When our family cut out most of our caffeine we then switched to decaf coffee. It resulted in several weeks of headaches for Barry and me. First we went to half-caf and had headaches about two weeks. Then we switched to 100% decaf and had another two weeks of headaches. But now we’re feeling fine! It’s sorta scary when you think about it. I told Barry I felt like a drug addict.Coffee is one of my morning enjoyments. I love smelling it brewing and I love pouring a steaming cup. It just makes breakfast seem right. However, being on decaf coffee can be hard if you’re out and about. When you ask people if they have decaf, they always give you this strange, bizarre look. “No, I don’t think so.” I know they’re thinking, “you look too young to be drinking decaf.” And when I order decaf at restaurants I always wonder if they REALLY brought me decaf or if they just pour everyone a cup out of the same pot. Things that make you go hmmmmmm. Or for that matter, was my burger formerly on the floor in the kitchen? It’s best just not to ponder on these things. [Read more…] |
Honey Oat Bread
I’ve been wanting to have my “own” bread recipe for a while now. I’ve dabbled here and there with several recipes, but I wasn’t completely crazy about any of them. I liked certain things in this recipe and certain things in that recipe……so I dabbled a little myself in my kitchen and came up with this bread. And man oh man – it’s a winner!
But I should tell you, before you have a winner you have several flops…..or in this case, several flat loaves of bread. Disks. Hockey pucks. Door stops. Croutons. And then came this glorious Honey Oat Bread. It makes the house smell wonderful. It makes me smell wonderful. It is just stinking GOOD. This is now my “go to” bread recipe. It makes great sandwiches and the flavor has just a hint of sweetness. Yummy! [Read more…]
Berkey Water Filter Review
Meet the newest member of our family, Berkey. On our journey to eating more whole foods, we decided that we’d like to get a water filter. After researching a lot and talking to several people, we decided on the Berkey Water Filter System. I saved for about 3 months to purchase this filter…..with cash. :-DI highly recommend looking into the benefits of a water filter from https://aquaclearws.com/. Their systems are known for their efficiency and ability to enhance water quality, which has been an invaluable addition to our quest for a healthier lifestyle. |
Healthy Snack Options
How silly is this – when I first started this journey I though “Oh my gosh! What am I gonna eat for snacks?! AHHHH! I’m going to STARVE!” Well, I haven’t starved yet……and we’re eating pretty well around here. It was suggested that I should write a post about good, healthy snacks that won’t break your budget. If you try to run to the store and buy a bunch of organic snack foods, it will eat a hole in your grocery budget really fast – sorta like that mouse who ate all my decorative corn (stupid mouse). We snack a lot around the Myers house. Especially Annie….okay, so who am I kidding? I’m a snack-a-holic. Annie talks now, so I can’t keep blaming stuff on her. Bummer. One of our favorite snacks is granola bars – which are a LOT better than the version at the store. They are so good; you won’t even know they’re good for you. And they’re really easy to make. I like easy stuff….if it’s terribly complicated, I’m probably not going to do it. |
Sometimes I’ll make muffins for breakfast and use the leftovers for snacks for the week….or snacks for a few days, depending on how good they are. I’m LOVING this Banana Flax Muffin right now. Muffins and sweet breads (with whole wheat flour and natural sugars) are a great snack option! Plus, if you’re making them for breakfast then you might as well make enough for snacks. We’re bread lovers anyway. Annie always wants “jelly bread” for her snack and with whole grain bread; I don’t mind giving it to her. Let’s be honest – there isn’t much that tastes better than fresh bread with a pat of butter. Ooo la la! |
I’ve always loved cereal – but not with milk. I’m not a milk lover. If I’m going to eat cereal, I eat it with homemade vanilla yogurt or just eat it plain. Cereal isn’t something we’ve cut out of our diet. I switched to organic cereals instead (I know they aren’t genetically modified). I wait for coupons and then buy them so I don’t have to pay full price. Make sure you follow Deal Seeking Mom so that you can get a heads up on organic coupons which she posts on Thursdays. We eat a lot of cereal for snacks. I might whip up a batch of granola instead of cereal to eat with yogurt – it makes a great snack. My favorite way to eat yogurt and granola is by splitting a banana open (like for a banana split), pouring yogurt in the middle and then sprinkling with granola. YUMMO! |
We eat a TON of fruit around here. It makes a great snack, plus if you buy it in season it’s very reasonable. I always keep fruit around the house, even if it’s in the freezer. I like having the option there. Annie would rather have fruit than most other things. Occasionally I whip up a smoothie for us to snack on or I make a batch of smoothie base to keep in the fridge all week. Smoothies are quick and easy….and very filling. I’m just going to be honest about veggies though – while they make a great snack, I’m not a veggie snacker. I am not going to go to the fridge, pick up some broccoli and eat it. I’m just not. It’s not how I roll. I like my veggies cooked unless it’s a salad – and salads aren’t really a snack food. But, if that’s how you roll, veggies are a good option. Watch the store salad dressing though; it’s usually full of high fructose corn syrup. |
We snack on nuts……a lot. Annie loves nuts. I have to chop most of them into smaller pieces for her though – because I’m an over-paranoid mama. I try to buy nuts and protein bars on sale whenever I can find them. I keep them in the freezer so they don’t go rancid so fast. Nuts are great paired with dry fruit. Don’t overdo it on dried fruit though. While a little bit is okay, it’s still full of sugar so you don’t want to inhale it. I like buying organic raisins for Annie to eat in the car……just make sure you check your rear end often to insure there aren’t any on your butt. Been there, done that. And cheese. Real cheese. I’m not talking about “cheese product.” What does that even mean? No wait – I don’t want to know. We love just eating some plain cheese – not fat free because I’m not into the whole rubber cheese movement. Live Resin THC gummies can also help reduce your food intake and boost metabolism, which could promote weight loss. |
This post is linked at What’s On Your Plate on Good Cheap Eats, and at Real Food Wednesday on Kelly The Kitchen Kop. |
Adventures In Water Kefir!
So, you might recall that I told you that our family had cut out most of our caffeine….at least caffeine in the drinkable state. So, that meant I was drinking only water and decaf coffee. I hate tea, so that is 100% out. BLECH! In a state of homemakerness, I decided to order some water kefir grains from Cultures for Health and try my hand at that. Basically, water kefir is like dairy kefir…..but with WATER. Wow. I bet that threw you for a loop. It’s a fermented drink, high in probiotics – very good for you. I also ordered some for my friend Brandy to try – because I just figured that misery loves company. Or something like that. So, here is how it all went down. [Read more…] |
Homemade Yogurt
If you’ve never made homemade yogurt before, you’re going to be astounded at how easy it is……really. It’s super easy. You might have tried the recipe I have on here for Crock Pot Yogurt from Heartland Renaissance. I thought it was pretty awesome……until I made this. Now I won’t look back. The thickness and creaminess of this recipe is GREAT! The crock pot is nice if you need to make yogurt and you won’t be able to stick around, but this has become my method of choice. It’s a lot thicker than the version in the crock pot. I looked around at several recipes and finally settled on this one. It’s very easy and makes some really great yogurt. I’m still astonished that I’m making yogurt.Me. I’m making yogurt. At home. Boo yah (do people still say that?). [Read more…] |
Healthy Baked Oatmeal Muffin Recipe
We LOVE Baked Oatmeal around here. In fact, it’s one of the most popular recipes on this website. We eat it at least once a week…..sometimes more if we’re lucky. I like to make it in advance sometimes, especially if it’s going to be a hectic morning and I know I won’t have 30 minutes to wait for something to bake.
We also have to eat on the run occasionally and it would be nice to be able to take Baked Oatmeal with us on those days. It’s pretty easy to eat in its original state, but I thought I could make it even easier……so when I knew I needed a meal on the go, I decided to try muffin cups for the oatmeal. It worked GREAT!!! I’ll be doing it more often. It is very easy to eat in the car.
I used the same recipe, I just poured it into 8 muffin cups instead of the 8 inch pan. The recipe makes 4 servings, so each person could have two…..or like Annie, just one. Actually, I could eat them all myself. I might regret it later though. I used cup liners for ease of toting, but you wouldn’t have to do that if you didn’t have any.
Soaking Grains
UPDATE (4/12/12) See this new post about Why I Don’t Soak Grains I am not an expert. Well, I’m not an expert at healthy eating. I am however an expert at shaving fingers off with a box grater……and an expert at falling down stairs…….and an expert at pronouncing words incorrectly. But, I do a lot of reading. A lot. If I have down time, you can bet I’m reading. So, when I got my new Nutrimill I began reading everything I could get my hands on……and I came across soaking. What? Seriously. You’re telling me that not only do I need to grind my wheat to get the best nutrition, now I have to SOAK it? You’re joking. You jest. I brushed it off. Good grief. I can only do one thing at a time for Pete’s sake. So, I learned how to use my mill and the flour and then I decided that I was ready to move on to something else. That’s really how it works guys. Don’t try to conquer the world all at once. Instead, do one thing at a time…..preacher – choir. [Read more…] |
Healthy Fats
Okay y’all. Let me get something out of the way. I am NOT a doctor (except for Annie’s boo-boos). But, I do have an opinion. And of course, my opinion is right…..everyone thinks their opinion is right – it is my opinion that I am right. Right? That being said, I have done a lot of research lately in the area of healthy eating and I’ve come to a conclusion…….there are a million different opinions and trying to read them will make your head explode and you might end up yelling obscenities at your computer. My research has centered around a healthy diet based on the foods that God put on earth for us to enjoy….and eating them in their most natural state. Because of that, I’ve been able to filter out a lot of the junk that I read….and yes, there are tons of junky opinions out there. It’s my opinion that they are junk. These are the fats that I am feeding my family. And I feel confident that they are the best out there. It is my opinion that I am right – right?PS – Take a look at the food pyramid. Does it make sense to you? We should eat tons of bread….more bread than vegetables? Uhhhhhh. Okay. I love bread, but even that doesn’t make sense to me. [Read more…] |
Canning Peaches – A Tutorial
Okay guys, bear with me…..this is going to be a long post. I wanted to tell you that in advance in case you wanted to get comfortable, get a drink, or pitch a tent. It’s hard to do a canning tutorial without tons of pictures. So, here you go! I wanted to can peaches this year – I first thought about freezing them, but mom changed my mind. Moms have a way of doing that. 🙂 So, we went to our family’s produce market and bought two boxes of peaches. They were so pretty! I enjoyed working with them and smelling them…..and okay, eating them. [Read more…] |