Taquitos

I am always looking for new

healthy, quick, kid approved after school, after football, after Ballet, after Volley Ball

snacks...that the kids can kind of prepare and eat on their own.

When I saw this new recipe for creamy baked chicken taquitos, I had to try them.

{photo courtesy of Pink Parsley where I found the recipe.  You can see it HERE.}

The recipe says it makes 8 to 12

and I wanted extra for freezing and reheating

{with five kids, these sorts of snacks disappear all too quickly}

So I tripled the recipe and baked 25

and can safely say

I have enough filling for 50 more....

except I ran out of the homemade corn tortillas I get at the bakery.

{so that will be tomorrow's project - the filling will refrigerate beautifully}

David was my taste tester.

He loved them.

So did I!

The homemade tortilla sure was tasty

and the fresh chopped chicken, spices, lime and cream cheese, shredded cheddar....

Very yummy !

The kids got home from school and polished them off!  Every single last one!
And asked for more.

Date Night!

I really can't believe we did a weekday date night.

It was totally spontaneous.

And super enjoyable!

We shared 5 pounds of spicy crawfish.

So fun to eat...and yummy, too!

Never mind they are called mudbugs - they were tasty!

Messy, but tasty!

A Berry Fun Day

David and I had a berry sweet field trip today.

We drove out to the Atkinson Farm in Spring for some strawberry picking!

Even after their busy Easter weekend, 

we found plenty of red, delicious berries!

David was a berry good berry hunter.

He worked tirelessly to fill his bucket

one sweet, red berry at a time. . .

Every couple steps we had to stop so he could count his findings

. . . then we'd continue on.

He told me again how much "China grandma" loves

strawberry coffee. {?}

and even though he grew a little tired and warm, 

he insisted we pick enough so that everybody could have berries

when they got home from school!

"This one is for Peter cuz is has a crazy stem!"

We had such a precious time together.

Pretty much the whole field was ours as you can see!

We picked two buckets of berries.

and it was berry, berry fun!!!

On the Right Track

Our household has been steadily and faithfully reforming our habits in the areas of diet.
Over the past year, we've made some changes.  We're trying to eat more CLEAN.
Eating more clean means we're enjoying whole foods as close to their natural state as we can get them.


You'll remember we replaced boxed cereal with hot oatmeal.

We juice vegetables and fruits or make smoothies for mid-day super-charged snacks. . .
It is such a quick and easy way to add additional servings of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

I grind our own organic, wheat for wholesome, nutrietnt rich flour.  You'll remember my rant sharing about that here.  I have learned a lot about wheat.  Ever wonder why so many people are gluten intolerant these days?  I wonder if it is simply because we've consumed it in such a manufactured and altered form - not the way God intended.  Could it be a consequence of commercial milling practices?  Some have confirmed this hypothesis by introducing real wheat into their diets!

I bake all of our own bread.  And the same dough makes great pizza, cinnamon rolls and sandwich rolls.  No more processed, nutrient poor bakery goods!
(Except when my huband runs to the grocery store.....he has been a little stubborn less excited about whole grain goodness)

Besides baked goods, we're eating more whole grains in general:  Barley, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, wild rice, Kamut, and Spelt.

We've always been good at consuming fruits and vegetables.  Im thankful my kids like bell peppers, cucumbers, salads, carrots, broccoli, berries, oranges, apples, tomatoes, peas...... but we've added a greater variety of those not so yummy leafy greens and dark root vegetables.  Don't tell my kids (or my husband) but we've been consuming 2 extra large bunches of kale a week....most of the time, they don't even know it!!!  If they ask about the green stuff.....its parsley!  We're adding in essential phytochemicals for optimum health.  More beets, sweet potatoes, winter squash, mushrooms, spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and bok choy.


Want a great way, besides smoothies, to eat more kale?  It is the KING of clean you know!  I have this salad several times a week for lunch - it truly is wonderful.   The recipe is from Whole Living.

Two books have been a great help in this new year:

AND

I've been menu planning exclusively in these two books since the new year.  Everything I've made in the Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook as been wonderful and offers amazing ways to prepare the more unusual ingredients.  Some of our family favorites have included Lemon Tarragon Bulgar with Cauliflower, Stir Fried Bok Choy, Beet-Apple and Walnut Salad, Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce, Asia Mahi-Mahi, Roasted Butternut Garlic & Sage Soup, White Bean Soup with Kale, and a Korean Beef Stir Fry.

Currently, our pastor is preaching a series on Daniel.  Right away in the first chapter, he challenged our congregation to consider as Daniel did, how faith can be applied to food and sleep.  Americans don't do so well in either category.  The idols of Convenience, Comfort and Control rule our choices and habits.

Consider 1 Corinthiams 6:12

"Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial."

When we think about our bodies as the temple of the Living God, we should be more and more convicted about doing what is beneficial.  And let's be honest here....God gave us a food supply that was totally and purely beneficial.  Fruits. Vegetables. Grains. Nuts. Seeds.  Fish.  Meat.

In our fallen nature, we've totally corrupted that which was healthful and beneficial.
Just look at the result of the American Standard Diet -
As a nation we are  SICK.  and FAT.  and ADDICTED.

Why do we put so much garbage into our bodies?
Convenience.  Comfort.  Control.
How convicting!

The consequences aren't pretty.  And changing habits is HARD.  That's why our family has been doing it over a long season.  And frankly, we have a long way to go.  Because the idol of comfort and conveneince or control sneak in WAY TOO EASILY.  I repent!!!

My sister Sarah has been a great inspiration in this area.  Im going to ask her to "guest blog" about food - she is a wealth of knowledge and a first hand testimonial about the benefits of whole foods as a cancer survivor!  Please, Sarah!???

I feel like we started 2012 with some good habits and we're on the right track.  We still take it day by day, menu plan by menu plan.  In much the way Daniel did, we must "resolve in our hearts to not be defiled"  (Daniel 1:8).  Its a matter of good optimal physical health.  Its a matter of spiritual well being.

I know being healthy is important so that we can fulfill our family mission statement -  to seek Him, know Him, and adore Him together. To encourage each other to be all that He has created us to be so that we stand ready to serve Him and glorify Him in all things.


Now.....what to have for lunch!?

Green is Yummy!

We have been blending up green smoothies everyday

and we've finally hit upon some recipes

my kids actually LOVE!

I drink the big glass and David drinks the short glass for lunch!

Frozen peaches

Frozen mangos

a bannana

a handful of spinach

liquid of choice 

(we use green tea that I brew with fresh ginger)

IT IS DELICIOUS.....REALLY!

Another great green smoothie recipe we make is from this book

by Dr. Alejandro Junger recommended to me by my sister.

She is a cancer survivor raising two young children and committed to

eating and preparing a whole foods, clean diet for her family.

{love you, Sarah!!!}

 THE RECIPE:

1/2 Cup coconut water
(ZICO and O.N.E. brands are best)
1/2 Cup almond milk
2 large kale leaves
(Dr. Junger teaches kale is the king of clean)
1/4 avacado
1/2 cup mango slices
(fresh or I sometimes use frozen)

It, too, is scrumptious.

And to make it easier to whip these out a couple times a day, I prewash, spin and
package my spinach so all we have to do is dump a bag into the blender!
I also keep a gallon size bag of chopped, cleaned kale in the fridge.
No excuses!

Our family's philosophy: 

the more servings of vitamin and mineral and riber rich fruits and vegetables

every day the better

and on a hot day, there's nothing better than a frosty, fresh green smoothie.

Do you have a favorite green smoothie recipe you can share?

Click the comment tab at the bottom of this post and 

leave it for all to try!

Lunch Box Ideas

The start of school is just around the corner.

The countdown is on!

Uniforms laundered and pressed - ready to go.

Shoes purchased - check.

School supplies purchased.

Lists double checked.

Backpacks filled.

Window decal from our new school proudly displayed.

School calendar and home calendar synced -  whew.

New lunch boxes picked out by younger siblings with much excitement.

But as we organized our back to school items one last time today,

and I saw the lunch boxes, a certain dread came upon me.

Making lunches - four of them....everyday...
I am not ready!!!
It can be the one thing in a full and busy day that puts me over the edge
(first thing in the morning)

So, this year, we set out to come up with a lot of ideas for what to pack.
We agreed on healthy choices with few if any processed items.
Variation - it's so easy to get in a rut!
And its so important to have lunch items be quick and easy.
{there is enough going on in the mornings!}

I found complete inspiration when I stumbled upon
the website for lap top lunches
featuring American style Bento, eco friendly lunch boxes.

Look at these amazing menu ideas for lunches pictured on their website:

leafy salad with strawberries, hard boiled egg, fruit salad, whole grain bread

Avacado sushi roll, orange slices, leafy salad, cookie

Turkey and tomato salad on whole grain bread, yellow & red peppers, dried fruit

whole wheat pancakes, turkey sausage, fruit

Spinach salad with tomatoes & nuts, apple slices, crackers, olives

chicken or tuna salad with vegetables, sliced kiwi, bread

whole wheat pita pieces, cheese cubes, snap peas, tomatoes, spinach dip, grapes

Egg salad on whole wheat bun, broccoli, red peppers, orange slices

Mini rice cakes, peanut butter, strawberries, snap peas, carrots and ranch

Whole wheat crackers, humus, snap peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries

I am very excited and inspired by these beautiful lunches.
So are my kiddos.

Does packing lunch for your kids stress you out every day?
Any ideas you want to share?

Our Annual Summer Culinary Challenge

If you remember last summer, Meredith challenged herself to

a summer culinary challenge.

Inspired by the movie Julie and Julia,

she purchased Julia Child's cookbook

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

and planned a glorious menu in celebration

of our wedding anniversary.

You can look back upon those preparations here 

and the culminating french dinner here

That was great fun and we savor beautiful memories

from the whole experience!

Training my girls in the kitchen is a delight!

With a week left of summer, Meredith and I decided

a second annual international cooking challenge was in order.

Still recalling the beautiful food we ate in England

at several Indian restaurants

{Mimi and Lexi at a London Indian restaurant}

we decided to make something 

we had never tried to make before -

Indian food.

We hand rolled and fried leavened flatbread called naan

{perfect for lapping up the amazing sauce made from fresh roots and dried organic spices}

and we made tikka chicken masala

with fluffy white basmati rice

cumin, cinnamon, paprika, cayanne, ground peppercorn, fresh ginger...

the aroma was amazing

and everyone enjoyed the complex flavors!

We were so busy savoring every bite, we neglected to get a family photo...

but suffice it to say, it was as memorable as the french feast.

Looking forward to next summer's cooking challenge!

I wonder what it will be.

A Recipe Starring the Oat

Meredith came home from Washington

with a bag of her favorite granola 

from a charming coffee shop and bakery in Georgetown

called Baked and Wired.

Agreeing it was indeed delicious and addictive,

we decided to try to make Hippy Crack at home.

The ingredient list was pretty simple:

rolled oats

almonds

pecans

sweetened coconut

honey

canola oil

cranberries

currants

cherries

apricots

We assessed several online recipes for granola and came up with our own

 version that would be similar to Meredith's favorite.

We decided to soak our oats overnight with honey and lemon juice

so that the phytates and enzyme inhibitors in the oats would be neutralized

for better nutrient absorption

{I learned that little trick in all my whole grain research}

Here is the recipe we concocted:

Combine 10 cups of organic oats with 4 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice,

1 cup organic raw honey and 1 cup melted coconut oil.  Let sit overnight.

Stir in 2 Tablespoons vanilla,

1/3 Cup Grade A maple syrup

and any combination of goodies you enjoy most.

We added unsweetened coconut shavings

chopped dried apricots

dried cranberries

slivered almonds

chopped pecans

Bake at 350 degrees, turning frequently until granola is browned and crunchy.

Your kitchen will smell DIVINE!

One bowl is Hippy Crack and one bowl is Meredith's recipe.
{Meredith's is on the left}

This was delicious.

Now we need a name as catchy as Hippy Crack.

Any ideas???

I promise to move on from whole grains in future posts!