White Vinegar

We have all heard that vinegar is amazing...I didn't realize how amazing.

My mom has been cleaning with vinegar for years, but I found a website that shows the many, many uses and thought it could be helpful.

Take a visit and be impressed! ;)

http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#4

For Jill...

I told you a couple weeks ago that I was going to get Michael Pollan's new book Food Rules. I picked it up that day, and read it all that day twice. It doesn't take long to read and is totally worth adding it to your home library as a permanent reference tool!

So, like I said, I suggest buying this book, but here are some of my favorite rules. Michael Pollan's basic guidelines are "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." This is the way his food rules are broken down as well.

Here are my favorites:

2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

5: Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.

6: Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.

13: Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

14: Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.

23: Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.

24: "Eating what stands on one leg (mushrooms & plants) is better than eating what stands on two legs (fowl), which is better than eating what stands on four legs (cows, pigs and other mammals)"--This is a Chinese proverb.

39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

44: Pay more, eat less.

54: "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper."

56: Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.

60: Treat treats as treats.--(The s-policy, "no snacks, no seconds, no sweets except on days that begin with the letter S"

63: Cook.

If you have any questions on the rules I have listed, please ask. Otherwise, BUY THE BOOK! Keep it in your purse and take it to the grocery store with you as a reminder. Each rule has a paragraph or two that explains the reasoning behind the rule.

Enjoy!!

My little world.

Ok, so here are my thoughts for today. They are actually my thoughts on a very consistent basis, but today I thought I would share them with you instead of just Jonah.

I love my house. I love my little bitty overflowing house. If I get my way, I will never move. If I have just the 2 kids or 14 more, I want to stay in my little house forever. I love that we are never far away from each other. I love that I can walk to almost anything I could ever need. I don't love the midwestern winters, but hey, what can you do? A little more global warming and they won't be an issue anyways--I know, not a good joke! My house serves every purpose I could ever ask for. I can't imagine sleeping further away from my babies. I can't imagine having our living areas be any more spread apart. I just love this little house and all the memories it contains. I think that one of the problems in society is the need for more, bigger, better now! Enjoy what you have. Be happy you have something. It really is a great life that we live. So to all those who don't think my house meets the social standards they expect, or those who don't think we can comfortably accommodate people, to them, I say, I love my house. We are always happy to have visitors and guests. We will always make room for anyone in need. Our table and door is always open--

A house is just a house, a family makes it a home.

Recipe...

This is a recipe that I like for Vegan Brownies. Jonah likes it when I mix about half a bag of vegan chocolate chips in with them. That adds the extra little kick that he needs. I also omit the pecans because I don't like nuts in baked goods...

1 cup soft to medium tofu

1 cup dry sweetener

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp oil

4 tbsp coca or carob powder

1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Also need: 8 x 8 cake pan Sifter

Recipe: Preheat oven at 350° F. In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, sweetener, vanilla, oil and coca powder until smooth and creamy. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, Add pecans and tofu mixture, and mix together gently until “just mixed”, If batter is too dry, add a splash of water, Spoon the batter into a lightly oiled 8x8 cake pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

Test with a knife to see if done.Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 6 large brownies.

I have another post to "post" so hopefully later today, I will get it up! Until then, enjoy the brownies!