Allergy friendly lunch

You're gluten and dairy free? What DO you eat?

Yes, we are gluten and dairy free, and, in fact, the baby is also egg and nut free right now too. And you know what? There are still (some) things to eat.

Today for lunch, john is having: half a banana, some asian pear, broccoli, a few chips, a date, sauerkraut, and cranberry relish.

For the other kids, I didn't give them banana, but I was prepared to offer eggs to anyone who was still hungry. Ellie also had some oatmeal because she didn't have any at breakfast. No one complained of being still hungry, so I didn't have to make eggs. And I forgot to add walnuts to the cranberry relish when I served it.

I was even planning to make crackers but ran out of time. And as I type this I remember I even have crackers in my cabinet!

In conclusion, there ARE things to eat when you are dealing with allergies. It may just require thinking outside the box. And more fruits and vegetables. :-)

Crazy Stuff that I do and take

I have becoming quite the fringe foodie/ wellness-ie recently.  I thought I might share some of the kooky crazy things I try to do every day. :-) Cuz, I thought you might want to gawk.

In the morning, I wake up and drink a glass of water. (I KNOW so weird, can you believe it!?)
Then, I make another glass of water with:

• 1 tsp diatomaceous earth- this isn't the kind I got, but I will buy in bulk next time I need it!
• 1 tsp powdered vitamin C- this is not the brand I get-- I buy mine from my dentist.
• 1 scoop enriching greens
• 1/2 tsp either acai powder or goji powder (sometimes.)

I take 5,000 IU vitamin D and 1/2 tsp fermented cod liver oil/butter oil (get cinnamon tingle, it is way better than chocolate creme) with the second glass of water. It's a little rough, but I always remind myself how good for me it is! Plus, Chris discovered that taking the vitamin C with the enriching greens makes it more tolerable. :-) 

At night I brush my teeth, floss, and get a tablespoon of coconut oil for oil pulling. 

Then I take a shower, but first I give my skin a good dry brush.  :-) 

After my shower, I spit out the coconut oil into the trash. 

Also, for my kids I give them 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D every day (that I remember) and I just made some elderberry syrup (immunity boosting) that I will be giving them every day also.  I don't worry about forgetting that, because it has honey in it and I know they will stalk me for it.  :-P 

Bittersweet bounty

This week was the last week for our vegetable csa pick up. If you remember last year, I am always very sad when it ends. My csa takes away the planning of veggies in my house. For a blissful five months, I barely have to buy veggies at all. Or think about what veggies I should buy. All I have to do is pick them up! Or pick them from the garden. :-)

Anyway, for the last few weeks (I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier! File under 'definitely will do next year!'), I have been buying the seconds from the farmer. And canning them! It has been so much work- overwhelming at times, depressing at others- but oh, so worth it!! And what a blessing.

My goal is to can 50 quarts of tomatoes every year. And every year I fall dissmally short. Last year, I may have gotten to 25 or thirty. The year before, I don't think I even broke twenty.

I haven't counted yet this year, but it is a lot. A.lot.

But Saturday I picked up the last of the season's seconds for a very reasonable price, and now I am throws of the last canning of the season. It is a blessing. And sad, too, knowing there won't be fresh tomatoes again until next july.

So here are some pictures of my kitchen and my tomatoes. And now, back to my regularly scheduled programming: canning.

:-)

How to Cook Beans and Make them Yummie

I make beans frequently.  Why?

1. they are cheap!
2. they fill you up like meat. 
3. they stretch dishes with meat in them. (chili, sloppy joes, soups, etc.)
4. they have protein.
5. they are not wheat.
6. they are not dairy. 

I recently discoverd that putting beans in the pressure cooker is so awesome.  The beans cook really quickly.  You don't have to soak them. They are always perfect. 

I learned reccently also that it is okay to cook beans with salt!  When I first started cooking them, I read that salt makes beans tough when you cook them and should always add it after they are cooked. But I always felt my beans were flat and lacked 'zing.' Even when I cooked them with onion and garlic! Now, I cook them with salt.  And usually in the pressure cooker. 

Here's how:

for every one cup of beans, add 1 tsp salt and four cups water to your pan or pressure cooker. 

look up how long to cook your beans in a pressure cooker.  Or about how long they take on the stove. 

Cook them for that long. 

Use them in whatever you like. 

See?  Easy. Now you can make beans frequently too! 

Preserving herbs

This year is the first that I have successfully preserved herbs from my garden. I took the leaves, whizzed them up in the food processor, put in some oil (I used a mix of expeller pressed coconut and olive) to coat, scrape it out into a ziploc bag. I froze it in a very thin layer, and when I need it, it is easy to break off just the size chunk I want.  The flavors are preserved very well. I am really happy with the way it turned out!

In other years, I have dehydrated the leaves or put them in the freezer whole. Dehydrating the leaves takes away the flavor and makes them tough. Putting them whole in the freezer is better, but there can be that freezer flavor if they stay awhile. I am hoping the oil will keep out the freezer flavor. 

Peek at Good Family Homeschool

Here is a picture of what homeschooling at the Good house looks like when everything is going great. This is not normal, but for ten minutes today I was in homeschool heaven. :-)

John coloring
Sam cutting out clothes to decorate a guy I drew for him. His shirt says, "I liic iscrem"
Ben doing reading work
Ellie coloring her traced self from cubbies on Wednesday
Me making lunch

Tomato paste

I got three (three!) Cases of seconds tomatoes from the farmer in charge of our csa. I have been branching out from my usual crushed tomatoes since I have so many tomatoes this year. :-)

I made salsa (with plans for another double batch), crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and now tomato paste.

I have to admit, it was benjamin's idea. And I am so glad he thought of it! I cooked a 8 quart pot of tomatoes down to about three or four cups. It was chris' idea to put the paste in ice cube trays and freeze them. Also, I had three half cup jars, so I put those three in a water bath. Now I have a bunch of tomato paste cubes just waiting to be put into a soup or chili or sloppy joes or... whatever!