Stuffed Peppers

Andy really likes the stuffed peppers.  They are a good way to add a good helping of veggies to a meal.  This is an easy recipe to alter to fit your tastes, too!

Ingredients:
4 medium peppers (red, yellow, orange)
1 lb. turkey burger
1 bag boil in a bag brown rice
6-8 green onions
1 c. chopped spinach
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tbs garlic
3 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
light dusting Johnny's seasoning salt

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown turkey.  Boil rice according to directions on box.

Step 2: While browning and boiling, chop onions and spinach. Clean and half peppers and place on a baking sheet.

Step 3: Combine turkey, rice, onions, spinach, garlic, cumin, seasoning salt and soy sauce.  Heat until spinach has wilted.  Add 1/4 c. cheese and mix until melted.

Step 4: Spoon mixture into peppers.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Place into the oven until cheese is melted and peppers are hot.

Step 5: Serve and ENJOY!

Homemade Tomato Soup

This is a yummy soup, quick and easy, but tasty.  You may choose to doublethe recipe depending on what you plan to have with the soup and who you have to feed.  The amounts here are probably good for 2 adults.  I like my soup a little thicker.  If you want thinner soup, you can add another 6 oz. of water.

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste
6 oz almond milk (I just filled the tomato paste can once)
12 oz water (I just filled the tomato paste can twice)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
black pepper to flavor

Simply combine all ingredients into a sauce pan.  I let it simmer on low (2-3) for about 30 minutes to allow everything to combine, but as long as you get it nice and warm it is ready to serve! We always like our soup with grilled cheese, making our son's with non-dairy, non-soy cheese!  ENJOY!

Banana Bread

Banana bread is always a yummy treat, and a great way to get rid of those ripe bananas.  My recipe isn't anything you probably can't find anywhere else, but it always turns out nice and moist, and is dairy-free!

Ingredients:
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. applesauce (I use my homemade applesauce)
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas mashed
1/2 c. almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. wheat flour
1 c. white flour
1 tsp baking soda

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Step 2: Mix sugar and applesauce in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs until well blended.

Step 3: Stir in mashed bananas, almond milk, and vanilla until everything is well blended.

Step 4: Mix in flours and baking soda until moistened.  Pour batter into loaf pan

Step 5: Bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 60 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes.

Step 6: Remove bread from pan and allow to cool.  ENJOY!!

Coconut Milk Yogurt

This recipe is still a work in progress. This was my first ever attempt at yogurt making. This recipe has good flavor, but was a little thin for my liking. With my next attempt I will double the amount of gelatin I used. I plan on using what I have as smoothies. Once I get a yogurt that is at the consistency I would like, I plan to play with flavoring of the yogurts! UPDATE: I recently made my second batch of coconut milk yogurt. It was the perfect consistency, and tasted like plain yogurt with a slight hint of coconut. The recipe now reflects the changes I made.

The recipe I used:

Step 1: Make sure all your supplies have been sterilized (jars, lid to yogurt maker, pot, candy thermometer, whisk, etc)

Step 2: Combine the following ingredients into the pot

2 cans coconut milk
1 small carton coconut cream
1 Tbs honey
1 2/3 cups water blended with 1/2 scoop children's protein powder (I used Kids' Life Basics Pea and Rice Plant Protein powder)** See note

Step 3: Bring to simmer, whisk frequently. I let this mixture reach about 180 degrees

Step 4: (still working on desired amount) Mix 1 packetTbs Gelatin with 1/2 c. hot water and add to the pot. Whisk well.

Step 5: Pour into another container and place into bowl of cold water. Whisk regularly. Allow the mixture to cool to 95-100 degrees.

Step 6: Add 1/4 rounded tsp vegetal yogurt starter. I found the packets I ordered don't have quite 1/4 tsp of powder in them, so I added a little of my son's infant probiotic powder that has the same cultures to complete the 1/4 rounded tsp. Whisk WELL.

Step 7: Pour into fermentation containers and leave undisturbed 12 9 hours with lids off. I've read varying options for the fermentation process; however being a beginner yogurt maker, I purchased a yogurt maker so I didn't have to monitor the temperature. NOTE: I'm sure you could ferment longer if you like. This was simply the length of time I allowed it to ferment before putting it in the fridge.

Step 8: After allowing to ferment, place lid on containers, shake well to mix the liquid that settled to the bottom, and put in refrigerator for 8 hours. The contents will settle again and a liquid will form at the bottom of the jars. During the first couple hours I shook the jars a couple of times to keep it well mixed. As long as the smell is like yogurt and there are no off colors on your yogurt (pink, black, or gray), then it was a success.

**Note: some recipes I've read state that they have added flours to aid in thickening. I decided to use my son's protein powder to make sure my yogurt has some important nutrients that I feel is lacking in many store yogurts, but also to aid in the thickening process. This particular powder contains chia seed.

This is a great yogurt for fruit smoothies. I mix it with frozen berries, a chunk of banana, and a tsp of honey to sweeten. With my improved recipe I plan to eat this as yogurt is intended to be eaten, with a spoon and fresh fruit and maybe a little honey to sweeten! ENJOY!

Cashew Milk Yogurt

The cashew milk I made was really good and creamy. I decided to try using that in a yogurt!The recipe I used for my yogurt...

Ingredients
4 cups homemade cashew milk
2 cups water blended with 1 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs Honey
1/4 scoop of my son's protein powder (I used Kids' Life Basics Pea and Rice Plant Protein powder
1 Tbs Geletin

Step 1: Make sure all cooking utensils have been sterilized.

Step 2: Mix all ingredients except Gelatin into a pot. Bring to simmer. I let it get to about 175 degrees.

Step 3: Reduce heat. Whisk in 1 Tbs gelatin dissolved into 1/2 cup boiling water.

Step 4: Pour mixture into another bowl and place that bowl into a larger bowl of water. Allow mixture to cool to 95 degrees.

Step 5: 1/4 tsp probiotics. I bought Vegetal yogurt starter. I found the packets I ordered don't have quite 1/4 tsp of powder in them, so I added a little of my son's infant probiotic powder that has the same cultures to complete the full 1/4 tsp. Whisk WELL.

Step 6: Pour into fermentation containers and leave to ferment for 10-12 hours with lids off. I've read varying options for the fermentation process; however being a beginner yogurt maker, I purchased a yogurt maker so I didn't have to monitor the temperature. Note: I'm not sure the mixture is supposed to be disturbed, but I stirred it a few times during the fermentation process as it seemed like it was curdling (maybe that's what it is supposed to do) Still learning.

Step 7: After allowing to ferment, place lid on containers and put in refrigerator for 8 hours. The contents will settle and a liquid might form at the bottom of the jars. As long as the smell is like yogurt and there are no off colors on your yogurt (pink, black, or gray), then it was a success.

My yogurt had the flavor of plain yogurt and a consistency that wasn't quite as jello-ey as the almond milk yogurt, but I did use less gelatin (I may use an amount in between what I used in the almond yogurt and this batch)- still a process. I added 1/2 tsp lemon extract for a lemony flavor, and that was good. I added fresh fruit. YUM!

Cashew Milk

I decided to try making some cashew milk. I went to the health food store and found a bag of raw cashews. I crushed them into pieces using a rolling pin and then let it soak in water. I was planning 8 hours, but that would have meant I would have had to get up in the middle of the night to make the milk, so I just let it soak over night- they probably soaked 12 hours. I also had about 2 cups of cashews, so I made 2 batches. Here is the recipe I used to make my milk- for about 1 cup cashews.

Pour out the water and dump cashews into a blender. Add 4-5 cups water (I put 4 1/2 cups). I blended it for about 2 minutes, let it rest a minute, and blended again for about 2 minutes. I added about 1 Tbs honey to sweeten it a little and 6-8 drops vanilla creme Stevia. Pour through a cheesecloth-type fabric to separate the milk from the cashews. Simple and easy! This tasted really good. I don't like really sweet, so you may need to add more or less stevia for your liking! ENJOY!

Almond Milk Yogurt

I finally had success with my almond milk yogurt. I did NOT have success when I used store-bought almond milk. I made my own almond milk, which was a pretty easy process. As I've explained in a previous post, I will probably adjust the amount of water I added to the almonds to hopefully give it a creamier consistency.

The recipe I used for my yogurt...

Ingredients
4 cups homemade almond milk
2 cups water blended with 1 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs Honey
1/4 scoop of my son's protein powder (I used Kids' Life Basics Pea and Rice Plant Protein powder
2 packets Geletin- a little over 1 Tbs

Step 1: Make sure all cooking utensils have been sterilized.

Step 2: Mix all ingredients except Gelatin into a pot. Bring to simmer. I let it get to about 175 degrees.

Step 3: Reduce heat. Whisk in 2 packets gelatin dissolved into 1/2 cup boiling water.

Step 4: Pour mixture into another bowl and place that bowl into a larger bowl of water. Allow mixture to cool to 95 degrees.

Step 5: 1/4 tsp probiotics. I bought Vegetal yogurt starter. I found the packets I ordered don't have quite 1/4 tsp of powder in them, so I added a little of my son's infant probiotic powder that has the same cultures to complete the full 1/4 tsp. Whisk WELL.

Step 6: Pour into fermentation containers and leave to ferment for 10-12 hours with lids off. I've read varying options for the fermentation process; however being a beginner yogurt maker, I purchased a yogurt maker so I didn't have to monitor the temperature. Note: I'm not sure the mixture is supposed to be disturbed, but I stirred it a few times during the fermentation process as it seemed like it was curdling (maybe that's what it is supposed to do) Still learning.

Step 7: After allowing to ferment, place lid on containers and put in refrigerator for 8 hours. The contents will settle and a liquid might form at the bottom of the jars. As long as the smell is like yogurt and there are no off colors on your yogurt (pink, black, or gray), then it was a success.

My yogurt had the flavor of plain yogurt and a consistency that took a step toward jello. After I blended it with a hand mixer and added some strawberries, it became a little creamier. I may decrease the amount of gelatin slightly with my next try.

Our son thoroughly enjoyed the yogurt. He had 3 servings, and was still asking for more.

Almond Milk

I attempted to use store bought milk to make yogurt with. But I couldn't make that work. So I opted to try making my own almond milk to make yogurt with. Here is the recipe I used to make my milk.

Soak sliced almonds in water for 8 hours. Pour out the water and dump almonds into a blender. Add 4-5 cups water (I put 5 cups, but it seemed a little too watery so I plan to put in 4 next time I make it). I blended it for about 2 minutes, let it rest a minute, and blended again for about 2 minutes. I added about 1 Tbs honey to sweeten it a little. Pour through a cheesecloth-type fabric to separate the milk from the almonds. Simple and easy!

Zucchini Bread

I often have some sort of bread made for a healthy, quick snack for my son and I. I was frequently making banana bread- always yummy- but thought I could branch out and try something different. Zucchini bread was an interesting option. Maybe a way to add vegetables into the diet (ok, probably not the most healthy way to do it, but yummy).

Ingredients

3 zucchini
1/2 c. applesauce (I use my homemade applesauce)
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. wheat flour
1 1/2 c. white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder


1. Heat over to 350 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2, 1 loaf pan 9 x 5 x 3, or I used a square 8 x 8 x 2 pan.

2. Chop peeled zucchini- I like to use my Pampered Chef food chopper- until chopped into small pieces.

3. Mix zucchini, sugar, eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and oil in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

4. Pour into pan. Bake 8-inch loaves 60-70 minutes, 9-inch loaf 70-80 minutes or sqaure pan 70-80 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Bread

I was wanting to make something a little different for bread. I typically make a bread every weekend so that my son and I have a somewhat healthy snack for the week. I decided to try a raspberry lemon bread- sounded so yummy. Because my son has very limited dairy, I used non-dairy ingredients.

Ingredients:
5 Tbs non-dairy butter softened
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. applesauce (I used my homemade applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla
2 lemons- mashed and discard the membrane and seeds- keep the juice and pulp
2 1/4 c. wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c frozen or fresh raspberries

Step 1: Grease 8 X 5 in loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 2: Combine butter, sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and lemons. Blend well.

Step 3: Add baking powder and baking soda. Mix well.

Step 4: Add Flour. Mix well

Step 5: Fold in raspberries. Pour mixture into loaf pan and place in oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Step 6: Let stand 15 minutes, then remove from pan. Slice and ENJOY!

Ham and Asparagus Quiche

I had never had a Quiche until this past summer when we decided to try something different for breakfast. This is an easy recipe, but I recommend a little prep of the veggies and ham the night before if you will be crunched for time. I pre-chop and place them in dishes to be ready for use in the morning.

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1/2 c. chopped green onion
6 slices pre-sliced ham (but leftover ham loaf is very good in the recipe, too)
6 eggs
2 c. almond or cashew milk
1 c. chedder cheese (I used non-dairy, non-soy cheese in my son's quiche)
1 Tbs Parsley
1 1/2 c. wheat pancake mix
Salsa (optional)

Step 1: preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2, 9-in pie or tort dishes

Step 2: Chop asparagus, onion, and ham. I use my Pampered Chef food chopper to make sure the pieces are small and easy for my son to eat. Put asparagus and onion into pan and briefly cook.

Step 3: While cooking the asparagus and onion, combine eggs, milk, pancake mix, and parsley into a bowl and mix well.

Step 4: Layer veggies, ham, and cheese in bottom of pie pans. Pour egg mixture over layered ingredients.

Step 5: Place pie pans in oven and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, slice, serve, and ENJOY! (we like to add a little salsa on top just before eating)

Chicken Naan

This is one of our quick, go-to dinners. Easy to make, particularly if you have chicken cooked ahead of time.

Ingredients: (made for 2 adults)
Naan (can be purchased at Costco in bulk, or walmart in the bakery)
2 chicken breasts
1/2 bell pepper- we use red, orange, or yellow
4-5 green onions
Spinach
cheese
dressing
Italian seasoning (optional)
cream cheese (optional)

Start by cooking your chicken. While the chicken is cooking, slice the bell pepper and onions into small pieces. Place into small pan and warm. Spray naan with olive oil and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Follow warming instructions on package. Chop chicken into small chunks. Once done, spread thin layer of cream cheese on naan. Top with spinach, pepper, and onions. Sprinkle cheese and drizzle dressing (we use a sesame ginger vinegrette or balsalmic vinegrette.) ENJOY!

Fried Rice

Another quick, go-to meal of ours is Fried Rice. A pretty easy meal, and one our son devours.

Ingredients:
1 bag boil in a bag brown rice
3 eggs
2-3 chicken breasts
5-6 baby carrots grated
4-5 green onions, minced
1 Tbs garlic (I use the tube of garlic)
1 Tbs ginger (I use the tube of ginger)
Soy sauce- to your liking

Boil rice according to directions on box. While that is cooking, cook chicken. Mince onions and grate carrots. Break eggs into bowl and beat lightly. Cut chicken into preferred size chunks (we use a chopper and mince the chicken so our son is able to eat it). While cutting chicken, pour eggs into pan and scramble. When rice is done, empty water and empty contents of bag back into the pot. Add eggs when finished and chicken. Put carrots and onion in pan and cook. After warmed, add to pot with rice. Mix. Add garlic, ginger, and soy sauce and mix. ENJOY!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

5 Chicken Breasts
4 oz. Herb and Chive Goat Cheese
1/2 cup Spinach
Basil
Salt (optional)

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2:

Butterfly and tenderize the chicken breast. Put plastic wrap over the chicken as you tendorize it to keep juices from spraying.

Step 3:

Chop spinach and mix into 4oz goat cheese.

Step 4:

Spread cheese and spinach mix into the butterflied chicken breasts, and fold chicken breasts back together.

Step 5:

Put chicken on baking pan. Lightly sprinkle with basil and salt (optional).

Step 6:

Bake chicken at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve and ENJOY!

Quick Chili

This is my quick and easy chili for those night when nothing is planned, but you are super hungry!

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
1 can kidney beans
1 can tomato paste, no salt
1 can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Chili powder to taste
Shredded cheese (optional)

Brown burger. Drain any grease. Add remaining ingredients, and stir well. Allow to simmer until hot. Dish into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Note: always great with cornbread! ENJOY!

Panko Breaded and Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe is a weekend meal. However it makes plenty for a large number of people or for leftovers.

Ingredients

6 Chicken Breasts
4oz. Goat Cheese
2 Cups Panko Bread Crumb
2 Tbsp. Lemon Pepper
2 Tbsp. Montreal Chicken Seasoning
1/3 Cup Sun dried Tomatoes
4 Eggs

Preparation time: Approximately 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2:

Grind sun dried tomotoes in a food processor. Blend together the goat cheese to create a spread. Set aside

Step 3:

Trim and then butterfly chicken breasts.

Step 4:

Spread goat cheese and sun dried tomato mixture inside the chicken breasts.

Step 5:

Beat 4 eggs in a bowl. Mix the lemon pepper and Montreal Chicken Seasoning in a seperate pie pan with the Panko Bread Crumbs. Dip each chicken breast into the bowl of eggs and then roll the chicken breast in the bread crumbs until covered. Place each chicken breast on the pan.

Step 6:

Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve and ENJOY!

Spaghetti Carbona

This is one of my all-time favorite meals. I always requested it for my birthday dinner growing up. I used non-dairy, non-soy cheese for my son's serving and he enjoyed it! The original recipe calls for 4 oz mushrooms, but Andy doesn't like them, so we do not add them. Also, the original is meant to be cooked with regular bacon, but in our attempt to be slightly healthier, we use Jennie-o thick-cut, non-cured bacon. This (in our opinion) is some of the better tasting turkey bacon we have tried and does not have the leathery feel of other turkey bacons we have tried.

Ingredients:
8 oz wheat spaghetti
1/2 pound turkey bacon
2/3 c. chopped green pepper
2/3 c. green onion
1/4 c non dairy butter
4 oz shredded chedder cheese
3 egg yolks beaten

Cook spaghetti. While it is cooking, cook bacon so it is crispy. Chop into small pieces- we use our Pampered Chef food chopper.
Saute onions and pepper (and if you choose to, mushrooms)
After all are cooked, melt butter in skillet.
Add bacon, onion and peppers, spaghetti, and toss well.
Add cheese and mix well.
Add pepper to taste.
Add egg yolks and toss everything together.
Serve and ENJOY!

Applesauce

This is a yummy, simple applesauce recipe that is nice and thick.

Peel and core

combination of 8 apples, or apples and pears

(I use an apple cutter with 8 slices)

Add it to a large pot. Sprinkle with cinnamon and mix.

Cover with a lid with a vent and allow to simmer on a low setting, (3-4), until pieces are tender. Stir occasionally.

When all pieces feel tender, add to blender/food processer until desired consistency is reached.

NOTE: I never add water as I prefer thicker applesauce, however you can add 2 Tbs water to the pot while simmering if you prefer thinner applesauce.

Then put into baby jars or put into large canning jar and allow to cool.

Put in refrigerator and ENJOY or freeze!
NOTE: many recipes add sugar, but I never add sugar as the apples/pears are already plenty sweet.

Coconut Milk Yogurt, Success

Last night I made coconut milk yogurt for the second time.  I have to say, this has been my best attempt at yogurt.  It seems like the perfect consistency.  I think I may even try eating this as yogurt, rather than in smoothie form- although our smoothies have been pretty yummy!  The tastes like plain yogurt with a slight hint of coconut!  I actually prefer the taste of this yogurt over the almond and cashew milk yogurts, but Andy isn't a fan of coconut.  But I think he doesn't mind this yogurt as the cocnut flavor is not very strong.  I have updated the recipe to reflect the small changes I made.  ENJOY!!

Coconut Milk Yogurt, 2nd attempt

I have decided to give the coconut milk yogurt another go.  I am using my previous recipe, with a couple very small changes.  Here's hoping it works!!  It's becoming such a fun snack to make.  I'd like to get one of my yogurts to a consistency that I would feel comfortable bringing the yogurt with me for lunch.  But until then, we definitely enjoy it as an evening snack or my son simply enjoys his smoothie and making a mess!  If the yogurt turns out, I will share my little changes!  Here's hoping!

Today's Incredible Menu--Plenty of Leftovers

Today was full of cooking and dishes preparing meals that we only get to have on weekends.  These meals also gave us plenty of leftovers that Cael and I will be taking in lunches for the rest of the week.  Cael and I love leftovers, Rana not always so much.  Below are what we had for meals today.  Be sure to check our recipes.

Breakfast: Rana made a breakfast quiche that had asparagus, onions, ham, and cheese.

Lunch: For lunch we roasted a turkey (It turned out very moist and tasty, see the picture).

Dinner: Today for dinner we made chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, and covered in Panko Bread Crumbs.  This turned out better than our last attempt at stuffed chicken breasts which were a little bland.  This turned out much tastier.

Busy cooking day

Today has been a busy day in the kitchen.  I made another batch of applesauce.  Also made Raspberry Lemon bread- very tasty!  For lunch we had some of the cashew milk yogurt, which I added lemon extract to, adding a little zip to it.  We haven't had one of my favorite dishes, spaghetti carbona, in ages.  So we made that for dinner.  I'vealso prepped some of the veggies for our breakfast tomorrow morning.  Needless to say we've been doing lots of dishes today! Dishes and laundry are the 2 things we do a lot of on the weekends!  All recipes are posted if you're interested! 

Cashew Milk- YUM

I thought I'd try another nut milk to make yogurt with.  This time I made Cashew milk.  I used pretty much the same process, but it tasted so much better than almond milk, I thought.  It seemed a bit creamier, but I probably sweetened it a little more then the almond milk.  Cael thought it was good too. He even asked for seconds.  I am testing it out now as yogurt, since we finished the yogurt I made last week.  This is kind of addicting.  Hopefully I will have a yummy yogurt recipe to share with you!

Green Household Products I Love

I've added a list of household products that we use that I highly recommend and use frequently.  Since I can't find a way to add a description of the products, I will share my reasons here.

The H2 Bio facial cleansing cloth is wonderful.  It is a microfiber cloth used to cleanse your face without the use of actual cleansers.  I tend to wash my face first to get most of the make-up off so the cloth and do a deeper clean.  After I shower, I use the cloth to wipe my face clean, and remove and residual make-up, particularly mascara left around the eyes.  My complexion has cleared up and I don't feel the need to use toners and spot treatments.  This is a reusable cloth.  I use it a week and wash it every weekend (with items other than towels).

I have recently begun using the Netepur bar.  This is used to remove stains, even stains that have been set after being washed and dried.  It may take a couple rounds of use on stains such as this, but it has worked well on my son's clothes!  I wet the bar and fabric and rub the bar over the stains and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes, then throw in the washer.  It has gotten ink stains, food stains, and blood stains out of our clothing. 

A Norwex dusting mitt is a must for any busy household.  I can dust with this mitt without use of sprays.  It traps all the dust in the mitt.  And best of all, it seems that my furniture stays dust-free for longer after using this rather than the traditional spray and paper towel.  Once the mitt is full of dust, I simply bang it out and can re-use it a few times.  After it becomes too dirty to use, simply wash and dry (with items other than towels).

I have been using Seventh Generation Diapers with my son since he was an infant.  We started using the traditional Huggies and Pampers.  Pampers are the last thing I will use with this next baby.  I can't stand the smell.  Huggies are ok, but I feel better using a product on my sons that are free of dyes, fragrances, and harmful chemicals.

Hopefully I will find more great products to share with everyone!! 

Almond Milk Yogurt

I finally had some success with my almond milk yogurt.  I was a little nervous about it since it seemed like it was curdling, but it turned out fine.  It tastes like plain yogurt, the consistency wasn't quite as creamy as I would like (was a little jiggly- not quite like jello, but a step towards that), as I think I might need to decrease the gelatin just slightly.  But after I mixed it with the hand mixer and added a little sweetener and strawberries, it was creamier and boy did my son enjoy it.  Had three helpings and still wanted more!!

Non-dairy yogurt, 4th attempt

Yesterday I attempted my second batch of almond milk yogurt made from store bought almond milk.  I let it ferment for about 7 hours and had stirred it a couple times during the process because it was really separating.  After putting it in the fridge, I shook it a couple times before I went to bed.  This morning it was a consistency between yogurt and jello.  I didn't really like the flavor, so I think I will scratch that plan.

Also yesterday I made some homemade almond milk.  I soaked 1 cup of almond pieces in water covering the almonds for 8 hours, drained the water, added the water to the blender, and added 5 cups water to the blender.  I poured the mixture through a cloth to separate the almond pulp from the milk.  Not as creamy as store bought, but it probably wouldn't be.  I added a little vanilla and honey.  It tasted ok, but if I make it again I might add less water or more almonds so it doesn't seem as watery. 

Part of the reason I made the milk, was 1) to see how it tasted, but 2) to try the almond milk yogurt from fresh, homemade almond milk. 

This is my 4th attempt at yogurt.  If it turns out, the recipe I will post.  If it doesn't I plan to make another batch of the coconut milk yogurt.  I'm really hoping one of my recipes will turn out!  Here's hoping!

Almond yogurt- didn't turn out at all

Well, I attempted to make some almond yogurt yesterday!  Seemed like it might turn out ok, but since I'm not a very experienced yogurt maker, maybe it wouldn't have either way.  Andy was supposed to move the yogurt from the yogurt maker to the fridge when he went to bed, but forgot.  I looked at it this morning and it was pretty gross.  The 'yogurt' had set at the top with most of the jar filled with liquid underneath.  YUCK!!!  And it smelled just as bad.  And FYI, the pregnant lady should not deal with emptying the contents- I started and after the first one gagged and had to leave the room.  Luckily Andy was nice enough to finish the job!  So I might try again, but maybe I need to adjust the fermentation time!  What a delicate process this can be!

Chiropractor During Pregnancy

I'm 34 weeks pregnant.  I have been seeing a chiropractor, I think since October.  I have never liked the idea of having someone pop and crack my neck and back- it just doesn't seem normal.  But we had resorted to bringing our son to a chiropractor to find some way to help him.  I observed the changes in him, and have since become more open to the idea of chiropractic work.  In October I was having some low back and hip pain, still quite early in my pregnancy, but I was desperate for relief.  I spent the next couple months seeing the chiroprator 3 times a week (I've had chronic neck pain that had radiated into my arm since high school, which the Dr. said all that misalignment resulted in posture compensations, resulting in pain).  I've been going weekly now for a couple months and continue to notice the changes and can definitely feel the relief as the week progresses.  I will continue going weekly until the baby is born.  This is something I wish I would have been more open to in previous years.  It's amazing how the body compensates and reacts to posture changes, pain, decreased range of motion, etc. and all that can be affected because of it.  If there is anything I would recommend to pregnant women, or anybody who is experiencing minor pains, it is to consider seeing a chiropractor as an initial option before looking into more expensive treatments, which has some pretty immediate effects on the body.

UPDATE: As I get closer to the end of my pregnancy I continue to learn a lot from the chiropractor.  He is able to suggest important stretches that will help as labor approaches.  He is also able to make sure the ligaments supporting the uterus are all working together with even support to make labor easier by focusing work on the low back. 

Not as healthy as we thought.

     Boy am I severely disappointed, and a little worried.   Last week, my wife and I thought that we would hit Quizno's for a quick dinner. We knew that our sandwiches would not be overly healthy, but what we discovered was worse than we thought.   My wife had Gestational Diabetes when she was pregnant with our first son, and has had to be more conscious of what she is eating with the second.  After eating at Quizno's my wife tested her blood sugar and was a whopping 174, well above the recommended high of 120.  I ate a footlong Prime Rib and Peppercorn, and my wife had a torpedo split with our son ( a tiny turkey sandwich that endend up being mostly bread). When we returned home my wife researched some of the nutritional information for our Quizno's sandwiches and compared them to the Subway sandwiches we used to eat.  Unfortunately, neither sandwich turns out to be very healthy.  Below is a copy of my wife's research. The top sandwich is a six inch, and the bottom sandwich is a footlong.

	Oven roasted chicken (Subway)	Turkey torpedo (Quiznos) Full sandwich/what I ate
Calories	510	660/495
Fat	20	18/13.5
Sodium	1150	2150/1612.5
Carbs	54	92/69
Protein	26	31/23.25
	Roast beef (subway)	Peppercorn prime rib (Quiznos)
Calories	1010	1230
Fat	40	70
Sodium	2270	2670
Carbs	106	88
Protein	58	63

Update on yogurt

We've been making smoothies with our coconut yogurt.  Boy have they been yummy.  But I've noticed that the yogurt has been much firmer after a couple days in the fridge than after the initial 8 hours.  I still may add a little more gelatin with my next attempt, but now I know it really just needs a couple of days to really set up.  I am planning on trying an almond milk yogurt hopefully this weekend!!

Here is how I made my smoothies.  Of course you can put any fruit in it you want.  I've been putting a jar of the yogurt- probably 1 cup- a handful of frozen blueberries, small chunk of banana, and maybe a tsp of honey to sweeten into my blender cups and blend for about 30 seconds!  That has been yummy! Nice evening snack!

Non-dairy yogurt

Well, the yogurt didn't set up quite how I had hoped. I know the coconut milk yogurt tends to be a little runnier from reading comments. The flavor is great- just like yogurt with a slight hint of coconut. I think I will make what I have into smoothies for a nice healthy treat for us all. My next attempt, I will double the gelatin I used and see if that helps thicken it. I'm looking forward to the smoothies. We have lots of fresh berries, should be a yummy treat!

Cael very much enjoyed the yogurt as a smoothie!  Here are the results!! 

Taking another drink!!  Pretty good tasting- MMMMMMM!

Trying the smoothie with his hands! 

Non-dairy yogurt

My son, Cael, has a sensitivity to dairy products.  It can be challenging finding non-dairy versions of food that are somewhat healthy and not loaded with sugar or that seem to have no nutritional content.  I've been considering trying my hand at making some yogurt for him, but it's kind of a nerve racking food to attempt- so many things can go wrong.  I spent a couple weeks researching recipes from other people, and non of them seemed perfect, but also so may variances in the amounts of certain ingredients that would make the yogurt set up.  I sort of went off 2 different recipes, but also modified them and developed my own recipe.  I made a coconut milk yogurt, as it seemed like it might be nice and creamy.  So far it seems to be setting up great, but I'll know in the morning after it's had time in the refrigerator.  My experiement didn't seem to go too bad for my first attempt.