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How to Make Panera Bread Style Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Embracing Motherhood Panera Bread Style Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I love, love, LOVE broccoli and cheese soup, especially the Panera Bread style of broccoli and cheese soup that is all puréed and creamy. Since I’m not going to run out to Panera Bread every time that I want some of this delicious soup, I decided to make my own. I searched the Internet for copycat recipes and compiled my favorite parts into this recipe which includes all of the wholesome ingredients I love cooking with such as bone broth, raw milk, and organic vegetables!

Ingredients

2 c. Chicken Stock (I always like making extra and keeping some in the freezer, but you might need to roast a chicken to make some fresh. If you do this, you could even purée some chicken to throw into the mix to make it an even heartier soup.)
Frozen Chicken Stock
2 c. Raw Milk (I like letting the cream rise to the top and using that mostly, or I’ll get some organic half and half from the store.)
¼ c. Flour (I like mine freshly ground.)
1 Stick of Butter (½ c.) plus 2 T. (to sauté the onions)
2½ c. Shredded Cheese (I like Colby Jack)
1 Onion
3 Pods of Garlic
2 Head of Broccoli (Or you can substitute with 2 c. of other vegetables such as carrots and celery.)

Directions

Sauté the 2 T. of butter with the garlic and onion. I like peeling the garlic (crush with the side of your knife first for easy peeling) and mincing it with a knife or my handy dandy hand chopper (if I feel like cleaning it). You’ll be puréeing all of this later, so don’t worry about chopping it up super fine. Cook at a low to medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside until later. (I put mine in a little bowl because I always need my cast iron skillet available!)
Sautéd Onions and Garlic
Steam all of the vegetables. By steaming the vegetables first, it will make them a lot easier to blend later! (*Note: When making this recipe, my sister skipped this steaming step by using her food processor to chop up all of the vegetables raw. She said it turned out great!) Coarsely chop up the broccoli (and the carrots and celery if you’ll be using them) and steam. Check out my tips and tricks for perfectly steamed broccoli here! Put in a big bowl to cool. *My steamer isn’t very big and I made a double recipe, so it took two batches of broccoli and one batch of carrots and celery to get the job done.
Steamed Broccoli

Steamed Carrots and Celery
Make the roux. Melt the stick of butter in your soup pot. Once it’s melted, add the flour and stir. Cook at low to medium heat (nice and bubbly) and continue stirring for about 3-4 minutes.
Roux
Add the milk. Add slowly, stir often, and keep at a low to medium heat.
Purée the vegetables with the chicken stock. While the milk is heating up, add small batches of steamed vegetables into the blender. I like blending my onions (that we set aside from earlier) too. Top off the blender with the chicken stock to make it blend easier. Add to the soup pot.
Steamed Broccoli, Carrots, and Celery with Chicken Stock

Turn the blender off and on repeatedly so that it is puréed, but blended as little as possible if you’re like me and want there to be a few little chunks in there to chew on!

Pulse on Low
Add the cheese. Wait until the soup is good and hot before you add the cheese. You want it to melt right away.
Cook for 20 minutes. Cook on a low to medium heat and continue to stir often. If it starts to bubble, turn the heat down a little bit. Let cool and serve. I find that this soup tastes better the longer it sits. This gives everything a chance to thicken and the flavors to really soak in.
Broccoli and Cheese Soup

December 8, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter

General, Grain

Using sourdough is one of the pillars of healthy eating in our family because it is the best way to get rid of phytic acid, which is in all grains (and basically anything that is a seed) and prevents us from accessing the much needed phosphorus located in grains and leaches minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. (Read more about phytic acid in my blog here.) Not only that, but the souring process breaks down all of the sugars in the flour and makes it much easier for the body to digest. Making sourdough can seem like a daunting task at first, but once you get the sourdough starter established, it can become a very easy part of your routine.

I got my first sourdough starter from a friend, and things didn’t turn out so well. The problem could have been any or all of the following: 1) the starter flour was different than the flour I was using to bake with, 2) my gallon size jars were too big, 3) my hard winter wheat grain was too dense, and/or 4) I didn’t feed it enough. So I scrapped the project and waited until I had more time to do it properly. Now, I have an excellent starter that’s nice and poofy, some great containers, the perfect grain, the time to feed it regularly, and some great sourdough recipes that I love using.

Materials Needed

Sourdough Starter Packet (I got mine from Breadtopia via Amazon)
Wide Mouth Mason Jars (I use 2 jars at a time. You can get some here or in the canning aisle at your local grocery store.)
Coffee Filters (To cover the mason jars. This keeps out the fruit flies and lets the sourdough “breathe”.)
Fresh Ground Grain – (I get my organic prairie gold wheat berries here, but you can find some similar here too. I use my Wondermill Grain Grinder to grind it up, but you can also get a hand operated grain mill if you’re looking for a cheaper option.*I’ve tried hard winter wheat berries, and they just didn’t work as well.)
Filtered Water (We have city water that fortunately has no flouride, and we bought a simple filter to get the chlorine and other chemicals out. You can also let water sit out for 24 hours to evaporate the chlorine.)

Starting the Starter:

Put 1 t. of dried starter into your mason jar(s) and add 1 T of lukewarm filtered water. Stir until softened.
Add 1 T of freshly ground flour and stir. (You can grind a big batch of flour and keep it on your countertop, which is what I do, or you can get a little coffee grinder and grind some fresh every day. The more freshly ground the flour, the more phytase will be available to break down the mineral leeching phytic acid. Don’t freeze your flour, this will “kill” all of the phytase.)
Cover the mason jar with a coffee filter, screw the cap on to keep it in place (or place a rubber band around it), and let it sit for 24 hours.
For the first few days, you’ll just add tablespoons of water and flour, but once your starter is established (you will notice the bubbling action of the fermentation), you can increase the amounts to ¹⁄₃ c. of flour and ¹⁄₄ c. of water. *You want the consistency to be soft but not soupy, and you want to be able to mix it easily.
Sourdough Starter

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my sourdough established? After you feed your sourdough and let it sit for 24 hours, you should see it get poofy, double in size, and there should be little holes dotted throughout. Because of this, you never want to let your jar(s) get too full.
How should I maintain the starter? If you’re like me and want to use the starter as often as you can for things like sourdough muffins, sourdough pancakes, and sourdough pizza crust, you’ll want to leave it on the counter in warmish place (not near a drafty window) where it can be left undisturbed but remain within easy reach, and feed it ¹⁄₃ c. of flour and ¹⁄₄ c. of water every day. If you won’t be using it very often, you can keep it in your refrigerator. When you want to use it, take it out of the refrigerator, feed it, and let it sit out until it gets nice and poofy again, preferably 24 hours. Try not to let more than 2 weeks go by between feedings.
What if I need more? You can always double the amount of flour and water each time you feed your starter or feed it every 12 hours if you need a quick boost in volume.
What should I do if I forget to feed my starter every day? If you miss a day here and there, you should be fine. But if you miss more than a couple of days and the starter starts to turn black, you are getting near the point of no return. But still, try to feed it, stir it really well, and see if it will come back.
How do I know if my starter has gone bad? Make it a point to really stick your nose in your starter and smell it when it is first established. It should have a pleasantly sour smell. If it goes bad, it will have a rotten and putrid smell. When this happens, you just have to throw it away and start over.
When should I clean out my jars? When wet sourdough dries, it is VERY hard to clean! This is why I highly recommend cleaning any measuring cups with sourdough starter in them right away! If you notice that the inside sides of your jars are getting caked with lots of dry sourdough and especially if the dried sourdough is turning black, it’s time to clean your jars! Get a fresh clean mason jar(s), transfer as much of the wet starter as you can into the new jar, and soak the dirty jar in hot soapy water. Warning: It will not be easy or fun to clean! It will require a lot of scraping and perhaps even some more soaking, but you will be glad you did it when it’s over. 🙂
Why should I go to all of the trouble of using sourdough anyways? All grains (as well as seeds, nuts, corn, oats, tubers, and bean…even coffee beans) contain phytic acid. Phytic acid is found in the hull of the grain and protects it. If we eat phytic acid without breaking it down first, not only can we not access the phosphorus inside (which is needed by every cell in the body), but it leaches valuable minerals (such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium) from our bodies. By making sourdough, we are releasing the phytase within the grain which is the only thing that can break down the phytic acid. I did an insane amount of research to learn more about this fascinating topic and you can read more about what I learned in my blog: The Dangers of Phytic Acid and What to Do About It.
Where can I find some good sourdough recipes? Well, I’m glad you asked! It just so happens that I have a collection of my favorite sourdough recipes here.

November 21, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

How to Make Sourdough Muffins

General, Grain

I have tried so many different recipes for sourdough bread, and I never found anything that really worked (or that I really liked) until I stumbled across this recipe and found the perfect solution! Who needs to make loaves of bread when you can have these perfect, single size, delicious little muffins? We love eating them toasted for breakfast with butter or cream cheese, as an “English muffin” for an egg sandwich, with lunch meat and cheese for a portable school lunch, or as a bun for hamburgers. Everyone who comes over LOVES these muffins!

The sourdough process is extremely beneficial for your health because it is the best way to get rid of the phytic acid in the grain. Phytic acid prevents us from absorbing phosphorus and it leaches valuable minerals from our bodies. (Read my blog: The Dangers of Phytic Acid and What to Do About It to learn more.) It also breaks down the sugars in the grain which makes it easier to digest.

Ingredients

1 c. Sourdough Starter (Blog Post: Sourdough Starter Recipe)
2 c. Raw Milk (Blog Post: Why We Drink Raw Milk)
4 c. Fresh Ground Flour (I get my wheat berries here, but you can find some similar here too. I use this grinder. You could also just buy some organic sprouted grain flour here.)
*2 T. Raw Honey (Optional: It helps to neutralize the sour flavor. Get some here.)
1 ½ t. Real Salt (I buy my Real Salt in bulk here, you can buy a shaker here, or a refill pouch here.)
2 t. Baking Soda (Optional too, I think it just helps them rise a bit better.)
Coconut Oil (To grease your hands and the pans. This coconut oil would be best, but on our budget, I buy this.)

Materials

Mixing bowl
Towel or saran wrap
Stirring utensil
Baking sheet (I use the standard baking sheets I’ve had forever, but in a perfect world where money was no option, I would love some stone baking ware like this.)

Directions

Part 1: Mix it Up and Let it Sit

Mix together the sourdough starter and the milk. I usually don’t mix it until it is completely dissolved, I just try to stir it up for a bit to make sure it mixes more evenly when the flour is added.
*Add the honey. If you are going to add the honey, now would be a good time. My raw honey is usually solid at room temperature, so I put it in a glass cup and microwave it until it melts. (I added this when I first started making these to cut down on the sour flavor, but now that my family is used to it, I don’t add this anymore!)
Add the flour until you achieve a solid, but pliable consistency. When you use freshly ground flour, it has plenty of phytase that will break down the phytic acid. (Read more about the dangers of phytic acid here.) If you don’t have the time to grind it fresh every time you use it, you can always leave your flour in a sealed container on your countertop at room temperature. Just don’t freeze it or it will kill the phytase.
Sourdough Ingredients All Mixed Together
Cover with a towel (or saran wrap) and leave in a warm undisturbed place for 8 hours. It is best if it can be slightly warm during this process (but not over 90°F). I usually just tuck mine away on the counter during the warmer days, but if it’s cold, I’ll put it on top of the stove and turn on the stove to like 200°F.
*Notes: If you’re just starting to get your family used to the taste of sourdough, I would start out only letting it sit for a few hours. This will still be enough time for the sourdough to break down some of the phytic acid. Then, you can gradually increase the time to 8 hours, and you can even leave it overnight if that’s more convenient. If you set it out and 8 hours later, you’re not ready to make your muffins, pop it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Part 2: Make Your Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Get the dough ready. The dough mixture should have risen to almost double its size by this time, and you’ll need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to loosen the mixture before dumping it onto your countertop. (*If it didn’t rise, it probably wasn’t warm enough, or maybe the starter isn’t good anymore.)
Add dry ingredients and knead. Sprinkle your salt and baking soda on top of your lump, grease up your hands with some coconut oil, and knead the dough to mix everything in. *If your dough is too soupy, you can add a little bit of flour at a time until its more stiff and pliable. **It is very important that you don’t add the salt until the end because it hinders the fermentation process. You don’t want to skip it though because it tightens the gluten structure and prevents the dough from getting too sticky.
Sourdough Mixture Ready to Make Muffins
Grease the baking sheets. I like to use coconut oil.
Make dough blobs. Make sure your hands stay nice and greased up with coconut oil and then pull apart a little blobs of the dough, roll them in your hands until they are formed into nice little cookie dough balls, and place them on the baking sheets. (This recipe should make enough for two sheets of muffins.)
Rolling Dough Into Balls (Yes, my pans are atrocious!)
Flatten the blobs. Use the palm of your hand to press them down, and then even out with your fingers.
Flattened Out Muffins
Place the muffins sheets on top of the warm oven. Cover with some towels and leave them to rise for about an hour. (If you don’t have an oven underneath your stove, you can turn your stove to warm and place them inside with the door open.)
Covered Sourdough Muffins
Bake at 350˚F for 10 minutes.
Place in Ziploc bags and store in the fridge or freezer. I like to cut them in half and toast them or use for sandwiches, English muffins, hamburgers, etc.
Sourdough Muffins Fresh Out of the Oven

*I adapted this recipe from The Fresh Loaf, which is a GREAT resource for all bread making.

Tips and Tricks

Cutting these little buggers in half can be a little tricky, but my husband came up with a way that works really well even on the thinnest of muffins. First of all, hold the muffin up on its side and insert just the tip of the knife all around the edges (almost like you’re scoring it). Then, gently saw back and forth while rotating the muffin in a circular motion until you get to the middle. Walla!

cutting technique for homemade sourdough muffins

How to Cut These Sourdough Muffins

These muffins are kind of little, so they can get stuck in a toaster. I prefer making them in my toaster oven.

Toasted Sourdough Muffins with Butter

These muffins taste great with an egg sandwich, with scrambled eggs, or my favorite…sunny side up eggs!

Check out my sourdough starter recipe here, or take a peek at some of my other sourdough recipes like these sourdough pancakes and sourdough pizza crust.

November 21, 2015/by Stacey Maaser

Egg Drop Soup Recipe

General, Recipes, Soup

As we approach colder days and sicker days (The two always go hand in hand don’t they?), I love making a nourishing chicken bone broth and using it in as many different recipes as I can. I was looking for something different than my standard chicken soup recipe and came across this. Here is my version. I love this soup so much that I want to eat it (or drink it) for every meal!

Ingredients

6 c. Bone Broth (Check out my simple recipe here.)
2 Eggs (Pastured or organic would be best.)
1 T. Bragg Liquid Aminos (Get some here.)
1 t. Sriracha (Get some here.)
½ t. Cornstarch (or Arrowroot powder)
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Boil some chicken bones and get yourself some bone broth. If you roast and boil and entire chicken, it will make way more than 6 cups, but this recipe is best to eat right away. So I recommend saving the rest of the broth to make more egg drop soup later, turn it into a standard chicken soup, or freeze it for later.
Add the Bragg Liquid Aminos, Sriracha, salt, and pepper. *With the salt and pepper, I just add it to my taste preference.
Bring the broth to a slow rolling boil. (Set the dial to about a 6, stir occasionally until it boils, then turn it down to a 3 and let it continue to boil.)
Mix the cornstarch into a cup of water (so it won’t be clumpy) and add to the boiling water. (You can add a little bit to the eggs to make them creamier too.)
Beat the two eggs, add a bit of salt and pepper, and slowly drizzle into the boiling water.
Turn off the heat, let it cool a bit, and serve right away! Sprinkle some scallions on top for a nice little touch or add some chicken to make this more of a meal. I like pouring mine into a mug and just sipping on it!

November 3, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Beef, General, Recipes

Embracing Motherhood Beef Gyros with Tzatzkii Sauce

My husband and I have always enjoyed Mediterranean food, and gyros are pretty much one of our favorite meals ever. The lamb meat is always so flavorful, and I love, love, LOVE tzatziki sauce. In fact, I’m always a little disappointed every time I order a gyro because I don’t think they ever add enough tzatziki! So anyways, I searched the Internet for recipes and created an amalgam with my own variations that is just absolutely superb…and not too difficult to make!

I like making my recipes as easy as possible and I like to spare unnecessary steps that don’t really affect the flavor and take too much time and effort. This recipe calls for a few steps that may seem like a bit of work, but I’ve left out a few of the things that I thought were overboard. I’m sure you’ll enjoy finding your own happy medium as well.

Ingredients for Gyro Meat

1 lb of Ground Beef (or Ground Lamb…I just use like using grass-fed ground beef because it’s what I have on hand.)
1 Medium Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
1 T. Marjoram Leaves (This is really one of the key ingredients that gives the meat its flavor, but you could always add some basil or thyme and it would still be pretty good.)
1 t. Ground Oregano
2 t. Real Salt
2 t. Onion Powder
½ t. Pepper
2 t. Bragg Liquid Aminos

Directions for Gyro Meat

Preheat the oven to 325º F.
Coarsely chop up the onion and garlic and put into a food processor. After chopping them up finely, put into the middle of a paper towel and soak up all of the extra juice. (This is one of those steps that you don’t want to skip!)
Onion in a Paper Towel
Add the onion/garlic mixture and all of the seasonings to the meat. Mix with a large wooden spoon or by hand.
Seasoned Gyro Meat
*Optional: Many recipes call for placing the meat and all of the seasonings in a food processor to make a really smooth consistency. I only have a small food processor, and I used it to chop up several batches of the meat. I’m not really sure how much good it did or how important this step is, but if you have a large food processor, you might want to go for it!
Place the meat mixture in a glass bread pan and press down firmly until the top is level.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. *Optional: Many recipes I read called for the bread pan to be placed inside of a roasting pan full of boiling water. This seemed like too much of a hassle, and so I skipped it, but feel free to try it if you have the extra time!
Cooked Gyro Meat
Take the meat out of the pan (save the extra juice to pour back over the top of the meat once you slice it) and place it on a cutting board. Wrap a brick in foil and place it on top of the meat. (*I didn’t have a brick, so I just used a few books wrapping the bottom one with foil.) Let it sit like this for about 15-20 minutes.
Cooked Gyro Meat with Books on Top
Slice the meat really thin andpour any remaining juice over the top.
Sliced Gyro Meat

Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce

2 c. Plain Yogurt (I like Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk. I also like using 3 cups because I LOVE tzatziki sauce, but if you want a more modest amount, 2 cups should do just fine.)
1 Medium to Large Cucumber (peeled, seeded, and finely chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (finely minced)
Juice from 1 Lemon (or lime)
1 T. Olive Oil
2 t. Real Salt
1 t. Mint Leaves
1 c. Finely Crumbled Feta Cheese (I chopped up a solid chunk and put it in my food processor.)

Directions for Tzatziki Sauce

First, scoop out the amount of plain yogurt that you want and place into a mixing bowl.
I coarsely chopped up my cucumber and then put it in my food processor to get it more finely chopped. I also did this with my garlic and my feta cheese.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir with a spoon.
Tzatziki Ingredients
Cover and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour to let the flavors set in.
Tzatziki Sauce

Eat Your Gyros!

Gyros are typically served with lettuce, tomato, and onion in a pita wrap. But since this is your house, serve them any way you’d like! I love getting a big pile of lettuce and making more of a gyro salad with LOTS of tzatziki sauce. Yum! I also love using this tzatziki sauce as a salad dressing and dip for things like my yummy potato fries or rounds.

Gyro Wrap

Carb Free Gyro

Gyro Salad

How Do You Pronounce Gyro?

In case you were wondering how to pronounce “gyro”, this provides a pretty good explanation of how the Greeks say it, how some Americans try to say it and butcher it, and how the Cambridge Dictionary says we should pronounce it. This YouTube video shows ten foods that we Americans typically mispronounce, including gyro, hummus, and bruschetta, and this girl is completely ridiculous, but I think she kind of nails it.

In Greece (where gyros originated), it is pronounced gYEERRRR-o. There is a slightly soft g in the beginning and you sort of roll the rs like this guy does. Many people in America try to pronounce it correctly, but instead sound like this (YEAR-o). Then, there are other people, like this guy (JY-ro), who believe in the complete Americanization and domination of all foreign words.

While getting my Master’s degree in linguistics, I came to the understanding that language will do what it does, not what we want it to. We can have the best intentions for pronouncing a word a certain way, but in the end, it will be pronounced however the majority of people decide to pronounce it. So until people start looking at me weird, I’m going to go with gYEErr-o, so it kind of sounds like I’m trying to pronounce it the correct “Greek” way, but not trying too hard.

Also, for the record, tzatziki is pronounced zat-ZEE-key, not ta-ZEE-key like I’ve always said it. Oops.

Now, how was all that for some food for thought? 🙂

July 29, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

Baked Chili Lemon Butter Split Chicken Breasts

Chicken, General, Recipes

Embracing Motherhood Baked Chili Lemon Butter Split Chicken Breast

This is a quick, simple, go to meal that can be turned into a variety of things. Once you cook the chicken breasts, you can chop them up into cubes, and store in the refrigerator to use on salads. Or you can serve with some rice and green beans for a complete dinner.

I like getting pasture raised whole chickens when we can, but at $15 a chicken, it’s kind of pricy and sometimes I just buy packs of chicken breasts at the store. Getting the chicken breasts with the bone in makes for the most nutritious and delicious chicken.

Ingredients

4 Split Chicken Breasts (bone in)
1 Stick of Butter
2 Lemons
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Real Salt
Pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Squeeze the lemon over the chicken breasts.
Raw Split hicken Breasts and Lemon
Sprinkle both sides generously with all of the seasonings.
Place 2 T. of butter on top of each chicken breast.
Seasoned, Buttered, and Ready to Bake
Bake at 350º F for 1 hour.
Baked Split Chicken Breast
Pre-cut the breast while it’s still on the bone. I like doing this for the kids especially, but when the pieces are cut up like this, they can really soak up all of the juices, and besides, it’s easier for me to eat it that way!
Pre-cut the Chicken Breast
Let the cut up chicken breast soak in the juices. You can eat it right away at this point, pop it back in the oven on the lowest setting to stew a bit, or cover and put back in the fridge.
Soaking up the Juices
Serve! This chicken makes an excellent topping for any salad, hot or cold. I also like serving it over a bed of white rice and beans. My favorite thing to do lately is to sprinkle everything with cayenne pepper. I like the spice!
Chicken, Rice, and Green Beans

Cayenne Pepper Explosion

July 24, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

Hamburger Salad Recipe

Beef, General, Recipes

I love finding simple ways to make dinner that are both healthy and that my family will enjoy. The kids love eating grilled burgers on a bun or cut up and dipped in A1, but my husband and I really enjoy these hamburger salads

Ingredients

Grilled Hamburgers
Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices (Or really any kind of cheese you prefer.)
Lettuce (The darker the lettuce, the more nutrients it has. I prefer organic because it’s one of the dirty dozen.)
Green Olives (Sliced or chopped)
Tomato
Mayonnaise (I like Hellman’s.)
Real Salt (Get some here.)

Directions

Grill some burgers. Check out my recipe: How to Make the Best Grilled Burgers.
Add some cheese when the burgers are almost done cooking, cover, and let it melt.
Chop up the burgers into cubes.
Place on a bed of lettuce and top with tomatoes, green olives, and mayonnaise.
Add a sprinkling of Real Salt on the top and serve.

Hamburger Salad

July 24, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

How to Make Soaked Steel Cut Oats

General, Grain, Recipes

If you’re looking for a breakfast alternative to commercially processed cereal, steel cut oats are a great alternative! I buy organic steel cut oats in bulk from Country Life Natural Foods, and with 7 g of protein and 10% of our daily recommend iron per serving, they are a healthy and economical breakfast choice that the whole family enjoys. When you top them with butter, you’re getting plenty of healthy fats. They do have a considerable amount of phytic acid that prevents us from absorbing necessary minerals, so that’s why I recommend soaking them first.

Ingredients

2 c. Organic Steel Cut Oats (I buy mine here, but you can get a smaller amount here.)
2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar (I buy mine here, but you can get some here too.)
Filtered Water
4 Quart Pot
Butter
Real Salt (I buy mine here, but you can get some here too.)

Directions

Place the steel cut oats in a pot and cover with about twice as much water.
Add the apple cider vinegar.
Adding Apple Cider Vinegar
Let sit overnight or for 8 hours minimum. The ideal would be to soak for a complete 24 hours to get rid of all of the phytic acid, but anything is better than nothing.
Bring to a slow boil stirring often.
Once it boils, turn off the burner off, cover with a lid, and let it sit until all of the water is absorbed (about 20 minutes).
*If it’s really hard to stir, add more water. If it’s still really soupy, turn the burner on low and leave the lid off, and cook until more of the water evaporates/is absorbed.
Serve with butter and salt. Sometimes we like to add brown sugar and milk for a sweet treat.

Steel Cut Oats with Butter and Salt

July 24, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

How to Make Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Dressing, General, Recipes

I was first motivated to make my own ranch dressing when our youngest daughter went through a phase where she wanted to eat everything dipped in ranch, and then she got to the point where she was only sucking the ranch dressing off from things and not even eating the food! So I made this recipe, and we haven’t bought ranch dressing since. I like making it a little thinner and using it as a dressing and a little thicker to use as a dip. It is a favorite of everyone who tries it.

Ingredients/Materials

1-2 c. Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, dill, and curly leaf parsley are my favorites. You could also add sage, thyme, basil, or whatever other fresh herbs you can find.)
3 Green Onions
½ t. Real Salt (I buy my Real Salt in bulk here. You can buy a shaker here, or a refill pouch here.)
¼ t. Pepper
½ t. Onion Powder
2 Pods of Garlic (If kids will be eating this, I’d leave out the garlic. It makes it “too spicy”!)
*¼ t. Cayenne Pepper (This gives it a nice kick, but once again, leave it out for the kids.)
¼ c. Helman’s Mayonnaise
1 c. Buttermilk
1 c. Sour Cream
Container to Hold Dressing (I like reusing glass jars from store bought dressing, but something like this would be really luxurious.)
Small Food Chopper (Get one here.)

Directions

Chop Up Herbs and Garlic: Chop up herbs and garlic into big chunks (on a wooden cutting board) before adding them to the mini food processor.
Green Onions, Parsley, and Garlic
Food Chopper: Add the chopped up herbs and garlic to the mini food chopper. Pulse a few times on low until everything if fairly mixed, then mix on high until everything is finely chopped.
Green Onions, Garlic, and Parsley Chopped Up in a Food Processor
Add the Mayonnaise, Sour Cream, and Buttermilk: Add more or less buttermilk depending on how thin or thick you like your dressing. If you’re going to be using this as a dip, start with about a ½ c. of buttermilk and add more if needed. Add more sour cream to thicken things up. If you don’t have sour cream, or if you’re looking for a different flavor, add some plain yogurt instead.
Add Seasonings and Herbs: Mix together.
Ranch Dressing Ingredients About to be Mixed

Ranch Dressing All Mixed Up
Serve: I like using this dressing as both salad dressing and a dip.
Salad with Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing Dip
Storing: I like to pour this dressing into old glass dressing jars, but you could also use mason jars.
Ranch Dressing Stored in an Old Blue Cheese Container

July 24, 2015/0 Comments/by Stacey Maaser

How to Make the Best Potato Fries

General, Potatoes, Recipes

As a busy mother of four little ones, I love making healthy food that the kids love that fits our budget. These potato fries do all of those things, and this is why I make a big batch of them at least once a week. I try to make enough so that we’ll have extra, but they don’t usually last very long!

Ingredients

6-8 Potatoes (Organic are best, they are one of the dirty dozen!)
2 T. Coconut Oil
Real Salt
Pepper
Optional: Garlic and Onion Powder

Directions

Preheat the Pan: A cast iron skillet would probably be ideal, but for convenience sake, I use a plug in skillet like this. Add coconut oil to the pan and warm it up on a low to medium heat until the oil is nice and hot.
Cut the Potatoes: Wash and cut potatoes. I like to cut mine into strips to make into potato fries, but you could also dice them into little potato cubes or potato circles.
Raw Potatoes Cut Into Fries
Add the Potatoes to the Skillet: When you add the potatoes, the oil should be hot enough to pop.
Cook: Cook with the lid off for about 20-30 minutes on low to medium heat. Flip and stir often. If you leave the skillet uncovered, the fries will be crispier, but take longer to cook. If you cover them, they will cook more quickly, but the fries will be softer.
Potato Fries Cooking
Season: Add the seasonings of your choice, stir, add a little more, stir, and add a little more. I usually just add a bunch of salt and a dash of pepper.
Serve: My kids like their fries with ketchup of course. For me, I like loading them up like I would a baked potato with cheese, sour cream, and chives. Yum!
Potato Fries with Ketchup