I'm back from hiatus!

I'm back and feeling refreshed and so excited about the changes that will be taking place around here over the next few weeks!  I'll share more of that with you as the time approaches!!

Last month, I ended up completing the pantry challenge.  I did go over budget from my original goal, but still only spent half of my normal grocery budget.  And since I very much enjoyed having a monthly menu plan last month, I decided it's something I think I will keep up with so long as it doesn't become overwhelming.  I planned 3 weeks worth of menus for this month because in January, I planned the whole month out and ended up not making about 5 meals due to leftovers, etc.  This is already giving me some wiggle room for those occasions, since I already have one carry over meal from last week!

Here's what I have planned for this week.

Breakfasts: oatmeal/muesli, pancakes, cold cereal, eggs/toast

Lunches: Mostly leftovers, otherwise, pb&j, fruit/veggie tray, random assortments of odds-n-ends

Dinners:
Monday - Crockpot chicken, steamed veggies, buttery rolls
~ make chicken stock
Tuesday - Spaghetti, fresh fruit, leftover buttery rolls
Wednesday - Pan fried fish, steamed veggies, leftover buttery rolls, fruit
Thursday - Taco rice casserole (recipe later)
Friday - Deployed families dinner on base
Saturday - Dinner out
Sunday - Heart shaped pancakes with strawberry topping in celebration of Valentine's Day

This post is linked to: Menu Plan Monday

Pantry Challenge - part 4

It is the end of the first full week of January and I have to say, I've done pretty well!

Last week I shared with you my goal of only spending $100 on groceries/toiletries/paper goods, etc. for the month of January.  As of today, I have $65.95 left in my budget for the month.  I have to pick up some milk this week, but other than that, I don't think I need anything on my list for at least another week.  I planned my meals for the entire month and made sure the meals I knew I would need something to complete were near the end of the month.  On the 21st I have a babysitter coming to watch the children while I go shopping and take full advantage of my brain (and coupons, etc.) while I'm shopping!!!

I managed to stick with my meal plan and actually ended up not making two meals because we had so many leftovers to use up.

My plan for this week is:

Breakfasts: Pumpkin pancakes, oatmeal, cold cereal

Lunches: Mostly leftovers, otherwise, pb&j, fruit/veggie tray, odds-n-ends

Monday: Nachos (made with refried beans, cheese, homemade salsa, black olives, served on corn chips), fruit smoothies
Tuesday: Ordering pizza for Jacob's 6th birthday (this will count as our meal out for the week) - having a couple of friends over to share pizza and cake (which I ordered from Target and will come out of another part of my budget)
Wednesday: French toast, fruit smoothies
Thursday: Navy Bean Soup, bread w/butter
Friday: Sloppy joes, fruit smoothies and veggie sticks
Saturday: Veggie soup, bread w/butter, fresh fruit
Sunday: Baked marinated chicken, steamed veggies and rolls

You can catch up with my other Pantry Challenge posts here, here and here.

Be sure to head on over to Menu Plan Monday for more weekly menu inspiration!

Pantry Challenge - part 3

I really think this pantry challenge couldn't have come at a better time (and I probably wouldn't have thought to do it if someone hadn't thought it up for me!).  With our impending overseas move in July - but we're moving out of our house and going to stay with my family in Florida sometime in mid-May - I have been fretting a little about not being wasteful with all of the things I've been stocking up on for the last year.  I'm really excited to clean out my pantry, freezers and fridges this month and begin only buying what we NEED and will eat in a 2-3 week time period.  And there are some things (condiments, baking supplies) that once we use them up, I won't be purchasing more.

So, my goals for the pantry challenge are:
::  Eat mostly what is currently in my home
::  Purchase only necessary items such as milk, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit/veggies when they are actually needed.  No stocking up - except for Eli's milk (I purchase by the case at Costco because he has a milk allergy and drinks rice milk - unless I find almond milk for a cheaper price, then he drinks that).
::  Spend no more than $100 on grocery/toiletry items for January.  I've already spent $21.53, leaving me with $78.47 for the remainder of January.  I've already made a meal plan for the entire month and have a small grocery list of a few things I know I'll need the second half of the month (other than what I listed above).
::  Continue our regular once-weekly dining out - this comes from a different area of our budget.
::  Stick to the meal plan.

Here's my menu plan for January 1 through January 10:
1/1 - Pizza, veggie sticks with Ranch
1/2 - Ate out with a friend
1/3 - Chicken tortilla soup (recipe later this week), fruit
1/4 - Tacos with lots of trimmings, fruit
1/5 - Spaghetti, veggie sticks, bread w/butter
1/6 - Meatloaf, steamed veggies, rolls
1/7 - Veggie soup, bread w/butter
1/8 - Pizza, fruit or fruit smoothies
1/9 - Eat out, possibly with a friend
1/10 - Deer sausage, eggs, fruit, toast

Lunches are mostly made of leftovers because without Michael here we typically have enough for all four of us to eat the dinner meal for the next day's lunch.  If it doesn't work out to be enough, I'll add simple things like veggie sticks, fruit, cheese, crackers, etc.

If you have no clue what this pantry challenge is, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Pantry Challenge - part 2

Today I'm sharing my pantry contents...  Does anyone else find it weird to show the whole world what's inside your fridge/freezer and pantry?  Or is that just me?

Moving right along then - here is yesterday's post of what I found in my freezers and fridges (it's A LOT more than I thought I had).

Top 3 shelves (that second shelf is baking supplies -and a jumbo container of taco seasoning- only)

Bottom shelf and floor.

Here's what I found in the pantry (tally marks indicate 1 meal of each item, unless otherwise noted):

Tuna - I

Canned chicken - I  I

Salmon - I

Rotel - I  I  I

Green beans - I  I

Peas - I

Tomato paste - I  I

Tomato sauce - I

Home canned spag. sauce - 1½ pints

Dehydrated tomatoes - 1 bag

Black olives - I  I

Home canned jalapenos - ½ pint

Home canned apple butter - ½ pint

Pizza sauce - I  I  I  I

Peanut butter - 4 jars

Apple sauce - ½ gallon

Pumpkin pancake mix - I  I  I

Italian dressing (marinade) - I

Baking supplies - PLENTY (including about 12lb of flour and ½ giant bag of chocolate chips in garage fridge)

Pasta - I  I

Corn chips - 1 bag = I  I  I

Other random items include - snacks left over from Christmas sacks, tea, popcorn, cereal, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar.

I have WAY more food than I ever dreamed I had in my house.  I managed to make an entire month's menu plan and only added a few items to my list that I'll need to buy during the second half of the month.  I picked up a few things today and I shouldn't need to purchase anything for at least 2 weeks.

On Monday I'll share my menu plan for the entire month of January and my budget for the month (including what I spent today).

Pantry Challenge - part 1

Are you taking the pantry challenge?  I am!  If you're not familiar with what the pantry challenge is all about, you can hop over to either Money Saving Mom or Life As Mom and find out more.

My first step in starting this month of eating from what we have with minimal shopping was to take an inventory of my freezers, fridges and pantry.

Today I'm sharing my fridges and freezers with you.

This is the freezer in my garage.

This is the freezer inside.

Here's my freezer inventory (each tally mark represents 1 meal worth of the item - unless otherwise noted):
Meats
Fish - I
Chicken breasts - I
Ground beef - I  I  I  I  I  I  I
Browned taco meat - I
Steak - I
Antelope steaks - I
Deer sausage - I
Whole chicken - I
Cooked shredded chicken - I  I  I
Jumbo bag of chicken nuggets

Fruits/veggies
Carrots - I  I
Pumpkin puree - 11 pints
Frozen mixed veggies - I  I  I  I  I
Frozen corn - I  I  ½
Frozen broccoli - I
Jumbo unopened bag of frozen strawberries
Jumbo bag of frozen blueberries - ½

Other
Chicken stock - I  I  I
Bread - 2 loaves

This is the fridge in the garage.

This is the inside fridge.

Here is my fridge inventory:
Grains
Crescent rolls (canned) - I  I  I  I
Pizza crust (canned) - I  I  I  I
Tortillas - 2+ packages = appx. 24
Brown rice - I  I  I  I
Quinoa - I  I  I  I

Beans
Several jars of beans in varying amounts, including - pinto, navy, red/kidney, lentils, black and black eyed peas.
Refried beans - I

Meat
Turkey pepperoni - ½ bag
Hot dogs - I  I  I
Deli meat - I

Fruits/veggies
Salsa (homemade) - 3 pints
Applesauce - ½ jar
Onions - I  I  I  I  I  I  I
Garlic - tons from my aunt's garden
Potatoes - I  I

Dairy
Cheddar - 2lb
Mozzarella - ½lb
Eggs - 2 doz.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow, I'll give you my pantry inventory and my meal plan for the entire month of January!  I'll also include my goal for how much I'll spend for the month and what I'll be purchasing with that amount.

You can follow along with Part 2, also.

Easy peel hard boiled eggs

Do you have trouble peeling your boiled eggs?  I did too, until I learned a wonderful, new trick and I have barely had any trouble with peeling eggs since!!

I'm going to share with you my egg boiling procedure start to finish:

* Choose your oldest eggs (I usually have 2 cartons of eggs in my fridge, and always leave the older eggs in the bottom carton, using the eggs in the carton on top for baking, breakfast, etc.).  Older eggs crack and the shell separates from the egg more easily.
* Place desired amount of eggs in a pot with cold water to about 2" above the eggs.
* Turn on high and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, set your timer for 13 minutes and continue to boil.
* While eggs are boiling, make an ice water bath (large bowl, ½ ice and ½ water).
* Once your timer beeps, turn the eggs off and immediately dip them out of boiling water and place in ice water bath.
* Leave in ice water bath until completely chilled through (this is usually when I move on to another project and come back in an hour or two when I remember that I have eggs chillin'!).
* Remove eggs from ice water onto a towel.
* If you are not using the eggs immediately, allow to dry, slip them into a ziploc and place in fridge.
* If you are using the eggs immediately:
     :: Crack egg on counter (similar to how you'd crack a raw egg) until a dime size area is cracked.
     :: Roll your egg on the counter while applying gentle pressure to crack the egg all the way around.  (It's best if you use your palm, but I wanted you to actually see the egg!).  The idea is to gently 'smush' the peel and release the membrane from the white while rolling.  If you don't apply enough pressure the membrane won't loosen, however, if you apply too much pressure it will actually break the white and then you'll have a heck-of-a-time getting the peel off... ask me how I know!

     :: The cracked egg should look something like this (they don't always work this well, but are still definitely peel-able):

     :: And if you're really fortunate, this will happen:

:: Now, you're ready to peel the rest and prepare that dish!

I boiled 12 eggs and only 2 of them had any white damage after I peeled them. I was making deviled eggs and one of them was definitely not usable (it was absolutely awful to peel) and the other was doable, but the boys came in from playing outside just as I was finishing peeling the eggs, so they ate the damaged ones and I made the rest into deviled eggs!

Total time spent peeling 12 eggs, under 15 minutes!!

This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesday.

Baking day summary

Whew, what a crazy two days! If you weren't able to participate in Baking Day, maybe you can join in another time. You can keep up with the info. by follow Money Saving Mom and Life As Mom.

Here's what my kitchen looked like at one point today:
That's me rolling out cinnamon roll dough, with my Spalding Handbook open (on the high chair tray) for vocabulary/spelling words that I'm dictating to Jacob who's writing them in his workbook. How's that for multitasking?

On Tuesday, I only planned a small amount of cooking due to prior commitments. Even, so I got all but one item on my list complete and that was simply because I ran out of steam this afternoon.

Here's what I completed (and I'm way too lazy at this point to go pull it all out to photograph it):
3 bags of browned and seasoned taco meat
8 beef and bean burritos (these work well for quick fix lunches)
2.5 pans of chicken enchiladas (we've already eaten the small pan)
2 meals of Ziti
2 meals of spaghetti
2 meals of chicken tortilla soup
2 loaves of pumpkin bread
2 loaves of zucchini bread (one loaf has already been eaten!)
2 pans cinnamon rolls
4 pints of salsa (with my homegrown tomatoes and neighbors homegrown habaneros)
2 premade pumpkin pancake mixes (just the dry ingredients)
1 batch pumpkin scones (to take to MOPS tomorrow morning)

That comes out to 13 meals and lots of breakfasts and goodies. On the days I'll be using one of these premade meals all I'll have to do is prepare a side and throw the main course in the oven to heat through!

Be sure to head on over to Money Saving Mom's link-up to see some of the other participants and what they were able to accomplish.

Baking day, day 1 update

At the start of today, my list looked daunting. But, I have to say that even as busy as my day was without the baking/cooking added in, I managed to pull off more than I thought I could.
Meals/baking:
3lb. ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning for freezer
3lb. regular ground beef for meals on this list
Pancake mix x2
Beef/bean burritos
Pumpkin bread
Zucchini bread
Chicken enchiladas x2 - 1 to eat on Tuesday and 1 to freeze
Cinnamon rolls
Ziti
Honey pumpkin muffins x2
Salsa (using the last of my homegrown tomatoes)
Chicken tortilla soup x2
Pumpkin scones (for MOPS on Thursday morning)
Spaghetti

I think day 2 definitely looks doable now. I know that I'm starting with cinnamon rolls because while they're rising I can work on other things. Beyond that, I'll just play it by ear based on the kiddos and what items I can work on. By the end of tomorrow I hope to have everything on the list complete.

Here's what today's work looks like (minus one pan of enchiladas that we devoured for dinner).

Baking/freezer-cooking day

If you follow the blogs or twitter feeds of Money Saving Mom or Life As Mom you've probably already read about their planned baking/cook-ahead days scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday. If not, here's the scoop (straight from Money Saving Mom's post):

"As I mentioned on Saturday, FishMama from LifeAsMom and I are planning to host a Freezer Cooking Day on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. We'll be live-blogging our progress and sharing tips and recipes along the way on both of our blogs. If you'd like to join in the fun, you can sign up at the Facebook Event page here, follow along on twitter with the #bakingday hashtag, or just check our blogs for updates, pictures, and more!"

I've replied to the event and I'm planning on participating. Michael will be deploying in about 6 weeks and getting in the habit of planning further ahead than I normally do (2 weeks is all I usually plan out) will be very beneficial to me while he's gone. Especially on "those" days when things just don't go as planned and dinner as planned just isn't happening - I'll have something quick and effortless to just throw in the oven or reheat on the stove!

I do believe my plan for this time might be a bit ambitious because I already had some prior commitments on Tuesday. And Michael is TDY right now so I'm not sure how things will work with me not having a relief-parent after dinner!!

Prep work:
Clean kitchen and ALL dishes (to be done Monday night and Tuesday night) - DONE
Thaw pumpkin, chicken and ground beef - DONE
Shred zucchini - DONE
Dice 3 onions - DONE
Find a pumpkin scone recipe
Grate cheese - DONE
Make pumpkin pie spice mix - DONE
I even went ahead and labeled some of my freezer bags!!

Meals/baking:
3lb. ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning for freezer
3lb. regular ground beef for meals on this list
Pancake mix x2
Beef/bean burritos
Pumpkin bread
Zucchini bread
Chicken enchiladas x2 - 1 to eat on Tuesday and 1 to freeze
Cinnamon rolls
Ziti
Honey pumpkin muffins x2
Salsa (using the last of my homegrown tomatoes)
Chicken tortilla soup x2
Pumpkin scones (for MOPS on Thursday morning)
Spaghetti

Homemade baby food

This post has been in the works for a while because I've really been wanting to share how much money I save by making my own baby food.

Jacob is 5 now, but when he was little I was introduced to Super Babyfood by Ruth Yaron and it totally changed my perspective on feeding my precious child. I also absolutely love how she lists every fruit, vegetable and grain you could possibly think up and the age at which it is considered ok for baby to eat, along with choosing and preparation instructions!!

After reading thru the sections on actually preparing the food, I was amazed at how easy it all seemed and I knew this was for me!

Jacob was in daycare at the time because I was still working (long story and I'm so glad God finally got it thru to me about being a stay home mom!) so his lunch meal was provided at the daycare center as part of his fee, so I ended up only preparing foods for his breakfast and dinner.

When Eli came along, I was no longer working and knew that the majority of his food would be prepared at home and it has been the same for Rachael. She has been eating solids for about 6 weeks now, so I'm back to preparing baby food and I really enjoy knowing what goes into her food1

I'll give you a short tutorial now and then a price breakdown next week for a one month supply of homemade food at Rachael's current appetite!

Butternut squash seeded and cut into large pieces. I believe I baked the squash at 375° for a little over an hour. The goal is to bake it until soft all the way thru - I find that the time varies based on how thick the squash is.


While the squash is baking, gather the rest of your supplies: * Food processor (this is a 3 cup version and it's plenty big enough); * Ice cube trays; * Filtered water; * Utensils for peeling/cutting and scooping


Once squash is cool enough to handle, peel and cut into chunks and fill food processor bowl approximately 3/4 full.


Begin with adding a small amount of water and turning on the processor. You'll need to add water in small amounts until you get the squash the correct consistency (based on the age and eating abilities of your child). The amount of water you add will vary greatly depending on what kind of food processor you have.


Once that batch is the correct consistency, scoop it into the wells of the ice cube trays, filling them almost to the rim (leave a little room for expansion because you added water). Then repeat the process until you have your entire squash made into baby food.

Place trays (uncovered) into the freezer overnight.


In the morning, label a large freezer bag (if you don't have a freezer bag, you'll need to double bag it) with what it is - because once you get several foods of the same color in the freezer you won't be able to tell them apart - and the date prepared. Then break them all free of the ice trays, dump into the bag, seal and place back in the freezer.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: appx. 1 hour
Work time: appx. 30 mintes
Servings: 15-16

Be sure to visit Frugal Friday for more wonderfully frugal ideas.

I'm a clumsy mama!

It's no secret that I'm clumsy. Ask anyone who really knows me and they'll tell you they've seen it, especially Michael. He's always telling me to "think ahead" and plan for the worst scenario. So, it wasn't a huge surprise to him when I did this last night:




I was putting away the leftover spaghetti and just knocked it right off the counter...

Being the wonderful husband he is, he offered to clean it up for me! He did a wonderful job and I threw the rug in the wash and you can't even tell it ever had spaghetti sauce on it.

Banana bread

Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet is hosting a great carnival today - Nourishing Sweets and Treats!! The idea is to post a recipe you enjoy that uses wholesome/natural sweeteners.

I have a wonderful banana bread recipe that uses wonderful ingredients, in fact I altered the recipe a little more today and it turned out wonderfully!

Banana Bread:
Preheat oven to 350°
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 c. sugar *
3-5 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. flour **
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Stir dry ingredients together. Mash bananas and add to dry mixture, mix well. Beat eggs with fork until frothy, then add to mixture. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour into a buttered loaf pan. I suggest a 9" pan because an 8" pan just might over flow and who wants to clean that mess....

Bake for approximately 1 hour. (Check at 50 minutes and add time accordingly). Cool for 10-15 minutes before turning onto a rack. I was in a hurry today and didn't let it cool in the pan long enough and the bottom stuck, that's why there aren't any photos..... Total cooling time before slicing should be appx. 1 hour.

* I use Rapadura (evaporated cane juice). I'm fortunate enough to have a wonderful grocery store (King Soopers, in the Kroger family) that actually carries a less expensive brand than Whole Foods.
** Today I used 1/2 c. of oat flour and 1 1/2 c. of hard white wheat.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is 2 days out and I haven't even decided what (or if) I'm going to prepare. It's just the five of us. No family close by. No visitors or friends coming over. A few times in the past we've been invited somewhere - not this year. All of our friends have family close by and are spending the holiday with them, I think. So, my dilemma is, since Jacob is going to be 5 in January, is it time to start our own family tradition for Thanksgiving?

I remember Thanksgivings growing up because my grandma (mom's mom) would always fix a huge feast and everyone that lived in town (many years this also included my dad's mom) would come over for lunch and then spend some time hanging out. Nothing spectacular or extravagant, but the food and fellowship was always wonderful.

I want this for my children, but in reality, Thanksgiving Day for us, isn't really much different than any other meal of the week. The food might be different, but that would probably be the extent of it. Last year we had pizza and watched football, sort of like any regular Saturday during football season, just on Thursday instead.

What would you do (or what do you do if you are in the same boat)? Any traditions you'd like to share?

Rice, rice, rice

I do not enjoy cooking rice. There, I said it!

Brown rice takes so long to cook and I usually forget to start it in enough time to be done when dinner is ready and that just frustrates me. So I came up with a solution: cook a batch of rice in the middle of the day when I'll be home for a while (ie. nap time).

I try to put it on when the boys go down for naps, that way it's done in just over an hour. Then it has time to cool and I can put it in the fridge before the boys get up (hopefully). Then I don't have to think about it until I am working on dinner and all it needs is reheating!

Here's how I do my rice:

2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup brown rice

Bring water to a boil and add rice and give it a stir; Reduce to medium for 5 minutes; Then reduce to simmer for appx. 1 hour (depends on where you live - altitude makes a difference). I set my oven timer for 30 minutes, then check it, just by lifting the lid and looking (yes, I know you're suppose to leave it alone, but I find that it takes different times to cook each time I do it.....). After the first 30 minute check, I set the timer for 10 minutes or more at a time and check until it's done. I realize it takes a little longer this way because I let the steam out every time I take the lid off, but it's better to take longer than have burnt rice - ick.

For more kitchen tips, be sure to visit Tammy!!

Stocking the freezer

I have been a busy little beaver today! Since I will be having a c-section next Friday - yes folks, I'll have THREE children in 10 short days! And to tell you the truth, I haven't freaked out yet! Probably because I have no time to freak out and that's probably a good thing. I'm not even really nervous. My head does swirl occasionally when I think about schedules and Michael only gets 10 days off work and Jacob goes to preschool 2 days a week and I only have 1 week of practice before I have to get him there on time (along with feeding and dressing everyone!!).... But, all-in-all I'd say I'm doing well.

I sat down a few days ago and made a list of meals that I wanted to go ahead and prepare and get in my freezer for those first few weeks (we'll also be getting a few meals from my MOPS group) and today I made the first batch of meals.

Here's what I made today:


This is chicken enchiladas!! I bought these disposable pans because I didn't want to tie up all of mine in the freezer and they have lids that are handy to write with a permanent marker what's in them! On this one I wrote what it is and the thawed bake time/temp. I think I went back and added the frozen time also.

This is not the healthiest meal - I used store bought flour tortillas and sauce - but the chicken is left over from a whole chicken I made recently.

I also made a smaller pan of these for our neighbor's friend because her son is in the NICU - he was born at 28 weeks nearly 2 weeks ago and I'm betting figuring out what to eat (AND take care of their toddler) just isn't a fun thing right now.




This lovely meal is zucchini parmesean. And it's a tad healthier than the enchiladas. I used fresh zucchini and battered (using spelt crumbs) and sauteed it in coconut oil. Cooked some whole wheat pasta and sadly used a jarred sauce. I layered it in the same way I would layer it on my plate if I were eating it immediately (pasta, zucchini, sauce and cheese).




This is just a quick pizza-ish thing. It's store bought hoagie rolls, sliced in half, topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni's on some. I froze them on these cookie sheets then transferred them into 2 of the same size disposable pans. I put 2 layers in each pan and separated the layers with foil.



I made all 3 of these while the boys were napping today and even got the dishes done and the counters cleaned up before they woke up! However, all of that meant I was standing for a solid 2 hours and at 37 weeks pregnant that's not great for the back. So, the kids are outside playing and I'm sitting down typing this post (yes, I can see them!!).

I also already had navy bean soup, 3 servings of meatloaf and chicken and quinoa stew in the freezer from making extra when I made those meals the last time. And there are 2 frozen pizzas.

Here's what I still have planned for the freezer:

* Brown a batch of taco meat
* Zucchini/carrot muffins (the boys and I LOVE these, Michael doesn't really care for them - he's strange!)
* Shepherd's pie

Also, I'm asking for suggestions on other meals (preferrably ones that incorporate more veggies) that work well as freezer meals to pull out and heat in the oven.

Hop on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more people who need help solving life's conundrums!

Oh my spelt bread heaven!

I made homeade bread for the first time today. Well, that's not true really, I've made quick breads before, but never real bread (you know the kind that actually have yeast rather than baking soda/powder and salt and you have to knead them and let them rise, etc)!

The bread I made was spelt bread and I used this recipe. Let me just say that it was super easy and much quicker than I thought it would be. Since I don't have a bread machine I thought it would take ages to do all the kneading and rising, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe.

It's actually suppose to be baked in two 9" pans, but I had one 9" and one 8" and the 8" one puffed out the top and was really tall (that's it in the photo)!

This is the yummiest bread I have ever tasted and it's totally 100% healthy!! The spelt makes it so light and fluffy and the taste is perfect. Because I live at high altitude (6,500') I had to alter it just a little and ended up using around 5 1/4 cups of flour rather than 4 1/2, but if you live at high altitude you already know that you must add more flour (or less liquid) to make baked good work properly.....

Why am I making homemade bread? For two reasons:
1) It's way cheaper and this recipe made more than a commercial loaf of bread. I figured it up to be $1.70 for this recipe and the commercial (non-hydrogenated, non-high fructose corn syrup) loaves costs $3.17. Yikes, that's a savings of 54% per loaf!
2) Eli was recently diagnosed with asthma (he currently has pneumonia to go along with it) and now that I actually know what has caused all of his lung issues (croup as many as 10 times and RSV at least once, but I think 2x) since he was little I am going to start combatting the illness 'holistically.' Right now he is using a nebulizer with steroids to get his lungs back to normal since he's been really sick and I really don't want him on medicine for the rest of his life when asthma can be directly related to diet. He also has severe eczema which is also directly related to food sensitivities. Wheat is a huge contributing factor for both ailments (along with dairy, soy and sugar). We already don't do soy products for various other reasons, so I'm going to start testing him for sensitivities to those other items listed. I'm going to completely cut out everything on the BAD list (over a period of time - not gung-ho because they might revolt and not eat at all if I did that!) and see how he does and then we'll add things back one at a time every couple of weeks to see if I can determine what his sensitivities are. The eczema will probably be easier to figure out, the lung issues may take more time. Or this may be a permanent dietary change for all of us.

So, I tried the spelt bread recipe today to see if we would like it and if it would be a viable option for a wheat alternative. I also made homemade pizza yesterday with a spelt crust and homemade sauce and it was sooooo yummy. I really like the flavor of spelt, have I already mentioned that!? We will also be experimenting with non-wheat pastas and I bought rice crackers today and the boys really liked them. As far as sugar goes, I already use stevia some and another organic non-refined sugar so I think we'll just have to get accustomed to the stevia (contrary to what the research says, I DO think it has a bitter aftertaste....) and start using that as a sugar replacement. The dairy will be the hardest for Eli (I don't mind so much for myself because I only tolerate cow's milk in my cereal and have been on a dairy free diet before and milk and cheese alternatives are fine with me). Eli loves cow's milk and cheese, etc, however, I've known for a while that he had some sort of dairy sensitivity because he drinks lactose free milk. We'll probably switch him to almond milk (YUMMY!!!!) or rice milk with alternate cheese as well. We've also added a calcium supplement to the boys' regimine since we won't be taking in as much dairy. They now get a probiotic, multi vit., whole food supplement, calcium and cod liver oil daily.

Any suggestions from anyone who has cured/controlled their own or their child's asthma by diet alone would be greatly appreciated. I already have one friend who has done this with her 2 children and walked another friend thru it and all have been symptom free for over a year now! Not even a sniffle or winter cold for the first friend's kids (don't know about the other friend).

Getting back to basics

I believe that God has called us, as believers, to not only surrender ourselves spiritually, but to surrender the physical as well. The mom's group from our church has been studying Joyce Meyer's book Look Great, Feel Great and I am being super convicted by the Holy Spirit. I don't have a problem with weight and I do exercise regularly, but my (our family's) diet can definitely use some tweaking.

Most of you that know us and know what we eat in our homes probably wouldn't think what we do is all that bad, and you're right, if you're comparing us to the world. But God's word teaches us to be wholeheartedly devoted to His teachings and to treat our bodies as a temple.

"1) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your
bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He
will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much
to ask? 2) Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God
transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you
will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and
perfect His will really is." Romans 12:1-2 NLT.

"...19) Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
who lives in you and was given to you by god? You do not belong to
yourself, 20) for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God
with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

A lot of us know these portions of scripture, yet for some reason do not take them to heart and let God teach us exactly what He wants from us/for us. For our family, we are entering a season of taking this scripture in its literal meaning and being mindful of what we are putting in our bodies and the habits and what we are teaching our children with regard to health and how it affects our whole self - including our relationship with Christ. It's a season of learning and a lifetime of change.

I believe that if our spiritual and our physical are not in sync and we are not striving toward excellence in both areas, we cannot truly understand what all God has in store for us or how He wants to use us.

My goal is to continue posting the normal happenings around here and also take you on our journey right along with us. I will try to post about new things that we are trying or changes we are making, etc. So, now you'll hear me talking of using fresh, whole grains and soaking or sprouting them, making my own sauces, making breads and tortillas, homemade yogurt, cream cheese and sour cream and having my own "small" garden. I've been reading a great site of another believer - who is a stay home mom striving to do God's will for her family and be a true Proverbs 31 woman - who is many steps ahead of me and am finding great inspiration in her posts, her tools, her methods, books she's reading and the overall ease and cost effectiveness of not relying less on processed or prebagged, etc. items and how great an impact it is having on her family.

For now, if you have ever been interested in the journey to better, more Biblical health, I suggest you pick up these 2 books: Super Baby Food - yes, it's mostly about preparing food for your child, but has some invaluable information about the homeade process of many of the things I listed we are going to start doing - along with her website; the other is The Maker's Diet - this book will knock your socks off if you aren't prepared for it - and there's also a supporting website. It is an indepth analysis of God's word and His directions and teachings on foods that we are and are NOT suppose to eat and many of the reasons why and what health implications straying from God's direction can have (based on his own personal life struggles).

It's no wonder...

. . . people in this country are physically unwell, overweight, etc.

I got the April issue of Reader's Digest yesterday and was reading thru it and half of the articles were about how to avoid this illness, or how to cure another, or this or that.

Did our ancestors many generations ago have Alzheimer's... probably not. Here's what the article I read says about Alzheimer's:

"Chemicals, obesity and smoking have all been linked to Alzheimer's." Monroe, Bridget Nelson. "Avoiding Alzheimer's." Reader's Digest April, 2008: 58.

They didn't have 'chemicals' (including processed foods, sugars and preservatives - convenience foods, or pesticides or even antibiotics to give their cows and chickens so they'd grow bigger), they probably didn't 'smoke' at the rate this country now does, and as a result of the type of diets they ate and lifestyles they lived, they weren't 'obese'.

Here's another article I read:

"The healing power of food extends to your lungs. What you eat - and avoid - may help keep you from developing asthma. Best choices: Have fruit every day, especially apples, oranges, grapes and tomatoes. Eat more healty fats (like olive oil) and DHA omega-3s (fish and walnuts), which seem to prevent damage to lung tissue and reduce inflammation. Worst choices:
Saturated fats, trans fats and cured meats with nitrates, like many cold cuts and ballpark staples. These foods worsen inflammation caused by air pollution and inhibit dilation of the airways, among other things." Michael F. Roizen, MD. "Eat to Beat Asthma." Reader's Digest April, 2008: 56.

I'm just going to put a big DUH here. Going back to the ancestors again... I'm sure they didn't have much in the way of saturated fats or meats cured with nitrates.

On to yet another article:

"Raw garlic may prevent blood clots and keep blood pressure down." Joseph K. Vetter. "Garlic: The Raw Truth." Reader's Digest April, 2008: 54.

RAW is best. Haven't we always known that in the back of our minds. I mean, vegetables in their natural state, are raw. Why would anyone think that cooking them (especially something like sauteeing at high heat) wouldn't make them lose at least some of their nutritional value....

There is something seriously wrong with the mentality of this country when most people don't realize that chemically altering our foods, cooking them vigorously at high temps. and processing the heck out of everything is affecting the health of this nation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect at all. We don't eat a 100% perfect diet, but are doing what we think is best for our family and teaching our children to choose healthy things BEFORE going for the unhealthy. Fresh is definitely best, but that isn't always possible, so I try to buy as much organic food as I can afford (even processed things can be healthIER for you if they're organic, because it means the ingredients are organic and are also as close to their natural state as possible), I try to also buy 100% whole wheat pastas and bread, I also buy unsweetened applesauce and frozen veggies (because they haven't been cooked yet) etc.

But we also do allow ourselves and the kids treats and "bad days." I believe it's healthier for them to have things like sweets as a treat because it teaches them moderation without completely depriving them of something. I think complete deprivation is not good (unless there's some sort of allergy or health reason) because when they're on their own or out with friends they might be tempted to gorge on the unhealthy because they are never allowed to have it at home and that's definitely not teaching them moderation. Jacob and Eli really, truly and thoroughly enjoy their treats when they get them because they really are a "treat" and not an every day occurence.

I believe moderation is they key. People become obese because they make the wrong choices regarding food and lifestyle and eat too much. People have things like high blood pressure because they make the wrong lifestyle and food choices. Seeing a pattern here?

I realize that there are also genetic factors involved in the two health issues I mentioned above, and these are only two of the MANY health issues this country is facing, but do you think there would even be such a thing as a genetic "pre-disposition" to certain illnesses - cancer, hypertension, etc. - if the last several generations of our ancestors hadn't begun eating unnaturally, processing their foods and going toward convenience rather than health? Hmmmm, something to think on.

Here's what I have planned for my next two health posts: exercise and commercial medications/drugs.