Crock Pot Yogurt
for easy and delicious homemade yogurt..
from Nourishing Days

Recipe notes: This recipe uses a 2 quart crock. In using a 4 or 4 1/2 quart crock I found the yogurt to have a bit of a “springy” texture. I was able to alleviate this by heating the milk an additional 15 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1/2 gallon of milk.

Heat on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Once 2 hours and 30 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the milk cool in the crock with the lid on for 3 hours.

After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well.

Pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly.

Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two.

Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours.

In the morning stir yogurt (if desired) and store in glass quart jars or a container of your choice.
For optimum texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using.

We then sweeten with pure maple syrup and vanilla extract, or blend with fruit and agave nectar or honey.

Homemade Granola

This recipe is very similar to the original recipe in the Ball Blue Book

4 c. uncooked regular or quick oats

1/2 c. wheat germ (or milled flax seed)

1 c. coconut

1 c. slivered almonds (or walnuts or pecans)

1 c. sunflower seeds

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. brown sugar (or evap. cane juice crystals)

3/4 c. vegetable oil (or coconut oil)

1 c. raw pumpkin seed (optional)

1 t. vanilla

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1 c. raisins (optional)

I always double this recipe for my family of 6.Combine dry ingredients, except raisins. In a saucepan combine oil, sugar, and honey. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Mix until well blended. Spread on a shallow baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. (Mixture may also be dried in an electric dehydrator at 145 degrees F about 3 hours or until mixture is crunchy) Stir in raisins.

Store in home canning jars or plastic food storage bags.Makes GREAT cereal, yogurt topping, or a snack.

Enjoy! :)

Amish Fruity Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
3 cups quick oats (or regular)
1/2 c. evaporated cane juice crystals

1/2 c. honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (raw cow milk, rice milk, or almond milk)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 c diced canned peaches
1/2 c. chopped nuts (we like walnuts)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

Additional milk, optional

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, honey, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Combine the eggs, milk and butter; add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the peaches, nuts, and cranberries. Pour into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares. Serve with milk if desired. Yield: 9 servings. This recipe is easily doubled for a large family.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

***Note: When letting your 2 year old bake with you, don't forget the baking powder, they just don't come out right. :)

2 cups organic all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 cup evaporated cane juice crystals (organic sugar)
1 stick butter, room temp.
1 T packed finely grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 c poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and soda, and set aside. Whisk buttermilk and lemon juice in a small bowl to blend. In electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and lemon peel. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, scraping down sides. Beat in dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture alternately. Mix just until blended. Mix in poppy seeds. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Kashi

I really try to talk my kids into smoothies for breakfast..or oatmeal. But I often give in to their love of cold breakfast cereal, especially on Sunday mornings as we are rushing around trying to get out the door for church. I have found a reasonably healthy breakfast cereal, that tastes great and my kids love..

Kashi makes an entire line of organic yummy cereals that are comparable in price to other breakfast cereal (all over priced IMO). And, almost every grocery store carries a large selection. They also make bars, hot cereal, frozen entrees, and more..

No white sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, and no white flour. Only the good stuff.

Savannah's (my 2 year old) favorite is Heart To Heart, she snacks on these dry.. My boys love the blueberry one, and I love the Vive one with graham something or other.. anyways. Try them, you won't be disappointed.

Kefir No Yeast Quick Bread
from the Jan-Feb 2009 issue of NJG magazine.

2 to 2 1/2 c. kefir
4c. freshly ground spelt or wheat
1/4 c lukewarm water
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup flour

The night before: add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of kefir to 4 cups to spelt or wheat (ground from pre soaked kernels). Mix thoroughly to form a sticky, moist dough. Cover and let stand for 12 hours or overnight to sprout. The dough will pull up a bit as a result of the fermentation process.

The next morning: in a separate bowl, mix water, baking soda, and baking powder. Add sprouted bread dough and knead using your hands or a processor with a dough hook. Add about 1 cup flour to form a dough ball. It may still be sticky, which is ok. Form baseball size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and cut little crosses in the tops of your rolls. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Spread butter or coconut oil over the hot rolls and enjoy!

...FAST food!

Cheap, quick and easy to prepare. Healthy and kid approved.
Easy clean up!

Green smoothies consisting of frozen strawberries, 4 bananas, 12 baby spinach leaves, 1T honey, distilled water.

Kefir

I know some of you have already seen this on my other blog, but it really is that good. And it is so good for you!

It means “feel good” in Turkish.

Kefir is a refreshing cultured milk beverage. It tastes similar to drinkable yogurt, yet a bit more sour. Kefir also has a slightest hint of a natural effervescent zesty tang.

Kefir contains stronger beneficial bacteria than yogurt. It is far superior to yogurt, as the bacteria in yogurt will only survive a few days in your digestive tract. Kefir contains live active cultures of normal flora that repopulate in the digestive tract. It's a super probiotic punch!

The cultures in kefir are active and growing when they enter the body. They thrive in dairy and use up the lactose and partially digest the proteins, making it a product most people can benefit from. Even those with milk or dairy sensitivities can usually tolerate kefir.

Kefir is full of vitamins and minerals, normal flora, and enzymes that aid digestion. It boosts your immune system.

If you can pour, you can make kefir! Make your own at home for the price of milk. You can buy fruity, sweetened kefir at health food stores (or Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Sunflower, etc.) but it is rather pricey. It is much better to make your own. My kids love strawberry kefir smoothies..

You can make kefir from organic raw cow milk, rice, almond, or soy milk!

If you are in Indiana, I have grains (starter) and would be happy to share..

Something Different
Vegan On Stage, her recipe, her picture (above).

I am always looking for new ways to cook the same ole' foods. My kids like oatmeal, but it does get old.. Here is something new, and they loved it!

Make oatmeal as you normally would.
Sweeten as desired.
Stir in a good helping of Sunbutter or peanut butter.
Stir until combined.
Dish into bowls.
Top with banana slices, shredded coconut, and a few organic chocolate chips.
Yummy!! Kid approved!

Cranberry Muffins
This recipe is adapted from the original recipe in Vegetarian Times.

Try these with blueberries, too.
Makes 18

2 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup evap. cane juice crystals
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup rice or almond milk
1/3 cup light ricotta cheese or silken tofu
1 Tbs. grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbs. organic coconut oil
2 large egg whites
1 large egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 18 muffin pan cups with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix flour, cranberries, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt. Make well in center of mixture. In small bowl, mix milk, ricotta cheese, orange peel, orange juice, oil, egg whites and egg. Pour into well in flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon batter into cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Green Smoothies

These are my new favorite breakfast. You are probably asking yourself "WHY would you want to drink a green smoothie, it looks disgusting!?!?"

Well, if your kids are anything like mine, they don't eat nearly enough greens. Maybe some lettuce smothered in HV ranch dressing once in a while (probably more dressing than salad).

And, green smoothies taste great. I'm serious! Take whatever smoothie concoction your kids already like.. say frozen banana's and milk. Add a handful of raw spinach, or an entire avocado. Gradually increase the amount of greens as your kids adjust to the new taste!

Green smoothie recipes:

frozen ripe banana's

one avocado

rice or almond milk

blend until smooth

oranges, peeled and seeded

handful of spinach

100% orange juice

ice

blend until smooth

pineapple

handful of raw kale

orange juice

ice

blend until smooth

berries

frozen ripe banana's

romaine lettuce or spinach

blend until smooth

You may or may not need to sweeten your smoothies. Try honey, agave nectar, or stevia. Please don't ruin your healthy smoothie by adding white sugar!

These are sooo good for you! Imagine giving your kids several servings of fruit and veggie's before they ever leave the house!