All Purpose Cleaner

White Vinegar
Mildly acidic white vinegar dissolves dirt, soap scum, and hard water deposits from smooth surfaces, yet is gentle enough to use in solution to clean hardwood flooring.
White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, absorbing odors instead of covering them up. (And no, your bathroom won't smell like a salad! Any vinegar aroma disappears when dry.) With no coloring agents, white vinegar won't stain grout on tiled surfaces. Because it cuts detergent residue, white vinegar makes a great fabric softener substitute for families with sensitive skin.

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)

Natural Disinfectant
Besides it's multiple uses within the human body, GSE has many more applications. Tests at the University of Georgia, confirmed by labs and clinics around the world, have shown that it is a first class disinfectant. Not only does it kill germs effectively, but unlike most disinfectants, it has virtually no toxicity, making it far safer to use.
Already it is being used by hospitals in America.
At home it can safely be used to wash fruit and salad vegetables, to clean chopping boards, and to sterilise food utensils (or your toothbrush) when needed.

Cinnamon oil

kills germs and gives this cleaner a wonderful clean smell.

Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

1 cup white vinegar

1 or 2 cups water (whatever fits your bottle)

10 -15 drops of GSE

5 drops of cinnamon ess oil (or more if you like a strong smell)

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean counter tops, lightly soiled range surfaces and back splash areas.
In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean counter tops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet.
For really tough bathroom surfaces such as shower walls, pump up the cleaning power by removing the sprayer element and heating the solution in the microwave until barely hot. Spray shower walls with the warmed generously, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub and rinse. The heat helps soften stubborn soap scum and loosens hard water deposits.

Chicken Stew

CHICKEN STEW

I just found this recipe again. I had lost it and we used to make it all the time. Its so yummy!!

Prep time: 12 minutes

3 Med potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups baby-cut carrots

1 package (8 ounces) fresh whole mushrooms,cut in half

12 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 med chopped onion

3 cloves, chopped garlic

1 TBS tomato paste

1 jar (15 ounces) roasted chicken gravy

1/2 cup of dry white wine or water

Toss potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker.

Arrange chicken on top.

Add salt, onion and garlic.

Stir the tomato paste into jar of gravy.

pour gravy mixture and wine or water all over.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until veggies are tender.

Crock-Pot Potatoes

Crock-Pot Potatoes

1 large bag frozen hashbrown potatoes (we like the southern style, cuz they aren't stringy)

2 cans cream of chicken

8 oz sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-Mix everything together in a crock pot, cook on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Muscle Rub

This is a muscle rub that really works. It gets a little hot but that's great for pulled muscles or helping with kinks in your neck. You get a great rub but without all the harsh chemicals you would find in store bought rubs.

Put 8TBS cayenne pepper, 4TBS ginger root and 4TBS mustard powder into a mason jar. Pour 16oz of wintergreen alcohol on top of that and shake it up really good. Let it sit for two weeks. Strain out the herbs and spices and then add 6oz of menthol crystals. (You don't have to add all 6oz if you don't want. You could try 3 and see if that works well enough because it is pretty warm anyway.) If you have trouble getting the crystals to dissolve you can set the jar in a warm place and that should do the trick. :)

You can get the wintergreen alcohol at walmart. Its very cheap. The herbs you can get at a health food store like wild oats or buy offline in bulk. You can get the menthol crystals from Mountain rose herbs or check around and you may be able to find them somewhere around where you live. They are the most expensive ingredient but a little goes a LONG way.

Ginger Crinkles

Ginger Crinkles

These are really healthy and yummm!!

2 1/4 cups flour (i like King Arthur unbleached)

2 tsp baking soda

1tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp ground cloves

1/4tsp sea salt

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cups coconut oil melted

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 large egg

raw sugar for rolling balls in

preheat oven to 400

Combine egg, brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add coconut oil and continue mixing until all of the oil is incorporated into the first mixture.

Sift together flour, baking soda, spices and salt and then add to liquid mixture. Mix on low-medium speed until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated and it forms a smooth oily dough. Make walnut sized balls of dough and drop them into a bowl of raw sugar and roll around until coated on all sides. I use a #40 disher to make uniform balls of dough and to speed of this process. Using this disher a single batch produces 24 cookies.

Bake about 2 inches apart on parchment paper for about 10 minutes or until cookies puff up and split apart on top. After removing from oven, slide parchment paper from cookie sheet onto a cooking rack and allow cookies to cool before removing them.

Jacobi's birthday

We have had a pretty hard week because Cobi got sick before her birthday. It started with her saying one of her ears hurt so i made up some garlic/EVOO and put it in her ear. After an hour she said it didn't hurt anymore but i noticed she still didn't seem to be able to hear well. That's when i should have given her garlic/ginger tea but i only did that once and because she didn't have a cold and her ear didn't seem to hurt i got busy and didn't give her anymore. I noticed she started getting a cough pretty bad at night after that but the cough meds we always use were making her stay up all night on a high. UGGG!! She also got a fever. I prayed that she would be well by her birthday which was just a few days away. The day before her birthday she was doing great....no fever, still coughing at night but not in the day and her ear still didn't hurt but she couldn't seem to hear us unless we yelled or stood right beside her. I was worried about that.

The day of her birthday came and she was feeling great. We went with my mom, stepdad and best friend cousin to eat at Macaroni grill. Then we went to Chuck E cheese to play, eat cake and open presents. Cobi still felt great but she went into the tunnels and got overheated. That's when she started coughing so hard she threw up. I thought we would have to leave right then but she cooled off, ate cake and opened her presents. She was happy as she could be. By the time we left she was pretty tired and we found that her fever was back. I felt so bad cuz i figured it was because she wasn't ready to have such a big day yet. We got her fever down at home but that night she coughed so badly i was in tears. Me and Brian were up all night with her trying to prop her up, give her anything we could think of to help such as honey, peppermint, children's NyQuil and Vick's. I even did a breathing treatment on her just in case she had asthma. Nothing helped much but she was sleeping through a lot of it. I have no idea how she slept through that terrible coughing but the poor thing was exhausted. We got up super early and took her to the doctor the min the opened.

Believe it or not, Cobi was so excited to go to the doctor. LOL! She was so happy but was so annoyed about the waiting room. She said "This is more complicated then i thought!" Then she knew her doctors name was Carrie and i guess she thought that was odd because he is a man and only heard of women named that so she forgot his name and later asked me and Brian if his name was Sally. We were like WHO??? She said, my doctor...is his name Sally? ROTFL!! Then when he finally came in she was like...FINALLY your here. LOL! She told him he was her friend and kept showing him her new toy puppy she got for her birthday. She also cracked us up asking if the nurse was a nurse, why didn't she have on her hat. She has only seen nurses on tv and they always wear a hat. She looked at the nurse like she was a fake or something. LOL!

The doctor said she had a double ear infection and it was normal for her not to have felt pain. He said everyone is different and some hurt and some don't. He said the ears draining were causing her to cough. He also said she was getting a head cold. He gave me antibiotics for her which make me sad. It goes against what i believe to give her those. I know the garlic/ginger tea would have kicked it out if i had only known from the start. I decided to give them to her though because the infection was so bad i didn't want to mess around with that. This will be the first time she ever had antibiotics in her life. We went and got her some acidophilus to take with the antibiotics that way it will put the healthy bacteria back into her gut. Antibiotics kill all the bad AND the good stuff. It also kills the immune system a little more each time you take them. :( She also got some good cough meds to help her sleep at night. PRAISE the LORD!!!

We got a much better nights sleep (my mom stayed the night to help) and she is doing much much better. Last night she slept through the whole night and whats funny is that she is still asleep at 11 am. She must have been worn out.

Jacobi got a new bed day before yesterday so last night was her first night in it. Its a twin but she has been in a very small bed until now so this bed seems big. Her mattress is so soft and she has drawers under her bed for storage. Brian also went and got her princess sheets and shams to make it pretty for her. We will get her a new princess comforter when they get them back in. I will try to post pics of her in her new bed soon.

Chicken Nuggets

Singing for her supper =D

Home Made Chicken Nuggets
(With spinach, squash or cauliflower)





When i make these nuggets i do two different kinds because my 6yr old wont eat the spinach ones because she See's green. For her i use pureed squash or pureed cauliflower instead. I also always seem to run out of the breadcrumb mixture before I'm done so i have to make more. You may wanna have more bread crumbs on hand just in case this happens to you. Its not fun stopping in the middle to make more.





1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs (i just grind up bread in my food processor instead of buying it)


1/2 cup flaxseed meal (this is cheap and i found it at Kroger by the flour)


1TBS grated Parmesan cheese


1/2 cup paprika


1/2 tsp of garlic powder or better yet use fresh :)


1/2 tsp of onion powder


1 cup of pureed spinach (again my food processor)


1 cup of pureed squash or cauliflower (food processor or blender works great)


1 large egg, lightly beaten


1LB of boneless, skinless organic chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried, and cut into small chunks ( I always buy more for my family of 5 because that wouldn't feed us all)


1/2 tsp of sea salt


nonstick cooking spray (i use the olive oil kind)


1TBS olive oil (you may need more)





1 In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, parm cheese, paprika, salt,garlic, and onion powder and mix well with your fingers.





2. In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and the egg (if your doing more then one puree you will need separate bowls and another egg) with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumbs mixture.





3. Dip the chunks into the egg and puree mixture and then toss them in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.





4. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn and cook until chicken is cooked through, golden brown, and crisp all over, 4 to 5 minutes longer. (cut into peaces to check that its cooked through.)


Serve warm.

Prep: 10 minutes---Total: 20 minutes-----Serves 4

Yeast Rolls

Yeast Rolls

These rolls take a while to make because they have to rise so start early. :)

These are my favorite rolls EVER. They are so soft and just melt in your mouth.

1 cup shortening 3 packages yeast (dry)

3/4 cup sugar 1 cup warm water

1 cup boiling water 3 cups of wheat flour

1 tsp sea salt 2 cups of plain white flour

2 whole eggs

Cream shorting and sugar. Add boiling water and mix until shortening melts. Add salt and eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add yeast which has been dissolved in the warm water.

Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, no need to sift. Use mixer until dough is thick and then finish mixing by hand.

Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or as long as you want. When your ready to use, take it out and punch it down on floured surface. Kneed on the floured surface about 10 times.

Roll out the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place 3 balls in each greased muffin pan section (yes, 3 balls in one section) and brush top with melted butter.

Let rise for 1 hour and bake at 450 degrees until brown. (5 minutes)

Tarragon Chicken Pot Pie

TARRAGON CHICKEN POT PIE

Like Chicken soup, this pie BOOSTS YOUR ABILITY to ward off winter colds.

3Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can (141/2oz) organic chicken broth, warmed
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 can (12oz) fat-free evaporated milk
1 med yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
30 sm baby carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
10 drops hot-pepper sauce, or to taste
1 1/2LB roasted boneless, skinless, ORGANIC chicken breasts, cubed--approx 2lb raw (leftovers work great)
3/4 sheet frozen phyllo dough, thawed
2lg egg whites, lightly beaten
3Tbsp sliced almonds


1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. When sizzling, add the flour, whisking to make a paste.

2. Vigorously whisk in the broth, 1 or 2 Tbsp at a time, until smooth. Whisk in the tarragon and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisking continuously, cook the sauce for 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add the milk while continuing to whisk. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes longer, reducing heat if necessary.

3. Melt 1Tbsp of the butter in a nonstick skillet. Add the onion, garlic and carrots. Saute for 15 minutes, or until the onion begins to caramelize. Stir in the peas and hot-pepper sauce.

4. In a 9"x9" baking dish, mix the chicken and vegetables. Pour warm sauce evenly over all.

5. Roll out the phyllo to the desired shape. Fit it over the baking dish, and seal it well around the edges with the egg white.

6. Brush the entire phyllo surface with egg white. Sprinkle the almonds over the top. Dab the egg white on top of the almonds. Cut slits in the phyllo.

7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings
Per serving: 372 cal, 43 g pro, 20 carb, 12 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 110 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 854 mg sodium (use sea salt and its healthier)

THE PAYOFF. A great source of vit A, folate and potassium. Yellow onions, garlic and hot pepper help to fight off colds.

menu for Jan 12-17

Last week we didn't get to have two of the meals i planned because the girls were gone. Me and Brian just used that time to spend together and we went out to eat one night and another one we just had a smoothie with protein and immune booster. We really enjoyed out two days alone and just had such a wonderful time together shopping, watching movies and just being able to talk and hold hands without being interrupted. By the time the kids were home i felt refreshed and ready to be mommy again. =D

Monday- Sloppy Joe's with deer meat. I'm also going to sneak in some carrot puree so the kids are getting some vegetable with their dinner.

Tuesday- Tofu stir-fry

Wednesday- organic BBQ chicken (because its been so long since i cooked it) Potatoes Lyonnaise (will post recipe if it turns out good) and cabbage.

Thursday- Veggie Lasagna. I'm so excited about this one cuz i love it but haven't made it in a long time.

Friday- Taco bell and movie night

~Salsa~

I got this one from Priss. Brian LOVES it!!

INGREDIENTS:


* 1 27 oz. can of El Pato (I like to use the green can, the yellow one is too hot for me!)


* 1 medium onion, finely chopped


* green onions, finely chopped


* cilantro, finely chopped


* 1 teaspoon of ground cumin


* 3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed


Optional: Add corn, black beans or fresh jalapeños





DIRECTIONS:1. Place El Pato sauce in a large bowl. Mix all of the ingredients in, listed above. Place in fridge to chill for a few hours. This is a favorite! Enjoy. :)





Tip...If you have a food processor just throw in everything except the corn and black beans and chop it till its the consistency you like. Then throw in the beans and corn. Its so yummy with blue organic corn chips.

menu for January 4-9

MENU




I'm back! Its been a busy few weeks but i think things are settling down finally. I'm just completely wore out though. Its taken me a while to get back into my daily routine and it still just doesn't feel right. Today does NOT feel like Saturday to me at all. We had a nice Christmas and the kids got a lot of really nice things. I did too. My husband spoiled me so good this year. He is so wonderful and I'm so lucky to have him. He got me the wii fit so now i can get into working out and try to get the last 10lbs of baby fat off that doesn't want to budge. LOL!!


My Inlaws came in from Florida so we got to visit with them and my sister in law a lot. We were busy busy busy and i ate really bad but I'm ready to get back into our weekly routine and back to scheduling a menu so here it is!!





Sunday- Sloppy Joe's with deer meat. Me and Kenzie have a date to go see a movie and spend some time together.





Monday- White Cheese Pizza. Its back to school for the girls so i thought that would be a nice choice for dinner when they got home. Jacobi is already excited about it. :)





Tuesday- Chicken Bowls like KFC. I'm thinking the girls may be gone this week sometime but I'm not sure what day.





Wednesday- Tofu Stir-Fry. Im pretty sure the kids will be gone by tonight so i planned this because i know Cobi doesn't care so much for it. Me and Brian are gonna have so much fun being all alone when the kids leave. LOL!! It will be a much needed break and lots of wonderful cuddle time together. ;)





Thursday- Egg Puffs, French Toast and Orange slices.





Friday- Taco Bell and movie night =D