Organic Granny

Deluxe Apple Pie Oatmeal Porridge-- and YES, that is a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream-- (optional) The Crazy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Porridge (Vegan and Gluten-Free) was such a hit that I thought I would add in some more tarted-up porridges.  Today you will find a recipe for Deluxe Apple Pie Oatmeal Porridge -- the "deluxe" reference alludes to the inclusion of more than 5 ingredients (I don't think any recipe should contain more than 5 ingredients in this stressful world we live in, but, sometimes, alas, more is tastier...)  This could be your company's-here breakfast.  This could also be adapted to the crockpot with very little hassle.  Be sure to use the best organic ingredients as much as you are able. Ingredients (Makes 2 very hearty helpings... could be 3-4 with less zesty eaters) 1 C. Steel Cut Oats (use a GF brand) 1 T. Chia Seed 3 Apples , cored and chopped (skin on) 1/2 tsp. Salt (or to taste) 2 T. Cinnamon 1 small nob fresh Gin

Another sort of gloomy, cool, and foggy morning here on Vancouver Island.  We know that Spring is on the way, but ... So, it calls for a bowl of porridge-- something that "sticks to your ribs" as my mother used to say (I think she said that, but it may have been someone else).   Here is a plug for healthy organic eating (and cooking)-- food actually TASTES better when it is organically-grown.  That is my observation, and apparently, it's true, according to food scientist Harold McGee (quoted from a blog over at The Kitchn.com ): " when plants are under attack, they begin to ramp up production of their chemical defenses. This can mean releasing an aroma that attracts counter-attacking bugs (wasps for caterpillars, for instance), manufacturing something toxic or distasteful to the insects themselves, or producing an anti-fungal compound. For us, these "defenses" translate directly into flavor and aroma. McGee says, "Because they're not prote

Do you, or someone in your household, bake this fragrant, hearty, genuine crusty bread?  The particular loaf above is a rye bread with caraway seeds in it.  It has a crispy, crunchy crust and a hole-y crumb (inside of the bread).  I baked it using the fantastic recipe and videos from Breadtopia AND my brand new favourite tool (read: kitchen toy) called LaCloche (you can see it in the background.)  It's a stoneware, or clay (or you can use enameled cast iron) "baker" that comes in two parts: a baking 'pan' base (more like a cake pan in shape) and a heavy lid. Available from Amazon. Click Above. The LaCloche simulates baking your bread in a clay oven (the highlight of Pioneer Days in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was the delicious bread the Hutterites baked in an earthen/clay oven behind their booth). This rye bread is no-knead... that means you don't thump and knead it as part of the process.  It's made with quite a lot of water, and allowed to rise

So, I made this delicious Upside Down Banana Cake adapting a recipe from the blog US Masala I saw on Pinterest -- dee-lish-us!  I did lots of substitutions to the original, but I'm sure it tasted just as good, but not better.  This is a great way to use up 3 or 4 over-ripe bananas.  I made fresh apple sauce in my Vitamix, but you can, of course, use the ready-made stuff.  And I used both coconut oil instead of butter and coconut oil (melted) instead of the oil called for in the original recipe.  AND, I made full use of my food processor, as usual.  But other than that, well, it could be the same recipe. INGREDIENTS: For the Upside-Down Layer: 3 ripe bananas, cut in 1/2" pieces 1/4 C. Brown Sugar 3 T. Melted Coconut Oil For the Cake: 1 C. Unbleached Flour  (or sub 1 1/2 C. GF mix for this and the tapioca starch) 1/2 C. Tapioca Starch 1 tsp. Baking Powder 1 tsp. Baking Soda 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt 1/2 - 1 tsp. Organic Cinnamon 5 T. Coconut Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla (

Every Girl Should Know How To Make A Salad I have had a lovely summer... and lots of great salads! Above is a picture of my 6-year old granddaughter making a salad -- what I want her to be skilled at in the kitchen, actually.  In my day it was an omelet.  But we vegans have different ideas about what is appropriate! If you want to see a pile of excellent salad recipes why not go to my Pinterest Salad Board and 'follow' it?  There are great recipes for salads on there right now, and a bunch more to come!  You could have a different salad every day of the year...wow! (Keep them organic of course!)

  Wow, I just ran across this gorgeous stained glass structure while doing my early morning peruse of Pinterest .  Can you imagine anything so beautiful in your own garden?  Can you imagine yourself inside of this enchanting art piece: the sun streaming through and reflecting all the colors, blending them-- what if there was sunshine AND rain falling: imagine the rainbows!  This is the inspirational and beautiful idea-filled material you will find on Pinterest... are you part of it yet?  If not, why ever not?  Follow me and I'll follow you! If you are the photographer/artist/owner of this image, let me know and I will credit you or delete it from my blog.   The same disclaimor is on the Tumblr blog where I got this from. Our Food Matters-- Join a Social Network to Match Your Own Social Ethics and Wisdom

Anyone out there who is over sixty (or maybe just over 50) knows how hard it is to take off weight and keep it off .  Weight loss is harder for older people than you might think... or that is, healthy weight loss.   So I was absolutely thrilled to read about how Low Fat Vegan Frederic Patenaude's mother, who is in the 55+  age group, lost 55 pounds in just 8 months (she still has another 15 to go to reach her ideal).    I'm excited because Frederic talks about what his mom now eats and what she avoids eating, and it really isn't too different from moi!  It actually fits in very closely with what most of us saw in the film "Forks Over Knives" or what you can get from Dr. Michael Greger at nutritionfacts.org So, do you wonder why it is so hard to lose weight when you are over 55? Speaking from experience, I think it is a combination of really jumbled up eating "habits" (yo-yo dieting, eating the wrong things, over-eating even the right things, rewardi