The idea of starting a new way of feeding yourself can be really overwhelming.  You can read more of my journey HERE.  What I have learned as we have moved in and out of stages of healthy eating habits is that it is crucial to be prepared.  Your family must be spiritually and mentally prepared and your fridge must be well stocked!

Tips for Preparing Your Family

~Replace as many drinks with water as possible.  Drink at least 8 glasses a day.  This may mean filling up several large glasses and leaving them on the counter so you don't forget.  Or sending your kids with a water bottle everywhere they go.  Don't forget about your husband and kids on this point.  They need their water too!

~Start adding more fruits, vegetables, legumes and healthy grains to your diet.  Our food is built on habit and if we can start adding some healthy foods into our routine before removing items we will be more successful.

~Start rotating foods today!  This is one of the single most important things you can do for your health, especially if you suspect food allergies or intolerances.  If you are like me you may get into a ground beef kick or a chicken swing...but it really is important to practice moderation and variation in our diet.  This also helps prepare your family for trying new foods that will be necessary on a healthier diet.

~Add a Green Smoothie!

~Cut back on eating out, especially fast food.  Look for a couple of restaurants that prepare food from scratch and have healthier items on their menu.  They may be more expensive but we have found that this keeps us from eating cheaper fast food more often!

Tips for Preparing Your Fridge

~Stock up on healthy condiments or make them yourself.  Look for recipes that are gluten, sugar and dairy free (unless you plan to continue dairy).  I love Elana's long list of healthy, yummy dips and dressings. 

~Consider buying organic, free-range, hormone free meats, eggs and milk from a local farmer.  Buying in bulk or on a schedule can save you money and help make it more realistic for the long term.  I have a list of local resources in my Food, Birth and Community Guide.  You can also try Local Harvest for resources in your area.

~Find a couple of cookbooks or a list or recipes that fit your family's eating habits (with a healthier twist) and start stocking up on grans, legumes, herbs, flours and other items.  What I love about starting with a couple of cookbooks is that each one tends to have a theme to their ingredients and you can usually make most of the items with only a short list of new purchases.  I will be posting some of my lists along with recipes soon.

~Make Ahead Chicken and Broth is a great way to stock up on healthy chicken for soups, salads and casserole's.  And you will have lots of stock ready too!  Drinking chicken stock is a great way to heal your digestive system when cutting out sugar and other irritants.

_Make Ahead Chicken

There is a reason why people have been serving their families homemade chicken soup for generations (real chicken stock, not the canned stuff).   Real chicken stock heals the stomach and digestive system and allows the body to protect and heal itself more naturally.

·      Begin with the bones of an organic, free range or hormone-free chicken.  Place in a large pot and cover with cold filtered water and a couple tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar.

·      Bring to a boil (remove any film that floats to the top).  Add an onion, 2-3 carrots, and 2-3 celery stalks.  Reduce heat and simmer for 12-24 hours (you can use a slow cooker if you would prefer).

·      Pour through a strainer and store in airtight containers (I prefer mason jars over plastic).  You can also freeze in ice cube trays so that you can have individual portions.  Divide the Chicken into freezer bags or use right away.

I’m not sure about you but trying to teach myself how to cook, clean and manage a household all while balancing what this world has to offer is tough.  As I look back to my life before having a family I realize that I was much more prepared for the corporate world than the kitchen.  Over the past couple of years I’ve needed to dig in my heels and dive head first into the world of raising kids, living with food allergies, and living off the land all while maintaining a budget.  Let me share with you a few of the things I’ve learned along the way.

Many of the foods we were eating left us full and satisfied for a short period of time but we were hungry and snacking a lot in between meals.  By evaluating our diet we realized that the meals we expected to be ready in 60 seconds were high in saturated fat, sugars and salts.  Replacing those with foods that were nourishing and healthy for us actually decreased the amount of foods we were eating, we felt better and life became simpler.

Defining Real Food

Whole foods in their most natural state including fruits, vegetables, milk, whole grains, seafood, meats.

Natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and all natural fruit juice.

Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts, and popcorn

Beverages like water, milk, all natural juices, coffee & tea.

Photo 1  A week’s worth of food purchased at Community Farmers Market in Bowling Green.  Items include:  Fresh fruits and vegetables, berries, meats, eggs, breads and milk.

Those extras at the grocery store may seem like a good deal when priced individually.  But take into account what they add to your weekly budget and the fact that many kids will eat less of their “real” meals and you realize you aren’t really saving much.  Here is an example of what the extras used to cost us each week:

Juice Boxes, 2 Bags of Chips, Breakfast Bars (or energy bars), Fruit Snacks, 12 pack of Coke, 2 Cans of Condensed Soup, Frozen Pizza, Corn Dogs, and a box of cookies Total Cost:  $35 + (often much more)

Simplify Breakfast, Lunch & Snacks

The most important thing I did for our budget was to get control of our breakfast, lunch and snacks.  This is where I was seeing the most over consumption and waste of food for our family.  Walking the cereal aisle at the store proves that we are used to a wide variety of options for breakfast!  But the truth was that with a little self-control we were able to minimize our options at home and save time, money and waste.

Here is an example of a week’s groceries for the first two meals of the day, including snacks (for a family of 6).

Breakfast (Cereal, Oatmeal, Eggs, Smoothies)

Grocery list:  Coffee, Milk, Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, Orange Juice, Spinach, Bananas  $22

Lunch (Sandwiches, Wraps, Sliced Fruits/Vegetables)

Grocery list:  Sliced Bread, Wraps, Chicken, Beef, Sliced Cheese, Peanut Butter, Fruit $32

Snacks (fruits & vegetables, Protein “grab and go”)

Grocery list:  Apples, Oranges, Pears, Grapes, Peaches, Bananas, Carrots, Dried Fruit, Mixed Nuts, Hard Boiled Eggs, Peanut Butter $28

Managing Dinner

When you are buying in bulk, stocking up on in-season fruits and vegetables and learning to use what you have on hand you are able to save money through eating dinner at home more often.  Take into account that most families will only need a freshly prepared meal 3-4 days a week and that there is often leftovers!  I’m listing a few of our go-to meals that help us save time and money.

Italian Night-Start with a base of homemade spaghetti sauce (or a healthier store bought option) and expand to one of these:  Chicken or Eggplant Parmesan, Ground Beef Spaghetti, Sausage Spaghetti, Lasagna, or Pizza Night  $12

Crock-pot Meals-Start with a good cut of grass fed beef, chicken or pork.  Add a couple cups of chicken or beef broth and your favorite veggies like potatoes, green beans, carrots, and onions.  $10-15

Skillet Meals-Start with chicken, beef or sausage and add your favorite vegetables like squash, zucchini, peppers, and onions.  Cook on medium heat until tender.  Serve with tortillas, over pasta or over tortilla chips.  $12

Breakfast for Dinner:  Sausage or Bacon, Eggs, Fresh Veggies, and whole wheat pancakes $12

Total Grocery Budget $132 (Keep in my mind that this can be a lot less for those with fewer family members).

Make More with Less

Drink a glass of water and finish it with 1-2 oz. of juice (or your favorite beverage).

Use cooked lentils to make ground beef and sausage go further in chili, soups and burgers.

A hard-boiled egg, spoonful of peanut butter or slice of ham can tide hungry kids (or yourself) over until mealtime.

Buy in bulk, freeze or join a meal-sharing group.

Eat leftovers as often as you have them!

Grow a garden and learn how to cook and preserve fruits and vegetables for use in the winter.

Photo 2  Growing your own garden is good for the body, mind and soul.  It’s also a great way to lower your grocery budget and introduce kids to real foods.

Real Food Resources

Kentucky Proud recipes and food availability charts www.kyproud.com

Small Steps to Health & Wealth  Pick up this free publication from the Warren County Extension Office.

The Kentucky fresh Cookbook by Maggie Green 

Find local food through farmers markets, CSA’s & On-Farm Markets: www.marketmaker.com, www.localharvest.com

Veggie Lasagna
Need:
13x9 pan
1 medium pot, 1 large pot
1 medium bowl

Ingredients:
1 Box Lasagna noodles
1 small onion
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp basil
4 Tbsp Parsley; divided
2 tsp salt; divided
2 tsp black pepper
3-4 cups of tomato sauce
1 Squash
1 Zucchini
3 Bell Peppers of different colors
2 Firm Tomatoes ; 1 chopped, 1 sliced
3 cups small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 cup Parmesan; divided
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella; divided
2 cups cooked spinach

1 - Cook noodles according to package directions
2 - Slice and Simmer (or steam?) all veggies until slightly tender except 1 tomato (slice 1 tomato, but don't cook) WITH onion, garlic powder, basil, 2 Tbsp parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, tomato sauce, and 1 chopped tomato
3 - Mix cottage cheese, eggs (beaten), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 c parmesan, and 2 Tbsp parsley

Grease pan and put some of the tomato sauce on the bottom

Layer 1/2 of each:
noodles
cheese mix
shredded mozzarella
veggie mix and sliced tomato

Repeat -- put Parmesan on top if desired
Cook in oven at 350 for 45 min to about an hour (watch center for bubbling and slightly brown - might even take longer)

From Rachel Sochor
Enjoy!!

ingredients: phyllo, butter, garlic, mozzarella, nathan's tomatoes, feta, basil

melt butter with crushed garlic and brush between each of 1 or 2 sheets of phyllo. sprinkle mozzarella to within 2 inches of edges. layer sliced tomatoes. sprinkle with feta and fresh basil. roll edges of phyllo up, use butter for 'glue' if needed.

bake at 375 until it looks yummy, about 20-25 minutes. serve at room temp, surrounded by community/love/best people in my world!

accept accolades from all. ha!!!

Recipe by Dana Bennett

Use a traditional 9-inch pie shell, not a deep-dish. There's no need to thaw the crust before assembling.
• YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings
• COOK TIME: 28 MINUTES
• PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES
• COOL: 20 MINUTES
• COURSE: Main Dishes
Ingredients
• 1 (8-oz.) package diced cooked ham
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 4 onions)
• 1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie shell
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Garnishes: fresh basil sprigs, tomato slices
Preparation
• 1. Sauté ham and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until ham is brown and any liquid evaporates.
• 2. Brush bottom of pie shell evenly with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon ham mixture evenly over cheese, and top with single layer of sliced tomatoes.
• 3. Beat egg and half-and-half with a fork until blended; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• 4. Bake on lowest oven rack at 425° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve; garnish, if desired.

Recipe from Chantelle Crouch

This time of year is crazy around here.  During the busy summer months on a farm I find it easiest to prepare 2-3 big meals that we can all eat from through the week.  These are perfect with a side of fresh corn (we eat it raw), cantaloupe, watermelon, sliced tomatoes...

You could really vary these according to what you have on hand, find at your local farmers market or even to use up extras in the freezer.  I simply throw all the ingredients into the crockpot and let it sit for 6-8 hours.

Cabbage and Sausage
Head of Green Cabbage
Head of Purple Cabbage
Bell Pepper
3 Mild Jalapeno
Sweet Onion
2 Pounds Sausage
Salt & Pepper
Drizzle of Honey
Total Cost:  $12

If you have a lot of fruit in your kitchen then you probably get to experience fruit flies this time of year.  Bananas and peaches seem to be the two biggest culprits around here.  It's frustrating and until this year I let them win!  But not anymore.  A friend of mine shared this great tip with me and you have no idea how excited I am that it works.

In a mason jar or glass fill the bottom with apple cider vinegar and a small piece of fruit (banana and peaches work great).  Roll up a piece of paper into a cone shape with a small opening at the bottom and place in jar.  Place near the swarming, aggravating, annoying, troublesome fruit flies and watch them fly down into their fateful demise.  Can you sense how much they "bug" me?


You can tape the paper in place so that interested kids don't let them free!  Place the jar in the freezer to ensure that they are truly captured and executed.

Then...with much joy, feel free to bring in as many fruits and vegetables as you would like!  Canning tomatoes just got much more pleasant!

The days are long and hard lately.  We wake up with a list of things that must be done that day, and the evenings are as full as the mornings. Teaching the kids how to work hard even when they don't feel like it is one of the most important jobs we have.  And we often struggle ourselves with it ourselves.  Adding simple rituals to our days tend to make them easier to get through.  Time in the pool, reading under the tree, 10 minute naps.  And lately our favorite is fresh peach salsa each night. It's sweet, salty, and a little spicy!

Peach Salsa
Peaches
Jalapeno Pepper
Bell Pepper
Onion
Tomatoes
a pinch of salt and a drizzle of honey

On our schedules this week was cleaning out all the yellow tubs for taking the tomatoes to market.  Combining it with pool time made our work a little sweeter!

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

~Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV).