Winter Health Linky Love

Are you afraid to eat liver because you think of that organ as the body's toxin storehouse? Read this explanation and be sure to study the chart comparing the vast difference in supplied vitamins and minerals in liver to fruits and veggies. Makes me want to jump in the liver game with both feet.

Suffering from a cold yet? Yep. That would be me. If you had a house full of runny-nose little kids, it would be you, too! I just read Dr. Mercola's article on beating and preventing the common cold. You list-makers out there will love it. Check off all the things you're already doing and add a few more. Raw milk? Check. Coconut oil? Check. Pastured eggs? Check. Hydrogen peroxide drops in your ear? Uh--no.  ??!!  You get my drift.

It always strikes me as sickeningly funny that anyone would have to make arguments for real food vs. modernized versions of food (aka "fake food"). But if you can get past this blogger's idea that "Mother Nature provided" anything at all, you'll find some very reasonable logic in favor of real eggs, pork, and butter, as opposed to what the government entities, with their verrrry lined pockets, would like you to buy. (Ingredient labels included.) Better health starts with the basics.

Continuing to eat locally is one of the best things you can do for yourself during the winter months. Why not visit Argenta Market or check out the Arkansas Sustainability Network website? (Conway readers can go here.) You can place your order online and pick up your local goodies on Saturday. Get fresh eggs, raw cheeses, frozen summer produce, meats, winter greens, herbs, etc. By the way, one of our very own local favorites, North Pulaski Farms, was featured on Fox16. Some of us missed it when it originally aired (darn "9:00 News" weirdness). If you missed it, you can watch the segment here.

Buy yourself some good, organic raw apple cider vinegar. Not only can apple cider vinegar be used for many, many things in your home, but it can also keep you healthy. Try a "Sweet and Sour," made with one tablespoon of "ACV," one tablespoon of raw honey, and eight ounces of water. Drink it hot like a tea.

For garlic lovers and haters alike, here's an article with lots of information about the healing properties of garlic. I can personally attest to several miraculous recoveries thanks to the use of raw garlic!! In fact, just the other day while suffering from the cold I mentioned above, I minced a clove, covered it in raw honey, and downed it in one swallow. The next day I was symptom-free. No lie.

And speaking of garlic, Erin once told me about GOOT, a mixture of raw garlic, olive oil, and coconut oil, and I have used it successfully on many occasions. For sinus infections and mastitis, for instance! It's amazing stuff! I keep some in the fridge at all times. Read here about its usefulness and how to make it. (SO easy!)

Stay well!

(Also posted at Real Food in Little Rock.)

Black Bean "Burgers"

I'm a sucker for a good burger. So's Paul. We like 'em with lots of dill pickles and...cheese? Yes, please. But we can't afford to buy all the meat we'd like to eat, so one day my hubby got a wild hair and decided to make himself some black bean burgers. (He was inspired by a menu item from Chili's way. back. when. that is no longer available. Of course.) He did a little recipe research, gleaned a few generalities, and then set about dumping ingredients into a bowl. (He's not much of a recipe guy. Measuring spoons? What's that?) But I'm here to tell you he performed some magic in the kitchen that day. Pure magic. And while black bean burgers actually taste nothing like a BURGER, they are exceptional. And they are affordable!! (They are maybe even a little addicting. So don't say I didn't warn ya.)

Here's our version:

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans (or the equivalent of soaked and cooked dried black beans)

Green olives (a handful or so), chopped

Feta cheese (maybe 3 oz.), crumbled

Rolled oats (Have them soaked and ready to make this meal more nutritious)

1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Couple "bams" of homemade "Essence of Emeril"

Whatever else you'd like to throw in there

Buns and burger fixins

You'll need some sort of food chopper/processor. I start with my olives. Just chop 'em up and set aside.

Next I process my beans. A teeny, little bit of the cooking liquid will help the beans process smoother and quicker. They don't have to be completely smooth. Lumps are perfectly acceptable!

Transfer your beans and olives to a mixing bowl and start adding stuff. I've never once measured the oats, so I apologize that I can't help you there. Maybe 1/2 to 1 cup??? Ehh...just eye it!  :)

We luuuuuuuuv Feta!!

Sometimes I sneak in a shredded veggie. Sweet potatoes work great, too! And the veggie helps the mixture hold together better as well.

You'll end up with a goopy mess that looks anything but appetizing. But hang in there...

You'll want it to be pretty thick. Oh, yeah!! An egg will help it all bind together a little better. Once your griddle is preheated, oil it (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, etc.--I use coconut oil.) and start scooping out your burgers.

You'll need to use the back of your spoon to sort of flatten and shape your burgers while ON the griddle. (You can't pat them out ahead of time the way you do beef.) As you can see, the burger on the left is shaped, while the burger on the right just got plopped down.

Flip 'em when they stop sizzling and are nicely browned.

I like to serve mine with mayonnaise (make it lacto-fermented if ya can), tomatoes, lettuce (or spinach leaves, in this case), and sliced raw cheese.

Ain't my hubby an amazing man? This is one of my absolute favorite meals. And it's kid-friendly, too!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Real Food Wednesday and was originally posted at Real Food in Little Rock.

Project 365: Week 49

Aaaaaaaah!! I just freaked out a little when I typed "Week 49." That's awful CLOSE to "Week 52"! Yikes! I sure have a lot to do...! But here's my week:

Sunday, November 28, 2010

We took our annual trip to the Christmas tree farm this afternoon.

And then we got busy hanging ornaments.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Today Noah had big plans for the extra strands of lights.

 *sigh*

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I'll betcha Nana never would have guessed I would one day use the ice bucket she gave me for Christmas as a vessel for soaking oats! Well, I'm nothing if not resourceful. ;)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

We had omelets for breakfast this morning. I started with fresh spinach wilted in coconut oil with garlic and later added cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Yum!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Decorating the mini-tree.

Friday, December 3, 2010

We had a much-anticipated, long-overdue dinner with good friends tonight.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

I was gone practically all morning and most of the afternoon today, running errands, rehearsing for church, and attending a bridal shower. The kids hung out with Daddy. It was warmer, and the little boys spent some time playing outside in their pajamas.

This week was a little less hectic, thank goodness. You probably expect that I have everything all organized and clean then, don't you? Ummmm, yeah. Not so much. But that's okay. We made it through another week and, in the process, made lots more fun memories. I even got to see our lovely hostess, Sara, at that shower! Anyway, I'm hangin' in there to the very end, y'all. Only three more weeks. Wow.

Surreptitious Baking

I was making Baked Oatmeal one day last week and had a sudden twinge of laziness.

I didn't feel like peeling my good, organic Honeycrisp apples this morning for the baby and the "texture-issues" child, so......................

I secretly shredded them skin and all.

And nobody noticed a thing.

Mmmwwahahahaha!!!

Return of the Rack(leys)

We had a little visit with our sweet friends, the Rackleys, about a week and a half ago. Well, some of the Rackleys anyway. They were just in for a quick, impromptu visit with family and friends, and we were so blessed to be on their list of must-stops. 

Kelly and I went shopping for a bit together, as I had a couple of extra OCC shoe boxes to fill after the church's packing party. While we were away, Melissa took some pictures of the shenanigans.

The Rackleys are the best!

We can't wait for them to come home for Christmas before their big move to Africa. As of right now, however, they do not have enough money to get there. Would you prayerfully consider making a donation to help them fulfill God's calling on them to do missionary work in Uganda? If so, please visit SuubiFamily.com to find out how you can help and to see what all they're doing to advance God's kingdom right here in the U.S.!

Project 365: Week 48

Sunday, November 21, 2010

The kids were called up to the front this morning in church to answer some Thanksgiving trivia questions. The reward was a baggie of homemade popcorn. (Made by my friend, so it was the good, healthy stuff. Yay!) Atticus couldn't be left out (of course), so he toddled up there, too, and even talked in the mic!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Three boys and a box of LEGOs.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

This morning we were showing our house, so I took the kids out for breakfast and then we went to a local beauty school my friend Krista recommended to have the boys' hair cut. Atticus sat sooooo still. He was doing such a good job...

...but this is how he really felt inside. Awww...

Gabe was a perfect angel the whole time! I was so proud of him.

Noah sits still (and doesn't fight getting a cut) for one thing and one thing only. Video games.

Saylor decided to practice her photography during this time.

Gotta admire her perspective!

There now. That's a little better. (And, don't worry, that scowl doesn't phase me one bit.)

And then some neighbors who moved back in the summer dropped by unexpectedly to play for about an hour. You may remember they did this once before. (We love it!)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Someone's hijacked my camera.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving Day

The cousins had a great time together.

I've never, ever tasted a better coconut pie than the one my mom makes. Let it be said, I had several slices during my visit back home. ;)

This is my cousin's little boy, my aunt, and my great aunt and uncle. All the now-grown cousins (myself included) were at the table playing Monopoly until all hours. Fun!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Leftovers and laughter

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Home at last. Ahhhhhh...How can I go wrong here?

 

Okay. I'm getting later and later at getting this post up. It's just so busy lately, and I'm just so unfocused, it seems. There's not much time for blogging or reading, which sort of has me looking forward to the quiet of winter. I'm really going to try HARD to stop by Sara's and visit all the links there. Really.