Pizza Burrito Casserole

I made these for supper tonight & they were a huge hit! I've made taco versions & breakfast versions so I thought, why not a pizza version. Who says pizza has to be on a crust :)

Pizza Burrito Casserole

1 package whole spelt wraps

2 lb. grass-fed hamburger, browned

1 small package uncured pepperoni

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 small can mushrooms, chopped

1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1-1 1/2 cup pizza sauce

-brown hamburger & add pepperoni, peppers, onions, mushrooms & 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. You can add as many or as little ingredients as you like. These are just the ingredients that we like. Fill the wraps  & place in a 9x13 greased pan. Cover the wraps evenly with the pizza sauce. Cover the pan with foil & bake at 350' for 30-40 minutes, uncover & top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven till the cheese is all melted.

Enjoy!

vegetable beef soup

Okay, so it's not Tuesday but I have another recipe for you all.

I can't take the credit for this one either, but it is delicious & I  can't keep it to myself. 

I've been canning veggie soup for years & apparently I've been doing it all wrong :) 

My friend shared this one with me one day over lunch & I had to make some of my own.

It has such a full bodied flavor without being over-the-top. So without further ado...:)

Vegetable Beef Soup

4lbs. roast

4-5 quart tomato juice

2-3 quart beef broth

1 quart each of;

carrots, chopped

peas or green beans 

corn

celery, chopped

navy beans

2c. onions, chopped

1Tbs. chili powder

1/2c. maple syrup

3Tbs. sea salt

-cook the roast in a crock pot, on low for 8-10hrs. pull apart into small pieces & set aside. In a large stock pot combine tomato juice,  beef broth, maple syrup & chili seasoning & salt. Add veggies & roast & simmer till broth thickens slightly. When desired thickness is reached, pour into jars & cold pack in a hot water bath for 3 hours.

-The beef broth is what makes this recipe so delicious! And the chili seasoning gives it the perfect balance of warmth.

enjoy!

The one where I vent & share random summer-time photos of my family.

Disclaimer: This is where I vent & then feel better. Some people write it all down & it's soothing for them to put it all on paper & walk away. Blogging about our journey is my way coping, my way of being OK with it all again. I do this for me.

Today was one of those days where there were lots of highs & lows. Starting first thing this morning when River came to our bedside & says, "I'm going to throw up mommy, my tummy hurts"

I grab him & run for the nearest bathroom-talk about hitting the ground running, at 6:00am no less!

And when he couldn't, I tucked him into some cozy blankets & we snuggled/tried to go back to sleep on the couch....then about 6:45 I get my 2nd wake up call from Asher who wants his warm(organic) chocolate milk bottle-yeah, I'm that mom-the one who feeds her child chocolate for breakfast.

Moving on...

Then it was time to call in reinforcements (daddy) to get the others up & ready for school while I bathed the stinky sick one...Then I come into the kitchen just as the big kids are heading out for the bus & realize lunches had not been packed! As I lovingly scowl at my better half, he says ever so kindly, "I'll help you get their lunches ready & run them down to school before they even know what they're missing"...hes pretty awesome like that.

Then about 10:00 I open the front door to see a friend with a handful of Walnutcreek Cheese donuts, wanting to help me for the day!!!! She baked 4 big, puffy loaves of organic sprouted spelt bread for me & helped me clean my bathrooms-thanks Gen!

She left about 2:30 & thats when the 3yr old wakes up with a screaming fever of 103.0!

The only thing ready for supper was a salad that Gen put together before she left & now I have a 3yr. old who wants nothing but to be snuggled till all the ouchies go away & a mommy who wants to do just that, but there is supper to prepare...

6 months ago I would have grabbed the phone & called the nearest pizza joint to deliver supper so I could snuggle my sick baby to his hearts content,but that wasn't going to happen cause there are exactly 3 people in the house that aren't supposed to have pizza unless it's homemade organic sprouted pizza.

This is where anger starts creeping in. Anger at the situation we've been put in. Anger that there are food limitations. Anger that all the food I worked so hard to prepare for my freezer & cellar last summer/fall are mostly things I can't use due to the new diet changes. So there are zero convenient foods in the house. Everything is made from scratch & there is nothing that I can just throw in the oven.

I make supper while sick one lays on the couch alone snuggled in his blankets & we eventually all sit down to eat. 

By this time little man's meds had started working & he was feeling well enough to sit & eat a few bites with us.

God must have known I needed a mood lifter & a good laugh cause during supper, our oldest, who usually dominates the dinner table conversations, was on a roll with all his stories from school..

Thats when we hear little pounding fists on the table & River saying, "I NEED TO TALK NOW!"

Someone was feeling left out :)

A little later, after supper(there was a 6yr. old who was NOT happy with his dinner) we were sitting in the living room when I remembered that I had found a Domino packet of sugar in the bathroom earlier today while cleaning. When said 6yr old discovered that he'd been found out he has a complete meltdown & says, "I'm tired of organic food!, I want REAL food!" 

I'm so thankful that God knows exactly what we need, when we need it...& tonight I needed some really good laughs & they came in the form of my exasperated children whom I love most dearly. 

So my prayer tonight is that tomorrow brings children that are feeling well. A mommy who is a little more organized with her meals. And a fun snowed-in day with my family! 

Turkey Pot Pie

I'm just barely getting the recipe posted Tuesday evening. With the kiddos not having had school since last week Thursday, my days have been considerably more busy. 

Tonight we had Turkey Pot Pie for supper & surprisingly enough the kids gobbled it up without a fuss(they don't like mixed together food) Maybe it was just the promise of homemade ice cream if they clear their plates first :)

Turkey Pot Pie

2T. organic butter

2 medium carrots, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 1/2c. peas

2-3 medium potatoes, diced

2-3T. sprouted flour

1 quart turkey with broth

2 1/2-3c. broth-I used chicken broth

sea salt & pepper to taste

Crust;

1c. Pamela's baking & pancake mix

1/4c. organic butter, melted

1 egg

2/3c heavy cream

-In a medium size dutch oven, saute' carrots, potatoes & onions in butter. Add sprouted flour. stir till all flour has been incorporated. add the broth slowly, stirring constantly till desired thickness is reached. Add turkey & peas.

For the crust mix all ingredients till smooth & drizzle over the top of the filling. Place in the oven uncovered at 350' till the crust becomes a nice golden color or a toothpick inserted, comes out clean.

I had a little helper making supper tonight. His favorite thing is to have his step stool right beside mamma, in the kitchen, helping with whatever I'm baking or cooking for that day. 

I love how his little tongue sticks out in concentration :)

This is what the Pamela's baking mix looks like. If you're local you can pick it up at New Horizon Naturals in Millersburg. 

This is my go-to mix that I use in place of Bisquick.

I should have taken the time to make a pie crust to top it with but to be honest, I used to always buy the Pillsbury, ready made refrigerated pie crusts & they turned out perfect every time but since we've gone mostly gluten free or sprouted, that is no longer an option & homemade pie crusts scare me just a little.

If you have a tried & true(every time) pie crust that you'd like to share with me, using sprouted flours or gluten free, I would be much obliged :) 

Have a blessed Tuesday-whats left of it :)!

Spicy Chili & Cornbread

One of my favorite meals on a cold winter evening is a big bowl of spicy chili & cornbread, it warms you from the inside out. If you don't like spicy foods, then just omit the chipotle chili seasoning in the recipe. We love spicy at our house :)

Spicy Chili

1T. organic butter

2lb. ground, pastured chicken(or beef)

1 small organic onion, chopped

1 organic sweet belle pepper

2T. organic sprouted flour

1T. chipotle chili seasoning

1 1/2T. cumin

1/4t. black pepper

1 1/2t. sea salt

28oz. can organic crushed tomatoes

15oz. can organic tomato sauce

15oz. water

1 pint organic black beans(already cooked)

-Brown the ground chicken in 1T. butter till browned. Add onion & belle pepper & saute' till veggies are tender. Mix all seasonings with the sprouted flour & stir into ground chicken. Add crushed tomatoes, sauce, beans & water. Let simmer for at least a half hour before serving.The longer it simmers, the fuller the flavor is.

-You can swap the black beans for any other legume of choice, we prefer the black beans or chili beans.

-If you're local, you can buy the organic canned tomatoes at Wooster Wal-mart for almost the same price as the non-organic.

Cornbread

1 1/2c. organic cornmeal

1 1/2c. organic sprouted flour

1t. baking soda

1t. sea salt

1 1/4c.organic buttermilk

4T. organic butter, melted

2T. raw, local honey

3 eggs

-Mix all ingredients. Generously coat the inside of a 12in. cast iron pan till the butter is bubbly. Pour in the cornbread mixture & place into an oven thats been preheated to 350' till lightly golden brown. 

- The extra step of heating the pan before pouring in the batter makes that you get a yummy brown crustiness to the bottom of the cornbread.

-This recipe was given to me from a friend who has been a huge part of my learning to cook healthy & wholesome food for my family.

-The chili is delicious with a large dollop of organic sour cream & shredded cheddar cheese & we love the corn bread drizzled with honey!

...Why buy organic? Did you know that 80% of the food that Americans consume, are GMO foods?

Did you know, if we continue to eat GMO foods, each new generation will need to deal with more & new handicaps & illnesses? The affects of genetically modified foods can be reversed if we change the way we eat now, buying & eating organic, whole foods for our families. Most countries ban GMO foods that are promoted in the United states....Didn't intend to get all "food police" on ya, but the more I read how important proper nutrition is for a healthy body & with all the health issues that our family is dealing with right now...It's pretty important. I used to be one of the biggest skeptics when it came to organic anything, thinking it's just a money making scheme where people rip you off  to make money on the same thing you can buy down the street for less. But I see it differently now. Nothing like cancer & other illnesses to open my eyes to the truth. You can be eating a so-called healthy diet, but if you're not eating non-GMO, then there is nothing healthy about it. I wanted to share a link on GMO foods & blogger isn't cooperating with me. If I can get it to post to Facebook, you can read it there.

Happy Eating :)



GF Granola Bars & Chipotle Chili Chicken Wraps

I really shouldn't commit myself to a certain day of the week when it comes to posting the wholesome foods recipe series...I've missed the last 2 weeks so I'm going to try & catch up by sharing 2 new recipes today.

The first one I'm sharing is a favorite of ours but I can't take credit for the recipe though. My friend Grace shared it with me & it's become a go-to recipe for me. Our kids are snackers & I've learned if there isn't junk food in the house, they will reach for the good & healthy stuff :)

GF Granola Bars

Melt on low heat...

1/2c organic almond or peanut butter

1/3c raw local honey

1/4c coconut oil 

Remove from heat & add...

2 1/2c GF whole oats

1/2c unsweetened coconut

1c dried fruit, nuts or dark chocolate chips

-These need to be refrigerated or they become soft. I chill them, then cut them into 1inch strips, wrap them in plastic wrap & put them in a basket in the refrigerator.

-I often double the recipe & spread the mixture into 2 brownie pans.

-If you're using almond butter, it pairs well with  dried fruit. If you're using peanut butter, the dark chocolate chips taste great.

Chipotle Chili Chicken Wraps

2lb. pastured chicken breast strips

chipotle chili seasoning

sea salt to taste

1/4lb farmers cheese, shredded

1/4lb mild cheddar, shredded

1 head of organic romaine lettuce, cleaned & ripped into large pcs.

organic sour cream

2pkgs of 6, Spelt wraps

-place the wraps in foil & place in the oven on a low temp, just to heat them through while cooking the chicken.

-season both sides of chicken with chipotle chili seasoning & cook in a frying pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil or organic butter till cooked through.

-load up your wraps & enjoy!

-I purchased the spelt wraps & chipotle chili seasoning at Whole Foods.

I made the Chipotle Chili Chicken Wraps last night for dinner & they were approved by all & that is a major accomplishment for my family of 7.

I hope you enjoy & have a blessed day!

Happy New Year!

Maybe I'm getting old...Maybe I'm maturing :)...cough.  But this New years Eve I wanted to just be at home, surrounded by my family, put the kiddos to bed at a decent hour & if the ball drops while I sleep, then so be it.

This past week has been the most "normal" week since finding out that Andy has cancer, about 4months ago. I'm praying we have many more weeks just like this in the next 4months...

There is something about a new year that brings HOPE, a FRESH START. I'm so ready to leave 2013 behind. I plan to start 2014 pretty slow...making & taking more time for me. Continue living a healthier lifestyle, seeking deeper relationships with my Heavenly Father, my husband & my children.

 

 

 

Yesterday I received these two lovelies in the mail...

Once the kiddos hit the hay, this is what I'll be doing :)

 

The magazines reminded me that I had taken some photos of our Main living room area this past Summer & never did get around to posting them. With the New Year ahead of us, I thought I'd share them now.

Painting almost our entire home white was probably the best design decision I've ever made. I love changing things up & keeping it fresh & new. A few yards of fabric, change out the pillow covers & we're good to go. And the all white palette allows me to do that frequently & have a new look without breaking the bank!

 

 

 

Since taking these photos, I've changed out the orange chevron for Jade & love it!

 

 

 

Plain white lamp shade, purchased on sale at Target...I got my mom to do the lettering in pencil & I traced it with a sharpie, one of my favorite old hymns. The love of God, How rich & pure. How measureless & strong...

 

 

 

An old velvet chair I found beside the road...

 

 

 

An old desk I scored off Bargain Hunter's Unite for 30.00 I believe...one of my favorite purchases of 2013!

 

 

 

Just posting these photos is inspiring me to bring up that box of fabrics & Rubbermaid labeled Decor' and do some more "renovating."

If you have a blank canvas to work with, it doesn't take much to change it up!

Maybe my magazines will inspire me further when I get a chance to pour over their pages later this evening...:)

 

Happy New Year!