Category: Recipes

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Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

Last week went pretty well, I think! Let’s just say dinner was on the table each night. Sometimes boring. Sometimes cooked hours before it needed to be. But it was there! And we are fed! Phew, postpartum with 3 littles is totally different! 

This week, I’m trying to keep it simple and cheap by using what we have in our fridge and freezer so we don’t have to buy much. Monday isn’t really a meal, but more of a mash-up of random foods in our fridge from the weekend, which gives me a clean slate for the rest of the week. So forgive me, but this is a shorter week of plans!

Tuesday: Slow cooker chicken tikka masala (I’m adding spinach)

Wednesday: Easy roast chicken with vegetables and potatoes

Thursday: Pot roast with steamed broccoli

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Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

My first weekly meal planning postpartum. Phew.  baby is a month old. I didn’t plan on it taking so long to find some kind of routine. Part of this is because my second baby slept all the time and I was able to resume normal activities so quickly. Part of this is because my new baby ended up needing frenectomy procedures at 5 days old, my milk supply suffered and I didn’t have any free time. When I wasn’t nursing, I was pumping. When I wasn’t pumping, I was changing a diaper. When I wasn’t changing, I was helping baby go to sleep. When I wasn’t rocking or soothing, I was using the bathroom and tending to my own healing. When I wasn’t tending to my immediate bodily needs, I was trying to see my other two children, who were missing me to the point of my heart cracking inside of me. It was just a nightmare. I didn’t think having my new baby would be so hard… I pictured a beautiful time of cuddling, nursing, and snuggling with all 3 of my babies. Not the tears, exhaustion and stretched beyond my limits that I experienced… 

Anyway, that’s a story for another time, one that I’m excited to share, from the birth to the postpartum, but for now, meal planning. Remember? I did it!! I planned meals and I plan on preparing them! Since the meals my father and mother-in-law made for us in the freezer have been used up, I’m forced to figure this stuff out! Even if it means chopping vegetables in the morning and trying to find as many slow cooker recipes as possible without boring my family to tears! 

So, enjoy!

Monday: Frittatas (doubled the recipe to use up our spring oversupply from our chickens) and GF biscuits

Tuesday: Teriyaki quinoa, chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker (this is not an all day cooker recipe)

Wednesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

Thursday: Baked swai, kale salad (mix from Costco), and steamed rice

​Wish me luck this week – making dinner and caring for my THREE children now! And meanwhile, welcome our son, affectionately called Little Man until his nickname comes to him….

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Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

For the week of September 8, 2014.

Hi! Did you miss me? I missed you and sharing my meal plans, research and life with you! It’s been a roller coaster around here. I don’t need to tell you that grief can ride in like a wave and knock everyone down, which is what happened in our home. Losing my uncle is not something I feel I will be “over” at any point in time, but I’m hoping to slowly make strides integrating back into normal existence. One baby step for me is to hop back on my blog and start writing again! The easiest way to do that is to start with meal plans!

Despite any sadness, celebrations, life changes or the revolving door that is our home with house guests coming and going, we have to feed ourselves and our littles. In order to do that, I meal plan! For this week:

Monday: Flounder, quinoa, and broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken Tikka Masala (Paleo) with rice (I add spinach to the dish)

Wednesday: Ground beef tacos with cheese, yogurt, avocado and salad

Thursday: Vegetable fried rice

I’m also learning about packing school lunches for my new preschooler! I’ll have more ideas for that as I get to them. Feel free to share your ideas too!

Are you following me on Pinterest? Facebook? Please do!
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Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

Weekly Meal Planning Inspiration

For the week of July 28, 2014.

I was telling some friends today that I can remember the first time I “meal planned”. My baby was a few months old and my husband was working. We only had one car and I was struggling with a baby who needed to be held, bounced and shushed around the clock. I couldn’t even think of dinner half the time. I felt proud to be able to throw something easy together in the evenings.

One Sunday, my husband offered to go to the store and pick up some things for the week and he asked what we needed. I pulled out a scrap piece of paper and scribbled down some meal ideas. Then I pulled out another piece of paper and wrote down the ingredients for those meals. What a difference! It didn’t even matter which day I made the meals. What mattered was that I had a list of meals and had the ingredients needed to make them. And so, meal planning began in our home.

It’s a little more involved now as I hunt for sales, try to use leftovers and eat out of the freezer to reduce the impact of shopping on our budget, but in reality it’s remained very much the same. If meal planning helps you feel sane and not going to the grocery store every day, I say, “Do it!” I hope viewing our meal plans can inspire you to try a different recipe once in awhile or help you figure out what to eat when you’re in a rut!

Here are our plans this week:


Monday: Baked swordfish, fresh corn on the cob, salad from our garden and cornbread

Tuesday: Chicken stir-fry with mushrooms, celery, carrots and onions with quinoa (adapted from this recipe)

Wednesday: Southwestern ground beef casserole

Thursday: Black beans and rice with lots of garden veggies
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Chicken Curry Recipe Review – Gluten and Dairy Free

Once a week I try a new recipe. This leaves me some wiggle room with tried and true favorites and standards that everyone is used to. I like to experiment, but I certainly do not want my family to not look forward to dinner! This week I experimented with a new chicken curry recipe by Dr. Mark Hyman, MD. We were not disappointed! Dr. Mark Hyman, MD practices functional medicine, which looks for the root cause of issues instead of treating symptoms. He is a pioneer in his field and offers so much wisdom and education with his books, blog and website. I hope you’ll check him out here.

I make chicken curry every once in a while. I love the coconut milk and abundance of vegetables. I usually use a curry paste (red or green) made by Thai Kitchen. This recipe only called for curry powder and I didn’t think I’d like it, but we all did. In fact, my 20 month old ate her entire dinner for the first time in days!

Rarely do I deviate from a recipe when it’s my first time trying it out. In this case, I changed only a few things. I used a red pepper instead of green because it’s what I had. I added broccoli and a little Bragg’s Liquid Amino for color and flavor, respectively. I prepared organic brown rice and mixed it in 10 minutes before serving and it was enjoyed by all.

So check out this recipe and add something new to your menu next week! The amount of vegetables and color will make your body happy! Choose organic chicken if you can. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Curious about Bragg’s Liquid Amino? It’s like soy sauce except healthier and full of amino acids! Check it out:

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Start Your Day with Lemon Water

Every morning, after I take my Female Balance (my favorite natural PMS remedy), I boil some water and squeeze a half of a lemon into it. This is how I start my day. Not coffee. Not food. Hot lemon water. Lemons are like a scouring pad for the body’s insides. From mouth, to throat, to stomach and intestines, lemons scrub away the gunk and start your day off right. Digestion, especially, is improved by lemon water. Having it first thing in the morning gives your kidneys a wake up call and flushes out toxins. Unlike coffee which is acidic and oily, coating the stomach walls so that you don’t properly absorb the nutrients of the food you eat, lemon water goes in and paves the way so you get the most out of all those healthy meals you prepare.

You don’t have to limit this practice to only the mornings. Drinking lemon water 15 minutes before a meal will aid in the digestion of that meal. In his book, The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Dr. Michael Murray, N.D., lists lemon water as one of seven steps to controlling candidiasis, an overgrowth of yeast found in 1 out of 3 people! He states that the lemon water will enhance digestion. Don’t read “digestion” as just having a bowel movement; it actually means the entire process of digestion, which starts with the enzymes in your saliva before you take your first bite. Digestion also includes stomach acid breaking down your food and your body absorbing the nutrients of your food. When digestion isn’t functioning properly, no matter how well you eat, you’re not going to get the most out your meals.

I want to also tout briefly the other nutritional benefits of lemons. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, which boosts your immune system. They also contain good amounts of vitamin B6, folic acid, flavonoids potassium and limonene. Limonene is a phytochemical being studied for the dissolution of gallstones and anticancer activities. Promising stuff!

A random lemon water note: My husband has a history of kidney stones and his doctor told him drinking fresh squeezed lemon in his water everyday would keep them away. He explained that the lemon juice goes into the kidneys and breaks up the stones that may be forming. Needless to say, he gets the other half of my lemon in his water each day and knock on wood, he hasn’t had one since. It should be noted, though, that lemon peels contain high amounts of oxalates and could contribute to the formation of kidney stones.

Another random lemon water note: When my parents were visiting, my dad informed me that his dad started his day off with hot lemon water every morning also. This is something I never would have known because he passed before I was old enough to know him. He lived a long, healthy life though, with a strong constitution. Coincidence? Maybe, but I’m proud to share a habit with him that I know keeps me healthier.

Like anything, it’s a habit. Just like starting the coffee pot, waiting for it to brew and taking that first sip. Sitting down with a cup of tea. Checking your e-mail. The things you look forward to doing every day. This can be one of them. Leave the lemon squeezer, lemon and full teakettle out the night before as a reminder. Once you get into the habit of starting your day with hot lemon water, it will be easy to remember, and perhaps, like me, you’ll miss it dearly when you don’t have it.

And don’t get me started on plastic! Use a stainless steel lemon squeezer like this one:

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Dad’s Apple Crumble Gluten-free

I remember eating dad’s apple crumble many, many times… (We grew up calling it “apple betty”, but I thought I’d call it a “crumble” to avoid any confusion.) I remember sneaking in and eating the crumbles off the top because they were the best part! I even saved the piece of paper I scribbled the recipe on probably 10 years ago. I had called him one day, craving this warm, sweet, apple goodness and he told me how he made it. Maybe I’m just sentimental like that, but I like to remember…. moments. I hope this becomes a staple in your family the way it has in mine. Simple. Easy. Good.

Assembled ingredients.

Dad’s Apple Crumble

Ingredients

5c sliced apples (more is better)
1 Tbsp flour (any gluten-free flour blend will do)
5 Tbsp white sugar (I use organic, unbleached)
½ c oats (I have Jules organic certified gluten-free instant, which I like to use for baking)
½ c brown sugar
½ c flour (any gluten-free flour blend will do)
¾ tsp nutmeg
¾ tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter (to make it dairy free, use a stick of Earth Balance)

You can see I have 9 apples here. In retrospect, I could’ve used even more. The apples cook down and the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned!

Directions

Peel and slice the apples. Spread them out in a 9×13 or 8×8 pan. The size of the pan totally depends on how much of a ratio you want of crumble to apple. I like to make it in a 9×13 so it seems to last longer! Sprinkle with flour and white sugar, mix together with a fork so the apple slices are covered.

Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place butter on top and cut it into the mixture with two knives until the butter is in tiny clumps covered in the mixture. Pour crumble mixture on top of the apples evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Serve hot, warm or cold, with or without ice cream. Enjoy!

  • See my scribbled note, Dad?
    Makes me think of you!
  • I’m not a fan of peeling apples but it’s worth it!
  • Do you compost? It’s a great way to keep food scraps out of landfills, allowing them to break down naturally.
  • Apples tossed with flour and sugar
  • Flour, sugar, oats and spices
  • Combined
  • Cutting butter
  • Crumbles!
  • Spread the crumbles on top of the apples.
  • Enjoy!
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Holistic Remedies for the Common Cold

It’s so much easier to think and read about cold remedies when you’re not sick. At least it is for me! When I’m sick, I can’t even read, let alone make some fancy concoction. This is the predicament I found myself in last week when my baby girls and myself were laid out flat with really bad colds.

Oh a cold is a cold is a cold and it’s stuffy noses and coughs, right? Well, yes, but sometimes it’s debilitating. The headache, alternating runny and stuffy nose, cough and sore throat really put me down! When it hit me (Day 1), I was kind of in shock and I just sat there, guzzling water and wiping all three of our noses. On Day 2, I was feeling worse and had to be a little more proactive, taking 6,000 IU of vitamin D3 in the morning, 2,000 mg of vitamin C every few hours and 1 Tbsp of liquid silver every four hours. I continued to drink hot lemon water with honey whenever I had the energy to make it. It all seemed to take too much effort. When I woke up still feeling horrible on Day 3, I was desperate enough to raid my arsenal. I continued with vitamin C and silver, while adding garlic tea (see below) and raw chopped garlic to my food. Drinking water, juice and tea all the while, I gradually felt myself improving. By Day 4, I was out of the house, moving around and getting things done. Day 5 found me walking in a 5k with my girlfriends, thankful for my health.

So, what did I learn from this? I need to have my remedies ready to go. I need to be more prepared for the onslaught of exhaustion that might very well prevent me from creating some healing concoctions. I need to ask for help. On Day 3, when I was in tears because I had another 11-hour day ahead of me watching my sick babies and taking care of myself, I asked my husband to chop and peel garlic before he left for work. What a help! It made all the difference, having someone give me access to the things I needed to help myself.

Interested in garlic tea? I learned to make this when I was pregnant and was nervous about what I could and couldn’t take for a cold. It’s very simple. Peel and cut 5-6 cloves of garlic. Pour boiling water over them (preferably in a one-quart mason jar) and cover (I use a pot holder). Let steep for about 30 minutes and drink up. Sometimes I add lemon and honey. Sometimes instead of water I use broth. I also reuse the garlic one or two more times, by refilling the jar with hot water.

I whole-heartedly attribute my quick turn-around to silver and garlic. However, there are some more things I could’ve done and want to be prepared to try in the future. I read this amazing article on Holistic Squid’s blog that gave me some great ideas! You can read the whole article here. I am going to invest in fermented cod liver oil and oil of oregano. I may also get some elderberry syrup. I’m inspired by the posts on Holistic Squid’s website and hope you’ll check them out too!

Just an aside, I can get you any of these supplements as a practitioner who works with Designs for Health. I am very particular about which supplements I recommend because the quality of supplements is not regulated; therefore you don’t always get what you’re paying for. Buying from a company that sells only to practitioners (like Designs for Health) or purchasing supplements and vitamins that are labeled GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) is your best bet for getting the high quality necessary to make a difference.

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Easy, Roast Chicken

When I met my husband, I was a raw foodist (consuming only raw vegetables, fruits and nuts). I admit a big part of that lifestyle was my need to control my food intake, to control what I consumed by limiting what I allowed myself to eat. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with raw food diets, Paleo, veganism, vegetarianism, or any of the food choices that so many people make. For me, though, it was less about health and more about control.

As I learned to listen to my body and trust my cravings, I started craving eggs. So, being the excited extremist that I am, I went out and got myself some baby chickens. My future-husband was in shock! A few weeks later I craved fish and while I didn’t go buy an aquarium, I did start incorporating it into my eating habits. Slowly but surely, I began eating fish, eggs and eventually beef. Once I got pregnant, I was eating several hamburgers a week! What a change…

Poultry and pork were foods that I didn’t crave or desire for a long time and I still don’t eat pork, but poultry I’ve eased into over the last few years. It was hard at first, after years of being a vegan, to allow myself to touch, cook and eventually eat something that I had kept out of my reach for so long. I can’t say it’s always easy. My body feels better with clean proteins in it, but my mind shudders a little at times.

All this said, I have to find really creative and yummy ways to cook poultry in order for me to enjoy it; roast chicken is one of those ways. I wanted to share this really easy and delicious way that I prepare a chicken. It’s really easy to make and everyone loves it. Once I got past touching a raw, whole chicken, this became one of my favorite meals to prepare for my family! I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it as well.

Final note: We do not consume poultry that contains hormones or antibiotics. We don’t want to feed those to our children and I, personally, cannot stomach the conditions the chickens might be raised in. I recommend local farms, free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken only. 

Easy, Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
2 lemons cut in fourths
2 onions cut into chunks
4-7 potatoes chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
5 carrots chopped
Any other vegetables you have on hand
4 TBSP butter melted
½ cup of wine (I prefer white, but will use whatever)
1-2 cups of water
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP sage
½ TBSP thyme
salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425. Wash the chicken thoroughly and remove the insides. Immediately transfer to a roasting pan with the drumsticks pointing up. (I have a really old pan, so I line it with foil. Hope to remedy that one day.) Squeeze one of the lemon fourths all over the chicken and shove the rest of them inside with half of the onion pieces. Pour the melted butter over the chicken and arrange the other vegetables around the chicken. On this particular day, I had a huge zucchini from the garden and I added that to the array as well. Sprinkle the spices all over the chicken. Pour the wine over the vegetables and then add water to the pan – this will create a wonderful juice to pour over everything when served.

Place in the oven for one hour. At the one hour mark, baste the chicken in the liquid. I use a small ladle to do it because we don’t have a baster, but a baster would probably be easier! I’ve tried using a thermometer but it wasn’t reliable and I can tell you that it is beyond frustrating to serve dinner and find out it’s not cooked all the way! So, what I do, is cut into a breast all the way to the bone, making sure juices run clear and the meat is white. If not, return to the oven for 10-minute increments, checking each time to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through.

When it’s finished, set it aside for at least 10 minutes and cover with foil. Then serve! I love that it’s a one-dish meal and it comes together so quickly. Between the chicken, the potatoes and the vegetables, we don’t need anything else. It makes great leftovers and I often use the carcass to make an incredible chicken broth, but that’s a blog for another time!

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Gluten-Free Mac n (Goat) Cheese

     It’s time to share my favorite recipe! I call this “mac n cheese” but really, it’s so much better than that, more gourmet than that. It’s gluten-free pasta with goat cheese, spinach, onions, garlic, spices and love!

I created this recipe when I was pregnant with my first child and I had aversions to so many foods. I had a really difficult time feeding my hungry, pregnant belly when I didn’t want anything. I especially didn’t want vegetables, which, as a nutrition-phile, was frightening! So, I experienced a slight craving for pasta and I went with it. While I was making it, I decided I wanted cheese and realized I could “hide” a lot of spinach in it. My husband and I devoured this so quickly and we were so stuffed but we couldn’t wait to make it again. We ate so much of it that I began thinning the cheese mixture so that I could divide the pasta into two casserole dishes and make it last!

Warning: I am not a chef, nor am I a recipe-writer! Even when I follow recipes I’m not that great at measuring. So, I’m estimating here and if you’re uncomfortable with that, I understand! Please, use more onion and garlic if you like or make your cheese mixture thinner or thicker if that’s what you like. I’m simply and humbly passing on the general flow and creation of a meal that my family and friends absolutely love and I hope you will too!

Gluten-Free Mac n (Goat) Cheese

Ingredients:

1 onion chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp butter (or coconut oil – if you don’t use butter)
1 11-oz log of Chevre goat cheese
1c So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage unsweetened (or other dairy / non-dairy beverage)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Lots of spinach (at least 2 cups)
16 oz GF Pasta (I use Trader Joe’s organic brown rice pasta)
Water to boil
½ lb Cheddar goat cheese, shredded (or less)

Onions and garlic cooked with butter or oil – the foundation of many great meals!
Sautee the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat until soft. Add the Chevre and break it up in the pot, lowering the heat slightly so it doesn’t burn. Once the Chevre softens, add the milk. When everything is thickened and liquid, add the spices and stir. Lower the temperature to medium-low, add as much spinach as you want and put the lid on it. You want it just below a simmer. Check it every few minutes and turn it off when the spinach is wilted.

I use both plain and “garlic & herbs” Chevre, depending on what I have in the fridge.

Thickened, melted Chevre and milk with spices on top.

I’m guessing this is 2 cups of spinach, but I cram even more in. Experiment with the amount you like. It practically disappears into the dish!
Now, boil the pasta and shred the cheddar cheese. Just before you dump your pasta into a colander, add a ladle-ful of pasta-boiling-water to your cheese mixture (this adds the starch to help the mixture adhere to the pasta when mixed together).

This is a half pound block of cheddar goat cheese from Trader Joe’s. I also will get cheddar goat cheese from Whole Foods and use 7 oz. The dish won’t suffer with more or less cheese.

Do you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer? Do you have the grinder attachment? I love it. It shreds a block of cheese in about 30 seconds!
This is the pasta I prefer to use. Cook til al dente so it doesn’t become mushy.
The water is milky because of the starch being released from the pasta. This starch, added to the cheese mixture, will make the mixture “stick” to the pasta instead of sinking to the bottom.
If you forget this step, don’t panic! You can’t go wrong with pasta and cheese. Can you?
Don’t forget this step… Rinsing your pasta will stop it from cooking and prevent mushiness when everything is combined and baked.
Assemble. Divide the pasta between two casserole dishes. Mix the cheese and spinach mixture into it. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar goat cheese on top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Divide pasta between 2 casserole dishes.
Stir the cheese mixture into the pasta and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

The goodness of this meal is unrivaled in our home! Enjoy!