tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22171315445341387782024-02-20T12:08:59.164-08:00the joy of becomingAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-72334970975219616542011-04-07T21:45:00.000-07:002011-04-07T21:45:26.888-07:00... if I did not laugh, I should die.I LOVE that quote by Abraham Lincoln. It says so much. Think about this quote "seven days without laughter makes one WEAK". Or this scripture in Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good <span class="clarityWord">like</span> a medicine". WHAT WOULD LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT LAUGHTER?<br />
<br />
As I've been working on my personal history and sorting through all my memories... the best ones were the times that I was laughing with my family. I don't really remember the clothes that I wore, how many toys that I had, or how much money we had. But the memories that stick with me WERE THE ONES WHERE I LAUGHED. <br />
<br />
We've recently started keeping a paper on our fridge and writing down all the funny things that people say. I love it! It's such a wonderful thing when I'm feeling down to go and read some of the funny things that have been said. for example:<br />
<br />
sister: dang it stay there!<br />
me: uh, did you just say something?<br />
sister: oh sorry, I was just talking to the popcorn. don't you ever talk to your food?<br />
me: oh all the time (sarcasticly - said in a southern accent) "oh you nasty little peanut butter, get off that spoon!"<br />
<br />
that may not be very funny to you, but we laughed quite heartily at that. It's times like that that bring our family closer together and as a bonus, they lift our spirits! I LOVE TO LAUGH! Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-22657345768576976962011-02-16T19:19:00.000-08:002011-02-16T19:19:03.078-08:00a (very late) new year postyes, it is february 16. it's been 2011 for a month and a half, but i've had this post in my head for a long time and wanted to get it out. i've been working on my personal history and downloading all my old blog posts from my old blogs, and it made me think about what i want this blog to be like. my other blogs were passionate, funny, inspiring, and i grew so much through writing them... this blog... eh... not so much. i don't have that much time to write, or even think about writing... but it's one of my new years resolutions to keep this blog up better. i know i've promised it before, but i REALLY am going to do better.<br />
<br />
Here are some things i've going to start posting about:<br />
* gluten free eating<br />
* natural living (aka embracing the hippie within... lol)<br />
* my random thoughts (which are NOT guaranteed to be enlightening ;)<br />
* how to prepare for marriage (no, i'm not engaged or even dating anyone...) <br />
* and more things that i'll just end of surprising you with.<br />
<br />
2011 promises to be an AMAZING year!!! :DAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-6820019214659943652010-11-18T10:48:00.000-08:002010-11-18T10:48:09.767-08:00double chocolate muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrch-cyHR8AfOuFgVOoDs4PHv4xwsQCHAC0fn4l1ItDWCsaUGsqEm4MT79bf_8kVTrVOcBzUQ9rGtG1iNHtrIQmG4yGVVaxHqAm2I4x0j_m2o40RHPoJq663KDKBIUHxjdYSLM3AqvK2uv/s1600/muffins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrch-cyHR8AfOuFgVOoDs4PHv4xwsQCHAC0fn4l1ItDWCsaUGsqEm4MT79bf_8kVTrVOcBzUQ9rGtG1iNHtrIQmG4yGVVaxHqAm2I4x0j_m2o40RHPoJq663KDKBIUHxjdYSLM3AqvK2uv/s320/muffins.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>these muffins turned out REALLY good! especially warm... yum. this was one of my first recipes transferred from a "normal" recipe to a soaked one. next time i'm going to tweek it a little bit because after sitting out they are kinda dry.<br />
<br />
<b>Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins</b><br />
<br />
Soak Overnight:<br />
3 1/2 c. flour<br />
1 c. oil<br />
1/2 c. kefir<br />
<br />
In the morning add:<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 t. vanilla<br />
2 c. milk (i only added 1 cause it seemed plenty wet, but then it dried out. so i would add more)<br />
1 c. dehydrated cane juice<br />
1/2 c. cocoa<br />
2 T. baking powder<br />
1 t. salt<br />
1 c. chocolate chips<br />
<br />
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins <br />
<br />
you might want to sprinkle the chocolate chips on top instead of mixing them in because all of ours got left in the pan when the muffins came out!! :) Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-28773060547072337402010-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:002010-11-16T20:22:07.480-08:00learning from faliurehere's the update on THE PLAN...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkUdmhxxjOPL3yTdq-ZcsqcPSPddgFNZnQBBg52SkavedggQ_vndhT6FhvGbIbpH0_ABPVkRGNXcpwRr8aO-J4W6cdEER9nQ27fgNDmRsCvfhYyyiGopy7MZI4yPeqP9kAicKALauWPpA/s1600/pumpkin-bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkUdmhxxjOPL3yTdq-ZcsqcPSPddgFNZnQBBg52SkavedggQ_vndhT6FhvGbIbpH0_ABPVkRGNXcpwRr8aO-J4W6cdEER9nQ27fgNDmRsCvfhYyyiGopy7MZI4yPeqP9kAicKALauWPpA/s320/pumpkin-bread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">picture from gnowfglins </div><br />
so lets start off with the positive things... the soaking part went really well!! i tried a <a href="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/monthly-baking-routine.html">raspberry muffin recipe</a> at passionate homemaking, and a <a href="http://gnowfglins.com/2010/09/08/soaked-pumpkin-bread/">pumpkin bread recipe</a> from gnowfglins. i noticed that when i soaked things i didn't exactly get a stomach ache, but they kinda made me feel a little bit acidic. after doing a bunch of reading i figured out that i probably wasn't soaking anything as long as i should have. i had only been soaking things for about 7 hours, but most things say AT LEAST 8 hours, but up to 24!! this is the next part of our soaking adventure... figuring out how many hours doesn't make me feel any kind of sick. BUT the exciting thing is that everyone in my family LOVED the pumpkin bread and really liked the muffins!! this is VERY exciting news because i have some VERY picky siblings!! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKhDQv9S0v_ASCkSZHQTsgM10xgjf8I9yXnsozFGagmGNal46clCTawy9PoUf01yqP5mnZX0fmd6klxcjQlENz1U4Pf1j0SniCE_IjdVKSKjC0nAUTftekmA51Hbg2uivrRzjdVMZZgFR/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKhDQv9S0v_ASCkSZHQTsgM10xgjf8I9yXnsozFGagmGNal46clCTawy9PoUf01yqP5mnZX0fmd6klxcjQlENz1U4Pf1j0SniCE_IjdVKSKjC0nAUTftekmA51Hbg2uivrRzjdVMZZgFR/s320/IMG_2743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>we also soaked some oatmeal and i tested out a big bowl to see if i got a stomach ache! i got a minor one, but once again, i probably need to soak it for longer. i actually liked it lots better than normal oatmeal. oh, and we soaked some brown rice and i couldn't even tell a difference!! i think one of my sisters was paranoid that it had kefir in it and said that i tasted really sour. but i really couldn't taste it. <br />
<br />
oh boy... now on to the whoopsies, mistakes, floops and failures!! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bKzwhV1ILCVHfTy2r5fqGMqvVTSJTsXel4JQVyoGDirqd_rkcRpuZGrqPJg1VvWaYF5quoGxMOoM4dtXvjEMyywP0LsheGx79ii-jkG1JJmKh9eS3-GTRsybsCVEa2G82CyOhrAC3b3O/s1600/IMG_2752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bKzwhV1ILCVHfTy2r5fqGMqvVTSJTsXel4JQVyoGDirqd_rkcRpuZGrqPJg1VvWaYF5quoGxMOoM4dtXvjEMyywP0LsheGx79ii-jkG1JJmKh9eS3-GTRsybsCVEa2G82CyOhrAC3b3O/s320/IMG_2752.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>these rather disgusting looking things are supposed to be pumpkin pancakes. they were DISGUSTING!!! i made them with sprouted wheat that we had sprouted and dehydrated. we let them sprout for JUST A LITTLE too long. and they didn't work AT ALL! oh well... live and learn right?? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2s908XBLppN-oxu06AXqTn6aB_8dCFvc_sOVJpAlJ2YLBC8-RTO8oGwFMbkUOW1Hgiv-br2iUsFgEoETNRL65JhmLAOrOxd6M2taCeAZfODmp_s73PXqdfy5AvBXA5Ix2luhDSFToZLx/s1600/IMG_2753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2s908XBLppN-oxu06AXqTn6aB_8dCFvc_sOVJpAlJ2YLBC8-RTO8oGwFMbkUOW1Hgiv-br2iUsFgEoETNRL65JhmLAOrOxd6M2taCeAZfODmp_s73PXqdfy5AvBXA5Ix2luhDSFToZLx/s320/IMG_2753.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
this little jar used to be a thriving sourdough start. the first couple of days it was insanely active!! then for the next week it just sat there and did nothing. so i tried another start... and it didn't even do ANYTHING!!! sigh... so i just decided to continue to work on soaking, try to get my sprouted flour to work and then i'll save up and buy a sourdough start from <a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/Desem-Sourdough-Starter.html">cultures for health</a>. <br />
<br />
so there's the update on THE PLAN! i'm feeling TONS better and love all the new things that i'm learning!! i have to admit that this morning i was super discouraged, it's a whole different way of cooking and one that i know nothing about!! but i'm trying to change my perspective and look at it as an adventure!! :D Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-57240566052617761692010-11-04T12:41:00.000-07:002010-11-04T13:02:33.594-07:00the plan<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtshMAu3zpD6zf5YQzfsJgT0smkgi3Jg5ozs6o-f7Lsqc_hZNppNqV6N3GysEQo5GPX_9HrPthqyp3TV1DQHpDCmzBlBaKJEvYwcUfvy21E9Rj_265spGTkJwgdIg80dNh2lsFtRXMNyx/s1600/plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtshMAu3zpD6zf5YQzfsJgT0smkgi3Jg5ozs6o-f7Lsqc_hZNppNqV6N3GysEQo5GPX_9HrPthqyp3TV1DQHpDCmzBlBaKJEvYwcUfvy21E9Rj_265spGTkJwgdIg80dNh2lsFtRXMNyx/s320/plan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
you know how in life there are times when everything just seems to be teaching you the very same thing? well, this is one of those times. i've been thinking that i needed to start eating better (note - i already eat fairly well, but have somethings that need to be changed), but i just kept putting it off. <span style="font-size: large;"><b>now it can't be put off any longer!</b></span> i've started having major stomach issues again, and it's given me the push that i needed.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>so here's the plan:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* no sugar (or at least drastically reduce my intake)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* lots more fruits and vegetables</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* soaking all the grains/flour that i eat</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* getting another sourdough start going</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">i'm super excited to get this started! i'll be much better at posting these next couple of weeks i promise... so keep your eyes out for some awesome posts and recipes!! :D</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-82560486809631635842010-09-23T10:10:00.000-07:002010-09-23T10:17:00.716-07:00easy as pie headbands<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">i've always wanted to be a headband person... but my head just seems to not like wearing them. they are always slipping off, or causing major headaches. but i finally found the solution!! and it was seriously as easy as pie! </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got the pattern free off </span><a href="http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heather Bailey</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">... which btw is an awesome website or blog i guess. it only took me about 10 minutes to make them from start to finish, and they are SO comfortable!! i would wear them everyday, but i need to make more first. i ended up modifying the pattern a little bit because the headbands were a little too wide for my head... but it was so easy!! all you need is a little material and about 6 inches of elastic! </span><a href="http://www.heatherbaileydesign.com/Headband.html" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">here's the pattern</a> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">available as a free download... and here are some pictures!! the top one is the first one i did.. the band is a little thicker, but the bottom one is after the modifications. </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HOORAY FOR HEADBANDS!! </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">btw... that's the name of the pattern :) </span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuGqP7rUZrTUi8q_EynmMCTItj5RlCHT-AlW75eE80ceEkSqoLff7Q2xIx4EyG16itRl9hOks1cxax5g-ng4QLrGYt25jL2IltiUE1ATo9DB2TvNtMEAdR-PYVhOt4uCgPzpschb5vt5s/s1600/IMG_2488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sxptHYTznbbyOQWpgLfQTQKEbnMJwCTk_VzJTFeWi6BiIai24EMG3-foivcuXAeZG-MdSlNS0hlXbfhf4V5D-QNv-jMBlNImtCxvOpgrqookpXaEBz3THPfnf81QuGhDYOSJYh0Vmm5x/s1600/headband3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sxptHYTznbbyOQWpgLfQTQKEbnMJwCTk_VzJTFeWi6BiIai24EMG3-foivcuXAeZG-MdSlNS0hlXbfhf4V5D-QNv-jMBlNImtCxvOpgrqookpXaEBz3THPfnf81QuGhDYOSJYh0Vmm5x/s320/headband3.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh588CTVcYEhcbzaE780PfsPldc3NOI65MBWN139sB7Fy7IVjA6bN2uYGhW0B3is_7G4IRz0yf-T5mLPrZSxPAr3vnPPp8iGG2D7LqgrXYC6jF80XJTu2o-Nf2XxbHYSyFCaTpVikCvWbdt/s1600/headband2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh588CTVcYEhcbzaE780PfsPldc3NOI65MBWN139sB7Fy7IVjA6bN2uYGhW0B3is_7G4IRz0yf-T5mLPrZSxPAr3vnPPp8iGG2D7LqgrXYC6jF80XJTu2o-Nf2XxbHYSyFCaTpVikCvWbdt/s320/headband2.jpg" /></a></div> Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-91730806172791055302010-09-21T13:40:00.000-07:002010-09-21T13:40:39.562-07:00Vanilla Crunch Granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv8STF0vUO_I88Ik9fZIUSdM5x-TDvDEy04r3GckZszVPQrjUz6U0o5rS1Ok4W9T1efemVONACe6lkqJ-C4nTKZK-uzBWyaChwKJVQB9eoxQtv35txaNN3KKVNQN1bAklwwawvs95l0f-/s1600/granola+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv8STF0vUO_I88Ik9fZIUSdM5x-TDvDEy04r3GckZszVPQrjUz6U0o5rS1Ok4W9T1efemVONACe6lkqJ-C4nTKZK-uzBWyaChwKJVQB9eoxQtv35txaNN3KKVNQN1bAklwwawvs95l0f-/s320/granola+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.inmagine.com/searchterms/granola.html">photo credit</a></span></div>I really like this granola... not too sweet, and not too much to chew either. it's a perfect mix and super good! <br />
<br />
1 1/2 c. brown sugar<br />
1/2 c. water<br />
4 t. vanilla<br />
1 t. salt<br />
8 c. oats<br />
2 c. chopped nuts (we use almonds)<br />
<br />
Combine sugar and water and cook until dissolved. then add vanilla and salt. Combine everything and mix thoroughly... follow the directions on the <a href="http://thejoyofbecoming.blogspot.com/2010/09/peanut-butter-granola.html">peanut butter granola</a> recipe to dehydrate or bake. Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-44822409639240901812010-09-21T13:27:00.000-07:002010-09-21T13:31:25.335-07:00Peanut Butter Granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuO8fRs_n08hS8YSXvurOwqY5weCeIAJh0wv1uCjK38cCdhhELeuIRYsV_uWGxR2pEQ1QBNCCLSKYG8oS_7Lm-OjGaEJiwPjX5DTXuFozc3jgaQ0Kn8mpBc-e0dXROt_ur6xVawIir6dZ/s1600/granola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeaf3nRwvAIynC_J9LW2GQ4bHFZ_aW-1QgT7tf46QzURB3DS_SsY0Izd6nsmOHLk8zjYPhq7xHREEEMAkHqVkayyA2C-AB_oxCdjuy_nzzbudI0gzErnbuFKQ3G3Uw0W5haKOLbHJk5cP/s1600/granola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeaf3nRwvAIynC_J9LW2GQ4bHFZ_aW-1QgT7tf46QzURB3DS_SsY0Izd6nsmOHLk8zjYPhq7xHREEEMAkHqVkayyA2C-AB_oxCdjuy_nzzbudI0gzErnbuFKQ3G3Uw0W5haKOLbHJk5cP/s400/granola.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.inmagine.com/searchterms/granola.html"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo credit </span></a></div>Granola is a staple at our house... it's super easy to mix up and unfortunately gone just as fast. I have 2 favorite recipes... this peanut butter one and a vanilla crunch one which i'll share as soon as i can find it :)<br />
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<br />
<div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><u><b>Peanut Butter Granola</b></u></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">5 c. oatmeal (not quick)</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">5 c. rolled six grain (if you don't have this, just use more oats)</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">2 c. coconut flakes</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 1/2 c. rapadura (or brown sugar)</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 t. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">3/4 c. peanut butter</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 c. coconut oil (or other oil)</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1/2 c. honey</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">2 t. vanilla</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Directions:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* mix all dry ingredients together except the salt (I find it mixes better if you add it to the wet ingredients)</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* combine all the other ingredients... be careful not to heat it too hot, as you don't want to damage the oil</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* stir heated mixture into dry ingredients</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* place on dehydrator trays</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Cooking Instructions:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* dehydrate until crispy, usually 18-24 hours</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* Cool and store in glass jars.</span></div><div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">* I don't have the directions any more for cooking in the oven, but I think you just cook it at 350 degrees until crispy (about 1/2 hour ?), and you need to turn it every so often.</span></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-58999021111400150312010-09-21T13:17:00.000-07:002010-09-21T13:44:38.394-07:00RolyPolies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iRGeCNFBL-O4zSrmU2B36mT-9386W4gbHWfMixYu4jYbtbg_HZf-x8HWkWj5xH0KnQwX7Y3mfi4KEv9dszJTYQb-cZGp7ruNX_zHX1tVHhqyjXHvaZvLXuYwINznLodn9xhzrwmsCEqH/s1600/crepes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iRGeCNFBL-O4zSrmU2B36mT-9386W4gbHWfMixYu4jYbtbg_HZf-x8HWkWj5xH0KnQwX7Y3mfi4KEv9dszJTYQb-cZGp7ruNX_zHX1tVHhqyjXHvaZvLXuYwINznLodn9xhzrwmsCEqH/s400/crepes.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.inmagine.com/lilyoh-006/ptg00927706-photo">photo credit</a></span></div><br />
these are definitely a favorite at my house!! kind of like crepes, except smaller and thicker... so i guess they really aren't like them at all. but anyways... my childhood best friend's mom gave us this recipe and we would have across the street competitions to see who could eat the most... i think i lost at 8. Enjoy this super easy recipe!! <br />
<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 c. flour<br />
1 c. milk<br />
2 T. honey<br />
1 t. salt<br />
<br />
* double batch makes approx. 30-35 roly polies<br />
* cook on gridle like pancakes<br />
* roll as soon as cooked<br />
* serve with syrup, honey, berries, cream cheese mix... whatever strikes your fancy!!Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-83118391808013455472010-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:002010-09-16T11:13:44.006-07:00marie-madeline studioover at <a href="http://pioneerbeauty.blogspot.com/2010/09/mariemadeline-giveawayfor-on-hundred.html#comment-form">pioneer beauty</a> there is a giveaway for a $100 gift certificate for marie-madeline studio!! here are some pictures of what you can get at <a href="http://www.mariemadelinestudio.com/">marie-madeline</a>! love their stuff!! patterns, cloth, pre-made stuff, etc... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruf4R1EAlyq2rCnqBlpBhY8z4ykf_Wkl0xP2S6e7c2AloLhGJtGhUTd_r6ZwNwbN92r5hVKKKxqBSwaw_5Dek1NxorFHaRytVyLSE_L4XbD6KVXdg9-uNM8g71Twi9rHvkD9mNU_LJJWd/s1600/mm5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruf4R1EAlyq2rCnqBlpBhY8z4ykf_Wkl0xP2S6e7c2AloLhGJtGhUTd_r6ZwNwbN92r5hVKKKxqBSwaw_5Dek1NxorFHaRytVyLSE_L4XbD6KVXdg9-uNM8g71Twi9rHvkD9mNU_LJJWd/s320/mm5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_btizpf7n3P-_yXWRYoNCwaitp0wryhvHYvskwWNYYYYY04lIxhpfZGOl1dLnSC30i3zGm77dWnkPuh70i4H8ToQS22EWV-aj2jVOvEZCkIaJA0S-mGIILwGyHKUuD8F7_fF8SjcEGth/s1600/mm4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_btizpf7n3P-_yXWRYoNCwaitp0wryhvHYvskwWNYYYYY04lIxhpfZGOl1dLnSC30i3zGm77dWnkPuh70i4H8ToQS22EWV-aj2jVOvEZCkIaJA0S-mGIILwGyHKUuD8F7_fF8SjcEGth/s320/mm4.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdZANnvw6xD8Ck-FAhRhMeztJxjJn89oY5YTcQxl5WSIBxMqz1bNYBkrWlgLaG3kP2JAw04AD6mvHEYBSu9eKNG4tGkIyMvML4jVazlKRuGwkZfdz-UwRIlT3FlXtoe8rZCogsD46wmn5/s1600/mm3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdZANnvw6xD8Ck-FAhRhMeztJxjJn89oY5YTcQxl5WSIBxMqz1bNYBkrWlgLaG3kP2JAw04AD6mvHEYBSu9eKNG4tGkIyMvML4jVazlKRuGwkZfdz-UwRIlT3FlXtoe8rZCogsD46wmn5/s320/mm3.jpg" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRehJlOxgmA4VDnrxyc9UHnuMffEj17nsskA7jUeB6OVWv6jEFehztb7HPRN02aygrUB3wtW5piQemUEkrRklaIcfEp1AYkpvV6AlxHShxNq3K66v7uQFaS2A0R1JbayMBAtVvxOjXWNW4/s1600/mm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRehJlOxgmA4VDnrxyc9UHnuMffEj17nsskA7jUeB6OVWv6jEFehztb7HPRN02aygrUB3wtW5piQemUEkrRklaIcfEp1AYkpvV6AlxHShxNq3K66v7uQFaS2A0R1JbayMBAtVvxOjXWNW4/s320/mm2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrA_8x8r2zNtro9dITWkl9fwkwimXIIb-NERz55dD2LNF05a65dwGhuzfSKZjJhToD3k4KluiL-I3QTeo-V8T29VjCttmz6iTdnsR0l_WzfEMQRArB_5RTq-8ui694BP0HX6I7OYBotnh/s1600/mm1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrA_8x8r2zNtro9dITWkl9fwkwimXIIb-NERz55dD2LNF05a65dwGhuzfSKZjJhToD3k4KluiL-I3QTeo-V8T29VjCttmz6iTdnsR0l_WzfEMQRArB_5RTq-8ui694BP0HX6I7OYBotnh/s320/mm1.jpg" /></a></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-71319834726955988702010-09-14T18:04:00.000-07:002010-09-14T18:07:15.917-07:00strawberry-blackberry jamabout a week ago we ordered some Chill Over Powder (a gelatin alternative) from <a href="http://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/store/p/65-ChillOver-Powder.aspx">MaryJane Farms</a> as an experimentation... and today i picked a couple pounds of strawberries and a few blackberries from our garden and decided to make jam! it turned out great!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy44EugSNy_TCELNzf7ZpT-uy27IuySXPvgHDw4eptWl1x9udF3ZfJ5SQMxWabtoqBAjObYex2mtng8rLqeilz-ZbclwoLirYGHh0HaeuHBw0140WEOG_UAmS_tzWxLA3JuC-Qf6UIOMoN/s1600/IMG_2581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy44EugSNy_TCELNzf7ZpT-uy27IuySXPvgHDw4eptWl1x9udF3ZfJ5SQMxWabtoqBAjObYex2mtng8rLqeilz-ZbclwoLirYGHh0HaeuHBw0140WEOG_UAmS_tzWxLA3JuC-Qf6UIOMoN/s320/IMG_2581.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> mixing it all together </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaINKw8wTXhF5ipAZzn6g8D9Y5lGW7L07QRLuq4kEu7hgGUsZJb9djbvSCVyrQLMrYJiQ7W2DbsDyeT6fqB295cxZOQCisNbbL0_s0EpdQ09EUTlC_PDL0IHAVxNIvC9ectnBi0TMgfUi/s1600/IMG_2583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaINKw8wTXhF5ipAZzn6g8D9Y5lGW7L07QRLuq4kEu7hgGUsZJb9djbvSCVyrQLMrYJiQ7W2DbsDyeT6fqB295cxZOQCisNbbL0_s0EpdQ09EUTlC_PDL0IHAVxNIvC9ectnBi0TMgfUi/s320/IMG_2583.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> the beautiful finished product. it only took about a couple hours to do it all!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">the recipe is super simple...</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 cups of crushed berries</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 teaspoons chill over powder</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">bring the berries and sugar to a boil.<br />
sprinkle the powder in and stir, boil for 3 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: center;">put in jars and water bath them for 15 mins. <br />
see i said it was simple!! and tasty too! </div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-15515034040102319622010-09-03T18:20:00.000-07:002010-09-07T10:04:10.391-07:00how we do kefir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRzMVesNBuxRreePod6vYhZzrJfl_gKnN9x_NxoDKSfHkqB17aYbRmV2tHSEfn03EEjDN959PLal9BXfi0uyteQ7jW9ScCzHXepKb9wDBFsIWBzQrDLSc5SUDrORVCDQ4oM5vbhTS4Wfr/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRzMVesNBuxRreePod6vYhZzrJfl_gKnN9x_NxoDKSfHkqB17aYbRmV2tHSEfn03EEjDN959PLal9BXfi0uyteQ7jW9ScCzHXepKb9wDBFsIWBzQrDLSc5SUDrORVCDQ4oM5vbhTS4Wfr/s320/IMG_2445.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">it's time to make kefir!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to start off... get your kefir grains. here's a cute one from our bunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O8uMR9PK20o9A90JMmNqCQzKbPkjDvYtMH73ypK0GC3qaE3xykbbn2gl6ihAYDTiaKkEjx3XC7FSZmOj0ARB-i041TVDuKRhyphenhyphenzWnLt-_EtNAcblpe0sA-XZFPfhPH9Vx268T-fB8S-cV/s1600/IMG_2451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O8uMR9PK20o9A90JMmNqCQzKbPkjDvYtMH73ypK0GC3qaE3xykbbn2gl6ihAYDTiaKkEjx3XC7FSZmOj0ARB-i041TVDuKRhyphenhyphenzWnLt-_EtNAcblpe0sA-XZFPfhPH9Vx268T-fB8S-cV/s320/IMG_2451.JPG" /></a></div>first of all...put your grains in fresh milk. if you have a tablespoon or so of grains, put them in about a cup of milk. the kefir grains will eventually multiply and you'll have to add more milk. we have a couple cups of kefir grains, and we use about 4 cups of milk everyday. above is our kefir ready to culture! your kefir needs to be able to breathe, so we put a little bit of cheesecloth on the top, and secure it with a jar ring.<br />
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kefir needs to culture for anywhere between 12-24 hours. it needs to be out of direct sun, and kept at room temperature. in the summer when it's really hot, we end up taking ours downstairs where it's cooler.<br />
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here's ours all ready to drain. we usually drain it every 24 hours, but others like to drain it earlier.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t8CNruzioXprOcmn6UylqxhtVhCcGuYJOalkDyU_zojcKDo8NRY__5cfbNIiMwrW6szOU3736mYfTCzwuH57XVn-qukLFL_S8nLUqcSCTcirJbExlxrW33a_VOZIWXAgBiOF58OCuPHV/s1600/IMG_2453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t8CNruzioXprOcmn6UylqxhtVhCcGuYJOalkDyU_zojcKDo8NRY__5cfbNIiMwrW6szOU3736mYfTCzwuH57XVn-qukLFL_S8nLUqcSCTcirJbExlxrW33a_VOZIWXAgBiOF58OCuPHV/s320/IMG_2453.JPG" /></a></div>a lot of people talk about not using metal or plastic when draining, but we've found that using both works fine and doesn't affect the keifr. here's what we use to drain our kefir. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HCBR6BNVhjfXYZtO6BIJaC-hXHO7RsmFQTANDgJ_RRUbGj2ebc9bBofijPf5L2xE9brDfwXUpDZeSozVGnNhOIhbx5HXIqXRMMH8Uh1Ji1E3-P0BjNuILwikvZRF6fPYL_OJY0S7FwsC/s1600/IMG_2456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HCBR6BNVhjfXYZtO6BIJaC-hXHO7RsmFQTANDgJ_RRUbGj2ebc9bBofijPf5L2xE9brDfwXUpDZeSozVGnNhOIhbx5HXIqXRMMH8Uh1Ji1E3-P0BjNuILwikvZRF6fPYL_OJY0S7FwsC/s320/IMG_2456.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa2_SWkUmVhPpDQTbS8rhNsDCRWdojHMvgSdhQNTvrgG2fw3WQl2bfEEGF3EgLRkojQNsmW4jbNZs3h8-CjBTDexPxHQ4jUUZ2hi24dDLQHPWzlN1txhcx_vFdLIcQsFO_dd6s5mIeh-8/s1600/IMG_2440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa2_SWkUmVhPpDQTbS8rhNsDCRWdojHMvgSdhQNTvrgG2fw3WQl2bfEEGF3EgLRkojQNsmW4jbNZs3h8-CjBTDexPxHQ4jUUZ2hi24dDLQHPWzlN1txhcx_vFdLIcQsFO_dd6s5mIeh-8/s320/IMG_2440.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">once poured into the strainer, we stir it and sometimes bang it until all that's left is the grains.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzaNGUpjG_bGwyyMJ58oGA3Il8i8n2rAA2D5hG4cn7wYGzogKWvpmjcFFRYTUzGqH95pGoi9mKCNXpx3AXEj-LAgILrtmrATGKv8pKA7451OHj1Ao2P4pnOksXBCfUXhApm1CG9w8hTsu/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzaNGUpjG_bGwyyMJ58oGA3Il8i8n2rAA2D5hG4cn7wYGzogKWvpmjcFFRYTUzGqH95pGoi9mKCNXpx3AXEj-LAgILrtmrATGKv8pKA7451OHj1Ao2P4pnOksXBCfUXhApm1CG9w8hTsu/s320/IMG_2446.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">here's the keifr that was drained off.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6AFcdD-X5ZvDEtCtYO-C5WjVNxlHlKWMBtHFCG9s8KXhyphenhyphenAyG3x1_8A3GpETw3iK_1psVA7pHVuXiX3qM7BfAs0idlxY0N-ZIn61OBU-kyjIY8kq1hEFOcduFyR5pyikXMdmYhhG8kVG1/s1600/IMG_2443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6AFcdD-X5ZvDEtCtYO-C5WjVNxlHlKWMBtHFCG9s8KXhyphenhyphenAyG3x1_8A3GpETw3iK_1psVA7pHVuXiX3qM7BfAs0idlxY0N-ZIn61OBU-kyjIY8kq1hEFOcduFyR5pyikXMdmYhhG8kVG1/s320/IMG_2443.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and here are the grains. be sure to not rinse your grains, because that destroys the good bacteria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
now you're ready to have fun with your kefir!! we make kefir smoothies every morning, and i just started making kefir cheese and made some delicious dressing with it!! there are so many things you can do with kefir!! <br />
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WHAT EXACTLY IS KEFIR? kefir grains are "a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids and sugars. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms." kinda confusing, but i know that there's a lot of good stuff in kefir, and i love it!Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-7938954708779818502010-09-02T17:14:00.000-07:002010-09-03T18:25:54.027-07:00making "kefir cheese"<span style="font-size: small;">i'm kinda going backwards with this... starting with dressing, going to making keifr cheese, and later i'll be posting a tutorial on how we do our keifr. so, stay tuned for that!!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwIddg6Lhg9WHClsz24kyN8sDC1E8FSa4BlnVzdFPWjuJ9TqR7F9cSra9jkuQ-BatcFDhDsaBq5K-jGoxizK0_3yv79iPGuCYg8eWvqB060sNrEapKNzUYQWom3tNOomsmPH-GhjmnEoR/s1600/IMG_2440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwIddg6Lhg9WHClsz24kyN8sDC1E8FSa4BlnVzdFPWjuJ9TqR7F9cSra9jkuQ-BatcFDhDsaBq5K-jGoxizK0_3yv79iPGuCYg8eWvqB060sNrEapKNzUYQWom3tNOomsmPH-GhjmnEoR/s320/IMG_2440.JPG" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">to start off, drain your kefir </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxiUqdfnSilXfvdE9KSXkR6oQ0HroXHbVFMqq-nw_8X-NC7IdnYqEPlgXr5He9viKpl7shJPR-G7WGGt7WXyfO2T7uZmtFxISR1CszAA8ma2xD5g5Wjl6EWmBZqkEyFZrrafn7uKc4Sez/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxiUqdfnSilXfvdE9KSXkR6oQ0HroXHbVFMqq-nw_8X-NC7IdnYqEPlgXr5He9viKpl7shJPR-G7WGGt7WXyfO2T7uZmtFxISR1CszAA8ma2xD5g5Wjl6EWmBZqkEyFZrrafn7uKc4Sez/s320/IMG_2446.JPG" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">here's the drained kefir, about 4 cups</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUDUpGlOQBxch6puT3GtGRfT1PNUxeVEIQwZV9-PU78ZZ1yHR6p4v9W9KZCfIcexv4hWrPaGCWaRJPnomUUg2O_fsin6yKxMSNV7qn-_y4o8KdEoZxEVtX5DAVKpTOcNnlp3-v8mljD56/s1600/IMG_2449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUDUpGlOQBxch6puT3GtGRfT1PNUxeVEIQwZV9-PU78ZZ1yHR6p4v9W9KZCfIcexv4hWrPaGCWaRJPnomUUg2O_fsin6yKxMSNV7qn-_y4o8KdEoZxEVtX5DAVKpTOcNnlp3-v8mljD56/s320/IMG_2449.JPG" /></a></span></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">here's my favorite method of draining the kefir to make cheese.</span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> just use a dishcloth, and stick it inside a 2 quart mason jar. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">pour the kefir into the cloth,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjRWZCHq8jRFJKljYnNhjTI3L3B8y1O0EDVB9PYp44obtWH2SPMCRQcznl1zPiEN28g9iaknGHO9VTPV7G6oZzlonHHM6w-zQwof330VFsvheAI1jQKSKXWAObMVGn8IV8tXWeRZ-3TA5/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjRWZCHq8jRFJKljYnNhjTI3L3B8y1O0EDVB9PYp44obtWH2SPMCRQcznl1zPiEN28g9iaknGHO9VTPV7G6oZzlonHHM6w-zQwof330VFsvheAI1jQKSKXWAObMVGn8IV8tXWeRZ-3TA5/s320/IMG_2450.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and then rubberband the bundle to the side...</div><div style="text-align: center;">see the whey already draining out? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">stick it in the fridge for a couple of hours,</div><div style="text-align: center;">undo the rubberband every couple of hours stirring<br />
the kefir to speed up the draining process. </div><div style="text-align: center;">i drained mine for about 4-5 hours.<br />
just keep checking it until it looks like softened cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRXHtJQk8oO-dRQ9a3KyD4HtsqjxYkmwMixi0kRRs9wRT-GWnvrtP-NdBiGaP351R-g5Hltib4TZNP4pGoDHjc8SSDZXNS6E4rAzXC2YQu_xNIDPW8pZG8R9efNQQWnw9nQlH9fk_MCKK/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRXHtJQk8oO-dRQ9a3KyD4HtsqjxYkmwMixi0kRRs9wRT-GWnvrtP-NdBiGaP351R-g5Hltib4TZNP4pGoDHjc8SSDZXNS6E4rAzXC2YQu_xNIDPW8pZG8R9efNQQWnw9nQlH9fk_MCKK/s320/IMG_2428.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and there you have it!! kefir cheese!!<br />
thanks to a great friend for the wonderful tips!</div><div style="text-align: center;">my first batch was drained on the counter and ended up REALLY sour. </div><div style="text-align: center;">but this way it turns out much better!! enjoy! :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-79259645904000966282010-09-01T16:47:00.000-07:002010-09-07T09:26:44.571-07:00"ranch" dressingi used to love putting dressing on everything. veggies, salad, pizza... you name it. "ranch" is chock full of a bunch of nasty stuff... but today i succeeded in making some dressing that tastes exactly the same!!!<br />
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i started with some kefir, wrapped it up in a cloth, hung it up and drained the whey out, and ended up with kefir "cheese". (i'll talk more about this <a href="http://thejoyofbecoming.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-kefir-cheese.html">later</a>!) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh30kG4tnZ7tRpCA2kLneoPWWEZFlbd6CwwttxdVA9PnvMW-jorZE_SqW0oLtkzri2DPaF2sIom6qEpVF-076o3CSyayqBcg6JwCjvzyO8SK7f6rGVOqdkOJWcTw4FG7v-t_OypZuy2mw/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDh30kG4tnZ7tRpCA2kLneoPWWEZFlbd6CwwttxdVA9PnvMW-jorZE_SqW0oLtkzri2DPaF2sIom6qEpVF-076o3CSyayqBcg6JwCjvzyO8SK7f6rGVOqdkOJWcTw4FG7v-t_OypZuy2mw/s320/IMG_2428.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">i had a cup and a half of kefir cheese, which i put in my vita-mix,<br />
added about a cup of raw milk, 2 teaspoons of<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spike-Seasoning-3-oz-Packet/dp/B001O8KIWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1283384745&sr=8-1"> spike</a>, </div><div style="text-align: center;">a teaspoon of salt and blended it all up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHLBIT_0sZe3gR6erUD2AUE3XyAzBB4ZCG_Wg8SkkquJwE0QUe4mVZMn92SVUJMLjbeN7eocsvCtvJb6GLy2AxDegfr5QXtq5GL34TPkMI8bGwrj3Bco4DEUdMn93XBtjYqYwds523UVA/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHLBIT_0sZe3gR6erUD2AUE3XyAzBB4ZCG_Wg8SkkquJwE0QUe4mVZMn92SVUJMLjbeN7eocsvCtvJb6GLy2AxDegfr5QXtq5GL34TPkMI8bGwrj3Bco4DEUdMn93XBtjYqYwds523UVA/s320/IMG_2438.JPG" /></a></div>and voila!! even my incredibly picky sister said that it tasted "just like ranch" and said she wanted to go pick some lettuce for a salad!! enjoy!!Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2217131544534138778.post-83583573861249426442010-08-27T10:12:00.000-07:002010-08-27T10:14:25.899-07:00a new blogit's funny how you change so much over the course of your life.<br />
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when i started blogging about 3 years ago, i had just graduated from school. i didn't know what life had in store for me, and so i wrote. i wrote about trying to figure out who i was. the things i was discovering and striving to change about me. when i read back over the posts at <a href="http://homesteadblogger.com/aquietlittlewoman/">A Quiet Little Woman</a> i see so much growth. eventually i realized that that title didn't fit me.<br />
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i started a new blog called <a href="http://alexshappyendings.blogspot.com/">Every Day</a>. i love the quote i put at the top..."every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending." i didn't blog very much because i was so busy doing exactly that... making every day a grand adventure! <br />
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then my whole life changed!! i decided to go and serve a mission for my church, and <a href="http://indianaadventure.blogspot.com/">Indiana Adventure</a> chronicles that adventure! it was one of the best years of my life! i loved serving the Lord 24/7 and seeing people turn their lives over to God and seeing the pure happiness that they found. it was an amazing experience to say the least!<br />
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now, i'm back home. i'm trying to decide what this next phase of life will hold for me. i decided to name this blog "The Joy of Becoming" because i know that in order to become the person that God wants me to be, i have a LONG ways to go. but i'm excited to grow, change and become. i find joy in changing, even though it's painful at times. i hope that the things that i write here will inspire you to "find joy in the journey" as i'm striving to do!!<br />
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p.s. i also have a cooking blog where i share recipes and things i'm learning. i LOVE to cook. i'm hoping to get a cookbook out before the end of the year.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088386839470770575noreply@blogger.com0