Adoption and tinctures

This year's family portrait, next year, I'm hoping there will be two more little girls!

 My life has been super busy!!! I assumed that once the kids were in school, I would have all these hours in the day to clean my house (how clean can it really get?) and stay on top of laundry, dinner, homework, and dishes. I had this completely distorted view of what "life with all kids in school" would be like.

A few weeks into the kids' school, I realized that I was very very wrong. My house is actually full of more clutter and crumbs than ever before. We had a nasty gnat infestation, that I am still trying to recover from. I hid my bananas in the microwave (which I rarely use) and oven to try to escape the numerous gnats that landed on them. I covered the harvested green tomatoes and covered them over. The few hours I have are full of partially touched on attempts to complete (laundry and clean counters are last battles, I must acknowledge).

I also added two new events to focus my time and energy on. Adopting internationally out of Romania, and working on my schooling degree. Both, I have longed for in my heart for many years. And this seemed like the right time. I am wondering if I have bit more than I can chew! We have just begun our home study and I just turned in my application to renew my green card. I will then need to apply for my Romanian citizenship followed by getting my American citizenship. It will allow my to get my visa. It is a long, bureaucratic process. At times it feels daunting....and I have begun to raise funds. This is the site that I have created to help us. Free gifts are always humbling to recieve....but we are grateful for the support that we have gotten all along the way!

I have not been able to sit and read and study, like I envisioned, either. Sneaking in time to focus on my studies has been very difficult! I am attempting to get my nutritional consultant degree. The anatomy and physiology part is intimidating. I will truck on. It is my desire to get my degree and begin a practice next year. We'll see.

So I will close out with Tinctures. I have just begun to dabble in them. I just finished a batch of echinacea tincture. I started to grow the plant from seed this last spring. I loved the site with the information on it. I have since given out some of the final product to friends I know that are battling cancer. We shall see what happens. Tinctures are simple. It is just a long soaking process with the plant exposed to alcohol or water. The alcohol preserves the nutrients that are pulled in the soaking process. I simple chopped up my echinacea leaves and part of the root and stuck it in bacardi 151 for 7 weeks, occasionally shaking it. 

I happened to make some vanilla extract at the same time

happy tincture making everyone!! I will let you know how my friends battling cancers do...But I have already taken some due to sick symptoms, or headaches.....and have felt great, and not gotten sick :) Pin It Now!

Grain-less, Vegan, Gluten free, Double Chocolate Chip Cupcake/Muffins

It seems like summer came and left in a very short and abrupt manner. Usually by the time that winter rolls close, I'm ready to switch gears, to inside activities and blazing fires to keep the viscous weather amusing to watch out my window. And not terrifying because the threat it may bring. In the middle of -50 weather, I am always aware of how brutal the elements can be to us vulnerable humans, when I'm in my home staring out my windows as warmth from my oven and fireplace fill my house. But this year, I'm not quite ready.  Currently I'm typing away, as I see the pounding fall wind, have it's way with my kale, chard, and the few other items that remain from my constant months of cutting.  I will miss my garden. The carrots and potatoes are still needing to be harvested. And the tomatoes are still giving me sweet treats to munch on, freeze, or to juice. Tomatoes from a grocery story are a terrible representation of what the fruit actually tastes like. I grew my garden with organic heirloom seeds and tested my tomatoes with two kinds of seed view...the hybrids (done through regular, selective breeding, not gmo, but organic) and heirloom (seeds from varieties that have been around for a long time).....there are two sides debating the quantity and quality of each. I will no longer grow anything but the heirloom! It has been such fun seeing colors and odd shapes, plants I never find at that grocery store place that I'm dreading having to go to during the winter :(

my bounty

But onward and upward I strive to climb. My children have all been in school almost 3 weeks! Yaye!! Except that I still haven't felt that freedom, yet, that comes from having some free time. Why? Well because I have had to go and deal with behavior issues from my oldest and youngest kids...my boys. Parenting is a humbling, humbling, job. I was way better at it when I didn't have children and I saw how other people "where doing it wrong". How hard can it be? I'd think, watching a child throw a fit, and wishing the parent would just pick up the child and spank. Needless to say, I'm eating massive amounts of Humble Pie, and I think it has gluten and casein in it, cause I constantly feel crazy and sick. 

I have also started school...I am studying online through this college....I am beginning with the nutritional consultant program. I spent several hours last night studying all the different parasites and yeast overgrowth that can and often does occur in the gut, that goes undiagnosed, and untreated in America....I am pretty convinced I have all of them! (yep, I think that way). The amount of material and information I need to absorb is overwhelming. But what really overwhelms me is the research documents/case studies that I'll have to put together. In case you, the reader, haven't noticed...punctuality, and sentence structure...is not my strong suit....what can I say? I love dots!

So I've been dabbling in tinctures. I grew echinacea this spring, and the plant just has been happy and growing, so I will post what I'm doing with it, soon.

In the meantime I will divulge the recipe you came for. I have been trying to bake just the right chocolate muffin....for years!!! (I think I'm going to use this recipe for brownies, if anyone beats me to it, let me know how they come out) I came up with this recipe tonight, so that I could have something to stick in my children's lunches tomorrow (I know, right?!). But since I have a great amount of zucchini, I feel good about this judgement call. No zantham gum or starch flours, because, I just don't think either is great for your body (I have deep suspicions about where zantham gum is grown)

Side note, I'm still trying to figure out, why my first cupcake had a piece of glass in it? I may never know the answer to the disturbing mystery, but it happened. I bit in the cupcake and a hard piece was in my gooey middle experience....I was confident that it was an isolated peice of glass...but where did it come from?

Double Chocolatey Goodness Muffins, oh wait, Cupcakes?

So here's what I did... set oven to 350 and set aside 1 1/4c of coconut milk (I used So Deliscious) and add a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, the milk will curdle,  (voila, vegan "buttermilk", without puss or blood:) set aside.

Dry ingredients to mix

1/3c of garbanzo/fava bean flour mix (you can use Bob's mill brand) but I simply ground full beans in my vitamix and have a 3/4c of fava to 1c of garbanzo bean mixture, waiting for me in the fridge

1/3c of buckwheat flour (again I grind mine in the vitamix)

1/3c of quinoa flour (it really saves you money to grind your own)

1/4c of ground chia seeds or ground flax (again I recomend grinding your own in a coffee grinder)

1/2c of cocoa powder

1/2c of coconut palm sugar/crystals (low glycemic)

1t of baking soda (aluminum free)

2t of baking powder (see above)

1/2t of salt
mix your dry ingredients nicely....then add

1T of vanilla extract (I make my own...sooo easy, I'll post how with the echinacea tincture blog)

1/2c of coconut oil melted (you can use olive, if you don't have coconut)

now grab a blender (or a grater) and mix some of the curdled milk with a half a medium sized zucchini....(I tend to use about a cup cubed size).... once all blended...add to the batter and mix thoroughly....

scoop up in tins and bake for 22 minutes (fill tins about 3/4 full, they will rise)... this batter made me 15 muffins (be sure to fill the spots without batter, with water, so the heat distribute evenly) ...shout out to my friend, Tiffany Seale for that great tip! 

It's been a full day, good night

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Gluten Free Vegan Cupcake I Stumbled Upon

Today was a lovely day....I woke up and had enough of my juicer this morning. We've had a cheap model (I think it's the hamilton model) for almost a year, and before that we had another cheap centrifuge model purchased at a store I rarely go to, because  I loath it (walmart). But hey, they served their purposes. These past few weeks, the juice has been getting chunks and I have to was out the clogged screen, only to be further annoyed, when it clogs back up again, after I attempt to juice anything.

We've had another family live with us, for the past month. It has been an extremely easy, and pleasant experience. I kinda held my breath for the first part of the transition, but I didn't need to, it went smooth. Toby and I are drawn to communal living type environments. An environment where people work together to accomplish good for the great. A group that is more about working together, than accomplishing for self. I know it's ideological, but I can't shift from the longing, regardless of getting a tad bit burned in the process.

So one of the cool things about this other family, is that they eat vegan and mostly raw. It was refreshing to have them sample food and have them eat my recipes, while sharing theirs. I guess it was just super nice to have someone else in the kitchen, even though there were so many of us. I love having someone to hang out with, while I prepare food....it soothes.... I got to learn a few tricks from Tiffany, which I will carry with me for a while. I learned to add water in empty muffin tins, so that it bakes evenly. I learned that when making enchiladas, taking the tortillas and dunking them in enchilada sauce is the key to having your enchiladas have the perfect moisture! (also, my enchilada sauce recipe is pretty spicy) along the way I purchased a spiralizer (making noodles out of zucchini is amazing!) and that is what leads me to my juicer purchase....I bought the omega 8004, after much consideration.....I'll have to let you guys know how it goes

I kinda stumbled on this recipe....I was trying to create a whole grain muffin that is lighter than my current recipe...also I wanted to use up some of the amazing zucchini that I got from my grandmother.....but in the process, I realized that it is very much a cupcake batter...so I will use it for cupcakes in a couple of days for my birthday treat.

The Accidental Vanilla Cupcake
preheat oven to 350
line muffin tins (I'm guessing about 24 cupcakes, but i could be wrong)

first get a cup of coconut milk and add 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (the milk will curdle, voila, buttermilk)

mix these dry ingredients:
1/3c quinoa flour (yep, I just buy quinoa in bulk and grind in my vita mix, if I have time, I prefer to       sprout my quinoa and dehydrate it, then grind it)
1/3c buckwheat flour (same as above)
1/3c millet flour (same as above :)
1/2c of garbanzo flour/fava bean flour mix (I grind my own beans, and mix a 3/4c fave to 1c garb.        bean combo), you can get bob's red mill brand
1/4c of ground chia (I use a coffee grinder)
1c of coconut crystals
3t baking powder
1/2t of baking soda
pinch of salt (1/2t-1/4t)

in a blender combine about 3/4 of a typical small zucchini. I used half a big garden one :) and 1/3c of the coconut milk....mix thoroughly.....

add wet ingredients

2T of vanilla extract
1/2c of melted coconut oil
the rest 2/3c of "buttermilk" coconut milk...

bake for 20-22 minutes...let cool for 15 minutes then frost!
I happened to just top off with a few chocolate chips...

Everyone loved these....Hope you do too...
 







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Gluten free Vegan Sweet Potato Waffles with strawberries from my garden...

Today we were able to do something that we've waited over a year to do. We were able to go outside and pick enough strawberries from our strawberry patch, to put on waffles!!! Well, we decided to do waffles over pancakes after the picking was done. There is nothing more fulfilling than going outside and getting your food from your garden...nothing.

We have been juicing from the garden every morning. Typically Toby and I prefer to wake up to a glass of freshly juiced greens. Now, we have been able to get it from our garden, and let me tell you, I feel like I can fly! The energy and cleansing power is impossible to explain, you just have to experience it.

A few days ago, I juiced some greens for my oldest son, who has gut issues. I haven't juiced for him for a while, and I was wondering why.....Well, on the second morning, his whole body detoxed. He spent some time on the toilet in the afternoon, went to bed later in the afternoon, woke up with a slight fever...watched TV for an hour, then promptly went back to bed, sleeping over 12 hours. He woke up fine, and clear headed. He is able to express himself and his needs so much clearer. I am a huge advocate of juicing. I think it's an amazing gift to the body....but back to my waffles...side note, the coconut sauce should be made at least 6 hours before using, because it needs time to set

You will need a good waffle iron. I have mine, and it's used a few times a year....but it does fulfill my kitchen gadget addiction (I'm pretty sure I have one). I have a list of needs, wheat-grass manual juicer, food processor (nope, I don't have one), a canning pot, etc.....I bought a yam/sweet potato (I don't think there's a difference) a few days ago.... poked a few holes in the skins and baked about an hour and voila! no need for canned anything!

 MMWAFFLES

dry ingredients
1 1/2 c of quinoa flour
1 1/2 c of buckwheat flour (i strongly suggest using a mill to grind fresh grains, I use my vitamix)
3t of baking powder
1t of baking soda
3T of ground chia (I use my coffee grinder)
mix well, then add wet
2T of oil
1-2T of agave, of coconut nectar  (love this)
3c of coconut milk mixed with 3T of organic apple cider vinegar (this will cause the "milk" to curdle and turn into "buttermilk")
about 1/2 c of sweet potato mixed with a dash of coconut milk, in a blender (i use this to make a creamy mixture
mix all ingredients well, you want a nice runny medium thick batter.

spray waffle iron with oil, and dump about 1/2 c of batter.....

now, I had some coconut frosting left in the fridge, from another dessert project I made earlier this week...it is a great cream recipe because it keeps for a long time in the fridge (1 month in the fridge)...and, it uses very little sweetener....you can find this great recipe, among many other wonderful treats! in this book..... in a vita mix, or blender....

Vanilla frosting/vanilla sauce

1 1/2c of coconut milk
3/4c of dry rice milk powder (they have this at sunshines, locally)
1/4c of agave, or the coconut nectar
1T vanilla extract
1 1/2 c of melted coconut oil
2T fresh lemon juice

mix first 4 ingredients and slowly add half the coconut oil, then half the lemon, the rest of the coconut oil then the remaining lemon juice....keep in an air tight container in the fridge.....

Enjoy!!

This is a delphinium from my garden.....the picture cannot match the beauty of this flower in reality....it is iridescent and luminous. It glistens several shades of color. The middle of the blossom looks like a bumble bee.....I went outside and cut some blooms, stuck them in a vase, and now.....it makes me happy to look at them....

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