Baby Led Weaning - Don't be afraid of getting messy!

This is one of my most favorite pictures of our sweetie girl. She's covered in roasted beets and sweet potatoes.  She's been eating this way from the beginning of solid foods. She's only 9 months here. I did a lot of research early on, on baby-led-weaning. Although we weren't trying to wean, she started showing interest in our food at about 7 months. We started giving her little nibbles from our food then and she's eating a bit of whole foods daily at her request. 

 

 

This is what a typical Sunday at our house looks like, baby food prep. Except, I'm not mashing, blending or pureeing anything. I simply roast everything on a pan, remove things that cook a little faster, remove the tough skins, dice them up into baby finger size and freeze for the week. I can't tell you how easy this is! It is also easy on the budget, but that's just a bonus. 

 

 This whole experience has been wonderful for baby, mommy, and daddy. We are loving feeding her whole foods, picked ripe for eating and without any processing or extra unnecessary added ingredients. We're not including grains, or corn for a long while as we feel this is best for developing her tummy to handle those sorts of things and we're avoiding GMO's like the plague. For now, whole fruits and vegetables are on her menu. Just recently we've started to scatter in some organic roasted chicken and egg yolks here and there. 

 

What Baby is Eating: 

 

Sweet Potatoes

Butternut Squash

Apples (baked)

Carrots

Roasted Beets, Golden and Purple (her favorite)

Asparagus Tops

Cauliflower

Peas

Green Beans

Egg Yolks

Organic Roasted Chicken

Pears

Banana

Avocados

and adding weekly.....

 

We're staying away from cruciferous (except cauliflower) vegetables on the moment as those seem to be harder on the digestive system.

There are all sorts of books, blogs and websites devoted to baby-led weaning. I'm not an expert on the subject, but if you're intrigued to do your own research I've included some of my favorite links below.

 

Wholesome Baby Food 

Nourished Kitchen on Baby-Led Weaning

Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck

Simple Bites - Embracing Baby-Led Weaning

Black Beans Slow Cooker or Oven Recipe

If you're wondering what to make for lunch or even dinner this week, why not get a pot or crock pot  delicious black beans going. Once you try these you'll never go back to the canned stuff, I promise! 

 

 

First enlist the help of a sweet son, if you have one of those like mine and wash 1lb of dried organic black beans. You'll also want to sort these for rocks or shriveled up beans. 

 

Aren't black beans gorgeous! They look like little jewels! My son loves how they feel in his hands. 

 

Next if you have a crock pot place the washed black beans in the pot. Add enough water to cover them by an inch. I just stick my finger in to get a measurement.  Cover and cook on high for 4.5 hours on high or low for 6-7 hours depending on the temperature of your crock pot. You may have to check for water if your beans soak all it up, but mine never do. Add salt afterwords to taste.  That's it for plain black beans, but we never have them this way.  If you like Chipotle style black beans keep reading for that recipe. 

 

To the pot add:

 

 - 2T of Cumin

 - 2 Bay Leaves

 - 2 T of Sherry

 

Cook the same as above. 

 

If you don't have a crockpot, cooking black beans in the oven is so easy and they turn out just as delicious and creamy as the crockpot version. Turn on the oven to 350 and bake for 90
minutes. Check for doneness after 90 minutes. 

See, that was easy, wasn't it? 

We love black beans in our house, we eat them on nachos, tacos, "burrito bowls", black beans and rice and any other way we can get them. 

Enjoy

! 

Instant Pot® Cincinnati "Style" Vegan Chili Recipe

OK, so before I get any hate mail, let's not forget that the tite of this recipe is Cincinnati "Style" Vegan Chili. Obviously, this is not chili, but when I have a hankerin' for Cincinnati Style (style in taste) Chili, this is something I like to make. I also want to apologize if you came over from Instagram and were expecting a 20 minute recipe, this is actually closer to 40 minutes. I forgot the natural release time. Either way, it's a super easy, healthy and yummy way to cook that monsterous bag of lentils you bought at Costco six months ago. 

Affiliate links included below for your conveience. 

 

Do you have one of these beautiful kitchen appliances yet? If not, you must hurry and get an InstantPot® It is a life changer. I waited over a year to get one, as I don't like to make spur of the moment decisions, especially on an appliances that's going to possibly take up counter space in my kitchen. Anyway, I've used it almost every day since it arrived, and it's spectacular. It made the most perfect brown rice the other day, saving me so much time. 

Sorry, let's get back to the recipe. You will need the following: 

Recipe Makes 4-6 servings. I ate three bowls for dinner, and had two big bowls left over which I just finished one for breakfast. Vegetarians sometimes eat lentils for breakfast. No, you're weird. 

 

1 cup Green Lentils (rinsed and picked through looking for any stones)

1 Small Onion Diced

2 Carrots Diced Small  

2 14.5oz Cans of Organic Diced Tomatoes with juice. 

2T Tomato Paste 

6-8 T of Chili Powder more if you like it dark and rich with less tomato flavor.

1T Cumin

2t Garlic Powder 

2 t Paprika 

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Dark Cocoa Powder 

1t Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Cups of Water 

 

Directions:

1. Turn your InstantPot®  to Saute and saute the onion and carrot together until fragrant, and slightly soft.

2. Add all the spices, and tomato paste and saute for an additional minute stirring so that nothing burns.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients, and slowly pour the water into the pot. Make sure there is enough water to cover everything at least by half an inch. 

4. Hit the cancel button. Next hitting manual and setting it for HIGH pressure 20 minutes.

5. Make sure sure your vent is set properly to close so it can build pressure. 

6. Go read more Vintage Indie Blog posts, or check out our Facebook or Instagram, while your chili is cooking! 

7. Once the timer has gone off, let it naturally release all of the pressure. I let mine release for 25 minutes. (mostly because I forgot about it) 

8. Carefully remove the lid, and enjoy. I like to eat mine with Trade Joe's Chili Pepper Sauce . 

YUM! So good. I also like to top mine with freshly diced onions. 

 

 

 

 

Einkorn Pumpkin Bread Recipe

My hubby #thebeardedhunk made the most delicious pizza crust the other day from Einkorn and Spelt flour, so I though I'd give a pumpkin bread a try, and use up some Einkorn. I'm so glad I did. This bread is moist, cakey, but not too cakey, and very slice-able. This would be perfect to bake the night before Thanksgiving for an easy breakfast for the cook, or for Christmas morning. 

Below are affiliate links for your convenience.

I decided to use all Einkorn in this bread because I wanted a filling rich and filling loaf. Something that can hold onto butter without guilt. I've not tried it with whole wheat or other flours, but give it a try and let me know what you think. 

 

 

This Recipe Makes 2 loaves

• 1/2 Cup of Honey (we use local honey, supporting local farmers when we can, but you can find raw honey here)
• 1/2 Cup cup maple syrup (you can find maple syrup here)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil melted ( we like this coconut oil) 
• 1/2 cup apple sauce (we use this kind, but sometimes also get some at Costco)
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups of Einkorn flour 
• 2 cups pumpkin puree (NOT the pie filling, we like this one)
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (like this one, or Trader Joe's has a lovely one)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda 

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. And lightly grease two loaf pans. I used one Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan, and one metal loaf pan) The stoneware one baked the loaf very dark, and so close to being almost two dark. 

2. In a large bowl oven safe bowl, mix the syrup, coconut oil, honey, and apple sauce until coconut oil is melted. If yours is melted, feel free to skip this step. 

3. Slowly add your eggs to the melted mixture along with your pumpkin puree. Blend with a hand mixer or a spoon until combined. 

4. In a separate bowl mix your dry ingredients, and use a whisk to evenly mix everything. 

5. Next, add your wet ingredients to the dry, and mix well, but avoid over mixing. 

6. Divide the batter between your two loaf pans, and bake 50-60 minutes until your toothpick comes out clean. 

7. Cool on wire racks. 

8. Use a serrated knife to make generous slices, and serve warm or room temperature. 

 

 Yum, not too sweet and just the perfect amount of pumpkin spice. I served this up on my gorgeous cutting board from Going Home Furniture. 

 

" Thanksgiving in a Squash" Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

If you are looking for something delicious to serve for dinner, why not try this yummy Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe my husband has named "Thanksgiving in a Squash". 

Ingredients: 

4 Small- Med Acorn Squash (this also gave us a whole one for leftovers) Cut in half and the seeds removed. 

1lb organic free range ground turkey 

1 package of portabello mushrooms

1 Leek, slicked thin  

Salt & Pepper

Fresh or Dried Sage 1 T, 2 if you like a lot of sage. 

Coconut Oil or oil of choice for sauteing

2T dried cranberries (optional)

1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese (leave out if dairy free)

 

Directions for the squash: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Place a Tablespoon of melted coconut oil onto a baking sheet. 

Season each acorn squash half with salt and pepper

Place the squash cut side down onto your baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes until fork tender. 

 

Meanwhile you're going to prepare the filling. 

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil. Turkey is a little on the dryer side, so we're going to build flavor. You're also going to want to cook it a little slower to help keep the turkey moist.  Cook your ground turkey fully, until crumbled. 

Add the diced mushrooms and leaks, and saute until tender and slightly browning. 

Add salt and pepper to taste, fresh sage and your minced garlic. Continue to cook until the garlic has softened.  Add cranberries at this time if you choose to add them. 

 

Bringing the squash and filling together:

Flip each squash over so that the cavity is ready to be filled. Fill each squash with the turkey mixture (top with a sprinkle of cheese at this time if you wish). Bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is gooey and melted. 

 

This isn't the greatest photo as this was one of the halves on the second day (I love this for lunch). I completely forgot about getting a picture of all of them filled and ooey gooey. Everyone here couldn't wait to eat them.

 

Enjoy! 

 

 

 

Kid Tested: Homemade Tomato Soup

Never go back to the high fructose corn syrup tomato flavored soup again. I have a super easy and delicious homemade tomato soup recipe for you. Kid tested, and enjoyed! 

 

Homemade Tomato Soup (with a little kick)

  

What You Will Need: 

2T Olive Oil 

1 Large White Onion Diced

2 Large Carrots Diced

4 large cloves of garlic minced

1 Can of Tomato Paste 6oz

2 14.5oz cans of Diced tomatoes

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos (don't worry it is just a little kick)

1T of Honey (omit if vegan)

2T Basil (fresh would be yummy, but I only had the dried)

1T of Oregano

4 Cups of Chicken Stock (use veggie stock if you want to keep it vegetarian)

1/3 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream (use cashew cream for a vegan option)

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

Step One: 

Add the olive oil to a medium to large cooking pot or dutch oven. Add diced onions and carrots and begin to sweat and cook the veggies until they are translucent or softened over medium heat. 

Step Two: 

After your veggies have become soft, add the garlic and continue to soften a few minutes longer. Be careful not to burn the garlic. 

Step Three: 

Add your tomato paste (the whole can, no need to waste any), oregano and basil to the onion and carrot mixture. Cook the mixture until the tomato paste is warmed through and the veggies are coated with the paste. 

Step Four: 

Add remaining ingredients (except for the heavy whipping cream and chicken stock) to the pot and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes until the flavors have melded together. 

Step Five:

Blend your soup mixture in batches in your blender (be careful not to trap the steam in your blender or you will have a big mess on your hands) If you have an immersion blender, you could use that as well. 

Step Six: 

Return the mixture to the pan if you used a blender. Add the chicken stock until your desired consistency is achieved. I ended up adding about 5 cups total. Next, add the heavy whipping cream. Allow everything to come to a gentle simmer.

Step Seven:

Add pepper to taste and enjoy!   

 

Reheat Tip: The next day your soup may have become a little thick. Add chicken stock to thin it out a bit and you'll have even more soup. I added about 1.5 cups the next day, warmed through and it was just as delicious. 

Freezing Tip: Make a double batch and freeze the soup in quart freezer safe jars! Thaw in the fridge for an easy warm up meal for lunch or dinner any time! 

Organic & Whole Living: Tuscan Vegetable Beef Soup (slow cooker version too)

It is soup season, can I get a whoop whoop!  One of my favorites! It's so easy to just prep everything, toss it in the slow cooker and be on your way for the day. I love the fresh flavors of summer, but with recipes like my Tuscan Vegetable Beef Soup, it's easy to get healthier food on the table for my family more frequently. This soup is versatile, and can be made vegetarian or vegan if you'd like. Just omit the beef, or beef broth. 

For this recipe you will need:

1lb of Stew Meat (cut even smaller into small bite sized pieces)

1 Large Onion diced

1/2 Head of Cabbage (use the other half to make cole slaw) slicked into thicker pieces

3 Large Zucchini halved and sliced into 1/2 inch chunks 

4-5 medium-large carrots

2 Cups frozen (not canned) green beans 

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

1 Small Can Tomato Paste 

3 Bay Leaves 

2T Basil

2T Oregano 

1T Thyme

1T Dried Garlic or fresh 

4 Cups of Beef Broth or Vegetable 

4 Cups Chicken Stock or use all vegetable or all beef. (it is what I had on hand at the time)

Salt & Pepper to Taste 

1T Butter

1T Coconut Oil 

Directions:

1. Begin by browning your beef in the melted butter/coconut oil on medium/medium high. I like to use both, I find that the coconut oil, doesn't taste like coconut when I add a little butter. 

2. Add your diced onion and continue to brown the beef until it is no longer pink. 

3. Add your cabbage and carrots and cook this mixture down until the cabbage has softened a bit, the carrots will continue to cook throughout the process. 

4. Add the whole can of tomato paste, you want to cook it a bit and stir everything around coating it all with the paste. This helps to make the tomato paste taste even richer. 

5. Add your  zucchini and cook slightly, the zucchini will continue to cook throughout the process.

6. Add all of your spices, continuing to cook on medium for 30 seconds. 

7. Add your can of diced tomatoes and green beans and stir. 

8. Add your stock or broth of choice. 

9. Simmer the soup for an hour and let the broth reduce, check to-taste for salt and pepper. 

10. Simmer the soup until you are ready to eat, and add a little more stock if you find it is getting to dry. 

Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Slow Cooker Tip- You can make this in your Slow Cooker, but you should brown the beef and onions ahead of time for deeper flavor. If not, throw everything in the slow cooker together and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Be sure that there is always enough liquid in the pot to make soup. 

 

What about you, what is your favorite soup? 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Katie: Pumpkin Granola Recipe

 Are you looking for a delicious fall treat for breakfast or an after school snack? Why don't you give Katie's pumpkin granola recipe a try. It's low on sugar too! 

 

Pumpkin Granola

 

2 Cups Steel Cut Oats (Do not use quick cooking oats)

¼ tsp Salt

1 ½ tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Milled Flax Seed

¼ Cup Stevia in the Raw

½ Cup Raw Almonds

1 Tbsp Vanilla

¾-1 Cup Canned Pumpkin

¼ Cup Brown Sugar

¼ Cup Honey

3 Tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil

 

 

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put Oats, Salt, Cinnamon, Flax Seed, Stevia, and Almonds in a mixing bowl.

2) In a saucepan, combine Vanilla, Pumpkin, Brown Sugar, Honey, and Coconut Oil and heat until the honey and coconut oil is viscous and combined.

3) Pour the liquid mix over the dry ingredients and mix until its all combined.

4) Spread mixture onto a sheet tray and place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

5) Remove from oven and turn the granola over with a spatula, making sure it will be baked evenly. Lower oven temp to 325, and repeat this process for another half hour, turning the granola over after 15 minutes.

6) Once done, the granola will be a dark amber color. It will not be crispy until completely cooled so allow to cool then eat away!

 

My favorite memories growing up always revolve around the kitchen, or cooking. Stringing green beans on the swing with my Grandma Sebert, making pie dough with Grandma Jo in the kitchen at the farm, or baking and decorating an array of cookies with my Mother.  So it came as no surprise to me when I quit nursing school midway to do what I loved most . . . Cook, and Bake!

 

Since I began Culinary School, I have undertaken an array of different venues from an Italian kitchen, a quaint local bakery, and most recently a cruise ship kitchen. My journey is only just beginning as I set out to learn, share and bake my way through life. - Katie Kelley

 

Sunshine Baking: Caramel Filled Apple Cupcake Recipe

 

Katie with Sunshine Baking is visiting us today to share one of her favorite fall treats. Caramel Filled Apple Cupcakes. Be sure to stop by her Facebook page and say hello.

 

My favorite memories growing up always revolve around the kitchen, or cooking. Stringing green beans on the swing with my Grandma Sebert, making pie dough with Grandma Jo in the kitchen at the farm, or baking and decorating an array of cookies with my Mother.  So it came as no surprise to me when I quit nursing school midway to do what I loved most . . . Cook, and Bake!

 

Since I began Culinary School, I have undertaken an array of different venues from an Italian kitchen, a quaint local bakery, and most recently a cruise ship kitchen. My journey is only just beginning as I set out to learn, share and bake my way through life. - Katie Kelley

 

 

 

Caramel Filled Apple Cupcakes

(yield=24)

Cupcake:                       

            2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

            2 teaspoons baking soda

            2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

            1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

            1 teaspoon salt

            8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

            2 cups sugar

            2 large eggs

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

            4 cups coarsely shredded apples, such as Macintosh (about 1 3/4 pounds)

 

Caramel Filling:

 

            1 cup sugar

            ¼ cup water

            1 cup heavy cream

 

Icing:

            ½ cup butter

            ¼ cup vegetable shortening

            1 tsp vanilla extract

            3 Tbsp spiced rum

            1-2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

            6 cups powdered sugar

            4-6 Tbsp milk

           

 

Directions:

 

1) Melt butter and combine with shredded apple, vanilla, eggs and sugar.

2) Add all dry ingredients, to the wet ingredients, until combined and all ingredients evenly distributed.

3) Fill baking cups a little more than ¾ of the way full.

4) Bake for 15-25 minutes at 350 degrees, when done, let cool.

5) While cupcakes are baking, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, turn to medium heat and allow the combination to boil until it turns a light amber color.

6) Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream a little at a time, put it back on the heat and whisk until any clumps of sugar and cream are dispersed. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

7) Once both have cooled, use a filling tip to pipe caramel into the center of each cupcake.

8) For icing, whip together butter and shortening, once light and fluffy, add vanilla, rum and cinnamon.

9) Add powdered sugar and milk in increments until the desired consistency is achieved.

10) Ice cupcakes, drizzle with caramel and enjoy!

 

(Cupcake recipe is modified from a Martha Stewart Recipe)

 

What is your favorite fall recipe? We'd love to know in the comments. 

 

 

Dairy Free Peanut Butter & Banana Ice Cream

Seriously ya'll is it scorching hot where you are? Here in Northern Kentucky, we completely just dove head first into summer, and technically it isn't even summer! It's supposed to be 88 today. This is the perfect treat to cool yourself down, and you can practically make whatever flavor you want from this dairy free base. We chose to make peanut butter and banana. 

 

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans of full fat coconut milk (we love Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Milk it has no gums or added ingredients)

Six frozen bananas

1T Coconut Palm Sugar

MAKE IT: 

Blend this mixture together like a Ninja. (unless you have one of those fancy other guys)

Pour  into your ice cream maker. We have the  Cuisinart ice cream & yogurt maker, we love it, and it is so easy to use.

We added in a some Peanut butter in the end, because you know, more fat.

EAT IT:

You can serve it soft serve after the cycle in your ice cream maker is done, or you can freeze it. Keep in mind if you do freeze it, it will become rock hard, and you'll want to set it out for a bit before you dish it up. 

 

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? 

Organic & Whole Living: BLP Salad

One evening as I was out and about running errands, I asked my husband to make us a salad for dinner. It's so nice to have a hubby who is willing cook and help in the kitchen. As a matter of fact, he has come a long way from not knowing how to cook much of anything, to dazzling me in the kitchen. 

Of course, whenever I say salad, his reply is always the same. "What is this s-a-l-a-d thing that you speak of". Does anyone else's husband think salads are funny? Anyway, what he came up with that night was absolutely delicious and one of our favorite salads that we have often as our main course. 

This recipe is so easy, you almost don't need a recipe, but I'm going to give you the basics and you can add or change it up to make it your own. 

Bacon, Lettuce, and Potato Salad! 

You will need:

 - 1 lb of bacon 

 - 1lb of Yukon Gold potatoes diced 

 - 3 heads of crispy romain lettuce 

 - any extras you'd like to add in. I like red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, purple onion etc. 

Start by cutting your lb of bacon in a cast iron skillet. Cook on medium to medium high, allowing for the bacon grease to release. This salad is all about the flavor of bacon. I like to use my kitchen shears to cut the bacon into bite sized pieces and drop them into the sizzling pan. 

Next, remove your bacon with a slotted spoon leaving the remaining bacon grease in the pan. Next, add your diced potatoes one layer at a time, and fry them up in the skillet. Remember the skillet is doing it's job to brown the potatoes, so don't try to stir them to quickly as they may stick. Keep working in batches frying up the potatoes, removing with a slotted spoon, until all of them have been cooked. 

This is one of those instances where I had planned to get a final photo of the assembled salad, but once everyone found out bacon was involved, the chaos in the kitchen prevented such. 

Assemble each bowl with lettuce, bacon, potatoes and any other additions that you would like. We like bell peppers, sometimes onions, and sometimes whatever fresh vegetable is in the fridge. It is a very forgiving salad, and according to my family anything with bacon is delicious, no matter how you eat it. 

Balsamic & Garlic Dressing 

You will need: 

 - 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
 - 1 tablespoon powdered or freshly chopped garlic
 - 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt 
 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 - 3/4 cup olive oil

Shake all ingredients in a mason jar and you're set to go! 

 

Want to take this salad on the go? Fill the bottom of a quart mason jar with 1-2T of the Balsamic & Garlic dressing. Next, fill the jar with your crisp romain lettuce, top with bacon and potatoes. Seal with a lid. When you are ready to indulge, give the jar a slight shake to coat the lettuce in the dressing, open and enjoy! 

I hope your family enjoys this salad as much as we do. It is a fantastic base for getting loads of veggies in your family. 

 

 

 

Organic & Whole Living: Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Our family is on a journey to Paleo. We're doing this for a number of reasons, but mostly because Paleo is nutrient dense and full of whole foods. This is something we've been passionate about as parents for a long time now.

With that decision, we're cutting out flours, gluten, processed foods, and highly processed sugars. I've been reading and reviewing The Paleo Approach & Practical Paleo, two excellent resources and books for every home library. I'm considering The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne Ph. D. for our high school science nutritional course. This book reads much like a science textbook, and is a wealth of scientific information. 

More on those reviews later. In the meantime, here is a delicious recipe I've adapted from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo. Her version was good, but I made some changes based on our family's preferences.

 

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

1/2 Can of organic pureed Pumpkin, fresh is better. (not pie mix)

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon of Black Strap Molasses (optional)

2 Teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

3 Tablespoons of melted butter, ghee (to make this dairy free), or coconut oil

1/2 a banana (if you like them a little sweeter)

 

1. Mash and whisk all of your ingredients together in a bowl, except for the butter. 

2. Heat your pan to medium heat and melt the 3 Tablespoons of butter or oil of choice. Add 2 Tablespoons of your butter to the batter and leave the rest in the pan for frying. 

3. Pour the batter in small pancake size rounds, the batter will be on the thin side, and that's perfectly fine. 

4. Fry each pancake until the edges begin to firm up and you start to see bubbles form over the surface. 

5. Flip once the pancake has had time to set on one side. 

These pancakes take a little more time to cook than a traditional pancake. The darker the better for our preference. 

 

Serve with sprinkled of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, and if you're using maple syrup a splash will do. 

 

Enjoy! 

 

What about you? Have you ever tried "going Paleo"? 

 

Disclosure: The two books mentioned here are personal purchases. We were not paid for any contents of our review or required any certain text within the review. However, the links are apart of the Amazon Affiliate Program and we may recieve a small profit to help pay for Vintage Indie Mag if you choose to use our links. Visit our Disclaimer/Disclosure Page for more info

Organic & Whole Living: Easy Cinnamon Dolce Latte

I've  been craving one of my favorite drinks from a coffee shop, so I thought I'd try to make a healthier version. This one hit the spot. 

 

This is so easy, anyone can do it. 

What You Need:

 - Organic Coffee, brewed your favorite way. 

 - Organic Ceylon Cinnamon - If you've never had it, you are truly missing out. 

 - Local Honey or sweetener of choice

 - Organic Heavy Whipping cream (go for the real thing here) 

Start with your favorite cup of joe. I like Newmans Organic Special Blend and local coffee from Carabello.  We were gifted with a Keurig and I love how quickly I can whip up coffee, although nothing replaces French press coffee in my mind. It just isn't practical for me daily. 

I pour my coffee into a Thermos so as a work-at-home-mama, I don't have to drink cold coffee every day. I wish I would have figured this out sooner, but that's what learning is all about, right? 

Next add 1/4 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon, less if you don't like it as strong. Add your sweetener and shake this up really good. You could also blend this if you'd like but be careful as pressure builds up with hot liquids in a blender. 

Next whip up 3-4 T of heavy whipping cream in your Ninja single serve, magic bullet or a regular blender will do. If you don't have a blender,  just shake it up in a small mason jar. 

 

Top with the heavy cream and sprinkle a little of that yummy cinnamon on top. 

YUM, this is so good, and so easy! 

 

Want some more information on that cinnamon I was telling you about? See these links for more information. 

What's the Difference Between Cinnamon and Cassia?

Herb Profile Cinnamon from Wellness Mama 

Organic & Whole Living: Recipe Crook Neck Squash & Spinach Side Dish

I would like to be completely honest here. Crookneck squash has never been my favorite, to me it has a bland and kind of off taste. Until I made this recipe, I didn't make it very often. After one bite I was hooked on crook neck squash. If you're looking for something different and healthy for a new Thanksgiving side dish, why not try this. 

You will need: 

2-3 Medium Yellow Crookneck Squash Sliced into half moons and then again. 

1 Cup of Frozen Chopped Spinach or 2 cups of fresh 

1-2T of Coconut Oil

1 Clove of Garlic minced

1tsp. of oregano

Pink Salt & Pepper to taste. 

Directions:

In a medium to large saute pan, bring the coconut oil up to medium to medium high heat. Add the squash and saute until just starting to soften. Next, add the spinach, minced garlic and seasonings. Contiue to saute until the spinach gets slightly crispy and the squash begins to brown slightly. 

See how easy that was! 

Serves 4 

Serve warm and enjoy. 

Happy Cooking! 

Organic & Whole Living: Bite Sized Recipes - Zucchini

For those of you with toddlers, I thought I would start a new feature here at VI " Bite Sized Recipes" I'm always looking for new ways to create yummy foods for our one year old daughter who is grain free, sugar free and mostly dairy free (she occasionally has organic butter and a small bite of cheese here and there). We've decided to introduce those things to her later when her gut has had the chance to mature a bit longer.  

She loves all kinds of foods though, eggs, veggies, meat etc. She likes food with flavor, just like we do.  When we're headed out for the day, I'm always fixing up a little cooler for her so she can have yummy food on the road. Sometimes, figuring out what to take can be a challenge and I'm always looking for new ideas. Maybe we can swap ideas? 

For the most part, she eats what we eat. She's a whole foods baby. That just means she's never ate out of a baby food jar. We tried those new pouches awhile back and she liked them for a day and then wouldn't have anything to do with them. It was nice to have on the sandy beach though. 

 For the record she has 14 teeth and has two more coming in as we speak. You'll have to judge whether these foods would be safe for your child. You also need to be sure they're  fully able to  chew their food and handle it.  For more information on this whole foods approach or "Baby Led Weaning" check out the Baby Led Weaning Website. 

 

Recipe: Bite Sized Sauteed Zucchini 

2 Small Organic Zucchini 

1T Organic Coconut Oil 

Pink Sea Salt 

Dash of Basil 

Dash of Oregano 

Dash of Garlic Powder 

 

To make: Heat a small skillet on medium heat, add 1T of yummy organic coconut oil. Add the sliced zucchini and spices accept for the salt to the pan. Sautee until just fork tender. Remove from heat and add a pinch of salt.  

 

Organic & Whole Living: Host a Supper Club

If you are looking for an excuse to get together some good friends or family. Why not host a supper club? We hosted one a few months ago and it was a lot of fun. 

 

It was easiest to come up with a theme. For our group we chose an appetizerr and chicken wings. Each couple was to bring an appetizer that would go with their chicken wings. As you can see we had all different kinds of wings. Breaded, herbed, buffalo hot, sweet Asian and garlic butter. 

To keep costs low, each couple only needs to make enough chicken wings for everyone in the group to try at least two of them. As the host, I made homemade blue cheese dip and another dip for wings with some crunchy celery. 

To ensure that you also enjoy yourself, you can make the dinner party as laid back as you would like. Plan for paper plates, and plenty of napkins. 

 

How to host your own supper club: 

1. Create a guest list. Family, friends, neighbors. Keep children in mind if you'd like them to come along you'll have to plan enough food for them. 

2. Come up with a theme. 

3. Pick a date and time for your supper club. 

4. Send out invites (we use an online e invitation service, so easy) 

5. If you're hosting, figure out if you'll need plates, napkins, tea, water, and any other condiments. 

6. Have fun, remember you can make the supper club as upscale or scaled down as you would like. 

Other theme ideas for a supper club: 

 - BBQ

 - All Appetizers

 - Italian Dishes

 - Mexican Dishes

 - Desserts Only 

 - Your favorite sandwiches

 

What about you? Have you ever hosted a supper club? What was your theme? 

 

 

 

 

Organic & Whole Living: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

We're trying new things around here and we're switching  things up a bit. Instead of acorn squash, I'm stuffing sweet potatoes. 

What you need: 

 - 2-4 Sweet Potatoes

 - 1lb ground beef  

 - Bunch of Kale (your favorite kind)

 - One onion

 - A few leaves of sage 

 - Salt & Pepper

 - Fresh garlic

 - 1 cup cheddar cheese 

Preheat the oven to 425 

 - Wash the sweet potatoes and bake 45-1hr.

 - Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and saute onions along with the beef

 - Add minced garlic to the pan and saute

 - Add the chopped kale and sage and cook until wilted 

 - Season with salt & pepper

Once the sweet potatoes are finished baking completely, slice in half and smoosh down the sweet potato to make room for the filling. Fill each half with the ground beef mixture. Top with cheddar cheese and place under the broiler for a minute or so to melt the cheese. Each potato was enough for each person in our family. You could always serve this with a small side salad to add more veggies.

Enjoy! xoxo 

Organic & Whole Living: Try Roasting Radishes

Look at these pretty jewels. Aren't they beautiful? I love the color of fresh radishes. They're spicy and often provide a kick like a horseradish when raw. However, have you tried them roasted? Baby tried roasted radishes for the first time and loved them.  It's so easy to roast radishes, and they turn out very mild and delicious. 

How To:

 - Preheat the oven to 400 

 - Wash and trim radishes (preferably organic)

 - Cut into quarters

 - Place into a bowl and drizzles with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil

 - Season with salt & pepper, add some garlic if you'd like too

 - Roast for 20-30 minutes until golden brown on the edges

Serve warm, cold or add them to a spring salad!  

Organic & Whole Living: Special Guest Jennifer of Homemaker Gone Natural Organic Fruit Popsicles

Jennifer is in sunny Arizona, but most of us on the east coast are gearing up for spring and summer weather. When the fruit is ripe and the warm sun is heating things up, this delicious recipe will have your kids begging for a healthy treat like Jennifer's Organic Fruit Popsicles. Please help me give Jennifer a warm welcome to Vintage Indie and while your'e at it stop by her new blog Homemaker Gone Natural full of fabulous recipes, natural cleaning tips and more.  

 

Do your children love popsicles in the summer?  Mine do, so I came up with a healthier version that we make right here at home, and the great thing about them is they are organic and healthy!

 

Organic Fruit Popsicles

• 1 kiwi sliced up
• 1 lg strawberry sliced up
• 12 blueberries
• 1 blackberry sliced up 
• 4 green grapes halved
• 4 red grapes halved
• 1 T honey (I use local, raw honey)
• Orange Juice to top off (About 1/2 cup ish)

All ingredients I use are organic. 

Mix together honey and orange juice. Divide fruit up evenly into 4 popsicle molds top off with orange juice mixture. Freeze over night. Serve.

 

Jennifer Hoover began HomemakerGoneNatural.com after discovering the benefits of a natural, organic lifestyle.   She was diagnosed with several chronic health issues that prevented her from continuing in her then current field.  Thus she began her endeavor as homemaker and discovered that with some extra effort in the kitchen, she could control her health and live life without being constantly medicated.  She is sharing with you her journey of learning to take control of eating and living a natural and chemical free life at www.homemakergonenatural.com

 

Organic & Whole Living: A Perfect Breakfast Beet Greens & Eggs - Paleo Friendly

When I get on a food kick, usually when fruits and veggies are in abundance around here. I start to get really excited about food. I love that my children are getting the best nutrition that they can and that I'm making good choices. I'm eating food for breakfast, instead of just having a cup of coffee. Recently one of my favorite breakfasts has been this simple but  oh-so yummy beet greens & egg with a side of fresh grapefruit. 

Ingredients: Whole Grapefruit - sliced, diced or peeled however you like it. 

1 clove of garlic

1 t-T of coconut oil

1 bunch of beet greens 

2 organic eggs (from a friend, those are the best kind)

pink salt 

What to do? 

 - Melt your coconut oil in a sautée pan. Add in you crushed or sliced garlic. Next, add the beet greens and sautée until they are slightly wilted. Pour out on the plate making a bed of greens for your eggs. 

 - Fry your egg, over easy is how I like my eggs with the greens. Add to the top of the greens. 

 - Season with pink salt and pepper. 

Eat and be happy! 

Related articles

Organic & Whole Living: Gluten Free! Quinoa, Kale & Butternut Squash

In the Kitchen with Katie: Sweet Potato Asiago Frittata

Ok, so you know how there are those movies or lines in movies that just stick with you no matter what you do, where you go, or how many times you watch the movie? For me, a frittata is forever branded in one movie with one actors voice. . . Harrison Ford in "Morning Glory".

I truly hope you have seen the movie "Morning Glory," Starring Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, and Harrison Ford, because it truly is a jewel of a movie. Rachel McAdams is a harebrained producer of a failing morning show, where there are two anchors, (Keaton, and Ford.) Who don't work so well together. . . Off topic. . . Anyways, Ford is constantly talking about Frittata. . . He is so bitter and over the top with his crazy deep, raspy voice, commentating on everything and everyone, oh its priceless!

Now, everyone in my house thinks or just says out loud in their best Harrison Ford voice "Frittata?" Whenever I create the eggy breakfast magic. And as Harrison would say "The beauty of the Frittata, is.. . ." You really can make it with whatever you have in your fridge. . . That sweet potato I used was probably one day away from the garbage disposal, so think waste not, want not, and you will soon be dining on a tasty (lets all say it in our best Harrison voices.) FRITTATA! 

Sweet Potato Asiago Frittata 

Ingredients:

1/2 Onion, Diced

1/2 Green Pepper, Diced

1 Cooked Sweet Potato, Diced

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 Tbsp Oil

5 Large Eggs

1/2-3/4 Cup Milk

Basil & Thyme to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350 and heat oil over medium high heat and begin to saute the onions and peppers. After they have softened add garlic and sweet potato and saute until aromatic.

2) In a bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.

3) Pour egg mixture over the veggies and turn heat to low, garnish with slivered asiago cheese, torn basil and thyme.

4) Continue to cook on low until the outside edge has set up. Turn the heat off and transfer the skillet to the oven, cook for 10-15 minutes until the eggs are set up but not too much color on top. Allow to cool for atleast 5 minutes and then cut however you would like.

My favorite memories growing up always revolve around the kitchen, or cooking. Stringing green beans on the swing with my Grandma Sebert, making pie dough with Grandma Jo in the kitchen at the farm, or baking and decorating an array of cookies with my Mother.  So it came as no surprise to me when I quit nursing school midway to do what I loved most . . . Cook, and Bake!

 

Since I began Culinary School, I have undertaken an array of different venues from an Italian kitchen, a quaint local bakery, and most recently a cruise ship kitchen. My journey is only just beginning as I set out to learn, share and bake my way through life. - Katie Kelley

Please like Katie's new facebook page Sunshine Baking, where she's sharing yummy goodness! 

Organic & Whole Living: The Video Monsanto Does NOT Want You to See! Brought to you by Nutiva and Elevate

To all of our California friends. Please vote yes on Proposition 37! 

This issue is about our freedom of choice! 

xoxo Vintage Indie Family 

In the Kitchen with Katie: Salted Caramel Latte Popcorn

I have an obsession with popcorn. . . Morning, noon, night, regardless of the time of day, I could pick up a handful of popcorn and go to town; sometimes I just rule out dinner and have popcorn. More recently I have taken to just popping large batches on the stovetop and putting it in bags in the pantry so I don't have to pop some at all hours of the day, I mean who really wants to stand over a big pot waiting for those precious kernels to work their yummy magic when they get a case of the munchies. There is nothing like grinding your own sea salt and peppercorns with a mortar and pestle and sprinkling that freshness over the hot popcorn. Chocolate chips tossed into the warm goodness then allowed to cool makes the best movie companion a girl could ask for. There are so many things you can do with popcorn, its a wonderful open plate for tons of flavor combinations. . . So go to town, have fun and mix your favorite flavors, just do it with popcorn, its always better with popcorn!

 

Ingredients

•                1 cup packed dark brown sugar 

•                1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup

•                1/3 cup butter

•                1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•                1/2 teaspoon baking soda

•                1/2 teaspoon salt

•                12 cups popcorn

•                3 Tbsp. Macerated Coffee

 

1) Pop 12 cups worth of popcorn, stovetop or air pop . Follow whatever instructions on the packaging.

2) Use a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder and grind the coffee as fine as you can.

3) In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt. Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes, add the coffee and then the baking soda. The soda will make the caramel fluff up as it reacts and makes it easier to coat the popcorn. Pour mixture over the popped corn and turn over and over until evenly coated. Turn out onto a pan sprayed with oil and allow to cool.

4) You can easily add all kinds of goodies to this mix, its delicious with white chocolate chips, pretzels, whatever sounds good to you!

 

 

 

My favorite memories growing up always revolve around the kitchen, or cooking. Stringing green beans on the swing with my Grandma Sebert, making pie dough with Grandma Jo in the kitchen at the farm, or baking and decorating an array of cookies with my Mother.  So it came as no surprise to me when I quit nursing school midway to do what I loved most . . . Cook, and Bake!

 

Since I began Culinary School, I have undertaken an array of different venues from an Italian kitchen, a quaint local bakery, and most recently a cruise ship kitchen. My journey is only just beginning as I set out to learn, share and bake my way through life. - Katie Kelley

Please like Katie's new facebook page Sunshine Baking, where she's sharing yummy goodness! 

 

Organic & Whole Living: Organic Cotton

Summer is upon us and I refuse to think about winter, so I'm here with navy blue summer fashions, handmade by SevenBlooms. 

Organic & Whole Living: Vegan Cold Process Handmade Soaps

Call me weird but I find handmade artisan soaps to be very art like. Afterall it is a skill and a process to create beautiful handmade soaps. Today, I'd like to introduce you to PrunellaSoap. Handmade, Vegan & Organic Soap from Portland, Oregon. 

Top Left: Lavender Vanilla Soap Sticks. What a clever idea for traveling. A soap stick is just the right amount of soap for one time use, perfect for camping and travel if you're sensitive to commercial made soaps. 

Bottom Left: Peppermint Poppy. Sounds very refreshing! 

Top Right: A Sample of Guest Bars 

Bottom Right: Perfect for gift giving, soap favors! 

 

Go Shop> prunellasoap