18 years and I still melt

Well today is the day I share few lovely picture from way back in my past.  My husband asked me to be his girlfriend 18 years ago today!  I was 14 and he was 16.  Who knew that we would be living on 5 acres in Texas with 3 kids and in the process of adopting 18 years later.

And after 18 years together this man still melts me.  Just yesterday I came in from mowing the lawn and had split my hand open pretty bad. (I don't do great with my own blood, can handle everyone else's blood but I see mine and the world starts spinning)  So I was laying on the bathroom floor trying to not pass out.  Ben was on a work call and while on the phone he came over doctored up my hand and didn't miss a beat on his phone call.  I gushed in this moment, the small ways he still takes care of me, the silly "Oh Jenny, your pathetic" look he had on his face.  Seriously I swooned!

So many people thought we were crazy for getting married so young.  Our 10 year anniversary we went to Hawaii and people just could  not understand how it wasn't our honeymoon.  Tour guides were shocked and repeatedly said to us we never see 10 year anniversary celebrations anymore.  Now quickly approaching 20 years together I can hardly remember life without Ben.

Are there moments in marriage that are hard, of course but the good has by far outweighed the bad.  Times with new born babies, sleepless nights, bills piling up, loss of jobs - these things of course weigh heavy on a marriage, but they also make us stronger!

I certainly do not claim to be an expert on marriage and am always trying to be a better wife, but I have learned a few things along the way that I would love to share with you.  So with a very humble happy reflective heart, here are a few things I wish I had known 18 years ago!

• Serve, Serve and when you don't want to Serve some more!  I know this is so counter to culture today, but I hold to this.  In our marriage Ben and I make it a goal to out serve each other every day.  It puts us on the same team, rather than "I always have to fold the laundry", it becomes I get to serve my husband and fold the laundry today.  It is also pretty much impossible to become self centered when our hearts are focused on each other and how best to serve each other.  Now is every day a joy to fix a meal or do the laundry of course not but it sure helps when I see Ben pitch in and do a load of dishes.  A lot of times serving isn't doing a chore either, many times for me it means slowing down, being intentional or sitting on the couch and "acting" like I care about the basketball game that is on.  (do I actually care about the basketball game - NO! but he just loves it when I snuggle up with him and watch a game!)

• Get on the same team! Ben and I have always tried to bring our marriage before the Lord, praying together and reading our Bible together.  We have months that are great and months that aren't.  But in the last year and half we tried something new and it has seriously changed our marriage.  We literally schedule one night a week after the kids go to bed as our "planning night"  Ben and I talk about our marriage, how we are doing, we talk about the kids - their strengths and weaknesses and how we can help them grow, we talk about spiritual stuff - ways God is challenging us to grow or move or bend.  It is scheduled for every monday night and we talk and pray and plan out our week.  What this does is puts us on the same page.  If Ben knows I'm having an emotional few days or I'm seeing a weakness in one of our kids that I want to work on then when situations come up he has the back story and understands what is going on.  It makes such a huge difference and we have seen God move in some crazy and amazing ways through our time of prayer together.  I can't recommend this enough!

• Shut up!  Yep I said it, I've learned that most of the time it is simply better to just Shut Up!            Proverbs 17:14 says Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before the dispute breaks out.  This is a verse I have learned to live by in my marriage.  Rather than being a nit picky wife I've learned to just shut my mouth.  If something really is upsetting to me or does need to be talked through it is so much better to talk about it later on when emotions are not involved and I am thinking clearly!  Many a time I wish I had not opened my mouth in my younger days of dating and marriage!

• Serve together.  There is nothing that makes me fall in love with Ben over and over again more than watching him serve the Lord.  Whether it is in Africa, on the worship or sound team, or just loving our neighbors serving together is something that always keeps us grounded in God and focused on what really matters. 

• Have fun!  Days become years really quickly and for two very type A personalities we have to schedule to have fun.  Between kids schedules, church schedules, and work - life happens and before you know it a month has passed.  Fun doesn't have to be big elaborate dates or vacations, fun can happen in simple moments.  Reading books together, family game and movie nights, date nights after the kids go to bed (yep this is a favorite!  We will get take out food and a rent a movie and have a mini date at home!)  Enjoy each other, remember what makes him laugh, remember how silly you were when you were dating and add some of that fun back!

Alright there it is my reflection on 18 years together.  I absolutely love being married to this man.  He was and is a gift from God and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us this year!

Healthy Sunday Football Appetizers!

You know those appetizers that you can get that are little potatoes cut in half and they are loaded with cheese and bacon and sour cream and chives!  Delicious but so unhealthy and since I don't eat dairy products or meat anymore that pretty much eliminates everything except the potato and the chives - what fun is that!

Since football season is upon us and my husband is glued to the television on Sundays this leaves me a little more free time to play in the kitchen or take a nap on the couch next to him!  But in this recipe I decided to make a healthy version of those stuffed potatoes and this is what I came up with:

All I can say is YUM!  This was an instant hit in my home and left everyone cheering for more - okay in truth they were cheering for the football game that was on . . . but I can pretend it was for me right!?!  They did devour them in 5 minutes and were asking for more, so I'm thinking they were a hit.

Here are the ingredients:
Small potatoes (Russet or Red, Purple, or white potatoes)
Coconut oil
Sea Salt and Pepper
 * you will also need the ingredients from my guacamole recipe!

Cut your potatoes in half.  Stick them in a bowl and drizzle them with a little bit of coconut oil - you don't need a lot just enough to lightly cover them all.  Place them on a cookie sheet, flat side facing up then sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake them in the oven at 400 degrees till you can stick a fork in them (usually takes about 45 minutes but it is going to totally depend on how thick and big your potatoes are)

While your potatoes are baking make up a batch of my guacamole (see my guacamole post), except don't mash up the avocados and tomatoes as much - leave them a little more chunky!

When your potatoes are done cooking let them cool off for a few minutes so you don't burn off your fingerprints!  Scoop out a chunk of the potato so your guacamole has a wonderful nest to sit happily in. (The potato you scoop out is delicious too - my daughter happily ate all of it, but I'm sure you could do something wonderful those scoops too!)  Move them all to a serving plate and devour!

Note: I did try making these once by boiling the potatoes first and then baking them - did not turn out nearly as good wouldn't recommend it!

Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers

Alright today is the day I share one of my absolute favorite vegan recipes with you.  My black bean burger recipe would make a die hard burger fan consider giving up meat - at least for a moment!  I've tried so many recipes and this is the best one I have ever tried.   These black bean burgers stay moist and can be frozen and the best part - the secret ingredient, sweet potatoes!

They are so yummy so without further ado here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Black Beans (cooked & drained)
• 1 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1 cup Cooked Quinoa (I like the red quinoa in this recipe the best but you can use any)
• 1 cup Quick Oats
• 2 t Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 T Braggs Amino Acids
• 2 T Water
• 1 t Cumin
• 2 t Chili Powder
• 1 cup Red Onion (minced)
• 1 cup Sweet Potatoes (grated)

Directions:

• Smash your black beans!  The more smashed the better the burger will stick together
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients 
• Add in a little extra water if the consistency seems to dry
• Shape into burger and grill on the stove top with a little coconut oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
  

 I also use this mixture for wraps and for taco "meat" and it is delicious in all of them!

This recipe will make about 10 cups worth of "meat"  I freeze it into meal size quantities so I can grab and go for a meal that day.  I usually get 4 meals out of one recipe.  It is great to have on hand when company comes over unexpectedly.  The black bean recipe also calls for a lot of ingredients and I find it isn't worth the time and mess in my kitchen if I don't make it in big quantities.  When I make this recipe I actually make 4 x the recipe so I have enough to last me at least 3 months (depending on how many times I have company over!)

Hope you enjoy let me know what you think of my yummy recipe!

Italian Seasoning and Salad Dressing

Well, since moving to Texas I haven't had a ton of time to try out new recipes.  The unpacking and just trying to get the pantry and cleaning products stocked again has kept me pretty busy.  However, I ran out of Italian seasoning the other day and decided it couldn't be hard to mix up a batch and I was right.  
Not only is making your own seasoning mix super easy and way cheaper, it also tastes better and is missing all those lovely preservatives, chemicals and other yucky stuff they put in traditional seasoning mixes.  I only use dried organic spices in all my cooking which makes this recipe even better.  Making the homemade Italian seasoning sent me on a kick of trying other seasoning too!  I've made Taco, Ranch, Lemon Pepper, and a stir fry seasoning.  I'll get some of these recipes up on the blog soon, but today I have to share my Italian seasoning with you!

Here are the basic ingredients:

4 T Garlic Salt
4 T Onion Powder
2 1/2 T Oregano
4 T Parsley
1 t Pepper
1 t Thyme
2 t Celery salt

Put all the dried ingredients into a food processor and blend till everything looks to be about the same size, like this!

I keep my seasoning in a mason jar and use it the sprinkle on foods as I am cooking.  

My kids love baked chicken with the seasoning sprinkled over the top of it.  I put organic free range chicken breast in a Pyrex dish with water (enough water that all the chicken is about 1/2 covered in water) then sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken.  Cover with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes or till the chicken seems done.   

I've also used this seasoning while grilling veggies in my wok.  It tastes great with zucchini, squash, green beans, or eggplant.  I'm sure it would be great with veggies on the BBQ too, but I haven't done that yet.  

And the best part about the homemade Italian seasoning is that it makes a killer Italian salad dressing that tastes so good on a basic garden salad.  

Here are the ingredients I use to make the salad dressing:

2 T Italian Seasoning Mix

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

d

(For a yummy spin on a traditional Italian dressing recipe substitute the apple cider vinegar for balsamic vinegar) 

Mix all the ingredients together and use on a salad.  I like this dressing best on a basic garden salad - spinach and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and sunflower seeds is all you need!  

Hope you enjoy the Italian seasoning and salad dressing!  Let me know if you make any other types of seasoning!  

Correcting Through God's Word

Let me start this blog post with a huge helping of humility pie and a reality about me and my family - I am NOT the perfect parent nor are my children perfect kids.  I hesitate to share this post simply because I would never want any of you to feel like I have it figured out or I "must" be a good parent.  We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world and I have my fair share of moments with my kids I wish I could do over and there are days no matter how I correct my children they are bent on fighting with each other and I'm tearing them apart over a barbie head that Cole just "had" to pull of the body!  (drives me bananas and I often think if I am sane by the time my kids hit 21 it will be a miracle straight from Jesus)

That being said, using Scripture to correct children in the midst of discipline is something my husband and I have always tried to do.  It has come up recently in several conversations and at the urging of my friend Brittany I decided it was time to write on this subject.  So read this blog knowing I'm not perfect and my kids are still young 10 8 and 6 - meaning I can't say "look how they turned out follow my recipe"  cause they are still in the oven baking!

Here is how my husband and I arrived at our decision to correct through scripture:

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I know this isn't rocket science, but since scripture says that God's word is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training for the purpose of equipping (which pretty much sums up our job as parents) we felt we should correct through God's Word.  You see God's Word is sharper than any 2 edged sword and most of the times when correction is needed with my children it is a heart issue.  Sure there was a bad behavior but the behavior is simply a symptom of a bigger heart issue.  Ben and I know that our words are just words, but God's Word is alive and active and if anything can change a heart issue in our children it would be God's Word not ours.  It also takes us out of the correction and makes a bad behavior an issue between God and my children.  

Lets take Complaining as the example:  if I am seeing a repetition of complaining coming out of my children I'll sit them down and pull out the Bible we will read a couple of verses about what God has to say about complaining like :

• Matthew 12:34 - 35 For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.  A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  
• Philippians 2:14-15 Do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.  Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.  

Together we will read through these scriptures, talk about the meaning and why God would have verses in the Bible on complaining and why it is important for us to watch what words are coming out of our mouth.  We will take a couple minutes to pray and ask God to help us not complain and instead to help us store up good.  Then throughout the rest of the day if we catch ourselves complaining I can remind my children not of my words but of God's Word on complaining.  (oh and side note the kids love catching me too! Scripture is equally good at correcting Mommy and kid!)

Often times we will come up with a sign for the verse too.  Like the Matthew 12:34 - 35 verse led to us talking about our words being like throw up (gross I know but I've got a boy so run with me on this!)  We can throw up good words out of our mouth or gross nasty stinky complaining words.  When I hear my kids complaining I can simply gesture like I am throwing up and they will give me a smile and know that God's word talks about not "throwing up" complaints from our mouth and the conversation is changed.  I especially love this when we are out at a friends house or in public that I can simply bring God's word to their mind by a gesture.

There are times when situations are more serious like when I see anger or fighting that I will sit my kids down and make them write out the scripture or even memorize the scripture and consequences come too with these types of bad behavior.

Also if I notice a certain behavior becoming a pattern like laziness I'll make sure our family devotion time centers around that theme.  I have noticed that when I proactively parent in this manner a lot of times the Holy Spirit will convict my kids and I won't see the laziness come up again without me ever having to correct it.

We have to remember as parents that each time a bad behavior needs to be corrected it is simply another chance for us to help mold and shape our children and direct them back to Christ.  It is a beautiful gift we have as parents to watch the Holy Spirit transform our children lives.  My prayer is always that I never get to busy to notice His transformation in them.  The beauty of correcting through Scripture is that I become more and more dependent on God's Word and He molds and shapes me in my dependency of Him.

Cacao No-Bake Cookies

If there is one thing my kids love it is chocolate chip cookies.  Don't get me wrong, I love them too but the amount of sugar and butter and flour in these cookies made me cringe each time I watched them consume another batch.

I recently have been on a Cacao kick, see my other post about delicious Cacao sauce.  As I was trying to come up with wonderful things to do with this sauce the No Bake Cookie recipe was invented and it is an instant success.  They aren't the prettiest cookie but the taste makes up for the look and there is no eggs, flour, or sugar in these cookies!

My kids said I never have to make chocolate chip cookies again!  The best part is the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of raw local organic honey which my daughter does not like, but she likes it in these cookies and magically (not magically - honey rocks) her allergies have completely disappeared since she started eating these cookies!  I also love that during these summer months I don't have to turn on my oven, just plop these cookies into the freezer and they are done!

As with all my recipes I always use organic, local and raw if the option is available.  I don't always list this but I highly recommend organic local and raw at all times!

Ingredients:
2 cups of oats
2 cups of granola (I use a pumpkin flax seed but any granola will do)
1 cup of cacao sauce (see my previous post for this recipe)
1/2 cup of peanut butter (or sunflower butter, almond butter, there are tons out there to choose from)
1/2 cup of local raw honey

Directions:
Mix everything together.  Depending on types of oats or granola you might need a little more cacao sauce.  When mixed everything should be well coated like the picture below -

Drop cookies onto cookie sheet covered with wax or parchment paper.  I have found that smaller cookies are best (it's a little easier to eat)  Place cookies into the freezer.  The cacao sauce is made with coconut oil which hardens when cold (it only takes about 10 minutes)

Feel free to adjust the amount of cacao, honey and nut butter to whatever your preference.  My son is allergic to peanut butter so I actually make him a batch with no nut butter at all just honey and cacao.  I've also made these with no honey just more nut butter and cacao.  There is no exact science to this recipe (my kind of recipe - I love just throwing stuff together!)  These no bakes are the perfect cool summer cookie!

Hope you enjoy let me know if you make them and how they turned out!

Healthy Chocolate?!?

If there is one thing I do love it is chocolate and when I found cacao I swooned!  Healthy chocolate - I didn't even know this was possible.  So what is cacao?  Cacao is the dried fatty seeds from evergreen trees  that are used to make cocoa, chocolate and cocoa butter.  Unlike cocoa or chocolate cocoa where the cacao bean has been roasted and processed, Cacao is raw and crushed to powder form.  The heat used to process cocoa kills all nutritional goodness.  However, cacao is packed full of fatty acids, fiber, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and iron!  Chocolate that is good for you, I have died and gone to heaven!

Cacao is usually bough in powder form and can be found in most stores in the "raw" section of foods. I bought cacao a while ago and then it sat in my pantry forever cause I didn't know how to use it.  But I have learned and must share this deliciousness with you!  

Cacao sauce is super easy to make, it's made with coconut oil (which is also super good for you!) and agave syrup.  Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cacao powder

4 T coconut oil

4 T agave syrup

1 t vanilla extract (you don't have to add this to the recipe it just turns out a little sweeter if you do!)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.  A hand mixer doesn't work very well and it will still be a little gritty.  Blend till all grit is gone and it is a smooth consistency.  

Uses:

My favorite way of eating the cacao sauce is to dip fruit it in.  Because the recipe has coconut oil which hardens when cold you can dip fruit then put it in the fridge or freezer and you get the most yummy hard shell chocolate on fruit.  The sauce is also great with ice-cream or yogurt, I make banana ice-cream with my juicer and use the chocolate with that.  And tomorrow I will be posting a no bake cookie recipe that I use this sauce for too!  So stay tuned!

Guacamole GUACAMOLE - oh how I love you!

If there is one guilty pleasure in my life (outside of coffee) it's guac.  It is my comfort food, late night snack, middle of the day snack, hanging out with girlfriends talking snack.  I just love it!  Been asked a few times recently for my recipe so here it is - though it is nothing amazing very simple ingredients!

Avocado (I usually use at least 4 - why make a bowl if it isn't going to be big!)
Cilantro (is there such thing as too much cilantro in guacamole?!?)
Onion (I like purple onions in my guac but any onion will do, I usually use about a half an onion chopped small )
Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice (usually half)
Garlic (not too much a little goes a long way)
2 tomatoes (chopped small)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl and serve with chips or crackers (or even with a spoon if you are desperate!)

Citrus Salad Dressing

 I have been on a major fresh salad dressing kick so get ready for a few yummy salad dressing recipes.  With the hot weather salad is about the only thing I can stomach right now so I've been getting creative with making my own salad dressings - something I've never done before but so far everything I've tried has turned out great.

This recipe is for a citrus salad dressing.  I made my dressing with limes but it would taste equally as good with lemons or maybe even a really strong orange.

Here are the ingredients and then I'll go through step by step on directions!
- 4 T Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 T fresh lime lemon or orange juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (if you are putting this in a blender you don't need to chop)
- 4 T raw honey (you can use regular honey but raw honey is SO much better for you and tastes way better!)
- 1 t sea salt
-1/2 t fresh cracked pepper
-1/2 cup Braggs olive oil (I've also used coconut oil and it's turned out great)
-1/2 t fresh or dried oregano

Directions
Put all ingredients into a blender (or use a submersion hand blender)

Mix in the blender till everything seems smooth and serve.  I served mine with this salad and my husband said it was the best salad he has ever had!  Wahoo!

My salad is a mixed greens with onions, corn, black beans, carrots, avocado, red peppers, and cucumber!  This dressing is so good you could use it with just about anything though!  This is just what I had in my fridge on the day I made the dressing!

Hope you like the recipe!

Fool Proof French Bread

I can't think of anything I love baking in my kitchen more than this french bread recipe.  My house smells amazing for hours and the taste of warm bread with raw honey on it is to die for!  For a long time I avoided baking bread as it seemed so complicated.  If they had to invent a bread machine to help woman make bread it must be complicated right?!?  Then one day I looked at the loaf of bread I bought at the store and saw the list of 20+ ingredients that I couldn't pronounce and I was determined to try to make bread.

I tried many recipes - a LOT failed or my kids hated them!  But finally I found this recipe and I couldn't be happier!  5 ingredients, my kids LOVE it and on average we make 4 loafs a week.  We use this bread for grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly, veggie sandwiches, french toast, and garlic bread - it really is the use for everything bread!  The recipe is super simple, my daughters who are 10 and 8 help make it (you'll see Haylie "helping" in a minute!) and I have not ever had a loaf turn out bad.  The bread does not freeze well - fresh is best!  I also use this bread to make bread crumbs for my black bean burgers and for homemade chicken strips for the kids!

 Here is a list of ingredients and I will go through each step so you can see how simple this recipe is!

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 t active dry yeast
- 1 t salt
- 1 T butter (melted)
- 2 1/2 C HOT water
- 7 cups of flour (you can use any kind of flour you want, white, wheat, spelt, gluten free, bread flour.  I've tried them all and nothing hasn't turned out yet, sometimes they turn out a little more dry than other times especially the spelt.  I usually do a mix with wheat and spelt or whatever flour I happen to have in my pantry)

Here are the directions - I promise it is easy!

Heat your bowl (if you have a mixer heat up your mixer bowl if you are making this by hand heat up whatever bowl you are using)  After the bowl is hot add your 2 1/2 cups of hot water

Next add your yeast and let it sit and froth up, use a spoon to help dissolve the yeast completely.  If there are a couple of chunks it's no big deal the goal is mostly dissolved like this -

Now add in your salt, butter, and flour and mix!  If you have a mixer use your dough hook and let the mixer do the hard work for you!  Mix in your mixer on a lower speed for about 7 minutes or until the dough stops sticking to the bowl.  If you don't have a mixer this is where you just have to mix and kneed till the dough turns out nice and smooth.  It will stop sticking to the bowl when it is done.

 
Now I did mention that my daughters make this bread and though I love their help in the kitchen this recipe "somehow" ends with Haylie looking like this every time!

Thought you might enjoy the cute visual!  She really is an awesome help in the kitchen and always loves to make things fun while she works!  Love love love her silly heart!

Once the dough is mixed pour a little oil into a large bowl (it can be any kind of oil vegetable, canola, you could even use your Pam spray if you have it)  Coat the bowl and then put the entire lump of dough into the bowl and turn once so it is covered in the oil.  See it's shiny!

Cover with a tea cloth (meaning some type of towel that does not have lint - you don't want lint sticking to your bread) and let it rise for one hour.  This is probably the most tricky part - not forgetting you have bread rising!

Here is my cute tea towel my mother in law gave me at Easter and it has become my staple bread making towel!  (Thanks Sally!)

Once it has risen it should look like this!  Did I mention big bowl?!?  This dough will more than double in size!

Split the dough in half and roll out one loaf at a time.  I use my cookie sheet and roll out my bread on the cookie sheet.  It won't stick so you won't need to flour the surface or anything to special.  Once you have your cookie sheet covered -

roll your dough long ways like a snake.  Make sure as you roll you squeeze gently (you will get air pockets if you don't - learned that the hard way)  Once you have your snake you want to tuck in the ends, do this by folding the ends in on themselves.

Again cover and let rise for an hour!  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes!  Here's our finished results!  Hope you enjoy let me know if you try it!

Bulk Cooking with Quinoa Part 3

Part 3 of cooking 3 recipes with 10 cups of cooked quinoa is one of my favorite recipes.  Super simple, delicious and it is great warm or cold.  Hope you like this recipe!

Ingredients:

• Cooked Quinoa (whatever is left after you have made your other recipes, usually about 3 cups)
• Big bundle of Cilantro
• 2 Tomato
• 1 cup Frozen Corn
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• Half Purple Onion 
• Limes - usually 2
• Garlic Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Put quinoa in a large bowl
• Chop everything! Cilantro, tomato, red bell pepper, and purple onion put in bowl with quinoa.  Avocado I put in right before we are going to eat it, so if you are eating this yummy dish now stick it in, but if you are going to put it in the fridge and eat it later hold off on the avocado till you are ready to eat!  Corn doesn't need to be chopped but it gets added in now too!
  
• Cut limes in half and squeeze juice on quinoa to taste (I like a lot of flavor so I use 2 limes)  I usually zest the outside of the lime too!  Add in any garlic salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, or really any other seasonings you want.  I usually just stick to a little bit of garlic salt and call it a day.
• Mix everything together and chill in fridge till you are ready to eat.
  
  Here is the final result, without the avocado because it was way to early in the morning to add it in.  I usually serve this with chips and salsa.  
  
  
  Alright so there you have 3 meals with 10 cups of cooked quinoa!  Hope you enjoyed, more bulk cooking ideas to come soon!  Happy cooking!

Bulk Cooking with Quinoa Part 2

Part 2 in my bulk cooking with quinoa is super simple, taco meat for tacos or nachos.  Just like yesterday's recipe I make this in bulk then I know I've got at least a months worth (meaning my kids eat tacos once a week) of meat frozen and ready to go.

I only use organic and homemade ingredients in all my cooking which can add up in price.  One of the reasons I love using quinoa in recipes like this is because it makes my organic meat (which is so expensive!) and makes it go much further, thus saving me money!  I am always excited when I can stretch my food budget with great recipes like the taco meat!

Since I homeschool my kids and we don't eat out having meals that are quick is super important.  I don't have time to spend an hour prepping lunch in the middle of the kids school day and since we do homeschool they don't have to eat a packed lunch (sandwich) every day.  Yippee!  Ben and I do not eat meat so this is a really simple taco meat for the kids - we usually have taco salad the day they eat tacos then we can all enjoy guacamole and salsa!  Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:

• 4 cups of cooked quinoa 
• 1 pound of organic grass fed ground beef
• Whatever you use to season your taco meat.  I use a homemade salsa, I'll add that recipe on another post! (but you could buy a salsa to put in your meat.  Costco has a great organic salsa that I sometimes use)  You can use a taco packet of seasoning or whatever you like it best.  I'm simple with this stuff, you have to cook what you know your kids are going to like!
• You could also add in onions and bell peppers chopped small if you want.  If I ate meat I would totally throw in some yummy peppers and onions too!

Directions:

• Brown ground beaf (wow this is rocket science cooking here! lol - sorry did I mention I like simple cooking!)
  
• After meat has cooked (and onions and peppers if your using them) add in quinoa and spices of your choice.  You might need a little water too, depending on what you are using to season your meat.  If you are just adding in a packet add some water if you use salsa it should be wet enough. 

• Let it cook on low so the flavors really soak up in the quinoa.  Now I'll stick in a random picture of my ever present helper in the kitchen - Lucy.  She never leaves my side while I'm cooking in hopes of getting a treat!  She's so cute, my kitchen isn't complete without her!
  
• And finally let your "meat" mixture cool, then put it in ziplock bags or Pyrex or whatever you use to freeze your foods in.  I freeze mine into small portions that will make 4 tacos so I don't have any leftovers that I find a month later moldy in the fridge (I always have the best intentions to use those leftovers but somehow they get pushed to the back of the fridge never to be found again until they look like a science experiment, I don't know how that happens!)
  

My batch made 6 servings this time - again I'm not one for measuring, so these things turn out a little different all the time.  It will still only last me a month as we will have company or cousins over and I'll need to use 2 of these for one meal.  

Tomorrow I'll post a recipe that Ben and I love to eat made again with the same 10 cups of quinoa.  See you tomorrow!

Bulk Cooking with Quinoa Part 1

Today I'm going to talk with you about one of my favorite things quinoa!  If you haven't cooked with it yet you should and here are just a few of the reasons why:

• Great source of fiber
• It is a cholesterol free and low fat source of protein 
• It's a seed not a grain
• It's a super food!
• Contains all 8 essential amino acids
• Those with gluten or wheat allergies can eat this to their hearts content!
• Great option for vegans or vegetarians instead of rice or beans!

As a mom I love quinoa because it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with, I can hide it in foods and my kids think they are eating meat instead, and it is so versatile that I can cook a bunch at once and make different meals.  

I'm a big bulk cooker - why make the same mess in your kitchen week after week if you can cook in bulk and make the mess in your kitchen once a month instead!  Do yourselves a favor moms and cook in bulk, life gets simpler with bulk cooking and eating out happens less and less when you have meals prepped in the freezer and all you have to do is thaw and eat!  I spend one day bulk cooking meals for a month.  

Last week I cooked 10 cups of quinoa and made 3 recipes with the cooked quinoa.  Today I will show you my "meat" loaf recipe (I have to put the"" around meat because there is so little meat and so much other good stuff in the recipe)

 "Meat"loaf recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of quinoa
• Head of cauliflower
• 1 pound of organic grass fed beef
• 1 ripe large organic tomato
• 2 small cans of organic tomato paste
• 1 cup of bread crumbs or ground oats or ground cashews (you can use whatever your favorite it in this recipe)
• Seasonings of your choice (since my husband and I don't eat meat this meal is only for our kids so I keep seasonings to a minimum a little garlic salt and pepper and they love it!)

Directions:

• Steam cauliflower then blend in a blender with a tomato (you could use a hand mixer or food processor, even a potato smasher would work.  I have a vita-mixer so it is my go to tool in the kitchen)
  
•  Mix your cauliflower tomato mix into the quinoa.  The tomato added isn't so much for flavor as much as it is for color helps this dish still look like meat - which fools my ever so picky kids into eating it!
• Mix in your ground beef, seasonings, bread crumbs, and tomato paste (the tomato paste helps everything bind together really well)  Mix everything really well, I usually can't mix it enough with a spoon and end up mixing the old fashion way with my hands (yummy)
  
• I cook this meatloaf in muffin tins.  I do this because it is easier to serve and freeze for the kids.  It also helps me know exactly how many weeks worth of meals I have at a time.  The meatloaf also defrosts way faster this way, so I can pull them out in the morning as I am planning meals for the day and by lunch they are done and just needed to be heated for a few minutes in the toaster oven or stove
  

 Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or till it looks done.  The recipe makes (give or take a couple, depending on the size of cauliflower) 24 meatloaf muffins.  Which for my kids will last 6 weeks!

One of my other favorite things about cooking quinoa with meat is that it doesn't shrink!  You know how when you cook a big old meatloaf and it looks great in the pan and then you pull it out after it's cooked and it is half the size!  That doesn't happen when quinoa is in the meat - what you put in the oven is what you pull out!  Success!

I laugh on the inside every time I watch my kids eat this "meat"loaf because I could never get them to eat quinoa or cauliflower and yet they will gobble down this dish.

Tomorrow I'll post the 2nd meal I made from the 10 cups of quinoa I cooked so stay tuned!