Mexican Stuffed Peppers

This summer, my best friend was surprised with the addition of two nephews to her family, changing her total family count from 5 to 7, not including her mom who was also staying to help out for a few weeks! I was so proud of her and her family for taking them on (how many of you can add a newborn and an 18 month old to your household overnight?) and I wanted to help out as much as I could. So, we took over a stromboli, baked oatmeal and some chunky monkey muffins. I happened to have some extra peppers and leftover taco meat and decided some stuffed peppers also needed to be made...which was weird since I had never made them, or eaten them before! I have to take her word that they tasted good :)

Taco meat:
1-2 lbs ground beef
2 T taco seasoning (I make my own using this recipe from Heavenly Homemakers)
2-4 T water
2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
olive oil

Place small amount of oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft. Add meat, stirring occasionally until brown. Add seasoning and water, turn to low and stir occasionally.

For peppers:

Cook 1 cup brown rice according to package (usually add 2x as much water as rice, bring to boil, cover and simmer until done, about 30 minutes).

Wash peppers, cut off tops and remove seeds. Blanche for about 2 minutes in boiling water, remove and run under cool water. Place in baking dish.

Chop more onion and tomatoes and mix with rice and taco meat. Stuff peppers and top with shredded cheddar cheese (not in picture). Place in baking dish and add small amount of water to dish. Bake, covered, 30-45 minutes.

Boy, is my face ever red! Was a hot summer day in the kitchen, and making all the food during a kitchen renovation with almost no counter space was quite interesting!

Delicious Deal

Have you made the plunge and started cooking/baking/frying with coconut or palm oil yet? If not, now's the time to start! Tropical Traditions is currently having a sale on both their gallons of virgin coconut oil and palm shortening. Both are delicious for making popcorn and can easily be used in baking in place of oil, margarine, butter or shortening. Coconut oil also makes a great moisturizer for the dry winter months, and you'll smell great! At almost half off, this is a deal that can't be beat!

Saving Money

If you know me at all, you know I like saving money. I hate owing money and I hate spending more than I have to. BUT there are some things that are worth it, like quality, healthy foods. I would much rather pay a little more each week now on high quality food than major doctor bills later.

One way I've found to help save money while still eating clean (other than shopping around at local grocery stores, markets and health food stores) is to find deals online as much as possible. Here's a few of the places I frequent:

* Amazon- They have a great feature called "Subscribe and Save". (Note- Not all products are available with this feature.) Basically you sign up to have this product automatically shipped every 6 months and in return you get 15% off your first purchase. But guess what? Once you receive your first order, you can cancel out, which is what I do because I often won't need the product again at the time intervals available. You can score an even bigger savings if the product is on sale at the same time.

I have bought coconut flour and coconut oil this way and it was wonderful! The flour keeps great in the freezer and lasts a long time because most of the recipes that include it only use a small amount. The oil is also very stable and I've never had any go rancid on me before using it.

* Vitacost- This is another great site that has numerous health foods. I have purchased various Bob's Red Mill products, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and (ahem) chlorine-free feminine products from them. The coolest thing, is with this referral code, you can get $10 off your first order! Then as you refer others, both you and your friend will get $10 off codes. Awesome!

Always free shipping on $49 or more, and they frequently run specials for free shipping over $25. Or, you and a friend could join forces in order to meet the minimum and have free shipping.

* Heavenly Homemakers- This is one of my favorite blogs and one of the reasons I started my own! She will often post Healthy Online Deals, so follow her on Facebook or subscribe to her blog so you are sure to know when the newest deals come available.

* Azure Standard- Unfortunately I am not on this route, but if I was I would definitely try to purchase foods through this co-op. Visit them and see if your location is on the route, mostly in the center and western parts of the country.

Anyone have any other good resources for online purchases? How do you save money on your healthy living purchases?

Come and Visit!

I am thrilled to be a guest blogger for Lauren, of Say What You Need to Say today! Come and visit me here to find out how I ate clean on vacation and let me know what you think! Lauren has a lot of great recipes and workout tips. One of the best things I like is that she is fairly local and we both love The Green Room :) Come and explore!

Gratituesday: Ahhhh, Family

This is my first Gratituesday post. Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers (where I am linked)! Gratituesday posts focus on showing how God is working in our lives. Feel free to write your own post on your blog and link it here.

I have been so blessed to see and spend time with many family members that I don't typically get to see this summer. We started the summer with my sister, April, coming home for 2 weeks. I love having her stay with us so we can talk, laugh, cook, and learn more about God together. It is always so sad when she has to leave. She is like my twin, but not :) I'm so blessed to have her in my life. Isn't she adorable? We even got to have pedis together at a local organic salon and enjoy dinner at The Green Room with my daughter and one of her friends. If I only ever ate out at this restaurant, I would be perfectly happy!

Then we had our annual family reunion for my mom's maternal side. It was the 75th year, which meant a professional picture would be taken (by my Uncle Denny, always nice to have a photographer in the family, he also took our wedding pictures). Unfortunately the attendance has been significantly less and less each year, and last year I don't know if we even topped 30 people (when I was a child we had well over 100). Well this year we had over 60 people! Here's everyone (minus Denny who was setting the camera timer- this is not one of his prof pics):

Then (yes, it gets even better), we were able to fly to Florida to visit family that I have only ever seen once in my life, and that was over 9 years ago! It was a wonderful time all around (minus getting sick over the side of the deep sea fishing boat). I even was able to see a cousin from Georgia that happened to be visiting at the end of our trip. What a wonderful time for my husband and kids to spend time together and relax as well as see extended family. This was probably the most relaxing time I've had in a LONG time. Getting away from home was definitely needed, and being on the beach helps, too :) Want to know how my eating went? Keep an eye on here later this week, as I'll be guest blogging on Say What You Need to Say (another gratitude moment, I've always wanted to guest blog for someone!).

Here are some of the small moments of gratitude from the FL trip:

* The beauty of God's creation

* Seeing various wildlife such as hermit crabs (the picture of the holes were made by them), sting rays, various fish during our deep sea excursion, other fish at the beach, small clams that were so colorful and cute and some kind of funny sea slug, the lizards (the one pictured was rescued from a spider web) and sea turtle nests

* Beautiful weather with rain only once.

* Taking naps without worrying about the million things that need done.

* Collecting sea shells.

* But best of all, visiting with these wonderful people!

 All week I felt like God's blessings were just being poured on us in so many ways. I am so grateful for this opportunity and having been able to see everyone! Let's not let another 9 years go by!

Birthday Present for My Bestie

I have a best friend. And not just the here-today-gone-tomorrow kind, but the kind that sticks with you through and through. The kind where you can not talk for months and not get mad at each other and you can just pick right up where you left off. Yeah, that kind. Her name is Melinda and we have been friends for almost 20 years! (Mel- I think we need to have an anniversary party next year! 2013 baby!)

Every year for her birthday I make her an ice cream cake and my daughter and I go to her house and swim and just enjoy the day. Sometimes we make lunch as well (like pretzel dogs or zucchini parm) but this time just dessert. (She and the family also got to taste test some beet pie and beet brownies.)

This was my favorite birthday cake growing up. Now that I'm cutting out as much processed food as possible, I didn't want to use the original recipe that included sweetened condensed milk. Here's the new version.

Ice Cream Cake

1 package organic chocolate cookies with cream center (don't use those OTHER ones), Newman's Own or Nature's Promise are fine
1/2 gallon ice cream (I prefer naked mint from Perrydell Dairy, and there you get a full 1/2 gallon.)

Set ice cream out to soften. Place cookies in zip-top bag and smash with mallet/crab hammer/etc. Smush cookies as bottom layer in 9x13 pan. Dip ice cream and layer on top of cookies. I often run the spoon in hot water to help it cut through the ice cream. If you can be more even now, it will save having to smooth it out later. Once you have all the ice cream in the pan, run spoon under hot water and use the back to smooth the ice cream. Place in freezer to re-harden.

Carmel Fudge Topping (this is my favorite part!) (adapted from this recipe)

1/2 c honey
4 T milk
2 T butter
1 c chocolate chips
1 T vanilla
dash salt

Place honey, milk and butter in medium sauce pan over low heat, stirring until mixture boils (this does take a while, you don't want to heat too fast or you'll scald the milk). Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add rest of ingredients and mix until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Allow it to cool a while before putting on top of ice cream. The key is to have it still be pourable, but not so hot that it melts the ice cream (but if it does, when it refreezes the ice cream and fudge are just blended together, and it still tastes good). Refreeze until firm and ready to eat! Sometimes it helps to have it sit out a bit before trying to cut :)

  Isn't she too cute! Love her!

Just beet it! (part 3)

Beet Brownies (based on the recipe from The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue cookbook)

6 T butter
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c beet puree
1/2 c all- purpose flour
dash salt
2 tsp baking powder

Optional- 1/2 c mini chocolate chips or nuts 

Slowly melt chips and butter using double boiler method (I used a glass bowl on top of a pot with slightly boiling water.)

In another bowl blend eggs, vanilla, sugar and puree. Add to chocolate mixture and blend completely.

In mixing bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, then add chocolate mixture. Pour into bottom-only greased 8x8 glass pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean (I've found that if I wait until it is completely clean, the brownies are too dry.)

Make sure brownies cool completely before cutting with a plastic knife. Believe me, they will cut much nicer with a plastic knife than any other! Yum!