The Merits of a Multi-Course Meal

We all know that we're supposed to eat like a trillion servings of leafy greens a day, right? Well, honestly, sometimes I go a whole day without feeding my kids some form of fresh greens. I know, it's horrible, right?

Well, I finally figured out how to get them to eat a salad at meal time without a huge fight. I've decided that from now on, I will serve our meals in courses, just like they do at restaurants. The first course will be the salad. The children must dish themselves up a bowl of leafy greens before they can eat anything else or even serve themselves anything else. And the salad doesn't have to be anything fancy. I usually just tear up some red and/or green leaf lettuce, sprinkle some croutons on top...

...then set it on the counter along with some ranch dressing and parmesan cheese. Look how well the youngsters are consuming their greens...

After they finish their bowl of salad, then they can proceed with the main dish, which, for today's menu, was baked macaroni and cheese....

The third course, dessert, is always something to look forward to, but this meal was made in a rush, so no sweet endings for today. Hopefully tomorrow, though!

So tell me. Have you tried this? If so, how does it work for you? I would really like to know. Thanks for listening!

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)

New York Raw Food Chef... In the House!

Welcome to the 91st weekly edition of...

Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

YOURS: Today's "YOURS" goes to The Crunchy Kitchen! Posted at the Crunchy Kitchen is a recipe for Lentil Sloppy Joes. I was unbelievably excited when I saw this recipe! I love lentils and my kids love Sloppy Joes when they can get their grandma to make them out of hamburger meat and store-bought sauce, but this idea seems infinitely better! For the Crunchy Kitchen's recipes, go HERE. Thank you so much, Crunchy Kitchen, for linking up and we will look forward to hearing a lot more from you! If you'd like, feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button from my left sidebar. :)

MINE: As for the title of this post....it's true!

During my visit to the border town where my mom lives, my brother lined up his friend, a New York raw food chef, to prepare a meal for us in my mother's home. My kids had three days off from school, and they were supposed to return on Thursday, but I let them ditch, as I thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth missing Math and English for.

Let me introduce Tzoul Shine!

(pronounced "Soul Shine")

I asked him if it was okay if I took pictures of him during his food preparation, and he was totally hip to that. In fact, he is probably one of the hippest people I've ever met. However, that might not be saying a whole lot because being a mom of ten, I really don't meet that many hip people.

He had the coolest dreads, which he spun around into a bun to put into an enormous beanie...,

...and he danced to the 80s music my brother had playing too loud in the background...

...and he said "magical" a LOT, especially when talking about coconut oil.

As I usually do while my brother prepares food, he worked and I took pictures...

Fortunately, the 10-year-old boy was willing to help, though...

...and the 8-year-old girl spent her time in the kitchen making swirls with the water spilled on the table...

So the menu consisted of raw Fettuccine Alfredo (a super-healthy and delicious version of the standard American diet (SAD) Fettuccine that is said to be the most unhealthy food on the planet), marinated kale and grape clusters.

The Fettuccine Alfredo was to die for and I literally couldn't get enough...because there wasn't enough for thirds.

The first step was to make the sauce. Tzoul used a base of almonds and I didn't ask for the exact recipe, but because I've made my own version of raw Alfredo sauce before, I'll be posting it below. My recipe calls for macadamia nuts, but as I stated above, Tzoul used almonds...

...which were a perfect, delicious, and less expensive substitute.

While Tzoul was working on the sauce, he instructed my brother on how to prepare the raw "pasta"...

When preparing a pasta-like dish, most raw foodists use squash or zucchini, sliced very thinly, as a pasta substitute. You would be amazed at how wonderfully this takes the place of pasta, one-upping it in taste and texture in my personal opinion...

As a topping for the zucchini "pasta", my brother chopped up a variety of vegetables....

You could really use any vegetables you like...

The final product filled six plates for our family with vegetable, herb and nut goodness and it felt absolutely wonderful to be eating something I knew was good for me on every level...

Tzoul, I know you are going to read this, and just in case I didn't express it enough in person, let me again thank you from the bottom of my heart for the time you spent with our family teaching me and my children about the importance of choosing the best foods to put into our bodies. My brother communicated it best this way...

So here are the recipes and thanks for listening!

For the Fettuccine Alfredo:

Ingredients

* 1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and thinly julienned
* 1 cup zucchini, thinly julienned
* 1 cup squash, thinly julienned
* 1 cup red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and thinly julienned
* 2 tsp. basil, minced
* 2 tsp. parsley, chopped
* ½ cup Alfredo sauce (see Alfredo sauce from Mom2my10)
* 2 TB. pine nuts

Directions

1. Combine carrot, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper, basil and parsley in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir well.

2. Add Alfreda sauce and stir well. Place veggies on plates and drizzle with leftover Alfreda sauce. Garnish with sprinkle of pine nuts.

Direct recipe link: http://keyingredient.com/recipes/310081/

For the Alfredo sauce:

Ingredients

* 1 ¼ cup water
* 1 cup macadamia nuts
* 1 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 2 tsp. nama shoyu or soy sauce
* 1 ½ tsp. garlic, minced
* ½ tsp. raw apple cider vinegar
* 1 ½ tsp. nutritional yeast
* Pinch cayenne
* ⅛ tsp. salt or to taste
* ⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender, preferably a Vita-Mix, for about 60 seconds, or until smooth as possible.

This sauce can also be used as a dip for vegetables.

Direct recipe link: http://keyingredient.com/recipes/310085/

OURS: All righty then, what homemaking tips do you have for us today? Can't wait to see!

An American Mom in Mexico Makes Japanese Sushi

I was introduced to sushi by my sisters many years ago, and since then it has become my all-time favorite food on the planet. Many people squirm at the thought of eating sushi, because they think raw, slimy fish. But did you know what? Sushi doesn't mean raw fish. Sashimi is raw fish. Sushi it just rice prepared in the sushi style usually wrapped with seaweed and stuffed with filling.

Today, we will learn how to make a vegetarian California roll (no raw fish!). My littlest sister not only introduced me to sushi-eating, but to sushi-making as well. She learned her skills while working in a sushi bar from 2 Mexican 20-year-old twins. You must understand that my littlest sister is a buxom, freckled, farm-girl type beauty and these twins took a liking to her. One of the first things they said to her, in a thick Mexican accent, was, "Congratulations! You are BEAUTIFUL!" And thus, her tutelage began, which she graciously passed on to me.

First of all, there are a few tools and ingredients you'll need to have on hand. They are...

-A bamboo sushi roller (can be purchased at any Asian grocery store)
-Wasabi (a hot horse-radish style Japanese mustard...I've purchased this at Wal-mart)
-Pickled ginger (can be purchased at any Asian grocery store)
-Roasted seaweed (I've also purchased this at Wal-mart)
-Roasted sesame seeds (can be purchased at Wal-mart or Sam's)

Okay, now that we've got all of our paraphernalia, let's begin.

Vegetarian California Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:

4 cups rice
8 cups water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cucumber
1 package cream cheese
1 avocado
Roasted sesame seeds
Soy sauce
Wasabi
Pickled Ginger

Directions:

Step 1: Make the rice. You can use special Japanese rice, but I just use plain rice from my food storage. I always use a rice cooker, because I could never get my rice just right in a pot. If you only have a pot, just follow the instructions on your rice package.

Step 2: After the rice is cooked, add the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring carefully so as not to smash the rice...



Step 3: Let the rice cool. Because I was in a hurry, I spread my rice out on a cookie sheet and it cooled very quickly this way...



Step 4: While you're waiting for the rice to cool, cut up the cucumber (omitting the seeds), the cream cheese and the avocado...




(To easily de-seed an avocado, just press a sharp knife into the seed and twist to remove...)



(To easily slice an avocado, trying cutting it while still in it's peel, like so...



...then scoop the slices out with a spoon...)



Step 5: Lay out your bamboo sushi roller on a hard surface...



Step 6: Place the seaweed on the roller with the shiny side down.

(Shiny side...)



(Not shiny side...)




Step 7: Spread the cooled rice onto the seaweed, leaving about an inch of empty space at the top...



Step 8: On top of the rice, place cucumber slices, avocados, cream cheese slices and sprinkle on roasted sesame seeds.



Step 9: Dip your fingers into a bowl of water...



...then wet the top of the seaweed, like so...



(This will help seal the roll.)

Step 10: Starting at the bottom of the roll, roll the sushi over the ingredients, then press the seaweed under, like so...




Keep rolling until you have formed a tight cylinder, then squeeze it to seal the moistened seaweed edge...



Step 11: Your roll is finished!



Step 12: Now, with a very sharp knife (you can use a special sushi knife...



...making sure it is really, really sharp...)



...cut your roll into one half inch pieces, making sure the seaweed seam is down...



In my case, the ends usually don't turn out very pretty, so I put them on a separate place and eat them myself later.

Step 13: To create your dipping sauce, mix a small amount of wasabi in soy sauce, to taste. If you are not accustomed to wasabi, I would recommend you not use too much, as it can really clear the sinuses. If you do end up getting too much, just make sure you don't breathe through your nose, only your mouth. Trust me!

Step 14: It's really fun to set a Japanese place setting on which to place your beautiful sushi. I used a rectangular blue and white plate, matching soy sauce dish, wooden chopsticks and a chopstick holder my littlest sister gave me for Christmas one year...



(And just to show you how unprofessional this tutorial is, I have not placed the pickled ginger on the plate, which is used as a palate cleanser, because I didn't have any. At least I neatly formed the wasabi to mix with the soy sauce in the upper right corner.)

I really hope you enjoy this and I would love to hear your experience once you try it! Thanks for listening!

Homemaker Monday: Whole Wheat Mexican Milanesa Steaks

Welcome to the 65th weekly edition of...


Thank you for joining us! If you're new to this carnival and would like to enter your post, please check HERE for the rules and regs.

YOURS: This week's "YOURS" goes to Quirky Momma over at Quirky Momma dot com! Her post is about how just focusing on a task for 15 minutes has drastically improved the cleanliness and comfort of her home. For her entire post, click HERE. Thank you so much, Quirky Momma, for linking up with us and it has been fun getting to know you! Please feel free to take the "I Was Featured" button from my left sidebar if you'd like. Have a great one!

MINE: The following is a recipe I learned about in a homemaking meeting at church recently. As Mormons, we are counseled to have a year's supply of food on hand to prepare for emergencies such as unexpected death or disability, natural disaster, economic calamities, etc. One of the best things to store is wheat, as it has almost an eternal shelf life, is healthy and versatile. Many Mormons have pounds and pounds of this one hand. For our family of 11, for a year, we have half a ton, literally.

Because we store wheat, we must also know how to use it. What good would half a ton of wheat do my family in the case of any of the above mentioned scenarios if all I knew how to do was boil it and serve it with butter and sugar? That would get old real fast! Thus, I have made it one of my life ambitions to use and rotate my wheat regularly in a variety of recipes, and I wanted to share the latest I've discovered with you today.

Mexican Milanesa is a thin, breaded steak, much like chicken fried steak in The United States, but to me, much better! This version uses a small amount of meat, but is mostly comprised of cooked wheat. Even if you don't store wheat, this is something you might want to try, as it's healthy and much cheaper than "real" steaks! Plus, my family loved it and I know yours will, too!

Mexican Whole Wheat Milanesa Steaks

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or beef
6 cups cooked whole wheat
4 eggs
1 onion, chopped
2 cups milk
2 tsp ground black pepper
4 cups dry bread crumbs or crumbled crackers
2 garlic clove
Salt to taste (I used about 2 teaspoons)
mustard and ketchup

Directions:

Step 1: Boil whole wheat for at least two hours, until tender, then drain water off. If you've never seen wheat sold in stores, this is what it looks like...



...and this is what it will look like once it's cooked and poured into a strainer...



Step 2: Combine cooked wheat, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and milk in a blender until just blended. It should still be chunky. (Note: You may have to divide this in half and blend in two sessions, as some blenders won't hold this much.)

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. (Another note: If you'd like a really easy way to crumble crackers, just put them in a ziploc bag, like so...



...roll over them with a rolling pin, and THIS will be your end result in about ten seconds...



Step 4: Form the mixture into patties, about the size of hamburger patties.

Step 5: On an oiled grilling or frying surface, on low to medium heat, cook the patties until they are brown on each side, like so...



And you're done! To serve Mexican style, add a side dish of salsa and limes. We also made homemade fries to go with it!



Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Lest you wonder why I, a proclaimed vegan, would prepare such a meal as this, I need you to know that I've fallen off the wagon a bit (and temporarily) since becoming pregnant. However, I did not go out and buy this hamburger meat at a grocery store, thus supporting the factory farm industry, but it was meat we still had in the chest freezer from almost a year ago, before I made the change. Just thought some of you might want to know!

OURS: I can't wait to see what you've got for us today. If you've never linked up before, feel free to dig through your archives and link anything homemaking! Thank you so much for joining us today and I hope you have a GREAT Homemaker Monday!