That's it. No more shopping for you.

Or me, for that matter.

It's time to begin our "Eating from the Pantry and Freezer Challenge"!

What I've spent so far

I had about $230 remaining for the rest of May out of my $450 budget (the other $220 had been spent at the beginning of the month).

I've set aside $150 cash for my savings, which I'm not allowing myself to touch.

The other $80 is being used for:

• Raw milk, free range eggs, sour cream and yogurt: $45 (I already spent this on the weekend)
• Fresh fruit and vegetables: $25
• Just in case: $10 remaining (this will probably go towards more eggs and possibly sour cream, because I didn't buy enough before)

What our family will be eating this week:

Monday

• Breakfast-  Soaked oatmeal with raw milk or cream and honey
• Dinner- Bierocks (beef and cabbage stuffed pockets). We like to dip them in organic mustard.
• Prep- Soak muffin batter. Thaw short ribs in fridge.

Tuesday

• Breakfast- Soaked blueberry muffins (a variation on this recipe)
• Dinner- Crockpot BBQ Short Ribs, brown rice, cauliflower (the Mediterranean way- yum!)
• Prep- Thaw whole chicken.

Wednesday

• Breakfast- Scrambled eggs and toast (options of butter, peanut butter, or homemade jam from last summer)
• Dinner- Roast whole chicken (in crockpot), rice, and this Pear & Bleu Cheese Salad (but I use Feta cheese instead). The extra chicken meat will be packaged in bags and put in the freezer for later meals.
• Prep- Soak large pot of dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

Thursday

• Breakfast- Pumpkin Walnut Bread and fruit smoothie.
• Dinner- Chickpea Wraps (fried chickpea patties, wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce, mayo, cheese, etc.)- these are from The Everything Beans Book, which has so many creative ideas.
• Prep- Soak baked oatmeal.

Friday

• Breakfast- Baked oatmeal with raw milk 
• Dinner- Piled High Chicken Potpie (I'm going to use as many dried veggies from last summer or frozen veggies as I can in this recipe)
• Prep- Soak pancake batter and thaw blueberries.

Saturday

• Breakfast- Pancakes with homemade honey butter syrup and fruit (my pancake and syrup recipes are both from Sue Gregg's books)
• Dinner- Quick French Onion Soup, possibly with fresh crusty bread- we'll see if I have the time or inclination, otherwise we'll just have a slice of regular bread. I got this recipe from a friend on Plan to Eat. I have no idea if my kids will eat it or not. I guess we'll find out!

Sunday

• Breakfast- Yogurt or milk, homemade granola (I've been using the Granola Bar recipe in Healthy Snacks to Go and making it into granola instead), fresh or frozen fruit. This is becoming a standard Sunday morning breakfast, since it's so quick and easy before church.
• Dinner- Roast beef, made with this recipe (later in the week, I'll turn it into shredded beef for fajitas, etc.), with a recipe I've made for roasted root vegetables like carrots, beets and sweet potatoes (you can get some ideas from this post-- but is this a recipe people would like to see, even though it's spring?)

Don't forget...

During this month-long challenge, all of my ebooks are on sale. Use the coupon code CHALLENGE25 to take 25% off any single ebook, OR use codeBUNDLE50 to buy all 3 of my ebooks at 50% off!

It's your turn to share your money-saving meal plan with the rest of us.

We would also love to read your savings goals and your progress with those goals as the challenge goes on!

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Written by Diana Bauman, Contributing Writer

Growing up, my family ate a lot of vegetables.  It comes as no surprise being that my mother is from Sevilla, Spain where vegetables are a staple of the Mediterranean diet.

When I was younger I never understood why so many of my friends complained about eating their vegetables.

"They're gross", some would say.  Others, "they have no flavor!"

I remember asking my mami why so many people disliked colorful, seasonal vegetables at their peak of freshness.  I vividly remember her telling me, "It's because they boil their vegetables and just add butter."

Now, I'm not here to say that some veggies don't taste wonderful steamed or boiled topped with a pat of butter, however, some vegetables need something extra to take them from blah to phenomenal.

What's the secret?

The Mediterranean secret to phenomenal vegetables is a combination of using the ingredients garlic, olive oil, onions, and fried tomatoes with the methods of either sauteing or roasting.

You'll find that once you start sauteing and roasting your vegetables specifically in garlic and olive oil, you'll never turn back.

(For those that follow a Weston Price type diet and are concerned about the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil, check out my post on how to cook with olive oil the right way.)

Sauteing Vegetables in Garlic and Olive Oil Sprinkled with Sea Salt

This method will make any vegetable absolutely scrumptious that both adults and children will love.  The best part about it is that it is so simple.

All you do is gradually heat up some olive oil in a cast iron skillet or pan.  Add your vegetable of choice and 2-3 cloves of pressed or minced garlic.  Top with sea salt and serve.

My favorite vegetables to cook in this manner are...

• asparagus
• broccoli (my kids absolute favorite!)
• cauliflower
• swiss chard
• kale
• spinach
• green beans
• okra
• fried sweet peppers (made without garlic and I think the best side dish in the entire world!)
• eggplant
• squash (zucchini and yellow)

Sauteing vegetables in olive oil, onion, and fried tomatoes.

Talk about sensational and easy to boot.  Sauteing vegetables with onions and fried tomatoes is a method most households in Spain use.

It gives the vegetables an amazing bright flavor and cooked together with sauteed onions... an incredible depth everyone will enjoy.

All you need to do is gradually heat up some extra virgin olive oil in a cast iron skillet or pan.  Once the olive oil has come to heat add a diced onion and saute until just about transparent.  You can either add 4-6 fresh large sized (skinned and diced) tomatoes or two cans of diced tomatoes. Add your vegetable of choice and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the tomato sauce has condensed.

Absolutely scrumptious!

My favorite vegetables to cook in this manner are...

• green beans
• potatoes (first fried, then added to the sauce)
• squash (zucchini and yellow)
• eggplant
• cauliflower
• swiss chard

Roasting vegetables in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and sprinkled with sea salt

Roasting vegetables leads to phenomenal vegetables.

Especially the ones that are so notorious for being bleh!  You know, brussles sprouts and other root vegetables such as beets.  With roasting, you'll never say bleh again.

In a large bowl toss your vegetable of choice, about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 cloves pressed or minced garlic, and sea salt.  Add all your ingredients to an ovenproof dish and bake at 350F - 375F for 40-60 minutes or until your vegetables are tender.

This is such an easy way to cook vegetables that leads to an incredible deep depth of flavor by the roasting alone.

My favorite vegetables to cook in this manner are...

• brussels sprouts
• beets
• roasted red peppers
• potatoes
• butternut squash
• turnips
• rutabaga
• parsnips

Get Creative

Once you get a feel for cooking your vegetables in these different methods you can start to get creative with how you cook them.  You can add a combination of vegetables, spices, cured meats, legumes, or even fried eggs.

One of my children's favorite meal is a combo of olive oil, fried tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, and garbanzo beans all on a bed of white basmati rice.

The dinner literally takes about 20 minutes to make especially if you have your beans already cooked ahead of time.  A simple, scrumptious, and nourishing real food meal.

Have fun with it.  Also, now that the farmers market is open pretty much across the nation, pick up some vegetables you've never tried before and try one of the methods above.

You'll soon find that you and your family will love their vegetables.

Does your family love their vegetables?  Please share your favorite methods of cooking phenomenal vegetables.

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Guest Post by Kane Holbrook of Real Milk Cheese

“ And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.”

-Deuteronomy 11:15

Cheese has been an important part of healthy cultures since the domestication of livestock. The scriptures refer to cheese more than a few times:

• Abraham fed his guests curds (Genesis 18:8).
• David’s father, Jesse, sent him to deliver bread to his brothers and cheese to the commander of the Israel army (1 Samuel 17:18). (This errand set the stage for the amazing slaying of the Philistine giant Goliath.)
• Job referenced this fermented dairy product when he asked God, “Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?” (Job 10:10)

Cheese was a staple of the Hebrews and is a staple for many of us today.

Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when food manufacturers skimp on the important details in food production and offer us empty alternatives to real food. That is why it is important for us to source nutrient-dense foods from animals raised the way that God intended them to be raised. Just as it was for Abraham, serving grass-fed cheese is a great way for us to show hospitality to our guests.

Giving those in our lives life-giving foods, with nutrients and enzymes that keep us vibrant, is a wonderful way to love our neighbor. That is why I am going to show you how you can effectively provide a wonderful, yet easy, culinary experience for your guests by entertaining them with cheese.

This is an introductory cheese-hosting lesson, feel free to make it as formal or as laid back as you want.

Entertaining with Cheese 101

There are hundreds of different types of cheese, many of them are obscure and hard to pronounce. Selecting cheeses can seem an overwhelming and daunting task but it need not be too difficult. You can make it as simple as you like and adjust your approach based on your own knowledge level and curiosity.

I will not tell you exactly what types of cheese to use and where to buy them but I do encourage you to use responsibly produced cheese made with high standards and if possible made from raw milk.

• When serving cheese to a group, a good rule of thumb is to have ¼ lbs. of cheese for each individual.
• You can use a different plate for each cheese or put different cheeses on the same plate, but do not let them touch.
• Do use a different knife for each cheese. There are varying types of cutting utensils, but if you are just getting started, it is acceptable to use a gently heated butter knife; it will cut through most cheeses with ease.
• Prepare your guests before they come; let them know that they will taste different cheeses and be aware of any possible allergies anyone may have, etc. Encourage them to come hungry and with clean palates to expand their culinary horizons.

Serving Temperature and What Not To Do

Different cheeses are suited to be eaten at different temperatures but no cheese is supposed to be eaten cold. A good rule of thumb is for cheese to be served at room temperature.

If a cheese is too cold it will not be flavorful, thus defeating the goal of this exercise. On the other extreme, if a cheese is set out too long before it is eaten, a process called “oiling off” can occur which causes the cheese to dry out; do not let a cheese sit out too long before being consumed because it can give a bad impression of the cheese.

I recommend setting cheeses out 8-10 minutes before being consumed.

Pairing Cheese with Breads, Beverages and Fruit

This is a part of the cheese serving process that is subject to many schools of thought and my goal is not to exhaust the subject but to only shed some light on good ideas and best practices. Again, you can be as particular or as laid back as you want.

When choosing breads and crackers to pair with cheese, it is best to pair a mild-flavor cheese with a more flavorful bread or cracker and to pair a strong-flavor cheese with a mild bread or cracker. For example, mild cheddars are great with wheat crackers with herb, but aged cheddar is better with a plain white cracker.

It is traditional etiquette to serve the bread and crackers on a separate dish or in a separate basket from the cheese. This ensures that the foods are not making contact before being enjoyed by your guest.

Because it is the cheese that is being highlighted, I do not recommend using breads or crackers that contain a strong seasoning that can overpower the taste of the cheese. I am a personal fan of serving cheese with white unsalted crackers and French baguettes. Try making homemade bread or crackers and experiment with the flavor combinations because they are practically endless.

Example of a cheese plate and bread pairing:

Aged raw milk cheddar with a breadbasket containing French white baguettes; the aged cheddar is sharp and tangy and this combo should not interrupt the characteristics inherent in the cheese.

There are many beverages that work well with cheese. Most commonly, cheese is paired with wine or juice. For creamy and mild cheeses, red wine or grape juice is an excellent choice. More pungent cheeses go well with white wines. Interestingly, apple-flavored drinks go well with pretty much any variety of cheese. Another option is coffee or espresso; many people will pair cheese with coffee drinks because it really brings out the creaminess in the cheese. Forgo the cream and try the coffee black; this will accentuate the cheese and pleasantly surprise the taste buds.

Fruit goes very well with cheese. It is the top three most common foods to pair with cheese because many fruits are also excellent palate cleansers; they allow the taste buds to recover after each bite. Apples go well with almost any cheese, as do pears and melons. Grapes and pineapples go well with stronger cheeses. I find that blueberries and mangoes pair exceptionally well with creamier cheeses like soft cheeses.

Cheese Tasting Procedure:

Do not begin tasting the cheese until all of the guests have arrived. Ask that no one chew gum or drink anything that you have not provided because it can impede the experience. Decide who will help cut the cheeses.

Present each cheese by clearly identifying the type; include as much information as you can collect about the cheese (i.e. region, style, farm, etc.). I like to do one cheese at a time to clearly demo the cheese and then guests can choose the ones that they like the best.

Three cheeses are a great start for your first party and, for a novice, I would not advise presenting more than four or five; any additional cheeses can become overwhelming. I recommend presenting the milder cheeses at the beginning and tasting the sharper cheeses at the end.

For more info on cheese tasting and hospitality with cheese a great resource is Completely Cheese by Anita May Pearl. Enjoy!

Want to try some raw, grass-fed cheese from Real Milk Cheese? Keeper of the Home readers get free shipping on the Classic Sample with the code KOTH.

Stephanie's note: Ryan and Kane, of Real Milk Cheese, asked me a while back if they could share a post with our readers. Since they are so passionate about providing families with quality grass-fed, raw milk cheeses, I had to say yes. Readers frequently ask me for sources of products like grass-fed cheese, so now you know... Real Milk Cheese has a great variety of flavors, they have a Prestigious Cheese Society with 10% discounts for members, and they ship to anywhere in the US. This isn't a paid endorsement of any kind, but I've worked with these guys previously and I'm always happy to recommend foods that are actually worth eating. :)

What are your favorite varieties of cheese? Is it something that you typically serve to guests?

This post contains an affiliate link.

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It's time to begin the Eating From the Pantry and Freezer Challenge. I'm excited to get going and I hope you are, too!

I promised to share my own plan and goals with you, so here's what I'm planning to do:

My financial goal is to save $300 (our regular monthly budget is $450). I plan to do this by saving $150 out of my May budget, and $150 out of June.

It's important to decide how much you will allow yourself to spend. Don't just say, "I'll spend as little as possible". That's a recipe for spending too much.

Instead, determine how little you think you can get by on, make a plan for how you might use that money ($20 milk, $10 eggs, etc.), then pull the cash out of the bank and keep it in your wallet. This makes it FAR more likely that you will actually stick to your savings goals.

Additionally, it's best to also take out (in cash) the amount that you intend to save. If you've already got it set aside, and you can see the tangible savings, you'll be less tempted to spend it.

Financial goals? Check. Now to make it happen.

I've already completed my freezer and pantry inventories. Here are some of the foods that I'll be working with:

• I have a fair bit of beef sitting around (including roasts and short ribs, which tend to get left to the end)
• 4 whole chickens that I bought last September from my mom
• One bag of frozen fish and some canned fish
• Tons of berries (especially blueberries and raspberries)
• A lot of frozen sprouted tortillas
• A pantry FULL of baking goods and various kinds of grains
• I recently stocked up hugely on organic dried fruits
• We're going to start reaping small amounts of food from the garden this month (radishes, peas, rhubarb, some beets, and more to come after that).
• I discovered bags of frozen spinach, as well as pumpkin puree in my freezer (who knew?)
• Two large bulk bags of brown rice pasta
• The remnants of last summer's canning- tomatoes, pickles, peaches, applesauce, jam.

Some resources for your freezer/pantry inventories and meal plans:

There were some excellent questions in the comments when I announced this challenge, so allow me to address a few of those as we get going:

Q. Can we link to this on our blogs? 

A. Yes, absolutely. Please feel free to use the graphic for the challenge as well.

Q. Can we purchase fresh foods during the challenge? 

A. By all means. I will allowing myself $75 for every two weeks ($150 total). This money will be for dairy (raw milk, cheese, butter, etc.), eggs, and fresh produce.

Challenges like this are amazing for using up what we already have, but I'm not willing to stop serving my family these fresh, wholesome foods for a month. I use the foods in my freezer and pantry as the basis for my meals, and then the fresh foods will help to fill in the gaps and make sure that we're eating well throughout the entire month.

Q. I’m totally in but can we go to the store and just not spend as much? I don’t have tons in my freezer and pantry to last a whole month of no food shopping? Can I cut my food bill in half or more, and still do the challenge? 

A. Sure! This challenge is flexible, to suit your own needs. If you just want to focus on cutting down your costs, or saving a small percentage of your budget (maybe 20-50% instead of something more intense like 75-100%), by all means, go for it and consider yourself part of the challenge.

Q. I feel like I stock up when things go on a good sale, and what if I deplete my stock, and then nothing’s on sale?

A. I do think about that myself sometimes, but I also know that I tend to get to a place where we have so much that I just don’t feel justified in spending any more money. If you’re amazingly organized, keep up with your stockpile, always eat through the foods that you buy, rotate through what’s in your pantry/freezer, etc. then I suppose you might deplete your stock and then have to spend more on non-sale items.

For most of us, I think that things tend to get a little bit buried, or we buy so much that some of it gets towards the end of its shelf/freezer life, and that’s primarily why I do this. I still get the benefit of being a careful shopper, but I also make sure that I don’t overbuy or stockpile to a degree that things are going to waste. 

Also, I feel like I just have to trust that things will be on sale again, and that our money will stretch as it needs to, and that God will provide for our needs in the right time and the right way. He always does. :)

Your tasks for the rest of this week:

• Make your financial goals and set aside both your spending and saving cash
• Complete your pantry and freezer inventory (if you haven't already)
• Write up a menu plan for this coming week
• Make a list and purchase any fresh foods that you might need (but make sure that you have a firm dollar amount in mind, first)

See you Monday, as we share our menu plans and start cooking from our pantries and freezers!

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My 4 year old son's favorite fruit is an apple, he literally eats one every day.  Apples are easy for snacks by themselves or even with a dollop of peanut butter.

It never occurred to me to put an apple in a smoothie until recently, so I decided to add 2 ingredients I had never added before into this recipe, an apple and avocado.

Avocados are good for your heart, are a great healthy fat, and are anti-inflammatory so adding these to smoothies are great for you and your kids and now that avocados are in season making them cheaper, it would be a great time to start making this delicious smoothie!

Applecado Smoothie

• 1 organic apple, any variety
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/2 organic apple juice
• 3/4 cup crushed ice
• 1  tsp vanilla
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

What to do:

1. Core and slice apple, leave skins on if you wish.
2. Scoop out half of an avocado with a spoon (and save rest to make some guacamole, which is so simple, just mix with 1/2 cup of salsa).
3. Add all ingredients into a blender until smooth. To add a bit of sweetness add some raw honey.
4. Makes 1-3 servings, depending how much you want.
5. Enjoy! Your kid's will never know what they're drinking is healthy!

Tomorrow by subscribing to my blog over at day2day joys you will get a free copy of a collaborative smoothie e-cookbook with over 14 recipes. Also, don't forget to submit your questions to my husband (a wellness physician).  I have a  newer feature on my blog called "Ask Dr. Jake", he would be happy to answer any of your health related questions or at least direct your path to some better options.

What are your favorite uses for avocados? And do you have any unique, "top secret" ingredients that you like to use in smoothies?

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Ever wished you could have your homeschooling questions answered by someone far more experienced than yourself? Me too. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do just that.

Together with four sweet blogging friends (Tsh, Jessica, Mandi and Heidi, as well as the amazing Sarah Park), I travelled to Williamsburg, VA to meet Susan Wise Bauer. We were treated to a beautiful and luxurious stay at a Bed & Breakfast, spent time touring Colonial Williamsburg, and simply enjoyed one another's friendship. Talking, talking and more talking was pretty much the theme of our weekend.

We were honored to be guests at Susan's gorgeous farm, and sit together in her living room, talking homeschooling and mothering and writing, and many things in between. As promised, I brought along questions from you, my readers. Here's your chance to be a fly on the wall during our conversation, as I posed some of those questions to Susan...

Stephanie: I get a lot of questions asking where do you even begin, particularly when you're pulling your kids out of school to begin homeschooling? How do you decide how much to fit into a day or week, and what curriculum to use?

Susan: If you're pulling your kids out of school for the first time and you've got more than one, I always tell parents the best thing to do is to get a curriculum-in-a-box for the first year.

There will be parts of it that you hate and you're probably going to find it doesn't fit you at all all, but then you know what you're doing, right? So the first thing is to not get caught up in "I've got to find the perfect curriculum because I"m pulling my kid out of school and the first year has to be perfect".

The first year needs to be about pulling the kid out of school. It's about establishing a new learning routine, and as long as you're doing your math, your grammar, your language arts, all your core subjects-- then you can't fret too much about "have I found our learning style? Was this a wonderful experience?" Because everybody wants the first year of homeschooling to be this fantastic experience so that the kid won't want to go back to school. It just doesn't work that way.

The focus has to be on being at home. So if you over-research that first year, you end up with this jam-packed schedule. You've got 15 things you want to do, all these fanastic resources, you're all excited about the learning. But you forget that having them at home, that's your biggest learning curve your first year. So get a curriculum-in-a-box.

And then at the point when you think to yourself, I hate this particular aspect, that's the time to research that particular part of the curriculum. You have to be willing to sort of ladder it, very gradually. And I think going to a homeschool convention is probably a horrible idea, because you get bombarded with all of these ideal homeschooling worlds, all of these vendors and speakers have this world they're going to share with you, "This is how it's going to work!". That's for the second year. That's a great thing to do in the second year, when you've got some sense.

When you start, you don't even know how your kids learn. You don't know how long they can work. You don't know how they process things. Those are all things you start to learn that first year. Until you know that, you can't make any choices.

Stephanie: What about those who are just starting out with their oldest child, with several little ones at home?

Susan: That's true when you've got a lot of little kids, too. When you're just moving into homeschooling, even if they haven't been in school, you start with your grammar and your math. And that's all you do, until you figure that out. Then you add another subject, and then you add another subject.

People overbuy for the elementary grades in the most astounding manner. It's probably because it's fun. You know, it's like toys for you, more than for the kid. Everything's all shiny. And pretty! (Heidi cuts in... "and the UPS guy comes and brings a package!" and Susan retorts, "It would be better to knit or something, and order yarn by UPS instead.")

Just do your core stuff. And I say that as someone who is really happy when people buy my history curriculum and I would love for them to do it, but that's not where you start. (Someone else pipes in, "but that's the fun part!"). Yes, it is, but you have to figure out the routine first, then start to add in.

Stephanie: Well, that's another question I have. When you have those terrible, no-good days, what do you focus on? If you can only do one or two things before you pull your hair out, what do you do?

Susan: I always did math and grammar, but, it depends what kind of horrible, no-good day it is. If it's just one of those chaotic, kids are all running around and I can't get everything done, but everybody's happy kind of days, then I would do the core stuff. If it's one of those days where everyone is weeping, then you do the fun things and skip everything else. It depends what kind of melt down you're having.

Heidi: It's almost like you need inspiration or something to connect with.

Jessica: Or even just reading books. I remember days when the oldest was 8 and they all filtered down below that and there was a baby in the mix, and he was bucking whatever math or whatever we were doing, and I was like, let's just read the Roman mysteries.

Susan: I have on my website these real examples of "days in my house" when my kids were toddlers and babies, and that's what it's like. I mean, seriously, I spent entire days sitting and rocking Emily (her youngest) because she would just scream and scream and scream. We did snatches. I feel like we did math 10-minutes at a time for an entire year. But it was only one year.

Jessica: My MIL was a schoolteacher when she was diagnosed with cancer, and her students had a range of substitute teachers. Their year was trashed, and then I remembered, oh yeah, my French teacher died one year, and that year of French was also trashed. That happens in any system (homeschooling or not).

Susan: That's one of the reasons why I think standardized testing is a really good idea, even though most homeschoolers really buck it, is because at least it gives me some sense (of where they're at).

I think that our expectations of where our kids are and how they're doing can either be so much further below where they should be (because you're so busy) and it doesn't occur to you that the kids aren't really doing very much. Or, they can be way up here, and I think that tends to be more often the problem. There's all this stuff that we think they have to be doing.

So we always did the standardized tests, and I would send them away to be graded and they would come back and I would be like "ahhhh" (sigh of relief)... The standardized tests were a real reassurance and help to me.

More to Come...

This is just a portion of what we discussed, and I have more that I would love to share. There's so much of our weekend that I can't even begin to describe or it would take me a week's worth of writing, but I do promise that I will share as much of it as I can.

Heidi has actually done an amazing job of sharing the details of our weekend, along with a ton of her gorgeous photos, in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. You can see more of the Bauer family's farm, the B & B where we stayed, Colonial Williamsburg, and even a few glimpses of how cute and squishy baby Kepler has gotten. :)

How do you handle terrible, no-good days? And what helps to reassure you that you're where your at in your homeschooling?

Thanks to TriLight Health for their partial sponsorship of my trip to Virginia! You may have noticed me mention TriLight before, and that's because I'm such a big fan of their herbal liquid remedies and supplements. Our family uses them frequently, and they're one of my top recommendations for those wanting to use herbs for better health.

All images by Heidi Scovel.

Disclosure: My accomodations at the Peace Hill Bed & Breakfast were complimentary, but I am not under any obligation to post about my stay. I also received free curriculum, compliments of Peace Hill Press. All opinions expressed in this post are my own, unless specified as a quote from another person.

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Written by Kate Tietje, Contributing Writer

I am so excited.  It's finally May, which means that the farmer's market is now open!  Well...we're lucky -- there is a winter market near me.  But I never went (I know, I know).  I just love the outdoor market in the summer, with all of its fresh produce, warm sun, lots of healthy people running around....  It can be overwhelming, but it is an amazing experience.  Even when things are a bit expensive, I go at least once a month just to be there.

My kids are getting a little older now (almost 4 1/2 and almost 3, plus a 9-month-old) and we're starting to do a little homeschooling with them.  One major part of their education this spring and summer is on gardening and growing.  We just painted some clay pots and planted their vegetables of choice (my 4-year-old chose watermelons; almost 3-year-old chose pumpkins), and we'll be watching them grow throughout the season.

But man cannot live on pumpkins and watermelons alone. :)

That means when we visit the farmer's market, we'll be doing a fun project.  Try this with your kids!

Vegetables at the Market

We have some pretty neat farms that exhibit at my favorite farmer's market.  Many grow heirloom and unusual varieties of vegetables.  They're often ones I've never cooked with or even heard of.  Of course, I grew up eating SAD and that meant frozen peas, corn, broccoli -- the "usual."  So when I run into radicchio or mustard greens, well...I'm not always sure what to do with them!

I hope my kids will be different!

At the market, I'll be allowing my kids to choose several different vegetables of their choice.  These may include things like:

• Swiss chard
• Asian greens
• Kale
• Herbs
• Beans
• Squash
• Tomatoes (including heirloom varieties)
• Peppers (various types)
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Bok choi
• Eggplant
• Kohlrabi
• ...and lots more!

There's no telling what you'll find at the market.  Not all of these things will be in season at once.  And not all of them are in season yet.  Wait a couple months though and you should find most of these. :)

The only way to learn about these vegetables is to dive in and try them.  Let your kids select a few to take home with you.  Encourage them to sample whatever is out for that purpose, or purchase some and encourage them to taste what you've bought.  Make sure to get a wide variety...and don't be afraid of them even if you've never heard of them or cooked with them, either!

Image by limevelyn

Take Your Veggies Home

Bring the veggies home and see what you've got.  What was in season?  What's the most unique thing you have?

We'll be taking the time to look up the veggies we bring home so we can learn more about them.  We already know when they're in season and where they're grown, but we want to know more.  We're looking to answer questions like:

• What family are these veggies from?  What more recognizable veggies belong to this family?
• Are there other varieties of this veggie?
• What's the best way to prepare it?

...and then, we're going to eat them!

Our research has told us how best to prepare our veggies.  I envision a salad, because this early in the season, it's greens that are mostly available.  Of course, if you decide to try this later in the season (or we try again!), feel free to try cooked dishes, too, if you prefer.  Some of these vegetables are definitely better if cooked.

Let your kids help you in the kitchen.  Older ones can help to chop the veggies; smaller ones can tear greens for salad or use a spoon to stir.  Watch what happens to the veggies if you cook them -- do they lose a lot of water and shrink?  Do they change color?  (Purple string beans do!)

Then comes the most fun part...eating them!

Taste the Veggies

Kids can sometimes be reluctant to eat veggies.  Even my kids, who have always had several varieties offered, often finish everything on their plates and only pick at the veggies.  (This does vary by day -- some days they only want veggies; others they completely refuse.)

When kids are invested in a project, though, they're a lot more likely to taste.  Since the kids chose their own veggies and helped to prepare them, they will probably at least want to take a taste!  If they're nervous (mine probably would be), let them know they don't have to eat it if they don't like it.  But they need to take a little taste!  And so do you. :)

Helping Kids Taste Those Veggies

Although it won't be feasible for many families to go to the farmer's market (or grocery store, if there are no markets near you) everyday or even weekly, you can still involve your kids in choosing the vegetable dishes you prepare and helping to actually prepare them.

Sit with your kids and look through cookbooks (ones with lots of pictures, if at all possible) and recipe websites.  My kids love doing this.  Have them choose which dishes look interesting and add them to your meal plan.  Ask them to help you prepare them when it's time.  When they're involved in the planning, it's totally different than simply having it served to them.

Plus, it's awesome to teach your kids early to select a wide variety of veggies, to learn about what's seasonal, to learn the importance of local eating, and to learn how to cook and prepare traditional foods.  What a gift to give them!

Women like me, who grew up on SAD, have had to teach ourselves everything.  I learned to cook by watching the Food Network, reading cookbooks, reading blogs, and a lot of kitchen experiments.  How I wish I could have had someone to come alongside me and teach me to cook.  My own kids already know how to knead bread, shape meatballs, brew and bottle kombucha (check out my video), and a lot more!  To them, that sort of thing is totally normal, it's just "what you do."  I love that.

Involve your kids in the kitchen as much as possible.  It's awesome for so many reasons.

How do you involve your kids in the kitchen?  Does it help them eat their veggies?

Top image by empracht

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Strawberry banana yogurt smoothie with virgin coconut oil, almonds, flax seed and raw honey.

It's visionary to eat healthy. What we put into our bodies today will, in many ways, determine our health tomorrow. God gave us food to delight us as well as to nourish our bodies, and there is beautiful balance in the natural foods He has provided.

Over the years I've tried to feed our children as healthy as possible, knowing that in certain seasons it is less possible than other seasons. For example, after a new baby comes into the house, the spelt pancakes and raisin carrot muffins for breakfast go flying out the door...and in walks the cheerios, raisin bran, and frosted (anybody judging?) shredded wheat.

I have been on serious health food kicks over the years. Probably the worst experience was when we tried to "go raw" for a while.

OK, a week.

My husband put an end to that after the third night of an undefinable, seedy type of casserole followed by a "cheesecake" (his favorite dessert) made with ground nuts.

The recipe said it tasted EXACTLY like the real thing.

My husband said, "NOT".

One of the frustrating things about trying to eat healthier, whole foods, is that it takes more preparation time, and when you get busy with more and more children, prep time is at a minimum. The other frustrating thing I've found is that when I don't have the right tools, I can't do the right things, well...right.

Little Davey Boy showing off my Vitamix

Enter the Vitamix.  I've made whole grain pancakes and waffles, applesauce, smoothies, crushed ice, chopped onions and carrots, play dough, soups, peanut butter, and chocolate malts.  (Hey...chocolate malts are very good for the soul...if not for the gut.)  I even used my Vitamix to help me go into labor.

How did I live without this machine? I think I will forevermore look upon my life as "pre-Vitamix" and "post-Vitamix".

"Pre-Vitamix", I had a friend and her children over for the day. I made some kefir and berry smoothies in my regular style blender. She watched while I painfully wrestled with the blender and the ingredients for 10 full minutes before I finally had something blended well enough to choke down. There was only enough for each person to have a tiny glass. This is why smoothies, while healthy, were not something I would anticipate making...and therefore made only on rare occasions.

And I believe our "going raw" experiment would have been more pleasant and realistic had we owned a Vitamix.

Seven Reasons to Love a Vitamix

1. The size of the container is HUGE. It holds 8 cups worth of whatever you are making. That's enough for our family of 10 to each have a 6-7 ounce glass, if we are making smoothies. It also holds enough batter to feed our family the number of pancakes/waffles we need...and then some.

2. It is LIGHT. My old blender container, made of thick glass, weighed a TON. This one is so light it makes lifting and pouring easy...even for kids.

3. It blends up smoothies and blender pancake/waffle recipes with any kind of ingredient painlessly. And we're not just talking bananas, berries and milk here. I can put an entire carrot in there...and it will blend it up with my fruits smooth as silk. In 30 seconds.

This morning I put whole flax seed and almonds in our strawberry banana yogurt smoothie...and it was smooth and creamy rich. With my old blender, virgin coconut oil would never get completely blended into the smoothie. Instead, we could feel the tiny globules of coconut oil in our mouths. (Raw, virgin coconut oil is good for your gut.) But with the Vitamix, I can dump in a big spoonful of the stuff...and it gets completely emulsified in with the rest of the ingredients. In 30 seconds.

I've thrown in fresh spinach leaves and avocado...without telling my kids...and it blends up so well, they have no idea those things are in there.

With my old blender, I had zero success with whole grain blender batter recipes that call for blending whole grains in with the other ingredients in one step. With the Vitamix, I can throw in any whole grain to make a pancake or waffle batter that rivals anything we've ever tasted in the past. My family loves the pancakes and waffles I make, and I'm able to add flax seed, almonds, just about any ingredients you can imagine.  You can puree baby food in seconds with this machine as well.

Blender waffle batter made with whole grains

4. The lid doesn't fly off when pureeing hot foods. I can't tell you how many times I've had hot, pureed veggies for cream soups splattered all over my ceiling, counter top, and face with my old blender. Not any more. My face is safe, thanks to Vitamix's unique lid that "locks" into place. Creamy asparagus soup is heaven to make. And even more heavenly to eat. With a clean face.

5. I can weed out several other appliances from my kitchen, thus simplifying life and conserving space. I no longer need my blender, food processor, coffee grinder or grain mill. Yes, if you have the dry container, which is an add on, you can grind coffee beans and mill any kind of whole grain into flour. You can crack whole grains too in order to make hot cereals like oat groats.

I run a soap business where I often need to grind organic herbs into a powder.  Not a problem with my Vitamix.

6. This machine enables me to feed my family more whole foods, more painlessly and pleasantly than any other piece of equipment I have ever owned.

7. A seven year warranty. Free shipping to their repair center and back should your Vitamix need help.

Healthy Saturday morning breakfast!

Isn't it Just a Glorified Blender That Costs a Mint?

Not everyone can afford a Vitamix. We certainly could not until this year. This post isn't intended to cause coveting, bitterness or nagging of husbands. However, even when we've been quite poor, God has graciously enabled me to creatively figure out ways to acquire tools that I feel are helpful to my homemaking.

So why haven't I owned a Vitamix before now?

I wasn't convinced it was necessary.

I thought it was just a glorified blender...and that it would be ridiculous to spend hundreds of dollars on a blender that would do the same thing as the one on sale for $40 at Target. (We've been through 4 sub-par, painfully laborious blenders in the past 20 years.)

The Vitamix is so much more than "just a blender". It is the best way I've discovered, thus far, to incorporate healthy, whole foods into my family's diet.

Save your shekels. Say "no" to other things and save for this one. Ask for money for your birthday and Christmas...and put it aside for a Vitamix. This is how I've been able to acquire some of my most beloved, quality homemaking tools.

And just for the record, I am not a Vitamix distributor, nor am I getting paid to write this post! I'm just a satisfied owner.  (I've heard Blendtecs are amazing as well!)

Swirl a little cream on top to make a pretty presentation!

Creamy Spring Asparagus and Potato Soup

I want to leave you with one of our favorite and most amazing spring time recipes using delicious, fresh asparagus from the garden...and made in the Vitamix.  This recipe serves 8 hungry people who are looking for something to tantalize their taste buds and fill their stomachs. They won't even KNOW it's healthy. (This recipe is adapted from Sue Gregg's Soups and Muffins cookbook which I highly recommend!)

1. Throw in a stock pot and simmer for 10 minutes:

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 lbs fresh asparagus (from your garden is best!)
• A BIG handful of baby spinach (or more!)
• 3 medium sized potatoes, diced.  (And by all means...leave those skins on!!)
• 1 large sweet vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped

2. Puree in your Vitamix or Blendtec, and then pour back into the stock pot.

3. Now put the following into your Vitamix or Blendtec and whiz away until smooth:

• 1 quart warm milk
• 4 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt

4. Pour milk mixture into stock pot with soup and stir until hot and thickened. 

5. Serve with warm, crusty bread for lunch.  Add a big salad with it for a fabulous dinner.

Do you own a Vitamix or Blendtec machine?  Share what you love about your kitchen tool with the rest of us!

Disclosure: This site is not affiliated with Vitamix or Blendtec, nor was this post sponsored in any way by either company. All opinions are entirely those of the author (well, and maybe this site's editor, another happy Vitamix owner!). Affiliate links are included within this post, and though you are not obligated to use them, it helps to support this site when you do, so thank you!

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Would you like to join me in saving literally hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill over the next month?

It's time to eat from our freezers and pantries!

The impetus for this challenge was the fact that each summer I save up extra cash for purchasing fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables for preserving.

And maybe also the fact that my pantry and freezer are both in need of a good cleaning. An actual scrub down, yes, but also cleaning out foods that we have in abundance, rather than continuing to go to the store every week or two to add to ALL the food that we already have. Have you ever wondered exactly how much food is hiding in your kitchen? 

Here's the plan:

Wednesday, May 16th- Challenge launch date (get ready, get set...)

I'll kick things off and share a bit about my own process and goals next Wednesday, and welcome you to share your goals as well.

This launch date will give you a few more days to figure out what you have on hand and get those meal plans ready to go for the following Monday.

Monday, May 21- GO!!! Eating from the pantry and freezer commences.

I'll share my own meal plan for the first week of the challenge, and open a link-up for you to share yours as well. I'll be tracking how much I spend each week of the challenge, and it would be great if others shared their financial goals and spending as well!

Each Monday from May 21- June 11 (4 weeks in total), I'll be posting my meals plans and sharing my progress and you'll be able to check in and do the same.

How to join in with the challenge

What you need to do between now and May 21st:

1. Decide how much money you want to save and how long you think you'll do the challenge for. I'll be at it for 4 weeks and you can join in for a little or as long as you want.
2. Do a detailed inventory of your freezers, pantry and fridge
3. Write up a meal plan for at least the first week of the challenge
4. Make a short list and purchase any fresh foods you need to complete your meals (I'll still be buying eggs, dairy and fresh produce during the challenge)
5. If you need extra help, particularly with the inventories and the meal planning, download a copy of my book Plan It, Don't Panic: Everything You Need to Successfully Create and Use a Meal Plan. It includes printable planning pages (for inventories, meal planning, and grocery shopping), as well as plenty of tips for taking inventory of your food and (of course) on how to make and use a meal plan.

During this month-long challenge, I will be putting all of my ebooks on sale. Use the coupon code CHALLENGE25 to take 25% off any single ebook, OR use code BUNDLE50 to buy all 3 of my ebooks at 50% off!

Will you join me as I eat from my freezer and pantry?

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"I know we should eat more vegetables, but..."

This is a common refrain. I bet you've even said it yourself. Vegetables tend to be one of the most under-appreciated parts of the food kingdom, and sadly, one that very few people have learned to truly incorporate into their regular eating habits.

The video above is a clip from a recent episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (one of the few things worth watching on tv!). Watch this brief segment to see that today's children are utterly lacking in even the most basic of knowledge about the abundance of vegetables that our kind Creator has given us for our health and enjoyment. It is both shocking and revealing of our culture's eating habits, just how uneducated these 6 year olds are in the realm of vegetables.

As I watched, I suddenly felt so grateful that my 5 year old could have quickly and easily named each of these colorful veggies. The reason why? Because after years of neglecting these nutritious gems, I have finally learned how to cook vegetables, and cook them well, in ways that are quick, simple and that we consistently enjoy (and yes, even my children and my husband!).

Two Simple Methods for Preparing Practically Any Vegetable

Steaming:

Steaming, rather than boiling, is preferable because there is less nutrient loss and quite frankly, the taste and texture are just that much better. Please (please), don't use your microwave. Let me teach you the simple stovetop method.

You'll need a pot and a colander that fits it. A metal pop-up steamer like this works well and will fit inside a mid-sized pot.

You could also use a tiered pot set, that comes with a steamer piece that has handles, similar to this one.

The basic method for steaming is to add a couple inches of water to the bottom of the pot and bring the water to a boil. Then place the steamer full of vegetables over top of the steaming water, put a lid on top and set a timer for the appropriate amount of time.

Depending on the vegetable, you will need to let it steam for as little as just a few minutes, or more commonly about 5-15 minutes. Here is a chart that lists most vegetables and how long they need to be steamed for (just ignore the microwave directions!).

What to steam? Almost anything! Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, cabbage, brussel sprouts, corn, greens, sweet potato... pretty much anything you can think of.

Don't leave your vegetables naked once they've been steamed, or you will probably find that they still don't taste as good as you'd like. I know we've been told so many times to stop using all that butter, but it's bad advice. Put some butter on your vegetables, and yes, a good sprinkle of salt, too (just try to make it an unrefined sea salt). Vegetables taste best and their nutrients are most easily assimilated when the are served with some good, old-fashioned fat.

For some other ideas, here are 8 Ways to Perk Up Steamed Veggies.

Image by Sandy Austin

Pan Cooking

This is my favorite method of preparing veggies because it is fast, simple and makes only one dirty dish (not that rinsing out a pot and colander is difficult, either). Mushrooms, asparagus, zuchinni, snap peas, green beans, onions... yum.

Here is my oh-so-technical method of pan cooking veggies: Chop veggies up (or for something like asparagus, leave whole but break off the fibrous bottoms). Warm up the pan to medium heat and melt a couple tablespoons of oil (butter, coconut oil, tallow or lard- they all work well). Toss the veggies in, and give them a bit of a stir/flip every few minutes. Once the vegetables have softened, they're done. Usually it takes under 10 minutes.

Depending on what I'm making and what we're in the mood for, I sometimes add some herbs, spices or other flavorings. We love to eat mushrooms fried with some butter, soy sauce and maple syrup (don't knock it til you've tried it!). For asparagus, I usually add butter, lemon juice, and dill. Zucchini is nice with Italian herbs. Snap peas are wonderful as is, so long as you keep them just a bit "snappy" still.

It only takes trying this a few times before you get the hang of it. You'll start to recognize when your vegetables are ready, and it never hurts to just pop a piece in your mouth to do a little taste test (the privileges that come with being the chef!).

Tasty Recipes to Get More Vegetables Onto Your Table

Salads and Greens

Broccoli Salad

Savory Carrot Salad with Toasted Nuts and Oregano

Greek Salad

Green Bean Salad

Spinach Rice Casserole

Potato, Sweet Potato, Yam and Squash

Four Seasons of Potato Salad (4 different takes on potato salad- all yummy! You have to scroll down a little to find the link)

Butternut Squash Fries

12 Clove Butternut Squash

Delicious Home Baked French Fries

Gingered Sweet Potatoes

Papas Chorreadas (Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes with a creamy tomato sauce)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Image by Summer Tomato

Root Veggies (Carrots, Turnips, Beets, etc.)

Pan Fried Buttery Carrots

Turnip and Squash Gratin

Roasted Beets (yummier than they sound!)

Cruciferous Veggies- Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage

Buttery Lemon Broccoli

Cauliflower Souffle (I was looking for a different Cauliflower Casserole recipe that I printed from another blog, but I just can't find it. This recipe is pretty similar)

World's Best Braised Cabbage

Other Assorted Veggies- Beans, Asparagus, Zucchini, Mushrooms

Sauteed Mushrooms with Soy Sauce and Maple Syrup

Roasted Asparagus

Simple Zucchini and Onions

Garlic Green or Yellow Beans

This is just a small sampling of the variety of amazing, delicious ways that you can serve up more vegetables. Obviously this post only begins to scratch the surface, but I hope that it gives you a bit more inspiration and know-how, to help you increase the amount of vegetables that your family eats!

This was originally posted in April, 2010, but seeing as we're launching into a month or two where we'll be sharing all sorts of tips and ideas for including more vegetables in your diet, it seemed appropriate to share it again. Look forward to more posts in our Vegging Out series coming up!

I'm sure that you have your own favorite vegetable recipes... Would you share one or two of them with us?

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