Start Your Day Off Right!

Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast foods. Actually we eat it for lunch sometimes as well.  Anyway...
I saw on an instagram  post where a woman makes oatmeal a lot and tops it different ways. 
I've also been trying to add in some 'good fats' to my diet. 
So this morning I made my old fashioned oats and then added in a tsp. of coconut oil, 1 T. brown sugar, 1 T. shredded coconut, 1 T. chopped walnuts, 1/4 c. blueberries, and 1/3 c. almond milk.
Talk about good!!!  I will definitely be doing this again!
Here are a few benefits of walnuts & coconut oil:

Fruity Smoothie

I threw a bunch of stuff in the blender this morning & it turned out really well.  I usually don't measure but today I did & wanted to share it with everyone.

1 c. low fat strawberry yogurt
1 c. light orange juice
6 strawberries
1/3 c. blueberries
1 banana

Blend it all up & enjoy!

Serves 2

Tres' Leches Cake

I've made this cake several times.  It's a favorite of my husband, children, and just about everyone who's tried it.  It is a Mexican dessert meaning 'three milks.' 

Tres' Leches Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (prepared according to package directions in a 9x13 pan)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk (any percentage)
1 container cool whip (or fresh whipped cream)

Prepare & bake cake in a 9x13 pan and allow to cool.
When cooled take a fork and poke holes all over the cake.
Mix up the 3 milks in a bowl.
Pour this all over the cake.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours.  You could even do this over night if you choose.
This allows the milk mixture to soak up in the cake.
Next ice your cake with cool whip.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

It might sound strange to have a sort-of soggy cake, but trust me it's delicious!


To make it even more traditional you could top it with some toasted coconut & a cherry.

Baby Chicks!

Well it's that time of year again where we allow some of our chickens to hatch their eggs. 

Black Astralorp Chick. When it gets feathers it will be solid black.

 

It's really easy.  You just allow your hen to 'build up' a nest of about 8 eggs and they will begin to sit on them. --Well most chickens anyway. Some have had it bred out of them & will not sit.

 

Our main layers are black astralorps.  These are the eggs that we typically eat.

We also have some silkies & bantum  chickens.  The silkies especially are great sitters/moms.

 

We took some of the astralorp eggs and allowed the silkies to hatch them out.

 

We have done this a few times now & it works out great. They have no clue that they aren't really theirs & will teach & protect them well.

 

 

 

 

Maleficent

Yesterday a couple of friends & I took our children to see Maleficent in 3D.  I have to say I actually enjoyed this movie.  I love the twists on fairy tales type of thing and this did not disappoint. 

It did have a few 'spooky' looking characters & big action/fight scenes and some deaths so maybe think twice if you have a really young child that is uncomfortable with those types of things.

There were 2 scenes where there is a kiss but not inappropriate at all.

I don't want to give away too much but I've also read where people are actually saying this lifts up the devil and things by her costume, etc.  Well, I didn't see it that way at all. She is a fairy and that is why she looks as she does & also she is not always evil.  Really, I get a little tired of everyone trying to distort everything to their own advantages.  It's a movie, it's fiction,  & it's entertaining. I personally did not have a problem with anything here going against my personal beliefs. 

I would definitely recommend this movie & give it 5 stars!

If you like fairy tales too I also suggest watching Once Upon a Time.  It is on ABC and past episodes are available on Netflix streaming. 

Grain Free Pancakes Using Coconut Flour

Let me first say I have a canister of coconut flour & I've tried a few different recipes using it and none have turned out well until today.  I have come to know that coconut flour is expensive, soaks up all the moisture so you have to add extra of that.  It also makes things 'crumbly.'  So if you have read, as I have on several pinterest boards & blogs, that it replaces regular flour in recipes that is just plain not true. 

Anyhow, being as I'm not one to let things go to waste I gave this recipe a try this morning & it is pretty good!

3 eggs (separated)

Add yolks to a bowl or blender

Add whites to separate bowl and set aside

To the yolks, add:

1 1/4 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or other oil)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp truvia (or pinch of stevia powder)

1/4 tsp salt

Blend then add:

1/3 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup ground flax

1 TBLS Baking Powder

Set aside.

Beat Egg whites for several minutes until stiff peaks form when removing betters.  (This step is optional but it is the secret for fluffy pancakes so I recommend it.)

Gently fold batter into egg whites, stirring g-e-n-t-l-y just until combined.

 

In the meantime, preheat your griddle to a medium heat.  You know it is ready when drops of water sizzle when they hit the pan.  You want to cook these slowly to make sure they are done on the inside.  

pulled pork, coleslaw, Texas toast, chips & dip

soft tacos & Spanish rice
smothered steak, mashed potatoes, salad
blackened tilapia, parsley potatoes, squash, cherry pie bars
oven bbq chicken thighs, roasted vegetables, rolls
pinto beans, rice, cornbread
egg casserole & sausage

More About Potatoes

I had a couple of questions about the potatoes we harvested Saturday.

Kind- New Red Potatoes

When to plant- It depends on your area but here in Louisiana Jan-Feb.  You can also re-plant right now but we usually just till up that ground and plant something else.

When to harvest? When the plants seem to wilt/ begin turning brown & dying off.

How many did we get?  We did weigh them and ended up with about 180 lbs.!!!

Storage- We dust them off somewhat and then put into bags.  Burlap & crawfish sacks work great and that's what we use. We then put them in our large pantry.  You want them kept cool-room temp and dark. The burlap helps with that.    If you have a root cellar or basement & live in a less humid climate you would store them there.  (I saw where you can take a plastic tote and drill some holes to allow air to flow through & then store like that.  Looks like a good idea but I've not tried that.)

I check the potatoes about once a week. Look for any fruit flies & sour smells. If you have that you will need to search out the culprit potatoes & remove them immediately.

DO NOT store in the bags any potatoes that are wet or cut. They will rot & cause the others around them to rot too.  You can set those potatoes aside and use them first. 

You can also dehydrate & can potatoes.

What do we  do with all of them?  Eat them.  LOL  There are so many things to do with potatoes: fried, boiled, mashed, potato pancakes, potato salad, scalloped, etc.

We did grow a lot of potatoes but if kept properly they will last our family a long time.

I saw yesterday at the grocery store a 2lb. bag of small red potatoes was selling for $6.99!  So this year we are saving big!!!

Potatoes

We harvested our potatoes today. 

We will store them & they should last us through winter.  :)

Gardening is a lot of work but it's worth it!