Deep in Our Deep Freezer!

Nope, that is definitely not a picture of what my deep freezer look like right now.  I'm relatively new to the deep freezer system, and I would certainly say I need to improve on utilizing it more effectively.  Recently, my husband made a comment to me, "Wow, our deep freezer is full.  We could be feasting." (Side Note: That's not really a direct quote but how I remember it.)  What he was saying was actually a nice way to put it.  In fact, I can barely put anything else inside my deep freezer and moving the nicely organized shelves back and forth is impossible.

This is a good problem to have really. Since I have been spending each season preserving my favorite fruits and veggies, my freezer has been storing delicious food waiting to be used in a meal.  I've also occasionally saved some larger meals and stuck them in one of the overflowing racks.  Additionally, I have joined a meat CSA where I receive a random cut of meat for future use.  Those have nonchalantly been tossed in there but not been used.

I'm willing to bet that I could eat for at least 3 weeks solid just from my deep freezer.  Cha-ching goes my brain as I look at my dwindling food budget as we prepare for another holiday feast at my house.  My husband's comment has sprung me into action (rather than put up my defenses!), and I am on a mission to wisely but regularly pull more from my deep freezer-meats, fish, chicken stock, pumpkin puree, green peppers, chopped tomatoes, corn, blueberries, and much more!  Once a week, I want to plan a meal centered around what's in my deep freezer or actually use one of those meals I have been saving for "convenience".  Who needs to order a last minute pizza when I have a delicious and nourishing frozen soup with homemade bread calling my name in that freezer.

What's in your deep freezer and do you have a system of regularly using what's in there?

Ready to feast frugally,


Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

Save Your Turkey Bones-Homemade Turkey Soup!

If you hosted Thanksgiving this year or visited a home that doesn't use their turkey bones, you have just received an extra bonus of lots of turkey soup or stock to keep your family warm throughout the cold seasons.  Are you ready for a super easy, extremely delicious, and nourishing post-thanksgiving meal?

This soup has been traditionally prepared in my family since I was a child, except now I use a little better ingredients.  As you will see, the ingredients and quantities are flexible, as you cannot go wrong! If you don't have time or energy to make this the day right after Thanksgiving, you can simply freeze the bones and wait until you are ready.  So easy!

Homemade Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

Turkey bones
1 onion quartered (or leftover frozen scraps of veggies)
water (enough to fill your largest pot)
1 Tbs of vinegar (I use ACV)-optional
Leftover uncooked veggies (or frozen veggies)-use whatever you'd like to have in your soup
noodles or rice (adjust to amount to your liking or can be omitted)
sea salt

Directions:

After I have stripped my Thanksgiving turkey of all the meat I can pull off, I put the turkey in the largest pot I have (or half of the turkey this year, since the bird was so big).  Next, I pull out my frozen scraps of veggies that I add to progressively with different meals (onion peels, carrot ends, mushroom bottoms, celery ends).  Sometimes I throw in some fresh herbs I have leftover in the fridge as well (parsley, oregano, rosemary, etc). I fill the pot up about 75% to the top and bring it all to a boil. Finally, I add a little vinegar which pulls out more nutrients from the bones of the turkey. Once boiling, I turn it to a low simmer and cook for as many hours as I want (minimum of 4 hours).  This time, I did this the night before and let it simmer all night long and into the morning.

Once you are done making stock, you strain all the bones and veggies out of the pot.  I put a mesh sieve directly into the pot and then put the remains in another bowl to use again for stock.  Once the stock is all cleared out, add any leftover veggies or frozen veggies you want.  This year, I added big chunks of carrots, corn and peas (nothing fancy).  I boiled it again until the carrots were softened.  Next, add either your noodles or rice into the pot.  Once cooked, throw in some leftover turkey (I use the dryer pieces of meat) and add salt to your taste.  Voila!

Later, you can reboil those bones over and over again using the same technique.  After your stock is made, you can freeze the stock in muffin tins and put them in a freezer bag for later recipes.  Stock can be expensive in the stores and this way, you know exactly how healthy it is!

I also like to make this for any family that is still staying with us.  This way, I don't have to worry about spending more money on a meal and it feeds a ton of people.  Depending on how big your pot is, ours would feed about 12 or more people.

Here's to good health,


Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

How to Make Pickles!

Well, for the first time, I've entered the process of making pickles.  I must be upfront that my fermenting process has only begun and therefore cannot vouch for how great these pickles taste...yet.  I will come back into this blog when it's time and add how it turned out then.

Added later- These pickles turned out delicious and had the perfect crunch. Once we started eating them, they didn't last long!

Just like all the new things I've tried at home for the first time this year (making detergent, etc), this is another EASY thing to do from home and much healthier for you.  The recipe I am sharing came from a local CSA member who has been using this recipe to make pickles.  I was excited that she passed this along because we received a ton of pickling cucumbers in our basket this week.

Ingredients & Directions:

        1/8 cup fresh dill
        8 garlic cloves, whole or sliced
        1/2 cup white wine vinegar
        1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
        2 cups water
        1/4 cup salt (necessary to preserve)
        1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
        1/2 Tbs. turmeric (optional for color)
        3 cucumbers, sliced into 1/3-inch rounds (add last)

Stir all ingredients except the cucumber together in a large bowl.  Add
the cucumber slices and place something heavy (like a plate) on top in the
bowl so that the cucumbers stay submerged under the surface of the liquid.
Cover the bowl with a cloth to keep out bugs.  Let the cucumbers marinate
at room temperature for 3 days.  Refrigerate when ready.

This is what mine looks like right now!   

Enjoy!

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner 

www.ecologicalbabies.com
 ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

Dirtiest/Cleanest Produce-Summer

Usually every year, an updated list is released for the "Dirty Dozen/Clean 15" for fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, they don't list it by season, so there are a lot of ones to remember.  And to be honest with you, I still get some confused trying to remember it.

Today, I decided to put together a good list for veggies and fruit that would be specifically for summer.  Of course, I'd advocate trying to purchass as much organic as possible.  But shopping this way can ease the pressure on your wallet until you can afford to buy all organic.


Dirtiest: 

Sweet bell peppers

Peaches

Grapes

Spinach

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Blueberries

Potatoes

Kale/Collards

Cherries

Raspberries

Summer Squash

Cleanest:

Onions

Sweet Corn

Pineapple

Cabbage

Eggplant

Watermelon

Mushrooms

I was surprised to find that tomatoes were in the middle of the list.  I would have expected them to be higher under the dirty list. 

Note:  This came from a list at: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/list/

Any surprises for you?

To good health,

Jen

Jen Starks, Owner
 www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

Our Go-To Green Smoothie Recipe

Photo Taken from The Kitchen Goddess

I was first introduced to green smoothies by my good friend, Jill Welch, also known as The Kitchen Goddess. I came to her after I had my second child, Tyler, and I was exhausted needing a good morning solution.  It probably took her suggesting it like 5 times before I eventually asked her to come over and show me how she makes them.  It really is simple though and I'm grateful for her suggestions and expertise.  Thanks Jill!  :)

The hardest part for those who are new to green smoothies is that they look rather unappealing to the eye.  On the occasions when I add more strawberries than usual and omit the spirulina, the smoothie has a nice little hint of pink.  But usually it is green or a muddy brown.  This was a tricky situation to overcome while introducing this to the family, especially to my daughter.  I admit, I was also worried about its taste after I made my first one.  Fortunately, the taste won over the appearance and my daughter usually happily drinks her green smoothie.

The best part of making a green smoothie for me and the kids (and occasionally Brian if he is around), is that I know they are getting a good dose of greens in their system.  I especially try to make it first thing in the morning.  I know I feel much better on the days I've have it at breakfast. I feel more mentally alert, energetic, less moody, and more satiated.

Rita Clare drinking her smoothie

The original recipe Jill actually gave me is listed on her website right now and offers a great variety of things to add to your smoothie to make them even more nutrient rich.  

Lately, I've kept it more simple (aka lazy!) just so I will keep up with it consistently.

Jen's Green Smoothie:
1 Cup of spinach, kale, or chard (I choose whatever comes in my CSA basket.  Baby spinach is the easiest to start with because it is the mildest in flavor and blends well.)
1 Frozen banana (I stick the overly ripe ones straight in the freezer)
1 Cup of Juice (not from concentrate.  Lately the large containers of the Naked brand has been on sale and has been a great addition)
1 Cup water
4-5 Berries or a peach or an apple (peeled) or other whole fruit on hand
1 Tbs of Spirulina

This is pretty much it.  I try to work with what I have on hand.  Sometimes I add some yogurt, an avocado (if I don't have any bananas), a little honey, bee pollen, flax meal, flax oil, wheat germ. I like to make it in a large batch and drink it throughout the day.

I'd love to hear what you've been putting in your green smoothies lately!

Peace,

Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

In-Season Recipes: Summer

As promised from my last post on our CSA seasonal produce, I am including a few recipes I have done these last few days.  They are soooo delicious too!

Kale Chips 

(from weelicious.com)

I can't get enough of these and neither can my 2 y.o.! They taste slightly bitter, much like an old-fashioned potato chip but delicate and crispy! I love how simple it is to make.

Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Kale ( I usually do about 2-3 leaves full for each batch and prefer dinosaur kale)
1 Tbs. of olive oil (I use organic, first cold-pressed)
Spike Seasoning Salt or Sea Salt (to taste but I usually use about 1 tsp)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Wash and dry kale.
3.  Cut out stems and then break kale into bite-size pieces.
4.  Toss the pieces around in the olive oil to make sure it's coated.
5.  Lay out the piece on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6.  Sprinkle the salt over the leaves.
7.  Bake for around 15 minutes.  (Note: You definitely have to stay close and keep an eye on these after 10 minutes as cooking time varies from oven to oven.  You want it to look almost burned but not brown.)

Zucchini Cookies (Yields 2.5-3 dozen)

(from Simply In Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert)

Zucchini is one of those vegetables you can easily add and hide in most dishes (especially desserts!). This recipe surprised me because it tasted more like a soft scone, then a "cookie".  This has been a perfect pair with my green tea. My 2 y.o. enjoyed making this with me too!

Ingredients & Directions:
3/4 C butter (softened)
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
Cream together.
1 egg
Add and beat until fluffy.
1.5 C whole wheat flour
1 C flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 tsp ground cloves
Sift together in a separate bowl.
1.5 C zucchini (shredded)
Add to creamed mixture altermatively with dry ingredients.
3/4 C raisins
3/4 cup walnuts (chopped; optional)
Stir In.
Drop onto greased baking sheets.  Bake in preheated oven at 375 F. (Bake cookies as soon as they are mixed.  If the batter stands too long, it will ge a bit watery.)


I forgot to take a good picture of those zucchini cookies.  I think I have 2 left and will try to remember to capture them before they are eaten (no guarantees!).   If you'd like me to share some more of my in-season recipes I've been up to this past week, let me know. I'd be happy to share!

Here's to happy, healthy eating in season,

Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

Raw Foods for Summer

I've asked my good friend, Jill Welch from The Kitchen Goddess, if she'd share with us some recommendations for eating raw foods this summer.  I'd love to having a go-to list for ideas, especially since I am new to eating raw.  Thanks Jill!

Raw Foods in the Summer

Jill Welch, The Kitchen Goddess

The benefits from raw foods are so valuable that it is a worthy endeavor to learn how to include them in your daily diet. Raw fruits and vegetables, are loaded with enzymes and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are nutrients that come from the sun and are proven to have cancer fighting properties. Most phytonutrients are destroyed in cooking.

Summer is the best time to eat raw foods because they are cooling, refreshing and light. It is a relief not to cook in the heat of the summer. So, what to eat raw in the summer time?? Well, of course have green smoothies. Substitute a meal a few days a week with a green smoothie. Eat salads galore; whatever combination you can think of. I like to use left- over grain, beans or meat and add raw vegetables that are in season. Dress with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon or lime and sea salt. Try salads with quinoa and raw vegetables.  Pair black beans with avocado, corn, tomato, red bell pepper, cilantro, green onion and lime. I like to have a bottle of umeboshi vinegar always on hand for quick pickles of yellow squash, zucchini and carrots, or to drizzle on a vine ripe heirloom tomato.

Naturally fermented vegetables are raw with an added benefit of probiotics, they are great as a salad or sandwich topping or a side dish. Try making naturally fermented pickles at home this summer with green beans, cucumbers, squash or okra.

Cucumber salad is a must in the summer months. Here is my current favorite combination for cucumber salad:

Cucumber salad

6 (small) cucumbers sliced- if you are not growing them;buy organic, small, soft skinned cucumbers

1/2 to 1 red onion- sliced thin

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 Tbl umeboshi vinegar

1 to 2 Tbl brown rice vinegar

 Liquid stevia- a few drops

herbamare or other natural seasoning with sea salt and herbs, to taste

white pepper to taste

Mix all together and let marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving.

 Summer eating makes me think of pesto- eat traditional basil pesto, while basil is in season. Utilize the over- abundance of zucchini to make raw noodles by grating long strips of the vegetable and topping it with homemade pesto. Zucchini, raw,  also makes great hummus; use it  in place of garbanzo beans in your favorite recipe. 

Whatever grows locally in your area in the summer, try it raw, in salads, smoothies, pickles or purees. You will get more nutrients from your food if it is organically grown and have less impact in the planet if it is local and in season. Better yet grow it yourself and eat it strait from the garden.

Jill Welch, owner of The Kitchen Goddess, is a natural foods educator and chef. She offers private and group cleanses, health consultations, and private cooking. She has 18 years of experience in helping people improve their diet and lifestyle, lose weight and stabilize their moods by adopting a natural foods way of life. She provides guidance on the role of food in creating vibrant health and chronic disease and gives instruction on how to prepare meals that are healthy, beautiful and delicious.You can visit her at her website www.thekitchengoddess.com or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Kitchen-Goddess/90151382286 

Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com
574.275.1235

Strawberry Vinaigrette-YUM!

I'm very excited about adding this dressing to my options with all the greens we have been receiving in our local in-season produce.  This was absolutely delicious-perfect combination of sweet and tart!  Hope you enjoy it too.


1 C. strawberries (sliced)
4 t. rice vinegar
4 t. lemon juice
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. honey
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. each of garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil leaves, dried parsley flakes, pepper
1/2 C olive oil


Puree strawberries in blender. Add remaining ingredients except oil.  Blend, then gradually add oil while blending on low speed.


Recipe from Simply in Season by Lind, Mary Beth & Hockman-Wert-Cathleen

I used up all my rice vinegar in this recipe, so I decided to reuse the bottle for the dressing after rinsing it out.

My son, Tyler, enjoyed it so much that he insisted on licking out the leftovers in the bowl. :)

Peace,

Jen Starks,
Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

What's for dinner - week of May 21, 2012

Howdy, folks! Here we are! Another week, another meal plan. I enjoyed sharing last week's plan with you, and I'm glad this is going to be a regular series. Please feel free to share your own plan in the comments, or send me links with your favorite versions of what we're having.

Once again the disclaimer that I am not a nutritional expert, so I'm not advocating this as how I think you need to eat. My family likes simple food and we have no dietary restrictions.

Summer produce is in full swing here in sunny Florida, and I love utilizing so many fresh, local ingredients in my cooking. Since farmers markets are getting really cranked up now, we are considering suspending our buying club share for the summer and then resuming in the fall. We love going to the big Wednesday market downtown at Lake Ella. It's great to actually meet the farmers, and also this way we can have easy access to local grass-fed beef, honey, eggs, and goat cheese and milk without making multiple stops.

So here we go! This is what we're having this week. By the way, school is almost out, and this teacher's wife is not sure who is more excited - me, or my husband. So ready for some family time.

The Meals

1. My favorite easy homemade macaroni and cheese (we had TONS left over from last week, so we're having it yet again. I know. It's sad.), sliced tomatoes with chopped basil from my garden, leftover cucumber salad (which at this point is probably more aptly named "pickles")

2. Chicken enchiladas, rice, black bean and corn salad

Chicken enchiladas - I'm really sad to say that I am back to square one with enchiladas. They are one of my FAVORITE dishes to make. I had a really bad break up with Old El Paso brand enchilada sauce, since I have decided to vanquish all canned products from my pantry. Especially acidic tomato products, which are even worse about leeching nasty BPA into your food. A few months ago, I found a powdered sauce mix that actually was made of pretty decent ingredients, but now I can't find it again. Plus "powdered sauce mix" just sounds really nasty, doesn't it? So PLEASE! Help a mama out. Send me your favorite enchilada recipes. I lived in Texas for 13 years and still can't make a decent homemade sauce.

Black bean and corn salad - Now this I do know how to make. :) I don't have a real recipe, since I kind of made it up. The only hard part is remembering to cook your beans in advance, since as I mentioned earlier I'm on a quest to get rid of cans. Use about 1 1/2 C of cooked black beans, and combine with a chopped tomato, and an ear's worth of fresh corn. Add chopped onion and garlic if you like it. Add salt and pepper, a dash of cumin, some chili pepper, the juice of one lime, and a glug or two of olive oil. Toss and chill before serving. You can eat this by itself, with tortilla chips like a dip, or on top of lettuce leaves. We'll probably take both of those options!

3. Pork tenderloin, glazed steamed carrots, green salad

Pork tenderloin - I haven't decided how I'll prepare this yet. It's on sale at the grocery store this week, that's why I chose it. Plus we haven't had it in a while, and we all really like pork. I'll probably make some kind of glaze. It's good brushed with a glaze of apricot jam and dijon mustard, as weird as that sounds. I just bake it.

Glazed steamed carrots - Cut into small rounds, then steam. Drain, then toss with butter, salt, and a little bit of honey.

We get watercress in our buying club box this week, so we'll have that as a salad with a simple vinaigrette.

4. Stuffed portobello mushrooms, sugar snap peas, bread

We get mushrooms in our box this week, and I found this recipe online that sounds pretty tasty. I'm just going to broil them in the oven, though, since I don't really want to fire up the grill just for this quick dish.

I'm just going to sautee the snap peas with some garlic and grapeseed oil. Nothing fancy. Maybe a pinch of sugar.

I really like making homemade bread, but I might splurge and get something from the bakery. I am a pretty good baker, but I like a really crusty baguette sometimes, and I haven't quite mastered that yet.

5. Pasta with sausage, peppers, and onions; steamed broccoli

The pasta is pretty much what it sounds like. This is one of our favorite ways to cook peppers, which is another item in our box this week. We like to get smoked sausage from a local place called Bradley's Country Store. It's a fun trip up there, and my son loves to go. We usually get a drink and a sausage dog, run around in the fields a bit, and make a little trip out of it. They've been making sausage and cured hams the old fashioned way for almost a hundred years.

Slice and brown your favorite sausage, then take it out of the pan to drain a little. Drain out some of the fat and add a little olive oil. Sautee sliced onions and peppers, and add some salt and pepper. Toss the sausage, onions, and peppers with hot cooked penne pasta, and cover with a good shaving of parmesan cheese. SO GOOD, and takes about 15 minutes to make.

I'm having broccoli just so we have a different color item on the table, and because sometimes my 3yo will eat peppers, and sometimes he will not. But he will always eat broccoli. Well, almost always.

6. Eggplant parmesan, green salad

This is not a very inspired meal. I found some fried eggplant slices in the bottom of my deep freezer this weekend when we cleaned it out to defrost, so we're eating it. I just bread the sliced eggplant in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese which I've seasoned with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs. Fry in oil for just a couple minutes per side. I serve it over spaghetti noodles with marinara sauce and mozzarella, then put each plate under the broiler for just a minute to melt and brown the cheese. If you're limiting your carbs you can omit the pasta and just have extra slices of eggplant. Surprisingly, my son actually likes this. Probably because he doesn't ask what is the fried and cheesed item on his plate, and I haven't offered to tell him.

So there you have it! That's what's for dinner this week at the Williamsons.

What are you having? And won't you please share your favorite enchilada recipe with me?

Claire Williamson, for Ecological Babies

claire@ecologicalbabies.com

(850) 228-8322