Five Ordinary Foods That Are Really Superheroes!

Today while I was cruising Natural News for interesting stories I ran across this article that talks about 5 "ordinary" foods that are really superheroes!  I wanted to share this article with you...enjoy!

 

(NaturalNews) When observing the typical diet of American consumers, with all the fried foods, aspartame-laced "diet" products and pasteurized, hormone-ridden dairy products that typical people consume, I sometimes ask myself a question that perhaps you've pondered, too: What on Earth is keeping all these people alive?

The answers may surprise you. Hidden inside the typical western diet of highly-toxic processed foods are gems of natural medicine that you'd never suspect are really health foods. So here, I've assembled a short list of the five most powerful health-enhancing foods that don't seem like health foods but which are quite possibly the one remaining source of natural medicines for mainstream consumers.

#1 - Mustard

Mustard, believe it or not, is a medicinal paste made from the seed of the mustard plant. It's a superfood that's been around for at least 5,000 years, and it's one of the few common sources of cancer-busting selenium, a trace mineral often missing from over-farmed soils.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033695_health_foods_mustard.html#ixzz1Z5ZrYUba

 

For the rest of this great and interesting article go here: 

http://www.naturalnews.com/033695_health_foods_mustard.html

 

Now that you've read the article how will you incorporate these 5 super foods into your family's diet and lifestyle?  I'd love to hear your feedback so comment or email me today!

Kelly's Own "Welcome To Autumn Harvest Soup"

Today we woke to a blustery and crisp autumn day with the sun shining and the leaves fluttering wherever the wind led them.  It felt like a good day to make soup with the vegetables left in the garden.  Gunnar would be working in the yard and later watching football and making soup just seemed like the thing to do.  I went outside and gathered some fresh tomatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, a few remnant green beans, and I even dug up a few baby potatoes to throw in to the soup.

To make my Welcome To Autumn Harvest Soup I gathered:
8 or 9 medium sized tomatoes 
1 medium zucchini
8 green onions
handful of green beans
8 small carrots
5 small potatoes
1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
dry pasta (opetional)
1/5 au jus dry seasoned packet
corn, fresh or frozen
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs of your choice, preferably what you have growing or access to
1 lb extra-lean ground beef (I used 4% fat)
whatever else you want to throw in the pot, such as other veggies, herbs and leftovers from the fridge! 

After cleaning and cutting the tomatoes I threw them in my soup pot and let them start cooking while I cut up and added the rest of the vegetables.  Once the tomatoes had cooked down I added 2 cups of organic low sodium chicken broth and some sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.  For added nutrition and a nice mellow flavor I added 2 handfuls of sliced baby portabella mushrooms to the soup which contributed nicely to the soup's interesting mixture of autumn flavors.

I then returned to the garden to gather some herbs.  I decided on Basil because it goes well with tomatoes, Rosemary because it goes will with the lean ground beef I added after the vegetables were soft, Thyme because it adds a great flavor to everything and just a few snips of Sage to round out the flavor.  To cook the ground beef simply brown in a frying pan and add to soup when cooked rare to medium rare.  It will finish cooking in the pot.

I went back inside and added a chopped handful of each of the herbs and tossed them into the soup pot, giving the soup a good stir to blend in the herbs for added flavor and nutrients.

The soup pot looks so pretty with the addition of Rosemary and Thyme added for flavor and nutritional benefits.





I grabbed some dry pasta noodles from the cupboard and added about a handful and a half to the soup as well as a good portion, about a cup, of frozen corn.  I let this all simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally and adding a few more handfuls of fresh Rosemary, Basil and Thyme.  After a taste test I decided to add just a bit of Au Jus (about 1/5 of a dried seasoning packet), 1 cup of organic low sodium beef broth and fresh garlic.  I let this simmer another half hour until the soup smelled so wonderful we just couldn't wait any longer!

Of course, I had to taste the soup and make sure it was good enough to feed to my wonderful husband who worked so hard in the yard cleaning up the debris left by those strong autumn winds!

Gunnar loaded a big bowl of soup and with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side, it's a complete meal packed with nutrients, taste and your own garden's harvest!

Kelly eats from a smaller bowl, ever practicing control!
This is a very hearty soup that was great with the grilled cheese sandwiches but would pair nicely with a green salad and chilled fruit, such as cinnamon pears. Or just grab some crackers and enjoy!

The best thing about making a Harvest Soup is that it will be different every time you make it because you will have different vegetables to harvest each time you make the soup.

mm...mm...good!

Be creative, clean out the fridge and come up with your own fall harvest soups!  Please share your ideas and recipes here at theherbnhousewife!  I would love to post reader's recipes so don't be shy!

Josh's Delicious Citrus Coho Salmon

Our son Josh turned 26 recently and when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner he surprised me by saying he wanted to fix us his favorite recipe for coho salmon.  I have not eaten much coho so was delighted that not only did I get out of cooking I also got to try a new way to eat salmon, my favorite food!  I  watched my son as he prepared the salmon, proud to see him finally working in the kitchen with confidence.  He cut the large piece into 4 fillets and laid them in a foil lined baking dish. I removed the pin bones for him with my handy kitchen tweezers as he sliced an orange and lemon, filling the kitchen with a fresh cheerful aroma.

He doused each fillet with a small amount of sea salt and pepper and then laid orange and lemon slices across and around the fish, leaving a brightly colored dish to put into the oven.

I was impressed how quickly Josh put this recipe together.  He spent the summer in Alaska processing...you guessed it...salmon!  He learned several cooking techniques for salmon and this citrus recipe quickly became a hit among his friends and fellow workers.

Josh proudly shows off his lovely citrus coho before he puts it into the oven to bake.  Josh recommends cooking the fish at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.  Check the fish to see if it is ready by simply flaking the fish with a fork.  If it flakes easily it is ready.  If it is not ready check it every 3-5 minutes until the meat  flakes easily with the fork.  

I hope your family enjoys this refreshing, delicious and different recipe as much as our family does!

As you can see, my men really enjoyed this dinner!

We served our salmon with steamed baby potatoes from our garden and garden salad.

I would love to hear how you cook coho and other types of salmon!  Happy Cooking and be sure to share your favorite salmon recipes right here!

Great Reasons To Eat Watermelon!

All About Watermelon
(with Strawberry Agua Fresca Recipe)

by Rosalee de la Forêt

Nothing quite says summer like a big slice of juicy ripe watermelon! Cooling and delicious this is the perfect summer food.

The first evidence we have of people eating watermelons goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, where watermelons were recorded in their hieroglyphics. By the 10th century, China was cultivating this luscious fruit. Today, Russia, the US, Iran and Turkey are the main producers of watermelon. You know a plant must be really good when it so effectively spreads across the world.

We can love and revere watermelon for taste alone, but did you know it’s also packed with nutrients?...For the rest of the article and the delicious recipe go here:
http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_70.html

Now that you've read this eye-opening article and have learned all the different ways Watermelon is good for you, will you buy and eat it more often?  Will you make the Watermelon/Strawberry beverage?  It is delicious, refreshing and good for you!  Your kids will love it!  Please comment or email me your own Watermelon recipes and ideas!

Fried Squash Blossoms...A Fun And Delicious Recipe For Autumn

If you've never had a fried squash blossom you have been missing out on a delicious and fun treat!  Any kind of squash blossom will do.  I've enjoyed this recipe with both pumpkin and zucchini blossoms but you can use any type of squash blossom you have access to.    First you will need about a dozen fresh squash blossoms.

Ingredients:
12 squash blossoms
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten  (or 1/4 cup eggbeaters for less fat and calories)
1 cup or so of bread crumbs
bacon fat or butter  (I use nonfat cooking spray)

Instructions:
Clean and pat dry the blossoms.  Spread blossoms open; salt and pepper to taste.  Dip each blossom into beaten egg and roll in the bread crumbs.

Fry on medium or medium-high heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Fried squash blossoms are a fun and different way to celebrate the arrival of Autumn and a good way to use up those blossoms that are so abundant this time of year!

These treats can be very nutritious if you fry in the nonfat cooking spray or with a light amount of olive oil.  If you want
the richest flavor, use bacon fat or butter to fry in.

  Enjoy the finished product!  Once your family tries this recipe they will want more.  It's just a shame we can't grow squash all year round!  I hope you enjoy this easy fall recipe and let me know what you think!  I would also love to hear about your own recipes for squash blossoms so please comment or email me with your ideas!

Delightful Herb Crackers

It may be only the beginning of September, but let's face it folks...the holidays are right around the corner.  Soon you'll be serving up Halloween treats and before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here.  I found a  simple and fun recipe for herbed crackers that you will enjoy making and take pride in serving to family and guests.  They would also make great gifts!  These homemade crackers have more substance than the store-bought variety and are great served with herbed dips and butters! (See my Let's Eat! column for an herbal butter recipe!)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup rye flour (may substitute with whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 extra large egg
1 tbsp. horseradish mustard
1 tsp.fresh thyme leaves, minced or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 tbsp. garlic chives, freshly snipped are best
4 tbsp. ice water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to blend.  Add the butter and process until butter is in pea-size pieces.  Add the egg and mustard and mix until just blended.  Add the herbs and process a few seconds more.  Add the ice water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured pastry marble or board and knead for 2 - 3 minutes.  Divide the dough into 2 parts; flatten them into disks about 1/4 inch thick.  Wrap one in plastic and refrigerate until ready to roll.  Roll the first piece of dough about 1/8 inch thick, lightly flouring and turning the dough as necessary.

Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter and prick a few times with a fork, if desired.  It is not necessary however.  Bake the crackers on ungreased baking sheets for 10 minutes, or until they just begin to turn golden.  While your first batch is baking you can roll out the other piece of dough.  Remove crackers from oven and cool on racks.  When completely cooled, store in tins.

I hope you'll give this simple recipe a try.  Play with different herbal combinations for something uniquely your own. Please let me know how yours turn out!

A Natural And Safe Alternative To Birth Control Pills And Procedures

If there was a safe, natural and easy form of birth control would you use it?  I found a fascinating article at Natural News about a safe and natural form of birth control for men that has no side effects whatsoever.  It is simple, cheap and a great alternative to birth control pills and surgical procedures.  Please enjoy the article...

(NaturalNews) In today's society, much of the burden of birth control involves chemicals, drugs and often falls upon the women. However, it turns out the key to birth control might be better placed on men. And the good news is, you don't have to look any further than hot water and papaya seeds.

It turns out that sperm don't like heat and by bathing, or simply submerging the testes, in 116 degrees water (justbelowthe pain threshold) for forty five minutes each day for 21 days, a male becomes sterile for the next six months...  For the rest of the article go here:  http://www.naturalnews.com/029126_birth_control_papaya.html

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/029126_birth_control_papaya.html#ixzz1XCmtKvlA

Now that you've read this article will you change the current method you are using for birth control?  I am thankful this is not an issue for me but if it were, I'd ask my husband to try it.

I am curious to know what you think about it so please comment or email me!