The Family Whom Dines Together....

We have certainly gotten our use out of our espresso machine this week!

 

Grayson's little brother, Caleb (13) and sister, Erika (11) came to stay with us for the week. Grayson is the oldest of five children, I am the youngest of three. Needless to say, I have not a clue what to do with two adolescents... When mom first asked if we were interested in taking them in for a few days, I was struck with equal amounts of excitement and fear. Zeke and I enjoy our peaceful mornings, and routine days. I would have to be flexible, which, I'm not always too good at.

One of my first questions:  what would I feed them? What would they eat? How could we adapt and balance our healthful eating around two additional mouths?

The morning before they arrived, I set out to the grocery store with an exceptionally detailed grocery list. Extra lunch meat. Cheese. During the week I had baked and froze a couple bags of wheat rolls we could use for sandwiches at lunch. String cheese, kids like those, right? Juice boxes--lots of juice boxes. Plenty of fruit for snacks. And my ultimate mission: healthful dinners.

Monday evening Erika helped me broil some sea salt broccoli for our Fontinella and Nutmeg Whole Wheat Mac' n Cheese, which we served with some straight-out-of-the-oven wheat and herb demi loaves.

My prayer this week was that I would take advantage of this time to get to know my brother and sister. It would take surrender of my schedule, and the embrace of an exhausting week (which we are now recovering from...) It was strange to think that C and E were only 7 and 9 when I met them. This family, my family, I have known only 4 years, and they have become my own. This week, I was able to spend precious time simply taking in who Caleb and Erika are becoming, by the grace of God and His work in their lives. God is teaching me how truly important and priceless family is, and I am learning to cherish every visit we have with our families, and use those times to make memories, and have meaningful conversations.

Now, don't get me wrong, although I took a break from my normal weekly tasks and schedule, we did get a lot done this week. For goodness sake, I had 4 extra hands around the house! Hands for sweeping, hands for washing, hands for scrubbing, along with extra sets of arms for holding Ezekiel, and extra eyes to watch him. And with his discovery this week of the kitchen cabinets (amongst other things) I needed those extra eyes for watching!

Tuesday evening was simple. Pizza. I mixed, kneaded, and rolled the wheat dough that afternoon (as well as stuffed the crust with some mozzarella!) E helped me top it with sauce, green and red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, mozzarella, herbes de provence, and some pulled rosemary chicken which we slow cooked all day.

This week caused me to consider some healthy habits we need to set early in our family. Right now, dinner is relatively easy to enjoy together, as Gray and I eat once he returns home from work, and Zeke is either napping, playing, or sitting with us at the table, in his high chair. Having an additional two kids this week, even with the lax schedule we followed, made me think about how things may become a little more complicated as we (eventually) add more children to this mix. It has been proven that children who eat at least five meals a week with their family are more than 50% less likely to have substance abuse problems. (Dr. Elena Poveda, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health). It is a crisis and shame today of our society that families do not dine together. Dinner is an opportune time to share prayer, life, conversation, fellowship, stories, experiences, culture, and dreams together. Our family will share dinner together. It is too important to pass up.

Wednesday was Pulled BBQ Pork and Sweet Potato Wedges.
In the morning, after our long walk through the park, we came home and placed 2 pounds of pork loin in the slow cooker, covered it with half a jar of picante sauce, half a jar of zesty BBQ sauce, and topped it with a chopped green pepper. Eight hours later, pulled and soaking in some more BBQ sauce, it was ready to adorn our fresh wheat Sally Lunn rolls (adapted with wheat flour and local honey). I had found some organic sweet potatoes at the market, which I peeled, wedged, tossed in chicken stock, and dipped in a mix of bread crumbs, steak seasoning, salt and pepper, then baked at 425 degrees for about a half hour.

Ezekiel also tried some new foods this week as we introduced him to various spices. He thoroughly enjoyed our leftover sweet potato wedges for lunch the following day, as well as some whole wheat pasta with sweet corn, white pepper, and dried basil.

Thursday Morning I broke out the blender and whipped up my first ever batch of Norweigan pancakes (a perfect balance between a pancake and crepe). The kids and I wrapped them around some organic apricot, strawberry, and blackberry jams, and topped them with a shake of powdered sugar, and some fresh strawberries. Now, my husband, who is very fond of anything resembling a pancake, especially when it comes from his Norwegian heritage, was a little upset when he found out I decided to try this recipe on a morning he had to work. And so, my first ever batch was quickly followed up by my second ever batch, and driven over to my hard-working roofer. A warm batch of Norweigan pancakes with a side of Dayquil was just the thing my sick hubby needed to brighten his day.

 Thursday Evening we were excited to have mom and dad return, not just because they were picking up the kids....but also because we wanted some time to visit with them! Thursday evening I found myself greatly exhausted and exceedingly enriched by a week spent getting to know my brother and sister. Although we were excited to embrace our "normal", and re-enter into our consistency (little man had hardly napped all week in anticipation of play time with his aunt and uncle...) we were definitely sad to see them head home. As well as a bit tired, I was also done cooking. We opted for a deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza from downtown, which, when it arrived, we realized it could probably actually feed our entire downtown...






The dinner table is a place in which children come for consistency. They are reassured by it, met by parents who anticipate their arrival, and meet them where they are at. The dinner table is a safeguard against a private life apart from parents, against loneliness, against unhealthy eating habits, against busyness, and against eating disorders. The dinner table creates an oasis, a place where a child comes and embarks on culture; a meal made by hands that love them, prayer which protects them, and conversation which inspires them. Family is an incredible thing, one we often don't realize. It is unique. It is consecrated, a gift from God, with which in turn we glorify God. It is an avenue by which we grow. It is a refuge in which we restore. God gave it. Let us preserve it, nourish it, and cherish it-- our family.

Norwegian Pancakes

(This recipe taken from "Twist It Up" by Jack Witherspoon)

Next time we will try substituting wheat flour and soy milk 

Beat together in blender:

• 3 Eggs

Add and beat on high until smooth:

• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ts sugar (organic cane if available)
•  1/2 ts vanilla

Heat skillet over medium heat, spray with non-stick spray. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan, swirl to coat. Let sit about 30 seconds, until bubbly on top. Flip with metal spatula. Cook for an additional 10 seconds. Remove from skillet, and place on plate in warmed oven. Lightly spray skillet with non-stick spray between every pancake.

Once your pancakes are finished,  place some organic or all-natural jam along the center, roll, top with powdered sugar and fresh berries.

It was bound to happen....my McDonald's post.

I was watching a documentary on the McDonald's corporation, and they were interviewing the head chef in charge of menu innovation. He was raving about some of the creations he has added to the McDonald's menu, a Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, and the Snack Wrap. Now, I do appreciate simplicity, but come on! This is more silly than simplistic.

They than shot a scene of taste test panelists. Each panelist was given three burgers. Two of the burgers had McDonald's seasoning, the third burger had a new supplier's seasoning. They wanted to see if the panelist could tell the difference, for consistency's sake. As I watched them eating "burger after burger" (as the documentary explained), I thought to myself, "Hmmm, I sure hope their job comes with health insurance!"

I did find it interesting that as they shot scenes in the test kitchen, there really was some tasty looking food! However, none of it makes its way into the restaurants... The head chef explained that, "You're going to see things that maybe haven't been around. Lemongrass! Is that out of the realm? I don't know. It's going to be whatever our guests are asking for. We're going to listen to them, and we're going to develop with them, and we're going to be very 'guest-centric'". Sir, if someone is walking into McDonalds, they are looking for a burger, fries, and perhaps a milkshake.

Most of the best food I have had has been those times I try something I am wildly unfamiliar with. It is not only a new taste, but a whole new experience! Recently some good friends treated us to a cooking demonstration by the Head Chef at the Mason Street Grill in Milwaukee. He showed us how to prepare School Teacher Bass with Manila Clams, Washington State Mussels with Wine and Herbs, and Fried Oysters with Preserved Lemon and Fennel. Now, I give full credit to my husband for teaching me to eat and enjoy seafood. However, I had never had any of these offerings before this occasion. Everything I placed into my mouth was absolutely delicious! Fennel! I could have eaten a whole plate of it by itself. In fact, I think I might have. And clams! Oh my goodness, clams! I'm still trying to work out how to fit more seafood into our grocery budget, and we will get there. I'm determined to have a healthy helping of clams in our diet.

Today, McDonald's largest burger, the double quarter-pounder, offers 500% more meat than their original burger created in the 1950s! Their largest serving of french fries has increased by 250%.  Although, McDonald's portions are still smaller than Burger King and Wendy's. People eat what they are offered. When given a large amount of food, we eat a large amount of food. This turns into conditioning--conditioning of young children who often don't know any better. It conditions our minds, influencing what we perceive as an appropriate amount of food. As well, it conditions our bodies, stretching our stomachs to unnatural capacities. Grayson and I have begun eating off of our small dinner plates, roughly half the size of our large dinner plates. Even this tiny little step has drastically affected the amount we eat. I realize that I am full much sooner. I am not tricking myself, I am simply choosing a realistic portion, one that my body agrees with, and feels completely satisfied with.

The documentary interviewed one woman with her son, about 11 years old, in a McDonald's booth. Her son was fixated on the toy he had pulled from his happy meal. She explained that they frequent McDonald's at least two times a week. She goes on to say that her son begins to scream, and won't cease until they stop at McDonald's. Hmmmm, this seems unhealthy.

As one critic put it, and I will agree and paraphrase, I will give (some) credit to McDonald's for making some positive changes. However, those few drops of goodness are drowned by the tidal wave of bad food they are selling to the world.

Okay, okay, let me end my rant, that I may not be just another "healthy-eating advocate against the Golden Arches". Honestly, my real "beef" with McDonalds is that most to all of what they offer is empty calories (non-beneficial to our bodies, offering no real nutrition), and a whole lot of them.


McDonald's is just the example I choose to use for the sake of this blog, there are many others. My goal is this:  to feed myself and my family real, wholesome food. Micky D's does not fit that criteria, so I avoid it. It's my personal choice, as it is everyone's.

Broiled Sea Salt Broccoli Alfredo with Slow-Cooked Rosemary Chicken

The Chicken:

Place 1 pound chicken breasts (boneless) into slow-cooker. Sprinkle with Herbes de Provence or an Italian seasoning mix. Pour in chicken stock to cover. Top with two sprigs of fresh rosemary. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Use two forks to shred into chunks. I only used about half of the meat for this dish, and the rest I made into a chicken salad.

The Broccoli:

Wash and cut about 1.5 pounds of fresh broccoli into florets. Toss in a little bit of chicken stock. Place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Broil on low until they begin to brown and char.

The Sauce:

Some may call this cheating, I call it the resourcefullness of a busy mom with an infant. I used store-bought alfredo sauce... But--It was all-natural!

Pour one jar of Alfredo sauce in large skillet over medium heat. Add your slow-cooked rosemary chicken and broiled sea salt broccoli. Add (cooked) Whole Wheat penne pasta. Delicious!

Well, the boy is down for a nap, and here I am with my cold glass of Chardonnay, and a chance to sit down and finally make my list of what, exactly, we are trying to do with our "diet." First off, we are not calling it a "diet", because, as my husband said, then we would feel like we were "missing out". To the contrary, we have been trying a great array of new things!

Black Bean and Brown Rice Burgers on Home Made Buns with Chili Sweet Potatoes

Here is the very simple idea.

1. Use our savings from couponing to put money back into our grocery budget for local meat and produce, and all-natural or organic foods

First visit to the Farmer's Market this year!

2. Eat local meat

3. Eat local produce from the farmer’s market

4. Eat less meat and dairy

5. Eat more plant-based foods

6. Incorporate whole grain foods

7. Reduce sugar. And where sugar is called for, use local honey or all-natural cane sugar

 These are not rules. They are simple guidelines that we are using to influence that way we eat. I can think of two things which led to our decision to pursue wholesome food, besides my interest in nutrition. One:  We watched some frightening documentaries on Netflix about nutrition, obesity, and the way food works in America. Two:  As I began to coupon, I realized that by doing so, we could buy very good, nutritious food without ballooning our grocery budget.

This is a transformation. It is the development of what we eat, and how we eat. I'm realizing that this is another area in life where we will always be learning, and incorporating what we learn. There is no "end result" here, only a life-long pursuit of good food and physical wellness.

I have heard some people argue that eating well will not necessarily prolong one's life. Or, if it does, perhaps only for a few years, so they would rather "enjoy" what they eat now, rather than live a few extra years. Some may also bring up that you can eat all the tomatoes you want, and you may still end up with cancer. I know. My goal is not to avoid diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Okay, well, it is. However, even if we do end up with a chronic illness despite our efforts to eat well, I will know that I did what I could in my power to protect my family. If it doesn't prolong our lives, hey, I'm fine with that. We are excited to see Jesus! And--the years that we do have on this earth, we will be able to enjoy with more energy, better focus, great vitality, and better able to serve each other and the Lord. I want us to be able to take our kids hiking not only when they learn to walk, but also when they learn to drive.

Banana Oat Bread

So, how has our new way of eating changed us so far, in only a month? I have energy! Especially in the evening. For someone with a chronic health condition (Addison's Disease), which leads to chronic fatigue, this means a whole lot! This has been by far the greatest benefit yet. Also, I have lost the last 3 pounds of what I put on through my pregnancy with Ezekiel. Both of us have had a change in taste as well, desiring less junk food, fats. and sugars. Instead, we are naturally desiring more real food. Another benefit, less expected, has been that I am re-learning how to cook. We're learning new techniques for cooking more wholesome food. Simple things, like substituting empty-calorie ingredients for ones with more nutrition, or how to cook vegetables the way they were meant to be prepared. We are not cooking "light". Some of the dishes may simply end up being "lighter", but that is only a pleasant outcome of paying closer attention to cooking food well. It has been rough at times. A couple of dishes have failed. Like the beautiful Shiitake mushrooms we bought at the farmers market, which I later desecrated by combining with a sauce I thought would be a good idea. It turned into a curdled mess, and we ate frozen pizza that night...

Just like when I first learned how to cook. I watched my husband, who is a natural in the kitchen and just seems to understand ingredients and what will compliment each dish he throws together in a half hour. I am paying attention to details. When they fail, I move on. I try something new. We are eating better, that is what matters to me. We have not revolutionized our diet overnight. We are learning and trying new things each day, and as we do, we feel better. That is good enough for me to keep going.

Banana Oat Bread

Combine:

• 1 cup Quick Oats
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Cream Together:

• 1/2 cup Organic Sugar (or use brown sugar, but organic is delicious and nutritious)
• 1/4 cup Honey (local is best)
• 1/4 cup Butter (Real Butter...)
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 Eggs
• Fold In 2 and 1/3 cups Very Ripe, Mashed Bananas (Usually about 6-8 bananas)

Stir dry mix into wet mix. Pour into greased bread pan, bake at 340 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the bread begins to brown too much, cover with tinfoil for final 15 minutes of baking.


Grayson and I actually enjoy this bread cold rather than warm.

Cream Eggs and Ham!

I am not one of those "breakfast for dinner" kind of people. Although I am a strong, strong advocate for a good breakfast, the idea of an omelet anytime after 10am is, in my book, a crazy person's idea. However, I am becoming a strong believer in eggs for dinner. Hold the scramble, and no "sunny side up", please. But possibly a poach, and definitely tucked in a neat little ham cup!



I found this idea in a recipe book I borrowed from the library. I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of the dish, and the very minimal time requirement. It's fast and easy!

The eggs and ham. Spray your cupcake pan if it is not silicone or nonstick. Tuck a thickly-sliced piece of deli ham (Virginia ham works wonderfully) into a cupcake pan. Crack an egg into the ham cup. Pour 1/2 a teaspoon of half and half over the egg. Shake some black pepper on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, or just until the egg begins to set.

Do not overbake (as I did....), or else your eggs will be over-hard. You will want them runny, so that you can mix them into your white pepper and basil mashed potatoes...

Mushrooms--a perfect first step to almost any meal. To saute mushrooms, no oil is required. As they cook, they release their own yummy mushroom juices, which is plenty enough liquid to cook with.

The shrooms.  Place mushrooms (I used plain white) into pan, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, or until tender and browned. Add a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, and 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard.


I cannot wait to see how this little guy's taste for food develops. When we began giving him solids almost three months ago, he was all game! Then, one day, he decided he had enough. Back to liquids--please! And so, for about a month, he was quite happy for milk and milk alone. I have slowly begun introducing solids again, mostly of the fruit variety, because those he will almost always eagerly accept. Today I decided to try my luck. I heated up some minty peas and zucchini puree, that, last time I made for him he liked! He took one bite today and began making some quite unpleasant faces. Then he resorted to simply pinching his lips together and blowing raspberries, which resulted in minty pea and zucchini mash flying throughout the kitchen....

The potatoes. I needed a starch. Those 3 little russet potatoes hanging out in the veggie basket needed a job. And so the mash began.

Boil your potatoes. I used russet, you can use whatever you please. I also left the skin on, just my preference. Mash them with chicken stock and some plain Greek yogurt, just until it is creamy enough for you. I added just a dollop of butter for flavor. Mix in some white pepper and dried basil.

And there it is. Egg and ham cups with white pepper and basil potatoes, and dijon mushrooms.

We're already brainstorming how to turn these nifty little cups into a fusion-style Eggs Benedict.  Mmmmmmm, Eggs Benedict.

Wholly Wholesome Guacemole!

Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to be simple; to acquire a simplistic  approach to life. Yes, some things in life simply are complex. Take that sentence, for instance. "Simply are complex".... The English language is a complex thing.

I am learning to embrace simplicity. For instance, last night was our turn to provide snacks for the Bible study we host in our home. One million thoughts must have run through my mind throughout the day regarding this task. "I have chocolate chips. I made chocolate chip cookies last time. I could make chocolate chip cookie bars. We have chocolate cream cheese I want to experiment with. We always have sweet things. I'm running out of time. I could buy cookies. Those M&Ms have been sitting in the cupboard too long." Finally, I took notice of those two forgotten avocados sitting by their lonesome on the hutch, just waiting to be acknowledged before they passed their prime.

I have never made guacamole before. This I am ashamed to admit. I have become a lover of avocados this year, and guacamole is so very simple!

Fresh ingredients! Avacodo, a rich, creamy, diverse fruit full of good fats. Perfectly ripe Roma Tomatoes. A subtle squeeze of lime juice to compliment some heat from the cayenne pepper. Guacamole--A unique condiment comprised, surprisingly, of fruits.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally made sense of something which has long puzzled me about my husband's appreciation of food. We were sitting in a small deli downtown. He had ordered a rather plain fish sandwich. White bread, breaded white fish, slaw. My husband appreciates creative food, with much thought put into it, often with surprising ingredients. What was it about this old plain-jane sandwich that he was enjoying? Exactly that--there was thought placed into every ingredient. The bread was fresh, the fish was breaded and cooked just as it was meant to be. It was no fish filet from McDonalds. You see, Grayson becomes very bored very quickly with food. However--and this was my big realization--there is a great chasm between "boring", and "simple". A good, simple dish can be absolutely creative and delicious when each ingredient is constructed with careful consideration given to its original purpose and properties, and the ingredients surrounding it. On the opposite end, a "boring" dish can be constructed by those very same ingredients, but with no thought, no care, and no appreciation of the ingredients themselves, and what they are capable of.


I am excited about the possibilities of guacamole. This first attempt was rather simple. Just a hint of Cayenne adds a unexpected heat, which takes a few moments to manifest itself after the sweetness of the avocado subsides. A neat trick we learned recently:  keep the seed of the avocado with the flesh to keep the fruit from browning. Last night, Grayson mentioned how the store-bought guacamole in a jar never goes brown. I had the same thought myself that day when whipping up our guacamole in the kitchen. How does that guacamole found in its convenient, twist-top jar keep its almost neon green hugh? I'm afraid to learn the answer. I think I'll opt for the real thing, and scarf it down before it has any chance to lose it's natural green!




Combine:

• 3 Very ripe avocados 
• Juice of half a lime
• 3 Ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
• Salt  to taste 
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Baking with Benefits

I could not bake. This was a realization I had to accept growing up. Even the frozen pizza, boasting of its simplicity from its little cardboard box, was just too much to take on. Realizing all too late that you are, in fact, supposed to remove it from its little round cardboard piece before placing it into the oven, I gave up. Even those Take and Bake pizzas from Papa Murphey's, you know, the ones that you are supposed to leave on the little cardboard tray, well, I thought I couldn't go wrong with those. That was, until I returned to the oven to check on my pizza only to find it inflating--yes, inflating--into a large bubble of cheesy goo. I could not bake...

Wheat Berry Muffins with Orange and Nutmeg

It took time, and a lot of failed attempts at delectable, sugary, treats. I can't claim master baker status, but at least people seem to enjoy what I bake. I have slowly begun to put a homespun twist on what I place into that oven. Moving away from boxed brownie mix to the more tasty (not healthy--tasty...) homemade pan of fudgy goodness. One of my goals for my foodie blog is to begin incorporating healthy practices into my baking, and to do so in a way my husband will still eat (and enjoy) what I bake. This morning, I met success.

My husband's first response to these berry muffins? "They smell healthy". He was picking up on the warm aroma of whole grain. His second response was to lather his warm berry muffin in butter. Or, rather, a creamy concoction of corn syrup, "48% vegetable oil spread", and, well, who knows what else. He even commented as he spread it on, "I bet this has no dairy in it..." Hey, the implementation of a healthy diet style takes time. Give the man some credit--he is eating my whole grain berry muffins! And finally, his third response, after consuming the entire muffin? He reached for another. Success, indeed.


This recipe I adapted from one I found on AllRecipes.com (Here). I have made several batches, each wandering further and further from the original recipe. Today's result was the tastiest and healthiest yet.

• Combine and Set Aside

• 1 cup quick rolled oats
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 and 1/2 half teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Dannon Oikos with Honey)
• 3 eggs, beaten

•  Combine
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  3/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Stir flour mixture into wet mixture

• Fold in:
• 1 Pint fresh blueberries
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Top with cinnamon sugar. Spoon into muffin cups, bake about 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.



One of these, along with some Kashi 7-grain cereal topped with fresh blueberry and raspberries, with some organic soy milk, and an organic soy milk latte, may just give me enough energy for this little guy. Well, and to tackle that mountain of dishes which always seems to be at the end of my journey of learning how to bake wholesome food.

Testing the crawling waters!

 Now, usually when I hear the words "Organic", "Wholesome", or even "Kashi", they rise within me this frustration born of my conflict of desires. Wholesome, real food, and a balanced budget. But let me tell you--it is doable! Our Kashi cereal we bought on sale ($2.99 a box). Because we bought 3 boxes (which, for a family that rarely eats cereal, will last a long while), the store rewarded us with a free half gallon of organic soy milk. The fresh berries? Our neighbors sent us home with last night! (After we stopped over to help them polish off an ice cream birthday cake.....)

Hey, there is a balance to life. A few bites of ice cream cake here and there. A bowl of fresh fruit for dessert to my dessert. And, to my husband's credit again, he did note that he would always prefer fresh fruit to cake. I do love this man. He is, after all, the
one who taught me to try new foods, and cook new foods.