Pumpkin Pie Playdough

I'm sure some of you are wondering, what does a playdough craft have to do with clean living?  Depends on how you look at it.  First and foremost, I am a mother.  It is the single most important job I will hold in my lifetime. I dedicate my days to making sure my son's days are the best they can be.   Becoming a mother was the driving force behind my decision to live the cleanest, greenest way I possibly could.  Our children will inherit this Earth from us one day, and it is up to us to nurture them, all of them, mind, body and soul.  So while nutrition is my main concern and quite possibly the most important, so is feeding the brain, and that includes doing things like crafts, like making pumpkin pie playdough. I love making things with my son, and so they will be included in my posts from time to time.

 I figured I better post this craft now seeing as the fall season is winding down.  I love crafts that involve cooking something and then getting to play with your creation.  I strive to have my son in the kitchen cooking with me at least once a week, so this week instead of cooking something to eat, we made playdough.  My son loves Play-doh, but he especially enjoyed playing with this since he had a part in making it.  Anytime you get your kids involved in the creation process, they appreciate the end result so much more.  The great thing about making your own playdough, besides spending quality time with your kids, is it's incredibly easy to make, and most of us have the ingredients on hand in the pantry. 

It was wonderful to see his little face light up as I told him our project today was making pumpkin pie playdough.  "Pumpkin playdough?  That's silly mommy".  He immediately ran into the kitchen, pulled up his little stool, and grabbed his spoon.  Pouring and mixing are two things that toddlers have mastered, and this project lets them do both!  He poured in the flour, salt, and water, and almost managed to get the oil in the bowl.  I let him give the mixture a few stirs before putting it on the stove.  He could hardly wait long enough for it to finish cooking.  "Now can I play with my playdough", he kept asking, over and over.  Thankfully this recipe comes together in no time, and he was off squishing and shaping before I even had time to wash the pot.  He was already talking about how he couldn't wait for daddy to come home from work so he could show off his masterpiece.

I know he may not remember making this with me, but I will never forget these moments.  To witness the sheer joy and enthusiasm he exudes just warms me to the core.  It was impossible not to hear the pride in his voice as he told me, "I'm your big, good helper mama". You sure are baby, you sure are.

Pumpkin Pie Playdough

1 c flour
1/2 c salt
1 c water
2 T vegetable oil
2 t cream of tartar
2 t pumpkin pie spice
* orange food coloring, optional

Pour all ingredients into saucepan and cook over low heat.  Stir frequently.

Dough is ready when it rolls into a ball, about 5 minutes.

Keep dough fresh in an airtight container.

Although I am a huge advocate against the use of dyes, as you can see from my picture, I did use food coloring in my recipe. I figured since we wouldn't be ingesting it, ( hopefully), and since we didn't plan on rubbing it on our skin, (wait, I am talking about a two year old boy) , I saw no harm in adding a little color to his dough.  Besides, he seemed to prefer orange playdough over the "funny" flesh color it was when we pulled it out of the pan.   I didn't have any orange food color on hand, but I did have yellow and red, which presented another great teaching moment about what happens when you mix certain colors together.

I hope you have as much fun making this festive craft as we did...

White Bean, Kale, and Sausage Soup

I love this time of year, the festivities, the weather, and of course all the delicious food.  There's something about a brisk, chilly day that just has me begging for a big bowl of comforting soup.  Nothing is quite as satisfying, and when it's as hearty and nourishing as this soup is, you can't go wrong.   Truth be told, there is nothing special about the ingredients in this soup, in fact it is quite simple.  Maybe that's what makes it so darn good.  I've tried many different variations and this is my favorite.  Too often comfort food is not synonymous with health food, but this one pot meal is both.  Even my soup-hating husband has requested this twice in the last two weeks!  If that isn't convincing, I don't know what is. 

I use chicken sausage, but feel free to use pork if you desire.  To make it vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock and omit the sausage. 

4 links of smoked sausages, chicken, pork, or turkey, sliced  ( I use chicken andouille)

1 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots, chopped

6-8 cups free range, organic chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 bunch kale, chiffonade

2 cans cannelini beans, drained

1/2 t oregano

1/4 t cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

rind of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese 

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Take sausage out of casings. Add sausage, saute until nicely browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add chopped onion and carrot into pan and cook 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

While onion and carrots are cooking, mash half of the cannelini beans and leave the rest whole.

 Pour stock into pan, being sure to scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Add the bay leaf, oregano, cayenne, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, add kale, Parmesan rind, and beans.  Reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.  Add sausage back in and simmer 15 minutes more, or until kale is wilted.

Remove rind and bay leaf before serving.  Serve with crusty multi-grain bread and some grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.

This soup tastes even better one or two days after you make it, so you can look forward to enjoying the leftovers!

Green Smoothie Revolution

It has been said that "nature needs no help- just no interference".  There are plenty of things in today's crazy world that interfere with our health; water that's not pure, air that's not clean, lack of exercise, not enough rest, poor diets- the list goes on.  I have found that the best way to teach about clean eating and living is to be an example.  That is what I strive to be, a living example.  It may not always be easy (holiday parties, anyone?) but it is vitally important.

When I first added green smoothies to my family's diet, we were already living an extremely healthy life.  I wasn't sure if the addition of blended fruits and veggies that we were already eating was going to have a major impact on our health, if any impact at all.  I was already eating most of these things in my daily salad, so how could this be any different? Well, first it enabled me to eat a wider variety of vegetables than I had previously been eating.  Kale and wheatgrass did not make their way into our salads too often.  And this was great because it meant that my son whose veggie intake consisted of broccoli, pickles, and an occasional avocado was now consuming all these wonderful leafy greens and sprouts that he wouldn't have otherwise.  He may prefer brown rice cakes to Goldfish crackers, but his veggie intake left much to be desired, as is the case with many two year olds.

Second, and here's the real kicker, blending the vegetables and fruit allows your body to extract the maximum amount of nutrients out of the food. When we eat solid food, a large portion does not get fully digested due in part to the fact that we eat too fast and don't chew enough.  Every glance down in the porcelain princess to see a whole piece of lettuce floating around?  So although that salad you had at lunch was a great option, your body did not fully extract all the nutrients those veggies had to offer.  Blending, especially with a high powered blender such as Vita-mix actually breaks down the cell wall of the food allowing for maximum absorption. And, in contrast to juicing, when you blend, the pulp does not get left behind and this is where most of the fiber resides.   I am here to tell you that by starting your day with a green smoothie you will enjoy increased energy levels, improved skin and hair, better digestion ( better be prepared for this one- especially early on!), and you may finally be able to achieve your ideal weight.  I was amazed at how my energy levels soared from these little green glasses of goodness.

The more whole, raw foods we incorporate into our diets, the better our body functions.  This was the way we were intended to eat.  Long before fast food joints crowded our streets, and before food had an indefinite shelf life there was pure, raw, LIVE food.  The food that fueled us, nourished us, sustained us.  We have become so far removed from food in its natural state that the notion of eating and living off the land seems ludicrous to some.  Our society has become accustomed to food in a box, stripped of all nutrients, preservative filled, dye colored garbage.  My personal goal for my family and I is to eat food that my great grandmother would recognize.  To get back to the way we ate thousands of years ago,consuming the life sustaining food nature has provided for us- the way it was intended.

We all want to look and feel better.  We desire more energy, less disease, more confidence.  We want these things, but many of us don't know how to attain them.  I can honestly say that all these things and more are not only within your reach, but they are much easier to accomplish than you think.  It starts with simple changes.  Small steps for a better YOU.  A green smoothie to start your day.    Life is nothing but a series of choices.  We are faced with endless decisions in our lives and each one ultimately determines and shapes our life's path.  It can be overwhelming to wrap your head around all the choices you will be faced with over your lifetime.  The key to being successful at changing your lifestyle is to take it one tiny choice at a time.  Just get through today.  Make a choice to start each day the best way you possibly can. The best thing about green smoothies is they are easy, unbelievably healthy, and the variations are virtually endless.  You can tailor them to your specific taste and reap all the benefits along the way.  It may sound silly, but adding green smoothies to your diet can change your life.  Perhaps not all on their own, but once you start your day with a fresh, raw, nourishing smoothie, you will notice the difference in the way you feel.  Your cravings for junk will start to diminish which will  propel you down the path of total health and well-being.

I believe that negativity breeds more negativity.  That making bad choices leads to more bad choices.  Eating is the same way.  If you start the day with a doughnut, you're not likely to have a salad and salmon for lunch.  If you drink soda all the time, water doesn't quite do it for you.  Starting each day with a green smoothie sets the tone for the rest of your day, for tomorrow, for the rest of your life.  It's the little things that add up to a grand total.  So whether you're someone just starting their journey to a more healthy existence, or a seasoned health nut looking to incorporate more raw food into your diet- it doesn't get better or easier than green smoothies.

There are no rules when it comes to making green smoothies.  Basically, you can take any fruit and combine it with tons of different greens to find a flavor and consistency that appeals to you. No matter how good green smoothies are for you, not too many people would drink them everyday if they didn't taste good.  I know for a fact that my two year old son would never drink them if they weren't delicious, and he not only drinks them, he always asks for more!!  When I first began I wondered  how spinach and kale blended with pears and strawberries could taste good. The truth is- you can barely even taste the greens.  If it is too bitter for your taste- just add more fruit.   I like to change the greens we use in our smoothies every couple of days.  Spinach, kale, wheatgrass, and mixed lettuces are our go-to greens, but lately I've been experimenting with sprouts.  I hope you will find some recipes here that help you on your way to making green smoothies a part of your daily routine.  And remember, the only rule when making smoothies is- there are no rules!!    Green smoothies feed the soul and heal the body so blend, enjoy, and bask in their glory...