Harvest Oatmeal

I found this recipe online and it sounded awesome. I had all of the ingredients in my house already, so I invited my sister over for a Saturday morning breakfast. I carved out a medium/large sugar pumpkin. I set the seeds aside to roast later.



Ingredients
2 sugar pumpkins (I only used one and it was the perfect size)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder (I skipped this because I didn't have any)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (I used cinnamon apple sauce)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I tripled this!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups old fashioned oats (I used rolled oats, next time I'll try steel cut)
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup lowfat milk (depending on how milky you like your oatmeal)
1 granny smith apple (peeled + diced small)
extra brown sugar for sprinkling (I used cinnamon and sugar on top)
extra milk for splashing after it's cooked (optional)






Preheat oven 375 degrees. Start by carefully cutting the top off your pumpkin and cleaning the insides out.
Combine all remaining ingredients (except the sugar for sprinkling and milk for splashing) in a large bowl. Stir well and divide batter evenly between the two pumpkins. (or just pour it all into one if it fits). Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar (or cinnamon and sugar). Place pumpkin(s) on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 mins to an hour or until pumpkin is soft enough to scoop and oatmeal is done. I cooked it for 75 minutes because I only had one large pumpkin. I cooked it with the top off. When you serve it scrape some of the inside of the pumpkin. Makes 4 servings.





This oatmeal was delicious!! It was fun to make, and smelled so good. Next time I'll try it with steel cut oats, I bet it will be even better.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is such a fall recipe! I saw it in Family Circle Magazine and thought it sounded different. I bought 2 acorn squash at the farmers market last week, and ground beef was on sale this week so I figured I'd give it a try. I did change the recipe a bit.

Ingredients
2 Medium Acorn Squash, halved and seeds removed
4 slices bacon, diced (I didn't use bacon)
1 medium onion, trimmed and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I used a Gala apple)
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c packed dark-brown sugar
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t dried sage (I skipped this also)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T dry bread crumbs



Directions
1. Heat oven to 350. Place squash cut-side down on a baking dish. Add 2 cups water to dish and bake for 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add onion and apple. Cook an additional 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in ground beef. Cook, breaking meat apart with wooden spoon, 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs.
4. Drain water from baking dish and flip over squash. Spoon meat mixture into squash halves. Return to oven and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Serving Size: 4 servings (1/2 squash each)









So this would be a lot healthier if you used ground turkey rather than beef. Next time I was to use the turkey and stuff a sugar pumpkin instead...how fall-like is that?!

Journey to the Sun

I have been on a quest to find a "safer" sunblock that was easy to apply, didn't smell horrible, and worked well. This quest has been ongoing for 3 years now. Before becoming informed about parabens I used to buy Aveeno or WaterBabies thinking they were safe versions for little ones. Yeah...not so much!! Oxybenzone is an endocrine disruptor which can affect the nervous system, has been linked to cancer in some studies, and creates free-radicals when exposed to the sun which are harmful. So I have tried 4 different brands so far, that are either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide.

1) TruKid: This stuff was super expensive! It was $19 for a small tube. It's very thick and hard to get out of the bottle. It smells pretty good though since I bought the orange scented. It worked well.
From the TruKid website:
Active: Zinc Oxide 20%
Inactive: Purified Water, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, caprylic/capric triglyceride (coconut) , sorbitan stearate (vegetable), polyglyceryl-4 isostearate (plant derived), hexyl laurate (plant derived), hydrogenated methyl abietate (pine wood resin), cetyl dimethicone (sand), dimethicone (sand), castor oil, magnesium sulfate (epsom salt), helianthus annus (sunflower) oil, simmondsia chinesis (jojoba) oil, cucnis satvus (cucumber) fruit extract, camellia sinesis leaf (green tea oil), tocopherols (soy), punica grantum (pomegranate juice), hyaluronic acid (potato), *ethylhexlglycerin (vegetable), *polyaminopropyl biguanide. *= Vegetable derived preservative and paraben free anti-microbial agent. BOLD= ORGANIC



2) Alba: I liked this and the price wasn't too bad. $10 for an average size tube. It wasn't too thick and the smell was OK. It worked well. It does have a lot of ingredients that are questionable though so I probably won't buy it again.
From the Alba website:
Active Ingredients
Homosalate 10.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract (1), Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol (1), Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate


3) Nature's Gate: Nope, didn't like it. It was too thick and smelled gross. I think it worked ok but there are enough options that I won't need to buy this again. The price was $10 for an average size tube.
From Nature's Gate website:
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 8%, Zinc Oxide 2%
Inactive ingredients: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diisopropyl Adipate, CarthamusTinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Propylheptyl Caprylate,StearicAcid, VP/eicosene Copolymer, Cetearyl Wheat Bran Glycosides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Gyceryl Stearyl Alcohol, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Seaweed) Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Silybum Marianum (Milk Thistle) Seed Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, MimosaTenuiflora Bark Extract, Viola Tricolor (Wild Pansy) Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Allantoin, Dimethicone, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Undecylenate



4) Badger: $7 for a small tube. It is thick, the smell is nuetral. It does leave a bit of a white haze all over my kid but it works very well. I don't even have to reapply it after he has been in the water for hours. So far this is a favorite!
From the Badger website:
Active Sunscreen Ingredient: Non-Nano, Uncoated Zinc Oxide 18.75%
Other Sunscreen Ingredients: *Olea Europaea (Extra Virgin Olive) Oil, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), *Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter, *Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), and CO2 Extracts of *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn).
* = Certified Organic



If the Alba one didn't have so many strange ingredients that would probably be my first choice since it was very easy to put on, not too thick like the others. I guess for now I will stick with Badger.

A good site to reference for sunblock (and many other products) is www.safemama.com
They have all kinds of charts and info about safer, non-toxic, eco-friendly products.

Healthy Ice Cream

I found this recipe online and have tried it twice now. It's really good!
-3 frozen bananas
-3 heaping tablespoons of raw cacao powder
-2 tablespoons of agave nectar
-dash of vanilla
-2 tablespoons almond butter (optional)




You want to peel the bananas before freezing them. Banana's that are very ripe) almost ready to throw away) work best. Toss all ingredients in a food processor and just let it goi until its all smooth. Thats it!

Cloth Diaper Experiment

I wanted to cloth diaper (cd) Quin but my husband wasn't for it at all so we just used disposables until he was toilet trained. Once he was day trained I decided to buy a few cloth diapers for night time. Now, this is a stupid time to start cding. First of all, night time is heaviest wetting and cloth diapers aren't always up to the challenge. Second of all, cloth diapers are expensive and if you don't use them for a significant amount of time you won't get your money back (by saving cost of disposables). And lastly, not all cd's fit kids age 3. I started a small stash and liked and disliked different aspects of each product. I have to admit I never dealt with a poop in them so I'm only talkin' pee here. Quin no longer uses these but I did an experiment today to see which holds the most liquid. I was a little surprised by the results.

1) Flip Diaper System
pros: cute colors, snaps, one size, wipe out liner, sturdy, organic cotton insert
cons: expensive, not as cute as some others, not plush, could be bulky on infant
style: This is an outer shell with an organic cotton prefold. You just fold the insert, place it inside and snap it on baby. Very easy to wash and dry.




I found the best results with this cd. It sucked in liquid so quickly that it never beaded up at all. it held 2 cups of liquid before it would have leaked out of the leg openings if a baby sat down. Very impressive!

2) Bum Genious All in One
pros: all in one means no added pieces, very simple for dad/babysitter, trim, cute, well respected name, slot to stuff more inserts as needed
cons: velcro(can buy in snaps), doesn't hold as much liquid as others, sized so would need to replace as baby grows (or could buy one size), difficult to dry
style: all in one (no need for inserts), sized diaper. works just like a disposable except you wash and dry it, It does have an opening in the back that you can stuff an insert if you need more absorption like for overnight


I was surprised with the results of this experiment most. This diaper held the least amount of liquid. At around 3/4 cup of water it would have leaked out of the legs if a baby sat down. I was bummed because I really like the style, ease of use with this diaper. I think I would try the other bum genious options though and not just ruke these out entirely.

3) G Diaper
pros: very cute designs, can buy at local stores, not too expensive, can use cloth or disposable inserts
cons: not very well made, a bit flimsy, snap in liner is tiny and you have to work at it to get it to hold the insert just right, sized
style: this is called a hybrid diaper. Its a combo of disposable and cloth. Youo can use disposable inserts that can be flushed if opened up, or you can invest in the cloth inserts which I did not. This experiment is using disposable inserts that look like giant pads.


The result of this test was what I expected. It held about 1 cup of water before it would have leaked. I just can't love this diaper system as much as I wanted to. Its so damn cute, but its just a hassle and not worthy of investing in (in my opinion).

4) Grow Baby
pros: thick nice quality material, very sturdy, plush,cute colors, one size, comfy, liner stays in place due to snaps, can get a nice fit due to lots of elastic
cons: liner can not just be wiped clean due to mesh fabric lining, velcro, expensive, insert not organic
Style: like the Flip System but this has 2 snaps to hold the liner in. The liner is a body shaped cotton with 2 additional inserts to rest on top.



This product held about 1 cup of water. I was hoping it woulkd be equal to the Flip diaper in absorption but it just isn't.

After using each of these diapers for a few months, and looking at the results of the experiment I'm not sure which system I would invest in if given the choice. The G diaper is definately out of the running for me. The Flip has awesome absorbing power but its just not as comfy as the gro baby. I think I would try other Bum Genious diapers since that has a lot of nice qualities. They now come in organic and have different styles to choose from.

Moon Sand: safe or not?

This has been a long boring winter in our house. OK...maybe not boring, but definately weak on fun. Quin loves to be outside but it's just been too snowy and cold. We got some Moon Sand and a large under bed storage container, some small toys, and a broom. I set the container on the hardwood floor so its easier to sweep up when he's done playing. He will spend hours there, building and imagining. Somedays he has trucks in there building a construction site, other days he has action figures. It can get a little bit messy but honestly it keeps him occupied for so long its worth the cleanup time.

What is Moon Sand and is it safe? From the Company website -"Moon Sand is produced in Sweden out of carefully selected raw materials. Moon Sand is absolutely NON-TOXIC. All of the ingredients are inert and cannot be absorbed by the body. It is Gluten Free and Allergy Free." It's a super fine material (made of sand or other sand-like materials) which is coated with a binder of synthetic rubber and a polymer so that it can feel dry but stick together with pressure, if you really are interested in the science here's a link to the description of Moon Sand from the European Patent Database that I found in my online search. http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2006101440&IA=WO2006101440&DISPLAY=DESC The creators were from Sweden, but the product is currently coming from China. There is some controversy over the exact ingredients and how safe they are. I haven't come to anything conclusive in my research. A few parents report their kids got rashes, we haven't had that happen. Another person reported that their dog died after eating it. I'm going to keep researching and see what I find.

Make your own laundrey detergent

Store bought laundry detergents are filled with toxic chemicals. Did you know most are pretroleum based? Even after rinsing your clothes are covered in the chemical residue. The scents added to the detergents are the most dangerous. I won't go into great detail about how toxic laundry detergent is, you can just Google it and find thousands of sites about that topic.
About 2 years ago I started using soap nuts for all of my families laundry. I liked them a lot, but they are hard to find in this area. I hate paying for shipping on online orders. If I could find them in a store i would probably go back to using them. They were cheap, easy to use, smelled nuetral, and most importantly they worked good. For the past 6 months I have been making my own detergent. This recipe is very cheap to make and lasts forever. I bought a large container of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, Borax, and Oxiclean Free and Clear.
You just mix equal parts of these products in a container and add 1-2 tablespoons to each load of laundry. Clothes come out clean, odor free, and without static cling after drying.

Green Smoothies-you should try them!!

I bring a green smoothy to work almost everyday. Almost everyone who sees the concoction asks, "What the hell are you drinking?!". When they hear whats in it they turn up their nose and assume its nasty. But it's not! Green smoothies are chock full of nutrients. The benefits are huge. You will have fewer cravings for sugar and carbs, your digestion will become normal which means you will be eliminating toxins, blood sugars will stabilize, and your mood will improve. Thats a lot of work for one drink huh? You can mix and match ingredients until you find ones that fit your taste. My favorites include baby spinach, kale, fuji apple, and banana.
Today I made one with organic baby spring mix ( Organic baby lettuces (red & green romaine, red & green oak leaf, lollo rosa, tango), organic red & green chard, organic mizuna, organic arugula, organic frisée, organic radicchio), an organic gala apple, and a conventionally grown banana.
I first cut the fruit, tossed it in the blender and added about 1 cup of water. Then I tossed in a big handful of the greens, and 3 ice cubes. If you have a good quality blender it will take about 15 seconds. If you have a cheapo blender like I used to have it will take longer and your greens will never completely break down. Thats ok...just chew it a bit lol. The finished product is a really pretty green drink that is very tasty!


A side note: I like to keep my greens in these reusable bags. They keep the produce fresh longer.

How to make Almond Milk

People are always asking me why I make my own almond milk when you can buy it at any grocery/health food store. First of all, read the label on those store bought nut milks. If you can't pronounce it chances are its not too good for you.
I stole this pic off the internet since I didn't have a store bought carton to take my own picture.

Homemade almond milk is better for you, cheaper, and tastes way better. It's kinda a hassle to make but I have a lot of free time so it's no bother. The first step is to buy the almonds (duh!). I now only buy organic almonds because I learned that almonds are heavily sprayed. Who wants to drink that crap?!
So I buy in bulk at Whole Foods or The Good Health Store in Hanover. The price per pound is quite a bit more for the organic. Per pound it is $8 vs. $5.
Next you will take one and a half cups of almonds and soak them in a large bowl of filtered water.
Rinse and replace water every few hours. There are many reasons you want to soak your almonds.
Almonds are difficult to digest because of an enzyme-inhibiting substance in their brown coating. Soaking almonds removes these toxic enzyme inhibitors so that the enzymes secreted during digestion can do their job. Almond is known as a brain tonic. It is rich in essential fats and can enhance memory and intelligence. Eating 4-6 soaked almonds every morning helps enhance your memory. Soaking almonds in water makes them softer. This means better digestibility.

After 6-12 hours the nuts will be ready. You will see that they will start to sprout. See that little white nubby at the tip?

Once the almonds have soaked for 6-12 hours give them a good rinse and add half to your blender. I invested in a vitamix blender and it is worth every penny. Add 3 cups of water to the nuts in the blender and let it mix for a minute. If you have a low quality blender you may need to let it mix for several minutes. The next step requires you to be creative. You'll need some sort of very fine fabric or strainer to separate the milk from the nut residue. I use a muslin sack, some people use cheese cloth, or you can buy a nut milking bag.
Whatever you choose just know that your will get messy. I pour the milk into the sack and then gently squeeze it into a bowl until I get as much milk out as I can.
The remaining almond pulp can be saved and frozen to use in baking. This is what the almond pulp looks like after:

Now that you have your milk you will need a container to keep it in. I use a glass milk jar that I bought at the grocery store. I had to pay a $5 deposit for the glass bottle but that's cheaper than having to buy a container.
At this point you can add ingredients to your milk. Some like to add vanilla, or almond extract, some add agave nectar or honey to sweeten it. Today I am making 2 separate batches so one will be left plain and the second will be chocolate. I use a "Super Food" called organic raw cacao.
No, this is not baking cocoa. The A and the O switch places and it becomes a great, healthy, antioxident. Here's more info: http://www.rawcacao.com/
I used the rest of my almonds and made a second batch of milk and added a whole bunch of raw, organic cacao powder. In its natural state this is bitter, so I added a teaspoon of stevia. I put this all back in the blender for a few seconds, and poured into into another glass milk bottle.
This chocolate almond milk is awesome. Its soooo much better than any store bought stuff you can buy.

My First Experience with Steel Cut Oats

I like oatmeal, but everything I have read lately says that the typical quaker oats we all know isn't all that healthy. It's been processed and stripped of most of its nutrients.
Steel-cut oats may have a lower glycemic index than instant oatmeal (42 vs. 66), causing a lesser spike in insulin levels when consumed. Oh...and they are cheap!



According to wikepedia: Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces.
Steel-cut oats are also known as coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, or Irish oats. This form of oats takes longer to prepare than instant or rolled oats due to its minimal processing, typically 15–30 minutes to simmer (much less if pre-soaked). The flavor of the cooked oats is described as being nuttier than other types of oats, and they are also chewier.

Here's the breakdown per serving:
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 25 Total Fat 3 g 5% Saturated Fat 0.5 g 3%
Sodium 0 mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 29 g 10% Dietary Fiber 5 g 20% Protein 6g
Calcium 2% Iron 10%

I tried the stovetop version first. I added 1 cup of oats to 3 cups of water. I set it on medium and went to work chopping an organic Gala apple into tiny chunks. I tossed that in as the oats came to a boil. Once at a boil I turned it to low and just let it go.
A quick stir every few minutes and thats it. It took 30 minutes to cook, but wasn't a lot of work. I added a dash of cinnamon before serving. I was surprised how filling this meal was. I couldn't finish the bowl I served myself. There is a ton left in the pot and I plan to freeze it in individual containers to heat up on work mornings. The apples were a nice addition-gave it some sweetness. The oatmeal itself was a bit chewy, tasted a little nutty. Overall I liked it.


I came across a crock pot recipe for this also, maybe I'll give that a try next time. You can turn it on before bed and have a nice hot breakfast waiting for you when you wake up.

ETA: I tried the crock pot recipe last night and it was pretty good. I used 4 cups of water and 1 cup of oats, dash of salt, and cut up some apple chunks. I set it on low overnight and 7 hours later it was perfect. I sprayed the crock pot first with olive oil spray so cleanup was easy.