Are You Looking For Something To Read?

I have Fall Break on the brain. Seriously, we're done with lessons for the day, I've been getting fall clothes out of big rubbermaid basins, the sun is shining for the first time in what seems like weeks, I've made a fun meal plan and I'm gearing up for our trip to the mountains!

I still have to finish laundry, pack and pre-prepare a lot of food... but I definitely am not focusing on work... or the half a dozen email questions you've sent me. (I apologize, but I may not get to them all until we're back into our normal routine.)

Before I head off though, I wanted to tell you about a particular book I'll be reading over the break. That is, one that I won't be reading aloud. Reading to my kids is always so fun to me... and this time I'm especially looking forward to it because we have a slew of really inspiring children's fiction selections. But the one I'll be reading to myself is In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, by Michael Pollan.


After reading this book review at Passionate Homemaking, I found the book at my local library.

So far, I have only read the introduction and the first chapter, but I already enjoy Pollan's intellectual yet casual writing style. He comes right out and spills the whole book in the first lines. "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." It seems odd at first read the recommendation that we eat food. But Pollan argues that most of what we see on supermarket shelves is not food. I totally agree.

Yes, this all sounds strikingly similar to Dr. Rex Russell's three Biblical principles from What the Bible Says About Healthy Living. (Eat what God Made. Eat it as close to how God made it as possible. Eat everything in moderation.) But Pollan takes an entirely different approach to draw nearly the same conclusion.

Instead of searching the scriptures to find Health Advice, Pollan researched the evolution of "nutrition" and how this new science has changed eating (and food) as we know it. I am eager to find out more...

Stop on over at Passionate Homemaking to read more about this book... and I'll let you know what I learn when I get back!

Enjoy your Autumn, whether you are blessed with time off or just take a moment to fill your senses with the changing of seasons.

Buyer Beware

I was grocery shopping... does this sound like other posts I've started?


I was grocery shopping. I was looking for canned tomatoes, and I noticed that the large cans of a brand name of "diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano" were on closeout special. They were cheap!


I picked them up thinking - "How perfect!"


But, almost as an afterthought, I checked the label just in case there was MSG. I was surprised to find High Fructose Corn Syrup instead. In tomatoes!!! Since when do we need to sweeten our tomatoes?


I wouldn't have thought of HFCS in tomatoes, but this is just another case in point -- we've got to be in the label reading habit!


For more information on High Fructose Corn Syrup, check out this informative site. It is a well written response to the current ad campaign in support of HFCS. Of course I want you to read the whole article so that you know why you need to avoid the stuff. But for your convenience, I'll summarize. It states in brief:

The Bottom Line on Research….
You should avoid consuming high fructose corn syrup because of the following:
1. High-fructose corn syrup has been linked directly to obesity, diabetes and metabolic dysfunction.
2. High-fructose corn syrup elevates triglycerides levels, which can lead to heart disease.
3. High-fructose corn syrup is simply empty calories with no nutritional
value whatsoever.

Really, you could skim the whole article in 3-5 minutes... and meanwhile, I'm off to get a very late start on what I hoped would be a full afternoon of baking and food prep for our coming Fall Break.

The Great Granola Bar Challenge (recipe at the end)

Recently, Elizabeth at Yes.They're.All.Ours sweetly challenged me to makeover her recipe for Craisin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars. She wondered if they could be made any healthier, but still be as yummy. Two of my favorite things are chocolate and berries, so I immediately knew I was up for the challenge.

My first thought was that I wanted to soak the grains in order to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, making the grains more digestable and their nutrients more accessible.

My second consideration was what to do with the craisins. While I love their flavor, they always contain added refined sugar. But who wants to eat a cranberry that has not been sweetened? So, I nixed the craisins... and I thought of cherries, my very favorite fruit. And cherries go very well with chocolate... so I couldn't miss with cherries, right?

Well, I ran into a problem at the grocery store. I could only find cherries with added sugar. I know unsweetened cherries are available at Health Food Stores, but I did not have time to make that trip... plus they're pretty expensive.

So I thought I would just have to use apricots, since they are available unsweetened and taste yummy with chocolate and nuts. (In college I used to dip apricots in nutella for a "perfect" snack.) But before I left the grocery store, another idea popped into my mind. What about using a cherry "all-fruit jam"? Would that give the bars a cherry flavor without the added refined sugar? I figured it was worth a try.

On Monday I made my first batch of granola bars. I was hoping to call them Very Cherry Chocolate Granola Bars, but they were not very cherry. Even though I used the whole jar of Polaner All-Fruit Cherry jam, they still only had a hint of cherry flavor. They were good, and my children were pleased to eat them... but I thought there was room for improvement.

So, on Tuesday, I gave it another go. This time I used apricots... and we loved them. Now, if you are able to buy unsweetened, dried cherries, I still think they would be BEST. But, if you can not, the apricots were quite tasty with the chocolate and walnuts.

Here is the recipe... Elizabeth's original ingredients, then the ones I used in bold.

Chocolate Apricot Granola Bars

• 5 cups rolled oats (no change)
• 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (no change)
• 1 1/3 cup brown sugar (I used Sucanat, but you could use any natural sweetener that is not crystalized, such as Rapadura or Maple Sugar)
• 1 tsp baking powder (Make sure you buy non-aluminum baking powder.)
• 2 tsp cinnamon (I omitted this simply for our personal taste preferences.)
• 1 cup olive oil (I used melted coconut oil, but EVOO is fine.)
• 2/3 cup milk (For the soaking, I used 2/3 cup of warm water plus 2 Tbsp plain yogurt; then I omitted this milk.)
• 2 eggs (farm fresh!)
• 1 cup grated coconut (It's pretty easy to find unsweetened, grated coconut.)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (no change)
• 1 1/2 cup craisins (Use unsweetened cherries or apricots; unsulphered as well is best.)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (You can purchase naturally sweetened chocolate chips... I chopped mine the second time around so that there would be more chocolate bites throughout... or you could start with the minis.)
• I also added 1/2 tsp of salt the second time around, which really helped punch the flavor.

First, mix the oats and whole wheat flour. In a separate cup, mix 2/3 cup of warm water with 2 Tbsp of plain yogurt. Combine the grains and the liquids. I used my hands because I was better able to get the moisture more evenly distributed than with a spoon. Let the wet grains soak overnight or all day long, covered loosely.

When you are ready to make the bars, break apart the clumps of grains with your hands. Then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add the eggs and oil. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Spread on a cookie sheet or a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

These are delicious and nutritious. But remember to eat everything in moderation, even the good stuff!

Enjoy,

Making Maple Syrup Last

Once you make the decision to steer clear of refined sweeteners and artificial flavors, you can't buy the cheap "maple syrup" anymore. However... real maple syrup is expensive! (Think outside the grocery store box and look for a food co-op or a bulk food store in order to get a better deal.)

But what do you do on a perfect Saturday morning with six stacks of pancakes ready for six hungry mouths?

Here's what works for us:

I melt butter in a small saucepan and add the same amount of maple syrup. (So, that may be 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of maple syrup if I need a 1/2 cup of syrup in the end.) As it heats through, I stir it vigorously until it is completely combined and a pretty light brown color.

Not only do I get to skip buttering the pancakes... who wants to butter that many pancakes anyway? The children get more syrup on their pancakes, but only half of it is maple syrup. And the syrup is wonderfully warm, sweet, and buttery. Yum!

I actually got this tip from my dear sister-in-law several years ago. I don't know if she will even remember... but we have done it like this ever since. Thanks, Renee!

For more Works For Me Wednesday posts, visit Kristen and WeAreThatFamily.com.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Photo Credit: Allposters.com

Free Samples of Little Ducks Organics Snacks

This is a no strings attached freebie! I just signed up for this one... Go here to request free samples of Little Ducks Organics infant and toddler all-natural snacks.

Thanks, Mojo Savings and Money Saving Mom!

You've Just Gotta Watch This!!!

I posted the link for this video several months and a few hundred subscribers ago. It is called Toxic Brew, and I consider it a MUST SEE for every woman. I was reminded of it yesterday, but when I went to rewatch it, I noticed that the previous link is broken... so I'm posting it again.


Like I said, this is a MUST SEE. Do not clean your house again before you take the time to watch it!

If, after watching this short news segment, you wonder what non-toxic cleaning products I use, follow this link. I love them so much, I sell them!


To your health,

Meal Plans for the Week

What have you got cooking this week? Are you trying anything new? I suggest trying a new vegetable this week. Serve it along with a tried and true vegetable that you know your children already enjoy... but don't be afraid to pick out something you have not tried before!


How about Collards? My children like these greens since they don't wilt as much as spinach. Or how about Bok Choy? This is one of my favorite greens. Have you ever served your children fresh (not canned) beets? Or how about some of the wonderful fall squashes that are filling up our grocery stores?


Try something new with the aim to increase the color, quantity and variety of produce in your family's fare.


Here is what I have planned for this week --


Monday:
Mushroom, Spinach and Chicken Creamy Pasta with a Garden Salad. I don't have a good name for this meal, but it is one my children look forward to! It seems that when you make a simple cream sauce and include pasta (we use whole wheat or another whole grain blend), the children don't really mind the mushrooms.


Tuesday:
Make Yogurt in the Morning
Leek and Potato Soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits and a Garden Salad. The children recently read the book Twenty and Ten, in which the fifth graders speak about LOVING Leek and Potato Soup... so, naturally, they convinced me to make it for them. The Garlic Cheese Biscuits are a family fave... hopefully I'll post the recipe with pictures next week... and for the Cherry Chocolate Granola Bars I am making!


Wednesday:
Remember that Wednesday is our Family Frugal Night. Click here to read why I reserve one night a week for some combination of beans and rice.


Thursday:
I plan on making the Crock Pot Roast (from Grass-Fed Beef) that I didn't make the other week. We have plenty of potatoes to oven-roast and I also have a wealth of other greens that will need to be used up. I'll probably cook the whole mess and freeze what we don't eat for future soups. I think I will have chard, cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic left in the fridge.


I will also have to catch up on Baking... my plan is six loaves of bread, Love Muffins, and Banana Nut Muffins for next week's breakfasts. If I have the time, I may make some cookies to take on our Fall Break trip too.


Friday starts our Fall Break! YAY!!! I am so looking forward to our little family vacation... and I will have to clean out my fridge on Friday, so we will put together all the leftovers for a smorgasbord meal. I anticipate still having salad veggies too, so we can have that on the side... again... who ever heard of too much salad?!?