Blood of Nature January 19, 2009

We have been receiving our organic fruits and vegetables from CSA – Community Supported Agriculture (Inland Empire) on a weekly basis.  Not only have we gotten a beautiful arrangement of vegetables, greens and fruits, it’s different every week. We are supporting our local organic farmers and lighten our footprint on this earth while doing our part to help the community in the ways we feel best fits our lifestyle.

In these boxes, we have receive lots of greens, beets, wild spinach and broccoli rage. I have not yet figured out how to cook all these items, so we have decided to start juicing again. Every morning, I pull out a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, and juice them into a beautiful drink to start our day.

Today’s Juice was the BEST I have mad yet, Really, so good, it tasted like it was the blood of nature. Here are the ingredients:

• 2 baby beets
• wild spinach
• collard greens – a few leaves
• arugula greens
• broccoli Rabe
• ginger – a little square piece, maybe a teaspoon (pealed)
• half of a cucumber with peal on if organic (peal the skin off if it’s not organic)
• 3 Fuji apples
• 3 small carrots, washed but not pealed

Unbelievable!!! Yummy!!!

Two Thumbs UP!!!

Krista’s Christmas Granola Recipe December 12, 2008

Krista’s Christmas Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup finely chopped cashews
• 1 cup finely chopped pine nuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup dried dates

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment.Combine the oats, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and pine nuts in a large bowl.
  
• Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, oil, apple sauce, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat.
• Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
  
• Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes.
• Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the dried fruit.
• Store in an airtight container.

My Afternoon Snack – Steamed Artichoke and Vegenaise November 12, 2008

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds October 31, 2008

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Separate the seeds of a freshly carved pumpkin from the stringy membrane. Rinse the seeds just until they are free of any membrane matter. This may take several washes and rises.

The last wash, keep the water in the bowl with the seeds and add salt.

Soak for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the seeds on a towel and let them dry for a few minutes.

Place the seeds back into a dry bowl.

Drizzle olive oil over the seeds and sprinkle with sea salt.

Put the seeds on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Put the baking sheet in the oven. Cook the seeds for 16 to 20 minutes, or until brown and slightly crisp.

Allow to cool before eating.

Store seeds in an airtight container.

Dill & Garlic Pickles – Pickled Cucumber Recipe October 4, 2008

Dill and Garlic Pickled Cucumbers

Ingredients for Pickles:

• 3 T sea salt
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 t green peppercorns
• 1/2 T pickling spice
• 3 cups water
• 5-7 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch dill, fresh

• 5-7 pickling cucumbers, washed ans sliced

Ingredients for Pickling Spice:

• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1/2  T red pepper flakes
• 1 T whole clove
• 1/2 T ground ginger
• 1/2 t Chinese 5-Spice

Directions:

Combine the salt, white wine vinegar, green peppercorns, pickling spice, and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.

Clean and wash some Ball jars.  Stuff them with as many pickles as can fit.  In any open space stuff in some dill.

Pour the brine into the jars, secure them tightly and let them sit in the fridge for three weeks.

* My friend Mariana told me to put a grape leaf on the bottom of the jar before filling it and it will keep your pickles crisp.

I’ll try that next time.

ENJOY!!!

Mid-day Snack – Kimchi and Pickled Vegetables with Crackers September 28, 2008

Pickled Carrots, Kimchi & Pickled Radish and Onion Mixture with Crackers

Here are links to their recipes:

Pickled Carrots

Pickled Radish and Onions

Kimchi (Kimchee)

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!!

Kimchi (Kimchee) Vegan Recipe – Probiotics September 23, 2008

Kimchee (kimchi) – Fermented Vegetables – Probiotic

What is the secret behind the miraculous effects of Kimchee and Kombucha? The Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria we need to have a healthy system.

Trillions of microorganisms of various types reside in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from the stomach to the colon. This is also where our immune system sits. Here, deep in your gut, is where your health challenges lay. Our body’s reaction to beneficial bacteria works differently than how it reacts to bad bacteria. The good microbes calm the immune response, not just in your stomach but everywhere, increasing your well-being and protecting you from the harmful bacteria.

Probiotics help treat maladies such as urinary tract infections, bladder infections, irritable bowel syndrome and your over all immunities.

My Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Green Cabbage (any cabbage with do), washed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 5 carrots pealed and cut into bite-size pieces
• 5 celery salks, washed and cut into -bite-size pieces
• Left over broccoli stems I had, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3-4 tb sea salt (regular salt will do)
• 2 tb finely minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tb finely minced fresh garlic
• 5 scallions – finely chopped
• 1 dried red pepper
• 1 tb cayenne Pepper
• 1 ts sugar

Instructions:

In a large bowl put 5-6 cups water and 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of the salt. Mix. Add the cabbage carrots, celery, broccoli to this water and dunk them in a few times as they have a tendency to float. Leave the vegetables in the salty water. Cover loosely and set aside for 12 hours. Turn the vegetables over a few times.

Put the ginger, garlic, scallions, cayenne, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in another large bowl. Mix well

Take the cabbage out of its soaking liquid with a slotted spoon (save the liquid) and put it in the bowl with the seasonings. Mix well.

Put this cabbage mixture into a 2-quart jar or crock.

Pour enough of the salt water over it to cover the vegetables (about 2 cups). Leave 1 inch of empty space at the top of the jar.

Cover loosely with a clean cloth and set aside for 3 to 7 days.