Every Kiss Begins with Kaye's Salsa

Well, I'd sure kiss someone if he made this salsa for me.  A lot.  This salsa--from my sister's mother-in-law--is most delicious.  I may say that it's my favorite.  I wouldn't be lying.  Life is better with this salsa in it.  The recipe says to leave it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors develop, which is understandably necessary, but I just know that I can only do this if my salsa somehow lasts into the evening.  Good thing it's a large recipe (you may want to half it or can some).  Also, you can use fresh tomatoes.  Grab a spoon!  I mean, some chips...

4 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bunch green onion with tops, chopped
1, 7 oz. can green chiles
2, 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried chiles*
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Mix together and refrigerate overnight to let flavors blend. (I also use the immersion blender on it a little since I like a smoother salsa.)



*Kaye's note: The dried chiles are found in the Mexican food section.  They are generally labeled New Mexico or California chiles.  You can use regular chili powder, but I [Kaye] like the dried best.

Banana Bread Sourdough Pancakes

Well, I have been absent for quite a while. I have been busy with having a babe, homeschooling, studying and... learning sourdough techniques! I took classes online. I read. I watched YouTube videos. I still didn't get it. I labeled myself a "sourdough failure." I kinda became depressed about it. Really. I'm weird, I know. Click here to see why it was so important to me. Finally, some local homeschoolers offered a class. Why not? I gave it a try. It clicked! Hooray! So, I've been trying to make as much of my wheat-foods soured as possible. The other day, I made pancakes. I happened to notice that I had some very ripe bananas. I decided to add them to the batter, along with some spices and make banana bread pancakes. They were so good. I may have bragged about them. Others may have asked for the recipe. Thus my return to my long neglected blog. So, without further ado...

Banana bread sourdough pancakes

(note: This makes a LOT of pancakes. I have lots of kids. All with ravenous appetites.)

3 cups leaven (This is your starter. There are a million methods for starting your own starter. The easiest way is to ask your friends if they have some to share. If not, you can purchase one or make your own. Sorry, I can't post a link right now. Make sure you have built it up the night before. Mine is a mixture of wheat and rye, but you can use any flour you want. This even works with gluten free flours such as brown rice or buckwheat.)

3 eggs

6 Tbsp. sweetener of your choice (I use sucanat.)

6 Tbsp. coconut or other oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 tsp. ginger

3/4 tsp. cloves

Mix all the ingredients together and cook on a hot, lightly greased griddle. You know the rest, right? Flip them and such? Yeah, I figured. Enjoy!

The Yummiest Quesadillas Ever

I'm not even kidding. I first had these quesadillas at a local health food cafe. I thought I was going to die right there. Although the cafe has many delicious items on its menu, I never order any of them. Just this quesadilla. So, I thought I would try to duplicate their recipe. And duplicate, I did. You will love me forever if you make these. See? Like this. You will make this face at me...

Unless you're allergic to pine nuts. Then you will hate me.

This is one of those non-specific recipes, too. Sorry.

The Yummiest Quesadillas Ever

Whole grain tortillas (sprouted is best)
Shredded cheese (the cafe uses mozzarella, I used white cheddar, you can use what you want)
Black beans (cooked)
Brown rice (cooked)
Corn
Pesto (this is what makes these things so heavenly)

Put one (or two) tortillas on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with some cheese.

Broil just until cheese is melted. Top with the rest of the ingredients. Finish with more cheese.

Broil until that cheese is melted. Put another tortilla on top. Broil again until warm and crispy. Cut with a pizza cutter and serve.

You won't regret it.

Black beans

I have been making a lot of black beans lately. I LOVE them on everything, especially quesadillas and taco salads. Mmmm...

3 c. black beans
9 c. water
3 T. raw apple cider vinegar

Soak the beans in the apple cider vinegar and water overnight. The apple cider vinegar helps to break down the phytic acid in the beans, allowing them to be more digestible and also more nutritious! Be sure to put a towel over your bowl so you don't get any fruitflies in your beans. They like apple cider vinegar.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Put them in your crock pot. I usually add water just until the beans are covered. Awesomely specific instructions, eh? Then, add:

3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 onion, diced
1/2 - 1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped (optional, also leave some seeds if you want more spice)
3-5 t. Real Salt depending on personal preference
1 t. ground pepper
1/4 t. cumin

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Delish.

Kefir!

I realized that I keep mentioning kefir, but many people don't know what it is. It is a cultured milk product. Which is a nice way of saying sour milk. That is not a bad thing, though. Cultured milk has wonderful health benefits. The main one is the probiotics, which restore essential flora to the gut and also helps balance yeast overgrowth. It has antifungal properties as well. It also has a plethera of vitamins and minerals. I drink it raw, either by itself or in smoothies, or I use it to soak my grains. Cooking does kill the enzymes, but does wonderful things to the grains, so I recommend trying to consume raw kefir in addition to cooking with it. I was going to take some pictures of my kefir, but then I found this video by Cultures for Health and thought it would be much better than my attempt to demonstrate. :)

Kefir is so easy and so good for you! Even those who are dairy sensetive can often have kefir with no troubles. However, you can make kefir out of non-dairy milks, too! The grains multiply and I have no shortage, so let me know if you want some! I hope I answered all of your questions.

Note: I use raw milk to make my kefir and it separates into the curds and whey overnight, though in the video they implied that it happens after a much longer time. Don't be surprised if this happens to you. It is fine and nothing to worry about!

Oatmeal Muffins

I love these muffins. I make them at least once a week. They are very versatile, too. This morning, I had some lovely rhubarb that I chopped and added along with some cinnamon. Mmmm. I have also used cranberries, dried cranberries, blueberries, and, of course, I even like them plain (especially with a little honey butter). I also sometimes play around with cinnamon and cloves, etc. Experiment and see what you like!

They are soaked, so be prepared to mix the grains and kefir (or whatever you choose to use) at least 7 hours (and up to 24 hours) before you want to bake them.

Oatmeal Muffins

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole grain flour
1 1/2 cups kefir (or other acid medium)
1/2 cup sucanat
2 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut or palm oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
add whatever mix-ins you choose or not

Mix the whole grain flour, oatmeal and kefir (or other acid medium) and let sit overnight (or for at least 7 hours).

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins (or papered muffin tins), two thirds full. Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Soaked grains.

I have been quite absent lately. I am terribly sorry! I have been oh-so-busy. One of the things I have been busy doing is learning. Specifically, learning about soaking grains. (I am also trying to learn about sourdough. I've been unsuccessful in my sourdough making so far, but I'll keep you posted!) Anyway, here is a little article about soaking grains that explains why you would want to do such a thing. And you do want to do such a thing. The short version is this: By soaking the grains or flour in an acid medium (such as kefir, buttermilk, apple cider vinegar/water, lemon/water, etc.), you allow all the goodness that is in the grains to become available to your body. Grains are seeds, right? The Lord made seeds to have a built-in preservation so that they could store. (Did you know that they found wheat in the Egyptian tombs that was still good?) That built-in preservation (called phytic acid), unfortunately, continues to protect those nutrients and minerals even when in your body unless you do something to break it down so that those nutrients can be absorbed. That something is soaking or sprouting the grains. (But don't do both.) Many gluten intolerant people can actually handle the soaked or sprouted grains, because the process also pre-digests the gluten! Exciting stuff, right? Well, I think so anyway.

I have been taking some online courses from GNOWFGLINS (which stands for God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season. Sounds just like my kind of thing, huh?). Awesome stuff. I highly recommend you at least check out their site. They have great information and lots of videos for those of us who are extremely visual learners. :)

So, I just wanted to give you a little heads-up that I will be posting some new kinds of recipes as well! I hope you enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

One day I went to the store and one of those cute little old ladies asked me if I'd like to try some hummus.  My girls and I occasionally buy hummus for a healthy snack.  I thought sure, why not? 

It was delicious.  I threw some in my cart and took it home.

While we were snacking on it, my daughter started reading the ingredients aloud.  Sugar?  Gum?  Food Coloring?  Seriously?  What happened to my healthy snack?

I started on a quest to find a yummy recipe, and came up with one that slightly missed the mark.  My daughter likes to remind me about that.  So, when I started making hummus again she said, "Are you trying to make good hummus?"

I had her taste test it when I was done. She looked at me with a bit of surprise and said, "It isn't gross." 

So, here it is, my:

"It Isn't Gross" Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

1 roasted red pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley leaves

2 small garlic cloves

2 Tablespoons tahini paste (Sesame seed paste.  I know some people who make their own, which is fine too)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons lemon juice 

5 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until you have a smooth consistency.  Move to an airtight container, and let it sit in refrigerator for an hour before serving.  Enjoy!

Roasting your red pepper:  (This is how I did it; there are many different ways) Place the baking rack in the oven to the highest setting. Set your oven to broil, and place red pepper directly on oven rack.  Broil until the top of the pepper is black and bubbly; turn over and repeat.  Remove the red pepper and put in bowl of ice water.  Let it cool for a little bit and then remove the blackened skin.  Cut out the stem and seeds, and it's ready to use! 

Potato Leek Soup

So, I had a bag of Potatoes.  And it was St. Patrick's Day.  Why not make a Potato Leek soup?  Personally, I love it, and we've had it every week since then.  So, I hope you enjoy it too!

Potato Leek Soup

2 Leeks 

2 Bay leaves

10 Black Peppercorns

4 sprigs fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons Butter

4 strips Nitrate Free, High Quality Bacon, chopped

1 Cup Apple Juice

2 Cups Chicken Stock

2 1/2 Cups Water

1 to 1 1/4 lbs Potatoes, diced

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1/2 cup Heavy Cream (Though I've never made it without, I think this is probably optional...)

2 tablespoons snipped Chives 

Directions

Trim the green portions of the leek and, using 2 of the largest and longest leaves, make a bouquet garni by folding the 2 leaves around the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Tie into a package-shaped bundle with kitchen twine and set aside. (Alternately, tie 2 leek leaves, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a piece of cheesecloth.)

Halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very soft and has rendered most of its fat. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the apple juice and bring to a boil. Add the bouquet garni, chicken stock, water, potatoes, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Remove the bouquet garni and puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Stir in the heavy cream. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.  I also cannot eat a meal without cheese. So, I sprinkle cheese on top as well.  It's divine.  Enjoy!

Spanish Rice

This is a recipe that my husband brought into our family. It's super easy and yummy. We eat it as a meal, but it can be a side dish or rolled in tortillas for a burrito. There are versions that aren't out of a can, but sometimes I don't have time to chop veggies.

2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 can black beans

1/4 cup-ish taco seasoning (I buy mine from a spice store--in store usually has yucky stuff in it--so I'm working on my own. Just use whatever seasoning you would for tacos: cumin, garlic and onion powder, cocoa, chili powder, etc.) *

1 small can tomato sauce (or two if you like it more tomato-y)

1 can green chiles

1 small can corn (or use cooked up frozen corn)

1-2 cups cheese (we use cheddar)

Cook up the rice per directions on the bag. (Ours is 2 cups water per cup of rice.) Mix the taco seasoning with the tomato sauce. Drain the black beans and give them a quick rinse. Add all the ingredients together and stir like a madwoman/man. You can add meat if you like or anything else that sounds good. We top ours with avocado, corn chips (Fritos, which are so healthy), and olives, but I can think of lots more that would be good on top. Serves 4-5. Enjoy!

*Note from Jessica:
I thought now would be a good time to share my favorite recipe for taco seasoning. I LOVE it. I got it from allrecipes.com.

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

I usually use the whole amount in my tacos (or chili or whatever!), but if you don't, make sure you store it in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Cake

Yes. Another pumpkin recipe.  But seriously.

It's Thanksgiving.  And I love it.

  the end.

Pumpkin Cake

 1 1/4 c oil
 4 tsp vanilla
 1 c honey
 3/4 c pure maple syrup

 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce 
 4 eggs
 2 c pumpkin or 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin
 1/2 c wheat germ
 3 1/2 c whole wheat flour
 2 tsp baking soda
 2 TBSP cinnamon
 1 TBSP nutmeg
 2 tsp ginger
 2 tsp ground cloves

Combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. Combine the dry ingredients, mix well, and combine with wet ingredients.
Mix until blended.

Bake at 350˚ for 40-50 minutes for two 8" cakes and around 35 minutes for a 9x13.


Serve with Cream Cheese Frosting and Enjoy!

Chicken Haystacks

I grew up making many recipes with a can of soup, and I only recently decided to figure out how to avoid them. Yes, I am slow. Tomato soup? Tomato juice, something to thicken it, and some agave. Cream of chicken? It's a chicken gravy: butter, whole-wheat flour, and chicken stock. So, here is my Chicken Haystacks recipe. I also realized that I could make Chicken Pot Pie by using this chicken-gravy base, throwing in some vegetables, and putting it into a whole-wheat pie crust. Voila! Two recipes in one! This is a super easy recipe, but oh, so yummy.

Chicken Haystacks

Throw 6 chicken breasts (salted and peppered) into your slow cooker until done (around 4 hours depending on your slow cooker and the size of the chicken), or cook your chicken however you like.

Make a roux with the butter and flour, then add the chicken stock. Make it as thick or thin as you like:

1 stick butter

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (approx.)

3 cans (regular size) chicken stock (or make your own)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook two cups brown rice per directions on the bag. It will take about 40 minutes. This is the base of the haystack.

When the chicken is done, mix it with the gravy. Yes, it's so complicated. The chicken and gravy go on the rice, and then we pile on the goods!

Stackables:

Celery (Cut up one bunch)

Cashews

Crushed pineapple

Green Onions (chop up one bunch)

Pepper (I prefer yellow--chop one up)

Water chestnuts (sometimes I enjoy these on top; sometimes I feel they detract--you decide)

Chow mein noodles usually go on these, but they're made with white flour and sugar, and they're very processed (maybe I should experiment with making my own). If anyone knows of a good substitute for them, or if you think of anything else that would be great on haystacks, let us know!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Since it's Fall--wait, what am I saying? Pumpkin is good in any season. Anyway, since it's Fall, and pumpkin is more in abundance, I'll add to the sweet, pumpkin goodness that's found here. We love to modify Martha Stewart's cupcakes, so when I saw she had a Pumpkin Pancake recipe, I was all over that like Pooh on honey. These are creamy, yes, creamy, and wonderful. We top them with Jessica's homemade syrup (but we use 1 cup maple syrup instead of 1/2 cup honey or agave). If you're feeling really indulgent, you can top it with homemade whipped cream (sweetened with whatever you like), and it tastes like pumpkin pie--I lie not.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Whisk...

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (or sucanat or coconut sugar)

2 teaspoons + a pinch baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt;

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves.

In a separate bowl, stir together

1 ¼ cup milk

½ cup canned pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 egg

Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes; serve with syrup or whipped cream (or both!). Makes 8 to 10.

Pumpkin Cookies

You may not know this about me, but I'm famous. Sort of. Well, not really. But everybody knows I make the best pumpkin cookies in all the land. So, when I started eating healthy, nourishing foods, I felt a little sad to lose my reputation. However, it is not gone! No one has missed the old ones at all! Here are my yummy cookies:

Pumpkin Cookies

1 c. pure maple syrup
2 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. olive oil
2 t. vanilla
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking soda
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. allspice
1/2 t. ginger
1 t. cloves

(Some people would defile the pumpkinny goodness by adding chocolate chips. I don't. I'll tell you why in a minute.) Mix ingredients. Drop by tablespoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350.

Here's why I don't use the chocolate chips:

FROST WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Oh, yes. Bring it on.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1/3ish c. pure maple syrup
1 t. vanilla

Hallelujah.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I would prefer to put a pumpkin recipe up here, but I haven't had the time to make anything pumpkin.

We did have a birthday, however, the request was carrot cake.

Although I admit, it's still ridiculously delicious.

Carrot Cake

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 TBSP cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1 1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded carrots

1 can crushed pineapples

Bake at 350˚ for 50 minutes

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

Whip all ingredients until thoroughly mixed and enjoy!

Chocolate Beet Cake

What? Beets in chocolate cake? Can it be? Oh, it can. And it's delicious. I have a confession to make. I have learned to love many things in recent years. Beets are not one of them. I've tried. Oh, how I've tried. I guess I just never thought of putting them in a chocolate cake. Now I know. And now I love them. As long as they're in chocolate.

I'm not actually going to put the recipe here because I want you to visit my friend Claudia's blog. She has wonderful things there, including the chocolate beet cake recipe.

By the way, she uses coconut sugar in the cake. Sucanat would work as well. But don't forget to put one or the other in the cake. If you do forget because you are overwhelmed and have a screaming 7 month old and a screaming 8 year old and two more who are yelling, "MOM!" constantly, all the grandparents and aunts and uncles who came to celebrate your four year old's birthday will be grossed out and your father-in-law might even be quite rude and hurt your already very embarrassed feelings. Totally hypothetical. I just thought I'd throw it out there...

Enjoy!

Yummiest Cornbread Ever

Ok.  

You can't eat chili without cornbread.  You just can't. This recipe of Jessica's is truly delicious.  In fact, it is so delicious that I renamed it, "Yummiest Cornbread Ever".  "Whole Wheat Cornbread" just didn't do it justice.

It just didn't.

Yummiest Cornbread Ever

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. whole grain yellow cornmeal
4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 c. honey
1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil

Blend all ingredients 20 seconds and pour into greased 8" or 9" pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
(I usually double it and use a 9x13 pan.  I bake it for about 35 minutes)

13 Bean Chili

I'm super excited to help Jessica out with her blog.  Although, I realized that at least for this recipe, I had to call her and get the recipe before I could put it on here.  So, who knows if I will actually help?  Here's hoping!

And so it begins.  I have been waiting and waiting for the weather to cool off so that I could make chili.  It's one of the best things on a cold day, don't you think?  
Well, you should. 

13 Bean Chili

3 cups dry beans (I used a 13 bean combo, but you can use 12, 15, whatever you can find)

5 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper (I'm sure you can use whatever color you prefer)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

28 oz. can tomato sauce

1 can diced green chiles (optional)

1 TBSP chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

   Rinse beans and place in crock pot with water.  Cover crock pot, set to low and soak overnight.  In the morning, add the broth, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.  Turn to high and let sit for about 5 hours.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the beans are tender.  Serve it up with some cornbread and Enjoy!

P.S. I'm not as good as Jessica, and am addicted to dairy.  So, I sprinkled mine with a little cheese.  Plus, I think it looks cool in the picture :)

Speed Bread

I love how fast and easy this is. And yum. My mother-in-law came for dinner tonight and she said this recipe needed to be here. (I made the garlic herb version tonight.) So, here it is.

Speed Bread

4 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1/2 c. olive oil

Blend in food processor or mixer.

Add 1 1/3 cup milk or almond milk (my mom would suggest buttermilk, I'm sure, and I'm guessing she'd be right.)

Mix until dough forms a ball. Pat dough into an ungreased baking dish. Cut into squares before baking. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes until golden.

You can also add 1/2 t. garlic powder and 1 t. parsley flakes with the milk to make garlic herb bread.

Mexican Beans

Try these guys. You will love them. Eat them in enchiladas, on tacos, with chips, or (our fave) on tostadas. Or just plain.

Mexican Beans

3 c. dry pinto beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
5 t. salt (I know. Use the good stuff like Real Salt and enjoy its goodness and good-for-you-ness.)
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. cumin
1 jalepeno, diced and seeded (I usually seed 1/2 and leave the rest. I like hot.)
9 c. water

Put it all in the slow cooker on high for 8ish hours. Drain (reserving liquid). Mash, adding liquid to desired consistency. Serve.

NOTE: The beans are healthier if you soak them overnight first. But, if you're not always on top of things and forget to soak them, they will cook up beautifully anyway.