Homemade Applesauce by Steph

Apples peeled and cored and cut to slices
Put in a large pan with a small amount of water - it would probably be even better with apple juice.  Add a small amount of lemon juice.  It think we used half of a lemon.  Blend in blend until smooth.

We froze ours.  I've heard that if you want to can it you should not put it in the blender because it whips air into it.  I don't know if it is true though.

Posted by Steph

Smoothies by Stace

This summer has made me a smoothie lover. I cannot get enough of them. Dustin has been making them for Boddhi -- as a quick, nutritious meal he loves to eat -- since he was very small, and Mike has been making them as an after school snack regularly, but I have never really been that interested in them until now (maybe it is a pregnancy thing). I love having them for breakfast or even as a mid-afternoon snack.

Here is what I am putting in my smoothies lately:

I use the magic bullet processor (comes with lots of different cups so each person can prepare their own smoothie while they wait).

I bought a bunch of organic frozen fruits (to use instead of ice) -- strawberries, peaches, mangoes, blueberries, but I enjoy using the strawberries the most.

For example this morning I used a half banana, 4 frozen strawberries, 1 T honey, 2 scoops of organic, whole milk yogurt, and filled the rest of the cup with raw milk. The result was a perfect blend of creamy, fruity sweetness. Boddhi wanted the same thing with added oranges (yuck!), but I obliged. He loved it and nearly drank the whole thing.

Dustin has used chocolate chips in Bo's (as a substitute for an ice cream treat), and he usually uses no sweetener. If you use 1 whole, ripe banana you really don't need the honey. Boddhi loves to help out -- chopping the fruit and putting it all in the cup.

Dustin really wants a juicer, and he says he would be more inclined to eat more green vegetables if he could juice them. This would allow us to make green smoothies (which I am very interested in) -- adding kale, spinach or carrots to our smoothies. No one around here eats enough vegetables, so I am all for the idea (just have to find one at a reasonable price).

I know Bob makes smoothies all the time too. Maybe she would be willing to add her favorite combinations to this post? Feel free to chime in Mom or Steph?

And to our (few) readers: what do you like to put in your smoothies?



10/09/2011 - Edited to add: We have been making different (superfoodish) smoothies lately. My favorite flavor combination is:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Super Smoothie

1 frozen banana
4 frozen strawberries
2 scoops whole, plain yogurt
1 heaping Tablespoon of raw organic cacao powder
1 heaping Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon royal jelly
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
enough raw milk to cover the ingredients

mix it all in the magic bullet or blender -- tastes like a yummy chocolaty treat!

Dude makes this breakfast smoothie every morning -- he calls it the "green monster" (vegan)

3 cups or so coconut milk (he makes his own -- will post a link to this recipe later)
2 frozen bananas
2 T raw. organic cacao powder
1 T bee pollen
1 T spirulina powder
1 T liquid chlorophyll
1 T Maca powder
1 T Hemp protein powder
handful of goji berries
handful of cashews

Blend all ingredients and enjoy :)

posted by Stace

Fettuccine - by Steph

This is the Alfredo Fettuccine we had while you were visiting stace.

1/2 stick butter
1 pint half and half or cream
1/2 tsp garlic
Parmesan
broccoli(cooked)and/or chicken(cooked)
salt and pepper
1pkg noodles

Cook noodles.
Melt butter and garlic, saute (I add some flour 2T? to thicken the sauce and sometimes a couple Tbsp cream cheese). Mix in cheese. Add sauce to noodles; Add cream broccoli or chicken (or both) and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

posted by Steph

Chicken Tortilla Soup - by Stace

My husband and I invented this recipe at our first house in Fort Worth. We enjoyed cooking it together while listening to music and drinking wine. As our girls have gotten older, we have included them in the cooking; they enjoy "doing it themselves." This is a kid favorite that our girls request often. I hope to be able to make it with my grandchildren someday, sharing the stories of warmth and togetherness it brought to our blended family -- one of our first original traditions :)

Ingredients:
1 pound of trimmed chicken breasts
3 T olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 box of organic chicken broth (32 oz)
4 T butter
1 can crushed organic tomatoes
1 can black refried beans
1 can whole black beans
1 or 2 cans Hatch red enchilada sauce
2 bags (32 oz) frozen corn
1 bag corn tortillas
16 oz Monterey Jack Cheese
1 large avocado

Directions:

• Sauté onion and jalepeno in saucepan (with olive oil)
• Add chicken and cook until tender. Set aside to cool
• While chicken is cooking, pour 1 box (32 oz) of broth into saucepan
• Let broth get hot, then add butter
• After butter melts, add crushed tomatoes
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes
• Add beans and Hatch sauce
• Add onion and jalepeno (from chicken pot)
• Add chicken (simmer 20 minutes)
• Add corn (simmer 30 minutes)
• Cut tortillas into strips and fry in oil
• Salt strips and place in bottom of soup bowls
• Top soup with Monterey jack cheese and avocado slices

Notes: You can use a whole chicken if you like. Boil it, set it aside to cool. Then remove skin and tear apart for soup. My husband has a thing about touching chicken while it is on the bone, so we usually use boneless, skinless chicken breast (so we don't gross him out).

01/26/2011 -- More Notes - I made this soup again last night, and I used a slightly different process. It was the best soup yet! I started with boiling a chicken (added sloppy slices of onion and carrot along with salt) in one pot. Then I melted butter in my dutch oven, added diced jalepenos and Serrano peppers (because we ran out of home grown habanero and that is what the grocery store had available). I let those cook for a minute or two, releasing the oils. Then I added fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. Next I took the broth right from the pot of chicken and added it to the dutch oven. I then added my other ingredients one by one. The soup was smoky and spicy -- just the way I like it, so I thought I would share...

posted by Stace

Bonnie Hart's Sugar Cookie Recipe - by Steph

These are the ones I usually make for holidays and ice for gifts.
These are memories for my kids. We made these for Valentines, Easter, and for cookies on a stick gifts for favorite babysitters. The kids cut out, iced and ate. I have to make them today for a fall get together for the primary kids Saturday. That is why I am typing it now.


1C Butter
1C Sugar
1t soda mixed with 2T milk
1/2 t Baking Powder
1/8 t salt
1t vanilla
4C flour
2 eggs beaten

Directions,
first mix butter sugar eggs
then mix baking soda and milk together add along with all other wet ingredients
finally mix in flour

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours then roll out and cut out

bake at 350 degrees for 12-20 minutes depending on thickness. Experiment with different thickness to make soft or crunchier.

posted by Steph