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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Breakfast Idea : Oatmeal Bar

First, I should clarify that I am not referring to something you can hold with your hand or pack for a trip. Sounds nice though. What I am referring to is something to help stretch the budget, make breakfast easy and healthy and a way to take a break from cold cereal.

Once or twice a week, consider setting up an oatmeal bar. The idea here is to have oatmeal in an exciting way for breakfast.

1. Cook up oats for oatmeal (steel cut oats soaked overnight or the regular rolled oats, NOT the quick oats as they have a gooey texture).
2. Set out various nuts (almonds, pine nuts, pecans...)

3. Set out various dried or fresh fruits (raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango...)

4. Let each family member serve themselves up some oatmeal and toppings.

5. Finish off with a small dab of butter or spray-butter and...
6. Something sweet if you desire, such as Sucanat, honey or pure maple syrup.

The idea here is to dress up oatmeal with some items you should have on hand. If you don't keep nuts on hand, consider keeping some of some kind to try in different foods. Store them in the freezer so they don't go rancid.

I like to make mine with dried blueberries and strawberries and may add some nuts next time. I usually do some spray butter and a very light drizzle of pure maple syrup. A little goes a long way so I recommend assisting your children until they know how to use a small amount.

*BTW - I have a trip for stretching the maple syrup too. Posting soon!

Enjoy!

"Julie & Julia" sort of a movie review from a mom & fellow self-learner

Rarely do I get out to see a movie. Even rarer is it a new movie where I fork over anything over $1. Today's matinee was $7 to see "Julie & Julia" with some friends. The money was worth it, for the chance to get out with some lady friends and to see a decent movie. Not fabulous, but decent.

Amy Adams portrays Julie Powell, a woman who decided to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook "Masting the Art of French Cooking" in one year. A monumental task that I give Julie great kudos for. As much as I want to try new recipes and improve upon my culinary skills, or lack thereof, I'm not sure I'll ever try many of Julia's recipes. Well, except for perhaps the Bouef Bourguignon and the Buerre Blanc!

Meryl Streep does an incredible job at playing Julia Child. There were many scenes that had me laughing and chuckling throughout the movie and they all centered around Julia's personality characterized wonderfully by Meryl.

It's a foodie movie. It's a bit of a chick flick and it's yet another movie that has me saying, "Why?" Well, I'll explain that part later.

So the movie goes back and forth between Julie Powell who lives in Queen's, NY in 2002 & Julia Child, primarily in France, during the late 1940's and on for the next decade. Julie decides to go through Julia's cookbook in a year and blog about it. Julia Child begins to learn to cook because she loves food. Julie is obsessed with the task at hand and as she goes through the year she feels closer and closer to the Julia Child. Julia out-cooks the men at Le Cordon Bleu, begins to teach Americans to cook French food and works on a coookbook with two other women.

Julie appears to have a great husband who supports her through the whole process, though they have one fight resulting in his walking out for what seems to be a couple of days. When Julie realizes she has been self absorbed and not too nice she blog it, he reads it and he comes back. Julia Child meanwhile appears to have the perfect playful and loving marriage with Paul. They support and love each other through everything and she is truly the epitome of the phrase "full of life."

What is the point of the movie? Mostly just a feel good showing of two people's lives and how they found purpose through the love of food and cooking. Well, that's my take anyway. However, I was encouraged to be more supportive and loving to my own husband. It was encouraging to see the love and fun in the Child's relationship and to see Julie recognize her behavior as not so nice to her husband. May we all recognize how our attitudes and behavior affect others and be encouraged to be more gracious, loving and forgiving.

So, why the "Why?" WHY does Hollywood persist to throw in curse words and add sexual references in movies, especially one like this? Seriously, it was like having them thrown in like a dash of salt. But salt is supposed to bring out the best in food. In many cases, like this film, it ends up being more like acid in cream. It just boggles my mind why anyone feels the need to do that. Those who would get offended, like me, will be offended. Those that wouldn't, wouldn't care if it wasn't there. So who benefits?

I'd love to add films like this to Christian Home Library but I don't feel I can because of a few curse words, sexual references and a couple scenes where the kisses went further...and the camera followed. To remove these would have shaved maybe a minute or two from the film and I could then put the upcoming DVD on our shelves. Not so now.

By the way, before seeing the movie I looked up Julie Powell's most recent blog. She admits to being foul mouthed and she is...frequently. I didn't get very far with it as a result and I don't recommend it.

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE. Part of the underlying theme for the movie is Julie's search for meaning in life. It seems that with a book deal and a movie, she is still looking for meaning. Unless she finds out how much Jesus loves her and cares about her every minute of every day, until she calls out to the very one who Created her to be a masterpiece and testimony of His love, she won't ever find that meaning. No one will.

Psalm 8: 3-4 "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

Romans 5: 6-8 "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

TO JULIE - HE cares for you more than anyone; any editor, any man, any food, any star. May the most creative and capable lover and creator be revealed to you and may you find the meaning your life was meant to have.

Thinking creatively about breakfast

I really want to get away from cold cereals as much as possible for breakfast. Even with trying to get options that have less sugar in them and drinking them with fresh raw milk, cereal has so little in it that it doesn't make for a good start to your day. Let me put it this way. Daimeian tells this story about his mom. He would come to her for something to eat and say, "Mom, make me a sandwhich." To which she would promptly reply, "Poof, you're a sandwhich." When I see most cold cereal options I hear this little voice saying "Poof, your something to eat." Then there is a smaller voice that say, "Don't tell anyone that you're just disguised to look like something GOOD to eat when really, POOF, there's nothing there!" So, what shall I make for breakfast? It's time to break out of the cold cereal rut!

There are the stand-bys; pancakes, eggs (scrambled and fried) or toast. For some people yogurt might be a typical morning start but it is too high in sugar for me. I have to start my day with something that has more substance to it, and less sugar, or I feel awful . It is already a rare thing to have donuts or other store bought pastries on hand for breakfast. No pop-tarts and rarely a "Toaster Strudel" without icing. I used to really enjoy Amy's organic whole wheat pastries but they have doubled in price and I haven't found the recipe that I saw somewhere in this house to make my own. When I do, I will by trying to make my own with fresh ground flour, cr cheese and good preserves.
What I consider to be secondary stand-bys are bagels and english muffins (topped with peanut butter and honey or cream cheese) and oatmeal. BTW - I don't very often get the oatmeal packets. They are too pricey and have sugar that I can't control.Finally, while I keep searching my mind I come to further options; breakfast tacos, scones and muffins.
So what options do I choose and how can I make it more interesting? What I really need to do is keep an index card in my recipe card holder that just lists various breakfast ideas. There are few things I've tried recently but many more recipes that I'd like to try.

POACHED EGGS w/ SPINACH : The other day I poached eggs in some chickenstock that I had had frozen. I sauteed a bag of frozen spinach with a small amount of EVOO and salt and pepper. I put the spinach in the bottom of the bowl and put a poached egg on top of the spinach. Then I ladled some of the left-over poaching broth into the spinach. To counter some of the richness of flavors I threw in some tomatoes and cooked canadian bacon, but it could be just the spinach and poached egg too. Even though I cooked the tomatoes on the griddle I could have just spooned up some salsa. Should you use one bag of frozen spinach ($.99-$ 1.49) and four eggs ($ .50 - $ 2) for four healthy portions, you would have spent under $ .38-$ 1.80 per person. This would depend on what type of eggs you buy and where you get your groceries. You would have also had a great vegetable and protein source to start off your day!

MUFFINS : One of my goals is to try to make muffins more often. Maybe once a week? I'd like to keep trying a variety. I have a bran recipe I like from Sue Gregg that includes raisins. Recently I made blueberry muffins from Liana's Strawberry Shortcake recipe. Of course I substituted. :) I used 1/3 organic all-purpose flour, 1/3 ground kamut flour that was stored in the freezer and 1/3 coconut flour. I also substituted 2/3 of the sugar with sucanat and 1/2 of the butter with coconut oil. They were a little too crumbly, but wonderful!
There is another muffin recipe from Cooking Light that I've really enjoyed. It includes a little jam or preserves in the middle of the muffin. These are great to grab and go!
CREPES/BLINTZES : One thing I made for a time and have forgotten to try again are cream cheese blintzes. These require an easy drippy crepe batter that you cook on one side (like a thin pancake) and then flip. Once flipped add a little cream cheese (or cottage cheese, or ricotta, or kefir cheese) and a little jam or preserves right in the middle. Take off the heat and fold bottom over the cheese portion, then the left and the right and cover everything with the top fold.

WHEY PROTEIN SHAKES : We have used a fabulous whey protein powder from Mercola.com to make shakes for breakfast. I used the strawberry powder with kefir and milk and it was very filling. None of us have liked the chocolate one. The other day I found another source of what appears to be whey powder in very much the same level of quality (no hydrolyzed anything, no soy etc.) for half the price. I'm going to try these guys soon. http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

OATMEAL : How to dress up your oatmeal? This morning I had fabulous oatmeal! That's not something I've said more than one other time when my sister made baked oatmeal dish that I loved. I cooked oatmeal with a little added salt and added a few dried blueberries, home dried strawberries, a dab of butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I even ground up some flax seed to throw on top for extra health benefits. YUMILICIOUS!

WAFFLES : I have two waffle makers and don't use them a whole lot. However, I'd like to make a goal to do it maybe once a month. I like to make large batches at one time and freeze as many as I can for later use. I use Sue Gregg's recipe, http://www.suegregg.com/, and use oatmeal and brown rice. No wheat. they come out crisp and yet moist. So delicious.

RUSTIC BREAKFAST : I LOVE to saute up rough chopped zuccini, onions and garlic with a little butter and Canadian Steak Seasoning (from Sams Club). I toss in a few cherry tomatoes to roast on the griddle at the same time. Then I cook up some over easy eggs and Canadian Bacon (best price to date is Sam's Club). Top the zucchini mix with cooked and chopped bacon and then the egg.

BREAKFAST TACOS : Why do we get these when we go out places but forget to make them at home? So easy and tons of possiblities. Refried beans, black beans, ranch beans, potatoes (not my favorite), eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, salsa, tomatoes, onions, green salsa....

Other tips and thoughts : think about different dried fruits and nuts you might be able to add to oatmeal or to top off pancakes or waffles with. What about fresh fruits that might be around? To stretch your money on using pure maple syrup, without resorting the syrup sold on the shelves, make your own and mix it with the pure stuff. I make it with water, Sucanat a dash of salt and little maple and vanilla extracts.

Those are a few of my thoughts. I'll share more as they come to me!

Eye boogies, ear pain and hours of crying....

Well, that's where Riley was. My vibrant, bouncing 6 year old Riley-dude has had some eye gunk at night time for a couple days. I'm treating with Similisan pink-eye relief even though I think it's probably allergy related. Then he went swimming with my neighbor yesterday and came home crying.

This was about the time I was to go into my dentist's office for a filling. I could hear him cry because I was on the phone with Daimeian who stopped home briefly. It was so hard to sit in the dentist office knowing he was in pain.This visit was the longest at the dentist in awhile. They were short an assistant which delayed my appointment by 45 minutes and the whole filling ordeal took longer than we've experienced before. By the time I got home Riley had been crying for 2 hours inconsolably. Poor dude! He promptly dropped the bag he carried over from across the street and flung himself on the couch in tears. I gave him some ibuprofen and cuddled him and caressed his back. Within a few minutes he was sound asleep and taking those deep interrupted breaths in that a child does after crying for so long. This went on for hours. The guy slept 12 hours straight through so I was happy to let him watch a movie at close to 6 AM this morning after he woke up!

We prayed over him last night and are praising the Lord for a speedy recovery. This morning he is back to his bouncy, squirrelly self! I love it. Thank you Lord for my Riley dude, just the way you made him. Oh, and help me to remember this next time I'm frustrated with his energy level
!

Thoughts on Whole Wheat Pasta

I have been working through making decisions on what type of pasta to use with different sauces. While most recipes already tell you which pasta to use, it is helpful to know what kinds of ingredients pair well together in case you are called upon to create something on a moment's notice and don't have time to look up a recipe. I am also interested in creating sauces from scratch with what is available to me at that moment. As I learn things I want to note them here to share with you.
One of the most important things to remember with whole wheat pasta is that it seems to get dry easier. It soaks up more liquid than white pasta. If you are making a sauce for your pasta you should keep in mind that you may need 1/3 more liquid than the regular recipe calls for. This is especially true for dishes that require baking after the ingredients are put together.
In addition, it seems to me that due to the dense flavor in the whole wheat pasta itself sauces may need additional seasonings or stronger flavors to get the same impact that you might get with a white pasta. This may also vary by brand of pasta. Some are more gritty and denser than others. The jury is still out with a verdict on brand preference for me. Mostly because I haven't paid enough attention. Although I have purchased Ronzoni often have found it to be good for many uses.

Previously from the Happy Healthy Homemaker....

Why Happy, Healthy, Homemaker?

Well, some of that should seem obvious right? Maybe, maybe not. Let me just start by telling you that I am not always happy! However, I am grateful for a Lord who loves me and carries me through daily struggles and stresses. With His help and His peace and the joy He gives me in my heart, I can get back to happiness when I'm not.

Happy? Because it is my goal to be a happy person to be around as a result of God's love and peace within me. I want to live a life that glorifies Him and when I'm not happy, well, it's time for His hand to lift me up AGAIN.

Healthy? Well, I'm not always healthy either! Getting regular exercise is a real challenge for me. Pies, cookies and sweet treats call out to me. However, for those who know me, you know I am always learning more about ways to help our family to be more healthy through food and in our environment.

We certainly are not strictly organic in our eating and we do not avoid all sugar, however, I am trying to do so more and more. As much as possible I am finding ways to make it economical and feasible to make our eating and living healthier. It is my belief that we are to honor the Lord with our bodies and that we have been given the task of taking care of the planet that He has given us. As Psalm 115:16 tells us, "The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man." and in Genesis we hear God say to Adam and Eve "“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And at last...homemaker. Yes, a care taker at home. Taking care of husband, children, house and all that that entails. Again in Genesis we find, "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for[1] him.”

Lord, I ask you to help me to be a good homemaker for my husband. May my life be glorifying to you in all I do. May my words and deeds serve my family well and therby give you glory.

OK, now with that said and I am ready to begin! It is my goal to use this blog as a way to capture the things I am learning with regards to cooking, baking, gardening, being a godly wife and mother and all things homemaking. For specific comments on recipes tried, please check out javajokitchen.blogspot.com.