Katrina's Kitchen

Chicken Asparagus Casserole

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I was looking up asparagus recipes online and found this one. It uses fresh asparagus and other vegetables, which was just what I needed. This is definitely one I will be using again! I love how all the flavors complement each other and all the colors create a cheerful-looking dish. Note: This recipe would also be delicious without the chicken.

CHICKEN ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE

8 ozs egg noodles (I didn't have these, so I used whole wheat corkscrew pasta)
1 1/3 Tb. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 c. chicken stock (I just used the water in which I cooked the chicken)
1 1/2 c. sour cream (I was almost out of this, so I also used some plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
garlic salt, to taste
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used more)
8 Tb. fresh grated Parmesan cheese, divided (I didn't want to use up all my Parmesan, so I used half this amount, plus some grated Monterrey Jack I had on hand. This was a good substitution, but the Parmesan definitely adds a lot to the flavor, so don't substitute it out completely.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x12 casserole dish.
Cook noodles until almost tender; drain.
Cook onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper, celery, and chicken stock. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken at end.
Take off heat and add sour cream, oregano, and garlic salt.
Spread half the chicken mixture in prepared dish.
Arrange asparagus over chicken mixture. Spread noodles evenly over this and sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese over the top.
Cover with remaining chicken mixture, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven, until lightly browned.

Peppermint Essential Oil

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

The longer I use essential oils, the more uses I find for peppermint. So much so, in fact, that it has become one of my very favorite oils. Amazingly, peppermint is an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, astringent, expectorant, and stimulant! I can attest to its having many of these attributes. Here are some ways it helps me and my family:

Soothes muscle aches and pains (for me, even better than the doTerra blend DeepBlue)
Eases indigestion (especially when taken internally*)
Alleviates headaches
Opens up sinus congestion and relieves pressure
Increases alertness (great for use in meetings or while driving long distances)
Creates fabulous breath (a side benefit I've noticed when taking it internally*)
Helps bring down a fever
Is very tasty when added to homemade brownies and homemade ice cream (both without refined sugar, of course).*

*You can only do this with certified therapeutic grade oils, like doTerra, because they are completely pure and completely safe for ingestion. And with each drop being the equivalent of 28 cups of peppermint tea, the flavor goes a long way but also has concentrated medicinal benefits.

The coolest thing about essential oils, to me, is that they empower me to self-medicate safely and with no side effects, yet very effectively. This is way more than plain old aromatherapy, folks!

If you're interested in learning more about this lovely oil, including many more uses for it, check out this site. And if you're interested in the science behind why peppermint works (and how it can work in so many different ways), click here.

Island Franks

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

The original version of this recipe, long loved by many members of my family, includes hot dogs. As those aren't the healthiest items to be eating, we have recently discovered that the recipe can be modified to include more vegetables and other types of meat--or none at all. However we've made it, as long as it includes lots of sauce, it's delicious!

Island Franks
(Topping for Rice)

1 9-oz can (1 c.) pineapple tidbits
1/2 lb. meat of choice, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)
2 Tb. butter
1/2 c. sliced onion
1 green pepper, cut in strips
Other vegetables*, if desired

Sauce:

1 can broth (or equivalent amount of homemade bone broth)
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/2 Tb. honey
dash of salt
2 Tb. vinegar
1 Tb. soy sauce

Drain one can pineapple tidbits, reserving juice.

In skillet, melt butter. Add sliced onion and green pepper. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min.

Mix cornstarch with reserved pineapple juice until cornstarch is dissolved and not lumpy (this is easy to do as long as the juice is not yet heated). Add honey, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce. Add can of broth. Cook and stir until mixture thickens. Add pineapple. Add meat, if desired. Heat thoroughly.

Serve over hot brown rice.

*So far we have tried chopped cabbage and broccoli--but really, whatever you have on hand that needs using--and increased the sauce amount, as needed. Yum!

Budget Saver Tip #30: Homemade Laundry Detergent

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally, finally, finally made that laundry detergent I mentioned back here, which I've been meaning to make for ages. And the verdict is...I'm hooked with this detergent too! Here are my reasons:

1) It's very inexpensive to make (see the cost breakdown here)--about .05 cents per load,
2) I know exactly what's in it--and there are only 3 ingredients,
3) It will last a long time, since so little of it needs to be used per load, and
4) It makes my clothes smell fresh--just a hint of a scent--without smelling perfumed (which gives me a headache).

The recipe I used is from diyNatural:

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent
Note: I made about 6 times this recipe at once (the amount of soap that would fit in my food processor). But as is, this makes about 32 oz. of detergent.

1 bar of shaved bar soap (I used Ivory and some leftover Zote I had on hand, and I put it through my food processor, which did a perfect job)
1 c. Borax
1 c. washing soda

Mix together thoroughly for five minutes.

That's it!

You only need about 1 Tb. detergent per load, 2 Tb. for a heavily soiled load.

Cabbage Recipes

2012-02-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

Calling all Cabbage Recipes! Good ones, that is. There are so many bland or mediocre ones out there that I have never developed a love affair with cabbage. But I want to. I like sauerkraut, but that's not a dish in itself (in my book), and while I may make cabbage rolls sometime, that recipe is made of more filling than vegetable.
So if you have a yummy cabbage dish to recommend, pleeease send me the recipe by clicking on the Contact Me tab at the top of the page, or by commenting below this post.

And if you have a yummy recipe that helps kids actually like cabbage, I will sing your praises (and may even kiss your feet).

Huaraches

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Back in 2010 I wrote a post entitled The Barefoot Controversy. Even though I'm not a runner (I wish I were!), due to bad knees, I am still intrigued with the notion of barefoot running--and barefoot everything else. When I wrote the above post, I was just learning about Vibram Fivefingers shoes. Recently I learned about another kind of minimalist running "shoe" that seems to be even better (I seriously may try these out someday) and they're much more affordable. They're huaraches (Spanish for sandals, pronounced "wah-rah-ches", if you didn't know) made by a company called Invisible Shoes. They even won "Best Huaraches 2011."

On the Invisible Shoes website I also found a link to this very interesting website (by someone at Harvard University) that delves further into the biomechanics of why minimal footwear is good for the feet and the body. If you're interested in more information on this movement that is really growing in popularity, check out the Invisible Shoes website and scroll down to the right-hand side where it says "Barefooting Links."

Breakfast

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Katrina's Kitchen was featured at Word of Wisdom Living. What an honor to be mentioned in such a wonderful health blog! The topic was breakfast. and how to incorporate what we know about health to that meal. In other words, if you can't do no sugar, which is the ideal, at least make sure you're getting more dietary fiber than sugar (which is a hard criteria to meet in store-bought cereals). And don't skip breakfast (as you've heard a zillion times before)--there are so many reasons why! Check out Skip's breakfast post, here.

Budget Saver Tip #29: Scrubbers

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

When we have hard, crusty food stuck to our dishes, I like to use Scotch-Brite no scratch pads to get them ready for the dishwasher. I've tried several different kinds of scrubbers over the years and these are what I've settled on as my favorite. (Too bad I'm not paid for endorsing products, right?) I like these because they do the job without scratching my dishes and they're very durable. When the pads get too gross to clean off under the faucet, I put them in the dishwasher and they clean off really well. And they're large enough that I only need half a pad, so I cut them in half before use. Each half pad lasts me for a few months, so even though there are only three pads per pack, I only have to buy a new pack once a year or so. Therefore, the cost for scouring pads for our family per year is negligible. Everyone likes different products, of course, but this--about 40 cents per half pad per three months or so--is what works for me.

Breakthrough in Plastics Recycling

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Not every place in the United States has facilities for recycling plastic and I have lived in some of them over the last several years. I feel guilty throwing away anything plastic because I know it takes forever to break down and is bad for the environment.

As the video clip below illustrates, while about 90% of metals are effectively recycled, only about 5% of plastics are--but now there is hope! I found this video very interesting, particularly toward the end, and hope you do as well. It definitely seems like a breakthrough to me!

Potato Wedges

2012-01-19T07:00:00.001-07:00

I first had these when my good friend and then-roommate made them in college and they have since become a regular family favorite. (They're the only way so far that my almost-four-year-old will eat potatoes.) I have modified them only slightly, just to make them even faster, and I love that they're so quick to whip up from scratch!

POTATO WEDGES

Serves 4 (I like to double the recipe for my family--we always eat more than 1 potato per person when they're cooked this way--which leaves some leftovers)

4 medium potatoes, cut into large wedges
1 Tb. olive oil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place cut potatoes in a large bowl, sprinkle with oil, pepper, and salt. With hands, toss gently to combine.
Arrange seasoned potatoes in single layer on greased baking sheet.
Bake 10-15 minutes, then turn potatoes with spatula and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with ketchup or other desired dipping sauce.

Guest Author: Adrienne's Story

2012-01-17T07:00:00.002-07:00

I asked my friend, Adrienne, if she would write an article about her family's recent lifestyle change. I am always intrigued by why people make health changes, how they do it, and what motivates them to make such changes permanent. I also knew enough of the details to know Adrienne's would be an inspiring story. But even I was amazed with the full details...

First a little information about my family. I’m a wife and a mom of two tiny boys. One is 15 months old; the other is 3 months old. We live in Kentucky, and grew up in the suburbs just outside of Cincinnati. These facts each play a role in the health journey I’m about to share with you.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I didn’t gain much weight until the very end of my pregnancy. I slapped on a whopping 30 lbs in the last two weeks, and my blood pressure spent some time going much higher than it should. After battling blood pressure the entire pregnancy, the doctors started to talk about preeclampsia and induction. Luckily, it stayed just barely under control and my cute (not so) little guy was born weighing 9 lbs and 7 oz. Just a few short months later, I was pregnant again with the second baby. The first trimester was brutal, but again I gained almost no weight. I ate everything I felt like eating and scoffed at those who ate organic foods and turned up my nose at anyone who’d go out of their way to eat healthily. “We just can’t afford it,” I said. “I don’t like vegetables,” I complained.

Then something changed.

My baby (the one not in utero, obviously) started to crawl. That little sucker was FAST! So I started to chase him. Chasing a crawling baby while 5 months pregnant isn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I was worn out. I was tired. Something had to change. So I started doing prenatal yoga, but that didn’t seem to be enough. Then, one random day, I noticed something. My dear sweet husband was eating a TON of peanut butter. Jif creamy reduced fat peanut butter. It was his favorite snack. A spoonful while preparing a meal. A spoonful after a meal, “just to top off.” A spoonful as a snack. I’ll spare you all the gory details, but a little research quickly showed that reduced fat peanut butter had almost the same number of calories as the regular peanut butter, and a lot more sugar, not to mention the copious amounts of synthetic ingredients. Then we calculated the number of calories he was eating in peanut butter every day.

Almost 2000. (See? I told you it was a TON of peanut butter!)

It was time to make a real change. He went to the grocery store and bought some natural peanut butter. Within a week, his cravings for peanut butter were completely gone. After we realized the change, I started doing some research into making healthy changes. I started with wordofwisdomliving.com. The blog lists a healthy change for every week to make over your diet. We did the first two right away, and went straight to healthy change #3. It says, “Cereal products must be made of whole grains, and have more grams of natural fiber than grams of sugar.” In order to make this change, we opted to shop for new cereals at Whole Foods. While standing in the cereal aisle at Whole Foods, my husband started talking to me about Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. Katrina mentioned him here.

Then and there, in the cereal aisle at Whole Foods, we decided we were going to completely overhaul our eating by following one simple rule.

Do not eat any ingredients you don’t recognize on the label.

We began to eat only real foods. We went home and threw out everything that wasn’t clean, (don’t worry! I hadn’t grocery shopped in far too long, we didn’t waste much!) and packed our kitchen with healthy ingredients. In less than a week, we felt 100% better. More energy. Better brain function. We were eating vegetables and enjoying them! We started visiting local farmers’ markets on the weekends. Within two months, my husband lost 30 lbs without even thinking about exercise.

It stayed off.

My blood pressure stayed in a normal range.

Then it got harder. I was still pregnant, and hadn’t lost any weight, in fact-I’d gained weight! I was starting to get discouraged, but then just a few weeks later, I gave birth to my sweet second baby with one easy push, and a very quick recovery. I felt much better than I ever had.

In the few weeks that followed his birth, I discovered that I weighed less than I did on my wedding day. I noticed that I had more energy than I’d had as a new mom with my first. Postpartum depression faded much more quickly the second time around.

The key to keeping up with these changes was an easy one; it was never a diet, it was a calculated lifestyle change. It was hard work. At the beginning, grocery shopping trips felt like they took years to complete. I had to spend more time cooking. It was a challenge. Then I learned which items at the store were clean. I started to enjoy cooking. The foods without preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavors tasted better!

It’s really not hard to keep up and continue making new healthy changes to the routine we already have, because every little change we make helps us feel even better than before. So we’re off on a new adventure in 2012-

Project exercise.

What a difference a year can make.

Hot Cocoa Mix (refined sugar-free!)

2012-01-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

Here's another holiday beverage my mom figured out how to make last year with raw sugar. It's yummy and doesn't leave us with a headache from sugar overload. Of course, we're past the holidays, but for most of us the cold weather will continue for quite a while longer, so hot cocoa is still an option...

HOT COCOA MIX

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

¼ t. salt

Enough powdered milk for 1 quart (varies, depending on brand--check your box or can for instructions)

Budget Saver Tip #28: Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Budget Saver Tip#28: Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

A while back, a cousin of mine sent me this link to a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, which is something I've meant to make for a long time--and still intend to do. But after realizing how often I have to buy dishwasher detergent, versus laundry detergent, I opted to first try the former. So far I'm hooked! Not only does homemade dishwasher detergent cost less, but it also has much fewer ingredients and no funky chemicals. (One thing I hadn't thought about is that commercial detergents have a chemical in them that prevents buildup in the plumbing. This site offers a solution for that.)

Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will direct you to a couple of the sites I found. I've seen several places with detergent recipes and they're all very similar. (Note: I have found they range between recommending 1 to 2 Tb. detergent per load):

The New Homemaker-I haven't tried mine with essential oils yet and it works fine without them. If your essential oils are pure without fillers of any kind, 30 drops per batch is way over the top; 10 would probably be more than adequate.

DIYNatural has a cost savings breakdown, which is cool to see the visual and compare.

Warning for Neti Pot Users

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have seen this article (or this one) about two deaths attributed to neti pot usage. Of course, it was the water they used that was the culprit, not the method or neti pots themselves. But it is kind of scary. So, a word to the wise on this matter: If you use a neti pot (and I have repeatedly recommended them for allergies, colds, and sinus infections), don't use tap water. Instead, use filtered, distilled, or purified water, as the above articles specify. I've recently made this change myself, just to be extra careful, even though I prefer warm, not lukewarm, water.

Resolutions and Saying No

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since January is the most universal time to make resolutions for the new year, I have been reflecting on what changes my family may need to make as we continue our quest to be healthier, greener, and more self-sufficient. I don't know if my list last year helped anyone focus on what their family needed to do, but it is a good reminder for me of what to continue.

I also saw this article online that offers a valuable tip which I had not thought of in quite these terms before. Sometimes--more often than we realize--it is just as important to know (and plan) when to say no as it is to plan all the things we're going to do: "Focusing our energies--and goals--on what we should NOT be doing in the coming year can have just as positive an effect on our productivity, not to mention well-being." A "Stop-Doing" List sounds like a great idea to me!

Year in Review: What I Learned in 2011

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

The year 2011 was quite a learning year for me and my family. I suppose most years are for most of us, as we strive to become more educated and more proactive, but last year was particularly eventful for us. So I wanted to look back and see what were the biggest things I learned--the top 20, to be exact. This post may be more for me than for anyone else, but I hope that it may provide a good review for others of you as well.

In 2011 I learned:

A lot more about the evils of MSG (here and here), its many hidden forms, and how to avoid it
The value of red meat and the necessity (for us) of adding it back into our diet
The joy of purchasing a vehicle in full--ie, owning it free and clear from the date of purchase (which is the only way we've ever done it, but I had forgotten how good it feels!)
More about essential oils (particularly those from doTerra, which are so pure they can also be taken internally) and the science behind why they work (This has been so empowering! I happily use them regularly on myself and my family now)
More about refined sugar and the plethora of negative health consequences resulting from its over-consumption
A lot more about the value of baking soda and its surprising uses (here and here)
Why infant circumcision is completely unnecessary and why we chose not cut our baby boy
How important magnesium is to our health (and that I need it daily)
Why we decided to wait to cut our baby's cord
The joys of Freecycle
How easy it was to can pickles all by myself for the first time (and boy, are they yummy!)
To value the Five Love Languages again as I re-read the book about children's
About Reglan (and Fenugreek) and how it saved us while I was hospitalized with pneumonia
More about the amazing properties of garlic
How to grow and harvest potatoes (a first for us last year!)
About root cellaring
About the school lunch "Food Revolution"
The recipe for the most scrumptious pumpkin bread imaginable
How much wood is in the processed and fast food diet (eewww!)
About the Emotion Code and how amazing and empowering this information is (If I could, I would underline this one three times!)

As the year drew to an end I also realized how many more vegetables we are eating, just as a matter of course, than we used to. I attribute this healthy improvement to our weekly Bountiful Baskets, which provide us with more vegetables than we would otherwise be able to afford (or honestly think of buying) and enforce the eating of them (since we have so many and I don't want them to go bad). I love that I desire vegetables every day now, whereas I used to be pretty ambivalent (even as I knew I needed to do better at including them in our daily diet).

As I look over the above list, I am amazed at all the learning that was crammed into one year! I believe that one of the main reasons for life is to learn, so seeing this list makes me happy. And, of course, learning without applying the new-found knowledge is pointless, so I am also happy about all the ways I was able to help my family improve our health last year. If my blogging has served no other purpose, the fact that it documented our improvements in 2011 and showed me all I've actually learned, it is worth it.

Here's to a great 2012 for all of us, with a lot of learning and application along the way!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish all of you wonderful people a Merry Christmas before I take a blogging break until the new year. I hope you have a joyous season remembering the Reason and make some great memories with your loved ones!

Homemade Eggnog (refined sugar-free!)

2011-12-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

Like everyone else in my family, I love eggnog and look forward to savoring it each holiday season. We've always just bought it at the store (even though it's loaded with sugar), but last year my mom figured out this recipe, which uses raw sugar instead of refined, and ensures the eggs are pasteurized. She made it for us last year when we were visiting and I decided it's better than store-bought! (I shouldn't have been surprised, since most things are better homemade.) I haven't tried making it yet, but I will shortly...

Homemade Eggnog

7 large eggs

½ c. plus 2 T raw sugar crystals

¼ t. salt

6 c. whole milk

1 Tb. vanilla extract

½ tsp. nutmeg

Whisk eggs, then add sugar and salt while whisking. Continue to whisk while pouring milk in slowly. Turn burner under pan on medium low and stir continuously until reaches 160 degrees F. Pour straight into a strainer over a large bowl to remove any egg bits. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Stir. Pour into a container with lid and refrigerate until well chilled.

The Emotion Code

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am reading this book right now and my moderate skepticism and non-understanding is turning into enlightenment and excitement. Welcome to a whole new world of health and healing!

My mother found out about this method a few months ago from the NAET specialist she is being treated by (who has almost completely cured her chronic headaches!). It struck a cord with her and after reading the book and learning how to detect and release trapped emotions, she began treating herself and family members. It sounded a little weird to me at first, but I was open to the idea, since I had read the NAET book and was acquainted with the ideas and truths behind non-Western ("alternative") healing*. And I was further intrigued when I learned how it had helped my parents and young siblings in surprising ways. As Mom told me more about it, I realized it was definitely worth trying on my oldest daughter, in particular, and on myself. So I was quite excited when I got a hold of a copy of the book over Thanksgiving.

I love how Dr. Nelson explains the real science behind trapped emotions and all the havoc they can cause on the body, and why his methods work to heal people. On first glance, I'm afraid this sort of thing looks bizarre to a lot of people and psychic-like. But it's really not like that at all. It's real, powerful stuff that everyone needs!

I keep thinking of people I know who had something terribly traumatic happen to them when they were young and are still suffering the affects of it. Or adults who have experienced failed marriages or long-term job loss and are inwardly hurting from their perceived failures. Or individuals who are suffering from chronic pains or allergies that continue to baffle doctors and for which no treatment has alleviated their symptoms. Or teenagers who are just having a difficult time with life. Or children with irrational fears or behavior problems. Honestly, since everyone experiences trials and difficulties, there probably isn't anyone who hasn't developed one trapped emotion or another. And it's intriguing how many of these emotional blockages are causing chronic and serious health problems.

The coolest thing about the Emotion Code for me is that I was able to actually experience it firsthand over the Thanksgiving break, thanks to a treatment by my mom one day, and then more intensively another day by the nurse who is treating her. At the conclusion of both sessions, I felt lighter--even thinner--and happier and more content. (My husband even commented on how happy I seemed afterward.) But the biggest difference I noticed was the improved nature of my relationship with my oldest daughter and her improved response to me, other adults, and different situations. And though things aren't perfect or completely free from difficulty, that improvement has been permanent. My belief is that, due to the difficult nature of my pregnancy and labor with her, and the very dark and difficult few weeks following her birth, some of those negative emotions I felt during that time were trapped inside my body and hampering my relationship with her. It is so good to be free of them after all these years! (Don't get me wrong, though: I'm sure there are many others I need to work on.)

Even without knowing at the time if I completely believed in the Emotion Code or the idea of releasing emotions, I discovered that it does work and it is powerful. I look forward to continuing to learn how to find and release trapped emotions in myself and my family to improve all of our health and well being!

I encourage you to feed your curiosity and learn more at the following websites:

The Emotion Code Introductory video
Dr. Nelson's official website
The Emotion Code website
Pure and Simple Healing (another blogger's review and explanations)

*NAET and the Emotion Code are not affiliated with each other but have some similar elements.

Stuffed Green Peppers

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been making this dish for about eight years and realized that I've never written down my recipe. It was created from a combination of my mom's recipe and others that I tried and liked, changing the process so that the filling is mostly cooked on the stove top and then finished up quickly in the oven (which is easier and faster for me and is a more sure way of making sure the mixture is completely cooked).

My oldest kids still haven't learned to like green peppers, but one of them will at least eat a little of the pepper part, and both will eat the filling, which I make extra of.

Note: This would be an easy recipe to turn vegetarian, if desired, by omitting the ground beef and substituting vegetables, or just using the rice mixture.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Bring 3 c. water to boil for rice. When boiling, pour in 1 1/2 c. brown rice, replace lid lightly (allow for steam to escape).

Cook 1 lb. hamburger in skillet with 1 onion, diced.

Cut 5 green bell peppers in half and de-vein. Parboil in salted water for 5 minutes. Remove pepper halves from pot with tongs and place in 9x12" baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When hamburger and rice are fully cooked, pour both into a large mixing bowl and add the following:

1 tsp. salt (or more, if needed)
pepper, to taste
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk

Mix with spoon until well combined.

Spoon mixture into pepper halves until very full. Pour any extra into pan in between peppers. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese generously over all.

Place dish in oven and bake for 30+ minutes until heated through (and egg is completely cooked) and cheese is melted and slightly browned.

At any stage during baking or afterward, can also add sauce from below recipe or 1 can of tomato sauce (or ketchup, if desired--ketchup can sometimes do wonders with getting kids to eat stuff).

SAUCE (mix in small saucepan while heating gradually):

1 Tb. honey
dash of Tabasco sauce
1/2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tb. flour

Stir until well mixed. Add 1 can tomato sauce and stir until hot and thickened. Spoon over peppers.

Sleep Training Infants

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Before our third baby was born earlier this year I read another couple of books on sleep training and, for lack of a better term, "baby scheduling." Our first child did pretty well with sleeping, but our second threw us for a loop. In the very long process of figuring out what was wrong and how to fix it, I read an excellent book back then that helped immensely. Third time around, I didn't want to leave anything to chance if I could help it!

In the years between baby #2 and baby #3 I'd learned about the Babywise method and read up on it on a friend's exceedingly popular blog. I have a cousin who used this method with her first son, and seeing how well it worked, I wanted that! So before my baby came I read On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep. I didn't agree with all of it, but I felt it had some good information, and overall, it definitely seemed worth trying. I liked how it took the middle road between being slave to a rigid schedule, and having no predictability by letting baby determine everything all the time. I felt that that middle road fit my personality and my family's needs.

The second book I read was the Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby. I was quite impressed with this book and particularly by the woman who wrote it. It's no wonder she's called the "Baby Whisperer"--she's amazing! I read several parts of the book numerous times, trying to ingrain them in my head, since I had to take the book back to the library. My problem was that the book is built around the premise that you know your baby and therefore know which personality type he/she is, and thus how to approach sleep training. Since my baby wasn't born yet, I could only guess and try to imagine different scenarios and how to handle them. All I was asking was that our experience with #2 just not be repeated!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm one of those people who likes to have things planned out beforehand as much as possible. So I was doing my best to be prepared in this case too, but of course I knew that babies have their own agendas and their little personalities aren't always very moldable (at least in my family). I wanted to know as much more as I could about how to foster good sleep in infants, but realized that sometimes new babies are just difficult.

After the first couple weeks with my newborn, I began trying different techniques with these two methods that I thought might work. Some things worked better than others, but I kept being frustrated by my baby's inability to be molded into any schedule whatsoever for more than a few days at a time. I was trying to be as flexible with him as I could and sensitive to his needs while still trying to help him maintain a schedule that his body could get used to. But it was hard to be consistent because I have other children who need me. So it was frustrating, as many of you understand.

Finally, after deciding that my baby wasn't made to be "Babywise," and even doubting that he could ever learn to nap on a semi-regular schedule (fortunately, he slept well at night almost from the start), we gradually fell into a routine that works for both of us most of the time. Now that he is almost 7 months old he has learned how to put himself to sleep and doesn't hate his bed like child #2 did. What blessings! When baby sleeps, Mama gets some downtime, which means that when baby wakes, Mama is glad to see him again, and he her. Both of us are renewed and able to cope with the other stuff in our day.

So...what I re-learned from this experience is that I can learn a lot from books and other people's experiences--gaining a knowledgeable foundation on which to build--but my children and I have to find our own groove. I still feel that this approach is different from ignorantly winging it, since that often leads to bad habits (like sleep crutches). We were able to find our own groove because I knew what the signs of sleepiness are, how much sleep my baby needs for his age, and whether his cry is hungry or tired (which is a big one to figure out with each child), among other things.

Sleep is such an important factor to one's health, no matter how small the person! And, especially after reading Kurcinka's book, we make our children's sleep a priority. (If bad behavior is frequently an issue with a child, I would check the amount of sleep they are getting before anything else.) I know I certainly can't function properly or maintain my health if I'm not regularly getting the hours of sleep I need!

Secrets for the Perfect Pie Crust

2011-12-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Making pie crust is not my favorite activity and is actually something I historically have tried to avoid. As a result, I haven't had the kind of practice that would help me make beautiful, flaky, delicious crust. But this Thanksgiving, I wanted the crust on my pumpkin pie to be as good as possible, so I looked up tips online to see what I could learn. I knew from my aunt's pie crust recipe that making it with butter rather than Crisco greatly improves the taste, but without a lot of experience, I wasn't sure I could make that work and look pretty, since such pastry falls easily when baked. I found this website with step-by-step instructions, photos, and explanations as to why these steps are important. It made perfect sense and I learned a lot! I wished I'd known this stuff a long time ago.

So in your holiday baking, if you don't already know these secrets, be sure to check them out!

Pumpkin Pie

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned here, this year's Thanksgiving dinner didn't include any refined sugar for our family. It was wonderful! I was in charge of the pumpkin pies and found a great recipe online to help me in my first efforts at creating them with honey. (I didn't want to go into it completely blind this time when I was feeding others.) The only modifying I did was to add spices according to my aunt's tried-and-true recipe. My pie plates are a smaller size, so this recipe made two pies for me. I think I'll make this again for Christmas (and get a picture this time)...

PUMPKIN PIE

2 c. fresh pumpkin puree (or 15 oz. can pumpkin puree)
4 large eggs
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, beat the eggs until just mixed, then add all remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Pour carefully into unbaked pastry and then carefully lift into the oven. (I like to place pies on cookie sheets, just in case of spillage.)

Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is just set. (Custard will set up further during cooling.)

The Doctor of the Future

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

I found this visionary quote the other day and wanted to share it:

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

-Thomas A. Edison

Harvest of Gratitude

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

This year as Thanksgiving has been approaching, it has struck me more than ever before why it is so appropriate that we have this tradition of giving thanks at this time of the year with an abundance of food. I guess my family, in a sense, lived closer to the land this summer, as our garden was the biggest we've had so far. And since a good portion of it was root vegetables, which are now in storage, I have felt the tremendously gratifying feeling that comes from providing for one's own family and preparing for a "rainy" day. This year, more than ever, I feel the spirit of thanksgiving and the desire to celebrate my gratitude with family and friends. I've never thought about it quite that way before.

May you also feel that special feeling and enjoy this beautiful tradition with your loved ones!