Hungry For Change

From now until midnight March 31st, the entirety of Hungry For Change, can be viewed on their website.  Please take time to watch this important film, and share it with your family and friends!  It is powerful and transformative. 

Chicks and More

Most of you know that we have three beautiful hens.  Cheep, the first one we acquired, came home with us last May as a week-old chick.  A couple of months ago, my sister gave us the other two, Scratch and Peck, as companions to help Cheep stay warm through the winter.  If you're visiting our Suburban Homestead blog, you saw that a couple of days ago, Jaden found our first egg.  It's probably from Cheep (about 9 months old), and not the other two, because they're likely past egg-laying age.  (By the way, this morning Joel found a second egg, similar in color to the first.)

Caleb "the farmer" was at the local feed and seed store yesterday.  Alas, he was lured by the siren song of the new, tiny chicks in the store.  Their sweet little peeps drew him in, and yes, you guessed it - he succumbed to their wiles.  He brought home two Buff Orpington chicks.  They are the cutest little things!  We sat and played with them and watched them for several minutes.  They should grow to be beautiful, productive birds.

We hope to purchase about 6 more chicks in a couple of weeks.  And probably Scratch will then meet her demise.  Jaden insists she's too old and tough to eat.  We'll see.  Actually, I'm not sure any of us will be able to eat a pet.

SUGARLESS SWEETS

Tempted by all the sugary holiday"treats" (really "poison") that devastate your immune system?  Try these alternatives.


Our bodies NEED sweets, so let's nourish them while satisfying our sweet tooths.  (Or is that sweet teeth?!)  Let's give our families good, wholesome sugars.  Maybe then we won't give in and eat the junk.


Note:  Be sure all the ingredients are organic.  That way we can thrive, rather than tank, during the busy Christmas season.

 These are from Sweet Temptations: Natural Dessert Book by Frances Kendall

Ginger Nymphs

3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp lemon peel

Grind dates, raisins, and almonds in food processor. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, and lemon peel. Form dough into little balls. Refrigerate or place in freezer until ready to serve.

Touchstone Caramels

1 1/2 cup pitted dates
2 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (non-alcoholic)
1 cup ground coconut

1/4-1/2 of a lemon zest (from a fresh lemon)

Grind dates, cashews and vanilla in food processor until smooth, add coconut. Refrigerate/freeze for a few hours, or overnight. (Best when frozen!)


Pecan Juliets

3/4 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup raisins
2 cups pecan pieces (or walnut)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Grind all ingredients in a food processor, starting with the nuts and coconut, and adding the rest after the nuts and coconut are fairly finely ground.

Banana Pistols

6 large bananas, peeled
1/2 cup pitted dates, soaked 1 hour in 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup coarsely ground almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
(we also sometimes use pecans or other nuts, too)

Cut each banana in half. Push a wooden ice cream stick into the cut end of each half, set aside. Puree dates in soak water at medium speed until smooth. Dip each banana half in date puree, roll in almonds, and sprinkle with coconut. Place on a tray covered with wax paper, and freeze for 5 hours, or until solid. Remove pops from freezer when ready to serve.

This is a recipe I made up.  I don't have exact ingredient measurements.  Just mix it up in the proportions that seem most pleasing to you.  For example, if you're a big nut butter fan, then use more of that than the other ingredients.  Once again, organic ingredients are essential.

Chocolate or Carob Snack

carob or cocoa powder
blackstrap molasses*, honey or agave
almond or cashew butter 
coconut flakes

Mix thoroughly, form into balls and place on wax paper.  If you want something more like a pudding, add
plain or vanilla yogurt 

*Blackstrap molasses is a little on the bitter side, so when using the cocoa powder, choose honey or agave.

Stuffed Tomatoes, Ginger Nymphs = A Perfect Sunday Afternoon Meal

We had a wonderful noon meal today, enjoying scrumptious stuffed tomatoes, using a recipe that Mom & Dad used on their date get-away a few weeks ago.  Also on our menu was delicious (and now all together eaten) Ginger Nymphs (a.k.a., balls of goodness), the recipe for which we got from a good friend.  We decided to try both of these out again today for lunch...  Hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed eating the items pictured in the photos! =) 

Yours truly (Phoebe) hollowing out the tomatoes

The leaning tower of tomatoes

Using a knife to carve out the insides of the tomatoes.

Combine all of the insides of the tomatoes in a bowl.

Finely chop parsley (or in this case, basil)

Add the Feta Cheese

Finely dice the onions

Add the olive oil

Finely chop (or crumble-ize, is that a word?!) toasted bread - our substitute for Kasha. 

There you go, crumble-ized bread... =)

Then mix it all up in a bowl...

...and stuff the tomatoes.

Ginger Nymphs all lined up neatly.  Sorry we didn't get any pictures of the process, but it's very easy to do, and doesn't take too long either! 

What's the best part, is that they taste SO GOOD!!

The table setting at our Sunday afternoon meal.

 

A good healthy meal, with a lot of fresh food.  Yum, yum!

Now, for the recipes:

Stuffed Tomatoes

- 4 Medium sized ripe tomatoes

- 2 T. finely chopped scallions (onions)

- 2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley

- 1/2 cup finely crumbled feta cheese

- 1/4 cup Kasha

- 3 T. olive oil

1. Top tomatoes, scoop out innards (save).

2. Coarsely chop tomato pulp

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit

4. Combine pulp, scallions, parsley, feta, Kasha & olive oil

5. Fill tomatoes with mixture.  Bake 15 minutes.

Prep time 35 minutes.

Ginger Nymphs

- 3/4 cups almonds

- 1/2 cup pitted dates

- 1/2 cup raisins

- 1 tsp. ground ginger

- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1 tsp finely chopped lemon peel

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor.

2. Blend until well chopped and can stick together when pressed into a ball.

3. Enjoy the little balls of goodness!

The Oiling of America

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut

Is the food industry telling us the truth about fats?  Is coconut oil truly bad for you?  What are the ill effects of buying into the food industries' information about lowering cholesterol?

What if the very thing you are doing to protect your health is, instead, wreaking havoc in your body?

Check out this site and read more about Fallon's and Enig's book, The Oiling of America.

The Excellent Wife of Proverbs 31

While studying to lead a discussion on the Proverbs 31 woman, I found these excerpts in A MODERN STUDY IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Charles Bridges (updated by George F. Santa), copryright 1978, Mott Media, Michigan.

"Perhaps one reason for the rarity of the 'virtuous woman' is that she is so seldom desired or searched for."  (p 732).

About verses 11-12:  Her character as a wife is one of "faithfulness," "oneness of heart," "affectionate dutifulness."  These characteristics cause the heart of her husband to trust in her.  "He feels his comfort to be regarded, his burdens relieved, and his mind freed from vexations.  He is at ease in constrained absence from home having left his interests in her safekeeping, while he is sure that his return will be welcomed with a gladdening smile" (p 732-733).

"A faithful wife and a confiding husband thus mutually bless each other.  With such a jewel for his wife, the husband has no misgivings....Ruling in sphere without, he encourages her to rule in her sphere within.  This would reduce or even eliminate any desire for him to be selfish, or to look greedily at other women.  Her faithfulness encourages his faithfulness.  Instead of abusing confidence, she seeks constantly to make herself more worthy of it" (p 734).

"One half, at least, of the picture of the virtuous woman is occupied with her personal, domestic work" (p 734).

She is not a recluse; here we find no "habits of monastic self-denial" (p 735).

Her industrious ways are a rebuke "to self-pleasing inactivity" (p 735).


She possesses "praiseworthy and genuine simplicity of manners," "practical, yet liberal thrift," economy without a miserly spirit" (p 735).

She is full of energy, an early riser, enthusiastic, ready to work, an efficient manager.  Her ways speak of godly self-denial and quiet dignity.  "Instead of murmuring @some inconvenient demand, she sets a worthy example and delights in the works of her hands" (p 735).

Bridges gives more commentary on this admirable woman.  His book is chock full of valuable insights into the whole book of Proverbs.  Each morning at breakfast, after he reads the Proverbs chapter corresponding to that date, David reads from Bridges about one of the verses he just read.  Rich stuff.

Random photos

Phoebe, Abby and Johanna 

Sunday afternoon, we had a couple from our church over and had lunch with them. They are fun-loving people, and we really love them! Thanks for coming over, Mr. and Mrs. B.!

Mr. and Mrs. B

Miss Zinnia

The handles on our hutch

Tomorrow, *something* will probably happen, so we'll have to post photos of it soon! :-)

Jo's Birthday Pictures

I got around to posting pictures sooner than I thought! Enjoy!

The cup cakes rising to a nice rounded top

Frosting the cup cakes with cream cheese frosting (let me know if you want the recipe, it's very simple)


Frosting the cake (which was made out of the same batter as the cup cakes)

Spooning the frosting into a plastic bag to decorate the cake

Now for the fun of decorating :)

The flower on Jo's cake


Jo helping to decorate her own cake :)

The finished product

Preparing the cheese quesadillas

The delicious filling

Altogether now!


The finished cup cakes. The green frosting we just drizzled on top.

The delicious birthday meal: Quesadillas, vegetable stir-fry, whipped pinto beans and guacamole/salsa

Caleb preparing a special drink: Blueberry/Pomegranate "wine"

Jo opening her gifts. Jaden gave her balloons along with several smaller items

Caleb's card with a wax seal he made

Jo also got stickers from Jaden. He was very generous :)

The food posters by Jaden and Phoebe

Lighting the candles... make a wish...

"Wait! I thought you were supposed to eat the cake, NOT the candles!"

Jo and all of her gifts

Johanna wanted everyone to know that the dress she wore, is the dress she's worn for the past 4 birthdays. :)

Happy Birthday, Jo - 1 Day Late

Johanna Ruth Kautt

Yesterday was Johanna's 12th birthday. I was so busy baking her cake and cup cakes, along with preparing for her special supper meal, that I wasn't able to post something about her birthday, ON her birthday.

Please visit Abby's blog, and read the post about Johanna's birthday. Abby always says it so well!

We had a great celebration last evening, with cheese quesadillas for the special part of her meal. Then, for dessert we had hummingbird cake, with mango coconut milk ice cream. Then to top it off, a very mysterious-cold dessert. Very fattening. :)

I hope to post pictures soon, possibly tomorrow.

Fast Foods

You will not want to eat fast food after you watch this short video. It's of a four-year-old hamburger and french fries compared to REAL three-month-old potatoes.