Orange Pomegranate Juice

My family has been passing a cold around for a month, an I am really trying to keep my almost-one-year-old healthy, especially since the last time he got this cold, it settled in his chest and lingered for weeks. He loves pomegranates, and oranges, so when my aunt suggested pomegranatte juice, I got an idea. I don't have a juicer, but I do have a blender and a tea strainer. Using these items, I made my son some fresh-squeezed juice loaded with vitamin C.

What you need:

1 pomegranate

2-3 cutie oranges

1/2 cup white grape or apple juice

blender

tea strainer

cup to strain juice into

a spoon

Pull apart pomegranate and put the seeds into blender. Peel the oranges and add the wedges to the pomegranate. Pour the white grape or apple juice in the blender. Cover and blend until ther are no large pieces, about 30 seconds. Place tea strainer over cup and pour fruit mixture into it in small amounts at a time, raking with the spoon to squeeze all the juice out. Empty the pulp and seeds from the strainer into the trash as needed. For me, this made about 12 ounces of juice.

Vegetable Stew

Cook 1 c chopped carrots, 1 c chopped asparagus, 1 c cooked quinoa noodles (I used shells) in 3 c vegetable broth. In separate pan, cook 1/2 c quinoa in 1 c vegetable broth. When veggies in first pan are soft enough, remove 1 c, & blend in clender, then return to pan. When quinoa is cooked, add it to the soup. Chop 4 large baby Portobello mushrooms & 1 c fresh spinach, then add to the soup. Continue to cook until mushrooms are heated through.

A Little Nutty Bread

This was the first time I made yeast bread in over 10 years. I was so excited and impatient to have my son try it that I did not let it cool enough before removing it from the pans. It was delicious, though. Here is the recipe:
- this time around, I did not use raisins or cinnamon

3 c plus 6 T warm water
6 t yeast
3/4 c tahini (or in the loaves shown, I used 1 mashed ripe banana & 1/4 c tahini)
1 1/2 t vanilla
3 3/8 c quinoa flour plus 1 c almond flour
1/3 c agave nectar
1 1/2 t sea salt
3 t cinnamon (if making raisin bread)
2 1/4 c raisins

In Mixing bowl, stir yeast into warm water until dissolved. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and cinnamon together. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana & tahini together. Add banana, tahini, vanilla, and agave to the yeast mixture then add half of the flour mixture. Beat with mixer on low speed for two minutes. Add remainder of flour mixture and beat by hand until smooth. Scrape dough from sides down into bowl. Mixture will be thin and runny. Cover and let rise until doubled, about forty minutes. Stir batter down, fold in raisins. Pour into 2 greased  and floured 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Let rise again about thirty minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and knife inserted comes out clean. Makes two loaves.

The Start of My Gluten-free Adventure.

I have a son who is sensitive to grains and dairy. I have argued with doctors about whether or not he has touble with these foods, and while only one agreed with me that these foods are causing reactions, I am learning as a parent how to just go with my gut. My son does not have allergies, but he does have "food intolerances" that cause inflammation in his gut, & severe eczema all over his little body. As I am learning what foods trigger the reactions and how to cut them out, his symptoms are improving. I am now learning how to cook without grains and milk. I am excited to share what I am learning. I am also experimenting with making egg-free baked goods.