Friday, October 22, 2010

Natures Garden Delivered

Wow it has been a long time since I posted. To be honest it has been crazy and today is the first morning I had a free moment. I am super excited to have found a new adventure, a company that delivers fresh organic/natural fruits and vegetables to your door!!!!! I have been getting the local food stop bags but some weeks just can't get to the drop. While checking a Bread Beckers post I found Nature's Garden Delivered. We got our first box yesterday and I am so happy. Organic fruits and veggies (some local) plus they even deliver local milk from Johnston Dairy in south Georgia. Here is the website, just pop on and check to see if they deliver to your zipcode. Then you can sign up for a weekly box (tiny, small, med, large) plus weekly add ons like milk. The best part is you set your preferences like if you hate kale and they will never put it in your box and you get to sub each week if you don't like something in your box. Last week they had a funky squash in my box and I substituted for more organic pears, yummy! http://ga.naturesgardendelivered.com/index.php

Blessings, Lauren

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Dishwasher Soap

Ok I am super excited about this one, we made homemade dishwasher soap. The best part, it was so easy and it got me thinking why did we ever start buying dishwasher soap in the first place. Humm is it easier to just buy the brand name, well no it took me all of two minutes to make. Is it cheaper to buy the brand name well no it cost me about 6 dollars for the ingredients that will make enough dishwasher soap for what looks like 3 plus months. Here is all it took and I got the ingredients at Publix. 2 cups of Borax and 2 cups of super washing soda, mix together in a resealable container (I used a small wheat bucket =) ). For every wash just use two tablespoons in your dispenser, for added shine fill your jet dry dispenser with distilled white vinegar. We ran our first load today and everything came out nice and clean. The best part it is all natural!!!!!!! Thanks to the hubby for doing all the research, gotta love him. Blessings Lauren

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Sprouts

We have sprouts, well almost. We started sprouting this weekend and I am just amazed at how easy it is. A $5 Jar from Harry's and some sprouting seeds that's all it takes to start. Now the seeds from Harry's were 4.99 but I am told that the prices are much better online at places like sprouts people. They do variety packs which is very cool.  Well anyway after freaking out all weekend thinking I was going to screw it up I just went for it and it is so darn easy. A pack of seeds and three times the water in a sprouting jar, soak overnight. By the morning the seeds are already broken open now I just rinse and drain twice a day for 5-6 days. Oh and keep the jar in a darker area of your kitchen till day 4, then move it to a sunny area! I have to say so far sprouts super easy and a great project for you and the kids. A little side note if doing broccoli sprout  (yes they taste like little broccolis and are the only sprout my family will eat) know that on day 4 something interesting happens. This is where I panicked thinking I ruined $5 worth of sprout seeds. This seeds mold (not really) but they look like it, then I read this on sprout peoples website. Root Hairs- A thin hairlike outgrowth of an epidermal cell of a plant root that absorbs water and minerals from the soil. These microscopic roots are often mistaken for mold by new sprouters. If you take a magnifying glass you can see them for what they are. Root Hairs are usually only visible when the sprout is at it's driest - just before Rinsing. The Rinse will push them back against the main root. Root Hairs are generally only visible on certain sprouts; Brassicas (Broccoli, Radish, Mustard, etc.) and Grains (Oats, Barley, Rye, Wheat, etc.). New sprouters that would be me, but all in all super easy and fun, now lets just hope they taste good! Blessings Laur

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Market & Harvest

We are so blessed to have been asked to be a part of Cumming Harvest. This is a wonderful opportunity for us and we are so happy to be involved. You can now visit the Cumming Harvest website to order our baked goods to be picked up on Saturday mornings. They have a wonderful group of local farmers and growers that also have goods available for purchase. Visit http://www.cumming.locallygrown.net/ for more information. We are also so excited to announce that Brookwood Market has been extended through the month of October and we will be there!  God just amazes me everyday and he reminds us of his blessing in the most incredible ways. As I drove home yesterday I was graced with the most beautiful rainbow I had every seen. Thank you lord for all that you do! Blessings Lauren

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Batteries

I hate batteries, to be fare they are not exactly green and if you have kids you know you can't live without them. I need to apologize in advance to anyone who has ever given my child a toy that needs batteries but since the batteries that come with the toy if the manufacturer even includes them usually only last a day, as a result my child has a mountain of battery operated toys that do not currently work. Why because batteries are a fortune these days and it is an endless cycle. She came to me this morning with her camera (battery operated) that was not working so I started the battery hunt fully knowing there was none. The tantrum started and I end up playing the you got to wait till daddy comes home card. So feeling like a terrible mom I went and bought the Costco size battery box and had daddy change out all the toys. Blessings Lauren

Thursday, August 5, 2010

No Impact Man & Organic Milk

So I finally got to watch it and I was amazed. No Impact Man is a writer and his family (Wife and baby daughter) that set out on a year with no impact on the world. This means no cars, electricity, no shopping and only local foods (with in 250 miles) and the list goes on. I was amazed because they were normal people like you and me and they did it for a whole year. Now I am not about to go without toilet paper but the movie did make a lot of interesting points and did make me think. The most interesting was a trip he and his family made to a local dairy farm. He questioned the farmer as to why he was not certified organic, the farmer replied by saying his cows were part of his family and he could not watch one of them die because if they got sick and could not be treated under organic regulations. Hmmmmm I am a huge animal lover and this made me wonder if I was making the best milk choice for my family. Not just because I want fair treatment of all animals especially ones producing food for my family (unhappy cows equals unhappy milk!)but because I don't want to be mislead in this crazy consumer world thinking just because it is organic it is good for you. I have just begun my research but I will keep you all posted on what my findings are. Yes most organic milk is better than regular milk but it is which organic milk you buy and some major milk companies treat there cows better than some organic farms. Also keep in mind that most local farms follow organic rules i.e. no mass antibiotics or growth hormones but they will remove a sick animal from the herd treat it and return it back when it is well. Sounds like the best option to me, only problem most local milk in GA is raw milk. I don't know why I can't wrap my head around raw milk but I am getting there. That's a story in it self! Blessing Laur

Monday, August 2, 2010

Diapers

SO I have to admit I have been off and on cloth diapers for a week now. A WEEK!!! I do have an excuse but no excuse is a good one right. I was visiting family in NJ and had trouble traveling with cloth. Then I got home only to discover that I was exhausted and did not want to do wash, lazy lazy girl. Well after only one week of disposables I discovered something. MY TRASH HAS TRIPLED!!! You read that right, I was shocked but for everyone that doesn't think disposables make an impact on our landfills come check out my trash, you are more than welcome =) So I washed everything and first thing this morning we went back to all cloth and it feels so good. For baby too!!! My trash has thanked me and I challenge you to at least try cloth every once. It is not only better for the environment, it is better for baby (no chemicals or plastic on their lil bottoms) and easier on your wallet. Oh p.s. if you are trying the "it costs more in utilities route" I want you to know that after we started cloth diapering my water bill went up a whopping, wait for it .40 cents. OMG and I only do two extra loads a week, oh plus you only use 1/4 the recommended detergent for each load. So every two weeks I use one extra scoop. Hmmmm got you thinking right. Well if you ever want to try I would love to help!!!! Seriously!!! Happy diapering Laur

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Publix

So I have to say was super excited to go to Publix today and find that they have made there own version of lunchables. But wait a healthy version of them!!! With things like organic yogurt, apple slices, fresh wrap and pita sandwiches. So excited to see things like this happening so that us moms have healthy quick options for our little ones. The best part is at only $3.99 for sandwich, drink and side item it's cheaper than drive thru. Rock on Publixs, you get my praises this week!!!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Harvest Chicken Salad

I love this recipe in the fall but I have been craving it and wanted to share. Nice twist on plain old chicken salad, so having this tonight!!!!

1/2 cup olive oil Mayonnaise
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup cut-up apples or grapes
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Serve topped with some lettuce on your favorite freshly milled bread =)

Blessings, Laur

Friday, July 2, 2010

Freshly Milled

As I sit here and drink my coffee (between bread batches) I can't help but think about the wonderful god we have. I was introduced to milling and baking and from the first moment fell in love with it. I just knew in my heart that this is something God wanted me to do. It wasn't long before I wanted to do it for others and had an idea that I would love to do this for a living. Come on, I am excited about getting up at 4am to bake =) I expressed this to a friend at bible study one night and from our conversation just felt it could never happen. I put it on the back burner and went back to real life. Well as amazing as God is and as we all know if he wants you to do something he will make it happen, I got an e-mail three weeks ago from that friend who happens to be on the committee of a local farmers market. One of the bread vendors was going to be out for two weeks and they wanted to know if I would fill in. Wow, I was in shock, excited, nervous and overwhelmed. I baked and baked and baked and we sold out of almost everything. Week two came and went to quickly and my friend had asked if I would like her to speak to the committee about staying on all season. Tired but knowing how amazing it was I was even there I gladly said yes, but knew there was a very small chance since the committee did not want three bread vendors. Well I pretty much wrote the chance off and had told my hubby that I would have felt bad staying because the other vendor had been there all season and I did not want to have to compete with her. Well God is so amazing and I truly know this is what I am supposed to be doing because on Wednesday I received an e-mail that said the other bread vendor had dropped out for the rest of the season and they wanted to know know if I would come on as a regular vendor. When God wants you to do something he will make it happen. So here we are Freshly Milled and I can't tell you just how amazing it is. God Bless, Lauren

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Baby Laughs

Baby's have the most infections laugh, I could listen to it for hours. As I listen to my eight month old laugh to tears at her sister bouncing a ball (I know what you are thinking bouncing a ball how hysterical), but I had a thought if you could bottle baby laugh no one could ever be mad!!! Seriously thank god for beautiful babies. Blessing Laur

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Farmers Market

We will be back at the Brookwood Farmers Market tomorrow!!! 4-8pm and we are so excited and tired =( But so worth it. I have created a "website", I use that term loosely because it is really just a blog with our info. Check it out http://freshlymilled.blogspot.com/

Blessings Laur

Monday, June 21, 2010

Strawberry honey

So if you are like me you grew up on Aunt Jemima aka liquid sugar, actually.... INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.
I switched us to pure maple syrup at like 4 times the cost (ahhhh) and it turns out that the heating process to make maple syrup actually destroys much of the nutritional value. Ok so now what? Strawberry Honey!!!! Woo Hoo

Place 1 cup frozen organic strawberries in a microwave safe bowl
Pour 1/4 cup raw honey over top (we use Sage honey)
Place in microwave for 1 min and then stir to squish strawberries
Place back in the microwave for 1 more minute and stir, your done.

So yummy use this on pancakes or waffles. We even use this with PB to make PB and Jelly!

Blessings Laur

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Farmers Market

We are so excited (a little terrified) to announce that we will be at the Brookwood farmers market. God has given us a wonderful opportunity to sell our breads as a guest vendor. We will be there for the next two Fridays, so come visit!!!!

http://www.brookwoodfarmersmarket.com

Monday, June 14, 2010

2lb Loaf



Woo hoo isn't she a beauty. Yes these are the things you get excited about when you are a stay at home mommy. This is my first 2 lb bread loaf I did by hand!! Super exciting for me and I know you are just dancing around the room right now!!! Blessings Laur

Basics list for bread baking

I love baking real bread and love sharing this love with everyone. I have been asked to put together a basics list of what you need. So below is a list of the basis you will need to make all your breads, rolls, muffins, pizza crust, pancakes, waffles and the list goes on.... If you have no idea what I am talking about feel free to contact me or visit www.breadbeckers.com. Happy baking!!! Blessing Laur

Equipment needed:

Bread Machine (I got mine at walmart or you can check craigslist for a used one)
Grain Mill (I have the wondermill and I got it at breadbeckers)
Bread Beckers Cookbook- has every recipe you could ever need

Ingredients needed:
For basic dough recipe (makes all variations of breads, rolls, and pizza crust) Can also use the following ingredients for bagels, pita bread, english muffins and so on....

BB is Bread Beckers
Wheat (Can use hard red or hard white wheat) I would start with a small bucket of each to see what your family likes (sold at BB)
Flax seed (buy whole seed and grind in a blender) buy at any health food store or at BB
Instant yeast (Most stores carry or they have at BB)
Gluten (BB)
Lecithin (BB)
Honey (BB is the best price I can find because you use a lot of honey) l gallon of wildflower is about $27
Olive oil
Salt (I use sea salt)
Eggs

For muffins/pancakes just grab these extra ingredients...

Baking soda
Baking powder
Buttermilk (can also make at home 1 cup of milk and Tbs of vinegar)
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Then depending on the flavor you want (bananas, walnuts, blueberries, mixed berries, what ever you want)

Let me know if anyone needs anything!!! Once you get started it is super easy trust me =)

Raisins

This is a weird one but I never knew this and I think the average person wouldn't know this either. Did you know you are supposed to store rasins in the refridgerator? Shocking I know =) Let me read you the back of my rasins... "Rasins are best kept in the refridgerator in a sealed container or plastic bag. Stored this way, they can retain their full flavor, color and nutritional value for up to two years." Ok so now I am thinking about all the bad rasins I must have eaten over the years or shall I say nutritionless rasins =) Blessings Laur

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

I was wrong

Yes I admit it I was wrong and you better mark this date on your calendar because this doesn't happen very much. I am mortified to tell you that Altoids gum does in fact have aspartame in it. AHHHH I am not sure how we missed it but there it is 12th ingredient down. I am sorry to anyone that has purchased it because of my earlier blog and it looks like I am back to the drawing board when it comes to healthy gums. So far the only two I have found that are truly aspartame free and all natural are...

Spry Gum-
Soothing spearmint flavored sugar-free chewing gum sweetened with 100% xylitol. Great-tasting Spry Chewing Gum is the gum of choice for fresh breath and healthier teeth and gums! Studies have shown that when combined with normal dental hygiene, regular use of xylitol gums may reduce the risk of dental caries
Ingredients:
Xylitol, gum base, natural flavors (green tea), vegetable glycerin, gum Arabic, soy lecithin, beeswax
http://www.xlear.com/spry.aspx#1

Glee Gum-
All natural chewing gum made with sustainably harvested rainforest chicle. It comes in SIX great flavors: cinnamon, peppermint, tangerine, bubblegum, spearmint, and triple berry. Glee Gum is the #1 healthy alternative to synthetic chewing gum and bubble gum! With no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners (no aspartame), or preservatives, it's easy to chew Glee-fully!(Just found out you can buy Glee in bulk 360 pieces for $10)
http://www.gleegum.com/order_now.htm

Let me know if you have found any others and if they are any good!!!
Blessings, Laur

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sunscreen

Ok so I achieved the impossible, well at least to the normal person it is. I got sunburned at the lake this weekend wearing 50 spf oh yes water babies 50 spf which I also reapplied at one point. What is it with red heads were we just born with the inability to be in the sun? I need to create a 250 spf sunscreen and market it made by red heads for red heads. Every red head would understand =) Interesting fact I learned our bodies were not created to get sunburn. Crazy? I think not Adam and Eve did not have sunscreen and they were naked!!!! God created foods that when consumed would protect our bodies from they sun (i.e. tomatoes), the problem now is our standard American diet, in short SAD does not contain the foods we need to protect us. So eat right and you will protect your skin and save on sunscreen! Just one more reason to eat healthy. Blessings Laur

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Packing

Oh packing almost makes the trip not worth it. Add kids in to the mix and you have got a nightmare. As I pack for our trip to the lake which is less than 30 minutes away I began to think about this. In order for me to take a weekend trip with the fam it takes a couple days of preparing. Seriously with my two page list in hand, this is full 8 1/2 by 10 paper now. I began to pack, my list has mommy, daddy, kids, dogs, fish (Can't forget the away feeder),Car (i.e. travel potty, CDs, DVD Player, snacks), Food Bag (for in the hotel room), Pool Bag, Misc this includes all the must have that don't have a category (i.e. camera, stroller, cell chargers and the list goes on). Plus I have a to do list of things that need to be done before we go, dishes, garbage and so on. Oh and we have a list for all the triathlon stuff too!!! I have a headache just thinking about it , I think I better put some coffee on because it is going to be a long night. The worst part is the hubs makes fun of me because I have to sit down to make my list but you know what happens every trip. Someone needs something and says "oh man I wish I had..." and guess what I packed it!!!!

Blessings Laur

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Seventh Gen

Ok so Seventh Generation is my new BFF! I am loving that company right now for several reasons. One they make great eco friendly and natural products. Two they tell you exactly what is in it, no I wonder what I am using or I can't pronounce anything. But the most important reason is their customer service, yes people customer service still exists, in some companies at least. Being the frugalist I am I do not purchase Seventh Gen unless it is on sale or I have a coupon, I mean come on 4.99 for 80 wipes, ouch. So when I purchased their baby wipes for the first time and got them home I was surprised that they were bone dry. Humm it doesn't take a genius to figure out that wipes should be wet. Armed with my I don't get it attitude I called the company and was so amazed. They not only e-mailed me back right away they apologize, asked me to give them the product info and mailed me out a voucher for a new box! At the same time I got a $5 rebate in the mail from them for some cleaning products I bought a few weeks back. Ok that was a steal Kroger had a big sale on 7th Gen, I had coupons plus a mail in rebate. Each thing came out to less than $2 each. I know I am a loser but very exciting for me, plus they told me to add a little filtered water to the dry box of wipes and they will be just fine! Rock on Seventh Generation, OK I am dating my self a little =) Blessings Laur

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

First area food, I have come a long way from my early years. I grow up in the era of fad diets and quick fixes. My mother was always trying the new thing to lose weight and it was always a roller coaster ride. We had diet everything from one point to another, always diet coke, diet dinners, diet snacks and my all time favorite pig rines (eww dried pig skin, my mom loved these) with the ever so popular atkins diet. Eat all the meat you want but no carbs, what a number that must have done on our bodies. Anyway I have my wonderful husband to credit for the start of our whirlwind change and the end of the roller coaster diets. A year ago this past January he told me he wanted to get healthy. Not just lose weight but get healthy. Of course with the timing I assumed this was just a dead end new year resolution but he began to run and run and run. I sometimes felt like calling him forest because he never stopped. Seeing how well he was doing I began to walk (not run) but managed to lose 10 pounds. Soon after I got pregnant with our second daughter and then you know what happened I got fatter as he got skinner. Great for a woman's self esteem especially being pregnant. With a year under his belt this past January he was almost 60 pounds lighter and as of the October before I had gained 40 pounds of baby weight. As much as I hoped she was a 40 pound baby I left the hospital only 11 pounds lighter with pounds to go. So here begins my new health journey and so far it has been amazing and I can't wait to see what god brings us next. I have now lost all my baby weight plus another 15 pounds. I am enjoying life so much and can not have imagined I would be where I am at today. I am baking my own breads, cooking from scratch, cloth diapering and getting up at 5:15. Ok not trying to boast but if you knew the old me this is crazy. I never cooked, the hubs is the cook. Baking was a box of brownies, take out was my game and if it was easy I was in!!! Not to mention I was the queen of sleeping in. It is amazing to me how good I feel and just how much you can get done before 7am, join me I challenge you for a week just try it. I know you are thinking crazy Lauren but if you have kids this is some you time, a chance to get things done and some time to have with the lord. Blessings Laur

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Lavender Oil

So I can't believe it has taken me this long to report on this. Almost a month ago now I e-mailed friends and family the e-mail below about our poor little baby. Well I am so happy to report that it has worked and in such an amazing way. Granted I overload this kid with Lavender but she has zero congestion and no runny nose!!!! It is amazing and if you suffer from Hay Fever you need to try it out. We use a reed diffuser in her room and we also have essential oil soap for bath time and lotion for after. Plus I have a mist I carry with me in case someone is cutting there grass while we are out. It works, I just mist it on her car seat, just make sure you use pure essential oil of lavender. We got ours at http://www.indigowild.com I love all of there products they are 100% all natural and they even sell there soap at Whole Foods if you want to try! Blessings Laur

Well god has blessed us in so many ways and this one was truly amazing to me. My poor little baby has been congested for so long (since 3 weeks old) and I have always prayed god would put his healing hands on her but it wasn't till two nights ago that I really gave it all to him. I began to pray over her because her congestion was at an all time high. After visiting friends on Sunday and seeing how cut grass affected her (her eyes puffed out like big red balloons) I began to do research about allergies. My husband has always suffered from Hay Fever but I did not know it could be passed down. Secondly was worried since we are going to the doctors today that they were going to say lets put her on Meds. So as much research as I did I was having trouble finding natural remedies for allergies. Well two nights ago I prayed that if this was what was going on with her that god would help me to relieve her. Well boy did he answer, that night I picked up the Makers Diet and began to read the chapter on Hygiene well it said for more info to go to the back of the book. Right under the hygiene part in the back of the book was info on essential oils and it actually says may be helpful in relieving allergies symptoms for babies and children. So I began my research on essential oils and found that lavender oil has been shown to relieve allergy symptoms. Well if that wasn't enough last night I received an e-mail telling me about a company Indigo Wild that makes all natural products using essential oils!!!! So last night I ordered her everything lavender I could, and was amazed that there baby products were all made with lavender oil. What an amazing God!!!! We are so blessed.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The basics of milling wheat

My wonderful cousin wrote this and I just had to post it because it is the perfect explanation of milling wheat! Love you Mal

After weeks of researching and gleaning insight from experienced millers (i.e. my sister and cousin), I have finally milled my own flour! It all started when my sister, Katie, heard a woman speak at her weekly bible study on the nutritional benefits of milling flour. After sharing the information with me, I was immediately hooked! I no longer felt okay about buying "whole wheat" breads at the local supermarket that offered little to no nutritional value. Here are the basics of what I've learned:

A whole grain is made up of 3 main layers.

1. Bran - the outer layer containing the roughage that helps move unwanted toxins and poisons through your digestive system. The bran also contains many vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
2. Germ - the health center of the grain, overflowing with vitamins B and E, as well as unsaturated fat and protein.
3. Endosperm - the starchy white center. Blah.

Now, whole grains comprise nearly 90% of all the vitamins, minerals, and protein your body will ever need! Unfortunately though, commercially milled products do NOT provide you these nutrients.

Why you ask? Once the whole grain is milled, the oils located in the bran and germ oxidize and turn rancid within just 3 days! So for commercial purposes, both the bran and germ—and all the nutrients contained therein—are stripped in order to allow product shelf life.

Yes, most of the bread you buy at the store is made up purely of endosperm! You’re basically eating gluten, starch, and sugar. For marketing purposes, you’ll see products claiming to be “enriched with vitamins and minerals!” Don’t be fooled. The fact that a product requires enriching is a warning sign on its own. Besides, most of the essential vitamins stripped are not able to be replaced through the enrichment process.

If you're like me, you may be thinking to yourself, "Who has time to mill their own flour??" But I can assure you that milling hasn't been nearly as time consuming as I originally imagined. Yes, it takes longer than picking up a loaf at your local grocery store, but the extra time is certainly worth the added benefits. Plus, if you have a bread machine, it does all the work - you just pour the ingredients straight into the machine and wait for your bread to be done!

If you are interested in milling your own bread, here's what you'll need to get started:

1. Mill - I have the Wondermill and love, love, love it! It's extremely simple to use and takes about 30 seconds - from start to finish -to mill a few cups of flour! Mine was a birthday gift bought off Amazon...you can also check out your local health food store. (I bought mine at Bread Beckers, Woodstock, Ga)

2. Bread Maker - Although you don't have to have a bread maker to make your own bread, it cuts out a lot of time and effort needed to prep the bread for baking. Breadmakers can be expensive, so I recommend going on Craigslist and purchasing a gently used one for between $15 - $30. (Got mine at Walmart for $60)

3. Grain - I buy my grain in bulk (50 pound bags) because it's cheaper in the long run. Keep in mind, whole grains do not expire (only after the whole grain is milled does it have an expiration date). I found a vendor at my local farmer's market that sells bulk grains. Also check out local health food shops. You will probably need to request a bulk size order as most stores won't have 50 lb. bags hanging around. I store the grain in airtight paint containers in a closet. I have both Hard Red Wheat and Soft White Wheat which I usually combine in recipes. (Also get mine at Bread Beckers 42 pound barrel runs between $40-$45, You can also buy smaller 7 lbs buckets for about $15)

Now you're ready to begin milling and baking bread! Remember, only mill enough flour for what your recipe calls for. Otherwise, it will be nutritionally depleted after 72 hours.

Here is a basic bread recipe to follow:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey (local honey is preferred because it helps in preventing allergies)
2 tsp salt
1 egg (optional)
2 Tbs. Lechitin (found at your local health food store)
1 tsp gluten (this makes the bread smooth)
4-4 1/2 cups freshly milled flour (equivalent to 3 cups of un-milled wheat berries)
1/2 cup ground flax (buy whole flaxseed and grind it in a food processor -- do not mill)
1 Tbs yeast

Directions:
Add all ingredients, except yeast, directly into your breadmaker in the order shown above. Make a little burrow in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the yeast. Follow the prompts on your bread machine for making wheat bread. Wha-la, you're done!

Gum

Ahh the biggest fight in our house is about gum, yes gum. My husband is a gum addict. Did you know a ton of gums are made with aspartame? Almost all of them and every gum he likes I told him honey it's simple gum or cancer you pick. Gum has been a wonderful appetite suppressant for him and I think visions of his fat jeans were dancing in his head. Oh I found a real winner with the chicklet size green tea gum with 10 pieces in a pack. He asked me for the cancer gum back. Anyway let me know if you find a cancer free (no aspartame gum)the hubs will kiss you for it!!! See the article below from Dr. James Brown (the doctor not the singer)for some more fun facts about gum. I got this article from the WORLD NATURAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION and they have a whole page of article dedicated to aspartame if you would like further info http://www.wnho.net/aspartame_news.htm. Don't want to scare anyone but please don't put this in your bodies or your family's. (STOP DRINKING THE DIET COKE MOM)Love you mom =) Blessings Laur

Aspartame in chewing gum is absorbed directly though the buccal mucosa of the tongue, mouth, and gums, making it a far worse poisoning than even if it were given intravenously. The nerves serving this area and their vascular supply derive directly from the brain, so the Aspartame absorbed through them goes directly into the brain, by passing the spinal cord and blood brain barrier.

The intact Aspartame molecule and its diketopiperazine form are vastly worse poisonings than any of the other poisonings which arise from it during digestion, and liver processing of the digestive blood, which is delivered directly to the liver via the portal vein. The other poisonings, as mentioned, are indeed horrendous but Aspartame from gum is far worse, making even the smaller amounts contained in chewing gum strikingly dangerous and damaging. This is doubtless why Wrigley placed it in all their products!

Aspartame, via ingestion into the digestive tract, is made into some ten other poisonings by the digestive processes, and then excepting that which is delivered directly to the pancreas, they are transported straight to the liver via the portal vein, where they then are very partially dealt with, and partially reprocessed. Afterwards, they are sent in somewhat lesser concentration to the entire body, lessening the amount which eventually goes to the brain. The amount getting to the brain from either source is devastating to it in many ways. Aspartame is most certainly devastatingly toxic when ingested, but a like amount is immensely worse when obtained from chewing gum.

When the CBS Evening News crew visited my Ridgefield Washington clinic, mid January of 1984, and Dan rather forbade them to make a program of what they learned there, one of them reported that she got a roaring headache if she chewed even a half stick of Aspartame gum! This devastation of the human brain is the primary reason why this brain washing agent, designed to keep us from questioning or objecting to what they are doing to our country and our world, is being slipped into us in spite of its horribly failing the toxicity studies, which revealed it to be a very strong carcinogen, indeed the number one brain carcinogen ever discovered by science! (The US brain cancer rate jumped 10% the first six months after Aspartame was added to diet pop!) Three cans of pop per day for only sixty days also caused an immediate 250% increase in visible human illness! Right up front!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Diaper.com

So loving Diapers.com today, went to order my cloth diapers and was very upset when they wouldn't let me apply my $10 discount because they were not disposable diapers. Ok that is wrong on all levels, but before I went all Jersey on them (If you are from NJ you know what I mean) I decided to call the company and just ask. Huh they are in NJ, but anyway the girl apologized and applied my discount for me!!!! So glad I was nice and woo hoo Diapers.com. OK the coupon code is SHUTTER10 if you need it. Blessings Laur

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Pretzels

These were the most amazing pretzels I have ever tasted and I am not a pretzel person. OK nothing beats a NYC pretzel but sometimes those can be scary. Who knows how long they have been on that cart. =)

1 package active dry yeast or (2 ¼ tsp instant yeast)

1/2 C. warm water

1 egg, separated

1/4 C. honey

1/4 C. butter unsalted, softened (4 Tbsp)

1 C. milk

1 t. salt

5 C. flour or (3 ¼ Cups wheat if grinding)

2 T. coarse salt

If using active yeast dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl. Mix yeast, egg yolk, honey, butter & milk. Add salt and enough flour to make stiff dough.
Knead on floured surface for 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease surface. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Roll out on floured surface. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips (He used a pizza cutter) . Fold strips in half. Roll into ropes. Shape into pretzels.
Place on baking sheet. Brush with a mixture of egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 425°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with mustard.

We made it!

Well the moment you have all been waiting for WE MADE IT!!!! A whole week with zero TV, that is right zero TV. OK to be fare my 3 year old watched some TV at Pop-pop's house, but there has been not a moment of TV at our house. It has had its ups and downs but I have to admit I did not really miss it. We got some much needed stuff done around the house without TV. My hubby even made homemade pretzels that were amazing and he wants to keep making them. Got to love a man that can cook and bake too! So all in all we survived and we celebrated last night by watching the movie 2012. OK do not watch before bed I worried about my kids all night and prayed my butt off! It was like watching Revelations come to life not fun for a parent =) I challenge you to try no TV for your family it has been a huge eye opener. As for us the hubs said he doesn't care how much it costs I need to keep my wheat barrels full, just in case 2012 happens, Blessings Laur

Monday, May 10, 2010

Dirty Dozen

Since I haven't found my money tree yet i am sure a lot of you are like me and just can't do all organic. One of the best things I found was the dirty dozen list showing the top 12 worst fruits and veggies for pesticides. The list below shows the levels of pesticides found on produce after being washed and peeled. it is said that if you avoid just the top 12 you will reduce your pesticide exposure by 80%. I am going to carry this list with me =) Blessings Laur

Pesticides on Popular Produce
(worst) Peaches – 100
Apples – 93
Sweet Bell Peppers – 83
Celery - 82
Nectarines – 81
Strawberries – 80
Cherries – 73
Kale – 69
Lettuce – 67
Grapes – Imported from outside U.S. – 66
Carrots – 63
Pears – 63
Collard Greens – 60
Spinach – 58
Potatoes – 56
Green Beans – 53
Summer Squash 53
Hot Peppers – 51
Cucumbers – 50
Raspberries – 46
Grapes – U.S. grown - 44
Plums – 44
Oranges – 44
Cauliflower – 39
Tangerines – 37
Mushrooms - 36
Bananas – 34
Winter Squash – 34
Cantaloupe – 33
Cranberries - 33
Honeydew Melon – 30
Grapefruit – 29
Sweet Potato – 29
Tomatoes – 29
Broccoli – 28
Watermelon – 26
Papaya – 20
Eggplant - 20
Cabbage – 17
Kiwi – 13
Sweet Peas (frozen) – 10
Asparagus – 10
Mango – 9
Pineapple – 7
Sweet Corn (frozen) – 2
Avocado – 1
Onions – 1

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Organic Coupons

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

As my family runs around getting ready for church I was told just to relax. Wow relax well I am strapped to a pump so the baby can have breakfast at church so that is relaxing right? Anyway as I sat I remembered that some of you all had asked where I get my organic & healthy food coupons and the truth is all over. But the basics I do are signing up for organic & health food newsletters. The following companies send out great monthly e-mails with tips, info, recipes and COUPONS so I encourage you to sign up.

Kashi
Cascadian Farms
Stoneyfield Farms
Horizon
Annies
Seventh Generation
Whole foods
Mambo Sprouts

Also us southern should always check out southern savers, I try to pop on her website at least once a week to see if any stores are doing sales on organics/healthy food.

Blessing, Laur

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Asparagus Soup

Ok so I made asparagus soup the other night and even my 3 year old ate it. Served with some homemade bread and I had dinner. Also there was plenty for lunch the next day. Yummy way to get some veggies in your kids and use things you don't usually use. Leeks are huge! =) Blessings Laur

Serves 4
Serve this delightful spring soup with crusty bread or top with homemade croutons.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), woody stems snapped off and discarded, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
Sea salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Method
Melt butter in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, add asparagus and simmer gently until potatoes and asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat ad set aside to let cool slightly.

Carefully transfer soup to blender in batches and purée until smooth. Return soup to pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chives and serve.

Thank you Harry's

Friday, May 7, 2010

Cloth Diapers Day 3

Well today is day three of cloth diapering and I have to tell you I am hooked. I was pretty much in before I started because of the better for baby benefit (No chemicals or plastic), the better for the enviornment benefit, no waste (yes I am a tree hugger) and lastly my husband was convinced by the cost. For about $150 if you go the basic route you can diaper your baby from birth to potty training. Granted you could go crazy with all the extras and fancy stuff they have out. I might go a little crazy don't tell him. It's just the have the cutest prints for diaper cover and there is something about a flower print tushy that just gets me!

It wasn't until my friend gave my an article in Mothering magazine that it all really sank in. The article said that the average child uses 5,000 diapers & training pants in there lifetime at a cost of up to $1200. It also said that of all the people alive today not one of our diaper has broken down in landfills. It takes Hundreds of years for one diaper to break down. OK so 5,000 diapers times all the children in the country that's a big problem. It is such a problem in Quebec and landfills have become so overwhelmed with diapers that the government is helping families buy cloth diapers. Anyway I urge you to read more about cloth diapering online or at mothering.com. For me it's all about better for baby, easier on my wallet and preserving this amazing world god gave us!!!! Blessings Laur

Thank you to my good friend who has guided me through this amazing journey!!
And Thank you to mothering magazine for the great article =)

PB Balls

OK all if you are looking for a protein filled ball of heaven here you go. These PB balls are so darn yummy my hubs doesn't believe they are good for you, he says they taste like butterfingers. You be the judge....

Protein PB Balls

1/2 cup each of the following
No Sugar added PB
Honey
Chocolate rice protein powder

Mix then add 1/2 cup each of the following

Millet
Ground flax seed
Rolled Oats

Mix well and form ping pong size balls, place on tray and refrigerate. They taste better chilled. Hope you enjoy! Blessing Laur

Thank you Judy

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Potty Training

Potty training what a fun time, I have always said you need a whole new set of patience when you are potty training and repeating slow to anger does not work. But what about when your three year old who was once potty trained starts pooping in her pants again? You become the evil crazy mom you she in Walmart yelling at her kids so you turn and run the other way. I have tried the sweet approach "It's OK honey it was an accident next time we will run to the potty." Taking something away (i.e. toys, play time, going outside), send her to her room and finally the scream like a crazy women. As you can imagine none have worked and my stubborn three year old pooped in her pants TWICE TODAY!!!! When I asked her why she was doing it she calmly answered because mommy. I felt like when I was a kid and my mom said I couldn't go to a friends house, I would ask why mommy and she would say because, because what mommy, because I said so. Except now I am the mom and my three year old is telling me just because. God help me, I think this is because I prayed for patience. A good friend once told me you never pray for patience because then god gives you a chance to be patient. Well I guess I asked for it, good thing I am doing cloth diapers now I just add the poopie big girl underwear to the poopie diapers. So yeah things are pretty poopie at our house =)

No TV

Well we are on day three of no TV, if you don't know what I am talking about here is the story. We have challenged ourselves to a week without any TV. If you know us this is pure you know what but we are going to try it. We really don't watch a whole lot of TV these days but just a half hour here and there can really add up! With a laundry list of things to do I started to think of where my time is being wasted and the answer TV. I sit in front of the TV during nap time some days and the hubs and I usually watch mindless TV after the girls go to bed. P.S. TV does stink now a days, anyway I told my husband the idea yesterday and bless his heart he said lets start today (It would have been totally different if it was football season). Great to have a hubby that is up for all my crazy ideas, but my 3 year old not so sure she will be happy with no Veggy tales =). We know we can do it, we have several friends who don't have TV, but it should be interesting. I will let you know how it goes. My next adventure no electricity, haha just kidding now that would be crazy =)

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Making Ice Cream

Did you know you can make ice cream? I know what you are all thinking, Laur who hasn't seen the super cool llbean ice cream balls you roll around while camping. If you haven't check out llbean. So wanted one by the way but seriously I made ice cream in less than five minutes with my three year old. In case you want to try for your self here is the recipe....

Fresh Fruit Ice Cream

16oz frozen fruit (raspberries,strawberries,blueberries etc.)
1/3 cup mild honey
1/3 cup rolled oat
1-2 tsp. vanilla
about 1 pint whipping cream

Blend in food processor or blender (I used my bullet!) adding whipping cream until creamy. May use fresh fruit and ice cubes instead of frozen. So yummy!!!

Thank you Bread Beckers

Organic Clothing

With a lot of pray and help from others I have been working towards improving my families life as much as I can. I have a wonderful friend who has just taught me how to cloth diaper, I know what you are thinking but I was amazed at just how easy it is. Well I haven't had to run the poop wash yet but I will let you know how it goes. Anyway I was doing some research about options for cloth and was torn between regular or organic. The big decision of the day since thus far it's been dishes or laundry first, neither of which has been done yet. Now my first thought was well I want to feed my family organic so organic but then I began to think well my kids clothing isn't organic so it doesn't really make sense to do organic diapers and put her in non-organic clothing. OK I am not about to buy my kids all organic clothing unless Daddy Warbucks shows up but I began to think how much money would we save if we didn't wear clothes, anybody in? Adam and Eve had the right idea why did they have to go and eat the stupid apple. I am just kidding trust me you don't want to see me naked and no offence I really don't want to see you naked! So I have been cloth diapering for 24 hours now and the baby is still safe and not sitting in her own filth so we are good. Oh I even changed a diaper in target today and it was a poopie one!!!! I know you are so excited for me =) Blessings Laur