Health Journal - Making Vegetables the Main Course (Part 2)

I should have named this post "Making Produce the Main Course".  The more you can focus on produce when menu planning, the healthier your family will be.  It is a very easy way to simplify a busy life.  There is no need to make fancy recipes.  Just keep it simple- fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, and lots of cooked vegetables with dinner.  Eat as much as you want, you will be totally satisfied, and you will look and feel great.  I will give you some ideas for meals that have worked well for our family.

If you are dealing with disease, extra weight, allergies, or chronic fatigue - anything, your answer is found in your food.  As Hippocrates said,

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food."

God did not give us all those nutrient-rich foods for no reason.  They are packed with all that our bodies need for good health!  As I said before, God is the Master Chemist!  He created all kinds of foods for our bodies, but we think we are smarter than God.  We take those healthy foods, pull certain constituents out of them, put them in a pill or capsule, and think we will find health.  I have tried taking vitamin and mineral supplements and they don't work!!!  They make you sicker.  You do not need vitamins, you just need God's food.  The following is a quote from the book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.:

"There are subtle nuances and nutritive interactions that create disease resistance from the synergy of diverse substances in natural foods.  Like a symphony orchestra whose members play in perfect harmony, our body depends on the harmonious interactions of nutrients, both known and unknown.  By supplying a rich assortment of natural foods, we best maximize the function of the human masterpiece."
 

I believe that grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fats, raw milk, and meat are also important for good health, but fruits and vegetables are the best source of disease-fighting ,nutrient-dense food, so make them the main course! :)

Here are some ideas for breakfast.

A grated apple with baked oatmeal (Let me know if you want this recipe. It's the best oatmeal!) and ground flaxseed - this is one of my favorite breakfasts!

Simply grate an apple, put a scoop of baked oatmeal on top, and sprinkle with ground flaxseed.  Flaxseed is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, so add some to your breakfast or put some in a smoothie.  There is no need to take an Omega-3 supplement, just eat flaxseeds or walnuts daily.

 

Here we have scrambled eggs with onions, mushrooms, and garlic on a bed of spinach greens and fresh broccoli.  Great breakfast!

This quick and simple breakfast is not only healthy but surprisingly filling.  It's just fruit (apple, orange, and kiwi) covered with ground flaxseed.  We are always trying new fruit combinations to spice things up a bit. :)

 

 

We usually have a kefir shake every day for a snack, otherwise we will just have fresh fruit.  Here are two more that we like.

 

These banana sandwiches are made with a combination of peanut butter, coconut, and maple syrup.  They are yummy!

Here we have the same peanut butter mixture as above only I added more maple syrup to make it easier for dipping.  Ground flaxseed could easily be added to this too.

Snackin' during science class. :)

 

 

Some lunch ideas... 

 

We bake the sprouted grain tortillas in the oven just long enough to make them crisp and dipped them in our white bean hummus. Chips, dip, and a fresh salad - a great lunch!

 

 

Here we have a vegetable wrap. It's just grated carrots, chopped cabbage, red & green peppers, and homemade ranch dressing. (As a side note, my boys are not fond of some vegetables, like fresh peppers. That is fine with me. Their wraps had everything but the peppers. They eat peppers all the time when I put them in things, like soup, and don't complain.)

 

 

Another wrap idea. This one is made with egg salad. First I put chopped romaine lettuce in the wrap, then slices of cheese, a scoop of egg salad, grated carrots, and chopped cabbage.

 

 A couple dinner ideas...

 

This is vegetable chili.  Simply make your usual chili recipe only add a ton of veggies and extra seasoning.  I think I added 2-3x the amount of chili powder and salt to this recipe.  I just added all kinds of frozen garden produce - zucchini, tomatoes, beans, carrots, peppers, broccoli, onions, and asparagus

 .

Vegetable chili with crushed chips, shredded cheese, and plain yogurt.  We all love this meal!

 

 

Underneath this pile of goodies is a baked potato.  One of my favorite dinners is a baked potato bar.  We put all kinds of topping on the table and just create our own specialty. 

The following foods make great toppings:

 

taco meat

sour cream or plain yogurt

onions

sauerkraut

peppers

dill relish

tomatoes

shredded cheese

mushrooms

 

 

There is so much variety in fruits and vegetables that meals never get boring.  Try creating your own nutrient-dense meals.  You'll be glad you did! :)

Farm Kitchen Menu - Banana Pancakes

Moms it is our job to help nourish our families bodies.  Do not neglect your duty to feed your family well!  I admit that at times it seems mundane and meaningless, but we must remember that we are giving our children a foundation of health when we feed them well while they are in our home.  Fight distractions and make time for healthy meals.  Here's a recipe your family is sure to love! :)

Banana Pancakes

In the evening, mix the following together in a ceramic bowl:

2 cups oatmeal
2 cups wheat flour
2 1/2 cups raw milk
1 cup raw kefir

Cover bowl with a towel.  (If you do not have raw milk, skip this step and just add 3 1/2 cups of milk to the AM recipe .) In the morning add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 mashed bananas

Mix well! Ladle onto a griddle and fry until golden brown on both sides.  Enjoy with maple syrup or strawberry sauce! :)

Farm Kitchen Menu - Eggs

We usually eat eggs for breakfast two or three times a week.  But it is very rare that I just serve fried eggs.  I see eggs as an opportunity for lots of nutrition! :)  Almost any vegetable or herbs tastes great with eggs.  I generally start out by sauteing chopped onions, garlic, and peppers in butter.  If I have other ingredients on hand like mushrooms or broccoli, I will add those too.  Then I beat my eggs with milk and pour those over vegetables.  Once those are cooked, I start adding my vitamins and minerals - herbs! :)  Don't think of herbs as just seasoning; they are so much more than that!

Parsley for example contains vitamins A, C, & E, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and B vitamins...and much more!  And herbs are not only high in nutrition, but many are also high in antioxidants.  Oregano and Sage top the charts for antioxidant levels.

Leftovers also make great additions to eggs.  Last week we had tacos for supper, so the leftover ingredients were added to our eggs the next morning, with lots of oregano and topped with cheese (I top most egg dishes with cheese).  Some morning we will wrap our eggs up in a tortilla.  When I have leftover chicken, I like to add that to eggs as well.  Sage or basil are good herbs to use with this dish.  This morning I made my eggs with chopped fresh asparagus (our first harvest of the season).  Big hit! :)  We have also been enjoying our fresh garden spinach chopped up and added to eggs (see picture).

Don't be afraid to use lots of herbs!  Many times I pour (literally) parsley, basil, and oregano over my dishes - especially eggs, soup, and chicken.  Think of parsley as salt, and use it generously. 

When I serve an egg dish, it is usually accompanied by bacon or homemade sausage.  I also like to add oranges or orange juice to the table since vitamin C helps our bodies absorb iron. Mmmm...breakfast just like Grandma used to make and full of nutrition! :)

Farm Kittchen Menu - March 7th

BREAKFAST
HF Scrambled eggs with HF garlic and parsley
Homemade sourdough bread toasted with honey
Chai Tea (recipe below)

SNACK
oranges

LUNCH
Taco Salad
mixed greens
ground pork with homemade taco seasoning
HF red onion
tomatoes
cheese
tortilla chips
plain yogurt

SNACK
kefir shake (frozen bananas, HF frozen strawberries, vanilla, HF kefir, goat milk)

SUPPER
Homemade Split Pea soup
Emily's wonderful baking powder biscuits


Homemade Chai Tea
4 slices ginger root
1 T. anise seed
1 T. green cardamon pods
1 T. cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. peppercorns
1 T. vanilla

Cover and simmer above ingredients (except vanilla) for 20 minutes in 14 cups of water.  Turn off heat and add 3T. Darjeeling Tea.  Steep covered for 10 minutes.  Strain tea and add 1 T. vanilla,  2/3 cup of honey, and 1 cup of cream or milk.

Tips:
Some friends from India taught us to keep our ginger root in the freezer.  This works really well.  The frozen root is fairly easy to slice or grate.

After I strain the tea, I just cannot throw away all those wonderful spices, so I fill my pot back up with about a gallon of water and let the water sit in the pot with the herbs for the rest of the day.  In the evening, I strain the tea off into a pitcher and put it in the refrigerator.  The next day we have more Chai Tea to drink - hot or cold! :)

Farm Kitchen Menu - March 3rd

Here's a great menu for lunch!  We had this last week.

Salad
mixed greens
kale
HF hard boiled eggs
grated cheese
diced tomatoes
diced avocado
celery slices
shredded cabbage

Homemade French Dressing (see recipe below)

Winter Squash with coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup on top - yum!


Homemade French Dressing Recipe:
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp.  Braggs liquid aminos or Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. 

This dressing has been a family favorite for many years and our guests always like it too! :)  It is very rare that we buy salad dressing.  They are so easy to make, not to mention healthier and cheaper when homemade too. :)

Farm Kitchen Menu - February 9th

This is my first "Farm Kitchen Menu" for our blog.  I thought it might be helpful for others to know how our family eats.  It may also help to dispel the myth that we are self-sufficient. :)  Unfortunately, as dreamy as that sounds, it is not as easy to attain as one might think.  The foods that we have grown or raised ourselves are marked with a "HF" for Housman Farms.
Breakfast
Omelets (cooked with lard)
HF eggs
HF goats milk
HF green peppers
HF onions
HF kale
HF garlic
shredded raw cheese

Sourdough Muffins (see recipe below)

Fresh squeezed (by Benjamin) Orange Juice

Breakfast was followed by a cup of Organic coffee, with raw honey and raw cream.  We were stuffed! :)

Sourdough Muffins
Night before combine:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup of yogurt, kefir, or whey
2 cups raw milk (you could add water if you do not have raw milk)
Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it on the counter overnight.

Next morning add:

4 beaten eggs
1 cup of honey
1 T. Vanilla
1 cup of coconut oil or butter (melted)
Mix well, then add:

2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup of raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
Mix well
We put the batter into muffin cups and bake them at 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

Lunch
Salad
mixed greens
kale
cucumbers
HF chicken breast
HF pickled eggs
grated cheese

Homemade French dressing

Sliced apples
 
Snack
Kefir shake
HF kefir
frozen bananas
HF frozen strawberries
vanilla

Sourdough muffins, again

Dinner
Tacos
ground venison with homemade taco seasoning
mixed greens
grated cheese
avocados
tomatoes
HF salsa
ww tortillas

No dessert :)