Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights

I know.  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve...and I'm posting something heavy.  But it's important.

Do you have your child(ren)'s best interest at heart?  Of course you do.  But did you know that the U.S. Constitution says nothing to protect your rights as a parent?  So, please take the time to watch this 36 minute documentary.  If you agree or are concerned, do something, like signing the petition at the bottom of this post.  But just so you know what the Parental Rights Amendment is, here you go:

SECTION 1
The liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children is a fundamental right.
SECTION 2
Neither the United States nor any state shall infringe upon this right without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served.
SECTION 3
No treaty may be adopted nor shall any source of international law be employed to supersede, modify, interpret, or apply to the rights guaranteed by this article.

 

Applesauce Bread

I promised Monday that I'd share with you the recipe for Applesauce Bread that we are giving as gifts.  It's a healthful breakfast or snack item and a thoughtful gift for people you really care about. 

Oh by the way, this is a great way to use some of that applesauce you may have canned this fall, but store-bought works just fine, too.

I got this recipe from Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers.  It's really good and really easy... two of my favorite things!  Normally when I make this recipe, I make four loaves.  I let them cool well and then pre-slice, wrapping each loaf in plastic wrap before putting into a gallon-size freezer bag.  On occassion, I have been known to forget to get a loaf out of the freezer until shortly before I'm going to serve it *ahem* but because it is pre-cut, you can seperate the slices for quick thawing.  Ta Da!  Once again, breakfast is saved!

Applesauce Bread

• 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
• 3/4 C sucanat or 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 3/4 C applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 C butter, melted

1. Mix dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and add applesauce, eggs and butter.  Stir well. 
2. Pour into a buttered bread pan.  Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350° or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Photo source: Heavenly Homemakers because I'm camera challenged...again

Menu Monday, December 19

This week, we are making Christmas cookies.  In years past, I would make dozens of cookies and spend two entire days in the kitchen making eight to ten different kinds.  My thought is that we would give away most of them...but I found that I ended up eating far too many of them myself!

So, this year we chose to make only two of our favorites (yes, you heard me...only two) and are going to make a single batch of each.  I also waited until we had just a week before Christmas so we'd have cookies for the week before and after the holiday, but not all month long...

I know we've come a long way in our real food journey this past year, but I have been instructed in no uncertain terms to "mess with" the recipes for the cookies.  I figure I can do that.  After all, they don't know that the fettucini I'll be serving Christmas Eve is brown rice fettucini.  And, they've been such good sports about all they other things I've introduced to our home this year like raw milk... sucanat... soaked wheat breads... kombucha... coconut oil... pastured (or in our case back-yard) chicken eggs... nitrate-free bacon, sausage, etc.

One other tradition our family has is to make a birthday cake for Jesus.  We decided Jesus' favorite had to have been chocolate cake :-) .  Add in the Peppermint Bark and that ends up being more than enough sugar in the house!

Something else we are doing this week is baking Applesauce Bread to give as gifts.  (I'll be sharing that recipe with you this week.)  It's far easier (and healthier!) than a plate full of cookies or sweets.
So how much baking do you do?

 

Monday:

Breakfast – Oatmeal w/ cranberries

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Pork chops, brown rice with parmesan, peas & carrots

 Tuesday:

Breakfast – Fried eggs, blueberry muffins, oranges

Lunch – Tuna melts, raw veggies & fruit
Dinner – White chicken chili, corn bread muffins, fruit salad

Wednesday: 

Breakfast – Fried eggs, blueberry muffins, oranges

Lunch – Leftovers
Dinner – Grilled steak, baked potato, green salad

Thursday:

Breakfast – Scrambled eggs, applesauce bread, peaches

Lunch - Leftovers

Dinner - Fresh fish, homemade rice-a-roni, green beans 

Friday:

Breakfast – Baked oatmeal w/ apples & blueberries

Lunch – Bean & cheese tostadas, raw veggies & fruit

Dinner – Hamburgers, homemade french fries, green salad

Saturday, Christmas Eve Day:

Breakfast – Soaked whole wheat waffles w/ strawberries, maple syrup, sausage

Lunch – Homemade summer sausage, cheese, raw veggies & fruit

Dinner – Chicken Fettucini Alfredo (new recipe), whole wheat garlic bread, green salad, Jesus' birthday cake for dessert

Sunday, Christmas Day:

Breakfast – Scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, fruit salad

Dinner – Baked ham, creamy au gratin potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans

Upside-Down Rhubarb Spice Cake

My friend Michelle is the one who gave me the idea from this great recipe.  Her mother made it when she was growing up now I get to pass it on to you.  If you don't like rhubarb, I'd encourage you to give it a try anyway.  It's that good.

Upside-Down Rhubarb Spice Cake

Topping (or "Bottom" depending on how you look at it)

• 4 C chopped rhubarb
• 1 C sucanat
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 4 T butter
• 1/2 C sucanat

Cake

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 C sucanat
• 1 C sour cream
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C water
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1-1/4 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 3/4 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs

1. Mix rhubarb with 1 cup sucanat and nutmeg.  Allow to sit.
2. In the bottom of your pan (you can use a 9x13 pan or two rounds) melt butter with 1/2 C sucanat.  Add rhubarb mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, beat all the cake ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds.
4. Beat on high speed 3 minutes.
5. Pour cake batter over rhubarb mixture.
6. Bake at 350°, 40-45 minutes for a 9x13; 30-35 minutes for rounds, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Easy Hot Spiced Cider

As a kid, it would not have been Christmas Eve without apple cider "brewing" in the crockpot with mulling spices.  The aroma is incredible and the taste... well, that taste is Christmas.   I hope this recipe helps you to create happy memories, too.

Easy Hot Spiced Cider

• 1/2 gallon organic apple cider
• 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 t whole cloves
• 1-2 t whole allspice
• 1/2 orange, cut into 1/4" slices

1. Pour apple cider into crock pot.  Add spices.  Place orange slices on top.  Heat on medium for 3 hours or more.  (You could also make this on your stovetop.  Just place in a kettle and heat on low heat for 2-3 hours.)
2. Refrigerate any leftover cider.

Photo credit: tastefresno.com

Peppermint Bark

I'm not a candy maker.  So if I can do this, so can a child.  I know this because mine did.

Peppermint Bark

• 2 C white chocolate chips
• 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 candy canes, crushed
• whipping cream or whole raw milk

1. Over low heat, melt white chocolate chips.  You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of cream to get it to a smooth, spreadable consistency.
2. Using a silpat mat or parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet, spread melted white chocolate to about 1/4" thickness.
3. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the white chocolate.
4. Over low heat, melt semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Again, you may need to add some cream to thin.  Drizzle over the top of the white chocolate.
5. Refrigerate until hard, approximately 1-2 hours.
6. Break into pieces...and enjoy!

We keep ours in the freezer for a couple of reasons:

1. Out of sight, out of mind.  I'm afraid of this stuff...for real.
2. When frozen, this has an extra cool sensation, which feel particularly good on my sore throat!  Ahhh...a medicinal use!  I didn't think of that.  Excuse me, I'm off to the freezer...

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

I confess.  I used to buy au gratin potatoes in a box.  You too?  Well, if I can learn to get away from the garbage in a box, you can too.  And they are so much better on every level.  You gotta try these.  Yes, I don't make them very often, but they are special enough to be served at holiday dinners or other such occassions, yet they are easy enough for Sunday dinner.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

• 4 russett potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 onion, sliced into rings and sauteed
• 3 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 C milk
• 1-1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Layer half the potatoes in the dish.  Top with sauteed onions.  Top with remaining potatoes.  Season with salt & pepper.
2. Cheese sauce:  In sauce pan, melt butter.  Add flour and whisk together until flour mixture becomes bubbly.  Add salt and milk.  Wisk together and cook until sauce has thickened.  While stiring, add cheese and continue stiring until melted.
3. Pour sauce over potatoes.  Cover.
4. Bake at 400° for 60 minutes.  Remove cover/foil and continue baking for addtional 30 minutes.