Finally....

I think I've gotten the major kinks worked out and my recipes transferred so please check out my new blog over at learningtoeatjourney.com.

See ya there!

Honey-Sweetened Ice Cream

I'm experiencing technical problems with the new blog so I'll keep posting here until those are worked out.

My parents came over for the 4th of July and I really wanted to make homemade ice cream for everyone. Since my dad is diabetic, I needed a recipe with no refined sugar. He can tolerate honey in moderate amounts so I made the recipe below.

To my great surprise, it was the hands-down favorite of the two kinds I made. If you're not a honey-flavor fan, fear not. This is vanilla ice cream. So delicious!!

1 c milk
1/2 c honey
2 c heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract

Mix honey and milk together until honey is completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla and cream. Pour into ice cream maker and mix 20-25 minutes or according to manufacturer's directions.

Coming Soon...

...to the computer screen in front of you is a new, completely redesigned blog.

See you soon!

Local Food

We've made some new friends this year who grow their produce much closer to home than many of the sellers at the farmers' market. I love that I can order produce mid-week and pick it up at the farm (which ensures a continual supply of freshly made salsa!)

The girls and I drove over yesterday to pick up our order. We enjoyed chatting with Will and Keli who offered to let us drive around the farm. Well...I wasn't going to let such a generous offer pass me by. :)

Farmer's Market Finds

We've hit that part of the summer where the kids are scattered to the four winds. Not my favorite part of the season, for sure, but I know they have fun at camps and on other trips.

With all the chaos, I've taken a little breather on cooking. My menu plan, if you can call it that, for the last two weeks has been mostly pulling things from the freezer and sporadic cooking of 'planned overs'.

I had a stash of black bean burgers in the freezer which we all love. Coupled with the homemade buns, they're a winner around here.

Also in the freezer were some black beans and brown rice leftover from the making of the burgers so I thawed those and added some frozen corn. I made a big bowl of yummy salsa. I think one combination or another of those things was our lunch every day last week. (And, oh, how I looked forward to it!)

Another easy but delicious option for us is omelettes. I throw in whatever I bought at the farmer's market - mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, spinach - as well as some herbs from my beds outside for a nutritious, comforting meal.

Tonight, the girls and I made a pot of hummus soup. The recipe showed promise but didn't quite live up to my hopes. I'll post it after I've tinkered with it a bit.

I know this is a less-than-inspired meal plan but the break from a batch of new recipes has given me time to complete some other projects around the house. Getting things in order always leaves me feeling creative so I'll show more of that soon!

(Remember to click on the EAT page above for recipes mentioned here.)

Set Point

In last night's class, I talked a bit about set point and how real food can play into finding yours. This is something I believe in so strongly that I thought I'd write about it here as well.

If you've never heard that term before, the quick explanation is that everyone's body has a weight/body-fat ratio that is most desirable for optimal functioning. It is the point at which we feel our best, look our best, are most fertile, etc. (Read more here or here.)

It is not the point at which you are the thinnest you've ever been. If you've ever been so lean or thin that people said you should gain a little weight back, you were likely below your set point. The set point is where your genetics lead you to be, or more simply, the way God made you to look.

Chocolate Cake

If there's one thing we take seriously around here, it's chocolate cake. This is our current favorite. We all like it's rich, almost brownie-like consistency. I like that I can use such a high ratio of whole grain flour.

Lessons In Grace

What was I thinking??

All I wanted was for the garden to be watered. I should have known, though, that...

One hose + three kids = the mother of all screaming fights.

If I Could Only Bake One Thing...

...it would have to be cornbread. I think I may love it more than chocolate and that's really saying something. Considering my great fondness for it, I'm amazed I've never posted the recipe before.


Perfect Cornbread 
   (Yes, that's the name listed in the cookbook...)

1 c whole wheat flour
1/8 - 1/4 c honey (or sugar), according to taste
4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1 c yellow corn meal
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 c oil (I use olive or coconut)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in cornmeal. Add eggs, milk and oil. Beat until just smooth. Pour into lightly greased 9x9 pan (or muffin tins). Bake at 425˚ for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy with lots of real butter or, my favorite, crumbled in most any soup, chili or stew.

This Week's Meal Plan

A telltale sign of seasonal eating is repetition. It's a necessity, really. If you find something you love, you better have it as often as you want because veggies come and go all too quickly!

This week's trip to the market yielded a nice surprise - garlic scapes! I discovered them last year and, due to house construction, wasn't able to put in my own garlic bed in the fall to ensure my supply.

Oh, the Joys of Vinegar

Well, that might be a bit of a stretch but if I've often said if I could have it piped into my house, I would.

For a couple of years now, I've cleaned the whole house with nothing but baking soda and vinegar. The truest test of its cleaning power came last weekend, though, as C and I were working in the yard.

The FDA Food Pyramid Collapses...

...as well it should. It was a worthless 'guide' whose recommendations were brought to you by bloated corporations with monstrous lobbying budgets. 

What we now have is this graphic...

It's pretty. 

It's easy to read. 

Accurate? Mmmmm....I don't think so but, then again, I believe God gave me instincts to tell me what to eat. The government?? Well, I'm grateful that it paves the roads I drive on and somewhat educates our country's children but I couldn't care any less what a bunch of Beltway fat cats say I should feed my family. (And that, my friends, is about as political as you'll ever hear me write...)

So, goodbye Food Pyramid. Someday my grandkids will think you look oh-so-quaint and delightfully retro but, to me, you've always been outdated...

Chocolate Syrup

1 c cocoa powder
2 c sugar
1 c water
1/4 t salt

Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan. Mix in salt and water. Place pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add two tablespoonfuls to a glass of milk. Stir vigorously and enjoy!

NOTE: This doesn't make the milk as dark brown as commercial syrups but the flavor is great.

Morningside Farm

I picked up my first order from a new (to me) co-op today. I've long been a fan of this one but I was sorely lacking a source for bulk organic butter and cheeses. Enter Morningside...

Not only do they have dairy products but a much wider selection of products in general. Plus, their website is a bit easier to use and their ordering schedule is easier to understand. 

We ordered...oats, baking powder, peanut butter, almond butter, Veganaise, black beans, my super-favorite olive oil, butter, chips (for our beloved Mexican nights), carob chips and cocoa powder as well as pepper jack, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. 

Farmer's Market Finds

Here's what we bought this week and what we plan to do with it...

Black Bean Burgers
Broccoli-Spinach Omelettes with biscuits
Carrot Top Soup
Spinach Garden Salad with Pineapple Dressing
    and Chapati
Fresh Pea Soup
Nova Scotia Hodgepodge
Radish Top Soup (which we will undoubtedly eat at least once a week until radishes are gone. We love this soup!)





It might be hard to top our Memorial Day supper, though....

Burgers on these delicious, easy-to-make buns, lightly steamed veggies, deviled eggs, freshly-squeezed lemonade and these cookies for dessert.

Eat

The recipe page is up (see 'Eat' above). So far, I've got all the existing recipes on the blog linked but have many more to add...

Berry Pickin'

The recipe for the sugar-free jam (left) required added
pectin which, I think, is why it retained so much color.
(Or maybe I totally messed it up. This is my first foray
into the world of powdered pectin. I don't think I like it
very much...)

A couple of weeks ago, my best-est canning friend and I drove out to a farm outside town and picked gallons and gallons of strawberries.

We learned a valuable lesson, too. The week we went was the 'peak' time to pick according to the farmer. There was no shortage of large, perfectly ripe berries and every row had plenty. A trip out a week later meant a longer picking time as you had to search for good (though smaller) berries.

I made two types of jam, one being sugar-free for my dad. I also put two gallons in the freezer for muffins and smoothies. We're delighting in the freshness of the season right now but I know some strawberry bread in the dead of winter will be a lovely treat!

• • •

One random 'berry' note...

Berries of any kind always remind me of a board book my parents gave S when he was little. Called Jamberry, it's a super cute story of a boy and a bear frolicking through the joys of the season. I never tired of reading it to the kids which is more than I can say for a bunch of other kid books....

Farmer's Market Finds

Broccoli, sprouted lentils, summer sausage, radishes
asparagus, basil, lettuce mix, early peas, raw goat milk
cottage cheese and strawberries

Here's my meal plan for this week based on what the girls and I bought. I'm adding a page to my blog as an index for all the recipes I write about. It's going to take a few days to get them all listed but, hopefully, it'll help if something sounds yummy to you!

Supper...

• Radish Top Soup with Honey-Oat Rolls (Tessa has been stalking the farmers' tents on Saturdays in anticipation of radishes for this soup!)
• Black bean and corn fajitas, salad
• Salad with lentils, toasted baguette with pesto
• My Random Skillet Supper -- I came up with this Hamburger Helper-style dish one evening when I had little time and no game plan. It's easy to adjust to whatever I have on hand and is a family favorite. The general 'recipe' is a pound of ground beef or chicken, pasta (from our CSA which I'm trying desperately to use up), home-canned tomatoes or tomato juice and my homemade chili or taco seasoning. 
• Black Bean Burgers on wheat rolls, steamed broccoli

I split a pound of sausage for:

• Sausage-spinach-swiss omelettes with roasted asparagus 
• Homemade pizza with sausage and fresh basil

Lunch...

• Radish Spread sandwiches
• Honey-Oat Rolls with summer sausage and goat cottage cheese, blanched peas
• Leftover pizza (which is the kids' favorite lunch!)
• Egg salad sandwiches
• Fresh Pea Soup

Breakfast...

• Strawberry Bread
• Whole Wheat Waffles
• Strawberry-Cream Cheese Granola
• Banana Bread (because everyone suddenly stopped eating the bananas lying around...)

And, last but not least, this divine dessert...

Strawberry Shortcake with
freshly whipped cream - YUM!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. (Why, yes, she is 29 again! How did you know?) Truthfully, I really think she's still about seven in her heart.

Long ago, she chose to measure her success by her family. I'm not talking about anything stage-momish either. She has never had a career outside the home. She is a keeper of the home and the souls entrusted to her. As we grew up and moved away, she was forced to 'retire' from her daily duties. While I know she needed breaks like every parent, she did not relish that permanent change.

Fortunately, God has blessed each of us three kids with three of our own. Seeing my parents as grandparents has given me a new perspective on their inner children. I have been very blessed by that and, as grandparents, they have given us some of their greatest gifts.

When I was six months pregnant with my second child, I was put on complete bed rest. I was allowed fifteen minutes of standing per day. That wasn't enough to fix meals and shower much less take care of my sweet little 17-month-old. My mom drove an hour-and-a-half each morning to pick up Sam and drove back to her house. Almost every afternoon, she brought him back so that we could still feel like a family.

That continued for three months. I cannot imagine the exhaustion (or the gas cost) but she did it without complaining. Carrying that burden as well as a mother's concern for her daughter's unborn child is such an example of unconditional love and is truly a debt that cannot be repaid.

• • • Other observations on Mom • • •

My mom is a perfect blend of her parents. Warm, nurturing and a little mischievous like my Grommie but a quick-witted, merciless teaser like Granddaddy. 

She doesn't accept societal norms and isn't afraid to be different. As feminism was hitting its stride during my childhood, she would roll her eyes at others' attempts to climb corporate ladders and go to the kitchen to make Kool-Aid and cookies for all of the neighborhood kids.

She let us stay home from school (occasionally) for no reason other than "My calendar says there's no school today". She would actually tell the school secretary, "our bus isn't running today".

Fearless and independent, she has bungee jumped, been skydiving and, in the past decade, acquired a couple of tattoos.

I have to leave you, though, with one of my favorite Mom stories ever....

Last July, she, my sister Libby and some of the grandkids were in the car for a day trip. My sister, trying to be accommodating in adjusting the air conditioning, asked, "Mom, are you cold?"

My mom, in all sincerity, replied, "Well, I don't know. I could be cold," as if it were a subjective question. The laughter Libby fell into rendered her a completely unfit driver.

Now, all three of us women can be accommodating to the point you'd want to beat us over the head to get a decision out of us but my sister and I thought this was just the ultimate in trying to please someone else.

Now, whenever we reach an impasse over a decision, Libby and I are likely to say, "But, Mom, are you cold???"

Yes, my friends, that's the lousy thanks she gets for years of sacrifice and an excellent raising. So, maybe Mom's best birthday present is witnessing the fact that we each have kids just like us.

Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

Self-Doubt and Other Complete Wastes of Time

Okay, it's late and I'm exhausted but I can't sleep. Why? Because I'm trying something new, exciting and scary these days and I'm letting myself come unglued over it.

I'm teaching (or attempting to teach) a ladies class at church about food and healthy eating. It comes as no surprise to you, dear reader, that food is a passion of mine. I've often thought about teaching a class or writing a book on the subject so when I was asked to do this, I jumped at the chance.

Jumped off a cliff is a more apt description and I'm in a full-on free fall right now.

Public speaking isn't my forte but it's not my worst fear either. I'm just not fabulous at it. I'm okay, though, with hanging my lesser talents out for all to see. I appreciate it when someone steps out of their comfort zone and I feel safe with the wonderful group of ladies who so graciously give me their attention.

I think what's so hard for me is that I'm writing the lessons as well. Trying to condense four years of self-education in to a weekly thirty minute lessons of coherent and, hopefully, inspiring material is so much harder than I thought. I find myself writing pages and pages and then realizing that it's way too much information.

•  •  •

I love how God uses others to remind us of His will. As I lay here trying to shut my mind off and fall asleep, I remembered a blog link that my brother sent me just this morning so I went back to read it again. Feeling inspired by the writer's attitude of just being who she is, I decided to write here.

After all, if someone reads a post here and decides I'm a kook, then they don't have to read it anymore and I'm none the wiser. Honestly, though, I think we're all a little kooky and I'm grateful for that.

I love blogging but I often find myself not posting because I feel the need to continually 'fix' things here. I daydream about having the time to reorder posts, organize the labels and keywords and edit the inevitable 'stupid' things I said. What's really bad (and I hate to admit this) is that this is how I feel about my life. I feel a deep need to reset the logic of my existence.

(Oh, how shamefully high the control-freak flag is flying...)

What I am beginning to realize is that my need for things to 'make sense' far exceeds my ability to create such structure. I have no idea what to do with that. Am I a free spirit stuck in a first-born mindset? Am I just afraid to be who I am?

Yuck, I don't want that to be the truth...

•••

That said, I'm going to continue (as fearlessly as I can) preparing for and teaching the class. I have concerns with doing so, such as possibly offending someone or forgetting what I'm trying to say (which happened tonight - ugh) but I'm human and that's okay.

So, this is my stop-being-my-own-worst-critic post. Is it going to work?

If I don't delete this 'stupid' post first thing in the morning, I'll know there's hope for me yet.