Soaked Banana Bread

**Updated

Soaked Banana Bread  


3 cups freshly ground spelt, kamut, or whole wheat flour
2 cups buttermilk, kefir or yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup grade B maple syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup melted butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped crispy pecans


Soak flour in buttermilk, kefir or yogurt in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours – bread will rise better if soaked for 24 hours. Those with milk allergies may use 2 cups filtered water plus 2 tablespoons whey, lemon juice or vinegar in place of undiluted buttermilk.

Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into a well-buttered and floured loaf pan (preferably stoneware). Bake at 350 degrees for at least 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe Notes:
I wish I could remember where I found this recipe to give the appropriate credit but when I go searching for it again I find a lot of blogs promoting this recipe.  I think it is a recipe from Sally Fallon's book: Nourishing Traditions.

I used the wheat flour, rice milk and vinegar, coconut oil, no pecans, a bit of cinnamon, and I used my tin pans.  I guess I should have just used my recipe but with something like this I like to throw the original out there with my changes for comparison.  The bread was delicious and I plan on following the same recipe but using zucchini this week. **(This recipe does not make a great zucchini bread. The sweetness of the bananas helped to make the banana bread so great. I will be working on a zucchini bread recipe since I bought a few huge zucchini's at the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago and have bags of frozen shredded zucchini!)

The Challenge

As you can tell by the lack of posts my little challenge kept me busy.  I didn't do as well as I hoped but I learned a lot.  Here are some things I learned, am going to change, etc.

: : We like natural peanut butter and I want a better stash on hand.  I can make endless things with this stuff.  Time to start stocking up on it!

: : We are starting a Friday Pizza night.  I grew up having Pizza Hut every Friday night (especially during football season).  I loved this tradition and love the fact of having one meal set and planned each week.  The Pizza choices will be different each week.  Sometimes delivery, homemade, tortilla pizzas, english muffin pizzas, and even dessert ones.  I will keep you posted on this.

: : I love my storage of grains.  Love love love it!!  Now, unfortunately, it is time to restock.  At least now I know what I use the most of.  We are set on Hard Red Wheat (for a couple of years at least) and short grain brown rice.  We need more soft white wheat, oats, steel cut oats, and brown basmati rice.  I would love to get some of these canned but for now I plan on buying 25 lb. bags and then putting in my 5 gal. buckets that I keep in my pantry.  We go through it so fast it is so much cheaper to do it that way.

: : Crackers-- although they aren't soaked or homemade they are a great staple to have around.  We had peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwiches, cheese and crackers, peanut butter and pickles on crackers, etc. when we ran out of bread.  Very handy.

: : It is nice that we don't use so much dairy anymore.  I bought two small blocks of  raw cheese at the farmers market almost two weekends ago and we still have a tiny bit left.  We also use rice milk and have a stock of that.

: : Saturday mornings will be our cereal mornings (unless daddy has that morning off which is unlikely).  We usually have hot breakfasts throughout the week so cereal is a real treat for my kids.  I need to replenish my stock since we used a lot of what we had for breakfasts and treats.

: : My recipe for faux kettle corn is a perfect and easy thing to have on hand.  My kids (and neighbors) love this treat/snack and I feel so good that I know they are getting something good for them while they are thinking it is a treat.  

: : Fruits and greens are easy to stock up on for smoothies.  The freezer is my friend and I am grateful for our stand up freezer in the garage.

: : You have to take the time to be prepared but it is very worth it.  I hope I can make better progress next time I challenge myself.  I am thinking December may be a good time to do it- and that will leave some extra money for Christmas.  We shall see.

New stuff to come soon- once my two toddlers stop teething. :)

Our daily smoothies in pictures...

4 cups of water, 2-3 large carrots peeled and cut, 1/4 lemon (peel and all)

Fill with greens (spinach and kale that I keep in the freezer), top off with about a cup or more of mixed berries, and a sprinkle of stevia if you like (my kids don't like it too sweet).  Then press whole juice or whatever speed on your blender that will gives you the hardest mixing.

 

add about 8 frozen strawberries and 1 frozen banana press the smoothie button (I usually have to do the smoothie cycle twice).

And this is what you get... two recommended servings of green smoothie.  No matter how many times I think I am doing the exact same thing my smoothies always come out a little different.  Nevertheless, we love our daily green smoothies and adding the carrot has helped mild out the green ("dirt" as some would put it) taste.

Psst... my husband has been drinking these for about 3 months now so I must be doing something right.


Measurements may need to be adjusted according to size of blender. Let me know if you have questions about that.

Sloppy Joe's in a Bowl

I have never had a traditional Sloppy Joe.  It is well known that I am not much of a red meat kind of person.  I do try to get some in here and there because I believe that a good quality, grass fed, beef is good for you but sometimes I just can't hack it.  I have had this recipe (and the ingredients) for quite some time now.  My husband made mention a while back of wanting Sloppy Joe's- he doesn't remember so it very well could have been a joke but I went on a little search.  I was pleasantly surprised when one of the blogs I frequent had a recipe for "The Healthy $1 menu- Sloppy Joe's in a Bowl".  Perfect- low cost- not the traditional canned stuff or whatever it is- and looking over the recipe it looked like I would maybe even like it. 

And... it was good.  My whole family liked it.  It was nice to have something a little different- give my hubby a little old time taste- and now my kids and I can say we have had Sloppy Joe's well, kind of.

Sloppy Joe’s In A Bowl

2 cups dry brown basmati rice
2 cups clean water plus 4 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 cups stock
2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or ground buffalo)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 cup filtered water
1 can tomato paste
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons raw honey
garnishes: sliced olives, thinly sliced or diced onions, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, and/or homemade cultured dairy, chopped cilantro, shredded raw cheese

In a 2 to 3 quart pot, soak the rice in the 2 cups of water and raw apple cider vinegar overnight. The next day, add the 2 cups stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all liquid is absorbed and grains are fluffy and tender. This will be about a half hour if the grains have soaked overnight. Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

While rice is cooking, put the ground beef in a 4 to 6 quart stock pot. Over medium heat, brown the beef. Add onions and garlic. Saute until soft. In a 4 cup measuring cup, whisk together: water, tomato paste, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey. Add sauce mixture to meat. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Fill bowls with rice, then meat sauce, then desired garnishes. The picture shows a Sloppy Joe’s bowl garnished with diced shredded homemade goat cheese, diced onions, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of sour cream.

Recipe Notes:
My garnishes of choice were tomatoes, lettuce, and a light sprinkle of the cheese.  It added a light freshness.  The rice was delicious!!!  I am actually going to start soaking some just to have on hand plain.  We have been eating the short brown lately and this was a nice treat- so don't skimp out on the basmati...  If you are local Dixie Nutrition sales this in bulk that way you can just get the two cups to try or buy lots more (I suggest lots more if you eat a lot of rice!).

Progress of my challenge so far...

I didn't realize how much I love going to the store.  Come the middle of the week I was almost having withdrawals.  I did well for the majority of the time but we did have a late day running errands (and a husband who just wanted to order pizza).

For this weeks meals:
(lunches are different around here- we usually all do something different but I will give an approx. of what was eaten.)

Monday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal Porridge with frozen blueberries and Green Smoothies
Lunch- salsa and chips- sandwiches
Dinner- Crockpot Chicken with Vegetables and Garlic-Greens Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday:
Breakfast- Toast (jelly, peanut butter, or cinnamon & sucanant) and Green Smoothies
Lunch- sandwiches
Dinner- Broccoli Rice Bake with Curry Coconut Sauce- black beans and plain rice for the more sensitive tastebuds

Wednesday:
Breakfast- Whole Wheat Blender Waffles
Lunch- Leftovers
Dinner- Leftovers and Fried eggs
(my 5 year old had the waffles for breakfast lunch and dinner- that good! the others enjoyed a little of everything potatoes, rice, beans, and Broccoli Rice Bake)

Thursday:
Breakfast- Cereal and Green Smoothies
Lunch- Egg Salad
Dinner- Salad with warm homemade bread

Friday:
Breakfast- Baked Oatmeal
Lunch- Sandwiches
Dinner- Homemade Pizza

Saturday:
Breakfast- Leftover Baked Oatmeal
Lunch- Leftover Breadsticks
Dinner- Leftover Pizza (that's what makes take out worth it- eating it for 3 meals)

Sunday:
Breakfast- Toast and Cereal
Lunch- Homemade Pizza (this is what we were supposed to have Fri. night and I needed to make it since I had let it thaw out.)
Dinner- Sloppy Joe's in a Bowl

Other things I made:
PB&Chocolate Rice Crispies
and homemade bread w/ honey butter to give to a friend (and because we ran out of bread).

If only I inherited my mothers bread slicing skills.

I did buy bananas and avocados for $4- the lady at the health food store said, "How are you by the way?"  I was shocked that she had noticed I hadn't been in for a little bit. I usually run in there 2-3 times a week- they are my quick run in store when I need one avocado or a couple of bananas or whatever.

My husband says that I do not have to count the things he bought since he didn't make this goal. :)  So we also got grapes, strawberries, peanut butter, cheese and eggs.  We could have done without the strawberries but I wanted to grab them while they still looked good.  I felt like I had failed a little bit with this shopping trip but I had to remind myself that this wasn't a challenge I had prepared for and this is to give me an idea of the things we need the most. 

Oh and I stopped by a local stand yesterday to get tomatoes and a big cantaloupe $6

I am enjoying this challenge but still have that nagging part of me that is worried about what new and delicious tasting meal I am going to make in the weeks to come.  I blame my husband- I just want to please him- okay I blame my southern upbringing.  Either way I need to learn to use what I have and not plan such elaborate things constantly.  I am excited for the changes to come.

I hope to make it till next Saturday before I buy anything else.  It may be difficult since we have no lettuce or fresh spinach but I would like to try my hardest to eat the other vegs we have and buy from the farmers market on Saturday.

Broccoli Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce

This is another good recipe from my 12 steps by: Green Smoothie Girl

Broccoli Rice Bake with Coconut Curry Sauce

2 C of short grain brown rice
3 stems of broccoli cut into bit sized pieces
8 oz. of mushrooms washed well and cut into thirds
2 T coconut oi1
1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk
1 T cornstarch
1 T curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 T dried)
2 tomatoes, chopped

I chose to soak my rice for 24 hours.  I rinsed the rice in a colander until the water ran clear.  Then I put the rice in a glass bowl adding just enough water to cover.  I mixed in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice as my acidic component.  Covered and let sit in a warm place in my kitchen for 24 hours.  When I was ready to cook the rice I simply followed the instructions on my rice bag using half chicken stock half water for the liquid.

Using a wok or saucepan add the coconut oil (I found that I didn't need nearly as much that was called for) and broccoli.  Cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat.  While that is cooking add the coconut milk, cornstarch, curry and salt in a blender and mix well.  Once the broccoli is cooked add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.  Then add the curry sauce and cook over a simmering heat until it thickens.  Once it is thick you can gently stir in the rice.  Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and parsley at this time or add those things to individual plates according to preference.

Recipe Notes:
I made the rice ahead of time.  Saving time and preventing a hot house at meal time.  I simply had all the other ingredients cut or chopped and ready so that I could throw everything together quickly.  I did chop the mushrooms making them a little less visual.

My six year old, one year old, and I liked it a lot.  My husband ate it but isn't a fan of curry.  I am glad I tried it and will tuck it away in my archives.  My husband says it needs something crunchy and of course maybe some steak strips would make it better.

One tip for the curry- I didn't want to buy a lot since I wasn't sure what the outcome was going to be.  I luckily have a health food store that sales seasonings and spice in bulk so I could get as little or as much as I like.  It is perfect for trying out a seasoning or refilling your spice bottles.

Bloody Noses

It's that time- not sure what does it- the dry, colds, allergies, picking noses, etc. but we have had some major bloody noses around here.

My 5 year old has always had something going on with her nose- She couldn't blow her nose up until about a year ago and (like her daddy) sometimes when she does it brings on the bleeding.  She also stuck a gold fish cracker up her nose when she was little.  It took us filling a nose bulb up with water to shoot in the other nostril to (drown her) flush it out.

A few weeks ago she came out of her bed with her nose "gushing blood" (those are the terms she uses).  It took forever to get it to stop and once it did the other nostril started bleeding just as bad.  I was frustrated and at a loss of what to do for her.  Her daddy usually takes care of these situations- because she inherited it from him- but this time I decided to do some research and figure out what we could do for her nose before resorting to cauterizing.

Here are some things that I learned and have been using to much success for us,

• Apply pressure to the bridge of the nose as follows:

1. Sit your child upright
2. Tilt her head forward (not backward)
3. Place your thumb and forefinger on either side of the bridge of the nose and apply pressure firmly enough to slow bleeding.  This will decrease the blood flow and slow bleeding.  Hold for about 10 minutes giving time for a clot to form.

• Placing an ice pack across the bridge of the nose will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding.

One of my new favorites,

• Try wetting a bit of cotton or plain sterile gauze with distilled vinegar and placing it in your child's nose.  Leave it in place for about 10 minutes.  The acid of the vinegar will gently cauterize the inside of the nose and stop the bleeding.

My daughter does complain of this hurting a little bit at first but once I get her distracted and can leave it in there for the full 10 minutes we have great results.

Vitamin C with bioflavanoids 1-2 doses,  four times daily, for two days after a nosebleed.  Then one-half a dose , twice a day, for at least one month.

Also a simple nasal saline that will keep the nose moist and lessen the chance of the small capillaries swelling and rupturing.  Dissolve 1/4 tsp. of salt 1/2 tsp. of baking soda in 4 ounces of water.  Spray in with a nose bulb or drop a few drops in.  Do not suction out- you are wanting this to soothe and moisten the nose to prevent bleeding.

My book also mentions that aspirin should be avoided for those who are prevalent to getting nosebleeds.

Please note that I am not a doctor- these are things I have personally tried on my child and have had good results with.  If your child has a severe nosebleed consider contacting your doctor.