Brown Rice Arame Noodles

Thanks to my awesome Korean friend, my kids are addicted to sea vegetables!  My kids would eat this for dinner every night if I would let them.

Arame Noodles 

1 Cup lightly packed Emerald Cove Arame (found at Asian stores, my local health food store, and on vitacost.com it is expensive, but soooo worth it!)

1 (8 oz) package Annie Chun's Maifun Brown Rice Noodles (think angel hair brown rice pasta)

2 TBS toasted sesame seed oil

1 Cup thinly sliced onion (I use green onions)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks

1/2 cup filtered water

*You can add 3 TBS corn kernels, but I omit because my kids are allergic to corn

Rinse arame in cool water and drain.  Place in a bowl, cover with water, and soak while noodles cook.

Cook noodles according to directions (only takes about 2-4 minutes to cook)

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the green onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the sliced carrots and saute for 1-2 more minutes.  Drain arame and add, cooking for another 1-2 minutes.

Turn up heat to medium high, add water (and corn if you want) and cook for 7-8 minutes until arame is soft and the water is absorbed.  Place arame-vegetable mixture over the noodles in a serving bowl, top with dressing and serve.

Dressing:

4 TBS soy sauce (I omit for my kids, since they are allergic to soy and just use Himalayan salt to taste at the table)

4 TBS toasted sesame oil

2 TBS brown rice vinegar (I usually just use rice vinegar, because I haven't found brown rice vinegar before)

Flourless Sunbutter Cookies

These are so yummy!  I feed them to my neighbors and they rave about them.  I also included my own modifications below to accommodate for my kid's egg allergies.  Sunflowerbutter is seed butter made from sunflower seeds.  I buy the organic, because the flavors and non-organic varieties have pre-added sugar.

From: The Sunbutter Website

Flourless Sunbutter Cookies

Ingredients

* 1 cup SunButter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Pinch of salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Mix the sugars and SunButter together until smooth.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix; then add in the salt and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough on to the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Smash down with a fork and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool. You don’t want them to overbake; you want them to be soft.

MY VERSION (Valerie Douglas')

I  make a big double batch to share with my neighbors who's kids are allergic to peanuts too.  Plus I glut myself on the cookie dough.

2 Cups organic Sunbutter (it is the only kind without pre-added sugar)

1 cup raw coconut sugar

1 cup raw sugar (I omit this often and just do the one cup raw coconut sugar.  It makes a little crumblier cookie, but cuts down on the sugars for my family and still tastes delicious!)

2 TBS ground flax seeds plus 6 TBS water

2 tsp alcohol free vanilla

2 pinches Himalayan salt

2 tsp aluminum free baking soda

2 tsp cultured, organic, salt free butter (you could also use coconut oil, but they get a more flat and brown)

1 1/2 cups mini Enjoy Life allergy friendly chocolate chips (I omit often, again to cut down on the sugars and just make the cookies without the mini chips.  My kids still love them.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat a cookie sheet with coconut oil using wax paper. Mix the sugars, cultured butter and SunButter together until smooth.

Add in the flax seeds, water and vanilla extract and mix; then add in the salt and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips (if you want chocolate chips).

If you don't eat the cookie dough first (no salmonella risk due to lack of eggs and it is such yummy cookie dough),  drop the dough on to the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Smash down with a fork. (I don't sprinkle with more sugar.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool. You don’t want them to overbake; you want them to be soft.

*Note: I tried making these with almondbutter, and they turned out way too flat.  They just oozed all over the pan.

Where I buy my Essential Oils and Foot Zoning

This is where I buy my essential oils for Foot Zoning and for personal use.  I love them.  I love the price too!
www.welcometolifeoils.com 
If you need anything:
Home: 801-772-0137
David's Cell: 801-691-4669
Sarah's Cell: 801-669-7413
dsrefam@hotmail.com
www.welcometolifeoils.com

This is my Foot Zone teacher's (Jeni Gutke) website:
http://bluecreekmedia.com/happystance/about/
You can go there to learn more about the wonderful tool of Foot Zoning. I am deeply grateful for the life changing experiences I have witnessed as a certified Foot Zone Therapist.

Mixed Berry Salad with Cinnamon Walnuts (and Lemon or Lime agave dressing)

Mixed Berry Salad with Cinnamon Walnuts
From: FAVES by Melissa Chappell
1 1/3 Cups walnuts (could use pecans or almonds)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS agave (raw or use honey)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 LB  Spring Mix
2 Cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
One batch lime agave dressing (use lemon instead of lime..I'll post dressing recipe below)
Mix the walnuts, cinnamon, agave and salt in a bowl until the walnuts are sticky and coated with the cinnamon and agave.  Set aside.  Toss the spring mix in a big bowl with the mixed berries and half of the lime (lemon) agave dressing.  If you prefer a wetter, more dressed salad, feel free to use more dressing. When everything is well coated, portion your salad out onto salad plates and top with the cinnamon walnuts.

Lemon (or Lime) Agave Dressing
1/2 Cups lemon juice (or lime)
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 TBS agave
1/2 tsp salt
Whisk all ingredients together and serve.  This is especially good over green salads with fruit in them.  For a more exotic dressing, you may add 1-3 drops lavender essential oil.

Sourdough Waffles and Pancakes

I got this from a recipe book I purchase while in Alaska.  I fell in LOVE with sourdough in Alaska!  I eat sourdough waffles and pancakes like a spaz!

Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles

2 Cups sourdough starter

4 TBS oil (I use safflower or coconut)

3 TBS sugar (I use coconut or raw sugar)

1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

1 egg (I use 1 TBS ground sprouted flax seeds and 3 TBS warm water, you could just use ground flax seeds)

1 tsp baking soda (follow the instructions with the baking soda carefully)

Mix sourdough, oil, sugar, salt and egg (or flax and water) together.  Dissolve 1 tsp baking soda in a little water to activate and stir around.  Add the baking soda to other ingredients folding in carefully.  You will notice the chemical reaction that takes place as it makes the batter fizzle and bubble.  Do not over stir.  Pour mix onto hot griddle for pancakes or into hot and oiled waffle iron.  These pancakes take a little longer to cook all the way through.  Practice makes perfect.  Mmmmmmm!

Easy Apple Butter

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All Things Kefir

Why make your own kefir?  It has more probiotics than yogurt, it is easy to make, it is yummy and fizzy and fun, you can control the ingredients and choose your own type of milk (I use goat), it is cheaper to make, it has tons of enzymes, it improves you immune system, it aids digestion, you can use the kefir and whey for cooking,  and it is good for food storage and self reliance.  I give a small amount of plain to our puppy every morning to help him with his digestion too.  He can eat the extra grains!  If you live close to me, I'd be happy to give you some of my real kefir grains!

Add 2 TBS kefir grains to 2 cups milk (you can put milk in glass jar in warm water and soak to room temp if desired).  Let the little kefir grain babies work their magic for about 24 hours. Strain out grains from milk.  Repeat!  Easy!

To find real kefir grains:  http://www.yemoos.com/
You can also find them at Good Earth in the refrigerator section by the eggs.
If you want to go all crazy with kefir, check out this crazy-cool Aussie's website: Dom's kefir making site

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html#rinsing

Kefir Breakfast Drink
1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen berries, peaches or 1 ripe banana
stevia and raw honey to taste
Blend and enjoy the good feeling.
What we don't drink, I use to wash my face in the mornings.  The berry seeds exfoliate my face, the naturally occurring acids in the whey remove impurities, the raw honey is good for your skin, the goat milk is high in minerals, and the berries add antioxidants and vitamins. My face has not felt softer than this week.  I also add it to my bath. I feel more pampered than the Queen of England since I started doing this week!  I also freeze this for popsicles and "ice cream" to get the kids to eat it!