Sugar-Free Homemade Peppermint Mocha

Have you tried this yet? A Starbucks Peppermint Mocha. Oh. Baby.

But a $5.00 drink is not in the budget, even once a week. And this drink is so delicious, I set out to find a homemade suitable replacement. Can I share with you?
Start with this. I used the "subscribe and save" option on Amazon and have had enough decaf coffee to last this whole pregnancy. The organic label means that it does not have any of the 43 chemicals that regular coffee tends to have.

I measure out 16 oz. of boiling water and add two heaping teaspoonfuls of the coffee.

Add this. It is cheapest on Amazon. $3.99 gets you a whole bottle. You would pay $15.00 for this at the local health food store. I squeeze probably 20 whole drops into my coffee base.



Then add a heaping tablespoon of Trader Joe's unsweetened cocoa powder.
Next, add a generous serving of heavy cream. I like the organic cream from Trader Joe's. Milk just can't compare to a good heavy cream.

Then, either stir or use a frother to blend it all together. I cannot wait to wake up on freezing cold morning to drink one of these. Yummy!

Traditional Sauerkraut

Would you like to start eating more "traditionally?" Are you confused as to where to start?

How about here? Sauerkraut.

Making sauerkraut is simplicity itself. You can even do it with little children. They love messy projects, and this can turn into a messy project. A fun, messy project.

Additionally, organic cabbage is quite cheap. I got two heads for under two dollars at Lassen's. You can make sauerkraut with red or white cabbage.

Supplies needed:

1-2 medium heads of cabbage
Sea Salt
Filtered Water
Homemade Whey
Shredded Carrots (optional)
Extra-Large Mason Jar

1. Use a large knife to shred the cabbage. Have your little ones stuff the shreds into the mason jar. If you want, shred some carrots into the mix. I added a few shreds at the very end for flavor.

2. Pound the cabbage down to release the juices. I do not have a mallet, so I used the wrong end of my large knife sharpener.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of homemade whey over the cabbage. Fill the rest of the jar with filtered water, just enough to cover the top of the mix. You want to be sure to cover the cabbage completely, as the process is anaerobic- if oxygen gets into the cabbage mixture, your batch may be ruined.

4. Add a heaping tablespoon of sea salt.
5. Loosely cover the jar with cheesecloth, secure with a rubber band, and set out in a fairly warm place to begin fermenting. After three days, put a jar lid on and move to the refrigerator. The good bacteria that will begin multiplying are very useful for repopulating your digestive tract with beneficial substances. Modern diets, toxins, and antibiotics wipe out these "pro-biotics", but you can easily reintroduce them into your body for less than $2!

I eat two or three spoonfuls a day straight out of the jar, but you can add your sauerkraut to hamburgers, stews, soups, and the like! Let me know if you have any questions.

Here is the only belly picture I have from the last few weeks. I am 26 weeks pregnant and growing!

PS- Homemade whey is also very easy to make. Buy a container of full-fat yogurt, dump it into a large, fine sieve and set it over a larger bowl, one that liquids can easily drain into. Leave it straining overnight. In the morning, you will have whey in your bowl, and the most delicious cream cheese you have ever tasted in your sieve!

Non-Kebabs!

I went to make kebabs last night for dinner.

I had no skewers! Nuts.

I often get rid of unnecessary things around my house. My dear mother is a pack rat, and an abundance of "stuff" in my living space makes me agitated. However, this practice sometimes backfires.

Like when company is coming for dinner in 45 minutes.

I called my sister-in-law. She had skewers, but she lives 15 minutes away.

I called my dear friend who lives 5 minutes away. She had five skewers.

I called a friend who lives 2 minutes away. She had run into the exact same problem not a week earlier.

That friend and I. Our brains often misfire the same way.

During our conversation and commiseration, I realized I had a grill basket! Covered in pet fur (I have not had a cat for over a year...shame). and dirt, sitting on the side of my refrigerator.

I put that marinated kebab mess in my grill basket in two batches. Success!

Delicious success!

I get the most compliments on my dinners when I have no idea what the hell I am doing.
I wish I had a better picture, but that is it. Marinated in soy sauce, orange muscat vinegar, olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Yummy. Bell peppers, mango sausage, sun-dried tomato sausage, pineapple, mushrooms, steak pieces, tomatoes, red onion...


The peanut gallery.
And the quote for the day:

"Christian living is frustrating when we forget Scripture's basic ethical imperative: 'be what you already are'. Our repeated sins lead us to conclude that we are fundamentally unholy, as opposed to righteous in Christ. This often leads us to think that we must simply work harder. Such moralism pushes true sanctification far away, and it breeds discouragement, apathy, and the lowering of God's standards". -Putting Sin to Death (Ligonier.org)

Fried Mush

Walk with me as I put theory into practice. Of course, most of you are light years ahead of me, so please teach me as I go! I would love your input, suggestions, and wisdom. I think that will help me stick to my plan.

Here was breakfast this morning.

I had leftover brown rice from lunch yesterday. At the suggestion of the "Fried Mush" recipe from Nourishing Traditions, I made some breakfast pancakes. (Sally uses oatmeal, but I thought this would suffice).

1. Break an egg over a cup and a half of brown rice (or oatmeal). Stir well.

2. Start melting your coconut oil or butter in a hot pan.
3. Add the rice by the heaping spoonful and mash down to form cakes.
4. Fry until the edges are brown and crispy. We poured a bit of raw local honey over the pancake to make it "breakfast-y". I can't believe the children ate these, but they did. I thought they were delicious, but they do not look anything like regular pancakes so I was worried. Fried mush, eggs, homemade ketchup, and raw milk. Wow. That makes, like, three whole meals that I feel good about.

We did have pizza last night at my nephew's birthday party. And ice cream cake. It was delicious. :)

Baby steps.

Brown Rice Bento Balls

I have been re-reading Sugar Blues by William Dufty. Sugar has an interesting and disturbing history. Dufty says science shows that sugar affects humans much like a drug. Sugar is a cause of many physical and mental illnesses. It is a fascinating read, if you are into such things. He gives examples of how to "kick the habit". I found it refreshing to have a few practical ways to eat sugar-free, instead of having half the book devoted to recipes that I can get out of any cookbook. Many new mainstream pseudoscience nutrition/diet books have gone this half information/half recipe route, and I feel like most of those are a waste of money or time at the library. This book is not! I tried out the brown rice ball idea. Dufty says he makes them for picnics or road trips, as they keep well. I am making mine for lunches and snacks for myself, as well as Beau and the children.
I bought these "umeboshi plums" (salted preserved plums) from the Asian market on White Lane. I got about 30 for $7.99 and the clerk was very helpful. I still can't pronounce "umeboshi" correctly, though.

I made a huge pot of brown jasmine rice from Trader Joes and cooked the rice until it was relatively dry and sticky. I used an ice cream scoop to scoop out the hot rice.


I put a big square piece of Saran Wrap inside a small teacup and scooped the rice inside. I pushed two umeboshi plums into the center and then I twisted up the plastic wrap and made a ball with the rice. The salted plums are supposed to preserve and flavor the rice. Beau is going to get to take these to work with him for a snack instead of the healthy but sugar-filled breakfast bars he has been eating. I hope my family likes them!

Dessert in a Hurry- Apricot Kolachy

Is it Thursday already?

I love getting new recipes off of friends' blogs, so I want to share one with you. I had a lovely friend a few years ago named Fiona. She and her husband have since moved around the world and I only occasionally get to chat with her via email; however, she left me with fond impressions of the English. She also left me with some great memories of Settlers of Catan, and with the experience of eating her homemade "kolachies". I have tried to replicate her recipe a few times, with disappointing results.

Then I found Pillsbury Recipe Creations sheet dough! I have used this single-sheet dough for appetizers, main dishes, and now, dessert. It is new, so it has been on sale (2/ $5.00) at local grocery stores since Christmas. Use a single sheet for this Kolachy recipe. I wouldn't recommend using it often because there is not one single health-beneficial ingredient in the poppin-fresh dough, but it makes a pretty dish for get-togethers with friends.

Semi-Homemade Attempt at Fiona's Fully Homemade Jam Kolachy Recipe:

1 Canister Pillsbury Recipe Creations Dough

1 8 oz. container cream cheese

15 Tablespoon-serving sizes of jam of your choice ( I used home-made apricot and blackberry)

Instructions:

1. Cut the dough into 15 equal-sized squares.
2. Roll and pinch the edges to create a small pie crust
3. Fill with 1.5 Tbs of cream cheese and spread to edges of pastry shell.
4. Top each pastry with 1 Tbs. assorted jelly (mine is from the kitchen of my mother-in-law).
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-16 minutes. Serve warm.
C.A.- thanks for your encouragement this week! Blessings to you as you serve your family today.