Farm Life Prescriptions...

I realize how blessed our family is to enjoy our home the way we do. Our area enjoyed a bit of warmer weather this weekend; muddy as it was. The kids go up, did their chores, and commenced to getting as muddy as they possibly could. Their 4-wheeler is disgusting and thankfully they kept most of their riding to the back fields. No watching tv and playing video games all day here. They love to be outside and in the woods as much as possible. Of course they don't realize the health benefits of such a lifestyle. However, we do!  Thankfully, we don't deal with much in the way of illnesses on the Hill Farm. Don't get me wrong, they could both come home sick as can be today. If they do, they do. Our family thoroughly believes in the health benefits of sunshine, dirt, running, climbing, homemade food, and thanking our God for every bit of it!  I encourage everyone to partake in that prescription. 

Keeping a busy household on course is preparing as much as you can ahead of time. When I'm making our sausage or ground venison; I go ahead and portion everything out to make it easier to store in the freezer. Buying a bulk of aluminum pans with their lids makes it easier to prepare a couple of casseroles to store for "fast food" nights. One of our favorites would be Breakfast Burritos. 

Breakfast Burritos

2 lbs of cooked sausage 

1 dozen eggs scrambeled

16 tortillas 

I like to use the fiesta Rudi's tortillas, but paleo tortillas and even crepes work well. I build the tortillas and add fresh spinach to some, cheese, or salsa. Wrap them up in freezer paper and label your burritos for easy access. I store them in an open aluminum storage pan on a shelf in my freezer. These are great because they are easy, healthy, and allow you to be as creative as you'd like. Enjoy and Eat Well!

Bringing God Back Into The Kitchen

My daughter asked me if God gave her food allergies.  The answer...Yes, he did.  I then reminded her that God has a plan for everyone and everything.  She asked if I knew what God's plan was for her food allergies and if she would ever grow out of them.  I told her that she was very lucky.  I told her that because of her Hypersensitivity Spectrum Autism that her body only knew what "real" food was.  I shared with her that most people in the world had food allergies and/or intolerances but have never realized it.  Her body doesn't allow itsself to be tricked by "fake" food.  I then told my kids a story.  I told them how a long time ago there were lots of farmers who grew food for their families.  They also had chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, and other farm animals that provided their eggs, milk, and meat for families.  I told them how people lived this way for thousands and thousands of years, but it was not to last forever.  As time went on people changed more and more.  Soon there were not a lot of farmers left in the world because people were moving into cities.  Little did they know that soon the government would have to "help" the people with their food sources.  Without enough farmers; scientists figured out how to make a little food go a lot further.  They started processing the food to break it down and add a bunch of "stuff" to it, and then they build it back up so that it will feed a lot more people.  They also used their science to change even the seeds used to grow food so that one seed would produce a lot more plants.  Little did the world realize that God was soon being taken out of everyone's kitchen.  People were eating foods that were developed in labs and soon people started getting sick.  People were suffering with awful diseases and illnesses with many losing their lives.  People started praying to God for a cure and to help with their families.  A wonderful thing started happening.  A "Real Food" movement started to take place in the world.  People were getting back to nature and all that He provides.  People even started homesteading and farming more; some even in the cities.  There still aren't as many farmers in the world as their used to be, but God has shined his blessings down on us and people are more aware of what they put into and onto their bodies.  It's a beautiful thing to see that my children get to be such a big part of watching the world bring God back into their kitchens.  The End

Honey Mustard Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

School has officially started for the Hill Family! We are starting to get a routine down and I'm getting my freezer, fridge, and pantry stocked up. We have discovered lots of new lunch box finds lately that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. Also, don't forget to stock up on those healthy dinners!  I've got a great pasta recipe to share with you. Enjoy it with a quickly made side salad and you've got a healthy and filling start-back to school celebration dinner! 

Turkey Meatballs

1lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbs garlic powder

1/2 tsp gr mustard

1 tbs herbs de Provence

Get your hands dirty and mix well and shape into golf ball sized meatballs. Brown both sides in skillet and then place on cookie sheet in oven on warm setting to finish through. This will help keep your turkey from becoming dry. Also, I have been known to add a little oil or bacon grease to my skillet. 

1 box brown rice pasta or your favorite prepared using directions on box. 

To Pan Drippings:

1 13.4 oz box organic cannellini beans with liquid. 

2 heaping tbs French Dijon style mustard. 

1 tbs raw honey. 

Stir well and use salt and pepper to taste. 

Add drained pasta to sauce and coat pasta with saucey-goodness. Add meatballs and salad plus a little vino for the grown ups!  Enjoy!

It's Been Awhile....

Hello friends!  It has truly been awhile since you have heard from me.  I have been under the weather for quite some time and am currently recovering from a super strong sinus infection that went to my teeth.  yes, really.  Unfortunately, Kentucky decided to skip winter altogether and move ahead through a quick spring and starting into summer.  Ahhh, Kentucky weather! Note the sarcasm.  Anyway, I have been working on my book and quite a few new recipes.  If you don't already, I encourage you to like my Facebook page "Kentucky Mom Cooking Allergy Free".  It has a lot of great info on it!  I am leaving you now with an excerpt from my upcoming book...  Feedback appreciated!  Thanks so much!

“Mrs. Hill?  This is the pediatrician’s office.  Your daughters’ blood work came back with results of multiple food allergies.  We need you to come in right away for us to test her for Celiac’s Disease, and we need to make an appointment with an allergist.  Mrs. Hill, are you still there?”

That telephone call changed our lives.  I remember hanging up and calling my husband to tell him the news.  We sat together on the phone and cried; in part because we finally had an answer and also because of the answer.  It was mid-July 2010 and we knew our lives would never be the same.  The lab results for the Celiac’s Disease were negative, and she tested positive for allergies to wheat, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.  We had no idea what to feed her.  For days and days we went to the store each day to provide food in small quantities.  We ate grilled chicken and steak with rice and fresh vegetables.  The dinners were healthy and good, but they were also becoming boring.  After three days of being away from her food allergies, we saw a dramatic change in our daughter.  That change motivated us to realize the positive outcomes of the restricted diet.  Two weeks after that initial phone call; I purged our kitchen.  I gave away what I could and threw away the rest.  We had decided, as a family, to make this change together.  There would not be any segregated meals in our home.  The chance for contamination was too great.  We had agreed the only food that would be staying was the pizza rolls our son and his friends enjoyed.  Our first trip grocery shopping was daunting yet liberating.  Our journey to reach this place in our lives had been long and frustrating.  Finally having an answer was a blessing, but to the unprepared also felt like a curse.  That first trip lasted hours and I remember becoming teary only once.  We kept those first trips pretty simple with lots of rice, rice pastas, and beans.  Anything we could find ready-made was great; especially for lunch.  We were able to provide her classroom with a microwave for her use only.  She took lots of allergy-friendly frozen dinners in the beginning as I was not confident in my cooking skills.  I explained to people that it felt as if I had had a stroke and was having to learn how to re-do everything.  I had prided myself on being able to prepare organic, home-cooked meals with fresh pastas and desserts.  All of a sudden everything I had learned was obsolete.

A Sustainable Holiday Season...

I have to tell you...  If you are looking for a great Dressing recipe, you should definitely try mine.  It's a newbie to the recipe book, I tried it for Thanksgiving and it was a HIT!  It was sooo much better than the baked squares that I've had in the past.  Also, I came up with a yummy alternative to the typical turkey and dressing leftovers.  I made our favorite waffle recipe (Paula Deen's substituting our flour and adding xantham gum) and added some chopped leftover smoked turkey (my brother-in-law's recipe) and dressing.  The turkey and dressing baked into the waffles with that added texture from the waffle iron.  It was made even better with the addition of leftover cranberry sauce added to our maple syrup and heated through.  It was so good that I can easily see it becoming a family tradition for a Black Friday Brunch.  I hope you'll consider trying it.  As we started taking down the Thanksgiving Decorations to make room for the Christmas Decorations, I decided not to let a perfectly good pumpkin go to waste.  While the kiddos took the seeds out, my husband began cutting the pumpkin into easier to handle chunks.  We cleaned the seeds and roasted the seeds and flesh of the pumpkin in a 300 degree convection.  When pumpkin flesh was fork tender; I added to the food processor and pureed until smooth.  From this point- so many things can be done with pureed pumpkin.  You can add stock to make a soup, add to your favorite muffin, cookie, or bread batter, or you can add to your favorite pasta dough recipe.  If you're not sure, pour into your muffin tin and freeze; when frozen remove from muffin tin and place in freezer container for future use.  I do this with soup; when I want my favorite soup I can place in mug and heat up.  I refuse to let anything go to waste, and given our diet I always prepare food in bulk.  Sometimes I get so frustrated with our freezers, we have three.  Everytime I open our freezer, ziploc freezer bags and containers are everywhere and it can be difficult finding what I need at times.  One of my resolutions for the upcoming year is to find an easier way to store everything.  Any ideas would be appreciated...  Happy Christmas to Everyone!  I hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season.  If you are running short on christmas present ideas, I would suggest some homemade goodies.  I enjoy sharing my homemade extract recipes with friends and family as special gifts.  You can find my vanilla extract listed here. This year, as presents, I also made a Bourbon Vanilla Extract as well as Orange Extract.  They are super easy to make and make great gifts.

How the Hill Family Does It.....

I know it has been a while since my last post; my apologies.  Unfortunately, things have been a bit busy around here.  I know I should be used to it, but I still feel overwhelmed at times.  A lot of people ask how we do things around here, so I thought I would share.  We are a busy, one income household family of four; therefore things are often scheduled (especially the food).  I make a lot of freezer meals for during the week.  I usually plan one day during the week to make the bases for our meals.  I start with the ever favorite chicken; If I don't use one from our farm I buy only the organic, free range whole chickens (they come in a two-pack).  I rough chop two medium onions, two celery stalks, two carrots, add chicken, and cover with water in a crock pot and let it go.  At the end of the day I pull out the chickens to cool and strain stock.  I freeze the stock in ice cube trays and the rest in freezer containers.  The ice cube trays make easy seasoning for potatoes, vegetables, or whatever.  The freezer containers are great for soups, casseroles; you get the idea.  I do it this way because many store-bought stocks contain allergens and everything just tastes better when it's homemade.  The chickens (2)- I pull the meat off and shred; this is enough for four casseroles.  If you're not going to go ahead and make the casseroles; go ahead and separate anyway and freeze for later use.  While my chickens are in the crock pot I'm usually going ahead and preparing the pasta, rice, and/or biscuit batter for my casseroles.  I buy the aluminum pans with the tops for the casseroles to be stored in and place them in any one of our freezers.  I usually go with a Poppyseed Chicken Casserole over rice, A Mexican Style over rice, an Easy Baked Pasta Version or two, and it's always a hit with Chicken Pot Pie.  Keep in mind that our family loves our Farm-style Sustainable Lifestyle.  Therefore, I'm usually setting out deer meat to be ground up for Chili, and I make a lot of meatballs to be used in Baked Pastas for the freezer or I freeze the meatballs to be used for sandwiches or spaghetti.  We also have the pigs processed in the winter and the pork sausage can be used in practically anything.  My son's favorite is when I cook crumbled sausage till done and combine with waffle batter along with shredded cheese; I always make a country gravy to spoon over waffles in lieu of syrup.  Make these waffles in two batches and you've got a great quick breakfast during the school week.  Needless to say; I cook as much as I can when I can and store in the freezers.  It makes the busy school days so much easier and allows us the time to spend as a family instead of rushing around.  Don't get me wrong; we eat healthy.  Everything we eat is as fresh as possible and I include a ton of veggies with everything I can and even when I shouldn't (love the food processor).  It's great making a homemade spaghetti sauce or chili and adding pureed steamed veggies for that boost of flavor and health benefits; I've even added pureed spinach to brownie batter (it doesn't change the taste).  Puree your extra veggies before they have a chance to go bad and freeze in ice cube trays and then place them in a freezer bag for later use.  Yep, I'm full of all kinds of tricks.  I actually find it hard to eat out at chain restaurants now; my food is just better and all of that processing tends to upset my tummy nowadays.  Anyway, now you have a small taste of our daily life in the kitchen!   I've included some pics of our backyard buddies!

Soup's On....

  Recently, our family had a scare as our daughter had an emergency appendectomy.  It definitely was not planned as she came home from school with a tummy ache that only got worse through the night with us in the ER at dawn.  What made it worse was her liquid diet.  I was super nervous and made sure I checked and rechecked with all of her nurses in regards to her food allergies possibly being in medications and her food tray.  All of the nurses were awesome and very helpful; they made a neurotic mother feel at ease.  However, the dietary services dropped the ball BIG TIME!  Once she received her food tray the following morning after her surgery, she started getting itchy with more stomach pain.  I called dietary services to check on her food and low and behold wheat and soy were on her tray.  I am not gonna lie, I had a moment.  It was not pretty and I did not handle it well, however in my defense I was nearly 48 hours without sleep and the coffee was horrid.  I did apologize to the nursing staff repeatedly because it was not their fault and they truly felt sorry for our situation.  However, it is a scary situation when a person cannot even rely on their healthcare system, their local hospital, to provide the proper care.  The Doctor was called and they decided to hurry up and get us out of there before the hospital tried to feed her again.  My husband had to actually leave and go to the grocery store to get her something to eat.  I was so proud of the emergency care and the nursing care that she received, but that is the end of it.  I cannot imagine what would have happened to the uneducated individual or the single parent trying to do it all.  However, with all of that being said the important thing is that she is home, healthy, and appendix free.  When we got home she requested a bowl of soup for her dinner that evening, and I got started asap as her meds took her to dreamland.  Her request?  French Onion Soup!  Okay, kinda sweet and easy to eat, so I got started.  Luckily, our onion crop was fantastic this year and I have a ton of red and white onions to choose from with her favorite being the red.  I'm not just saying this, that girl loves her onions.  She loves to go through the gardens in the summer and pull up onions to wash off and eat like apples.  I thought I would share my French Onion Soup recipe with all of you.....

French Onion Soup

4 tbs butter
2 tbs canola oil
5 medium onions sliced thinly
1 box of Kitchen Basics Beef Broth
2 tsp tarragon
salt and pepper to taste.
Your favorite Allergy-friendly bread
Gruyere Cheese

To saucepan add butter and oil.  When melted add onions and tarragon.  Stir often until onions reach that beautiful carmelized appearance (about 40 minutes or so).  Add beef broth and cover until heated through.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Ladle soup in crocks or mugs.  I made garlic toast out of our Rudi's Multi-Grain bread and place on top, shred gruyere cheese to cover toast and place under broiler until melted and bubbly.  If that's not a post-surgical treat, I don't know what is.

Staying on Schedule.

We are definitely getting back into the groove of things.  One week into the new school year and we are back to being the average busy family.  Our oldest started middle school with lots of tears (mine), and with that we have gained an ever-increasing social calendar.  Our youngest is in 4th grade (the grade of homework), and is going full-force with her travel soccer team (Go Revolution!).  These in addition to Work, Homework, Our Farm, Extended Family (my new nephew), Church, and not to mention my husband and I; yep, it's busy.  I am now the proud owner of a Mom-Friendly Master Calendar that I have placed front and center on our refrigerator.  It is wonderful with stickers and enough space to put all of our schedules.  My husband no longer has any excuse of "not remembering".  What is even better about the calendar is that I can see in plenty of time, the days that I need to have dinner practically ready when we get home.  Often, we only have an hour or so before we have to leave again for activities.  For the average american family it calls for a night of fast food, for the food allergy family it calls for planning.  I am loving the make-ahead pasta dinners I blogged about before as well as my crock-pot.  My family only eats free-range, organic chicken either from our farm or the grocery.  It is a lot more expensive than the cheap stuff but it is so not worth the health risks.  A way of cutting the costs of chicken is by buying a whole chicken, it is cheaper because you gotta do the work.  An easy way for me is to cook the whole chicken, shred it, and use what I want when I want it.  I've included my recipe for an asian-style chicken.  I'll let it cook overnight, on a weekend, or whenever; the most tedious part is pulling all of the meat off (tip: let that baby cool down, don't burn those fingers).

Crock-Pot Asian Chicken

1 whole chicken; thawed and patted dry

8 cloves of garlic; crushed.

1 ½ - 2 inch fresh ginger crushed..

1 lemon

½ cup soy-free soy sauce

1 tbs crushed red pepper

1 ½ tbs sesame oil

½ cup water

Place chicken in crock-pot.  To bowl combine lemon juice, soy-free soy sauce, crushed red pepper, sesame oil, and water.  To crock pot add garlic, ginger, and lemon halves.  Pour bowl mixture over the top of chicken.  Turn on low and walk away.

 

Beautiful Weather and Tasty Sandwiches...

'Tis the season for sandwiches.  Everyone looks forward to the end of the school year; warm weather and lazy days.  With those lazy days come lazy lunches and dinners.  Who wants to go inside and cook a large dinner when you would rather be outside playing?  For the food allergy families out there it is easier said than done.  The food allergy families try to set aside a day or two to prepare as much as they can so that they may also be able to enjoy those lazy days.  My family loves sandwiches on a hot summery day.  We have an outdoor kitchen and we use it often; stocking it with sandwiches, chips, and drinks.  With that thought in mind, I decided to include my recipe for pimiento cheese; tastes great on sandwiches or on celery.  In the picture below we enjoyed grilled pimiento cheese and sausage sandwiches recently on a Sunday afternoon after church.

Pimiento Cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup mayo

1 cup plain greek yogurt

2 tbs pimientos

3 tbs chopped roasted red peppers

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp ground mustard

1 chopped green onion (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients into large bowl.  Set into refrigerator for at least an hour, will taste even better when left overnight.

Quick Comfort Food

Today is a day for comfort food.  It's Election Day and the kids are sleeping in while I'm up with the chickens drinking my daily ritual of coffee.  A lazy day at home will be warranted after still resting up from the holiday weekend.  My son will be running in and out of the house all day while continually adding things to his tree house, and my daughter will inevitably be in the field with her horses.  When daddy gets home from work will can enjoy a big bowl of hearty red beans and rice before preparing to finish the rest of the week.  I lived in Louisiana as a child and love me some cajun food, this is a toned-down version for my family.  Not too spicy and not too difficult to make.  Perfect for the busy family or the one who just wants to hang out.

Red Beans and Rice

One bag of red beans – soaked overnight.

2 cups of brown rice

Smoked sausage ring – halved lengthwise and sliced.

1 ½ cups chopped thin okra

1 small squash quartered and sliced thin

Tony’s Cajun seasoning.

Stock or Broth – I make my own from end pieces of chicken I store in the freezer and a piece of ham hock.

I cook the sausage first – brown in skillet and remove into separate bowl.  Cook okra and squash mixture in drippings until browned well and crisped up a little.  Combine drained beans and rice into pot and cover with stock.  Cook until tender.  Drain rice and beans.  Add sausage, squash, and okra.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning.  Stir well and enjoy.