Making Plum Vodka

Making Plum Vodka. I am using the plums from the tree in our yard. That Bowl is holding about 24 plums which weighed over 2 pounds combined, whole. The plums grown in backyards are smaller in size compared to commercially grown plums, so for this recipe I would weigh out the plums. But honestly you can’t have too many, you can have too little. The more plum you have the more plum-like the vodka will be.

Ingredients & Supplies:

24 small plums or 2 pounds of whole plum *Wash, Pit and slice plums giving you 32 ounces or 4 cups of prepared plums

1 bottle of Vodka (a fifth) the large bottle measuring out to about 8 cups

1 Glass jar that can hold it all. Or split equally into smaller glass jars (canning jars work well)

Combine and let sit for 4 weeks. After four weeks strain the vodka removing the plums. I am only into this for one day, once four weeks hits, we will taste and see if it needs a little sugar in the form of simple syrup.

As for the color. I am hoping for a light pink vodka when it is finished, the last photo above shows it at just a few hours and the pink is coming out of the skins already. Depending on the color of the plums you use will dictate the color of the vodka. My Plums have Yellow “meat” and a purple skin. Will check in next week with the progress of the Plum Vodka.

Plums are Picked

I am so happy right now. My Plums are ready for picking. This bowl holds about 24 plums. And although I would like to say I have a ton of recipes for them and can’t wait to sit and nibble on them with ice-cream or cooked with chicken. Maybe that will happen.

But a majority of them will become a part of vodka. Looking up Infused Vodka recipes to use for Plums, apples from the trees in the yard and while I am at it might as well make some Limoncello. They take some time to truly incorporate and soak up all the flavors of the fruits. I am hoping by Thanksgiving they will be ready for all those holiday parties as hostess gifts.

It’s Simple

One of my favorite snacks. Yes it is a bit regular. Yes many have had it. But I loved how simple this snack was. How pretty it was on the plate and how easy it was to eat. More importantly knowing I was placing something good into my body.

Organic Apple and Raw Almond Butter *store bought

What is your favorite healthy snack?

Getting My Drink On

For water that is…

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As you are reading this, when did the last glass/sip of water pass your lips? If you can’t remember, get up go to the kitchen and get some. But come back and finish reading.

So WATER, why do you need it, why is it important and how much should you really drink? I put google to work and found a few great blogs with wise words as well as trusted names…

The Mayoclinic says:

“Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.” 

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There have been a few studies and debates over it. Some people feel woman need 9 -8oz cups of water a day and men need 13 cups. Other “naturalist” feel that drinking water is not necessary if you are eating enough Fruits and Vegetables in their natural state, claiming they have all the water you will need. Then the Old school heard it all before 8oz 8 times a day.

Whether it is 9-13-8 cups a day it can all seem like a lot. But have you actually took the time to see what 8oz looks like? If you bake and measure things out while cooking you will see that it isn’t a lot and is completely doable.

The easiest way to know if you are getting enough water and hydrated ask yourself two questions:

1. Are you thirsty? Did asking that question make you thirsty?

2. What color is you Urine aka pee?

**if your urine is clear or a light yellow then you are probably doing fine. If it is yellow and smells strong… it is safe to assume you are dehydrated. (some vitamins can color your urine so take that into account)

So, if you are thirsty and/or your pee is the same color of the sun at sunset then perhaps you should pour a glass or 8.

my plant and my glass I am drinking from today. Fancy.

If you find you are constantly snacking could it be that you are thirsty? I have noticed that when I keep searching the fridge and cabinets for something but can never settle on what to eat, it usually means I am thirsty. Try drinking an 8oz, go ahead measure it, glass of water. Take the minute to drink that and see if the snacking urge goes away.

Get Your Drink On!

Delays

The weather, little hiccups in my internet and time. Have all gotten the best of me this weekend and quite possibly for the next few days. I do have lots to say but with things not 100% I am afraid I will lose the internet or my thoughts as I race around the house getting Scarves created. This week I leave you with a great recipe and blog post from a few months back. Contains a crowd pleasing Pico de gallo.

Pico de gallo

Watermelon and Beef Stew

This past Tuesday was my birthday. As a child I only had two request for my birthday. A giant watermelon and Mum would ask what I wanted for dinner, Beef stew. I know the hottest month of the year and I wanted Beef stew with dumplings. Well since I am doing the raw thing and The Big O is away (no one to eat the beef stew) I figured I could keep up one half of the tradition. Found a huge watermelon at the farmers market. Happy Birthday to Me.

Breakfast and yes that is a dinner plate. 

I Love Watermelon

In the kitchen

Thought I would post a Recipe for the Fabulous Nest Blog Hop. By Housewife Bliss.

And also use it to start off my Raw 101, a personal journey through Raw that will be posted every Wednesday Starting Next week. It will provide knowledge on what I know, links, what I learn along the way, recipes and some basic nutrition facts.

Raw History: Almost 1 year ago I embarked on a Raw Food Lifestyle change. As with anything in life, when it comes to changing a habit or a way of being, it takes time and sometimes falling off and getting back on. I think the challenge for me was tying to maintain a Raw Food world and also create cooked meals for The Big O. Not to blame him for me falling off but I have given in to the easy side of the street, of only having to worry about one or two dishes instead of a whole plethora of dishes. Excuses aside. I am getting back into it and finding a balance between Cooking and not Cooking that suits us both. 

The other challenge I wanted to work on was “fixing my husband”. You laugh, don’t laugh…

He, like most men in the Army, is a very fast eater, so I have been experimenting with ways to slow him down hoping that one day I will not be left eating alone. And the solution was… Many Small plates with small spoons and single serving bites that had to be created one at a time. I think India and Morocco have the right idea with how they serve food and eat it. Here is the recipe and solution with Photos.

green tomatillo *peel skin and cut like a tomato

 
Red Cabbage Pico de Gallo

2 Green Tomatillo diced

1 Vine Tomato dice

1 Serrano Pepper Diced NO seeds

1/2 Onion diced white or yellow

1 clove chopped Garlic

4 Red Cabbage leaves chopped *if you tear the leaves from the head of the cabbage instead of cutting the cabbage in half it will last a lot longer. Wrap in a bag and place in the fridge to keep.

handful of chopped Cilantro

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white vinegar

*Juice from one Lime if you have it but not needed (I forgot the lime and it turned out great)

Mix and set to the side

*I prepared a meat dish for The Big O, meat cut in strips with onion and bell pepper. Cook and season how you like.*

To Serve I cut and washed Romain leaves then Spooned the Pico de Gallo into the open leaves and placed them on two separate plates. -my plate (no meat or bread) and his plate(s)

His “Plate” consisted of three separate plates. Small Bowl with the Meat/Onion/Pepper combination and another bowl of the Pico de Gallo. Then I tore flat bread into manageable sized pieces. This slowed him down as he had to create each bite from scratch. He also had Romaine/pico on his plate. It was fresh, light and didn’t cause me to create 2 separate meals. We were able to have conversation and we finished eating at the same time.

Food Rant & Revolution

I apologize now for this little rant. And I would like to say… I am in no way badgering you or yelling at you. I am simply a little, No, very annoyed with how the Food Industry is treating us and our food. 

I have always loved food mostly creating dishes. As child watching The Frugal Gourmet on PBS (1980′s era) I would duplicate his recipes. Then the Food Network came along and my food world got bigger. Recently as an Adult I have become interested in where the food is coming from, the history of it and now the abuse of it. Many things have been popping up in the news and on TV shows, fun, disturbing and educational. One of the more recent Feel Good but also Open Your Eyes type show is Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. (Hulu Link)

Chicken and Red Plum Salsa

Aside from the FDA and its hand in controlling what your child eats at school, the battle of changing minds and re-educating people about the basics of food and what it does for you is a huge challenge Jamie has to over come in this Virginia town. Thankfully they are catching on.

What I eat and how I choose to eat it is completely up to me. However when we aren’t told the whole truth about where a food comes from or what is done to it from Seed to Ground to Growth and then finally our table, I get a little upset.

Food Inc is one movie that will tell you more about what is going on with your food. Some of it was absolutely horrifying. And I know what some of you might be thinking “just another propaganda piece to get me to become a vegetarian” No this doesn’t go as far in shock value as some animal rights films. But it really does get the message across about how our food industry The Big Guys treat (as in Treatment, cleaning, genetically modified meats and VEGETABLES) our food. It touches on The little Farmer and how he is getting hurt by Big Industry. Discusses E-Coli and other illnesses that are created by humans in the process of obtaining more and more food.This film gives you insight into large factories and then a peak into small farms and the difference. If you needed more of a reason to by Organic foods, Beef, Veg & fruit well here is it.

The moral of this story, Eat wisely. Support your local Farms and Create fresh meals.

Here is a small farmers blog, The Beginning Farmers Wife. They are doing small but great things.

Another Blogging Lady is Megan She is a mother of twins and loves to educate them in the glories of Food. Showing, that even at an early age, they can handle the machines and make amazing meals. She is using Jamie’s Book at the moment and is doing her part to Pass It On.

Hope you pass it on. Make something from Scratch today.

Basics & I’m Not Talking Bootcamp

 The Big O is training. Constantly training. For work. His training has taking on the looks of a man getting ready for Iron Man. He bikes, runs, swims, lifts weight and is doing a ton of other things on top of that and day to day army events. He is basically a walking machine (we all are) but his is running on high speed all the time and the food I make isn’t keeping up. The only problem with food these days, for him, is he isn’t getting full. He seems to burn it even as he is eating it. 

He is also having hellacious cravings for cookies. I am sure there is a scientific explanation, carbs/cardio blah blah blah. But reasons aside he is having them and the craving lately has been Oatmeal. While driving back from a visit to the Book Store last night he makes a turn taking us towards a supermarket. I ask “where are we going?” The Big O’s response… “I want cookies.” Imagine cookie monster at the steering wheel all blue and hungry in cookie monster voice.  We get to the store and he heads straight towards the “bakery”, apparently he has done this before, he picks up a flimsy plastic container with 12 flat cookies in it and is walking back towards me. 

“fake, bakery cookie” vs my “real cookie”

Looking at the container of lifeless cookies from the Not-a-real-bakery, bakery section I pull a face. The kind of face that says “really, you really want to eat those?” Then together almost like an impulse we flip the container over and read the ingredients 70%real stuff, eggs, flour, oats, raisins then 30% things we didn’t recognize. I think about him always being hungry and filling up (outside) the house, because something someplace in his system is lacking, so he reaches for anything and a craving leads him to these Fake cookies. I think about it and immediate we start cruising the aisles looking for all the ingredients.

So this week I am trying something new with our meals. Not a completely new idea, people do it all the time. We in general used to prepare things from scratch for every meal. And this week I am going to see how it goes. First goal REAL Cookies for the cookie monster cravings. Found a recipe online made a few changes and this is what I came up with. 

The original recipe was for a large batch and called for white flour. I cut it in half and used Whole wheat flour. I wanted to cut out some of the sugar but I wasn’t sure how that would effect the recipe. I am not one for baking so it scared me to mess with it too much. I guess there is the applesauce substitute. I didn’t use splenda or another sugar sub because I wanted it to stay “whole” and true to real food as possible. Up to you what you choose and if you know the applesauce measurements please share it. 

This recipe makes about 24 small cookies

Preheat oven 375

1/2 cup soften butter (1stick)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 & 1/2 cup oatmeal (quick cook I used quaker)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (or less)
1tsp cinnamon

I wasn’t fancy with this I piled it all into a mixing bowl and mixed with a fork until thoroughly combined. Because I usually don’t bake I don’t have a mixer or anything like that. And it all worked great. I took a Tbsp and measured out rounded oatmeal balls with my hands I flattened them a little and placed on a baking sheet. Baked for 8 – 10 minutes. 10 minutes worked great with my oven and they are chewy.

You could add raisins (classic) to the mixture before spooning out on to baking sheet. Or and The Big O is loving them lately, I used Craisins (dried Cranberries). Up to You how much you add. I used about 1 cup and mixed it in evenly.

Whole “real food” cookies are done. Now on to planning out the rest of the weeks meals using No Processed foods. Side note I will buy/use store bought bread, butter and pasta, something to work towards in the future. But no packaged food other then those three things. Lets see if I can get him Full.