The garden overfloweth....

If you have a garden, you know that only one little zucchini plant will feed a family all season. You also know that it is hard to use them all up so you need a variety of recipes to shake things up. You can only steam so many. I will try to pass on a few of my favorites to you this next week as my cute little zucc's are multiplying and I need to go check my recipe books. I am sure that everyone has a good zucchini bread recipe, but just in case, I will give you my favorite which I use as a mini muffin recipe. You can adapt it with less sugar and change out half the oil for applesauce. But first, as always, lets explore why we all should be eating this summer squash:

Zucchini's are high in fiber especially if you leave on the peel. They are very high in manganese, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, thiamine, Vitamin A , B6, Vitamin C and Zinc. They are very low in calories, just about 16 calories for 1/2 cup. I can't stand when they are cooked to the point that they are mushy, which is also not a good thing because over cooking will destroy some of the nutritional properties. Try to keep them lightly cooked or raw. They are great in smoothies as they don't have much of a taste when raw. You can grate them and put them in all kinds of salads and meals. If you don't have a garden, these plants are real easy to grow in about any corner of the yard. They don't require much love but will give back way more than you put into them. You can still plant them and even if you have a plant, plant another now to get a second crop. The plants do stop producing at a certain point.

This is our breakfast this morning with a little fresh fruit. Make a bunch, they freeze really well:

Zucchini Bread / Muffins

Blend:

3 eggs, 2 cups coconut sugar, 1 cup oil

Add:

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 cups finely grated zucchini, peel on

1 cups nuts, optional

Mix all together and fill muffin pans or loaves. Bake loaves at 350 for 30-45 minutes or mini muffins for about 12 minutes. Larger muffins about 15-18.

*You can switch out one cup of wheat flour for another type of grain flour. And as always, lower sugar if desired.

Sometimes a little "B" is all we need.....

I have looked back over my blog topics and can't believe that I have not blogged about this topic yet. It is usually the first thing I tell people about when they ask me any health questions and the one little thing that is always on my menu in the morning. It is the all powerful, all encompassing Super B Complex. You see, the B vitamins are the things that make everything else work in the body as they should. Unfortunately, we just do not get enough of these vitamins in our diets today. Not only because none of us eat perfectly but because even the good foods that we do eat aren't as nutritious as they were years ago. All of us need extra and the best part is that it is cheap. Real cheap. I buy the big bottle as seen above from Costco. I give it to all of my kids in the morning and I usually take a few extra at night as well. It is hard to overdose on B vitamins as extra is excreted from the urine. Just make sure that the kids know that their pee will turn bright yellow. This is a little something I forgot to tell my little ninos when I first started handing them out and my 8 year old thought he had a disease. Oops. If you don't know the facts, here is a little bit about the B family and why you too should be swallowing your Super B's in the morning:

The B vitamins are a group of 8 vitamins that aid the body in cell metabolism. Of course we all know that cell's are what make up our body so it is probably a good thing to keep them in shape and metabolising properly. The B's also keep our skin and muscle tone healthy, our immune and nervous system in check and helps us combat the stress and anxiety in our lives. When you are really stressed out, your body actually depletes itself of B vitamins so you should make sure you take extra at this time. For children with disorders such as Autism and ADHD, many times a huge culprit is the way their body handles their B vitamins. Almost all of the time, they need major B supplements. For my son, I inject him with B12 vitamins to help his body work properly. Without these vitamins, the system can't work right and the brain will then suffer. Anxiety levels and depression levels are greatly affected when we don't get the vitamins we need. Another great benefit of B's are that they help the metabolism to speed up to aid in a healthy and lean body. Who doesn't want all this? It is like a little miracle pill. Yes, you still need to eat foods rich in B's like lentils, bananas, tuna and potatoes, but we all need a little help. Grab a bottle. Pass it a round. Take care of yourselves ladies! I had a long day so I am off to take 2 B's and I'll blog you in the morning.

Burnt Toast.......

My daughter took this picture of me last fall swinging on a rope swing up at our cabin. It is now hanging on my fridge as a daily reminder that even when you are having one of those days, you know the kind where you tell the kids you are going to run away this time and you really mean it, that you just need to keep hanging on. I look at it all the time and remember the smile on my face, remember that life is good and that I need to take time to breath, smile, and keep swinging. Life is fast and crazy and I am learning that to maintain my sanity, I need to have a little break now and then. You see, I had the kind of mom that never took any time for herself. The kind of mom that never ever left us, never went on vacation and never ever complained. It was her job and she always looked to us that she loved it. So, when I became a mom, this is what I thought you did. Therefore, in 14 years of being a mom, I have left my children a whopping 4 nights, 3 of which were this last year. What I am learning is that it is necessary sometimes to get away and take a little time for yourself. That this makes you appreciate the little angels a little more and they can in turn appreciate you a little more. It was a rough year for me this last year and I have learned that I need some time for me. Just a little. There is a book by Terri Hatcher called no more Burnt Toast. The premise is that if a mom makes a batch of toast for the family and there is one burnt piece, she will give all of the good pieces to the family and she will take the burnt one. (Sound Familiar?) I will still probably keep eating the burnt one most of the time, but, from now on, I will make sure that once in a while, I will eat the good piece. I deserve that. I know most of you out there are in the same boat and need a good piece of toast like myself. I blog so much about taking care of our children which is the most important job we have, but....if we as moms aren't taken care of, we just might have nothing to give. We need to make sure that we have a little time for ourselves, make sure that we feed ourselves the good things too and get some exercise and rest. We owe it to our children and to our husbands and to ourselves. I always thought this was being selfish, 14 years and a near break down has taught me otherwise. So, ladies....anyone up for a cruise! (No kids allowed)

Just doing my part to save the world.

I can't say that I am a true Greenpeace type, but I am becoming more aware that there needs to be a little change in the world or we will have a problem. I am more aware that I am one of the problems if I don't start to help out. Two things that I want to change: bringing my own canvas bags to produce type stores and composting . Well, I can now cross one thing off my list...I am now an official composter. I have wanted to do this for some time but was worried that my yard would stink. I was reading my neighbors blog, which I would recommend to you all (read it here) and she was talking about composting. She wrote that it does not stink and that the city of Gilbert would even drop off a compost bin for free. What excuse did I have now? I got on the phone immediately and requested my free bin. (503-6400 FYI) It came within the week with full instructions. My husband set it up and I am official. If you don't live in Gilbert, you can buy one for cheap or even use a big plastic garbage can with a lid and holes cut into it. Google for instructions. I keep a rubber made shoe box type container with the lid under my sink. I dump my produce scraps, bread, noodles and rice into it and when it is full, my 5 year old takes it out to "feed the pigs". We don't have pets so we have to pretend. The other day he finally had enough of our little pretend game and told me "seriously, mom, there is only flies in there, no pigs." I told him that he could name all 100,000 of them if he wanted. He decided that he would just keep pretending that we had pigs to feed our slop to. I can't wait until I have good compost soil to put into my garden. It doesn't smell. It is easy and I feel much better about doing my part. Now it is time for the canvas bags. It's just another thing I am doing to save the world. How bout you? Did you do anything to save the world today?

Millions of Peaches.....

I know this girl that told her husband that the peach tree didn't need anymore pruning. I now know this girl who has a peach bush instead of a peach tree. This same girl is now left with a million little tiny peaches that take one hour just to slice two sandwich bags full of peach filling. I , I mean this girl, is still slicing away as she hates to waste food and they are quite sweet. With millions of peaches there needs to be millions of recipes so I had to help her and create some great recipes. My fuzzy little friends with Vitamin A and C made into a great little muffin Saturday morning. I was proud of this creation and my daughter told me that I had to blog it and tell everyone that she loves them. Here you go, just in case you too have a peach bush. (sorry husband, next time I will let you prune to your hearts desire.)

Tropical Peach Muffins

1 1/2 whole wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup milk or kefir

1 egg

1 cup peeled and diced fresh peaches

Preheat oven to 400. combine dry ingredients then stir in wet ingredients. Fold in peaches. Fill 12 muffin cups that are lined or sprayed. Top with the following mixture:

1/2 cup coconut

1/3 cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

Stir then mix in 2 T melted butter. 

Mix until crumbly then top each muffin with some.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Wheat Order

All those who purchased wheat can pick it up anytime by the end of the month. You will need to go to the store, Preparing Wisely at 144 S. Mesa Dr next to Deseret Book. They have your name on file. You can also purchase buckets and lids at 10% off.

Photography Class

For any of you interested in learning how to work your digital camera, no matter what type you have, my Sister-in-law is giving another photography class in Mesa on May 31st. You can check out her link to the right , Wendi Lee Photography to sign up. She is only taking a small number of people so don't wait!

What's In a Mushroom?????

Yesterday my Bountiful Basket came with a little brown lunch bag full of mushrooms. While I love the shrooms, it is the one food my children really protest. But, since I am determined to use all in my basket each week, I need to use these cute little fungi before they go bad. I must be cleaver, however and disguise them so that they give them a chance before they even notice what they are eating. I did a pretty good job of that tonight with some Beef Stroganoff. I haven't made this in a very long time but it was really pretty tasty. I will give you that recipe for those of you also looking at your little brown bag wondering too what to do with them. But first, here are some nutritional facts about what you should be eating, the all powerful mushroom.

First of all, the mushroom is a very low fat food. In 5 medium mushrooms there are only about 20 calories. Of course, I need mine sauteed in butter or oil so there goes those 20 calories! Mushrooms also contain 3 major B vitamins; Niacin , which helps the digestive and nervous system work properly; Pantothenic acid which aids in the production of hormones and Riboflavin which promotes healthy skin and good vision.
The mushroom also contains a very high amount of potassium. One 3 ounce portobello actually contains more than a banana. The shrooms are also the only produce with a significant amount of selenium. Selenium is an essential mineral important for immune and thyroid health. Researchers are just beginning to understand how wonderful these fungi are for the treatment and prevention of cancers.
I really had no idea how great these little buttons were. I thought since they weren't green that they must not really have much too them. Now I realize that these must be a bigger part of our diet. Once again, I am amazed that our solutions to our health problems are right here. Why does it take us so long to figure this out? So, all you hormonal women, guys with prostate problems and teens with bad skin, Go grab a handful of fungi today and enjoy a good omelet.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or stew meat.
3 T. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 pound fresh chopped or sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 to 2 Cups milk
1 tsp paprika
1 cup sour cream
Egg noodles

In large skillet, saute meat sliced into thin bite sized pieces in oil with garlic and onions. When no longer pink on the outside, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 25-35 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. When tender, add mushrooms and cover again for about 10 minutes until tender. If you have ultra gel, just add the milk and paprika and thicken with ultra gel to desired consistency then add sour cream. Heat till warm but do not boil or you will curdle cream. Salt more if needed. If you don't have ultra gel, use dripping from pan and heat and stir in flour. Whisk in milk and thicken. Return to meat mixture then add sour cream. I added a little more garlic powder at the end. Serve over medium egg noodles.

Wheat

The bulk price wheat is gone, you can purchase the sale price of $34 per bag at the store while her supplies last. All who ordered need to get the money to us by Monday so we can turn it into the store. You may pick it up after Monday. If we cannot get your money by then, we will let your wheat go to another happy home. Thanks!

Apple Fritters

I just couldn't leave you this weekend without a new breakfast recipe to try, so here is another Goodman family favorite. Sorry for all of the business blogging this week. More recipes and tips next week!




Whole Grain Apple Fritters

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T coconut sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup finely chopped and peeled apples



Stir dry ingredients then add in wet ingredients. Fold in apples. Batter will be very thick. Drop by spoonfuls in hot pan with a little oil. Flatten a bit with a spoon. cook on medium heat until golden and flip and cook on the other side until golden. Mix 1/2 cup  coconut sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. When fritters are done and hot, drop them in powdered sugar mixture and coat both sides, just a light dusting. You can dip in real maple syrup or eat them plain!




Have a good weekend!

One last note on wheat orders.....

We are just about capped on the amount of wheat we can get for the bulk price so let me know by tomorrow if you want some. I will email you back if there is still some left. You can always get some from the store itself this next weekend. Check out the link for the store to the right, Preparing Wisely. They will have mini classes throughout the day, Saturday the 24th to get you started with your year supply and good food samples. Check them out!

Bulk Wheat

For those of you ordering wheat, the price per bag is $30.60. No tax. These checks or cash must be in our hands by Wed. the 21st. Checks can be made payable to Shari Goodman or Anne Anderson. Drop them off at our homes or mail them. Email me for details. Wheat can be picked up anytime after that .

White Wheat Bulk Order

For any of you local gals who would like to order some white wheat, we can get a bulk order together to get another 10% off the sale price. We need to put this together this weekend so we can get the wheat for the sale price. The sale price is $34.oo for 50 pounds and we would get another 10% off of this. This is really good Montana wheat. Please email me asap if you would like to place an order. You will need to pick it up in Mesa. This is a first come first serve until they run out, then they will have to place another order and the price will go up. They also carry containers that we can get 10% off of as well if we get enough orders.

Organic Vs. Non Organic.....

I am really trying to incorporate more organic foods into my household, but it is tough to find and more expensive most of the time. I subscribe to a "daily tip" email from Dr. Weil listing produce that you don't need to worry about buying organically grown and a list of produce that you should buy organically grown. This was a great little tip as with all of his daily tips that I get. His site is DrWeil.com for any of you interested. He knows it all in the holistic field. I thought I would pass a long these lists to you:

11 Foods you Don't need to buy organically grown:

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cabbage
Corn
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Pineapples
Peas

12 Foods that Do need to buy organically grown:

Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

Blissful Living

I have added a link for Blissful Living to check out the great classes they are offering for the month. The site isn't completely finished but you can get the idea. It is a beautiful place and I can't wait for my first class this week!

Also, If you would be interested in a 7-8 year old class for this summer, let me know.

Cowboy Caviar

I am posting this recipe so Ms. Payne will stop bugging me. (Ha) I made this for our Cabin Retreat this past weekend and it is always a big hit. I wish I could claim it for being my recipe but I got it from my sister-in-law, Melissa. It is so healthy, low fat and delicious. Kids even love it. This is very similar to the recipe posted by Kristin on my blog but a little different sauce. Here you go, Ms. Payne:

Cowboy Caviar

2 cans shoepeg corn, drained or 1 can white corn or 2 cups frozen thawed white corn.1 can black eyed peas, drained

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 avocados, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive or grapeseed oil

Mix dressing ingredients and whisk till incorporated. Add all other ingredients. Chill. Serve with corn chips. Scoops are great!

I must also let you know about a great blog I ran into from someone who left a comment. It is called Sisters Cafe and it is a site full of the best recipes I have seen. I am not sure who these sisters are, but they are some great cooks! I have tried out several recipes and want to try them all out. I made the Peanut Sauce Chicken last night, YUM and will try out the Flank Steak just posted on their blog tonight. I will post their link to the right or you can click on their header above. Thanks Ladies for taking the time to share your cooking ventures with us all!

FYI on Chef Brad Classes.....

Just to give additional info on a question I received; there are different types of classes Chef Brad offers. There is a Chef Brad cooking series which is three days long, including lodging and meals. There are also cooking clases that are hosted by you or a friend and are three sessions, usually around $75 per person for all three classes. Hope that clears up a few things.

Chef Brad and Getting Back to the Basics.....

I have to say that my love for grains and pressure cookers began several years ago with some cooking classes I took from the local celebrity Chef, Chef Brad. Most of you who have lived here in the valley for any length of time probably have heard this name and many of you may have even taken a class or two. For those of you who have not, let me introduce you to one of my super grain hero's.
Chef Brad's mission statement is to "inspire people to get back into the kitchen and enjoy creating fond food memories." He does this in a way to inspire us that food can be healthy and taste great at the same time. He definitely was an inspiration to me and was the first person who introduced the word "Quinoa"to me. He makes you understand that there is so much more to cooking than the basic wheat flour you can buy at the store. He takes you back to the basic and natural grains of the earth and teaches you the history and nutritional facts behind them.

Right now, Chef Brad specializes in teaching specialty classes to get you back into the kitchen and to learn what in the world to do with all of those grains. I personally took bread classes from him and learned the art of getting a good loaf. His classes are like no other out there. Visit his web page and you can see the classes he is currently offering. He offers a cooking school which is at his site or you can host classes at your home with a group of friends in a series or as a single class. As a host, you will leave with a great new toy! All attendees will also have learned about 25 grains! The classes are on Sneak nutrition and Fantastic Breakfasts, Bread and Pizza and Salads and Pressure cooking.

His website also has his cookbooks which are where I really started with my grain experimentation. For those of you wondering what to do with your pressure cookers, he has a book for that too. The site contains recipes, explanations of grains and tips and informational articles too.

Check out his web site here, or click on his link to the right!

Thanks Chef Brad for teaching me so much and how much fun it is to say "Quinoa"!

Safe Food Friday

Jason's Deli is a great sandwich and salad shop in Mesa with chains popping up in other locations. I have been totally impressed with their menu and great salad bar but my mom emailed me about their new signs in the restaurant. Check this out..... Hanging over the salad bar it reads " Real Salad Bar...No high fructose Corn Syrup, No MSG, No bad fats." They also have a "Real Food Menu" and have organic produce and whole grains. They even have a soda fountain beverage made with pure cane sugar! Imagine that! Way to go Jason's Deli! You have my business! Now won't you just build one in Gilbert?

Another E.H. April Heymore, my regular Safe Food Friday email buddy, advocates a deli in Scottsdale called "Dish" She said they have great artisan breads, with great ingredients and jams and jellies with just the basics. Just FYI for any of you on that side of town.

I wish more restaurants would take the time to provide nutrition. Let's all support them.

I have to leave you this weekend with another breakfast recipe that I haven't made in a while, but is one of my favorite pancakes (yes, another favorite!) with a little twist.

Cottage Cheese Apple Pancakes

1 large or 2 small apples, grated and peeled

1/2 cup small-curd cottage cheese

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 T. maple syrup

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

Peel, core and grate apple into mixing bowl. Mix in cottage cheese, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, syrup and salt. Sprinkle in the flour and baking powder and stir well. Butter or oil skillet and cook on medium heat.

Have a great weekend! Thanks for all of you who have shared recipes with me. I am hoping to get a recipe book together over the summer so if any of you have a recipe you think is just delish, pass it on. Thanks to all who signed up for my childrens cooking classes. The first date is full but I have a couple slots in the last two if any are interested.

The Beautiful Tomato.....

In a few weeks, I will have more than I can handle of these beautiful fruits. I have a garden full almost ready to harvest.This is my favorite gardening season because they are just so beautiful and taste so good in so many different recipes. I once hated these as a child but when I first grew them years ago, I developed a love for them since nothing compares to a garden tomato. Many of you may still have some left from your Bountiful Baskets or have a garden ready to bear fruit also. I thought I would share a few little facts and give you a recipe of one of my favorite fresh tomato dishes to use up the tomatoes you have.

One thing that I have recently learned about tomatoes is that they contain nutrients that actually protect your skin from the sun. I found this very interesting that the tomato is in season at the same time that the sun is more intense and we spend more time outside. We have been counseled to eat fruits and vegetables in their season. There just must be some wisdom in that. Think also about the orange, it comes in season at the start of the cold and flu season and it is loaded with Vitamin C that helps prevent these viruses from growing. Once again, we are provided with what we need to thrive and be healthy if we only partake.

Back to the tomato, it is also loaded with Lycopene which gives the tomato it's red coloring. Lycopene helps to prevent cancers, especially colon, prostate, lung and pancreas. Lycopene is more intense when you cook the tomato a bit which help break down the cell walls and release more of this nutrient.It is also better absorbed when eaten with a little fat. Tomatoes also contain Vitamin C and A. Eat Up!

Tomato and Basil Linguine

Boil pasta, about half bag. I like to use spaghetti, angel hair or linguine. Drain and rinse. In skillet, saute 4 cloves minced garlic in about 5 T olive oil or butter until just golden, do not burn! Add 3-4 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil and saute until a bit saucy. I like my tomatoes still a bit firm but the kids like them cooked down a bit. Stir in 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Remove from heat when cheese melts. Add to pasta and add more olive oil as needed. Use as much pasta needed to catch the sauce. Start with a little then add as much as you want. Serve with extra Parmesan if desired and some great crusty bread.

One more recipe for those Bountiful Basket kids that need to use up those limes.... Here is a simple little dressing for a fruit salad.

Ginger Lime Dressing for Fruit

1/2 tsp ginger

1 T Honey

1/4 cups fresh lime juice

Mix and toss with tropical fruits. The lime will keep fruits from browning so you can make this ahead.

Preparing Wisely

One of my new Enlightened Homemaker Friends is opening a new shop that I must share with all of you local friends. Tracey Adair and her husband had a great idea to open and emergency preparedness shop in downtown Mesa with items such as grains, tents, year supply items, containers and other preparedness items. I am especially excited because they will be carrying White Wheat that many of us are hooked on. They will have the Prairie Gold White Wheat which is the best and chemical free. Best of all, they will be having a sale on this for their grand opening, Memorial Weekend. It is $34.00 for a 50 pound bag. I have added her to my links to the right , so check it out and stop in her store. She will also have #10 cans of vital wheat gluten available. I would love to have this stocked up on in my pantry.

Thanks Tracey for helping us get our homes in order!

Class Clarification

Just to clarify, the little miss homemaker classes can be signed up individually or for all three. I will make them all different. Just let me know what dates you want.

Upcomming Classes....

Domestic Bliss' new shop, Blissful Living is having their grand opening event this Friday and Saturday. They will be having many different classes throughout the summer taught by amazing women on various topics, anything from sewing, cooking, jewelry making, etc. Stop by on these days to sign up and check out the shop. I will be there on Friday from about 10am to 1pm. I am excited to sign up for a few of these classes myself! I will be teaching my class on how to get your family on track for a healthier life.

Cooking Classes for the future enlightened homemakers of America.....

My daughter has been begging me to teach some children's cooking classes so I decided to offer a few for any of you trying to give the little chef's some things to do this summer. These classes will be about 1.5 hours long and will focus on teaching the little future enlightened homemakers how to read a recipe. What a tsp. and Tbl. are; how to chop , dice, julienne and cube. They will leave with a basic understanding of how to follow a recipe and how to help you in the kitchen. They will go home with their creations to share with the family. They will also have a little lesson on how to properly set a table and basic table manners. I think this is a lost art nowadays! The dates are as follows and I will keep the classes very limited, ages are 9-12 yrs old.

June 2nd, 1 PM

June 23rd, 1 PM

July 7th, 1 PM

The price is $15.00 per class. Email me if you are interested in reserving a spot. I am excited to teach your little ones!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I love any reason to have some good Mexican food! We are going to celebrate a day early because I just feel like fajitas today! We will have an Italian Cinco de Mayo tomorrow. (Anyone help me out with the Italian term for cinco de mayo?) Since I had some great ingredients in my harvest basket yesterday, I made some salsa and my chicken is marinating. I thought I would share those recipes with you, the breakfast recipe will just have to wait. They are so easy and very healthy and low cal.

Salsa (courtesy of Ashlee Leseuer)

3 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 bunches green onions ( I use whites and half the green)
1 bunch cilantro
8 jalapeno slices , from can. (more if you want spicier salsa)
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp salt

Put all in blender, chopping onion and cilantro a little first. Blend until still chunky but well mixed. Refrigerate. Don't add extra ingredients until it sits for a while. It gets spicier.

Fajita Marinade (courtesy of Milena Cooper)

2 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t chili powder
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 T soy sauce
1/4t ground cumin

I doubled this and marinaded about 1 - 1 /2 pounds chicken into strips. Marinade at least 2 hours or overnight. You can marinade the whole breast and grill also or in strips and saute. Serve with peppers and onions and salsa and any other great toppings.

Happy Cinco de Mayo to you all!

I am looking for a great fresh tomato salsa recipe as my garden is about ready to be picked. If you have one, or any other great recipes for fresh tomatoes, pass them my way please!

Today's Bountiful Harvest

Today's harvest was even better than last week. They have ingredients that will make a meal together, ie. peppers, onion, avocados, cilantro and bell peppers for fajitas! (Sunday's dinner). They also have ingredients for salsa. I figured if everything was on a great sale, I would have spent about $30 -35 and I only paid $15. The bread cost $2 each. All of the produce is really big and in real good condition. The pick up was real smooth and fast today. Very impressed overall!Try it out if you haven't already! I just had to share this one more time for those of you in AZ who were still wanting info.

I will give you some of the recipes I used with these items this week.

Here are my basket contents:

9 keylimes

14 red potatoes

3 avocados

8 apples

11 carrots

bunch broccoli

4 zucchini

4 cucumbers

3 grapefruit

7 bananas

9 oranges

4 onions

2 red bell peppers

2 bunches cilantro

7 tomatoes

romaine

Safe Food Friday

Just a few new items for you today while it is still Friday!

At Costco I found a raw milk chipotle cheddar cheese. It is delicious and pretty good price for a raw cheese. I am sad that not all Costco's carry the same things. I get emailed great finds from you and then I don't see them at my Costco. Same goes for Walmart. I found the Nature's Path at the Walmart on Greenfield and Baseline but they do not carry them at the Walmart on Power and Ray. I asked them if they would order them and they very impolitely in true Walmart fashion told me "No", that people don't want it if they don't have it. Whatever!

As for Fresh N Easy, They do carry a whipping cream that is cream only. Hurray. You have to whip it yourselves but it only takes a couple minutes. They also have lots of different dressings and sauces that are good. Great prices too. They have organic juice boxes for a pretty good price. I love to pop in that store in the afternoon to find what good deals I can get. I love their Naan bread for panninii's. It is white flour but is a great indulgence with a little pesto, spinach , chicken and cheese. Yum!

As for other cooking info, A fellow E.H., Cindy Thomas has been experimenting with my booklet of recipes by cutting the sugar in half or at least a third and says that it tastes great. I have tried a few recipes this way and honestly can't really taste a big difference. I will keep trying different ones out.Thanks Cindy for the inspiration! We can always do better!

Tomorrow I will blog another good breakfast recipe to try out. Always whole grain, always delicious! Have a good Friday. Hope you all get a well deserved date! Happy Birthday Laurie Lee!

The All Powerful Coconut.....

I have been studying the coconut. I have always loved to eat it, love the Almond Joy, but I have never know what a truly amazing food source they are. It turns out, once again, that Western folks are the last to understand the healing power of this food. The Asians and Pacific Islanders have been regarding this food as the source of all healing. They even call the tree the "tree of life." Not only is it rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, coconut oil also possesses healing powers beyond it's nutritional qualities. It is used as traditional medicine in other cultures to heal all kinds of ailments but is now actually being recognized here in the U.S. and the results are finally being published. Don't think your regular Dr. will ever tell you or prescribe you a good ointment of coconut oil, you need to read for yourselves.

Among some of the ailments treated with coconut oil are:

Abscesses, asthma, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, nausea, PMS, skin infections, baldness, constipation, cough, earache, flu, rash, weakness and sore throats.

There are published studies advocating that coconut oil can:

Kill viruses, bacteria, fungi and yeast, parasites. Boost energy, improve digestion, improve calcium and magnesium absorption, support immune system function, help with a healthy heart, increase metabolism, reduce psoriasis and eczema, prevent wrinkles and age spots, help fight chronic fatigue and tooth decay just to name a few!

Coconut Oil is different from other oils in that it has a different type of fatty acid chain. You hear about saturated and unsaturated fats. It has to do with the type of molecular chain of fatty acids. This oil has a medium chain which is different than most any other oils. This means that it is also digested in a different way. It actually helps cholesterol and helps you to increase your metabolism instead of storing this as fat. It also contains Lauric Acid which is an ingredients in mothers milk. That is why you will see coconut oil listed as an ingredient in many formulas. Also, when heated in cooking, it will not create toxins which many other oils do. It cooks well and can be interchanged in any recipe. You want to buy unrefined, organic oil if possible. It will be more of a solid at room temperature. If buying dried coconut, make sure it is unsulfured and unsweetened. I buy mine at Sprouts. If I am going to fry something, I will use canola or grape seed oil because this is expensive oil, but to cook with, I am switching to coconut oil.

I have been really reading up on skin care lately. I have been concerned with the amount of chemicals I put on my skin and my families. The skin absorbs these chemicals which is almost worse than eating them because the stomach cannot filter the toxins. Dr. Mercola admonishes that we should not put any lotions on our bodies that we cannot eat. I Can't currently think of a lotion I want to eat at the moment. I have been putting coconut oil on my little guy at night but wondered if I did would I get acne. Well, I did it and I can't tell you how much I love it. It sinks right in and my skin feels great! I am a convert. I first slather on the magnesium oil then top it with the coconut oil.

It all boils down to the same conclusion with everything regarding our bodies....The Lord has given us what we need. Humans have decided to try to make their own and in turn, they just create disease. If we stick to what grows and what is natural, we will be fine. It's time for me to go eat an Almond Joy. (Just Kidding, I don't think that coconut is really going to take away my wrinkles!)