Chicken noodle soup from scratch!

FINALLY, I have been aspiring to make this simple, yet time consuming (but ohh so worth it!) dish for months now!  The main drawback is how time consuming it is, and well, I put off buying a stock pot for so long.  Yesterday my daughter and I were feeling so under the weather and after having just received news from the doctor that I have gastritis and need to eat a bland diet, chicken noodle soup sounded perfect!  I asked my friend if she had a stock pot I could borrow and she did, so I got to the store and bought all my ingredients.  The veggies and herbs were all organic and only $10!  The chicken, on the other hand I did not want to skimp on, so I bought the best chicken there is.  Draper Valley Farms organic chicken!  A WHOLE chicken, I might add.  I have never in my life touched a whole raw chicken and the experience was very enlightening.  There is definitely something to the idea that we are too detached from our food these days.  I took the guts out with my bare hands...and it really wasn't that bad!  So now for the pictures and recipe!

The Stock

• 1 whole free-range chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, giblets discarded
• 2 carrots, cut in large chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
• 2 large white onions, quartered
• 1 head of garlic, halved
• 1 turnip, halved
• 1/4 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Place the chicken and vegetables in a large stockpot over medium heat. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 3 quarts); too much will make the broth taste weak. Toss in the thyme, bay leaves, andpeppercorns, and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, partially covered, until the chicken is done. As it cooks, skim any impurities that rise to the surface; add a little more water if necessary to keep the chicken covered while simmering.

Carefully remove the chicken to a cutting board. When its cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones; hand-shred the meat into a storage container.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock immediately or if you plan on storing it, place the pot in a sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze.

Yield: 2 quarts

The Soup:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 quarts chicken stock, recipe follows
• 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

the chicken carnage:

I'm a Foodie...

I am learning the key to enjoying salads is to google.  Google kind of makes my world go 'round...I'd go as far to say that I am a google expert.  I actually have friends and family who call me and ask me questions because they know I rock at the internet.  I may try to market myself someday and charge money for this, that's how good I am.  Ok, anyway.  Enough bragging.  Find out what other people like.  Allrecipes.com is a great resource.  I am not a salad eater.  I have only ever eaten Caesar salads and have never appreciated trying new strange things on salads.  Like currants.  What the heck are currants?  Well, thanks to me being adventurous, I discovered they are kind of like a mix between grapes and cherries, only the ones I had are dried like raisins.  Good stuff, I tell ya!  So yes, to the point...earlier in the week I had a bad salad...I thought using parmasean, bacon and strawberries would be good...but it was very much not good.  To avoid making the same mistake again I googled and found some pretty yummy salads.  My favorite make-at-home salad has been hearts of romaine tossed with Annie's raspberry vinagrette dressing, topped with chopped walnuts, feta cheese and sliced apples.  This was one of the best salads I ever had.   I don't have money to buy ingredients for new salads all the time, so I will try to buy stuff for 1 new type of salad a week.

My other new make at home food was salmon.  I've always been really leary of cooking fish in my home.  I've made tilapia before, but anything else I've tried has been a horrible failure.  Luckily I bought the pre-marinated frozen salmon and it's awesome!  I will get more adventurous and buy fresh soon, but as of now I am eating salmon daily so it's nice to always have some!  Pics to be posted soon!

Progress...back on track!

So sorry I have not updated...I am back on track since this past Monday.  I had a horrible time trying to start last weekend but I attribute that to my monthly cycle, it was just bad timing to start something...I felt really sick to my stomach all weekend.  BUT..I started full on Monday and it has been absolutely smooth sailing since then!  I have had no cravings whatsoever and it feels like the easiest transition ever.  I have been reading about eating for your blood type (I'm O+), so I've been trying to focus on incorporating more of those foods into my diet.  Salmon was a new food to me a few weeks ago, but now I am eating it daily.  It is expensive, but knowing that it's probably the best source of protein for me and packed with omega 3's makes it worth it to me.  I haven't bought it fresh yet, I got the frozen vacuum sealed pack from Costco.  I believe it was $20 for 6-7 patties (I got only 6, of course, because I'm so lucky like that).  I've also been eating a lot more breakfast type meals...there is something about eggs that I will never get sick of, they are like a food group to me.  I have been able to find pastured eggs at whole foods but I admit I got the cheap ones this week.

So the good news...it's only Saturday and I'm down 11.2 pounds.  In LESS THAN A WEEK...people...this is crazy!  My mind has shifted a little to weight loss, not away from healthy eating, but I am starting to incorporate them together better, and it's becoming a lot easier.

Sadly I did not get to meet with Lindsay from Passionate Homemaking this week!  My dog got really sick and we were supposed to take him to the vet at that time.  Bummer...I hope she understands and will try another time with me!  I am eager to see her kitchen and learn about things like kefir and kombucha.

In other news I've been going through a lot in my personal life this week....I can't really talk about it..but your prayers are appreciated.  I am struggling.  It's funny to me because normally when something makes me upset or depressed I will drown my sorrows with half a box of pizza.  Not so anymore...not even tempted!  I think I really have experienced a paradigm shift.  Another funny thing--I haven't had the heart to call and cancel with Weight Watchers.  I am not doing the diet, but I love the meetings and the support and I have been debating going back just for the support...wonder if they would kick me out if they found out? Hehe.  I think part of it is that I am craving adult interaction right now, I still haven't met a ton of people and it's been rough.

I will try to update more often, but just to let you know it is in my nature to start things and never finish them.  I think I've started 10 blogs since the birth of the internet.  But, hang in there and check back weekly at least!

Getting back on track

Last week my sister came to visit me from Dallas! This was a great learning opportunity for me in my food journey. Did I eat right while she was here??? Heck no. But I did learn something. I learned that it is ok to eat bad on special occasions and get right back on track afterwards. This, after all, is part of life, and there is no room for things like guilt because I am not on a "diet". And just to let you know, I did not waste any of these experiences with junk food...I stuck to yelp for 4 and 5 star places only and it was a very gastronomically pleasing experience! So, I have back-tracked quite a bit and while my motivation has waned a little, I am committed to a healthier lifestyle. Writing will help my commitment, as will a few good trips to the farmer's market and some more new recipes.

When I started my journey I contacted Lindsay from passionate homemaking. She is kind of a big deal in the real food blog world, and she just so happens to live in Portland! She was nice enough to invite me into her home and teach me more of what she knows and give me some guidance. I haven't met with her yet but hopefully will this week and I will be sure to post all about it.

I am really looking forward to getting back on track and feeling better!!!

Cluck, Moooo

I am as big an animal lover as there ever was.  Last night I watched Food, Inc. for the first time.  Yes, I know, it's been on my list forever but I just don't watch much TV anymore.  I have problems putting down the books (or really the Ipad, where I buy and read all my books!).  The thing that angered me the most from the movie was the chickens.  None of the chickens you see are caged!  So, "cage-free"?  Is it really better?  Nope, just a marketing scheme put on by Tyson.  Not that shocking, really.  They aren't allowed to go outside, instead they are trapped in a giant chicken house and you literally cannot see an inch of ground in it, the chicken population is so dense!  This really made me think twice about buying "cage-free" eggs.  I've heard that before but it didn't click with me until I watched the movie.  If you haven't seen the movie or want to know more about how chickens are farmed by big companies like Tyson, click here.  I now buy pastured chicken eggs, and plan on only buying pastured chickens from now on.  

Cows in industrialized farms fare no better.  These cows are fed a grain-based diet (mainly corn, and soybeans).  This diet creates the perfect breeding ground in the cow's gut for e coli and other illnesses, which are often passed on to humans by consuming this tainted beef.  This is a good read on grass-fed beef here.

Yes, I am becoming one of those crazy Portland nuts who demands to know what farm their food is from.   Here's a funny skit from Portlandia making fun of those nuts.  By the way I would never ask this many questions. haha.

Lunch please!

For lunch I made a yummy salad using leftovers!  I do not like salad dressings because I really like my vegetables to taste like vegetables..which sounds super weird considering I don't really like vegetables much.  But dressings are just too strong and sweet for me generally.  I can get down with a nice light italian dressing, but I decided today to just use olive oil (about 1tbsp) and a freshly squeezed lemon.  I used my leftover zucchini ribbons, some cucumbers (diced because I don't like large things in my salad) and some grated carrots.  YUM.  And that's fire roasted red pepper hummus...delicious!  I think I liked this meal because it was so pretty.  Maybe I will start taking better photos soon!  I wish I had some natural lighting in my kitchen!

One strange thing about my daughter is that since she was able to eat food at about a year old, she has loved lemons.  She makes a face every time but she totally delights in really sour lemons.  Today I had some and told her we could make some fresh lemonade.  I don't have a citrus juicer so I got creative and used the end of a cucumber!!!  It worked like a charm!  If you wonder why I am improvising so much it's because when we moved here 4 months ago we did not bring any kitchen items, so I am still collecting things slowly!  Afterwards she begged for my lemon slice that was on my salad bowl and here's what she did with it.  LEMON MONSTER!!!!  She said it looked like monster teeth!

Tomorrow's post will be about eggs, meat and poultry.  My next cooking challenge is to make my first ever stock...and I will tell you now that I know not the first thing about working with a whole bird.  I'm slightly grossed out and scared, but it will be worth it!

3 egg breakfast omelette

I liked this even more than dinner last night, and then I started to think of the price of each meal and realized how much cheaper this one was!

Stuff you'll need:
3 quality eggs, preferably pastured, but if not then organic free range is the next best thing.
1oz sliced turkey, chopped
1/2 an avocado, chopped
2-3 slices of bacon if you have it (I didn't, sadly!)
1-2 tbsp organic salsa
1oz of cheese (still trying to find good real cheese!)
butter

1. Butter your pan, and crack 3 eggs in it, break yolks and stir up until blended
2. Turn stove on medium
3. Once bottom of omelette has set a little bit put your avocados, turkey and bacon in (or whatever ingredients your have!)
4. After the top starts to set about halfway, attempt to fold in half.  You might get runny egg everywhere but that's ok..it will all cook eventually.
5. Flip over for a minute
6. Take out of pan and top with cheese and salsa!  Enjoy!

Grain-Free Zucchini Lasagna

I learned a few things yesterday in the kitchen, which is the whole point, even if the meal tastes like crap (it didn't!).  I learned that my $5 pivot peeler/slicer thing that I got at Chuck's Produce Market was probably the most valuable kitchen investment I'd made in a while.  That thing cuts veggies like they are butter.  I also learned that using it was one of the most fun things I've done in the kitchen in a while.  It was strangely stress-relieving and addictive, and maybe I don't need a food processor after all...I can just turn everything into ribbons!  If you can find this exact peeler, buy it!  You won't be disappointed!

This recipe I was SO excited about!  I got it from Dr. Mercola's "The No-Grain Diet Book".  I'm so glad I tried it, but sometimes I wonder if anyone actually tests the recipes they put in diet books.  I know usually with cookbooks there is a huge editing and testing process, but I think with diet books they really skimp on that part of editing...this recipe has really good bones, and I did modify a little due to my lack of nutmeg (and whether it would actually go well with the recipe is questionable to me, but what do I know?).
I will post a pic of the original recipe at the end, but I am posting my version here.  It still needed something...I like everything really spicy so I wish it had more of a kick!

What you will need:
2 jars of organic tomato sauce (even better if you make your own!  I bought Muir Glen garlic roasted)
1.5-2lbs of grass fed ground beef (next time I will do half beef and half italian sausage I think)
2 cups of ricotta
1 tub of fresh mozarella
3-4 zucchinis, cut into ribbons
1 onion, chopped
2lbs of fresh spinach (frozen would work too)
1 clove of garlic or more if you prefer (I used powder because I forgot to buy it)
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
pepper

Step 1:  put beef and onions and garlic in the pan

Step 2:  After meat is browned, drain fat and add sauce, put on the back burner to simmer on low.

Step 3:  Put spinach in a steamer basket in a pot with water at the bottom to steam on the stove and cover.  If you don't have a steamer basket, you can just put a small amount of water at the bottom (about 1 inch) and put your spinach on top of it...you just need to pat it dry when you are done.  Leave the spinach in until it is wilted.

Step 4:  Make zucchini ribbons!  This was my favorite part!  3 Zucchinis only took me about 5 mins or less with the tool I bought.  The pivoting head made it so much easier than a regular peeler!

Step 5:  Stir spinach and ricotta together (mine is in a pot so I don't have to wash extra dishes, this is just the pot I steamed the spinach in, but it is not over heat now for the mixing).

Step 6:  Start pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees.  Butter your pan!  With REAL butter, not margarine!  Click here to find out why

Step 7:  Now comes the fun part!  Layering!  I did sauce, zucchini, spinach ricotta, sauce, mozerella.  I did it all twice, but the original said to do 3 times..not sure if that is possible or not!  I ran out of sauce just decided to add more zucchini on top and top off with mozerella.  Next time I will make more sauce.  The recipe above reflects that change so you don't have to worry about it.

The last picture is what it looks like after a whole layer is done, but that's what your final pre-cooked version should look like.  Mine looked like this, since I ran out of sauce:

Step 8: Bake for 25 minutes.  Utilize your time wisely and do your dishes while you wait.  This is how my never been remodeled 1991 kitchen (I hate it!) looked after I was done cooking..what a mess! The stuff on the bar counter is my husbands, he thinks that's a storage area for his stuff.  

DING!  Time to take it out!  Voila!

It was good, but like I said originally a little bland.  If anyone has any tips on how I could improve this recipe please share with me.  Here is the original if anyone is interested:

Italian chicken & veggie medley

My first healthy home-cooked meal was something I made up, based on a recipe I have always loved.  The nice thing is that you really can't screw it up.  I might not make it again because of the "natural flavorings" and "spice" ingredients on the italian dressing mix packets I use. Right now I am trying to use up some more stuff I have laying around, and it's all trial-and-error.  My favorite version of this recipe involves 2 cans of green beans and quarteded red potatoes.  But that's not good for grain free...potatoes metabolize into sugar.

For this recipe you will need:

a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use half if you have a smaller family)

1 onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, chopped

2 small or medium heads of broccoli

1 stick of butter

1 package of Good Seasons brand italian dressing mix

1.  Wash your chicken, and trim the yuckies off
2. Layer all your chicken and veggies in the pan however you wish
3. cut butter into small squares and place on top covering all the areas
4. sprinkle packet of italian dressing mix on top
5. cover with foil & bake for about 40 mins...less if you have thin chicken breasts (I tend to go for the thinly sliced ones at the store so I only cook about 20 mins...they are really think though, more like pre-cut chicken tenders)

Ta-Da! (sorry for the blurry cell phone pic--obviously I did not use enough veggies either!  Don't worry I changed the recipe for you all, I was just winging it!)

Got Milk???

The first time I did research on dairy was when I was nursing my baby.  All the information available to me at the time suggested that I cut out all dairy products.  I then went on to believe that cow's milk was unnatural and not meant for human consumption.  I did not give my daughter milk after she weaned, and I caught a lot of flack for this.  I knew there was SOME truth to what I believed, but now I realize what it was.  Pasteurized milk makes people SICK.  My 82 year old grandmother cut out milk and her stubborn arthritis went away.  I thought cutting milk out was the answer.  Then (very recently) I learned about raw milk.  It has yet to stand the test of time with me, but I am trying it and wow--I actually like it!  Me, a non-milk drinker!  I know what you're thinking--and I want to answer your questions.  

1. I can't drink milk because I'm lactose intolerant!  (OK, so that's not a question per se...just go with me here, I'm not a professional journalist, ok?)   Most lactose intolerant people have no trouble drinking real raw milk.  Occasionally someone who avoids dairy may have to re-colonize their gut with a lactase-producing bacteria.
2. Doesn't pasteurization kill the diseases?  Are there diseases in raw milk?  Pasteurization and homogenization kill the beneficial components of milk!  White cells, proteins, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, fats, cholesterol and bacteria.  Pasteurization is a catalyst that causes the minerals to become unabsorbable, which contributes to osteoporosis.  Unpasteurized milk has an enzyme called phosphataze, which allos the body to absorb the calcium from the milk.  Raw milk is rich in colloidial minerals and enzymes, which are essential to the absorption and utilization of the sugars and fats in the milk.   
3. Ok, so what are the health benefits of drinking raw milk?  Studies show that raw milk can cure asthma, tuberculosis, diseases of the nervous system, renal and cardiovascular conditions, and hypertension.  

Please watch this video if you aren't convinced.  And I realize some of you maybe never will be, and that's ok.  Our society has been bred and conditioned to believe that conventional wisdom and the mainstream is right.  But who's sheep are we???  Who do we serve?  As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...not Uncle Sam or Barack Obama!

Again, I encourage everyone to do their own research.  This is definitely the tip of the iceberg that I have revealed to you here, and there is SO much more...sadly I am not a wonderful writer and don't have time to relay every piece of information I've read in my own research.  The following links can help you get started, as well as the sources I've listed on this page:

http://www.realmilk.com

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com

http://organicpastures.com

http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/

Sources:

http://www.realmilk.com/rawmilkoverview.html

http://www.realmilk.com/milkcure.html

http://fourfoldhealing.com/2010/06/08/raw-milk/

My Never-ending journey towards health, happiness and holiness

I am starting this blog for one reason only: because I want to live a healthier lifestyle--mentally, physically, and spiritually-- and I don't trust myself to stick to it without accountability. I do better for myself when I am also helping others, plain and simple. Maybe someone else out there in internet land is going through the same (painful) realizations as I am and needs to read this, see where I am, and know that they can do it too. Trust me, if I can do this, anyone can!

Right now, I am not a wealth of knowledge. That knowledge is growing daily but I know that through experience comes the greatest form of knowledge, so I will try to quote sources as much as possible so that you can do your own research. I can't cook unless you count following directions on a box (but you can watch me learn! It is sure to be comical!), I am obese fat, and as much as I dislike that my lifestyle change isn't about losing pounds--those are little rewards that come as positive consequences for me along the way.

So what has inspired this need for change?? First and foremost, a God-given desire to find what is right and true--not compared to what the rest of the world is doing--but in the eyes of the LORD. Concerning my health in general, it has taken me a long time to realize that I was hiding in denial, shame, and excuses. Recently though there have been a culmination of events in my personal life and in the lives of loved ones that have forced me to look at my eating behaviors and decide to take action. You can read all the books and blogs in the world but if you don't take the first step you will never change. It's all about baby steps!

I believe God has given us the earth, perfect and completely supplied with all the food and nutrition we need. I am not totally against all drugs, as some are life saving in an emergency, but I believe the need for medication for chronic conditions would be greatly reduced if we could just learn to look at our diets!

Our western world society eats mostly grains and starches (hello USDA food pyramid!). There is tons of science behind it, but I won't go into it here¹. The bottom line is that I believe that carbohydrates from grains, sugars, and starches are what is making us fat.

Another problem we face is lack of access to healthy whole foods. Sadly, these are not readily available in all parts of our country for everyone, and people are lost in the lie that all food is created equally or even that all organic food is healthy. Two of the biggest reasons that I did not take action before I did are that I thought eating healthy would be too expensive, and that I had to drive 25 minutes to get to a Whole Foods when I lived in Houston.

God has moved mountains for my family and I this year and has opened my eyes SO much....not taking advantage of the gifts he has given me now would be a crime! I now live in Vancouver, Washington in the heart of the pacific northwest where you can find a health food store every mile you drive. I am aspiring to become a locavore and support our local farmers². I still buy processed because my husband is a hamburger helper man, and I am not trying to change him....though I won't say that I wouldn't be pleased if he decided to join me one day.

I want to thank those who have inspired me and offered to share their wisdom with me...it is so nice to know that there are other people living healthy just for health's sake!

¹ Read what Gary Taubes says here:What if it's all been a big fat lie?
² Find local farms in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/