Key Lime Pie, Vegan Style

1 box Ginger Snap (vegan), crushed into crumbs

3 Tbs Coconut Oil

2 lg Avocados

4 Limes, juiced and zest

2 cans Coconut Milk, chilled

1/2 C Stevia for baking (approximately 1/2 oz)

Mix together coconut oil and ginger snap  crumbs.  Press into a pie plate and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool completely

Blend together avocados, lime juice and zest from 3 limes, stevia and the solids from 1 can of Coconut milk.  Pour into cooled ginger snap crust.  Chill for two or more hours.  Whip together the solids from the 2nd can of coconut milk, juice of one lime and zest and a bit of stevia to sweeten to taste.  Use as a topping for the key lime pie if you desire.

Chimichuri Sauce

1 Bunch Cilantro

1 Bunch Curley Leaved Parsley

2 limes, juiced

1 Jalapeno, roasted black and then skinned

1 clove garlic

1/4 C EVOO

1 tsp Sea Salt, coarse grind

1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

Loosely chop cilantro, parsley, garlic and jalapeno.  Add loose ingredients to a mortor and pestle and macerate adding salt, pepper and EVOO.  This keeps in the fridge for about 3 days.  Use as a condiment for chicken, beef or oily fish, or as a dip for Tortillas.

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1 flat leaf parsley

1/2 oz Basil leaves

1/2 C Pumpkin Seeds

3 cloves garlic

1/2 C EVOO

Juice of 2 limes

2 tsp Sea Salt, coarse grind

1/4 tsp Black Pepper, Fresh ground

3 Red chili peppers, sweet

Loosely chop parsley and basil leaves place in blender with all the remaining ingredients, except EVOO.  Turn blender to smooth and slowly drizzle in EVOO.  Blend until quite smooth and rather thick.

Toss a couple of tablespoons in pasta, use on toast, serve drizzled over fish. . . . yummy no matter how you serve it!

 

Chocolate Pudding

1 C  Ice

2 C Coconut milk, Vanilla (Silk or SO delicious)

6 Tbs Organic Cacao Powder

6 Tbs Organic Hemp Protein

2 Tbs Konjac Powder

1/4 Organic Honey (I use Rosemary Honey but any will do)

 

Blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a glass blow and chill for a couple of hours.  The Konjac powder will give it a good stiff gel but leaves it light and fluffy!

 

Toothpaste without the worries

If you don’t know what it is, don’t put it in your body! Have you tried to understand the ingredients in your toothpaste? I did and what I saw, after researching the use of each, is frightening! So I went searching for an alternative. The commercially prepared toothpaste, organic and natural are quite pricey and don’t do what I want, they also contain some less than desirable ingredients like glycerine which coats the teeth and does not allow the minerals you need to get to your teeth! So here is one I’ve been using for about a week and have thoroughly enjoyed using it!  The idea is borrowed but the recipe is mine.

5 tsp Chelated minerals (Usana)
5 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp baking soda
10 drops peppermint oil

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the minerals to a fine powder. (I started with about 1/4 C of tablets). Stir together the dry ingredients and then cut in the coconut oil. If your home is cool, you may need slightly warm the oil. Store in a jar or a squeeze bottle.

Chelated minerals – re-mineralization of teeth
Coconut oil – antibacterial, antifungal, soothing for mouth ulcers
Baking Soda – cleans and freshens the mouth
Peppermint Oil – fresh breath and tasty!

Homemade External Body Care

Okay I’m sold; lock stock and barrel! Recently, like December ’13, I was diagnosed with Lupus. . . long, Long LOOOOONG trip to said diagnosis.  I didn’t so much decide to go as natural as possible as much as my body did it without my permission! RUDE!  I know! After fighting symptoms of ubber dry flakey skin which would break out in blisters EVERY time I used any type of body soap and endless rashes from all kinds of commercially availalbe deodorants I gave in and started listening to my body:  (1) I stopped using soap in the shower on any body part.  Not kidding with this one, seriously!  No regrets, no expected stench, and my skin is moist and supple and, more importantly, rash free and (2) I stopped using deodorant / anti persperant.  At first I just went cold turkey but after a long day at work (I teach adjudicated youth at a high school level) and then an hour or two at the gym. . . well needless to say I was offending myself.  Can’t imagine how I affected all those polite people around me. To follow are two “recipes” for body care, hope they work for you as well as they have for me!

Body “Wash”

16 oz EVOO

1 tsp Tea Tree essential Oil

10 drops Orange essential Oil

5 Drops Lime essential Oil

Liquid Soap container with Pump (I prefer glass but ya know!)

After wetting your body in a warm (not hot) shower,  smooth oils over body, including your face.  This removes make – up including “waterproof” mascara.  Rinse thoroughly.  I use this twice a day and this amount lasts almost two weeks.

Deodorant

1/3 C + 1 Tbs Coconut Oil

2 Tbs EVOO

1/4 C baking soda

1/4 C Arrow Root powder

3 Tbs Cornstarch

10 drops Sage essential Oil

5 drops Orange essential Oil

Briefly stir dry ingrendients together.  Add Coconut Oil and EVOO.  Warm lightly just enough to make Coconut oil soft.  Cut oils into dry ingredients with a fork.  Once thoroughly combined, place in a glass 1 C masson jar.  When using this, I just allow my fingers to warm the top layer and use what’s on my fingers; less than 1/2 tsp daily.  This will last indefinately in a cool room.  If you live in a warm part of the country, keep in the fridge during the summer.

 

 

 

Awesome Meatloaf

24 oz ground beef
3 oz Sourdough Roll
6 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 tbsp Grill Mates Smoke House Maples
2 tsp Sage, ground
1 tsp sea salt
Directions:
Tear the rolls into bite size pieces in a large bowl. Toss with the sage, salt and seasoning. Scramble the eggs with the milk and pour over bread and seasonings. Allow the bread to soak for at least 30 minutes or until quite soft. Mix in ground beef and allow to sit another 30 minutes. Slide into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour at 350.

This serves 8 easily with a tossed salad and steamed veggie.  245 calories per serving.

Farro Salad

1 C Farrow

2 C Roast / Chicken drippings (A good broth works as well)

2 C Fresh spinach

2 C cooked broccoli

1 yellow onion, sliced thin

2 Pink Lady Apples, 1/2″ pieces with skin

2 Tbs. EVOO

2 tsp Sage, ground

2 tsp Sea Salt, course ground

1/4 C Braggs Apple Sider Vinegar.

Bring drippings / broth to a boil.  Add Farro. Turn down heat to a light simmer, over and cook for 25 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow farrow to sit until cool to the touch.  Refrigerate over night.

Chifanad the spinach, loosely chop the broccoli to 1/4 ” pieces.  Caramelize onions and apples in the EVOO.  Toss all ingredients together and allow to marinate at least two (2) hours.

Makes 8 servings

182 calories per serving

Braised Short Ribs

Okay this from a committed Vegetarian! lol Husband LOVES these ribs and they are relatively quick to make and feed 4 easily.

large deep oven safe pot with oven safe lid
8 beef short
3 red potatoes
3 carrots
1 bulb garlic
2 C Beef Broth
EVOO
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Set the oven to 350F. On the stove top, turn your burner to medium high and make sure the oven safe pot is screaming hot! (I use my All Clad but cast Iron with a lid works really well!) Once the pan has reached the appropriate temperature, pour a bit of EVOO and then sear each side of each short rib until they have a lovely toasty brown crust; about 3 minutes on each side. You will only be able to do two or three at a time depending on the size of the ribs and your pan.
Once all the ribs are seared, layer the ribs and the vegetables which have been loosely diced in bite sized pieces. Pour 2 cup of beef broth over the lot, cover and bake for 2 hours. Allow to set for 15 minutes before uncovering and serving. Enjoy!

Beef Broth

5 lbs roasted bones with just a bit of meat left on

5 – 6 organic carrots

5 – 6 stalks organic celery

1 bulb Garlic, chunked and leave the skins on.  They add to the flavor

2 lg yellow onions.  Quarter and leave the skins on

½ C apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s is my favorite)

1 Tbs kosher or sea salt

Enough water to just cover the bones and veggies. 

Crock Pot

 Carrots go in the bottom of the crock pot, then the bones, then the celery.  Vinegar and salt last.  Cook on high for 6 – 8 hour or medium 10 – 12 hours.  Strain the broth and feed your chickens / composter the veggies.  They are at this point just fiber and are pretty tasteless.  (Please don’t give cooked bones to dogs.  Cooked bones are not good for them because they splinter and can seriously hurt or kill!)  Rapidly cool the broth.  (I put this in a pitcher, cover and place in a pile of snow I keep just or this purpose on the deck.)  Once it’s cooled and congealed, skim what little fat is there off the top.  You can either fill ice cube trays with this broth and freeze it using the ice-cubes sautéing anything; more flavorful than most oils and no fat OR you can use this as a soup base.

 The vinegar helps leach the minerals out of the bones (at least that’s the theory) and gives a lovely tang which soothes sick tummies.