Homemade Emergen-C

  It seems everyone is fighting a virus this season, and it's makes me feel better to be proactive with my family's health. We wash our hands, avoid refined sugar, drink lots of tea and up our intake of vitamin D and C! Even the baby knows how to tip up his chin and stick out his tongue to get a drop of vit D before bed. A fun way to get more vitamin C for the whole family is a packet of Emergen-C, but those packets are incredibly expensive, sugary and have some sketchy ingredients. You can make it better at home, for pennies a glass. I looked online for a similar recipe to share with friends but was surprised that I couldn't find one, so here's a quick one for reference. Everyone here drinks one or two glasses a day. Start with one to be sure you don't experience a laxative effect.

  My basic base recipe is 1 part baking soda, 1 part stevia, 2 parts ascorbic acid.

Once you have your base made, measure out a rounded 1/4 tsp into an 8 oz glass 

~pink lemonade base~

Add 1T lemon juice and a little warm water

~organic lemon juice~

It will fizz and when the fizzing dies down just fill it the rest of the way with ice water.

  This basic recipe is so simple and tasty that everyone loves it, and even the kindergartener makes his own, which is helpful for me!

  I recently adjusted the basic recipe to squeeze even more nutrients into it. Whole foods have complex structures and endless components that help the body utilize the nutrients within them. The use of fresh lemon juice makes this vitamin C drink far superior to the packets to begin with, but I added powdered lemon peel and beet root powder to help round it out even more. Both are high in vitamins and beet root is very nutrient dense. Makes a pretty pink lemonade, too! Sometime I hope to try powdering some freeze dried strawberries to add in-sounds delicious!

~ The ratios for the pink lemonade are 4 parts basic base, 1 part beet root powder, 1 part powdered lemon peel. ~

You will want to just use a little extra base powder than usual for your lemonade. To good health!

 Update: Be sure to store your mix in an airtight container bc if it is exposed to moisture it will harden and become difficult to scoop out! 

A Love That Believes Fragile Hearts Can't Break

  I heard these words today, and they startled me. Preston Perry was referring to the love a man and wife are called to, but that was not the image God burned into the space where eyes read into the heart. My family has been called to love one of our own like this. We're in a place where the relationship has been so broken the mere remembrance of it sears pain and loss.
  I am incredibly blessed to call my parents and my siblings believers. Professed sinners who's passionate claim of Christ follows word with deed. But not one. One has polarized, renouncing her faith and disowning us. As often as her pain fully rears its head, she hurls flaming attacks bent on destroying us to ease the loss felt. Desperate to inflict ruin to heal pain. Broken, in desperate need of the Gospel that has been heard, but never experienced.
  It might seem an easy task to see the torment and react in forgiveness, in love. But we too, need the Gospel every moment. To love with abandon. Love like that isn't natural, isn't mine. When it feels like already our hearts have been broken, how can we love with a belief that fragile hearts can't break? I have GOOD NEWS. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Love will be given. Philippians 4:19 God will supply-He IS love itself. 1 John 4:8 I need not doubt my Father's plans. Jeremiah 29:11-13

CocoMint Toothpaste

This morning Isaiah and I spent some time whipping up some toothpaste since we are out. It amazes me how he already knows which herbs he likes out of the dozens of bags in my herb pantry...he'll pick out the cinnamon, chamomile and stevia and tell me "Mmmmm, Mommy!" Kids pick things up so quickly.

So here's my recipe:
~use a glass or ceramic bowl and wooden spoon, do not use metal for mixing bentonite clay~

1/2 Tbls. dried stevia herb, crushed finely and sifted

1 Tbls. baking soda

2 Tbls. bentonite clay










1/2 cup extra virgin organic coconut oil, *just* melted
  &
6 drops peppermint essential oil (add more to get that really minty aftertaste...I like mine mildly minty)

Whisk quickly to remove lumps if necessary, but you don't want the metal in contact with the mixture of long since the clay will absorb the heavy metals out of your whisk.
Continue stirring once in a while to keep it from settling while it hardens.

I am impatient and try to speed things up. :-)

Once it has firmed up but is still soft, scrape into little pots...

add a little "spoon" to each...

cap & label! Voila!

Fresh, clean teeth with no worries. :-)







Brushing with this is a little messier than brushing with your usual toothpaste-in-a-tube, but in my mind, it's worth it. :-)

Canning Homemade Apple Pie Filling

I put up 20 quarts of pie filling last night & I've a had a couple people ask me how I can apple pie filling so I thought I'd have fun with a tutorial-complete with lots of pictures!
[proceed at your own risk. pressure canners are notoriously dangerous :P]

Step #1

Peel lots of apples. Core lots of apples. Slice lots of apples.

Step #2 (optional)

Dump all those apples into water spiked with lemon juice to treat for browning.

Step #3

Wash quart jars in really hot, sudsy water. Some people boil them. I'm too lazy.

Rinse in really hot water, and set on a clean towel to dry.

Step #4

See my cute little crock?  It's supposed to be for sauces, but this is mostly what I use it for! Heat some water and pour the almost boiling water in a little crock (or pan) with your clean lids and keep it hot, but don't boil.

Step #5 

Into 7 mugs or little bowls measure each 1/3 c sugar [I am out of raw sugar :( ]

1 tablespoon flour

 & 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

Give them a little stir.

Step #6

Allow apples to drain a bit with a slotted spoon.

Loosely measure 3-4 cups of apples (after one jar you'll know how much to use)

Dump into a large bowl with one mug of the sugar/spice mixture

Mix well to combine (I use my fingers)

Step #7

Using a funnel, fill jars with prepared filling (1, 3-4 cup batch per jar)

7 jars all filled

Step #8

Wipe the rims with a clean, lint free rag dipped in hot water. You do not want anything on the rim! Your jars will not seal!

Using the "lid lifter" (I don't know what it's called!) pull out lids-one at a time-dry with another lint free rag, and place squarely on the clean jar rims. You need good rubber connection for a good seal!

Add rings, tighten well.

Step #9

Follow pressure canner instructions to process for 10 min. at 10 pounds pressure. Allow canner to depressurize on its own. You can speed the process up by carefully placing the whole thing in a sink of water, but I usually don't. Do not lift the weight or lid until the pressure has dropped!! 

[Alternatively you can process them in a water-bath canner for 30 minutes.]

Step #10

Carefully lift jars out and set on a towel to cool.

Don't touch these for 24 hours or you will risk messing with the seal. I usually wait two days to wash the jars and remove the rings.

*A note of caution:

When you use hand-me-down jars...they sometimes buckle under the pressure, and you will have 20 jars of filling instead of 21.

Making Your Home A Haven

I've been so inspired by a Fall Challenge from Courtney at WomenLivingWell  [follow the link] I stumbled across a few weeks ago, that I had to share it! Last week we were supposed to light a candle every day, but the best part was her suggestion to pray for a peaceful home every time your eye catches the candle's flickering. I have been doing very well, I'm happy to report! Our house is little, so my candle catches my gaze so frequently that I've expanded it to be a reminder for me to talk to God all day long. I'm ashamed to admit that talking to my Lord constantly is not something that flows out of me naturally-I am not accustomed to it. I get caught up in day to day life and forget to pray. However, I am determined to build a habit! I am so excited about this!! I think this will be my favorite week of the challenge, but you never know :o)

Bread Machine Honey&Wheat Butterhorns

1 cup milk or milk alternative

3-4 tablespoons honey

1 large egg

1/3 cup coconut oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

( I actually use more wheat flour than that-but it's fresh-ground and very fine. I recommend keeping the wheat.to.white ratio at this level until you are familiar with this recipe!)

2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 pkg.)

Dump all ingredients into your bread machine in the order given, set to dough cycle and start.

When it's done rising, split the dough into two lumps and let rest 5-10 min.

Roll each one out into a circle, like this ^

Smear about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons soft butter on each circle with your fingers

Cut each circle into 12 wedges

and roll them up ^

Place on a greased cookie sheet to rise, about 30 min [^ these are not yet risen]

Bake for 15-20 min in a preheated 350 degree oven

Delish!

My 3 boys love these warm or cold and spread with raw, spun honey

[yes, our honey spreads...it's the best stuff!]



Apricot Chicken

Here is my version of this recipe for my freezer cooking day.

2-3 cans (whatever you think equals 1 1/2 lbs!) apricots in extra light syrup (I bought mine at Aldi)
5-6 frozen chicken breasts (depending on their size, use enough for a whole meal)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 chopped onion
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 -1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-3 teaspoons Tabasco or other hot sauce
salt & pepper

Drain all but one can of apricots and coarsely chop 1/3 of them. Puree the remaining 2/3, including the undrained can. Saute chopped onion in the oil, once browned add the broth, apricot puree, cinnamon, rosemary and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to gently simmer uncovered for 20-30 min. Add chopped apricots and simmer 5 min.
Now, you can either grill your chicken and serve it with the apricot sauce over rice, or like I did, cook the chicken breasts in the sauce in a crock pot all afternoon. If you do this reserve 1/4 cup of sauce [so 1-1 1/2 cups in all] to pour over each piece of chicken when you serve it over rice.

Matt loved this recipe-the chicken was so tender and the flavor just complex enough to suit both our tastes ;o) Yay!