Why Gluten Free?

Since my decision to go gluten free I have had several people (including my husband) ask Why Gluten Free? While I do not seem to have any extreme reactions to gluten, I kept having these nagging symptoms and agitations. Together with my amazing homeopathic care provider we narrowed my symptoms down to a possible gluten intolerance. I had symptoms like:

1. Chronic Fatigue - I would wake up in the morning feeling like I had not gotten any rest at all. It was miserable. I also notice I literally crashed about an hour after lunch and dinner (like a coma).
2. Chronic Constipation - Need we discuss the details?
3. In ability to lose weight - despite 6 workouts a week!
4. Acne - I'm 36 years old! Why am I still dealing with breakouts? Seems even worse than when I was a teenager.

Taking these symptoms into consideration I decided to do a little experiment and went off wheat and gluten for 30 days. Susan, my homeopath, says that it takes 30 days for your system to clear the gluten out of your system. So in October I quit cold turkey and for over 30 days I stayed gluten free. I successfully lost 5 pounds, but what was most amazing was my renewed sense of energy. I was actually able to stay awake after 8:00pm and when I woke up in the morning I actually felt rested. Apparently this renewed life wasn't enough of a motivation for me because with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner I quickly fell off the wagon, until now.

I have now renewed my commitment to being gluten free for the last 2 weeks and I am finding it even easier to be gluten free this time around. Hopefully it will stick. The biggest problem I find with this lifestyle commitment is my ability to eat on the run, not to mention not being able to eat pizza (one of my favorite foods)! However, this new meal plan forces me to focus on eating healthy food and to look for fruit as a snack rather than crackers. In addition I have also started thinking about other ways I can eat cleaner and healthier. I have also been inspired to start planning a garden for our house, begin composting, and really make a meal plan for the family rather than simply freaking out every night around 4:30pm thinking I don't have anything for dinner!!! I'll keep you posted and let you know how I feel and how this new eating plan has impacted my life.

Homestead in the Suburbs - Brutvan Family

Marty and I went to high school together in Binghamton, NY and we remain in touch via the new modern technologies of facebook and twitter! Yeah for the internet reconnecting me with great friends from the past!

Written for NEW YORK HOUSE The Home and Real Estate Magazine for Smarter Living

Homestead in the Suburbs
by ANNE PYBURN CRAIG; PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCE MENK

When Janine and Marty Brutvan’s twins were babies, the couple realized that moving out of their 500-square foot apartment in Westchester had become something of an emergency. What had been workable for a childless couple was verging on ridiculous for a new family of four.

“Lydia and Riley shared a crib for the first six months,” remembers Janine. “We knew we had to move—and move fast.”

Logistically, infant twins and active house hunting didn’t mesh well. A friend stepped up and did some of the legwork. “We didn’t even see this house before we put money down,” Janine says. “I was nursing the babies, on the phone with my friend while she toured the house and described everything she saw. And it turned out so wonderfully.”

Originally, the Brutvans thought they’d add onto the 1,700-square foot, two-story in Gardiner. But a book, Small Houses for a Better World, convinced them to avoid enlarging the footprint, focusing instead on renovations that would transform the logistics of the interior.

Almost six years later, the house and garage are topped by solar panels that supply the electricity and hot water. “We’ve made over 8,000 kilowatt hours of electricity,” says Janine happily, displaying sheets of paper covered in numbers. “At first, I was checking the meters every day and taking notes, just seeing how it worked.”

The couple worked with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to finance the solar installation (powernaturally.org), and found that a combination of low-interest loans and tax breaks melted a $52,000 project cost down to manageable size. A $20,000 loan at 2.75 percent, a $23,450 rebate from NYSERDA, and a $7,000 tax credit meant only $2,000 needed to be laid out.

Then Janine took it to the next level. “They estimated it would cover 70 percent of our electricity—so I got rid of the dryer and the microwave, and not only did it cover 100 percent, we got a $287 check. People should know there are great programs out there to help them with these things.”

“Some people want it to cost less than their current electric bill, which isn’t realistic right away,” Marty observes. “But in the longer term, it works out very well. This is our home and we’re going to raise our kids here, so for us it made perfect sense.”

The full basement, which provides a lovely playroom and stays naturally cool all summer with no help at all, harbors several of the family’s sustainability tools: a solar hot water system from Hudson Valley Clean Energy (hvce.com), a clotheslines for winter drying, a freezer neatly stacked with veggies and fruits, and a root cellar— a stairwell to the back yard in which totes packed with straw hold potatoes and squash. “I make all of our bread with grains from Wild Hive (wildhivefarm.com), and we belong to Phillies Bridge (philliesbridge.org) and Taliaferro’s (taliaferrofarms.com). And we leased our own apple tree at Liberty View Farms (libertyviewfarm.biz), and dried a whole bunch of apples—apple candy, the kids call it.”

Janine feels blessed by the community resources she keeps discovering, from those local CSAs (community supported agriculture) to low-VOC (volatile organic compound) furniture refinishing products at Green Courage in New Paltz (greencourage.com). Each New Year, she assesses the family’s progress and resolves to take one new step in the direction of sustainable living (it’s clear, however, that new ideas crop up between times—at one idea a year, Janine would be an extremely well preserved multi-centenarian).

Eating healthy has become, well, natural. “I had a mother who canned food herself, so it wasn’t a totally foreign concept—but I was a little nervous about it at first. It’s a learning curve. At this point, the vast majority of what we eat is local.”

In 2009, the twins will be joined by an adopted little sister, who will share in the fun—walks to the farm on a summer evening instead of drives to the supermarket, home schooling (Janine is a certified teacher), fair trade chocolate instead of Hershey’s, and birthday parties featuring organic cotton gift bags and themes like space, the ocean, and insects—no Disney here. Marty’s work in web design can be done from home, decreasing fossil fuel consumption and increasing togetherness, and the entire family—including the two rangy Weimeraners—finds that togetherness delightful.

Green as they are, some might expect the Brutvans to be a tad self-satisfied, but nothing could be further from the truth. “I’m constantly learning from everyone around me, and all I can say is, ‘here’s what works for me,’” says Janine. “It might not work for everyone, and that’s fine, too. But we really are finding that the ‘Green Triangle’ is a reality. If it’s good for the earth, it’s probably also good for your health, and good for your wallet. We don’t have all kinds of money to throw at this, but the idea that you need to be wealthy to live organic is a misperception.

“Bottom line: a lot of it is practical, and fun, too. Some tell me it doesn’t make a difference—it’s just a drop in the bucket. Well, they’re entitled to their point of view,” says Janine.

Bidding farewell to the polite, bright-eyed Brutvan kids, one might be just as entitled to reflect that a mighty river is simply a collection of drops.

Eating Between the Lines

At the topic night for my Mother's and More group in January a local author, Kimberly Lord Stewart came to speak about her book, "Eating Between the Lines." This book was written to be "The Supermarket Shopper's Guide to the Truth Behind Food Labels." The book discusses topics like the benefits of Organic foods and how to spend your money wisely on organics based on pesticide residue for fruits and veggies.

Fruit and Vegetable Pesticide Residues

Most Residues
Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported
NEctarines
Pears
Peaches
Raspberries
Strawberries
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Lettuce (winter)

Least Residue
Kiwi
Mango
Bananas
Papaya
Pineapple
Asparagus
Avocado
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas (sweet)
Corn (sweet)

The book also focuses on teaching shoppers how to read labels and understanding what is simply "marketing" and what is actually important. For instance, did you know that if you purchase Chicken with special labeling stating that it is "Hormone Free" is simply a marketing scheme? "All hormones were banned in poultry operations in the late 1950s. No Added Hormones and No Added Steroids are simply reiterations of a policy that exists for all poultry producers - so don't pay more for hormone-free chicken. (p. 53)"

There are chapters on how to buy Beef, Chicken, Fish, Dairy, Grains, Oils, Baking Ingredients, Canned, Boxed, Bagged and Frozen Foods, Snacks etc. But overall the best part of this book is the cut out wallet sized reminders that you can keep in your purse (or wallet) while shopping or eating out for that matter! Now that proves it was a seasoned mom that wrote this book.

Mango Chicken

Made the Mango Chicken recipe tonight for dinner. The kids said it was ok, and the darling husband said "You guys should tell Mommy thank you for another awesome dinner." Not really sure if that meant that he actually thought it was awesome or if he was just making a point! Tonight's meal was pretty good. I was excited about it because I love mangoes, but overall I would put it in the bland category. Of course this is probably due in part to my lack of spices.

I started prepping the ingredients and it seemed to take forever. Thank goodness for the Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Food Chopper! It really helps chop onions, garlic, anything you want to chop up. Once everything was prepped I started cooking, that was the easy part. The one thing I didn't do was add the curry and ginger. I thought it would be flavorful enough and I was worried that the kids wouldn't eat it. Not to mention the fact that I was just flat out too cheap to purchase 2 $6 bottles of spices. Why are spices sold in such large portions. I needed 1 tsp of curry, would that be worth $6? Apparently not, but there was definitely something missing from dinner. One other change I made in the recipe was instead of adding uncooked cubed chicken to the mango mixture I actually cooked the chicken in a separate pan and once about 90% cooked I added it to the mango sauce. I was just a little worried that the chicken wouldn't cooked thoroughly quick enough.

I served the Mango Chicken over brown rice and it tasted pretty good. For some reason I seem to need to serve dished like this over something, pasta or rice usually. Again I would say this recipe was ok, but it doesn't go on the top ten list! Pasta and Brocolli tomorrow, hopefully that is a little better!!!

Mango Chicken
1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and diced

1. In a large saute pan, warm oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, stirring occasionally, cooking until soft, 5-10 minutes
3. Add red pepper, ginger, garlic, curry and salt, cook 5 minutes
4. Add vinegar, water, coconut milk and mango to pan, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce heat
5. Add chicken pieces, return to a low simmer
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through –cut open largest piece to check
7. Garnish with cilantro
8. Serve

Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing

Made the Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Sutffing last night for dinner. I thought I was so clever. I switched out the turkey for a chicken because we just didn't need a 15 pound turkey, and then I started to prepare the meal only to realize about 2 ingredients in that this is basically the exact same recipe as the Rosemary Apple Chicken. Oh well, I made it again. The only difference was that I actually stuffed the chicken with apples, I used Balsamic Vinegar instead of the dressing, and I used fresh rosemary (from the grocery store). What a difference that made. I have to plant myself an herb garden this summer, or any garden for that matter! Considering I can barely keep my house plants alive this will be quite an ambitious effort for me, but one must try right? I will be sure to keep you posted on how the garden planning etc. Goes. This of course will lend well to my new plan to start composting. Boy do I have some dreams for this spring. I better start planning!!!

HGTV House Hunters in Longmont

As seen in Longmont Times Call

2/20/2009

Anna and Sandra Cordova found their new home in Longmont and were featured on HGTV’s “House Hunters”. Courtesy Sandra Cordova

HGTV’s ‘House Hunters’ comes to Longmont
Longmont mother and daughter find home on national television

By Kristi Ritter
Longmont Times-Call

Sandra Cordova and her daughter Anna will never look at television in the same manner anymore, especially when they now know what goes on behind the scenes.

On Sunday the Longmont mother-daughter duo will be in the spotlight as they watch themselves on HGTV’s “House Hunters.” The show airs at 6 and 10 p.m.

For those not familiar with the show, “House Hunters” takes a look at a Realtor who is working with an active buyer and shows them three prospective homes for sale.

Local Realtor Jonelle Tucker with ERA Tradewind in Longmont admits she had never seen the show prior to being contacted. After sitting on the e-mail from the show for a couple of months, she replied to inquire into the details of their proposal. A demo tape later and they were chosen to be filmed.

“I think it will be fun for our community to see itself on national TV,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how many people were excited to know that ‘House Hunters’ was here. It was fun for me to know that people really enjoy home-related shows.”

Filming for the show started in Lyons last March, as Cordova was looking to relocate from the small community into Longmont. “House Hunters” also toured some of the local hot spots in the two areas, including dining in downtown Longmont at the Pumphouse and enjoying a cup of coffee at the Stone Cup in Lyons.

“Sandra and Anna were perfect for their role and we all had a great time working with the film crew and site director,” Tucker says. “We don’t get to preview the show, so it will be a surprise to all of us.”

Preparation for the show started on Tucker’s end by researching homes Cordova and her daughter were interested in, including condos or townhomes. Other specifics included no yard, three bedrooms, a porch, south facing to let the light in, two-car garage and a ranch style.

Tucker spent many hours prior to the show coordinating the logistics, including researching properties, scheduling access to properties for showings and filming, and communicating with and getting paperwork signed by various homeowners, homeowner associations, brokers and clients.

Cordova says Tucker’s work on the home search went beyond her expectations, even handwriting letters to more than 30 homeowners searching for the perfect property. “I’m so excited about this for Jonelle. I chose her because I knew her when we lived in Lyons and I knew she’d find exactly what I wanted,” she says.

Tucker admits that “House Hunters” is really about the client, in getting them ready to move and deciding which home works best for them. The Realtor is a behind-the-scenes person. “You can’t really be yourself as a Realtor on the show because they don’t have time for it. It’s more about the buyer’s reaction,” Tucker adds.

Interesting enough, the filming took four days for 22 minutes of live showing this weekend. While Cordova and her daughter admit it was hard work, it was a lot of fun. “What was really interesting to us was what goes on behind the scenes and the filming process, such as being fit for mics and sound checks,” she says.

Anna adds that the interesting part of the experience was looking at the property first, and then going back to talk to the cameras about it. “I definitely learned more about television, but it really taught me about my mom and me, about how well we can get along,” she says. “Doing this stuff was not easy with long days, but we never once got angry at each other. It was a fun experience.”

While the two found fun things to do while waiting on the crew, they also say they gained some new wardrobe pieces because of the filming. Cordova says they couldn’t wear black or white, or have anything with logos or writing on it, which eliminated a lot of selections out of Anna’s teenage closet, who was 17 at the time. They also couldn’t change their hair color or style drastically, as the crew came back in August to do a follow up in their new home.

“We had only moved in five weeks before filming, so it was only long enough to unpack and hang a couple of pictures,” Cordova says, adding that her son, Brett, was able to be there for the follow up filming.

Now, almost a year later, their home feels more like home with some paint splashed on walls to personalize it. And they’re ready to see themselves on national TV.

“Sandra and Anna were excellent decision-makers, had a great sense of humor, and were, overall, fabulous to work with not only for the ‘House Hunters’ show, but as my clients,” Tucker says. “There’s no doubt they appreciated their buying experience, as well as the unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a national television show.”

So which one did they choose out of their three selections? Tune in Sunday night on HGTV to find out.

Gluten Free Meal Plan Week #2

OK, managed to make it through one week gluten free and with creative meals most of the week. The only problem I had was managing the leftovers, but the way I looked at it I just had a buffet of food to eat over the weekend.

This week's meal plan looks a little something like this, with a few alterations I'm sure. I will let you know how it goes.

Day 1
Mango Chicken
1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and diced

1. In a large saute pan, warm oil over medium heat
2. Add onions, stirring occasionally, cooking until soft, 5-10 minutes
3. Add red pepper, ginger, garlic, curry and salt, cook 5 minutes
4. Add vinegar, water, coconut milk and mango to pan, bring to a boil briefly, then reduce heat
5. Add chicken pieces, return to a low simmer
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through –cut open largest piece to check
7. Garnish with cilantro
8. Serve

Day 2
Balsamic Roasted Turkey with Apple Stuffing
1 turkey (10-15 pounds)
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
10 apples, cored and sliced in half
4 sprigs rosemaryTo thaw out a frozen turkey place in refrigerator –this will take about one day for every 5 pounds, a 15 pound bird needs 3 days. Alternatively, thaw the bird in a cold water bath, this requires 30 minutes per pound –7 ½ hours for a 15 pound bird. Below are cooking instructions for the thawed turkey.

1. Remove the gizzards (save in refrigerator for gravy)
2. Rinse bird well and pat dry with paper towels; then truss (tie legs together with string)
3. Place turkey breast side up in a roasting pan, then slip rosemary underneath
4. Drizzle bird with grapeseed oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
5. Wedge apples around roasting pan to prop turkey up evenly –place 2 apple halves in cavity of bird
6. Place roasting pan with turkey, apples, etc. in oven on lowest rack
7. Roast at 325°, 15 minutes per pound; a 15 pound turkey requires 3 hours and 45 minutes
8. If skin begins to brown too soon, cover with foil
9. To check temperature stick a meat thermometer deep into thigh; at 175° it is safely done
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before carving
11. Serve

Day 3
Peach Chicken
(1) 3 pound chicken
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
6 peaches, quartered
4 shallots, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, then place in a large baking dish
2. Rub with oil, season with salt, then scatter peaches, shallots and thyme around the chicken
3. Roast at 400° for 60 to 90 minutes.
4. Serve with peaches and pan sauce

Day 4
Chicken Parmigiano
4 chicken breasts, boneless (1 to 1½ lbs total)
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 eggs, whisked
6 tablespoons salted butter
2 (7) ounce bottles Bionaturæ® Organic Tomato Paste
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
6 cloves garlic, sliced
16 ounces mozzarella cheese

1. Cut chicken breasts in half for thinner cutlets; pat dry
2. Dip cutlets in egg, let excess run off then coat with almond flour
3. Melt butter over medium heat; then sauté chicken cutlets until deep golden brown on both sides
4. Remove chicken and drain on paper towel
5. For tomato sauce combine tomato paste, water, Herbes de Provence and garlic in a pan; simmer for 15 minutes
6. Place ½ cup tomato sauce on bottom of a 7 x 11 Pyrex baking dish
7. Spread cutlets out in a single layer; cover with remaining tomato sauce, then layer with mozzarella
8. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes
9. Serve

Day 5
Pasta with Broccoli
1 (7) oz. box Papadini Rotini Hi-Protein Pure Lentil Bean Pasta
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
olive oil to taste
celtic sea salt to taste

1.In a large pot, bring 12 cups of water to a vigorous boil, then add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and pasta
2.Reduce to a slow boil, stirring frequently and cook uncovered 7-9 minutes
3.Drain pasta in a steel colander
4.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over a medium flame
5.Add sliced onion, reduce heat and cook onion until caramelized 10-15 minutes
6.Stir in broccoli florets and tomatoes and cook for another minute or two
7.Dish pasta and veggies into bowls; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with celtic sea salt
8.Serve

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

Friday I made the Crockport BBQ Pulled Pork recipe and it was good! As seen in the picture I served it (to Paul) on a deli roll, but for myself (in keeping with the gluten free agenda) I simply served it over the left over rice noodles from the Peking Pork. Overall I thought this recipe was pretty great. The pork was moist and literally fell apart after a day in the crockpot. It was great as leftovers as well because I had it Saturday for lunch as well. This recipe will definitely go high on the list.

Peking Pork Chops

OK so tonight I made the Peking Pork Chops and I had pretty high expectations because they were marinading and simmering in the sauce all day. Unfortunately I still had a hard time choking them down. I was disappointed, but Paul said I hit a home run.

As with the Chicken Chili this recipe wasn't that bad, but I wouldn't keep it on my top ten list.

Suggestions: I served the pork chops over Brown Rice noodles with steamed broccoli and carrots. I love soy sauce on noodles and I am looking forward to having them for lunch tomorrow.

Peking Pork Chops

Chicken Chili

On Wednesday night I made the Turkey Chili recipe I found on http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ and it was pretty good. I definitely wasn't wowed like I was with the Rosemary Apple Chicken, but it was easy and good enough. It was also great because we all ended up eating at different times and it was warm for everyone!

Alterations: The recipe called for poblano chili peppers, but I used sweet peppers because I was afraid the poblano peppers would be too spicy for the kids. I also did not add the spices, just the salt, because I was worried it would interact badly with the rosemary from the chicken. I figured we could just spice to taste if need be. I also added broccoli to the soup, which was not called for in the recipe. Finally, I served the soup over rice for a little extra.

I would probably cook this soup again if I had leftover turkey or chicken, but it won't be on my top ten list. The picture of this dinner does not look nearly as appetizing as the chicken either.

Rosemary Apple Chicken

I accidentally made dinner out of order already and it was only the first day! Oh well, it was good. So last night I made the Rosemary Apple Chicken and it was fantastic!

Alterations I made: I forgot to get Balsamic Vinegar so I used Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing with the grapeseed oil. I also just spread a little rosemary all over the top of the chicken rather than putting it underneath

Suggestions: Cut up twice as many apples as you think you need because thy taste AWESOME! This recipe is SO easy, you just have to make sure you have 90 minutes to cook it!!!

Gluten Free Week #1

The following is the meal plan I put together in the attempt to go back to being gluten free. Recipes were found on a Year of Crockpotting http://crockpot365.blogspot.com and Elana's Pantry http://www.elanaspantry.com/recipes/ Enjoy!

Monday - Peking Pork chops
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, chopped
(there is a box of salt pictured, but I didn't use any; the soy sauce was plenty)

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot. Put chops into the stoneware. In a small bowl, combine sugar, spices, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of chops. No need to add any other liquid. If you had an onion in the house, it might be a nice addition, but not necessary for flavor.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4. If your chops are frozen they will take longer to cook. The longer you cook the meat, the more tender it will, but it might fall off the bone (which is fine in my mind, but some people really like intact meat).

Peking Pork Chops

Tuesday - Rosemary Apple Chicken
1 chicken (2 to 3 pounds)
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
4 apples, cored and sliced
4 sprigs rosemary
1.Rinse the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a 9×12 inch glass baking dish
2.Drizzle with oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt
3.Arrange the apples around the chicken in the baking dish
4.Place the sprigs of rosemary under the chicken
5.Bake at 350° for 90 minutes, until browned on the outside
6.Serve

Rosemary Apple Chicken

Wednesday - Peach Chicken

(1) 3 pound chicken
¼ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon celtic sea salt
6 peaches, quartered
4 shallots, halved
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1.Rinse off the chicken, pat dry, then place in a large baking dish
2.Rub with oil, season with salt, then scatter peaches, shallots and thyme around the chicken
3.Roast at 400° for 60 to 90 minutes.
4.Serve with peaches and pan sauce

Thursday - Turkey Chili

leftover turkey meat, white and/or dark
4-6 roasted poblano chili peppers
2 quarts chicken stock (vegetable stock will work too)
2 medium onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1.In a large crock pot, combine turkey, poblanos, stock, onions and carrots
2.Allow to cook several hours or overnight
3.Add cumin, oregano and salt
4.In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to make a slurry
5.Stir into crockpot and cook for another 1 hour or until thick
6.Garnish with cilantro
7.Serve

Chicken Chili

Friday - Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

This blog is basically about our family trying to do our best to survive and live healthy productive lives. I have been trying for several years to make our family a "greener," more organic family and while I have succeeded in some areas I continue to fail in others. After all I am only human and we are simply an ordinary family with a little Extra!

Please review my ramblings and enjoy. I hope I can help or if you think you can help me, please don't hesitate to let me know! Many Blessings...........