Beef Bone Broth

Want to do something really easy? How about really healthy?  Or just want to drive your dog crazy all day???  Try this recipe for making healthy, easy, yummy, dog driving crazy beef bone broth.  It makes a wonderful base for soups, stews, casseroles and can even be used a cup at a time.  

5-6 lbs of beef soup bones

10 peppercorns

2 chopped carrots

2 chopped celery stalks

1 whole garlic, peeled

2 chopped onions

Water

1 Tbsp sea salt

First, roast the bones at 400 degrees for 1 hour.  Next, add the veggies and continue roasting another hour.  Transfer everything in roaster to a large soup pot.  Use batches of warm water to roaster to deglaze pan and add to soup pot.  You'll be surprised at how much caamelization occurs!  Sprinkle sea salt over top.  Fill your soup pot 3/4 full with water and simmer on stove top for 4 hours.  Turn off heat and let cool.  Strain the liquid from the solids.  (I use the meat chunks in my homemade dog food, but be sure to separate out the garlic and onions.) That's it, you're done!  Super healthy, simple and will keep your dog under your feet all day hoping for a taste, which he got..... :)-

Oh, and I store mine in large mason jars and freezer safe ziplock bags.  Just pull one out and you're ready to make a rich soup in just a few minutes!

He has camped out here all day!

Veggie Pancakes OR Hamburger bun, What???

I am very excited to be testing out recipes in the new 21 Day Sugar Detox book.  You can join the health revolution and buy the book when it comes out Oct 29th, but until then I will share with you my results.  

I made sliders last night, one of my children's favorite meals.  It's probably because I make them homemade buns!  (That Recipe is here: http://naturallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-hamburger-buns.html?m=1)

For the meat I press 2 lbs of ground meat into a baking sheet (with sides), sprinkle garlic salt and onion powder.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and slice into squares.  

Well as the kid's rolls were rising I made the 21 Day Sugar Detox recipe for veggie pancakes for me which they recommend using as a bun.  I thought I'd try it.  I will admit I was a bit skeptical, but guess what???? I loved them!  You could use them as a crepe and fill them with anything really.  The possibilities are endless as well as the veggies you use to make them with.

Page 97 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox book

Ingredients:

Directions:

My version, (no modifications :) this is the mixture.....

I fried them in coconut oil....

My sliders with zucchini and carrot pancake-crepe-buns!  They were excellent :)-

Tomato Basil (Crust less) Quiche

I am reviewing the 21 Day Sugar Detox book that releases to the public October 29th and let me tell you....it is wonderful!!!!  I have been inspired to get back in that kitchen and cook again without wheat or sugar!  

The first thing I made was the Tomato-Basil Quiche with Bacon & Spinach (page 104-105).  It was wonderful!  The only modifications I made were I swapped out breakfast sausage for bacon (I was out of bacon :) I added broccoli, carrots and I topped it with shredded cheese.  You can't get any easier than this recipe and now I have breakfast for a couple of days all ready to go!!!!  

Keep watching for more posts.....I'm having a yummy time :)-

Tomato-Basil Quiche

Ingredients:

Picture of my breakfast :)

Paleo Italian 3 Squash Casserole

I have been filling my freezer with as many healthy and quick meals as I can.  The other night I was tempted to eat the kids spaghetti noodles, but was able to resist by pulling out a two serving bag of chicken chili instead!  Worked like a charm.  This morning I got up and started making the kids breakfast.  I decided if I was going to be stuck at the stove cooking anyway, I should whip out a freezer meal too.  I love multitasking.  The result of my 'impromptu' recipe was wonderful.  I put 2 small casseroles In the fridge and ate a plate of the leftovers for breakfast too!

Here's what I did:

Brown 1/2 lb. Italian sausage

Chop one onion, small eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and slice 1/2 cup cabbage.  Add to skillet and sauté.  Add 2-3 cups spaghetti sauce (I use marinara, because it is all I can find without added sugar and I love the taste).  Add 1-2 cups of water and cover.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  

Prepare your pans for the freezer.  I use 2 bread loaf pans.  They are perfect for two one serving meals.  Take aluminum foil and line the pans, with extra foil peaking out to cover the top when you close it.  Cross-cross the foil.  

Spoon the casserole mixture into the pans.  Let cool.  

Top with mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil tabs and freeze in your freezer.  

After they are frozen, remove from freezer, and loaf pans.  Slip each foil packet casserole into a freezer storage bag and be sure to label it so you won't be playing a mystery meal game a few weeks from now!  Put back into the freezer.

When you are ready to eat it, remove from freezer, pop back into the loaf pan you made your mold from, and bake at 375 until bubbly.  Cook times will vary depending on much you fill your pan and if you cook from frozen or thawed.  Enjoy, you are planning ahead for your success!

Paleo Eggplant Pizza

One of ideas food gurus suggest to instill healthy eating habits in your kids is to let them pick our a few 'exotic' new foods to try each week while you're at the store.  Today's trip to Woodman's resulted in imitation cherry chocolate chips from my teenager and eggplant and Chinese cabbage from my 5 yr old.  I did a quick search on recipes for the eggplant and decided on mini eggplant pizzas. the 5 year old  helped me slice them, bake them, top them and then she tried it!   

Bottom line?  She was interested, involved and adventurous???? And I have an entire plate of eggplant Parmesan pizzas to eat tonight, but it's progress right????  Look at the Mother's Day Card in her hand.  It says in her handwriting, "thank you mommy for taking good care of me!"  I'll keep trying. ;)

Here's what we did:

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  Lightly coat with olive oil.  Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven, top each slice with sauce (I used marinara) and mozzarella.  Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and bake or broil until cheese is toasted and bubbly.  Serve warm.

Wow! The Best Chocolate Chip Paleo Cookie, EVER!

One of the best ways I've found of staying on the path of sugar free - wheat free is finding ways to recreate your favorite foods Paleo style. This cookie is so very very good, I can't even do it justice in a description! I have made my friend Michele's recipe from HillBunkerFarms.com a few times now and it's perfect as is, but as I do with every recipe, I also add to it and mix it up a bit, too. I will share both recipes and promise you no matter which one you try, you will love it!

Michele's Original Heavenly Paleo Cookie:

1 cup natural almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey (Hillbunker Farm honey is the best :)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chocolate chops or nibs

Mix all the ingredients together, then fold in the chocolate chips. Drop on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 more minutes on the baking sheet to set. Enjoy!

Shelli's 'I have trouble following directions' peanut and almond butter cookies:

1 cup natural almond butter
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup raw honey (Hillbunker Wild Honey of course :)
1/4 cup milled flax seed
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Follow Michele's directions adding the extra ingredients and enjoy!

21 day Sugar and Wheat Detox: results...

As most of my family and friends know I have tried a low carb and all natural diet for 13 weeks now. I decided to try it to see if it would help with my pain and inflammation from a chronic back issue and degenerating disks. I have been asked recently to describe the difference in my health, so here it is.

The first thing I noticed was I was totally addicted to carbs/sugar. If it wasn't for my husband supporting me by doing the detox with me, I never would have made it past day 3.

After 5 days, I was past the sugar cravings and started sleeping better. We both stopped needing daily heartburn medicine. I felt clearer in my head and a fog lifted. I didn't even realize I was in a fog until it was gone!

At the 1 week point noticed my tummy was shrinking. I noticed my swollen joints were feeling less bloated.

After 3 weeks I started my first female 'cycle'. It was shockingly short compared to my usual 9-20 day monster cycles. I was thrilled!

Now at almost 3 months, I am on half the pain medicine I was before. My monthly cycle is down to 4 days a month, no heartburn at all, sleep solid through the night and I've lost 21 pounds!

The secret????? Eat whole, unprocessed foods as natural as possible and avoid sugar. That's it. No crazy pills, tricks, binges or fads. I didn't count calories or watch fat intake. Eat the way God intended you to eat and the body will naturally heal itself.

Try it and see for yourself......

Strawberry Balsamic Vinegrette

One if the things I really seem to miss since I've been a 'clean' eater is salad dressing. It is hard to enjoy my salads plain, and harder to find sugar free or unprocessed dressings. We tried this last night and it was pretty good! I will be experimenting with raspberries and blueberries in the future!

1/2 cup strawberries, puréed
1 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp raw honey
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Pour all ingredients in a canning jar, seal lid and shake. I let mine sit for at least an hour to release all the flavors.

Homemade Orange Chocolates

Okay, I know this is just another variation of the same recipe, but it is sooooo good! The smell alone is worth a blogpost! I can't stop thinking up combinations, like raspberry-lemon or peanut butter-banana. So, I'd be lying if I said this was the last post on homemade chocolates your going to see from me ;)

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp half n half
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 Tbsp raw honey
The zest of 1 small orange
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Melt the oil and butter. Whisk in the honey, cream, cocoa, vanilla and pure orange extract. Pour into a pie plate lined with waxed paper. Sprinkle on the orange zest, cranberries and almonds. Place in the fridge to harden for at least one hour. Remove waxed paper from the pan and slice chocolates with a pizza cutter. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Noodle-less Lasagna

Ditching the wheat noodles has proved to be pretty easy. I didn't even have to give up lasagna, yay!

'Noodles'

3 med- large zucchini cut into strips

Cheese filling:

1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach
1 regular container cottage cheese
1 regular container ricotta cheese
2 eggs

Sauce:

1 lb ground beef
1 jar sugar free spaghetti sauce
1 diced onion
1 small jar tomato paste

Directions:

Slice the zucchini into strips and set on paper towels to dry out for a few hours. I sliced mine and went to church. By the time I came home, took a nap and felt like cooking they were prefect.

Mix the cheese filling ingredients into a bowl, set aside.

Brown the ground beef, drain. Add onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add sauce and tomato paste. Mix well.

Layer your ingredients as normal for a lasagna. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Blue cheese T-bones and balsamic brussel sprouts

Well it's been 27 days past the 21 day detox and I'm still going strong! I love eating this way, and as the one or two cookies I've cheated with have reminded me, I feel so much better too! Here was a very yummy dinner we had a few nights ago, and brussel sprouts are my favorite treat lately!

Balsamic brussel sprouts:

Wash and slice off the bottoms of your baby cabbages. Sauté them in olive oil and garlic salt for 5 minutes per side. ( I find that if you slice them in half too they cook better all the way through. ) Pour some balsamic vinegar over the caramelized brussel sprouts and sauté for a few more minutes. Serve warm.

Swedish pancakes- gluten and sugar free

We love Swedish pancakes. It is a family tradition that my husband makes on the weekends for the kids. We haven't had them in a while and now that we are trying to eliminate wheat and sugar from our diets I decided to tackle this recipe next. Here is what I did:

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/3 cup half n half
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds

Toppings: fresh fruit, honey, fruit preserves, or peanut butter.

I put the almonds into my coffee grinder and chopped them as fine as possible. Then, blend everything on a blender. Pour into a frying pan and make as normal. Spread topping on and roll.

I think next time I will add a little bit of applesauce to them. I know you can buy gluten free flours, but I haven't gotten to that yet. I'm sure they would work just fine as well.

Tex Mex hamburger stir fry

Ummm, well I was short on time, ingredients and imagination.....the result was a hit with the hubby! I ate mine over lettuce, he covered his with cheese. Pretty simple and tasty. Don't be afraid to experiment. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion chopped
1 large green pepper
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
1 can chili beans
1 can tomatoes with chilies
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp minced onion

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add the sliced veggies and sauté. Drain the tomatoes and add with the beans to the pan. Mix in the spices and serve over lettuce with cheese. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash and Sausage

It took a year, but I finally got (almost) everyone to admit that spaghetti squash is good! Proving the simple truth that if you put sausage in anything my husband will like it. I personally love spaghetti squash. I think it is one of those amazing foods that show the creativity of our Creator! Here is how I make it for the less adventurous in our family.

1 lb. sausage
1 small diced onion
1 jar sugar free spaghetti sauce (or homemade)
1 small can stewed tomatoes
1 large spaghetti squash
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Split the squash. I microwave mine for 5-8 minutes to soften the skin before cutting. Cook the squash. You can cook it in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes or steam them in a steamer for 25 minutes. Scoop out the squash and put in a casserole dish.

Sauté sausage and onions in pan, drain. Add sauce and tomatoes. Pour over the squash and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Chocolate covered bananas. :)-

Looking for a fabulous chocolate-covered-healthy treat? Try these super simple and super tasty frozen bananas. Now all we need is some sunshine!

4 frozen bananas
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp. raw honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup almond butter

Slice the bananas, place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, and put into the freezer for 30 minutes.

Take the bananas from the freezer and spread a small dab of almond butter on top of each slice. Freeze for 30 more minutes.

Melt the coconut oil, add the cocoa powder and honey. Mix well. Dip each banana slice in the chocolate and set onto waxed paper. Store in the freezer.

Take a few out at a time and let set for 5-10 minutes before serving them.....mmmm perfect!