Homemade Vitamins

 

We are blessed with two children that really eat well. Without a doubt they get at least 8 servings of fruits and veggies/day and on some days much more than that.  
Typical Meals:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Despite their good eating habits we still give them supplements.  Typically vitamins are taken to bridge the gap between what people ate and what they should be eating.  Unfortunately, due to today's farming practices, I lack confidence in the amount of nutrients in our food (organic or otherwise). So, Archer and Lana start each day with Juice Plus gummies and a quality fish oil with high amounts of DHA/EPA. We sometimes supplement with other things based on their growth or health needs at given times. And at night, they don't want to miss their dose of spicy honey. (fresh chopped garlic on a teaspoon with raw honey) 

 
 I know. kind of .... different.  But they LOVE IT! Raw honey and fresh chopped garlic have many health benefits and we love to make goodnight kisses memorable. 

For us Juice Plus is a great supplement for kids and adults alike.  17 nutritiously dense fruits and veggies all packed together in convenient, naturally sweetened gummies and/or capsules.  For the price, you really can't go wrong.  Wholesale customers can get Juice Plus capsules for around $45/month (adults) and $25/month (kids).  For us, supplements are a no-brainer.  This is our health insurance. 

For others, the value of supplements, like buying organic food over conventional is not yet understood.  Sometimes it takes a health scare to see that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  This is okay.  Your health and your health choices are personal and when you gain enough knowledge you usually make the best choice for yourself. So, this got me to thinking, if someone won't invest in the supplements maybe they might consider making their own? This brought me to my homemade "vitamin" gummy recipes.

I decided to first start with a standard gummie loaded with antioxidants from fruits and a unique tea made from a flower.  Awhile back a practice member gave me a terrific gift.  It was a hardy collection of sorrel buds.  I had used sorrel before but only the greens in salad.  Never had I thought or even heard of using the flowers?  I had been told they are used in the islands for the purpose of making a tea type beverage.  Typically the buds are added to boiling water with ginger and left to steep.  Then sugar or honey and/or cinnamon is added.  Sometimes for a special treat rum.  For this purpose, I left out the rum.  ( Adult gummies to follow.  ha!) 
The sorrel buds are a beautiful deep red color and make a tea that is equally as vibrant.  Unflavored the tea tastes a little bitter similar to cranberry but with less pucker power.  Slightly sweetened and flavored it is deliciously refreshing! 
 Nutritionally, sorrel contains vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins and is loaded with antioxidants.  Research has shown sorrel to be beneficial for lowering elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels which help prevent heart disease.  It is also believed that the flavonoids found in sorrel may be a useful deterrent against certain types of cancer and can help to enhance the body’s immune system.

Making Sorrel Tea
A hardy handful of sorrel buds (about 1 cup)
4-5 cups filtered water
Add buds to water and bring to a boil.  Turn off heat and allow to steep at least 1 hour.  

Vibrant Red Sorrel

Gorgeous Sorrel Buds

 

Boil the water with Sorrel buds

Strain tea.

Immuno-boosting Sorrel and Berry Gummies
3/4 cup sorrel tea ( can substitute for organic fruit juice or another variety of tea)
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 c gelatin powder ( I use Bernard Jensen)
2 Tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup (optional and to taste)

3/4 to 1 cup pureed berries ( I used blueberry and strawberry)  

Prepare your silicon or candy molds by greasing them with coconut oil.  If you do not have mold you can simply use a greased glass baking dish.  8x8" square works best for this amount.  
1. Puree fruit.  
2. Boil water
3. Mix honey and tea.  
4.  Add gelatin to 1/2 of the tea and stir until it forms a thick paste.
5.  Quickly add boiling water. Stir until well dissolved.
6.  Add remaining tea and pureed fruit. Continue stirring.
7. Pour into molds.
8. Place in fridge until set.
9. Remove from molds and store in refrigerator for upto 2 weeks. 
 

Mix part liquid with gelatin

Add other liquid and fruit puree

Pour in molds

Slicing set gummies with sharp knife.

Remove from mold

Orange Banana & Ginger Gummies

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup gelatin
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup of orange & banana puree
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Fresh grated ginger

Orange Banana & Ginger gummies

Yep, they loved them.

Basically you can do any combination.  Just remember 1 cup of liquid to 1/4 cup of gelatin.  ( a minimum of 1/4 cup of that liquid needs to be boiling) Add 1/2-1 cup of fruit or veggie puree.  Sweetener and spices as desired.

Detoxifying Mouthwatering Cabbage Soup

Cabbage has some pretty awesome health benefits.  For one, it is loaded with Vitamin C (an immuno-booster that is great this time of year) and Vitamin K ( a bone building nutrient that is also essential for healthy teeth).
In addition, Cabbage has also been found to have 3 major properties:
1.  Anti-Inflammatory
2. Cancer Protection
3. Digestive Support
Yep, cabbage is great; whether it be green or red, it has so many health benefits you would be silly to not eat it.
This soup hits the mark as far as nutrient dense and flavor abundant.  I can tell you my kids LOVE this soup.  The other great thing about this soup is- it is a ONE POT WONDER.  Yep, everything goes in to one pot and you are done. 

Hearty Cabbage Soup
1 head of cabbage (green or red), chopped
2 medium yellow onions, diced
5-6 large carrots, diced
4 garlic cloves
1 cube of vegetable bouillion.  ( I use Rapunzels Organic with sea Salt)
1 can of tomato paste
1-1/2 cups of green lentils
1-1.5 lbs of organic stewing beef, grilled to medium rare and diced (optional)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper


Cook onions, carrots and chopped cabbage in large soup pot with olive oil and sea salt.  Cook with lid on pot until carrots are softened.  Add garlic, vegetable bouillon and enough water to cover the vegetables.  Add tomato paste and allow this to simmer on low/medium heat while grilling steak or meat of choice.  Once steak  is cooked to medium rare, remove from heat and allow it to rest before cutting into bite sized pieces.  Add steak and lentils.  Adjust seasoning if needed and simmer on stove until ready to eat!

Cabbage, onions, carrots and broth.

I can add the lentils mom.

Oops I missed a few, but I will get them.

Resident Label Reader:  Mom do you know how much protein is in these lentils?

Grilled steak- Optional

Easy Homemade Granola

Granola is one of those foods that is assumed to be healthy.  However the granola of the past has transformed into today's high sugar, high calorie junk food that disguises itself as healthy by it's name .  Depending on the brand, granola falls into the same category as Vitamin Water, fat-free foods and baked chips.  Their names imply healthy, but they are anything but.    

 

Cascadian Farms granola is one of the better cereal options. Their cereals do not contain high fructose corn syrup or trans fats.  They are organic which means no GMOs, no use of toxic pesticides and artificial ingredients. However, some Cascadian Farms granola is higher in sugar than I like.  For the little effort that goes into making your own Granola, why not give it a try?  The cost and effort is minimal, you can control the amount and type of sugar and the flavor options are endless.

Here is my recipe for Maple Cinnamon Pecan Granola
Other flavors you can try: 
* Cranberry Chocolate
* Cinnamon Raisin
* Harvest Pumpkin Seed ( fall spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger and pumpkin seeds)
* use honey in place of maple syrup


16.5 cups of Old Fashioned Oats ( I used Publix Greenwise Organic Oats which equalled about 2 1/2 containers)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons organic cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup organic cane sugar 
1 cup chopped pecans

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  In a glass measuring cup mix coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and sugar.  Stir until well combined.  Pour mixture over the oats.  With gloved hands, toss until oil mixture is well coated over all the oats.  Place in the oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  Stir, then bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.  It will harden as it cools.  Evenly toss the pecans in the granola.  Once completely cooled.  Place in an airtight container for storage.  Will keep for months. But it won't last that long. 

Mix oats and spices

Measure coconut oil, maple syrup and sugar

My helper's mouth is watering.

Mixing ingredients together

Remove from oven and cool

Toss in pecans or nut of choice

Use parchment to help you pour into storage container

Mikey likes it!

 

Cookie Revolution Crumbled

It has been awhile. My apologies.  I thought I would up-date you on the results of the Baking Committee.  My first week baking didn't go off with a bang.  My cookies came out delicious but unfortunately they were competing against GIANT sized store bought cookies with lots of bright colored candies in them.  The bake sale happens during lunch and the kids are allowed to go to the bake sale cart and choose their item.  I had Archer scout out how many kids chose Mommy's cookie.  His reply:  " No one at my table had your cookie, Mom."  (he sighed)  "They chose the one's with the yucky M & N's".  "Does that mean we get to keep the rest?"  Oh how he knows how to mend a broken heart. 
Week 2, I pulled out a recipe for a double chocolate muffins, made with organic cocoa, coconut oil and mini chocolate chips. They are moist, the right amount of sweet and very chocolate-y!

I thought this might attract a few more kids but that week a fellow committee member provided her baked goods courtesy of Publix bakery.  They were purple and orange colored cupcakes.  My expensive organic goods were dead in the water.  I was starting to feel like this was a waste of time, money and effort.  The worst part was, imagining all those organic goods being tossed in the trash!  

Well by week 3 something happened. I am not sure if someone who was not in grade school tried my treats or perhaps other parents were voicing concerns over their child having a healthier option at the bake sale but a survey went out.  They asked committee members how the bake sale could be changed to provide healthy options, that were more reasonably sized for kids.  (!!!)  My hope was restored!  I spent some time carefully drafting my reply.  I including my thoughts about providing actually home-baked goods. As this would reduce the amount of chemicals and sugars our kids would be getting.  Baking from home also naturally provides a more modest sized treat vs. one's provided by the store. I also added that since homemade goods cost more in time and money, that perhaps they could reward home-bakers with more volunteer hours. (Perhaps this may entice some to dust off their aprons?) 
A few changes were made.  The following week we were asked to provide only homemade goods!  Well I guess this blew some flour in the wrong direction because all those Publix BOGO buyers were in up-roar.  I guess members of the baking committee didn't like being asked to bake. I get it.  Baking takes time and if you are a working parent then time is precious.  Sometimes you have to pick and choose where your time will go.
So a compromise was made.  The non-bakers were allowed to provide their packaged goods but portion control was asked to be kept in mind.  Also more hours were allotted for those who provided home baked goods.  
After spending a decent amount of money, time and effort into providing baked goods for my son's lunch bake sales, I learned a valuable lesson.  You can't just provide kids (or adults) a healthy food (healthcare, supplement...) choices and expect them to choose it when they have not been educated about their choices.  
I take for granted that my children would choose an apple any-day over a donut. I take for granted that when we eat other places outside the home my son whispers in my ear, "is that organic?".  To some, this may sound like I am raising a brood of food snobs.  To us, it is about educating our children about the foods they put into their body and what affects it will have; not only for that day but in their future. 

After 2 months of baking for the baking committee I earned enough hours to commit to some other volunteer projects.  I did bake two homemade breads for the Pastor appreciation breakfast, in hopes that the adults may at least try that whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread before filling their plate with donut holes.  

This bread smells and tastes amazing!

Here is my recipes for one of them:  Banana Nut Bread

Made using coconut oil.

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cups all purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 organic sugar

1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt or sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, softened or melted
3  bananas, very ripe*, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts/pecans, chopped 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper.  (sorry coconut oil won't work) Place flour, spices, salt and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl and toss with a whisk until well mixed. In another mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil, bananas, yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium speed, until soft;  about 3 minutes. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until all is combined.  Toss in chopped nuts and fold in with spatula until well dispersed.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 45 min-1 hour.  Begin checking at around 35 min as some batches will bake quicker than others based on the sugar content of the bananas.  

To check for done-ness, a toothpick should be inserted in middle of the loaf and it will come out clean without batter.  Cool slightly then overturn onto cooling rack. Slice when cooled and enjoy.  Freezes and defrosts very well.

*  The perfect bananas for this loaf are ones that have reached maximum ripeness and then placed in the freezer.  Defrost before using, by placing them on a plate on the kitchen counter overnight.  Once soggy, store in fridge for up to 1 day until ready to use.

Melting Hardened coconut oil

If your coconut oil is in a solid state that means it is being stored at a temperature below 76 degrees.  No worries.  Measure out what you need and place in a glass measuring cup.  If your oven has a "KEEP WARM" setting, turn that on. If not turn the oven on for a few minutes at the lowest temperature, then shut off the oven. Place glass measuring cup with solid coconut oil in the heated oven for around 5-10min to soften.  This will allow the oil to incorporate better into the other ingredients. 

DO NOT PLACE COCONUT OIL IN MICROWAVE.  AS THIS WILL DESTROY THE NUTRIENTS IN THE OIL. 

Banana bread with coconut oil