Organic Applesauce...An all time fav!

Organic Apples peeled by my kids

If your home is like mine, your kids love applesauce. Who doesn't? I am always trying my best to  make homemade snacks and meals. Since, my family enjoys eating applesauce, I figured, why not try it?

I used my Crock-pot for this one...

Recipe:

8 cored, peeled, & sliced organic apples

2 tsp of organic lemon juice (from fresh lemons)

1 tbsp of raw organic coconut nectar

Start by turning your Crock-pot to low, then place cored, peeled, and sliced organic apples, lemon juice and coconut nectar into the Crock-pot. Leave for 6 hours on low. Set timer! then allow the magic to happen. Of course Stir it on occasion... 

After the 6 hours are up, remove from Crock-pot and mash or you can puree it in processor. I use my magic bullet for this one. Place in Frig for about an hour or less or you can enjoy it warm as well. 

I bought these silicone icy pop molds, and I use them for all kinds of healthy treats. 

I used them this time for the applesauce.... and it is easy take on the go!!! I just realized I made my own organic buddy fruits lol... The kids enjoy them and so do I!

The remaining portion I place in a glass container. I usually try not to use plastic containers for food. After time, the plastic taste will destroy the yummy taste of foods. So, I don't want plastic to ruin my gourmet applesauce. After all, I worked so hard !! (Not). It was simple just needed some planning time thats all. Make time and you will reap the health benefits of organic eating. 

Enjoy!! Buen Provecho!!

Organic Girly

Organic Girly Supports her Local Farmer's Market! Do you?

Support Your Local Farmers Market....

Photo Credit

Community.... Has this term been forgotten lately in society? or Are we simply ignoring the importance? Community is made up of neighbors that contribute to your local town or city. It is the ground on which live and breathe. So, why leave it as last resort?

I encourage you to find your local farmers market and get to know the farmers in your community. Know where your food comes from! There is a drastic change in health when you are aware of your foods source. You eat better, and you feel better....nothing to lose (but that extra  weight). Now, do not confuse losing weight with being healthy....This cannot be the focus to achieve great health. The motivation should be eat to live....for health. Our country has this twisted. I won’t even get into the media propaganda etc.... It just heats me up.

Organic Broccoli and Organic Strawberries from the Farmer's Market

Anyway, supporting your local community (especially the farmers market) benefits your health. Purchase organic as much as possible. But if you cannot buy organic all the time, you want to become familiar with the dirty dozens. Purchasing from farmer’s market helps your wallet and your health. They remove the middle man (grocery stores like Walmart etc...) and go straight to the source. Organic produce becomes less expensive than store bought, and most of the organic produce(@Farmers Markets) have been picked within 72 hours. So, there is another plus. Picked within 72 hours from the source and Organic, that is a big immunity booster.

So, make it out to your local farmer’s market and support it.....

For those of you local in Brevard County, we attended Brevard County Farmer's Market, click here
Here is there FBook page
Have fun

Organic Girly,
Dina

Fresh Tomato Basil on a Wheat Roll

Tomato Basil on Wheat

So I went Vegan tonight... Not in the mood for any kind of animal today, lol 

So remember those Whole Wheat Dinner rolls I made.. I made a bunch,  so needed to use them before they started to mold.  Yummy... I toasted the rolls in my cast iron then topped off with tomato and basil.

Ingredients: 

Organic Whole Wheat Rolls, sliced in half's (homemade recipe link above)

Organic Tomato, sliced thin

Fresh Organic Basil leaves

Sprinkle of Sea Salt and Organic Black Pepper

Warm your Cast iron pan to med low. Toast bread slices first till desired crispyness. Then place sliced tomatoes to sear for a few until desired browning.  Then top the rolls with tomato and basil leaves and sprinkle the tomato and Enjoy!!

Optional topping of Mozzarella for those of you who love cheese!!!

I hope you enjoy my simple recipes... Well some of them are anyway.

Enjoy !!! Buen Provecho!!

Organic Girly 

Joy of Learning

The Joy of learning !! Just out of having fun..... I am on a second year journey of homeschooling... It  was very difficult for me to allow for the free flow of learning. I am a product of the public school system... The traditional learning of the institution. It worked for me, I adjusted and adapted to this particular environment. I flourished! 

However, I noticed that my desire for learning was ignited in college. I never really enjoyed school in the elementary and secondary years. I was an A student, but never was super excited for school. 

So when I was a freshman in college, It was like a new door opened to me. The joy of majoring in what interested me!! It caused a roller coaster of love for knowledge. Soon, I was taking my general education requirements but I did not perceive them as boring or not applicable. My perspective changed. I viewed it as stepping stones for what I loved studying.

Therefore, as I homeschool my children.. I am learning to embrace the desire of my children’s interest in a particular subject. Then tailoring all subjects around it and including all five subjects in a particular theme. 

I love the passion I see when my children light up... So to keep that fire going, I have decided that this is our direction. If my children are interested in lizards (as they are right now and my youngest loves rocks), I will find a way to incorporate all five subjects in some form or fashion.. Maybe we will do multiplication and division facts with lizards, and counting with rocks lol. 

The methods of teaching my children has changed since the first year of homeschooling.  My children have taught me that learning is not just done in a classroom. It is something that happens everyday. Furthermore, the desire for learning will continue to burn if fanned.  

Learning is a lifelong process and it should not stop in the classroom.


"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deut 6:6-9


I read this scripture every morning when I awake....God's word is clear on teaching (whether you homeschool or not). He is commanding and encouraging us with the importance of always teaching our children the goodness of God, regardless of location. His word is so powerful and full of love for humanity, it is not just to be taught one or two days a week. It is to be taught through out the day, every day. This is how adeqaute learning takes place. I apply this scripture in our daily spiritual life as well as homeschool. 


Learning is all the time and when filled with the love of God's word it penetrates down to the very core of your child to one day produce fruit in their life.




Organic Girly

Sauté Garlic with Spinach

I love the taste of garlic... and I love raw Spinach.... Perfect combination.

It is a healthy snack, I usually prefer this in the evening as a treat. I know I'm weird, but thats okay!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Minced Organic Garlic

1/2 Organic Lemon

Handful of Raw Organic Spinach, cut 

1 tsp of Sea Salt

2 tsp of Organic Olive Oil 

Coat pan with olive oil and allow pan to heat to med-low heat. Then place minced garlic in pan and sauté garlic till golden brown and add raw spinach for a few seconds and mix. Then remove from pan and place in bowl. Squeeze lemon over garlic and spinach and sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!! Buen Provecho!!!

Organic Girly

Organic Strawberry Jam

Homemade Organic Strawberry Jam

Tis the Season of Strawberries!!! Feeling Merry Already!! 

I love Strawberries.... Sweet and Satisfies my Sweet Tooth.

This was my first attempt at making Jam... Not a big Jam person but my kids love Old Fashion Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and topping it on whole wheat pancakes!! So I decided to make it, instead of buying it, like I normally do.

Ok!! So I try my best to stay away from refined sugars etc.... So, I researched ways of making my special strawberry jam more healthier. I used local raw honey and xylitol to sweetened my jam instead of sugar. 

Xylitol is diabetic friendly and helps fight against tooth decay.. great sweetener!! Another Perk: Your body does not process this as a sugar. It does not interfere with blood sugar levels or get stored as fat. Love it

Recipe:

2 cups of Organic Strawberries, sliced

1 cup of Xylitol, non GMO

1 tbsp of Raw Honey (preferably local)

1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Place sliced strawberries into saucepan with honey, xylitol, and lemon on low heat till xylitol is dissolved. Then, increase the heat to medium, until strawberries have a somewhat pureed or dismantled. (Or you can smash them prior to placing them in saucepan)

Then remove from stove top and place in glass jar(with lid) of your choice leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. 

For a more syrup texture, add a little less xylitol.

It was a great hit with my kids!! Enjoy, Buen Provecho!!

Organic Girly

Red & Green Lentil with Barley Soup

One of My favorite soups... Lentils with Barley Soup 

Barley 

Ingredients:

1 cup of Red Lentils, uncooked

1 cup of Green Lentils, uncooked

1/2 cup of Barley, uncooked

2 Quarts of Veggie Broth or Chicken Broth 

1 cup of raw onions, minced

1 cup raw carrots, minced

2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp onion powder

Toasted Bread:

Sliced bread of your choice

Coat fry pan with olive oil on med temp,  sprinkle seas salt and garlic powder onto fry pan and place sliced bread to toast, remove when desired crispiness..

Perfect for soup diving...

In a slow cooker (crockpot), combine all ingredients in the stoneware of slow cooker. Place on low temp and cook for 4-5 hours, with occasional stirring and checking for broth absorption by lentils and barley. If needed add water until desired. 

All raw ingredients in the soup, initial start 

On a stove, combine all ingredients in a large pot. Place temp on med-low to med... and allow cook for 1 hour 30 mins. On the stove, the pot must be watched closely for burning on the bottom of the pot. 

I prefer crockpot for my soups.. Set it and forget it lol 

Finished product 

Olive oil toasted sliced bread with herbs..

I make this soup in bulk and freeze for later days.... That way I have lentils soup when I am in the mood. This helps stock up my freezer with quick meals for the family..

Enjoy! Buen Provecho!!

Organic Girly 

My yummy bowl of soup