Juice Master

Frozen summer squash.

Life continues to be busy for me, us.  I somehow can download pics again for now...what does this mean exactly?  I have no idea because I have no time for this picture business. 
As you can see, that is my juicer I am using. I really like it but it does get way more foam than my previous juicer, but also more juice, so I am still trying to figure out my final opinion on the subject. 
Braveheart has now been 10 months post transplant.  We are so thankful for how far he has come.  It has been such a bumpy horrible road, yet we have remained optimistic, believing he is healed, holding onto Christ as our rock.  You don't think of the 'what ifs.  You must live for each day.  All the good moments and the bad are a part of our story.  How does one go on without the hope that is Christ?  I often wonder.
 Just when you think B is feeling better and is ready to tackle the world, he then starts to get an ankle pain, a bowel infection, then his blood pressure start acting up...well, this may or may not be a good sign of his kidneys, so we are just keeping faith and holding tight.  I have been also trying to talk with B about eating less sugar. I have had this poor kid on so many diets, I know he is sick of it and he had radiation so I left him alone a bit, not including he still has had many healthy meals in general at home, but I have seen him cut back on treats and now that he got C-Diff again in his gut, we are talking about cutting out milk as it seems to help based on what other transplant kids parents are telling me.  I have long suspected he may have some candida issues after all the meds, treatments, antibiotics etc...
Please pray for us as any big diet change for the the "whole family" takes mental prep.  I have made so many changes for myself and our family but to get B off milk or stop having sugar snacks altogether for the kids or just B, well it is a thing I have to wrap my brain around!

The days go so fast.  I have made many lifestyle changes because my body was in dire need of help after this transplant, my bad knee, my bad feet, adrenal fatigue issues, wt. gain.  I had to put my energy into good food for B and his healing and MINE!  I had no choice.  I have seen marvelous results so far.  My feet and knees are better but not completely healed, I feel better overall but still get fatigued (this can take some time to heal from what I have read) and I have lost 30 pounds!!

Thanks for your prayers!

a must repeat meal

There are many things happening around here to get our lives back in order.  One thing is all the healthy eating going on, however, I would like Braveheart to eat MUCH healthier yet. Thank God I juice for him or he just wouldn't get enough veggies in his little body.  

So, we are up to our ears in squash, so I warned everyone in the family to be ready for lots of squash.  Mmmmm...some just wouldn't try my squash cookies..they are a little bland but they taste good. I will work on that though.

Our other issue is B's ankle. Please take a moment and pray for that will you?  We have an MRI on Thursday so we will see.

Here is the awesome meal I made up, although it is just typical stuff!  For those of you who know me, I usually don't use the canned soups for recipes, so if it calls for it, I usually make a healthier home made version.  Well, I have a few cans of better for you organic ones without all the hydro...blah blah additives in it.  I used it yesterday.  This is not any new concept but here is what I put it in and note that I do not like measuring much and I love to DUMP AND GO!

USE UP WHAT YOU HAVE GROWING OUT OF YOUR EARS CROCK POT DISH

1 can of organic mushroom soup

1 batch of potatoes I dug out of the garden  (about 5-6 med size give or take)  

1 whole small head of cabbage cut not too small  ( I will add more of this next time)

1 can of tuna  

1 cup chicken broth ( I just gestimated that amount)

add your favorite seasonings like mama garlic, salt, pepper, dash of chipotle flakes, real garlic, etc...

Cook on low for a few hours.

Add with a couple hours before dinner:

1 cup sour cream mixed with dijon mustard and tasty seasoning ( I love mama garlic, quick easy, yummy)

    

sprinkle in some quinoa  ( you can look that up if you don't know what it is)

If you want to add another grain, just get some of them in sooner to get cooked enough like brown rice, maybe more liquid.

1-2 summer squash (I think cauliflower would taste nice here and hide well)

mix all of these together and....

cover with 1-2 cups moz cheese (use any you like here)

This dish was an instant hit.  All of my family loved this with the exception of my 20 year old who works, didn't eat it and most likely wouldn't because he is just that way and since he is gone all the time working, we don't harass him too much about what he eats...we try anyway..hee.  Kids were getting up and getting more!  I put a big salad on the table too. Yep, from my garden.  These last two things make my heart so happy!

I had to eat two bowls of little salads so I didn't eat too much of it myself, as I could have went back 3 or 5 times..I do love my own cooking sometimes, you know what I mean?  I often pat my own back, but hey, I am not picky....thank God for my mom and my Agent boy, #3.  They lift up my cooking skills the most.

See what you can do to make this your own tasty dish.

TIP ON SQUASH:

A long time ago my mom bought me this weird dicing thing which I stored in the basement thinking I didn't have room.  Recently I pulled it out and have been using it for tiny cutting.  I love my knife the best but find when I need dicing, this thing is the bomb!  

So I quickly slice the squash, then, 2-4 at a time, threw the squash in this 'thing' with tiny squares, then I pull the lid down and boom...tiny little perfect squares...it took me 20 seconds to have a whole squash in tiny pieces.  This is how I added it to the dish to make it small and easy to eat without big squash chunks and it was worth it!

I don't know what this is called but when I figure it out I will let you know.  It's is similar to a mandolin but no slicing, just dicing fry stuff.

May God bless your eating adventures............so your body may function as He designed it!

CARAMEL CORN with a twist of good for you

I couldn't remember where I found this recipe, but then when I looked closer I saw that it was originally from the WWW.HILLBILLYHOUSEWIFE.COM.  I can't NOT give her credit of coarse.  I have been making this recipe for some time now, but I changed things up a bit. First by using butter and not margarine. I would simply, never use margarine.  Here is the recipe MY way:

Caramel Corn

• 8 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup peanuts (optional) I switch off with other nut types but not for the kids.
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup margarine butter and coconut oil  (I haven't gone 100% coconut oil yet)
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup   coconut nectar 
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt & baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Arrange the popcorn (and peanuts, if you are using them) in a well oiled 9″ by 13″ pan. Get out a 2 quart sauce pan and combine the brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup and salt over low heat. After the margarine melts, cook without stirring for 3 minutes. It should be bubbling gently during the 3 minutes. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour this over the pan of popcorn. Mix gently to coat the popcorn evenly. Bake the pan at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. Break it up into pieces and serve. This stuff is so good that it doesn’t last long, but if you do end up with leftovers, store them in a sealed container, or bag. It is good tucked into lunch boxes too.


I will elaborate on Coconut Nector here.   I bought this last year when I was ordering foods online to try out on my family.  I never used it because it was thick and sticky and quite frankly....annoying.  It strings along much like melty cheese.  I almost NEVER use corn syrup, but resigned myself to using it in this one recipe or that every other year candy at Christmas thing. However, while making this recipe, I was always thinking of other ways to health it up.  So I started adding some coconut oil to the butter base, 'in place of' would be more correct.  I wanted to replace the corn syrup but you need something tasty and something that will crisp up in the oven.  Now...last night I had a food epiphany....what if I use that stuff in the cupboard..it is syrupy-like!!!  I made it and it was the bomb!! Perfect...good tasting...good for you...low sugar level and index!!!  Even the kids loved it.  Braveheart said it was the best one yet.  Daddy, I could tell without saying, he might of done without the pumpkin nuts...but hey, even he needs a parasite cleanse now and then!!

I don't have a good sugar replacement, but hey...it's caramel corn, it is what it is....I ate it and still lost .2 pounds the next day...eat occasionally and enjoy!

Read more below about coconut products!

http://www.naturalnews.com/030110_coconut_nectar_vinegar.html