Avacado Coleslaw

I got this basic recipe from my dear friend, Karen. I added the carrots--just 'cause we like carrots. It's easy, inexpensive and makes a yummy summer lunch!

Avacado Coleslaw

1 bag angel hair shredded coleslaw

1 generous handful of shredded carrots

Hellman's mayo (Karen swears by Hellman's)

chopped green onions

4 chopped avacados

Mix, chill and serve in your favorite bowl.

I'm Entering My First Blog Giveaway!

Yea! I'm entering my first blog giveaway and I feel like a little girl again! How fun!

If I enter my favorite healthy recipe here,
I will be entered for a chance to win
a wonderful cookbook and
vintage apron to go with it!



I recently discovered Brandi's wonderful blog called Mountain Morning Homeschool and decided right away to enter to win the Martha's Family Cookery Book that she is giving away. The vintage apron will come from her own collection.

Brandi says that Martha has "filled this cookbook with wholesome foods, mostly cooked from scratch (but not hard or too time-consuming!), and lots of fruits and vegetables, while 'eliminating white sugar, bleached flours, preservatives, artificial colors and nitrites'!"

Sounds like a winner to me!

Here's my recipe entry that many of you have told me you love:

Berry-Licious Breakfast Bread
1-3/4 c flour
2/3 cup organic sugar
1-1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup washed berries of choice
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a glass measuring cup, soften butter in the microwave (do not melt it). To the cup, add the oj concentrate and enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Stir liquids into big bowl with a large serving fork (easier to clean than a wisk). Add berries last, stirring carefully so as not to crush them and make them "bleed" into your batter. Pour into oiled bread pan and bake for about 30 minutes to one hour. Let cool before slicing.

You can link to the original recipe post HERE. Have a wonderful weekend!

Eating Down the Pantry

I walked into the kitchen to this sight recently.

One of my sons had pushed a chair up to the cabinet to do something or another and then left the chair right there. Does that sound familiar in your house?

Well, Chase saw his opportunity and grabbed it with gusto! I walk into the kitchen to my Little Climber bravely making his way up onto the countertop and pulling himself to his full height to take full advantage of whatever treasures he may find in the pantry. He is so resourceful, right?

Well, I squelch a screech and decide to watch him carefully as I run backwards to grab the camera. This was just too cute not to capture. And after four boys, these things just don't freak me out anymore. Women in the grocery store keep gasping and running to set my children back on their bottoms in the cart. They are so sweet.

No, Mom-- please don't stop me!

I was looking over the fun photos when a thought struck me. We do something around our house that I take so for granted, but others may never have heard of or tried.

I call it "eating down the pantry." It fosters creativity, reduces wastefulness, teaches self-discipline and is real healthy on the budget.

It basically works like this: you eat for as long as you possibly can on what you have in your freezer, fridge and pantry before going to the grocery store.It almost becomes a rush to see how long you can go.

When I first married, I thought every meal had to be unique and elaborate for me to be a good wife. To do so, we put groceries on the credit card --often-- *CRINGE*. {Those were my pre-Larry Burkett and Dave Ramsey days--I have since repented.} Then tough times hit. Hard.

There honestly were times that I was not able to go to the grocery store and the only choice we had was to eat down the pantry. But in the midst of those frightening times, I discovered a peaceful truth.

God provides WELL.

He can literally making something from nothing.

Out of only two or three ingredients, He and I can create a delicious meal together. He provides the inspiration and I provide the hands.

Looking at these pictures of my pantry, I had another thought. How fun would it be to make a list of what I could make right now for meals from what's in there {and in my freezer and fridge}.

Ready?

* whole grain vermicelli with homemade tomato sauce (frozen whole tomatoes, onion, garlic and Italian spices)

* taco beef or bean enchiladas topped with a canned enchilada sauce and little parmesan cheese

* baked potatoes with BBQ beef --easy homemade sauce that uses bell peppers, tomatoes, etc.

* scalloped (dairy-free) potatoes with green peas and some baked chicken from the freezer

* oatmeal for breakfast, oatmeal muffins, oatmeal cookies

* a big dark chocolate chip-peppermint cookie

* chicken salad sandwiches and carrot sticks

* chicken and rice

* chicken spaghetti

* hamburgers with baked potato fries

* cinnamon raisin biscuits

* biscuits and gravy

* mashed potatoes and gravy

* pancakes, waffles or french toast topped with a little frozen fruit from the freezer and yummy maple syrup

* brown rice (or white rice) with butter and honey drizzled over the top

And the list of possible meals can go on. . .

Do you get the point with me? God is infinitely creative and can help us eat down our pantry, saving us money, time spent shopping and frustration over rising gas prices.

So, there it is.

If you choose to try this Grand Experiment, let us all know what feasts came out of your pantry.

Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie

Sound naughty? It's not.
My kids love this smoothie for breakfast. . . and so do I!

Smoothies are quick, delicious AND nutritious. With a quality blender and some frozen fruit and a little creativity, you can have a new favorite breakfast at your fingertips! My dad is a Smoothie Master and often whips them up for supper at their house--that's how easy it is.

Before I give you the recipe, I must give credit where credit is due. My pre-teen daughter, Amberlyn, created this masterpiece and we love her for it:

The Chocolate Ice Cream Smoothie

7 frozen bananas (for 1 mom and 5 kids)
4 tablespoons of peanut butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 - 1 cup soy or rice milk to help the bananas blend smoother and quicker

Add ingredients in this order. Blend til creamy, creamy, creamy. Use a spoon to dislodge any chunks from the blades and continue blending.

Note One: If you don't have any bananas frozen when you get ready to make this, you can put your bananas in the bottom of your blender and the rest of your ingredients on top, then fill the remainder of your blender with ice. This makes it more of a drink than ice cream, but it's still really good.

Note Two: We discovered quite by accident that Great Value soy nut butter makes a most excellent substitute for the peanut butter. I prefered the taste, to be honest, and I didn't think I would.

Note Three: Feel free to increase or decrease the amounts to your heart's content. I don't like a heavy banana taste, so I adjust accordingly. I also like it thick like ice cream, so I make sure to use frozen bananas and no ice.

Berry-licious Breakfast Bread

I made breakfast bread this morning.

Side note: I'm really working on having breakfast on the table during the seven o'clock hour. My family has been begging me for some time now to have breakfast before 8 or 9 in the morning. I have four boys and a nearly-teenaged daughter and a tall, strong husband who are very starving when they wake up. I have discovered on the mornings that I "rise while it is still dark and provide food for my household," I see a lot more smiles and gentle attitudes. PLUS, it gives us one more precious meal to share together each day. The conversation is pretty fun, too.

Off-topic: This morning during breakfast we discussed cell phone options for Amberlyn who will turn 13 in October. We also talked about how my tall, strong Paul has been stung by nearly everything that stings in our neck of the woods: red wasps, yellow wasps, honeybees, bumblebees, and jellyfish. He's never been stung by a scorpion, though. Got any good scorpion stories to share?

Back on topic: So, we really enjoyed our breakfast bread this morning and all the conversation. Here are the recipes for the breakfast bread and soft butter. Plan to double or triple it!

Breakfast Bread
1-3/4 c flour
2/3 cup organic sugar
1-1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup washed berries of choice
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a glass measuring cup, soften butter in the microwave (do not melt it). To the cup, add the oj concentrate and enough boiling water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Stir liquids into big bowl with a large serving fork (easier to clean than a wisk). Add berries last, stirring carefully so as not to crush them and make them "bleed" into your batter. Pour into oiled bread pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Soft Butter
1 cup of butter, salted or unsalted
3/4 to 1 cup canola oil (or olive oil)
Blend until soft and chill in your favorite container.


Photo Below: Ashton and his friend Benjamin chow down on blueberry breakfast bread with little man Luke. These boys enjoyed every last bite and are living proof that the bread doesn't have to be Martha Stewart-beautiful to be deeply enjoyed.

Spicy Lemonade

This is my favorite drink for clearing the mucus out of your head and chest. It's quick and inexpensive to make, and I love that!

Spicy Lemonade

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbs maple syrup or molasses

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

8 oz. filtered water

Lemon is a master cleanser and is good for the liver. The maple syrup gives you energy and the cayenne pepper cleans the blood and clears mucus and toxins from the body. You can drink it liberally throughout the day, though I usually drink it once or twice at most.

The less water you use (I have made this with only 4 oz water before), the spicier it is. If your throat is raw and irritated from drainage or allergies, the cayenne will burn at first. It's ok; it will stop, and your throat will feel so much better. I prefer mine chilled, so I try to use cold water.

Leave me a comment and let me know if this works for you!

Birthday Party!

My baby boy turned ONE YEAR OLD yesterday! Chase has learned to love so many different, new things over the last year. He has learned to love toddling around after his older brothers and sister, exploring every nook and cranny of the house. He's learned to love whole, fresh foods like cucumbers and broccoli and he's learned to thoroughly enjoy splashing in the bath. It's so fun to watch him loving life. The part I love the best, though, is when he wraps my neck in a big, strong hug and then he's off for adventures. dreamy sigh Thanks for allowing me a Mama Moment.

This week I've been on a gotta-eat-healthy kick. I want it to stick because I have begun to feel so good and see some inches slip away. So, my dilemma yesterday was what to prepare for Chase's first birthday treat. Many of the recipes I found called for exotic ingredients that I didn't have in my pantry. Then I discovered a handwritten recipe in my recipe box for Tasty Vanilla Cupcakes. I had all of the ingredients, so I set to work. I reduced all the sugars in the recipe by 1/4-1/2 cup and they were still plenty sweet. In this picture, Chase kept grabbing for the cupcake while the candle was still burning. Poor baby; I kept shooing his hand away during the birthday song. He was so confused.

But then he got happy!

Here is the recipe. Please forgive the confectioner's sugar. . . it was a birthday party, after all.

Tasty Vanilla Cupcakes

makes 10-12
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup organic sugar

2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup vanilla-flavored milk (I use rice or soy or almond)

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter or oil

1 egg, beaten

Grease your muffin tin. Mix dry ingredients, Then add wet ingredients, beating until smooth. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Frosting: Blend with a hand mixer--1/4 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbs. milk, and 1 tsp flavoring of choice.

This is such a basic recipe--it's easy to make it your own. Just by adding things like a little cocoa or carob chips to the batter or by adding peppermint flavor to the icing, you can make it fit your family's special likes. I do try to use organic ingredients as much as possible in my baking because they taste the best and are the nicest to our health. . . even in sweet, birthday cupcakes.