Sunday Nourishment...

 

"A good meal soothes the soul as it regenerates the body."

Frederick W. Hackwood

Find a meal this Sunday homemade or bought that will sooth your soul...

Saturday "Supper"... Freezer to Crock Pot Meals

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/02/10-slow-cooker-freezer-meals-in-less.html

http://www.thebusybudgetingmama.com/2013/01/freezer-crock-pot-meals-prep-day/ 

http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/10/easy-crock-pot-freezer-meals-2.html 

Check the links above to see how many meals you can make that go from freezer to crock pot. Saturday can be your day to you make up a weeks worth of meals and then each day pull one out of the freezer and let it cook while you do other things. 

 

Couldn't be easier!!!

Friday "Food Facts"... Jam, Jelly, Preserves

 

 What's the difference between Jam, Jelly and Preserves?

 

Jam -  the fruit is from the crushed fruit or fruit pulp often including the seeds

Jelly - is made only from the juice of fruit. The fruit is crushed and then everything is strained out but the juice.

Preserves - larger pieces of fruit are used

Here are recipe idea to make with Jelly, Jam and Preservers  http://www.yummly.com/recipes/cooking-with-jelly
 

Wednesday "Words"... Trail Mix

  http://www.mynaturalfamily.com/recipes/snacks-recipes/make-healthy-trail-mix-recipe/

http://blog.zisboombah.com/2012/07/11/grab-and-go-snacks-homemade-trail-mix-recipes-kids-can-make/ 

http://www.examiner.com/article/celebrate-national-trail-mix-day-12-healthy-trail-mix-recipes 

http://100caloriebags.com/magazine/100-calorie-trail-mix.php 

http://www.food.com/recipe/texas-cowpoke-trail-mix-15711 

       What does Nuts, Seeds, Dried fruit, Pretzels, Chocolate, spices all mixed together make? A delicious trail mix. Above are some links to help with ideas on making your own. After you make up a large batch, separate them out into small snack size portions and keep them in your car, in your purse and your lunch bag. I always have nuts in my car for those unexpected times when I'm out later then expected and get hungry.
       An alternative to a handful of trail mix are some Trail Mix Muffins http://bakingbites.com/2008/08/trail-mix-muffins/ .

Trail mix is a fun food to play with. You can add whatever tickles your fancy!

Tuesday "Try"... Salmon

 A busy day calls for a simple and quick meal. So I had this can of Wild Caught Salmon on my pantry shelf. I opened it up and mixed together some salmon patties.

Then I already had a kale salad made up in the refrigerator, so I made a a sauce of mayo, dill and lemon juice to put on the salmon patties... magic! Dinner is served in no time.

Salmon Patties

1 15oz can wild caught salmon

1 egg

2 Tb. mayo

1 tsp. mustard

1/4 cup finely cut onion

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 - 1/2 cup of bread crumbs

1 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

2-4 Tb. Mayonaise

1/4 -1/2 tsp. dill

1 Tb. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together - form into patties and fry in small amount of butter and oil.

Add any other spices that you like - tailor them to your taste. 

Don't be afraid to "play with your food"

Monday " Mention"... Environmental Working Group

http://www.ewg.org/foodscores 

http://www.ewg.org/foodscores/content/ewg-food-scores-state-of-americas-food-landscape

     The Environmental Working group had developed a data base you can access on your computer or phone to help with making healthier options when shopping at the grocery store. There are catagories to pick from and you put your product in their data base you they will give you a score based on different factors. So if you have a concern with a particular product in your cabinet and wondering if it's a healthy choice, put it in the data base and see the results. It's nice to have a tool that helps cut down on some of the confusion and buzz words when trying to pick and choose foods that will nourish our bodies.

EWG's Food Scores just took the work out of grocery shopping for me!: EWG's Food Scores rates more than 80,000 foods in a simple, searchable online format to empower people to shop smarter and eat healthier. Each item in the database is scored based on three factors: nutrition, ingredient concerns and degree of processing. a href='http://ewg.org/foodscores/'Check it out and see how your favorite foods score./a

Sunday's Nourishement...

 

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpiece - just good food from fresh ingredients."

Julia Child

Cooking a meal doesn't have to be hard. And complicated doesn't necessarily mean better tasting. Some of the simplest dishes can offer nourishment and good taste. So when you plan your next meal make something that brings you joy with  fresh ingredients. A simple salad or sandwich can be all you need for a meal.

Saturday "Supper"... Turkey Tetrazzini

     

     http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/budget-recipes/turkey-tetrazzini-2

    Tomorrow my oldest son is coming over ( he usually comes a couple times a month) and I always cook a meal for him to take home. So the first thing I do if I didn't have a meal from the day before that was a double recipe to share, I check my cabinets, refrigarator and freezer to see what I have that I can make.
     What I found today was some frozen turkey and in my cabinet, a box of spaghetti, cream and/broth in my refrigerator, put it altogether and the idea came to me... Turkey Tetrazzini. Next step is to "Google" other peoples recipes and see what ingredients they use.  Traditionally this recipe uses mushrooms and my son is not a fan, so this is when you take a recipe and tailor it to your families likes and dislikes, and what you have around your house. I will probable substitues peas and carrots instead of mushrooms because that's what I have and a lot of the other recipes I saw used that.  Also some of the recipes called for using milk, cream or stock. So I will pick from those choices and use what I have.
       The link above is just one of the many recipes for Turkey Tetrazzini, Don't be afraid to play with your food, some of the best dishes come from experimenting and/or mistakes!

Friday "Food Fact"... Pumpkin Seeds

    

 http://allrecipes.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/nuts-and-seeds/pumpkin-seeds/

     Pumpkin seeds make a great low calorie snack and you can add them to your salad, smoothie or in your morning cereal. They are an excellent source of Vitamin B which is known to help with stress as well as a rich source of iron. Just an ounce of seeds gives you 20-30 % of your daily allowance of iron. Need some protein in your day? One ounce has 7 grams of protein.
      Click on the link above and find your favorite way to add more pumpkin seeds to your day.

Thursday "Tip"...Soup

 

 http://www.amazingsouprecipes.com/
http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/soup_stew_food_facts.html#.VM2TLyxKqSo 

     With the weather still on the chilly side, a warm pot of soup is always "a good thing."  Plus it's a great way to have a filling meatless meal and lots of leftovers to freeze or to share. But have you ever found yourself having put to much salt in the soup? Just drop a peeled potato or slice of apple in and let it sit for a short period of time then remove and the potato/apple will absorb the excess salt.
     To learn more helpful tips, check out the links above, so you can make your family some soup to feed their soul.

Wednesday "Word"... Zinc

 

 http://www.drweilblog.com/home/2011/6/20/are-you-getting-enough-zinc.html

 Zinc is another good mineral to help the immune system during this season of colds and flu. Here are some foods that have Zinc to incorporate into your meal planning this month.

Nuts

Beans

Mushrooms

Flounder and Sole

Cooked Oysters

Wheat Germ

Spinach

Pumpkin Seeds

Red Meat

Chicken

Pork

Eggs

Lentils

Quinoa

Cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella)

And YES even Dark Chocolate

Tuesday "Try"... Beet Chips

 So often my ideas start with what I have in my refrigerator that needs to be eaten. Today it was beets! I wanted to do something different with then just steamed etc. so what I usually do is research ideas and what I came up with was beet chips. I sliced them really thin with my mandolin ( I asked for one for Christmas once - great time to ask for fun things to play with in the kitchen.), but you can just slice them thin with a sharp knife. Just try to be fairly consistent with the size of the slice so they will cook even. I coated them with coconut oil (or olive oil)...

then I laid them on these nice screen racks ( got this for my birthday once!!!) but you can use a cookie sheet. Baked them at 350 degree in the oven for about 10-12 min - as you can see mine were in there just a little to long ( oops forgot and got off doing other things).

But they were still very yummy! I had never made them before and next time I want to try a mix of beets,carrots, sweet potatoes and yucca. I may even make a dip to go with them.

Monday "Mention"... Revisit - Feingold Diet

 

       Almost two years ago one of the first post I wrote was about the Feingold Diet http://whole-food-living.blogspot.com/2013/05/is-your-pantry-making-you-sick.html. Don't let the word "diet" keep you from absorbing this valuable information. It was what brought my, now 33 year old son back a life of joy. If you feel you have tried everything you can think of, everything people have suggested, everything you've researched and read about and you know in your gut that your child's behavior and actions are not who they really are... look into this. Give it a try! It may not be the complete answer but I think you will notice a difference and your child(ren) will too. There is a facebook page to help with questions and support, so you don't have to go it alone. If you had a friend you could go on this journey with you, purchase the information and share, all the better.
       This is also where my journey to Whole Foods began. It wasn't something that happened over night It was one recipe, one decision at at time and I am still learning and making different choices for my health and the health of my family everyday.

Sunday's Nourishment...

 

"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning."

Meister Eckhart

On this Sunday cook with the heart of a child. Be a beginner, and don't sweat the small stuff. Let it be something yummy that warms your heart. Let it be simple and easy, then relax and enjoy!