October

 Now that I have a functioning computer AND keyboard -- AT THE SAME TIME!  I'm going to try to play some catch up.  Yes, I'm about 2 months behind.  Tough.

Here are a couple of more unique items I made: the pretzels really did taste as good as they look.  The "spiders" are hot dog chunks (good ones, for the sake of the parentals) with spaghetti noodles poked through them, then boiled until the pasta was done.  Served with alfredo sauce.  It was surprisingly good!  I was prepared to deal with it for the sake of the girls, but I'm not even opposed to doing it again someday.  It was a fun tribute to Halloween one night.

 I don't remember whether I've covered this or not, but Lizzie had her first chance to attend General Conference with Aunt Janice and Aunt Jennifer.  Her cousin T was her conference buddy this time.  She absolutely LOVED it!  These two pictures are screen-grabs from when she was shown on TV during conference!  This was immediately after President Monson announced the change in age for full time missionaries.

These pictures are from the Aunties.  Lizzie was wowed by her visit to The Roof restaurant.  I am so grateful my girls get these opportunities!  I never would have dreamed to be so close to the General Authorities and First Presidency when I was their ages.

On a random change of subject -- We knew Sabrina was in need of some urgent dental work.  She already had her first work done (already posted) and we had appointments scheduled for all the rest.  Then over one weekend she started to complain a lot about pain in some teeth.  Then she developed a nasty fever and when I checked her mouth again there was a bad abscessed pocket on her gums.  We got her in to the dentist the next day and my brave girl had 3 root canals and a filling all in one appointment, all on the left side.  If the swelling had been worse she would likely have ended up in the hospital for IV antibiotics.  Thankfully some oral antibiotics "stat" took care of it.

 Lizzie and Sabrina were both scheduled for a lot of dental work and Kate started to complain about a sore spot in her mouth.  I checked and noticed some molars coming in and said she'd be fine.  By the weekend she was complaining again.  Finally on Saturday morning (of course, no dentist available!) Michael noticed that one side of Kate's face was swollen.  Badly.  I took a look in her mouth again and discovered a HUGE abscess.  Thankfully she didn't have a fever, but she sure had the swelling going on!  We could not get in touch with the dentist so we finally gave up and took her in to the emergency room so she could get started on antibiotics.  Good thing, too!  If she had developed a fever then SHE would have been planted in the hospital on IV antibiotics.  Between Sabrina and Kate we'd have had a much worse couple of weeks.  Thankfully getting in to the dentist on Monday they fixed the bad tooth and the antibiotics did their work.  And no, there is absolutely nothing contagious about abscesses.  They're not even that common!  We're just THAT GOOD.  (Yes, this is despite regular brushing, flossing, and flouride.)  So glad to have teeth more or less settled for now.  Knock on wood.

7 Minute Fried Rice

Yes, I'm going to do a "boring" recipe post.  Because I made this today and it was fabulous.  Since I made it up as I went I want to get it written down so I don't forget!  (I wrote the recipe in standard format at the end of my ramblings.)

Round about lunch time today I was poking around for something to eat and got a hankering for rice.  BUT I didn't have the time to wait for "real" rice to cook.  So here's what happened:

In my 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup I measured 1 cup water and 1 cup minute rice.  I'm not usually a fan of Minute Rice as I don't care for the texture.  I bought a little box of it for a "treat" for my rice-loving-Lizzie.  I think this worked well because fried rice usually starts with cold cooked rice so the texture is a little different anyway.  Maybe Minute Rice has texture like reheated rice?  hmmm...

While the rice and water cooked in the microwave for 5 minutes I chopped up some ham (I had some leftover slices in the freezer left over from Easter).  Then I pulled some green onions out of the window arrangement (best tip ever: keep your green onions in a vase of water in your kitchen instead of forgotten in a plastic bag in the crisper.  I keep mine in pretty square bud vase.  Some of them have been there for several weeks now and they still look and taste fabulous!) and snipped them up.  I also pulled a partial bag of frozen peas out of the freezer.

While the rice is still cooking I heated up a skillet and added just a touch of oil.  I tossed in the ham chunks and got them feeling good about life while the rice finished up.  Once the microwave was done I poured the rice into the pan, added a couple handfuls of frozen peas, the sliced green onions, a spoonful of minced garlic (I keep a bottle of pre-minced garlic in the fridge.  It's fabulous to have on hand for quick dishes like this.), and some seasoning -- a bit of sesame oil and a healthy dose of soy sauce.  Once the mixture was nicely heated through (which takes about 20 seconds beyond the time it takes to drop things in there) I cleared a clean spot in the middle of the pan and cracked two eggs in.  Scramble them up in the middle there, then mix it all together.  Ta da!

In case you don't really want to read all my rambling, here's a simpler form of the recipe:  all measurements are approximate except the rice and water which you can change however you want as long as the measurements are equal.  I didn't measure anything else.  This is really a how-you-like-it sort of recipe.  If you can get mixed frozen peas and carrots that would up the nutritional value, though of course I avoid carrots like the plague ;)


7 Minute Fried Rice


1 cup Minute Rice, dry
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped ham
2 green onions, minced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce -- really  just start with a little and add until it suits your liking.
2 eggs


In a microwave safe container combine rice and water.  Microwave on High for 5 minutes or until water is all absorbed by rice.  With one minute remaining for the rice, heat a medium sized frying pan on the stove.  Add oil.  Add ham and heat through slightly.  Add finished rice, peas, onions and garlic.  Stir together.  Add sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.  Mix to combine.  Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk slightly (I didn't do this, but it would have been a good idea).  Create a well in the center of the rice mixture.  Pour eggs in the well and cook until done (scrambled eggs).  Stir all together.  Done!

By popular request

Here is the recipe for spudnuts.  These are oh-so-good!!!  The ones I made the other day I make the "lazy" way -- I tossed the ingredients in the bread maker, rolled them out, then used a pizza cutter to quickly cut the dough into 1 or 1 1/2" squares.  May be less "cute" than standard round donuts, but they still tasted great.  The squares had some time to rise while I made the glaze, then heated the oil.

Spudnuts:
1/4 c. shortening
1 1/3 tsp. yeast
1 lg. egg
1/2 tsp. mace (or you can use lemon extract)
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. prepared mashed potatoes (this is what gives the incredible texture)
1 c. lukewarm milk
3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour

Mix into soft dough. Let rise, punch down, the let rise again (double in size each time). Roll out to about 1/2" thick. Cut with a donut cutter -- or a ring from a quart jar, or whatever you have on hand. Either cut out a donut hole in the center or just make a slit with a knife and stretch slightly to leave a hole in the center.
Rise until fluffy and light.
Drop into hot oil, raised side down. Dip in glaze while still warm.

Glaze:
1 lb. powdered sugar (2 1/2 - 3 c.)
1 Tbsp. butter
little vanilla if desired
enough water to make a thin paste

- The dough can be prepared in a bread maker. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Oh Wretched Wife that I am...

I really am bad.  And I feel awful about it.

I didn't do a post about my fantastic, wonderful, incredible, spectacular husband for his birthday.  Bad me.

I also didn't send his birthday picture post to the Jarbh family!  The only one of those I've missed in the last looooong time (that I'm aware of) was my SIL whose birthday was just a couple of days after my worst surgery.  Naughty me.


I'm so sorry sweetheart!!!!!  And you've been so patient with not even harassing me about it (well, you did briefly mention it after I was done with all my other stuff this week).  My bad.  I will post a picture a day for a month if you'd like just of YOU.  Would that kinda make up for it?

Perhaps I should just tell everyone what a perfect husband you are for me?  Except I do that every chance I can anyway...   well, sorry babe.  My bad.

Happy Birthday to my splendiferous husband.  I love you SO much.  You make this crazy life of mine worth facing day after day (well, you and our adorable children).  You're such a sweet daddy and I love serving in nursery with you at church.  You're a good guy.  And I like you :)

On Michael's birthday he had to work really late.  I let the girls stay up late until after her got home.  They made this big poster for him earlier in the day at the neighbor's house.

   During the day, Kate made snickerdoodle cupcakes for his birthday cake, and I mixed up some cinnamon buttercream frosting (a container of storebought buttercream frosting with cinnamon stirred in :P )  The cupcakes were REALLY good.  This coming from a dedicated chocolate lover.

Then the girls tried to walk some knots out of Daddy's back before they went to bed.

Sorry it was such a loser birthday, babe.  Thank you for being understanding about everything.  We love you tons :)   (we got to borrow a Wii from a friend for a week.  I love hearing the girls chatter along in proper golf-speak, lol)

Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars

You store bought Almond Joy candy bar has an incredible ingredients list:

Corn Syrup, Milk Chocolate, (Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Chocolate; Milk; Lactose; Milk Fat; Nonfat Milk; and Soy Lecithin and PGPR, Emulsifiers); Coconut; Sugar; Almonds; Contains 2% or less of: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, (Cottonseed and Soybean Oil); Whey (Milk): Cocoa; Salt; Natural and Artificial Flavor; Chocolate; Hydrolyzed Milk Protein; Soy Lecithin; Carmel Color; Sodium Metabisulfite; and Sulfur Dioxide. 

My homemade almond joy candy bar has:

sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, powdered sugar, shredded coconut, milk chocolate, whole raw almonds


Granted, if I listed the individual ingredients in the sweetened condensed milk and milk chocolate my ingredients list would grow somewhat.  However, when you're making something yourself you have a lot more control over what's in it.  I know there are all sorts of more natural options for chocolate and I bet there are alternatives in sweetened condensed milk too.  (Okay, I looked it up and you can use evaporated milk, sugar, and a bit of margarine to replace s.c. milk.)


These are YUMMY!!!  Every bit as good or better than storebought.  I mixed them in the food processor to chop up the coconut a bit more which I liked better.  They were a little crumbly and only about half of them actually got dipped :")  If I did these again I'd press them into mini-muffin pans to create individual round "bars" that wouldn't need to be sliced before dipping.


My favorite trick I've learned about dipping in chocolate has to do with the tool I use.  Spoons move too much chocolate and waste it and even forks can gather a lot, especially if the chocolate is starting to cool.  Chopsticks are handy, but leave marks on the sides or top/bottom of the candies.  So my solution?  A plastic fork with the middle two tines broken out.  That leaves you two tines spaced far enough apart to easily lift items levelly.  After holding or tapping the dipped item over the container to let excess drip off I slide the bottom of the fork along the edge of the container to wipe off excess that's hanging down.  Then set the whole thing on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and slide the dipped item off the fork.  Leaves hardly any mark if you get it right and it's so much easier to handle!


I read several recipes and chose one posted on Chocolate-Candy-Mall.com.  It had fewer steps than many other recipes and looked tasty.  I chose to use raw almonds instead of dry roasted and loved the result.  I also used milk instead of semi-sweet chocolate because my husband is slightly insane ;)
Please note: this recipe only uses about 1/3 of a can of sweetened condensed milk to a full bag of coconut.  I used milk chocolate dipping bits intended to be melted to have things dipped into them so I put them in a plastic container and melted them gently in the microwave according to directions.  If I were using chocolate chips I'd probably add a bit of paraffin or coconut oil to thin it a bit.

Recipe for Almond Joy or Mounds Candy Bars

Ingredients:
5 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla
2 C powdered sugar
14 oz shredded or flaked coconut
24 oz semisweet chips
1 cup whole dry roasted almonds

Directions:

1. Blend the condensed milk and the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until smooth.
   
2. Stir in the coconut. The mixture should be firm.
   
3. Pat the mixture firmly into a Greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan. Chill in the refrigerator until quite firm.
   
4. In a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate, stirring often.
   
5. Remove the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and cut into 1 x 2 inch bars.
   
6. (For Almond Joy) Put 2 whole almonds atop each bar.
   
7. Set each coconut bar onto a fork and dip it into the chocolate. Tap the fork against the side of the pan or bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place on waxed paper lined tray to Set.

 

Sourdough Bread, take 1. Aaaaaaaaaaction!!!!

You do have to read the title in a movie producer tone of voice.

Today I finally gave sourdough bread a shot.  From scratch.  COMPLETELY from scratch.  In fact, a lot scratchier than  I initially intended!

I wanted to try a recipe for a kefir sourdough bread.  It's easier for your body to digest... and mostly I really like sourdough and I love my kefir.  It's my pet that does tricks! :P  This recipe is somewhat unique because instead of a culture you feed and tend to regularly you make the starter each time.  Basically I used some of my kefir (the cultured milk, not the actual grains) and mixed it with flour to dough consistency and let it rise overnight.  Then today I dumped that lump into the kitchenaid and added the other basic ingredients -- more flour (more on that later), salt, honey, olive oil... the usual.  This recipe also called for some yeast which I was hoping to avoid (bakers yeast can do a real number on some people so I was hoping to avoid as long as I was making sourdough -- more on that later too).  Mix the dough and allow it to double.  The rising process takes a lot longer this way, but the longer rise time is what makes it so much easier on your belly to digest the stuff.  So patience is a virtue, and all that.  The amount of yeast in this recipe (made 3 loaves) was equal to the amount that is called for in 1 standard loaf of bread, so the starter had to have time to work its magic too.  After the dough doubles, divide into thirds, shape, put in pans, let rise and bake.  Not too much different from standard, except that it takes longer for the rising.

This afternoon I went to mix the dough and discovered that I am completely out of flour.  COMPLETELY out of flour!  Yikes!!!  Thank heavens I have my wheat grinder!  Instead of doing about 2/3 wheat or spelt and 1/3 white I had to do all wheat flour.  I wasn't planning to start by grinding my own wheat!  But I do love my grinder and it worked out great.  Since I was using all freshly ground whole wheat flour I did have to increase the water in the recipe by at least double.  Otherwise it was all crumbs instead of a knead-able dough.  Seems to have worked fine.

In reading other recipes I think I can skip the yeast next time.  It looks like if I use more starter and allow a lot longer for the rise time I can skip the yeast.  I don't mind having a stronger sourdough flavor so I'm planning to give that a shot next time.  I just may have to set alarms on my phone so I don't forget to move the bread along!

These 3 loaves of bread came out a little bit flat.  They taste great, but they're probably more compact that they were intended to be.  I think part of this is due to the wheat flour vs. bread flour.  Also I kept forgetting that I was making bread so I probably didn't let it rise properly (either too long or not long enough).  It's a bit dense, but not unpleasantly so.  It smells divine and tastes so good I can't believe I"m eating wheat bread and LIKING it!!! 

KEYfer or keFEAR -- however you say it.

Several months ago I was going through a course of antibiotics (shocking.  Oh, wait, that's just life as usual.) and my sister brought me a bottle of kefir.  It's a yogurty tasting dairy beverage.  Very tasty actually.  I had been on so many antibiotics that my body was getting really bad yeast infections as a result.  The kefir was a tasty way to help re-balance my body without a lot more pharmaceutical intervention. 

When I was recently banned from all dairy (those dietary restrictions have all been lifted but I still drink less dairy than I used to since it helps my skin and stomach be happier that way) my mom and I discovered coconut milk kefir.  I got a couple of bottles of strawberry coconut milk kefir and really enjoyed them.  However, the price was prohibitive for regular use.  Normal dairy kefir costs around $3+ per quart.  Coconut milk kefir is closer to $5.  Neither one is just jumping into my regular daily diet at that price!

Last weekend I was involved in a Saturday Boutique in Salt Lake that a friend had helped organize.  It didn't end up making me much money (which I had somewhat anticipated since I hadn't had time to make it a really nice display with new items since I was still recovering from my tonsillectomy and strep).  The woman who was displaying right behind me (so our chairs were side by side) and I chatted during the "down-time".  We got to talking about health products and I mentioned that I really liked kefir.  It just so happens that she makes her own kefir.  I had researched at one point exactly what kefir is and what it different between kefir and yogurt (trying to see if it was worth the cost) so I had learned a bit about how kefir is made but hadn't given it much more thought.  Sweet Anita offered to send me some real kefir grains so I can make my own.  She gave me some simple guidelines on kefir "production" and I was thrilled! 

A few days ago my grains came.  I dropped them into a glass container, added less than a cup of milk, and let it "wake up" from its time in the mail.  After about 24 hours I poured out the milk (now called kefir) and could see that the grains had already grown some!  That first batch wasn't ideal, as it was a "waking up" batch (I'm not very good when I first wake up either ;))  So I dumped that bit and poured in a couple of fresh cups of milk.  That was around 24 hours ago.

This morning I checked on the culture.  When I tipped the glass container the fresh kefir was obviously somewhat "gelled" I guess you could say.  So this afternoon I poured the kefir in small batches through a little bamboo strainer (I got at the health food store -- the kefir doesn't like metal) I put the now much-larger grains in a fresh glass container, poured on a couple of cups of fresh milk, rubber banded a cloth over the top, and set it back in its corner of the cupboard.

The fresh kefir I put in the blender, added about 1/4 tsp. of vanilla, a sliced up banana and maybe 1/2 c. of ice.  Blend it all up and it's a delicious smoothie!!!
Now here's my reasoning for even bothering with kefir:

(Source)

Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

The regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish a balanced inner ecosystem for optimum health and longevity.

Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced. Its excellent nutritional content offers healing and health-maintenance benefits to people in every type of condition. 

Considering my variety of health issues (including an excitable nervous system and messed up digestive system) kefir is a good option to help balance out those systems.  I'm sure you know that yogurt is beneficial for the digestive system, but it only goes half-way.

(source)

...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there.  But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match. 

As kefir ferments (similar to the way yogurt is made, but MUCH easier) the grains feed off available sugars.  This means that you can use regular cow milk  to make kefir and end up with a lactose-free beverage.  The lactose (milk sugar) is consumed by the kefir. 

Kefir is a much stronger probiotic than any yogurt and much more useful than any pill, powder, or capsule because it is more readily accessed and used by the body.

There's lots more information available about kefir, but I'm trying to not bore you completely.  I have found this to be a fascinating study as part of learning how to help my body improve itself.  As I play more with my kefir I will eventually come to a point where I will have available grains to share.  I have a few family members already "in line" to try this out, but if anyone else wants to try some when I have some ready feel free to ask and I'll do my best to not kill it.  Kefir is said to be a very hardy culture and can even be left for weeks to months in milk refrigerated if you need a break from the daily dose for some reason.  I'm excited to try more methods with my kefir, including cream cheese, other cheeses, sourdough bread, etc.  

I love it when something so good for you can also taste so good!

(note: none of these pictures are my own, but the are examples of what I'm talking about because I'm all about the visuals :) )

Wishy Washy

I finally have experimented with the homemade dishwasher detergent.  My first attempt was not encouraging I'm afraid.  The dishes were streaky, filmy, not super clean, and generally blah.
Today I got a very exciting package in the mail.  Michael, my sweet husband, got me a food processor!!!  I ran the laundry detergent and the dishwasher detergent each through the food processor and got a much happier blend.  The laundry one is all pretty and sunshiney.  The dishwasher one is finally blended enough to get everything all mixed up properly.  So I tried it again.
This time was much more promising.  I still should have prewashed a few things more thoroughly (even using Cascade I should have prewashed them better.  A few of them had been sitting for a while, lol.) but in general I did get a good clean.  I'm not as completely in love with the dishwasher detergent as I am with the laundry detergent at this point, but I think we're coming to a better understanding ;)  This batch is not a loss and I'm willing to give it another shot.

Here's the recipe:
1/2 c. borax (remember this from the laundry detergent?)
1/2 c. washing soda (also from the laundry detergent)
1/4 c. citric acid  (I found this behind the counter at the pharmacy at WalMart, but wasn't willing to pay the price.  Instead I used a substitute I'd read about -- about a dozen packages of lemonade flavored kool-aid packages.  No sugar added, of course.)
1/4 c. kosher salt
Mix all together VERY WELL.  The food processor did a much better job of this than I had myself.  Over time this will clump.  That's okay.  Just break it up a bit to scoop out what you need.  Like the laundry detergent you only need 1+ Tbsp. of this per load of dishes.  Fill the Rinse Aid compartment with plain white vinegar.  (I haven't tried this part yet because it was already filled with the blue stuff, but I'm going to try it when it's empty.)  The koolaid powder does give it a nice lemony scent :)


Edit:  I've found what looks like a good source for citric acid.  The stuff at WalMart was about $24 for 1 cup!  (That adds $6 per batch!)  This stuff (http://www.organic-creations.com/servlet/the-419/citric-acid-natural-skin/Detail) is a lot cheaper, though shipping appears to more than double the cost {rolls eyes} Even with that cost I believe it works out to about $1.65 per batch of detergent.  Might be worth it?  I wish I could try it out with real citric acid to see if it is worth it.  If any of you try it, let me know.

Yay!!! I feel like a Rockstar... with only myself as a groupie...but still!

So it was that time again.  Time to replace the laundry detergent.  Ugh.  So many options.  So much money.  Not my favorite expense.  During my research of allergies, kefir, food replacements, etc. I discovered something interesting -- a recipe for making your own laundry detergent.  Actually I'd heard of it before but never really thought it sounded like something I'd care about.  Now I was intrigued.
Since this was my first time it took a bit longer than it may in future attempts.  I used a fine grater to grate the bar of soap which took a while.  In the end I used my blender (a food processor probably would have been cooler, but I don't have one of those.  Yet.  >hint, hint babe for someday ;) <  to make the powder finer so I could have done the same thing with a rougher grating.  Other than that thing it was really pretty fast and easy.  A little grating, a little measuring, a little blending and done.  The ingredients were all available at Reams.  WalMart had the Borax but not the others (though the borax was a dollar cheaper there). 

Here's my finished product.  I use 1 to 2 (in extreme loads) TABLESPOONS of this stuff per load of laundry.  No huge scoops.  I use about 1/4 c. of the white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser instead of other fabric softeners which can do bad stuff.

Benefits of homemade laundry detergent (besides the fact that I feel cool for making my own detergent :P )
* fewer allergens.  This is particularly good stuff for people with sensitive skin.  I wish I'd known this when my girls always had such bad eczema.
* cheaper.  This mix takes three ingredients.  I got borax for around $3, washing soda for under $5 (I don't remember exactly), and fels naptha for less than $1.50.  I used all the fels naptha but have plenty of the other two ingredients left for future use.
* "green".  I'm not a big "tree hugger" but I like to do what I can when I can.  Looking at this little reusable container sit on my shelf next to the big plastic jug I was using before really puts it into perspective.  Just two batches of my homemade powder equals one of those big jugs!  And my waste?  Two eventual empty cardboard boxes and one paper wrapper from a bar of soap.  Not bad!
* just as good.  I did a fair amount of research on this stuff before I tried it.  I saw person after person swear this was just as good as "big brand" soaps.  I even saw a photo blog of an experiment done between this detergent and Tide With Bleach Alternative.  There was no discernible difference.  Best of all -- I have finished running my first load through and sniffed and squished and everything.  It feels great and smells great!  I would never have guessed!
* nice on my washing machine.  The liquid fabric softener I was using at one point had left a lot of goo along the edges of the fabric softener dispenser.  I've put in my second load and after putting in the vinegar again I can already see the goo clearing out.  In fact, running your washing machine once a month with just a cup of vinegar is recommended to keep the hoses and stuff cleared out.  This is the same basic ingredients of any other detergent but less caustic, cakey, goopey, etc.


There are my two boxes of ingredients sitting on the shelf of my laundry closet waiting to be needed again.

If you want to try making your own, here's what I did:

1 bar Fels Naptha
     this is a fantastic stain fighting bar soap.  You find it on the laundry aisle.  Look high or low, it's usually there but not in the "prime" space since it's too cheap and effective ;)  I've used this stuff before and it's the only thing I used that really got rid of "baby" stains.  It's a good soap to know about anyway.
1 cup Borax
     likely to be "20 Mule Team" brand.  Like I mentioned, I found this one at WalMart even. 
1 cup Washing Soda
     DO NOT buy "baking" soda.  That's a whole different thing (In WalMart there were boxes of baking soda right next to the borax.  Don't get them confused.)  I found Arm & Hammer Washing Soda at Ream's in the laundry section. 

Grate the Fels Naptha bar (like I said, I will use my regular box grater next time).  Mix together with borax and washing soda.  Blend in a blender or buzz in a food processor until it looks powdery :)  (In the blender I had to do it in small batches and frequently un-impact the powder from the bottom.  Thus would a food processor be nicer for this step, but not essential.)  In all honesty I didn't measure exactly.  Gasp!  I poured a cup or so of each of the two powders into the plastic container which has a nice lid with an opening from the dollar store.  Then I added the grated soap.  After the blending I put it back in the container and it's all set.  I did use a bit more powder than it called for, and it seems to work great. 

Tomorrow I have to get some dishes done, then I'll let you know how the homemade dishwasher detergent works :)  It uses most of the same stuff so it seemed reasonable to make them at the same time.  Fingers crossed!

"Cheesy" Ham and Potato Soup, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last night I made a family favorite, Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup.  It turned out great!  With no dairy, of course.

"Cheesy" Ham and Potato Soup

about 8 peeled and cubed potatoes

1 onion, cut as small as your family requires

2 cups cubed ham 

Dump all the chunky stuff in a large pan.

I had most of a can of chicken broth in the fridge left over from some delish fried rice I made earlier in the week, so I started by dumping that over.  Then in the blender, combine about 2 cups cold water and 1/4 c. white bean flour (I made my own by running cheap white dried beans through my wheat grinder on its finest setting).  Buzz the mixture up so there will be no lumps.  Pour into the pan and begin to heat.  Put another 2 - 4 cups water in the blender and add 1 tsp. xanthan gum (can be found at the health food store) and buzz it up again.  Pour into the pot.  I also have some coconut milk creamer on hand (from Sunflower Market).  It is quite rich but not particularly coconutty.  I poured in about 1/2 cup.  (Note: NOT regular coconut milk, this was in the dairy section and is intended to be a non-soy, non-dairy creamer).  Let boil gently or simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle out a cup or two of soup (chunks and all) and dump it back into the handy blender.  Buzz it until it's smooth.  Pour back to the soup pot.  Mine still seemed a little thin at this point so I let it simmer down for about 15 minutes.  When I served this up I grated a little "cheap cow cheese" for everyone else and sprinkled it over their servings.  For me I sprinkled on a little rice cheese.  Green onions or bacon crumbles would be tasty on top too.  Very satisfying!

(This picture is of my bowl.  I only had mozzarella type rice cheese so that's the gooey white strings you can see. YUM!  And yes, I used one of my girls' plastic IKEA spoons to eat dinner.  What can I say?  I need to find where the rest of my cutlery is lost and do some dishes :P )

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I "needed" a little sugary "pick-me-up" last night.  I was really depressed because my esophageal symptoms are not getting better yet.  In fact right now they're pretty horribly flared up.  I took my pills very carefully last night, one at a time with LOTS of water.  And after 20 minutes I could still feel obstructions.  So I made chocolate chip cookies.  Obviously ;)

The recipe I used calls for using all butter.  Some recipes use butter, some use shortening, some use a combination.  Butter in cookies tends to spread more, shortening tends to mound more, and a combination gives a middle ground.  Differences in dry ingredients makes a difference in whether it really needs extra spreading power, mounding power, etc.  Basically, it's not a great idea to substitute butter and shortening out willy-nilly in baking.

Since I didn't want to use 1 cup of my costly Earth Balance spread, I used 1/2 cup of shortening and 1/2 c. coconut oil.  Coconut oil got a really bad rep many years ago because it is all saturated fat.  However, coconut oil has shorter something or others so it does something less evil and isn't supposed to be as bad as all that.  Sorry, you can do your own research, LOL, I don't feel like looking it all up again right now to get the jargon right.  I've read the health fanatics view of it, the scientist's view of it, and some in-between views and decided that it wouldn't be an evil sub for butter in things.  However, it can be VERY expensive too!  I happened to find some on an awesome sale (nearly 1/2 off!) so I got some to try.

I used at least half oat flour in these cookies instead of all white flour.  Again, my oat flour was made by running cheap oats through my wheat grinder on the finest setting.  I know in a couple of weeks when wheat goes I'll have to modify that too, but I was only willing to make so many concessions last night ;)

Most chocolate chips have diary in them.  However, at my local health food store they do carry specialty chocolate chips in their bulk section.  (They have them pre-packaged too, for more money of course).  They're "naturally sweetened" dark chocolate.  The ingredients are simple and don't contain any dairy at all.  They do have a very dark chocolate flavor which just makes them that much better in my opinion :D   I also tossed in some chopped pecans.  The cookies turned out great.  I put most of them in bags in the freezer.  I discovered last summer that throwing cookies in freezer bags in the freezer is an ideal way to keep them.  If I want it warm I can put it in the microwave for a few seconds, or I can just leave it out a bit to thaw, or even eat it frozen!  It makes it easier to eat only one or two cookies instead of being "obligated" to eat two dozen before they go stale.

One dietary issue I'm currently researching is sugar.  I know normal sugar can cause a lot of issue (besides just tubb-esity) so I'm looking into reasonable alternatives for when I'm not willing to concede sweetness.  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to completely give up cookies, cakes, brownies, chewy spree, sour patch kids... you get the idea ;)  So I'm looking at ways to improve what I love so it does less damage to my body when I do eat it.   I have a couple of items on my list of "experimental foods" for when I get another few dollars to try something out.  I'm sure I'll let you know how it goes: good, bad, or ugly :D

Pure Heaven. That's all I can say.

I love ice cream as much as the next ice cream loving girl, and I've missed it lately.  I'm sure I've missed it more because I know I can't have it on this dairy free diet.  And here is my answer to the ice cream crisis.  I just made Chocolate Coconut Frozen Custard.  The flavor is fantastic, the texture is absolutely to die for!  (Though I'd recommend against taking that literally.)

Back at my family's New Year's party my brother-in-law was putting their new Christmas present of a commercial ice cream freezer through its paces.  He made some incredible chocolate frozen custard.  I begged for the recipe against my better judgement (not that it took much begging ;)) but was wise enough to not make it willy-nilly.  In my lack of willy-nillitude I actually hadn't tried out the recipe yet.  Here is the recipe the way I made it today.  Hang on... just found a smudge I missed licking up......


Chocolate Coconut Frozen Custard

1 can coconut milk with rice milk added to make 2 cups total  (I think next time I might try a little less coconut and more rice milk for experiment's sake)
2 egg yolks
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 c. cocoa (I probably used closer to 3/4 c. to  balance out the coconut, but I also like rich and dark chocolate flavor)
2/3 c. sugar (the coconut milk is quite sweet so I only used about 1/2 c.)
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla  (shoot!  I think I forgot to add this!  I'm always forgetting vanilla since it is generally added at the end.)

*Mix cornstarch, cocoa, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.

*In a medium saucepan whisk the egg yolks into the milk (both still cold).  Whisk in dry ingredients.  Gently heat mixture (I have a gas range and didn't go above medium heat) until it starts to thicken (coats the back of a spoon so you can draw a line in it.  165 degrees.  I recommend going by the temperature if you have a thermometer available.  The coconut milk is already thick enough to coat spoons and such!  I probably got mine a little too hot -- it was near a boil. I waited until it felt the way gravy does when the cornstarch has kicked in.)

*Cool over ice until the mixture reaches room temperature. (Long story short, we buy ice and I didn't want to use it.  So I let the pan sit and cool a bit, stirring occasionally, then moved it to my refrigerator stirring when I thought of it until it was room temperature.)

*Add vanilla (yeah, I forgot this part.  Oopsie!)

*Freeze in your handy ice cream freezer.

It seems to me that this froze a little faster than usual.  The parts that were touching the side were hardened fully like regular hardened ice cream instead of the usual soft-serve that comes out of the ice cream maker.  The coconut milk hardens a lot sooner than the typical cream mix.
After snitching liberally, and running a couple of spoonfuls next door as a "victory lap" I have two containers in my freezer that I'm saving for later.  I think they're probably 8 oz. containers. (Actually I checked and they're 10 oz. containers, so it makes a bit more than 2 cups.  Though I suppose I could have looked at the recipe and figured that out through not-too-strenuous deduction.)
I plan to get some bananas and make some hot fudge sauce (with no dairy, of course) and make a banana split.  I'll come back and add pictures when I get around to that part.  Right now I really ought to pay attention to non-dessert dinner :)

Edit: I ended up not making the hot fudge sauce.  I was horrified to discover that I only have a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder left.  As that is my only road to chocolate I must conserve.  The bananas were super tasty with the frozen custard of course.  Also note that this is rich enough that it doesn't take a whole lot to feel very decadent and satisfied.  Most of a small banana and maybe as much as 1/2 c. of frozen custard made for an idea chocolate buzz :)

Yummy Salad, Successful Milk!!!

This time I don't have pictures to share with you, but I *do* have recipes!  Okay, they're my style of recipes with no proper amounts :")  but they're worth sharing!

Cauliflower and Pea Salad
1 head of cauliflower cut into bite sized flourettes and rinsed
1/2 bag of frozen peas
chopped green onion (I didn't have any on hand, so I settled for onion powder)
chopped garlic cloves (again, I just used powder)
salt and pepper to taste
mayonnaise

Super simple.  Toss cauliflower, peas, and onion in a bowl.  In a small bowl stir together remaining ingredients, then mix it all together.  You may be surprised how tasty this is.  I was!  I'm now a believer :)


Rice Milk that actually resembles Milk!!!!!!!
1 c. rice (dry)
water to cook rice
plenty of other hot water (I used just hot from the tap)
bit of salt
bigger bit of sugar or other sweetener
dribble of vanilla

Cook the rice (I just tossed it into the rice cooker while I was making lunch for the kids)
When it's done but still hot,  put scoop of rice in your blender and add hot water.  It was probably about 2/3 c. of rice then filled to the 4 c. level with hot water from the tap.  Blend it till the cows come home.  Or at least until it's smooth (really doesn't take that long).  I then poured it through a strainer into a bowl (one with a pouring spout would have been nice, in retrospect)  Continue blending hot rice and hot water and straining into the bowl.  Add flavorings to the mixture to your liking.  Strain from the bowl into a pitcher or jug and refrigerate.

I got a bit of rice milk from the store (Rice Dream, I think it is) and it's okay.  My biggest problem with it is that it seems TOO sweet to me.  If you like the flavor of rice custard then this is something I bet you'll enjoy!

(Thanks for the recipes, Rachel!!!  You're a life saver!)

Drool....

[Random old picture: My sister Michelle's birthday when I was probably about 11 or 12. Joe is also in the picture.]

Recently I got a chance to go to Jamba Juice for a smoothie. I LOVE their smoothies and haven't had one for ages. Lucky me, they currently have their "Pumpkin Smash" holiday smoothie. >angelic choir sings< Well, I can't just get Jambas every day. BUT, I found a recipe and I made one today. It is super yummy :D

1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup pumpkin pie mix (not just pumpkin -- make sure you've got your spices!)
2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
1 cup ice

Blend together and enjoy!

I am pretty sure the Jamba version didn't actually include any ice, and maybe I'll try it without next time. Lizzie was adamently opposed to pumpkin so I got some frozen strawberries and made hers with strawberries instead of pumpkin. It was delicious too. Of course the Sabrina wanted some strawberry too, so Lizzie at S's pumpkin smoothie for her. Naturally Lizzie loved them both, little punk ;)

Halloween all cooked up.

My mom had a gorgeous garden this year. Tomatoes, squash, peppers... I don't know what all else. There was so much delicious produce, though! One of the really fun parts is that she put in a some pumpkin plants. Enough pumpkins grew so there was one (or more) for each family. We got three small pumpkins off the "pie pumpkin" vine. The pie pumpkins are smaller, finer textured, and sweeter. Now that Halloween is over I've been wanting some pumpkin pie. So I found a recipe: http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php and gave it a shot with one of the pumpkins. Well, actually with 3/8 of a pumpkin. That made two shallow 9" pies. Besides the fact that I butchered the crust (bad idea to start reading one recipe and finish reading another recipe! Same basic recipe, but half the size.) it was good pie. So this morning I cooked the other two pumpkins and mixed up the other 5/8 of the first pumpkin into baby pies. I made crust for a double crust pie and rolled it really thin and lined two dozen muffin tin spots. A generous 1/3 cup of filling fits perfectly. Then I baked it up. I just finished eating one. Yum.
I do like a good crust, but not too much of it. The thing I like about these baby pies is that the crust is VERY thin. It's more of a slightly crunchy wrapping for the filling than an overpowering floury cup.

Pure Evil

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

spray mug with non stick spray like Pam

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).