Easy traditional Hungarian Goulash (Gulyasleves / Gúlyas)

This is how I make Goulash. I have used her recipe over and over always with the same satisfaction. Try it!

Juicing OJ & Sprouts

JUICING ORANGES

After watching a video on youtube about the flavor packs put into 100% natural OJ I decided to try and make our own as often as possible. Since we both have family in the sunshine state how blessed are we. 

Here's a typical amount needed to fill a full carafe. We have blood oranges and tangerines. I prefer mine at room temp because you can taste more of the flavor than when it's been in the fridge for some time. I love the colors in this photo I took in the kitchen. Window lighting is my best friend and I suggest all new photographers experiment using it to meet their goals. 

SPROUTS

Easiest way to have healthy greens all year long. 

I'm a big fan and have been sprouting non-stop for the past two months with all kinds a seeds.

I use the jarring method and usually have 1 - 3 sitting on the counter top at a time. 

We put them on salads and sandwiches. Healthy... yummy... Grow your Food!!!  

  

Two tablespoons of a mixed salad blend and they are bulging out ready for eating at any stage you prefer. On this day I made salads for lunch so here they are hulls and all, and I just pinched a bit off the top, and used the salad spinner. Fast no hassle, you could actually eat the hulls with no problem. 

adding and .....

Voilà,  Bon Appetít!

Oh... here's some lentils too. 

different day... different meal still fantastic. 

Sprouts Baby

I have been harvesting all sorts of sprouts grown in my kitchen in a few mason jars on the counter. Have a look at these mung beans harvested today.

After 5-6 days look how long they've grown

washing / de-hulling

into the compost the hulls go

Drying- Salad Spinner on the way. 

Here are the dry beans with the freshly washed mung beans as they dry.

In the salad for lunch along with a generous dollop of homemade red pepper hummus 

You would be surprised if you didn't know anything about sprouting how easy it is to get the micronutrient rich energy from sprouting in your own kitchen. 

Most of the info I've learned I read on sproutpeople.org They are wonderful and offer plenty of useful info and videos to get you started. 

I've eaten sprouts but I never thought about growing my own until a few weeks ago. 

It's an easy way to have fresh greens all year and since our raised bed wasn't successful this seemed like the next BEST thing. 

This is something I'll commit to for life so if the mason jar method one day wears on me I'd like to buy this. EasyGreen Sprouter 

Happy Sprouting!

hugelkultur - the ultimate garden bed

Hugelkultur is raised garden beds that reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation and fertilizer.

Detox, 10 day Juice Reboot & Cleanse - Day 1 & 2

So let's do this, Quick Start Reboot -10 days eating and drinking only fruits and vegetables, mostly raw but some cooked.. I'm on the Reboot Baby! A full blast of micronutrients more than any human can consume in one day by just eating alone. Also, I've added daily cleanses to the routine which I've been doing at night. If you don't know what I mean by "cleanse" click here. 

*Side Note: How did I give up coffee, or better how did I give up coffee flavored creamer? Well once you give up that sugary flavored treat coffee just isn't the same. Black coffee is bitter so if you drink it, it's for the coffee not the disguise of dessert for breakfast. 

How hard could this be? I've been juicing for years so here I go. Keeping a journal is a clear way to notice your progress. This will be something to look back at later. 

Day 1 

Breakfast: Black coffee, and water? Ooopsss, hadn't been to the store. Full on hunger headache.  

Lunch: 1/2 cup Thai Sweet Potato Soup Which I had just bought and enjoyed, although that's not really on the "plan" other soups are. I decided I'm not going to be too strict and use this time and experience more as a guide. By the way I found this great vegan recipe for this soup here.  Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, Winter squash, Carrots, Onions, Creamed coconut, Almond butter, Rice flour, Corn starch, Sea salt, Apple cider vinegar, Garlic, Lemon grass, Onion powder, Garlic powder, Chili pepper, Ginger, Lime oil

Afternoon Snack: Skipped :( Still getting used to the routine. 

Dinner: By dinner I'm still feeling a headache and frequenting the little girls room often due to the increase of water I'm drinking between juicing. Ah, but at last dinner is here and I'm having a huge mixed green salad with shiitake dressing and a side of backed thyme and garlic baby potatoes. After dinner my body is thanking me and I'm slightly feeling normal.   

Late Night: After my cleanse and before bed, I still am holding on to this headache while drinking my herbal tea with lemon, but I'm more anxious about falling asleep. 

I'm not able to and toss all night with hot and cold sweats. I'm convinced this detox is in full effect and wait till morning. 

Day 2

Early Morning: Not fun :( Hot water with lemon, then after a full 16 oz glass of water. Day 2 was the worst. I wasn't myself due to lack of sleep and I was really nauseous. On the bright side Lance jumped on board and how cool is that. My best friend giving me exactly what one could ask for in this situation, a friend to go with. 

Breakfast: Carrot, Apple, and Ginger juice. 

Mid Morning: Beet, Cucumber, Kale, Celery, Apples, Lemon, Ginger juice.

Lunch: Gazpacho Juice (in the juicer) Tomates, Cucumber, Celery, Bell Pepper, Onion, Persley, Lime, and I added 100% pure Tomato juice for more of a gazpacho flavor. 

After lunch I'd felt my worst so far. I needed to lie down, my head hurt so bad. I wasn't hungry I just ached from the process. 

Afternoon Snack: Beet, Cucumber, Kale, Celery, Apples, Lemon, Ginger juice and a handful of peanuts/soy nuts mix. non-gmo.

Dinner: Large green salad, and 1/2 cup of the leftover thai sweet potato soup. 

Late Night: Ahhh... the cleanse was rough. removing the toxins from the body that have been stored up day after day. It was a quite intense process without getting to detailed. 

I had a large pot of herbal tea, that helps with sleep, and calming the body before bed.  

The process, for me has me thinking of the way we I think about food and our addictions. 

I'm happy to turn out the lights. 

*I don't advise you try this without consulting a professional. This can have many side effects on your body. Before juicing for days on end I suggest looking into a whole foods lifestyle and talking with a professional.  

  

For more information I suggest you watch this free movie, and visit the REBOOT website

Good Luck to a happier, healthier you.   

Tomatoes, Raw Recipes, Enemas

Hello Blog Readers, 

I know it's been some time and do feel a bit guilty for not having shared some updates from the new garden, which by the way isn't growing anywhere near as well as when we had the greenroom in the loft, oh well. I'm still enjoying the the house and the work that we put into creating the space to grow food, as well as our passion for healthy food choices and lifestyle. 

It's already June and tomatoes are abundant everywhere. Even here thanks to special friends Courtney & Landon who shared their beautiful heirloom tomatoes with us. I took this photo earlier today just before slicing into it. It is so delicious, I'll have to make the drive to Pine Mountain from Atlanta for more. 

On another note I've been reading some food blogs and landed on one in particular that I'm really impressed with by Angela & Matt Monarch from "The Raw Food World" who both live a100% Raw Vegan life and have so for years. They are a very sweet couple, and I've enjoyed watching their You Tube Videos learning more about raw food, detoxifying and their life in beautiful country somewhere in Ecuador I think, still not sure but it is beautiful.   

Angela has a nice treat which is an e-book cookbook of raw recipes which I downloaded today and immediately found things that looked good to me, so I thought I'd share. You can find her e-book by clicking on the link below.                                                                The Profoundly Raw Recipes eBook                 This FREE ebook contains a collection of over 35 fabulous raw recipes, contributed by 12 well-known raw food chefs.

While amusing myself watching their videos I found one on Detoxing/Enemas that I really liked. 

For example, in the past I've gone to the health food store and purchased a 2 week or whatever detox cleansing kit that did nothing. Have you? Since watching a few videos and doing my own research,  I've purchased a water bottle kit so I can perform routine enemas at home. It is simple enough and the health benefits outweighed any hesitation I had. Today is day #2 and I'm feeling good. I'm using purified water only. No organic coffee for me. I might try chamomile tea in the future but for now just water. 

If you plan on doing this at home I suggest talking with a professional which I am not :) 

I watched this video below which helped me understand the water bottle.  

I think that's all for now. I've been super busy but I hope to make it back here again soon and share a little more on Growing Within. 

Soul Insights 4 Soul Led Living: The "Shift" Smoothie- Good for your Body & Mind

You know how much I enjoy my green juice and juicing in general. Well, through a series of personal steps the universe and I connected with Michele Meiche who's recipe this is. Thanks Michele, Enjoy!  

Soul Insights 4 Soul Led Living: The "Shift" Smoothie- Good for your Body & Mind

The "Shift" Smoothie- Good for your Body & Mind

I am so loving this smoothie for the "Shift" ....

This smoothie is filled with nourishing delights... chock full of Blueberries and rich with Chlorella, Spirulina and a protein powder that feeds body & mind.

It is really important during this time of Ascension and Shifting that we consistently eat foods that nourish and  feed the brain, nervous system and bolster our immune system.

I am listing here the general ingredients for this smoothie.  I suggest that you individualize for yourself... keep out what you don't like & add what you do :)

Blueberry Shift Smoothie:

Start with a base of alkaline water and a couple of splashes of juice, such as orange juice 

1-2 scoops of high quality protein powder

1-2 tablespoons of Spirulina

1 -2 tablespoons of  Chlorella 

3-5 drops of Cell Food

3-4 drops of Liquid Minerals

Dash of Cinnamon

1 Banana

1 tablespoon of  Cod Liver/Omega 3 Oil and/or Coconut Oil

 1 - 2  Tablespoons of Blueberries

Beet Chips

Ingredients

• 2 medium beets
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Peel beets and slice 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline. In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. On two rimmed baking sheets (or use one sheet and bake in two batches), arrange beets in a single layer. Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes. Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened in color. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool.

Re-Growing Food From Scraps

KALE STEM

I had to add kale to this list below of an article I found today. We've been doing this experiment with the stem of the kale I posted a few weeks ago. 

After using the long leaves I place the 8" long stem into a mason jar with some water out on the porch. When it began growing leaves I pulled those and ate them and planted the stem into a bed that gets about 2hrs of sun/day. Today I went down and took this photo. 

The article below reveals 4 other examples for you to try but I'm sure there are more. Enjoy!

4 Foods That'll Re-Grow from Kitchen Scraps

Written by Lacy Boggs Renner

You recycle your bottles and newspapers, you upcycle thrift store finds into decor treasures, and you reuse all your plastic bags. But do you upcycle your food scraps?  We're not talking compost here, we're talking re-growing food from scraps you might have tossed.

Turns out, several odds and ends you might have tossed can be re-grown into more food!

Scallions

When your recipe only calls for the green part of the scallions, don't toss the white end with the roots. Stick it in aglass jar with a little water and the greens will grow back. You can just snip off what you need as you go. This also works with leeks.

Lemongrass

This delicious, aromatic herb is really just a grass and will grow well in a pot in a sunny spot. Take the root ends (after you've used the rest in a recipe) and put in a jar of water in a sunny spot. After a week or so, you'll start to see roots appearing. Once the roots look healthy, transplant your lemongrass to a pot and let it grow. You can start harvesting when the stalks get to be a foot or more tall.

Celery

The next time you're chopping a bunch of celery, save the root end! Place it in a shallow bowl of water, and after a few days, you should start to see roots and new leaves appear. As soon as you see these, you can plant the celery—leaving the leaves just above the soil.  The plant will continue to grow, and soon you'll have a whole new head of celery!

Ginger

Did you know that ginger makes a beautiful (and useful) houseplant? If you've got a piece of fresh ginger going spare in your fridge, you can plant it in potting soil. Ginger is a root, and before long, you'll notice a lovely plant sprouting from it. Once the plant is big enough, you can actually pull it up, whack off a piece of the root, and replant it whenever you need fresh ginger—or just enjoy your culinary houseplant.

Growing Spell for the Garden

Seeds so blessed by pale moonlight,

Come forth now in sun so bright!

Lord and Lady hear our call,

Make these plants grow strong and tall.

Plants sweet, strong and bold,

Bring blessings now to our abode.

I set this spell three times three

As I will, so mote it be!

Baked Parmesan Kale Chips

Preheat Oven 300F. Wash the leaves well.

Dry them with towels.  

Or those who have the Salad spinner can use it.

Then tear the leaves from the hard stem and place in bowl. 

ohhhh.... look at me

drizzle olive oil

add sea salt

give it a few tosses to make sure the leaves are coated

place on backing sheet and add fresh parm

make sure not to overlap

pop in the preheated oven

Bake them for around 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Cool them for few minutes before enjoying these crunchy health bites.

That's it. simple and healthy. 

Kale seeds used to grow this beauty comes from Southern Seed Exposure

Lacinato Rainbow Mix KALE

http://www.southernexposure.com/lacinato-rainbow-mix-kale-2-g-p-1361.html

3 hour Ciabatta Bread?

 

I didn't wait the 18 or so hours I was supposed to. :/ Look at this bread. It came out fantastic.

a little flat but I was in a pinch for time. Overall not bad. 

Here's the video 

How to Make No-Knead Ciabatta Bread - Amazing Italian Bread

Juice Day

let's look inside our compost bin. 

oooooo....colorful 

g a z p a c h o... my first time

g a z p a c h o... my first time. 

Okay... So it's someone's birthday. Your thinking of what you can bring to the event. What do you cook for someone who is an amazing cook themselves and really knows his way around the kitchen? Think about it because it has to be good... really good. I've got it!!! Only the best, that's what! From one food lover to another this is some great gazpacho.

I used a recipe I found online and followed it exactly being that I was a 33 year old woman who never had gazpacho in her life. Just saying it g a z p a c h o..... fun!

This photo was taken about a week after I made it. 

It had just come out of the fridge and I thought I'd grab a quick photo before lunch. 

Still delicious! 

I'd love to share the recipe as if the contessa needed any more publicity. Well, what do they say? Give credit where credit is due? Bravo!!! 

Copyright 1999 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Surprise Beach Party

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. 

This summer, try this recipe and share with loved ones. Also if you are growing your vegetables this year good for you. even better. 

updates from the garden

The garden is growing. There are beautiful green plants where seeds were planted. Some sown directly like corn and all the greens and some we started indoors. 

We have 4 large pots of corn

Here's cantaloup grown from saved seeds. 

our heirloom tomatoes

raised bed Lance built by collecting stray rocks from around the property

parsnip

carrots 

oooohhhh... there's a lady bug hanging out

salad greens, carrots, parsnips

Wild mushrooms I found out here. Since I don't know what kind or if they are edible 

I think we will leave them alone. 

there are 3 distinctly different shapes. 

more tomatoes 

• Arkansas Traveler
• Yellow pear
• Mountain Princess 
• Cherokee Purple 

neat DOF photo in the raised bed

Since May is our blogs first year anniversary month I was hoping to celebrate in a big way with great photos of all our success. As I looked back through the images from this time last year I realized we're actually growing slower now than before.  

We've had plenty of rain and since we're out in the tress we're realizing we don't get nearly enough sun so the process is slow and I'm practicing having more patience than I think I do.

There's also a gang of teenage chipmunks that have destroyed my herb garden I have growing out front.  

I can hear them all day along with the birds. They are all just laughing at me. 

Okay... I'm not sure how to end this.