Aunt LeArta's Easy Wheat Bread

My great-aunt LeArta is somewhat of a wheat guru. She has a book published called The Amazing Wheat Book, which I highly recommend, especially if you have wheat stored for long-term food storage. This is her basic bread recipe, which is easy enough that I can make it with two small children in the house. The recipe makes 5 loaves, and freezes well.

Mix in bowl till flour is wet:

5 C hot tap water (140 F)

1/3 C honey

5 C wheat flour (of 11-12 C)

1/2-1 C gluten flour

Add and mix for 15 sec:

3 T yeast

Add and mix for 5 min:

2/3 C oil (olive or vegetable)

1 T salt

Add seasoning (if you want)

Continue adding flour (from 5 1/2 to 7 C or more) until dough becomes elastic-like, springs back to the touch and does not stick to your fingers or to the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead with an electric bread mixer for about 6 minutes or by hand about 10 minutes (300 kneadings)

With oil on your hands remove the dough from bowl and form into loaves. Place in a warm oven (125 degrees), let rise to couble in bulk. Turn oven up to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes or until top and bottom crust are brown.

If you would like more info on bread making, see her book or the Quick Wholesome Foods Video.

Raw Cheesey Dip

I got this recipe from my aunt Kara, who got it from her friend. I've tweaked it a bit, so I feel alright about posting it here.

Ingredients:
1 C raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast (not the same as brewers yeast. You might need to buy it at a health food store)
1 red, orange, or yellow pepper
juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbs. Spice Hunter (or similar) brand Mexican seasoning mix (or other spice blend of your choice)

Directions:
In a food processor (or really good blender), blend the cashews into a fine powder. Set aside. Blend the red pepper, then add back the cashew and mix. Mix in yeast, lemon juice and spice. Blend until well integrated. Serve as a dip for veggies, chips or crackers, or spread on tortillas as a sauce for a wrap.

Satisfying Summer Sandwich

I threw this sandwich together for a quick lunch.

Ingredients

two slices wheat bread (I'll post my aunt LeArta's quick and easy wheat bread recipe soon)

hummus

cheese (this sandwich had Havarti. I also love Pepper Jack)

tomato slices

avocado slices

matchstick carrots (shredded work well also)

mixed greens

salt and pepper to taste

The carrots give the sandwich a satisfying crunch, and complement the hummus well. Give them a chance--I think you'll like the results. :)

Ice Cream Therapy

I knew my goal of eating less refined sugar would be the hardest for me; I just didn't realize the scope of my sugar addiction. I use sugar for many things: yesterday I used the cookies for a little energy boost to help me make it through bedtime routines, etc. Today I used ice cream as an anti-depressant. I have a long history of choosing Rocky Road instead of Prozac. I first remember being aware of using ice cream to alter my mood in college. I would get stressed out and ready to collapse, so I would go running and eat a pint of Phish Food (not all in one sitting, but pretty close) and feel like I could handle anything.

Today I ended up stuck in the house most of the day--I didn't have access to a car today, and the weather was way too hot to walk anywhere after 8:00 a.m. In fact, I went on a short walk with the kids at 9:30 and returned home drenched in sweat. My husband came home from work and started working on wiring something for his car. Suddenly, I felt stir crazy and depressed. I had the urge to sprint out of the house and run, but it was still too hot, and my jog stroller has a fast leak in one tire. So, I left my husband in charge of the baby and headed to Baskin Robbins with my daughter. I felt sanity return to me after the first chocolatey lick.

So, I think in order to successfully meet my sugar goal I'm going to have to get regular exercise. Our lives are pretty packed with obligations, but I'm going to have to find something that works. Just walking around the neighborhood isn't cutting it. I need those endorphins, baby! Any ideas?

Curry and Cookies

I made dinner tonight for a friend who just had a baby. She is allergic to egg and dairy (just like my daughter), so I made her some recipes I found while I was avoiding those foods.
Shauna's Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 stick of dairy free butter, softened (I prefer Nucoa or Earth Balance)
1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
8 oz silken tofu (soft) pureed in blender or food processor
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 C flour
6-8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cream together first five ingredients. Add the next three and mix together. Mix in two to three cups of flour and check the dough. Dough should be sticky enough to form balls, but not stick to your hands. Add more flour if needed. Stir in chocolate chips. Use an ice cream scooper or large spoon to form into balls and place on a cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan (my favorite). Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Cookies should be golden brown on top (see picture above). Cool on a baking rack or somewhere other than the pan you baked them on (they tend to keep cooking and burn or get hard on the bottom if you don't remove them).

These chocolate chip cookies are surprisingly good, unfortunately for me. I had three--so much for eating less refined sugar. The good news is, they are cholesterol free and higher in protein (I think) than "normal" cookies. Someday I'd like to experiment with my recipe and try using agave, raw sugar and/or apple sauce instead of the white and brown sugars. I decided not to tinker with the recipe tonight, since I was giving most of them away.

Masaman Curry for a Crowd (can easily be made vegan, if that is your preference)

1 and 1/2 cans of coconut milk
1 1/2-2T masaman curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 lb. chicken, cut into big chunks
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
3 T sugar
1 T salt
5-6 red potatoes, washed and cut into big chunks
1 onion, chopped in big chunks
1 C raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 bag baby carrots (assuming you have the same size bag as me. Use your best judgement)

Directions
Heat coconut milk and curry paste in a large pot over medium heat. Mix well. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to cover with the curry. Add the next 4 ingredients, cover and stew for 30 min. Add the last 4 ingredients and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are done. Serve with brown rice.

It sounds like a long time to cook, but if you time it right, it's not bad. I started the rice right after I added the chicken (brown rice takes about 45 min. to cook). Then I chopped the vegetables while the chicken was stewing, so I didn't waste so much time. I made the cookies during the last 1/2 hour, so everything was done at about the same time.

This was the first time I'd given my daughter brown rice and she LOVED it! I made the curry mild enough that she liked that as well. And of course, she loved the cookies.

Tasty Pasta Salad

I adapted this recipe from a Cooking Light recipe (June 2006) to make it more kid-friendly. I tried it out with some friends, and it was a hit!

Ingredients

1 package Wacky Mac, or other brand of veggie enriched pasta

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 tomato, diced (or 1 1/2 C grape tomatoes, cut in half)

1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 can (~15 oz) back beans, drained and rinsed

zest from 1 lime

juice from 1 lime

2 T cilantro, finely chopped

1 T cider vinegar

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, chop vegetables and rinse the beans. Combine veggies and beans in a medium bowl. Combine the zest and remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. When pasta is done, drain it and toss it into the veggie/bean mixture. Pour the lime mixture over the top and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if you like. Chill, if you like, or serve immediately. Serves 4-6, depending on your appetites.

My 2-year old enjoys this dish--I just have to leave the veggies big enough that she can pick out what she doesn't like (lately that's the tomatoes). Feel free to add whatever veggies are your child's favorite.

Why I am starting this blog

Throughout recorded history people have believed that God has given them some kind of guidance on what they should or should not take into their bodies. This makes sense, since if you believe in a Creator, it follows that He would know best what is good for the creatures He made.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as the "Mormons." In our belief system we also have a code of health that we call "the Word of Wisdom."* Many people are familiar with the "don'ts" outlined in the word of wisdom: no alcohol, no tobacco, no coffee or tea, no drugs (non-prescription variety). But it also contains a list of health suggestions:

• "All grain is ordained for the use of man...to be the staff of life." "All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine...whether in the ground or above the ground." I interpret this to mean that whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are good for us to eat.
• "Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; and it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." I interpret this to mean that we should reverence animal life and eat meat infrequently (in times of cold weather or hunger).
• "...All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man--every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving." Which I take to mean that fruits and vegetables are good for us, and best when eaten at the right time. This passage of our scripture was written in 1833, so out-of-season fruits and vegetables weren't as available as they are now. Fruit sure tastes better when it is ripened on the vine or tree. I don't doubt it's better for us that way as well.

There are also some promises that God has given us if we follow these guidelines:

• "And all saints who remember to keep and do these saying, walking in obedience to the commandments shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;"
• "And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;"
• "And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."
• "And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them."

I have been particularly interested in the first three promises lately. Three and a half months ago I gave birth to my second child. Since that time I have had mastitis 7 times. I've talked with doctors, midwives, lactation specialists, etc., but still keep getting these infections. I also feel tired most of the time, and have had sinus and chest congestion for months as well. So, while praying about how to get better (and stay better) so I can continue to nurse my baby (which I believe is an important goal for so many reasons it needs its own post), I felt like I needed to try to more strictly live the law of health that God has given me. I certainly would like the promises listed above in my life right now, so I decided to try to more fully "walk in obedience to the commandments."

I already live the "don'ts," but there is definite room for improvement in the "do" section. So, here are my goals: eat more whole grains, eat more fruits and vegetables (and try to eat them more in the right season), eat less meat, eat less refined sugar (not in the word of wisdom, but something I have felt would improve my health).

In addition to gaining better health myself, I want to be a good example for my children. I want them to eat healthy as well. How can I expect that if I am not doing the same?

I am not trying to lose weight with these goals. I have about 10 lbs. left to lose after my last pregnancy, which I feel pretty good about right now. But, I do hope that this eating plan will help me be more fit.

I hope to use this blog to record my own journey towards better health. I am not trying to suggest that everyone should eat this same way, but if you are interested, I will be posting recipes, snack ideas, etc.

I would love to have your comments and feedback, as well as any recipes or ideas you might have. I ask that you be respectful of others and refrain from bashing anyone's belief system (my own or those leaving comments), and that you keep all language rated PG. Thanks!

*If you would like to read the complete text that I have cited, please visit http://www.lds.org/. Go to the gospel library and search for Doctrine and Covenants section 89.