A homemade Christmas

I knew that I was saving those almond tins for a reason. I had been collecting them for some unknown reason, and my mother wanted to throw them out several times. I persisted NO. I “needed” them….I just knew they would come in handy one day.

I did however give them a new look. With paint and fabric.  I’ve always been a very hands on crafty type of person. I love making things!! Especially things that didn’t cost me ANYTHING. Cause technically, I didn’t buy those almond tins! My mom did. muahhaha.

they are perfect for housing my homemade pumpkin granola.

They hold a few servings. Perfect for a Christmas trail sample. These are going to the family, the non-anti-un- healthy food eating people. Little do they know I snuck oatbran into the corn bread. HA!!!!

any who, back to my gifts…everything I’m giving is homemade, well most the things I’m giving. Another gift for grandmas is this:

 

if i could only eat you up. I just purchased some cough expensive cough peppermint essential oil, however, it’s very potent and should last me a loooonnnggg time. so its worth the price…plus i know its real and beneficial.

i wanted to show pictures of my other gifts, unfortunately, i wrapped them like a smart one. but i will tell you about them::::

-For the past few weeks I have been sneaking around in the woods trying to get a picture of a duck…and i got it!!!!!. Hahah..if only I could see myself creeping through the forest-covered from head to toe in camouflage. well worth the effort.

-I made a menu board, from a very inexpensive picture frame,  cute scrapbooking paper, and my moms calligraphy skillz. It’s awesome. you can write on it and wipe it away!!! I have one as just a menu sheet and one for a weekly meal planner. I also made a similar thing, but just a “remember to…” board. great for high school people!!!!

and currently, I am in some exercise clothes, baking my heart away.

so far i have done:

-2 loaves of yogurt multigrain corn bread

-4 batches of pumpkin granola

-some fudge babies!!! (mmmm)

-cookies

and in progress:

sprouting wheat berries for some Nourishing Traditions style crackers! and planning/preping for Christmas morning breakfast….gunna be a gooood one!!!!

busy day…tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we’re hosting the par-tay this year!! Which means I should have plenty of un-awkward moments to get food pictures!!! yaya.

Have a Very Merry Christmas!!!

PEACE

butttter :)

hmmm.

oh how i love butter. it’s so yummy. on things in soups, in cooking..in cakes…you name it, I say: Butter is better.

Take this photo for example, it’s two different butters. One is organic, one is not. What a difference in color!!!!

Well, I just wanted to pop in and say that, I am still here. I do read many blogs still, silently….without commenting… Life has been a little bit crazy, and I’m hoping to jump back into blogging! I’m taking my blog to a bit of a different level, so hopefuly (when time permits) I will be doing some maintence on my blog…attempting to change things and hopefully making it easier to blog.

peace <3

farmers market finds!

I really really really LOVE going to the farmer’s market, it’s my favorite thing!!!

my loot!!!

my mom or may not have had a mini heart attack when she saw what all I brought home last Saturday…relax all of this was only $16!!!! I think it was all a steal!! and i don’t mind supporting my local farmers. And one guy was sooo sweet, he GAVE me the whole bag of butternut squash!! how sweet. Those pickles…amaazing!!!!!! they’re just plain dill and AWESOME!!!

fun little bite sized potatoes!!!

we just coated these with some olive oil + rosemary+ thyme.popped them into the oven…..and we were good to go!!!! mmmm!

homegrown beets are AMZAZING>

i’ve been eating these like no ones business!! and I’ve thought I had a bladder infection more than once…..

mostly local salad.

to bring together all the goods in quick easy meal! beets, lettuce from our garden, spinach, goat cheese, and balsamic dressing! mmm. and to go with it…

 

don’t judge by looks!

BOMB!!! potato!!! japanese sweet potato to be exact. WOWOWOWOW. sooo good!! like a buttery goodness with a sweet potato flavor!! and insanely filling..i couldn’t even finish it! (extremely rare)

i’ve been teaching water aerobics to some neighbors, i’ve got a yoga group going, and i’m teaching swimming lessons…as well as working for the chef man 3 days a week!!! it’s crazy!!!! still trying to make room for blogging and having fun!!!:)

hope everyone  is off to a good start of the summer!!!!

PEACE.

why not?

Hello!!! I’m baaaccck. We had a lovely trip…no skiing..but still fun. To my advantage, all the health food stores, including Wholefoods, are on the way to the lake….therefore, we always stop.

I got a few new things….like this coconut water. IT WAS THE BEST COCONUT WATER I’ve ever had. soooo sweet and amazing. Props to Taste Nirvana!

That wasn’t the only thing I had new to try….

sheep-milk yogurt?

WHY NOT!?!?!

wow.

let me just say. this was AMAZING> i love this yogurt. I would defiantly get it again. Smooth, creamy, and the texture of silk. wowza. The flavor was spot on too! There was even little black specs from ACCTUAL vanilla beans! mmmm. I want it agian…too bad it’s 70 miles away.

something to look forward to!!!!!

and more interesting things…

ELK Steak???

WHY NOT?!?!!?!?

my aunt made elk steak shish-kabobs…complete with pineapple, peppers, and onion!! it was DA BOMB. i would eat me some elk any day. it was delish. a very lean, game meat.

moral of this post WHY NOT try new things. Every new thing I tried this weekend..i would eat again. OHH! i also made over night oats..THEY WERE AMAZING. and i bought some expensive amazing coconut butter to top it with. i’m hooked on those over nighters now! they’re great!!!!

PEACE.

surprise. winter squash??

Howdy!!! How’s er body doin?? I’m doing great..i’ve been up till past 12 the past few days…graduation parties..movies…and i HIGHLY recommend the movie Bridesmaids, it’s so funny!!! I loved it!!!

Well, I’m here to say goodbye, for just a few days.

We’re headed to the lakehouse for the weekend. I won’t be returning untill Tuesday night. So I will be blog free for a few days. (and all other technology.) AHHH!! it’s kinda a crazy thought, but I think it’s a good thing.

I just made these yesterday to take along……

Vanilla Bean Tahini Cookies. ahh-mazing!!!! Sadly… I didn’t have all the ingridents..like vanilla bean and sesame seeds….but they were still AWESOME. props to Lauren for her awesome invention. They were puffy, and mmmmm. The flavor was amazing. They are really good!!!

NOW then. awesome cookies…lets talk about a new breakfast obsession I have. okay, so I kinda have a thing for amaranth.

and since all things carrot cake are awesome. lets just put them together.

Carrot Cake Amaranth Bowl

1. I soak my amaranth over night, just enough to cover the water. Then i put in a drop of whey.

2. In the morning…very carfully..rinse the tiny grains.

3. put the amaranth in the pot..and some water….i have no earthly idea as to how much..just enough to cover it…and a little extra. Add in some raisins, cinnamon, 1 giant shredded carrot, and i usually add a TBS oat bran..and sometimes chia seeds. (both optional)

4. turn it on and let it cook..it’ll get going and once it gets almost cooked, i add in a few tbs. of apple sauce. then cook a bit more. amaranth is very different from other grains..it’s not “dry” when cooked..it’s more…pasty?? idk..hard to explain.

5. Put it in a bowl….top with vanilla cream top yogurt and coconut.  (or just coconut butter if your vegan!)

HOLLA for some yummnes.

now..amaranth has a very distinct flavor compared to other grains..it’s very….grassy. popped..not so much..but eaten like this..you’ll definatly catch some flava of it. ((Just a forewarning….))

but i like it.

oh..heres some recent goodies from my garden!!!

kale, butter leaf lettuce, banana peppers, and kabcha squash

The exciting thing was..i didn’t even plant the squash..it came up all on its own!! i love it!! its a winter crop..but it’s happy!!! our summer squash should be producing soon!

catch ya later!!

PEACE.

feed me. NOW.

A hungry day.
Do you ever have these??
ha, i do. and it doesn’t bother me one bit.

We’re going to talk about my recent hungry day….
I woke up un-hungry. I knew that this was not the norm for me. I was really appalled at what the heck was going on with this. So I woke up, sipped some coffee, and finally decided on the lovely Michelle breakfast. (i always think of her when i have it. )
A green tea frap + two pieces of toast smothered in almond butter and honey. sounds innocent enough, right??? oh my, it was delish…and some days..it does me good..but it didn’t that day.

15 minutes later….”FEED ME. NOW”

{cream top yogurt + honey + 1 gala apple } ahhh. yum.

30 minutes later…”seriously, feed me. NOW.”

{a homemade biscuit with a nice thick, real slice of ham}

satisfied. for some reason..if i don’t eat meat or AT LEAST an egg, i’m ruined with hunger for the day. it’s crazy. It’s like my body just needs it. I’m part cave man.

I managed to make it till lunch:
A killer salad. and it killed the hunger, so we thought.

• greens from our garden
• carrots, radishes, ONIONS!!
• 1 boiled egg
• bout 4 heaps of hummus
• lots of black pepper
• some balsamic dressing (home-made )

It was good,..paired with some crackers…..followed it with a kiwi and a few dark chocolate squares. i was good to go. And that is quite a small lunch for me..but i guess the mornings shananigins of eating was still with me.

and then. hunger struck…yet again. haha

well..least it was 3 o’clock. i managed to finish off my hummus, i had just made it that morning too. with a few hundred crackers…some veggies…and a nice big plate of…

i love you.

I mean really, whats NOT to love???

I had my fill..and i was good to go. really,  I didn’t eat like crazy, trust me, it’s been worse…haha…i just had an unquenchable hungry..like very demanding and on the spot..it was just like OMG…but then….it came back. dun dun dun. haha.

so i fed it..with what it was truly asking for….

 BEEF!!!!!!

we started with salad….. then we had baked potatoes and local ribeye steak. it hit the spot. for about 3 hours.

then i finished my night with a nice bowl of popped amaranth, banana, coconut, and cinnamon…obviously drowing in my goats milk:)

all in a day’s eats of MEEE>

PEACE.

the new addition…

Introducing: the latest addition to the family:

baby zinna.

my 6 week old baby kitten, ZINNA!!!! okay..so i wanted a German Shepard….that didn’t happen..i got zinna instead..for now anyway.   i still love her..she’s tooo cute!!!

FOOD ABC’S!!! I saw Miss Kaila just recently did this..and i was like hey! THATS COOL!! i wanta. so i did. haha. here we go:::

A: is for Apple, what’s your favorite variety? organic BIG galas!! mmm. love em. ((AND I eat one everyday!! )

B: is for Bread, regardless of nutrition, calories, or whole grains what is your favorite type to have a nice big piece of?This lovely homemade rye sourdough!!!

my homemade rye sourdough. )

C: is for Cereal what is your favorite kind currently (just one!): not a big cereal person at ALL. my theory is: i can save money by not buying fancy cereal, i may want it..but i don’t “need” it…but I do pop my own amaranth and make cereal with it.

D: is for Doughnuts, you might not currently be eating them but what kind do you fancy? never been a big donut girl…pig in the blakets..heck yes. and donut holes on occasion..but no i don’t crave that stuff.

E: is for Eggs, how would you like yours prepared? not a huge fan…..they make my tummy  hurt sometimes..but I like them boiled or scrambled with lots of veggies.

F: is for Fat Free, what is your favorite fat free product? I don’t do fat free products. i believe thats not how food should be, my nana never ate fat free living on her farm!…..so i would have to say: FRUIT and VEGGIES.

my weekly 5 lb pack. okay, so my my mom helps. ( a little)

G: is for Groceries, where do you purchase yours at? our garden is the first choice..farmers market….we go to local farmers for meat..and other than that….wherever really, just depends. of course, WHOLEFOODS is the awesome(est)..but its really far!!

home-grown squash from a neighbor. we're currently harvesting: tomatoes, kale..and i even have some surprise kobacha squash coming up!!

H: is for Hot Beverages, what is your favorite hot drink?that’s a no brainer, COFFEE!!! with milk.yummmm.

I: is for Ice Cream, pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping…plain good ol’ vanilla…with banana and walnuts. but i last “ice cream” i had was banana softserve..i also had some coconut gelato from wholefoods a while back.

J: is for Jams or Jellies, do you eat them, and if so what kind and flavor? not a jam or a jelly gal..but if i do on occasion, it’s homemade blackberry jelly, locally made and grown!!!

K: is for Kashi, name your favorite Kashi product? sry, don’t eat kashi anymore. the only thing close is Amys. ((nothing against the products..i just make my own goods now.))

L: is for Lunch, what was yours today? pita pocket stuffed with turkey, spinach, and some blackbean/corn salad stuff. yum. then i had some homemade yogurt with a few died figs, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey. mmm. LOOOVE.

M: is for Milk, what kind do you like (flavor, source, etc)? full fat goat milk. hands down. always. and i love it. and i wouldn’t give it up, i’m still begging for my own goat.

N: is for Nuts, what kind are your favorite? brazil nuts!!! then walnuts then almonds.

O: is for Onions, do you eat them? OHH yes. I LOVE ME SOME ONIONS> they’re awesome, anyway you do it.

we also have purple onions and green onions in our fridge now!

P: is for Protein, what is your favorite source?

BEEF. theres nothing like it. no, i don’t eat it EVERYDAY..but i make local, organic beef a part of my diet. i also LOVEEE bison. and i’m a fan of having just beans for lunch. with like cornbread and stuff.

Q: is for Quiche, what 4 ingredients would you like in yours? i don’t make Quiche, ha like ever. i made this baked yogurt thing a while back..which was similar..and REALLY yummy. it had leeks, spinach…. and som other stuff..ha aha.not sure..but any kinda veggies in it would be fine by me.

R: is for Restaurant, what’s the name of your favorite and what type of cuisine does it serve?? MY KITCHEN. haha. however..one of my fave “fast food” places is Chipolte. i love it…i can see myself going there quite a bit in college.

S: is for Spices, name 4 that are in your kitchen right now that you have used in the past 5 days? CUMIN (love), oregano, rosemary– home grown/dried!, and cinnamon. those might be more on the herb side..

T: is for Trick or Treating, what 5 candies does your bag contain? haven’t gone in ages..but i would appreciate nuts, dark chocolate, fruit, Glee gum, and lara bars. ahah.

U: is for Universal, what is your favorite type of cuisine from around the world? hmmm.i haven’t explored many…:/…but i like remixin’ Mexican food. i love the spices they use.

V: is for Vitamins, do you take them, and if so, what kinds? i do one every other day…only a 1/2 of one..they’re super potent women’s multivitamins, the kind that are made from foods! or something like that..and during the summer, i detox from my vitamins. BUT Thats just me.

W: is for Water, do you drink bottled, spring, tap, sparkling, etc? plain tap mostly..and sparkling waters with natural flavors.

X: is for Xtra special, what food holds a special place in your heart? sweet potatoes. i love them. no matter how orange i get, i still eat them!

Y: is for Yogurt, you can only afford 1 cup, what kind do you purchase? FAGE!!! 2% i love it. i wish it was full fat..but i’ll live..and i like any sort of full fat plain greek yogurt. i also do siggis every now and then, it’s a bit sour..and it doesnt’ have the creaminess from the fat.

Z: is for Zero guilt, what food can you enjoy over and over without any guilt? defiantly veggies, fruit, and yogurt. oh yeah and beans. love beans.

hope that was some-what interesting for ya!

off to study. ….for basically the last time this school year…!!!! yaya

peace.