Archives for October 2011

In My Element at Relevant


Relevant is so much more than a blogging conference: it’s a retreat, a meeting of like minds, a gathering of kindred hearts. I came expecting much, having experienced so much more than I had hoped for at last year’s Relevant Conference, and I left with my expectations not only met but exceeded.

I wouldn’t say that I learned many new things; it’s more accurate to say that what I already knew was crystallized. Half-thoughts floating around in my mind were acknowledged, recognized, categorized, filed, and given purpose and intent.

Perhaps because it’s something that’s been on my mind anyway recently, or perhaps because the speakers were intent upon it, but I heard much spoken of “purpose” and “passion” this weekend. Tsh Oxenreider (the Simple Mom) spoke of being in your “element”, the place where your skills and passion collide. Those words instantly struck a chord within me, because, like her, blogging is my “element”.

Many, many other wise and wonderful things were said, and I could talk your ears off all day long with the information I gained, the amazing women that I met, the friendships that were forged, and the fun I had, but I’ll just leave it at that. Blogging is my element. I love this job!

PS. I didn’t take a lot of pictures, but spend a few minutes to browse through my virtual scrapbook below!

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Menu Plan Monday: Post-Relevant, Post-BFing

It’s once again time for Menu Plan Monday! This week I am excited to participate in the “Plan it, Don’t Panic” menu planning challenge spear-headed by Stephanie at Keeper of the Home.

Wow, Relevant was amazing! Such a great time of fellowship, fun, friendship, and even relaxation! Yes, although we were kept very busy, there was plenty of time to sit back and chat with new and old friends who share many of the same passions. Tomorrow I’ll tell you a little bit more about my Relevant experience, but for now, let’s just say it was amazing.

What is not so amazing is that most likely by Wednesday, my Baby Boy will be completely weaned. This saddens me a little, and I will admit it was not part of my plan . My plan would be to continue breast-feeding for at least a couple more months, but that is not to be. It’s not all sadness, though, because weaning him means that I can be back to my regular diet… which means… bring on the cheese! I missed cheese so much and will really have to restrain myself not to overdo it!

Breakfasts

  • Muffins
  • Muesli
  • Steel Cut Oatmeal
  • Pancakes
  • Granola

Lunches

  • Leftovers
  • Freezer Stash of Non-Allergenic Foods (for Certain Little Someone)
  • Egg Salad Sandwiches, Ham Sandwiches
  • Bean Soup

Dinners

Snacks

Additional Features

This is not just a menu plan, as wonderfulas that in itself is. Oh, no. Some more features for the curious among you…

This Week’s New Recipe

I try to incorporate one new recipe a week into my menu. This isn’t really difficult for me since I rarely make the same thing twice.

  • I have to use the rest of the whiting in my freezer, so I’m trying out this Whiting with Garlic and Lemon recipe. But I don’t think I really like whiting. I’ll keep you posted!

In My Kitchen Today

On Mondays, I spend some extra time in the kitchen, cooking ahead and making baked goods to last for the week and beyond. A large portion of the day is often dedicated to allergen-free foods for my Certain Little Someone.

  • Granola
  • Broth
  • Pumpkin Pie Filling
  • Hamburger Buns w/ Artisan Dough
  • Snack of some kind

Fight the Flu with Pumpkin Soup

Forget the flu shot! This year, fight back with food instead! I’m excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!

Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger
Rachel @ Day 2 Day Joys
Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace
Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker

Mindy@ The Purposed Heart

Come back each Wednesday as we reveal five different foods that are purported to support your immune system in the fight against the cold and flu viruses that run rampant this time of year. What’s more, each post will be opened up to all our readers, who will be linking up their favorite recipes with these key flu-fighting ingredients, so you can get lots of ideas for creative ways to serve them to your family!

First up is pumpkin! Yeah, yeah, I hear you say. And I know, I know, I’ve really been quite obsessed with pumpkin this fall. But this is the last one, I swear. At least… I think so, anyway. I reserve the right to blog about anymore amazing pumpkin recipes I may come across in the future.

pumpkin soup

But there really is a good reason to include pumpkin in the list of foods that will help you ward off the flu this season, and that reason can be summed up in one word: beta-carotene. You know that gorgeous, rich orange color? It comes from the antioxidant called beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A. How does this help you fight the flu?

According to the Mayo Clinic, one benefit of vitamin A - among many - is that it improves immune function. My personal opinion is that good ol’ vitamin A as it’s found in nature is a lot more effective at helping out your immune system than a shot that’s loaded with chemicals and fakes out your immune system.

Whether or not you get the flu shot, though, you’ll love this recipe for pumpkins and the extra vitamin A will do you good, too! I was inspired by this recipe for Armenian Pumpkin Soup, but I’m afraid I totally un-Armenia-fied it by switching out the spices and sauteing the onions with garlic instead of boiling them as suggested.

Pumpkin soup makes a nice stand-in for tomato soup, I think, perfect with a grilled cheese on a rainy day!

pumpkin soup

This soup recipe is QUICK enough for even the busiest weeknight meal.

Very EASY, too, if you have the pumpkin puree on hand.

Quite CHEAP, as well, with the minimal amount of ingredients.

And certainly HEALTHY, as we’ve already made clear!

Need more pumpkin inspiration? Be sure to check out the great pumpkin recipes and tips shared by the other amazing bloggers hosting this series with me. They have some great stuff that you don’t want to miss!

Pumpkin Cran Smoothie @ Christian Mommy Blogger
Pumpkin Pear Muffins @ Day 2 Day Joys
How to Roast a Pumpkin @ Intentional by Grace
Creamy Pumpkin Soup @ The Purposed Heart
Probiotic Pumpkin Dip @ The Humbled Homemaker

Come back next week to find out which meal you need to eat or increase your risk of contracting the flu!

We want to hear your ideas for how to add pumpkin creatively into your diet! So go ahead: link up your delicious pumpkin recipes below.

There are only two guidelines for participation:

1. Your recipe must include PUMPKIN as an ingredient. Any entry submitted that does not include pumpkin will be deleted.

2. Please link your posts back to one of the hosting blogs. This way your readers can have access to all of the other great pumpkin recipes as well!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies… aka The Magically Disappearing Dessert

pumpkins spice nice

I suppose there wasn’t anything particularly magical about the way it disappears. It goes to the usual place via the usual methods, but it’s just so fast! I’ve made this twice in one week, and the second pan is almost gone already. This is why I don’t make sweets very often, people. Agh! They go straight to my hips.

pumpkin blondies

I originally found the recipe at Baking Bites and adapted it slightly based on my needs, desires, and the comments on the original post. I reduced the sugar quite a bit, used white whole wheat flour, replaced the pecans with chocolate chips, and used flax gel instead of the egg. I’ve left the egg in the recipe below, though, because if you can eat eggs, then you might as well use an egg! No point in making the flax gel if you don’t have to!

I also used freshly ground spices, which I think makes a great deal of difference in the flavor of the final product. Fresh ginger, grated straight from the root, finely crushed cloves, and freshly grated nutmeg. Of course, you can use the dried equivalents, and they will still be delicious, but if you have the fresh stuff, go ahead and use it!

You can increase the sugar up to a whole cup if you want, but I found it was really not necessary. At first, my DH said they weren’t sweet enough… then he realized that he was just as addicted as I was, so they must not have been as terrible as he first imagined. I think the next time I may experiment with honey.

pumpkin blondies

pumpkin blondies
Bar cookies are a great QUICK treat any time of year, but especially during the busy school season. This dessert is ready to go in well under an hour, start to finish.

Very EASY, too, just like brownies or regular blondies.

Pretty CHEAP for a snack, I’d say. No special expensive ingredients, unless you count the chocolate chips, which you can simply omit if you want.

These are a relatively HEALTHY dessert (although perhaps not at the rate I eat them!), with the reduced sugar and whole grains. To make them even healthier, replace the chocolate chips with nuts (I think pecans or walnuts would be delicious) or dried cranberries. Because they are so moist to begin with, they really do very well with the white whole wheat flour! Some baked goods tend to get dry or tough with 100% whole wheat flour, but I found this recipe was just as delicious with the whole grains.

~I’m excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with a few other bloggers to bring you some delicious and creative ways to fight the flu this winter. Come back on Wednesday for the details!~

Linked to Tasty Tuesday


Hearth & Soul HopTempt my Tummy Tuesdays

Menu Plan Monday: The Relevant Edition

It’s once again time for Menu Plan Monday! This week I am excited to participate in the “Plan it, Don’t Panic” menu planning challenge spear-headed by Stephanie at Keeper of the Home.

I am SO (sosososososososososo!) excited that this weekend I will be heading off to the Relevant Conference with my friend Laura, the Beltway Bargain Mom. I had such an amazing time last year at the conference: I met some awesome bloggers, and learned many things that have helped my blog grow tremendously this past year. Here’s to more amazing-ness!

Because of the conference, my menu is going to look a little different, mostly because most of my DH’s meals for the weekend are already taken care of. Which is not to say that creating my menu this week is any easier than usual, because I have to create 2 separate weekend menus for both my boys: My Certain Little Someone is staying with Grandma while Daddy’s at work, and Baby Boy is coming with me. Because of their allergies, I have to prepare all their food for them in advance. Most of my menu-making brain power is going into that this week!

Breakfasts

  • Muffins
  • Muesli
  • Steel Cut Oatmeal
  • Pancakes
  • Granola

Lunches

  • Leftovers
  • Freezer Stash of Non-Allergenic Foods (for Certain Little Someone)
  • Egg Salad Sandwiches, Ham Sandwiches
  • Bean Soup
  • Pumpkin Soup

Dinners

Snacks

Additional Features

This is not just a menu plan, as wonderfulas that in itself is. Oh, no. Some more features for the curious among you…

This Week’s New Recipe

I try to incorporate one new recipe a week into my menu. This isn’t really difficult for me since I rarely make the same thing twice.

  • The pumpkin soup recipe is a recipe from an Armenian blogger. Having tasted some Armenian cuisine, I’m really looking forward to trying it out!

In My Kitchen Today

On Mondays, I spend some extra time in the kitchen, cooking ahead and making baked goods to last for the week and beyond. A large portion of the day is often dedicated to allergen-free foods for my Certain Little Someone.

Treat Yourself: Weekend eCookbook Giveaway

Kate, the Modern Alternative Mama, has done it again! First, she brought us In the Kitchen: Real Food Basics, a great introduction to real food cooking for any timid chefs out there. Then there was its companion, the Pregnancy Super Foods eBook, perfect for any mommies wanting to give their baby the best possible head start. More recently, for the growing number of people avoiding grains for one reason or another, she offered the Against the Grain cookbook with lots of options for grain-free foods.

And now… the one everyone has been waiting for! Desserts! Specifically, desserts with wholesome sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, and sucanat are the only sweeteners in this book), healthy fats, and healthy flours (sprouted flour - see her tutorial in her Real Food Basics book - and almond flour), plus options with additional fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots.

Kate’s new eCookBook is appropriately called Treat Yourself: Real Food Desserts. Check out the table of contents here and see if you don’t salivate! It regularly sells for $7.95 (which is a great price, anyway), but you can get it now for 25% off with the code QUICKTREAT. This code is only good through October 24, so snap it up right away!

You can also enter to win your own free copy of this ebook! Simply leave a comment, telling me which of her dessert recipes you would like to try for your family.

This is a weekend contest - I’ll be choosing and announcing the winner on Monday, so entries are only open until Monday morning at 8:00am! So don’t waste time - enter now for your chance to win a copy of this awesome resource for healthy home cooks!

The Best Weapon in My Grocery Budget Arsenal

shopping list
photo by jiva
So you’re browsing through your grocery ads (or a great healthy foods deals blog that you happen to love!) and you notice that your favorite brand of all-natural sausage is on sale for $3.99. Score! Off you go to the grocery store and load up on a few packages, only to realize that the regular price is $4.19. Hmmm, not as much of a great deal as you thought. Or maybe the very next day, you see that another grocery store in town has the same identical package of sausage on sale for $2.99. Now that is a great deal, for sure! Until you realize that WalMart’s regular price is $2.79.

And here you are, stuck with several packages of sausage that you paid in excess of $3!

There is a way to avoid such a scenario! Like all good things, it requires a little bit of effort to get started, and a certain amount of maintenance. But if you are serious about saving money on your groceries, it is absolutely essential.

I am speaking, of course, about the price book, or the price list, as it is also called.

Never heard of it? Don’t worry; you’re not the only one! That’s why I’m going to dedicate the next few Fridays to a series on Price Lists and How to Use Them. Utilizing a price list or book will ensure that you never over-pay for groceries again!

In short, a price list or book is exactly what it sounds like: a list of the prices in your area for groceries and foods you frequently buy. It can be an actual notebook; it can be a spreadsheet document; or it can be all in your head if you’re just that good.

A price list details the exact quantity and price that a certain food item is available for at any given store in your area, and should be more or less exhaustive. A quick glance through your personal price list will tell you that the cheapest place to buy pickles (if you don’t make them yourself, which is cheaper) is your local XYZ Groceries, or that the store on your way home from work has the best price in the most convenient location.

The price list should document regular prices, not sale prices. Regular prices change less frequently and are easier to track (although they do change, as evidenced by my most recent OAMS trip!).

Each line item in your price list should contain the following information:

Item - Brand - Amount in Package - Store Where it’s Sold - Price

Additionally, for like items sold in different sized packages, it’s useful to also denote the price per the lowest common denominator in size. In other words, when sugar is sold in 3lb or 5lb packages, you can compare the price per pound instead of per package.

Here’s what my price list looks like.

The advantage of a price book/list is obvious: next time you’re browsing through the circular and an item is advertised as being a great sale price, you can check it against your list of area prices on that item or a similar item. If the sale price is indeed significantly lower than your recorded prices, then by all means, stock up! If not, you’ve just saved yourself a handful of cash. And with Christmas coming up, that handful of cash is going to come in… well… handy!

Read the rest of the series:

What is a Price List (or Book)?

How to Make a Hard Copy Price Book

How to Make a Digital Price Book

How to Maintain Your Price List


Pumpkin + Pizza = A Match Made in Heaven

pumpkins spice nice

I’ve already complained at length about my diet-enforced pizza woes, so I won’t bore you with that whole diatribe again. Suffice it to say that necessity encourages creativity around here if we are ever to enjoy our favorite food group (which would be pizza, in case you didn’t follow that).

And honestly, as much as I love pizza, and as much as I have been goofing off with pumpkin since at least the middle of September, it never once occurred to me to put the two together … until I saw Anne-Marie’s Pumpkin Chorizo Pizza a few weeks ago.

Dude. Pumpkins and pizza.

Together!

This was some serious serendipity here, people.

So I definitely had to try it. Unfortunately, I wanted to par-bake the pizza crust the day before to save a little time, but… ummm… I got a little distracted. It reminded me of the days when I was growing up, and my mom was teaching me how to cook. I remember a few - only a few, of course - occasions when my mom was rather exasperated (to put it mildly) because I had been reading or playing with a friend or reading or maybe even just daydreaming while the food I was supposed to be cooking was pretty much just burning.

I am all grown up now, and that occasionally rarely happens anymore. Hardly ever, anyway. And this time, I was doing something I should have been doing when I was a teenager, which was practicing the piano. (I think my childhood sins are coming back to haunt me.) Moral of the story? Don’t practice piano when you’re par-baking a pizza crust at a high temperature.

Unfortunately, my over-baked crust detracted from the awesomeness of the pumpkin sauce and the sausage. Oh well. You won’t make the same mistake, because you never get distracted like I do, and therefore, your pumpkin pizza will be simply amazing!

The next time, mine will be, too.


And look! My Certain Little Someone even had his very first taste of pizza, too! I made some flatbread using my go-to allergen-free artisan bread dough recipe , and used it as his crust. Of course, like me, his pizza was cheeseless, but still! This was a breakthrough, folks!


Homemade pizzas are so QUICK there is rarely a need to order in! Even making this sauce (instead of dumping canned pizza or pasta sauce) takes very little time.

EASY, too! Making your own crust may seem a daunting task, but honestly, it’s one of the easiest and most forgiving bread products you can attempt.

Pizza is a great CHEAP weeknight meal, too, because it’s a great way to stretch your meat and use up lots of vegetables.

This particular pizza is pretty HEALTHY, because I used homemade sauce (made with pumpkin, no less!), all-natural chicken sausage, and a whole-wheat crust.

Special thanks to my DH, who snapped the photos for me while I was giving a piano lesson. That darn piano kept getting in the way of my precious pizza!

Linked to Tastetastic Thursday, Feasting in Fellowship Friday, and…

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Pumpkin Muffins… but Savory!

pumpkins spice nice pumpkin muffins

I will be the first to admit that these pumpkins will not win any beauty contests. Thanks to the oats, they have a crumbly texture and bumpy exterior, and thanks to the lack of eggs and sugar, they don’t bind together and rise quite as well as a good little muffin should. But before you turn around and head back out the door - or off to your next blogging adventure - they do have a redeeming quality!

Two, actually:

  1. They have no sugar.
  2. They are moist and delicious! Dee-lish-us, I tell you!

These ugly little savory muffins have amazing flavor that is the perfect accompaniment to an autumn soup. I served ours with potato soup, and it was a match made in heaven. So who cares what they look like? They taste good, and after all, that is the point.

pumpkin muffins

pumpkin muffins
Muffins are such a great QUICK bread that you can serve with soup or salad for a light dinner or lunch.

And so EASY, too! Just be sure not to overmix the batter, or they will get really tough.

This particular recipe takes a lot of pumpkin, so it’s not necessarily CHEAP (depending on how much you paid for said pumpkin). Around here, that’s at least a couple dollars. However, this time of year is the cheapest pumpkin’s gonna get, so now’s the time to make them!

These muffins are probably the HEALTHY-est I’ve ever made. They have no sugar, use whole grains, and are largely based on a very healthy vegetable. Very healthy, indeed!

Linking to Tasty Tuesday and…
Beauty and BedlamHearth & Soul Hop Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays

Menu Plan Monday: The Just Another Week Edition

It’s once again time for Menu Plan Monday! This week I am excited to participate in the “Plan it, Don’t Panic” menu planning challenge spear-headed by Stephanie at Keeper of the Home.

Nothing super special or note-worthy about this week’s menu. Just another week in the QECH household!

Breakfasts

  • Muffins
  • Muesli
  • Steel Cut Oatmeal
  • Pancakes
  • Yogurt/Granola Parfaits

Lunches

  • Leftovers
  • Freezer Stash of Non-Allergenic Foods (for Certain Little Someone)
  • Egg Salad Sandwiches, Ham Sandwiches
  • Bean Soup

Dinners

  • Slow Cooker Five Spice Chicken, Hasselback Potatoes, Steamed Carrots
  • Pumpkin Sausage Pizza, Sliced Apples
  • Sausage and Potato Hash, Applesauce, Fruit Salad
  • Chicken Barley Soup, Artisan Bread
  • Lime Tuna Pasta Salad, Fresh Fruit

Snacks

  • No-bake Chewy Granola Bars
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (more of a dessert, recipe coming later this week)
  • some kind of cookies or something

Additional Features

This is not just a menu plan, as wonderfulas that in itself is. Oh, no. Some more features for the curious among you…

This Week’s New Recipe

I try to incorporate one new recipe a week into my menu. This isn’t really difficult for me since I rarely make the same thing twice.

  • I’m looking forward to trying the Five Spice Chicken Recipe - Five Spice is my new favorite flavor!

In My Kitchen Today

On Mondays, I spend some extra time in the kitchen, cooking ahead and making baked goods to last for the week and beyond. A large portion of the day is often dedicated to allergen-free foods for my Certain Little Someone.

  • Granola
  • Applesauce
  • allergen-free artisan bread
  • Cook up squash/pumpkin
  • Artisan Bread dough
  • Rice Milk Yogurt