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! :)

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!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

(or 1 cup dry beans cooked)
1 cup yellow or white corn
1 avocado chopped
1 small red onion diced
1 tomato diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes drained +
2T reserved juice
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
(or a small can diced green chilies or both)
Pinch of fresh cilantro, black pepper, cumin,
chili powder, paprika, garlic powder.

Mix it all together and chill for at least an hour.
Serve with tortilla chips or over omelets.

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..

Macadamia Whip Dip

Recipe by Elaina Love
From PureJoyLivingFoods.com

2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1 clove raw garlic
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbs. mellow white miso paste
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. onion powder

Serves 4
Blend (in a Vita Mix or Blendtec would be best) until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more water to get it to blend. Enjoy in nori rolls, with salads or as a dip for crackers or fresh veggies.

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.