Cranberry Scones

(from http://www.food.com/recipe/cranberry-scones-13067)  I used plain yogurt instead of buttermilk; we always have Astro Balkan yogurt in the fridge.  Also, I used a food processor to cut the butter (COLD) into the dry ingredients and then to blend in the wet ingredients to form the dough.  Quick and easy and oh so scrumptious!!

• ¾ cup buttermilk or ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 orange, rind of
• 1 tablespoon butter , melted
• ¼ cup icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat buttermilk and egg in small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, measure flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Cut in butter until mixture resembles small peas.
5. Mix in cranberries, sugar and orange rind.
6. Add buttermilk mixture and stir until soft dough forms.
7. Using your hands, form dough into a large ball and place on floured surface.
8. Knead about 10 times Pat into two circles about 1 inch thick, place on ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Score the tops of both circles to make 8 wedges on each, if making for a buffet, for regular scones, score each circle into 4 wedges.
10. Bake scones for 15-20 minutes.
11. While still warm, brush with butter and sprinkle with icing sugar.

I made these yesterday for a new mom who is off dairy and gluten right now for her little one's comfort.  They are delicious, highly addictive because of their crunch and flavor, and are a nutrient-dense snack.  For optimum digestion and nutrient availability, you should always buy your nuts raw, soak them for the day or overnight, and then dry them in a low oven.  Here's a basic recipe that shows you how.  You can (and should!) use this method for any other kind of nuts you use around the house, including pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pecans.  The Nourishing Cook, or any other food blog that follows the traditional food preparation techniques researched in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, will also have basic recipes for crispy nuts.  The beauty of this method is that it is "set it and forget it".  Put your nuts on to soak in the morning, then some time in the evening, drain and rinse them, put them on a cookie sheet and let your oven do the magic overnight.  Easy peasy!

Crispy Almonds

by Kim

These nuts are a staple at our house. We use them in cookies, desserts, nut butters, and more! Make a large batch, keep half in the pantry and then freeze the rest to preserve the good fats in the nuts and prevent them from going rancid.
Here are some great recipes that use crispy almonds as one of the ingredients:
Almond Coconut Chocolate ‘Milk‘
Hazelnut Almond Shortbread
Gluten Free Almond Cookies
Almond Nut Butter

Crispy Almonds

Difficulty:  Easy

Yield & Notes:  Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups almonds, preferably skinless [TNC: I used almonds with skins because I couldn't find skinless almonds]
1 Tablespoon sea salt
filtered water

Preparation:

Mix nuts with salt and water and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Spread on a stainless steel baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in a mason jar in your pantry.

Luscious Lentil Soup

This is my "go-to" soup.  It is simple, hearty, healthy, and every bit as luscious as its name suggests.  I've made it for my family, friends, and church functions and it has always had rave reviews.  The base recipe is from an internet search that I printed out long ago and it indicates it was "Exported from MasterCook".  So that's the best reference I can give for this right now.   This is a blended soup, so you don't have to worry about how pretty your chopped veggies are, as long as they are consistent in size to cook evenly.  Enjoy!

Luscious Lentil Soup (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

8 c chicken stock or water  (Definitely chicken stock! but as in any soup, water will do if necessary.  Sometimes I only use 6c liquid if I want it to be thicker.  Often I use 4c stock, 2c water.  Saved potato water from boiling potatoes is a delicious substitute too!)
4 medium carrots - sliced  ( I like a small dice, because they blend better in my hand blender)
4 celery stalks - sliced  (same here)
1 medium onion - chopped
1 leek - chopped  (I almost never have leeks in the house, but it is a lovely addition if you have one)
1 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped  (Again, for some reason, don't have this around very often.  It is good without, but very nice with)
1 1/2 c red lentils
1 tomato - chopped  (This soup is best with nice fresh tomato in it.  I can't explain why, but I've used canned diced tomatoes and it is still good, but it is truly "Luscious Lentil Soup" when you use fresh.  One large or two medium.)
30 ml garlic - crushed  (Or 2 nice large cloves, minced)
1 large bay leaf
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground thyme  (Or a generous pinch of dried thyme leaves, crushed between your fingers)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.  (Start your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in some fat to "sweat" for a few minutes.  Bacon fat is a perfect flavor layer in this soup, but olive oil or butter will do.  Salt your veg with sea salt.  Add tomatoes, stock/water, lentils, and herbs.)  Cook over medium heat 45 minutes.  Puree 2 c soup in blender.  Mix with remaining soup in pot.  Heat thoroughly and serve.  (It is so much easier to use a hand blender if you have one.  Whirl it up until it is the texture you like.)  Makes 8 servings.

Variations:  Serve with lemon wedges for added zest.  Or add 1 tbsp miso for extra flavor.  (I have never tried this.  I never have miso around the house.)

Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

I don't know about you, but as soon as I'm in the vicinity of a bone-in ham, I'm negotiating for that lovely, meaty ham bone to make stock.  In my world, ham stock is like gold, considering you have to buy a pricey ham to get it.  I turned my first litre of this year's Christmas ham stock into split pea soup, and I have no regrets.  In the absence of ham stock, a couple of smoked ham hocks will do the trick for a successful pea soup.

I love this recipe from Southern Food about.com  It's no-fuss, no-muss, and delicious every time.  (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed  (a 450g package)
• 1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham  ( I have used 4c ham stock + 2c water instead, but have made it before with ham hocks.  In my crock pot I can turn a meaty hambone into 3L of stock - it gets more mileage that way.)
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 tbsp. seasoned salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
• 1 1/2 qts. hot water (see comment about about using ham stock)

Preparation:

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours (it has a better mushier texture around 10 hrs) until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken more, if desired. Serve garnished with croutons. Freezes well. (save some cooked ham to cut up and add to the soup if you have used ham stock instead of ham hocks)
Serves 8.

Pumpkin Scones

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones Recipe

Perfect for a fall morning, these pumpkin scones are so moist and flavorful you’ll be wanting to make them year round. They'll taste just like the ones you get from Starbucks without standing in line.
Scones Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 Tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Sugar Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Scones Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
4. With a fork, pastry knife, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter remain. Set aside.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.
6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
7. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide).
8. Use a large knife to slice the dough into three equal portions. Cut diagonally to produce 6 triangular slices of dough.
9. Place on prepared baking sheet from step 2.
10. Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.
11. Place on wire rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Directions:
1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoon milk together until smooth.
2. Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.

Spiced Glaze Directions:
1. As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.
2. Use whisk to drizzle over each scone and allow to dry before serving.
Makes 6 pumpkin scones.

(from MomsWhoThink.com)

mom_of_4:  These are my new weekend morning indulgence!  I have made them a couple of times and they turn out beautifully.  My "secret" - which is really Martha Stewart's secret, but who's counting - is to use a food processor to make the dough.  Mix the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the cutting blade already inside.  Use cold butter from the refrigerator or freezer and pulse the food processor to cut it in.  Then add the wet ingredients and run the food processor long enough to bring it all together in a ball.  I like a rustic-looking scone, so I pat it out to the thickness I want and cut into rough wedges.  Drizzle with glaze and serve with butter.  Yum!

Healthy Hamburger Helper

I came across this recipe on a blog I follow called The Nourishing Cook and it was an instant hit!  It starts with raw sweet potato that you need to cook in the skillet as well, but if you have cubed roasted sweet potato on hand (like I always do) it cuts the cooking time down dramatically.  Another "cheat" I use on this recipe is having frozen chopped spinach on hand.  A 15 minute meal!

Healthy Hamburger Helper  (mom_of_4 comments in italics)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef or other ground meat (preferably grass-fed)
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, bacon grease, tallow or lard (I used bacon grease, of course!)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cubed (for SCD or the GAPS diet, use carrots instead, about 2 cups cubed)  (this is where I pull out the leftover roasted sweet potato...)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tablespoons coconut flour (see my resources)
• 6 large leaves chard, kale, spinach or other greens, chopped (about two cups measured chopped)

Preparation:

1. Chop onions, sweet potato or yam (or carrots) and mince garlic.

2. Saute the onions in the oil first until lightly browned. Or you can saute until they are caramelized if you would like.

3. Add sweet potatoes (or carrots) and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.
4. Make room in the center of the pan and plop in the hamburger. Brown the hamburger.

5. Meanwhile, cut up the greens (I have chard here).

6. Once ground beef is (mostly) browned, add the coconut flour. Mix and saute until the sweet potatoes are soft enough for your taste.

7. Add the chard to the pan once sweet potatoes are cooked. Only cook the hash 5 minutes or less with the chard in it, you don’t want to overcook it.

8. You’re done! And leftovers are yummy and easy to heat up too!

(A few dashes of soy sauce is the perfect condiment to round out the flavors in this dish.  Even the kids loved it!)

Crockpot Honey Chicken with Dried Fruit

from About.com Busy Cooks

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 4 chicken breasts)
  
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit pieces (I used apricots and raisins)
  
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 onion, chopped (minced)
  

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in 4-5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot cooked rice or egg noodles. 8 servings

Do not use bone-in pieces of chicken because the recipe may not work. Bone-in dark meat chicken cooks very differently from boneless in the crockpot.

mom_of_4's Favorite Chicken Curry

My favorite chicken curry recipe is the "Basic Meat Curry" recipe from the More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. First, I think it's ironic that my favorite curry recipe is from a Mennonite cookbook, but I guess we have been busy being practical and economical all over the world. Second, it's just as interesting that I did not discover this recipe until a coworker brought it for a department potluck. I asked him for the recipe and he brought me a photocopy from the same cookbook I already had. What is so special about this copy, is that on it his wife has recorded a family moment the day she tried the recipe - their son's first music class - and added her own "tweaks" that saved me a lot of trial-and-error.

Basic Meat Curry (with my comments in italics)

Saute in heavy deep skillet or kettle (I use a deep skillet with a lid):
2T fat, oil, or shortening (umm...butter, of course!)
2 onions, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic (2 cloves, definitely 2)

Blend in small bowl:
2 T lemon juice or vinegar (lemon juice)
2-4 t. curry powder (2 is mild enough for the kids, I like 3)
Stir curry mixture into sauteed onions and fry lightly 1-2 minutes. This produces a relatively mild curry; if desired, season with additional spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, or cayenne.

Add one of the following:
1 3lb chicken fryer, cut into small pieces (6-8 chicken thighs, I like bone-in to add richness)
2 lbs beef, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs lamb, cut in 1" chunks
2 lbs meatballs, browned
Stir-fry briefly to coat meat with spices.

Add:
1 c tomato juice or sauce (I buy the small cans of tomato sauce to have on hand just for this recipe)
1 t. salt
1-2 c. broth or water (2 c chicken broth is best, but I've used water in a pinch)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 2-3 hours for beef and lamb, 1 1/2 hours for chicken, 20 minutes for meatballs. Add more liquid during cooking as needed for thin stew consistency. Thicken slightly with flour just before serving, if desired. (I just keep an eye on it and take the lid off to reduce the sauce if it is too thin)

Hearty Lentil Soup

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 parsnip, scrubbed and diced
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dash soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and mix in the onions, carrot, parsnip, celery, potato, and leek. Stir over a medium heat.
2. Place lentils, tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, a splash of the soy and Worcestershire sauces and wine in the saucepan. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked.
3. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

(from Allrecipes.com)

mom_of_4: I made this today and it makes a lovely soup. As usual, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand, so instead of red wine I used some beef stock; left out the soy sauce, green onions, potato, and cilantro; and used canned lentils instead of dry. I'm not a big fan of the parsnip in the soup - it tasted like a woody carrot. Maybe that's what they taste like. Anyway, I would like to try it again using all the ingredients. It definitely needed the potato to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

Low-Fat Banana Bread - Yes, It's Possible!

Banana bread is a big staple in our household, and when we started our weight-loss journey in September, we thought we would have to say goodbye to our beloved favorite. Until recently, when I way overbought on bananas and had a lovely pile of fragrant black treasure on my counter just begging to be baked into bread. I researched "low-fat banana bread recipes" and tried this one. It's a winner! Here's the link from Kitchen Parade if you would like to read the article that goes with the recipe:

http://www.kitchenparade.com/2006/02/shhh-banana-bread.php

SHHH BANANA BREAD

Banana ripening time: 10+ days
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time-to-table: 90 – 120 minutes
Makes 16 slices

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla


• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon table salt

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, then mix in the bananas, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

(Caution: Incoming unorthodox shortcut.) Dump the dry ingredients onto the batter without mixing in. With a spoon, lightly combine them right on top but still without incorporating into the wet batter. Now use the mixer to combine the dry ingredients and wet batter but just until barely combined. (Too much mixing will create small holes in the bread when it bakes.)

Turn the batter into a well-greased bread pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve! And shhh! No sharing our low-fat secret! (mom_of_4's note: You will have a moister banana bread if you are patient and let it fully cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap it up and wait until the next day to cut into it. If you are of the impatient sort, then at least let it fully cool before cutting into it.)

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Slice: 162 Cal (11% from Fat); 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 33g Carb; 2g Fiber; 191mg Sodium; 31mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 3 points

Homemade Baby Cereal

Under the category of "Duh..." I just discovered today while watching the Duggars on TV that I could actually make my own baby cereal at home, using organic and whole grains. For those of you who already knew that and are wondering where I've been, then all I have to say is, "Why didn't you tell me??" For the rest of us, I'll share a link to wholesomebabyfood.com and a recipe for brown rice baby cereal to start us off:

Rice Cereal using "powder"

Ingredients:

1/4 c. rice powder (brown rice ground in blender or food processor)
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Bring liquid to boil in saucepan. Add the rice powder while stirring constantly.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly, mix in formula or breast milk and fruits if desired
3. Serve warm.

Timesaver Tip - Poached Chicken/Chicken Broth

I came across this tip a while ago - I think it was on the Food Network - and it is a real timesaver! And it's incredibly flexible. Freestyle it until it works for you!

Poached Chicken/Chicken Broth

approx 6-8 large pieces bone-in chicken (this is great for bone-in, skin-on chicken breast)
large onion
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks celery
1-2 garlic cloves
1-2 bay leaves

Place pieces of chicken in bottom of large stockpot. Remove skin and excess fat first, if desired. Cover chicken with water until water level is above chicken by a couple inches (or more if you want more stock). Rough chop onion, carrots, celery in large pieces. You don't even need to peel them if they are clean. Smash garlic cloves and toss in along with bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, so that the bubbles are just breaking the surface and poach for about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain broth into containers - if allowed to sit in the fridge overnight, the fat will solidify on top and you can easily remove it.

Poached chicken is moist and flavorful, freezes well, and is very handy to have for salads, tacos, or quick meals that require cooked chicken.

Another Way to Microwave Eggs

I found this recipe on the inside of an egg carton! I haven't tried it out, but it sounds like it would work:

Breakfast in a Jiffy

2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
pinch dried basil (or Italian seasoning), to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp shredded cheese
1/2 tsp chopped parsley (optional)

• in a microwaveable mug, beat together eggs, milk, and seasonings
• cover loosely with plastic wrap, leaving a small vent
• microwave on medium-high, 1 - 1 1/2 minutes
• remove plastic wrap and stir; sprinkle with cheese and parsley; cover and let stand for 1 minute

Tip: for a breakfast on the go, cut a whole wheat pita bread in half and spoon egg mixture in both pockets

Snacks

A friend and I were sharing ideas & recipes for healthy homemade snacks today and I thought I would share a couple of things that I have had some success with:

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

raw shelled pumpkin seeds (enough to spread on a sheet pan)
1 egg white
generous "squirt" of honey
cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss the pumpkin seeds in the egg white, honey, and cinnamon. Spread on a sheet pan and roast about 10 minutes, until crunchy. If you spread them in bunches, they will bake in "pieces", otherwise spread out in a thin layer. Whatever you like. Other than overbaking them, you really can't mess this one up.

Homemade NoBake Granola Bars

2 cups oats
3/4 c hemp seeds
3/4 c sunflower seeds
1 c pumpkin seeds
2/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
dried fruit (if desired)

If you want to toast the oats, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds first, preheat oven to 400F and spread them out in a baking sheet with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so they don't burn.

Prepare a 10x13 glass baking dish by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with nonstick spray.

Put the brown sugar, honey, vanilla, butter, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Mix the seeds, grains, dried fruit, and "glue" together thoroughly and pour out mixture into your lined baking dish. Fold over the waxed paper sides or add a piece on top and press hard to compact so the bars won't fall apart when you cut them.

Wait until the granola has fully cooled, open the waxed paper, lift out the granola, and cut into bars of desired size. I like to individually wrap them with plastic wrap so they are ready to go when you need them.

Roasted Chickpeas

I haven't made these yet, but they SOUND really good and the blog post that contains the recipe is really funny!

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2008/04/roasted-chickpeas-wrong-way-right-way.html

Enjoy! Who needs to spend big money on high-protein, healthy, delicious snacks? And they only take minutes to prepare!

A Typical Weekend

What do you do on the weekends? Are they packed full of activities and shopping, and leave you just as exhausted on Monday morning as you were on Friday evening? Or are they peaceful, restorative, and fruitful?

Today I spent the morning catching up on and planning out our finances while Sabrina watched Anne of Green Gables movies. Then, after a lunch of yesterday's leftovers, I cleaned the bathroom while supervising her shower (she's learning how to wash her long hair on her own). While I got laundry going, I utilized Sabrina's skill at pulling things out of cupboards and had her clean out my kitchen pantry. She organized items into groups while I reorganized putting them back in. It looks fabulous and nothing falls out at me anymore when I open the door! I also know what to put on my grocery list for tomorrow.

Then while I prepared the lamb for my Make-Ahead Lamb Stew recipe, Sabrina played and read nearby, occasionally showing me her discoveries and singing me songs. When it came time to change the loads of laundry, she came with me and I taught her how to remove grease stains (her dad gives us lots of practice). While the stew was simmering, I decided to make a fresh batch of hummus and brown some meatballs to put in the crockpot tomorrow. Sabrina made the meatball mix all by herself, with my direction. She also helped me roll them, which went much faster! The hummus only took a couple of minutes to whirl up in the food processor, just the way I like it.

Why do I share this level of detail with you? Because I am very careful with the extra activities I allow into my time, I am able to spend quality time with my daughter teaching her things that will help her when she's on her own, make homemade food for my family, and devote the time and attention to my household that it needs. I still have another day yet to rest with my family, visit friends, and finish what couldn't be accomplished today. I can start my week refreshed and refueled, knowing that all is well at home.

What do we teach our children but our same chaotic habits when we do not stop long enough to evaluate what is really important to be investing our time in? Activities for children have their time and place, but they do not replace the one-on-one time of teaching and relationship-building that Sabrina and I had this weekend. Do you really need to go to the mall? WalMart? Or could you rearrange your cupboard and remind yourself of what you already have? Is your freezer full of convenience food? Do you eat out more than once a week? Do you despair over your grocery bill? Take some time on the weekend to plan meals and a grocery list that does not spend most of your budget on prepared items that you could easily and cheaply make at home.

Our week is busy enough without adding any more to it. I work full time as an accounting manager and Sabrina goes to school and before/after-school program. Corrie works a long day in his tow truck. The only times we ask ourselves "is there more to life than this?" is if we have wasted our precious free time on things that don't bear fruit. For each family, those things will be different. I challenge you today to take some time to evaluate yours and pursue the balance that you have been longing for.

Hummus (mom_of_4 style)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste
enough olive oil to make desired texture

Put all ingredients but the olive oil into a food processor with the chopping blade. Whirl together while drizzling in olive oil. Stop occasionally to scrape down sides and taste balance of flavors. Hummus has been blended with enough oil when it is smooth with no lumps, not runny, but has a firm texture that can be dipped with raw veggies, crackers, or pita bread. It is also delicious as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.

A favorite high-protein, high-fibre, non-dairy snack! You can reduce the fat by substituting water for olive oil, but if you know me, you know that low-fat is not in my vocabulary.

Make-Ahead Lamb Stew

MAKE AHEAD LAMB STEW

Printed from COOKS.COM

---

□ 1 lb. lean boneless lamb stew meat, cut in 1-inch cubes
□ 1 1/2 tbsp. olive or salad oil
□ 1 sm. clove garlic, minced or pressed
□ 3/4 c. regular strength chicken broth
□ 1/2 c. dry white wine or more chicken broth
□ 1/4 tsp. marjoram
□ 1/4 tsp. savory leaves
□ 2 med. carrots
□ 1/4 lb. sm. white boiling onions (I like to use 2 shallots)
□ 3 sm. new potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch thick slices (I use red potatoes, diced)
□ Chopped parsley
□ 1/4 tsp. sage
□ 1/4 tsp. grated lemon peel

Trim excess fat and membrane from lamb. Heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat; add lamb, cook uncovered, until well browned on all sides. Add garlic, stirring until lightly browned. Stir in chicken broth, wine, lemon peel, marjoram and savory. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cut carrots diagonally in 1-inch lengths. Plunge onions into boiling water for about 1 minute; drain and peel. When lamb has simmered for 1 hour, add carrots, onions, and potato slices to frying pan. Then cover and simmer until vegetables are fork tender, approximately 30 to 35 minutes more.

With slotted spoon, lift vegetables and meat from pan and place in individual bowls. Turn heat to high and boil liquid to reduce to about 1/2 cup; pour over stew. Sprinkle with parsley.

Microwave Scrambled Eggs

Being pregnant, I've been needing to increase my protein intake because I'm so hungry all the time. Especially in the morning. When I discovered this technique for making scrambled eggs in the microwave I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised to discover that it works really well! And you can add some cheese to it too for a cheesy scrambled egg that hits the spot.

(from Little House in the Suburbs)

Perfect Microwave Eggs
by Ivory Soap on September 1, 2009

It’s not possible. I know. But trust me. It all works off that ‘eggs continue cooking after they leave the stove’ thing.

1. Place eggs in CERAMIC bowl and scramble well.

2. UNDERCOOK them. For my micky, it’s 30 seconds per egg.

This is too wet:

What you’re looking for is just before it permanently adheres to the sides of the bowl. Little sloshy puddle in the bottom. For me, it’s 30 seconds per egg.

3. Break it up and salt it. It looks like this:

See? Still a little wet. That’s intentional.

4. Let it sit to finish cooking. Stir a few times to coat. If it doesn’t set after a minute or two, pop it back in for, like, ten seconds…tops.

5. Serve

6. Rinse out the bowl before the remaining egg sheen turns to super glue.
(I would say “Waa-laa!” but the humorless French Police keep beating down the door to my inbox.)

Ivory