On My Mind

Joining in with Rhonda Jean today for another On My Mind Post. Today I am thinking about my diet and some changes that need to be made. I have had several days in the last few weeks with some bad stomach upset/pain, and I think I need to take a close look at my diet and what might be causing this.

I will be using these cookbooks a lot in the near future!

I am really at a loss as to what could be causing my discomfort. I do not have a history of troubles with certain foods in my family, and never have I had problems before. I have been eating out more than usual lately, so I am going to cut that out entirely and begin to start a food diary to see if I can pinpoint a certain food that is bothering me. I am going to stop eating anything that is not homemade or that I know all of the ingredients to and go from there.

Completely unrelated is a book I have placed on hold at the library. Nourishing Traditions. I realize that this book is completely against vegetarianism and promotes meat eating, but I am curious. I have read so many blog posts about this book (including over at Rhonda's), and I think that it is time I read it. No, I am not thinking about abandoning my vegetarianism, but I think it is imperative that I hear "both sides of the argument" in order to be fully educated in what I eat. I will let you know what I think when I have received and read it.

Have you ever had food intolerance concerns? What are your thoughts on your diet?

Brenna

Warm Apple Pie

Can just make all of the little things clouding your mind just float away...

How can you argue with that? That is a thing of beauty.

Brenna

A Delicious Dinner

I recently purchased two cabbages from the market and was at a bit of a loss with what to make with them. The most common use for cabbage in this household is a traditional meal to eat when feeling under the weather. This recipe is called Sick People Soup, and it uses up an entire half head of cabbage. The second half is usually then frozen and ready for the next batch of soup. But seeing as both of use have been feeling just dandy, I figured I needed to branch out a bit in my cabbage repertoire. Umpteen searches on the internet gave me the idea of vegetarian cabbage rolls. But a lot of the recipes called for soy "ground meat", an ingredient we don't eat because of the risks of it possibly containing genetically modified soy. So I was on the hunt for a different kind of recipe, one that sounded interesting and impossibly delicious. And I found it, along with 62 (yes, 62!) other cabbage recipes. No, they are not all vegetarian, but a large amount of them are, along with the hundreds of other recipes she has on her blog. Here is her link:

Seasonal Ontario Food's Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls with Cheese, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Sauce

They are ten times as good as they sound, and they sound amazing! The mushroom sauce is to die for, and it really made the cabbage rolls outstanding. This recipe is most definitely a keeper.

These are the rolls before being baked. I was so excited when they were ready, that I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished product with the sauce. They pretty much looked exactly like the picture on the original recipe's post, so I am trusting you to use that as a reference when envisioning mine. You really should make this, it is delightful. I ended up with 7 rolls and the only change I made was using green onion instead of chives, and we used dijon mustard in the sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce, which usually contains anchovies. 

 Go check out her blog, there are some incredible sounding recipes on it, and she is a Canadian!

Let me know if you made this, I would love to know what others thought of it.

Brenna

An Autumn Breeze

The air has become crisp here. When I wake up, the bed is extra warm and snuggly compared to the cool outside, and I can hear dry leaves rustling in the wind outside of the window. Fall has arrived, and I could not be happier. Leaves have just barely began to fall from their trees, dancing along the road as I drive to work. Today is cloudy and rainy, and I am cozied up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a book.

Two days ago I went and picked apples from the lonely and forgotten tree that sits untouched in the backyard of our old home. I was the first to pick from it in many years last year, and discovered that these unknown variety of apples are wonderful for baking. Last year I picked a huge bag full of them, and this year I got a bag and a half. 30 pounds of organic apples, free! I cannot believe someone would pass up the gift of free produce as it sits in their backyard. I guess that means more for us :)

Yes, the apples are small and inconsistently coloured, but they are sweet and juicy with the perfect amount of sourness to compliment a pie or crumble. I will be baking up a storm with these in the coming days, and I will be sure to take you along with me as I go. 

At the market, gloved hands pass me cabbage, carrots, squash, and potatoes. My cravings have turned to stick to your ribs soups and breads to warm the belly and the soul. We are beginning to plan for the cold grasp of winter by preserving all we can and taking a stock of the freezers and pantry to make sure that we can easily make a nutritious meal from what we have on hand when it just is too darn cold to venture outside.  This, my friends, is the most glorious time of year. The harvest.

How are you enjoying your season change, be it Spring there or Autumn? What are your favourite recipes right now? Leave a comment and/or a link so that I can see into your world!

Brenna

A Day of Canning

Every year for the past 3 years I buy 40 pounds of peaches from a local organic orchard and can them to enjoy throughout the winter. This year was no exception. In total I got 19 jars (1 litre jars) and have a few left over to enjoy fresh. D's parents have a peach tree so we have been getting those by the bucket to eat and cook with, so we are pretty peached out! I made 9 jars of peach salsa last week, peach crisp, and have eaten so many of them that I am seeing peaches in my sleep. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining by any means. I absolutely love this time of year!

When I can, the kitchen gets all sticky and smells of hot peaches. There are pits everywhere and bits of peel stuck to the counter and in the sink. It is incredibly hot because all four burners are going along with the stove and it is more humid than a night in the rainforest. But I am centered and at peace, despite the chaos and work before me. I get into a rhythm. Dunk peaches into boiling water, run under cold water. Peel them one by one, revealing the bright pink speckles that dot along the yellow flesh. Slice, place into acidified water. Fill sterilized jars with slices, fill with hot syrup. Place hot lid on top and then screw band onto. Repeat. I love the feeling of preserving my own food, knowing exactly where it came from and who grew it. Knowing it is free of chemicals that would harm my body. Knowing that I will be able to enjoy the fruits of my labour (pun intended) in the middle of the winter when the snow is up to the window and the fruit from the grocery store tastes like cardboard. This is what summer is all about.

What have you canned this year or in the past?

Giveaway Winner

Well after a visit over to the random number generator, we have a winner!

The lucky person is Bruise Mouse! Here is what she wrote:

"What a wonderful giveaway. Cookbooks are something that I am lacking at the moment. I follow."


Please send me your contact information at consciousearthblog@gmail.com and I will get it sent out to you!


Thank you so much to everyone who took part in my first giveaway! I really do appreciate every one of you and love every comment you leave, it really brightens my day!


I am off to the market, and then it is peach canning day! More on that later.


Have a lovely day!


Brenna

Fall Cleaning

Today is Fall Cleaning Day! Well, it is supposed to reach 33 C here today, so it doesn't really feel like fall quite yet, but in my mind it is coming! I will be giving the house a good scrub over, and I thought I would share my recipes for cleaners that I use.

Floor Cleaner- can be used on any hard surface

Half of a kitchen sink (or 3/4 if you have a large amount of floors to clean) full of hot water
1/4 cup-1/2 cup borax
4 tbsp. white vinegar
3-5 drops desired essential oil (I use lemon or orange)

Bathroom and Kitchen Counter Scrub


2 tbsp. baking soda
1 drop essential oil (tea tree is the best for the bathroom as it is antibacterial)
enough water to make a moist paste

Mix these all together and watch soap scum and baked on food wash away!

Carpet Stain Remover


small bowl of hot water
1 squirt natural dishwashing liquid
1 tbsp. white vinegar

Use a stiff bristle brush and this cleaner to scrub away stains on the carpet (or also known as in my house, cat vomit-blech)

As you can see, none of these recipes are exact. They are, however, cheap and easy to make and all of the ingredients can usually be found in your pantry! So next time you go to buy that expensive cleaner from the store, think about making it and see how you like it!

Happy Cleaning!

Brenna