Cinnamon Bun Overnight Oats

I haven’t posted on this blog in years! I switched to social media for my recipe sharing but with all the algorithm changes, it’s getting really difficult to actually get views on these posts so I’m coming back to my blog that I’ve really missed! 

I wasn’t sure exactly how to restart so I figured I may as well just get right to it and share what I prepared a few minutes ago.  It literally took me 10 minutes to prep my Monday-Friday breakfasts for the week!  

cinnamon bun overnight oats

3/4 cup rolled oats

3 tbsp vanilla protein powder

1 Tbsp coconut flour

1 1/2 tsp coconut sugar

1/2 tsp chia seeds

1/4 tsp cinnamon

unsweetened almond milk

- In a 2-cup mason jar, mix all ingredients.  Top with almond milk to top and stir thoroughly, leaving 2-3 cms space.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Enjoy!

Homemade Butter

Homemade...that word is like music to my ears.  Homemade Butter?  An orchestra!  And no, I didn't churn until my arms felt like they were going to fall off, I simply pressed a button!  Really!  I had my doubts, but it really was as easy as they say.

During my visit with Dr. Willard, we spoke briefly about making our own foods and he mentioned to me that the first time he made butter, he actually felt upset - that no one had ever shown him how easy it was!  I have felt like that over many things in the past few years.  It has become so easy for us to buy something in a jar, box, can, etc., that making home made staples has become a lost art.  The fact is, when we make our own foods at home, we know exactly what ingredients go into it.  And I have to say, the most important ingredient, which you won't find in many grocery store products: LOVE!  There is love in this butter, let me tell you!  I loved making it and we are loving eating it!

OK, it really is super easy.  There are a few simple steps.  Firstly, if you can buy fresh cream, do it.  I bought 39% organic cream.  No farm close by, but have it on my list of things to do to find somewhere to buy fresh cream so it could go straight from the farm into my kitchen.

homemade butter

500 ml heavy cream or whipping cream 

1. Pour cream in food processor.
2. Turn on high and go make coffee.   Come back 10 minutes later.
3. Turn off food processor and you will find that the solid and liquid have separated.
4. Pour out the liquid (this is buttermilk and can be used for other recipes)
5. Run butter under cold running water and press out all remaining buttermilk from the butter, until the water runs clear.  (Your butter won't spoil as fast if you are thorough with this step).
6. Alternatively to step 5, you can fill a large bowl with ice cold water and press the butter.  Drain and repeat until the water remains clear.
7. And there you have it!  You can add salt to it at this point if you like your butter salted.  Place in a jar and refrigerate.  This will last anywhere from 2-4 weeks in the refrigerator.  
8. I made two batches and froze one batch.  I thawed it and the texture was completely unchanged, so make lots and freeze!

There are other ways to make butter, which I haven't tried yet.  You can get the same results by using an electric mixer and a bowl instead of the food processor.  You can also simply shake the cream in a jar until it separates (tip: put a marble in for quicker results).

A great idea for kids is to do the jar/marble trick using baby food jars.  I'm thinking of buying a couple of baby food jars just for this reason!  I have no babies, but have a couple boys that could use some  exercise to make up for all the butter they've been eating ;)  If you work for it, you've earned it!  Will definitely post on it when we try.

Finishing Day#7 of the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox today.  I have to say that the first few days were pretty rough.  My body must've required a lot of detoxing.  I was extremely tired with mental fogginess and headaches.  Today seems to have been better, most of the fog has lifted, so hopefully on the upswing from here!

I'll keep you posted on the D-Tox and for now, thank you for reading and happy butter-making!

Green Egg Scramble

Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox day #1... This breakfast came together so quickly, having a warm, delicious breakfast is only a few minutes away.

Soya sauce and eggs - a flavour combination I've loved since my mom first made it many moons ago.  If you haven't tried this yet, you will be pleasantly surprised.

During the twelve days of detoxing, some days are tougher than others.  What I find works for me is keeping it simple but also delicious.  If my food is boring, I won't stick with it, but I also don't want to spend all my time slaving away for each meal.  The good news is, it doesn't always have to be a planned recipe.  Combine ingredients you already have in stock.   Any veggies you have will work in this recipe: peppers, zucchini, onions...  The trick up my sleeve on this one is the Bragg's liquid soy seasoning, which gives eggs a new twist!  (Bragg's tastes very similar to soya sauce, but unlike soya sauce, it is allowed on the D-Tox)

green egg scramble

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 large handfuls chopped spinach
2 eggs, beaten
Bragg's soy seasoning

1. Heat frying pan to medium.
2. Melt butter and fry pepper for about 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for another couple minutes, until the garlic just starts to get some colour.
4. Add spinach and cook until wilted, stirring often.
5. Add eggs and a good squirt of Bragg's.  
6. Stir until eggs are cooked through.
7. Enjoy!

Meeting Dr. Terry Willard

Today was one of those "I'll probably never forget this day"!  I met Dr. Terry Willard.  Not only did I meet him, I went for a consultation at the Wild Rose Clinic, here in Calgary, AB.

Dr. Willard's name is most likely familiar to many of the readers of this blog as he is a Clinical Herbalist, founder and director of the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing in Calgary, AB and has formulated thousands of products.  One of them, the reason why most of you end up on this blog, the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox.

The first time I did the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox was about 10 years ago. Since then I've done so many internet searches on the product, recipes, and have read Dr. Willard's blog countless times.  Yes, from beginning to end!  So when he walked in, I was sharing the same room with a celebrity!  I was nervous and excited.

His products have meant so much to me over the years and have helped me tremendously.  I got to tell him about this blog and the fact that the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox is the #1 search that brings readers here.  He was curious and asked for my blog address.  He even checked it out before I left the office and said he really liked it.  SERIOUSLY!!!!  That made my day, my week and my month!  I smiled the whole ride home! :D

The reason I went to see Dr. Willard is that I haven't been feeling well lately.  Body pains, fatigue, mental fogginess, I think a lot of people can relate to that nowadays.  This has been going on for about 6 months, with some breaks here and there where I feel better.  Taking care of a family, working full-time, trying to do extras like volunteering at school, helping out friends and family, and cooking whole, nutritious food are all the reason I live, the things I love to do, (well except for working full-time, I could skip that one :), but they are much more difficult to do and enjoy when I'm not feeling well.

My consultation with Dr. Willard was amazing.  He practices iridology and I had no idea you could get so much information from looking into someone's eyes.  He described me better than I could've described myself!  I left there with a few supplements and a feeling of empowerment you just don't get when you leave the doctor's office with a laboratory test form in your hands.

No. 1 on my prescription sheet: Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox.  There are other things such as digestive enzymes, medicinal mushrooms, fish oil and lots of water (I had no idea I was dehydrated!).  So, if you are as lucky as I am to live in Calgary, AB or close by, go see Dr. Willard for a consultation if you're not feeling well.  I'm only beginning the course of treatment tomorrow, but I already know it's going to help me.  This is much more up my alley than what any medical doctor can offer.  I'll keep you posted on my progress with this treatment, but for now, I will start the Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox tomorrow.  If I come up with any new recipes that work, I will definitely post for all you d-toxers out there.

Roasted Chicken

This is one of my favourite dishes to make when I'm strapped for time with prepping.  I always want a nutritious dinner on the table but sometimes, I don't have a lot of time to spend making an elaborate dinner.  Roasted chicken is quick, simple and delicious.  You can serve it with rice and a cooked vegetable or two, or serve warm chicken with a nice green salad and simple vinaigrette.  At the end of the meal, I separate the leftover meat to use for the next day's lunch or dinner and freeze the carcass.  Once I have three carcasses, I make a delightful chicken broth.  Nothing goes to waste with these little free-range chickens!  Oh, and the chicken tastes amazing infused with these flavours.  I have to draw the line on the amount of skin my youngest son eats, he simply can't get enough!

roasted chicken

6-10 lbs free-range chicken
olive oil
salt
pepper
thyme
3 garlic gloves, peeled and whole

1. Brush whole chicken with olive oil.
2. Rub salt, pepper and thyme all over the skin (don't forget the underside).
3. Sprinke salt, pepper and thyme inside the cavity and add the garlic cloves.
4. Put chicken on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  This makes the clean-up a bit easier.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Pierce the chicken with a skewer where the leg meets the body.  If the juices run clear, it's ready.  It's that easy!

I'll take this opportunity to mention that I've stopped following the SCD diet.  If I was a stay-at-home mom, I think I would've been able to go much longer, but gave it a good go for a month and a half.  I've discovered so many new recipes that have become new staples, however, wasn't able to go for the 1-2 years it probably would have taken to get rid of my kids' dairy intolerances.  Thank goodness for the multitude of substitutions available today, the don't really have to go without. And, given that so many people are intolerant to dairy nowadays, it's probably telling of how our bodies just aren't able to 
digest dairy as easily as other products.  I'll still keep on labelling foods that I make that are SCD friendly, in case it can help someone visiting this blog come up with new ideas.

For now, we are back at school and in the full swing of things.  Packing healthy snacks and lunches and keeping it simple!

Famous Chicken Fingers / Tenders (Gluten-Free, Paleo, SCD, Wild Rose Herbal D-Tox, Candi)

Occasionally, while on a specialized diet, a person only wishes to have "normal" food.  You know what I'm talking about: pizza, a fresh sandwich, moist chocolate cake, and the list goes on... for the most part, it's possible to replicate close to and sometimes, better than,  the original comfort food.  Yes, it comes with more steps than taking it out of the box and baking!  That is just something we can't get away from when trying to eat healthier.  You know that secret ingredient "love"?  Well it comes with loving preparing your own food.  There's no love in taking a chicken nugget out of the box and baking it.  The love comes when I'm chopping my chicken breasts to just the right size, measuring my spices, thinking how I feel so good about putting turmeric in my chicken tenders, knowing my kids will be loving their dinner that is going to nourish their growing bodies and give them the energy they need.  Cheesy?  Maybe, but it makes my world go round.

These are Famous Chicken Fingers.  That's what they're called at my house anyways, and I am proud that they have been so-called!  They disappear in a fraction of the time it took to make them, but I'm one of the four not able to help themselves!

famous chicken fingers / tenders

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast (chopped to chicken finger size)
2 cups almond flour
4 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons pecorino romano, grated OR 1/3 cup parmesan, grated
2 teaspoons parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup olive oil (or more) for frying

• Now this step will make it a much smoother process: having a good production line happening.  
• In medium bowl, beat eggs.  Add chicken pieces to beaten egg and mix well.  Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well and transfer to a dinner plate.
• Pour at least 1 cup olive oil into your frying pan.  Heat to medium/high.
• Take out a clean plate where  you will put your coated chicken pieces while waiting for your current batch to cook.
  
  
  

• While your oil is heating up, coat your first batch of chicken pieces and place in clean plate.
• When a drop of cold water sizzles in the oil, it's ready.  Gently place chicken pieces in oil, one at a time.  Oil should cover the sides or else the sides will be soggy.

•  Cook for 3 minutes first side, then turn with tongs and cook for another 2 minutes.  When this batch is cooking, get your next batch of chicken fingers coated and ready to go.
• Removed cooked chicken fingers and place on paper towel covered cookie sheet.  Place in 150 degree oven to keep warm.
• Once I remove my cooked chicken fingers, using a slotted spoon, I remove the foam and grits from almond flour that have accumulated.  I add a little more olive oil and repeat the process until they are all cooked.
• Serve this with a homemade honey-mustard sauce(unless on D-Tox or Candida diet).  Just mix honey and mustard in a bowl and adjust to taste.  
• Enjoy!!!

Strawberry Jam (No Pectin, No Sugar) - canning or frozen

When I was young, growing up in small town St-Paul, New Brunswick, Canada, U-Picking was a yearly occurrence at our house.  Strawberries was my favourite, one for the bucket, one for me!  We'd spend the morning picking and the afternoon hulling.  My mom would do the rest, freezing strawberries and making jam.  Being a mom now and knowing how whiny kids can be :), we must have complained at times over the work involved, however, looking back now, those are some of my best memories: everyone sitting at the table working together, talking, laughing, oh the nostalgia!

My boys are now 8 and 5 and I wanted to bring them out U-Picking this year.  In Calgary, Alberta where we live, U-Picking farms are slim pickin', pun intended ;)  I found one an hour's drive away so we headed out with my sister and her two kids on opening day and were there first thing.  We were determined to get first dibs on those strawberries and we did!  We even got a private tour of the farm from one of the boys that lives there, what a treat for the kids!  If you don't have any U-Pick farms around, just buy a large box at your farmers market.

My 8 year old son Mathieu, enjoying his first U-Pick

I got home with a good amount of strawberries.  I froze some and wanted to make some jam, however, sugar and store-bought pectin is not an option for our uber-healthy lifestyle.  After searching for ingredients that worked for others, I decided to use grated apples, fresh squeezed lemon juice and honey.  I played with the amounts until it was just right.  The end result is a jam that is better than any I've ever had!  It's thick, sweet and a little tart.  Perfect on a piece of toast (almond bread toast in this household), or mixed in with some plain yogurt for a better-than-store-bought strawberry yogurt.

I'm not going to lie, canning jam is a full day's work, but if you're reading this post and think you might want to try it, DO SO!  It is so worth the effort, knowing you have locally grown fruit to enjoy all winter long.

The recipe indicates that this is pectin-free jam.  I'm referring to store-bought pectin, the stuff you buy in a box.  This contains natural pectin found in apples.

strawberry jam (pectin-free, sugar-free) - canning or frozen

8 lbs strawberries, hulled
3 cups honey
2 cups grated apples, with skin
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Place all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. Bring down to a low boil stirring often to prevent scorching.
3. Once the strawberries are soft, mash with a potato masher.  I found it was difficult to get them well mashed while they were in the large pot, so I heated a large frying pan and in 3 separate batches, put some of my mixture and mashed them in there.  With the pan being shallow, it was much easier to mash.  My kids aren't fans of large chunks of fruit in their jam, so I mashed for quite a while, until my desired consistency.   I'm sure that you could play with this though, and leave some larger chunks if you prefer.
4. Keep on low boil until the jam gets quite thick.  I boiled it for an hour, stirring very often.
5. Remove foam from top as it forms.  My youngest son really enjoyed this by dipping some almond bread in the foam.
6. If you don't want to continue with the canning, let your mixture cool, fill your freezer-safe jars, container or ziplock bags(remove as much air as possible) and freeze for up to one year.
7. To can in jars, sterilize your jars and lids.  Your jars can be sterilized in the dishwasher on high heat.  To sterilize the rings, add them to a small pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave them in the water until ready to use.
8. Fill your water bath canner so that the water will be at least an inch over your jars.  Bring water to a boil.  
9. Fill your jars with the jam leaving 1/4 inch space.  
10. Wipe jars with wet cloth so that they are clean.  This will ensure a good seal with the lids.
11. Cover with lid and screw the rings with a light touch.  You don't want to screw on the ring tightly at this point.
12. Carefully drop your jars in the boiling canner. 
13. Cover canner and let boil for 10 minutes, if at sea level.  Add 1 minute for each 1000 ft above sea level.
14. Remove jars from water and place on a rack on your counter.  Your lids should start to pop right away, the sign that they have successfully sealed.  Oh that sound is so satisfying after all that work!
15. Remove the rings.  Wash the rings and wipe the jar again, to prevent mold from forming under your rings.  Screw rings back on, a little tighter this time, but not with force.
16. Store in a cool, dry place.

Note: If some of your jars don't seal, just place in the fridge and use these first.  

Pressure Canner: I don't have experience with these, so please follow the instructions that come with your pressure canner.

getting happy in the pot

a batch in the frying pan for mashing