Keeping it fresh!

If you are remotely interested in doing your part to help the environment and lesson the amount of toxic chemicals used in your home - this recipe is for you!
We have already made the switch to a homemade spray cleaner that we use on the floor, in the kitchen, in the bathrooms and on windows. (one part white vinegar to two parts water and a tablespoon of alcohol, dash of essential oil for smelliness) But we have been paying an arm and a leg for laundry detergent. Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you know that mainstream detergent has a number of harsh chemicals and is made using petroleum. Not necessarily something you would want to bath your grundies in and wear so close to your skin!
Natural Home magazine just sent me an e-mail that has a number of eco-friendly recipes to use in the home. Below is the one for laundry powder!

Simple Washing Powder

16 cups baking soda
12 cups borax
8 cups grated castile or glycerin soap flakes*
3 tablespoons lavender, lemon or grapefruit essential oil
Combine baking soda, borax and soap flakes. Add essential oil and mix with a wire whisk. Use 1⁄8 cup per load.
Yield: This recipe makes enough powder to last a family of four one year.

Yummy Summer

Summer in Texas is delicious. If any of you have been to one of the local farmers markets lately, you know what I am talking about - tomatoes, peppers, peaches, melons, herbs, onions, oh my! While perusing the market the other day, I had an incling for a special dinner - stuffed veggies. Now, this dinner does take some time. You all know that 30 minute meals are a general rule in my house. But when you have the time, these stuffed veggies are well worth the wait! I couldn't find a recipe that suited what I had in the kitchen, so I made up my own. Let me know what you think!

Sausage and Brown Rice Stuffed Veggies

1 lb ground sausage, cooked
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red/yellow/orange pepper, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
3-4 sprigs fresh oregano, just the leaves
4-6 veggies for stuffing (peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, sweet onions, etc.)

Mix up the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut veggies and seed to prepare for stuffing. Spoon meat mixture into veggies. Cook for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Unearthed Secret

I absolutely LOVE fried rice! It is possibly one of my favorite foods and I order it just about every time we go out for Chinese. But every time I try to make it at home, my cooking falls short. Well, browsing some recipes online, I found the secret: The rice you use should be cooked beforehand and refrigerated! Simple! So here is a recipe that will give you something to do with your extra rice. I used brown rice, but I am pretty sure you could use white.

Garlic Chicken Fried Brown Rice

3 cups cooked rice
1 lb chicken, cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup peas
2-3 tbsp soy sauce (check the ingredients to make sure it doesn't contain wheat!)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp sugar

Throw the chicken, pepper, onion and garlic into a pan with some canola oil and cook on medium/low. When the chicken mixture is done, put aside. Heat the pan to medium/high and pour in about a tablespoon of canola oil. When the pan is hot, add the rice and stir around until it is heated through. Add the peas, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Toss the chicken mixture in and give it a good stir. This is a pretty large recipe and should serve about 6 people.

Once again... its good to be flexible!!

My amazing husband was so kind as to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few items needed for yesterday's casserole recipe. But, as things tend to do, my list was lost in translation. To Seth's defence, he did get everything I asked for... maybe my requests weren't specific enough. So of corse I wait until 10:30pm to begin making the breakfast casserole for tomorrow's festivities. And, what do I find? Yep, that's right... I don't have the ingredients needed! Well thank God for resourcefulness and the internet. I was able to find a glutenous recipe for which we had all of the ingredients. With just a few changes, the stuff is in the oven and our kitchen smells devine. Can't wait to try it tomorrow!

GF/DF Baked French Toast with Blueberries

1 loaf of gf bread, cubed
1/2 can coconut milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
2 cups of frozen or fresh blueberries

Grease a casserole dish and toss in the bread cubes. In a seperate bowl, whisk coconut milk, eggs, syrup, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour mixture over bread cubes and toss until all of the bread is coated. Top with blueberries and a bit more cinnamon and sugar. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the center comes out clean. Serve with warmed maple syrup and a smile!

Delicious Independence

Each year, the fourth of July finds our family seated on the curb of Pinehurst eagerly awaiting the magnificence that is the Onion Creek Fourth of July Parade. All of the kiddos gather in front of Grandmother's house, ready to scramble into the street for the tossed candies and goodies. We all clap and cheer as the old folks cruise past in their old cars... because that is pretty much all there is in the parade. But the kids don't mind, as long as they get their candy!
After the parade, its time for brunch. This year I have elected to make a gluten free, dairy free breakfast casserole that is safe for Layla and I to eat... I sure hope it tastes good enough to fool everyone else!

Sausage and French Toast Casserole

1 loaf gluten free bread, cubed (Udi's is our favorite)
1/2 lb breakfast sausage links, sliced
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 eggs
pinch of salt

Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Place bread and sausage in baking dish. In a seperate bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon whisk eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in coconut milk and salt and pour evenly over the bread mixture. Press down on the bread to allow the milk mixture to coat the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least and hour or up to 24 hours. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350' F oven for 40 - 50 minuets or until the center is set. Pull out of the oven, cut into squares and serve with maple syrup.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Spanish Rice

Any good Mexican dish deserves a tasty side of Spanish rice. But Spanish rice, while oh so tasty, is generally made with white rice. We all know by now that white anything is a no-no because of the lack of nutritional value. Here is a way to compliment your main dish with a brown rice side.

Spanish Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice
2 cups broth
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 2-3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil, stir once and cover. Turn down heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve!

Ode to Yummus Hummus!

Oh heavenly hummus,you are delicious.
Dipped with vegetables or chips, you are Divine.
When presented at parties, some may be suspicious.
But that's okay, then you are all mine!


Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 red pepper, seeded
2-3 cups garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
2-3 Tbsp tahini
juice from 2-3 lemons
1/2 Tbsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
approximately 3 Tbsp olive oil (for a fat free version, substitute with broth)

Rub pepper, garlic and onion with olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Throw ingredients in the food processor and blend to desired consistency. Be sure to add the olive oil slowly so you don't end up with soupy hummus!

Our Dinner Co-op Rocks!

We are lucky enough to be a part of a dinner co-op with some wonderful friends lately! It is so great to know that dinner will be made and delivered to our doorstep every Monday and Tuesday! Jenny and Kristen you are AWESOME!!
The following recipe is what I plan to make for our contribution this week. The farmer's market this weekend was full of beautiful squash, eggplant and tomatoes - perfect for some veggie enchiladas!


Garden Vegetable Enchiladas

1 cup eggplant, peeled and diced
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup yellow squash or zucchini, diced
1-2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cups baby spinach, shredded
25 corn tortillas

2 medium tomatoes
1 jalapeno, seeded
1 clove garlic
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Toss together first six ingredients and roll into steamed tortillas. Approximately 1 spoonful of filling per tortilla. Place rolls closely together in a casserole dish, set aside.
Blend tomato, jalapeno, garlic and seasoning in a food processor until smooth. Pour over filled tortillas. Optional - top with cheese
Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes.

Mmm... Tomatoes!

Since the chickens are little Houdinis and will not stay in their yard, we had to get creative with our summer veggies. (Unless we wanted to share our garden with the ladies) We have three upside-down plants in the back and two right-side-up in the front sharing a pot. This was the first time we tried potting tomatoes, so we weren't sure what they would produce. But, lo and behold, we have some juicy red ones! Layla loves to eat fresh tomatoes and each time I ask my little helper to pick me some tomatoes, she samples the wares. Below is our family's favorite summertime salsa recipe. Be sure to have an entire bag of tortilla chips handy, this recipe's a big one!

Summertime Salsa

4-5 medium tomatoes, diced and squeezed gently to remove extra juices
1/2 sweet onion or 1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 c torn fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and eat your hearts out!

Getting on the Food Inc. Train... a Little Behind Schedule

Seth and I FINALLY found the time over the weekend to watch Food Inc. I know, I know, it has been out forever and we are hopelessly out of date. However, for those of you still struggling to find locally grown, respectfully treated animals for your meat-based meals, here are a few of my favorite farms...

Fredericksburg Grassfed Beef - at the Downtown Farmer's Market on Saturdays
http://www.fredericksburg-grassfed-beef.com/

Rasco Farm Grassfed Longhorn Beef - at the Triangle Farmer's Market on Wednesdays

Richardson Farms - at the Downtown and Triangle Farmer's Markets (and Wheatsville)
http://www.richardsonfarms.com/

Thunder Heart Bison - at the Downtown and Triangle Farmer's Markets and may Austin restaurants!
http://www.thunderheartbison.com/content/

Glad To Be Back In The Bubble!

Just minutes ago, we returned home from a vacation to the Texas coast. I can not even begin to describe to ya'll how great it is to be back in our Austin "bubble". We had quite a difficult time finding gluten free friendly places to eat and ended up taking a leap of faith the couple times we ate out. One place that was surprisingly accommodating was a little Mexican restaurant in Port Aransas called La Playa. The servers really knew what was in each dish and we enjoyed some fantastic food that didn't give us a bit of trouble.
I always forget how good we have it in Austin...

More Salad for You!

Okay, I promise after this post I will attempt to vary my recipe. But, holy cow, I happened on a great salad that I HAVE to share!
I for one love Curried Chicken Salad, my favorite version so far being the one made at Whole Foods downtown. I found that recipe online, but of course I didn't have all of the ingredients. And tell me, who the heck has time to "run" to the store when you are faced with a hungry whiny 4 year old? So, I did what I do best - improvised! Below is my experiment. It turned out pretty darn good!

Curried Chicken Salad

1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/4 c dressing (see recipe below)
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp curry
1/4 c dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 c raisins

Place dressing, carrot, onion, garlic, curry and coconut flakes into a food processor. Mix for at least a minute, until all ingredients are relatively smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Toss it together with chicken and raisins. Tastes great on top of mixed baby greens or wrapped inside lettuce.



Vegan Dressing (Jenny and Kristen this is NOT mayonnaise!)

1 package silken tofu
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbsp sugar (turbinado works best)
1 tsp mustard powder

Throw all ingredients into a food processor for about 2 minutes until creamy. This mixture can be refrigerated for about a week. Works great as a low fat mayo substitute or as a base for a creamy vegan dressing!

It's Gettin' Hot in Here...

Oh my goodness, it is getting mighty hot in Texas! Between the heat and the humidity, I am beginning to hate going outside between the hours of noon and five! We have been staving off the weather by trying to eat as many "cool" foods as possible. Nothing sounds worse on a hot summer's day than a warm, hearty meal. I have become a whiz with the salads, and so far Seth isn't complaining. Here are a couple that we have found satisfying lately... Stay cool Austin!

Confetti Salad (aka black bean and corn salad)

1 c cooked corn kernels
1 green pepper, diced
1 c cooked black beans
1 Texas sweet onion
2 lg tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado, diced
salt and pepper to taste
red chili flakes (optional)

Easy Peasy... mix up all ingredients and enjoy! Fold inside a tortilla or a piece of lettuce, throw on top of grilled salmon or chicken.


Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

2 c quinoa (mix red and white together - its pretty!)
4 c water
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 c dried cranberries or cherries
1 c slivered almonds
1 head lettuce (romaine, butter, or even fresh rainbow chard)

Mix first 5 ingredients, bring to boil, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Place in fridge to cool - about 2 hours. Mix in cranberries and almonds. Pile concoction into lettuce leaves and eat like a taco.

Many appologies... more recipes to come!

Hello all! I hope this Saturday morning finds you well and good. My sincere apologies for the lack of recipes posted this month. May means many busy nights as a teacher and I have not had the time or energy to do anything extra.

But alas, the final day of school has passed and it seems like my life is mine again! We are getting ready to head for the lake for some much needed sun and fun! The following is a glorious concoction that will ensure a marvelous time.

Mama's Summertime Lemonade
(AKA Hard Lemonade)

1 oz tito's vodka - made right here in Austin!
1 tbsp turbinado or white sugar
2-3 lemons, juiced
1/2 c water
1/2 c ice
2-3 fresh mint leaves, pinched to release flavor

Dissolve sugar in lemon juices. Add other ingredients and sip luxuriously near a body of water.

Some darn good chicken!

Seth was delighted to come home from work yesterday and find out that we were having his favorite dinner. Little did he know, it was actually a cooking lesson! While I love to cook, there are times that I would like to share the joy. Seth's always said he would like to help make dinners... whether he was telling the truth or not... his time had come! This recipe was given to me by Mela Star and is adapted from one from the Fat Flush diet. For those of you who were wondering, Seth did a great job and may be responsible for this dinner from now on!

Pecan Crusted Chicken

1 lb chicken, tenders or breasts
1 slice of bread
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 tsp salt and pepper
1 tsp oregano and cumin
1/2 tsp coriander

Blend bread, nuts and spices in a food processor until grainy. Dredge chicken in nut mixture. Place in a warm non-stick pan. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, heat set to medium-low.

Team Jacob!

It was movie night at Mela's (watching New Moon and drooling over the cute little boys!) and I decided to make the garbanzo salad I posted the other night. Now, those of you that know me, know that I really stink at following directions. So it goes without saying that I wavered from the original recipe. What I came up with was pretty darn good, though! Here is my recipe...

New and Improved Garbanzo Salad

3 cups garbanzo beans (cooked)
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3-4 chard leaves, sliced into ribbons
2 semi-hard avocados, diced
juice of one orange and two lemons
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together. Chill and enjoy!

Because there is nothing like a good chocolate cake!

If any of you have an affinity towards chocolate, this recipe will knock your socks off! I really dislike baking, and generally only use a mix. But this recipe is easy peasy and certifiably delicious! (Adapted from allrecipes.com)


Mini Chocolate Torte

Ingredients
1/2 cup water or coffee for a richer taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
18 (1 ounce) squares dark chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
6 eggs
4-6 oz. additional chocolate

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Line approximately 60 mini-cupcake holders with paper.
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.
Either in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave oven melt the bittersweet chocolate. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Cut the butter into pieces and beat the butter into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time. Beat in the hot sugar-water. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 20 minutes. The center will still look wet. Chill cake overnight to set. Melt remaining chocolate and drizzle over cupcakes. Let chocolate set in refrigerator for about an hour.

Petting a pig and finding new recipes!

Layla and I had a blast visiting with friends in San Antonio this weekend! We even had some gluten free pizza at Fralo's outside the city. Yum!!
We stopped by the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch on the way home and Layla fell in love with a pig she named Wilbur. Even though Wilbur was quite catatonic, Layla took it upon herself to bring him treats of hay and rocks. Wilbur even got a good thirty minutes of grooming during his hibernation. While hanging out in the shade of the petting barn, I was thinking about summertime salads. Weird, I know... but I was hungry and couldn't look at Wilbur and contemplate eating a meat-based dinner. So while searching online, I came across this one on the Poor Girl Eats Well blog and can't wait to make it!

Garbanzo and Avocado Salad

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 small Roma tomato, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 large avocado, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Small handful of cilantro, finely chopped

Dressing:
Juice of 2 medium oranges
1 T rice vinegar
1 t olive oil
1 T honey
1/8 t salt
Couple pinches of cayenne pepper
A very generous amount of ground black pepper

Prepare the dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together until completely combined. Combine the beans and all the veggies in a medium bowl and toss together with the dressing. Garnish with extra black pepper if you like, serve over plenty of fresh greens or by itself, and enjoy!

* I plan to throw in some thinly sliced leeks we got from the farmer's market last week. Hel-lo bad breath!

Flexibility is the main ingredient...

While driving home from work today, I decided to make enchiladas with our ground beef from Rocking B Ranch http://www.rocking-b.com/ and some leftover onions from Johnson's Backyard Garden http://johnsonsbackyardgarden.com/

However, my plans were spoiled when I realized that SOMEONE had eaten all but four of our corn tortillas. Sigh...

So in the name of flexibility, I used similar ingredients and came up with something pretty tasty - Enchilada Pie!

My su chef was a master at the layering aspect of this dish and licked the spoon clean after each dip into the dice tomatoes. Germs die in the cooking process, right?

Enchilada Pie

1lb ground beef
2-3 green onions
1 clove garlic
Seasonings to taste - red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano
4-5 corn tortillas
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup cheese (cow, rice, soy, whatever)

Cook up the first four ingredients until beef is browned. Set aside. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rip tortillas to fit along the bottom and up the side of a casserole dish. Layer on the meat mixture, beans, and tomatoes. Top it off with some shredded cheese and tortilla strips. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 15 more minutes. Let cool for a bit and serve in slices - or spoonfuls.

FYI Gluten Free Deals!

For those of you adverse to gluten, you may rejoice! Sprouts is having a sale on all of their gluten free goodies - 25%. Munching on my KToos right now. Yum!

Lookin' for a way to hide those greens?

Our kale and carrots from Saturday's farmers market http://www.bartoncreekfarmersmarket.org/ were getting ready to be eaten, so I came up with a new twist on an old standby. We'll call it Kale & Karrot Kornbread! The creation earned high marks from Layla, the ultimate taste tester! I hope you enjoy!

Kale and Karrot Kornbread

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour (corn, rice, wheat)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup milk (rice, almond, hemp, cow)
2 tbsp sugar (white or turbinado)
2 tsp baking powder
1 bunch kale
1 lg carrot
1/4 sweet onion
1 clove garlic

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Throw the veggies into your food processor and blend well. Mix all ingredients together and pour into muffin tins. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Yields about 15 muffins.

* Feel free to sub chard or spinach for the kale!

Bloggin' for the first time!

Hello out there! I hope that this finds you all well and good! I am starting this blog in an attempt to challenge our family to eat local, eat well, and encourage others to follow suit. We are interested in living green and doing what we can for the environment. We try to purchase the majority of our produce and meat at the local farmer's markets. Our eggs come from our backyard hens/pets. The recipes I will post will keep in mind the veggies of the season, as well as dietary restrictions. Both my daughter and I are allergic to gluten, dairy, and anything artificial. However, my husband claims that he doesn't even notice the absense of these ingredients in our meals! My goal is to post a few recipes a week... here goes nothing!

*photo by Todd Graves