Typical Day of Food

Several people have asked me: "What DO you eat?!"

This question always makes me chuckle. We do not eat meat often (only a few times per month), we limit dairy, we do not eat white refined sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, or processed/refined foods, or chemicals, or hormones, or antibiotics, or pesticides, or steroids, or GMOs. Okay, so, what do we normally eat?

Real. Whole. Food.

Simple as that.

We say no to: processing, chemical preserving, refining, genetically modifying, chemically treating and hormone/antibiotic/steroid injecting.

No, we're not food snobs...

We simply just want to eat all that good stuff that God made for food.

Not all of that stuff that man-made and then decided to call... "food".

We will eat "man-made food" if that is what's being served at a friend or relative's house, or social gathering, but 99% of the time we eat 'clean'.

Yes, it can seem daunting to eat 'clean' - - it takes time to carefully read product labels, research ingredients and prepare meals from scratch. If I can't find an item that meets our 'clean', whole food criteria, then we simply don't eat it that week. Yes, it requires creative adaptation of recipes at times (like the several times I haven't been able to find organic kale, so I've substituted with organic spinach instead). But, eating 'clean' can be done!

Personally, it does not cost us anymore to eat whole God-made foods.. because, when we consume plant-based protein-rich foods that are full of fiber and complex carbohydrates - like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils, beans, legumes and nuts - we end up feeling full longer than when we consume processed & refined foods that are only calorie-dense but contain almost no nutritional value. When simple, refined carbohydrates are eaten (like refined white sugar, breads, white pastas & rice), they wreak havoc on satiety (that "full-feeling") causing rises and falls in our blood sugar, which triggers hunger very frequently. Point in case: we don't need to eat as much food and as often when we consume whole foods, which means less money spent in the grocery store!

Here's a "Typical" Day of Food (my husband & son's are pretty much the same):

• When I wake up, I drink 16 oz. of water (that's a pint glass size = 2 cups of water), and I take my vitamins for the day.

I drink about 10 cups of water per day (that's 80 ounces).

Water: we should drink about half of our body weight in ounces. So, if you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink 100 ounces of water (that's about 12 cups per day). If you are physically active or live in a hot climate, you may need to drink more.

Breakfast

Oats with fresh blueberries, raw honey, cinnamon, cacao nibs and unsweetened flax milk. Sometimes I will also eat a banana.

Cacao nibs

Some days [instead of oatmeal], I'll scramble 2 eggs and add fresh cilantro to them... yum!

After I eat breakfast, I allow myself 1-cup of coffee with just a splash of skim milk or a splash of flax milk.

Mid-Morning Snack

Apple cut into slices with nut-butter (just plain ground peanuts - no added sugar or salt or oils).

8 oz. of water

Lunch

Large salad: mesclun greens, baby spinach, half of a pear or apple sliced, handful of raw walnuts, handful of raw sunflower seeds, sprouts, and a drizzle of balsamic. (Some days, I put all of that salad into a whole wheat or sprouted grain wrap smeared with hummus.)

Carrot sticks

Sometimes I will also eat fresh berries or a piece of fruit.

16 oz. of water

Mid-Day Snack

Handful of nuts (usually raw walnuts or raw cashews)

Either a piece of citrus fruit like an orange ~or~ or a fresh fruit salad (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc) that has been drizzled with raw honey & cinnamon.

Occasionally, I will have fresh-dairy yogurt.

16 oz. of water

Dinner

Whatever I have planned for that week - see my recipes HERE

16 oz. of water

We usually like to follow dinner by juicing (juice is kind-of like "dessert" to us). Usually we juice a combo of kale, spinach, beets, broccoli or cauliflower, carrots and apple... and we add either pomegranate juice, aloe vera juice, or spirulina.

Night-time Snack

If I'm in the mood, sometimes I will have a cup of tea.

We like to snack on stove-top popcorn made with organic corn and grapeseed oil.

~or~ celery with nut or seed butter

Water

What does your Typical Day of Food look like?

Chewy Muesli Bites

Chewy Muesli Bites

Full of whole grains, protein & dried fruit, these muesli bites have just a hint of sweetness and a chewy texture... kids love them!

Ingredients

1/2 cup nut or seed butter [I used organic peanut butter]

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 cup puffed millet or puffed rice cereal

1 1/2 cups Muesli cereal

Directions

• Combine nut butter & rice syrup in medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Warm 2-minutes, until smooth and combined. Remove from heat.

• Stir dry ingredients into nut butter-rice syrup mixture.

• Let cool for a few minutes. Roll into 1-inch bite-size balls. Cool and serve.

• Makes approximately 25 balls.

WEEK ONE: 4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners

As part of our 'series' entitled 4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners, we will be posting six recipes per week.

Because, many people plan their recipes & grocery shop on the weekends, I will try to post the recipes for the upcoming week on either Wednesday night or during day on Thursday. So without further ado... on to this week's recipes! Happy cooking... and, remember to have fun!

Week One:

Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice

Vegetarian Rice Tacos

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

Zucchini Casserole

Venison Stir-Fry

Vegetable Pad-Thai

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~ Creamy Indian Lentils & Rice ~ Click HERE for this recipe

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~ Vegetarian Rice Tacos ~

Ingredients

1-cup cooked Sprouted Rice

1 can Black Beans [or dried black beans, soaked]

1 bunch fresh Cilantro

1 Avocado

1 can Chick Peas [Garbanzo beans]

Fresh salsa [make your own, or try the coolers in the produce department], or a jar of chunky organic salsa

Salad greens [ie: Spring mix]

Garlic, minced

Blue corn taco shells

Directions

• Warm black beans. Cook rice.

• Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Mash avocado with a fork. Chop approximately 3 tablespoons of cilantro. Add chickpeas, cilantro, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice to mashed avocado. Salt/pepper to taste.

• Spoon rice into taco shells. Top with black beans, avocado-chickpea mixture, salad greens and salsa!

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~ Vegetarian Black Bean Chili ~

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt/pepper

2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 jar (25-28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed

Directions

• In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion & garlic, season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.

• Add zucchini, carrots, chili powder & cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.

• Add beans, tomatoes, corn and 1-cup of water. Simmer until slightly thickened and carrots are soft, about 8 to 10-minutes more.

• Option chili toppings: halved cherry tomatoes, diced avocado , shredded cheese

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~ Zucchini Casserole ~

Ingredients

4 large zucchini, about 2 pounds total, sliced

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

dried basil, oregano or other italian seasoning

salt/pepper to taste

Dried whole-wheat bread crumbs

Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Saute sliced zucchini in olive oil until soft. Drain and set aside. Saute sliced onion, garlic and chopped tomato until soft.

• Add dried seasonings (as much or as little as you would like), salt and pepper to taste.

• Add in zucchini. Place in a baking dish. Lightly top with dried bread crumbs. Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes.

• Optional: Add shredded mozzarella after initial cooking time, and bake again until bubbly and browned.

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~ Venison Stir-Fry ~

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound of venison steaks, cut into thin strips [can substitute with organic, grass-fed beef round steak]

10-ounce package of frozen vegetable stir-fry [your choice of vegetables]

Cooked brown rice for serving

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.

• Heal oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the steak and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until evenly browned. Add the frozen vegetable mix and stir--fry for an additional 5-minutes or until completely heated. Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer until sauce is thick and smooth. Serve over rice immediately.

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~ Vegetable Pad-Thai ~

Ingredients

8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles (find them in the Asian foods section)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

2 large eggs (optional), lightly beaten

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

• Soak noodles according to package directions (this could take up to 45-minutes depending on the brand of noodles you purchase so plan accordingly!). Drain noodles after soaking time.

• In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice and soy sauce.

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant and onions are softened. Add eggs (if using) and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set; about 1-minute. Transfer egg mixture to a plate.

• Add broccoli and carrots with a little bit of water. Cover. Steam for approximately 5-minutes until broccoli is bright green and tender. Drain water. Transfer to plate with egg mixture and set aside.

• Add noodles and soy-sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture with vegetables and toss to coat & warm, breaking eggs up gently.

• Serve topped with cilantro and peanuts.

Banana Cookies

Banana Cookies

A quick healthy snack... and they're fun for kids to make!!

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana [ripe is important: need moisture for the graham crackers to stick]

• 3 organic graham cracker squares

Instructions

• Place the graham cracker squares on a plate, and using the back of a fork smash into crumbs

• Place crumbs in a plastic container with a lid

• Peel and slice the banana and place in the container

• Tightly secure the containers lid and give to your child to shake, shake, shake!

• Continue to shake until all parts of the banana are covered with crumbs.

• Open and Enjoy!

Courtesy of www.babyfooddoctor.com

4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners

Friends & family ask me a lot for my dinner recipes. Most of them either want to incorporate fresh, wholesome foods into their diets -or- they simply want to expand their recipe base because they're tired of making the same things over and over again.

So, I had an idea (surprise, surprise!)...

I thought to myself, "wouldn't it be nice to blog about the recipes I use and then categorize those into a weekly planning system for families?"

So, that's what I'm going to do! *big smile* :)

I will post 24 of my favorite recipes and group them together by week based on similar ingredients contained in each recipe [that's so shopping is easier, faster & ends up being more affordable].

So, that's 6 dinners per week for 4 weeks... because I get one "night-off" from cooking dinner every week, and we either eat at my parents house, in-laws, or we splurge and go for our favorite ethnic cuisine (Thai!!) or our favorite wood-fired brick oven pizza.

Be Forewarned though: about 95% of recipes I use are not for the 'faint-of-heart' or those looking for easy 10-minute meals that they pop in microwave and then set on the table. We also only eat meat only once per week so most of the recipes I use are Vegetarian or Vegan. When we do have meat, it is either wild venison, organic free-range [local] poultry and on occasion we will have [local] organic grass-fed beef. We eat this way because we believe it provides optimal health for our bodies; the way God designed them (see here and here). Don't worry, we get plenty of plant-based proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats and all that other good essential stuff from plants!

I fully believe in cooking from scratch using only whole, fresh organic ingredients - none of those mixes or that processed 'convenience' food [occasionally I will use a can of beans or instant brown rice, but that's not the 'norm'].

Yes!, it absolutely takes more time to cook from scratch but what your family gains in return is much more than the measly 20-minutes you saved by serving them convenience food.

If you're a stay-at-home parent, then cooking from scratch really is a no-brainer. Kids melt down while you are prepping dinner, you say? Well, then have them help you!! My 3-year old loves to rinse veggies in the sink for me, rough chop vegetables [even young children can safely be taught how to use sharp knives and they should be taught that skill!!] and stir.

Are you a work-out-of-the-home parent? Then prep some of your meal the night before [some vegetables can be chopped saving you lots of time, etc.]

And quite frankly, do you think that God really intended for our meals to be full of dyes, artificial chemicals, sweeteners, preservatives and things we can't pronounce? I don't think so!!

Can you imagine Jesus eating a Big Mac?! Ha! ;)

So - grab your apron, favorite knife & cutting board; and get ready to chop, dice, sauté and simmer your way to some tasty, wholesome dinners for your family over the next month!!

PS. I hardly ever wear an apron ;)

Guest Post from Life In The Nest: Homemade Apple & Banana Chips

We will feature a guest post once per week here on our Eating Eden blog! The guest posts will contain recipes, gardening tips, health & food information, studies on God's Word or a combination of topics!

Our first guest blog post comes from our friend Jennifer at Life In The Nest! She blogs about her making homemade apple and banana chips. This can be a great project with your kids, and dried fruit is such a healthy snack! Thanks for sharing, Jen!

Homemade Apple and Banana Chips

Last week I grabbed a bag of apples and an extra bunch of bananas to dehydrate. They weren’t on sale, but I shop at Aldi, and their regular prices are always great.

I love to dehydrate just about anything, and there are so many advantages to doing so.

1. I can make healthy snacks for my kids at home or their lunchbox. Also dried food is great for camping or picnics; either by it self or part of homemade trail mix.
2. Dehydrated food takes less space and lasts longer than canned or frozen food.
3. Dehydrated food is easy! Takes less time than canning.

My son loves helping me make apple chips - it’s because he likes to use the apple peeler. I don’t blame him; it’s one of my favorite kitchen gadgets too! Do you have one of these?

Man, when I got mine, it revolutionized my world! (A little too dramatic)? Maybe, but seriously, this thing peels, slices and cores an apple in seconds!

To dehydrate apples and bananas, simply peel, slice, and place in a bowl of lemon or lime water. It’s best if the water to lemon/lime ratio is 4:1.

Place the fruit on a towel and blot off the excess water. Then, just arrange the fruit on the trays of a dehydrator.

How long?

I have a very simple kind of dehydrator; there are no timers or temperature settings (this baby’s a garage sale find! ). I just watch my stuff and when I like how dry it is, I take it out. The apples took about 18 hours and the bananas took about 24 hours.

Here’s the finished product. I store these in glass jars - but they go fast in our house .

Wegmans Recall of Prepared Foods Containing Hard-Cooked Eggs - Possible Listeria

Wegmans Recalls Various Prepared Foods That Contain Hard-Cooked Eggs

February 2, 2012 – Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling hard-cooked eggs, as well as prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs, sold between January 23 and February 1, 2012 because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

This recall only affects purchases made at Wegmans’ Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Canandaigua, Newark, Geneva, Corning, Elmira, Geneseo, and Hornell stores. It came about as the result of a recent recall by Minnesota-based Michael Foods, Inc., which produces the cooked eggs at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility.

Eggs (special-order deli tray or 6-pack, 12 pack)

Cobb Salad (10 oz, 43 oz, and 6.5 lb)

Garden Salad (10 oz, 20 oz, 2 lb, and 5 lb)

Baby Spinach Salad (9 oz, 1.8 lb, and 3.9 lb)

Chef Salad (9 oz. and 18 oz.)

Egg Salad (sold by the pound in prepared foods)

Egg Salad Sub (Sub Shop)

Kosher Macaroni Salad (sold by the pound in kosher deli)

Kosher Pickled Eggs (sold by the pound in kosher deli)

More info found HERE.