Kiwi-Dew Juice

Makes approximately 2-3 cups juice. Very light and refreshing!

1 small honeydew, or half a large
2 kiwi
1 organic apple (green would be best, but any kind will work)

Run fruit through a juicer, minus the skin on kiwi and skin and seeds from honeydew. Pour, serve, and Enjoy!

Make your own butter

I get my cream by letting my raw milk sit and separate from the cream. Then I slowly pour it off the top. To start, you can culture your cream first, or not. Cultured butter does have an excellent taste. But, homemade butter, in my opinion, is great either way! There are many ideas out there on how to culture the cream. I've seen that you can just leave the cream at room temperature for about 12 hours. I've also seen you should stir in 1/3 of a cup of buttermilk or plain yogurt, and then let sit for 12 hours. For me, sometimes it's just easier to let the cream come to room temperature and then have at it. Either way, you want your cream at room temperature when you start.
Then pour cream into a food processor with a dough blade, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. I like to add a tiny bit of salt, but you don't have to. Turn on. It's going to probably take 10-15 minutes but check it occasionally. Once there are hard chunks floating in the buttermilk, you're probably good. Taste it, does it taste like butter? I then take a fine strainer or cheesecloth, and pour off the liquid. Some people like to rinse the butter at this point. I've rinsed sometimes, and sometimes I don't. I think if you rinse it will last longer, in my experience. Scoop your butter into a covered container, glass or ceramic. You can serve immediately or refrigerate until needed. Serve with some fresh bread, you won't be disappointed!

Texas Cheeseburgers

The Texas Hot Restaurant in Wellsville, NY serves some amazing Texas Cheeseburgers (or Texas Hots if you're into hot dogs). It turns out they put pork in their sauce, which I'm not cool with. So after much researching, combining and playing with different "copy-cat" recipes, I came up with one that we feel is perfect! I do believe the "Texas" sauce is actually considered Greek, but whatever it is, it's so yummy!

Texas Sauce:
1/4 cup organic butter
1 cup chopped organic onions
1 lb organic ground beef
1 ts organic sugar
1/2 ts organic ground cloves
1/2 ts organic cayenne
1 ts organic chili powder
1 ts organic nutmeg
1 ts organic dry mustard
1 ts organic paprika
1 ts organic cinnamon
2 ts organic Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 ts good salt
1 ts organic ground pepper
2 cloves organic crushed garlic

Melt butter in a skillet. Saute onions and ground beef until beef is cooked. Carefully dump onions and beef into food processor and grind up (This isn't totally necessary but I like it much better "smooth" rather than chunky) Pour mixture back into pan. Add enough water to cover mixture and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and simmer on med low for atleast 45 minutes, longer would be better. Even better would be to throw the sauce together in the morning and then put it in the crock pot on low until dinnertime.

To make Texas Cheeseburgers: (You need burger patties, cheese, hot dog buns, yellow mustard, and diced onion)
Grill thin hamburger patties.Add cheese at the end to melt. Steam hot dog buns to warm. (Yes hot dog buns, this is how the restaurant serves them. But you can use hamburger buns if you wish) Slather buns with mustard. Place burger on bun. Pour 3-4 TB of Texas Sauce on top of burger. Sprinkle with diced yellow onions. Eat and enjoy!
Note that the pic above has the mustard on top, hubby thought it was prettier that way =)

Sweet and Sour Veggies and Beans

This is a great vegetarian option to the traditional sweet and sour dishes. Though this would still be awesome with chicken if you wanted to.

Ingredients:
2 heads organic brocolli
1 organic red pepper
2 cups diced pineapple
1 cup organic beans, pinto, black, or kidney
1 organic onion, sliced
2 cloves organic garlic, minced

1/4 to half a cup pineapple juice (Note: if using canned pineapple, which I don't recommend with bpa lined cans, you can use the juice from the can. You can run some pineapple through a juicer. Or use frozen pineapple and as it defrosts you will end up with enough juice. Or with fresh pineapple you can mash some with a potato masher and squeeze some juice out.)
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
2 TB organic cornstarch
1/4 ts organic ground ginger
1/4 cup organic vinegar (apple cider or white wine)
2 TB braggs liquid aminos, or organic soy sauce

In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, vinegar, and braggs or soy sauce. Set aside. In a skillet, saute in a little water or oil, brocolli, red pepper, and onion until tender. Add minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add beans and pineapple and cook until heated through. Pour in reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 3-5 minutes until sauce is thickened.
Serve over brown rice.

Balsamic Vinaigrette with a touch of sweetness

According to my husband this balsamic vinaigrette is perfect! The kids love it too. It has that great vinaigrette taste with a slight hint of sweetness! Bet this will make you eat more salads!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup organic balsamic vinegar
1 ts organic ground mustard
2 cloves organic garlic, pressed, crushed, or diced
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 ts organic ground pepper
1/2 ts raw honey

Whisk or blend all ingredients together and store in a bottle or jar in the fridge.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is such a great fall dessert. And there's nothing better than a good homemade pie! This is really easy and SO good!

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat organic pie crust
3 large organic eggs
2 cups cooked pumpkin, or one can organic pumpkin
1 1/2 cups organic sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
1 ts ground organic cinnamon
1 ts ground organic ginger
1/2 ts organic grated nutmeg
1/4 ts organic ground cloves
1/2 ts sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place crust in oven to warm on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients thoroughly.
Pour filling into crust and bake 45-55 minutes or until firm. (I like to jiggle it to see if it's liquidy or set in the middle). Let pie cool on a wire rack.

For a special bonus, top with homemade whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, pour in one cup of organic cream. Add about 1 TB organic sugar and a splash of vanilla. Mix until whipped cream consistency (5-10 minutes). Taste, and add more sugar and vanilla if you desire.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Why buy canned cranberry sauce laden in BPA when you can make your own! It's so quick and easy, let it be a part of your next holiday gathering!

Ingredients:
4 cups organic fresh cranberries
2 cups water
2 cups organic sugar (I actually prefer to use less, you could use 1 cup sugar, and substitute some orange juice for some of the water)

Place cranberries and water in a pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, cover the pot and reduce to medium. Cook until the cranberries have burst. Puree cranberries in a blender or food processor. Pour back into the pot and stir in sugar. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let set for at least 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator if you like your cranberry sauce cold.

Banana Crumb Mini Muffins

I like mini muffins because you can eat more than one and not feel too guilty about it. Plus they are perfect for kids! Try these super yummy banana muffins...and don't forget the crumb topping!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, organic
1 ts baking soda
1 ts aluminum free baking powder
1/2 ts sea salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup organic milk
1/3 cup organic butter melted

Crumb topping:
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
4 TB organic white whole wheat flour
1/4 ts organic cinnamon
2 TB organic butter, soft

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line your mini muffin cups.
In a large bowl, mix together 1/1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, melted butter, and milk.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Spoon batter into muffin cups.

In a food processor (or in a small bowl with a fork) mix together crumb ingredients until mixture is crumby.
Sprinkle over muffins.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!

Herb Balsamic Tomatoes

Yummy, healthy, side dish. appetizer, or snack. My kids gobble these up!
Picture above is one tomato. I personally consider that one serving, but others may not. So I will write the recipe for one tomato/serving. Multiply as needed!

Ingredients:
1 tomato, sliced
A couple fresh basil leaves, chopped
A couple fresh mint leaves, chopped
A couple fresh parsley leaves, chopped
A pinch of fresh dill
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
A drizzle of balsamic vinegar, organic
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, organic

Lay sliced tomatoes on a plate. Sprinkle with herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with vinegar, and then oil. Enjoy!

Yorkshire Pudding

If you've never had Yorkshire Pudding, it's nothing like pudding. It's more of an airy fluffy muffin/biscuit. My grandmother used to make these. They were always my favorite part of the meal. She would make them with roast beef and gravy. Always a great meal to me! Very few ingredients, but oh SO tasty! Above is a double batch of the below recipe.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup white unbleached flour, organic
1/2 ts salt.
1/2 cup organic milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
Approx. 1/2 stick melted butter, organic

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in milk. Stir. Beat in eggs and water. Beat the batter until large bubbles rise to the surface. If you wish, the batter can be refrigerated for an hour and beat again. Pour about 1/4 inch of hot melted butter into each space in a muffin tin. Heat the muffin tin in the oven until hot. Pour the batter in filling each space about half full. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10-15 minutes longer, until puffed and golden brown. Serve with gravy. Yum!

Mango Guacamole

A unique take on the standard guacamole. Try it with tortilla chips or just by the spoonful!

Ingredients:
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 green onion, chopped
Pinch of sea salt
2 ts evoo
1/2 cumin

Gently toss all ingredients together. That's it...super easy!

Mexican Chicken and Beans

You had me at "mexican" =) Quick, easy, and yummy!

Ingredients:
1 lb organic chicken thighs or breasts, diced
2 cups organic corn
1 cup organic black beans
1 ts oil for cooking
1 TB cumin
1 ts chili powder
1 ts garlic salt
1/2 cup water

Optional:
Tortillas (fajita or burrito)
Sliced jalapeno
Organic sour cream
Salsa

Cook diced chicken over medium in a skillet with the oil. When fully cooked, add the beans, corn, water and seasonings. Cook about 10 minutes until sauce thickens and flavors are mingled. Serve with or with a tortilla if you wish and top with sliced jalapenos, salsa, and a dollop of sour cream!

Kale Chips

Ok, seriously, these are MUCH better than they look! I tend to not be able to stop eating them. You could flavor these any way you want. Below is a basic yummy recipe. They crisp up nicely like chips!

Ingredients:
1 bunch organic kale
Olive oil
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove kale leaves from stem and rip or cut into bite size pieces. Toss with olive oil. Spread the leaves out on a parchment lined baking sheets or lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper over all the leaves. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Enjoy!

Quinoa Tabouli

Quinoa is so very good for you with 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of fat in a one cup serving. It is a gluten-free grain, so it's great for everyone. You can use it in place of rice on most recipes. Tabouli or Tabbouleh usually calls for bulgar wheat. This is a yummy side or main dish. Enjoy!
This is a variation of a recipe I saw at www.hacres.com

Ingredients:
1 cup organic quinoa
1 cup organic grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
A couple mint leaves, minced
3 cloves organic garlic, minced
 Half a cucumber, diced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Juice of one lemon
2 TB gluten-free tamari (or organic soy sauce, braggs liquid aminos)
2 TB olive oil
1 ts sea salt
pinch of cayenne

Place quinoa in a fine strainer and rinse. Rub the grains together.
Place quinoa in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, cool.
In a small bowl, mix together lemon, tamari, olive oil, salt, and cayenne.
Toss all ingredients together.
Let mixture sit for an hour for all the ingredients to mingle. Refrigerate until ready to serve and toss one more time. Enjoy!

Berry lemonade

So what if it's 30 degrees outside and this should be more of a summer drink....drink this and dream of summertime! Super yummy, and good for you too!

Ingredients:
2 whole lemons, peeled
1 cup mixed organic berries, frozen or fresh
2 tb organic raw honey
Water

Place all ingredients in the blender with enough water to cover them. Blend for a minute and enjoy! A nice vitamin packed drink!

Banana Bread Breakfast Smoothie

This is a great smoothie to start off your day or a mid-day power packed snack. The first thing my husband said about it was "It tastes like banana bread!" There originated the name! My kids slurped this down in minutes.

Makes 4 servings:

Ingredients:
3 cups organic raw milk, or almond milk (coconut milk might be yummy too!)
2 frozen bananas
2 shakes organic cinamon
2 ts raw organic honey
1 avocado
1 cup organic granola, or "grainy" type cereal. (I used Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel 4:9 cereal)

Blend all ingredients for a minute. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Nachos

Nachos are such a well rounded meal! So grab a tray of them and head to the living room for movie night with the kiddos! That's what we do! (You can even throw on some meat if you must for those meat eaters!)

Ingredients:
1 bag organic tortilla chips (important to get organic since a huge percentage of corn is GMO)
2 cups shredded organic cheese, jack or cheddar
1 can sliced black olives
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 organic onion chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 cup organic black or pinto beans (already cooked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay chips on a parchment lined large baking sheet. Scatter all the ingredients except the cheese all over the chips.

Top with cheese. (I like putting the cheese on top of the toppings because it holds them to the chips)

Cook for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve sour cream and salsa on the side, Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Latte

Why pay for a high price and high calorie pumpkin coffee from a coffee shop when you can make one at home for a fraction of the cost and calories! Enjoy fall with this wonderful coffee!

Ingredients:
1 cup of organic coffee
4 oz organic milk or cream
2 ts organic sugar, brown would add a nice taste
2 TB pureed organic pumpkin (canned is fine)
1/2 ts organic cinamon
Dash each of organic nutmeg, ginger, and ground cloves

Whisk all ingredients together. Top with a scoop of homemade whipped cream if you desire. Enjoy!

Naturally flavor your coffee

Store bought flavored creamers aren't the only option for a yummy coffee treat. Not to mention if you read the labels on those creamers you are getting way more than just flavored coffee. Some have partially hydrogenated oils, some have high fructose corn syrup, and all have a bunch of ingredients most people can't pronounce. I'm a strong believer that if you can't pronounce the ingredient, then you shouldn't be eating it. Most of these would be "too taste", so play with them and figure out what's the best for you. But these are good starting points.

Mocha Coffee
Coffee
(Shot of espresso if you have it, but not necessary)
1-2 ts organic sugar ( Sucanat is the best option for sugar)
or 1/2 ts agave (Be careful with agave, a lot of them are synthetically made and terribly bad for you. Wholesome foods makes a good quality one.)
or 1 ts organic honey
1-2 ts organic cocoa powder
Organic milk or cream to taste, preferably raw

Vanilla Coffee
Coffee
Same sweetener options as above (If you can get vanilla flavored agave, that's super yummy)
A splash of organic vanilla extract
Organic milk or cream to taste, preferably raw

Chocolate Mint Dream
Coffee
Same sweetener options as above
1 ts organic cocoa powder
A splash of organic peppermint flavoring
Organic milk or cream to taste

Mint Dream
Same as Chocolate Mint Dream above, just omit the cocoa powder

Amaretto
Coffee
Same sweeteners as above
Splash of organic almond extract
Organic milk or cream to taste

Caramel Delight
Coffee
Sparingly use a sweetener, doesn't need as much as others
3 ts organic caramel syrup, or more to taste
Organic milk or cream to taste

Chocolate Covered Caramel
Same as Caramel Delight but add 2 ts cocoa powder

How to mince garlic - Video

Excuse my 7 year old videographer....not bad for a 2nd grader though =)

Guacamole Egg Rolls

This is a variation of a recipe I saw at www.mommybistro.com She has some great comfort food recipes, you should check it out.
These are fun! Serve them with a side of salsa. As for the egg roll wrappers, I found egg roll/spring roll wrappers in the frozen section but after reading the ingredients I put them back. I would have put them back just for the fact that bleached white flour was the first ingredient, but scroll down a little and there was propylene glycol (aka anti-freeze, ick). Then there was Sodium Benzoate, which is a pretty bad preservative. So I went over to the Japanese isle and they had some spring roll wrappers with something like 4 ingredients, none of which were a deal breaker, so I got those. The only hitch with those is they are hard and crispy. I had some in my house a few years ago that I could not figure out how to use. Everytime I tried to wrap anything they would snap. Now, if you know how to use these you're probably shaking your head at me right now. If you don't, you have to soak them in water for a few before you try to wrap anything. Boy did that make an amazing difference =) The first thing I ever successfully wrapped with them were bananas, chocolate, and almond butter...THAT was super yummy! Though I've learned since then to use more than one wrapper for each roll so they are less likely to tear while wrapping and cooking. This recipe will call for two wrappers for each roll, feel free to use more, honestly three might be better, adjust accordingly. A ton come in the package I got so I didn't even come close to using them all.  Here's a pic of the ones I got:

Ingredients: (Makes 8 egg rolls)
16 egg roll or spring roll wrappers (Please read the ingredient label!!!)
2 avocados, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 organic onion, chopped
Handful of cilantro, chopped
1/2 ts sea salt
1 organic egg, beaten
Coconut or olive oil for searing or deep frying (See instructions below)

In a large bowl, gently stir together avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro and salt.

Fill a plate with water and place 2 wrappers in the water to soak for a minute. Remove from water and place on a sheet of wax paper. Place a couple of scoops of avocado mixture down the middle.

Fold the bottom flap up a quarter to halfway up the mixture. Brush the beaten egg along all the edges.

Fold the top flap down, and roll up. Repeat with all rolls.
Now at this point, you could go ahead and deep fry them if you so desire. If you do, coconut oil would be the healthiest choice.
Or, you could heat a skillet with about 2 TB of coconut oil. Sear all sides of the roll, and place roll on a baking sheet. Repeat with all rolls. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, flipping half way through.

Grown Up Grilled Cheese

Jaz up grilled cheese night by stuffing your grilled cheese with onion, avocado, and tomato! Of course serve it with a side of tomato soup =)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 slices whole wheat bread
2 organic tomatoes, sliced
1 organic onion, sliced
1 avocado sliced
8 oz sliced organic cheddar cheese
Sea salt to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Organic softened butter

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter both sides of two pieces of bread and place in skillet. Warm for a few minutes and flip. Top one piece with the cheese. Then layer the avocado, onion, and tomato. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Place second slice of bread on top. Cook, flipping often to avoid burning, until cheese is melted. Repeat for the rest of the sandwiches. Enjoy!

Yummy bread (no-knead bread)

This bread is so great! The only way I can describe it is it's ciabatta-like. Great to sop up sauces, great dipped in olive oil, great with butter. The directions may sound daunting but it really is pretty easy (Unless you take a nap and miss a step...not that I've ever done that or anything).

Ingredients:

3 cups organic white (unbleached) wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water

You will need a covered pot that can go in a 450 degree oven (pyrex, cast iron, stainless steal, ceramic, etc)

1. Mix dough: The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowlwith a wooden spoon until the dough just

 comes together. It will be ashaggy, doughy mess. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hourson countertop.

2. Shape & preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. Witha wet spatula, dump the dough into 

a bowl that is coated in olive oil.Shape dough into a ball by folding ends of dough over and tucking it towards 

the middle.Keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Cover dough withfloured cloth and let it 

rest for 2 hours. When you’ve got about a half hourleft, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to 

450F.
3. Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size. Remove pot from oven (Carefully).
 Holding the bowl of dough over the preheated pot, gently use a spatula toremove dough from bowl and 

dump it into pot. Doesn’t matter which wayit lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover (Carefully, don't forget

 it's hot!).

 Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully goldenand middle 

of loaf is 210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If noteating right away, you can re-crisp crust in 350F 

oven for 10 minutes.

Coconut Macaroons

I never liked coconut until I made these! Hubby absolutely loves these! The kids gobble them up. So it's a winner all around!

Ingredients: Makes a dozen or so
2 organic egg whites
1/4 ts cream of tarter
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
2 cups organic shredded coconut
1 ts vanilla

Preheat oven to 335. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until soft peaks form. Slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is stiff and shiny. Remove from mixer. Fold in coconut and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, but keep an eye on them, don't let them burn, you just want light brown lines.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Way back when I worked at Outback Steakhouse. I loved their creamy potato soup and their creamy onion soup. Though I still haven't mastered the creamy onion soup, this potato soup has long become a staple in our house. It's very hearty so don't plan to have it with a huge main course. Pair with a salad and an artichoke, Mmm!

Ingredients:
5 organic potatoes
1 cup organic milk
2 tb organic butter
1 oz organic cheddar cheese
1/2 onion
1 ts salt
1 ts pepper
2 cloves organic garlic
1 TB veggie bacon bits

Optional toppings:
chopped green onions
sour cream
veggie bacon bits
shredded cheese

Bake potatoes until done. Quarter the potatoes. Place potatoes in a blender (I use a VitaMix) with the rest of the ingredients and blend. If it's too thick, add some more milk. If you do this right after the potatoes finish cooking  you shouldn't need to heat up the soup. But if you wait awhile you'll need to throw it in a pot on the stove for a few. Or make ahead and put in the crock pot on "warm".

Caprese Salad

I love Caprese Salad! So do my kids! They cheer when I set it on the table. Now you can totally make this the pretty way by slicing your tomatoes in rings, placing a basil leaf and slice of cheese on top and then drizzling with the dressing. But for my family, I would need like 5 plates done like that for how much they eat of it. Do you know how long that would take? Just for them to gobble them right up. So I just mix it all up in one big bowl. Not as pretty presentation-wise, but oh so yummy!

Ingredients:
5 medium organic tomatoes, sliced
1 8oz chunk of fresh mozzarella
20 or so basil leaves, chiffon (put leaves in one pile, roll them up, and slice)
3:1 oil to vinegar (you need about a 1/2 cup total)
Olive oil, organic
White Wine vinegar, organic
1/2 ts sea salt
3 cloves organic garlic, chopped

In a measuring cup mix together oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, and basil leaves. In a large bowl mix together tomatoes and mozzarella, toss with dressing.

Tacos - Make your own taco night!

I'm sure most people know how to make tacos. I'm not talking authentic Mexican tacos, I'm talking American-ized tacos. But, do you know how to make it without the little packet of taco seasoning? If not, read on! Make your own taco night is a favorite around here. Simply fill a bunch of bowls with taco toppings, hand out shells, and let the kiddos go to town! Garden of Eatin makes organic taco shells, which I was super excited about when my grocery store started carrying them!

Ingredients for taco meat:
1 lb organic ground beef (or more depending on size of your family, this leaves us leftovers)
1TB organic garlic powder
1 TB organic chili powder
1 TB organic cumin
1 TB organic all season salt
1/2 cup water

Brown meat. Add all the other ingredients and simmer while you chop everything else! So easy-no packet needed =) (If you have onion powder, add some of that too, I never have any)

Toppings:
Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Chopped cilantro
Shredded lettuce
Diced jalapenos
Beans
Salsa
Guacamole
Hot Sauce
Sour cream

Chicken Fajitas (Works great for beef too!)

This recipe works for a pound of meat. Easily multiplies for more meat. Make with my tortillas! Mmmm, Mexican food!

Ingredients:
1 lb organic chicken (or organic beef may be used)
1 cup shredded organic cheddar cheese
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 organic red pepper, sliced
2 organic onions, sliced
1 cup organic beans, pinto or black
Organic sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce if desired

Marinade:
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup water
2 TB olive oil
2 ts braggs liquid aminos or organic soy sauce
3 cloves of organic garlic, shopped
1 ts salt
1/2 ts ground pepper
1/2 ts cayenne pepper

Slice chicken in strips and soak in marinade for at least an hour, up to overnight, in the refrigerator.

Cook chicken in a pan with red pepper and onions until chicken is cooked through.

Wrap in a tortilla with beans, cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa. Enjoy!

Tortillas

If you've ever looked at the ingredients on a package of tortillas you know that there is a ton of ingredients in there that really don't need to be. So why not make your own? 4 ingredients, one of which is water. You can't beat that! The following recipe will make approximately 10 6-8 inch tortillas. Smaller is great for soft tacos, enchiladas, for spreads, and to dip. Bigger ones to wrap for burritos and wraps.

4 cups whole wheat flour, unbleached, organic
2 ts sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients. Add the oil and mix until crumbly. Add water and kneed until smooth.

Heat a skillet or flat pan to medium low. Divide into balls about 1/3 cup in size, or slightly bigger than a golf ball. If you would like large tortillas, go bigger. Roll thin on a floured surface. I have a tortilla press but it doesn't really get them as thin as I'd like. So what I do is: Lay a piece of wax paper on my tortilla press, place the dough ball on it, top with another piece of wax paper, press. THEN I roll it out with a rolling pin further. This actually gives it a nicer shape than if I just roll it with a rolling pin. Plus I think it rolls thinner than if I just use a rolling pin. But I'm not the best rolling pin user, so do whatever you like. For years I did it without the press just fine. After you have one rolled out, throw it on an un-greased skillet or flat pan. Cook until you get some bubbles.

Than flip. Cook until you have some light brown spots on the underside, just a few minutes.

(Haha, yes I know that one has a whole, no one's perfect =)  ) Remove from pan and keep under a cloth until all the tortillas are done and are ready to be used. If you are going to be wrapping burritos, wet the tortillas and put in a toaster oven for a few minutes to make them easier to roll, plus they'll stay together really well. This works with ANY tortilla. Never make a burrito without that tip!

How to make natural food dye

Commercial food dyes are neurotoxins, so dying cakes and cookies is hard if you are avoiding food dyes. Ah, but it really isn't!!! There are some "natural" dyes on the market but if you've ever priced them, you'll be happy to know the options below are MUCH cheaper! Here are some suggestions for natural food dyes, and keep reading for a sample cookie frosting recipe. Please remember these are "food" dyes and may alter the taste so color and taste a little at a time. But to be honest, I've tried all of the below and the only one I noticed a taste in was the cocoa. But don't take my word for it, please taste as you go =) These can all be used for frosting OR batter.


Green: Juice spinach or kale

Purple: You could juice blueberries. Or I like to buy Wyman's frozen blueberries. If you let them defrost in a bowl, it will produce a beautiful purple dye.

Yellow: Tumeric

Brown: Cocoa powder

Pink: Pomegranate juice, cherry juice. Mash a handful of fresh raspberries and push through a sieve. Beet juice.



Orange: Carrot juice


Now I haven't tried this, but a friend of mine wanted blue and was surprised blueberries didn't make blue =) She had some green frosting, so she mixed the green and purple and ended up with an aqua type color. It actually looked really good!

Here's a great cookie frosting recipe. It dries hard and shiny. Great for all kinds of decorating on cookies.




3 cups organic powdered sugar
4 TB organic milk
1/2 ts organic vanilla extract
2 ts agave nectar OR 4 ts organic light corn syrup


In a bowl, stir together the milk and sugar. On a low speed, mix in the other ingredients until smooth and shiny. Slowly add in your food dye. I would suggest a teaspoon at a time. (If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar slowly. If it's too thick (after you've added the dye) add a tiny bit of milk at a time.)


The firetruck cookies below used 5 ts of spinach juice, there was no taste change: (The kids helped frost and we aren't perfectionists, haha, so disregard the mess)

Organic homemade granola bars

These are great! My kids gobble them up. This recipe is for a double batch because they eat them so fast! I was inspired to start making my own granola bars because my kids would want to eat multiple granola bars a day. As I saw money flying out the window with each individually wrapped organic granola bar going into their belly, I decided to start making my own. They actually prefer these. They are a hearty snack they love! Feel free to cut everything in half if you don't want two pans, it'll work fine.
Ingredients:
4 cups organic rolled oats
1 1/2 cups organic brown sugar
4 TB organic seeds (I've used : Flax, sunflower, chia, sesame, etc)
2 cups organic unbleached wheat flour
1/2 cup organic chocolate chips
1/2 cup organic raisins
1 1/2 ts sea salt
1 1/2 ts organic cinnamon
1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup oil
4 ts organic vanilla
2 organic eggs beaten
 
(Options: Any dried fruit can be used. I've used dried cranberries and that was really yummy. Chop any larger pieces of dried fruit. Coconut adds a nice flavor. 1/2 cup organic almond or sunflower seed butter can be added with no consistency problem. You could substitute some of the honey with maple syrup. Be creative, mix it up, and make these YOUR bars!)
Grease two baking pans. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats to cinnamon). Make a well in the middle and add all wet ingredients (honey to eggs). Mix well, hands are best. Divide evenly between the two pans. Wet your hands and press the mixture down into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. The edges will be brown when done.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Do not let them cool completely or they will be too hard to cut. With a wet sharp knife cut squares, or rectangles, whatever you prefer.

Let cool completely in the pan and then remove with a metal spatula. Store in an airtight container.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Yummy! These are so good! Though with the high price of organic nuts I can't make them too often because my kids plow through them so fast. If we don't act fast, my husband and I don't get any! Great party appetizer, snack, etc.

Ingredients:
3 cups organic nuts (Above I used almonds. I've also used cashews, pecans, walnuts, or a combination)
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 ts organic cayenne
1 ts sea salt
1/2 ts organic coriander
1 ts organic nutmeg
1/2 ts organic cinnamon
1 organic egg white
2 tb oil (coconut or olive oil)

In a large bowl, mix sugar everything but the nuts. Once mixed, toss with the nuts. Spread in a thing layer on a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Stir them around a couple times. Now if you forget to stir while baking (not like I've ever done that or anything) stir them as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks (If they last that long!!)

Make your own beef broth

Why pay the  steep price of organic beef broth when you can just make it yourself.

Ingredients:
2 soup bones from an organic cow (mine were small, if you have a big one, just use one)
1 organic onion, pealed and sliced in half
1 organic carrot coarsely chopped
2 ts sea salt
1 ts organic ground pepper, or whole peppercorns

Roast your bones in the oven for an hour. Put all ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with water to the top. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook anywhere from a few hours to all day.

You want your broth a good medium brown. Remove bones and vegetables. Strain through a fine strainer. 

Place in the refrigerator. Once cooled the fat will harden at the top.

Remove fat and discard. Place broth in freezable containers. I do 2 cups per container because that works for me.