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

Posted on: December 2, 2013 by: Tara Canlett

Most boxed mac ‘n cheese you find in the store contains yellow artificial dye. Click the following link for more information on food dyes: Food Babe’s info on Food Dyes. It is so easy to just make your own! I do buy the Annie’s boxed mac ‘n cheese sometimes but the consistency never seems right. This was a winner with our family and I hope you enjoy it too.

Recipe:
Boil about 6 cups of water, then add 1 cup of macaroni noodles and cook at medium/medium high for about 10 min. Stir occasionally. Drain the noodles and return to the pan. Add 2 TB of butter, 2 TB of milk and about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly. I add garlic salt and pepper, with parsley for a garnish.