Musings for November and why you should eat more sauerkraut and cranberry

 

This is a new type of post for me. I've wanted to create a place where I can share findings, musings, news, and deals with you. I mentioned recently on facebook that I coupon for all natural and healthy things (it's a myth that you can't) and I wanted a place to share with you deals that I've found and coupons I'm printing in hopes of a deal. However, I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea so I wanted to keep it short and to one post a month for now.

If you're reading this post, it's most likely you've seen my other work. I love to share - I share recipes, photos, health news, books I'm reading, DIY, and so on. But I mostly only post recipes. It only seems proper that I create a place that I can share findings. Fun or inspiring blog posts I've read. More books I'm reading. Recipes from other people I'm trying. And so on. I also have a request. Because this is new to me, it may seem a little chaotic at first. Please leave comments on what you find helpful here, advice you have, or what content you would to see more of. For now, I will try to keep all this information to one post a month with sections - somewhat like a newsletter. There will be three sections for now (but this also might change): Sweet Finds (from books, magazines, blogs, etc) on interesting articles or books, inspiring pieces, delicious recipes. Sweet Deals listing what I'm buying, coupons I'm printing, and deals I've found. And Sweet News which will detail news that corresponds with my blog, recipes or myself.

Sweet Finds from the World Wide Web (mostly)

*Some inspiring first lines from Court Can Write in honor of NaNoWriMo (I even wrote something that wasn't a recipe for once!) Courtney is the author of one of my favorite books Rethana's Surrender (Legends of the Light-Walkers, #1) .

*An eloquently penned short essay on finding her voice from Megan of Rogue Heart Media. I might just print this out and hang it on my inspirational board!

*Remembering to "make room at your inn" amongst all the holiday chaos by "Rekindling the Family's Christmas Spirit" (from Family Circle Magazine). I also admire that these parents told their children to make their Christmas lists according to "something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read."

*"Why Creative People Sometimes Make No Sense" by Matthew Schuler

*This Quote as a reminder to face our future without fear

*Snowflake Templates
Big Blue Eyes and I have been working on her alphabet and this week is the letter "S". We found some  printable paper snowflake templates, thanks to fabulesslyfrugal, and after some practice cut out our own.

*Cranberry and Sauerkraut
I've been re-reading/perusing Living Beauty Detox Program: The Revolutionary Diet for Each and Every Season of a Woman's Life by Ann Louise Gittleman and the importance of eating raw sauerkraut (I buy Bubbie's from my natural health food store) and incorporating more cranberry into my diet. According to the author, raw sauerkraut is essential to increasing "the beneficial L. plantarum bacteria, a powerful probiotic that destroys many toxic strains of bacteria and parasites in the gastrointestinal tract" (page 68-69). Bubbie's website states that sailors used to keep sauerkraut on board to prevent scurvy because it was rich in Vitamin C. Sauerkraut is also high in fiber, iron and calcium and can also prevent against colon cancer. I've been eating sauerkraut with my garlic eggs in the morning or whatever lunch I'm having (and *gasp* sometimes as a late-night snack).
Cranberry has also made a more prominent spotlight in my diet as of late. Ann Louise Gittleman states that it can help to detoxify the liver and cleanse the lymphatic system. It can help cellulite to disappear and jumpstart a stagnant lymphatic system thanks to some marvelous digestive enzymes. If you are thinking of a detox, help rid your body of waste by simply incorporating more cranberry into your diet. Stay away from sugar-y juices because that can counteract the greater benefits of cranberry; instead mix a little berry juice into your cranberry for a less bitter taste. 100 Percent Cranberry juice can be found in the natural and organic section at Trader Joes and Fred Meyer (they have an inexpensive and natural store brand Simple Truth). Ann Louise Gittleman suggests starting and ending your day with what she calls a "living beauty elixir" - a cup of cranberry juice with two teaspoons of a green superfood mixture. My fruit salad with fresh cranberry orange dressing (and the post has even more reasons cranberry is amazing) is a great way to add more cranberry, antioxidants, and fiber to your diet. We keep cranberry extract (sold by amazon and mountain rose herbs) in our medicine cabinet to diffuse any viral or bacterial infection we may encounter.
 
Picture below - Enjoying my cranberry juice straight in an old rocks glass perfect for sipping while reading about cranberry’s many benefits from Ann Louise’s book and a page I ripped from Better Homes and Gardens.
 

Sweet Deals

* Amazon

Subscribed (can be canceled at any time) to Seventh Generation Purifying Hand Wash Lavender (Pack of 3). There was a 50% off coupon available that made these $6.06 or just $2 a piece after clipping the coupon and subscribing. If this coupon is not on the purchase page, search for amazon coupons and it might be in personal care. This a great price for all natural pump hand soaps.
Subscribed to Annie Chun's seaweed snacks (one of my toddler’s favorite snacks). These normally go for $1.20-$2 at the store. But with 20% coupon clipped and subscribing, they average 90 - 95 cents depending on how many items you subscribe to. For instance, Amazon usually offers 5% discount unless you subscribe to 5 or more items and then they offer 15% discount. Remember you can order one month and cancel (or postpone) for the next month if need be.
Subscribed to Carlson DHA For Kids. DHA is an important nutrient for children and healthy brain development. This is a new brand for us but I will let you know if our toddler does well with it.  

*Fred Meyer - Also stocking up on chocolate and fun, healthy stocking stuffers. Fred Meyer has lots of organic and fair trade chocolate for $2 a bar (compared to the normal $4 range). Stock up on these (with coupons if available) for easy gifts and treats.

Sweet News

 

Our life (like most everyone's this time of year) has been chaotic. New house woes and other happenings. I hope these next few weeks I can bring you some innovative and heartfelt DIY Christmas crafts along with other new recipes - one of which includes cranberries!

 

Also the end of this month brings my blog's second anniversary! Last year, I posted this recipe in celebration. This year due to Thanksgiving's position on the calendar, I might be postponing our celebration until the first week of December. Keeping in line with tradition, we will celebrate with ginger! It is my favorite sweet root and for which this blog was named. I'm also excited to introduce something else I'm working on that has considerable meaning for me, but for now it will stay a secret.

 

Question of the Day: What food are you most looking forward to making or eating on your Thanksgiving table?

 

 

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Autumn Fruit Salad with Fresh Cranberry Orange Dressing

This jeweled salad is sure to impress with its rainbow of color meaning it's rich in antioxidants, high in fiber and soaring in flavor. A great addition to any holiday dinner or brunch!

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Rarely do we ever associate Autumn and Fall produce with the words fresh. Normally we consume this seasonal produce roasted, steamed, blended into hot soups, or sautéed in oil. But this salad really is fresh and invigorating all thanks to the vibrant array of fresh fruit available in Autumn.

Because we so often want to warm our bodies with hot liquids, a cold or room-temperature salad may not seem appealing but once you catch a whiff of this majesty, you'll change your mind. Forget about cold fingers! The ginger and cinnamon in the dressing spice it up and aid your body's circulation. My tummy felt surprisingly warm after eating this and I couldn't wait to have a second serving with dinner.

The fresh Cranberry Orange Dressing can be doubled and half saved for a green salad. It's very yummy and I plan on making some in the future to have on a big plate of greens (maybe minus the vanilla bean). Feel free to double the spices if you want it spicier!

We keep cranberry extract in our health cabinet throughout the year but you can often find me taking it through these cold months. Cranberry is a natural antibiotic and it helps to prevent urinary tract infections, stomach ulcers, gum disease, heart disease, sinus infection, and hypertension. The berries are high in Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber. Also they lend to an incredible looking salad dressing as pictured below.

 

This salad also seems to be just as good the second day. I would not recommend leaving it longer as the fruit will brown and loose texture, flavor and antioxidants.

It was spectacular having this array of fresh fruit on my marble cutting board yesterday morning!

 

 

 

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If you have a mandolin slice like this one, you can slice all the persimmon, apple, and pear horizontally and make a very pretty layered salad.

The directions make the recipe look lengthy but I'm just be thorough in how to cut everything so less mess on your hands. This is actually one of the easiest fruit salads I've prepared.

Autumn Fruit Salad
2 Persimmons
1 Bartlett pear, ripe but not squishy
1 large granny smith apple
1 pomegranate
1/2 cup chopped and lightly toasted hazelnuts, optional
Juice of half lemon

Fresh Cranberry Orange Dressing
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 orange, peeled
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, minced (I've used garlic press)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 glugs of maple syrup

1. Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender (I used my vitamix).
1. Rip the stem from persimmons by prying fingers under the leaves (if ripe they will pop off very nicely). Cut into quarters and slice those in half.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice in a medium size bowl. Core, slice and then chop segments of the pear and apple and put in lemon water to prevent browning.
3. Slice pomegranate in half. Take a large bowl and hold your pomegranate cut-side-down in your hand over the bowl. Take a wooden spoon and whack the pomegranate so seeds will fall into the bowl. This is pretty mess-free and easy way of removing the seeds compared to other ways. You may need to peel back a little bit of the skin to remove all of them but not much.
4. Layer everything in a short bowl (or glass pie plate as I've used). Top with dressing and hazelnuts. Serve!

Find me and this recipe on pinterest.

I've really enjoyed this salad and I hope you do too, my sweet readers! Great with a cup of tea and a good conversation!

Spiced Caramel Pumpkin Butter (Paleo friendly, vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free)

Happy Autumn, my fellow sweet readers!

Today we have a recipe that celebrates Fall wonderfully. Made in your slow cooker so you can delight in the spices all day long!

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This idea came to me last year when I thought it would be great to sweeten pumpkin butter solely with dates. And then my lovely neighbor Pattie (mentioned here and here) shared a caramel pumpkin butter recipe made in the slow cooker by the blog Inspired by Family found via Babble. From then on, I knew it was destiny, a spicy and sweet one at that. I knew I needed to make my own healthier version using the aforementioned dates.

Full of spices, yummy pumpkin, and caramel-y dates, this butter makes a great treat for any cold windy day and it's friendly for practically anyone - free of eggs, refined cane sugar (sweetened only with dates and spices), nuts, gluten, grain, and dairy. It's paleo and vegan friendly! It would look lovely in a nut crust as a tart, in a bowl with cut apples and carrots, piled on biscuits, or in jars to give away as friends (it will need refrigeration).

If you're looking to make more of a pumpkin butter instead of caramel-flavored pumpkin butter, use 1 1/2 to 2 cups depending on the sweetness desired.

I'll be updating this recipe in the next week or two using canned pumpkin if anyone is interested. It's a bit of work to peel the pumpkin yourself and I know the holidays don't always permit extra time. Let me know if you would like to know instructions for that!

This is great served with apple slices, carrots, or even banana. In fact, for dessert I dipped a banana in it tonight!

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Spiced Caramel Pumpkin Butter
3 cup dates, pits and stems removed
1 small or medium pumpkin - seeds removed, peeled, and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cup apple juice (for a creamier butter use unsweetened coconut or almond milk)
1 TB cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp clove spice
Pinch of salt (brings out sweetness)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or low 7-8 until pumpkin is soft. Using an immersion blender (I used my Cuisinart hand blender) or high speed blender such as a Vitamix (this will make it even smoother). Once cool, refridgerate. Enjoy!

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Question of the Day: What do you love about Autumn?

I love wearing a scarf and boots, running outside in the wind with my Big Blue Eyes, having a great breakfast with Witty Husband, and snuggling up with a good book and a cup of tea. I'm currently enjoying re-reading On Fallen Wings by Jamie McHenry because the third book Wings of my Enemy came out and drinking Dandy Blend brew which is ultra delicious. Although I've put this book The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul on my Christmas wish list. There is one other thing I love about Autumn and that's having excuses to stay inside and make one more craft with my daughter. That book looks really inspiring. Any books that you've enjoyed this year? I would love to hear recommendations!

Lentil and Red Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is my favorite time of year. And as the blessing of summer ends, Autumn provides a retreat into the warmth of our homes and hearts.

And Autumn calls for comfort food - rich and wholesome.

Since our move, we've realized and been astonished about how amazing our neighbors are. Despite our difficulties with moving and the construction of the house, I've been blessed by the warmth of those surrounding us. I've mentioned my neighbor Pattie's salsa in a previous post. We recently met a new family down the block and one night I came home to find we were blessed with a basket of beautiful veggies from their garden - perfectly ripe pear tomatoes (which Witty Husband enjoyed), a few cucumbers, and two lovely acorn squash.

Witty Husbands words: "Wow. We have really nice neighbors."

Maybe not the most profound statement but well put, Witty Husband. Well put.

 And so I just had to blog a recipe with these delicious squash awaiting me in their wicker basket.

These squashes are stuffed with an herby savory mix of lentils and red walnuts. A little bit of applesauce adds sweetness and cuts down the need for extra oil. This Autumn-inspired dish is very filling and rich in nutrients!

Red walnuts and lentils are soaked for improved taste, easier digestion and better cooking. The red walnuts (pictured below) look dusty before soaking (soaking next to the lentils in middle picture) and have a silkier sheen afterwards (also pictured below).

Also I just wanted to thank my Mom for the wonderful treats she brought back from San Fran, including these beautiful red walnuts. I've played with them before in this Hibiscus and Red Walnut Lettuce Wraps (one of those deliciously different recipes).

Leeks are supposedly out of season but these were fresh from Granny's garden as is the sage.

Lentil and Red Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 cup lentils, small green
1 cup red walnuts (regular walnuts will work fine)
Handfuls of Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme (preferably fresh but 2 tsp dried will work as well)
Leeks (few small) or half an onion
2 garlic cloves
2 acorn squash, halved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of a ton of olive oil + adds little sweetness)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional - adds a nice depth to the dish)
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup capers

1. Soak lentils and red walnuts 8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain well.
2. Preheat oven to 450. Bake squash halves for 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil 4 cups of water on stovetop. Add rinsed lentils. Boil for 3 minutes then set aside.
4. Chop herbs, garlic, walnuts, and leek (or onion). Add this and drained lentils to a mixing bowl. Mix in a glug of olive oil, applesauce and vinegar.
5. Spoon into acorn squash, cover loosely with foil and bake 35-40 minutes.

Let cool and ENJOY!

I also love Fall because it's a great excuse to cuddle up in sweaters with a hot cup of tea and read a good book - I'm always looking for excuses to dive into a new book. Recently I read Haven by A.R. Ivanovich which was a very imaginative story and unique; I look forward to reading the sequels. However I have a whole different book on my current wish list Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman whose blog home is this lovely little place.

Another Autumn recipe from last year:

Autumn Inspired Quinoa Waldorf Salad with Butternut Squash and Pecans