September Cooking Class Recipes

Here are the recipes from this month's CHAO cooking class!  Kids can make these yummy, nutritious snacks with minimal adult supervision.  Always helpful for the busy homeschooling mom....

No-Bake Chocolate Cookies

 1 bag chocolate chips
1c peanut butter or almond butter
2c rolled oats
2/3c raw, unsweetened coconut shreds
optional, 1/4c sunflower seeds, chia seeds, or chopped walnuts

Line a plate or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Place chocolate chips and nut butter in glass bowl.  Melt in microwave about 45 seconds, or in a pan of hot water on the stove.  When melted, stir thoroughly and add all other ingredients.  Drop onto parchment paper by the spoonful.  Freeze or refrigerate until set.  ENJOY!

Sneak licks at home... but not at cooking class!!!!!

Chia Gel Drink

2T chia seeds
1c juice
optional, 1/8t stevia extract powder

Place chia seeds in a bottle with tight-fitting lid.  Pour juice on top and cap.  Shake vigorously for 2 minutes.  Place in refrigerator till ready to drink.  Before drinking, give it a good shake to disperse the seeds evenly.  Add the stevia if your juice is too tart.

About chia seeds:
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds, smaller than millet and typically contain 20% protein, 34% oil, 25% dietary fiber, and significant levels of antioxidants. The oil from chia seeds contains a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acid - about 64%.  When soaked in water, they release a gel that is highly nutritious.  They do not need to be ground (or even chewed) in order for the omega-3's to be utilized by the body.

Ants on a Log 

Ivy made her own snack today!

1 bunch celery
1/2c peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter
1/4c raisins or cranberries

The ultimate easy-to-make kid snack!!!

Cut your celery into lengths and wash.  Spread with nut butter; top with raisins or cranberries.  Yum!

 

 

Coming in November: Banana Boats and Crazy-Pop Popcorn 

(No classes in October due to Archbishop's Mass and Luncheon) 

 

"Above all, the child must be well fed!" ~Charlotte Mason

It's Not Easy Being Green

"Be careful about reading health books.  You may die of a misprint."  
 ~Mark Twain

 Sometimes at night I lie awake and think about my blog- about how much I enjoy writing and how much I miss working on it.  But I'm a perfectionist.  I don't come back because I don't have time to post everyday, or to post lots of lavish photographs and amazing recipes.

Having my 4th child, going wheat-free on top of dairy-free, and moving 2 times in 1 year really KICKED MY BUTT.  I have to prioritize.  I can't attachment parent, night nurse, and make 90% of our food, plus homeschool and volunteer, AND record it all on an amazing blog.  No siree.  Superwoman has left the building.

But today I had an idea to get myself blogging again with a little regularity. 

I love food; I love organics; I love all things green.

But you know what I hate?  

Spending money on nifty 'green' or 'organic' items only to hate, hate, hate them.  I can only assume, dear reader, that you, too, lust and obsess over x item you LOVE and DESIRE, only once you possess it, you are disgusted no one told you X, Y, and Z.  And had you known said xyz, never would you have parted with your own "green" for it.

 It's the same line of reasoning that I go for when I read only the 1 and 2 star reviews when I'm shopping- anybody can "love" something, but I'd rather know what people hate and decide if I can live with the drawbacks.

So once or twice a week I'm going to review green things I hate.

Water bottles, supplements, organic baby items, cloth diapers, etc.

If it's green and I hate it, you're gonna hear about it.   

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."  
~Redd Foxx