Is it Okay to Buy Crackers at the Store?

image by markn3tel

"Cracka" was my first word. Supposedly even before "mama" and "dada." These crunchy guys and I go way back: my mom still jokes about how I used to hold one in each hand and munch away, kind like this:

image by Joe Shlabotnik

Are Crackers Healthy?

I still love crackers, especially with some nice nutty grass-fed cheddar or a shmear of almond butter. But most crackers from the store, even a health food store, are not Plus Other Good Stuff approved. (Don't get me wrong: I gladly partake of any cracker at a party if there are delicious toppings to be had.) What's so bad about them?

The grains are either refined or whole but not soaked or sprouted which makes them hard to digest. The oils are usually either hydrogenated or rancid vegetable oils like soybean, cottonseed, or sunflower. They often contain high fructose corn syrup or "evaporated cane juice," AKA sugar.

Homemade Sourdough Crackers with Garlic Scape White Bean Dip

Some Solutions to the Cracker Dilemma

To avoid those unfortunate ingredients, I like to make my own crackers.  It's easier than you would think, and certainly gets some "ooh's" and "aah's" at a party. But in this busy and often overwhelming season of motherhood, I confess: I buy crackers from the store. I bake most of our bread and granola, and cook meals from scratch seven days a week. I ferment kombucha and make my own yogurt. All in a teeny tiny kitchen. But most of the time, I don't have time to make crackers. (I often don't even have time to take a shower!)

So here you have it: my favorite store bought crackers.

Why I Love Ak-Mak Crackers

1. No junk. Check out these ingredients:

Simple, clean, short list of ingredients. Can't beat that! I'm not worried about the sesame oil in small amounts, especially because it is not GMO.

2. Made with butter!
You know me, I love me some butter. Their butter may not be organic, but I'd rather have conventional butter than organic soybean oil! Also, their website states that some of their ingredients might be organic without being listed as such. So one can hope that it's even better than it looks!

3. Stone ground flour.
More nutrients are preserved when flour is stone ground, as opposed to steel ground. And I hold out a little hope that maybe they grind it themselves right before baking, which means it retains even more nutrients. No, it is not soaked or sprouted, but as an occasional snack I'm not too worried about it.

4. Cheap!
I get Ak-mak at Trader Joe's for less than $2 a box. I'm sure it's still cheaper to make my own crackers, but this is about as good as you can do for store-bought crackers. (We in West Michigan are still waiting and hoping for Trader Joe's to get with the program and open stores near us, but in the mean time our family stocks up whenever we visit relatives in the Chicago area.)

5. Delicious.
They really do taste great. How could they not, with those ingredients? I love the crunch of the sesame seeds and the very subtle sweetness of the honey. Delicious with hummus, cheese, nut butter, or even by themselves.

Do you buy crackers from the store? Have you found anything with ingredients you can be happy with?

This is part of Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Simple Lives Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday


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Cinnamon Pecan Granola: my new favorite soaked granola

Soaked granola is a staple in this house. Whenever my husband needs a snack to bring with him to class or to the coffee shop or on a trip, he grabs some of my homemade granola. I try to make a batch every week, and I can barely keep up with our granola consumption!

Recently some dear friends sent us a care package of delicious healthy foods. Included in the box was some of this granola. I fell in love with the taste: it was so simple, and yet so flavorful! The ingredients are by far the best list I've ever seen on store-bought granola:

Ingredients: Organic Rolled Oats, Wheat Bran, Butter, Organic Honey, Pecans, Spices, Salt

In stressful seasons when I haven't been able to make enough granola for us, I've often found myself perusing granola packages at the grocery store, hoping for something that doesn't contain canola oil and refined sugar. Fail all around. Even "healthy" brands like Bear Naked are, simply put, full of junk.

So I was psyched when I tasted this granola and read its ingredients.

And being the real foodie I am, I thought, "Could I make granola that tastes like this...and is soaked?!"

So I tried, using this recipe as inspiration.

And what I got was delicious.

Admittedly, it has a slight tang from the soaking process, but I happen to like it. And on top of that you taste cinnamon and butter and pecans. Is there anything better?

Soaked Cinnamon Pecan Granola

 

Ingredients:
6 cups thick rolled oats (available at health food stores or natural foods co-ops)
2 cups rye flakes (if gluten free see this post)
1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup whole milk yogurt
1 cup filtered water
3/4 c. local raw honey
1/4-1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 t. unrefined sea salt
1 T. + 2 t. cinnamon (adjust to taste)
1 T. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans, preferably soaked and dried

Directions:
1. The day before you want to bake the granola, combine the oats and rye in a glass or stainless steel mixing bowl with the melted butter and coconut oil. Add the yogurt and water. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 12-24 hours. (I do this in my KitchenAid stand mixer.)
2. When you are ready to bake the granola, preheat your oven to 200 degrees and line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper (you can try greasing them, instead, but I choose to save on dishes).
3. Whisk together the honey, syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla in a glass measuring up.
4. Add the liquid ingredients and the pecans to the soaked mixture. Mix using your mixer (depending on how big the bowl is; it's a little risky with mine since I don't have a bowl guard) or your (clean) hands.
5. Once the oats are thoroughly coated in yumminess, spread the mixture onto the cookie sheets in an even layer.
6. Bake at 200 degrees for about 8 hours, stirring every two hours to break up clumps. The granola is finished when a cooled piece is golden and crispy. If you happen to be baking your granola while you sleep (I do this often) just lower the temp to 150 and stir it in the morning. It will need a little more time after you've stirred it. As long as you keep the temp low, you can't mess this up!


**This is part of the following real food and natural living link-ups: The Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Monday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways

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Cast Iron Mac & Cheese: real comfort food

Did you notice? Plus Other Good Stuff is now plusothergoodstuff.com! You'll be seeing some more changes in the coming weeks, I hope, so stick with me and enjoy the ride. :)

 

When you need something a little more exciting than my Easy Mac & Cheese, but still not very time consuming, try this delicious twist. It's just as satisfying as baked mac & cheese, but super fast because the "baking" happens under the broiler for 4-6 minutes! Feel free to alter the spices to your liking and add different veggies as desired!

You'll need a deep iron skillet for this recipe. Here's the one I use. 

Cast Iron Mac & Cheese

(inspired by Parents Need to Eat Too)

One package of brown rice pasta (or pasta of choice)
3-4 organic hot dogs (optional)
1/2 c. organic frozen spinach (the kind in a bag, not a box), or a couple handfuls of fresh greens such as spinach, Swiss chard or kale
3 T. grass-fed butter
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 t. mustard powder
1/2 t. smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 t. unrefined sea salt
dash milk curry powder
2 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 T. organic unbleached flour, or sprouted whole grain flour

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. If your hot dogs are frozen (we keep a couple packages in the freezer and just take out what we need), throw them into the boiling water to heat them. Add your greens toward the end of the cooking time (just a couple minutes for spinach, 3-4 minutes for chard, 5 minutes or so for kale). When the pasta and greens are done, drain and set aside. Let the hot dogs cool, and then slice them into pieces.
2. While the pasta is cooking, preheat your broiler. Heat a deep iron skillet until very hot.
3. Melt the butter in the hot skillet. Add the milk and spices. Add 2 cups of the cheese, a handful add a time, whisking to melt.
4. Sift the flour over the cheese sauce, a tablespoon at a time (I don't have a sifter, so I use a fine mesh strainer and just tap the side of it to sprinkle the flour in), whisking the sauce until smooth after each addition. The sauce should be nice and thick when you're done adding flour.
5. Add the cooked pasta and greens, and cut-up hot dogs. Stir to thoroughly coat the pasta with sauce.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and broil for 4-6 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

What do you cook when you want something fast and really, really delicious?

 

**This is part of the following real food and healthy living link-ups: Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday


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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them supports Plus Other Good Stuff. Thanks!

Gut-Healing, Immune Boosting, Veggie-Packed Beef Barley Soup

It's time for another recipe from the Soup Goddess! Go here to find out who the Soup Goddess is, and to find links to her recipes!

Check out all those veggies! I added some Swiss chard stems. Gorgeous.

Here in West Michigan, it's been cold with a mixture of rain and snow. As ready as I am to be outside enjoying a mild spring, meals like this one are helping me stay warm and cozy until that happens! The homemade broth in this soup is good for the gut, which is where most of your immune system resides. So if your family is still getting sick even though winter is "over," make this soup to give their systems a boost! It's also chock full of delicious vegetables which certainly can't hurt. :)

Veggie-Packed Beef & Barley Soup

Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs stew meat and 10 cups homemade beef broth (or combination of beef and chicken broth
OR
1-1.5 lbs beefy soup bone (mostly meat with a little bone) plus additional bones without meat, and water to cover

1/4 c. butter
2 c. onions, chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. cauliflower florets
6 large swiss chard leaves, including stems (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. barley, soaked overnight in warm water and 1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. fresh thyme, or 1 t. dried
1 1/2 T. fresh oregano, or 2 t. dried
1/2. t. rubbed sage
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. If using beef soup bones, in the morning before you want to eat the soup, cover the bones with water and a splash of apple cider vinegar in a large pot or crock pot. Cook over low heat for at least 8 hours. This is your beef broth!
2. Melt butter in a soup pot. Add all the chopped veggies and simmer 10 minutes. (I add them as I chop them, and then cook for a few minutes more after they are all in the pot.) If you are using Swiss chard, strip the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems and add them with the rest of the veggies. Reserve the leaves.
3. Add your beef now if you are using stew meat instead of soup bones, and cook a few minutes longer to brown the beef.
4. Add the broth (from your simmered bones, adding water to make 10 cups, or already-made broth. In a pinch, use organic store-bought broth). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Add the soaked barley, Swiss chard leaves if using, thyme, oregano, and sage. Simmer until the barley is tender.
6. Add the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Serve with crusty bread for a delicious & hearty meal!


 This is part of the following blog carnivals: Whole Foods Wednesday, Healthy2Day Wednesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday


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Real Life, Blogging, and Balancing Acts

My lenten break from blogging officially ended on Easter Sunday, a week ago.

I had hoped that on Easter Monday, I'd be back with a vengeance. But my break was so thorough that I didn't write any posts for all of lent (except for MAK and MAM), so I had nothing to publish. I didn't work at all on the new domain. I didn't work at all on Good Bites, my upcoming free eBook of easy, healthy, bite-sized snacks. So what was I doing?

I was being a mom of two kids, one of whom is having a tough time with potty training and the other of whom is having a tough time with sleep. I was being a wife to a stressed out seminarian. I was being an artist: a good friend and I have been re-creating a piece of choreography and had a performance last week.

All those things take precedence over this blog.

And yet, I had some important affirmations during my blogging break. Several friends told me they appreciated my blog. Why? Because I don't judge. My vision is to inspire people to make positive changes for better health, without making them feel like failures because they aren't perfect. Eating real food is a journey! Some people have a radical conversion, but most people make one change at a time. I want to be here to encourage you, one little change at a time.

So where am I at? I'm still not quite sure. I know I want to keep blogging. I'm not sure if now is the season for me to be serious about it. There are a lot of things standing in my way: the stress of grad school, interrupted sleep, wanting to be present to my kids, and a computer that's on the fritz.

I'm seeking balance. I feel sort of like this is the start of a new year, and I'm making resolutions. It seems fitting, in a way, to start fresh after Easter. We just celebrated the most mind-blowing event of our faith. Christ was dead, but now he is alive! This knowledge changes everything, so why not start fresh?

My Easter Resolutions

Find time for prayer and scripture. I want to bask in the light of His presence, morning, noon and night. A three-year-old who wants to be with me constantly, an early rising baby, and a never-ending to-do list get in my way. Any moms out there want to share their secrets?

Prioritize sleep. Remember that series I was going to start, Get More Sleep in 2013? Instead of writing about it, I'm going to do it. I'm working on going to bed earlier, keeping my daughter on a good rhythm so she doesn't get overtired, and taking naps when possible. I want to wake up rested again. Someday, I want to get up an hour before the kids and write. But today is not that day.

Practice Sabbath, even in the kitchen. We have failed over and over at keeping a Sabbath. We know we need it. We know it pleases God. But we have so much going against us: my husbands schedule with classes during the week plus working at a church on Saturday and Sunday leaves us no free day. We try to find time here and there, even if it's not a full day, but the stress of no real rest is wearing on us. We hope that in a couple short months (when things slow down for the summer), that will change. A large part of the rest for me needs to be from all-things-kitchen. It's easy to never really stop in a real food kitchen: there are always ongoing projects. Always something to soak or bake or thaw or ferment. I need to learn how to pause. To plan ahead, and to let go. You may see some posts about this popping up in the next few months as I work on it.

What does this mean for Plus Other Good Stuff?

I think I'm going to try blogging once a week. No pressure to be the best real food blog out there with multiple posts every week and video tutorials and eBooks and all that jazz. Someday those things will come. But for now, it's just me, writing to you, about real food.  No judging, no guilt trips, just simple, delicious, nourishing goodness.

What Do You Want?

Since my posting will be limited, I'd love to know what you want to learn about and prioritize that! What are your biggest challenges in the kitchen? What are you unsure about? What processed food are you having trouble finding alternatives for? Share in the comments so this blog can bless you.



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A Lenten Break

image by Jamiesrabbits

I'm writing this at 1:30 AM. Remember that series I was going to do, about getting more sleep in 2013? I'm not exactly a good role model right now.

Our kids have been sick for a week. Even kids of real food families get sick. As much as we try to fight it by taking our cod liver oil and drinking our smoothies, we get sick. Sometimes, it's nasty. I haven't had a good night of sleep for about nine days.

This week, life has been a constant stream of immediate physical needs. Wake up, try to nurse the baby. Baby won't nurse because she too stuffy, so try the bottle. If that doesn't work, try the eye dropper. Caedmon, time to use the potty! Man I'm hungry. Scarf down some cottage cheese over the sink. Better start some laundry. Toddler peed on the floor. Does he have any more clean clothes? Must be in the laundry basket. Man I'm hungry. Baby needs a diaper. Maybe she'll nurse now? Oh no she's coughing. Take her into the bathroom, turn the shower on hot and breathe in the steam. Now she's tired, I guess I'll just put her down for her nap? Man I'm hungry. Go downstairs, finally get some real breakfast for myself and Caedmon. He doesn't want eggs, he wants peanut butter toast made into sandwiches. How about an egg first? He coughs so hard it makes him gag and throw up. New bib. New shirt. New pants. Do you want some honey lemon tea for your cough? My eggs are cold now. I would like to get dressed at some point. Shoot my clothes are in the room where Esther is trying to fall asleep. Shower? I'll wait until Steven gets home. Can I eat breakfast and pump milk at the same time?

I'm trying to remember that someday these kids will not be so reliant on me for their every waking need. Someday we'll play board games together, and go for walks in the woods together, and maybe they will even help around the house. (You know, in a way that's actually...helpful.) Someday my husband will not come home from a long day of class and work and meetings only to spend the evening doing homework. Someday we might all sit down to dinner together for more than 8.5 minutes.

But for now, it's just one thing at a time. Sometimes the baby has to cry while I help her brother with something. Sometimes Caedmon clings at my leg saying "I need you mommy!" while I try to make dinner.

And sometimes, lately, both of them need my attention, and I'm trying to finish writing a blog post. Which brings me to my next point:

 I'm taking a Lenten Break from blogging.

As much as I want this blog to grow and bless and reach more people, teaching them how to cook and eat real food in a friendly, judgement-free environment, I need a break.

I want to be more present to my children. I want my husband and I to spend our time together together, and never hiding behind our laptop screens. I want to seek the Lord in prayer. I want the scriptures to come alive to me again.

So you won't see much of me for the next 40 days. I'll still be writing for Modern Alternative Kitchen and Modern Alternative Mama. And I might even work on my ebook, or design my new website, or write a few blog posts. But I won't publish them until after Easter. I won't be ruled by this blog. I will only work on it when both kids are sleeping, so they never have to compete with a computer for my attention.

Lord, bring my life back into balance. Grant me sleep. Bring peace into my days. Help me to spend this Lenten season seeking you, only to realize that you've been seeking me all along.

I pray the same for you, dear readers. This Lent, may your life swing into balance. May you let go of anything that is hindering you. May you journey to the cross and fall on your face before him. May you seek the Lord, and be found in him.

"I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew, he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me; It was not I, who found O Saviour true; no I was found of Thee."

How are you celebrating lent this year?

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

I love chocolate ice cream, but I love it even more when it has something a little bit special going on. Like peppermint. Or peanut butter. Or cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

The spices in this ice cream make it a perfect winter treat; despite its iciness, you will feel oddly warmed after eating it. It's not too spicy, but has a nice, subtle, slow burn from the cayenne, and a sweet tingle from the cinnamon.

The consistency is divine, thanks to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which has the best homemade ice cream recipes EVER. (Forgive the superlative: it's true.) I alter Jeni's recipes quite a bit, as I outlined in my series on the book here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Basically, I've done by best to make the healthiest and most delicious ice cream imaginable. Yeah, it's that good.

And oh yeah, Valentine's Day. Make this for your sweetheart! It's not pink or heart-shaped, but what better way to say I love you than with homemade ice cream?!

Ingredient notes:

• For information on where to find healthy chocolate & my chocolate eating rules, see this post: Ingredient Spotlight: Chocolate. I used some Lindt Chocolate, which doesn't follow my rules but was certainly delicious!
• I used whole raw milk, and vat-pasteurized, grass-fed cream from a local farm (since I don't want to give up too much of the cream from my weekly raw milk share).
• I used coconut sugar in this recipe, but sucanat would also work well. These are the healthiest options for granulated sweeteners. Feel free to mess around with the sweetness to your liking: I reduced the quantities significantly from the original recipe, but it tastes plenty sweet to us.

Now on to the recipe!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream 

(inspired by Queen City Cayenne Ice Cream, from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home)
Yield: About 1 Quart

Ingredients:

(Chocolate Paste)
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
1/3 c. filtered water
1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (55%-70% cocoa), finely chopped

(Ice Cream)
2 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. coconut sugar or sucanat
2 T. honey
1 T. + 1 t. arrowroot
3 T. cream cheese, softened
1/8. t. unrefined sea salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (mine is very hot so I used a little less than that)

Directions

1. Make the chocolate paste by combining the cocoa, 1/4 c. sweetener and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and stir to melt.
2. Measure the cream and milk in a glass measuring cup. Pour into a large saucepan, leaving about 2 T. in the measuring cup.
3. Add the honey and 1/3 c. sweetener to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Meanwhile, add the arrowroot to the measuring cup with the remaining milk and whisk to combine.
5. In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk the chocolate paste, cream cheese, and salt until smooth.
6. When the cream mixture is gently boiling, whisk in the arrowroot/milk mixture. Continue to heat, stirring with a heat-proof spatula, until it thickens slightly. If you're not sure if it thickened, taste some with a spoon (blow on it first!). Your tongue will know.
7. Whisk the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Add the cinnamon and cayenne and stir well.
8. Put a lid on the bowl, and chill either in a sink full of ice water or in the fridge. (It's okay to leave it in the fridge overnight if you run out of time!)
9. Churn in your ice cream maker. When it is cold and creamy and looks like ice cream, transfer it to a container. (Jeni says it takes about 25 minutes.)
10. Place in the freezer to chill for at least four hours before eating. 

 Part of the following link-ups: Keep It Real Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through them supports Plus Other Good Stuff. Thanks!