Spice Tea

This is a recipe that I meant to post a month or two ago before the cooler weather started, but as you all know, my life has been a crazy, busy mess. With the cold front coming through this weekend, we will be starting our second pot (of the week) tonight. =)

This warm, comforting drink has been a family favorite ever since I can remember, and now that we've made some changes to our eating habits, we have also made some changes to this recipe and still thoroughly enjoy it! Let me know if you try it and how you like it...

Ingredients:
*14 cups water
*12 regular-sized tea bags (We use a lemon herbal tea to cut out caffeine. FYI: Decaf tea only decreases its caffeine content by 2% from regular tea.)
*3-6 cinnamon sticks (I use 6 to make sure we can taste it...it's not too strong.)
*2 cups sweetener (We have used evaporated cane juice, but to eliminate glycemic index concerns, we use agave nectar. I haven't been able to tell a difference between the two.)
*3 cups unsweetened orange juice (We like it with extra pulp, but you can get it without if you don't care for that.)
*1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice (We get the big cans and then freeze the leftovers in 1 cup portions so that they are ready for the next batch.)
*3/4 cup lemon juice

Boil water, tea and cinnamon sticks for 7-10 minutes. Remove tea bags and sticks and add sweetener. If using a granulated sweetener, stir until dissolved. Add juices and heat just to boiling. It's now ready to drink...Enjoy!

Raspberry Poppy Seed Muffins (or Blueberry, if you prefer)

This is a recipe that we have adapted from one of our favorite recipe books but have changed certain ingredients to meet our needs. You can make them with either the raspberries and poppy seeds or with just blueberries. This particular recipe can be made with either all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of both. If you use whole wheat flour, you will want to increase the baking powder to a total of 4 teaspoons.

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or both)
1 Tbsp. and 1/4 tsp. double-acting baking powder (4 tsp. total if using whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp. salt (slightly mounded)
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds (omit if making blueberry)

Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup milk (we use soy milk)
1/4 cup oil (we use grapeseed oil)
1/2 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries or blueberries (Run the raspberries in a food processor for a few seconds so they will spread throughout the muffins more evenly.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin-pan cups or fill muffin pan with disposable cups. Recipe will yield 16-18 muffins.

In large bowl with fork, mix dry ingredients. In small bowl with fork, beat egg slightly, then stir milk, oil and agave into beaten egg. Add fruit to wet ingredient mixture and slightly stir to make sure fruit doesn't clump. Add wet mixture all at once to flour mixture and with spoon, stir just until flour is moistened. (Avoid overmixing which causes toughness; batter should be lumpy.) Spoon batter into muffin cups. Be sure to wipe pan clean of any spills.

Bake muffins 20 to 25 minutes until they are well risen and golden and toothpick inserted in center of one comes out clean and dry.

***Now...this next step is VERY, VERY important!!! =) Do NOT put butter in your muffins! You must, Must, MUST get some coconut oil to spread in your muffins! That is the best stuff you will ever taste, and it is SO much better for you than butter! Try it! =)

Would you believe...?

1. I had been completely off of dairy for several months until this past Monday. Jason had the day off, and we were going to fix our usual "special" breakfast. We decided to make blueberry pancakes and turkey sausage patties with some some peaches on the side. We've been getting a mild turkey sausage (for breakfast) from Whole Foods for several weeks now and really enjoy it. While we were eating, I looked down at one of the sausage patties on my plate that I had already cut into and eaten off of, and there was a little white "globule" about the size of a pea. I asked Jason if he knew what it was, and he said he thought maybe it was just fat. I said that I didn't think so and decided to taste it by itself. Sure enough, it tasted very much like a mild bleu cheese...maybe a feta. I was furious! Evidently, Whole Foods had confused the "specialty" sausage with the mild turkey, or they just put the wrong label on it. As a result, I have had the worst trouble with my sinuses this week and have felt pretty miserable. I'm telling you, this is enough to keep me off of dairy for the rest of my life. The stuff is horrible!!

***Did you know that all it takes is 1 tablespoon of dairy to have you congested for 6-8 weeks?!?***

Because of this incident, I will be trying to make my own turkey sausage in the next week. I have found a recipe and can't wait to try it! =)

2. We locked ourselves out of our house! One day this week, we had to run to the store for something. When we got home, we pulled into the garage, unloaded our stuff and headed for the door to the house. (Let me preface the next statement with this: Maybe I shouldn't announce this on the internet, but we don't lock the door inside our garage. I guess we figure the garage door is security enough, and it's a pain to have to fish out keys when your arms are full of stuff.) When I tried the door and found it to be locked, I immediately filled with "fear."

See, when we moved into this house, we were given 4 (yes, FOUR) keys of which we soon discovered only ONE actually worked. Since I'm at home most of the time, Jason figured he didn't need the key that worked, so he gave it to me. Our system worked...we just used our garage door openers as our "keys" to the house. Here's where our system failed...we had children! =) One of the kids either decided to lock or accidentally locked the door on their way out. I knew that Jason wouldn't have a working key, and I had hurriedly changed purses that morning and had not moved my keys over since Jason was going to be driving. Jason immediately started working to get the door open, and after about 10 or 15 minutes, the door was opened! Praise the Lord!

3. While we were out shopping that same day, we found a world map in the discounted area of Target for only $0.50!! How cool is that? Check it out...


This will be very helpful this year, since Alyx is starting Geography! =)

Dairy Disaster

As promised, here is the information on dairy. I know it is lengthy, but there is a lot of good stuff here that you need to know. Please take the time to read through this at least once. I don't generally write long posts, unless I feel compelled to share something very important with others. =)

Common Sense
Why do mammal mothers produce milk? For the sole purpose of nurturing their babies. Horses produce milk for their babies, sheep produce milk for their babies, cows produce milk for their babies, humans produce milk for their babies, etc.

Can you name an animal that continues to take its mother's milk after it is grown? Can you name an animal that drinks the milk of a different species? No, you can't, because it doesn't happen.

What about Calcium?
Why do humans think that it is necessary to drink the milk from cows after we are weaned from our mothers? One of the biggest reasons is because we are taught from a young age that we need to "drink our milk" for strong teeth and bones. Who tells us that? The dairy industry!

If mammals needed to drink mammal milk for strong teeth and bones, then how do cows, and elephants and other animals get enough calcium for their big bones? They don't continue to drink their mother's milk or the milk from other mammals to ensure their strong teeth and bones. They receive the calcium they need from the plants they eat. The plants have large amounts of magnesium necessary for the body to absorb and use the calcium. Equal parts of calcium and magnesium have to be present in order for proper absorption to take place. The USDA says that a 1 cup serving of milk has 291.336 mg of calcium and 32.794 mg of magnesium, so all that calcium is not doing you one bit of good since only 11% of it could possibly be absorbed.

When the thought of cutting dairy from one's diet comes up, most people immediately fill with the fear of osteoporosis, and that is exactly what the dairy industry wants you to do. The belief that osteoporosis is caused by calcium deficiency is one of the biggest myths around. Mark Hegsted, a retired Harvard professor of nutrition, has said, "To assume that osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency is like assuming that infection is due to penicillin deficiency." Bone loss and deteriorating bone tissue that take place in osteoporosis are due not to calcium deficiency but rather to its resorption. It's not that our bodies don't get enough calcium, but that they excrete too much of what they already have.

What causes that, you ask? A diet high in protein causes your body to become acidic and will cause your blood stream to leach alkaline substances (like the calcium from our bones) in order to balance the body's PH. (Incidentally, here is a list of acidic and alkaline foods to help you know how to balance your diet.) One solution is not necessarily to increase your calcium intake but to decrease the amount of protein consumed. Americans are among the biggest consumers of dairy in the world, and yet we still have the highest rate of osteoporosis in the world. In this view, it seems that dairy products do indeed cause, rather than prevent, osteoporosis.

Illnesses Caused by Dairy Consumption
Cows milk is intended to nurture a 70-100 pound calf that will reach 140-200 pounds in a month and a half! Is it any wonder that Americans struggle with obesity? Cows also have 2 stomachs that aid in the digestion of their mother's milk which contains curd that is tough and dense making it difficult for humans to digest. Dairy products can easily be considered a health hazard due to the fact that they contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are filled with saturated fat and cholesterol.

The following italicized paragraphs are taken from an article discussing how cow's milk is not healthy for humans. (Click here to read the entire article.)

People who have been taught that cow's milk is the "perfect food" may be shocked to hear many prominent medical doctors are now saying dairy consumption is a contributing factor in nearly two dozen diseases of children and adults.

Doctors say cow's milk can lead to iron deficiency anemia, allergies, diarrhea, heart disease, colic, cramps, gastrointestinal bleeding, sinusitis, skin rashes, acne, increased frequency of colds and flus, arthritis, diabetes, ear infections, osteoporosis, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and more, possibly even lung cancer, multiple sclerosis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma...

...Dr. Michael Taylor states, "It is a dietary error to cross species to get milk from another animal." He notes there is a tremendous difference between human babies and baby calves, and a corresponding difference between the milk that is intended to nourish human babies and baby calves. In an interview, Dr. Taylor notes that human infants take about 180 days to double their birth weight, and that human milk is 5 to 7 percent protein. Calves require only 45 days to double their birth weight and cow's milk is 15 percent protein. In addition to the difference in the amount of protein in these two different types of milk, there are also major differences in the composition of this protein. The primary type of protein in cow's milk is casein. Cow's milk has 20 times as much casein as human milk, which makes the protein from cow's milk difficult or impossible for humans to assimilate, according to Dr. John R. Christopher, N.D., M.H. Protein composes 15 percent of the human body and when this protein cannot be properly broken down, it weakens the immune system, causing allergies and many other problems. Allergies caused by cow's milk are extremely common. In fact, Dr. Taylor states that when a single food can be isolated as the cause of an allergy, 60 percent of the time, that food is cow's milk. Dr. Ellis notes that symptoms of this allergic reaction to cow's milk in infants can include asthma, nasal congestion, skin rash, chest infections, irritability and fatigue. Dr. Oski's book cites evidence from Dr. Joyce Gryboski, director of the Pediatric Gastrointestinal Clinic at Yale University School of Medicine, who states "they see at least one child a week who is referred for evaluation of chronic diarrhea and proves to have nothing more than an allergy to cow milk."

Another reason many people suffer various symptoms of disease from drinking milk is that, according to Dr. Oski, the majority of the world's adult population is "lactose intolerant," meaning they cannot digest lactose, the sugar in milk (cow's milk and human milk). An enzyme known as lactase is required to digest lactose, and Dr. Oski states that "between the age of one and a half and four years most individuals gradually lose the lactase activity in their small intestine. This appears to be a normal process that accompanies maturation.... Most people do it. All animals do it. It reflects the fact that nature never intended lactose-containing foods, such as milk, to be consumed after the normal weaning period."...

...Another serious problem caused by consumption of cow's milk is iron-deficiency anemia. Dr. Oski notes that 15 to 20 percent of children under age 2 in the U.S. suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. Cow's milk contributes to this condition in two ways. First, he notes that cow's milk is extremely low in iron, containing less than 1 milligram of iron per quart. Because of this, he writes that it is estimated that a 1-year-old would need to drink 24 quarts of cow's milk a day to meet his iron requirements, which would be impossible. He states many infants may drink from one to two quarts of cow's milk a day, which satisfies their hunger to the point that they do no have the appetite to consume enough of other foods that do have a high iron content. The second way that cow's milk leads to iron-deficiency anemia in many infants is a form of gastrointestinal bleeding caused by increased mucus and diarrhea associated with dairy consumption. "It is estimated that half the iron-deficiency in infants in the United States is primarily the result of this form of cow milk induced gastrointestinal bleeding," Dr. Oski writes. "Mucus is frequent and some stools contain obvious traces of bright red blood... The diarrhea impairs the infant's ability to retain nutrients from his feedings. In addition, the changes produced in the gastrointestinal tract by the allergic reaction result in seepage of the child's own blood into the gut. This loss of plasma and red cells leads to a lowering of the infant's blood protein level and to the development of anemia."

The mucus created by dairy products causes other problems as well. It is well-known that dairy products cause excessive mucus in the lungs, sinuses and intestines. Dr. Ellis notes this excess mucus in the breathing passages contributes to many respiratory problems and that mucus hardens to form a coating on the inner wall of the intestines that leads to poor absorption of nutrients, which can cause chronic fatigue. This mucus also causes constipation, which can lead to many other problems. Two very common problems with infants are colic and ear infections, both of which can be caused by cow's milk. Medical studies have found cow's milk can contribute to these problems either directly, when the infant drinks cow's milk, or indirectly, when the infant breast feeds from a mother who has been consuming dairy products. Colic, suffered by one out of every five infants in the U.S., is characterized by severe stomach cramps. The July/August 1994 issue of Natural Health reports, "When a mother eats dairy products, milk proteins pass into her breast milk and end up in the baby's blood; some studies have found that cow's milk proteins (from milk drunk by the mother) might trigger colick-like symptoms in infants fed only human milk and no cow's milk." Concerning ear infections, Dr. Northrup states, "You just don't see this painful condition among infants and children who aren't getting cow's milk into their systems." The Natural Health article also notes, "Removing dairy from the diet has been shown to shrink enlarged tonsils and adenoids, indicating relief for the immune system. Similarly, doctors experimenting with dairy-free diets often report a marked reduction in colds, flus, sinusitis and ear infections."

Interesting (and Disgusting) Facts about Dairy
Milk's Basic Contents:
*ALL cow's milk (regular and 'organic') has 59 active hormones, scores of allergens, fat and cholesterol. Most cow's milk has measurable quantities of herbicides, pesticides, dioxins (up to 200 times the safe levels), up to 52 powerful antibiotics (perhaps 53, with LS-50), blood, pus, feces, bacteria and viruses.
*80% of the protein in milk is casein. Casein is a powerful binder, a polymer used to make plastics and a glue that is better used to make sturdy furniture or hold bottle labels in place. It can be found in thousands of processed foods as a binder named "something" caseinate.

Cancer Fuel:
*Of those 59 hormones, one is a powerful GROWTH hormone called Insulin- like Growth Factor ONE (IGF-1). By a freak of nature it is identical in cows and humans. Consider this hormone to be a "fuel cell" for any cancer... (the medical world says IGF-1 is a key factor in the rapid growth and proliferation of breast, prostate and colon cancers, and we suspect that most likely it will be found to promote ALL cancers). IGF-1 is a normal part of ALL milk... the newborn is SUPPOSED to grow quickly! What makes the 50% of obese American consumers think they need MORE growth?

Quantity:
*Each bite of hard cheese has TEN TIMES whatever was in that sip of milk, because it takes ten pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese. Each bite of ice cream has 12 times, and every swipe of butter 21 times whatever is contained in the fat molecules in a sip of milk.

Cholesterol:
*The cholesterol content of three glasses of milk (the recommended daily "dose") is equal to what one would get from 53 slices of bacon. Do you know of any doctor who recommends that much bacon per day?

Mad Cow Disease:
*There may also be prions (pronounced PREons) in the milk and meat. This is crystalline substance that acts like a virus... with an "incubation" period of 5 to 30 years. The end result is MAD COW DISEASE!

Homogenization:
*Large fat molecules cannot get through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The cream no longer rises... because homogenization breaks up those large molecules into small ones that DO get into the bloodstream! This becomes an expressway for any fat-borne toxins (lead, dioxins, etc.) into your (otherwise) most protected organs.

Bacteria:
*Cow's milk is allowed to have feces in it. This is a major source for bacteria. Milk is typically pasteurized more than once before it gets to your table - each time for only 15 seconds at 162 degrees Fahrenheit. To sanitize water one is told to boil it (212 degrees F) for several minutes. That's a real comfort, isn't it? Keep in mind that at room temperature the number of bacteria in milk DOUBLE around every 20 minutes. No wonder milk turns rotten very quickly.
*ONE cubic centimeter (cc) of commercial cow's milk is allowed to have up to 750,000 somatic cells (common name is "PUS") and 20,000 live bacteria before it is kept off the market. That amounts to a whopping 20 million live squiggly bacteria and up to 750 MILLION pus cells per liter (a little more than 1/4 gallon).

1 cup = 236.5882cc 177,441,150 pus cells ~ 4,731,600 bacteria
24 oz (3 glasses) = 532,323,450 pus cells ~ 14,220,000 bacteria
(the "recommended" daily intake)

Mistreatment of Cows:
*With genetic manipulation and intensive production technologies, it is common for modern dairy cows to produce 100 pounds of milk a day— 10 times more than they would produce in nature. To keep milk production as high as possible, farmers artificially inseminate cows every year. Growth hormones and unnatural milking schedules cause dairy cows' udders to become painful and so heavy that they sometimes drag on the ground, resulting in frequent infections and overuse of antibiotics.

Quote:
*"It's not natural for humans to drink cow's milk. Human's milk is for humans. Cow's milk is for calves. You have no more need of cow's milk than you do rat's milk, horse's milk or elephant's milk. Cow's milk is a high fat fluid exquisitely designed to turn a 65 lb. baby calf into a 400 lb. cow. That's what cow's milk is for!" --Dr Michael Klaper MD

Alternatives to Dairy
In our opinion, soy milk is an excellent substitution for cow's milk when used with cereal or even in cooking and baking. I know that there has to be some of you who inwardly cringe at the thought of even trying soy milk, let alone consuming it on a regular basis, but let me tell you, soy milk is good! My mother and I are living proof that even the pickiest most discerning person will enjoy having soy milk. My mom, who (like me) is very sensitive to trying strange, new things, recently started using soy milk in her cereal. She conveyed to me that when she sat down with her first bowl, she gagged a little at the thought, but once she took her first bite, she thought, "Wow! What a treat!" Now, she completely looks forward to it. So far, she has only tried the vanilla-flavored Silk soy milk. I find that kind to be a little too sweet for my liking (especially with a sweeter cereal), so we use the regular soy milk. We are not brand-loyal yet. We just look for the best price, so when Silk is on sale, we get that. When it's not, I use my $1 off coupon on Organic Valley soy milk.

Another good substitution is coconut milk. Remember the strawberry coconut milk ice cream? That stuff is good! Coconut milk is thicker than cow's milk, so it makes for a rich, creamy ice cream. This recipe was originally for chocolate coconut milk ice cream, but we just changed it to strawberry for Larissa's birthday party. The chocolate ice cream was good, but you have to be sure to really mix in the cocoa powder completely. There were a few little "balls" of cocoa powder towards the bottom of the ice cream churn container, but for the most part it was fine. The recipe is the same, but instead of the strawberries, use 2/3 cup of cocoa powder in the single recipe. Oh, and in case you are wondering, coconut milk does not have a strong coconut flavor. In fact, I don't think it really tastes like coconut at all, especially after you've added the strawberry or chocolate to it.

As far as cheese goes, we haven't found a really good substitution. There are soy cheeses, but I haven't been too impressed with them. Jason and the girls thought it was fine, but I'm a little pickier than they are, I guess. =) If you decide to try a cheese substitute, make sure you look at the ingredient list. We found a rice cheese a couple of months ago, and since we used to get rice milk years ago, we thought the rice cheese would also be dairy free. After we tried it, we thought, "Wow! That was great!" Come to find out, they put casein in the mix. So, we haven't had it since.

Right now, we have some soy cream cheese in the refrigerator that we plan on using in one of our favorite cheesecake recipes. We're desperately trying to come up with some good holiday substitutions BEFORE the holidays get here, and since that is basically 4 months away, we are in a time crunch! When I come across good recipes, I'll post them for you to try.

If you have any questions or comments about this post, let me know. I hope that this has been helpful and informative. =)

Short update

This week has been a little busier (and longer) than usual. Jason had some free time one day, so we took a trip out to the Lancaster's Hydro Farm Country Store. We had just bought a lot of produce from Whole Foods and Publix, so there wasn't much left on our list. We bought some cucumbers, radishes, kale and plums. I can't wait 'til next time when we can get more stuff!

Angela gave us a tour of the miniature farm they have next to the store. There actual farm is out in Dover. She gave us lots of great information and let the girls hold the radishes after she pulled them. She has a type of carrot growing and let us try the green growth above ground. It tastes like carrot! If you haven't been over there, you ought to go check it out. They're located at 5329 Lithia Pinecrest Road, just north of Fish Hawk Blvd, in Lithia, FL. They are open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:30am-6pm. You can read more about hydroponics on the bottom of their home page.

This week, the girls and I went down to Sarasota for an A Beka Book show (No, I couldn't wait for the one in Brandon next week. I need my books sooner!). We ordered all of our books for this next year, and should be ready to start August 4th. We'll be doing 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades, and all of the books (after tax) cost less than $300! Yay! Do you know how much tuition in a school for all three of them would be?!? I love homeschooling! =)

I also had a doctor's appointment this week. My health has been improving greatly during the last few weeks. I feel better and better all the time! There are some rough days occasionally, but on the whole, I feel great! Dr. C. had some extra time during my appointment, so we were able to talk for a while. I love picking his brain! He's so full of such great information, and he's so willing to share it all. =) In case you haven't caught on...I highly recommend him to anyone! If you're interested, let me know, and I'll give you his information.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I LOVE these cookies!!! Look how yummy!

You want the recipe? Okay...here goes:

Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup packed brown sugar (**see below for recipe**)
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice crystals
1/4 cup milk (we use soy milk)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts

HEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
BEAT coconut oil, brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, milk, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.
COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
ADD to coconut oil mixture and mix well.
STIR in oats, raisins and nuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
BAKE 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.
COOL on wire racks.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

**We made our own brown sugar so that we could be sure it was the right kind of sweetener. Plus, it's fun, and it will save you money in the long run! =) Using a fork, mix 1 cup of evaporated cane juice crystals with 1 tablespoon of molasses (We use unsulphured blackstrap molasses). Very easy!**

We bought the evaporated cane juice at Whole Foods, but you can also get it on Amazon. We forgot to keep the receipt to compare prices, so I'll have to check the next time we go to Whole Foods. The bag is labeled "Organic Sugar," but if you look at the ingredients, it says that it is evaporated cane juice. While this is definitely better for you than the bleached, refined, over-processed white sugar, I would still recommend limiting your intake. This is something that I will probably use around the holidays and for birthdays or other special occasions, but will try to stick to Agave for the everyday kind of recipes.

Amazon Kashi Deal

This month only on Amazon, if you order $49 worth of Kashi products, you will get $20 off. My kids LOVE the Cinnamon Harvest cereal. We got 2 cases of that today! That should last us at least a couple of weeks. =) Ordering the cereal this way, we are only paying about $2.40 per box. At the store, it is close to $4 per box!


We also ordered some Lundberg Honey Dijon rice chips, and they came in yesterday. There are 12 in a case! Yummy! Look at all of these...


Yesterday, Jason ordered some Lundberg Wasabi rice chips, Yummy Earth assorted flavors organic candy drops and Yummy Earth wild peppermint candy drops.

We love the rice chips! The wasabi-flavored chips have a kick to them that is really good. Some of our other favorites are Santa Fe BBQ and Pico de Gallo (These two are not available to order on Amazon yet). These 4 are the only ones that don't have dairy in them, so they're the only ones we have tried. Since we are going to have so many of them, we are willing to share with anyone who would like to try some. The Honey Dijon chips are about $2.36 per bag, and the Wasabi chips are about $2.18 per bag (at Whole Foods, they are $2.69 per bag), so just let me know if you would like either of the ones we have ordered.

The candies are sweetened with evaporated cane juice and natural fruit flavors. We've purchased the fruit-flavored candies from Whole Foods before, and we really like them. There are also lollipops available in the same flavors in case you want them for little ones. =) We have not tried the peppermints before, but I figure they can't be that bad if they're anything like the fruit candies. I'll let you know how we like them after we try them. The package of fruit candies that we ordered has 4-16oz. bags and costs $20. Each bag costs $5 and has approximately 145 pieces of candy making each piece approximately $0.03! Not bad, huh? (If you are interested in sampling some of the candy or even purchasing a bag, let me know.)

No, we are not addicted to candy. =) I just like to have an alternative treat for the kids. They are learning (along with us) that sugar is bad, and they are learning to say "No, thank you" at church when they are offered candy or other sweets. Since they have my genes, I figure they are going to be susceptible to the same health problems I have. If I can eliminate these "cravings" for the wrong kinds of food now while they are young and give them enjoyable alternatives, then maybe they won't feel the need to try bad foods and will be spared a lot of the health issues that I've had to deal with.

By the way, we are still checking into the co-op/buying club. About 5 years ago, we used to order (through a group at our previous church) from a certain company, but after several days of trying to get some information on that company, I discovered they went bankrupt a couple of years ago. That's not good! =} I have found another company, but as far as I can tell, they are not accepting new buying clubs, so we would need to join an existing club in the area. We are trying to get in contact with one of them to get some additional information. I'll keep you posted.

Bean Burgers and Ketchup...Yuuummmyyy!

These two recipes have got to be one of our absolute favorite meals! I don't think a week has gone by since we first made these that we haven't made them. Generally, we make them for dinner one night during the week, and then the rest of the week, the girls and I (and sometimes Jason if he's home during the day) will have them for lunch. We have no problem with leftovers! In fact, the way I feel is that if a meal doesn't make enough for at least 1 or 2 more meals, it's not worth making. =)

Both of these recipes I got from the recipe blog "Delicious Wisdom." One of the things I like about this site is that she gives health benefits and other information for certain ingredients used in each recipe. Some of the recipes might be considered a little strange, but I just pick through and find the ones that we would be interested in trying. If you look on the right-hand side of the page, you will see a monthly archive. After you click on a certain month, you will see all the entries listed by title. Click on the name of a recipe to view the entire recipe.

Okay, let's start with the bean burgers. They are actually called Any Bean Burgers, because you can choose the kind of bean that you want to use. Since I've already given credit to "Delicious Wisdom," I'm going to just copy the recipe from her site. She gives such good information, and I don't want to leave anything out or have to change the wording around. =) Here it is:

So this is basically a bean burger, with some nuts thrown in for extra nutrition, flavor and protein. I've made the recipe completely adaptable, so that you can make things like "White Bean and Walnut Burgers", which sounds really chi chi. Or "Peanut and Black Bean Burgers", which sounds a little more...Latin, maybe? The point is, once you make your own 'veggie burger', you must promise never to buy the chemical-filled frozen ones again. Make your own and freeze them, because they freeze nicely.

Make beans from scratch, use leftovers, or use quality canned organic. Wheat germ serves a few purposes here: helping to shape the burgers, upping the fiber content even further than the beans already do, and providing a source of vitamin E, folic acid and other nutrients. Ground flaxseed will work in much the same way, but keep these things in mind: always keep it in the fridge, grind the seeds yourself in a coffee grinder if possible, and know that the omega-3 fatty acids do not survive high heat. For this reason, the main benefit of the flax in a cooked recipe like this would be the fiber.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 25 Minutes
Yield: 6-8 Servings (Freeze the leftovers or crumble into a wrap for lunch the next day with some lettuce, veggies, and a condiment)
Ingredients:
2 Cups Cooked Beans (Any Type of Black, White or Red)
2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (Like Walnuts, Almonds or Peanuts)
1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tsp Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Wheat Germ (for the gluten-intolerant, use ground flaxseeds or try rolled oats)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, using your hands to mush the beans into a chunky paste. Form into 6-8 burgers and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve on the best multi-grain bread you can find with tomato, sprouts, dark green lettuce and optional condiments like mustard, salsa or hummus. They can be slightly crumbly, so use some finesse when loading onto the bread.

We triple this recipe and make it with black beans and walnuts. We use yellow onion instead of red, and we use ground flax seeds instead of wheat germ. The kids love helping with this recipe. I usually measure out a little over 2 cups of nuts and put them into a Ziploc bag. Then I give the girls a rolling pin and let them crush the nuts. If you are pressed for time, just toss them in a food processor until they are well chopped. The bean mixture can either be mashed by hand, with a potato masher or dough blender, but the easiest way that we have found to do it is to put all the beans in a food processor and run it for about 5-10 seconds - just long enough to mash the majority of the beans without completely pureeing it. You want to have some "bean chunks" left in. After you've run the beans through the food processor, you can then just stir in the rest of the ingredients. We recently bought a 2 1/2" stainless steel ice cream scoop to form same-sized burgers. After we scoop the mounds onto a baking sheet, we press them down flat with our fingers. I also put some olive oil and pepper on each side of our wheat hamburger buns and lay them open faced on a baking sheet under the broiler to toast. You can "dress" your burger any way you like. We use the ketchup from the recipe below and some green leaf lettuce (not iceberg).

The thing about this recipe is that you can't go into it thinking that it's a hamburger. It is not the same texture. We compare it more to a bean burrito on a hamburger bun. The textures and flavors are so good, that chances are you won't even miss the high-fat red meat. We don't!

If you decide you like this recipe and would like to triple it like us, here are the "amounts" to make it easier for you.

4 cans of beans
1 can tomato paste
2 cups nuts
3/4 cup onion
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 T. salt (We are actually cutting back on salt, so we only use 1 1/2 tsp.)
6 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups flax seed

What would a "burger" be without ketchup? This ketchup recipe is so yummy, that once you taste it, you will never want store-bought ketchup again! Here is the original recipe on Delicious Wisdom. Once again, I'm just going to copy her recipe below.

One of many blessings of home-made ketchup is that it contains no high fructose corn syrup. Use agave nectar, a sweetener made from a cactus-like plant with a honey-like texture and mild flavor (find it in your local health food store) and you’ve got ketchup with a very low glycemic index. Spread it on burgers, dip your sweet potato fries in it, use it to make barbeque sauce, or substitute it for tomato paste for an extra kick of flavor in your recipes. And, by the way--stop wasting tomato paste! Buy organic canned tomato paste and freeze the leftovers in tablespoon-sized chunks. Use as needed.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 60 Minutes
Yield: About 2 Cups
Ingredients:
1- 28 Oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Medium Sweet Onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Honey or Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Dry Mustard
Pinch Cloves
Pinch Allspice
Pinch Cinnamon
Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add all other ingredients and simmer on low, uncovered, for about one hour or until very thick. Stir occasionally while cooking, but more often at the end. This will prevent scorching or sticking. Blend in a food processor or blender once cool. Keep refrigerated. Keeps for about three weeks. Delicious!

The only change I make to this recipe is that I use the Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. These are not crushed but will be run through the food processor at the end, and they will leave the little black flecks from the fire roasting. A single recipe of this makes plenty of ketchup for our triple recipe of burgers.

Let me know if you try this and how you like it...

Birthday recipes

I know I haven't explained why we aren't having dairy any more, so I will try to do that soon. No, we are not lactose intolerant...you will just have to wait to find out. I know, you are just on the edge of your seat with enthusiasm, aren't you. =)

This first recipe is for the cake, and we actually got it out of one of our cookbooks and just substituted where necessary. I will type up the actual recipe and then put in parenthesis what we changed.



Yellow Cake:

2 1/4 cups flour (all purpose, unbleached, organic)
1 1/2 cups sugar (agave nectar)
3/4 cup shortening (coconut oil-this is thick like Crisco)
3/4 cup milk (soy milk-plain)
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. double-acting baking powder (aluminum free)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract (we left this out because we didn't have any)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease two 9-inch round pans (or one 9x13 - we tried both ways but did the two layers for Larissa's birthday cake).

Measure all ingredients into large bowl. With mixer at low speed, beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium; beat 5 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans, smoothing top with rubber spatula. Cut through batter with knife to remove any air bubbles.

Bake layers 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted deep into center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup Dagoba chocodrops (We used Sunspire grain-sweetened chocolate chips)
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
pinch celtic sea salt (I left this out)

1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil.
2. Stir in agave, vanilla and salt
3. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to cool (leave in until the outer edges begin to "harden" - might take longer than 15 minutes)
4. Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy.
5. Frost over cake, cupcakes or between cookies.

Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream: (For some reason, I didn't get a picture of this. I'll try to remember to get one next time we make it.)

3 cups (a little over 1 1/2 cans) of coconut milk (NOT Lite)
10 oz bag of frozen strawberries (1 1/2 cups)
6 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

We quadrupled this recipe to make 6 quarts. Here are the amounts for that:
12 cups (7 cans) of coconut milk
4-10 oz bags of frozen strawberries (6 cups)
1 1/2 cups agave nectar
4 tsp. vanilla extract

Defrost the strawberries enough so that they can go through the food processor. Slightly puree, making sure to leave a few chunks if you so desire. Combine all ingredients into ice cream canister and mix well with a long spoon. Make according to your machines instructions. Ours took about 40 minutes to freeze.

As you can see, all of this is dairy free and sugar free, and it was all very, very good! No one felt deprived at the party, and in fact, at one point, my mom made a "yummy" noise and said, "I'm so glad I'm on a diet!" She recently started going to Dr. C for some health issues and has cut out sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and dairy, and now she's losing weight and feeling much better than she was before! Yay! =)

Organic or Conventional?

What is the difference, you ask? Let me explain. I did some research online and found some specifics about the differences between the two types of farming. The following lists were obtained from The Mayo Clinic's website.

Organic farmers:
1. Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure and compost, to feed the soil and plants.
2. Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
3. Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
4. Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors, and they use preventative measures - such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing - to help minimize disease.

Conventional farmers:
1. Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.
2. Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.
3. Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
4. Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.

You will have to make the choice as to which one you will purchase. Personally, I don't want to be exposed to all the chemicals, hormones...etc. that are found in conventionally-grown products. Check out Wikipedia's entry on "Organic Foods" to get a better picture of how it's grown (or better yet, how it's NOT grown). You can also read about how farmers (and even migratory birds) are affected by the pesticides used in conventional farming---it's really bad!

There are strict standards placed on organic food producers. Don't be confused by labels placed on products that read, "all-natural," "free-range" or "hormone-free." Unless it is USDA Certified Organic, these products can NOT be interpreted as being organic. In order for a product to have the above-pictured "Organic" seal, it must be 95-100% organic. If it is only 95-99% organic, it is because some ingredients are not organically available but are approved by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). You may see products labeled, "Made With Organic Ingredients." These only contain 70-94% organic ingredients and will not have the USDA Organic seal. If a product has less than 70% organic ingredients, it will only be allowed to list the ingredients on the information panel of the packaging and will not show the USDA Organic seal.

Take into consideration that the use of the USDA Organic seal is voluntary. Some smaller farming operations may not want to go through the complicated process to become certified organic, so if you shop at a farmer's market, don't be afraid to ask how they grew and managed their crops.

At this point, we buy all of our produce at either Whole Foods Market (in Tampa) or Publix. If you know of a farmer's market that strives to meet organic farming standards, please let me know. Most all of our other grocery items are purchased at Whole Foods. Sometimes, we can find better deals at Wal-Mart (or Publix) on items like cereal, canned goods and soy milk.

Let me warn you, though. Just because a product is labeled "USDA Organic" does not mean that it is "good for you." Organic products can still contain ingredients like sugar and milk. "Organic Sugar" is NOT "okay." If a product contains Evaporated Cane Juice, Fructose, Agave, or some other type of natural sweetener, then it would be fine to eat.

Dr. C. has told me several times that he considers sugar consumption to be a bigger "killer" than cigarette smoking. If you want to make changes to your diet, my recommendation is to start with the sugar. This is not a "Carb-free" way of eating, so don't view this as one of those fad diets. A serving of Agave Nectar (1 Tbsp.) has 60 Calories and 16 grams of Carbs, but like I said in my post about sweeteners, Agave is a natural sweetener that your body will know how do digest and therefore will not store it as fat.

If you have any questions, please let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them. I am by no means an expert (yet), but I have plenty of resources to answer my questions. I hope you are enjoying all of this unsolicited information. =) I look forward to sharing more with you all.

How Sweet it ISN'T...

We all know that sugar is not good for us, right? If you don't know this, you really should read this article entitled, "Refined Sugar - The Sweetest Poison of All..." It is a lengthy article, so if you don't want to read the whole thing, at least read the first section entitled, "Why Sugar is Toxic to the Body." It's only a page of reading, but it is filled with a lot of information that will show you exactly what sugar is doing to your body. Please read it!

Now, for those of you who already know how bad sugar is for you and are thinking how good you are for only consuming artificial sweeteners, let me burst your bubble for a minute. They are just as bad!! For more detailed information on the subject, read this article entitled, "Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda." We've all heard about the carcinogenic effects of sweeteners such as Saccharin, Aspartame and Acesulfame K. That's why everyone was delighted when the FDA approved Splenda (sucralose) to be placed on the market. At the time the FDA approved Splenda for human consumption, there had only been 2 human trials completed and published. In those 2 trials, there were 36 human subjects where only 23 of them were actually given sucralose. The longest trial lasted 4 days and did not test sucralose for human tolerance but rather for tooth decay!

So, what is sucralose, you ask? In a nutshell, it is sugar that has been chemically altered. Three chlorine atoms have replaced 3 hydroxyl groups in the sugar molecule which, incidentally, gives it characteristics of a chlorocarbon. Most pesticides, like DDT (banned in 1972 in the US), are chlorocarbons! In fact, Splenda (sucralose) was discovered by 2 British scientists in 1976 who were trying to find a new pesticide formulation. Wikipedia recounts how one scientist told the other one to "test" the powder, and the other one thought he said to "taste" it, so he did! Moron! There is naturally-occurring chlorine in some foods that you eat - like tomatoes, mushrooms, peas...etc. This chlorine will not accumulate in your body fat and is not toxic, and your body actually needs that to help cleanse your liver. The chlorine added to make sucralose is a synthetic form which OSHA warns can burn your internal organs.

One of the reasons for the FDA's approval of sucralose is that because it has the chlorine atoms added to it, the body will not be able to metabolize it and will eventually just flush it out. This is also how Splenda's makers are able to claim that it has ZERO calories. Here's the problem: Since Splenda's approval, more testing has been done, and it has been found that in fact the average person will absorb and ultimately store 15% of the sucralose into the body. That means that some people in the study actually absorbed more than 15%. In one study, 1 person did not excrete the sucralose even after 3 days which means he was absorbing and metabolizing the chemical! I can only assume that Splenda's claim to be ZERO calories is only true if your body's chemical makeup does not allow the chemical to be absorbed.

Do you really trust the FDA? Do you think they are really looking out for your best interest? Take a look back at the Vioxx disaster. Keep in mind that Splenda is a food additive not a drug. In order for a drug to get passed by the FDA, it must undergo extensive research and testing...much more than a food additive would. Even with all the testing done on Vioxx, the FDA was not able to deem it unfit to be on the market, and that mistake cost 55,000 people their lives!

My questions for you are these: Do you want you and your family to be the "test subjects" for this inadequately tested product? Do you want to end up as just another "statistic" down the road? Why would you want to put something into your body that God did not intend for your consumption?

There are more natural alternatives to sugar and artificial sweeteners. For those of you who like the taste of artificial sweeteners, you will like the herb called Stevia, which can now be found in most regular grocery stores and definitely in health food stores. For those of you who like LOVE sugar like me, you will find that agave nectar is an excellent substitute. This is a natural sweetener found in (believe it or not) a cactus plant and has a glycemic index of 19 which makes it suitable for diabetics. Agave nectar is 25% sweeter than sugar, so you won't need to use as much, thus saving you some calories. Agave can be used in cooking/baking and as a sweetener for drinks like coffee and tea. The appearance of Agave is somewhat like honey but much less viscous. There is no weird taste to it at all! It is just sweet! The light-colored agave has no flavor...it's just sweet, but the darker, amber-colored agave tastes more like caramel. They both are really good!

For the last couple of months I have completely cut out sugar and sugar substitutes and have only used agave nectar, honey or 100% maple syrup to sweeten our food. Now, I know that some of you are going to look at the caloric content of these and tell me I'm crazy for intaking all those calories. Here's the thing: These are natural sweeteners! Your body knows how to digest them, so they will not be stored as fat. Refined sugars and artificial sweeteners are not digestible, so your body says, "I don't know what to do with this, so I'll just store it." That's why you gain weight in all the "inactive" places of your body.

So, you want our stats? In the last 2 months since we have changed our eating habits, Jason and I have both lost over 15 pounds each! Keep in mind that we were doing South Beach last year and had already lost a significant amount of weight but eventually just plateaued when we reached our initial goals. We weren't necessarily looking for weight loss when we made these recent changes, so we weren't "dieting" but rather just living. We really just wanted to be healthier and ended up with the bonus of losing weight.

I'm going to start sharing some of our favorite recipes, but I felt it was necessary to explain all of the above information before I did that. We use agave nectar for almost all of our cooking (that requires sweetening), and the kids even like it in their oatmeal. We made some ice cream with the agave, and it was delicious! Of course we made it with coconut milk since we're dairy free. I'll explain that one later. I don't want to overload you. =)

A couple of months ago, I found a recipe for homemade ketchup that is to die for, and I've been making it ever since! Don't buy the store ketchup that is full of high fructose corn syrup! That stuff is awful! Fresh is better anyway. =)

With Larissa's birthday coming up this month, we've been experimenting with birthday cake ideas that would be sugar-free and dairy-free. We made a carrot cake with coconut cream frosting, and it was fabulous! We also made a yellow cake with chocolate frosting that is heavenly!

I hope this hasn't come across as a lecture from a soapbox or something, but I feel very strongly about this right now and feel that I need to share this information with others. I was completely ignorant to so many things, and due to my recent health issues, I've basically been "forced" into a better way of eating. The thing is, though, I'm so happy with our changes, and we really do feel so much better than we did before. If I can help one person to avoid going through what I've been through or any other health problems for that matter, then this has all been worthwhile.

No one imagines themselves ending up with health problems such as diabetes, heart issues or even cancer, but let me remind you, we are not invincible. If you don't take care of the body that God has given you, then you might just have your life taken from you with one of these dreadful maladies. A few days ago I was having a talk with Alyx, and I told her that we need to learn not only from our mistakes but also from other peoples' mistakes. Of course, this was not in reference to health issues, but it can still be applied. No amount of physical satiation with food is worth a life riddled with health problem after health problem. My choice is to eat right, so that I can enjoy the life that God has given me. I'm just glad that my "rude awakening" hit while I'm young and still able to make some serious changes.

My hope is that you will keep an open mind as you read the information I'll be sharing and realize that the changes are not as drastic as you would imagine. The idea is that you want to eat foods that are "whole," meaning that they are as close to nature as possible with minimal processing. The more processed and refined a certain food is, the harder it is for your body to digest. We need to realize that the point of eating is to "feed" our body not to bring physical or emotional pleasure to ourselves. Certain foods are addictive, and once you get over those addictions, you will be amazed at how great you feel!