'Tis the Season!

I LOVE this time of year. Seriously, LOVE. I can't get enough time outside. I love when the air starts to turn a little crisp, a little cool. But the sun is still shining, the sky is still blue. And the leaves...THE LEAVES! They are stunning this year, breathtaking, the colors startlingly vivid and vibrant. I LOVE IT!

I guess it's the part of Dad I have in me, but I long to jump in the car and go for a long drive to drink in the spectacular color. I love driving up to Door County, reveling in the color, and stopping in the small coastal towns for some yummy treats: fresh apple cider, pick-your-own apples, homemade caramels, delicious fire-roasted tomato salsa, baked goods.

I also love the farmer's market this time of year. Since we have never had a very big garden of our own (that will change next year...FINALLY!), we've relied on the farmer's market to supply most of our fresh produce. This fall, the farmer's market has been spectacular.

This was some of my take from our trip last weekend. I'm in a preserving frenzy right now, which is all very new to me. I'm loving it.

tomatillos for fresh salsa

fresh organic garlic from a local farm

yummy hot peppers

just a few of the five-gallon bucket's full of tomatoes

Fresh apples from a local orchard

This is just a little of what my kitchen is filled with right now. I also scored a free-range organic chicken and a couple of dozen farm-fresh eggs. They're so pretty! So far, I've made fresh pico de gallo (We tend to eat this on and with everything.) and a lot of roasted tomato sauce. I saved just enough tomatoes from this load to make some Carrot Tomato Soup (under Tutorials on Soule Mama's website) with the fresh carrots I bought.

Today's agenda: finish planting the plants I can't seem to stop buying and clean out the pots to ready the truck for a trip to the compost. Later this week: tomatillo salsa (thanks for the delish recipe, Ames!), roast peppers, can applesauce, dry apples using my new dehydrators, and get the carrots ready to freeze for use in smoothies. LOVE this time of year!

On a lighter note, I ordered a bunch of snow boots from an online company with free shipping and free returns. I have yet to own a good pair of snow boots during my time here in Wisconsin and it makes my winter experience less than wonderful. My toes get wet and go numb oh-so-quickly. So, my quest for the perfect snow boots has begun. Snow boots are large, right? I was stunned to see that this online company shipped ALL of the snowboots together in one GINORMOUS box. Like, coffin-size. I was on the phone with Dayna when it arrived. I genuinely believe that both she and I could fit comfortably together in said box. IT'S THAT BIG! I almost couldn't get it in the house by myself and I've got some muscles.

The photographic evidence:

whatever...the photo does not seem to want to be righted. Just tilt your head, okay?

On the up side, amongst the many boots it contains, this box holds two very promising pairs of winter boots for moi. Now to whittle it down to one pair.

Now for the gratuitous cute picture of the boys. They love to dress up...every day. They love to put on random items of clothing and hats and blankets and aprons. Here's yesterday's get up:

Again, I can't get the photo to want to stand upright.

Anyway, enjoy the season!

Love, kate

Save Some Green by Saving Your Greens

Dear Sisters,

I realize that I may be a little late catching this wave, but I'm glad I finally caught it nonetheless. We try to drink green smoothies with every meal. Because, seriously, YUM. And because in my opinion, there is no better way to get so much nutrition so easily.

My only complaint about making green smoothies is the cost. When available, I try to buy local at the farmer's market or use from our own garden, but there is a large part of the year here in Wisconsin when that is not possible. (Maybe I should look into winter greenhouse gardening...hmmm...) In an effort to cut down on the cost (especially the cost of greens), I try to buy most of our ingredients at a big warehouse store. I can buy organic in large quantities for much less than at the grocery store around the corner. Yes, yes, I know...buy local, support your neighborhood grocery store, yadda yadda yadda. I know. And I try to do just that. However, there are times when the item or items I am purchasing are so much cheaper that it justifies the long drive to the warehouse store. The downside to buying at such a locale is the sheer bulk of the purchase. We are only a family of four, two of which are quite small in stature. How do I keep the greens from going bad before I get a chance to use them?


Say hello to one of my favorite kitchen appliances: The FoodSaver. I'm so in love with this thing that it has a permanent home on the counter top in my butler's pantry. I can think of at least a million reasons why every home should have a FoodSaver (especially at the low price at which one can now purchase it), but the latest reason I love it is the Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer. Yep, for a little over eight bucks, you too can own this beautiful  little accessory.


All of those wide-mouth canning jars we all have piled up in our basement can now be put to good use besides canning. The jar sealer goes over the top of the sealing lid on the jar and sucks the air out while sealing the lid. I then use a screw on ring, even though it isn't necessary. It can't be used for canning, but it can be used to keep things fresh. I use it for nuts, specialty flours, raisins, bulk spices...the possibilities are endless.

But my new favorite use is for preserving greens.

I pre-wash my greens and pack them in jars, seal and refrigerate. Each day, we use one or two jars of greens. You would be amazed how much longer they stay fresh. I also use this method to prepare salads for Rit's lunches. She just grabs a jar and goes. It cuts down on waste from plastic bags and better preserves the food. The jars and the sealer lids can be washed and reused.
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Now run out and buy one! You won't regret it.

Love, Kate

Green Smoothies

Good Morning Girls,
I'm sure by the time you read this, I'll be in Wisconsin sharing a long weekend with most of you.  It should be a great family bonding experience.

Last week I took Nate and went to State Fair with dad, Dayna and Logan.  It was so fun to bring our four-year olds and enjoy the smells, sounds and sights of the fair.  I love that atmosphere!  We also had to stop by the Vita-Mix demo and taste the green smoothie..  We all loved it, even the little boys.  I do love green smoothies, not only how they taste, but the nutrition they are packed with.  One thing I learned was that lime is wonderful addition to a green smoothie...so refreshing.  I had to try it on my kids the next day and they really liked it as well.  I think the citrus helps mask the kale taste and I also added more spinach that I have been lately.  I only put in about 1/8 of a lime, peel and all.  Wash it well before using it, but you'll be surprised by the great flavor it adds.  This morning we had another green smoothie and this is what I added: spinach, flax seed, water, pineapple, bananas, apples and about 1 Tblsp. apple juice concentrate with some water and ice.  You all know that I love my vita-mix and green smoothies is one of the reasons why. 

Enjoy your day!

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

Kate,
Sorry to hear about the terrible fate of chippy. Keep those five gallon buckets covered! ;) It was such a nice weekend, busy but good. We had a great time at our girl mother's day luncheon, but wish you would have been there. It has been so nice to have my in-laws visiting. I really enjoy having them here.

Yesterday I made this recipe and I wanted to share it with you. I frequently have leftover hot cereal and will frequently give it to Ginger to eat... in know you are rolling your eyes as you think that I shouldn't be feeding that to a dog. Instead of giving it to Ginger, now I have a recipe that uses cooked oatmeal and it was even good. I don't have a photo because these muffins were eaten to quickly. Everyone really liked them. You'll have to try it sometime and let me know what you think!

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sucanat
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
1 Tblsp butter and 1 Tblsp coconut oil (or just use 2 Tblsp. butter) melted
1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked oatmeal
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients and then add egg, milk, and butter. Stir until well blended. Spoon into lined or greased muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Next time I think I would add chopped apple or raisins as well. They were quite good.

I hope it's a good day. We're still trying to figure out if it's winter or spring here. We got some new snow on the Mountains and a lot of cold rain here in the valley. I am looking forward to a warm weekend.

Love,
Amy

Rhubarb Cake Recipe

Kate,
It was so fun to walk around the yard on Saturday and notice that our rhubarb is ready. We only have two things we are harvesting at the present...rhubarb and spinach! I do love this time of year. I love thinking about yesteryear and the memories of rhubarb pie, rhubarb sauce and rhubarb cake.

For our Sunday dinner, I decided to break out mom's rhubarb cake recipe, healthify it and make it for dessert. It was moist and great...even dad gave it two thumbs up! You'll have to find some fresh rhubarb and give it a try. Here's the recipe I used...the healthier version.

Rhubarb Cake
1 1/2 cups sucanat (I used slightly less)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
dash of salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup milk
Mix the above and then add:
2 cups chopped rhubarb
Mix and pour into greased 9x13" pan...I just sprayed it with an olive oil spray.
Sprinkle the top with sucanat and cinnamon and chopped nuts (I used almonds)
Bake at 350 degrees for about 32-35 minutes.

Enjoy!
Amy

Healthy Eating -- SAD food revolution

Kate,
I have a website I want to share with you. This site has given me encouragement and some healthified recipes that work for children. I enjoyed reading about Tammie's journey. You'll have to see what you think!

I have really liked learning more about healthy eating alternatives. I have a long way to go, but have found that I have come a long way as well. I would still like to do something with you (and others) called "food revolution" in which we make changes from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to whole foods. We watched Food, Inc. last week and found it disturbing. The production of our food has evolved over the years and we find the details very unsettling. If you do want to make changes, that movie may assist!! It was an eye-opener to both of us.

Let's do some brain storming and invite others to comment on the changes they want to make and then let's get started! It shouldn't take long to put a plan in place and start some new healthier habits before summer.

How's the Coke coming? I do think that the best way to get ride of it is to throw it away!! Keep me posted.

Amy

The Food Revolution Update

Dear Amy,

So, the food revolution. I’m not known far and wide for my remarkable self-control, so I’m sure you’re dying for an update. If not in a supportive manner, then at least for a good laugh. The plan was to begin Tuesday with trying to eat better—more whole foods, fewer processed foods, fresh when possible and no sugar. The plan was to forgo caffeine as well, however there has been a development on that front.

Tuesday morning arrived and I found that I still had a case and a half of Diet Coke sitting in the basement. A CASE AND A HALF. That won’t work. It just won’t. For those of us who struggle with self control, who OCCASSIONALLY may give in to our vices, we cannot be confronted on a daily basis by the object of our affection. It taunts us. It calls to us. It sends us sweet, frilly love letters bordered in lace and covered with heart stickers. Are you beginning to see my dilemma?

Sugar. More of the same. I thought I was going to have to inhale all of the boys’ Easter candy on Monday in preparation for the great sugar-free zone commencing on Tuesday. i was doing it for them…for the family…for the greater good…taking one for the team (or dozens, as the case may be). But I didn’t. I repeat, I DID NOT EAT THE BOYS’ EASTER CANDY…tempted though I was. I hid it instead. I put some in the freezer and some in the back of the cupboard. They really didn’t get a lot of candy to begin with, but still. It is theirs and they can have it later…in a few months, I guess. Or never. I’ll most likely forget about it until I pull the frost-laden Ziploc bag from the freezer when I clean it out in four years. Oh well.

But I digress. We did commence with the sugar-free zone on Tuesday, except for one small hiccup Tuesday night. We did polish off the mock éclair dessert I made for after Easter dinner. One piece for me and one for Rit. But that’s all. It’s been sugar-free the rest of the week. I have to say that I’m surprised that it hasn’t been harder. Today is the first day I find my eyes darting around searching for some sweet sustenance. But so far, so good. I’ve been biking and walking/running on the treadmill this week as well. Now that the weather is a little nicer, I’ll start going outside. YEAH!

As for the caffeine, as soon as the rest of the Diet Coke in my basement has been gleefully savored, caffeine will also be a thing of the past. That will be painful…very, very painful. And I still maintain that I will probably die from my sheer want of it…and headaches. Ugh, the headaches.

We will eventually start adding sugar back into our diet. After all, I do truly believe that moderation is key. But both Rit and I feel that we have to break ourselves of the overwhelming desire for sugar before we feel good about consuming it again. The caffeine is a different story. After this point, I really don’t want to will not keep caffeine in the house. I may still allow myself to drink Diet Coke when we go out to eat, etc., but not at home. And not on a regular basis. It just isn’t good for me.

Food will no longer hold power. It will be for sustenance and enjoyment. Period. LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION!

Have a great weekend!

love, Kate

Spring Break

Zions National Park

Kate,
You sure do have a lot going on...potty training, a lot of sewing so you CAN do the potty training, the eating revolution, etc. I'm amazed you are willing to tackle it all at once. I'm anxiously waiting for updates.

Well, we're on Spring Break this week and loving the time together. We just returned from a few day trip to Southern Utah and in spite of the rain, had a great time. It only rained the first day...which was our day in Zions. We also were able to enjoy Snow Canyon and other sites in the St. George area. With 6 kids, we had to get two rooms...which we have never done before, so that was a unique and fun experience. Now we are home with great memories, piles of laundry, very tired kids and some fun photos.

I was able to spend some time thinking about your eating revolution and want to do something along with you. It would be so fun to involve readers and possibly share healthy recipes. Let's brainstorm and if anyone out there has ideas and would like to participate, please leave a comment. It may be the motivation we all need, and new recipes are always a plus! I'll be thinking and we will hopefully be able to start something very soon.

Enjoy the rest of your week and wish me well as I try to catch up on the homefront.
Love,
Amy

My Personal Food Revolution

Dear Amy,

I’m disturbed. Let me clarify that statement…yes, I am disturbed in general (wink), but I am particularly disturbed about the eating trends of the general public. And although I’m vigilant about what we eat in my own house, I need to do better.

There’s a new show on TV called Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. I’ve seen Chef Jamie Oliver on the Food Network before. He’s entertaining to watch and makes everything look simple and fun…and he’s not big on exact measuring, which I love because I’m not either.

A couple of weeks ago, this new show aired. The premise of the show is this: Jamie goes to the most unhealthy city in America (based on government statistics, death rates, etc.), which happens to be a city in West Virginia, for a few months to start a food revolution. He wants to teach the public how to eat healthier. He wants to change the school lunch program to freshly made whole foods. He works with a family one on one. He offers cooking classes to the public. IT’S. RIVETING. You can watch the first two episodes online here.

In watching the first couple of episodes, I’m struck by how completely unhealthy most of us are and how resistant to change people are. On his first day in town, Jamie walks into a local elementary school and sees the kids eating breakfast…a breakfast of pizza—cheese-laden, pepperoni-topped pizza. FOR. BREAKFAST.

My kids are not yet school age, so I’m not super aware of what is now served as hot meals at school. We ate school lunch growing up, and it probably wasn’t the most healthy, but I don’t remember it being particularly unhealthy. I was shocked to see over the course of this episode what we feed our children at school. And when Jamie offered to prepare healthy, fresh meals, he was met with such resistance and so much red tape, it made me shudder.

I understand the need to keep costs down and to create a streamlined system for food preparation. A school is a business and needs to account for cost and follow certain guidelines. I understand all of that. It just seems that we are focusing on all the wrong things. That’s all I’ll say because I want you to watch the episodes online.

Remember that we spent some time at the big indoor water park this week? We weren’t allowed to take in any food or drink to gently encourage us to eat at the one snack bar in the park. We did eat lunch in the park and were forced to look to the snack bar for sustenance. Very disappointing. We had to choose between hotdogs, hamburgers and a variety of fried foods. We rarely eat out and even more rarely eat fast food…practically never, in fact. I don’t want that in my body or in the sweet bodies of my boys. I so wish that snack bar had some other options…perhaps some yogurt, fresh fruit, granola bars, maybe some wraps. This snack bar, like any other, is a business. And their bottom line is making money. It would seem that if the demand were there for healthier options, they would be provided. I vow to make my desire for healthier food known the next time I’m there.

Starting next Tuesday, our family food revolution begins. We do eat relatively healthy. I’m vowing to do better. Starting on Tuesday, we are going sugar and caffeine free.OUCH! Let me repeat that. OUCH! I. LOVE. SUGAR. I. LOVE. CAFFEINE. This will be extremely difficult to say the least. I know my body is dependent on these substances and I don’t want that anymore. I want to be free of unhealthy dependencies. This will most likely kill me. DEAD. I have already warned everyone I know that I will be a completely different beast next week and to please steer clear for their own safety. Headaches and a full-body rebellion are expected.

We are also going to eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods. I would like to go processed-food free, but I need to look more closely at the logistics of that before I commit.

In watching Jamie Oliver’s show, I was struck by how most elementary school kids could not identify basic fruits and veggies. I want my kids to be very hands-on in our garden this summer and every summer. I want it to be an integral part of their lives. I want them to know where food comes from, how it grows, how to harvest it, how to preserve it and how to prepare it. They are sponges and now is the time to instill good values and habits.

I’m stepping down now. I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I feel super strongly about it. Wish us luck. I am so going to need it.

So, peeps, anyone want to create their own food revolution?

Have a great weekend!

Love, Kate

Recipe: My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie...the Healthier Version

Kate,
Today I decided to be the perfect mom and have chocolate chip cookies waiting for an after school snack. You know I am always trying to make things a little healthier, so I tried it with my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have always used whole wheat flour and even sucanat, but this time I made additional changes. They turned out very yummy. I even took some to my neighbor and she gave them a thumbs up. You really can't tell that they are better for you...now I must say they are not great for you, so you'd better not eat the entire batch!!
Here's the recipe...
1/2 cup butter softened (I want to try decreasing this, but haven't perfected that yet)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
3 Tbsp. applesauce (non-sweetened)
2 cups sucanat (sometimes I use a little less)
Cream
Then add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking powder (non-aluminum type)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups regular oatmeal blended in blender until powdered (usually blend 1 cup at a time for best results)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 package chocolate chips
Raisins and nuts if desired

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until done (do not over bake)

Let me know what you think. I think you'll like them! I have some fun Easter things I want to share with you...I can't wait!
Love,
Amy

Fresh Lime Juice

Dear Kate,
I've decided to share with you one of the ways I live on a little less. As you know I really enjoy cooking and have found that I like to use my freezer when it comes to saving money. I found limes last week for 12 cents each...what a bargain. I bought 8...should have bought more. Tonight I am juicing them with my little antique hand juicer and then freezing the juice in ice cube trays. After it's frozen I put it in a freezer bag marked and dated. Then whenever I need fresh lime juice for a recipe, I have what I need. It's so convenient and much better than the bottles of juice. I have loved it, especially in fresh salsa in the summer. Each cube is about 2 Tablespoons. I also do this with lemons and with the leftover pineapple juice from canned pineapple. I love the pineapple juice in my green smoothies. You'll have to try it and let me know what you think.

Have a great day in the cold state of Wisconsin. We are experiencing weather in the high 50's...it's been great!
Love,
Amy

Recipe: Green Smoothie Deliciousness

Dear Amy,
Good morning! We both know how hard it can be to get enough veggies into our kids’ diets. i know that you’ve been interested in green smoothies for awhile now, so I thought I’d share one of our favorite green smoothie recipes.

We have this practically every day for lunch. The boys love it and anticipate it. And it’s super fast and super easy. Of course, the recipe is not exact since I made it up and I make variations of it depending on what I have on hand.

Combine:
A couple of large spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt
A couple of large spoonfuls of unsweetened applesauce
one banana
a few cubes of cooked sweet potato (skin-free)
a handful of raw spinach
1/2 cup or so of apple juice
Blend until smooth.

These amounts are for an amount that feeds both of my boys—maybe a couple of cups or so. I’ve added nuts, wheat germ, and raw oatmeal in the past—all have worked well. To blend it, I use my favorite kitchen toy—the Magic Bullet. I LOVE this thing! I got it on super sale at Kohl’s and I use it at least once a day…typically several times a day.

I usually pair a green smoothie with crackers, humus, sliced veggies, raisins and some cheese. The boys love it and I love knowing that they are eating well.

Give it a try! Have a great day!
Love, Kate

Recipe: A Healthy Twist for Banana Bread

Dear Kate,
As you know, I love making recipes a little more healthy. For some reason I love learning about healthy eating and healthy living. I have a recipe that I've tweaked for Banana Flax seed Bread that I want you to try sometime.


Banana Flax seed Bread
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup milk with 2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice added (let sit 5 min.)
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. applesauce
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp. baking powder (non-aluminum)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed bananas

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix sucanat, milk, eggs and applesauce until smooth. In a separate bowl combine wheat flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix and add to wet ingredients. Add mashed bananas and lightly mix. Pour into greased (or sprayed) loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cook slightly in pan before removing. Makes one loaf.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. My kids even liked it and as you know that is not always the case. I hope it's a great day in Wisconsin. The weather is beautiful here, but is supposed to change later in the day...I'm getting Spring Fever!
Love,
Amy

Recipe; Homemade Healthy Granola = YUM!

Kate,
Making butter...how fun! I am anxious to hear how the budget thing goes.  That will be challenging, but you are always up to a good challenge!  I will check out the cookbook you recommended.  I always love new cookbooks.

Well, we decided to cook in our kitchen today as well. As you know, I love to cook and part of that is tweaking any recipe to make it better for you. N, age 3, has been asking for homemade granola, so today we made some! My entire house smells soooo good! Here's the recipe I used, it is one I tweaked by combining a few other recipes and then changed it a bit to make it healthier. Here you go:

Homemade Healthy Granola 
7 cups rolled oats (not quick)
1 cup raw wheat germ
1 cup shredded coconut (not the sweetened)
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup freshly ground flax seeds
1/2-3/4 cup seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin etc.)
1 cup raisins (I also added some chopped dates)
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews etc.)
1 cup non-fat dry milk
Mix in bowl  and set aside

3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1 tsp. salt (you could probably leave this out!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. maplene
You can add some brown sugar if you'd like it a little sweeter
Mix the above ingredients in blender and then pour on dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Spread onto two large cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees for 60-90 minutes stirring every 20 minutes.

As you can tell, you can change it to fit your tastes.  You may want to add more nuts, less wheat germ, more flour.  Play with it.

You'll have to try it and let me know what the boys think.
Have a great day!
Amy