HAPPY HAPPY FOOD REVOLUTION DAY!!!!

it's finally here!!!  oh oh oh oh oh oh oh  IT'S FOOD REVOLUTION DAY!!!!!!!!!  

we definitely were not eating these a year ago today.

how funny is this!?  abbie decided to have a contest to see who could drink their smoothie quicker...  rest assured, he was very proud of himself when he finished before me about 10 minutes later:)

happy food revolution day smoothie
makes 3 small juice glasses
2-3 organic kale leaves (stems removed)
1/2 organic apple
1/2 organic pear
juice from 1/2 organic lemon
1/2 organic orange
1 organic banana (frozen slices work the best!!)
water

put it all in a magic bullet/blender/vitamix and give it a whirl.  i used my magic bullet, so up the quantities for more servings!!

i can't wait to see you online at 1pm chicago time for our super awesome food revolution day google hangout and later on at 5:30pm for our community picnic!

let's rock it out today - global style!!!!

xoxo

connecting the lights for food revolution day friday!

yesterday was one big ol wonderful day.  so many things came together for my food revolution day event!  i think an angel was helping me out:)  i have to give a huge shout out to tanya, miss marketing fabulosity here with me in the picture.  she and her team at whole foods kildeer made a bunch of these wonderful signs for the community picnic i'm putting on for friday.  see that frisbee in her hand?  they donated a ton of those too!!  hellooooooooo, loving whole foods!!!!  we have a 9 hole frisbee golf course at the sports facility so these will be oh so perfect for our families to come out and play.  they will also be donating some grab and go produce for the event!  all i can say is WOW.

i just happen to be friends and neighbors with a guy who really knows his stuff when it comes to event production:)  jay and i scoped out the event location yesterday and talked music, speakers and wireless microphones.  i am so thankful for his help in bringing this event to life on friday!!  thank you so much!!

i also have the first draft of our map and vendor/sponsor list!  thank you thank you thank you mary for helping me put this together.  you and me... we could really light things up with our energy!!  LOVE IT!

have you rsvp'd your picnic basket yet!?  here is our online event link:

it's a real food waterfall community picnic on food revolution day! 

the mullies just keeps getting better.

big big news flash:

tommy is going to be my side kick and hang out with me on friday with a pretty amazing group of people.  have you ever heard of a google hangout?  this will be my second one with the food revolution community.  here is the first hangout i participated in with dr walter willet from harvard university.  i had a lot of fun chatting about our new year's resolutions and learned so much from everyone about taking simple steps to a healthier, more delicious life.  on friday, we and other members of the food revolution community will be hangin with the "daddio"of the food rev, mr jamie oliver!!!  what what - that's right - i can just hear the suit and tie music playing in my head!  and get this - the moderator of our hangout is the renowned author and educator anna lappé.  my toes are just tingling about it.  i'll have some vegetables at the ready in case we need to stretch our hamstrings and dance it out.

i think it'll be just a tad bit super awesome.

  

so, clear your schedules and hang with us at 1pm chicago/central time (11am PST/2pm EST/7pm GMT) on friday!!  here is the link to the LIVE streaming event:  www.youtube.com/foodrevolution

t minus 2 days and counting houston...

xoxo

bread babe - a baguette pan for me

oh oh oh 

the funny thing is, i could not have identified this pan before my newfound bread making babe-ness.   

i super duper love my new "used" baguette pan!  here are my freshly risen loaves ready to go.

thank you christina!!! i truly heart them and you!!!  they work like a charm and both loaves were gonzos at dinner.  i think this recipe makes the best homemade baguettes ever.  notes:  i add additional scoops of gf flour until it's just tacky to the touch.

i did a little research last night and found my favorite article on why i'm not worried about my family's folic acid (folate) intake being gluten-free.  i had no idea that real food folate is different than supplemental folate (the folic acid that is added to fortify foods like refined wheat).  here is the article that left me smiling afterwards: supplemental folic vs real food folic acid.  it made me realize how much more folic acid we are ingesting than we were 8 months ago and i'm encouraged to keep going up up up with the veggies.   

yet another sweet side effect of going real with our food. 

i couldn't resist this one:  food allergies or just hype?  we all have our own food blueprint ya know:)

humina humina humina

4 more days until food revolution day 2013... the anticipation is killin me smalls!!!!!  

are you coming to party with me or what!?!?  RSVP to a really cool, real food picnic NOW!

ps

and when i say "NOW" you must say it in jack's voice - 24 is coming back!!!  seriously.

sheep's yogurt pancakes

sheep's milk yogurt is delish

i make pancakes once a week for the kids on an school morning.  it really doesn't take too much time (i used to only make waffles or pancakes on the weekends) and i always have leftovers to pop in the toaster for the next morning.  i am in love with these babies because they are packed full of protein and the kids really enjoy them.  i was thinking they'd be getting great probiotics too, but then learned that the heat will kill the cultures.  boo.   so, i'm going to check out some of these sweet yogurt recipes to try my hand at "cooking with cultures" for the fam.

i found my tub-o-yogurt at whole foods.  i can just hear jim gaffigan yelling at me... have you seen his new comedy routine, "dad is fat"?  it's pretty much all about food... funny stuff.

Baaaaaaaaaa-a-a-a-a-a yogurt pancakies
inspo from yogurt pancakes

2 c gluten free artisanal flour mix
2 T organic sugar
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tub (16 oz) sheep's milk yogurt
2 eggs (pastured, organic... the best darn local quality you can find)
3/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla

whisk dry ingredients together.  add wet ingredients and mix until well combined.  place some batter globs on a hot, coconut oiled skillet and go to town.

finito benito.

day 240 - abbie update - our food and ADHD

abbie stalled a little and she's back on track.  it's funny how i get complacent and let things "slide" because everything is going so well.  then i begin to notice that abbie's irritable, arguing with me all of the time and just not herself again.  this time around there were two things i needed to adjust.  i started buying strawberries again and giving them to her in every lunch and for dessert at night.  they are very high in salicylates which is the culprit i think.  i am not eliminating them from her diet, i'm just not going to go bonkers on them like i did for awhile.  i also figured out her breakfasts were not hearty enough.  i added back in some protein here and there (turkey bacon, protein powder in smoothies, chicken & apple sausage links) and she responded immediately.

abbie went through her final reading testing for the year.  she has finished her 1st grade year at independent reading level I and level K instructional.  it was a crazy celebration the other night.  she got the special plate for dinner.  we could not be more proud of her and more thankful for the support of her teachers and administrators.

never in my wildest dreams did i think my little abbie would start out 1st grade at level A and get to level I sitting in those intervention meetings and hearing about her struggle at the beginning of the year.  it was like pulling teeth to get her to sit still, not moan and read with me.  torture.  that sure was the best thunderstorm of our life.  this sun feels so good.  summer is almost here!!

found some goodies for you today!

i didn't realize that my favorite morning radio talk show host has a similar story to mine!

kathy hart on how she investigated environmental links to her son's ADHD

thanks cathleen and lucas for sending this article clipping to me!

here are some great tuesday links on how a food change can help with ADHD, irritability and sensory processing:

the role of diet and behaviour in childhood

alternative ADHD treatment: can diet ease symptoms?

can diet changes really improve ADHD? another mom's story

happy reading my little nerds

xoxo

hot mamas - whole fish grilling with christina

these are about the only whole fishies that have ever made their way into my house.  these wooden guys grace my front porch now that i have finally taken the winter decorations to the attic.  don't even say it... it's probably my fault chicago has had such a late spring.  last night i took down the voo doo vintage snow skis from my mantel.   sorry about that.

kurt & christina, i think you're gonna have to come over and do this with me.  i'm not sure if i have the gumption yet.  but you've got me thinking...  i could definitely do this, sooner than later... someday...

***

When you see fish fillets at the grocery store, you usually have no idea what the fish even looks like that that fillet is from, sometimes they are VERY ugly (google "monk fish", now that is a seriously ugly fish!)  I urge you not the be afraid of the beautiful whole fish sitting right there in front of you!  A great starting fish is the red snapper.  It is mild, smallish and hard to screw up!!  

When choosing a fresh fish look for the following:

1.  If it is not gutted yet, please ask the fish counter guy to gut it for you, they will. Trust me, you don't want to have to do this at home!  

2.  Look for clear eyes, this means the fishy is fresh.

3.  Ask to smell the fish, no really ASK.  It should smell like the sea with a tiny fish smell.

4.  If you don't know or are nervous to pick out your own, ask when it came in or for the fish monger to pick out the best one for you.  Around the Mundelein area, I really prefer Sunset Foods in Libertyville.  The guys that work behind the counter know their stuff, are super helpful, and their fish is the best in the area.

Ingredients:

2 medium snapper, cleaned

1 lemon, sliced into disks

1 orange, sliced into disks

few sprigs of italian parsley, thyme, and oregano

salt

pepper

Olive oil

Directions:

Lay the fish out on a cookie sheet.

With a knife, lightly score through the skin on both sides.

Coat the outer skin on both sides in olive oil, salt and pepper.

In the cavity of the fish lay out a layer of citrus and a few sprigs of each herb.

My hubby prefers to use a charcoal grill and cook indirectly but you can use your gas grill too.

Lay the fish right on the grates, cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side.  during this time DO NOT TOUCH THE FISH!!!!! If you try to move the fish before the side is cooked, it will start to fall apart.

Flip over and cook another 4-5 minutes.  It is done when the liquids run clear and the fish begins to flake.

Once it is on a clean plate, you can carefully peel off the skin, it should pull right off.  Then run your fork or knife along the fillet and it should come off in pieces.  NOTE> be careful of bones, they are very small and almost clear.  I always pick through before I give to my kids!

Super yummy, healthy, and not many dirty dishes!!!  We served it with grilled, whole artichokes and my raw zucchini salad - I threw that in for ya too!!  Best part of this meal, everything is cooked out side!  Perfect for Summer on a hot day!

Raw zucchini salad

* this is a great recipe for kids to help with!!

Ingredients:

2 zucchini

1/2 lemon, juiced

olive oil

salt pepper

maybe some red wine vinegar if you want

Directions:

With your vege peeler slice the zucchini in long ribbons, you do this by running the peeler down the length of the zucchini and add into a bowl.

Once both are peeled add the juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  (I toss with my hands or have the kiddos help to that).

Let sit for 30 minutes, the acid in the lemon will break down the zucchini a bit and it softens.  

Taste and flavor additionally to your personal taste, maybe add some vinegar if you want a little more tang.  You can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese when you serve.

***

thanks hot mama!!  i wrote this recipe down in my little book. 

i think we're having a whole fish fry on the lake soon:) 

happy monday fun-day.

xoxo

now showing: homemade gumption "butter" and food revolution long grove is here!

today is the happy ending post from yesterday's loss of fake butter.  i'm literally typing as fast as i can to post this morning and sing it to the mullies.  

you might have noticed i like sara bareilles' music.  well, she just happens to be in chicago tonight at the Park West and well of course there's a song to play of hers for my post today.  i just listened to this in the car and i thought, oh this is perfect... getting over my margarine habit... perfect.  THEN, i looked up the video and realized that somebody is having some fun with me right now because this is how i imagine real food taking over the world.  our drops hitting people behind sara, jamie o, all the food ambassadors out there with me and our new ambassador teammate, briana cardone.  yup that's right, i'm crazy.  and now i have someone to have a brave food fight with.  

food revolution long grove is here baby!  i can't wait to introduce you to briana.  she'll be helping to put our food revolution community picnic event together on may 17th and it's going to be even bigger and better with her on board.  whoop whoop!

please enjoy this oh so perfect food revolution video.  i hope that sara doesn't mind me calling it that, but then i think it's the point of her sweet video.  i sure wish i could dance with her tonight.  so put your earbuds in and start dancing in your seat, around your kitchen or wherever you are and join our little party that's getting started.  

briana, let's make a video someday:)  i hope you can dance girl.  my favorite part is the ending... make sure you watch the whole kit and kaboodle.

sara bareilles - gonna get over you

here's what happened after lunch yesterday.

my dad and i called earth balance and were reassured that they were in the process of getting non-gmo certified   the customer service rep did not know about the article and said, "you can't believe everything you read on the internet."  whether the article's claims are true or false, i will no longer be buying margarine (i am over it) and i was still thinking about what i would find to replace it.  dad and i went through the comments of the article together and what did we find at the very end?  

the holy grail of butter.

the easiest, most delicious homemade-raw-vegan-butter recipe you'll ever make... infinite periods.  notes:  i subbed pink himalayan sea salt.  

all hardened up just like buttah.  this recipe makes the equivalent to two sticks.

last night, i cooked with gumption (meaning no recipe books) and the ghee made its first debut.

now i know why it's called clarified butter... it's really lovely melted in the pan.  i was in the zone and completely forgot to take pictures as i went.  so here is the finished plate, my too toasty garlic bread and all.

i know i know, lemons are not good to eat, but i just couldn't resist.  abbie and mac cleaned their plates.  we had to cheer tommy on, eventually he cleared his plate minus a few scallop bites (which chris and i happily ate).  i am so happy.  can you tell?  i only have a small leftover container of green beans.  they've all tried scallops before, but didn't remember them.  the kids actually took a bite without fearing a lightening strike.  i'm going to remember this night to get me through the next night of whines...

ghee is my new best friend.  it's a cooking dreamboat.

scallops sautéed in ghee
2 T ghee melted in pan
1lb large wild caught scallops
s&p
tequila lime seasoning (optional)

heat oil on med high and place scallops to sear on one side for 1-2 minutes.  flip and cook on the other side.  watch super careful to not overcook.  just before they were done, i took a teansy bit of s&p and tequila lime seasoning and sprinkled the tops.

steamed green beans with homemade butter and garlic salt
frozen organic green beans
1/4 c water
1 T homemade butter
garlic salt

place water and beans in a covered pot and steam for about 5-6 minutes.  toss occasionally.  season with 1 T of butter and a sprinkling of garlic salt.

easy roasted new potatoes 
1/2 bag organic new potatoes
2 T organic evoo
herbes de provence
s&p

preheat oven to 400 degrees. clean and dice up potatoes.  place on pan and toss with evoo, herbes, s&p.  eyeball everything.  cook for 20 min and toss.  cook additional 15 minutes or until starting to crisp up.  (btw, i have stopped using aluminum foil thanks to briana.  she is a chef and does not cook with it as it leeches the darn metal into your food and then your body... hello, gonzos!!  so now i use my silpat.  who cares about another pan to clean?  thanks girl.)

as for my new "butter", it passed the garlic bread test with flying colors (except i didn't pass it with my broiling skills... seriously, you'd think i could time it right with out burning my house down! argh!) and it also passed the breakfast toast test this morning.

this butter stuff is for real.  now go make some already!

xoxo

bye bye fake foods

i feel the tape between my glasses today and i turned my printer on.  oh and maybe i'll warm up my arm and perhaps my jump shot too to get some fake food into my garbage can... 

some good info to watch, read and chew on today.

alleged food dye, ADHD link - CBS reports

i just printed this for my purse:  bookmark this food additive cheat sheet

birke baehr's TED speech

birke baehr is 11 years old and i love his ted speech helping to educate us on why we need know where our food is coming from.  when my kids hear another kid talking about real food, they listen.  i do too.

when i started our food change, i had no idea what a genetically modified ingredient was.  i consider this our phase 2 of cleaning out my fridge and pantry:  a gmo shopping guide.

i keep wanting to put my fingers in my ears and squeeze my eyes shut tight and say, la la la la la la la... just block it all out.  it's so overwhelming to try and safely navigate the grocery store.  i just keep plugging along here.

news flash:  a recent story about earth balance products just hit the waves (thank you megan for bringing to my attention) and i'm just so frustrated.  this gets us mamas HOT.  meg is a parent of a child with severe allergies and clean products are so hard to come by!

i knew that the earth balance soy free buttery spread wasn't "real" because it was in essence a processed margarine spread.  but it boasts its products to be "non-gmo" and "natural" so i was willing to give it a pass since i have been avoiding soy and dairy with the kids: earth balance non-gmo committment.  we've been happily buying the soy free buttery spread and the vegan buttery sticks for over 7 months now.  i have made many many things with earth's balance spread and buttery sticks.  it tastes good, cooks & bakes well.  it's hard to give up the idea of "butter".

when i read this yesterday, i just put my head in my hands.

earth balance betrays consumers with false gmo claims

i really feel duped!!  what can i believe?  are they telling the truth or not?  the comments are certainly interesting.

so here's where i'm at now.  it's just not real enough for my family anymore.  i'm moving on.  true or false, i'm done.

hello coconut oil, i love you more every day.  i started researching and learning about my oils this morning and here are some great links i have bookmarked:

a handy cooking oil comparison guide

U of K integrative medicine's amazing cooking oil guide - this one is the best i've ever read - printing!

i'm going to try something new.  something i've read about but just disregarded because it sounded so darn weird.  ghee.  i bought my first glass tub and i'm pretty excited about experimenting with it.  i want to avoid dairy lactose and casein and since this does not have either, it might just fit the mullies bill.

i tried putting it on mac's toast yesterday and he did not like it.  darnit!!  so i'm going to try it in other things:  cooking & baking and perhaps someday they might get used to the slightly different taste.  i personally think it has a lovely taste and am very intrigued...  i'll keep you posted on my new ghee adventures:)  

byebye fake food...  did i tell you i love to throw things? 

xoxo

ps

liz, kate, caryl, courtney and carrie that video was for you.  go cats!!!!!

leftover magic - veggie quinoa to pizza bites with homemade applesauce and ranch

sometimes i struggle with figuring out what to make for dinner.  i was craving pizza and decided to give this recipe inspo a whirl:  quinoa pizza bites - a little gem off pinterest.

i thawed out the extra veggie and quinoa mixture i had used both for a stuffed pepper night and a soup night.  oh man was i happy to have this on hand.

this is the sheep's mlk cheese we've been using (very sparingly).  the loud mooooooooooo that used to be in my kitche is now a very quiet baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

the only thing i will be changing next time is to mix up most of the cheese in the quinoa mixture like the recipe says and then save some to sprinkle on top.  i had the entire muffin pan filled when i realized i had left out the cheese... oh well, i just covered them all and it turned out just fine.

homemade applesauce 
mullies notes:
6 organic gala apples
1/2 c coconut palm sugar (this stuff rocks)
eyeballed cinnamon
eyeballed ground all spice

as for the ranch... well, that one is a crazy hit in the house.  i am happy to report i'll never buy it from the store again.  it's from gwen p's it's all good.  i wish i could reprint it for you...  sorry charlies:)   i searched around awhile to find another simple 5 ingredient vegan ranch recipe (couldn't find one!) and thought this might come close to being pretty tasty if you don't have the book:

homemade ranch dressing

all gonzos... with our fav bottle of vino:)

oh my word i.love.to.eat.

high fives mom!

did you notice the carrots with the green tops kept on them?  yup, they were a major hit.  MAJOR.  the entire bag was eliminated by the end of dinner.

what's up doc?!

green thumbs with a fervent foodie

oh my word look at those babies!!!  becky, you must tell me more...

***

Started my seedlings a few weeks ago to try my hand at growing some lettuce varieties, herbs & cherry tomatoes!  Here is my indoor greenhouse tray on windowsill!  All organic seeds & soil matter:)  My husband hopes to start building outdoor planters for me soon.  See those little green sprouts already?  Whooo hoooooo!

Since our food change in Jan, I have great news to report!  He is OFF of his blood pressure meds, has had no headaches in a couple of months, is down 41lbs and bought all new pants last week... from a 36" waist to a 32"!!!!!  What success all around.  Thanx for all your information along the way.  It really helped.


***

holy mackerals you two hotties... i am so impressed and so inspired - i think i am going to start a cooking herb garden this summer.  i'm really needing to cut back on the amount of flowers i get (can't bust my budget) and perhaps that could be a great way to cut back on spending all around!

gotta shine up my green thumb, it's been in mittens for toooooooo long...  bye bye chicago winter!!!

i am loving this link on edible gardening tips.  cheers to getting dirt in our fingernails and the new adventures of eating what we grow.  i can't hardly wait:)

lovely links to gardening and avoiding pesticides

and one of my favorite programs e.v.e.r:

the edible schoolyard project

off to play in the sunshine... it's my birthday today and i have to say, each year that passes by is better than the last...  lucky lucky lady i am

xoxo

the mullies is food revolutionizing - a YMCA Healthy Kids Day

i am headed to my first official event as a food ambassador & blogger tomorrow!  hang on to your fanny packs campers, it's countdown to food revolution day 2013!

Foglia YMCA Healthy Kids Day

this is a free event with loads of activities to get families moving, learning and living healthier lifestyles.  chris is bringing the kids along to play while i meet and greet families at the vendor area.  here is the schedule of events i grabbed off of their blog.

Schedule of events

10-12:00 p.m. Free Raffles, Prizes, Giveaways!

10-12:00 p.m. Children’s Obstacle Course

10-12:00 p.m. Indoor Rockwall Climbing for kids & adults

10-12:00 p.m. Moon Bounce

10-12:00 p.m. Touch-A-Truck

10-12:00 p.m. New York Life- ID tags & fingerprinting for kids

10-12:00 p.m. Healthy Snacks

10-12:00p.m. Healthy Vendors from the community on display

11-11:30a.m. Family Walk

if you're in the area, i hope you can come say hello and check out the action.  it should be a hoot!


spring might actually show her face this weekend in chicagoland... 

i think i can smell a cookout in the works!!!  

ps

thinking about a spring cleaning of your kitchen this weekend?  check this handy article out:

which food additives make kids behave badly

light it up - an april food revolution blog of the month

sara bareilles - the light

play play play...

light is a funny thing isn't it?

where you find it.  how you lose it sometimes.  how you get it back.

the light shines when you know you're in the right place at the right time.  the tinglies happen.

i look for the light in people's eyes.  it makes you feel just like the sun when it hits you, enters you and reflects off.

nothing else seems to matter when you find a passion that lights you up.  perspectives shift.  it plugs you in and you search for more.  doors open and sunlight flickers in.  you forget the buns in the oven.

i love lighting people up.  i love being silly.  i love to dance.  i love inspiring and being inspired.  i love learning and teaching.  i love jumping in with two feet.  i love the anticipation of a big game.

i am totally lit up today to be the april food revolution blog of the month.  i am twirling in a flowy skirt with my hands to the sky and the sun on my face.  no sunscreen needed today:)

i want more than anything else to light up my kids, my husband, my family and friends.  and now, how fun to spread some of this energy outside my cozy little bubble wrap.  thank you food revolution for bestowing such an honor on my little blog that shares my ever evolving life in the kitchen.  i am thrilled to join such a wonderful group of bloggers dedicated to bringing the message of real food to all.

it's a torch i will carry proudly.

thank you jamie oliver.  thank you for sharing your light and for starting the food revolution.  you've weathered a lot of storms doing this and i'm hoping the light and love reflecting all over the world this month will find you and make you feel just like the sun on may 17th.

light it up baby.

xoxo

high fives - homemade veggie stock & celery soup

so i made my celery soup again the other day and tweaked it further which i'm so tickled about sharing with you today!!  here is my original post if you'd like to go back in time.  i was about to pour out the water i boiled all the veggies in and a little voice in my head yelled, STOP!  collaborate and listen...save it you fool...it's organic vegetable stock!  so then i proceeded to fill every container i had and shoved them all over my fridge.  the next day i realized there was no way i would be using it soon and i did not want my hard work to spoil.  so i googled the best way to freeze homemade stock and came up with this little gem:

how to use canning jars in the freezer

my sister in law gave me these lovelies for christmas and i cannot wait to use the crazy cute tops & striped paper straws for summer cocktails.

hello!  i had no idea i could freeze mason jars... i had visions of exploded contents all over my freezer... glad to know i'm just crazy with my imagination:)

vegan celery soup (orinigal recipe inspo found here)
this recipe will yield a double batch of veggies to freeze for later.

1 bag organic celery
1 organic celery root (didn't have it this time)
1 lb mixed organic potatoes (i had both red and yellow)
1 organic leek (most of green stems discarded - i chop & place in a separate bowl of water to rinse the grime)
1 organic fennel bulb with stems and fronds
- chop veggies in similar sized pieces and boil in salted water until potatoes are tender.  this water will turn into your veggie stock!

5 T organic coconut oil divided
1 yellow organic onion diced
2 c organic mushrooms sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 T gluten free flour blend
1 can light or full fat coconut milk (whichever you fancy)
2-3 cups of veggie stock water

- melt 2 T of the coconut oil and saute veggies until soft.  build a rue: melt and whisk in the additional 3 T of coconut oil and 3 T of gluten-free flour (i linked you to a great tutorial if you are clueless with rue making... i sure was before).  alternate whisking in about 1/2 can of the coconut milk and equal parts hot veggie water from the other pot.  keep alternating until you have enough liquid.  just eye ball it...the total liquid amount to add is somewhere between 4-5 cups.  add in 1/2 of the cooked veggies, cover and cook on low for about 20 minutes.  optional: use a hand held emersion blender and blend to desired texture.  i like my soup pureed with some hearty lumps of veggies here and there.

1/2 T white pepper
1 T oregano
*add in old bay seasoning to taste... this is the taste clincher here folks, just do it!!
s&p to taste

remove the rest of veggies from the stock pot and freeze (i am so happy to not have to do that part next time!!)  once the veggie stock has cooled, fill up your jars and you'll be all set for your next recipe adventure.

oh i'm just feeling all julia child over here now:) ...high five to the self!

hot mamas - inspiring gluten-free crepes

super excited to have a hot mama guest post today!  dawn has been making gradual moves into a food change for her family and i am celebrating with her today over crepes - her family is hooked!

this song is on my "cook you fool" playlist which goes on every night to turn the happy light on in my head.  sometimes, i'm pumped to cook, sometimes the dog's are barking.  i heard it first walking on the treadmill at the Y the other day.   i'm sure people were wondering why i was smiling like an idiot staring off into space... i of course was thinking about cooking, all the rain we've been getting here in chicago and the guts that it takes to start making a food change.

"let it rain", be brave and fearless.  sara wrote this song when she was scared out of her mind to make an album.  well, i'm sure glad she did...it's one of my favorites:)

this is for dawn and for all the hotties out there making small changes in their homes.

you gotta love it.

sara bareilles - let the rain

take it away dawn...

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Here are my pics of the crepe making!  These are so yummy for breakfast OR dessert!  I just need to get the "gluten free" vanilla and then these will be totally gluten free.  Ben of course loves the homemade whipped cream!!  They are really awesome - I'm going to make them for dessert one day when I have a party or something.

My husband Sam said there was a stand in Breckenridge where they actually make the crepes and stuff them with whatever u want.  Sounds so good!

Thanks Lindsey for inspiring me!!

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holy mackerel does that look good... i want to lick the spatula too...

the crepe, whipped cream and raspberry sauce recipes can all be found in peter and kelli's gluten free artisanal glutenifree cooking cookbook - here is a blogpost about it.  yet another reason that book will never leave our kitchens.

it's funny how the inspiring goes...i inspire her, she inspires me...i haven't made the crepes yet and oh boy do i hope to be tackling them this week.

this is super hot stuff, thank you SO MUCH my dear:)

"let the rain come down and make a brand new ground." 


keep rocking it out.

xoxo