Long Simmered Spaghetti Sauce

I have been on a search for a good spaghetti sauce- good tasting and good for you.  I have found a winner, for now.  It couldn't have been easier and my house smelled delicious all day.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe according to what I had on hand and to satisfy taste buds. Follow the link to see the original recipe.

Long Simmered Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 an onion grated
2 garlic cloves
*For the chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce all I had was diced tomatoes so I took some of the diced tomatoes and blended very well till I got 8 oz. to substitute for the sauce.  We have some texture issues so I also put 28 oz. of the diced tomatoes in the blender and pulsed till I reached a good consistency.
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tsp. of Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  You may need to adjust the salt according to the salt content of your tomato products.

This was very satisfying and I had plenty of leftovers. We will be using it on a homemade pizza tonight- recipe for the soaked whole wheat crust to come.

I do not object to adding the original meat.  I just like to have control over my meat intake and having meatballs is more appealing to me then meat in the sauce.  However, I think that being in a slow cooker all day with some meat would be a great addition to this sauce.

This week:

I have recipes from this past week coming up and some great things going on in the kitchen this week:

Soaked Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Homemade Energy Bars- this time I really am going to make them
Soaked Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
Homemade Salad Dressings
Slow Cooker Sprouted Lentil soup

Other things I hope to make soon:
Coconut Flour Pancakes- waiting on some things for this.
Tomato Tortillas- waiting for local tomatoes made the spinach ones again today to get by until then.
Sourdough bread- first starter didn't work trying out another batch, crossing my fingers.

In the kitchen this week...

I am here- just busy learning, experimenting, and cooking.  I don't have posts, recipes, and pictures ready since I am still in the process with a lot of these recipes but here is a little taste of what's to come:

Soaking and sprouting short grain brown rice

Creating my own Sourdough Starter to make Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

Making Long Simmering Spaghetti Sauce

Soaking and cooking pinto beans- supposedly the best recipe

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Making yummy (not healthy) cupcakes for my birthday- no I am not making them although I would.

A lot of fried and scrambled eggs

Soaked Oatmeal Porridge

Oatmeal Pancakes

Hamburgers with lettuce as buns with our new order of grass fed beef
Making Tomato Tortillas
Finding local free range eggs

and that's all I can remember for now.

Phew...

The week is over.  This one got the best of me.  We really didn't have too much going on but between what we did- golf camp, haircuts, scheduling errands between naps, and such- I am just plain tuckered out.  I did manage to squeeze in a treat- not so healthy treat.

This is one reason why I try not to watch foodnetwork but I happened to stumble upon it last week right when this dessert was being made and the girls and I decided it was a must.  It uses a brownie mix which I was okay with because I am out of white flour and I didn't want to buy more just for this.  There are always ways to make things healthier and this is no exception but if you allow yourself to make it this way first and have a taste please do- it's oh so yummy!!

Frozen Brownie Sundaes from Giada at Home

My changes:
I used mini chocolate chips in the brownie batter and semi-sweet for the ganache/top chocolate layer.  I wish I would have done a thinner chocolate layer on top- maybe I will have to make it again to try that out. :)

If you have never tried caramel ice cream you are in for a treat.  I thought gross so I bought both kinds (we made two batches to share as a thank you with some friends) but I liked the caramel batch better.

The strawberry topping wasn't a big hit.  Take your own spin on it and enjoy!

Healthier- Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Oh yes you read right and oh yes you need to try this!!  It is perfect and worth it and relatively good for you.  At least a great substitute for the real thing.  Believe me because I polished off a bag of miniature dark chocolate peanut butter cups just before finding this recipe and I won't be buying those again!  This will cure any hankering for a peanut butter chocolate combo.  Treat yourself and enjoy!  Oh and the kids love it, of course.

Healthier- Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1 T of agave

In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla and coconut oil.  Mix until well combined.  Drop into mini muffin tin. (I used my small pampered chef scoop but would maybe even make the peanut butter layer a little thinner.)  Place in freezer.

I did the chocolate part different then the original recipe.

I melted the chocolate and some agave- since I was using semisweet I didn't add much sweetener- in a saucepan over the stove until melted.

Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and top the peanut butter with the chocolate.  Return to the freezer and eat as you want.  We have to keep ours in the freezer or else it just starts melting pretty fast but it has been around100 degrees here so that may have something to do with it.

And the winner is....

Whitney, Commenter #5
"I think these plates would go a long way with my vegetable hater. I recently got one of those apple corer and slicer things to encourage them to eat more apples. Now they love to eat their "slinky apples."

Congratulations!  Please e-mail me at justmebeingwifeandmom@gmail.com with your mailing information and Amy at Super Healthy Kids will send you your two plates.

For those of you that didn't win head over to Amy's store and get your own plate for just $4.99. 

Thank you for all the comments and ideas for keeping those little ones bellies full and healthy this summer.  

Coconut Flour, Lemon Poppyseed, Mini Muffins

There is something about this coconut flour.  When I first taste the things I have made with it I think- weird!- but I keep tasting and it grows on me.  A gluten free, high protein, food that my kids will eat.  Heck- why not?  And really there is something about it that is so filling.  Hence the need for me to make the following recipe.  I did have everything already so why not?

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

1 1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. salt
1tsp baking soda
2 T. poppyseeds
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
6 eggs, whisked

Preheat oven to 375.  Line or butter a mini muffin tin.

Combine flour, salt baking soda and whisk out lumps.  Stir in poppyseeds.

Slowly melt coconut oil and honey in a saucepan until liquefied  Add this to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the ingredients.

The original recipe says this would be a thin batter but mine wasn't.  I added more lemon juice because I wanted to make sure that flavor was there.

Spoon into muffin tin.  Remember it does not rise much so fill the tin according.  Cook about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

I made these one night- we had them for breakfast the next day- and we have been having them as a snack since. 


 Today is the last day for the Giveaway so get your comments in on the Giveaway post.  The Giveaway will close tonight, 11 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.  I will randomly pick a winner and post the winner tomorrow morning.