Trim Healthy Waffles-Original Recipe

"Are you a fan of delicious flavor?"

~Shawn Spencer

Our family has just discovered the most amazing healthy living book EVER!!! 

Trim Healthy Mama (THM for short) has been such a blessing to our family! Pearl and Serene (2 Christian sisters from Australia) explain how to eat the way God created our bodies to and to have an overall healthy lifestyle. I'll be doing a book review shortly :) 

These are my Trim Healthy Mama Waffles! After a failed attempt to find one online or in the book, I decided to find and alter a Paleo recipe and give it a whirl. I found one HERE and changed almost everything in it to create the most delicious, decadent waffles you've ever tasted!!! For our family of 10, I do 2 double batches of this batter to feed us all but most likely, you won't need as much so I trimmed it down.

Please, feel free to pin this image. Clicking the image opens this page so everyone can make waffles!

The key to fluffy deliciousness is to whip the egg whites till they're stiff and don't slip around in the bowl...almost like meringues...exactly like meringues...they're meringues (just kidding)

These waffles fall into the "S" category because they utelize whole eggs, almond flour and butter. So slather on the buttah, Mama! You may use all almond flour but the combo of almond and flax makes it super fluffy and smooth!!! The kids can put syrup or honey on theirs but for you, Mama, butter and Polaner's All-Fruit Jelly are both acceptable and encouraged. You could even make a blueberry sauce with blueberries, stevia and a dash of salt and vanilla (yum!)

I hope you'll try the recipe and comment on your success and advice! I make these waffles at least once and sometimes twice a week, we love them so much! I hope you enjoy :)

Trim Healthy Waffles {S}

By McKenna Rosen

Makes Approx. 12 Waffles

Ingredients

6 Egg Yolks

6 Egg Whites

1/4 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 C. Almond Flour

1/2 C. Flax Flour

1/2 t. Salt

1/4 C. Melted Butter

2 t. Vanilla

2 T. Truvia

1 T. Cinnamon

1 t. Nutmeg

Bacon Grease or Coconut Oil (for greasing the iron)

Optional: 1 C. Blueberries

Instructions
1. Preheat Waffle Iron
2. Whisk Egg Yolks and Milk
3. Add Almond+Flax Flour and Salt. Whisk.
4. Add Melted Butter. Whisk.
5. Add Vanilla, Stevia, Cinnamon and Nutmeg (Optional Blueberries). Whisk.
6. Whisk Egg Whites until they form stiff peaks. (This is best done in a KitchenAid or with a hand-held mixer)

7. Fold Egg Whites into batter in 3 parts.

This is what the batter looks like after the egg whites have been added.

8. Scoop 1/3 c. Batter into preheated, greased iron.
9. Cook until golden-brown and scrumptious! Enjoy!

Help spread the word about my Waffles and, who knows? Maybe Pearl and Serene will start making it for their families!

Cheese-less Cheesy Popcorn Recipe

I'm sure that title sounds like an oxymoron, but it's not. This recipe was created by yours truly, a popcorn connoisseur. It works best with "Whirley-Pop" or air popper popcorn; as long as it's homemade. This recipe doesn't call for cheese, but tastes completely cheesy! The secret ingredient is Nutritional Yeast. You can find it at most health-food stores and it's not very expensive at all. This won't work with regular yeast, but there is some magical quality to the stuff that makes your taste buds sigh, "Cheese..." What you're provided is a delicious, buttery, no-nonsense popcorn that is truly addictive! I am NOT exaggerating!

 

Just kidding! I would never let my popcorn spill!

 

Cheese-less Cheesy Popcorn

Makes a double-batch to fill a large bowl

Ingredients

1 Cup Organic Popcorn Kernels

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1/2-1 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt

1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast

An Appetite

 

Method

Make up your popcorn 1/2 cup at a time in either a Whirley-Pop or an air popper. The Coconut Oil is for if you're using a Whirley-Pop or a knock-off Whirley-Pop that ultimately works just as well.

Once the popcorn is all popped and in a large bowl, melt the butter. It's up to you how much to use. 1/2 cup will sparsely butter the popcorn and 1 cup will make your fingers shiny when you pick up a handful. This all depends upon your personal butter preferences. Toss the popcorn with the salt then add the butter. Gently mix that in, using a spatula or your hands. Finally, add the Nutritional Yeast. Mix it up until thoroughly combined. Make sure none of the Yeast falls to the bottom of the bowl. Now might be a good time to say something about the Godly virtue of Self-Control. I promise, it'll be hard to control your portions, so get the family together for a snack or you will end up eating the entire bowl by yourself! But doesn't that look tantalizing?!

 

 



We've Got Chickens!!!

L-R: Babs, Mac, Edwina and Ginger :)

I honestly never thought the glorious day would come...the day we finally got chickens!!! You may now refer to me as "Mrs. Tweedy"

Meet Ginger, Babs, Mac and Edwina. Sound familiar? It does, if you've ever had the pleasure of seeing the Aardman film "Chicken Run"!

Babs is actually posing! She has quickly established herself the leader of the flock.

 And they live in just the cutest little coop you've ever seen. See?!

 

 

It looks like a little gypsy wagon from afar :D

 

  

Here's a few closeup photos.

Here are their perches and the place the have decided to consolidate their...droppings...

Here's where we gather the eggses ;)

  I just thought y'all might like a little peek into our homesteading world. Pictures of the garden and a video about raw milk are coming soon. I haven't gone crazy, yet...have I...

Borscht Recipe

I've been dying to try and make some Borscht lately, and finally got the chance to do it tonight. Since my Dad's family is Russian, I felt like making Borscht would be...I don't know, a traditional kind of thing. Like Noodle Kugel and Matzo Ball Soup and Challah :)

So, I looked around on the internet at different Borscht recipes and none of them were in my time frame or qualified for our diet. I decided then, that I would make my own recipe! Since we have such a large family, you might need to cut it in half.

Here it is; McKenna's Original recipe. Presenting...

BORSCHT

 (Serves 12)

Time: 1 Hour 

 6 Medium Organic Beets, Cubed

3 Cups Organic Cauliflower, Chopped

64oz. Beef Broth (Store-Bought Organic or Homemade)

2 lbs. Organic Grass-Fed Chuck Shoulder Roast

1 Organic Onion, Sliced

2 T. Cold-Pressed Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (for Sauteing)

½ C. Red or White Wine Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Dill (Optional Garnish)

Sour Cream (For those not on a Paleo Diet or the Whole 30 Diet)

 Combine the Beets, Cauliflower and Beef Broth in a large soup pot. Simmer.

While soup is working up to a simmer, generously salt the Chuck Roast(s) and sear it in the Olive Oil in a super-hot sauce pan 1-2 minutes each side. Let the meat rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then cut it into small pieces for the soup. Return to not-so-super-hot pan and brown with the onions, Vinegar and a cup of Water.

 While the meat is browning, remove a third of your soup (mostly the veggies) into a blender or food processor. Blend into a thick puree. Add back to the soup pot (you may have to do the pureeing in multiple batches). 

Finally, add the meat into the soup pot (making sure to include all the onions and liquid that is now very beefy). Boil the Borscht until the Beet cubes are tender, but not mushy. Add the Salt and Pepper for flavor. Serve hot with the garnishes of your choice and enjoy your delicious, meaty Borscht! 

Italian Hillbilly Wedding Themed Post...Seriously...

I am sure you must be completely shocked about that unfortunate-looking title. However, it was intentional and does carry meaning :)

At our church, different communities of people (friends) come together for worship and spiritual encouragement at each other's houses. We call these gatherings "Life Groups". Each family takes a turn hosting at their house and this week, it was our turn. Our Life Group likes to get creative and make themes for food (and clothing; if you're brave and can withstand advanced sarcasm ;) This week, my parents were throwing around ideas for a theme, and my dad texts my mom, "Italian Hillbilly Wedding Theme"! It was instantly adopted and thus, the title of my post is explained in a lengthy and probably unnecessary paragraph :)

I spent all morning preparing our main dishes. They were a big hit, so I have decided to share with the world! They are Rosemary-Olive-Oil-Sprouted-Spelt-Bread, Italian Wedding Soup (with heavenly meatballs) and Hillbilly Wedding Soup (also known as Chili) The Rosemary Bread, I had made the night before to save on time. Here they are...please enjoy!

Okay...this is really only a third of a loaf, but let's pretend that it's a whole loaf!

Sprouted Spelt Bread

(with Variations on the theme)

Spelt is a gluten-free wheat berry. No one in our family is allergic to gluten, but Spelt provides a lighter bread than whole wheat. The sprouted part means that the grains were soaked in water to "sprout" (they get little tail-like sprouts), then dehydrated. This process breaks down the different parts of the grain and makes it more digestible for our systems. We buy our sprouted grains from an Amish farm. But sprouting your own grains is relatively easy. I will post on that in a few days. 

 Ingredients:

9 Tbsp. Honey

  4 1/2 Tbsp. Lecithin (you can substitute 2 eggs)  

 3 3/4 c. Warm Water (not hot from the tap)

2 Tbsp. Yeast

9-12 c. Freshly-Milled Sprouted Spelt Flour 

(you can use Whole Wheat or Kamut if you want)

2 1/2 tsp. Salt

4 1/2 Tbsp. Wheat Gluten

 Optional:

4 Tbsp. Dried Rosemary

4 Tbsp. Cold-Pressed EVOO

Instructions:

1.) Preheat Oven 200 degrees Farenheit

2.) In mixer (like Kitchen-Aid or Bosch) combine honey, lecithin (or eggs), water, yeast and HALF the flour. Cover with towel for 15 minutes.

3.) Add the rest of the flour, salt, wheat gluten and, if applicable, rosemary and olive oil. You may need to add extra flour so the dough isn't sticky.

4.) Knead in mixer 5-7 minutes.

5.) On clean, floured surface separate the dough evenly into three or four loaves. Roll out each section into a rectangle, then roll them up into a log and tuck the ends under, slicing across the top. Place into floured pans.

 6.) Place in the 200 degree oven, covered with floured tea towel for 30-60 minutes to rise. 

7.) Remove from oven. Preheat 350 degrees F.

 8.) Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and delicious! Enjoy!

There isn't much left, but we're having it for dinner, so it shall be reimbursed with fresh meatballs and stock!

Apparently, the kids decided that the soup didn't need so may meatballs after all!

    Italian Wedding Soup

(my Variation of a FoodNetwork recipe) 

 My Mama found this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis on FoodNetwork for me to use. I altered it slightly (and doubled it) and it was one of the best soups I've ever had! Don't be alarmed by the fermented garlic. The stuff is so good, I eat it raw! It adds an extra punch of finger-licking flavor (not to mention how good it is for your body as a probiotic miracle). The Chicken Stock I used was also homemade. I suppose I shall also have to post on how to ferment your own garlic and make your own chicken stock, too :)

 Meatballs:

 1 small Onion, grated

1/3 c. Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

  1 Large Egg

1 tsp. Fermented Garlic, minced 

1 tsp. Salt

1 slice of the AMAZING Rosemary Olive-Oil Bread you just made; crusts removed, crumbled into tiny pieces 

 1/2 c. Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

8 oz. Ground Beef (we get ours grass-fed not grain-fed)

8 oz. Turkey Sausage, un-cased (or substitute pork)

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Soup:

12 c. Chicken Broth/Stock (homemade, if you can)

1 Pound Fresh or Frozen Spinach, coarsely chopped

  2 Large Eggs

2 Tbsp. Freshly-Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese (plus extra for garnish) 

 Instructions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheight.

2.) Mix up the first six ingredients with a fork in a metal or glass bowl (don't use plastic). 

3.)Add cheese, beef and sausage or pork. Form into 1-inch balls with 1/2 Tbsp. as scoop. Place on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  

4.)Bake for 30 minutes. Set aside.

 Soup:

1.) Bring the broth to a boil. Add the meatballs and spinach.  

2.) Whisk eggs and cheese together. While the broth is still boiling, start stirring the soup, then slowly drizzle the egg mixture in, stirring with a fork to create thin strands of egg, about 1 minute. Season with Salt and Pepper. Perfection!

What's left of the chili after last night plus lunch today!

 Hillbilly Wedding Soup

(also known as the Rosen's Famous Chili)

My parents came up with this recipe for one of my Dad's birthday parties about four years ago. It was an instant favorite! We make for a lot of people, so you might need to cut the recipe down a bit :) But remember! All spice amounts are approximate. You may adjust to your taste. This Chili is not spicy; it's sweet!

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, chopped

2 or 3 Cloves of Garlic (regular garlic)   

4 lb. Ground Beef (grass-fed)

2 Large Cans of Tomato Juice

2 Large Cans Diced Tomatoes (not drained)

2 Cans Black Beans, drained (or Chili Hot Beans)

2 Cans Red Beans, drained (or Kidney Beans)

1-2 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1-2 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

1/3 c. Brown Sugar

Instructions:

1.) Start cooking the onions in a large skillet in a few Tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat. About halfway through, add minced or pressed garlic.

2.) When the onions are translucent, add the meat in, stirring and breaking it up continually.

3.) While the meat is browning, mix together in a large pot the remaining ingredients. Adjust amounts of spices until desirable.

4.) Once the meat is browned thoroughly, add it to the pot. Simmer until nice and hot!

 Please send me pictures of your own concoctions to missmckennaray@gmail.com . I would love to see what you come up with!