Organic Granny

When I asked my husband what he wanted for breakfast this morning, he said, "Well, seems like you're on a roll with those porridge recipes". Aha. So, a new recipe needed today. And thus, thanks to Google, here is my take on a carob-blueberry pudding porridge.  It's a little fussier in the making, but well-worth it (fussier in that it needs to be done in a couple of steps vs. just throwing everything together in a pot from the get-go). It smells soooo yummy as it cooks-- remember that chocolate was once known as "the poor man's carob".   This porridge will meet all your chocolate cravings, but with wonderful nutrients and none of the stimulants of  caffeine or theobromine found in chocolate.   Remember to use Gluten-Free Oats if you are sensitive to gluten and wheat. Ingredients: 1 C.     Steel Cut Oats 1/2 tsp. Salt  1/4 C.   Chia seed 1/2 C.  Coconut shreds 3 C.     Water 1/2 C.  Carob powder 1/4 C.  Fairtrade Raw Cane Sugar (I use Who

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

The following pictures are of aspects of our front, side and backyard that I have been working in/on.  Today was a splendid point-and-shoot picture-taking day. Ancient Apple Tree with Comfrey and Digitalis at its base attempting to nurse it back to wellness. This almost looks like it could be some cutesy flower box on Pinterest, doesn't it? It's really our deck step with weeds poking through-- shame, shame! Lupins in the sideyard where no one gets to see them-- therefore, do they exist? (next 2 pics also) Our expanded "Kidney garden" in the front... the multi-colored orange bark mulch was recentlly laid down and will, I hope, have more interesting features as time goes on.  Daylilies, catnip, irises, fragrant Asian lilies, lavender, and other stuff grows here.  In the mulched area is a fig  tree (bearing this year we hope) and an infant Azalea I bought last year at Canadian Tire.  It had a nice show of magenta blossoms in the earlier S

Toes inflamed with chilblains (Wikipedia) Inflammation -- the starting point for most chronic and terminal disease.  That sore spot or achey gut is quite likely inflamed tissue...  I recall from a hydrotherapy demo one time learning that inFLAMmation (read: flame; heat; fire) can be cooled with ice (as in the case of a hot, sore joint, back ache, a burn, or a stinging sensation) or with drinking water (as in the case of a stomach ache or a sore, inflamed throat).  Heart attack and cancer start with inflammation. I am going to do three things to eliminate inflammation in my body, three things that I currently do right now but that I know don't work well for me.... I am already vegetarian/vegan/sometimes raw vegan, but these are three areas where I transgress and that usually results in weight gain (another indication of inflammation) and edema for me.  The three things that promote inflammation in some people that I will cut out of my life are: narrowing of the  esophag

This is the time of the year for succulent berries and fruits -- and unfortunately, many of us will discover the mold has formed on our berries (particularly raspberries) before we get to finish eating the container we brought home from the store or picked in the backyard. But help is here!  I am thankful to my friends who send me simple solutions via email.  Today I got one on how you can use a couple of household items to store your berries while preventing mold.  How? In a glass bottle or mason jar mix together cold filtered water and apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 10:1 Too simple, eh?   Now, merely pour the water over your berries in a large bowl.  Swirl and drain.  You shouldn't need to rinse because the  of the dilution (it's hard to detect the vinegar) but you can if you wish. Pop the berries into the fridge.   Raspberries and strawberries, for example, will keep without going moldy for about 1- 1 1/2 weeks.  Mmmmm....

--> A friend sends me information about all sorts of natural methods for body care , such as the baking soda-apple cider vinegar no-shampoo and this fantastic foot soak for tired tootsies. Because the no-shampoo works so well for my hair, I tried out the foot soak and was thrilled at how my feet and legs relaxed, and so did the rest of me. Here is what you do: Dig out a basin, or as in the case of vegetarians like me, re-purpose that big turkey roasting pan that you don't plan to use for that any more. Add the following to the pan/basin: 1 T. Green (your choice of brand) dishwash liquid 1 T. Honey (yes, you read right-- a disinfectant and a moisturizer) 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or other accessible oil) 5-10 drops of peppermint oil (I have linked to my favourite pure peppermint oil) Fill the basin with warm water (as warm as you can take) and soak your feet for about ten+ minutes.  Dry.  Perfect time for a foot rub or reflexology.  Your feet will feel so

--> Ronny Satzke's beautiful daughter We hear a lot about GMO (genetically-modified organisms) and how bad they are, but most of us don't really understand the full impacts of buying/growing GMO foods.  And when we do, we don't want to eat the GMO-laden stuff-- and we certainly don't want our precious children and grandchildren to eat GMO foods! Even if you haven't been quite convinced that the 'organic' debate is trustworthy, I think you will hop on board to embrace keeping GMO foods out of your family's pantry is about the healthiest decision you can make in the supermarket (or at the farm gate). Want to know more? Take a look at this video (and if you are impacted by it, share the link with your friends, your local natural foods store, your government representative, your adult kids who are bringing up your precious grandkids).