Beef Stew

Okay, I must admit that soups/stews are my favorite thing to make, besides bread...lol. My husband has been begging me to make my stew for a few weeks, so here it is ;) Oh and take a look at that love-r-ly role in the background...I made that too! I might have mastered bread but it's a gamble when I make rolls, somehow I'm a little uncoordinated when it comes to shaping them and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't...today was a good day!

Beef Stew

1-2 lbs stew meat

2 cups baby carrots cut in half

3 stalks celery sliced

3 yellow potatoes

1 onion

1-2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Redmond Salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3-4 cups Beef Broth

4 cups water

1 cup white bean flour (thickens the stew)

1/2 cup barley

Brown beef, then add to large crockpot. Add carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, barley, and beef broth. In a bowl add water and whisk in white bean flour and spices. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. This makes a ton, cut the recipe in half if your not feeding an army like I am every night...lol! Enjoy!

*Just a couple of suggestions/thoughts: I love using bean flour as a thickening agent. It is sooo healthy and when combined with a whole grain, it makes a complete protein. Grain/Bean grinders are pricey but well worth the investment! If you do not have a grinder, even a small hand grinder, most of which are relatively inexpensive, will work great. I will also use barley, spelt or whole wheat flour as a thickening agent as well, but prefer bean flours.

Sweet Banana Muffins

As you've probably gathered I am going to continue my blog. I appreciate the comment made by Matt and answerfitness.com! I agree, this is useful information and deleting it would make it unavailable and if this info helps at least one person, then I've succeeded. Matt has a great blog and I encourage you all to check it out! There is a link for him on the sidebar of my blog.

I was craving something sweet and obviously with my uber clean eating I can't just go down on my ever favorite red vines, and I also had a pile of banana's that need to be put to good use...so I created this yummy concoction, or at least I hope you think so ;) Depending on the size of your muffins, this should make 12-16 muffins.

Sweet Banana Muffins

1/2 cup whole wheat or spelt flour

1/2 cup vanilla Protein Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bran cereal (I used Kashi Go Lean & Vive Cereal)

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

2 eggs whites or 1 egg

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup skim milk

2 or 3 large banana's

1 tablespoon baking powder (add last)

Combine dry ingredients, EXCEPT baking powder. Add in wet ingredients. Mix very well. Add baking powder and mix gently. Do not over mix! Bake at 400 for 14 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes or it will be mushy in the center. They are very moist! Enjoy!

Wish I Could Do It All...

I am going to be cancelling this blog. I wish I had time to maintain it, but I don't. If I do have an occasional fun recipe to share, I will post it to my family blog. Thanks for you thoughts, advice and nice comments!

Oatmeal Bread

This is one of my favorite bread recipes! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Oatmeal Bread

1 1/2 boiling water

1 cup oatmeal

Combine these two ingredients and set aside.

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons yeast (I use Saf Instant)

1/4 cup honey (optional, if you omit, use more molasses)

1/4 to 1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

7 cups wheat or spelt flour

1 cup white bean flour

1-2 cups more wheat flour, if needed

Combine water, yeast, honey, molasses, olive oil in your mixer. Mix gently until combined. Add Oatmeal Mixture, then add all flour at once and salt. Mix on a low speed until combined. If dough is still wet, add more flour until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. I like my dough more soft than dry. If your dough is too dry, it will fall. Add more oil (not water) to your dough until it softens somewhat. Mix on Medium speed for 5-8 minutes. Shape into loaves using oil or water on your hands to prevent sticking. Makes 2-3 loaves. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

Oatmeal and boiling water; set aside.

Water, oil, yeast, molasses, honey

Flour & Salt all added at once

Dough after 7 cups wheat & 1 cup white flour added (still too wet)

After two more cups of flour added, dough is cleaning sides of bowl. Not too dry. Remember to mix for 5-8 minutes after dough cleans side of bowl.

Shaped into loaves and set to rise until double (about 30 minutes)

Ready to go into oven (above)

Eating Clean

I've heard this phrase for years, eating clean and loved it. It truly does describe healthy eating. In all my efforts to try to lose weight over the years, this is the most consistent thing! Clean eating doesn't require you cut out important nutrients found in complex carbohydrates or cutting out good protein found in certain kinds of meat, or cutting out important nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. As I get more into bodybuilding, I'm learning the way to trim down fat and feed your body the healthiest way possible is to eat clean. Let me explain more about this...

I'm sure many of us love certain foods like:
Kraft Mac & Cheese
Boxed Cakes and Brownies
White Pasta
White Bread
Processed cheese
Frozen cartons of Whip Cream
Boxed Puddings and Jello-s
Canned soups and canned meals in general
Oreos
Most Boxed Crackers like Ritz, Cheese Nips
Chips
Candy Bars

I could continue to list these things that are super easy and pretty yummy but most all of them contain hydrogenated oils and frankly, I just can't pronounce all of the ingredients found in most of these. Now, I, Like the rest of you really enjoy a good oreo on occasion! They have to be eaten but not on a regular basis.

I challenge you to find a box or can of food that has simple ingredients...ingredients you can read and know what they are...it's hard to do! I've been a fan of Adam's Peanut Butter for years...why? Because it has three simple ingredients: Peanuts, Peanut oil, salt

Clean eating consists of food in it's most natural form. Chicken, eggs, whole grains, fruits & veggies, heart healthy oils (extra virgin olive oil, expeller pressed oils), Tuna, Beans, etc.

In the last two weeks, I've challenged myself to eat 6 small meals a day and to keep my diet clean. I've lost 12 pounds! No joke! I've cut only boxed, canned garbage from my diet. No cookies, candy, and junk of all kinds. Most of the meals I've put on this blog and will put on this blog will be clean. Is this difficult to do? Yes and no. Yes because I love certain junk like red vines and oreos and will miss eating them often. I will eat them but sparingly :) This is not difficult in the sense that I do not feel tired. I look forward to my next meal (eating every 3 hours), and oddly do not find myself craving anything in particular because my body is being nourished the right way.

To find more info on Clean eating click here.

Chicken Basil Penne Pasta

The kids wanted pasta tonight and I just was not in the mood for traditional Spaghetti so here's my invention...a hit...yay!

Chicken Basil Penne Pasta

3 Chicken Breasts cut into bite-size chunks

1/2 white onion sliced

1 garlic clove crushed/minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

3-4 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil (found at Smiths, great for high heat sauteing)

1-2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli

1 red bell pepper sliced

1 tablespoon dried basil (I wish I had fresh on hand, that would be yummier)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 13.25 oz box whole wheat penne pasta

Prepare Penne as directed on the box. In a large wok or skillet saute chicken for 4-5 minutes in Grapeseed Oil. Then add onion, broccoli, red bell pepper and spices. Saute for an additional 3-4 minutes, adding water if it seems dry. Add drained penne pasta to the chicken mixture. Add another tablespoon or two of grapeseed oil, and saute with the noodles for another few minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if you so desire and serve.

Omelet Taco Salad

I made taco salads the other night and my hubby D was in the mood for eggs as well, so he decided to make and omelet and then pile on all the taco salad stuff...I thought it was a yummy idea and took a picture. Also, years ago I found a great Taco Seasoning recipe in one of my favorite books Set For Life, that I'm going to post. I've modified it a little to make it a little more healthy, Jen style.


Omelet Taco Salad

Flat Unfolded Omelet

2-3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
salt
pepper
2-3 tablespoons Quinoa (optional)
(add onion, peppers, mushrooms if you desire)

Whisk eggs and seasonings together in a bowl. Using a small omelet size fry pan, turn the heat to medium high. When the pan is hot, spray well or add 1 tablespoon olive oil or my favorite, grapeseed oil (found at Smiths Marketplace). Pour in eggs. Using a spatula gently lift the edge of the eggs and allow the eggs from on top to go underneath. Repeat this along the entire edge until most of the runny eggs on top are cooked. Gently slide the Omelet onto a plate and flip the uncooked side back into the fry pan. Cook until slightly brown. ( I hope this wasn't too confusing and I know there are many ways to make omelets!)

Green Salad

1 head red leaf lettuce washed and cut into thin strips
2 large leaves of kale finely chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 small bag of spinach
1 red onion
1 carrot grated
1 red pepper thinly sliced

Taco Meat

1-2 lbs. Ground Turkey
1 onion chopped
2-3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
2-3 tablespoons water

Brown ground Turkey and onion, add water and taco seasoning, simmer for 5 minutes.


Taco Seasoning

1/3 cup dry minced onion
2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons spelt flour or white/pinto bean flour

Mix ingredients and store in airtight container. I usually double or triple this recipe and it is much cheaper and yummier than the packages of taco seasoning you would buy at the store.

To Make:

Put omelet on your plate, heap salad on top. Spoon the taco meat on top of the salad and top with salsa, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Shake, Shake, Shake it!

Since I've sworn off sugar for a little while, my new favorite indulgence are my protein shakes. Now, for those of you who don't know what protein shakes are...let me share a little of what I know, which of course I'm no expert! You can usually buy protein powders in most health food stores or in the health food section of most grocery stores. I buy mine at my gym GOLDS. There are several different kinds of protein; soy, egg, whey. What I use for my shakes come in powder form and in different flavors. Why take protein like this? Well, it's quick, easy, healthy and a great supplement before or after you work out and since I hit the weights hard core 6 months ago, I have to have it right after my workout or I'm dead tired and super sore! My favorite form of protein is the Building Blocks Whey Protein Isolate/Egg White Complex Protein. Most whey protein would give me indigestion for some weird reason, so I tried soy protein but it was just not cutting it. My trainer recommended this protein and I've had no problems with it at all and love creating new shakes for variety. Just to give you an idea of this supplements nutritional value; for one scoop (pretty large in my opinion), you have 128 calories, 2 grams fat, 3 grams carbs, 1 g sugar, 25 g protein, 140 g potassium. It is loaded with vitamins and Amino Acids.



Here are a few ideas for shakes:





Rocky Road


1 cup ice
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
8 ounces water or lowfat milk ( I use water only or soy milk, my hubby likes lowfat milk )
1 tablespoon Adam's Peanut Butter or one small handful toasted almonds
1-2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
1/3 of a banana
1 teaspoon Cocoa (optional)


Blend well. YUM!

Lemon Mango (this is my fav!!!)

1 cup frozen mango (if using fresh, add ice)
Cover mango with water
1-2 tablespoons Barleans Lemon Zest Omega Swirl (this stuff is so yummy, it's drinkable and hard to believe it's fish oil!)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Let the frozen mango's sit in water for 5 to 10 minutes, then blend all ingredient together.

Strawberry Banana

1 cup strawberries
Cover strawberries with water
1 scoop vanilla or tropical berry protein powder
1-2 tablespoons Barleans Strawberry Banana Omega Swirl (optional)

Blend well.

Mac & Cheese

This is so yummy! I can't really claim it as my own though. I did make a few variations from the original. My inspiration came from Chef Brad and this meal he made during one of his classes during Education Week at BYU.

Mac & Cheese

2-4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove minced

1/3 cup spelt flour

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 to 1 cup cooked Quinoa (optional)

2 lbs Pinwheel Pasta

2-3 cups Mexican Cheese Shredded

salt

pepper

Cook pasta as directed on the package. Saute Onion and Garlic in a large skillet or Wok. Whisk in spelt flour, creating a paste. Add more butter if it is too dry. Let it simmer for a minute or so. Whisk in vegetable or chicken stock until well blended, as it thickens add milk, salt and pepper to taste. Add more milk if you'd like the sauce thinner. Add quinoa and pasta. sprinkle cheese on top and cover. Let simmer on low for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

*The original called for half n half instead of milk and vegetable broth and a little more quinoa. I liked using regular milk because I just didn't have the creamier stuff in my fridge and I like the flavor of the broth.

Oatmeal Bars

Okay, so I love, love, love cookies! Actually I love anything that has even a remote amount of sugar in it. I'm not kidding you at all. I would eat sugar for every meal if my body would let me but unfortunately, I'm still trying to achieve that "perfect" size and it will never be achieved by eating this way. So, here I am trying to make my sweets a little more rational. I'm big on taking a recipe and substituting anything I can that will make it more healthy. I often do go too far to where the food I'm trying to make more healthy tastes nothing like the real thing. I'm trying to learn that balance! I love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, so I thought I'd try substituting in some of those grains that are so packed with nutrition and see if anyone would notice. To my great surprise no one noticed and the family ate the whole pan! Wahoo! Here's the recipe. I wish I had a picture to go with it, but they were eaten too fast, hehe.

Oatmeal Bars

3/4 cup Canola Oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 Xagave Syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup spelt flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup 9 grain cereal, cooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Cream oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, except baking powder and mix well. Add baking powder last and stir ingredients only a few times until baking powder is mixed in. Spread batter in a 10 x 15-inch lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Check the center to make sure it has baked through. It will be lightly browned on top.

Red Quinoa & Lentil Meatloaf

Okay, don't let the title of this dish scare you! Read on people...

Red Quinoa & Lentil Meatloaf

1 onion diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cooked lentils (I used red lentils)

2 carrots cooked carrots

2 eggs

1 lb Ground Turkey

1 cup Red Quinoa, cooked

1 cup chili sauce or tomato sauce

1-2 teaspoons Redmond Salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-2 tablespoons basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Saute Onion in butter. Set aside and let cool. Puree lentils and carrots and eggs in a blender. Mix together all ingredients with hands, making sure all ingredients are room temperature and not too hot. Spray an 8x8 baking dish. Spread ketchup or tomato sauce on top. Cook at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in order for it to set.

Just a few tips: Cooking Quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup Quinoa, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in your freezer for 1 month or more.

Cooking Lentils: Place 1 to 2 cups of lentils, cover lentils with water, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. DO NOT ADD SALT, it take much longer to cook with salt added, same with tomatoes! If you need to add more water, you may do so. For this dish, I drained the water and put the lentils in baggies in my refrigerator.

My family loved this and I was shocked! The dish was a little crumbly because I didn't let it cool and set but other than that it was yummy! Let me know how yours turns out ;)

Salmon Clam Chowder

This is the stuff! My husband loves this soup...so I'm posting it in his behalf ;)

3-4 tablespoons butter
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup spelt, barley, brown rice flour (equal parts of each) or just whole wheat flour
3 cups chicken, vegetable broth
3 large potatoes (red or yellow are my favorite)
2-3 cups half and half
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons basil (dried) or fresh
2 small cans skinnless, boneless salmon with juice
1 can diced clams with juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup white bean flour

Saute onion, garlic, peppers and celery in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, add flour and whisk until it's a thick paste. Slowly add broth, whisk in until blended. Add potatoes. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are soft. Add half and half, spices, salmon and clams and whisk in white bean flour. You do not need to worry about clumping the white bean powder will help the soup thicken. Do not add the white bean powder if your soup is already thick. I like to add this last as it does not clump up like flour and I'm not a fan of cornstarch. Besides, this is a great way to use your beans and it makes the meal much more healthy! You can't taste it at all, I promise! Let the soup simmer on medium low for 10 to 15 minutes. This fully cooks the bean powder and lets the true flavor of the soup develop. This is the most important part! Be careful that your soup doesn't come to a full boil after you've added the half and half. Keep the heat below medium.

(if for any reason your soup is too thick, add water, broth or milk)

Enjoy!!!

Mighty Tasty...Good News!

I posted about Mighty Tasty last week and I just discovered that the Mighty Tasty Gluten Free Hot Cereal is sold by Bob's Red Mill. The good news is you can get that pretty much anywhere Bob's Red Mill Products are sold! Go try some...it's so delicious!

Chicken Pot Pie....um Vegetarian Style?!

1 box Rachel Ray Chicken Stock (approx 2-3 cups)

4 carrots diced

3 potatoes cubed

1-2 teaspoon salt

pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

Put in a pot and bring to boil, then turn to medium heat and cook until soft.

3-4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely diced

1/3 cup spelt, barley, brown rice flour or just whole wheat or spelt flour

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon dried parsley (add last after all ingredients are combined)

1/2 to 1 cup cooked Quinoa

Melt butter in a large saucepan or wok, add onions and cook 1-2 minutes, then whisk in flour to create a thick paste...add more butter if it is too dry or more flour if it is too wet. Then add 1 cup of milk (rice, soy or any milk will do) and whisk until all ingredients are blended. Once it becomes thick, add the carrot, potato and broth mixture to the thick sauce and mix until thick. Lastly add, the cooked Quinoa.

Biscuit's

1 cup whole wheat flour (or spelt)

1 cup white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil (unrefined, expeller pressed)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon Rumford baking powder (add last)

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil, egg and milk. Stir until well combined. Add baking powder, and stir only until baking powder is mixed (do not over stir).

Pour sauce into a 9x13 inch pan, drop the biscuits by spoon on top of the sauce mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the biscuits begin to turn brown on top.

I served this to my family the other night and as we were eating realized that I did not add chicken! In all my excitement I didn't add it to my veggies....so we had a great vegetarian meal and everyone loved it! We were taking the challenge of living off of our food storage so we were out of lettuce and so we used our sprouts with a super yummy dressing I invented and tomatoes. My kids loved it and to me that spells success! My kids love this dressing on everything now.

Here is the dressing for those interested:

Balsamic Dream

1/2 cup expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup expeller pressed Walnut Oil (I buy mine at Smiths)

2 tablespoons Lemon Zest Omega 3 Flax Oil (Barleans is the brand, found at Dave's Nutrition)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-2 garlic cloves finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1-2 teaspoons minced dried onion

I put this dressing in a shaker. The flax oil binds the ingredients together and does not immediately separate like other vinaigrette's. It will separate over time but not as quickly as other dressings. If you choose to not use the lemon Flax oil, the regular flax oil will work, the flavor might not be something you like, but you can experiment with it. Store in your refrigerator. This should keep for at least a month or more.

Quinoa

I would like to try and "spotlight" one grain a week...give or take depending on how many yummy recipes I can include for each. This week I'd like to introduce you to Quinoa. I had never heard of this grain until about 5 years ago. I'd never really learned what I could do with Quinoa until this last year. Quinoa is such a pretty grain and when cooked is light and fluffy. I just learned during Education Week from Chef Brad that Quinoa also comes in red and black! This is such a powerful grain! It is loaded with all kinds of nutrition. Here is a list of some of those poweful nutrients:

• Complete Protein: This grain provides all of the 9 essential amino acids (I personally thought the only place to find all essential amino acids were in meat, shows how much I know!)
• Magnesium: Helps regulate and maintain healthy blood pressure
  
• Fiber: Keeps the colon functioning properly.
  
• Manganese & Copper: Great minerals that protect agains cancer and disease.
  
• Calcium: To build strong bones and teeth.

Quinoa (pronouced Keenwah) helps regulate blood sugar, is gluten free and can be used in almost anything you cook! Because of the high content of protein it is very beneficial when eaten regularly during pregnancy and can increase your milk supply when nursing. I often make several cups of this and keep in in my refrigerator for up to a week or you can store it in your freezer.

Here are a few ideas for your cooking:

• Breakfast cereal: You can have this alone for breakfast with honey or Agave or you can add it to your oatmeal or any other hot grain cereal you choose for breakfast.
• Shakes: I often add this to my fruit or protein shakes and you can't even tell it's there.
• Salads: This wonderful grain can be added to any salad! I love it in pasta salads and especially in fruit salads or sprinkled over your green salads. It has such a wonderful texture and mild nutty flavor.
• Stir Fry's: Try adding this to your rice or in place of it. It is yummy!
• Soups: I love adding this to any soup or stew I make.
• Meat: I love adding this to my ground turkey or beef to make it go further and more nutritious. It is great in taco's, especially the red Quinoa. I added it to my Spaghetti the other night and the kids loved it!
• Bread: I add the flour or the cooked grain to my homemade bread each week.

To cook Quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup Quinoa and turn to low. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Pressure cook for 7 minutes.

For more information on other informational websites click here and here

Sprouts

When I think about sprouts, I usually think of those little plastic boxes in the grocery store or of the bean sprouts used in most oriental dishes. Let me tell you, sprouts go so far beyond that! I bought a great book years ago, you can find it on Amazon.com

It is called The Sprouting Book. I also took some great classes at a local store here called Kitchen Kneads where I learned more about sprouting. Did you know that you can sprout any grain or bean as long as it has not been stored for food storage? Did you also know that it increases in nutrition tripling it's nutritional value? Did you also know that sprouting a bean or grain changes it to a vegetable? These are just a few of the amazing things about sprouting!

This week our Relief Society gave us a challenge to 'pretend' that the truckers have gone on strike and are not delivering food to our local stores. I decided to take this challenge and let me tell you the first thing I run out of are veggies! I wish my garden was functioning this year like it was last year but it isn't, so the first thing I'm doing is soaking my seeds overnight and pouring them into my sprouters and I'm going to put together some salads using my sprouting seeds and grains.

The first time I tried sprouted grains and beans I wasn't exactly excited about it. The taste of some of them definitely wasn't appetizing but some seeds and grains are tasty, I think and just a small amount provide loads of nutrition.If you are interested in sprouting, let me give you a few tips. It is, I think, very important to have a good sprouter. They are not expensive and most can be found online or at your local health store. I bought mine at Kitchen Kneads. They also carry a great mix called Pro Vita Mix. Pro Vita is a combination of Alfalfa seeds, fenugreek, and radishes. You can buy Alfalfa seeds, which are the most tasty of seeds for sprouting. Also, try sprouting your beans and grains by soaking the seeds, grains or beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. After the soak, pour them into your sprouter, rinse well and put the lid on top. Rinse again in the evening. Some people rinse several times a day but I've found this isn't necessary. I only rinse in the morning and again in the evening. Rinse in cold tap water holding it under the water for at least 30 seconds. You don't need to use your hands to rinse them, just hold the sprouter under the water. Make sure all the water drains from the sprouts before putting it back. Also, you can sprout in a mason jar poking holes in the lid or leaving the lid off, but it just doesn't work as well as the sprouters. It's really important that the seeds get plenty of air evenly and the mason jars just don't provide that as well. After one day you should see that the seed, grain or bean has a small tail on it. It has changed at this point and is ready to eat from that point on. Some seeds taste better after they have sprouted for 3-5 days (especially alfalfa) while others like grains taste better within a day or two of sprouting (beans and grains). One important tip: take the lid off of your alfalfa sprouts around day 4 or 5 to allow for the sprouts to get plenty of chlorophyll. This is so nutritious for you and also allows the sprouts to green up. You can experiment around with what tastes best to you.

Here are a few pictures of the Pro Vita Mix...this is a great topper for enchiladas, tacos or sandwiches.

Day One

Day Three

Day 5 (ready to eat)

Mighty Tasty

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup Mighty Tasty (found at Kitchen Kneads)

Agave Syrup

Peaches

Milk

Bring water to boil, add Mighty Tasty. Stir well, and turn heat to low. Simmer until cereal is to your desired thickness. Serve with peaches, agave syrup and milk.

This is one of my favorite breakfast meals! This great mix, is made by coarsely grinding brown, rice, corn, buckwheat and sorghum. I buy this meal ready made at a local store called Kitchen Kneads. It is gluten free.

I would just like to add that almost all of the grains make great hot cereal. Oatmeal is made by rolling the whole grain called oat groats. Oat groats are very yummy eaten as a whole grain as well as rolled in the form of oatmeal. Always remember that the ground or cracked cereals require a little more water. 2 or 3 cups water to 1 cup of cracked or ground cereal. Oat groats, brown rice, or any other whole grain cooked is cooked with 2 cups water to 1 cup of grain. Bringing water to boil, then adding grain, turning it to low for 45 minutes. Yes, cooking these grains takes longer and can often be put in a crock pot on low over night. Also, if you have a pressure cooker, it can be done in around 12 minutes. Eating whole grains for breakfast surpasses the nutrition found in cold cereals and will leave you and your family full for much longer. I've been feeding my kids these cereals all week and they are full until lunch! Within an hour of eating cold cereal my kids are asking for food...and it drives me crazy! Enjoy experimenting around with your grains for breakfast.

Comfort

I grew up in a very healthy home. My parents were not only concerned about eating frugaly but eating well. My mom made wonderful bread and she was known for her cinnamon rolls. They were so yummy that when my now husband came over to meet my family for the first time he had a least 2 or 3 of these whole wheat cinnamon rolls. I really couldn't understand why he left shortly after and sped home...LOL. I definately grew up understanding the importance of eating right. We ate veggies, fruits and whole grains. I didn't think anything much about the way we ate until I went to school and all my friends were eating white bread with ham and cheese, chips and a twinkie. I had a butter, peanut butter, honey sandwich or tuna sandwhich on whole wheat bread with carrots and celery. Most of the time I didn't eat my lunch. I loved my mom's meals don't get me wrong! She made the best enchilada's! We didn't grow up eating processed food and that set me apart from the rest. I hated it but now find myself feeding my children the same way. The one thing I want to achieve is the healthy eating with all the taste of comfort. For years I've cooked whole grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice among many other healthy efforts gone bad like whole wheat pastry crust with olive oil. I also remember making Pumpkin Pie with apple juice concentrate as a substitute for sugar...YUCK! I've made many healthy things that just didn't taste good. I'm not the best cook but love to experiment and try new things. I want to put the comfort back in the foods we eat but without the guilt. I've learned so many things over the years about nutrition and want to share what I've learned and I want to get some ideas from you as well. Heaven knows there is so much out there that I still do not know...so share your ideas with me! Post them in comments or e-mail me your ideas and I will post them on my blog. I hope with each post to have a recipe. I also hope that in this I can share ideas about home food storage and how to use it in your every day cooking. Please share your thoughts and ideas with me good and bad!