Easy Homemade Raw Buckwheat Granola

If you didn't know, boxed cereals are really worth pennies and they are sold for about $4-$5 a box.  What a rip off.  Well, we used to had them, but now it has been about two years that we have not even tasted it.  Of course, if we did, it's not a big deal, but honestly, we don't miss it.  Sometimes, when we see them at the grocery store, we wanted to try some but we don't care for them much.   Mom explained to us  the process of making dry boxed cereal and the many reasons why we prefer not to buy them.

Instead, we have enjoyed homemade granola, raw buckwheat cereal and homemade corn flakes (We will share recipe soon).  To make anything with seeds, nuts and grains, don't forget to sprout them first, here is why.

You will need:

2  -1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat groats

1/4 cup sprouted and dehydrated sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sprouted and dehydrated pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated and chopped almonds

1/2 cup sprouted and dehydrated chopped walnuts or pecans

3 TBLP coconut oil

4 TBLS sorghum, maple syrup or raw honey

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup of dried fruit of your choice.  We used raisins and cranberries here.

Mix them all up and dehydrate (118 degrees for about 4 hours).



We like it on our homemade yogurt,  homemade ice cream, or homemade frozen yogurt, or also just by itself as a snack when we're out.

 

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Recipes For Yummy Broccoli For Baby And The Whole Family

Learn all about Broccoli

Broccoli is such a super food, highest in vitamin C that I wanted to find out ways that we can ALL eat it, including baby.  Liberty is not eating food yet.  I like to wait a year before feeding babies.  Before that, they would start getting used to tastes and learning how to swallow food.  But this introduction is not really for nutrition.  After a year or so, the digestion system will be better developed and baby can digest almost any food. Many allergies to food are because babies are fed way too early.

When can Baby eat Broccoli?

Anytime after a year.  Broccoli is from the coniferous vegetable family which also means that it's hard for the stomach to break it down.  That is why it should always be eaten lightly steamed.  For baby, really soft and smashed or sauteed in olive oil

The Goodness of Broccoli for Babies

This year we are growing lots of broccoli in our garden so we will be cooking it a lot. Broccoli is very high in Vitamin C and is a great source of soluble fiber. This makes broccoli wonderful to add to baby food recipes. Soluble fiber is the fiber that helps loosen up the bowels as it changes its form as it passes through the digestive tract. An overabundance of soluble fiber in a diet may produce diarrhea. Insoluble fiber does not change its form or make up and simply helps to add bulk and too much of it may cause constipation.

BROCCOLI: (1 cup - steamed)

VITAMINS: Vitamin A - 2415 iu Vitamin C - 101.2 mg Niacin - .86 mg Folate - 168 mcg Vitamin E - 2.26 mg Vitamin K - 220 mg Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.

MINERALS: Potassium - 457 mg Phosphorus - 105 mg Magnesium - 33 mg Calcium - 62 mg Sodium - 64 mg Selenium - 5.7 mg Iron - 5.5 mg Contains zinc, manganese and others

 

Here are some great recipes for the whole family:

 

Broccoli Casserole

2 cups brown rice cooked

(If using brown rice, be sure to soak it in acidic water with starter for 24 hours.  Basmati white rice would be my first choice after brown as it is lighter to digest and best than other white rice)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups shredded raw cheddar cheese, divided

2 pkgs. Organic Frozen broccoli (10 oz. each)

1 cup of yogurt

1 cup of heavy whipping cream or half and half

2 cups of homemade stock

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Sauté onion, peppers, and celery in butter until tender. Combine rice, broccoli, sautéed vegetables, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and soups/substitutions. Transfer to a greased casserole dish.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Take off cover, top with remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese, and bake about 5 minutes longer, until top is lightly browned and cheese is melted.

 



Baby's Creamy Broccoli Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon marjoram or oregano

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup heavy whipping cream  or raw milk

 Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté until tender. Add broccoli, chicken stock, marjoram, and cayenne; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broccoli is tender. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Purée in batches in a blender. Heat through to serve.

Cheesy Broccoli (or Cauliflower) Rice

1 stalk of broccoli

½ cup cooked brown rice

¼ shredded cheddar cheese

 Instructions:

1. Wash broccoli under cool water.

2. Chop stems and florets into small pieces; using just the florets will many times yield a smoother puree. Steam until tender.

3. Mix the rice and broccoli together and return to the stove on low

4. Stir in the cheese until it has melted into the broccoli & rice

5. Puree or mash as needed

 

Broccoli & Carrots

1 stalk of broccoli

1 cup peeled and thinly diced carrots



1. Wash broccoli under cool water.

2. Chop broccoli stems and florets into small pieces (using just the florets will many times yield a smoother puree)

3. Add broccoli and carrots to a saucepan (2 inches of water) or steamer and steam until tender.

4. Mash or puree as needed. If the veggies are diced small enough, this will make a wonderful and colorful finger food medley.

 

Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Nuggets

 

1 16-oz Package frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs 

1 ½ cups shredded raw cheddar cheese

3 Large eggs (given baby is over a year old).  I would recommend that you substitute 5 egg yolks for the whole eggs if serving this to those under 1 yr.

Instructions:

Pre-Heat oven to 375

Lightly coat a baking sheet with butter and set aside.

Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. *Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired.

Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc..and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes.

Serve warm - Chop or mash these broccoli nuggets if your baby isn't able to handle bigger finger foods.

Broccoli Nuggets II

16 oz package of frozen broccoli (florets if possible.)

1 cup of breadcrumbs

1 1/2 cups grated raw Cheddar cheese

5-6 tablespoons of water or milk

5 tablespoons of olive oil

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

shakes of spices as you desire,

1/4 diced and sauteed onions if you wish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F

Thaw and drain broccoli (if using fresh, cleanse, cook then drain and chop)

Mix together remaining ingredients

Shape the mixture into nuggets, rolls or whatever takes your fancy.

Bake for 20-25 minutes on a lightly greased/oiled baking sheet.

Turn your broccoli-cheesies after 10 minutes of cooking time - these are done when golden and firm.

Serve warm - with a yogurt dip.

 

What are some ways you serve broccoli?

 

 

 

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Kefir Coconut Sprouted Waffles

It is Saturday morning again.  I like having sprouted grain handy for days like this one when I forget or don't get to soak flour or sourdough my flour.  So, today we had these delicious kefir coconut waffles.  I wanted to incorporate more coconut oil into our diet.  So I've been putting it in our smoothies, shakes and baking goods.  The milk kefir is great too to boost the immune system, since everyone here are sniffling.

 

You will need:

2 Cups of sprouted flour (I use spelt and a 1/3 barley)

3 eggs

1 3/4 Cups milk kefir (or buttermilk)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 tspn unrefined salt

2 tspns baking powder

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and pour measurement unto your waffle pan!

Healthy, nutritious and so yummy!

 

 

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Chilaquiles: A Real Housewife Saver Meal

This is a quick nutrient packed meal when I am in a rush to get lunch or dinner to the table because the unexpected happened.  Which happens pretty often if you have little people and Dad works from home.  Sometimes the prepared menu doesn't work because I was too busy to do the preparation time or we had to be out longer than expected.  I am sure many of you understand the exciting life of homemaking.  Predictability isn't always the trend.  Well, today was one of those days, so I put these Chilaquiles together in about 10 minutes with ingredients that are staples in our home, beans, tortillas, eggs and cheese.

You will need:

3 regular size corn tortillas.  Make sure you have organic corn with a trace of lime tortillas

5 eggs (Pastured is best.  I add one egg per person)

Olive oil

Unrefined salt (optional, I never use it because cheese is salty)

Raw Cheese (any kind)

Beans.  Black beans are my favorite.

Salsa or chopped tomatoes

Instructions:

Heat a pan to low medium heat.  Cut tortillas in small squares or triangles to about 1 inch square.  Grill tortillas until they are crisp.  Add the eggs and and pinch of salt.  Scramble eggs and tortillas. Cover for about two minutes for the steam to cook the eggs.  Uncover and turn them over.  Serve them with black beans, sprinkle cheese and salsa.

 

If I have some time and by baby isn't crying out for me, I would chop some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil and salt.  This super quick meal is packed with protein.  I have served it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It's a real housewife saver meal!  Most important, everyone loves it!

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Filling Potato Casserole

This casserole has been a Sunday  morning favorite so far.  We have church service at 2:00 pm, so this brunch has to be a filler until dinner.  I would also serve it with a platter of fresh tomatoes and cucumber or with our homemade curtido/sourkrout.

Brunch Favorite: Potato Casserole

 

Ingredients:

5-6 Medium potatoes

5 Eggs beaten

2 Cups shredded raw cheese

½ Cup milk

1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

4-8 Strips of healthy turkey bacon

1 Cup veggies (green onion, bell peppers)

2 Tablespoons grass fed butter

 

Instructions:

1.  Shred potatos

2.  Grill bacon with a little bit of oil or butter until crisp and cut into small pieces with scissors.

3. Beat eggs

4.  Combine eggs, milk, cheese, salt, bacon, melted butter and add mixture  to potatos

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for  1-1/2 hours, depending on your oven.



 

 

 

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Healing Honey Spread For Waffles When A Cold Is Around

I had planned to make waffles today for breakfast without usual toppings.  Regularly, I would use what we have in hand like strawberry syrup or mixed berry syrup, yogurt, whipping cream, maple syrup, flaxseed sprinkles, the variations are endless.  But when I heard everyone sniffling this morning, I decided to make a healing honey butter spread for the cold their immune systems re fighting.  It was very delicious as we spread it over our chocolate waffles.  My toddler would have three servings of the spread to one serving of waffle.  Yes, a little too much.  But again, when you know what's in it,  it doesn't hurt you.  It is more a matter of teaching him some table manners.

Cinnamon and Honey

The combination of cinnamon and honey has been used ever since the times of Noah or before.  Who knows if Adam and Eve used them together!  I'm sure they got sick.  Cinnamon's essential oils and raw honey's enzymes which produces hydrogen peroxide make up the two "anti-microbial" foods with the ability to help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi. Both are used as alternatives to traditional food preservatives due to their effective antimicrobial properties.

This is a recipe you must try.  It is irresistibly good on pancakes, waffles, toasts and biscuits.

 

 

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup soft butter

• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

• ½ cup cream honey

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese or heavy whipping cream (optional)

Directions:

• Blend ingredients in a bowl and beat well until mixture is smooth and creamy.

• Spread it on piping hot toasted bread or biscuits.

• This recipe makes more than enough to serve 10 persons. An all time favorite for the family!

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Soaked Date and Almond Bread with Chocolate Frosting

It is my daughter's birthday and she loves chocolate.  So we made this delicious chocolate frosting.  My two year old went around wanting to eat everybody's frosting.  I didn't mind because I know what's in it.  The bread was filling, nutritious, sweet and everyone can have seconds too.  Although it requires some soaking time (12-24 hours), it is really  very simple.  Allowing a longer period of soaking time will make the bread rise better.  We enjoy it with raw milk or mexican hot chocolate.  The next day, we had left overs for breakfast with a kefir shake.

The day before:

Soak 3 cups of freshly ground flour (spelt, whole wheat or kamut) 12-24 hours with

2 cups of buttermilk, kefir or youghrt

Ingredients:

3 eggs beaten

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 to 1/2  cup maple syrup, sorghum or honey

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup dates in pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans, almonds or walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  After the soaking time, blend in remaining ingredients.  Pour into a well-buttered baking pan.  Bake it for 1 hour to 1 1/1 hours or until done.  Mine cooks sometimes for 50 minutes, depending on your oven and outside temperature.

Chocolate Frosting

In a small sauce pan, combine:

1 cup peanut butter

2 ounces of cocoa (powder or bar)

4 Tablespoons of sweetener (coconut palm sugar, rapadura, sucanat, sorghum, maple syrup or honey)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Under very low heat, combine all ingredients, except for cream.  Stir until all ingredients are melted and well combined.  Add heavy whipping cream and stir it in.  It is done.  Spread it over your baked bread and enjoy!

 

 

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Oatmeal Casserole

Now I have the opportunity to share one of our favorite morning breakfasts.  I like this one because it is easy to make and very filling too.  I does require some forethought.  I have it on my monthly schedule, so it is easy to start the soaking the day before to be ready for breakfast the next day.  The possibilities of dressing this one up are various too.  We have had it plain as well and it is delicious.  I would usually, get up in the morning and put this one together and leave it to bake while I go help the children get ready for the day.  By the time we're done, "ring" goes the timer, "breakfast is ready!"  Ahhh! That is a nice feeling.  Leftovers also make a great snack.

Here is what you need to do the day before before:

Sometime the day before (up to 24 hours), soak

3 cups of oats with

2 cups of milk and

2 Tablespoons of kefir, or yogurt, or 2 cups of buttermilk.

Leave covered overnight.

Instructions to prepare it for breakfast:

Add to the mixture:

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Allspice
1 tsp. Ginger
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 tsp. real vanilla
1/2 Cup butter or coconut oil, melted
½ C. liquid sweetener or 1/4 C rapadura, sucanat or coconut palm sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Bake in a buttered 11 X 7 baking pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Top with fruit, chopped nuts, ground flax seeds, warmed milk, drizzle with warm maple syrup, berries syrup or turn into banana split.  Our family's favorite.

 

 

 

 

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Mixed Berries Syrup for Waffles and Pancakes

This delicious and easy to make syrup is really versatile.  Besides being great for waffles and pancakes, you can use it to pour some over oatmeal, sweet biscuits, salads, ice cream, add to shakes and pour over muffins.  So on Saturday when I make it for our waffles/pancakes, I make enough to last me the whole week.  By the end of the week, you will notice that it has jelled.  So you can use it as a spread over toast with butter too.

You will need:

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

half a lemon juice

sweetener of choice (I have used, honey, stevia, sorghum and maple syrup before).

Instructions:

Put berries in a pot and simmer until enough juice is let out.  Do not cook them.  Put all ingredients in a blender.  I like my Vitamix because it will break down the raspberries and strawberries seeds very well.

Serve warm.  Put the rest in jar for use during the week.

 

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Sourdough Wheat-Free Dairy-Free Pancakes

It is pancake Saturday again!  And another good reason to make sourdough pancakes is that it is easy.  I like the sound of tat word, easy, when it comes to fixing healthy, nutrient dense meals.  A mother with little people appreciates it because the children can help too.

I have modified this recipe in different ways.  I substituted butter for coconut oil to make it dairy free; and wheat flour for spelt and barley flour.   The starter I use is rye.  Depending on the ratio of water and flour that he starter is fed, it will effect the thinness or thickness of the batter.  Here is a matter of preference.

Ingredients:

1 cup of sourdough starter
2 cups of water
3 cups of whole grain flour (1 cup barely, 2 cups spelt)
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, maple sugar, or rapadura (optional)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt

Instructions:

 

Adding 1/2 cup of more spelt flour will make them more dense.  You can use all spelt but not all barley.  As a rule I like to use 1/3 of barley in my baking.

 

to 24 hours before you want to eat, combine in a large bowl the starter, water, and flour. Make sure that you have plenty of room for this mixture to rise. If it is a very hot day, beware of leaving it too long as it will ferment very quickly. I usually make this up the night before, for breakfast, or the morning of, for dinner. In colder weather, I have done this recipe for up to 24 hours.

After the soaking period, add the rest of the ingredients, and combine well. A whisk is helpful. If you want thinner pancakes you can thin with water (or milk). Drop about 1/4 of a cup of the batter on a lightly oiled hot griddle (over medium to medium-high heat) until the the top is set, and the bottom lightly browned. Flip the pancake and cook until the pancake is lightly browned on the other side. Repeat until all of the batter is used, re-oiling the pan as needed.

Serve with real maple syrup, butter, or a fruit topping and whipped cream.

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Banana Split for Breakfast

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"This is soooo good!"  "Mommy, I want this for my birthday!"

I love to hear great comments over our meals.  Breakfast is always a favorite, but this one was definitely an all time favorite.  It's rich and healthy.  You will even gladly serve seconds.  On top of that, it is very easy to put together!

The day before you will need:

3 Cups oats

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoon rye sourdough starter (I use the one I keep refrigerated when not using)

water

1 C raw milk

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 Tbsp butter (grass fed cows)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 C sorghum/maple syrup or raw honey

chocolate chips (organic and Fair Trade)

raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries (I use frozen organic berries when I don't have fresh ones)

whipped cream

bananas

nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Gently mix all ingredients together.  Use enough water to cover the oats.  Leave overnight soaking to disable the phytic acid in the oats.

In the morning, strain the oats and wash them with a fine mesh.  We don't like the vinegar after taste, so make sure they are well rinsed.  Combine oats, salt, butter, vanilla, sorghum and milk with a little bit of water in a pot and simmer at low heat for about 5-10 minutes.  Let it cool a bit and have fun decorating it!

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No-Bake Healthy Granola Bars

 

I like to have these handy to grab a healthy powerful snack to-go or to serve with a morning shake when I'm running late in the mornings. This is a real treat for my children.  They absolutely loved them!

I make these with soaked and dehydrated oats, seeds and nuts.  the soaking and sprouting process will ensure better digestion and more nutrient absorption.

Ingredients

3 cups soaked and dehydrated rolled oats
1 cup soaked and dehydrated sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cups soaked and dehydrated peanuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, crushed
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar (you can substitute for Rapadura)
2/3 cup raw honey or sorghum
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt or any other wholesome salt
3/4 - 1 cup of dried fruit.  My favorite are date pieces

Directions

1. Toast the oats, sunflower seeds, and nuts in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until slightly browned.

2. Melt your choice sugar, honey or sorghum, butter, vanilla, and salt over medium heat until well melted and bubbly.  The longer you simmer this mixture the stiffer the bars.  The less time you simmer it, the more chewy.

3. Mix oats and sunflower seeds and the hot mixture together in a bowl. Add in dried fruit. Stir well to make sure it is well coated.

4. Press into a glass 9×13 pan lined with wax or parchment paper.  Place another piece of waxed paper over the mixture and press mixture into the pan.
5. Cut after the bars are cooled, but still slightly warm. I cut them right in the pan and then wrap them up individually in wax paper.


Be Creative:

You can use many variations.  For me it is usually what I have at home.  Different nuts, dried fruit shredded coconut, chocolate chips and so on.

*Nourishing Notes

• Use only unrefined sugars like honey and whole cane sugar (sucanat or rapadura)


• Make sure the nuts and seeds are properly soaked and dehydrated for better digestion and more nutrient absorption.


• When using dried fruit, make sure it’s ‘no sugar added’.


• Consume sparingly as these are rich in sugars.

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Tried and True Easy Sourdough Starter

 

Search no more!  Finally an easy and successful sourdough starter.  Believes me I tried several times to no avail.  I regretted wasting my flour and yeast and money buying grapes pineapple juice and so forth.  This was my last intent, I had not done it because it seemed too easy.  I have this one going on for about seven months and it is still live and healthy.  It also survived about two months of hibernation while we moved and while our baby was born.  I use it about once a week.  So it will sit in the refrigerator for most of the time, unless I have some spear time to make muffins or chocolate chip cookies, yum!

You will need:

Rye flour

Water

Directions:

Mix 1-2 cups of  freshly ground flour with the same amount of water.  Cover with a kitchen towel and set it in a warm place.  This will allow it to catch the natural yeast around your kitchen.  The next day mix one cup of flour with one cup of water.  Do the same for the next  seven days.  After a few days, the starter will start to bubble and smell like beer.  This is a good sign.  After 7 days, it is ready to use.

Starter Maintenance :

1. Always use plastic or wooden spoon to mix.  Use a plastic, glass or ceramic container as metal does not do well with the starter.

2. Feed your starter daily with equal amounts of flour and water.  Always mix in less than the amount of starter you begin with..

3. If not using it, you can store in the refrigerator tightly covered for about 6 months.

4.  When you are ready to use it again, take it out of the refrigerator, feed it and let it sit in a warm place for 6-12 hours before using.  You will know it is ready when it is bubbly.

Why Sourdough?

Soaking flour with starter will disarm the phytates contained in most grains.   I  even put a tablespoon of starter when I soak brown rice.

What are some of your favorite sourdough recipes?

 

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Sourdough Whole Grain Flax Waffles

 

It is Saturday, a morning for waffles at our home.  These are exceptionally delicious and so good for you too!  Anything sourdough, prepared correctly, will be easier for digestion by working out those phytates and gluten.

This recipe will extras about 12 of those big waffles.  You can freeze them, refrigerate them for two weeks- there, you don't have to make them again next week- or you can make half the recipe.

Step one:

The day before, combine flour, sourdough starter and water.  Cover with plastic wrap so it won't dry out and let it sit for 12-24 hours.



Step Two:

When you are ready to make the waffles, melt coconut oil or butter.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Add the baking soda last.  It will start to work with the batter and rise.  My favorite part of making them is seeing the batter rise. Then give the children a chemistry lesson of why it rises.  They like to help beat the batter and giggle as it expands before their eyes.



Pour about 1/2 cup, or whatever measurement your iron requires.  Top with some homemade whipped cream or yogurt, fruit and homemade mixed berries syrup.  But please, not with Aunt Jemima's imitation maple syrup. That would ruin it.

You will need:

3 cups of whole grain flour (spelt, whole wheat or a third of barley)

2 cups of water

1 cup of sourdough starter (mine is rye based)

1/2 cup of coconut oil or butter

1/4  cup of maple syrup, sorghum, honey or any other wholesome sweetener

1 teaspoon of sea salt

2 teaspoons of baking soda

4 eggs

1/4 cup of ground flaxseed (optional)

a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon (Optional)

My children love these.  My two year old comes to help and starts eating the batter! Oh no! I like to serve these nutritious waffles and all the fun healthy choices to top them with because there is no, "oh no, not more of that! That's just too much!"   the kids have fun dressing theirs up.



 

What are some of your favorite Saturday morning breakfasts or brunch?

 

 

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