How To Juice a Juicier Lemon (and other citrus fruits!) + 26 citrus recipes

Posted on | May 21, 2013 | No Comments

I love lemon. The boys love lemon. Hubba loves lemon. Lemonade. Lemon curd. Lemon bars. Cookies, cakes, etc.

You get the point.

When lemons go on sale. I stock UP!

So last fall when I found a box of organic lemons from one of our local buying clubs, I jumped at the chance to buy them. All 30-something pounds of them. Most of them went into the freezer. Whole. Many people are under the impression that to freeze lemons, you have to juice them & freeze the juice. I did that for a long time. Several years ago, I had to “save the lemons” & didn’t have time to juice them. I threw them all in the freezer whole & walked away.

What I found when I came back to them were solid, perfect lemons. I thawed them out, juiced them & noticed that they juiced so much easier. I’ve heard tricks- pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to get them to give up more juice. Yuck! I avoid the micro these days, so that’s out. Roll them on the counter to get more juice out. This works well, but when you’re juicing a dozen lemons, it can get taxing on the hands.

Not only do previously frozen lemons juice easier, they really give it up! I found that a thawed lemon released more juice than their rolled or microwaved counterparts. I’ve done this for years now & have really noticed a difference. Now when I buy lemons, I buy them ahead of time & pop them in the freezer, even if only overnight. No rolling, no microwaving. If you need the zest, you can just zest them prior to freezing them. Zest can also be frozen :)

Limes are bad about hanging onto their juice. Many of them are smaller & firmer than their yellow counterparts. I’ve done this with limes as well. I’ve only done it a couple of times with oranges. We prefer our oranges in whole segments- yum, but they all work the same! Freeze, thaw, juice, presto!

Now that you have all this citrus fruit in your freezer, take a look at some of the following recipes & ideas to expand your citrus juice horizon! Some of these recipes will call for a specific amount of juice, followed by a “approximately x number of lemons.” After freezing, since the citrus gives off more juice, you will get away with using less fruit. For example, one recipe calls for 3 lemons. You should be able to use just 2, keeping in mind the size of your lemons. I say always try to go with a medium lemon, adjusting your recipes accordingly. From a medium lemon, I can get about 2 tablespoons of juice unfrozen & about 3-4 tablespoons after freezing & thawing!

ENJOY!

Lemon

Salmon Dip

Best Lemonade Ever (It really is! I use organic cane sugar in this.) from Allrecipes

Grilled Cod

Homemade “Jello” Gelatin | Lemon or Lime Flavors (sugar free option) from Whole New Mom

Canned Lemon Curd (This is just like lemon bars without the crust. Bestill. My. Heart.) from UGA

Gluten Free Creamy Lemon Pie from Cooking TF

Lemon Dahl & Spiced Rice from Pickle Me Too

Probiotic Rich Lemon Poppyseed Dressing from Pickle Me Too

Pretend You Are in Hawaii Pineapple Chutney from Lisa’s Counter Culture

Watermelon Salsa from Lisa’s Counter Culture

Sprouted Quinoa Salad/Tabbouleh from Lisa’s Counter Culture

Lactofermented Lemon Mint Cantaloupe Drink from Pickle Me Too

Lemonade Kombucha from Pickle Me Too

Lemon Ginger Kombucha from Pickle Me Too

Lemon Blueberry Macadamia Nut Muffins (Dairy, Sugar, Grain, and Gluten-Free) from Delicious Obsessions

Sweet & Tangy Lemon Curd from Delicious Obsessions

Lime

“Tequila” Lime Grilled Chicken

Tropsicles (Tropical Popsicles)

Homemade “Jello” Gelatin | Lemon or Lime Flavors (sugar free option) from Whole New Mom

Pretend You Are in Hawaii Pineapple Chutney from Lisa’s Counter Culture

Orange

Orange Spice Dutch Baby Sourdough Pancake from Pickle Me Too

Orange Spice Kombucha from Pickle Me Too

Orange Ginger Beet Kvass from Pickle Me Too

Alternate Uses

Cold & Flu

Orange Oil Cleaner (I use all citrus peels & pieces in this!)

Cough Syrup

What are some of your favourite ways to use citrus??

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“Michaela- homeschooling Mom to 3 boys, wife to one wonderful Hubba, kitty-momma, likes gardening/sewing/baking/cooking/a multitude of other things.

I am not in any sort of medical field, be it for animals or humans. Some links might be affiliates. I appreciate your click-throughs to help support the blog & keep it going. Use all advice, recipes, how-to’s & links at your own risk. Please read full disclaimers here.

Thanks for stopping by & have a blessed day!”

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Linky Love 5/18

Posted on | May 18, 2013 | 1 Comment

It’s another week & another installment of this Linky Love. Each week, I try to get out into the blogosphere & catch up on my natural living blogs. Many times an article will catch my eye, & I like to share those with you.

This week’s list  is a little short. We’ve been busy. Sunday morning, the kids & I took a spontaneous trip to GA to surprise my Mum for Mother’s Day. Best. Gotcha. Yet!! Wednesday was payday, so we spent the day grocery shopping. Yesterday, I had to opportunity to meet KerryAnn of Cooking Traditional Foods. We met in Gatlinburg at the Ripley’s Aquarium! It was a ton of fun :D

As always, if you have a link to add, be sure to comment in the comments section below!

Food & recipes

With the Farmers Market in full swing (although, we’re still waiting for the weather to cooperate for warm weather crops), there will soon be tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. I’ve printed out this recipe for Black Bean Salad in anticipation of those fruits & veggies!

Health & healing

Whole New Mom shares her fermenting story with us titled “Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog.” You can find part 1 here.

Meanwhile, Jessica at Delicious Obsessions shares an update on her healing journey: Let’s Get Personal: Springtime Update. I’ve been following her story for awhile now. I hope it can be an inspiration to you as well.

Untrained Housewife has a wonderful post on Medicinal Garden Must Haves & what these herbs are good for.

Giveaways

Common Sense Homesteading posted this PurifiCup Water Filter Review and Giveaway. Giveaway ends 5/20.

What links & articles have caught your eye this week?

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Linky Love
Linky Love

1 Day, 5 people, $15- Gluten Free, Real Food

Posted on | May 16, 2013 | 6 Comments

Recently I received a gift card to Trader Joe’s in the amount of $10. I don’t normally shop Trader Joe’s. When we moved to the Knoxville area, there wasn’t a Trader Joe’s, but one opened this past fall. I hadn’t been. I decided I wanted to try to feed the 5 of us for one day on this gift card (tax aside).

I looked through their “Fearless Flyer” paper that we get every few weeks. I picked out a few things that I felt would be a complete 3 meals. Since 2 of us are gluten free, I had to keep this in mind as well. After getting there, I found some things cheaper, but seeing them in my cart, it seemed like there wouldn’t be enough food. I have 3 boys. They can eat…

What I came up with may not seem like a lot, but no one went hungry. The better for you & more nutrient dense food is, the better it fills bellies. I decided to show you what I bought, what staples I’ll need with it (and their costs as well) & the menu I’ll be following.

You’ll notice that some of these items are organic, some are not. I try to follow the Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen list. However, I buy tomatoes, corn & papaya either organic or locally grown from open-pollinated seed. Over 90% of corn is genetically modified, and the other 2 are often genetically modified, those numbers rising.

The Shopping List:

Avocado (The bag of 4 was $2.99, but I’ll only be using 1 for the day) – .75¢

Coconut milk, unsweetened – $1.99

1 dozen “cage free” eggs – $2.49

18 oz organic polenta – $1.99

1 package “natural” chicken drumsticks (1.19#) – $2.37

1 pound organic carrots – .89¢

1 pound gluten free organic pasta – $1.99

5 bananas – .95¢

Total spent (pre-tax) – $13.42

What’s In the Pantry

1 stick butter – approx .75¢

Honey – pennies

Vanilla – pennies

Salt & pepper – pennies

Additional spices of choice – pennies

Total – We’ll call it $1.50

Total for everything – $14.92

What’s On the Menu?

Breakfast

Smoothies, made with:

> 3 cups coconut milk
> 1 avocado
> Honey & vanilla to taste

Blend til smooth.

Lunch

Fry polenta & eggs in butter (save 2 tablespoons for dinner), salt & pepper to taste, add additional spices if desired & you have them on hand.

Snack

Bananas

Dinner

Simmer chicken in coconut milk until chicken is cooked through. Salt & pepper to taste. Season as desired. Debone chicken, shred & return to the seasoned coconut milk.

Melt rest of butter, cut carrots into sticks. Coat sticks with melted butter, then toss with salt & pepper. We also like this with garlic powder & onion powder, but they are tasty with just salt & pepper, too! Roast uncovered at 350º for about an hour or until carrots are tender. This method also sweetens them.

Cook pasta as directed. Serve shredded chicken & sauce over cooked pasta with the roasted carrots on the side.

How did we do?

The food was well received. I completely forgot to get pictures, because I was so intent on following the menu down to the last grain of salt & pat of butter. I’m not usually so fastidious, but I knew this was intense, because it was a challenge for me. I wanted to share this information with you, so I knew it had to flow. While I don’t spend a lot of money on groceries each month comparably, this one definitely took some thought & planning. No one complained that they were hungry, which is great considering 2 of my boys are teens! There weren’t any leftovers, but I didn’t expect there would be.

One of the biggest reasons this worked was menu planning! I promise, when you make a menu plan & stick to it, your grocery budget is better for it! Buy everything you need, or make a menu off the things you buy. You can make a list based off of your stores sales flyers, as I did. Whichever order you do it in, you have to stick to it.

Do You Think You Could Feed Your Family A Real Food Diet On $3 Per Person Per Day? Tell Us How You Keep Your Grocery Budget Low In the Comments Section Below!!

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A-Z 43 Kid-Friendly Real Food Snacks

Posted on | May 14, 2013 | No Comments

A little over 4 years ago, we started purging our lives of processed foods. I started floundering for snacks my kids would love other than fruit & cheese. I was still new to real foods, & it seemed like all the things that were good for them for snacks took forever & were labour-intensive to make. Over time, I started realizing some of the simple things they would love. As I got more accustomed to whole foods & less overwhelmed, it was easier to think. Almost 4 1/2 years later, I can whip out real food snacks like nobody’s bid-ness.

I know a lot of people out there are intimidated by real foods. While it CAN take more time & effort, it doesn’t have to. Begin small. Begin with a snack or 2 a week & work your way up. Many of these can be made for breakfast & light lunches as well. That’s why I decided to compile a list of things you can do to improve your diet. Many of these recipe & how-to links will take you off-site. I went on a short mission across the net to come up with a decent sized list, so there would be something for everyone. Many of these are great travel snacks. Some of these can be made ahead of time & frozen or stored for a bit. Use common sense to decide what is shelf stable & what needs to be refrigerated. If you have any questions about them, I can definitely try to help.

Many of these items are kid-friendly even for the pickiest eaters that are accustomed to processed foods. Pick out a few & give them a try. Some of these are transitional & are foods your kids will recognize. For those that are already accustomed to whole foods, just enjoy!

A

“Almond Joy” Bars

Apples & peanut butter

Applesauce

B

Black beans sprinkled with shredded cheese

C

Celery & peanut butter

Carrot sticks & sour cream or ranch dip

Chocolate Banana Milkshakes

Coconut Milk Popsicles

Cracker Jacks

D

Dried fruit

E

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bites

F

Frozen Orange Cream Pops

Fruit Leather

G

Granola

H

Hard boiled eggs

Hummus & crackers

I

Ice cream!

J

Jerky

K

Kale chips (Recipes here & here)

Kombucha

L

“Larabars” aka Chunky Nut Date Bars

Liver Pate

M

Marshamllows

Mini-muffins

N

Nuts (make’em crispy nuts & they’ll pack a punch!)

O

Octo-dogs (Cut uncured, nitrate/ite free hot dogs into coins & poke dry pasta through them. Boil until pasta is done)

P

Pizzas- make them mini- use tortillas or bagels or even waffles!! Gluten free for those with allergies! Here’s our favourite sauce!

Popcorn (Here’s a great seasoning mix!)

Q

Quesadillas

R

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

S

Sliders (these can be made with hamburger patties, sloppy joe mix, shredded BBQ pork or chicken, tuna or egg salad, etc)

Sweet Potatoes

T

Tortilla chips & salsa or Buffalo Dip

Troll Bites

Tropsicles

U

Upside Down Cake

Uncrustables (The real food kind!)

V

Vanilla Pudding

W

Water kefir popsicles

X

Xylitol Mints (not really a SNACK, but good for a quick fix for “candy”)

Y

Yoghurt, this can be sweetened with honey & vanilla or with organic &/or homemade fruit jams & preserves.

Z

Zucchini chips

Zucchini Fries

What are some of your kids’ favourite real food snacks??

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Chunky Nut Date Bars, A Larabar Knock-off

Posted on | May 13, 2013 | 4 Comments

We love Larabars. Well most of them. We’re not so fond of the Apple Pie ones.

Anyhoo. In an effort to make them myself & know how they were made, I decided to take a stab at making them myself. It’s not that I don’t trust the Larabar company. I find it hard to trust any company. I don’t even trust whole foods, unless we grow them ourselves or I know who did. However, sometimes there are compromises we have to make.

By making these myself, I cross one more middle man off my list.

I have seen folks across the web make these but always forgot to get dates to make them. I finally remembered one day while at Earth Fare. I couldn’t remember how many I should be buying, so I just grabbed a tub & prayed for the best. Of course, that’s how most of my experiments are. However, this was a hit the first time around. It all goes in the processor at one time, so it’s quick & easy.

The first time I bought the dates, the dude at Earth Fare coerced talked me into explained why I should buy Medjool over the other ones they had. He was actually right. I tried these with other dates, & the Medjool definitely lent a softness to the bars. They also held together much better. The subsequent batch fell apart, & we had to eat the crumbs with a spoon…

*ahem*

I’ll just get on with the recipe now… Just don’t do like we did & eat them all in the first day. Haha, oops!

 

This post has been shared at The Homesteading Hippy, Simply Sugar & Gluten Free, Real Food Forager,

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Michaela- homeschooling Mom to 3 boys, wife to one wonderful Hubba, kitty-momma, likes gardening/sewing/baking/cooking/a multitude of other things.

I am not in any sort of medical field, be it for animals or humans. Some links might be affiliates. I appreciate your click-throughs to help support the blog & keep it going. Use all advice, recipes, how-to’s & links at your own risk. Please read full disclaimers here.

Thanks for stopping by & have a blessed day!”

 

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Hey, Mommas!

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | No Comments


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What I REALLY Want For Mother’s Day

Posted on | May 11, 2013 | 3 Comments

Mother’s Day is upon us again. To be honest, it’s really just like any other day at our house. I get up, usually at the same time as normal. I start laundry, if needed. I get breakfast ready. I strain the yoghurt I started the day before, strain my beef stock & get dinner out to thaw. The Hubba & the kids randomly wake & wish me a happy Mother’s Day, with hugs & kisses. The hugs & kisses are a normal part of any day, too.

I’m not complaining. I take few days off each year, & those are typically when I’m beat-down-sick-&-bedridden.

Flowers are pretty. Jewelry is nice. Breakfast in bed is sweet…

Flowers die.

Jewelry tarnishes.

Breakfast means I have to wake up. Maybe early.

If you must give me flowers, be sure to pick them from the yard. Or a field. But not the side of the road, because apparently that’s illegal in Tennessee ;)

So in lieu of the above, here’s what I really want for Mother’s Day.

I want a silent morning, so I can sleep til noon.

I want coffee ready when I awake. Yes at noon.

I want to stay in my jammers & open gifts of canning jars & homemade little gifts & cards that will lose their colour over time but be treasured well beyond.

I want you, the young men to behave. I want you to  forget fighting for.just.one.day.

I want clean rooms, fresh socks & undies on your bodies, & I don’t want to remind you repeatedly to do your chores.

I want Bob Marley playing on my computer & chick flicks available for the laptop. In bed. Should I desire a Patrick Dempsey marathon.

I want to take a nap & not worry that you’re going to burn the house down. Or torment the cat. Or spill milk all over the dining room & “forget” to clean it up. Or give each other black eyes, broken bones or sprained… anythings.

I don’t want to cook dinner, & I certainly don’t want to clean up afterward.

I want to forget what laundry is. Just for.one.day.

I want to hear “I love you” no less than 627 times from each of you. I’ll accept as few as 548. No less.

I want hugs, but be sure I’m not taking that nap or swooning over Patrick Dempsey.

I want to hear please, thank you & excuse me as you speak to each other.

Then. My dear Hubba. As the day draws to a close, be sure the kids are washed & have brushed ALL of their teeth, using toothpaste on ALL of their teeth. Their rooms need to be cleaned. My kitchen should be ready for the new week. Because, come Monday, I’ll have to catch up from my day off.

And kids, if you can adhere to most of these rules, let’s celebrate Mother’s Day. Every day. All. Year. Long. Because now I know you can get by with no fighting, some form of quiet & some semblance of manners.

If all else fails… Regardless of how tomorrow goes. I will still love you, as only a Momma can love her babies. Yes. I called you my babies. Even you- the 16 year old. And you- the 13 year old. 9 year old- I know you don’t mind. Just remember to tell me you love me like you do each day. This is what I really want for Mother’s Day.

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Linky Love 5/11

Posted on | May 11, 2013 | No Comments

Here’s another installation of this last week’s awesome posts I’ve come across! Add a link to your favourite blog posts & articles this week in the comments below! I’m always looking for good reads.

Food

Cooking Traditional Foods keeps your menu rocking with her 101 Real Food Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less!

Delicious Obsessions has a GREAT post for those that love yoghurt but are dairy free- How To Make Creamy Coconut Milk Yogurt (No Yogurt Maker Required)

Whole New Mom takes a detailed look at a wonderful FREE book that you can download right to your computer- Free Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Mother’s Day Cookbook – Recipes by Moms for Moms.

If you’re new to fermented foods, this is a GREAT collection of recipes from across the web. I’ve done many of these, but I’m seeing some new ones I want to try! Come harvest season :) Fermented Foods: Easy Brine Veggies

Another great post from Cooking Traditional Foods, & one I’ll need to thaw some lemons for, because I LOVE lemons!!! – Creamy Lemon Pie.

And in case you missed my newest recipe, check it out. There’s already a “review” in the comments. It sure is a delightful dessert! Buttery Vanilla Bean Pudding.

For those wanting to transition to real foods but are overwhelmed, Real Food For Less Money puts it best when she says “Begin Where You Are.”

Health & Healing

I also love this post by Whole New Mom- It’s Easy to Be Green–18 Homemade Natural Personal Care Products.

As some one that loves kombucha for its health benefits & also lived in the frozen tundra for 3 years, with dreams to one day move back, I was enthralled with Lisa’s Counter Culture’s Kombucha Kamp’s Year-Round-Heating System Review.

This is really an amazing & in-depth article on something many of us struggle with when faced with food sensitivities or allergies. Divine Health From the Inside Out explains How To Do An Elimination Diet.

Budget

Here’s the post I wrote this month for Modern Alternative Kitchen- Read how I stick to a real food budget & make sure we still eat well using an envelope type system!

Giveaways

Loving Our Guts is offering a review & giveaway for Honiebe Honey Candy

Several sites are also offering a review & giveaway of “Both: Elixir of Life.” You can find them at (I’ve added end dates in parentheses after each link): Delicious Obsessions (5/13), GAPS Diet Journey (5/15) Hybrid Rasta Mama (5/13)

Hybrid Rasta Mama is also running a giveaway for The Blue & Green Book. Giveaway closes 5/14.

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Buttery Vanilla Bean Pudding

Posted on | May 8, 2013 | 2 Comments

Last fall, we were invited to a farm to table event. This is the last minute pudding I threw together (tripled, of course) :)

I’ve made it since. I’ve surprised my Eggplant Lady with it since. :) Go make some. Like now. You know you wanna!

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How To Juice a Juicier Lemon (and other citrus fruits!) + 26 citrus recipes

Salmon Dip Recipe

Posted on | April 17, 2013 | 2 Comments

You know that picky eater I have? I love him to pieces, but it’s very difficult to get nutrient dense, good-for-him foods into his little body. When I made this on a whim one day (I wanted salmon, but I didn’t want to deal with making salmon cakes), I told him it was “just like tuna.” He actually does like tuna. Weird, huh?

So, he tried it. With hesitation. And he wrinkled up his little nose. And he said “It’s not my favourite.” Which beats the heck out of:

Yuck!
Gross!
Ew!

or

I DON’T LIKE IT!

So, I put a dollop on his plate, added a few crackers & asked him to please eat that little spoonful. See, when he says “It’s not my favourite,” that means he doesn’t HATE it. And this is good. By the time he was done with that little spoonful, he was asking for more.

Then he wanted some the next day. And he’s been asking for it since then. But I’d lost the recipe. And I found it today. So I’m typing it here, so I don’t lose it again. And my picky little turd is expecting me to make it. Like today.

Say wha???

And I will oblige.

Oh yeah. Score one for this persuasive Momma. It’s just like tuna. :D

 

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