Homemade "Clif" Bars

Mr. Right and I bought some Clif Bars the other day.  We were away from home and needed an emergency snack.  Well, those things aren't cheap!  So, I decided to come up with a homemade version.  Here it is:
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup peanuts
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup flax seeds

Process in food processor then press firmly into baking dish.  Refrigerate then cut into squares.

Yummy!

These are super good!  As you can tell, we started eating them before I could even get them cut into squares!

Bulk Food from Country Life

Eating natural is something I enjoy.  Something I don't enjoy, however, is grocery shopping (plus, some of these things can't be purchased at the super market).  So, in case you are interested, here is a list of things we order in bulk from Country Life Natural Foods.

Sucanat 

Garlic, Powder, Domestic  17oz

Peanut Butter, Smooth, NS  35#

Whole Wheat Flour, Prairie Gold, CCF (white) 10#

Tortilla Chips (non GMO) Yellow OG, Whole Grain  16oz

Real Salt 

Cornmeal (non GMO) yellow, OG (whole grain w/ germ) 25#

Navy Beans, OG 25#... will last you a long time

Peas, green split 25#

Sunflower seeds (raw) 5#

Peanuts, Spanish, RNS 25#

Raisins, black flame, large 30#

Rumford Baking Powder (Aluminum free) 5#

Coconut oil 50#... lasts us one year

Yeast, SAF- Instant Red (Baking) 1#

Oats, Regular Rolled 25#...lasts us a year and a half

Pineapple dices, low sugar, IMP 5#

I think that’s it.  The things in bold are what I would consider “must haves” and would suggest getting them to start with. 

We mix peanuts, raisins, (dried pineapple when we order it), and sunflower seeds and eat as a healthy snack.  This is something we always have a jar of in the car for road trips.

Why We Use Coconut Oil

We gave up vegetable oil years ago then started using olive oil.  I learned that olive oil isn't good for frying (a person has to have some fried potatoes every now and then!), the oils we were using came from GM sources, most oils are not natural and also contain trans-fat (unlike naturally occurring coconut oil).  So, we switched.

There are many benefits to using coconut oil.  For example, coconut oil is naturally occurring unlike some of the oils sold that have been factory created into a nasty, oily, rancid substance.  Not to mention, most of them are manufactured from genetically modified plants (corn, soy, canola) which gives them a terrible start anyway.  You should know now that anything naturally created is better for you than a manufactured food product.

 Not all fat is bad.  Actually, natural saturated fat is good for you!  I've read before about all the "low fat" fad diets that went around in the 90s and how obesity actually rose during this time.  Aside from the fact that natural fat is good for you, "low fat" frozen dinners contain all kinds of unnatural nastiness.  But that's a rant for another day.

Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price found South Pacific Islanders whose diets were high in coconut to be healthy and trim, despite high dietary fat, and heart disease was virtually non-existent. Similarly, in 1981, researchers studying two Polynesian communities for whom coconut was the primary caloric energy source found them to have excellent cardiovascular health and fitness.  (emphasis mine)

 *If you have never researched Dr. Weston Price's studies, you should.  He did a mass amount of research in people groups and basically discovered that Americans have it all wrong.  Here is his Wise Traditions website.

There are many health benefits to coconut oil.  For example:

• Improving your heart health.(3)
• Boosting your thyroid. (4)
• Increasing your metabolism.
• Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.
• Supporting your immune system. (5)

...Coconut oil is incredibly good for your heart. The truth is this: it is unsaturated fats that are primarily involved in heart disease and too much sugar and processed foods, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe. 

Coconut oil also has a high smoke point which means you can use it to fry those potatoes without smoking up the house and saturating your food in an oil that has been heated to an unhealthy, unnatural degree.

We have also found another use for coconut oil....lotion!  We don't use any store bought lotions because of the ingredients and coconut oil is sooo much better anyway.  In fact, I have read that some studies show coconut oil to have some anti-aging qualities and that's never a bad thing...

We pay roughly $82 for 50 pounds of pure coconut oil.  We buy it in a big, metal bucket.  It lasts us a full year and takes care of all our cooking and lotion needs.  It is solid at room temperature so it's easy to scoop some out of the bucket and melt it in your skillet for cooking.  I've also found that it substitutes nicely for Crisco in pie crusts!

You don't have to buy 50 pounds but we have found it to be most economical this way.  It also comes in varying qualities.  We don't buy the super expensive stuff because ours is still pure coconut oil.  As a result, it does not have a coconut flavor so you don't have to worry about everything tasting like coconut.

When you consider everything discussed here, coconut oil is the best option.  No other oil is ever worth considering.  Most other oils are unnatural and unhealthy.  They also contribute to bad health and weight gain.


All quotes referenced from here. (great article)

Oats, Honey, Peanut Butter and Yumminess

This super easy dessert is sooo good and good for you!  Here's how you do it:

Melt together 1/2c peanut butter, 1/3c honey and 1/4c coconut oil.
Like this:

Then stir in 1c oats.  Like this:

After that is complete, spread it into an 8x8 pan to chill.  (or a 9x11 or a pie plate or whatever you want.  It's your dessert.  Don't let anyone tell you how to spread it.)

I'm a rebel spreader.

Chill for 2 hours.

If you like variation, add some nuts, coconut, celery (not really)...

Enjoy!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I didn't realize homemade cinnamon rolls were so important to my husband until this weekend.  We were out of town and stopped in this bread/kitchen store to look around.  They had fresh cinnamon rolls straight from the oven and ready to buy.  We didn't get any, of course, because we don't eat half of the ingredients they put in it.  That started a challenge from Mr. Right.  He wanted me to master the cinnamon roll.  So, as soon as we got home, I began trying.  I didn't take a photo of the first batch I made....no need in embarrassing myself.  However, I got a few pointers from Grandpa and went for round two with a new recipe.

Ohhhhhh brother!  They were yummy!  Here they are:

rising

risen

baked and iced

I used the homemade wheat hamburger bun recipe and instead of cutting them out for buns I rolled the dough thin, covered it in organic butter, sucanat and cinnamon then rolled it into a jelly roll.  Then I sliced it and put it in the pan to rise.  They rose for about 15 mins, then baked for 15.

The icing is a cup of cane juice crystals that I processed to powder.  Then I added enough milk to make a fairly thick icing.

You HAVE to try this.

Cheater French Toast

I know there is a proper way to make French toast but I like to cheat.

After you make those ooohhh sooo yummy homemade hamburger buns, cut one open, butter it, add some cinnamon and sucanat then toast it.  Ah.  Now, that's beautiful in the morning.

Homemade Wheat Hamburger Buns

These are FANTASTIC!!!!!!!  I got this recipe from my sister-in-law who got it here.  We've been eating our hamburgers on regular bread....until now.  It's awesome to have healthy, preservative-free buns.  By the way, in case you haven't ever read the ingredients in packaged buns...well, I'll say this...don't if you're planning a cookout tonight.  It's scary what they put in those things!  Think about it.  If you have ever made homemade bread, you know that it molds within days if you don't eat it.  Why don't the packaged breads mold that fast?  That's a discussion for another day.  Moving on.

The original recipe will feed an army so I halved it since I don't have an army (yet).

1 3/4 c warm water
1/2 c oil (I use coconut oil)
1/4 c honey
3T active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
5 1/4 c flour ( I use wheat)

Those involved...

That big honkin' jar is coconut oil.

Mix first four ingredients then let them rest for 15 mins.  It will get foamy.

Don't use a metal bowl.  Do as I say, not as I do.

Add remaining ingredients, mix then knead for 5 mins.

kneaded.

Preheat oven to 450.
Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick

Immediately cut with lid to wide mouth jar (or whatever you want)

 Let rise 10 mins.

I'm a stoneware, cast iron kinda gal.

 Bake 10 mins or until done.

Pass the burgers!!!!!!

This hamburger made Mr. Right ask for more.  We had them for lunch and I'm making more for supper!  They are soooo goooood.

Breakfast Burritos

My sister-in-law gave me the recipe for homemade tortillas and inspired these breakfast burritos.
When you try to eat natural you have to learn to do without some things most people are used to.  For us, one of those things was tortillas.  There might be some all-natural, no preservative tortillas out there but I knew there had to be some way to make them.  I just had not found a way until the beautiful day I received an email from my sister-in-law that said, "Do you ever make tortillas?"  NO!  TELL ME HOW!  Well, now I know how and they're fantastic.  So here goes...

By the way, "bp" is baking powder.  I tend to get lazy when I'm writing things in my own cookbook.

The first thing you need to do is gather your ingredients.

 That jar contains "real salt."  We buy it in bulk.  It has a great flavor and an earthy color.

Put the cup of warm water in a large bowl with the oil.  I used filtered water and warmed it on the stove (we choose not to own a microwave) then added it to a large bowl with coconut oil.  Then add the baking powder, salt and flour.  Knead the dough for about a minute until the ingredients are mixed.  Then take a 10 minute break....relax in your recliner, call a friend, paint your nails (wait, don't do that)...

Then, I shaped mine into seven balls.  This made large tortillas.  If you want smaller ones, then shape into 14 smaller balls (you get the idea).  Once you make the balls, roll them very thin.  I wasn't worried about making mine perfectly round...obviously.

Cook them on a lightly greased griddle until done... not brown.  I just used a cast iron skillet.

Here's a trick: if you stack them up after you cook each one, the bottom ones will remain soft and "rollable."  Otherwise, they don't roll into burritos well. 

Here are mine.  Cooked and stacked. They aren't pretty but they're yummy!

Once you finish those, it's time for the next phase of your breakfast burrito....hashbrowns!  I washed several potatoes and grated them on a hand grater.  The process would be faster with a food processor but if you don't mind building some muscle (or if you choose to be old-fashioned like me), break out the hand grater.

Can you tell which potato isn't real?  It's actually my scrubber!

If you're like me, after about two potatoes, your arm is asking you what the punishment is for.

Just persevere and remember, those breakfast burritos will be on your plate before you know it!

Next, toss them in a skillet with hot oil...

Keep flipping them until they're done and brown.  These shown are about half finished.

Once the hashbrowns are done, scramble some eggs and fold those in a tortilla with some hashbrowns.  Add salsa (or blackberry preserves if you're like my hubby) and its time to eat!
*I remembered to take a picture of a finished burrito AFTER we ate them all.  So, you'll have to make them and see for yourself!

Enjoy!
Of course, you don't have to make breakfast burritos.  You could fill them with refried beans, cheese, beef....  Let me know how you fix them!

Baked Oatmeal

A sweet friend gave me this recipe and I adapted it for a healthier diet.  I'll confess...my husband and I do not like oatmeal made the traditional way but we really like this recipe.  It's completely different than the oatmeal you're used to.  We enjoy it with milk like cereal.
Here's the recipe:

In case you're not familiar, sucanat is basically pure dried sugar cane juice.  It still contains it's molasses.  It has a very nice, rich, almost nutty, flavor.  We buy it in bulk from a natural food company.  You can also purchase it from grocery stores that sell whole foods.

So, gather your ingredients...

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the wet ingredients then stir together.
Spread in a 9x13 pan...

Then bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Eat it plain or pour some milk over it.  By the way, I like to add a little cocoa to mine before I bake it to give it a slight chocolate flavor.  You can also add nuts, dried fruit or anything else you think might taste good.

Mine will be out of the oven in 20 minutes and I can't wait!