10 Good Reasons to Eat Organic

First this is not my two cents and I don't know who to give credit to for writing this but here goes because I liked it:

1.  TREAT YOUR BODY LIKE A TEMPLE
We are what we eat.  And if we want food grown as if the biology inside counted, look to organic food.

2.  INCREASE AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY
Eating organic helps preserve thousands of agricultural varieties not accommodated by industrial agriculture.

3.  CREATE BALANCED ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES
The community of life extends from the rich microbial ecosystem in living organic soil to the insect, animal and predator communities, all linked together in an interdependent web of life.

4.  WE HAVE CHOICES
Where do the pesticides; herbicides and fungicides go after agribusiness sprays them on food?  Everything goes somewhere: in our water, our land, our atmosphere and our bodies.

5.  AVOID BEING A GENETIC ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT
Only organic food offers us the ability to sidestep the risks of genetically engineered food.  Genetic engineering tampers with a process which took nature billions of years to evolve.  We think it opens Pandora's Box.  Will the genie fit back in?

6.  CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
It only takes about ten families eating organic to support one small-scale organic farm.

7.  BLOSSOM THE PLANET
Our farmland is a thin web of living earth blanketing the planet.  It needs to be nurtured and protected.

8.  LEAVE A LEGACY FOR OUR CHILDREN
How do we expect to have seven generations follow us if we don't provide them a healthy future?

9.  MAKE YOUR CONNECTION
Who planned your last bite of food?  You get a tangible and edible relationship with the living Earth every time you eat organic.

10.  YUM!
Top chefs agree: "You need great tasting ingredients to make great tasting food."

Grandma Mac's Monkey Bread

A family tradition thanks to Grandma Grace McKamey ~ eat this wonderful creation on Christmas morning!  We (Kevin, Keenan, Brenden and I), always sang Happy Birthday to Jesus before eating it ~ yes, my family use to humor me.

MONKEY BREAD

3 cans Pillsbury biscuits (quarter these) ~ I use a small 4 pack that come in blue colored cartons

1 C sugar

1 tsp cinnamon ~ I just mix up sugar and cinnamon and don’t measure

1 ½ sticks oleo ~ I use one stick of butter

1 C brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Walnuts or pecans ~ we like pecans!

Cut the biscuits into quarters, shake in bag w/sugar and cinnamon (or roll them in a bowl of sugar and cinnamon).  Lay biscuits in greased bundt pan.  Sprinkle nuts.  (I sprinkle nuts in bundt pan, between layers of biscuits and on top of biscuits cuz we like them mixed all through out the bread).  On stove melt brown sugar and butter and vanilla.   Pour mixture over biscuits.  Bake 30 mins @ 350 degrees.  Invert after cooling ½ hour (if you can wait that long!)

Pictures of Monkey Bread of Christmases past:

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Completed first try ~ ready to enjoy!!

Recipe:

2 sticks butter
1 Cup Sucanat with honey (couldn't find used Demerara Sugar - pure Florida cane sugar - Walmart)
1 Cup Sucanat  (health food store)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 Cups organic hard red wheat flour (freshly milled from whole wheat berries)
1 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt (used Iodized Sea Salt)
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 Cups organic rolled oats
1/2 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut (health food store)
1/2 Cup chopped pecans
12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chunks (11.5 oz bag - Walmart)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sucanat with honey and sucanat until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla: beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt: mix well.

Stir in oats, coconut, nuts, chocolate:  mix well.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes (I baked for 15 mins).  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet: remove to wire rack to cool.

baking @ 350

cooling on the rack.

um who ate one??

Ezekiel Bread Take Two

Much better on the second batch tweak~tweak!  ;-P 

Below is the recipe I used....(get all the ingredients cuz they are spread out in this recipe)

Ezekiel Fasting Bread (but good when not fasting too!)

In a large bowl mix/blend the following organic whole grains together:
2 1/2 Cups Hard Red Wheat Berries
1 1/2 Cups Spelt
1/2 Cup Barley
1/4 Cup Millet
1/4 Cup Lentils (green)
2 T Northern Beans
2 T Red Kidney Beans
2 T Pinto Beans

Stir above ingredients very well then grind in the flour mill.

In mixing bowl put:
1 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cups Lukewarm Water


Start mixing liquids and add:
Freshly milled flour from the above mixture of grains
2 T yeast

2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)

Knead in mixer for 10 mins.  (on Bosch mixer speed 2)

This dough is a batter consistency.  Pour equally in 3 greased bread pans.  Let rise to about 1/2 inch from top of pans.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. (I baked 45 mins and the inside was done this time!)

This is a very sweet, moist, cake-like bread.

You may also add fruits and nuts.

bubbles!

cake like consistency ready to bake!

Finished product!  Stone pan cooks faster, think I'll buy another glass pan.

Ezekiel Bread Take One

Needs to be tweaked for sure!  Second batch is on counter top now ~ prayerfully rising!!  ;-P

Recipe makes 3 loaves, we have part of the first loaf still in refrigerator.  One loaf I made into some very yummy homemade croutons (thanks to my sister in law Liz for showing me how to do that many years ago!)  And we have one uncut loaf in the refrigerator as well.

This is a very sweet, moist, cake-like bread.  One blog calls it Ezekiel Fasting Bread and states during fasting divide bread into 8 equal parts weighing 1/2 pound each.  Eat a 1/2 pound cake and drink a quart of water every day while fasting.

I won't post the actual recipe until I get is tweaked and step by step cuz that's how I roll.  Don't make me have to decide how long to knead or on what speed ~ I need the recipe written out like "baking for dummies" would be written!

Here's a picture of my first try.  Let me pick it apart: 
*  too done on outside
* didn't want to bake on the inside
* didn't want to rise

This time I will let it rise right up to near the top of the pan and I won't use the convection oven ~ just plain good old bake setting.

Tomato Pie

Two-Tomato Quiche  (aka Tomato Pie!)   

A shortcut pie crust makes it easy to create this main dish that has Southwestern flair!

Julie tip:  Remember to buy local from farmer's markets or straight from the farm when you can!

2 lbs red and/or yellow tomatoes

Half of 11-oz pkg. pie crust mix

4 eggs

½ cup milk

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups shredded Mexican-style cheese, about 6 oz

Additional chopped fresh cilantro, optional

*  Cut 2 tomatoes into 1/4” – thick slices; chop remaining tomatoes (about 2 ½ cups).  Arrange slices and chopped tomatoes separately in single layer on paper towels; let stand until liquid has drained, about 20 minutes.

* Meanwhile, place jellyroll pan on center oven rack; preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare crust mix according to package directions for one crust.  Shape into disk.  On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 13” round.  Fit into 9” pie pan.  Flute edge; refrigerate.

*  In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and salt until blended.  Stir in 1 cup cheese, then chopped tomatoes.  Transfer to crust.  Arrange tomato slices, slightly overlapping , on top.  Bake on hot pan 45 minutes or until filling is set, sprinkling with remaining cheese during last 5 minutes.  If desired, sprinkle with additional cilantro.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

***Julie cooking notes:  I used the premade pie crust of course!  The first time I followed the recipe exactly using the premade pie crust and it was really good.  Second time I made it (two pie crusts come in one box so had to make again!) I added some other ingredients….I added a little goat cheese and a little shredded Asiago cheese just to add some umph.  Second go around I let it bake 15 mins longer ~ maybe because I use a ceramic pie dish that the bank gave away many moons ago it needs to bake longer?!  I just wanted a crunchy crust bottom!  Next time I may buy a new tin pie pan before making.***