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!!!

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"... Jar

http://www.pinterest.com/savorthethyme/food-in-a-jar/

http://www.pinterest.com/mom_md/food-in-a-jar/ 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/meals-in-a-jar_n_1699545.html 

     I use a lot of jars to store my food in, in an effort to use less plastic. Some are Mason Jars and some are just jars that I've cleaned out after the peanut butter, salsa, jelly is gone.  I also like to use them to carry my snack or a meal when I am going out. The links above gives you lots of ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even gifts that can be made and stored in a jar.

      Its about trying new ideas, experimenting with new ways to "play" with your food. Let it be fun and exciting and as always, if it this doesn't work for you... take what you like and leave the rest. But try one or two recipes and see what you think. This would be a fun project to do with some friends or your kids. Or plan your family and friends birthday gift - in a jar!

Sunday's Nourishment...

  Homemade meals—especially mommy meals—are life's most pleasant fuel. 

~Terri Guillemets

 This Sunday let the memories of a favorite meal from your childhood linger ~ sit for a moment and remember.

Monday " Mention "... Whole Food Living Website...

 

Feeling overwhelmed, need some new ideas for meals, don't know how to adjust your favorite recipes to make them healthier, does going to the grocery store cause you stress, could you use some helpful strategies for making your time in the kitchen easier or are you feeling lost about how to choose gluten and or dairy free products and recipes? If you answers yes to any of these questions... I can help - http://www.wholefood-living.com/

Saturday " Supper "... Soup

 

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/persian-yogurt-soup-recipe.html

 Persian Yogurt Soup

If you are dairy free you can substitute the regular dairy yogurt with plain coconut or almond yogurt and Earth Balance for the butter. Don't let your different dietary needs stop you from making a recipe.

 Here are a few links to play with the idea of soup and see which ones will soon be on your families favorite list of meals.

 http://www.simplysoups.com/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/soup.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Soups-Stews-and-Chili/

Sunday's Nourishment...

Just listen to your body, eat in silence and see what feels good and you will spontaneously choose the foods that are beneficial to you. ~Deepak Chopra

Let today be simple... Your worries, your meals, your work. Allow simplicity to follow you through out your day!

Pick and Choose

        A good start to the new year is learning to "pick and choose" what products and foods will benefit you the most and lead you to a successful year of better health.

       I picked up this certified Gluten Free/ Dairy Free crust ( two pack) from Earthfare for $5.99 ( making each crust roughly $3.00 each). For me, I don't make a lot of desserts for the obvious reason - I would eat them ( as well as trying to cut down on consuming too much sugar). So rather then make a homemade crust I "picked and chose" to pay for the convenience and save my energy for meals that I cook on a daily basis.

        This crust worked great for the pumpkin pie I made  http://www.whole-food-living.blogspot.com/index.html.  It was a bit tough when eaten right out of the oven ( couldn't wait to try it ) but the next day the moisture from the filling gave the crust a nice softness. Crusts made without gluten are not going to be as tender or as flaky but I felt overall the product delivered just what I was looking for, which was convenience and a good taste and texture to compliment the pie filling. And I love that I have another crust waiting for me in the freezer ~ time well saved!

The Ingredients in the Pie Crust:

Brown Rice Flour

Water

Non-Hydrogenated Palm Fruit shortening

Organic Evaporated Cane Juice

Tapioca Starch

Potato Starch

Sea Salt

Aluminum Free Baking Soda

Xanthan Gum

If you want to learn more about Gluten free/ Dairy Free pie crusts, the different ingredients, as well as the many food ideas that pie crust can be used for - Visit me this January 2014 on facebook https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodLiving?ref=hl . And as always, you can find help with your nutritional needs by visiting me at :http://www.wholefood-living.com.

The Three "Ps" in the Kitchen...

1.Priorities ~ precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.

2.Planning ~ a process of thinking about and organizing activities required to achieve a desired goal.

3.Preparing ~ to make ready before hand for a specific purpose.

Has your kitchen become a place of convenience rather than a place of intention? Is your kitchen a place where healthy food options have taken a backseat to just getting something, anything on the table? If so, maybe the Three “Ps” can help.

“Priorities” help remind you of the importance or urgency when striving to make a lifestyle change in your eating habits. It can feel daunting, and full of new information, and it’s easy to want to give up before you get started. But keeping it a “Priority” will offer the little nudge you need to continue to move forward. It’s also about balance, if your eating strays and you find yourself back to (what feels like) square one, there is always another meal with which to start over. Be kind to yourself when learning a skill, it’s a process and that’s where “ Planning” can help.

“Planning” starts with finding a good system of writing down the meal ideas and shopping list. I have a calendar hanging up in my kitchen and each week at the top of the square, I put what we’re having for dinner. The kids love to go over and see what their eating that day. Often they have their own ideas which makes my job easier. Plan simple meals ( maybe crockpot meals) for days your schedule is hectic, I like to plan the meals that are more time consuming on Sunday when I have the most time. Finding the recipes is easy these days. If you don’t already have a great cookbook or recipes that have been handed down through the family, ask you friends what are some of their favorite meals and remember “google” is only a few clicks away. Once you have a plan, I keep a running shopping list on the side of my refrigerator so when I’m out of something or in need of an item for a recipe it’s already on my list. It may take a few tries to learn what works for you, but when you find  just the right rhythm, it will leave you confident in “preparing” that meal you can feel good about serving.

“Preparing” is where the magic happens. It’s where you marry flavors and then relish in the love affair of a healthy meal. Starting with reading over your recipe ( even the day before) so you can organize what is required to get done. If meat needs to be taken out of the freezer, put it in your refrigerator the night before or beans need to be cooked you can soak them ahead of time. Things like, stirring, chopping, measuring, and pouring can be assigned to others ( if you have helpers in the kitchen). The most important step is to have fun and savor feeling good about your decision to make eating healthy a priority. I promise you, you won’t regret it!


~ If your ready to make a change and/or need help with better food options - contact me at:
~ Nancy@wholefood-living.com http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

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