Whole30 in the City

But, wait. You don't live on a farm and your garden is usually unsuccessful so how can you participate in Whole30 because isn't that doesn't that require organic foods grass-fed beef and so on? It may shock you to know but just because you live within a town or city limits doesn't mean you aren't health-conscious especially when it comes to food. One thing I love about this area of the low-country is our easy access to organic foods.

We use the grill as much as possible in the summertime. BBQ chicken
and veggies on the grill are great for Whole30 detoxing.
Yes, the BBQ sauce is Whole30 compliant.

In the Charleston area, there are three farmers markets within no more than 20 minutes to visit on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. And if you don't mind driving a little further and by further I mean no more than 45 minutes you can also travel to Summerville or Goose Creek.

Sweet potatoes are in nearly every recipe I have
found for the Whole30 plan. Be careful not
to slice your finger. Like I did. Ouch.

If that's not enough we also have local farmers who are South Carolina certified organic and one who also raises their animals in a way that's free of hormones and antibiotic-free.

Roasted spicy sweet potatoes and chicken on zoodles!

Now, don't faint but we also have Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and all our grocery stores sell organic veggies and grass-fed beef as well as offering organic, cage-free poultry options AND each store gives us locally grown options.  Oh, and we actually have neighbors in our neighborhood who are gracious enough to share eggs from their chickens from time to time.

Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and
grass-fed beef with seasonings. So good!

So, though they are super cool, you don't have to be a farmer or homesteader to live and eat healthily.

There are several organic farms in our are but I have two favorites, Joseph Fields Farm on John's Island and the Johnson Family Farm in McClellanville. The first one I always seek out at the farmers' markets and grocery stores because it's way too trafficky to get to them and I'm not sure they have people visit their farm. The second one is just about 30 minutes up 17 North and we do visit them. You can buy their veggies, meat, eggs, and dairy from their farm store and everything is grown right there on site. We enjoy taking Lula Mae and Opie out there.

The husband/dad of the Johnson Family Farm was diagnosed with cancer a mere 3 weeks or so ago and everyone is amazed and proud of how the community has come out to harvest, weed, prepare for fall planting, taking animals to wherever they take them for processing (and yes, it's right here in SC), tending the store, and all other things farm-related. Honestly, it's almost overwhelming but I love how we not only have access to good, clean foods but the community also lends a hand to help farmers keep it going.

And THAT is how you do Whole30 when you live within the town/city limits.

BOOM.

This is one of my favorite breakfasts so far.
I took left-over loaded sweet potato taco skillet
from supper and added eggs, avocado slices,
and grapes and BAM! Breakfast!

Coming soon- the differences I'm noticing following Whole30.

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Tweaking in the Kitchen

Do y'all have a favorite dish that you cook? Cooking is something that has been at the heart of our family for generations not only as a means of sustenance, but also as a time of sharing, laughing, and learning together. Watching my grandmother in the kitchen was one of my favorite things to do whenI was growing up. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

I don't have a favorite thing to cook but I do enjoy preparing meals that I know are someone's favorite. For example, I know Breezy loves shrimp creole so I love making that for her. Everyone loves my bourbon shrimp and grits so I love preparing that dish for the family and for friends. Birdie loves my chicken and dumplings, so I love making that dish for her. My favorite dishes to cook are those that I know are quite pleasing to others. It's one of the few ways I feel I'm doing something special for the people I care about.

I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother. There were no two better cooks as far as I am concerned. I loved everything my grandmother cooked and most of what my mother cooked. Mother tried a couple of recipes that I could have done without. One was pork chops with some sort of sauce and raisins and the other was this corned beef and mixed veggie dish. I was not the least bit fond of either of those two dishes. (I think she liked to try the new recipes of the day. Some of them bordered on fancy and, as y'all might recall, I am not a fan of fancy food.) Learning from the two of them was like being a musician who can read music and play by ear. I learned to follow a recipe from my mother and to 'play by ear' from my grandmother. I believe that makes me a better cook than following one way or the other. As a matter of fact, that is why my shrimp and grits are so delicious. I have a recipe, but I made it my own by adding and subtracting a few things that I thought would make them better.

I remember spending an inordinate amount of time with my grandmother in her kitchen which has led to some of my most cherished childhood memories. I don't think Grandmother owned one single cookbook. She did write down recipes in spiral composition books but you had to be careful following those recipes. What Grandmother failed to do is write the 'real' recipes down. The little changes that she made that resulted in the perfection of the recipes were not written down on those pages stained with butter and flour and other secret ingredients. I don't think she did this to trick us, she just went into her creative mode when cooking and never thought to write anything down. This is why not a single one of us has ever been able to reproduce her mouth watering recipes to this very day. This is the way I cook, too. And now I am frustrating my children. And, at times, I'm frustrating myself when I try to reproduce a particularly good recipe. Not those shrimp and grits though. That one is in my head and they are perfect every time.

I also learned, from Grandmother, how to add ingredients without measuring. We measure by feel and taste and by 'just knowing' how much is the right amount. We have Grandmother's spiral composition books and Reni is working on figuring out how Grandmother made her yeast rolls. Reni is stubborn and she's been working on these delicious rolls for a few years now. The last few times she made them, we noticed that she is closer than ever to getting them like Grandmothers. We think part of the secret is in the kneading.   

Grandmother also taught me not to be afraid to try new recipes. She did it all the time. But she made her own tweaks to these recipes so I have no idea what the 'real' recipes taste like. It's the same at my house. I always tweak. I don't think I am capable of cooking without tweaking. The good news is, it works. 

Are y'all tweakers?  

Kitchen

My grandmother was an artist in the kitchen. When she was creating a work of art, whether is was as simple as breakfast or as elaborate as her fresh, organic, six layer coconut cakes, she donned her smock (an old, worn out, plaid shirt of Granddaddy's on which you could see her darning stitches if you looked closely enough) and an old pair of cotton ankle pants the color of the summer sky and set about her work.

The white flour would end up everywhere. It would be all over her clothes, in her hair and on her face. Her red speckled counter-tops were covered in patches where bits of her paints- the ingredients for her creation- had dripped off the spatula or out of the often neglected measuring cup. Not even the floor was spared from her creative mess.

Every single time, Grandmother's creations turned out perfectly. To the eye, they were beautiful; the smell made your mouth water; and the taste was a pure delight to our tongues and fulfilling not only to our bellies but to our souls.

I sorely miss all those times spent with Grandmother in her kitchen. She sang and chatted away every step of the way. I remember those special times and her words. But, somehow, the magic she worked in her kitchen evaded me. Or did it?

While I might not be near the artist she was in the kitchen, I did receive understanding of the importance of the kitchen. A place for sharing words of wisdom. A place for singing. A place for telling secrets. A place for spending invaluable time with those we love. A place that continues to do these things and more in our kitchen.


FYI: My 'L' post will be late. It's wedding weekend so y'all probably won't see it until Sunday. Sorry in advance!

I'm linking this post to the eleventh post of the April, A-Z Challenge!

Just click the badge below to visit other participants. 

Ok, let's see what y'all came up with for the letter 'K'!

Recipes and Memories

Can go hand in hand. Did y'all know that?

For example, whenever I make chicken pot pie or chicken and dumplings or a cake or homemade bread/biscuits, I remember my grandmother- my mother's mother. It's certain that I do not come anywhere near the quality of her making/baking, but the memories that come with the preparation of these (and a few other) recipes almost make up for their lacking in that area. The times spent in the kitchen with my grandmother have always been some of my most favorite memories.

Then there are the times when I (used to) make Rice-A-Roni (the San Francisco treat...haha) or sautee mushrooms and the memory of the first time I had those with Aunt Betty. I had never heard of Rice-A-Roni (Mother made everything from scratch just like Grandmother did) and I said that I didn't like mushrooms. Aunt Betty was always the one who tried to get me to try something I'd never had before just to see if I liked it. I've been eating mushrooms ever since. It also reminds me of the first time Deanie made Rice-A-Roni years ago...it was crunchy. Ha! None of us have used Rice-A-Roni in so many years that I don't even know if they make it anymore, but what fond memories I have because of it.

Every time I burn something or a dish turns out badly, I am reminded of the husband's mother. She was a writer; a poet; a walk-the-walk Christian; a lover of the arts and PBS and Christmas. She was not a cook. But she did it anyway- regardless of the end product's taste, looks or appeal. 

My attempts at homemade lemon cake and Christmas eggnog brings back memories of my dad's mother. She, too, made everything from scratch. Her lemon cake was to die for. I remember her eggnog at Christmas. It wasn't the kind that we kids could partake of, but the adults used to crack us up arguing over whether or not there was enough alcohol in it. Not usually won out. Though most of my memories of GrandMoore center around reading, creating, and playing games, anything lemony and with rum will take me right back.

Making the homemade goodies at Christmas- fudge, cheese and olive balls, sausage balls, etc.- bring back memories of my mother making these wonders every single year. Our table would be filled with every kind of Christmas delight you could possibly think of and I loved walking around and around that table taking one of everything over and over again. I make these same treats every year and revel in the memories of Christmases past.

Saturday morning breakfasts of French toast or scrambled eggs with cheese or grilling out take me back to my dad being in the kitchen or grilling. He loves to cook to this day but, when I was growing up, he mostly did it on Saturday mornings and/or evenings. And I loved it when he cooked. I know he had a special recipe for the French toast but I can never get a straight answer from him. I mean, it's a straight answer, it's just never the same answer. His cheese eggs I can make, they just don't taste as good. And nobody grills as good as my dad. Although my brother does get close.

There are so many memories that center around food in our family. But I believe that most of the fondness comes from the preparation time instead of the actual food itself- although the food was always incredible. It was the time spent with some of the most special people in my life. People who made a difference. People who taught me how to appreciate the value of conversation and taking time to do things the right way. People who taught me to value, appreciate and take pride in a job well done. People who showed me the inner strength, compassion, independence and unconditional love of the women in the family (yep, even my dad who was taught the very same thing by his dad). People who taught me the value of a family. The love of a family. The never-ending support of a family.

Teachable moments were never missed in my family.

Where do your recipes take you?

Tuesday's Yummy Goodness

I have 2 new-to-me recipes to share today.

Both came from Gerson recipes though I did do a few things differently.The things I stick to with the Gerson plan are the slow cooking, the use of only organic veggies, the preparing of the veggies and the use of only stainless steel or glass cookware. Sometimes, I change up a recipe a bit to suit my mood of the moment.

RED CABBAGE

Combine in pan:

1/2 cabbage, shredded (red and organic)
3 TBS vinegar (I used coconut vinegar from Tropical Traditions)
3 large chopped onions (I used leeks because I LOVE them)
2 bay leaves
a little soup stock (I am out of soup stock so I used spring water)

Stew over low heat approximately 1/2 hour.

The last half hour, ADD:
3 apples, peeled and grated (I used Gala apples)
1 TBS raw sugar (I used Turbinado, next time I will use NuNaturals Stevia)

CORN WITH MIXED VEGGIES

2 ears of corn (I used organic, frozen)
2 zucchini squash
3 stalks celery (I was not in a celery mood so I used leeks again. Because I LOVE them)
2 carrots

Wash the corn and cut off the kernels (right. I used organic, frozen). Slice the other veggies (organic, of course) into smaller pieces. Put the corn in a baking dish and add the other veggies. Bake in oven at 200 degrees for 1 hour.

I made a pot of brown rice too. Just because the husband likes it with everything under the sun. And, as usual, I made more than the recipes called for because we had Birdie and DoodleBug!

We're not usually cabbage eaters but this recipe was quite yummy! The corn and veggie recipe was delicious! With or without the brown rice!

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

Don't forget to check out my current giveaway at the top of my sidebar. And look for another one coming soon from NuNaturals!

Stupid Westerns and Food

I certainly haven't accomplished much in the last couple of days. We are still waiting on Knology to get up and running in our area- which should be only another month- so I'm still hating watching Netflix from time to time. I'd like to hook up Birdie's XBOX 360 and take advantage of Hulu but I don't know how and everyone else keeps forgetting about it. ANYWAY, I'm stuck with Netflix for now.

All that to say, I ran across the Lonesome Dove series (Comanche Moon, Return to Lonesome Dove, Lonesome Dove...) and decided that I would watch them. And that's just about all I've been doing. Shameful, I'm aware. But how I do love that series- especially Lonesome Dove. I mean- Rober Duvall AND Tommy Lee Jones?! Swoon.

Of course there is uncontrollable sobbing are tears that accompany the watching of these shows. It's that dang music. Cursed violins. And I really hate it when they kill off my favorite characters- like Deets (Danny Glover) and Gus (Robert Duvall)...I would NEVER have made it in the old west. Never.

Even with all that sobbing television watching going on, I did still manage to tear myself away to try a couple of new recipes-

This one started with a big pot of garden fresh veggies-

And ended up being Swiss Chard Rolls--

For dessert, a Rhubarb Crumble-this was my very first rhubarb anything. It turned out delish!

Swiss Chard Rolls
(a Gerson recipe for 2--I more than doubled it because we had the gang over)

4 leaves green chard
2 carrots
1/4 head broccoli
1/4 head cauliflower
2 small zucchini
1 cup corn
1/2 cup uncooked rice

Sauce:

1 1/2 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic

Directions: Put chard in hot water to soften. Cut other veggies in small pieces and simmer til done. Drain water. Make sauce in blender and pour over top of veggies and uncooked rice. Place some mixture in center of each leaf and roll up. Put in baking dish with a lid and bake at 250 degrees for 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Part of the Gerson plan is cooking food slowly. Sometimes I adhere to this standard, sometimes I don't. I didn't this time- I cooked it on 350 for about 30 minutes (everything was already cooked I just wanted to heat it through). I cooked my rice first and mixed it with the veggies and then rolled them up. When I realized I had forgotten the sauce, I just poured it on top of the rolls.

Rhubarb Crumble
(from Koko's Kitchen)

3 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 TBS orange juice
3/4 cup raw honey
1 TBS spelt flour (I was out of spelt so I just used gluten free all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS coconut oil

Topping
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup spelt flour (I was out of spelt so I just used gluten free all purpose flour)
2/3 cup oats (I used the gluten free ones)
14 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish. In a bowl, stir the rhubarb, orange juice, honey, flour and cinnamon. Put mixture in dish and dot with the tablespoon of coconut oil. In a separate bowl, combine the honey, flour, oats and coconut oil and mix until it resembles a coarse mixture. Put on top of the rhubarb mixture. Cook at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil about halfway through cooking.

Happy cooking, y'all! And try to stay away from the TV! :)

Spring Chick Challenge Update: Week 9

Time for the weekly update for the Spring Chick Challenge hosted by Stormy at Real Chicks Getting Fit.

Here's my update:

WALKING/RUNNING: 

• Monday: 1.5 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Tuesday: 3.57 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Wednesday: 3.55 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Thursday: 2.38 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Friday: 3 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Saturday:  2.13 miles (WALK/RUN)
• Sunday: 2 mile (WALK/RUN)

My TOTAL HOURS of walking/running for the week: 8.5 ( 18.38 miles)

I also took the mini challenge of increasing my exercise and started the 30 Day Shred. Let's just say that, although I felt like it, I'm not dead. Yet. 

WATER INTAKE: 

• Monday: 104 oz
• Tuesday: 96 oz
• Wednesday: 96 oz
• Thursday: 104 oz
• Friday: 72 oz
• Saturday: 96 oz
• Sunday:  96 oz

CALORIE INTAKE:

• Monday:1314
• Tuesday:1262
• Wednesday:1369
• Thursday:1176
• Friday:1354
• Saturday:1378
• Sunday:1393

WEEK TOTAL:


TRACKING: YES- every single day.

EATING AFTER 9:00 PM: YES!

ORGANIZING:Yes!

SUPPORTING OTHERS: I did pretty good on this one.

DAILY WRITING: Yeppers!

WEIGHT: Down 3 pounds!

STORMY ASKS:

We are now 2 months into 2012. How is it overall...? Do you feel like things are habits? Are you in the zone or in a fog? The challenge started out with a bang and has continued with momentum on some issues and petered out in others.

Things that I no longer want to do (well, thing. There's just one):

• track food/calories: I'm so dang tired of this. I've made lifestyle changes. All of our food is organic, sugar free and gluten free. There's still a need to count calories, but not keep tracking them. I've been doing this for 10 months now and did it for an 8 month stretch before that. I think I get it. I think I can keep a mental count now. I will continue to track until the challenge is over but then, I'm going to stop and see how it goes. I keep a daily gratitude journal, an exercise journal and a weight loss journal. I'm not going to track after the challenge. Enough is enough.

 Things that continue gaining momentum:

• Food choices- these have turned into a lifestyle change and the more I learned the more I change or add to my daily routine. 
• Exercise- I've started running instead of walking and then there's that evil 30 Day Shred. Hell, I even bought the dvd set so I could advance to levels 2 and 3. Maybe I've become a glutton for punishment instead of a regular glutton.
• The desire to lose the weight. I've still got a long way to go but losing the weight is a perk from living a healthier lifestyle.

WEEK 10 GOALS:

• Fitness.... I plan to continue walking/running and killing myself with that 30 Day Shred. 
• Food-....I will continue preparing meals in a healthy manner.
• Fun.... not sure how I'll find fun this week but I sure found it last night in that new television show GCB. That was HILARIOUS! 
• Friends... Are you giving support to others...? Yes. And no. 

WEEK 10 MINI CHALLENGE: 


STORMY SAYS: Week 10   Mini Challenge-New recipe---Get outta a rut and try something new in the kitchen. Be prepared to share how it went... good or bad.

This is something I already do every week as I am still trying out new gluten free recipes and changing the ingredients on some old standby ones.  

That's it for week 9! Hope everyone had a great week and has an even better one coming up!

Keep it positive y'all!

Winter and Gumbo: A Fantastic Combination

Old Man Winter has finally, FINALLY, made an appearance in the SC low-country! And strong winds came along for the ride. I mean SERIOUSLY strong winds. They blew our lawn chairs around the yard, limbs were down in some places and, when Hubs was out, it kept making noises at the front door that made me think someone was trying to come in! Luckily, Criminal Minds was not on last night!

I thought we were going to be like the house in The Wizard of Oz! 

And the winds were still here this morning when I walked Tucker. Not quite as strong- but cold. Cold enough that, when it hit my face, it felt like someone was popping me with rubber bands. Or a stapler. Ouch! That's the last time I go out without a scarf!

Yes, I asked for cold weather. And, yes, I love it. But sometimes I forget to go out dressed properly for it!

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE visiting Biz at My Bizzzy Kitchen because I can always count on her for a recipe or two, or 100, that are always, ALWAYS worth a try. And, just the other day, I found a gumbo recipe that sounded perfect for a cold Sunday afternoon.

We weren't disappointed! I changed a couple of things- I used Turkey andouille sausage and fresh low-country shrimp, olive oil instead of vegetable oil, gluten free flour and my own essence instead of Emeril's- BUT it was delish!

Check out my rendition of Biz's Spicy Shrimp and Chicken Sausage Gumbo:

I made a fresh fruit salad to accompany the gumbo-I used an old southern secret for the sauce...anyone know what it is?

The fruit salad would have had fresh blueberries in it but they turned into gluten free muffins earlier this morning!

Now, head on over to Biz's and check out her recipes! You won't be sorry!

What's on your plate today?

Guinea Pigs in the Form of College Students

I look forward to every single Wednesday night during the school semesters because DoodleBug and company come over for dinner.

It's nice/comforting/pleasing to know that parents are still needed and appreciated once their children have grown up and moved out. Even if it is only for a home cooked meal. And venting. And trips to Michael's (gotta love education majors, right Joyce?).

I also have the pleasure of seeing DoodleBug and Gibbsterrific on Wednesday mornings on their way to practicum. How lucky that they were assigned to the building that originally housed the elementary school that DoodleBug, her three sisters AND their dad, attended.

And, of course, I decided that they just can't go back downtown to class without first having a little something in their tummies.

Another plus? College kids and young adults who have just entered the work force do not mind being guinea pigs one little bit!

Finally, I know that on at least one night every week, they are eating healthy. Organic. Sugar and gluten free.

Here are a few things we've had in the last few weeks:

Butternut squash pie- so good!

Eggplant burger!

Last week I made these parfaits for DoodleBug and Gibbsterric after practicum.

This week I made gluten free scones from scratch-they enjoyed the scones with organic roll butter and SC honey--

I found gluten free pizza crusts at Whole Foods so, last night, we made our own individual pizzas. I totally forgot to take pictures before we started eating so I suddenly yelled out, "STOP EATING!" You should have seen the look on their faces. Priceless. And then the look when I told them it was just because I needed to take pictures for the blog. Oops.

One thing that I also do for them every week is make a new dessert. These kids are so awesome- they NEVER complain! Last night I made a carrot cake.

I love cooking healthy meals even though everything I make is now from scratch. It's worth it!

But what I love even more is that the kids come over every week and indulge this empty nester.

Have a great weekend y'all!

Chocolate/Peanut Buttery Goodness in a Ball

I had a couple requests for the chocolate peanut butter thingys I made for the kids Wednesday night.

Here it is:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (recipe comes from Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise Roberts, page129)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (I used organic, rolled butter)
18 oz smooth peanut butter (I used organic, unsalted, unsweetened)
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (I used organic)
2 1/2 cups gluten free crispy rice cereal (Whole Foods carries this but you could probably use Rice Crispies)
16 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used organic, unsweetened, dark)

1. Mix butter, peanut butter, and sugar together in large mixing bowl of electric mixer. Beat until creamy.
2. Add crispy rice cereal and mix until cereal is incorporated into dough. Chill until cold.
3. Form into 1 inch balls (rolling them into balls is easier when dough has been chilled--supposedly...I still had a time with this) and refrigerate 12 hours (I put them in the freezer because I didn't have 12 hours)
4. In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate and keep warm.
5. Dip balls into warm chocolate. Place on wax paper to cool. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. Store in refrigerator in airtight container. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Best when eaten within 1 week. 
6. Makes about 72

I served these with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and the flavors were fantastic together!



Looks like Deanie and NicholAss are still having fun in Park City--

It's time for FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY from Create With Joy.

Friendship Friday was designed to help bloggers meet new friends and comes with a question every week. This week's question is:

What has inspired you most this week? I'm gonna say it was the Spring Chick Challenge that inspired me most this week coupled with all the encouragement and supportive comments from all of you! There is no way I would be successful on this weight loss journey without y'all! OH- and BestSonInLawEVER (our chiropractor) and Birdie (our DD3 and athletic trainer) have come up with a running plan for me to follow! I'll begin updating on that after I try it out for a week or two! 

On the creative front, I can't tell y'all what inspired me because it may or may not be a gift for one of the lovelies or someone else.

Just click on the button above and head over to join in Friendship Friday. The linky will be up all weekend!  

I'm also linking up with ---friend and follow with Jan over at Midlife Parenting 

I

Have a terrific weekend y'all!

My Brilliance is Blinding

The lessons just never stop, do they? I suppose that's a good thing. I would hate to think that learning simply stops one day. But why am I so stubborn that I am just now learning some that would have benefited me YEARS ago have some evaded me until I hit my 50s?

And then there's the fact that I'm still not practicing some of the lessons--apparently one lesson is that learning a lesson is not the same as applying the lesson.

Some of you may know what I'm talking about. Others of you may be members of the group of people who already know everything and do all things right all the time. Good for you.

I've learned that it's important to 'gowiththeflow' especially if you have kids. And to listen to my woman's intuition. I've learned that I don't have to control every single thing in life. And that men are going to act like teenage boys their entire lives.

Then there are lessons like the grand ideas that pop into our heads and we get so excited and get started and THEN realize that, although the idea was a good one, the time that is involved is ridiculous and there's either no time to finish or it becomes all consuming. Yeah. That's the annoying lesson of today.

One of the gifts I gave each of the lovelies for Christmas was a scrap/cookbook. They are just so cute. I found them at the store where I always spend way too much money, I swear it's like I go into a stupor when I walk through the door Michael's and decided to fill them with all our family recipes and the new ones that I have discovered from our healthier diets--all the gluten free tips, and sugar free substitutions, etc. I am also including basic cooking tips--at the bottom of the traditional recipes, I am writing about how to make the dish healthier. Some pages will even have step by step instructions because not all the lovelies know their way around a kitchen (coughBreezycough and coughcrunchyricearoniDeaniecough)

I wondered if I could use the MyMemories software to make the cards and some of the pages (not all the pages because I want to hand-write some of them). So, I am making these:

And these:

Yes, I have discovered that this brilliant idea has turned into a major pain in the ass project of the time consuming type. I have also discovered that we have about 20 bazillion recipes and that writing every single step from how to put water in the pot to how to take the food out of the pot is CRAZY.

But I also realize that when we do something like this for our children, it will be so worth it. When I'm no longer here, they will look at their mom-made cookbooks and remember so many wonderful kitchen/cooking/baking/eating family times. They'll laugh over the little mom-liners that I've included on some of the cards/pages and they'll share their memories with each other and their own children and husbands.

Not to mention the fact that I am enjoying my own walk down memory lane as I go through the family recipes and remember my childhood times in the kitchen with my grandmother, mother, and aunt.

So, is it taking a freaking crap ton of time? Yep. Do I ever wish I'd stop having all this all consuming projects? Yep. Will I stop? Nope.

It's for the kids. And when it's for the kids, we moms just do it.

If you'd like to try the MyMemories software, you can click the link below...just use my code--STMMMS73032 --and get $10 off! WooHoo!

Balling with Sausage and Olives

This entire week will be spent shopping for and preparing the food for the oyster roast. I like to get as much prep work done as I can ahead of time so that I am not overly stressed on the day of the gathering.

Of course, we had to finish all the decorating too.

And the yard work.

And Christmas shopping.

Good grief. Whose idea was this anyway?! Yes. I know. Quit laughing.

Yesterday I rolled balls. Cheese and olive balls and sausage balls. And, because a couple of you requested the recipes, here they are:

Sausage Balls

1 lb. sausage (I used turkey sausage this year, organic with as little processing as possible-hotness level depends on personal preference)

1 lb. sharp cheddar (I am using extra sharp this year with NO DYE)

3 cups Bisquick (Bisquick now makes a gluten free baking mix so I used that)

Grate cheese and let soften, mix with sausage and Bisquick.  Roll into balls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30- minutes. **I pre-make the balls every year and put them in the freezer until the day of the festivities. And I do not thaw them before baking. Seriously, I find that this works even better than cooking them without freezing. Of course, my mother has no difficulty doing it either way. ***I double this recipe and get over 200 balls.

Cheese and Olive Balls

1/4 lb sharp cheddar (I am using extra sharp with NO DYE)

1/4 lb butter, melted (I used butter from grass fed cows- and I will make another batch using Vegan butter)

1/4 lb all purpose flour (gluten free, of course)

You can add a little cayenne pepper for a kick if you like that sort of thing

olives

I mix the cheese and flour together first and then add the butter. Once mixed, shape dough around olive and roll into ball. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. ** Same story here with the pre-making and freezing. ***I quadruple this recipe and get about 120-140 balls.

The dough and the olives...

You kind of have to play with the dough to make it pliable before it will wrap around the olive...just pretend you're a kid playing with Play-Doh!

I put them in the freezer on a tray until they get hard enough not to get smushed when I put them in the zip locks!

AND NOW it's time for today's blogger participating in the ---

 TERI is celebrating Christmas with "Cowboy Style" this year. 

Stop by The Freshman Cook and see what she has rustled up, as they prepare 5 different food gifts "For the Cowboy in all of Us "!!

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Veggie Burgers and Grandmothers

Both of my grandmothers were incredible cooks. Absolutely incredible. Some of my most cherished memories are those spent with these amazing cooks in their kitchens while they prepared delightfully delectable dishes. There was never a time at either house that we left feeling less than completely satisfied and loved.

Not a single one of us can duplicate even the simplest of their sinfully delicious kitchen creations. And we have tried. Multiple times. Countless times. It simply cannot be done. And there is a very good reason for our failure. Neither of these accomplished cooks used such trite kitchen tools as measuring cups.

My mother once asked my grandmother how to make the pudding part of her banana pudding. Here it is:

Amount of sugar you think it needs

Add milk ‘till it tastes right

Add flour ‘till its thick enough

Start with 2 egg yolks; add more if needed

You can put vanilla in it but you don’t have to

 

This is all leading up to the explanation of why I can only give out the ingredients I used for those VEGGIE BURGERS I made this week. It's not that I don't want y'all to have it. It's that I cook just like my grandmothers did. I rarely, if ever, measure. I change most recipes that I do follow- adding or changing or taking out ingredients here and there. If I were to attend cooking school, I'm certain they would kick me out after one day.

That being said, here are the ingredients I used for the veggie burgers.

shredded carrots
shredded zucchini
a handful or two of mixed baby greens
chopped onion
1 can Garbanzo beans (chick peas)
oats (some I ground up in the food processor to a floury consistency, some I kept whole) [Next time I will use coconut flour and whole oats]
egg whites
various seasonings (this one is easy though- just add what your family likes)

I will mention that, once I had it all mixed up, I thought it was a tiny bit wet so I added some more oats. Next time, I will leave those extra oats out. I think they would have been even better had the mixture remained wet- but dry enough to stay together in a patty.

Then I simply baked them in the oven on 400 degrees. Don't remember how long but I did turn them over so they could brown a bit on both sides.

Sorry y'all. BUT here's some good news! For those of you who asked for the Zucchini Lasagna recipe, I can lead you to the one I used as a guideline:  my Zucchini Lasagna is based on Debbi's here. She also has a recipe for Tomato Zucchini Bisque that really is to die for! I follow the bisque recipe almost to the letter. It's so amazing!

As a matter of fact, Debbi has an entire index of recipes that she has modified for lower calories and calculated the nutritional value for her readers. I am using quite a number of her recipes as a guideline for the Slimmer this Summer Challenge! Check her out! 

AND maybe, if we're lucky, Patrice at Everyday Ruralty will share her Ratatouille recipe with us! She's a professional chef you know! (And mom to four daughters, wife of a farmer, friend extraordinaire, owner of Wendell the wonder horse...).