Canning for Cheaters and the Truth About Squirrels

Here is another guest blog from my very own Aunt Betty.

I feel another blog post coming on. For those of you who are skilled in the ways of canning and the like, you may want to stop reading. For the rest of us....there is hope.

Before I go any further, I will admit that I have canned many times. I have canned tomatoes, salsa, peaches,  grape juice, tomato juice and pickles. The secret is that I do it under my mother-in-law's supervision, so I'm not sure it really counts. I don't own all the canning utensils or any other items of cannery, though I will proudly admit that I do indeed own a canning funnel.
That counts.... right ??

In any case, if the idea of canning intimidates you, there are ways that you can make provisions for winter, while simultaneously earning points in the domestic goddess department. I'm not saying you need those, because if you follow Amy's blog, you're likely close to goddess status already.

But at this point you're probably wondering how you can be a squirrel. Admit it; I know you are.
So here's the way I see it. A squirrel spends much of his summer gathering nuts. He does this while the pickings are plentiful and the weather is warm enough to go looking. He collects way too much to eat, but not because he is selfish. He does this because he is smart and knows how to save for later. Okay, either that or he's just using his instincts. But for the sake of argument, let's go with the former.

If you are a vegetable gardener, you currently have zucchinis the size of baseball bats growing in your back yard. You likely have so many tomatoes that you sneak a few into everything you cook. You may even have more peppers than you know what to do with.

Even if you`re not a vegetable gardener, though, there is hope. 

I have been going to the local farmer`s market for the past few summers, and buying a bushel of red peppers. I do this when they are inexpensive. We all know that buying a red pepper in the winter will cost approximately $300 a pound. I am currently a Stay-at-Home Mom/ Domestic-Goddess-Hopeful, so this is not quite in the budget.

So here's what you do:  you bring home a bushel of peppers, and maybe some tomatoes or zucchini if you don`t have them...which for me has actually never happened.
This also works for onions, rhubarb, and peaches, and any number of  unnamed produce.

Sit down with a few huge bowls, a glass measuring cup, a cutting board and a shredder.

Oh, and a huge mug (barrel) of coffee. Because everything works better with coffee.
Chop until your hands are red or green, or you are out of peppers, whichever comes first.
Then pull out some large size Ziploc bags, and measure out, in cups, to fill the bags.

For instance, find your favorite zucchini bread recipe. If it calls for 3 cups zucchini, measure out 3 cups into your Ziploc. Label with a permanent marker, flatten it out, and freeze. Voila ! (*this is the only instance in which it is okay to say voila.) All winter long you have chopped red and green pepper or tomatoes for chili, soups and casseroles. Freezing it flat doesn't take a lot of space in your freezer, and you can stack the bags on top of each other.
As for the zucchini, you can throw it right into your recipe frozen; just account for a bit of extra moisture. Or feel free to thaw it out and drain it for a minute before using. 

Shopping for summer produce is extremely cost-effective and just generally very clever.

If you're hardcore and you prefer to be a bit more like the squirrel, you can try burying your produce. I've never tried it however, so I can't really recommend it. 

Either way, find out what they are currently selling at your local market, and buy it in bulk. Produce is so inexpensive at this time of year.  Sure, it may take you a few hours, and your hands may never return to their natural colour, but you won't have to chop onions or peppers all winter.  Just toss a frozen handful into your pot.

You are now a homesteading genius.

As for me... I'm going to spend that extra ten minutes a day drinking coffee.

Salted Caramel Skillet Cookie Recipe

This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, super healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw nut butter (I used smooth peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups almond flour/meal
• 4 oz chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Combine coconut oil, nut butter, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla in a blender or in a glass bowl and hand blender. 
2.  Blend for 4-6 minutes until a sticky caramel texture. 
3.  Pour 1 cup of the caramel sauce into the skillet.  Save the rest for serving.
4. Add the baking soda and mix until incorporated.
5. Mix in the almond flour and chopped chocolate.
6. Spread the dough evenly in the skillet.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes until set. 
8. Serve with your favorite ice cream and a drizzle of the left over caramel.

Adapted from forkandbeans.

Healthy Eating on Vacation

Vacation is a good time to kick back and relax, but no one's going to have a good time if you're lethargic and bloated from making bad food choices. There are easy ways to eat well while on vacation, even if you're on a budget or dealing with limited options.

While in Los Angeles the past ten days I kept a record of some meals I ate. I hope they help!

Breakfasts

We had access to a loaded breakfast bar every morning at our hotel. I would go early with Oliver (6:30 or 7am) then back again with Calvin and his brother before it closed (9am). The key was creativity.

• Mexi breakfast sandwich - load salsa and scrambled eggs on a toasted whole wheat english muffin
• Spa water - let sliced oranges steep in cool water and enjoy
• Iced chai latte - brew chai tea double strength with a packet of honey, fill another mug with ice and pour the tea over, add milk or cream if desired
• Toasted cinnamon-raisin bagel with peanut butter and sliced banana
• Apple pie oatmeal - Add a packet of maple oatmeal, the recommended hot water and 1 sliced granny smith apple to a bowl. Top with cream or milk if desired. (Instant oatmeal trick: for less sugar, tap the package on the table, then use the length of your 1st and 2nd finger to "clip" the bottom centimetre from coming out when you pour it. This will get the oats out and keep the sugar in.)

Lunch

We purchased groceries for lunches and used the suite's kitchenette to make/pack food for the day's travels. We used a cooler bag for transporting it. 

• Chinese chicken salad with edamame, and shrimp sushi with wasabi (premade from the front cooler of the grocery store)
• Grande mint (no classic syrup) light-ice green tea lemonade (Starbucks)
• Sliced avocado sandwich
• California almond valley granola bar made with agave and pepitas
• TLT (turkey, lettuce, tomato) on wheat bread, or a turkey-granny smith apply sandwich
• Baby carrots, banana, sliced red pepper
• Date-cashew bar (Kitt's Organic)
• Spinach-artichoke hummus
• Mixed nuts
• Honey iced coffee - sweeten a 3/4 cup of dark coffee with a packet of honey from the jam/butter section of the breakfast bar, pour over ice and add milk or cream if desired

Dinner

We went out for dinner. Despite a laundry list of food preferences, aversions, allergies and restrictions we did find some cool places.

• Brie and wild mushroom pizza with truffle oil (thin crust) at Sammy's Italian Bistro (Okay, so it's not the healthiest choice but keep in mind I'm a self-proclaimed foodie so if something has truffle oil I've gotta try it!)
• Grilled sausage & pepper bowl with Olive Garden's classic garden salad and a white peach iced tea cooler
• Crab-cakes and smoked salmon chowder (A little naughty but this place, Tony's, was incredible - I sat 2 feet from the Pacific Ocean, about 10 minutes down a long pier. I had to sample their seafood classics.)
• Greek yogurt for dessert
• New guacamole-spinach vegetarian sub on 12-grain from Subway
• Craft beer and mixed alt-chips (instead of potatoes they were beets, daikon, taro, cassava, etc.) at the hotel for social night
• Fish tacos at Wahoo's - spicy white fish on a corn tortilla with cabbage and cilantro dressing, with a side of brown rice and black beans, and all-natural unsweetened mango iced tea
• Butternut squash soup and curried chicken salad with toasted pecans on micro greens with fresh nut-grain bread at Wolfgang Puck's

It wasn't hard to avoid the cheeseburgers, nachos and chocolate cake by exploring other options and keeping an open mind.

By the way, Southern California was a wonderful time and I can recommend some great places if you place to visit it in the future.

The Unbeatable Travel Item

I'm writing from sunny Los Angeles and while my flight home to Canada leaves tonight I can't help but think back to when I was packing. One important thing didn't make its way into my suitcase, and it's my #1 travel tip for natural health fans.

Dr. Bronner's pure liquid castile soap.

I have used this in the past on vacation and the number of items it replaces is amazing - not to mention that it's a much cleaner alternative for you and the planet. The soap is made of only organic saponified oils. Totally vegetable-based and lake-safe for those times you pull a lumberjack bath while at the cabin.

it can be used for:
- body wash
- shampoo
- baby shampoo
- laundry soap
- dish soap
- shave gel
- vegetable rinse
- makeup remover
- toothpaste
- deoderant
- pet wash
- cloth diaper detergent

See what I mean?

Unjunk Your Junk Food: Book Review

Sometimes being a holistic health blogger has its advantages. Getting first access to hot, new books is one of them. I was recently able to get my hands on a copy of Unjunk Your Junk Food: Healthy Alternatives to Conventional Snacks by Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer (with Lisa Tsakos).

I'm a big fan of the visually-appealing book series "Eat THIS, Not THAT" but found that the author often promoted foods based purely on the fact that they were "low-fat" or "reduced salt" with no attention of purity of ingredients. This left a huge gap in the market for an informative books that suggests healthy alternatives for the person pursuing just that - the healthy alternative lifestyle.

This book gives the junk food lover actual alternatives that feature less processed ingredients, low or no artificial colours and flavours, and ultimately more whole foods that nourish your body.

As I hoped, the book is conveniently sized and attractively illustrated. At just over 250 pages you get all the information you need without feeling like you need to search through a novel to get the information you're looking for. It clearly outlines easy and smart alternatives to the most popular junk foods.

Forget about giving up the things you love, like potato chips and mint-chocolate ice cream - just flip to the appropriate page and find a better choice with less unhealthy ingredients.

The book also offers tips for wise shopping including how to read food labels the right way and how to avoid dangerous additives.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and am happy to have it in my home for future reference and grocery shopping assistance. Many thanks to naturallysavvy.com for the opportunity to read this book. It's a great site to check out for all your natural health needs!

My boy is 1!

Yesterday was Oliver's birthday. (Also, the anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's untimely and mysterious death.)

While I can't believe how fast the time has gone and am in utter shock that my son is not still a squirming 7 pound newborn baby, I would like to recount some of my most favourite things about this 12-month old bundle of joy.

• Oliver has an uncanny ability to know when to applaud. He has impressed many an onlooker by giving a hand to a sentimental moment, clapping after athletes are announced at a sporting event, applauding a hilarious moment, and starting a standing ovation after a speech. 
• Oliver has the dancing prowess of a (hopefully never existing) Rihanna-Chris Brown love child. Just crank an Usher single and let unbelievable hip hop moves ensue.
• Oliver's palette is one pinot noir away from Geoffrey Zakarian-caliber. Example: his past 24 hours have consisted of a spicy-sushi for yesterday's lunch, a four-course wedding dinner with adult portions (roasted cauliflower-aged cheddar soup, honey-dijon dressing on spinach salad, vegan pear gallette on leek-asparagus nest with pickled wild mushrooms and brandy emulsion, and a raspberry-white chocolate truffle cake), a fruit salad with pumpernickel crouton breakfast, and a snack of fresh-from-the-garden caprese salad (basil, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cubes and balsamic vinegar).
• Oliver and I love biking or walking to the nearby forest to pick wild berries. We never get enough to have leftovers by the time we get home but it's sure a delicious return trip.
• Oliver has such an easy-going, adaptable temperament we're able to bring him along to many things instead of arranging a babysitter. He has attended heavy metal concerts since he was 3 months old. He has been to a few movies at the theatre - while awake and while sleeping. He attended a military air show, two weddings, and is taking his third international flight on Friday.
• Oliver can craft a toy from anything. Some of his favourite play things are the lid from a container of Wendy's beef chili, my bottle of vanilla extract, a detached computer mouse, and most beloved of all, the blue watering can.
• Oliver now understands my many overly repetitious commands: Gentle! Patience! Careful! Follow Mommy! Feet first! and Big Bite! Oh, and who could forget Calvin's bandmates request: Headbang!

He is a very loved little boy and as baffling as it is, a whole year has come and gone and we're thankful to have spent it with him.

More Health "Fails"... and a few Wins

I wrote yesterday about nutrition no-no's that I am guilty of. While I have 6 minutes on my hands, here are some more:

• Margarine vs. butter. I am a huge believer in "real" food and butter is just superior to margarine in every way - including taste of course (and not including vegan-friendliness I guess - but so many times while I'm in the grocery store my frugal ways beat my nutrition knowledge. So a tub of Becel hits my fridge now and again. But hey, I use coconut oil more often than not.
• Sweet marinades/glazes/sauces. Calvin and I are foodies by nature, and also by Food Network TV addiction, so we like a gourmet-tasting meal now and again. And again and again. We find the best way to make something (especially something bland like chicken) taste good is to nurture balance - acidity, salt, sweet, heat. This quickly leads to my go to blend of soy sauce, lime juice, sriracha and brown sugar or maple syrup. Those four ingredients taste good on anything except ice cream. But I have to say "brown sugar or maple syrup" could probably leave itself out of our improvisational recipes a little more often.
• Ice cream. For all the times I invite friends for tea in the winter, I invite friends for ice cream in the summer. It's not even my favourite sweet food in the world, it's just very socially friendly. 

But there are some things I am proud of, and my friends can back me up on these:

• Black coffee/tea. I truly don't add sugar or cream to my hot beverages 99% of the time. Yes, it's healthier, but it also allows you to actually taste what you're drinking. Years of working in cafes, being friends with coffee-intelligent folks, and being a self-proclaimed coffee-snob have made me prefer this way.
• Veggies please and thank you. If there is a veggie-filled option (spinach lasagna vs beef; red pepper and goat cheese quiche vs. bacon; roasted red pepper sandwich vs ham n cheese) I will choose it ten times out of ten. I eat vegetarian nearly by accident on a regular basis. I love me some veggies.
• Unsweetened yogurt. This includes artificial sweeteners. I just like it plain!

Oh my goodness, am I actually going to be late for work again because of my blog?
You guys!