Sweet Southern Belle

In the kitchen, that is. Since making major changes in the food we consume my family and I have tried lots of new stuff. In the kitchen, that is. Since making major changes in the food we consume my family and I have tried lots of new stuff. Some of the stuff is good and some not so much. Below I’ve written about three of my favorite products for cooking and baking.

1. Grapeseed Oil- I love this stuff and use it every day on something. It is a light nutty oil that is high in all the “good” fats. It has the same health benefits as olive oil but can withstand high temperatures. Olive oil puts off carcinogens when heated past 300 degrees. Grapeseed oil is fantastic for roasting, sautéing and grilling. I’ve read it can be used for frying but I can not attest to that as I don’t fry foods. Some studies show that grapeseed oil is not processed in your body as fat like other oils. I use grapeseed oil when cooking vegetables, baking bread, baking cakes, making dressings, and even popping popcorn. It can be used in any recipe that calls for vegetable or canola oil.
2. White Wheat Flour- My friend, Kelley, began using this flour with good results and I soon followed suit. White Wheat Flour is 100% whole wheat but it has a lighter taste and texture than its brown cousin. White Wheat Flour is not as white as all-purpose flour even the unbleached kind. It has a slight yellow tint. I personally love the taste of the brown wheat flour and I still use it some but this pleases my family. The white wheat flour mimics all-purpose flour in recipes. I use it to make our bread and cereal bars every week. I’ve used it in pizza dough, muffins, cupcakes and making cookies too.
3. Raw Sugar- I am slowly switching over to all raw sugar. I know for some sugar is the anti-Christ but I would argue that sugar in general has gotten a bad rap. Sugar cane is a whole food. Unfortunately the processed bleached sugar we see most often in the United States is “bad” stuff, but sugar in and of its self is not bad. It’s the bleaching; refining and processing that make it bad. However, recently it’s become possible to buy “raw” sugar in the United States. Raw sugar like most other “health” foods is more expensive than processed sugar but the health benefits are well worth the few extra dollars. I should note that the raw sugar we have access to in the Unites Stated is still processed some but when it has the label “raw” or “organic-raw” you can be sure it has no bleach or refining. Many of us think that brown sugar is better than white sugar (myself included until recently) but traditional brown sugar has been bleached and refined. Brown sugar has all the bleaching and refining as white sugar but it has syrup added back to give it color and flavor. I’ve used raw sugar in cookies, cupcakes, muffins, bread, and fresh squeezed lemonade. I’ve yet to bake a cake with raw sugar but I plan on trying soon. I still use refined sugar some and occasionally I use other sweeteners such as Agave and Stevia but I’m trying to use primarily raw sugar.

* Just a note…I read lots of articles on products before I use them and certainly before I recommend them here. However, you should always read up on products for yourself and decide what is best for your families’ health*

I had a conversation with someone last night about faith. This person questioned my faith and my relationship with God because my beliefs were different than their beliefs, which is something I try not to do. I am not able to judge someone else’s relationship with God. I leave that to God. I personally believe God can not be folded and put neatly into the small box that is comfortable to most of us. During the conversation I was questioned about my “absolutes”. I have several but this one keeps coming to my heart so I’m choosing to share.

My friend, Beth, said it best on her facebook status a few weeks back. God loves everyone, no exceptions! God loves thieves, honest persons, hard workers, bums, whores, nuns, terrorists, noble peace prize winners, abusers, social workers, televangelists, nurses, abortion doctors, pediatricians, cheaters, preachers, liars, teachers, heterosexuals, homosexuals, republicans, democrats, independents, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, and Atheists. This is not of course an exclusive list, but you get the point. God loves everyone on this earth. He loves all of his precious creation, without exception. That truth I am as sure of as I am that the sun will rise each morning. For all of human kind has fallen short of the glory of God. God loves us because God created us and God loves us in spite of us! And, God calls us to love everyone, especially those who we find “hard” to love. We are to love those people whose values do not line up with our own and those who question our values. We are to love them and treat them with respect even when it’s hard to do.  We are to do so because God first loves us.

Happy Earth Day (April 22)! If you’ve read my blog at all before you know that I have deep convictions about the way I treat the planet I’m allowed to live on. On this day and every day I encourage you to take the time to care for the earth. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We can not enjoy the beauty of God’s creation if we destroy the creation.

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I’m thirty years old! However, I can’t help but feel anything but gratitude. When I was 22 years old I was told I had a large tumor on a vital organ and may need surgery to remove the tumor. I was told the surgery had only a 60 % survival rate and that without the surgery I would not eat solid food again. That diagnosis was hard and painful and still creates fear as I type this post.  However, on this day I stand healthier, stronger and more at peace than every before. I do not pretend to understand all of the ways of God or why God chose to allow me to overcome such a struggle, yet on this day I am grateful to be alive and healthy.

My twenties have been busy! I graduated college with Bachelors degree, got married, begun a career, became a mother, graduated from graduate school with a Master’s degree, said goodbye to some wonderful friends, and made some lifelong friends. I’ve had two skin cancers removed, became a better steward of the earth, struggled with anxiety, and grown a passion for being healthy. I have less “absolutes” in life than every before yet I have a stronger faith in God’s presence and grace in my life than ever before.

I begin my thirties a few pounds heavier,with a few more wrinkles and gray hairs but also with some wisdom that comes with life experience. I’m thankful that God is not finished with me yet and I look forward to what my future holds.

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I am very lucky to have many great friends. I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends throughout my life and in each new phase that life sends my way. When I had Lizzie Sue three and a half years ago Lance and I made the decision that I would stay at home to care for her. That decision was the best for my family and I would not change it for the world. However, being at home came with its own challenges. One of those challenges was being lonely. Particularly when Lizzie Sue was a baby and slept most of the day, I was lonely. I missed the interaction that I had with friends at work and while I had plenty to keep me busy ( I was in grad school at the time) I missed adult conversation. I felt this way until one day I found a conversation board called Moms at home. This board was made up of women who were “at home” with their children. Many of these women actually worked part time (like I do) but for the most part they were home during the day. The women on this board were from all over the country and from different walks of life, yet were brought together by a common thread. I was able to log on several times a day and to know that other women were in the same “boat” as me. I learned so much about parenting and life from these women. Many of them challenged me and helped me to be a better wife, mother and friend. As the months and years past many of these women became my “real” friends. I felt as close to them as I did my friends in “real” life. Many of the members of the board have met over the years at various times and places when life would allow but until this week I never had the opportunity to meet anyone in person.

On Tuesday I was lucky enough to meet a person whom I consider one of my best friends. I “met” Amanda on the moms at home board years ago and our friendship has changed over the years. It has gone from casual conversation to true friendship. Amanda is a good friend who challenges and inspires me to acknowledge that my body and this earth are precious gifts from God and to treat them as such. It was a joy to spend the day with Amanda and her family and I look forward to the next time we are able to get together. I am truly thankful that because of social networking it is possible for me to continue old friendships and to make new friendships with people whom I may not have known otherwise.

I know some hard core runners who speak about the high they get after pounding on the pavement. For years I’ve smiled and thought such runners were nuts. For the past 14 years I’ve been a walker though I’ve tried running sprints in my walks at times. I’ve intermittently done other fitness activities as well such as aerobics and strength training but walking has been my consistent. The few times I’ve tried running I found it painstakingly miserable. The burn in my chest, the burn in my shins, and the sweat has all turned me off.

However, to spite my gut feeling about a month ago I agreed to give running a real try. Why you ask? Well, the answer has two parts. One is that I’ve been making some major life changes in an attempt to have the healthiest body possible and I felt like I needed to “up” my fitness level and two my very soon to be 30 year old metabolism has slowed down and my walks are no longer allowing me to eat the same amount of calories without weight gain. My dear friend; Amanda, who has been acting as my dietitian and personal trainer suggested that if I wanted to get optimal calorie burn I should incorporate jogging intervals into my walking routine. Her suggestion came at the perfect time for me to begin training for a race that my husband directs to benefit missions. I gently coerced my walking partner (another dear friend) to give running a try.

We started with intervals about a month ago and honestly the first time I began jogging I felt like I might die and I remembered just why I hated running. I only pushed forward to burn extra calories but I hated every second. Our running intervals began to get longer and our walking intervals got shorter. I’m not ready for a half marathon or anything but today I felt the runners high. I was pounding away getting faster all the time and it hit me that I loved the feeling. My body felt light and I felt as though I was soaring. I didn’t want to stop. It was a great feeling and as I type this I can’t wait for my next run! I’m not sure why running has stuck this time, maybe it’s the accountability of friends, maybe it’s that I’m healthier due to the kinds and quality of food I eat , maybe it’s that my body is overall stronger from intense strength training I’m also doing? I’m not sure the reason but I am sure that I now LIKE to run which is something I never though I would say!

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

I’ve done pretty well with recycling for a while now. I keep several bins outside my kitchen door for easy access. Even though my city only has curb-side pick up for paper I collect glass, albumin, tin, plastic and cardboard to take downtown to the recycling center any time I’m heading that way. I check out the numbers on the bottom of anything plastic and I try to only buy products that have a 1 or 2 since that’s what I can recycle. I also buy as many products as I can that are made from recycled material. Our market exists on a supply and demand basis so if we demand recycled materials more companies will use them.

However, not until pretty recently was I conscious about reducing or reusing. Reusing is even more important than recycling since it takes a great deal of energy to recycle. Before I throw anything in the trash or recycling bin I try to think of another use.  Here are a few of the things I’ve been doing lately to reduce and reuse.

1. I take notice of the packaging that anything I buy comes in and if I have several choices I try to purchase the product with less packaging.
2. I buy products in the largest possible container. I buy the largest containers I can find of products I use a lot of such as vinegar, olive oil, castile soap and honey.
3. I’m trying to reduce the amount I buy of anything and everything. The truth is I buy buy buy way too much and I need to slow down and think about the necessity of purchases.
4. I am saving all my glass jars for leftover containers (thanks to Amanda for the great idea). I have slowly been trying to weed out the use of plastic containers so saving glass jars helps me have something to put my food in.
5. I reuse glass bottles to put salad dressing or body oil in both of which I make at home and would have to purchase something to put them in otherwise.
6. I’m using both sides of paper when printing and writing.
7. I wash out plastic zip lock bags ( see above pic…not great decor but oh well)  and reuse them for as long as they hold up (usually 3-5 uses) I would like to eventually stop using them but I’m not there yet.
8. I use reusable cloth shopping bags 95 % of the time. That would be 100% if I could remember to take them out of my car ever time I get out!
9. We use wash clothes and cloth napkins instead of paper ones and I’m trying VERY hard to weed out my use of paper towel (the ones I do buy though are made of 100% recycled paper). I keep them in a high cabinet so I have to climb to get them out which makes me really think about the need. Otherwise we use rags that can be washed and re-used!

What do you do to reuse? Any new ideas?

This is my new favorite salad dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. I just dumped them in my bottle and shook it until it look like dressing!

I like to have a quick breakfast option sometimes and these bars are a great choice. This recipe is my favorite and the bars make a great snack/desert option too. I make these almost every week as they have a “shelf life” of about 7 days.

Play Group Bars

2 cups of rolled oats

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup of flour (your choice….I’ve used all purpose, unbleached bread and whole wheat)

¾ cup of dried fruit or chocolate chips

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup honey

1 egg, beaten

½ cup oil (I used grapeseed or almond)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl mix all ingredients together until it is a sticky constancy. Then pat into a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Bake on 350 for 25 minutes. Cut into bars or squares while hot. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Thursday night was pizza night at our house. This was my first attempt at pizza dough and homemade sauce. The pizza turned out great and was super yummy! I did however try to trick my dear husband with veggie pepperoni instead of the horrible real stuff. He was not tricked at all….when asked what he thought about the pepperoni he said they tasted like vegetables but added that they didn’t taste bad! He’s really being a great about all the food changes we are making!

I made the sauce early in the day so the spices had time to flavor the sauce. This made enough for two pizzas so I put the leftover portion in the freezer for the next time we make pizza.

1 (4 oz) can of tomato paste (I used organic)

1 ½ cups water

1/3 cup of olive oil

2 gloves or garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

½ tablespoon of chopped oregano

½ tablespoon of chopped basil

½ tablespoon chopped rosemary 

(I used fresh spices)

Mix together tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Add garlic and all other spices. Mix well and let sit for 3 + hours for flavor.

Pizza Crust

3 cups of all-purpose flour (I used unbleached bread flour because that’s what I had on hand)

1 (.25 ounce) of dry active yeast

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 cup warm water (100 degrees)

1 package of Italian seasoning (optional)

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan or stone. Top as desired.