Another grain for breakfast

Yesterday morning I had millet for breakfast. When I told Martin I bought millet, he looked at me like I was crazy and said "We fed millet to the birds when I worked at the pet store." My response was "My mom fed it to us when we were younger and I liked it." It's a small yellow, ball shaped grain. You cook it with twice as much water as grain for about 20 minutes. Just bring the cereal and water to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender.

I added a little agave nectar, chopped almonds, and shredded coconut to mine. It was yummy!

It's good to try a variety of different grains. There are so many out there. I think wheat is definitely important, but it's important to try other kinds too. They all have different nutritional content and fiber amounts.

I love the bulk section at Whole Foods. That's where I buy most things. It's perfect because you can get a little amount to see if you like it. I buy my steel cut oats, millet, sea salt, shredded coconut, and sesame seeds in bulk. It's not very expensive. There are suggested directions on how to cook the grains on all the bins in the store.

I also purchased the agave nectar at Whole Foods. It's kind of pricey, but I bought a small container for about $5 and it has lasted me about 2 months so far. I don't use it for everything, mostly for shakes or for granola breakfasts. It is actually 25% sweeter than sugar, but doesn't cause a spike in your blood sugar, so that's a better choice in my opinion. If you don't have agave nectar, you could certainly substitute honey.

I love the steel cut oats! They are just the whole grain groats sliced up into 2 or 3 pieces. It's nice to have a little texture, as opposed to mushy oatmeal.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I got this recipe from a book called "No Flour, No Sugar". These cookies are so easy and so healthy.

3 ripe bananas

2 c. quick cooking oats

1 c. chopped almonds or walnuts

1/2 c. raisins or cranberries

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Grease a cookie sheet

3. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add all the other ingredients. Drop the batter onto the cookie sheet using a tablespoon. Flatten each one slightly. Bake 12-15 minutes or until the centers are firm. These cookies are best well done and crispy. Makes about 36 cookies

Granola Breakfast

I've been having this breakfast for the past few weeks. I absolutely love it! It's so good and so satisfying. You don't even have to cook it.

steel cut oats

almonds (soaked 4-8 hours), chopped

unsweetened, shredded coconut

cranberries or raisins

1/2 apple, chopped

cinnamon

agave nectar

1. Soak the steel cut oats in water overnight, about 1/3 c. oats

2. In the morning, drain the water from the oats and rinse and drain again

3. Add desired amount of all the rest of the ingredients

4. Stir well and enjoy

Composting It

We started composting a few weeks ago. This is my first ever attempt at it. Ryan and I collected some worms on a rainy day and then added some more that we bought at the store. My friend gave me a bucket and some coffee grounds. It's been a really fun thing for Ryan and I to stir it and add all our peelings from the kitchen. We are really putting all our pulp from juicing to use. I hope it works out good and we can have some great soil for our herb garden this spring.

Salads Galore

This came from a book called "Soup Makes The Meal" but I altered a few things.
Strawberry, Cucumber, and Kiwi Salad
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and chopped
pinch of salt
1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 kiwi fruit, peeled, halved, and sliced
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 t. olive oil

Place the cucumbers in a large bowl and salt lightly. Add the strawberries, kiwi, sugar, vinegar, and olive oil. Stir well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.


Tomato-Basil Citrus Salad (from a Raw book, but can't remember which one.)
1 medium grapefruit, peeled, seeded, and chopped
6 roma tomatoes, chopped chunky
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/4 t. sea salt
chopped fresh parsley

Peel all skin off of the grapefruit, then chop. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Refreigerate.


Cranberry-Almond Carrot Salad
8 carrots, grated
1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. almonds, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 t. sea salt
chopped fresh parsley
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let sit at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the cranberries to soak up the flavors.

Homemade Ice Cream

My juicer does so many things. The other night for book club, we were supposed to bring something that reminded us of childhood. I brought banana ice cream. For my first birthday, I had a cake made out of banana ice cream and cookies. All you do is take frozen bananas and push them through the juicer, and you're done. The other night for Kate's birthday celebration, we made strawberry sorbet. I just put frozen strawberries through the juicer and that was it. We topped it with coconut and chopped almonds. So easy, healthy, and tasty.

Ode to my juicer

About a year ago, I bought the Jack LaLane juicer. It was good and did well for us, but about a month ago, the motor started smoking. So it was done. Luckily my friend Tony had just given me a Champion Juicer. It had been sitting in storage for many years at his house, so he offered it to us. All we had to do was order two replacement parts. The Champion Juicer is the king of all juicers. My mom has one that she bought before I was born. So that's over 27 years ago, and it's still going strong. The juicer makes juice, of course, but it also makes nut butters and ice cream out of frozen fruit. We are so happy to have it. We enjoy fresh veggie juice everyday!

Doesn't this look yummy! All the vitamins and minerals!

from this into this!

The green juice is made up of spinach, cucumber, celery, parsley, lemon, and ginger. It's not the most wonderful tasting drink, but soooooo good for you!