Lentil Soup!

Lentil Soup!

This recipe is one of my regulars.  I really got into it when I first started eating gluten free and needed the fiber and protein.  I also love that it is warm and spicy and goes with everything!  We eat this as a soup or throw in chicken or hamburger.  Some times if the lentils have soaked up a lot of the broth we will use it on toritllas in place of beans.  


Wish you could smell my house right now....mmmm!

Ingredients: 

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 quarts gluten free low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes.  
1 lb. lentils 

Directions:

Soak lentils in water for 3-4 hours ahead of time for best results.  (You can surely make the lentils without soaking but you will have to add more broth so they won't be as tastey.)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes in a large soup pot.  

Add all other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours. IT"S THAT EASY!

My young lady wanted to eat this for breakfast... I told her only if she let me take a picture first!  Love her!!! 

Last but not least...divide the leftovers into individual sized glass containers and freeze for another day!

Special Hints:  

**Go for organic if you can here - Garlic, onion and lentils are sooo much better tasting organic and they aren't expensive.  Open Harvest often has cheap organic lentils in their bins. 


**You don't have to use Italian style tomatoes, you can use Rotel if you want it spicy but regular diced tomatoes are great too.  I usually use the small can but this time I used a large can because that is what I had...whatever you have is great.


**I like this spicy but my family does not.  So I make it mild and then add spicy salsa or green chile when I heat mine up. 


This recipe makes my home smell good and makes me feel a little bit like Rachel Ray...I'm so not an excellent chef...but I will take the "feeling" for a day!  Hope you can too...

Happy Friday! - I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!

I just wanted to drop in and let you know I have not fallen off of the face of the earth!  (the picture is old but made us laugh yesterday...and resembles my week in so many ways!)  


Maybe your week has been like mine...catching up from having children home for Spring Break, being ill and now trying to get life back on track!  Needless to say, I've been away from my computer!  


I pray you have a blessed Friday and an AWESOME weekend!  


I Hope to be back next week with: 
A Great Lentil Recipe, Protein Snack Ideas, and a P90X Hybrid Workout Schedule for those who love Insanity & P90X!  


Happy Friday!!!

What We Do Eat - Banana Cookies

Banana Cookies

I don't know about you but there are not too many foods more comforting than warm homemade banana bread!  In my quest to feed my family healthier, less processed and more nutrient filled food, somewhere along the line I came up with these banana cookies to help fill the void of not eating banana bread.  I just made some last night so I thought I would share them with you!    

The Ingredients:
3 Ripe bananas
2 Cups rolled oats 
1/3 Cup oil ( I use 1/4 C coconut oil plus water to make 1/3 C)
1 Cup dried cranberries (or dates or raisins)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup walnuts 


The Directions:
Mash Bananas
Stir in vanilla, oil, oats, cranberries, walnuts
Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes
Drop by teaspoon on to ungreased cookie sheet.  
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  
*The cookies will get slightly brown on top and will harden up like chewy granola bars when they cool.  Don't overcook if you want the warm banana bread experience. 

Now look at those happy young ladies :). Lets just say they I think they were tired of waiting for the cookies to cool!

What We Do Eat - Healthier Blueberry Muffins

These blueberry muffins are loved in our house!  

So much so that Macey made them on her own this week!  

This recipe is a great example of moving toward healthier eating.  You can start with a good solid recipe and change it a little at a time.  Note that these muffins are not gluten free or dairy free, but with a little work they sure could be.  

Wheat-Oat Blueberry Muffins

The basic recipe: 

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 Cup sour cream

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Cup light brown sugar

1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats

1 Cup frozen or fresh berries

     (if frozen don't defrost)
Walnuts if desired

2 tbs sugar for topping if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line muffin tin with liners

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt

In a large bowl beat eggs & sour cream

In medium saucepan on medium heat, melt butter & brown
     sugar together.  Beat this mixture into the egg & sour
     cream mixture

Stir in oats

Fold in flour & optional walnuts

Fold in berries 

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full

Drop a generous pinch of sugar on top of each muffin

Bake for 25-28 minutes

Cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan & finish cooling on rack

Makes 12 muffins

Changes in recipe you can make...


Not a fan of whole wheat? 
Start with 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 Cup regular baking flour.  Then next time you make them switch it up to all whole wheat! 


Want Healthier Yet?
Substitute a better oil such as coconut in place of the butter.
Substitute real yogurt for the sour cream - I do this in other
     recipes and it works great!
Substitute applesauce for half of the brown sugar

What We Do Eat - Organic

In a perfect world I would be able to feed my family all "organic" fruits, vegetables and meats.  However, for many of us that is not a reality because of finances and the number of mouths we feed!  So what is the solution?  I buy organic when it really matters and I can afford it.  If I can't for whatever reason buy the food organic then I try to buy it local or substitute it for something else.  For example:  Strawberries... I would love to always eat organic strawberries but we just can't.  So I will buy them from the strawberry patch in season and freeze as many strawberries as I can.  

Foods that I always buy organic:

Apples

Apples are typically grown with the use of poisons to kill fungi and bugs.  Scrubbing them doesn't take the pesticides out of the skins.  Peeling the skins take away most of the nutrients.

Bell Peppers

Peppers are heavily sprayed with insecticides.  The USDA found 49 different pesticides on sweet peppers.  After going organic with our peppers, I can actually taste the difference between one I buy organic and a pepper I buy in the regular food isle. 

Carrots

26 different pesticides have been detected in carrots and they really aren't that much more expensive.

Celery

Celery has no skin so all the pesticides sit right on the celery itself.  The USDA ranked celery #1 on the Pesticide Data list containing 64 types of pesticides in celery.  

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are often contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food.  When tested, 51 different pesticides were found. Yikes!

Pears

As insects become more resilient to the pesticides used on pears, more and more chemicals are used.  This year the USDA found 28 of them.

Potatoes

America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides.

Spinach

Spinach is great for you but it is also the most contaminated leafy vegetable.  There were 48 different pesticides found in spinach.  This is another veggie that is not that expensive in most stores.  Eat Spinach but choose organic!

Tomatoes

Although these do not rank as high on the USDA pesticide list, the thin skin of tomatoes allows pesticides to enter the actual fruit so it's best to eat organic when possible. 

Foods we should buy organic 

but can't on a regular basis:

Blueberries

Blueberries are the worst berry on the market for pesticides.  Oh, how I love my blueberries.  These are best bought organic and even frozen.  The amount of molds that are grown on berries from the time they are picked to the time you eat them is enormous.  It's unfortunate but true.

Cherries

Cherries are a hard one to figure out so they are best eaten organic.   Some studies report that cherries grown in the US were found to have 3 times more pesticide residue than imported cherries.

Grapes

Choose grapes grown in the US.  Imported grapes run a greater risk of contamination.  Grapes are sprayed with chemicals at different stages of growth so no amount of washing will eliminate the contamination.

Nectarines & Peaches

Multiple pesticides are often applied to this soft skin fruit making it highly suseptible to pesticides. The USDA found 62 different pesticides on nectarines. 

Strawberries

Strawberries ranked #3 on the USDA list containing 59 pesticides.  If you buy strawberries out of season, they are likely imported from countries that use less stringent regulations for pesticide use.

After reading this post my husband said "Carm..this is depressing"  Well, it can be...but do not let it be!  Choosing  fruits and vegetables of any kind is still TONS better than processed foods! 


My encouragement to you is to do the best you can with what you have.  If you can buy all organic that is awesome but if you can't then still eat fruits and vegetables as much as possible but focus on those that aren't as high in pesticides.  We don't want to be fearful.  We want to be informed and make the best choices possible.  God will fill in the gaps.  He is so good and faithful to do that for us.  So just give it your best and let Him take care of the rest!

What We Do Eat - Some "Not So Normal" Snacks

Snacks

Rather than write about chicken, chicken and more chicken... I thought I would write about some "not so normal" snacks we eat on a regular basis.    

Mangoes

Mangoes are my children's favorite!  

Rather expensive but always a great "special snack"

Avocados

I often let the girls get slimy and messy making "homemade" guacamole.  It's never the same twice :)

Carrots

Big, huge, whole carrots.  I will even buy the kind with "tops" on them.  The kids think it is cool to have a huge carrot for a snack.

Fruit Preserves

 I sweeten "natural" or organic (if I find it on sale) applesauce or yogurt with real or low-sugar fruit preserves.  There is no need to buy sugary applesauce or yogurt.  Also, an added bonus is that you can control the amount of preserves and if you have to start with a lot to keep the kids happy, you can slowly ween them down to a more healthy amount.

Frozen Fruit Bars

 Another favorite.  They cost more but do not have Corn Syrup or the calories.  It's easy to make your own as well if you have the patience.

Boiled Eggs 

I think I've talked a lot about eggs but keeping boiled eggs ready in the fridge makes for a great protein snack.  Hint: put baking soda in your water when boiling and your kids will be able to peel them by themselves. Woohoo!

Clementines 

Easily peeled by children and sweet..making them a very loved item!

Edamame

Edamame is a fancy name for soybeans.  While soy can be questionable in other forms, I feel pretty safe with soybean as a vegetable.  We only buy organic edamame in the shell.  You can find it in the freezer section.  My kids will take some from the freezer, put in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Then as they thaw slightly, they eat them like peanuts... really a fun snack.

Sugar Snap Peas

We love GOOD sugar snap peas.  If they aren't sweet and plump and crisp then don't buy them.

Apple Smores

My Apple Smores are not this pretty or this gooey.  But I learned from a great friend to cut apples horizontally to make apple circles.  Then we sandwich the traditional marshmallow and chocolate (or even peanut butter and jelly) to make a sandwich. I have been known to warm these up on the grill. :)

Here's to happy, healthy snacks!  Please share your ideas with us so we can continue to learn together.

What We DO Eat - Breakfast!

Many of you have asked "What DO you eat?".  I would LOVE to talk about the things we eat!  I've been trying to figure out how to do that in a small area like on a blog. :)  Hang in here with me..it's going to be long.  

Today I'll start with breakfast and break it up into "MY FOOD" & "FAMILY FOOD".  Note that the food I eat is for those of us that are avoiding the 7 Foods that cause inflammation.  My family, particularly, my husband has an awesome immune system and loves his whole grains, so he gets to eat them. :) 

MY FOOD:

OATMEAL 

Oatmeal is pretty much my staple breakfast.  Not quick-cooking but real oats.  I add a little cinnamon and craisins.  If you are trying to eat gluten free make sure they are gluten free.  My favorite are Bob's Red Mill.  Tip:  Don't do steel cut oats if you have digestive issues as they are too hard to digest.

Eggs 

Eggs are a great source of protein.  We do eat a lot of eggs - 2 egg whites and 1whole egg scrambled with any add-ins that I have available in the fridge.  I also have boiled eggs around all the time for quick protein.

Shakeology 

I have a Shakeology either for Breakfast or for Lunch.  It has over 70 ingredients in it that I just can't eat in a days time and it has the digestive enzymes and probiotics that keep my digestive system working.

Buckwheat / Oatmeal Pancakes 

Occasionally I will make up a batch of these.  The buckwheat is gluten free and the oatmeal adds fiber keeping the glycemic index down.  I throw the leftovers in the freezer and eat later with nutbutter when I want something pancake-ish.  I will post the recipe later :)

FAMILY FOOD

All of the Above Food and: 

Whole Grain Pancakes 

I like to make my own but when I can't (or Brad is making pancakes...because he is much more patient than I am) we use Bob's Red Mill or Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat.

Whole Grain Cereals 

Brad's new cereal of choice is  KASHI Cinnamon Harvest which is pretty close to a whole food.  The ingredients are "organic whole grain wheat, evaporated cane juice (yep-sugar), and organic cinnamon"  That's it...that is pretty incredible for a box cereal.  The girls eat Frosted Mini-wheats.  In order to keep away from High Fructose Corn Syrup, we changed to Hy-Vee Brand that does not contain HFCS and is very much like the name brand. 

Organic Yogurt 

Yep dairy.  Organic Yogurt if you do not have an allergy to dairy, it is a great source of protein and probiotics.  I would keep yogurt as organic and "live" as possible.  This is one we will spend money on because I think it is important.  Tip:  Buy your yogurt plain and let the kids swirl in real  or low sugar fruit preserves.

Fruit 

Grapefruit  Tip: If it's fresh, peel it like an orange, or use "special

grapefruit spoons".  DO NOT put sugar on the grapefruit... it  doesn't help.  Actually salt makes it sweeter if you have too.  But

if you don't teach the kids to dip their grapefruit and

strawberries in sugar...they won't think of it!  Clementines - kids

can peel them on their "own" which is huge in my family!

Apples, frozen fruit, frozen blueberries, grapes, bananas...We have fresh choices..we just have to make them happen!

A Word of Encouragement:  

Maybe you are thinking...UGH my family will NEVER eat that...

Don't think that way.  Change the things you can without a fuss RIGHT NOW and pick one food a week to introduce or change.  Make it fun!  Let them be a part of the process.  

When I started changing breakfast I made lists of "choices" and allowed them to pick a choice from each list.  One list was from the whole grain or egg category,  the other list was a type of fruit or yogurt.  They loved picking the options off the list.  In fact they acted like they were at Village Inn.  

May your mornings be filled with love and lots of good food!