Pear, Pomegrante, and Spinach Salad

Since I am at school, and have no way to cook for myself, I bring you a recipe from Jaclyn at Cooking Classy (it can be found here). It is called Pear, Pomegranate and Spinach Salad and it looks AMAZING! Please try it out and let me know how it is. 



Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Sourdough Bread

Here it is! The sourdough recipe! Finally!
(You can find the sourdough starter recipe here)

Sourdough Bread:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup starter
1 1/2 cup warm water
6 cup flour

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a larger and greased bowl; turn over to coat. Cover tightly with foil and let rise overnight. (do not refrigerate) In the morning, punch down and knead a little. Divide in 2, knead 8 to 10 times, then place into grease loaf pans and let rise about 5 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

First rising

Second rising

Finished bread

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

English Muffins {and a SUPER easy breakfast}

Ever dream about the fabulous breakfast you could be eating if you only had the time.You know...eggs, bacon, toast, milk and juice, etc. In this day and age many Americans are constantly on the go. Many skip meals because of the "lack of time". That is NOT a good thing!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Lucky Charms, McDonald's sausage biscuits, and coffee won't give the body what it needs to start the day. So start you day right with an English muffin sandwich!
*Disclaimer* This recipe will take some time due to rising bread dough. DON"T try to make the entire recipe 5 minutes before you have to walk out the door!

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c luke warm water
3 T honey
2 T yeast
2 T olive oil or melted butter
2 t salt
4 c flour (more may be needed)

Mix water, honey, yeast, oil, and salt and let it rest for about 10 minutes or until it starts to bubble.

Blend in flour until you have a soft dough. Knead for 8 minutes, and then cover and let rise for about 45 minutes.

Or until doubled in bulk.

Roll out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into 3 inch circles. Let rest for 15.

Bake muffins in an ungreased electric skillet for about 10 minutes on each side, turning once.

YUM!!! Split them with a fork and you're ready to go!

Topping them is the fun part. I like to put scrambled eggs and a cheese slice on the split muffin then broil them in the oven. You can also top them with sliced tomatoes, breakfast meats, etc, or just eat them plain with some butter!

Enjoy!

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Starting Your Day

Not everyone gets up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the mornings. Not everyone is a "morning" person. I get that, I really do! Although I am a morning person, I live with people who aren't. {like my sister} Not everyone can roll out of bed with a smile on their face and be ready to face the day. But there a few things that may help start your days better.

1. Have a quiet time with God. If you start your day talking with Him, it could help put your thoughts in the right frame of mind. Along with your Bible, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren is a good book to read, but their are countless others.
2. Exercise! 30 minutes of exercise a day can get your blood pumping and your brain working better. {Speaking from personal experience here}
3. And lastly, eat a good breakfast. The say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should not be too heavy because you are trying to "break a fast" after having not eaten for over 8 hours. But it shouldn't be too light, or else your brain won't have enough energy to start the day.

A good breakfast, like other meals, should consist of many food groups, not just one:
Fruit ~ Fresh fruit has a lot of natural sugars that are needed to help start your day. You can eat them whole, in smoothies, and juiced in a juicer.
Vegetable ~ Veggies can be for breakfast, too! You can eat them raw, or put them in something like a frittata. They can also be juiced.
Meat ~ Bacon and sausage aren't the only sources of animal protein that you can eat for breakfast. Turkey meats are much leaner and healthier than pork. Eggs are also a good option for breakfast. They can be prepared in many healthy ways. Some of my favorite are boiled, poached, and scrambled.
Grains ~ This is probably the most common breakfast item of the modern world. With many types of cereals, hot and cold, and baked goods, it easy to overload on this group in the morning, but they are a good addition to breakfast. REAL grits, oats, rice, and wheat are good choices.
Dairy ~ Dairy can be eaten for breakfast. Milk in your cereal and cheese in your grits (my favorite!) are good for breakfast.

Poached eggs on a bed of cheese grits

Waldorf Salad

Fresh orange juice

Fresh strawberries

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Simple Italian Soup

Stephen once told me that our kitchen pantry to me is like his Lego box. I can look at the different pieces in the "box" and see what fits together well. Here is the latest result of my imagination.

Simple Italian Soup:
1 med. onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or fresh)
1-2 tbsp. Pizza topping (see note)
1 can cooked chicken, drained
1/2 bag pasta (approx. 8 oz.)
32 fl. oz. chicken broth

 Chop onions and garlic.
 

  Saute onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Butter or any other oil can also be used.
 

 Add tomatoes and pizza spices and cook for a few more minutes.
 

Note: We get this pizza topping at a store in Charlotte, TN. You might also be able to use an Italian spice mix instead.

 Add the chicken (break apart if the pieces are too big).
 

Add the pasta and chicken broth.

Cook until the pasta is done. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Juicing {Waldorf Salad}

Dad and I bought a juicer on Saturday! It is so much fun to watch the fruits and vegetables go in whole and come out as a juice. You do have to be careful not to juice fruits and vegetables that have too much natural sugar in them. This would cause your blood sugar levels to spike.

Our favorite recipe so far is called a Waldorf Salad:
5 pieces of kale
2 celery sticks
2 apples
{P.S. We make this recipe to serve 4 people. Don't think that you have to drink it all by yourself!}

 Wash the ingredients. You don't have to cut the core out of the apple, but we do.

 Run all the ingredients through the juicer.

And VOILA! Fresh juice like you would not believe! The taste is incredible and it is healthy!!!

Bonus Recipe! Apple Cooler:

1 Cucumber

2 Apples

4 sprigs of fresh Mint

1/2 inch piece of Ginger Root

*Run all ingredients through the juicer and enjoy*

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Fish in a Pouch

First spring was here...then it wasn't...then it was...then it wasn't... Now the temperature is 84 degrees with air so thick you can almost swim in it! Oh, yeah! And the pollen is piling up on everyone and everything.

Enough about the weather. On to today's post...

Today I have decided to bring a new recipe along with some tips about healthy eating. Since spring is now here, officially, I have jumped back on the health bandwagon. Healthy eating doesn't have to be difficult or bland. Just follow a few tips and you'll be fine! (These are just a few guidelines that I try to follow)

• Eat whole foods. Think of the foods that God intended for us to eat! This would include any minimally processed fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grains. Like eating baked chicken instead of a frozen chicken casserole, or sliced strawberries instead of strawberry jam.
• Eat lean meats. This would include chicken, turkey, fish, and some beef. Avoid pork if possible. It is not the healthiest meat, and it is usually processed with a lot of salt like bacon. And only eat beef if you can find lean, organic, and healthy meat. We are fortunate to get our beef from my uncle's farm. This stuff is the real deal!
• Try and eat at least 1 to 2 servings of vegetables at mealtimes. This will reduce the need for more meat. Try to make your plate colorful! Hamburgers, french fries, and sodas are all one color: BROWN.
• Eat locally as much as possible. If you live in the middle of Oklahoma, then you probably won't be able to find local Atlantic salmon. Just by what you can locally. Local foods can be healthier because they are picked when they are ripe, and don't have to travel thousands of miles to get to the dinner table. Eating locally also benefits you local economy.
• Watch your portions! Visualize the proper serving size. Meat should be about the size of a deck of cards. Vegetables and fruits should be about the size of a tennis ball. 

Now to demonstrate some of the tips above, I will give you a new recipe to try. This recipe came from a children's cookbook by Emril Lagasse. I love recipes from children's cookbooks because they are so simple, easy, and tasty! This recipe is called "Fish in a Pouch."

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, softened (although 1/2 of a stick is plenty)
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 t minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
1/8 t salt
1/8 t white pepper
4 fish fillets such as flounder, sole, cod, scrod, or whitefish (we used salmon)
2 t Baby Bam (or other seasoning mix)

 Mix the butter with the next 5 ingredients. 

 Sprinkle about 1/2 t of the Baby Bam onto each fillet.

Smear the butter mixture over each fillet.

 Seal the fish pieces and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

And voila! Wonderful, healthy fish that looks great and tastes awesome!

We served this up on a bed of brown rice with green beans on the side. Yummy and colorful! Enjoy eating healthy and feeling great!  : )

Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Whole Wheat Bread

Here is my mom's no fail Whole Wheat Bread recipe. It is super simple. I use a standing mixer, but if you don't have one you can just knead the dough by hand. Enjoy! This recipe makes one loaf of bread. You can easily double or triple the recipe to make more loaves or other things like pizza and cinnamon rolls.

*Note* This bread will not have the same texture as store bought bread. Don't make this recipe thinking that you will produce Bunny Bread. Lecithin and wheat gluten can be added to this recipe for a lighter bread. They help with the rising and elasticity of the loaves. The original recipe calls for 1 tbsp. each of lecithin and gluten.

*Because this bread can have a heavier texture, it is wonderful when used for french toast or in a breakfast casserole.*

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. yeast

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. oil

1 cup warm water

Mix together the flour, yeast, and salt.

The water needs to be between 120 and 130 degrees F. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If the water is too cool, it won't activate the yeast. Both situations will result in flat, dense bread.

Add the water, oil, and honey to the dry ingredients.

If it is too sticky, add more flour a little at a time until it forms a soft dough .

Knead for 8 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.

Like this.

Place the dough onto a clean, floured surface like a counter or a cutting board. If you are using an standing mixer, you might want to knead it by hand a little to get the proper texture. Shape into a loaf to fit your bread pan.

Place into the pan, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk in a warm spot such as an oven. This step can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

Uncover and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. Then drop the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 20 more minutes. If the bread starts to brown too quickly, you can place a sheet of aluminum foil over it.

Take it out of the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. For best results, let it cool completely before cutting. (Our bread never makes it that far!) In the picture above, you can see that the bread sunk a little. This is because I moved it too much after it had risen, causing it to deflate.



Fly with Christ!
Rachel : )

Bean Soup

Let me introduce you to my latest interesting find: Bean flour. 

Sounds REALLY weird, I know. 

But it's very nutritional, and you can add it to breads or make it into sauces and soups.You can grind up beans in a grain mill or in a coffee grinder. White beans seem to make the best flour. I have also ground red and green lentils in a coffee grinder.

Here is what you will need for a basic soup:

Water

Bean flour

Spices

(That is all!)

For every cup of water use:

1-2 Tbsp. flour for thin

3-4 Tbsp. flour for medium

5-6 Tbsp. flour for thick

Boil your water on the stove. *Making this recipe in the microwave will kill all the nutrients.*

For my spices I put one bouillon cube and dissolve it in the water. You could add any spices you wanted: Mexican, Italian, or just salt and pepper.

Bring the water to a boil.

Today I used a mixture of white bean flour and ground red lentils.

Flour from white beans

Red lentils mixed with white beans

Whisk the flour into the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

 Top with cheese and more spices if desired. ENJOY!

Fly with Christ!

Rachel : )