Your Very Own As You Like It Master Granola Recipe

I found it! A granola recipe that I could adapt into a Master and could be made totally with your choice of ingredients! (The original came from bestfoodblogever.com.) My new version is such a yummy recipe because you put into it the things you love. Make it different each time or stand by your very favorites!

In a large bowl place dry ingredients:
2 C. Whole Rolled Cereal ~ Oats, Wheat, etc.
4 C. Total Additions like:
1 1/2 C. Nuts of Choice
1 C. Unsweetened Coconut
1/2 C. Seeds ~ Sesame, Flax, Sunflower, etc.
1 C. Dried Fruit ~ Raisins, Cranberries, Cut Up Apricots, etc. Fruit is added halfway into baking time.

In a smaller bowl place wet ingredients:
2/3 C. Honey, or Maple Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Agave, or any combination of your choice
1/4 C. Nut Butter ~ Peanut, Almond, etc.
1 1/2 t. Vanilla, or Part Vanilla and Part Maple or Almond etc.
Dash of Salt, if desired and salted nuts were not used.

Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, except fruit. Stir wet ingredients well. Pour syrup mixture over dry ingredients and stir till thoroughly coated.Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.Add fruit if using, to cookie sheet and return to oven for another 20 min. stirring after 10 min.. Cool to room temp and store in an airtight container. Makes about 7 Cups.
Serve with your favorite milk. Mine's Coconut!

Healthy Fats

Remember how in the old days Grandma liked getting out that spoon for the kids' weekly dose of cod liver oil?! Our bodies need small amounts of these healthy fats daily. We know Omega 3's are important and high amounts are found in Fish Oils and by eating foods like Salmon, Walnuts, Flax Seeds, and Veggies like Broccoli and Spinach.
I personally have believed for several years now that added fats in capsules or that come by spreading or pouring are not the best way to go; that foods were meant to be eaten in their whole state, as they come, wherever possible.
It is important to use moderation in our food choices, and it's vital to our well being to include a few foods that are rich in healthy fats such as Avocadoes, Walnuts, and Olives. These seem to have gotten a "bad rap" when it comes to dieting, but in my experience, these foods, when eaten in moderation, in no way interfere with losing weight, in fact, just the opposite.
Replacing the oil in baked goods with applesauce works very well but Olive Oil and Coconut Oil may be the exceptions to the rule when looking to add fat in cooking. Olive Oil and Coconut Oil have impressive lists of health benefits, in fact there are some who even take 3T. of Coconut Oil a day to aid with weight loss! If you choose to add coconut oil to a recipe, measure slightly less. And remember, Coconut Oil does not harden with higher temperatures so you can even fry foods in a little of it.
For me, I don't take doses of just fat, I'll take the Walnuts or Avocadoes or Olives, thank you! But again, when I eat popcorn I drizzle on some melted Coconut Oil and sprinkle it with Real Salt. YUM!!

How-To Make A Tomato Napoleon

Enjoy this at your next BBQ or get-together with friends!

This beautiful salad is nothing more than a thickly sliced tomato, not sliced all the way through, with salad greens like spinach and small bits of other colorful veggies: yellow bell pepper diced small, grated carrot, chopped black olives, and green onion. Some like to add feta cheese however I prefer to go dairy free. Serve on a lettuce bed and drizzle with Italian dressing made with olive oil and apple cider vinegar or serve a creamy dressing on the side.

And Now, How To Protect Your Garden

I've found a safe and effective way to spray my garden veggies for bugs! While I'm no expert I'm giving tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow crooked neck squash, pumpkins and strawberries a go for this year. After googling and reading recipe after recipe, here's one that I made up myself that uses ordinary household items and repels multiple pests. It's safe for the garden and non-toxic to those of us who'll be eating those vegetables as well:

GARDEN BUG CONTROL SPRAY-
1C. Water
1T. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Garlic Clove
1-2 Dashes of Hot Pepper Sauce
like Tapatia
1T. Biodegradable Liquid Soap (preferably)
or Dish Soap

Liquefy all ing. in blender except liquid soap. Strain through a cloth, if necessary. Pour into spray bottle, add dish soap, cap and shake just to mix in. Allow bubbles to dissipate, and fill the rest of the way with water, to make 32 oz.

Try spraying a little on each variety of plant and wait for 2-3 days to make sure it will not damage the plant. (My plants are fine.) Spray in the early morning or late in the evening, when temperatures are at their coolest to keep leaves from burning. Spray onto both sides of the leaves. Repeat every week or as often as needed. If you get the leaves wet when watering you'll need to respray.
I know it's early in the gardening season but we've had ours for 3 or 4 weeks out there and so far it's working on those pesky little critters!

Here are the resources I used:
ehow home, GardenMandy, and Recycle your day

PS. The Garlic will also prevent that destructive mold from appearing on the squash.
PS. Again. I found out that sprinkling corn starch around the garden repels hornworms.

Here's to growing a great garden!

How-To Feed Your Garden, or Instant Composting

This is a great way to use all your fruit and veggie scraps and plant items that didn't make it to the dinner table. (Please do not use animal products ie. meat, milk, eggs or fats.) You've probably heard of composting? It's where you save all your scraps and put them into a pile outside for months while waiting for them to break down into the soil for fertilizer? Well, this is an instant way to do the same thing! I read a comparison in someone's info and they called the time it takes "warp speed"! What I like best about this is it doesn't cost anything, you don't need any fancy bin, and it doesn't smell. All you have to do is save your scraps
for a day or two. Then you blend them in the blender with a cup or two of water. I'm sure you already know not to try banana peels or corn cobs. They won't blend!

Mix this garden smoothie into some soil. I like to do half at a time so I don't have to wonder if I stirred it all the way to the bottom.
Then I put the mixed soil into a pot, or you can directly stir it into your garden space wherever you will be planting.
And lastly I add the plant, this one's a bell pepper, and water it!
Happy plant, happy pocketbook!

P.S. You can also add this to the garden later by putting it in the ground beside the plants.

*Good Advice From Whole Foods Market*

Here it all is, right on their
paper grocery bag:

SALAD IS THE MAIN DISH; Buy a Blender; Stretch; FRUIT IS A DESSERT; Stock up on Healthy Options; DRINK WATER; learn to cook; make every bite count; MORE COLOR, MORE NUTRIENTS; eat more kale; you can't beat beets; Try new recipes; FRESH IS BEST; pack a healthy lunch; you say crunchy granola like it's a bad thing; when in doubt, eat a sprout; LOVE WHAT YOU EAT.

And there you have it, From Whole Foods!

FoodMatters

Right HERE you can watch a documentary entitled "FOODMATTERS". (Click on "The Film" and then "View From Online".) It's extremely informative and even life changing as it reconfirms for me the commitment I made many years ago to live healthier.
My own food choices are a challenge but not so much when I'm out there researching the reasons for eating right. Those reasons are compelling.
From time to time I have been asked to share the things I've learned about health and what part food plays in it, hence my little "Happy Eating! ~ From My Kitchen" blog. As it turns out, I'm finding that I want to do this for myself as much as for others because the huge side effect is that I am thrown back into reminding myself of where and why it all began for me and what makes it so very important.
Over the years, as I've put many of these changes away from the Standard American Diet into place here at home I've become my own living proof of some things that work to prevent sickness and promote wellness. So I'm grateful for what's happening. It is my hope that perhaps others might benefit in the sharing as well.
Food really does matter. (Where the apple comes from)

How-To Freeze Ice Cream In A Plastic Bag

Summer is coming fast and some days our weather here is already in the high 80's. Strawberries are in full swing at the fruit stands, too, and it's time for a good strawberry ice cream recipe. This freezing method is great for Family Night or as a party activity for the kids.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Blend in blender:

3 Egg Yolks
2C. Coconut Milk or Milk of Choice
1/4C. Xylitol (or sugar)
Pour into saucepan and bring to scalding on med. heat. DO NOT BOIL. Cover and cool to room temp. and place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Almost liquify in blender:

2+ C. Hulled Strawberries
1/4C. Honey or Light Agave (or sugar)
1t. Vanilla
Chill.
Stir mixtures together. Pour 1/2-1C. ice cream mixture into sandwich sized ziplock freezer bags. For each sandwich bag you will also need a 1 gallon freezer bag and a friend. You will need at least 4. Fill gallon bags half full with ice. Sprinkle ice with about 1/2C. table salt. Add one bag of ice cream to each gallon bag and turn over and over to churn and freeze ice cream. Putting a towel on the table is a good idea for soaking up any spilled water (or, heaven forbid! Ice cream!!)

For a simple and easy 5 minute vanilla recipe click HERE.
And for more info click HERE.

Fresh Strawberry Cobbler!

Until recently I'd not seen a recipe for making cobbler with strawberries, but now, for me cobbler will never be the same. I wanted to make ice cream to top it off with in a picture but I couldn't wait for the ice cream!
Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Cobbler

In a cold saucepan place -
1/2 C. Agave Nectar or sweetener of choice
(if using a dry sweetener increase water to 1C.)
3/4C. Cold Water
1 Tbs. Cornstarch
Stir to blend in cornstarch and simmer til thickened.
Remove from heat and add -
3C. quartered fresh Strawberries
Pour into greased 8" pyrex.

In separate bowl mix -
1 C. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 1/2 teas. Baking Powder
Dash of Salt
3 Tbs. Coconut Oil
1 Tbs. Agave
1/2 C. Coconut Milk or milk of choice
Mix together well till soft dough forms.
Spoon onto berries. Bake at 400 deg. for 25 min. Cool and serve. Delish!!