Pasta Primavera

This is a real throw-together dish, so amounts are not at all exact. I'll put approximately what we use.

2-3 cloves fresh garlic
1-2 TBS butter or olive oil
2 c. chopped veggies of all kinds (julienned carrots, thin sliced celery, chopped broccoli, chopped peppers - red, yellow, orange or green, snow peas, etc.)
1-1/2 lbs pasta like rotini or whatever kind you want.
1/2 to 1 c. heavy cream
1/2 to 1 c. shredded parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta. Meanwhile, mince the garlic cloves and fry up in butter. When soft, toss in the veggies and stir fry till crisp tender. Pour in cream and stir it up to warm it. Add to noodles and stir. Add parmesan cheese last - you can either add it to the whole pot or individual bowls.

Eczema helps

There really isn't a medical consensus as to why people get eczema. It could be because of weather changes, too much exposure to allergens or chemicals, reactions to foods or who knows what. I've even heard it's a genetic disease, which I suppose makes sense that there are those who are more likely to get eczema than others. Certainly is the case in my family. My middle son just broke out in a rampant case of it, and I wish we'd been home instead of camping so I could've treated it better!

Here is what we do:

*Omega 3 supplements. Our favorite is probably Children's DHA from Nordic Naturals, but you can also get it from ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil (easy to add to a fruit smoothie.) My daughter is prone to eczema in the winter time, but if I make sure she gets her omega 3, she doesn't get it. Since it's summer time I've been forgetting this important supplement, but I'll be sure to get back on it now!

To soothe the rash:

*Witch Hazel - can feel soothing and help with the itching. You can buy plain witch hazel at the drug store or health food store. Often found in hemmorrhoidal preparations too, but along with other stuff.

*Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - keep the affected area moist to help with the itchiness. Applying coconut oil helps heal, keep it moist, and reduce inflammation. I sometimes mix the coconut oil with a base like 100% cocoa or shea butter to make it spread more easily. Cover with a soft flannel cloth or gauze so it doesn't get everywhere. Apply several times a day.

*Diaper Rash Ointment - can help sooth the rash in a pinch. Use a natural type like Burt's Bees if possible.

*Wear Cotton Clothing - other types of clothing can irriate the rash.

Italian Meatballs

Homemade meatballs do take a while to roll by hand, but they sure are tasty. And you know what's in them!

2 eggs
2 slices fresh bread (use GF bread to make GF meatballs)
1 TBS italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, pureed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 lbs to 2 lbs ground beef

Put eggs in a bowl and whisk them. Blend up fresh bread in blender to make bread crumbs. Add to eggs and let it soak for a minute. Add seasonings, cheese, garlic and onion and stir. Add in the ground beef and mix it with your hands. Roll into 1" balls and put on a cookie sheet. Broil for 10 minutes on each side, or until meatballs are done. Can add to spaghetti sauce and let it simmer. Serve with spaghetti (use Tinkyada brand for GF.)

Breakfast Cereal Muesli

My son took an "around the world" cooking class, and for Switzerland, they made muesli. The teacher let the kids add whatever they wanted of the following ingredients:

rolled oats

rolled rye flakes

wheat germ

brown sugar

raisins

dried pineapple

dried cherries

chopped almonds
chopped dates
ground flax seed

chopped fresh apples

Coconut flakes

Then she let the kids pour milk or cream on top. It was really yummy! I thought I'd mix up a batch to have on hand for breakfasts. Here is what I mixed together:

8 rolled oats
1 c. barley flakes
1 c. triticale flakes
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. unsweetened dried cherries
1/2 c. currants
2 c. unsweetened coconut
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1/2 c. sucanat
1-1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans, sunflowers, almonds, whatever)

The cool thing is that you can pretty much make this however you want. I found that about 10 cups of grain flakes, 2 c. dried fruits, 2 c. coconut, 1 to 2 c. nuts, 1/2 c ground flax and/or wheat germ plus 1/2 to 3/4c. sweetener worked out pretty well.

Other ingredients you could add:

rolled wheat flakes
millet flakes
rolled rye flakes
chopped dried apricots
blended or chopped dried bananas (use less sweetener if you add these)
blended or dried chopped apples

You can soak this overnight with a little yogurt for easier digestibility, but sometimes it's nice to have something quick. You can also cook it to make it warm if desired. Serve on top of yogurt.

Asian Salad Bar

This is adapted from a Family Fun recipe. It's very tasty, but we made it salad-bar style to satisfy the whole family. You can mix all the ingredients together and make a salad perfect for potlucks!

Set out salad-bar style:

Bag of coleslaw
1 c. cooked, chopped chicken
2 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. chopped sugar snap peas (or leave them whole)
1/2 c. chopped red pepper
3/4 c. chopped green onions
3/4 c. sliced celery (diagonally sliced)
1/2 c. roasted/salted cashews*
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds, optional

Salad Dressing:
1/4 c. soy sauce (if using tamari sauce, use a little less)
2 tbs white vinegar
2 tbs natural style smooth peanut butter
1 tbs sucanat
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1 tbs sesame oil

Mix together in a salad dressing cruet and shake till mixed. Doesn't taste like peanut butter!

This is great served with spring rolls. Or on the rare occasion when I buy pre-made food, the Ling brand potstickers or spring rolls from Costco are pretty good (ingredients and taste!)

Grain Mill

I used to wonder why on earth I'd ever want to go to the trouble to grind my own grains. Now my grinder is one of my most-used kitchen appliances! Here's why:

1. Store bought flour is pretty much always rancid by the time you get it. That's because flour gets rancid really fast.

2. Baked goods made with freshly ground flour taste so much better.

3. Baked goods are easier to make with freshly ground flour because the flour is already warm.

4. It's really not that hard to grind grains, it only takes a few minutes extra! Funny thing is that I had a grain mill for 6 months before I ventured to use it. And then I was amazed at how easy it was. I keep mine on the counter for easy access.

5. It's very cost effective. You can buy grains in bulk, which will make a lot of flour.

If you get a hand grain mill, you will not agree with me. Hand grain mills take FOREVER to make flour! However, a hand grain mill is nice to have on hand - just in case.

I have a Nutrimill, which has been wonderful. It doesn't sound like an airplane is landing, and it goes pretty quickly. The new name for this one is Wondermill. I'm sure there are other good mills out there, just do your research before investing.

Types of Whole Wheat

All the different kinds of wheat is confusing. It took me a while to figure out the difference, so here's a quick primer:

Hard Red Wheat - This is the wheat that most people know as whole wheat. It's great for making whole wheat bread and is high in gluten. Lasts in food storage for a long time.

Hard White Wheat - Lesser known wheat, but commonly found. You can also use this to make whole wheat bread, but it's not as high in gluten as the hard red wheat, so I've found that it helps to add gluten when making yeast bread.

Soft White Wheat - This is what whole wheat pastry flour is made out of. Doesn't last as long in your food storage as other wheat (a year or two.) Great for baking things like cookies, pie crust, quick breads, muffins, pancakes, etc. Not so high in gluten.

Unbleached wheat flour - this is white flour, with the bran removed. Buy the unbleached because it's a step up from bleached flour in nutrition. Often added in whole wheat bread to provide more gluten.

Kamut - Kamut is a relative of wheat. It has a fascinating history! It doesn't have as much gluten as wheat, and many people who have wheat allergies can actually tolerate kamut.

Spelt - Spelt is also a relative of wheat. It has been around for a long time, it too has an interesting history. It has more fiber and protein than wheat. It doesn't have as much gluten, and it doesn't need as much water in recipes as wheat does.