strawberry soft serve ice cream

This is a delicious fast ice cream that doesn't require an ice cream maker.
1 bag frozen strawberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup(if you like it real sweet, add more)
heavy cream, coconut milk, yogurt or kefir
2 raw egg yolks(optional)
In the bowl of the food processor(FP): add the berries, vanilla, salt, and sweetener: pulse to chop strawberries into small pieces. Now add egg yolks and while FP is going, slowly stream in the cream or whatever liquid you choose. Stop when the mixture is thick, like soft serve ice cream. You can serve now or put it in th freezer for 15-20 minutes(until ready to serve)
*I have made it w/ coconut milk and frozen bananas-AWSOME!!!(add 2 tbsp
unsweetened cocoa-WOW!!)
*yogurt and kefir go nice w/ blueberries
*cream goes nice w/ , raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango, bananas, blackberries

nutrition class: raw foods

Last night, I went to a nutrition class at my chiropractors office. I did learn a lot and I also felt so happy about how many things I do "right" w/ my kids. She was talking about getting the processed food out of the house and all the "nasties"(HFC, MSG, white food) Also how important raw veggies are(I agree and also will add that raw protein and raw fat is as important if not more important because it is more nutrient dense) and how they need to be a big part of our diet. You see, raw foods come w/ enzymes and other wonderful things that heat destroys. We are born w/ a limited supply of enzymes and the SAD(standard American Diet) includes mostly dead foods. We quickly use up our enzyme stores and then all sorts of digestive issues kick in. Every meal should include raw food or the whole meal should be raw. If you are eating a cooked meal, it is soooo important to eat or drink some sort of lacto-fermented food or drink w/ the meal. This helps to add in digestive enzymes, good bacteria, and good yeasts that are essential for digestion and overall health.
Some examples of raw lacto-fermented foods and drinks are:
*kombucha tea(homemade or store bought)my kids favorite!
*water kefir(I am brewing this for the first time right now--I will post about it)
*beet kvass
*dairy ferments(different types of yogurts, kefir, sour cream, buttermilk, cultured butter....)
*veggie ferment(cucumber pickles, sauerkraut, pickled carrots, pickled beets...)
Some examples of raw foods:
*raw red wine vinegar
*raw apple cider vinegar
*raw milk
*raw cream
*raw butter
*raw egg yolk
*raw seeds and nuts
*raw, fermented cod liver oil(as a supplement)
*raw extra virgin olive oil
*raw coconut oil
*raw cacao
*raw honey
*raw veggies and fruits especially tropical ones, they have the highest amount of enzymes
-avocados, kiwis, mangos, bananas, papayas....

lunch and snacks for kids on the go

It can be so tempting to buy a slice of pizza when out and about or send kids to school w/ packaged foods. For the kids that go to school and have a hot lunch available, this too can be tempting for some. How easy to send kids to school w/ money and let them purchase lunch there? Well get ready for lots of ideas that will give kids nourishing foods to sustain energy and fats to keep their brains functioning properly.
*sandwich roll up-Use sprouted tortillas and fill w/ cheese,meats,nut butter and naturaljelly,cream cheese,hummus,roasted veggies w/ lots of mayo,egg salad ......ANYTHING your kids like. When the tortilla has your chosen filling, roll and cut into slices then wrap in parchment paper and pack in lunch bag.
*hard boiled eggs
*fruit salad or a piece of fruit.(avacados are great and LOADED w/ fat)
*veggie sticks w/ homemade sour cream dip(1 cup sour cream, 1/2 lemon squeezed, 1 tsp grated onion or onion powder,1 tsp salt, pepper, and a clove of crushed garlic)
*nitrate free and organic cold cuts, rolled.
*nuts
*soup(thermos)
*grass fed beef hot dogs(thermos w/ hot water)
*unflavored, cream on top yogurt,w/ maple syrup or honey, or w/ fresh fruit
*smoothie(kefir, yogurt, coconut milk, milk)put in a thermos
*cheese cubes
*raw nut cookies
*sprouted bagel w/ lots of coconut oil and butter
*homemade stew or chile(thermos)
*chopped veggie salad w/ lots of olive oil and lemon juice(cucumbers,tomato,red cabbage,radish, red peppers(these are a few examples- you can do whatever your child likes)
*bean salad
*homemade coconut muffins
*chicken salad
*nut bread(ground nuts, eggs and butter or coconut oil)w/raw honey and butter or coconut oil
*pate and veggie sticks or rice crackers
*any left over in a thermos
*kuku(Persian omelet)or frittata(Italian omelet) sent cold
Fats for kids,about 6 tbsp a day, are an essential part of their nutritional needs. Butter, saturated animal fat, coconut oil, ghee, EVOO, and cold pressed nut and seed oils(in small amounts) are all excellent for kids and adults. Please stay away from soybean oil, canola and other vegetable oils. Most require chemical extraction and deodorizing to mask the rancid oil.
Start your babies young, eating nutritious foods, so they do not become picky eaters and so they get a large variety of vitamins and minerals. Long term breastfeeding and whole food eating is the best gift that you can give to your children. They will be great eaters and healthy and you wont have to spend so much time undoing damage due to poor diet and formula feeding(raw milk or meat based formulas are the exception-tho NOTHING compares to breastmilk)

grain free "cereal"

This is a great "cereal" that I make and keep in my fridge for a quick breakfast or snack.
Its made w/ shredded, dried coconut, soaked and dehydrated nuts and seeds, dried fruits and cinnamon.
1/2 cup each: pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
1/2 cup each:macademia nuts,brazil nuts and almonds(you can use any combo of nuts that you like)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup dried fruit(I use prunes, apricots, figs and raisins)
1-2 tsp cinnamon
Either coarsely chop the nuts, seeds, and fruit w/ a knife or in batches, chop the seeds, then the nuts, then the fruit in the food processor. Use the pulse on the processor so you can control the size of the ingredients.
Put all the chopped ingredients into a glass storage container and mix in the cinnamon. Store in the frigde and serve w/ yogurt, kefir, milk or just eat it plain. You could add sweetener if you wanted, too.

how to raise kids to LOVE food

*LOVE food yourself!!!! I mean REAL food, made at home w/ love.
*breastfeed for as long as possible!!
*make sure your house always smells like food. The smells from childhood stay w/ you forever.
*do not give grains until after 1 year(even longer is fine too) Babies can not digest grain until they have the enzymes to break them down. They do not develop these enzymes until after 1 year.
*DO NOT give any sweets(even natural)not even a taste until well over 1 year. They will know no different and they will enjoy foods in their natural form.
*do not serve babies bland food. Serve them food the way you season yours.
*revisit foods that baby refuses to eat. Sometimes they just arent in the mood for a particular food. Parents, I think, mistake "just not in the mood" for "I do not like that".
*start babies young w/ unsweetened lacto fermented foods(yogurt, kefir)between 6-8 months and cultured drinks(kombucha,water kefir) over 1year. These foods are chock full of nutrition, enzymes, bacteria and yeast which will keep babies healthy and their digestive tracts filled w/ "the good guys".
A healthy baby, child and grown up loves healthy food.
An unhealthy baby, child and grown up does not love healthy food.

frozen organic berries

I always have bags of these on hand. They are great in my coconut flour muffins, smoothies, pancakes, and in a bowl w/ some yogurt or kefir and a little cream too. But what they are really best for is a teething baby(over 1 and w/ a few teeth) They were loved by my boys and really soothing on their swollen gums.
* I do want to say that I gave them to my boys at maybe 7 months in one of those mesh food bags sold at the baby stores. They look like a rattle sort of and you can put all different foods in them. I used then mostly for my teething babies w/ frozen fruits put in.

the kids favorite smoothie

1 cup kefir
1 raw egg yolk
1/4 cup of raw cream(if I do not have any I use more kefir)
handful of frozen berries
1 tsp of powdered greens
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 drops of stevia or 1 tsp raw honey
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth!!!

Gourmet on a Budget

It is very expensive to feed a family of four big eaters nourishing foods. To keep costs down, I shop in a few different places, including some internet shopping. Our dairy and eggs come to us from our wonderful farmers in Pennsylvania. They make deliveries every Saturday. Some meats and poultry come from the farmer but mostly I buy from Whole Foods and a local chicken farm. I buy seafood in bulk from vitalchoice.com and some coconut products in bulk on line too. Produce comes from a few different stores. I buy nuts, seeds, frozen berries, fruit jams, rice, and a few other odds and ends at Trader Joes. And yes my kids come w/ me on my shopping journeys and they are involved in the whole process. This is our life of cooking real food from scratch w/ the highest quality ingredients and doing it lovingly and as inexpensively as possible.
These are some things I do to cut down on expenses.
-I buy whole chickens(this is the cheapest way to buy chicken) After I roast the chicken for 1 meal, I immediately cover the bones w/ water and start a stock for another few meals. Any leftover chicken might be turned into chicken salad for the next days lunch or added to quesadillas.
-I use a lot of ground meat.
-I bulk up a meal w/ lots of veggies when I use an expensive cut of beef.
-I cook in bulk and I menu plan. This helps me when I just don't feel like cooking. It saves money on buying garbage food(anything bought outside of my house!!!)
-I make sure every meal has lots of good fat(especially for the kids) It keeps them fuller longer.
-Prepping produce when I bring it home from the store helps having things ready when I need them. This cuts down on waste and also saves me time.(I never buy bagged lettuce or already cut veggies)
-I NEVER buy dry cereals. Not only are they totally unhealthy but they are a waste of money.
-My kids never drink bottled juice. Its nothing but SUGAR, it is a health robber, and a HUGE waste of money. For a treat I will make fresh pressed juice(cut w/ water) Even though it is fresh and has some enzymes that bottle juices are missing, it is still SUGAR and not a health building or supporting product!!!!