TwoBGardening

My new Favorite place to Eat: Great Harvest Bread Co.

2012-02-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

If you have been with me for awhile you know that I'm trying to turn my diet around and eat healthier, more organic, less processed, real foods. So when I find a Real Food blog, I get excited. I know, sounds dorky, but that's me- the Food Dork :)

Recently I stumbled on a great blog about "Real Food", KathEatsRealFood. She has wonderful pictures of her yummy breakfast, lunch and dinners. Also, her husband owns "Great Harvest Bread Co." in Charlottesville, Va. (If you are near cville, you gotta go eat here).

The smell is so delicious your mouth starts to water upon entering the door. There are so many breads, muffins, cookies, scones, cinnamon rolls.... We bought a loaf of Dakota and a loaf of Cheddar Garlic to take home. For lunch I had the Twin Oaks tofu and pesto sandwich, the best sandwich I've had in a long time.

I must say, the people there were soooo nice and you could tell they loved their jobs. They were dancing and welcoming customers as they walked in. Oh, and they give you samples to try. The chocolate cookie was oh so gooey. It's a great thing to see employees happy :)

This is now my new favorite place to eat. Thanks Great Harvest, You Rock!!

Jalapeno Poppers

2012-02-08T14:21:00.004-05:00

Jalapeno poppers are one of my favorite foods. I love the cream cheese and cheddar mixture inside. Oh so creamy and gooey.

When I went to my local grocery store and they had a pack of jalapenos on discount I thought "this is my chance to try and make the poppers." There were 9 jalapenos for only $0.31. WOW!

Into the kitchen I went and started mixing and stirring. Here's what I came up with.

5 Jalapenos cut in half and seeds removed
4 oz. cream cheese- softened
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs for sprinkling on top

Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stuff jalapenos with cream cheese mixture. Place in small casserole dish and sprinkle bread crumbs on top of jalapenos. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Enjoy!!

The best part is it only cost $1.50 for all 10 halves. Yum!!

Obsessed with Bagels

2012-02-07T13:35:00.003-05:00

Bagels, Bagels, Bagels.... I think of Bagels all the time now!

Garlic Bagels, cinnamon raisin Bagels, plain Bagels, rosemary Bagels, the possibilities are endless. Last week I made 11 cinnamon raisin bagels. My intentions were to take some to my Grandmother to try, that didn't happen. Two days later, no bagels. I'm not sure what happened, all I know is my sister, her husband and four kids were over and wham! No more bagels.

Time to head to the kitchen and make some more. This time I'm trying rosemary garlic bagels. Yum, they are so delicious and very cheap to make. Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers is having a Real Food- Low Cost Challenge. She is making recipes and calculating the cost of making. I calculated my cinnamon raisin bagels and it only cost me around $0.19 cents a bagel to make. That's way cheaper that store bought frozen bagels. Like I say, it IS cheaper than you think to eat healthy.

Ahh, for the love of bagels. Maybe one day I'll have my own bakery and everyone can enjoy my bagels.

Tomorrow's menu: Build your own tacos. Can't wait to see how much they cost.

What's your favorite at home recipe? How much does it cost to make?

It's a No-Go for the Tofu and my Teenager

2012-01-29T16:17:00.003-05:00

(Krista)

Well, you probably guessed it, she didn't like it. Actually she wouldn't even try it. She knows me to well. I'm always trying to get her to eat "weird" food and she has caught on. She did try a noodle and said "it's ok." My 6 year old niece tried the tofu and liked it. She actually had seconds, way to go Krista.

So there you have it, give your kids "weird" food when they're young so they will eat it when they are teenagers.

Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

2012-01-23T12:08:00.002-05:00

This recipe is so yummy I had to share it with you. I wanted to make something with tofu that I thought my daughter would eat. So here goes:

Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry:

8 oz. tofu, drained
13 oz. of teriyaki sauce (I bought a bottle from grocery store)
8 mushrooms, halved
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 pkg. spaghetti noodles
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

First you need to marinate your tofu. Drain your tofu and slice into 1/2" thick pieces. Place your tofu into a dish. Mix garlic powder with teriyaki sauce and pour over tofu. Just enough to cover. Probably about 1/4 of a cup, I didn't measure. Place in refrigerator while your prepping everything else.

Boil a large pot of water and add your spaghetti noodles. Cook until tender, drain. In medium skillet add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Saute onions, mushrooms and minced garlic with 2 Tbsp. soy sauce. Cook until onions are tender. (I could eat just this for my meal, YUM)

Take your tofu out of refrigerator and fry in skillet, you can use the same skillet that you used to cook the onions and mushrooms in. Cook 4-5 mins. on each side. I used my cast iron skillet because it had ridges. I thought the lines in the tofu would help trick my daughter into thinking it was meat. :)

In large bowl pour in spaghetti noodles, broccoli, mushroom and onions. Add tofu and remaining teriyaki sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It's so yummy. Alexis (my daughter) isn't home from school yet, but I'll let you know if she likes it or not. Keep your fingers crossed.

Homemade Bagels with Pesto Cream Cheese

2012-01-16T13:19:00.004-05:00

Why? Why? Why? Have I never tried making homemade bagels before, I have no idea. They are so yummy. Crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside.

I got out my bread machine this morning and was going to make some focaccia bread but ran across a bagel recipe and thought I'd give it a try. Ahhh, I'm glad I did. I just used the recipe from the bread machine book.

Bagels need cream cheese right? How about pesto cream cheese. Here's how I made my pesto.

1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 sprig of rosemary
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese- softened

Put all ingredients, except cream cheese, in food chopper and blend until nice and smooth. Add more olive oil if it's to pasty. In large bowl pour your pesto in and add cream cheese. Stir well until all is mixed and creamy. Spread cream cheese on your delicious bagels and enjoy.

Also try drizzling on some honey and sprinkle with cinnamon, on the other half of course. Yummy!!

Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

2012-01-16T10:31:00.003-05:00

Everyone needs a healthy breakfast to start their morning right. Well, at least I do. No, coffee and a donut don't count. Our favorite quick breakfast ideas are yogurt parfaits and warm oatmeal.

Yogurt parfait can be made many many different ways. I usually use granola, yogurt and what ever fresh fruit I have on hand. Layer it in a pretty glass and wow, breakfast is beautiful. It's also very yummy and healthy. You can substitute granola for oats or nuts. The kids love it :)

Warm oatmeal is my favorite breakfast. I use to eat cream of wheat all the time. I only cooked with oats, you know, oatmeal raisin cookies. One day I decided to try them for breakfast, no not the cookies. I heated up some water, added it to my oats. Threw in some raisins, honey and some cinnamon= WOW. What a awesome breakfast! I have been hooked ever since. So yummy!

What are your favorite quick and healthy breakfast ideas?

Cleaning out my Pantry: Part 2

2012-01-10T14:48:00.006-05:00

(Before)

No, your not looking at the same pictures. There is a little difference. I got rid of some "junk". For the most part my pantry is pretty healthy. I try to can a lot of my food from my garden in the summer so I don't have to buy processed vegetables that are loaded with salt and other preservatives. I eat a lot of beans and honey is my favorite sweetener. But I still needed to give the cabinets a "cleaning".

(After)

This year I have decided to teach my 17 year old how to grocery shop. I want her to learn how to check the item to see what price she is paying per ounce. You know, the little sign on the shelf that tells you "29.1 cents per oz". This way she can compare different items with coupons to see which is her best offer. She has also started clipping coupons.

Our agreement was that I would buy the main food to make meals and such. Any "junk" food that she wanted she would have to shop for. I'm hoping this will show her also how expensive junk food is. I hear people say that it is so expensive to eat healthy, I think it's expensive not to. If you can grow some of your food, you can cut back on your grocery bill significantly. That's a whole other post.

The left side of the cabinet is my side and the right side is hers. We'll have to see what gets put on her side. Betcha is won't be much....

Cleaning out my Pantry and Getting Real

2012-01-04T13:10:00.002-05:00

Once a Month mom has a "Get Real 2012" challenge. It's a year long series of helping you change to "whole foods". I did the "100 days of real food" challenge back in the fall. I only did the "mini" challenge of 10 days. But let me tell you, I never felt better. I'm not going to lie and tell you it was easy, it's hard to come up with recipes your whole family can eat. And cooking goodies, that's another challenge. Love the re-fried bean recipe.

One of my new years resolutions was to try and eat vegan. That has only lasted for 4 days. I miss my cheese and eggs. I'm defiantly stopping the meat though. This series from Once A Month Mom will help me to get back on track with healthy whole food eating. They have every month planned out with different topics each month. Jump over and check it out.

January is Pantry cleaning with Lisa from "100 days of Real Food".
I'm headed to the kitchen for a little cabinet cleaning. Join me and clean out your cabinets.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T14:38:00.002-05:00

Welcome 2012! A new year and new goals.

Last year I meet a lot of my goals:

-replaced back door
-removed skylights
-paid off two credit cards
-got 4 more chickens
-got rid of bamboo

Still working on:

-paying off last credit card (only 2 payments left)
-saving up 3 months worth of monthly bills

Goals for 2012:

-Give More (give more of God's money back to him)
-eat more meals at home
-try to eat as much of a vegan diet as possible (I love my cheese)
-expand my garden to be more fruitful this year
-finish master gardener class and get certified (starts Jan. 11)

All in all, I'm very blessed to have what I need. God is good. Let's see what He has in store for 2012.

Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

2012-01-01T14:33:00.002-05:00

Has anyone every grown shiitake mushrooms? A local farmer told me that you can make pretty good money growing these and selling them to local restaurants. I have done a little research and am thinking about growing some. They don't seem to hard to grow, just need time. Any suggestions would be GREAT!!

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Oat Muffin

2011-12-07T15:15:00.004-05:00

These muffins are so moist and yummy they won't last long. If your trying to find ways to sneak in healthy foods for your kids, this is your muffin. Just tell them it's pumpkin muffins. It worked for my nephew. He didn't know a thing. You can use pumpkin if you don't have sweet potato or butternut squash.

Muffins:
1 cup pureed sweet potato
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp homemade vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp melted butter

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Grease muffin pan
-In a large bowl mix cane sugar, brown sugar, egg and softened butter until creamy. Add sweet potato and mix well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until blended well. Stir in vanilla
-In medium bowl combine topping ingredients and mix until well incorporated
-Pour muffin batter into pan, filling about 3/4 full
-Spoon heaping tablespoons of topping on top of muffins and gently push down to make mixture stick to muffins
-Bake for 25-30 minutes

These muffins with some homemade applesauce and breakfast is done. Or toss a muffin in lunch with homemade fruit leather. Your kids will love it.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-17T15:16:00.004-05:00

STOP!!! Don't throw out those pumpkin seeds. Roast them and eat them.

Once you have all the seeds out of your pumpkin, rinse seeds off with water to get off all the stringy stuff. Pat dry with paper towel.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Take 1 Tbsp. oil or butter and grease small cookie sheet. I used a 10 x 5 pan. Mix seeds and spices together until evenly coated. Pour onto cookie sheet. Make sure the seeds are evenly spread out. We want every little seed to get even baking time. Bake for 20- 30 minutes.

Garlic Pumpkin Seeds:
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Seeds:
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Veterans Day: Thank You!!

2011-11-11T07:33:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all the men and women who have served or are serving our country. Freedom is not Free and I pray for our soldiers who are away from home that they will return safely. Thank you for all you do. May God bless you and keep you safe.

End of the "10 day Pledge to Eat Real Food"

2011-11-07T08:37:00.003-05:00

The 10 day pledge to eat real food was pretty easy for me. The hardest part was when we went out to eat for my mom's birthday. We went to our local Mexican restaurant and I ordered veggie fajitas and only ate the veggies and re-fried beans. I really wanted to eat the fajitas but no "white" breads. It was only the 3rd day and my niece quiet on me. Thanks for trying Kia :)

Salads were on the menu a lot. I really missed my thousand island dressing but I adapted to my homemade oil & vinegar dressing. Much better for me and very inexpensive. This food pledge opened my eyes to eating more at home and less eating out.

Example: I ate out two meals last week, one was $4.19 and the other time was $9.93 = $14.12 spent on TWO meals for only ME.

Solution: Eat at home = money saved. Went to Whole Foods and bought a 4lb whole chicken = $7.72. Cooked it in the crock-pot and had garlic mashed potatoes with parmesan bread sticks. Total cost of meal= less than $10. Plus I had enough chicken left over to make two chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and more chicken for my home made chicken noodle soup. The chicken noodle soup made about 3 quarts. It freezes well too.

All and all I had a great time coming up with different recipes to eat. Not to mention the 5 lbs I lost in 10 days. Now back to the kitchen for some home made honey blueberry muffins.

Day 5 of Eating Real Food Pledge

2011-10-21T08:24:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone, it's day 5 of my Eat Real Food Pledge. I'm excited to say that I have lost 3 lbs. I think it's because of the "white" breads that I have cut out of my diet. No donuts, no white bread, no pastries. You know how I love to bake my goodies. I'm still making my delicious treats, just with healthier ingredients now. Try these mini apple pies. They are so yummy!!

Breakfast:

Whole wheat toast with homemade apple butter (recipe coming soon)
Banana
Cup of black coffee

Lunch:

Whole wheat tortilla with refried beans, lettuce and homemade salsa
applesauce for desert

Dinner:

Baked chicken in crock-pot, salad, whole wheat rolls. Mini apple pie's for desert.

So far so good. It hasn't been as tuff as I thought it would be. My 13 year old niece tried it with me but on day 3 she had enough. A for effort Kia :) It's hard for kids to eat healthy when everything around them SCREAMS eat me. There are so many bad choices for kids and very few healthy choices. Kia had a very hard time during lunch. When she packed from home she did fine, when it came to buying school lunch, forget it. All bad choices. The school didn't offer salad or fresh fruit. What's a kid suppose to do but eat the bad choices. Somethings gotta give with these school lunches.

I would love to know what healthy lunches you pack for your kids? How do you get your kids to try new healthy foods?

10 Day Pledge to Eat "Real Food"

2011-10-17T09:09:00.002-04:00

Join me in a 10 day pledge to eat only "real food". Lisa @ 100daysofrealfood tells her story on how "real food" changed her families life.

I will be starting today, Oct. 17, 2011 and going for 10 days. I will post my meals and how my progression is going. I weighed myself this morning and hopefully there will be a drop in the numbers by the end of the 10 days. The meals are going to be the most difficult because of my picky teenage daughter. We just might have to make two different meals.

Breakfast:
1 scrambled egg, an apple and a cup of coffee

Lunch:
Salad (spinach, tomato, onion, mushroom, boiled egg, oil & vinegar dressing)
home canned peaches

Dinner:
Homemade chicken noodle soup

Join me and take the "10 day pledge". Let's see how good we feel at the end of our 10 day journey. Who knows, maybe this will be life changing?!?!

Do you have any "real food" recipes for me to try out?

Preserving Food

2011-10-09T15:23:00.002-04:00

Preserving food is a great way to save on money and much healthier for you and your family. Fall has some wonderful foods like squash, pumpkins, kale and collard greens. These wonderful foods will not last forever so it's that time to start preserving them for the winter ahead.

Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers has a great guide on "Gardening and Preserving". She's a great teacher on healthy eating.

Here are some great fall recipes: Sweet potato soup, Cranberry Pumpkin Scones, and give Fruit Leather a try. Mmmm, good!!

What are your favorite fall recipes?

Cranberry Pumpkin Scones

2011-09-29T08:46:00.002-04:00

Fall is my second favorite season, after spring. I love all the warm colors and the delicious foods. All the gourds and pumpkins to decorate with. The smell of pumpkin pie cooking, baked apple pie and a cup of warm apple cider. I just might have to make Fall my first favorite season.

You gotta try these cranberry pumpkin scones. I made these yesterday for the first time and they were awesome.

What are your favorite Fall recipes?

Dried Tomatos with Basil

2011-09-28T08:34:00.003-04:00

These little tomato's pack a flavorful punch. The basil and olive oil really bring out the robust tomato flavor. They are great in pastas, homemade pizzas and on top of salads. Delicious!

Cut the grape tomato's in half, lay them cut side up on metal cookie sheet. After cutting all the tomato's up, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle with dried basil. I did not measure out the ingredients, just went on a fly. You can add rosemary or oregano for a different flavor.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 45 mins or until dried. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. These will probably freeze well also, they just don't usually last that long.

Sweet Potato Soup

2011-09-26T15:09:00.004-04:00

When you think about sweet potatoes you think brown sugar and marshmallows. Maybe you think about sweet potato pie with caramelized pecans. Sweet potatoes can be used in many different recipes.

How about soups? It's that time of year when the air is getting crisp, the leaves are turning colors and you want a warm bowl of soup. Whether it be sweet potato soup or chicken noodle soup. Soups warm your soul.

I ran across this recipe for sweet potato soup and had to try it. Oh my gosh, is it every delicious?!?! I put 1 1/2 cups of lentils instead of the 1/2 cup because I love lentils. I also used chicken broth. Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers shows you step by step on how to make your own chicken broth. Much better than store bought and pretty darn easy.

This recipe made a big batch, it says that it serves 6, but with my added lentils and maybe, more water, it defiantly made more. I would say about 5 quarts. I froze some for later cold days. Yum!

What are your favorite sweet potato recipes?

Briar Muse Candles: Eco Friendly

2011-09-23T22:01:00.003-04:00

Do you love candles? You have to try these wonderful smelling candles from Briar Muse. They smell so fabulous. I just want to jump in the bottle and melt in the wax.

Back to the candles. Eco-Friendly candles and great smelling. They are hand poured, 100% organic wood wicks and are recyclable. Oh and did I mention, they smell awesome.

I just ordered a few for our Halloween party for prizes. I think I'm going to have to order some more, because I don't want to share. When I placed my order online, I told myself to pick one and keep for myself. The decisions are to hard.

My favorites are Cinnamon bark, Apple crisp, Violet lime and Cucumber melon. How is a girl suppose to choose????

They are offering FREE shipping through September 30. Hurry over and get yourself a candle. Don't forget, Christmas is right around the corner. Candles make great gifts for teachers, babysitters or even the mailman or mail women.

Homemade Fruit Leather

2011-09-14T10:02:00.004-04:00

This was my first attempt at making fruit leather and it turned out great. Very easy to make, just a little time consuming.

I had some apples that I had canned last year and pureed them in a blender. If using fresh apples, just peel, core and cook until soft. It was approx. 2 quarts of sliced apples. After they are pureed it should measure 4 cups of apples. Taste the apples to see if they are sweet enough for your taste. You can also add cinnamon or nutmeg.

Turn your oven to the lowest setting, mine went to 170 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (17x12) with parchment paper. Pour your apple puree over paper and smooth out so apples are even. Bake for 10-12 hours. Your fruit leather will peel right off. Cut to size, roll it up and wrap in plastic wrap.

You can make a variety of flavors. I made pear fruit leather also, delicious. Peach is the next one on my list. Not sure how long these will keep, but I would imagine at least two weeks stored in airtight container.

Want a chance to win a Nutrimill?

2011-09-07T11:15:00.002-04:00

Have you ever thought of grinding your own flour? It's very healthy and easy to do with a Nutrimill.

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has paired up with Paula's bread to giveaway one Nutrimill. Head on over for your chance at getting one for FREE. The drawing will be held Monday Sept. 12. Let us know if you win. Good Luck!!!

Gratituesday: Thankful for bountiful gardens

2011-09-06T10:44:00.003-04:00

This Gratituesday I'm thankful for a bountiful garden. I have been getting about 8-10 lbs. of green beans a week out of my garden. Tomatoes galor and now pears. If you are overwhelmed with fruit or veggies from your garden how about trading with your neighbor. A guy I work with grows watermelon but his green beans didn't do so good this year. Guess what we'll be trading??

Maybe your neighbor makes some delicious homemade bread and you have plenty of jams or jelly's. Donate your fresh fruits and veggies to your local food bank. The ideas are endless, just don't let the food go to waste. It breaks my heart to see fruit rotting on trees.

I think I'm going to try and make some fruit leather. Never made it before, doesn't seem hard, just time consuming. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Join me at Heavenlyhomemakers for Gratituesday.

No Cooking Today; Spent Time With Family

2011-09-01T21:17:00.005-04:00

Well, I was planning on doing a lot of cooking today but things didn't go as planned. That's o.k. though, I spent good quality time with my family.

My sister had to work and mom was volunteering to help a friend so I babysat my 3 year old niece. We took a little trip to see my great aunts. They live about 40 minutes down the road. We visited Ellen in the nursing home, she doesn't get many visitors besides her 82 year old sister Erma.

I love sitting with my great aunts and hearing their stories about growing up on the farm with their 12 brothers and sisters. Erma told me today she walked one mile to school. She had to cross over rivers and rocks, barefoot. When she would see the school house she would put her shoes on. She didn't want to ruin her shoes walking. Oh how easy the kids have it now.

We went over to my aunts neighbors house and picked some pears off her tree. She told us to take all we wanted, she hates that tree. Free food??? Who could pass that up? Off we went with our buckets. 44 lbs. later we returned. Can you guess what I'll be doing next week?

Then back home to get my other 2 nieces and 1 nephew off the bus. They each grabbed a snack and off to do homework. Except for the kindergartner, Krista. Her and I went to the garden to pick green beans for dinner.

I really don't see how some people can plant rows and rows and rows of beans and pick them. They have to crawl or have no back bone left. It takes all I have to bend over them green bean bushes and pick 3 lbs. I know, I know, stop complaining. I am very thankful to our heavenly Father for blessing me with a bountiful garden.

Off to the kitchen to make dinner. We invited my mom and step dad over also. You know I "love" cooking and I really "love" to cook BIG. We had hot dog muffins, mashed potatoes, green beans, garden fresh tomatoes and canned peaches. Oh, for dessert was pumpkin roll. Yummy!

Baking Apple Bread and Pumpkin Rolls

2011-08-29T19:25:00.004-04:00

My two nieces trick-or-treating

Fall season is right around the corner. I love this time of year. Fall has such wonderful things to offer us. Yummy foods, cool crisp mornings and beautiful decorations. Now that it's getting cooler my oven is getting a work out.

I had two request this week for baked goodies. One was for Apple-Honey Challah and one for a pumpkin roll. After church yesterday I got to baking. Got both of the baked goods made and delivered. I have another request for a pumpkin roll from my 5 year old niece. She's lucky I have leftover pumpkin.

Some other Fall goodies I like to make are homemade marshmallows, fire side coffee, homemade apple sauce and pumpkin muffins. I can't wait till Thursday, my day off, time to cook.

Some of you might think I'm a little crazy for "loving" to cook, but that is my passion. You get this warm feeling inside when you take out that creation from the oven and watch your loved ones devour it. I love knowing what is going in my food and my body. It's a great experience, try it sometime.

Do you love to cook? What is your favorite thing to do in the Fall?

6.0 Earthquake here in Virginia

2011-08-24T08:18:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a pretty scary day. We had a 6.0 earthquake that lasted about 30 seconds. It seemed to last forever. Grocery stores are closed do to clean up, windows are broken, schools are closed. Things like this usually don't happen around here.

The epicenter was about 40 miles from my home. The quake knocked off a bunch of my pictures and broke a few dishes. Pretty scary stuff, but we are grateful no one was injured. The after shocks are a little frightening as well.

I wanted to send out my prayers to everyone affected by this earthquake. Stay strong and God will provide.

Homemade Spicy Salsa

2011-08-22T09:05:00.007-04:00

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Every where there are tomatoes. This is a good thing though. You can make homemade spicy salsa. It's so tasty and good for you too.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped peppers (red, green, yellow, purple)
6 cups chopped peeled tomatoes (use hot water bath to get off skin)
1/4 cup spicy jalapeno peppers
1 onion (diced)
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cajun bayou (this is spicy, could also use cayenne pepper)
2 minced cloves of garlic

Chop all of your vegetables pretty small, unless you like your salsa chunky. Pour all ingredients in a large crock-pot, stir and cook 5-6 hours on low. Do a taste test after an hour or so to see if you want it spicier. If so add some more cajun bayou.

You can freeze in freezer bags or can them for later use. Yummy!! Makes 4 pints.

Homemade Vanilla Extract: It's Done!!!!

2011-08-20T22:40:00.003-04:00

If you have been around for a while you can remember when I started a project of making my own homemade Vanilla extract. It has been almost 6 months and the vanilla is done. I have tried it in a few recipes and love it. Much better than the imitation stuff you buy from the stores.

This was one of the simplest things to make, you wouldn't believe. I thought at first the 6 months were going to take forever. With all the summer staycations time has flown by. Now the vanilla is ready for bottling.

These are going to make great Christmas gifts along with the homemade apple pear jam. Guess you'll have to see if your on the nice or naughty list this year.

Delicious Apple-Honey Challah

2011-08-09T10:35:00.003-04:00

Apple-Honey Challah from Martha Stewart. She is one of my ideals. Love ya Martha, sorry, had to get that out.

This is one of my favorite bread recipes. It does take a few hours to make this from start to finish. Well worth the time. I took a piece into work the other day and gave it to my co-worker, he called it "heaven in a bag." You gotta try it, yummy!!

Sorry I don't have any pictures of my own to post. My computer has been in the shop for a week now. Hopefully I'll get it back soon.

I've been canning up a storm the last few weeks. Made 12 quarts and 9 pints of peaches, 8 pints of sweet pickles and 6 half pints of sweet relish. Hoping to get some tomato sauce made this week. It's amazing how much you can get done when you have no computer to play on.

Staycations: Part Two

2011-08-01T14:01:00.002-04:00

The staycation is over with and now it's time to go back to work. I really enjoyed this years staycation. We got a lot done around the house and still enjoyed our time off. We visited a few places on our staycation as well.

We went to Monticello and visited the home of Thomas Jefferson. We got really cheap tickets and went to Kings Dominion one day. We took a two day trip to Va beach. I love the beach!

There's nothing better than the sand between your toes. Relaxing on the beach listening to the sounds of the waves hitting the shore. Jumping over the waves as they try to knock you down. Did I mention I love the beach. :) Sorry about that, I was off in lala land. Back to reality.

I wanted to get some canning done on my staycation. I decided since it was peach season to can some peaches. My local grocery store carries local peaches and I bought 40lbs. That in turn turned out to be 12 quarts and 9 pints. Minus a few we ate. They are going to be so yummy this winter to eat in a peach cobbler or just straight out of the jar. We also made home made peach ice cream, yummy.

We are very blessed to have an apple orchard a few miles away, Fruit Hill Orchard. Saturday we picked 50lbs of apples. Made applesauce, apple pie and going to make apple bread soon. The apple bread is to die for. It's a Martha Stewart recipe, I will share with you later in the week. Delicious!!

All and all we had a great time just relaxing and enjoying family time. What did you do on your vacation or staycation?

Blackberry Cobbler

2011-07-20T13:01:00.002-04:00

Summer is my favorite time of year. Yes, it's hot, but think of all the fresh fruits and vegetables you can eat. Some are even free.

Last year when I was cutting grass beside my neighbors fence, I noticed wild blackberry bushes growing. I left them alone and cut the grass around them. They spread very quickly and this year we are enjoying fresh blackberries. We are getting about 1 1/2 cups every two or three days. And it's all free, free fruit, can't beat that. Thank you God for the free blackberries.

Some of the blackberries we freeze to make smoothies or milk shakes. They are also yummy in cobbler.

Blackberry Cobbler:

3/4 cup of butter
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
2 cups blackberries
1 cup of sugar (to apply over berries)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9" square metal or glass pan, melt 3/4 cup of butter, let cool. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and milk in medium bowl. Pour over cooled butter. Add blackberries, sprinkle remaining 1 cup of sugar over blackberries. Bake 45 minutes.

Preserving Fresh Green Beans

2011-07-19T15:01:00.004-04:00

It's that time of the season where green beans are in full force. I have been picking about 2lbs a week off my two little rows. I planted two 10' rows of tenderettes, bush beans, back in late April. Then three more rows three weeks later. The second set of beans just started blooming last week. More beans to come soon. :)

What do I do with all these beans? Remember it's just my daughter and I and we really don't want to eat green beans with every meal. So, I freeze them for later use.

After picking your beans, wash them really well. Inspect them for any bug bites. If you find any bug bites just cut them out. If you wish you can cut off the tails of the beans. The tails are the end of the bean not connected to the bush.

In a large pot put in your beans and cover with water. Boil for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool and then transfer to freezer bags.

These are going to taste so yummy this winter in a bowl of hearty vegetable soup. Yum!
What are you getting from your garden? How are you preserving it?

Homemade Garlic Croutons

2011-07-13T11:58:00.003-04:00

Don't throw away that day old bread, make some croutons. This is the easiest recipe to follow and so yummy. You can adjust the ingredients to your tasting. We love garlic so I made garlic croutons.

6 cups bread cubes
1 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. parsley

Cut your day old bread into bite size cubes. In large bowl mix together olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and parsley. Toss in bread cubes and fold gently until each bread cube is covered. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool and store in ziploc bag.

Stay-cation: Monticello-Home of Thomas Jefferson

2011-07-03T14:20:00.004-04:00

Do you have summer travel plans? How about a stay-cation?

Stay-cations are when you vacation close to your home. This can save you time and money. Most states have beautiful parks, historical sites, beaches, museums or even your city pool.

To save on money we have decided this year to do a stay-cation. We are going to go to local places that we can take a road trip in one day. This will save us a lot on hotel fees. Pack your lunch and save even more.

We live in the heart of Central Virginia. There is so much historical places around here that we have never been to. So, we went to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. It was amazing. For only $22 a person, kids are cheaper, you get a 45 minute tour. Our tour guide, Megan, was awesome. She really knew her stuff on Thomas Jefferson. This old tree just spoke to me, not sure what it said though. I bet if it could talk it would have a lot of stories to tell.

After the house tour you are invited to take a garden tour. We took our own garden tour when we first arrived. I never knew you could grow artichokes in Virginia. Guess what's on my list for next years garden, artichokes.

Stay tuned, more presidential houses to come.
Montpelier, home of James Madison, is our next destination.

Free Sample of Ocean Spray Sparkling Drinks

2011-06-30T11:44:00.002-04:00

Ocean Spray is celebrating the 4th of July with their Sparkling Juice drinks. Get your FREE sample. Hurry, before they are all gone.

Gratituesdays: Thankful for a healthy immune system

2011-06-28T10:48:00.003-04:00

This Gratituesday I am thankful for a healthy immune system. My sister's family was sick last week with a 24 hour bug. There were mulitiple trips to the bath room, gingerale for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And plenty of cold showers. Out of the the six family member only 3 got sick, which is another blessing it wasn't all of them.

Come Saturday, I started to feel the sickness coming on. I stopped eating, got on the ginerale diet and rested. Thankfully one of the girls at work took over my shift Saturday night so I could go home. Thanks Angie :)

Thanks to my great immune system I never got to bad. Was back up and running on Sunday. Eating healthy really pays off when it comes to fighting viruses.

Sign up for Ebates and Help me earn $30.00

2011-06-17T08:16:00.003-04:00

Will you help me earn $30.00? Ebates is running a special, refer 3 friends and get $30.00. How cool is that? So, if your new to Ebates and want to help me earn $30.00, just click on the Ebates logo and the top of the page and sign up. It's FREE.

Just in case some of you haven't heard of Ebates yet, well here's your chance to earn cash back on your online purchases.

Ebates is an online site that pays you to shop. There are over 1,200 stores to choose from. Everything from Wal-mart, Sears, Bath and Body, Lands' End and much much more.

It's FREE to sign up. Click the logo at the top of page, log in, pick a store you want to shop at, the online stores gives you up to 25% in cash back. It's that easy.

Plus when you refer a friend Ebates will pay you $5.00 for each friend. Thank you for helping me out with this.

Potatoes-Red, Yellow, Purple, Gold

2011-06-15T14:28:00.003-04:00

Potatoes are a wonderful vegetable. Whether it's smashed potatoes, fried potatoes, potato cakes, mashed potatoes, potato salad or french fries, potatoes are one versatile vegetable.

I would like to offer one lucky person a coupon for "buy one 5lb. bag of Green Giant fresh klondike rose potatoes, get one 5lb. bag FREE." This coupon is until July 31, 2011. My local area does not carry these potatoes. So, I decided to give away the coupon for someone else to enjoy.

To enter: Leave a comment of your favorite way to cook potatoes. Giveaway closes Thursday 6/23/11 at 12am est. I will draw a winner on Friday June 24th.

End Results of Freezer Cooking Day

2011-06-14T08:45:00.003-04:00

This Freezer Cooking Day went pretty smooth. There was not a lot of recipes on my list but well worth my time. A little less than 3 hours and plenty of food in the freezer.

10-granola bars (recipe from Heavenly Homemakers)
2- Pumpkin pies
2- pans of Lasagna
8- Hot dog muffins
Mini banana muffins
3- pans of Spicy Chicken and Rice

The list looks smaller than I thought. We had enough sweets so I skipped over the peanut butter cookies. Simply forgot about the pizza dough, gonna make that today. We love this recipe, very easy to make and delicious. BBQ chicken pizza is the next recipe on my list to try, yummy!!

Did you do any cooking this week? Come link up your goodies!!

Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2011-06-13T12:15:00.006-04:00

The spicy chicken and rice casserole is done. It has a cheesy spicy kick to it. The thing I like about casserole dishes is that you can add what ever you like or what ever you have on hand. There is no right way or wrong way, just a yummy way!

Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole:

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken(cooked and cut into bite size pieces)
5 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1/2 cup black beans
1 Tbsp. chopped onions
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 package Velveeta spicy buffalo cheese

In large saucepan pour in milk, chicken broth and Velveeta cheese. Stir occasionally so cheese doesn't stick. In large bowl add remaining ingredients, stir to mix well. Add cheese sauce and stir some more. Pour into baking dish. You can add cheese to top it off. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you are making this up ahead of time. Skip the baking part and wrap with saran wrap and freeze. Thaw before baking.

Rise and Shine- Time to make some yummy meals :)

2011-06-13T08:29:00.004-04:00

Good morning! Ready for some Freezer Cooking?

As soon as I get some coffee into my system the kitchen will be open. I cheated a little bit, cooked the burger and rice yesterday. But that's o.k., the is no rules. Make as little as you want or as much as you can.

We might have to take the peanut butter cookies off the list. Just the other day I made some oatmeal raisin cookies and they are still here. We'll see.

When we are all done we can link up our goodies. I can't wait to see what everyone is making.

Gotta run-coffee is ready :)

Freezer Cooking Day

2011-06-11T15:12:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, it's about that time. Time for another Freezer Cooking Day. Time to restock the freezer with more meals.

If you have never done a freezer cooking day before or haven't even heard of it. Your missing out on a lot of fun in the kitchen. That is, if you like having fun in the kitchen. Even if you don't like cooking, Freezer cooking days can save you a lot of time and money when it comes to planning meals.

First, pick out a few recipes that your family likes and that will freeze well. Make sure you have all of the ingredients needed. Sometimes I'll cook the meat the night before, just to get a jump start. Make sure you have enough containers to put your meals. If this is your first time, start small, you don't want to get over whelmed.

Here is a list of things I plan on making:

loaf of bread in bread machine
granola bars
pumpkin pie
lasagna
chicken and rice casserole
peanut butter cookies
pizza dough
banana muffins

Oh, I almost forgot, Monday is the big day. Come join me for some fun in the kitchen. What do you plan on making and freezing?

Gratituesday: Thankful for My Families Health

2011-06-07T08:16:00.002-04:00

This Gratituesday I'm thankful for my families health. My daughter, Alexis, has been having tension headaches for a while now. We have tried a lot of different medicines, nothing seems to help.

Last week she had a C.T. scan done to make sure nothing was going on inside that lovely head of hers. Praise God, the scan came back great. No lesions, no tumors, no blocked sinuses. Now we just have to figure out a way to get rid of the headaches.

Thank you Lord for keeping such a good watch over my family. Amen!

Join us at Heavenly Homemakers every Gratituesday.

Orange Chicken Salad

2011-05-31T16:56:00.003-04:00

Here is a nice refreshing summer treat. I made this last Sunday for my nieces birthday party and it was a big hit. Even some of the kids tried it, which is shocking to me. If it's not a hot dog some kids turn their noses up. "I'm not eating that" they say.

You can prep this the day before and refrigerate. When we got to the party I emptied my cooler of ice into my big bowl. Then started filling the orange bowls with the chicken salad. I placed them on top of the ice and garnished with parsley. We didn't eat until an hour later and they stayed nice and chilled. Oh, I forgot to tell you, it was 90 degrees outside. But we were in the shade.

The recipe comes from Azure Standard Blog. Great blog, check them out.

I only added 1 cup of the orange segments, it seemed to be enough. I used the rest to make smoothies, yum.

Obsession with Jars!!!

2011-05-28T14:18:00.005-04:00

Do you love jars??? Ever since I started canning my own food a few years ago, I have been obsessed with jars. Jars are strong, they are stackable, they hold the flavor of your food better. Oh, and you can see what's inside. Call me crazy but I love jars. Big ones, small ones, short round ones, all shapes and sizes.

Most of my dried fruits and nuts I buy in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. It is much cheaper to buy than the prepackaged boxes or bags. And you can buy as much or a little as you need. When I get home I gather my favorite jars and start filling them up. If you cut off the top 6 inches of the bag it's much easier to pour into your wonderful jars. I found this out the hard way when the almonds fell all over the counter. A funnel works well too.

Look at this awesome jar I bought at the Goodwill a few days ago. It was only $1.95. Can't you just picture this jar full of yummy homemade marshmallows or banana muffins or oatmeal raisin cookies. To show you how big this jar is I put a pint size jar beside it. Wow, what a biggin...

Do you have an obsession with jars? What do you put in your jars?

Gratituesday: Thankful for Real Foods

2011-05-24T09:48:00.003-04:00

This Gratituesday I'm thankful for Real Foods. God has given me the ability to grow my own fruits and vegetables. I'm no expert on gardening but have learned a lot through trial and error. My grandparents have taught me much of my gardening knowledge as well.

I'm thankful for all the local farmer's markets. They provide meats, homemade baked goods, local honey and vegetable plants. If your a local to Virginia check out Buy Local Virginia.org for where to buy food, farmers markets and different events going on in your area.

My definition for Real Foods are foods that are grown organically, naturally and not processed. I believe eating Real Food is accentual for our bodies. Fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals the body needs. Remember that saying your G'ma said "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Just try and stay away from the chemically sprayed apples. Apples are one of the heaviest sprayed fruits- the dirty dozens.

Tension Headaches, Migraines, Concussions???

2011-05-20T12:37:00.004-04:00

This post is a little different than my usual cooking and gardening. I just wanted to get some feedback on tension headaches and migraines from my readers.

My daughter is 16 years old. She was a soccer player up till this year. She took a bad collide with another player and was kneed in the head. Since then she has had headaches a lot. The doctor has had her on every type of medicine you can imagine. Some help for a little while, some give her bad side effects, some just don't work at all.

We have been keeping a journal on what she eats, trying to see if there is something in her diet that is triggering the headaches. I have stopped buying meats that contain nitrites, which is a migraine trigger. She has cut way back on sodas, only 1 or 2 a week. She gets a yelling from me when she drinks them because she knows it's another migraine trigger.

One of her soccer buddies recently told her it might be post concussion syndrome. I'm just sick of all the medicine not working and my baby still having headaches. She is scheduled for a C.T. scan soon.

Have you ever had a concussion? Migraines? Tension Headaches? What was your solution for getting rid of them?

Please keep my baby girl in your prayers.

Thank You, Amy

Homemade Pizza Dough

2011-05-14T11:36:00.003-04:00

Heavenly Homemakers and Once A Month Mom are hosting a Freezer Cooking Challenge. This is so worth your time. Just a few hours in the kitchen results in multiple meals. The challenge was to pick one or more recipes from either site and make it. Easy enough, I chose pizza dough.

Pizza is one of our favorite foods. Once A Month Mom has a easy and delicious recipe for pizza dough. I made a batch but cut the recipe in half to make sure I would like it before using so much flour. I wish now I would have made the whole recipe. It made 4 good size pizzas, approximately 12" pizzas. This pizza recipe will definitely be added to my Freezer Cooking Day list.

Transplanting Your Seedlings

2011-05-11T08:37:00.005-04:00

It's time to start transplanting those seedlings. I planted a few Black Krim tomato seeds back in late March and they are ready for a bigger home. You can start your seeds in a larger pot, one seed to each pot and you probably won't have to transplant. For me, I like to put 2-3 seeds in a smaller pot to make sure they will grow first before using bigger pots. The big pots take up more space in the house and more dirt to dig.

So, when transplanting your baby seedlings be gentle because they are delicate. I fill my larger pot with about 1/4 of dirt, then put in the seedling. Holding the stem, fill more dirt around the seedling until the dirt almost reaches the top leaves. Pack the dirt down with your fingers so no air reaches the roots. Your done! It's that easy.

Having their stem further in the ground helps to build a strong plant. In a few more weeks, I'll transplant them to their "big home", the garden.

Coconut Lime Turkey Burgers

2011-05-10T14:03:00.003-04:00

Do you love lime and coconut? Try these delicious turkey burgers. They are very simple to make and will disappear fast. These turkey burgers even passed the "picky 5 year old" test. My niece loved them.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup shredded coconut
pinch of salt and pepper
basil
coconut oil for frying

Combine turkey, lime juice, coconut, salt and pepper in large bowl. Chop basil finely and add to turkey mix. Get your hand in the bowl and mix well. Shape into hamburger patties. In large skillet add 2 Tbsp. coconut oil. Turn heat to medium temperature. Add turkey burgers and fry until done. Approx. 8-10 minutes on each side. You can garnish with lettuce, tomato, basil lime pesto, ketchup or what ever your pallet desires.

Lasagna Gardening

2011-05-05T10:38:00.005-04:00

Lasagna gardening is really easy to do. No, you can't eat it but you can eat from it. Lasagna gardening is layering of dead material and live material.

You can plant immediately or wait a year. The lasagna garden will do better the longer it's in place. I decided to plant right away. One of my goals this summer is to grow as much food as possible to have a stock pile it for the winter months. Here is what you will need to start your lasagna garden:

Newspaper, peat moss, organic material (scraps from the kitchen, grass clippings, manure.)

Measure the area in which you want you garden. You can use sticks, rope, garden hose or just eyeball it. Lay down newspaper, 5 sheets thick. Lay down peat moss, about 2" thick. Lay down your organic material, several inches thick. Water until damp as a sponge. Plant your vegetables.

I keep layering with kitchen scraps after I have planted my vegetables. To my surprise, the pineapple decomposed really quickly. Do you Lasagna Garden? What do you grow?

Go Nuts over Nuts!!!

2011-04-28T10:00:00.003-04:00

Squirrels love nuts, so do humans. Nuts are a great healthy snack. I try to eat a variety of nuts daily. You can add them to banana breads, top them on salads or just grab a handful. Here is a list of my favorite nuts and some health benefits.

Walnuts: omega-3 fat, high in fiber, B vitamins. Adding walnuts to a healthy diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Walnuts help lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Cashews: protein, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese. Cashews have zero cholesterol content. Great for the heart.

Almonds: protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium. A quarter cup of almonds contain more protein than an egg. Almonds also help aid in constipation since they are high in fiber.

Brazil nuts: protein, fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, phosphorus and thiamine. Magnesium protects bone density.

What are your favorite nuts or recipe's with nuts?

I do understand there are many people that are allergic to nuts. Please don't eat nuts to get the benefits to them if your allergic to nuts. I am not a doctor, just a nut lover.

Earth Day: FREE full size Origins cleanser

2011-04-21T13:15:00.002-04:00

Another great offer from Origins. Bring in your current skincare bottle, full or empty, and receive a FREE full size bottle of Origins cleanser. You must fill out this form and bring it to the store with you.

Earth Day: Reusable bag from Kellogg's

2011-04-21T10:13:00.003-04:00

Kellogg's is celebrating Earth Day with a Reusable bag. You must send in 2 UPC's from any Kellogg's cereal box (10oz. or larger) plus $1.75 S/H. I didn't want to list this as being free because it's truly not free, but a great deal.

Earth Day: Free Coffee at Starbucks 4/22/2011

2011-04-21T10:01:00.003-04:00

Starbucks is giving you a FREE cup of brewed coffee or tea when you bring in a reusable cup. You can choose from hot or iced. It's only good for one day, Earth Day, Friday April 22, 2011.

Earth Day: Free Tree from Lowe's 4/23/2011

2011-04-21T09:52:00.002-04:00

Visit a Lowe's on Saturday April 23, 2011 for a FREE tree. Lowe's will be giving away one million trees in honor of Earth Day. I'm sure these will go fast so get there early.

April is Earth Month

2011-04-13T11:10:00.003-04:00

This month is a celebration of our Planet. There are so many ways you can make a difference to help our earth. Little changes can add up to big rewards.

1) Recycle your newspapers, plastic bags, plastic bottles and glass bottles.

2) Start a compost pile. Throw in your leftover apple peelings, potato peelings and even egg shells. You can compost most everything in your kitchen, except meat. Check out the 10 tips for making a better compost.

3) Hang your clothes outside to dry. This reduces your electricity bill and helps reduce energy consumption.

4) Bring your own reusable bags when grocery shopping. Some grocery stores will reward you when doing this. Whole Foods-gives you $0.05 per bag, you can donate it or take the $0.05 off your bill. Target- gives you $0.05 off your bill. Trader Joe's- puts your name into a monthly drawing.

5) Switch out a few of your household chemicals with natural ones. Seventh Generation is my favorite dish soap. I haven't switched the laundry detergent yet, but excited to try the new natural 4x laundry detergent.

6) Take a 5 minute shower. I know this doesn't sound like a long time but it is plenty of time to get your body washed and hair too. Set your alarm clock or bring in that kitchen timer. Here are a few great water saving ideas from the EPA on what you can do.

Join me and recyclebank in the "green your home" challenge.

Chicken and Potatoes

2011-04-13T10:23:00.003-04:00

This can either be a side dish or the main dish. To make it as a main dish add some peas, carrots, peppers, broccoli or your favorite vegetables, maybe some extra chicken to fill up those hungry bellies.

Chicken and Potatoes recipe:

3 medium red potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup chicken (pre-cooked)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. rosemary

Put all ingredients in a large casserole dish and stir well. Bake cover in 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Top with some grated parmesan cheese.

April is Earth Month

2011-04-12T15:35:00.003-04:00

Earthbound Farms is having a "Eat better for the Earth, Eat better for Yourself" facebook photo contest. Just take a picture of your meal and tell them in 50 words or less why you love or hate what's on your plate. The grand prize winning gets a gourmet weekend for 2 in Monterey California.

Test your knowledge about Organic farming and get a $1.00 off coupon if you answer all 12 questions correctly.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2011-04-12T14:57:00.004-04:00

Chicken, Chicken, Chicken, so many different meals to make with chicken. I usually cook a whole chicken and then devour it into many meals. Chicken noodle soup is my daughters favorite. You can also freeze your soup. It's great for those busy days when you "don't have time" to cook.

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe:

1 cup cooked chicken
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 box spaghetti noodles
1 tsp. olive oil

In large sauce pan cook spaghetti noodles according to package, add carrots and cook with noodles. In small skillet heat olive oil and saute onions and celery until tender. Drain noodles and carrots. In same large sauce pan add onions, celery, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, chicken and chicken broth. Bring to a boil for 4-5 minutes.

You can make your own homemade chicken broth and freeze it. Just remember to leave about and 1" of space from the top for the broth to expand when it freezes. Stay turned tomorrow for more Chicken recipes. How do you Chicken???

$0.75 coupon from Santa Cruz Organic

2011-04-07T20:46:00.002-04:00

Celebrate Earth Month with Santa Cruz. Click here to get a great coupon for $0.75 off any Santa Cruz Organic item. Coupon expires June 30, 2011. There limeade is my favorite!!

FREE $25.00 coupon from Gurney's Seed & Nursery

2011-04-05T13:01:00.002-04:00

Gurney's is having a great offer until April 18, 2011. $25.00 off your purchase of $50.00 or more. I was sceptical at first, thinking they would raise the prices so you really won't get a great deal. After some research I discovered their prices are reasonable with the local stores and other catalog companies.

Gurney's has a great variety of tomato plants. I just ordered the black krim tomato, looks delicious. I've always wanted to grow a black tomato. Cross your fingers it all works out.

Spring can be tricky

2011-04-03T14:15:00.006-04:00

After months of cold snowy winter days it's nice when March comes around. The flowers start to bloom, the grass turns green, the bees start to buzz. O.k. maybe the bee thing is not so pleasant, but you get it what I mean. Spring is enjoyable.

Spring is a beautiful season in Virginia but can be tricky. Some days it will be 70 degree then snowing the next. This is important to remember when planting your garden. There are some plants that can take a cold night and others that can not. Broccoli, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions and brussel sprouts are some cold plants. They thrive in cold weather.

The United States National Arboretum can tell you which hardiness zone your in.

Here is a picture of my yard last Sunday, March 27, 2011. SNOW!!

Wholesome sweeteners giveaway from Azure Standard

2011-03-29T13:46:00.002-04:00

Azure Almanac is giving away all these wholesome sweeteners to one lucky winner. Agave nectar is the only one I have tried and I love it. Azure Standard has tons of wholesome sweeteners to choose from. This company is fairly new to me. I just recently received their catalog in the mail. I'm making my list of things to buy and I think the organic blue agave cinnamon flavored will be on the list. Jump on over to Azure Almanac and enter to for a chance to win.

Blue Cheese Tuna Salad

2011-03-24T13:10:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I was shopping at Whole Foods and bought some pasta salad off of their buffet. It was the best pasta salad I had in a long time. There was tuna, olives, red onions and blue cheese in it. It was so yummy I decided to try and recreate it at home. I didn't have any olives to add so carrots it was. You can add grape tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini or what ever you have on hand. Blue cheese crumbles would be good as well. The ideas are endless.

Blue Cheese Tuna Salad:

2 cups cooked pasta
1 can tuna, drained
1/4 cup red peppers, chopped
1/8 cup diced onions
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
1 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Slice your carrots. I used 3 baby carrots and sliced them so they would be round. Any way would work.

In medium sauce pan boil water. Add some salt or a little oil so pasta doesn't stick. Add pasta and carrots. Cook according to package.

In large bowl mix red peppers, onions, tuna, olive oil, blue cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. When pasta and carrots are tender drain and let cool. Pour pasta and carrots in large bowl and stir until all noodles are covered. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. You can serve this hot or cold. I like it cold better.

3 Eyes = Yummy Potatoes

2011-03-22T15:00:00.003-04:00

Spring is here and time to plant potatoes.

My grand mother and great grand father taught me a lot about gardening and preserving. When to plant and how to plant. My grand mother (a.k.a. Nana) taught me how to plant potatoes. When buying seed potatoes you want to get the ones with the most "eyes". These are the sprouts that come out of the potato. The eyes will sprout and grow up through the dirt. If your potato has 6 eyes cut them so you have 3 eyes each. Making two potatoes from one.

Dig a hole approx. 6 inches deep and place you potato cut side down. Cover your hole with plenty of dirt, piling it up like a hill. I usually have mine approx. 6 inches tall. Potatoes take a long time to grow so be patient. They are working hard underground to make you some yummy food. If you plant your potatoes soon, they should be ready for harvest around August. If you want little potatoes dig a few up earlier.

This might sound crazy to some, but digging in the dirt can be relaxing and fun. I had my two little nieces outside with me today planting potatoes, onions and radishes. We had a great time placing the seedlings in the dirt. They enjoyed seeing the rows of white and red onions. "It's a pattern" they said. I can't wait to see the expressions on their little faces when they get to pick their rewards.

How do you go GREEN?

2011-03-17T08:55:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Going green is pretty easy if you just get a little creative. There are so many ways you can help the earth, put some green in your wallet, or eat more greens. Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has some wonderful ideas on going green.

One of my favorite ways of going green is gardening. I love this time of year. The flowers are starting to pop up from their long winter nap. The trees are starting to come alive. The earth is ready for me to start planting.

Usually on St. Patrick's Day I have my potatoes planted and a few onions and broccoli plants. This year I'm not ready at all. My brother in-law is going to bring my tiller back today so I can get out in the garden. It is suppose to be 70 degrees here today in Virginia. Hooray for spring!

This summer I plan to grow as much vegetables as possible to preserve for the winter. I hope to have enough to last me until next summer. My garden spot is not very big, but it is only two of us in this house. I grow everything in my garden organically. All the chemicals and fertilizers are not good for the earth or your bodies. Going back to the basics the way God intended us to live. I use the chicken poop as my fertilizer. Every time I clean out their house I just dump it into the garden and I'll work it in with the tiller. Lady bugs are a great way to keep the bugs away. They eat little larva before the larva can eat your vegetables. Bees are not my favorite creatures but they do help pollinate your plants. Just don't make them mad!

As for my fruit trees, I have not found a organic spray for my fruit trees yet. Last year the worms ate up my peaches. Any suggestions?

Buy fresh, Buy local is another way to go green. Check out your local farmer's markets. When you buy local you are helping the local farmers. You are also getting produce that has ripened on the vine and not in a truck that has traveled across the country. If you are looking for organic produce, just ask. Ask the farmer if they use pesticides. The more demand for organic the lower the prices are going to go. Use your green money to make a difference.

How do you go GREEN?

Coconut Oil Pan Fryed Flounder

2011-03-16T14:00:00.003-04:00

I just recently started using coconut oil in my cooking. After researching the health advantages of coconut oil, I wish I would have switched sooner. Coconut oil helps maintain cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and weight loss plus many others benefits. You can buy coconut oil that taste like coconut or ones that don't. I prefer the oil that taste like coconut. I love my coconuts. Tropical Traditions is where I buy my coconut oil. They ship fast and pretty reasonable in price.

Here is my recipe for Coconut oil pan fryed flounder:

2lbs. flounder
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. old bay seasoning
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 Tbsp. coconut oil (for frying)

Mix lemon juice and eggs in small bowl. Mix bread crumbs, old bay seasoning, onion powder, sea salt and garlic powder in medium size bowl. Dip flounder in egg mixture then into bread crumb mixture. Put 2 Tbsp. coconut oil in large skillet and turn heat on medium temp. When oil melts put fish in skillet and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. You will have to add coconut oil each time you fry a new skillet full of fish. The fish like coconut oil too and soak it up.

Do you have any favorite coconut oil recipes? Please do share!

Just Eat Organic

2011-03-13T08:57:00.003-04:00

Going Green and helping the plant means eating Organic. There are so many chemicals and pesticides in our everyday supermarket foods. Make the switch today and buy Organic. Tell the world that you want better food for your family. Hop on over to Stoneyfield's video on "Just Eat Organic". I was dancing in my seat watching this video.

Starbucks WOW'd Me!!!

2011-03-10T09:06:00.002-05:00

Not real sure is "WOW'd" is a word, but Starbucks WOW'd me the other day. I had received a post card in the mail for a FREE drink. I went in to my local Starbucks and ordered a vinti caramel frappuccino. After 4 or 5 people behind me received their drinks I asked the lady if she had my order, she replied no. The manager came over and made my drink. He handed me my frappuccino and a coupon for another FREE drink. I only wish I would have gotten his name. Thanks Starbucks Manager.

If you have a Starbucks card, register it here to get your free drink. If you don't have a Starbucks card, get one for only 450 Swagbucks.

Coconut Pineapple Dip

2011-03-06T13:18:00.003-05:00

Do you love coconut shrimp? Here is a dip you gotta try. I love Red Lobsters coconut shrimp and their pineapple dip that comes with it. I decided to try and make my own. It's very easy and delicious. Get out your blender and whip up a batch for dinner tonight.

1 cup fresh pineapple
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Put all ingredients into your blender and blend for 1 minute. Pour into serving dishes and enjoy with coconut shrimp. I am experimenting with coconut shrimp and will hopefully have a recipe up soon.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-03-01T13:49:00.004-05:00

Vanilla extract is one of my favorite cooking ingredients. When I read Laura's blog on making your own homemade vanilla extract I thought I would give it a try.

Pure vanilla extract can be very expensive. The last bottle I bought from Whole Foods cost $5.00 for a 2 oz. bottle. I did some calculating and figured out that making your own is way cheaper. Buying the vodka, vanilla beans and the 2 oz. bottles will only end up costing you around $2.00 a bottle for pure vanilla extract.

It takes around six months before your vanilla will be ready to use. Just in time to get them bottled up and ready for Christmas presents. I can't wait to see how this project turns out. I love making things from scratch and Heavenly Homemakers is a great inspiration to me. Thanks Laura for all you do. Go check out her blog!!!

Honey Wheat Hamburger Buns

2011-02-22T16:57:00.004-05:00

When I was doing my menu planning for the week I didn't realize that we didn't have any hamburger buns. So, I headed to the store to buy some (can we say "lazy"). The store wanted $3.29 for a package of 8 hamburger buns. I couldn't bring myself to buy them.

I went home and got out the bread machine and decided to make my own. I have tried this once before and they turned out really thick and yucky. The recipe I used is from my bread machine book for honey wheat rolls. Here is how I made them into hamburger buns.

Recipe:
1 cup water (room temperature)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey ( I used Agave)
1 egg
2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cups wheat flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add all ingredients to bread machine and select dough cycle. When bread is done, knead it for 2-3 mins. of floured surface. Tear off a chunk of dough and roll in palm of hand until it's approx. 3 inches round. Keep doing this until you use up all the dough. Place on greased cookie sheet and cover with a clean cloth. Let rise for 1 hour. Push down on dough gently to release the air. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 mins. Makes approx. 14 buns.

I then cut one in half to make sure it was not dense and thick inside. Perfect! I think the bread flour helped a lot. No more store bought hamburger buns for us.

Free shipping on Tropical Traditions Gallon Coconut Oil

2011-02-21T09:25:00.002-05:00

Tropical Traditions is offering FREE ground shipping on their Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil in the gallon containers. It is also on sale for only $69.00.

About six months ago I tried Tropical Traditions virgin coconut oil and feel in love with it. The jar didn't last long when I started making my own tortilla shells. Let's see how long this gallon of coconut oil will last me.

Hurry this FREE shipping offer ends Thursday Feb. 24th!!!

FYI: Tropicana Juicy Rewards expire Feb.28

2011-02-08T10:47:00.004-05:00

Tropicana Juicy Rewards will expire Feb. 28, 2011. There are still some great deals to get or you could donate your points to help the rain forest. Every 3 points you donate help rescue 100 square feet of rain forest.

I don't know much about the rain forest but I do know it needs our help. Here are some facts you can learn about the disappearing rain forest.

Super Bowl Cake: Packers vs. Steelers

2011-02-05T19:50:00.003-05:00

Ahh, the big game is almost here!!

I don't follow football much, but I do love the super bowl. I like to watch the half time shows and the commercials. Another great benefit to super bowl is eating. Just another reason to be in the kitchen cooking up some yummy treats.

My super bowls are spent at work so we just bring the party there. I will bring in my t.v. and my two managers and I cook up some yummy treats for all the employees. This year I am making deviled eggs, cheese and cracker tray, apples with caramel dip and a super bowl cake. Not much cooking going on in the kitchen, but it's still fun. What are your favorite super bowl dishes?

Cheesy Chicken Alfredo

2011-02-02T12:35:00.003-05:00

This is a simple and quick dinner meal. I love making dishes that are easy to reheat. We don't have a microwave and that means a lot of dirty dishes when heating up leftovers. Although I don't mind doing dishes I would rather be cooking instead of cleaning. I know, I know, cooking means cleaning up.

Cheesy Chicken Alfredo:

1 lb. boneless chicken breast
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 lb. cooked pasta
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
Parmesan cheese to top it off

Cook your pasta according the the box, drain and set aside. Cook your chicken breast in skillet or grill. Cut into bite size pieces. In a large skillet add cream cheese, milk, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley. Cook on medium heat until cream cheese is melted. Add cooked pasta and chicken. Pour into casserole dish and top with Parmesan and more parsley.

Cookies for Breakfast? Oh Yeah!!!

2011-02-02T12:31:00.002-05:00

Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers has an awesome recipe for breakfast cookies. I just made these and they are delicious.

Any Time Pasta

2011-02-01T08:52:00.003-05:00

This pasta is very easy to make and you can add or subtract your favorite ingredients.

1/2 lb. uncooked pasta (I used bow tie pasta)
3/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. Veggie mix
1 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 15oz. can corn
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 cup white beans
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan cook your pasta as directed. In a medium bowl mix together olive oil, rice vinegar and veggie mix. Let this rest while the pasta is cooking. Chop your veggies. Drain corn, reserve 1/4 cup corn juice.

If your using canned beans, great. If your using dried beans, make sure to cook them before starting this recipe, they take a while to cook. I put mine in the crock-pot and let them cook all night on low, then turned them to high the next morning.

When pasta is down pour into large mixing bowl. Add veggies, feta cheese, corn juice and oil mixture. String until pasta is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. This was a big hit with my family.

The Veggie mix comes from my friend Lisa who owns Howell Mountain Dry Goods. She has a wonderful variety of dry mixes and rubs. The ideas are endless with the wonderful mixes and they are very affordable.

$1.00 off Athenos= FREE at Wal-mart

2011-01-31T12:06:00.004-05:00

Another great coupon from coupons.com. $1.00 off Athenos feta, hummus, baked pita chips or greek yogurt. Wal-mart has the greek yogurt priced at $1.00, making it FREE.

Homemade Marshmallows

2011-01-29T08:28:00.003-05:00

Calling all marshmallow lovers. Here is a recipe you gotta try.

I never buy marshmallows because I think they are soooo bad for you. These marshmallows have a lot of sugar but no high fructose corn syrup- yeah. I found this recipe from a lady that left a commit on Heavenly Homemakers blog. If you haven't been to Laura's site, go check it out. She is my cooking ideal.

We had a snow day last week and I had 3 of my sister's 4 kids plus my daughter. I had to keep them busy, in the kitchen we stayed. My two little nieces love to cook with me. Krista, the 5 year old, didn't care much for the marshmallows. I'm having a hard time getting this child to eat anything homemade.

Homemade marshmallows

2 Tbsp. gelatin
1/2 cup cool water

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa

In a small bowl, stir together corn starch and powdered sugar and cocoa. Prepare a pan: spray a large casserole (13 X 9) with oil and sprinkle with powdered sugar to coat. Combine cool water and gelatin in large bowl. In a saucepan combine water, sugar, honey and salt. Bring to a roiling boil until liquid reaches 238-240 degrees. Turn on mixer at low speed and slowly pour in hot syrup in bowl. Beat until fluffy about 12-15 minutes. Add vanilla at the end of mixing. Pour into prepared pan and cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Dump marshmallows onto a cutting board. Cut into desired shapes. Toss in cocoa mixture until marshmallow is coated. Enjoy.

I have so many different ideas now to do with these marshmallows. How about brown sugar and cinnamon? Roll them in colored sugar, maybe even use a cookie cutter to make different shapes. Try using a small pan to make GIANT marshmallows for s'mores. The ideas are endless.

Chicken and Broccoli with Rice

2011-01-18T11:57:00.003-05:00

Chicken is a staple in our house. We eat more chicken than any other meat. I'll always trying to find different meals to make with chicken. Since my grocery budget of $50 is already used this month, I have to get creative.

To the cabinets I go. What's inside? Garlic, soy sauce, broccoli and rice. I can make my own "Chinese, chicken and broccoli" I say! The wheels are turning in my brain (no sarcastic remarks please.)

The other night I had cooked a whole chicken for dinner. We ate some that night and I'm using the rest for this recipe.
2 cups broccoli
1 1/2 cups chicken
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 spring onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Tare the meat off your chicken until you get approx. 1 1/2 cups worth of chicken. Throw the carcase of the bird in a large pot and add some salt and pepper. I added some onion for flavoring also. You can also add carrots, celery. If you get more than 1 1/2 cups great. Save that to make cranberry almond chicken salad. Boil in pot for about 20 mins. While your broth is cooking, cook your broccoli in another pot, just until it's almost tender. You don't want mussy broccoli. Yuck!

Measure 2 cups of broth and add to a large skillet or wok. Add the broccoli, chicken, minced garlic, soy sauce, onion, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 10-12 mins. Serve with rice.

Coupon: Earthbound Farms $1.00 coupon (if you pass the test)

2011-01-13T15:24:00.002-05:00

Earthbound Farms has 12 questions for you to answer about organic farming. If you get all 12 right they will send you a coupon for $1.00 off their product. Go here and get the Organic 101 first. Good Luck!!

Coupon: $8.00 worth of Organic Valley coupons

2011-01-13T15:18:00.004-05:00

Organic Valley has $8.00 worth of coupons for you to print. You can print up to 2 prints per coupon. Everything from milk, cheese, butter, eggs and more.

Coupon: $0.50 off Driscoll's berries

2011-01-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

Sign up for Driscoll's email and they will send you a coupon for $0.50 off berries. Also receive a special berry offer on your birthday (will let you know what that is next month), delicious berry recipes too.