This is NO Joke!

Looks like milk!

Rich and creamy like whole milk!

Makes a milk mustache like milk!

But it's cashew milk!
I've wanted to try this for awhile and because I had a willing guinea pig, we whipped some up.
The verdict:  It's really good, it doesn't taste like cow's milk, but it's very rich tasting and yummy.
My next experiment is to make some yogurt with it-totally dairy free.

If you are off dairy, give it a try, it's super easy.  Here's the link to watch a video on how to make it.
The Spunky Coconut

How to Get off Sugar

Eat more veggies!!

Believe me, I do know how hard it is to get off sugar and stay off sugar. I've fallen off the wagon many a time in the last few months. The trick is to climb right back on the wagon.  As time goes on, and you wean yourself off the sugar, the taste buds do change and sugary stuff becomes less appealing. The artificial stuff, I mean. I think we all have an in-born affinity for sweet things and often times it can be satisfied eating a piece of fruit. I have eaten food sweetened with white sugar recently, and probably will again, but it doesn't taste as good to me and actually I don't feel so hot when I do eat it. (like the chocolate covered acai berries that were hidden away and untouched since Christmas)

So how do you slog it out until you get to that point? Eat more vegetables, especially the green stuff. Here's a few ideas I've done to "eat yer greens."

Make green smoothies. They are nature's fast food. I can whip up a green smoothie in less than 2-3 minutes. As you begin to eat them, start with more fruit and less greens. Spinach is the mildest. As time goes on, you can add more veggies and less fruit. My favorite smoothie now consists of celery, cucumber, spinach, 1/2 apple, lemon, lime, ginger, chia seeds and some protein powder. Sometimes I add a truvia packet, but lots of times I forget. Yum, I actually crave this (crazy huh) Google green smoothies and you can find tons of recipes and ideas.

Make veggie omelets for breakfast. A little more time consuming, but very satisfying. Have a large salad for lunch. I love a salad with a Mexican flair with greens, veggies like green pepper and avocado, added with cilantro and some beans.  I even crunch up some tortilla chips for a topping.  Make stir frys for dinner. My family still at home is not as converted, so I still make a regular meal but add in a big salad or stir fried or steamed veggies, also roasting veggies is a delish way to add them to a meal. I also often make a BIG pot of vegetable soup. I use chicken broth as a base (I didn't say I was vegan or vegetarian) and throw in whatever veggies I have in the fridg. The base is always a mixture of celery, carrots and onions. I wouldn't recommend broccoli, but I have used cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes and whatever else strikes my fancy. Sometimes I will throw in a 1/4 cup of barley or brown rice to the mix. You can eat off that for days.

Grow a garden! My grandkids are picking and eating the raw peas that are coming off right now. (I do not like raw peas-but hey-if they love it-I encourage it) You have never tasted anything better than a salad with romaine lettuce, freshly picked. Or the cilantro! Amazing flavor. And don't even get me started on a tomato, still warm from the garden. I love going out and pulling an onion that is going into our dinner in just a few minutes.

So I hope this helps anyone who is interested eating healthier.  Keep the veggies available in the fridg. Eat them often so they don't end up as wilted messes in the bottom of the crisper. Try new ones when they go on sale! Eat them as snacks, with hummus or some kind of dip (less dip, more veggies) Keep them handy and available.

Anyone else out there with more yummy ways to eat veggies?

Go green!

A Tutorial-Or, Help! I got wheat for Christmas, but I don't have a Grinder!

Disclaimer: Not as fine as a Pioneer Woman tutorial and for you old hands at food storage out there, this post may be a real yawner. But for some of you newbies out there....Here's how you can get your family to start eating wheat, while you save up for your wheat grinder.

Basic ingredients-all from my food storage. oil, honey, powdered eggs, salt, wheat, powdered milk and baking powder.

Put 1 1/4 c. water and 1 c. of WHOLE WHEAT, and 1/4 c. powdered milk in the blender. If you are lactose intolerant, have a milk allergy, or don't have any powdered milk, leave it out.

Turn that sucker on and let 'er rip. The force of the blender will crush the wheat kernels. This will take 1-3 minutes depending upon the rpms of your blender (I have a Vitamix-so this takes barely a minute). Basically you can tell when it's ready because the sound of the blender changes, you can actually hear the wheat kernels turn liquid (cool-huh?)


Next add 1 egg (I'm starting to use powdered eggs for this-works great!) 2 T. of oil, 1 T honey, 1/4-1/2 t. salt. You can use sugar if you want, I have done it and it turns out fine but I have a cool trick with honey. Whenever using it for baking, always add your oil first, then use the same measuring utensil for the honey-and it slides out slick as a whistle! Now turn on your blender again for 30 seconds and mix.
Now add one generous tablespoon of baking powder-FRESH baking powder! (very important) and pulse it three times.


Watch those bubbles pop up! The batter starts literally rising up in the container-it's an exciting thing for those of us who don't get out much.

Now you need to cook immediately. Take advantage of those bubbles. Be sure to have your waffle iron hot and ready. Don't have a waffle iron-you mean you don't have nice kids who bought you one for Christmas? That's okay-just make pancakes. Make sure the pan is hot and ready.

Enjoy-Sorry no photo. But I promise that even teenage boys will eat these up. Especially with lots of syrup.
Note: If you have wheat allergies, intolerance or celiac disease....you can still do this. I have been using different grains 1/3 c. each with great results. I also have to add a little xanthan gum. If you are really interested, comment and I'll send you the recipe I use.
Recipe:

1 1/4 c. water
1 c. whole wheat kernels
1/4 c. powdered milk
1 egg
2 T oil
1 T. honey or sugar
1/4-1/2 t. salt
1 T fresh baking powder

You know the rest.

Edit**** Oops-I should have let you know how much this makes. I make two batches in my belgian waffle iron (8 sections all together) But belgian waffle irons are pretty deep so I think you could squeeze three batches in a regular waffle iron....

Will the Real White Flour Please Step Forward

Which is it-the right one or the left one? Can you tell???

Three weeks ago today we found out that TL has about 25 food intolerances-allergies-whatever you want to call them. Because I have certain digestive issues, I decided to go cold turkey along with him and avoid these foods, you can go here to see my tale of woe.

It's been an interesting experience trying to find things to cook. I have been so frustrated because I have looked at literally hundreds of recipes, including some of the old faves, and I have to say, oops, can't eat that, has milk, or oops, can't eat that, has tomatoes, or oops can't eat that, it has eggs, wheat, oregano, chilis, on and on ad nauseum.......

I met up with Chef Brad at of all places, a swim meet and he gave me some great advice. Turns out he is an expert on "grainology" and is a fellow wheat intolerance sufferer...... So we press forward, learning new ways of doing things and here's a photo of my new "white flour:"

A combination of spelt, sorghum and brown rice-throw it in the grinder and voila-white flour.....sort of....

So didja guess which one was the real white flour? Yup, the one on the left...

Eat that Wheat!

Part of replenishing my pantry has been to make some bread. We don't eat a ton of bread, but after coming home and checking the freezer-there was nary a bread loaf to be found. Since we are all eating healthier these days (at least anyone over the age of ffffiffty in this house), and I refuse to pay the high cost of whole grain bread in the store-well-this girl has been busy making fresh bread about every two weeks...using my stored wheat... Anyway-my sister asked me for my bread recipe months ago.......and since she only reads my blog once a month or so....well sissy----here you go!

Disclaimer: First off let me preface this by saying that I have a Bosch. I am not a culinary snob but really, it does make bread making so much faster and easier. I can have five loaves mixed and rising in the pan in less than 1/2 hour (they are rising as we speak). This recipe is from "Chef Brad's" book. On checking his web site-it looks like he is going to be in Utah practically the whole month of August so check him out...Anyways........

Basic Whole Wheat Bread

6 c. hot water

10 c. whole wheat flour

2 T. salt

2/3 c. oil

2/3 c. honey (I use orange blossom...mmmmm...yummy)

3 T. dough enhancer (this is a must-makes the bread light)

3 T. yeast (I use SAF-the best)

2 c. natural white flour

First I dump the water, white flour and all the other stuff in the mixer bowl. (this is not how Chef Brad says to do it....) Then I turn on the mixer and start adding more whole wheat flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Important! Whole wheat bread dough is stickier than white bread dough. It will be sticky to touch but if it cleans the sides of the bowl-it's good. Once the dough isn't sticking to the sides of the bowl (I usually add 2-3 c. more flour-depends on the humidity in your area), then I set my timer (so I won't forget) for about 6-7 minutes and keep that Bosch crankin' so help build the gluten. (the stringy stuff that traps the air bubbles from the yeast and makes the bread rise-it's the same stuff my mom can't eat-she has celiac disease). When the time is up, I dump the whole mess onto the oiled counter and divide up the dough between five loaf pans (sprayed generously with Pam). Then I take each little loaf and pound it into submission-taking out all my frustrations......no- I pound it a little and then form it into a loaf. Then you let it sit until the loaves have risen over the top of the pan around 1-2 inches (mas or menos). Bake at 325 until they are done...oh, about 20-25-30 minutes. (Sorry I am not a real precise cook).

Voila....you have fresh hot bread that you take out of the oven-smear the tops with butter, wait a bit-then devour one whole loaf with the kids.....(a requirement-one loaf must always be devoured immediately!)

Green Stuff

I was intending to post something else today but I just HAD to share my smoothie this morning:



Look at that pretty green color! This tastes absolutely awesome but it is guaranteed to gross your kids out! I ran out of grape juice for my usual smoothie so I substituted orange juice. Here's my crazy, fly by the seat of your pants recipe:
1 c. orange juice
4-5 chunks of fresh pineapple
Handful of fresh spinach
1/2 banana
Generous splash of coconut milk
Handful of ice cubes

Turn that blender on and enjoy.......
This could be titled: "St. Patrick's Day pina colada" or "Kermit's Hula Juice"

Phytonutrients for Breakfast

Being the sneaky, devious mom that I am, I try to slip in a few fruits or veggies into the family's diet without them taking too much notice. I have had a couple of requests for these recipes, which are kid and teenager approved-even the 17 year old Bubba D grudgingly admits that they are "good." So here's for some delicious, nutritious phytonutrients for breakfast!!

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1 3/4 c. flour (i use 3/4 whole wheat)
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk ( i buy powdered buttermilk and use 2 T with 2/3 c water)
1 egg
1/2 c. salad oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. pecans, 1/3 c. raisins (opt) (my family doesn't like raisins...sniff...sniff. but I sprinkle the pecans on top of each muffin before baking)

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Fold together. (remember you don't mix muffins to death)
Bake for 35-40 min at 350 degree oven. Watch them come running when they smell these!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. fresh gingeroot, finely chopped
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. sea salt
1 c. low fat milk or soy beverage
1 egg
1/3 c. canned pumpkin
2 T. canola oil
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. unsweetened dried cranberries

Again, mix dry ingredients together first, then wet. I sprinkle the cranberries and walnuts on the top of the pancakes as they are cooking. We had these for breakfast this morning. YUM!


Banana blueberry pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine all the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients-including the bananas. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients-don't overmix. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle and then sprinkle the blueberries on top.

There you have it-a painless way to add extra yummy nutrition to the morning!

I am a Devious Mother

Recently we purchased one of these babies...... And I'm having a lovely time whipping up nutritious goodies. Guess what we had for FHE treat the other night:

Peach Ice Cream....yumm-o

But shhhhh....don't tell my kids....but I put this:

And this:

in the mixture...........mwuaahhhaaa haaaa haaa haaaaaa (insert evil laugh)

They loved it!

My new Craving

Can you guess what that green stuff is????........yup....it's spinach!

I'm trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet....and trying coax the family along with me.....and this is my new breakfast beverage of choice......I got the recipe from a new book I read called "Original Fast Foods." They advocate a plant-based diet (not vegetarian) with lots of recipes using fruits and veggies. I was a little skeptical but it actually tastes very good to me....(maybe I have weird tastebuds) It contains about 1 1/4 cup of apple juice (unsweetened) a handful of fresh pineapple (on sale) 1/2 banana, a palm full of raspberries-I've also used strawberries and a handful of SPINACH. Then you have to blend the beejeebies out of it-I HATE chunks-they make me gag (I leave the chunks in the bottom of the glass-ha ha) This is supposed to be a mineral rich drink and it is actually really energizing.

Now don't yell at me and tell me I'm not taking in enough calories for breakfast because this is just a beverage-I also eat some whole grain cereal or toast-eggs & toast, etc. along with it.

I DARE YOU TO TRY IT! (insert evil laugh)