Another Fall Favorite Recipe

October 29, 2013 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

A few years ago a friend of mine introduced me to a tomatillo. For those of you who do not know what a tomatillo is, it is a small green, tomato like vegetable that originally came from Mexico. The tomatillo grows inside a husk and when it is ripe, the tomato looking green vegetable fills out the husk and the husk splits open. Many times I find the tomatillo literally falling off of the vine when they are done.
The tomatillo has many vitamins making it a wonderful healthy treat on salads, in soups, or with a little bit of cottage cheese. The tomatillo has a sweet yet lemony taste to it. If picked too early, it can be quite tart.

This year, was my first attempt at growing them at my home as well as at my friends garden where we had an entire row of them. Just like the soup, the recipe I’m about to share is another one that I crave when thinking about fall and winter. It makes a yummy meal enjoyed throughout the colder months, and reserving any jars of it until the next harvest is nearly impossible. There are many uses for the Salsa Verde, however, my favorite is with chicken. This is such a simple recipe, whether you can the Salsa Verde yourself (my preference) or whether you buy it in a store. In fact, I shared it this weekend at our church’s fellowship potluck meal. Easy and quick to make.

Salsa Verde Chicken

1 pint Salsa Verde (recipe below)

4-6 Organic Chicken Breasts

4-6 slices, or 1 cup shredded Raw Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9×13 glass baking dish. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Place chicken in bottom of baking dish and pour the entire pint of Salsa Verde over the chicken. Make sure to cover every piece.

Bake covered with foil or glass cover in oven for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken is cooked through. Remove foil or cover and place cheese on top of each chicken breast. Close oven and cook another 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

For our fellowship meal, I boiled up some chicken breasts, cut them into round slices and poured the salsa verde in layers over the chicken in the crock pot. I then turned on the crock pot to low and cooked until ready to serve. (unfortunately, I forgot the cheese in this picture. )

Salsa Verde

Approximately 8 cups tomatillos, husk removed and washed

1 1/2 -2 cups chopped onions

2-4 hot peppers of choice, seeded and chopped

Approximately 1 cup chopped cilantro

Garlic cloves, I use about 6-8

1 Tbs. sugar, (optional)

1/2 cup lemon juice, (or use 1 cup and omit the lime juice)

1/2 cup lime juice, (or use 1 cup and omit the lemon juice)

2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup red peppers, mainly for color especially if you use a green hot pepper

I place all ingredients in the blender and blend until chunky smooth. Then you have the option of cooking it down on the stove for a few hours until much of the liquid evaporates, or go ahead and place into clean, sterilized hot jars for canning. The result of not cooking down is that the salsa verde will have a bit more liquid to it. If you do cook it down, it will also have a bit more of a potency to it as there is less liquid and the flavors will be more pronounced. Especially the peppers. I prefer to cook it down, however, if time does not allow, you will not have wasted your time in the above prep and can still can it. I did it without cooking it down two years in a row and it was just fine, just had a bit more liquid from the juicy tomatillos.

Be sure to leave a 1/2 inch at the top of the sterilized hot jar when filling. (I always add an additional 1/2 tsp. per pint of salt after filling the jars.) Wipe clean the rim and place the heated tops on the jars and the ring. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for approximately 20 minutes.

Keep in mind that if you buy the salsa verde in a store, my experience is that they usually are much spicier than the home made.

If you have leftovers, get some tortilla shells, roll up the salsa verde chicken in them and place them in a baking dish smothered with the leftover sauce (omitting some of the liquid) and bake until heated through. Top with cheese, a little shredded lettuce, sour cream and serve. Makes a nice lunch the next day.

Why?

Why I smile…

October 21, 2013 A Labour of Love 4 Comments

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5

Singing praises to the Lord for all our blessings!

The week was long, another spiral downward and an exhausting one at that. My body feels frail, and at times feels as though I am someone’s doll that they are pulling in different directions. In the worst of the pain I envision the little boy in Toy Story and the torture the toys endured at his hands. I am however, not someone’s doll, I am a daughter to an almighty glorious Father who loves me unconditionally and has not and will not disappoint. I have faith that all I am enduring will have a purpose, as does every trial in life. As I await for the discomfort to go away and for healing to progress so that I can get through a day without knowing I’m sick, I make efforts to smile at the blessings each day brings.

I smile that my husband is walking beside me on this journey… as he played Mr. Chef this weekend, pounding out the meat for dinner and picking the last of the green beans out of the garden. I smile as he tells me to rest and assures me he loves me and wants me by his side at night, even when I am rolling around in pain and waking up to the alarm that is set every few hours for the consumption of the meds I couldn’t get in during the day.

I smile at my daughter who graciously accepts cash… as I pay her to give me the Raindrop Technique message with essential oils once a week. I smile even more when she has to pull off the head rest and wonders why it’s moist. I told her it was because she was doing such a great job I fell asleep like the cat and drooled. She didn’t think it was funny, but I sure did. I also smile at her reaction to the toilet seat mark on my face after an hour of lying there.

I smile at my son who thinks he’s too young to have a mom wearing spectacles… as he tried many times to push them back up my nose during the church service because I was embarrassing him. I smile that he didn’t care I couldn’t read my bible with my contacts in. After all, if I don’t wear the contacts, I cannot see the pulpit, if I wear the contacts to see the pulpit, I cannot read the bible. The contacts with the spectacles work nicely. I smile in knowing he will one day be there.

I smile at the little kids in church that are being taught to behave… and you have those of us who think they are so darn cute, so we make faces at them so they begin to laugh and squirm. I smile when I look at the pastor giving his sermon watching us and the kids… Gosh he’s good, he can keep a straight face.

I smile at the cats who cannot decide who their favorite is… one minute mom’s lap is the place to be and the next minute it’s Sydney’s back when she is laying down. It was even funnier when the cat started kneading her buttocks in order to get comfy.

I smile at the fact that the only auction item that didn’t get one bid was the ballroom dancing lessons… making me think of my husband and my dad before our wedding and how I begged them both for lessons. Of course they declined and on the day of the grand event, both looked at me on the dance floor of Henry Fords Ballroom with an 18 piece big band playing, and said “Well, I guess we should have taken those lessons.” 20 years later I still smile.

I smile each week as we count down… to Disney once again and seeing my brother and his family. The thought of the cousins laughing together makes me smile even wider.

I smile at the picture of a friend who we miss… a friend who showed us how to endure the toughest of times with a heart filled with compassion. A friend who was in pain most of the time, yet always wanted to know what was going on in others lives. A man of grace and a true willing servant that trusted the Lords will. Little did he know that he would be an inspiration to the rest of us who had yet to face physical pain or challenges in this world that try to bring us down.

Oh the joy that can be felt even in times of misery. It takes looking for those moments that can make you smile and grateful for the blessings of what you have.

Thank you Lord on this day for helping me to see beyond myself and showing me the joy that is all around.

Menus / Recipes, Why?

The Wonderful Taste of Fall… Oh My!

October 15, 2013 A Labour of Love 1 Comment

I remember in my earlier years that fall was one of my most disliked season. As a child it meant the end of long summer days outside, days at the beach, endless board games and homemade dill pickles stolen from the fridge and the end of sleeping in until noon. As an adult, it meant the end of warm days, open windows, green grass, gardens and fresh produce from my own garden. It wasn’t my favorite season until a neighbor who lived across the street from our second home brought me a jar of soup. This soup was absolutely the most amazing soup I’d ever had. I asked her for the recipe and she gladly shared.

Fourteen years later, I am still making that soup, only now it’s my soup. I’ve altered it from it’s original recipe with ingredient changes as well as preparation alterations. This soup gets me giddy every time I think about fall. In fact, when someone mentions fall, it’s not the cold weather or brown trees and grass that come to my mind any longer, it’s that soup that I think of first. You know it’s good when you can taste it just thinking about it!

I suppose the protocol I’m on for my lymes disease must be working, since I can actually stay awake all day and actually get something done around the house while also making two soups. While my favorite soup is exactly that, “my favorite”, one of my families favorites’ is a Potato Leak Soup. Another favorite, and also very yummy, it’s one that I tend to forget about until my son looks at “my favorite” in the pot and salivates at the thought of the Potato Leak Soup. How can I resist making that too when I have all of the ingredients in my refrigerator just waiting for a purpose to be used. For now however, I am only going to share my favorite….. May your taste buds be stimulated….

Make a cup of tea, put on your apron, set aside an hour, grab your stock pot and enjoy the process as your work up to a moment of bliss… at least I hope!

Butternut Squash, Apple and Nut Puree

Approximately 1/4-1/2 C. Real butter
1 medium yellow onion, outer brown layer only peeled away, then chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Melt the butter in the large stock pot. Lightly saute the onion and garlic. Be careful not to brown them. Add:

1 Medium to large Butternut Squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped in food processor
4 Large or 5 Medium Honey Crisp Apples, chopped in food processor
1 Cup of either pecans or walnuts, chopped in food processor
3-4 Cups of apple cider, unfiltered and un-pasturized is best, alternately you could use apple juice
1 quart of chicken broth, homemade is best and has less salt making it a healthier choice ** See below for chicken stock recipe
3/4 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves, if you don’t have ground then use a pinch of whole, just make sure you take them out before blending

Let all ingredients cook together until the squash is tender. Do not boil. When all ingredients are tender, use a strainer and strain out chunky ingredients and blend smooth. Pour back into pot.

Right before serving, add:

1-2 Cups of whole milk or cream, or 1/2 C. coconut milk (remember that if you use coconut milk it will have a stronger coconut taste.)

Let heat throughout and serve in bowls topped with shredded cheddar cheese, and a dash of cinnamon.

Additional items that may be added and are complimentary: Shredded chicken, 2 TBS. brown sugar if not sweet enough, or diced roasted red peppers added just before serving.

**To make your own chicken stock:

Take an organic, free-range, whole, clean chicken and place it in a pot with peeled and sliced potatoes, carrots, parsley, onions, celery, garlic and 1 TBS. apple cider vinegar. From my experience and from other helpful experienced “mom chefs”, the apple cider vinegar will not change the taste of the stock, yet it draws out the nutritional enzymes from the bones. Cover the chicken and vegetables with purified water. Put the lid on the stock pot and place in the oven at 300 degrees for several hours so that the chicken is cooked thoroughly and the nutritional enzymes are drawn out of the bones into the stock. Strain out the vegetables and the chicken, reserving the meat for either soup or for chicken salad or even a chicken pot pie. Yum! This stock when chilled should be the consistency of a thick jelly. I like to put the stock into freezer bags or BPA free freezer containers and freeze until needed. Make sure to leave a one inch space between the stock and the lid.

I have quite often used glass jars to avoid plastic products, however, with that may come the occasional broken jar that sticks itself to the freezer door and makes a mess. For some reason I find that some of my stock just doesn’t expand up, it expands out. Not to mention, bags leave more space in the freezer than the jars.

Menus / Recipes

Healthy Eating starts in the Home

October 13, 2013 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

Genesis 1:29
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

People ask me quite often how long have I been eating healthy and organic. I tell them it’s been a 20 year journey. Honestly, it began just after my husband and I were married. I read a book that helped me to see beyond what I thought I knew about food. To add to that book, my cousins soon to be husband had a heart transplant and his doctor told him to only eat real butter, real sausage, real foods. If you cannot pronounce it, stay away from it. I remember thinking how different that was from what I was buying and from what I had known about food. I mean, isn’t low fat supposed to be good for you? Shouldn’t vegetable oils be good for cooking? What do you mean real sausage and real meats? What about all the fat?

When we were starting our family, I read about MSG not being good for you so I checked every label and avoided it when I was pregnant. I learned about High Fructose Corn Syrup when our son was very young, so we avoided it and only let him have soda on special occasion (although now, it’s completely avoided). By the time our daughter was born, I was learning about organic foods and was already buying it when I could. When our son was 5 he was tested for allergies and we found out he was allergic to tomatoes, wheat and dairy. So, once again I read all I could and changed what the pantry held. When we moved to our current home, in a completely new state, I learned about raw foods, Kombucha, beet kvass, fermenting, soaked and dried nuts, and my all time favorite book Nourishing Traditions and the Weston Price Foundation.

More recently, with my Lymes diagnosis, 3 of the 4 of us testing positive for Celiac, and food intolerance testing, 3 of us needed to again rethink how our bodies handled the food choices we made. We now eat nearly 100% organic and most of our meals are cooked in our kitchen. We belong to several food co-ops for discounts and eat raw as much as possible. This summer we had two gardens and also our CSA vegetable share.

I have learned over the past 3 years that from August through early October life will be spent canning all that the harvest produced. Canning Chili sauces, Salsa Verde, Pasta Sauce, Victory Sauce, beans, Ketchup, jams & jellies, fruits, and fermenting pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, carrots, corn relish and oh so much more. Another great process to keep some of the fruits is to dehydrate them. Great snacks for the family on road trips or when your walking through Disney. 🙂

There is nothing like opening the cupboard or fridge and seeing it filled with the harvest that you spent the summer caring for with tenderness and eagerness. This year, my mom, my daughter and one of my dear friends were a tremendous help since I was getting sick half way through the summer. Canning and preparing the harvest for winter is not easy. It’s literally a labour of love.

The journey has been long, yet well worth it. People ask me why we eat the way we do when we still get sick or in my case, I still have Lymes. I tell them that I feel this journey has been a blessing. It’s been one that has taught our children more than a conventional health class, and is continuing to teach skills that will carry them through adulthood for the benefit of their own families one day. By growing your own vegetables, canning your own harvest, and preparing and utilizing what you have for future meals saves money as well. We don’t spend as much over the winter months when we have all we need in the cupboards.

Along with my blogging of Why? I look forward to sharing some of our favorite menus, recipes, and healthy household alternatives that have been learned through many years of studying and research. I tell everyone that it’s not something you can just do in a day, it’s a process. Just like a new Christian and his/her sanctification, it will not happen over night.

When you think about it, what could be better than God’s naturally grown foods!

Why?

Why is there a blessing in second place?

October 8, 2013 A Labour of Love 2 Comments

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 ESV

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Playing bagpipes is almost the same commitment as the soccer or hockey players. Weekends away, numerous practices during the week and hourly practices during the day. We have been on this journey for almost 10 years with our son. We have traveled to Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas and soon Scotland. How did it all begin? I blame Disney, with a smile!

We took a trip to Disney one year when our son was 7 and he saw the band Off Kilter playing in Canada in Epcot. He said, “Mama, I want to play that.” After questions of drums, guitar, and keyboard, we understood he wanted to play bagpipes. Going back to our home town I began calling music stores only to have them laugh at me when I asked if they had someone that would teach bagpipes. I looked online, and found that the only instructors I could locate were in the inner city, of which I was not driving into. The last one I found was in the country 50 minutes away, where we used to live. What are the odds??? Well, in that inquiry call, the gent who teaches said he would not instruct anyone younger than 11 as their fingers were not long enough to reach the chanter holes. So, with that, I stopped calling and waiting for him to stop asking.

The following year we once again returned to Disney on a family trip with parents and our son again turned around and yelled our way that he “really wanted to play that”. Well, what could we do? We waited until the set was over and we spoke with the piper Jamie. He asked where we lived and low and behold he had a name to call. That is where our journey began.

Why second? Well, this past weekend our 17 year old son competed against some of the professional pipers in our area and he beat them all. He took second, with first place being one of his band mates from the band he just spent two years competing with. He did it! Almost 10 years of playing and he is at a level that he can compete against the professionals. You are likely wondering why I see it as a blessing. Well, let me explain.

About 3 months ago, when the competition season for Highland games was starting up, I commented to someone that “I know all our travels are worth it now, yet someday it will be even more so when our son can tell reporters that he thanks God for the ability to play, and his parents for the sacrifices they made to get him to lessons, paying for the lessons and the weekends spent going all over the midwest.” On Saturday, I was reminded of that comment and I realized that was purely irresponsible on my part. I was also hit with the realization that the thankful heart of my son will not come through media, or words, yet through the hug he gave me on Saturday. After he won second, he put his pipes away, hung out a little bit with his friends and then he sought me out. The moment I saw him he smiled at me and walked quickly toward me with his arms wide open and gave me the biggest hug. He didn’t let go until he shared with me his thoughts on his win and how nervous he was in disbelief. His excitement at that moment and the fact that he shared it with me meant more than any public recognition. As most moms of teenage boys know, hugs are far and few between. This hug was the kind you give someone you haven’t seen in years. The kind where you don’t let go until the other person starts to, and let me just say, he didn’t let go quickly. It was a wonderful moment I live over in my mind with praises to God that my sweet little boy has grown into a young man who is grateful, respectful, and humble.

As a mom who stays at home I have to admit there are days that I wonder if my efforts and prayers will produce moral, upstanding children who go out into the world with God fearing God loving hearts. I mean, there is no paycheck, and the days are long. I have always said that I will know what kind of job I did when the children God gave me to raise are 18 and I see who they become and what they do with their lives. That will be the paycheck. Well folks, I have to say, I have now entered into that phase of my life with my son and I praise God that He has equipped me to raise such a fine young man.

Why second is a blessing? Because that second place meant more than first. It produced a response from my son that brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. It was a response that humbled my heart and once again helped me to see that it’s in the small blessings of life that mean more than all the riches of the world. I thank God for that realization and for God’s children that He chose for my husband and myself to raise. That is why second!

Why?

Why “not” antibiotics?

October 2, 2013 A Labour of Love 1 Comment

(Picture taken from Berkley.edu)

In the last few months I’ve been asked many questions regarding my recent Lymes diagnosis. How do I know I have Lymes? How am I feeling? What do I need? How long will it last? What is the prognosis? And the most asked question prize goes to two questions which are tied together, “Are you on antibiotics” and “why not”?

Well, let’s begin with the fact that I know I have Lymes as my Lymes titer came back positive and further testing from IGENIX tested positive for the little bugger you see at the top of the screen. This is called a Lymes spirochete. It’s the famous Lymes bacteria. The picture alone makes my skin crawl and actually creeps me out more than a diagnosis of cancer or a tumor. To know that the little buggers are inside of me reeking havoc on my body is a bit unnerving.

How did I know to be tested for it? I have a great medical professional that I work with for overall health that heard my complaints and decided to run a titer test. My symptoms were easily recognizable to all who know me and know my busy lifestyle. One day I hit a wall and just didn’t feel good. I was flu achy, was so tired I could hardly stay awake, I had absolutely zero energy and I felt like I was dragging my foot. After two weeks of feeling miserable, I called my healthcare professional and she immediate recommended blood work. It came back about two weeks later positive and we began an herbal treatment until we got back my IGENIX test 3 weeks later.

Now on the to the big question… Why not antibiotics? Well, I believe that antibiotics help when there is no other option and when your life is in danger of being compromised. Isn’t Lymes a life changer? Yes it is, however, with Lymes there is no guarantee that you can kill off the spirochetes. In fact, in my personal research and longing for information I have found that studies have shown that most people diagnosed with Lymes have long lasting symptoms later on in their lifetime even if they’ve been told they were cured. You see, the spirochetes actually go into your organs, tissues and muscles and hide out when they are attacked. They can wait until the environment is right and they come out and proliferate until you once again are sick. Another issue, again from the research I have done, is that study after study shows long term antibiotic usage and antibiotics in our food sources all contribute to an antibiotic resistant outcome. Due to Lymes being so difficult to treat and cure, long term antibiotic use is recommended, creating a perfect environment for co-infections, which is attributed to chronic Lymes and further damage to the body. The spirochetes hide and the gut flora is damaged therefore allowing for the host to contract other infections that can be even more serious than the Lymes itself.

Lymes has recently shown to be difficult to kill off due to it’s usage of manganese rather than iron. Most bacteria utilize iron, and this one does not. It also enjoys Flax and Magnesium. So much for my wonderful flax seed crackers. Ugggg!!!

Again, this has been what I have learned after hours upon hours of reading. So, back to the treatment plan. Well, I have once again changed my diet to no carbs (other than vegetables) and no sugar (other than natural fruits). I have gone back to adding in at least one or two fermented foods in a day. I found that a combination of essential oils gives me relief and I am taking A-L Complex which is a form of microbial components that have shown to break down the spirochetes. I take some of the Boiron products in combination to work with my body in helping with the inflammation going on in my joints and muscles. And I drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins. I have also added in a probiotic (for my gut), Krill oil, Berberine and Axtaxanthin (for my brain), CoQ10 and a Methylating Multi with enzymes to help my overall body and to boost my B’s. You see, apparently my body does not utilize the vitamins or supplements due to a gene link that is missing. Or, according to one doctor, this could also be a symptom of Lymes.

After about a month of this protocol, my energy level dropped again and I was having severe pains throughout my body. I will admit that this did causing me to question my decision, I just wanted immediate relief and I knew that antibiotics would give me that. I added in two more things that have brought me relief from the latest symptoms and once again I am on the upswing. Bentonite clay or Activated Charcoal, both of which I had in the house. Taking them once a day usually in the middle of the night has helped me to rid my body of the dead toxins the herbs are killing off. I also needed an adrenal and liver support so I have a cream that I rub in my skin once a day. I will be on this protocol for many months, yet I am confident that for me, this is the right path.

What is my prognosis? No one knows… however, I am hopeful that my energy level and fatigue will soon subside. I am prayerful that there will not be any long lasting affects or disabilities and that I will be back to myself with few limitations within the next 6 months. I know that God has prepared me with the desire for knowledge, the ability and avenues to find the studies I need to help me battle this disease, and He has prepared my heart to trust His will for my life. Every day is a new day, every day is a new challenge and every day I praise God I woke up to a new day with my family by my side helping to support me in this journey of wellness and healing.

As Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Amen!