Banana Bread

Here is our all time favorite banana bread recipe. I have since adapted it to be a tad bit healthier. I'll post both :)

Original Recipe
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3-4 mashed bananas

Mix dry ingredients and whisk oil and eggs. Pour oil/egg mixture into the flour mixture. Add the mashed bananas stir until just combined. Bake at 325 degrees  50 min for bundt pan - 35 min for bread pan - 20 min for 12 muffins. After cool, smear with the below frosting.

Frosting
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
powder sugar
milk


I have started making the following to help cut down on our sugar. The taste isn't that different and after making it a couple times we only make this version. Directions/baking times are the same. NO frosting ;) although sometimes I really, really want it! It is also dairy free, no adaptions necessary.

Adapted Recipe
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
3-4 mashed bananas

Recipe

Baked Oatmeal

This isn't the healthiest recipe but it's delicious! It makes so much that we are able to eat it several mornings during the week. That's unless you have 5 hungry girls for a sleep over and an Aunt who stops in and takes some home :)

2 eggs-beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil (or applesauce)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tea baking powder
1 tea salt
1 tea cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal

I just mix mine up in the order listed in the pan that I will be baking it in- less dishes that way :) Then I sprinkle a little sugar on the top (if my daughter requests it).

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 preheated oven. {Don't be tempted to over bake}This keeps well and is easily reheated.

What's cookin...

Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home is hosting what I consider a "Yummy" idea. The Healthy Holiday Eats and Sweets Carnival is all about good food for the holiday time. Who said that healthy food had to be drab? So blog hop on over to Keeper of the Home and check out all the recipes. I have mention two below that will be at my Christmas table. 

Sweet Potato Maple Cups

Cook 3-4 sweet potatoes however you wish (I like to boil mine) until tender. You can peel them or leave the peel on, doesn't matter either way. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of butter, 1/3-1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, 4 tsp orange zest or orange juice,  and 1 tsp salt - mix until creamy. You can also add in cinnamon and nuts. YUM! At this point I put mine into individual baking cups but an 8x8 baking dish also works well. 

Beat 4 egg whites and unrefined sugar (to taste, the original recipe call for 1/2 cup but that is way too much for me) until stiff peaks form. Add to the top of the sweet potatoes, this takes the place of marshmallows on the top. 

Bake at 400 for about 10min or until the egg whites are golden brown.

Cinnamon Oranges

Peel 4-5 navel oranges, core, and separate. Mix 2 table orange juice, 2 table lemon juice, 1 table unrefined sugar, and 1/4 tea cinnamon. Toss and serve chilled.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other recipes submitted. Let me know which one your family liked the best.

A couple tablespoons a day keeps the Doctor away!!!

{Update} Here are some pictures of the last batch I made...

***Caution***

Never turn the blender on before putting the lid on. You will end up with a mess.

The finished project. I bought this bottle at Target and it works perfect for pouring out the  syrup.

Every mom knows that this time of year is hard. The kids are getting excited about the holidays coming up, you have lots of shopping, cooking, wrapping, planning, and cleaning to do. Add a mom who works outside the home on top of that and your time (and patience) is running thin. Who has time for a cough? Sometimes you child may not be sick but just have a cough that you can't get rid of. Many times I have whisked Haily off to the Dr. just to be told to buy an over the counter cough syrup (YUCK) and wait it out. Do they work? Not generally and they are full of artificial junk. TWO THUMBS DOWN! I have started using a recipe that I found online. It's simple to make, doesn't taste worse than the store bought (notice I didn't say it tastes better) and it's all natural. Try it next time that pesky cough comes around...


You will need:
1 bunch of radishes
1 red onion
1 head of garlic
3-4 lemons
1 cup of honey


I have adjusted my recipe from this one to my taste.


Directions: Chop the greens off the radishes and wash really, really well then chop 3-4 of them. Peel and chop 1/2 onion. Peel 3 cloves of garlic. Juice 3-4 lemons. Add all to a blender and whip it, whip it good (I know you're singing along too). When mixed, add 1 cup honey (I use raw but any will work). You should have a lovely shade of bright red syrup. Depending on your blender you might need to strain (so it's not gritty). This can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Take 2 tablespoons about 3 times a day.

Here is another source of homemade recipes for coughs.

Honey is used to sooth sore throats
Garlic acts as an antibiotic with vitamins and minerals
Onion has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
Radishes have been used as an alternative for whooping cough

Busy Mom = Crockpot cooking

Lindsay is hosting a

I love to make simple but delicious meals on days when I need to get dinner on the table FAST. That usually means using the crock pot. Here is one of my favorites...

{Pork roast and sauerkraut}

 


Only two ingredients (unless you want to add some spices) go into the pot... a Pork Loin Roast and Sauerkraut. Just put the roast in your crockpot and dump sauerkraut over it. Cook on high if the roast is frozen and low if thawed. I cook for 8 hrs while I'm at work but it could be done before that. You can use sauerkraut bought from the store but I made the recipe that Lindsay makes and loved it. YUMMY! My husband even likes this recipe and he doesn't care for sauerkraut. I will make him a steamed veggie to go with the roast and I "hog" all the kraut. 

All the laundry supplies are up on the shelf...

...use what you need but do it yourself!

This recipe was given to me by a friend which she got from The Duggar Family website. I made my first batch back in March and have been using ever since. Our family does about 1 load of laundry per day for a family of 3. Here is the breakdown of the cost to get started (I don't remember exactly what I paid, so I used prices from an online store).

• 5 gallon bucket w/lid                                   $5
• 1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap                               $2
• 1 box Washing Soda                                    $8
• 1 box Borax                                                  $8

That is $23 which breaks down to $3.29 per month for laundry soap. Keep in mind that you have enough washing soda and borax to last for 3 more batches. It could add up to be a great savings for your family.

You will need a 5gal bucket, 1 Fels-Naptha soap, 1 box Washing Soda (not baking soda), & 1 box Borax. Now let's get cookin' makin' some soap...

*Put 4 cups of water in a pot (I use one I don't cook with) and bring to a boil

*Shred the bar of soap

*Add the shredded soap to the boiling water and stir until melted

*Fill the 5 gal bucket half full with steamy hot water

*When all the soap is melted pour it into the bucket. Add the 1 cup Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax.

*Mix, mix, mix!!! Then fill the bucket up to the top with hot water.

*Put the lid on and let it sit over night. It will get very thick.

* The next day (or whenever you get to it) you are ready to finish up the soap. Get a couple of containers and something to pour with. I bought these at Wal-Mart but you can use some old laundry soap containers too.

* Fill each container half full with the soap and then fill with hot water to the top. Shake each time you use it because it will settle some. I use the same two containers and keep the bucket in the basement.

Wasn't that easy :)

Stack'em up

It's Sunday at 6am 8am and my family is  waking up with a rumble in the tummy.We have to be a church at 9:15 with belly's fed or else we'll be famished by the time Sunday School rolls around. I would love to eat something warm and filling but I just don't think there is time. Maybe I will set out the milk and cereal, DRAB, DRAB, DRAB.


Does this sound like any of you out there? C'mon tell the truth... read on for "the rest of the story" (said in my Paul Harvey voice)

{Oh, but wait} What is this?!?!?!

Why it's the Pancake and Waffle mix that I whipped up the other day. HALLELUJAH, breakfast has been saved! Scroll down to find out how you can save breakfast for your family too ~smile~

Here is the base recipe: 
3 1/2 cups of flour
    you can use whole wheat
    or white (I use a mixture
    of both)
1/4 cups of sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt                         
*make sure all ingredients won't expire before you will use all of the mix

I use a big glass jar with a screw on lid. Just add everything and whisk around. I suppose that you could put the lid on and shake but I like to whisk!!




To make Pancakes:     1 cup mix
                                  1/2 cup butter milk*
                                  1/2 cup milk*
                                  1 egg*
                                  1 tablespoon melted butter*
                                  1/4 teaspoon vanilla*
                                  *whisk together first
                                 
Let batter rest for 2 minutes before cooking. Cook on medium-low on a lightly greased pan or griddle. Makes about 6 Pancakes.

To make Waffles:     1 cup mix
                               3/4 cup milk*                      
                               1 egg*
                               1 tablespoon melted butter*
                               1/4 teaspoon vanilla*
                               *whisk together first

Lightly oil the iron plates and cook until golden brown. Makes about 4 Waffles.


This recipe is one of the best I have tried for Pancakes or Waffles. You can add in wheat germ, ground flax, fresh fruit (Pancakes), etc. They whip up in no time and I feel like I am giving my family something hot and nutritious with out giving up time.

Colors of nature

When it's time to harvest you'd better be ready. I had other plans for this week but now I will be swimming in the colors of nature. Yes, harvesting time is here. I plan on some help from the family to wash, separate and store these yummy veggies. Some will get used right away in relish, while the rest will either be frozen or canned. Don't ya think food tastes better when you grow it yourself?

Happy harvesting everyone ;)

I've WHEYed the options

In a previous post I shared a recipe for soaked oatmeal. Part of the process was soaking the oats in whey overnight to maximize the nutritional benefits. There are many sites that I have read about why we should include this process in our baking and you can read more on this topic at Nourished Magazine & health banquet. Many different types of acid solutions are used for soaking (buttermilk, kefir, apple cider vinegar, whey, lemon juice, etc.) but I like to use whey. I start with yogurt and separate it into whey and yogurt cheese. By using this method I get 3 different foods to use. Here is step by step instructions on making whey.

Items needed: bowl, small strainer, cheese cloth or flour sack, plain yogurt (I use organic but any will work)

• Place the strainer over the bowl and lay the cloth over the strainer. I have found that if you wet the cloth it won't soak up the whey as easily.

• Pour the yogurt into the cloth up to the rim of the strainer. The whey almost instantly starts dripping out.
  

• Twist the cloth and lay to one side. Leave on the counter overnight. Mine usually is done separating within 24 hours. You can test by lifting up the cloth from the strainer and feel the bottom. If it feels slightly dry then it's ready.
  

• You will have whey (a yellowish liquid) in the bowl and yogurt cheese (like cream cheese) in the cloth. I put my whey into a mason jar and use the cheese for spreads (add garlic and other fresh herbs) or add to recipes calling for cheese (mac & cheese, lasagna, etc.)

Happy soaking!

Freshness

I came home yesterday with fresh brown eggs (co-wokers farm), fresh raw honey (another co-workers F-I-L) and fresh cinnamon apple walnut bread (famers marker). YUMMY! I found a recipe for the bread and will be adapting it to my liking. When I get it just right I will share with all of you. I love buying from locals. Knowing that I could go see where my food was grown (or layed♥) is just...neat!!!

Soaked Oatmeal

I have recently been reading on how to soak my grains. I have some digestive problems that have been decreased by eating more naturally. This is one of the many food that is simple to incorporate into your diet with the added benefits of soaking. This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare at night and very little effort in the morning. So here it goes...



1/2 cup of oats (I use 7 grain for variety)
1/2 cup of water
1 T. whey
1 T. whole wheat flour (optional for a creamier oatmeal)
flax seed mill, wheat germ, or wheat bran (optional)


Add all of the ingredients into a mason jar and shake. Let sit overnight (at least 12 hrs). Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the oats to the water and stir until smooth. It doesn't take long at all to cook. You can eat plain or add some yummy mix-ins. I like to add some natural sugar and white raisins.

I will explain about whey and the benefits in a later post. (click here to read about whey)