Fluffy Chocolate Yogurt with Chocolate Granola

I’m always on the lookout for healthy-yet-yummy snacks or desserts for us.  I don’t usually buy packaged items at the grocery store, but whenever we pass the Jell-O section at the grocery store Josiah says “jelly! jelly!” (he can’t seem to get the “o” on the end).  I sometimes let them pick one of the sugar-free varieties, and last week we picked one out and I got some whipping cream to make fresh whipped cream (though I almost got lazy and bought Cool Whip). 

We had some leftover whipped cream after using up the Jell-O and then I remembered a recipe for Chocolate Delight Yogurt that I had pinned a while ago while on the lookout for yogurt ideas.  It’s just one recipe among a slew of other yummy yogurt concoctions like Red Grapes with Nut Butter Yogurt Dip, Banana Nut Butter Honey Yogurt, Banana Split Yogurt and Mint Chocolate Chip Yogurt. 

So I mixed some homemade yogurt with homemade chocolate syrup then folded in the leftover whipped cream (in a 1:1 ratio with the yogurt – probably a cup or so of each).  The night before I made a batch of chocolate granola (using the greater amount of oats and less sweetener), which I sprinkled on top of the yogurt – soooo goooo!  The kiddos and I gobbed it all up. 

*See my Snacks and Dessert Pinterest boards for more inspiration.   

Expanding the Garden

I love the idea of being self-sustaining – growing and raising our own food, living off the land so we’re eating the freshest, healthiest foods and not answering to someone else’s standard of living.  We’re still contemplating raising chickens, maybe even goats for milk one day, but we’re not ready for that yet.  Baby steps. 

Last year we had three raised beds, and while we thoroughly enjoyed the resulting crops, we didn’t get enough to put any produce away.  We pretty much ate it as it ripened, although we did give some of it away here and there. 

This year Phil built five more raised beds making two rows of four; though I believe he really just wanted to borrow his friend’s backhoe as an excuse to play around and tear up the yard.  The kiddos drove around with him in that thing for over an hour! 

Our side yard looks completely different now.  A big tree was cut down, a side garden uprooted and transplanted (we haven’t really committed to flower gardens yet since we know we’re not done with the yard), and the beds added.  The kiddos were a big help raking the dirt.

 

There are always folks around here with manure for the taking so we scored a load and got to work mixing it in with the soil.  As you can see, Josiah is Daddy’s Big Helper.  I had to laugh when I saw the two of them; apparently, Phil had taken off his shirt while he was working and Josiah promptly followed suit. 

 

Another trip to get some free (I love free!) mulch and we filled in the ground between the beds. 

One day last month Phil told me we should be able to start planting soon.  Not two days later he said we’d better hurry up, his mother already had her garden planted!  I didn’t realize it was a competition. :)  So he got his butt in gear, printed out a planting schedule, and we got to work with a first planting of spinach, lettuce and peas. 

On the left you can see the beginnings of what is now our new compost pile and on the right is our camper, next to which we have a nice section of rhubarb, complements of my grandmother’s old garden.  The kids were very excited to help plant the seeds and bulbs and it provides such a great learning experience for them.

 

 

Whenever I tell them we’re eating fresh food from our garden, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.  And when we ate the first of the asparagus – ohmigoodness, the stuff in the stores just doesn’t compare!  I swear all vegetables are sweet when freshly picked.  I can’t wait to try bacon-wrapped asparagus…

 

Poking their heads up we’ve got the asparagus, two types of lettuce, spinach and peas.  This year we also hope to have tomatoes (a couple different kinds – I think plum and some sort of hot for salsa), squash (summer, butternut and zucchini), peppers, potatoes, onions and garlic.  After last year’s carrots I’m not too keen on growing them again, but Phil said we might as well try.  I feel the same way about broccoli. 

My sister-in-law gave me Canning for a New Generation for my birthday last year and I’m excited to try some of the recipes.  I’m already looking forward to filling in the fruit gaps picking peaches and blueberries this summer, too.

Popsicles!

With Summer right around the corner we’ll once again be adding smoothies to our daily menu.  And what do you get when you freeze smoothies?  Popsicles!  When I got the kiddos the rocket pops for Easter, I remembered I wanted to try and find a creamsicle recipe.  Most that I found called for sugar and orange juice concentrate, but I did find a bunch of Ice Pops recipes at Real Food Tastes Good. 

Since I didn’t want to totally deplete Phil’s OJ for the week, I decided to combine the pineapple coconut pops recipe with the orange creamsicle.  I mixed pineapple chunks, coconut milk, banana, orange juice, yogurt and honey to fill the popsicle molds.  The verdict?

 

Really good!  And cold!  I usually puree the ingredients but I left the fruit in chunks and it was a nice contrast.  I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes, as well as those from Pops! Icy Treats For Everyone that I got last year.

The popsicle molds pictured are actually Orka Ice Pop Molds; the set only comes with four, which is why I decided to get the Tovolo rocket pops.  And as a side note: see Gwen’s pants?  I sewed some of the leftover fabric from her crayon roll onto the bottom of her leggings to get some more life out of them. :)

No-Bake Granola Bars

Whenever I set out to make granola bars I always end up with, well, just granola.  I’ve tried different recipes, determined to find a suitable alternative for Phil to pack in his lunches.  Storebought bars not only contain additives and unnecessary ingredients, they’re also ridiculously high in sugar.

When I saw this recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars on Pinterest I just knew I had to try ‘em – with a few changes, of course.  I was hoping if I made 1 1/2 times the recipe it would fit nicely in one of my jelly roll pans, but I was still a little off (luckily, you can mold the mixture to fit so it’s not a big deal if your pan is too big).  I’m thinking doubling it will do the trick.

I omitted the brown sugar altogether and opted for a mixture of honey and maple syrup, considerably less than the recipe called for.  And although I don’t usually buy cereal, except for old-fashioned oats, I found whole grain crispy rice cereal just for this recipe.  Throw in some natural peanut butter, chopped nuts and dates, some dark chocolate chips, and you’ve got some yummy granola bars!  I did stick ‘em in the fridge so they wouldn’t be too soft to cut into and they turned out perfect.  Phil says they taste almost like rice krispy treats!

 

This is what I’m going to try next time around, basically doubling the main ingredients but getting rid of excess sugar:

1/4c butter
1/4-1/3c natural peanut butter
1/4c honey
1/4c maple syrup
4c old-fashioned oats
2c whole grain crispy rice cereal      
2t vanilla
1/4c dark chocolate chips
*nuts, dried fruit, coconut, etc.

Homemade Chicken Broth

Did you know that you can cook a whole chicken in your crock pot?  And after you’ve cut all the meat off the bones, one of the most rewarding things to make with your crock pot – besides yogurt – is chicken broth.  Since I almost always get the store brand organic chicken when it has a sale sticker on it, I really maximize my savings.   

I used to think it was easiest to make the chicken at the same time as the broth, filling it all the way with water, basically poaching the chicken at the same time.  This is fine if you’re using the meat in other dishes, but if you want the skin crispy this won’t cut it.  I also found it frustrating dealing with the chicken and all that broth at the same time.  So… this is my method, adapted from Nourishing Traditions. 

I put everything in the pot, gizzards ‘n’ all, drizzle some olive oil on it, sprinkle some spices, and turn it on high for most of the day.  If it starts to look done before dinner I’ll turn it down to the low, but if you plan on cutting up the chicken right away you’ll want to turn the heat off so it’s cool enough to handle.  Do with the meat what you will; we often have some with rice or potatoes and veggies, then use the rest in soup, quesadillas, pasta, sandwiches, whatever.

Now for the broth.  Put all the scraps back into the pot along with all the drippings, add two quarts water (this is the amount that fits comfortably in my pot with all the other ingredients, but you could add more), a splash of apple cider vinegar (this helps extract the nutrients from the bone), a chopped onion, chopped carrots (2-3), chopped celery (3-4), a bunch of fresh parsley, and whatever other peelings you may have saved – I’ve even used pepper tops and carrots peelings that I stuck in the freezer.  Turn this on low and let it simmer overnight, up to 24 hours. 

When it’s done I let it cool off, strain it into a big bowl, then add another quart of water.  I like to have three quarts of water total (the two I initially put in the crock pot plus the one added to the bowl) so my broth isn’t too watery, but you could have a total of four quarts.  Then I ladle the broth into canning jars or recycled food jars (leaving headspace if you wish to freeze them) and put them in the fridge.  After they’ve cooled down all the way, I put one or two in the freezer.  If I don’t let them cool all the way before putting them in the freezer, they freeze inconsistently and the jars crack. *sigh*

When you’re ready to use the broth, skim the solidified fat off the top.  And if your broth is gelled, that’s good!  That’s the natural gelatin from the bones that’s nutritious for your body; I used to think something was wrong with the broth when it did that, but don’t throw it out!  One of our favorite soup recipes is a version of this Italian Wedding Soup.  I change it around a bit, adding chicken instead of the meatballs, a bit of butter and spices for flavor, and tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes since my kids are picky like that.