Adventures in the Kitchen #11: Homemade salad dressings

I have been wanting to make my own salad dressings for a while now....have you read the ingredient list on store-bought salad dressings? Yipes...pretty sure I saw the chemical name for 'windshield wiper fluid' (polypropylene-glycol?) on more than one of them. Why do all those chemicals need to be in there? To prolong the shelf life. Wow. Don't think salad dressing was supposed to naturally last for two years.
So, I have discovered, made and tasted several kinds, hoping to replace the salad dressings we love with a natural version. I found 2 so far that taste virtually the same if not better.  Even if you have to buy some of these ingredients just to make these (ie: Dijon mustard), it won't be a waste because you will use them again and again to make these natural, better-tasting salad dressings from now on!
PS.....I now have a 'print' button at the bottom of each post so you can print a copy to use in your kitchen.

My fave dressing so far....

Balsamic Vinaigrette 
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard and garlic.
Add the oil in slowly while whisking constantly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Store in Fridge.

**I made this directly in a tupperware container with a pouring spout and a lid so I was able to mix the ingredients by shaking them. If you make this in a bowl, just transfer the salad dressing to an old salad dressing squeeze bottle or a small glass container. This is my favorite dressing thus far.

(Found at Epicurious.com)

Ranch Dressing

Dip in some raw veggies for a quick, healthy snack 

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Sour Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Dried parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Onion powder
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Stir until well mixed.
Store in Fridge.

**This is a great dip for cut up veggies, topping for burgers or a green salad. One of my favorites and tastes a lot like store bought ranch! I stored this one in an old salad dressing bottle for easy pouring.

(Found at Passionatehomemaking.com)

7 days without facebook....and I actually survived!

It came down to this......I felt as if my days and nights were disappearing before me....where was all the time going? It's as if when you are on facebook or blogging or watching some TV...that time somehow speeds up and all of a sudden, it's like midnight and you are kicking yourself for staying up way too late to watch 'just the next episode' ....full-well knowing that you are going to be a grouchy mama tomorrow as a direct result of your poor decision to be up in the late hours of the night. Yup....that would be me. Anyone with me on that one? Anyways, after putting the kiddos to bed one night, I sat down at the computer to do....whatever, and decided I needed to see just how much time facebook, blogging, watching TV shows etc was stealing from me on a daily basis....so I went drastic! I yelled down to Phil "I'm going off facebook and TV and blogging for a week!!".....dead silence. Phil said "wow. that's huge. Gonna be a tough one". GULP! What have I gotten myself into....what would I do during my evenings? Well, turns out....all that time opened up lots of doors to other activities that were actually FUN, relaxing and more stimulating than my previous habits. I sewed and crafted a bunch of Christmas gifts (thank you Pinterest!!), read whilst soaking in a hot bath, played a new board game several times with Phil, emailed some old friends, skyped with family, went to bed early and got my much needed 10 hours of sleep, actually chatted with Phil in bed before falling asleep (pillow talk is my favorite!!).....and the list goes on. I found the nights went slower (in a good way) and I felt so productive.
Did I miss facebook? Well, to be honest, yes. I love reading what everyone is up to, seeing pictures of loved ones far away, kids growing and changing and reading stories of mama's who are 'in the trenches'  of motherhood just like me as my good friend Wendy would say. But at the same time, do I really need to know that 'Reba' got her hair cut, or went to the gym and had a fantastic work out or made 2 apple pies? Sometimes those things plant seeds of discontentment in my head....constantly comparing my life to the never-stopping status updates of my facebook friends and reading those 'mama' blogs...it can get downright depressing. As the famous quote goes: "Too much of something is never a good thing". And so, I'm back on facebook and the blogging world....but....I am keeping myself accountable to the time I spend. I gotta run....the timer is beeping.....my time is up! :)

What do you think about facebook and blogging?

Homemade cough syrup

Simple, effective, cheap and natural.

T'is the season for coughs and colds and runny noses....and it has arrived at the Henderson home as well. A nasty cough has been present in 3 out of 4 family members....and since regular store-bought cough syrup isn't available for kids....I did a bit of research online and found a home-made recipe with ingredients I already had in my kitchen....and tried it out. I started giving 1 teaspoon to the girls every 4 hours and found that at the end of the 4 hours...their cough was noticeable again. I was amazed! This did not heal their cough; rather, it acted like a cough suppressant to allow for some precious sleep (for all of us!). Don't freak out about the onions....my girls dislike onions immensely and have onion radar for even the smallest piece, but the honey in this recipe overwhelms the taste of onions, so both of them drank it without too much drama. :) I stored the finished product in an empty kids Tylenol bottle after clearly labelling it to be cough syrup.

Hope this helps the 'sickies' in your home this winter....

Click here to view the recipe (from keeperofthehome.org).

Any other natural home remedies that are tried, tested and true? Share please!

Adventures in the Kitchen # 10: Healthy Fudge

When I first heard that there were black beans in this recipe.....I was skeptical....how could black beans make anything a dessert?? However, I was pleasantly surprised and have now served this dessert to several of our dinner guests and to my family. Everyone raves about how good it is and I usually end up giving them a copy of the recipe.....so this time, I am going to share it with all of you!! This is one of the simplest dessert recipes made from natural, healthy ingredients that I know of.  It takes 5 minutes to make and is certain to please even the most skeptical critic......just don't tell them what the ingredients are and see what they think.....I'll bet they'll ask for seconds. Without further adue....

Adventures in the Ktichen # 9: Black Bean Fudge

Prep: 5 minutes
Serves: 6 (very rich so small portions are best)

Ingredients

- 1/3 Coconut Oil melted
- 2/3 Cup Cocoa powder
- 1 Can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 Cup honey

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into blender
2. Blend until smooth consistency (approx. 1 min - scrape sides with spatula)
3. Spoon into 8x8 greased pan, refrigerate until mousse-like consistency
4. Serve Chilled

Another chocolate favorite in our house.....the kids l-o-v-e this fudge. The consistency is more like mousse so instead of cutting squares, I spoon portions into little dessert bowls.  I shake some rainbow sprinkles on top and the girls gobble it up. Many a guest has tasted this rich, creamy, decadent dessert and loved it! This is one of my 'go-to' desserts when we are having guests for dinner. 

Have you made this dessert before? If you make this, let me know how it turns out! 
Any other natural, healthy, delicious desserts out there? Please share!

Winter is for reading....

I don't know about you, but I always seem to have 4 or 5 books on the go.....I like that. I'm not one of those people that need to finish 1 book before they start another (unless it is reeeallllly good and I can't put it down in which case, I'll read it while cooking, eating, driving, and doing laundry until I finish it).
I love getting lost in a fictional story, I love reading and meditating and applying Godly wisdom found in books pertaining to marriage, parenting, motherhood, and missions. And now that the weather has turned chilly, I often look forward to getting into my comfy pants (I know you have pair too), heating up my rice bag, making my favorite cup of tea (Typhoo!) and curling up with a good book.  I am always looking for recommendations and I love recommending books to others--with a disclaimer that just because I liked it, doesn't mean they will! :)
Here is a list of the books that I currently have in my bedside table:

The Daily Bible - In chronological Order 365 Daily Readings (NIV)
 ~with devotional insights to guide you through God's word
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World - Joanna Weaver
~Finding Intimacy with God in the busyness of life

The Excellent Wife - Martha Peace
~What it really means to be a Godly wife
How to work in someone else's country - Ruth Stark
~Practical Advice rooted in real experience for those working abroad
Treasuring God in our Traditions - Noël Piper
~Traditions and everyday patterns to pass onto our children which cultivate a love for God
Don't make me count to three - Ginger Plowman
~A Mom's look at heart-oriented discipline
Rebel with a cause - Franklin Graham
~An autobiography
Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tedd Trip (I am re-reading this one....sooo good!)
~Provides perspectives and procedures for speaking to the heart of your child in discipline
The 5 love languages of Children - Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
~Learn the best 'language' through which your child receives and expresses love
Love amid the Ashes - Mesa Andrews
~The story of Job told through the eyes of the women who loved him
(I just finished this book yesterday....this was one of those books that I had to finish before reading anything else...I couldn't put it down!)

What are some books are on your 'list'? Any favorites you could recommend?
ps. Great prices and free shipping at www.bookdepository.com

Adventures in the Kitchen # 9: Crock Pot Applesauce

The annual Henderson apple pick took place about 2 weeks ago......we went to this cute little apple farm and picked two bags of juicy macintosh apples....for $6. Amazing. We made an apple pie for some dinner guests and ate a bunch for snacks but we are huge applesauce fans, so I decided to try my hand at making applesauce in the crock pot this year.....I LOVE the crockpot....nothing like coming home or waking up to a house that smells delicious! The girls and I made this just before their bedtime and it was ready at 7am the next day. We have been enjoying home made applesauce ever since....

Adventures in the Kitchen # 10: Crock Pot Applesauce

Prep: 25 min (less if you own an apple corer/peeler)
Cook: 8 - 10 hours
Yields: 4 cups of applesauce

Apple + Cinnamon = Autumn

- 20 medium sized apples, peeled, cored, cut into chunks
- 3/4 Cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1 Cup of Sucanat (I would use 3/4 Cup next time as it was sweet!)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours
3. Place sauce into a blender, blend until smooth.

This recipe was easy but time consuming as I do not own an apple corer/peeler and had to peel each individual apple by hand. It might be wise to invest in one if you cook with apples often (I did some research and they seem to range from $21 - $25) as it will cut down your prep time considerably. Other than that....this applesauce was smooth, sweet and made my house smell like fall. I would most definitely make this recipe again (use a bit less sucanat) and my family would agree. The way we are going through our batch.....I will have to make some more soon! 

Any other fall recipes that are an annual event in your house?

* Adapted from the recipe "Crock Pot Applesauce" from cooks.com

Catching up....a Photo montage.

I haven't posted pics since August....so here are a whole bunch of pics showing some of the fun things we have done that past couple of months....not in any order....oops!

Waiting for our breakfast at Cora's....princess-style.

Lily "playing" Candy Land.

Thank you Pinterest for this rainy day activity!

Sidewalk chalk + sunny day + smooth pavement = FUN!