Vegetarian Lo Mein

We made this for dinner yesterday and it was super yummy.

Add whatever veggies you want to a large skillet/pan and sauté until just barely cooked or soft, it depends on how you like them.

I used:
broccoli
shredded cabbage (a mixture of red and green)
onion (sliced thin)
matchstick carrots

other great ideas would be:
zucchini
mushrooms
snow peas
yellow squash
asparagus
greens - spinach, chard or kale
bell peppers
bean sprouts
garlic
green onions
Napa cabbage
Bok Choy

I cooked the onions until rather soft, then added the rest and cooked until a littler softer than crisp.  I used a combination of coconut oil and water to keep them from burning/sticking.

When they were done I added cooked, drained noodles to the pan (any kind will do....and for my family I used the full package).  To this I added half a bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce and stirred until heated through and the veggies were mixed in.

We had enough to feed everyone (with a few seconds) and two helpings of leftovers for lunch the next day.

This was super fast, super easy and very tasty.  Not to mention mostly healthy.

Brazilian Black Beans and Rice

This is my secret recipe for Brazilian black beans and rice.  I learned how to make it looking over the shoulder of many a Brazilian woman so I don't have exact quantities....they don't use them and I never learned how.  So this is a recipe and a cultural lesson.  I should also add that I lived in Rio Grande do Sul so I make southern-style beans and rice.

For the rice - 
Chop an onion (medium to large based on the amount of people you need to feed).  Fry it in a pan with some oil or butter until soft and lightly browned.  If you want to add a few cloves of garlic, do so now and only cook for a minute.  Add the raw rice and some salt.  (To test for saltiness, stir the raw rice with the salt and onions then cool a small amount and place it in your mouth.  If it tastes salty, you're good.  If not, add a bit more salt.)  Stir the rice around until the grains have turned a light brown color.  Add the water, cover and reduce heat.  Allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes then check to see if liquid is absorbed.  If not, cover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.  If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add a bit of water, cover and cook until soft.

For my family of six, we use 2 to 4 cups of rice then twice the amount of water.  So if I use 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water.

You could just cook the rice in a rice cooker, but the Brazilians I know rarely do this.  Most of you reading this aren't Brazilian so do what you want!

For the black beans -
You can use either canned or homemade black beans.  Start with cooked, however you get them.  Chop an onion, medium to large and fry in oil or butter.  Yep, do it again!  Once the onion is soft and lightly browned add a garlic clove or two.  Cook for one minute.  Add the black beans and heat through, stirring every few minutes.  Salt to taste.  You can leave these thick or thin them out a bit by adding some water and mashing about half of them.  Some people eat them thin like a gravy or sauce, others keep them looking like beans.  You can alternately use garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves, and onion powder instead of the onion.

Most Brazilians use a pressure cooker for their beans, but I've never owned one so I use the stovetop method.  If you do pressure cook your beans, and want an authentic flavor, add the cooked onions.

To eat it all -
We serve this with beans on the plate, rice on the side.  Sometimes we put the beans on top of the rice like a gravy.  Very often they will fry eggs and put it on top of the beans and rice....usually with a slightly runny yolk so it creates a type of sauce.

Often this is eaten with salted tomato slices or a tomato onion salad.  To make the salada de tomate (tomato salad) slice an onion (yes, another one!!!) and place it in cold water.  Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes to take out some of the "bite".  Drain.  Add a sliced tomato or three, salt, then add a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar.  Taste it as you go.  You want a salty, vinegary taste that doesn't overpower.

Another way to eat the beans is to put them over french fries, homemade if possible and usually with a fried egg on top of it all.

Bom apetite!

Vegetarian Recipe Index

I'm on a mission to change the way my family eats....again.  I've spent a lot of time reading about nutrition and watching health videos and still don't have the "answer".  My problem is that I feel that two very different ways of eating have merit - I agree with the vegetarians and I agree with the traditional meat eaters.  What's a girl to do?

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that the Lord has given us a modern-day revelation concerning diet called the Word of Wisdom (WOW).  My husband and I have been discussing this for quite some time and have decided that we'd like to make some changes that will (hopefully) help us live more in accordance with the WOW.

= We'll be cutting back on our meat consumption - during winter we'll have meat three times a week.  During the warm months, twice a week.  

= We'll also be increasing our already large consumption of fruits and veggies and hopefully grow our own.  

= Sugar will be reduced to special occasions and rare treats.  

= We've already gotten rid of most refined foods, but we'll continue to see if there are other things we can cut out or make our own.  

= I'd like to decrease our dairy consumption significantly but I'm getting a lot of push-back on that so we're still discussing.  In the meantime, we are slowly cutting back and finding better (healthier, more natural) sources for the dairy we do use.

= And we'll add more properly prepared whole grains and try to find non-grain alternatives for some meals.

I'd also like to focus on foods that are fast, whole, simple and inexpensive.

Since I need to add more vegetarian meals into our diet, I've decided to create a list of dishes I want to try (or have tried) so I have a quick place to look when I'm planning my menus.  (No, I don't do Pinterest.)  Some of the recipes are from my personal collection and not posted online yet....let me know if you want one and I'll get them posted.

Breakfast 
My breakfast philosophy - if it can't be made in 5 minutes (or the night before) then it's a lunch food....

most of our breakfasts will consist of a smoothie (or juice) with something from the "Snack" category - other options include:

Raw Carrot Cake Breakfast Bowl
Eggs (many ways)
Toast
Pancakes & Waffles (I have bazillions of recipes for these)
Oatmeal
Baked Oatmeal - there are many recipes to try
German Pancake
Hashbrowns
English Muffins (Food For Life sprouted varieties)
Fruit Cereal
Russian Custard - we serve this over sliced fruit
Soaked Granola Bar
Cinnamon Vanilla Baked Oatmeal
Muesli
Breakfast Burritos
Crockpot Whole Grain Cereal
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Oatmeal
Mixed Grain Cereal with Chai Spice
Toad-in-a-hole/One-Eyed Susans

Granola - I have a bazillion recipes to try, here are a few:
Live Granola Crunch
Crispy Honey Nut Cereal
Pumpkin Granola
Crockpot Granola

Smoothies
Tom's Fruity Medicine Chest
Ultimate Green (juiced)
My favorite smoothie
smoothie template - has ideas for red and green smoothies
Molasses Chocolate Chip
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
several great ideas here
Hot Pink Smoothie
Citrus Surprise - listed towards bottom
Chocolate Coconut Drink

Main Meal (lunch or dinner)
Falafel or this or this or this or this or this
Azteca Squash Soup
Pumpkin Vegetable Curry Stew
Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice
Sweet Potato Tacos
Grain and Vegetable Casserole
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Pasta with White Bean Sauce
Bean and Rice Burritos
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Red Lentil Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Mexican Black Bean Burgers or this or this or this
Armenian Lentils
Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Breakfast Salad .... yes, for dinner
Brasilian Black Beans and Rice (my special recipe)
Curried Lentil Soup
Sweet Chilean Lime Beans and Rice
Sweet Pepper Rice
Fried Rice - there are lots of ways to do this
Lo Mein - again, there are lots of ways to cook this
Quinoa Veggie Burgers
Egg Drop Soup
Eggplant Parmesan
"Chicken" Fried Steak
Green Enchiladas
Moroccan Vegetables
Barley and Winter Squash Chowder
Inside Out Pot Pie
Vegetable Pot Pie (take a chicken pot pie recipe and leave out the chicken)
Bean Tostadas - there are lots of variations you could make
Sweet Potatoes with Black Bean Chili
Moroccan Couscous with Saffron
Millet and Sweet Vegetable Porridge
Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad
Main Dish Salad - all the toppings you can think of
Baked Potatoes
Korma
Black Beans and Quinoa
White Chili
Red Chili (I haven't found a recipe I love so will need to play with this)
Navajo Tacos (in my recipe box)
Greens and Sweets (roasted sweet potatoes on top of a green salad, with or without dressing)
Potato Curry with Rice (in my recipe box)
Reuben Pinto Burgers
Monterey Beans (in my recipe box)
Peanut Butter Noodles
Nachos
Everyday Italian Rice Salad
Lentil Tacos - there are lots of recipe out there
Kale and Sweet Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Red Rice & Beans (in my recipe box)
Barley with Sweet Rice & Corn (in my recipe box)
Adzuki Beans with Kabocha Squash
Nishime
Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions (from The Kind Diet book)
Fried Udon Noodles (like Lo Mein)
Rice Waffles with Vegetable Melange
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Garlic and Greens Soup
African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew
Sloppy Col Sandwich
Vegetable Crepes (thin pancake filled with all sorts of fresh or cooked veggies)
Tamale Pie (from World of Wisdom book)
Boston Baked Beans (from World of Wisdom book - possibly as a side)
Italian Pasta Salad
Indian Spiced Lentils (crockpot - leave out the chicken)

Snacks
Fresh fruit and/or veggies
Laraballs and this and this or this or this
Raw Veggie Crackers
Goji Power Bars
Zucchini Chips
Sweet Potato Hummus
Thai Peanut Pumpkin Hummus
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Honey Roast Chickpeas
Cranberry Wasabi Trail Mix
Raw Cookies
Granola Bars
Homemade fruit leather
Mookies
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Popcorn
Chips & Salsa
Granola Energy Balls
Paleo Breakfast Bread
Pumpkin Bars
Raw Balls
Soaked and dried nuts
Breakfast Bars (from my recipe box)
Caveman Cookies
Sesame Fruit and Nut Bars

Dessert
Raw Frosted Brownie
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Prune Bar - but I must come up with a better name....
Pumpkin Streusel Pie
Raw Chocolate Pudding
Triple Chocolate Flourless Brownies
Peanut Butter Pong Balls
Nourishing Cocoa Bars
Peanut Butter Fudge

And just for fun, I've read/watched the following (and can't remember a few more):

Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon

Maker's Diet - Jordin Rubin

Gut and Psychology Syndrome - Natasha Campbell-McBride

Eat to Live - Joel Fuhrman

The China Diet - T. Colin Campbell

Original Fast Foods - James Simmons

Prime Time Health - William Sears

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (video)

Fresh (video)

Forks Over Knives (video)

Food Matters (video)

Food Inc. (video)

Flexetarian Diet - Dawn Blatner

World of Wisdom - Amy Cox Jones

The WOW Diet Words of Wisdom - Michelle Snow

Composting

I want to be a composter.  I WILL be a composter.  Now that we have our own property I can make my dream come true.  (My husband will be so glad when I actually start instead of just talking about it.)

I've read a lot of composting books lately and my favorite is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Composting by Chris McLaughlin.  I love how simple she makes it and it's one of the most detailed (yet easy) books I found.  She has a lot of ideas I didn't see anywhere else.

In making your compost you basically want to add "browns" and "greens".  There is all sorts of sciency stuff about ratios but it more or less comes down to 50% of each or "throw in what you have".  You can do it "hot" or "cold"....I'm not going to discuss that because I really am just writing this to help me remember what to add....and what to plan.

My kitchen waste will be going into an enclosed bin so that small animals won't want to take up residence in my yard and then my house.  This will consist of all fruit and veggie peelings/skins/trimmings, egg shells, etc.  Low on citrus peels and NO dairy or meat products and no fat.  The smaller you cut it, the faster it decomposes.

There is currently a sort-of compost bin going on in my backyard.  The previous owners set up some green plastic fence sort of thing but it's falling over and not contained and looks pretty bad.  I'm going to make a pretty one....and plant things around the outside to disguise it AND to fertilize the plants AND to use my space more efficiently.

Eventually I want a big pile out back, a worm farm, a smaller container for kitchen scraps and a rabbit to provide lots of poop.

Okay, for the big pile....

Browns
Hay (aged so the seeds are dead)
Dried leaves (shredded is best)
Sawdust
Chipped wood
Toilet paper rolls
Dried grass
Straw
Wood ash (but not coal)
100% cotton fabrics
Dryer lint
Cardboard
Cardboard egg cartons
Newspaper
Paper towels
Wrapping paper
Oat hay
Shredded documents

Greens
Green grass clippings
Vegetable trimmings
Green leaves
Tea and tea bags
Coffee grounds (and filters)
Animal manure (from herbivores only)
Kelp/seaweed
Algae
Aquarium water from freshwater fish
Alfalfa meal or hay
Citrus (use sparingly & chop up small)
Weeds (without the seeds)
Human and animal hair
Old flower bouquets
Green prunings
Bedding from rabbits (soaked with urine and with lots of poop - this is great stuff!!!!)

I'll post pictures as I get projects completed and things planted.  Which should be soon because planting season is fast approaching.

One of the hidden benefits of homeschooling

The other day, one of my 11-year-olds was having a rough day.  

He threw himself on the couch and declared, 

"I'm so mad I could cuss."  

He paused for a moment, then said, 

"I don't know any swear words."

Hit the Reset Button on Your Day

There are times when things just aren’t working right, when children (and mommies) are grumpy, when the best laid plans crumble before your very eyes in the form of a screaming child or a stubborn pre-teen.  Yes, some days you wish you could just send everybody back to bed so you can wake up and try again.  Or maybe just stay there for a bit.

I recently read a fantastic blog post  which detailed 20 ideas for how to “reset” your day.  To her amazing ideas, I’ve added a few of my own below.

Chuck it all and go for a Nature Walk.  Go for a 10 minute walk or for a 3 hour hike.  You’ll be learning while you relax.  Bring some magnifying glasses, binoculars and field guides if you can.

Tell the Never-Ending Story.  At least that’s what we call it.  One person starts and goes for a minute or two then turns to the next person and they have to continue the story.  After a minute or two they turn to the next person and you keep passing the story around until you’ve all laughed a bit and are ready to move on with the day.  Sometimes you need to set rules like “no killing the character” or “no kissing”.

Read a picture book or two to everyone.  Even my big boys still love picture books. 

Everyone grab a book and read quietly for a certain period of time.  Even mom gets to read what she wants!  This can be tricky if you have littles, but they can quietly look at picture books during this time.

Build something together.  Dump out (or provide a bucket filled with) Legos, blocks, K’nex or Citiblocs, etc.  Everyone works together to build something.  Then knock it down and put it away.

Play the Alphabet List game.  Choose a category like food, animals, book titles, etc and name something for each letter of the alphabet.

Crazy Walk.  This can be done with or without music.  Direct them to walk slowly, backward, forward, like a monkey or a cat.  Big steps, baby steps, crawl, hop, whatever.  Have them follow the tempo of the music or, if you’re doing it without, just change when you direct them.

Don’t Spill the Water or Break the Egg – this should be done outside.  Give them a full cup of water and have them walk a line (taped or natural in the yard or on the sidewalk) or go through an obstacle course, without spilling water.  Alternately, have them hold an egg on a spoon and walk from Point A to Point B without dropping it.

Balloon Volleyball – Blow up a balloon and everyone tries to keep it off the ground by hitting it before it bounces.  To make it more challenging add 2 or 3 balloons.

Read a 2- or 5-Minute Mystery.  There are several free sites on the web with ideas for this, or you can purchase a book. 

Only Questions – Have everyone stand in a circle.  One person points to another and asks a question.  That person must point to someone else and ask a question.  Keep going until someone answers or says ‘uh’ or takes too long.

I Love You, Honey – Have one person stand or sit in front of the group.  One by one, each person stands before the person in front and says, “I love you, honey, won’t you please smile?”  The person in front has to respond, without smiling, “I love you honey, but I just can’t smile.”  The object is to get the “honey” to smile so use silly voices, crazy faces, etc.  Whoever can get the person in front to smile, becomes the new “honey”.

Pick a project from Nature in a Nutshell or Science In Seconds.  They are usually easy, short and use common items.

Play a game of Pick and Draw. 

Play with some homemade play-dough.

Use the table or floor and build a giant picture with pattern blocks.  Everyone contributes to the design.

In Which I Explain Where I've Been and What I've Been Doing

I'm so sorry for the long silence.  Life.  It happens.


First things first, we're no longer in TX.  We got orders at the beginning of December for a move to NE.  That's when most of the craziness happened.  (We did have some births and deaths that happened before that - all wonderful, spiritual experiences.)  We made an impromptu drive to find a house...which we did...then came home and packed like mad people.  And yes, packing makes you mad.


I've spent most of the last 2 months unpacking all of the stuff I just packed.  And not unpacking.  We broke 4 bookcases and haven't replaced them yet because I don't know where I want them so don't know what size or color to buy.  This whole "basement" concept is new to me.  What do you do with that big space???


The move has created some sadness.  We left some really great friends; they were like family.  My kids have cried a lot and I've cried with them.  And sometimes by myself too.  It's been slow making friends here but it will come with time.


It's also created some new stress.  I had no idea that owning a home would be so stressful (it's our first not-base house).  The first week our main line sewer backed up into the master bathroom and surrounding areas.  Then the upstairs toilet clogged and because it's a newer funky shape a regular plunger wouldn't work.  The plumber is now our best friend!  Then there was a leak in the roof...fixed by the guys who put a new roof on it 5 months ago.  Broken computer.  Windows that just won't cooperate with where I want to put the furniture.  A garage that can't be parked in because it's filled with boxes.  An awning that completely blocks the view of our yard and the park across the street unless you're sitting on the floor.  And pear wallpaper all over my kitchen.  How come you don't notice the annoying things until AFTER you've moved in?


But, we have a nice sized yard.  We have a crazy squirrel, and his brother/enemy/girlfriend that he chases all over.  We had a hawk sit on a tree in our backyard and eat something squishy and bloody.  There are cardinals and other lovely birds all over the place.  It's so nice to have a YARD.  With big trees and animals.  There are some great hiking areas close by and lots of cool places to visit.  (Remind me that I like the trees once I have to rake up after them.)


Right now I'm planning our garden and trying to control myself and not plant a bazillion trees, berry bushes and more veggies than I can care for.  10 years of no gardens has made me a bit crazy!!!  School is plugging along.  I added my 5-year-old into the mix of 'formal lessons' which is making things a little more interesting.  The boys are really enjoying their studies and are excited about the things we'll learn this year...and the awesome places we'll get to visit.


My husband will most likely start deploying again so I'm trying to prepare myself for that mentally, emotionally and physically - go unpack your basement, woman.


And that's pretty much what I've been doing.  Going crazy.  Moving.  Crying.  Laughing.  Teaching.  Hugging.  Hiking.  Reading.  Planning.  Packing and unpacking.  Living.