16 June 2011
After her return from a trip to Oregon, our friend brought back some special treats for us to enjoy.
It was very kind of her to bring back such a delicious surprise (dried pears as well as fine chocolate truffles) along with treasured vintage finds!
10 May 2011
They’re green. They’re fresh. And they’re nutrient-dense.
Do they taste good? “Yes. A thousand times—yes!”
No worries, though, the color threw me off at first, too. But once you’ve tasted a well-blended and balanced green smoothie, you’ll understand why these make it to the lunch table nearly every day.
Our trusty blender is a Vitamix (Blendtec works great, too).
What’s in a green smoothie?
To make four glasses of smoothie:
The Greens:
- Lots [see above picture] of Spinach (its sweet, takes out the zing of the kale)
- 2-3 leaves of Kale
- 1 handful of Cabbage
- a dash of water
The Fruits:
- 2 chunks Pineapple Core (not eatable because of hardness, but when blended is delectable)
- 2 Pears (home-grown organic – we have plenty in our freezers)
- 2 Bananas
Other: Apples, Grapes, Berries, Coconut meat, etc. (Occasionally added.)
Blend greens and water in a sturdy blender before adding fruit to avoid the possibility of finding leaf chunks. Throw in the the fruits, blend it all together until smooth, and pour it out into glasses… which, in our family, means Ball jars.
Many of the fruits we use are frozen, making the smoothies chilled and great for a warm day. (We like to stock up and preserve fruits when they are in season or on sale.)
The finished smoothie – with the right combination – is sweet and refreshing!
P.S. Monday was the first time we’ve used fresh greens from the garden in our smoothies. The spinach and kale are being planted every-so-often so that they have a longer harvest season.
9 March 2011
Here’s a little peek into what we’ve been doing…
We visited what we call a “happy farm” last week, where home-grown, grass fed animals enjoying life on the farm (following the pure, chemical-free, field rotation farming methods of Joe Salatin).
There was a pygmy goat kid in one of the barns that seemed to have quite enraptured the cats.
At the farm we picked up a little hen that was frozen from last fall. It made for a wonderful stock which was simmering all day Monday. It tastes delicious. Meat broths and stocks are wonderfully good for the digestive system and are healing to the gut.
And Bently has been curious, as always. He makes his way into nearly every photo-shoot, no matter what the subject is. It is rather endearing.
We’ve also been planning our garden, organizing sewing projects for an upcoming event, and enjoying the occasional – yet beautiful – spring-like weather!
“In the light of a king’s face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
—Proverbs 16:15
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21 February 2011
If you’re looking for something spicy, sweet and salty with a bit of crispiness to it, you’ve come to the right place! These Sweet Potato Chips are simple to make and taste delicious! They easily fill in as a side dish or snack.
Sweet Potato Chips
SERVES: 3-5, ingredients easily multiplied
2-3 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced
¼ cup Grape Seed Oil
Cayenne Pepper
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes. In a small bowl, sprinkle Cayenne Pepper* into the oil and blend. In medium bowl, add the oil blend to the potatoes and stir until each slice is lightly coated.
Spread slices in 10″ x 15.5″ stoneware pan and bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes or until edges brown and crisp, turning/stirring every 10-15 minutes. (If you use a metal pan, it may take longer to bake to desired crispiness.) If desired, salt after baking.
*I used about ¼ teaspoon of pepper, you are welcome to use more or less depending on how spicy you would like them to be.
P.S. Today you’ll find me over at Six Angles!
18 February 2011
Some homes inspire me. Usually they’re the ones filled – and overflowing – with love, warmth, and joy. There is a special peacefulness that comes along with those characteristics.
We were able to spend an afternoon at the home of some dear friends. The Mrs. has blessed her home with a style that is warm, inviting, and eclectic. She has combined the cabin-feel that her husband desired with her vintage, rustic touch. And to top it all off, they built the home to have a large line-up of south-facing windows which let in the most beautiful natural lighting.
As I looked around the room and the set table before me, I couldn’t help but pick up my camera and capture just a few of the many frames and compositions that were racing through my mind.
It was a pleasure to capture the small, intentional details of a home filled with not only rich, organic foods, but also the joy that comes with knowing our Savior.
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1 February 2011
It was not until a few weeks ago that I first tasted a clementine – little did I know beforehand how delicious it would be! They are a variation of the mandarin orange and similar to a tangerine.
But out of all the citrus fruits, clementines are now my favorite.
Interesting facts: And as a girl’s name, Clementine (Latin) means merciful, mild, gentle. Clementine was the name my great-great-great grandmother went by (it was her middle name), as well as the name of Winston Churchill’s wife.
3 December 2010
Having been in search of the perfect gluten-free bread to replace that delicious whole-wheat bread, my dear mother has experimented with many recipes. Some tasted good, others tolerable – but, of course, nothing had that grand taste of whole-wheat.
So, it was decided that we needed to look for a good recipe with a good texture and forget the taste of wheat. The loaf needed to work for the different things we would eat it with, hold up for longer than one day, and have its own delightful taste.
Enter: Almond Quick Bread.
The flour in this bread is almond flour. Almond may be slightly more expensive compared to other gluten-free flours, but it outweighs them all when it comes to healthfulness.
Instead of paying extra for already ground almond flour, we blanch and grind our almonds (post on that coming soon). This way we can purchase the regular almonds at a lower price (thank you, Costco!).
Here is the recipe for this amazing bread (great for sandwiches, pb&j, toast, etc.)
Almond Quick Bread
MAKES: One Loaf | NOTE: Gluten-Free
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour . . . or non-blanched* (see below)
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca, flax, salt and baking soda. In a larger bowl, blend eggs for 3-5 minutes, until frothy. Stir honey and vinegar into eggs. Add and mix the dry ingredients with the wet.
Pour batter into a well greased 7.5″ x 3.5″ loaf pan. Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool. Slice and enjoy!
(This is our version of Elena‘s Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread.)
*Update:
Using non-blanched almond flour adds moisture (which, when gluten-free is especially important!) and makes it taste more “wholegrain.” Aesthetically, it darkens the bread and adds little brown specks.
Although both ways it tastes delicious, we recommend using the non-blanched almond flour (because of the added moisture as well as if you’re making your own flour, it’s a great time-saver).
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