Recipe Collection: Real Food Adapted Shrimp Alfredo

NanaPop headed home today at nap time. Two very sad little girls fought their hardest but finally succumbed to sleep. I followed a direct order given by my husband to lay down and try to sleep. (My feet and legs are swelling this pregnancy, something ELSE completely new).  I woke up an hour and a half later and all I could think about was Shrimp Alfredo.

I decided that I MUST have it for dinner. I've never made this dish, so I did a little Googling. There were lots of blogs that told you to use store bought cheese sauce- EEWW! I dug a little deeper and  gained a basic understanding of how to make a sauce come together.  Then, I ran to the store and got cooking.

 Here's what I ended up with and it was TASTY!

Real Food Adapted Shrimp Alfredo

Preparation Time: 
20 mins

Cook Time: 
25 mins

Total Time:
45 mins

Allergens:
Dairy, Shellfish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic half and half
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp freshly cut organic Oregano
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp organic or local butter
• 1 pound shrimp (local is best for us to guarantee freshness)
• Real Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Place 1 tbsp butter in a pot or skillet (I used enameled cast iron) on low and let it melt.
2. Peel and mince 1 garlic clove. Add it to the melted butter and stir.
3. Peel and mince the remaining 5 cloves of garlic and set aside.
4. Chop 1 tbsp of oregano and add it to the garlic and butter.
5. Chop the 2nd tbsp of oregano and set aside.
6. Add 1 cup of organic half and half to the butter, garlic, and oregano. Slowly whisk. 
7. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Continue to whisk.
8. Begin adding the grated Parmesan to the sauce, 2 tbsp at a time, whisking constantly. The sauce will begin to thicken as you add the cheese.
9. When your sauce has thickened, cover it and remove it from heat. (This process took me 10 minutes.)
10. Haul out the dutch oven over med-low heat and begin melting 2 tbsp of butter in it.
11. Add the 5 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add the 2nd tbsp of oregano to the butter and garlic. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes.
13. Add the shrimp to the pot along withe the last tbsp of butter. Stir. 
14. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
15. Let the shrimp cook until completely pink- about 7-10 minutes.
16. Add the thickened sauce to the dutch oven and stir. Let this cook together for a few minutes. Then turn off the heat. 
17. Add cooked pasta* of your choice to the pot and mix until thoroughly covered. 
18. Place in serving bowl.
19. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

*I made this with some organic rice flour angel hair pasta because I couldn't find any rice fettuccine at the store. Next time I will be sure to use the fettuccine noodle because I think it will hold the sauce much better.

This dish was a hit- Miss Roo especially loved the shrimp ;) How could they not love a meal made of their favorites things- milk, cheese, and noodles! It was all gone so quickly that it slipped my mind to take a photo of anything. Miss Moo helped Daddy made a salad and we had watermelon for dessert. 

Spring is almost here! I can't wait for more simple, fresh ingredient meals with all the local goodies starting to pop up.

Have you ever made an Alfredo sauce? What is your favorite way to eat shrimp?

Recipe Collection: Snow Means SOUP! - Real Food Chicken Noodle Soup

The picture quality on all these is terrible because I was using my 3 year old's adventure camera.

It poured snow - much to our surprise -yesterday. The girls loved watching it and I loved the chance to get my feet up a little more when I wasn't nesting.  But what is a cold, snow day without a little Chicken Noodle Soup? Here's my recipe! (With process photos this time!)

Real Food Chicken Noodle Soup

Allergen Information:
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free*

Preparation Time:
20-30 minutes

Cook Time:
2-3 hours to simmer

Total Time:
3.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 pounds of organic (local preferred but I used Trader Joe's this time) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• One yellow onion - diced
• One fennel bulb - diced
• 4-5 stalks of celery (depending on size) - thinly sliced
• 4-5 carrots  (depending on size) - thinly sliced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp herbs de Provence type blend
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2tbsp butter
• Real Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 package organic brown rice Fusilli pasta

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a cast iron pot or dutch oven, add 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Set the heat to simmer and let those warm together.
2. Dice your onion. Add it to the pot of warm oil and butter and let them simmer.

3. Dice your fennel bulb and add it to your onions. Give it all a good stir.

4. Slice your carrots and add them to the pot. Stir them well.

5. Thinly slice your celery stalks. Add them to the pot with 2nd tbsp of butter and a little salt and pepper. Stir.

6. Cut your chicken thighs into big chunks and add them to the pot.

7. Add your 1st tbsp of herbs and stir.

8. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, salt, pepper and the 2nd tbsp of herbs.

9. Next, add two more cups of broth. Cover the pot and switch the element to 2.

10. Let the pot sit until the soup begins to simmer. After an hour, add two more cups of chicken broth.

11. Stir the soup every hour or so. After the soup is done, it's time for the noodles.

12. I tried a new technique this time and was much more satisfied with the result. I cooked the Fusilli in a separate pot for 8 minutes so that it was slightly al dente.  I then added 1/2 of the cooked noodles to the pot of soup slowly.

13. I let it sit in the soup for 5 minutes, then turned off the heat.  

14. I let the noodles sit in the pot while I finished up some sides (biscuits and applesauce) and then dished everyone up.

** Egg may appear in your noodles- always check your labels for allergen information.


YUMMY! What a GREAT dinner on a gusty and cold wintry night!

Miss Roo approved....

As did a camera shy Miss Moo...

Are there any favorites that you make in your house on cold, wintry nights?

Mama, Naturally

Ever since I went through my great weight loss (which I still need to blog about), I've been slowly and steadily cleaning up my act. Once I met and married Drew, it became  a lot easier to change the way we lived because he is so supportive of a natural, real lifestyle. We started with food and once we had children our awareness spread.

Sometimes I am really hard on myself and think that I don't do enough to promote natural living in my children. Then I realized that I do more that I did as a child as does Drew. So I thought I'd take a minute to look at what we DO and WHY it's so important.

The Kids

Miss Roo sleeping in a GroVia AIO.

• Cloth Diapers: Both girls have been mostly cloth diapered since birth. I say mostly because there have been times, travel, sickness, moving, when I just haven't been able to cloth diaper due to time, facilities, and sanity. The girls have been cloth diapered 95% of the time since they were born. Baby Boy will be as well. We cloth diaper not only to cut down on waste- more specifically HUMAN waste- in landfills, but to keep our children free of diaper rashes, harsh chemicals on their skin, and cleaner in clothes. I have never experienced a blow out in a cloth diaper. I don't have to slather my girls with ointment at every diaper change. I don't have to buy diapers every other week or once a month. I just do a load of diapers every 3 days.

Wooden eggs dyed for the girls' Easter baskets.

• More Natural Toys: I haven't found a way to completely escape plastic toys. The girls receive gifts from family and friends. They also have particular things that they gravitate towards- pirates and their ships, Minnie Mouse, farm animals. Each time we purge and donate I try to slip more and more of the plastic stuff into the bags. I try to make gifts for them at every holiday that are cloth or wooden. Our toy kitchen is stocked with felt and wooden food and their dishes are wooden or Green Toys. Our trains and their tracks are wooden as are our fantastic set of building blocks.

• Less Toxins: We don't use traditional bubble baths anymore. We use Dr. Bronner's baby wash for all our bathtub fun. We have wooden and metal toys in the tub. Our toothpastes have ingredients I can pronounce. Their supplements aren't filled with sugar. I get probioitics in them from foods. The juice they drink- with filtered water added - is just that -JUICE.

The Parents

• No 'Poo: I've wondered for years what exactly mainstream shampoo was doing to my hair and my scalp. I spent some time researching it and learned it is essentially detergent. I decided to come off of it. And then I got pregnant and my hormones went NUTS. Everything I had been able to predict about my hair and manage with baking soda and vinegar wash went out the window. I am not using and Aloe based shampoo which I finishing making this little boy. Drew is completely on the no 'Poo routine with baking soda maybe once a week and he's doing great.
• No Deodorant: We don't walk around stinking, we've just changed what we use. We were using Thai Deodorant Stones but I was still experiencing weird reactions to them. We then moved to alcohol while I did further research. After a few weeks, I switched to Milk of Magnesia. Plain 'Ole MOM. I have had no irritation, no sweating, no odor. I use a nickel size under each arm and let it dry before I dress. I spent around $2.50 on a bottle that will last us at least a year.
• No Chemical Skin Care: I used to use all kinds of mass marketed skin care systems. Any time I would miss them for more than a day, my skin would go haywire. I started looking into what some of the chemicals in those cleansers and moisturizers did. Some chemicals in well known skin care lines are used to tan leather. I was done. I now use natural soap and tea tree oil as a cleanser and an oil cleanse 2-3 times a week. 

The Family

Local, organic, from scratch chicken and chili stew.

• Food: We are on a real food diet now for 95% of our food. I say 95% because I am constantly learning and changing. We eat local, grass fed beef, lamb, pork, and chicken. We buy local and organic produce whenever we can. I try to shop the perimeter of the store- produce, meat, dairy, bakery - when at all possible. Some things I have not tried to make yet - bread, noodles, sprouted flour - but I do try to make things I always used to buy - diced tomatoes, sauces, soups. Processed foods are disappearing from our house and being replaced by homemade goods on a weekly basis.
• Laundry Detergent: I now make a powder detergent. It isn't chemical free, but it's low chemical, low suds. I use bar soap, borax, and washing powder in a 1:1 ratio. This item is one of those things that I plan to tweak to lower the chemicals even more, but for now this is far down as I've gotten the mixture. Fabric softeners have left our home as have dryer sheets. I do occasionally use the Lavender sachet's from Trader Joe's to lightly scent our clothes, towels, and sheets.
• Cleaning Products: I use On Guard cleaner from doTerra and Dr. Bronner's for most of our cleaning needs. Peppermint is my Bronner's of choice for general cleaning due to peppermint's antibacterial qualities illustrated in laboratory studies. I do use Clorox wipes when we are all sick in the bathrooms, but otherwise, mainstream cleaners are disappearing. For cutting grease, I use cleaners with a citrus base or make some heated lemon water to scrub through the gook. 

One of our vintage pans.

• Cast Iron: We are slowly acquiring and upgrading to traditional, antique cast iron and enameled modern cast iron. Have you ever noticed little pieces of your non-stick pan were missing? Guess where those went while you were cooking? Modern cast iron isn't as good as the vintage/antique stuff because it is simply cast -not hand turned or smoothed. Drew has become very versed in all things cast iron and has been getting us great pieces to cook with in traditional ways. He's my go to guy.
• Supplements: FCLO, multivitamins, Kombucha, probiotics, essential oils as medicines.

Moving Forward
There are countless additional changes I'd like to make in our home. I'd like our home to have less stuff in it and focus on all aspects of our family. I'd love to establish and maintain a better rhythm. I'd like to have a small garden to grow a few veggies and fruits seasonally. I'd also like to focus more time on my kids and ways to make their world a more inspirational, natural place to learn and evolve. 

As I look at 2013 spread out before me and all the changes it will bring, my only resolution is to be true to myself in my desire to Mama, naturally.


What is your biggest desire this year? Where are the biggest places you find yourself successfully Mama-ing naturally?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Christmas Morning Casserole - A New Morning Staple

My memories of the Christmases of my childhood all carry sights, sounds, and smells. I remember seeing the tree for the first time with all the gifts nestled beneath it. I remember the sound of carols playing softly in the background  amidst the ripping of paper as we opened gifts. I remember the smell of the coffee my parents brewed to cope with our early wake up call.

I also clearly remember the smell of Christmas Morning Casserole warming in the oven as we spent the last few minutes emptying our stockings and surveying our loot. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from or what year it started appearing on our table. I just remember it being delicious and paired with tomato juice.

This Christmas was the first that our family was home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Being home afforded me the time to make the casserole with Real Food and have it rest overnight in the fridge for it to grace our table Christmas morning. Here's the modified recipe for the casserole that will now make more than a yearly appearance on our table.

Christmas Casserole

Preparation Time:
20 minutes hands on then refrigerate overnight

Cook Time:
30-50 minutes

Total Time: 
1 hour 10 minutes plus overnight set

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds local, ground breakfast sausage
6 free range eggs
2 cups raw/organic cream line or whole milk
2 (or more) cups freshly shredded whole milk cheddar cheese
1 TSP dry mustard
1 TSP Real Salt (or to taste)
2 slices sourdough (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Brown the sausage in your pan until cooked throughout. -We've been transitioning to cast iron and it give the sausage a much more even cook than non stick pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat your 6 eggs. -This step is a GREAT one for little chefs to help with so they are involved. Miss Moo has even learned to softly tap the yolks with the whisk to break them before she begins to beat them.
3. Slowly whisk your milk into the beaten eggs.
4. Add your dry mustard and salt to egg mixture. Whisk again.
5. If using bread, cube the slices into bite size piece and line the bottom of your casserole dish. - I use a plain, white, oval souffle dish that has it's own lid. I used organic sourdough but am going to omit that next time so that we can cut our that grain and keep the meal mostly protein.
6. Grate your cheese. - 2 cups is a guideline. I started with that and did grate more before I decided there was enough. We love cheese.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the souffle dish and over the bread if you are using it.
8. Drain some of the grease from the cooked sausage so that the eggs aren't swimming in the grease but there is some for flavor and goodness.
9. Add the sausage and grease to the top of the egg mixture.
10. Sprinkle the cheese evenly across the top of the casserole.
11. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Uncover the casserole and let it sit on the counter as your oven preheats.
3. Place the casserole in the oven for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven and the depth of your dish.  - Mine took right at 50 minutes to set. You are looking for quiche type consistency. A cake tester inserted in the middle should be clean indicating that the casserole is done.

Serve this dish with some delicious yogurt parfaits - we used granola, strawberries, and a little bit of maple syrup.



My family LOVED this dish and happily ate it rewarmed the second day.

Roo enjoying her breakfast.

 I love that this dish is protein rich, full of real food, and gives me time in the morning to be with my children rather than baked eggs, bacon, and the usual breakfast fixin's.

A satisfied Moo.

What easy, real food breakfasts do you love? What traditions do you see moving to your regular rotation?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Adapted Baked Spaghetti

I must confess, I'm addicted to spaghetti. I have been pretty much since birth; Nana can attest to that. Miss Moo has received this gene from me and would eat pasta of any variety every day if I'd let her. I've been on a quest for the perfect baked spaghetti even since this pregnancy began. I've made some that were decent, but I haven't had much luck with gluten free noodles staying, well, noodle like.

Tonight I adapted a recipe that I found on All Recipe to make it GF and full of Real Food. This dish was on our Meal Plan for Wednesday but circumstances of time, or lack there of, moved it to tonight. I was very satisfied with the end result and will make it again with the following tweaks. The recipe below is my adapted recipe from the original that I linked. (I haven't made all the changes below to this batch, so yours will look slightly different from the photo.)

Real Food Baked Spaghetti

Preparation time:
30 mins

 Cooking time:
1 hour

Total time:
1 hour 30 minutes

Allergens:
Dairy (Casein), egg

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 lb. grass fed, ground beef (ours is local)
• 1 organic yellow onion, diced
• 2 jars homemade OR organic tomato basil pasta sauce
• 3 tbsp organic Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Ingredients for the Noodles:

• 1 package (16 oz.) Trader Joe's corn spaghetti (although I am skeptical of corn, this is the ONLY noodle that comes close to holding it's texture)
• 2 eggs (ours are local, free range)
• 5 tbsp organic salted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Additional Ingredients for Layering:

• 5 cups freshly shredded, whole milk mozzarella
• 2 cups organic, whole milk, small curd cottage cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop onion, grate cheeses, and divide cottage cheese evenly.
3. Grease lasagna dish or 9 x 13 inch dish.
4. Add chopped onion, ground beef, and Italian seasoning to heated pan and cook, breaking up meat and mixing thoroughly until the onion is translucent and the beef is completely browned.
5.  Add sauce to meat and onions and stir until completely combined.  Remove from heat.
6. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with warm water to stop the cooking process.
7. Beat the eggs.
8. Melt butter over medium heat just until it has melted completely.
9. Combine butter, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the noodles to the egg solution and toss until the noodles are completely covered.
10. Place 1/2 the noodles in the bottom of the greased dish. Place 1 cup of cottage cheese upon the noodles. Spread evenly.
11. Add 2 cups of Mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese.
12. Spoon 1/2 the meat sauce mixture on top of the Mozzarella.
13. Repeat the layering with the other 1/2 of the noodles, remaining cup of cottage cheese, 2 cups Mozzarella, and remaining meat sauce mixture.
14. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins.
15. Remove foil, add remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella, and bake for 20 mins or until the cheese is browned.
16. Removed from heat and serve.

We all loved this dish. Roo ate 3 plates ;)

I served this dish along with a salad of organic: spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, egg, bacon, and goat cheese topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

A Few Pregnancy Tips

Unsurprisingly, this pregnancy is completely different that my first two. I'm craving savory instead of sweet, I have a LOT of water retention, I'm not constipated, and I still occasionally feel yucky in the afternoons.

I had a jump in weight gain over the last 6 weeks in numbers, but not in how my clothes fit or what I look like (other than the belly). My midwife wasn't terribly concerned, she just asked me to drink more water and pregnancy tea (mine comes from Totem Herbal ) and to keep an eye on it.  When I got home I asked Drew if I looked bigger. We both decided I didn't I just looked, well, puffy.

So, the water drinking began. Wanna know what happened? 9 lbs GONE in 2 days. NINE!! Guess I need to drink more water, huh?

I've also been having a lot of leg cramps and general sluggishness this time around. I know that I'm caring for two girls full time and keeping a house going (can anyone hear Drew snicker at that one?) but I feel worn out even past that. I've done some research and here are some things I've learned.

• I need more sleep - I'm not getting much more than 6 hours a night and my body and my baby need rest.
• I need more water - Other than the retention realization of this week, I have been really lacking in the water department. 8-10 glasses, DAILY - at least.
• I need to snack - I need to get protein rich snacks in when I can and not stuff myself to misery at meals.
• I need more potassium - This particular need is a difficult one because most people use bananas as a go to and I really, REALLY dislike them. A lot. So, I looked up some alternatives and I'm adding them to my routine and shopping list. My top 5 right now are: avocado  spinach, yogurt, brussel sprouts, and tomato juice.

Do you have any tips for pregnancy fatigue and water retention? What are your favorite snacks?

Festive Traditions: A book review, AMAZING food and a GIVEAWAY!!!

I love the sounds and smells of Christmas time. I also love the food. Really LOVE the food. But as we are becoming more and more aware of what we eat and promote real food living in our lives, holiday festivities and food become stressful. Now there's Festive Traditions.

 Jill Marks, an incredible blogger and the editor of Modern Alternative Kitchen, forged the effort to create a Real Food holiday ebook this year.There are some great contributors from MAM and MAK.  My mouth waters just as I look through the table of contents. Nuts, soups, salads, desserts! I can't wait to try them all! Here's a look to get your taste buds excited:

Appetizers and Drinks

• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Spicy Nuts
• Pumpkin Pie Nuts
• Marinated Goat Cheese
• Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms
• Bacon Wrapped Figs
• Coconut Hot Chocolate
• Pastured Eggnog
• Christmas Punch

Main Dishes

• Roasted Turkey
• Salmon with Probiotic Dill Sauce
• Chicken and Rice Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger Cream
• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Side Dishes

• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Green Bean Casserole
• Cheesy Potatoes
• Autumn Stuffed Squash
• Cranberry Sauce
• Christmas Salad

Desserts

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Crock Pot Stuffed Apples
• Chocolate Creme Pie
• Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
• Traditional Buckeyes

Breakfast

• Gingerbread Muffins
• Potato-Crusted Quiche
• Soaked Oatmeal Pecan Waffles
• Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
• Lemon-Poppy Seed Biscuits

Yesterday, Miss Moo and I took a stab at making Chicken and Rice Soup. I got us started by dicing and slicing up the carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, and chicken to get things going. ( I love having Moo's assistance but knives for things that easily roll we haven't graduated to yet ;) ) Moo helped me place all the fresh ingredients in the dutch oven and stir it to cook. Who doesn't love the smell of fresh goodness cooking up in some REAL butter?? Then we measured out all of the dry spices - thyme, tarragon, salt, pepper -and added those with some chicken broth.  Mmmnnn -  it started to smell like Christmas! I whipped up the milk and arrowroot  to create a little cream concoction to slightly thicken the base and add just the right about of creaminess. All these flavors blended with the wild rice to make a soup fit for a King. We all enjoyed it for lunch - Miss Roo had 3, that's right 3, bowls!!

I can't wait to try the other recipes in this book for our holiday. This book isn't one I've bought, downloaded, and glanced at once. I keep coming back for ideas, meal, planning and holiday preparation. I am so thankful this year especially as I manage the girls, a pregnancy, and daily life to have this book as a reliable and genuine way to cook festive, real food for my family.The recipes are all well written and simple to follow. Ingredient lists are concise and clear, processes are uncomplicated for those of us still on a learning curve, and all the recipes are clearly marked to indicate what allergens are not present. For our Gluten Free household, that feature is a lifesaver! I know before I read the recipe if I am going to have to adapt anything. I can't say enough good things about this book.

I have good news for you! From now until Thursday, December 18th, you can get you very own copy of Festive Traditions at a special rate! My readers can save 25% by using the code EVOLVE25 at checkout!

Now I have GREAT news for you - we're having a giveaway! That's right - you can win your own copy of Festive Traditions! Through Thursday, December 14th, you have the opportunity to win your own copy! Simply do one (or more) of the following!

• Leave a comment on this post saying what recipe you'd like to try and why.
• Like Tryin' to Evolve on Facebook.
• Share the giveaway on Facebook ad post on my wall letting me know!

I will select a winner with random.org after midnight on the 15th and post the winner on Thursday's post.

Enter away, like some pages I've mentioned, and enjoy some REAL food this holiday!

A New Recipe!

I've been secretly hoping for weeks that Kate, the wonderful Modern Alternative Mama, would post her Soaked Apple Crisp recipe.  Yesterday, she DID!

Today I made some apple pie filling in the crock pot. I just set up the apple crisp crust and it's soaking on the stove top.

I can't wait to see how breakfast turns out!! I'll let you know tomorrow!

Recipe Collection: Crock Pot Stock

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot is simple (in fact this is my second one this week) but I always groaned at making the stock on the stove top. Then I did some Googling and found out that I can make my stock in the crock pot overnight!

After you have cooked your chicken in the crock pot (for me it's a seasoned chicken on low for 7 hours) let the juices remain in the ceramic bowl. After you have carved your chicken, throw all the bones and parts back into the chicken juices. I added four cups of water to my small crock and will add 8 to the large one for tonight. Turn the crock pot on low and let it go. I let it go overnight (at least 12 hours) and add water if it looks low. Then in the morning, strain off the bones and parts, and put your stock into glass jars. Let the stock separate, save your fat for gelatin if you like, and fridge or freeze your stock.

I'm still working on what I need to add to the stock here and there, but so far it's working JUST fine from the spicing of the chicken.

Happy Saturday!

Shake, shake, shake! Shake your BUTT-ER!!

I'm very excited that we've have the opportunity to purchase a cow share. We get a half gallon of raw milk weekly, along with a dozen eggs from our fabulous farmers Ms. Emily and Mr. Daniel at Tuckahoe Lamb and Cattle.

Last week for whatever reason, we didn't drink our milk. Saturday morning I stood staring at a gallon milk. We decided to make a go at butter.  Being a former preschool teacher, I've made butter from heavy whipping cream before. So using a spoon I skimmed the cream from the top of our milk and placed it in a mason jar. I set the jar on the counter top for an hour while I began making our roast for lunch.   After an hour in the ever warming kitchen, the cream felt the right temperature. I've always been a hands on temperature reader for most things, even meat at times. 

I began shaking the jar. Miss Moo came in and asked to help. We shook. We danced. We made a butter making song.  We shook some more. I was amazed at how quickly this butter came together. I recall being in the classroom for what seemed like an eternity shaking little jars of cream to assist my Pre-K's in the butter churning process.  I also recall having to form my butter into a ball before rinsing it in the past.

Here is my butter just out of the jar.

After rinsing and salting, I stirred it and formed it back into a ball.

I then remembered that Nana gave me a small pineapple butter mold.

Nana and I are a little nuts about pineapples. Well, perhaps that isn't worded strongly enough. We are a bit obsessed with pineapples. They are all OVER her kitchen and creeping their way in here. I LOVE the southern quality of the pineapple and just how happy they look!

Next, I shoved that little gal in the mold and threw her in the fridge!

After lunch, and with the girls safely tucked away in their sleepy naps, I pulled my butter out to see my pineapple :)

Pottery by John Bryant of Old Tavern Clay.

Can you see it?? Are you sure? Maybe if you squint?? Oh, good!!

Perhaps the mold wasn't the best idea considering I made a very small amount of butter. But the point is that I made it, it was easy, fast, and fun for Miss Moo.

I'm trying to find ways to allow her to help in the kitchen more. Miss Roo is much more of a challenge during meal preparation now that she is walking, running, and "helping" me. I spend a lot of time doing things quickly or ahead of time to avoid stepping on or over Roo.  Moo does want to help, but in many cases shows interested during the last few steps of meals which can be quite boring for her and frustrating for me. So, butter making was a great kid activity and simple. You might consider making some with your little helpers. It's as simple as a jar, a dance, and a song!

Real Food Confession

Further details on how our house isn't perfect ;)

Real Food Confessions: Malissa

Sometimes, we eat junk.

I'd like to report that we eat 3 squares a day with two snacks, every day. I'd also like to have you believe that we always eat organic and never eat junk.

 But, that would be a big fat lie.

We DO eat junk. I am sure there are households who don't, and I envy them. But alas, I'm human and I can't even do 1/2 of it all well, much less all of it.  Sometimes, we eat junk.


 By junk, I don't mean just food I don't make, but it's also food that's not good for us. Miss Moo loves Cici's and prior to our realization that she was gluten sensitive she earned trips there from time to time. We eat at Chick-Fil-A much more than we should - my guess is once a week there for a while. And I haven't mastered Mexican meals like the joint 1.5 miles away dishes up - so we eat there when I really, really want Pollo Fundido.

So, yes. We eat junk. I strive to keep the junk to one thing a day. Moo found a Berenstain Bears book at the library that she fell in love with and has been added to our library at home. She can explain the difference between good food and junk food thanks to our efforts and Papa Bear. If she asks for more junk in a day when she has had a marshmallow or yogurt, she responds correctly to being asked what too much junk can do to her body. That helps me feel like less of a real food failure.

I have begun making meal plans and this has helped me tremendously. Going on one big trip to the store once a week is much better than a trip daily for dinner goods. It also help Drew to know what is going on with dinner when he starts his work day. Planning lunches and dinners also gives me a break in planning leftover days. It's a system that works here and you might consider using at your own house.

I don't plan breakfasts because the girls and I are grazers in the mornings. Some days fruit, some days toast and cream cheese, it just depends on the day. Lunch and dinner are planned for daily and the plan stays on my fridge.  Here is an example of a week's meal plan.


MONDAY:
Lunch  - pizzas, apple sauce, carrots
Dinner - Spaghetti, salad, cucumbers. watermelon

NOM!

TUESDAY:
Lunch - grilled ham and cheese, Veggie Booty, bananas
Dinner - Shrimp and grits, salad, cantaloupe

WEDNESDAY:
Lunch - Shrimp and grits, cheese, watermelon
Dinner: London broil, wedge salad, peas, yogurt

THURSDAY:
Lunch - chicken "nuggets", peas, mac and cheese
Dinner -  BREAKFAST! :)

FRIDAY:
Lunch - Butter noodles, cucumbers, berries
Dinner: Barbecued chicken, grilled corn, grilled veggies, risotto

SATURDAY:
Lunch - chicken, grapes, cheese, baked beans
Dinner - Farmer Johnson's

SUNDAY:
Lunch - hot dogs, veggie booty, rest of fruit share
Dinner - Burgers, fries, beans salad, brownie bites (?)

Some weeks I plan a meal out, other weeks I don't. It just depends on what is going on in our world and how much time we will get together as a family on the weekends.

From time to time now that I have a plan, I'll take pictures of dinner and post them along with recipes and tips.

What do you do to plan for food? Do you eat junk?


***I started this post about a month and a half ago. The picture of Miss Roo is from tonight's feast :)

Real Food - A Journey

Miss Roo's journey of food has been quite different from her sister's. Roo's place as a second child brought to the table (hee hee) a greater knowledge base, more patience, and a Mama with more resolve.

Breastfeeding is too often depicted as something romantic and simple. For me that was far from the truth. With Miss Moo I had supply issues and wasn't given any real support during my hospital stay.  I delivered on a Thursday afternoon and never saw a lactation consultant. She was born during the H1N1 panic and every type of drop-in care and support group was cancelled during her first 6 months of life. Visits to lactation consultants were costly after the first free visit and insurance wouldn't pay. She lost weight. We both cried. Our pediatrician sternly pointed at formula. Drew and I, being first time parents, conceded. And I cried some more. Moo began formula with what little breast milk I could provide and gained weight. By the next peds visit I was told she was TOO heavy. I felt embarrassed as I stood in the office. As I walked to the car I felt angry.

I began slipping into a terrible PPD because I couldn't feed my child and was filling her full of food that was now, seemingly, making her heavy. I decided enough was enough. I stopped feeding her formula and we took a nursing vacation. I nursed her every 2-3 hours from 2 months until 6 months when she began taking solids more easily and drank water willingly. I admitted I needed help with my depression and saw my Midwifes. And I began educating myself.

Moo's First meal - rice cereal with banana.

With Miss Roo we did things entirely differently. I was educated before becoming pregnant with her but after we knew she was cooking I read everything I could on herbs, supplements, foods, and depression. A friend from college mentioned placenta encapsulation. I had run across it in some research while I was nursing Moo but decided to do additional research now that I would actually have a placenta to use. I talked with my Midwife and we decided to use that as an additional  preventative measure. When Roo arrive my house was well stocked with Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Gaia Herbs Lactate Support, Mother's Milk tea, and placenta pills. When I prepare, I PREPARE.

Whether it was my planning, my supplements, my placenta, or my willpower doesn't truly matter. What matters is that it worked. Roo was a healthy breast milk baby. She made it a few weeks into her sixth month before she sampled food. This time we ignored what all the pediatricians and baby experts tell us to feed our children. We were (and still are) in the process of cleaning up our diet. We were replacing low fat, manipulated unhealthy food with real, organic, good fat, whole fat foods. We began this process shortly before we married but seem to layer our deck with life events one on top of another. So this evolution has been slow but consistent.

Where Moo had rice cereal, Roo had avacado and banana. Where Moo had jarred organic food, Roo had the food that we were eating. She sampled fruit, veggies, dairy and meat.

 Roo's first meal - whole milk yogurt with banana.

And she LOVED it.

This kid can EAT. Moo has always been a fabulous eater, but Roo puts her to shame. She is a carnivore. She loves pork and beef especially. She would eat bananas until they came out her ears, as Nana would say. She eats the rainbow daily and with fervor.  At most meals she cleans her plate and her sister's and then moves on to mine.  She has never turned down a food that we have preparedfor her. 

The girls enjoying a carpet picnic for "brunch":

Local, free range eggs, GFCF bacon, GF pancakes

with real maple syrup, organic OJ, and some local fruit

(missing from the picture because it is always consumed first.)

I know that I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or scientist, but I CAN tell you that eating real food works for developing a great love of real food in children and a healthy weight in both children and adults. I was trying desperately to lose my baby weight from both girls. Nothing was working. I was staying heavy even breastfeeding and counting calories. After a few months, I decided I was only going to eat good fats from meat, dairy, nuts and fruit as well as remove gluten and eat more veggies. I was not going to count calories or read the fat grams in the food I was eating. The results have been amazing.

 December 2011

 Janauary 2012

 February 2012

 March 2012

 April 2012

I'm not runway ready, but I'm better. I've lost weight, inches, sizes, and pain in my back and legs. 

Real food. That's where it's at.

Interested? Here's some books and films I love:

BOOKS:

 Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon  - http://www.newtrendspublishing.com/SallyFallon/

Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D. - http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/buy-the-book/

Real Food and Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck - http://www.ninaplanck.com/books.html


The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. - http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Miracle-Previously-published-Healing/dp/1583332049

FILMS:

Ingredients  - http://www.ingredientsfilm.com/
Fresh - http://www.freshthemovie.com/
Food, Inc. - http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
Food Matters - http://www.foodmatters.tv/#
Fork Over Knives - http://www.forksoverknives.com/
Fat Head - http://www.fathead-movie.com/