Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I've been doing some raw food making tonite to get a jump on things. I whipped up this batch of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and thought I would share the recipe with you since it doesn't take any complicated equipment or ingredients. Enjoy!

1 cup pitted dates, soak in some pure water for about an hour+ before you want to make this. Drain off but save the water before making the cookie dough.
2 cups quick oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
about a cup of raisins, dried cranberries, other dried fruit, or if you're really going crazy, chocolate chips, carob chips, or cacao nibs

If you have a strong and mighty food processor, you might be able to get away with throwing all of the ingredients together and just whizzing it all up. If you have a finicky food processor, then try something like this:

Put drained dates into your food processor and chop them up as smoothly as you can realistically do with your machine. Add in the oats and cinnamon and continue to whiz it all up, adding some of the reserved water from the date soaking as needed. You want it to be wet enough to be able to smoosh the dough into cookie shapes. Not too wet to have the stuff hold together. If you have a smaller processor you may have to do this in batches.

Once you've got it all mixed, you've got options. :) You can form cookie shaped patties, little treat balls, or if you're in a hurry or looking for convenience just pour it into a 9"x9" pan and later you can cut it into whatever size cookie bars you need. These are quite tasty!

Deal of the Week: SuperDad vitamins!

The SuperMom and SuperDad vitamins are hugely popular with our customers. They are full of high quality nutrients, including green superfoods like Chlorophyll, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Spirulina, and more.

The only difference between the SuperMom vitamins and the SuperDad vitamins is that SuperDad has NO iron in it. Perfect for those that don't need more iron in their diet or who find iron to cause constipation.

This week we are featuring the big, economical 240 tabs bottle of SuperDad tablets at a big 25% off (just $9 per month!!). If taken as directed, this is a 4 month supply. Please note that the tablets are somewhat larger than the capsules. However, you take fewer of them to meet the daily recommended dose.

Order as many as you like at this price. No limit on quantity. Sale runs through July 6, 2011.

SuperKids Deal of the Week!

Pretty much everybody can use a multi-vitamin, and your kids are no exception. Sadly, most of the children's multi-vitamins available in the grocery store are full of cancerous aspartame and other artificial flavors and junk filler ingredients. That's why I'm so glad to be able to offer SuperKids, which has no fillers, is sweetened with beneficial xylitol, and includes all of the usual good vitamins and minerals PLUS green superfoods and other excellent nutrients. Happily, it tastes good too! (there are two flavors to choose from)

For really little kids you can give half a dose, and for adults who are unable to swallow pills you can double the dose, and even add it to a smoothie or applesauce if you like.

Order all you want at this great price, though when/if I run out of current stock, it may take a few extra days to ship. I'll let you know. Sale price goes through Wed., June 29, 2011.

Deal of the Week: Raw Almonds

Hello from mild and balmy central Kentucky!

After a week of blistering heat last week, we are now enjoying a very enjoyable mild week of weather. So nice!

This week's deal is on Raw Almonds. I normally have these available for you October-November each year (and I plan to this year as well!), but I ended up with some extras after the last bulk buy, and don't think I'm going to be able to use all of them before it's time to buy again. So, I'm passing the opportunity on to you.

These almonds are from the most recent crop. They have been stored in the freezer, so they are very fresh and in great condition for you! While not certified organic, these almonds come from a farm that has not used any pesticides for over 15 years. Basically, you're getting organic almonds without the official name, or higher price.

I have a limited amount of almonds that I'm able to part with right now. Once those are gone, that's it until fall. So, if you're wanting to order, do it right away. You can order as little as one pound if you want to.

To learn more about these almonds, click here. Please note that some of the information is related to the bulk buy back in November and is not current. (like, we do not have a ten pound minimum right now)

To see some of my family's favorite recipes using these almonds, click here.

In other news, I would like to know what kind of products I could offer in the store that would be helpful to you. I have many ideas, but don't know what you want. Leave me a comment with your suggestions!

Awesomesauce

Tonite while I was making dinner, my son Jacob came along to see what was cooking. "Is this the awesome sauce you make?!"

You betcha, Jake.

And then I knew I had to re-name this recipe, because, who wouldn't want to make awesomesauce in their own kitchen?!

Supermom's Awesomesauce

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

4 cups warmed milk

2 cups of organic chicken, veggie, or beef broth (**See my note at the bottom about bouillon powders.)

In a medium to large cooking pot melt the butter over low heat. Then add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble but do not let it brown. Gradually add the milk and broth, and stir constantly with a whisk. You'll probably want to have someone to chat with or a book to read, because it takes a little while before it thickens. (10-15 minutes, usually) 1.5 cups of this sauce equals a small (10 3/4 oz.) can of soup.

This sauces tastes wonderful. MUCH better than a can of cream-of-something soup. It works well for me to make a batch of this and then have it in a jar in the fridge all week, so anytime I want to make a casserole that requires a cream soup, I can use this easily.

Options:

You can add finely minced vegetables that have been sautéed.

For a cheese sauce you can add shredded Swiss, cheddar, or parmesan while the sauce is still hot. Stir until melted.

1 ½ cups of this sauce equals a 10 ¾ ounce can of cream soup

This sauce freezes well when already combined with other foods in a casserole.

**The reason that I use the organic broths in this recipe instead of bouillon is this:

Most bouillons have MSG in them. And unfortunately, even the ones that do not say MSG in the ingredients *still* have MSG in them. If the list of ingredients has anything that is autolyzed, hydrolyzed, or modified, that is all other ways of saying MSG. You can learn more about the many tricky names for MSG at MSG Myth.

True Confessions

Undoubtedly, I could have a whole series of true confessions of ways I have slipped, slid, and fallen off of my various healthy eating goals from time to time. (I could also tell you a lot of Get Back Up stories as well, because I always do...) Living healthy hasn't been a straight path for me. It's been full of ups and downs, weak and strong, more or less.

If you're looking for a perfect size 2 health guru who never slips up, you've come to the wrong place.

Confession: I mentioned a few weeks ago that somewhere along the line my vitamin box got empty, and I didn't get around to refilling it. Some days I was remembering to grab a vitamin or two from a bottle, but mainly just wasn't taking them at all. All the time when I would complain of how tired I felt, my husband would say, "Well have you taken your vitamins today?" and I would be all, like, "Pshaw....vitamins. Who needs 'em?"

How quickly we forget.

Well, I took a few minutes to refill the box. I didn't want another round of PMS-from-you-know-where.

In addition, I have re-fallen in love with Bee Strong. Man, that stuff works *wonders* for me!! In just a few days of consistently taking two at breakfast and two at dinner, I am a motivation MACHINE! I have been a more hands-on parent, and been more productive in pretty much every aspect of my life. I love that!

I don't know how I forgot. This is just like when I first started taking it. It's an awesome product. It's the mommy speed that I've been wishing for. ;) I love it. As long as you aren't allergic to bees, you will too. Safe for pregnant and nursing moms. Get some!

Deal of the Week: All Time Favorites!

The following is a testimonial I wrote way back in January of 2008 after having my life measurably improved thanks to my two favorite products, Bee Strong and Berry Well. Since that time I've been able to share these products with so many tired-out people who now love the products as much as I do. In fact, they are the best selling products in the store.

So, this week I am offering *BOTH* of these great products at a great price, because I hope you will try them both and see how they work for you.

No limit on quantities. Feel free to stock up!

From the archives:

Like a lot of you, I’ve tried many different vitamins and supplements. In the last year (or two, or three….or who knows how long?!) I have felt very, very tired and run-down, and always like I was just one step away from getting sick. During this time I have done things like eating a mostly raw-foods diet, or exercising 4-5 days a week, or trying some new vitamin that someone told me made them feel great. Well, for me, none of those things helped. I gained a pound a week (for 7 weeks straight!) while I ate a 100% raw foods diet (!!!!!), only felt more tired and more hungry when I was working out, and the vitamins didn’t give me any energy but did succeed in making me constipated! (Thank You Iron!!) ugh.

As most of you know, I have six children, plus homeschool, plus run my businesses, plus have a husband. I Need Energy!! I had been watching projects pile up, things going undone, and just felt too stinkin’ tired all the time to get a handle on any of it.

Recently I was doing some reading and two new supplements caught my eye. Because of my desperation to feel better, I got both (they were very reasonably priced) and started taking them. The first time I took them was at night, and by the next morning I was literally BURSTING with energy. That day I worked around my house conquering all sorts of projects and chores for at least 12 HOURS!!! It was amazing! Since then I have continued to have a lot of energy, except on the days when I realize I have forgotten to take the stuff. It has been since December 23 and I am still GOING STRONG and feeling SO thankful that I found these supplements.

As usual, I don’t clutter up my store here with just any old thing you can buy. (There are plenty of places like that on the web) Supermom’s Health and Wellness exists to offer you products that I personally feel are very worthwhile. So, of course, I had to bring these products to you.

The first product is called Bee Strong, and it is a bee propolis supplement. This is well-known for giving lots of energy, and it certainly works for me. Of course, if you have a bee allergy, this isn’t going to be something for you to take.

The second product is called Berry Well and it is an elderberry syrup with good stuff like raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, among other ingredients. Berry Well is intended to be taken if you are sick, or feeling like you’re getting sick. I decided to take it since I could tell that my immune system just wasn’t very good. Although I do experience good amounts of energy when I take the Bee Strong, I feel really, really, REALLY great on the days when I also take Berry Well. I really enjoy it mixed into my healthy lemonade, and that has proven to be a great way to give it to my children. (You could even make it into a popsicle for sick little ones that need a health boost!) The taste of the syrup is fine and not objectionable, but when I put it in the lemonade it just makes a yummy berry lemonade that is very refreshing. (It mixes up great in juice as well)

I highly, HIGHLY recommend these new products to you. If it helps you feel half as good as I’ve been feeling, you will be THRILLED that you gave it a try!

I Love Peppermint Tea!

One of the things I am enjoying so much right now is peppermint tea! There are many ways to make it, but here is the super-easy way I have made it lately:

Using our 10 cup coffee maker, I put 4 peppermint tea bags in the filter basket, fill up the water area with distilled water, and brew. Later add 3 droppers full of Peppermint stevia to sweeten. Enjoy cold and so refreshing! You can keep it in a pitcher in the fridge.

Easy, economical, perfect for the rising temperatures, virtually no calories, and a whole food! (yes! Did you know that about peppermint tea?)

I want you to give this recipe a try, so I'm keeping Peppermint Stevia on sale for this week! It is wonderful.

Deal of the Week: Say goodbye to joint pain!

Almost 13 years ago after the birth of my third child I started experiencing a lot of pain and soreness in my hands. Thankfully, someone told me about glucosamine and how it helps lubricate our joints. Through three more pregnancies and all these years I have found glucosamine to be a good friend in helping me feel good and stay active with my growing family. :)

Glucosamine is an amino acid that contributes to making cartilage, which is the shock-absorbing gel in our joints. As we age, or as our bodies take on a lot of hard work, our bodies can slow down the production of cartilage, resulting in us feeling sore even while doing regular things in life.

Although pain killers can take away the symptom, that doesn't help solve the problem. Glucosamine gives relief from the symptom while also helping your body repair itself!

MSM is a natural sulfur compound that aids in pain reduction by blocking the pain signals from your nerves.It also helps lessen the amount of scar tissue and degeneration in the joints.

Many glucosamine supplements are made from shellfish, which doesn't work out well for those of us with seafood allergies. This wonderful formulation is made from fermented, non-genetically modified corn, and it works great.

The glucosamine used in this supplement is Glucosamine HC1, which uses less sodium than others on the market. This means you are getting more of the actual supplement and not just a filler.

Although you may experience relief from the pain in your joints soon after taking this supplement, for best results you will want to take it regularly over a longer period of time. You will want to plan on taking it for at least 30 days. Once you take it for 12 weeks, you can actually take 6-12 weeks off from taking it while still enjoying the same benefits! Pretty cool, eh?

Enjoy a big 25% off discount from now through next Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

Deal of the Week: No more PMS! and more...

Men: Avert your eyes.

Thank you.

Ladies, I'm going to be frank: the reason why I decided to offer Vitex as this week's deal is because I recently went through a h-o-r-r-e-n-d-o-u-s round of PMS, and was reminded that I had forgotten to take my Vitex. OH NO!

I gave Vitex a try because I wanted relief from some rough PMS symptoms plus very heavy menstruation. In just the first month I noticed a great improvement, and have really appreciated this wonderful supplement. (my whole family appreciates it, actually! LOL)

I don't know what happened. I guess my vitamin box got empty and I didn't refill it. Must've been busy. (go figure) Either way, when the evil PMS monster came to visit me recently boy-oh-boy I was thinking "Why didn't I take my Vitex?!?!" Well, hopefully that was enough to keep me remembering from now on, and I'm happy to introduce you to this great product as well.

Whether you are dealing with PMS, menstrual difficulties, menopause issues, or having difficulties getting pregnant, Vitex has something to offer you. Read all about it on the product page, and enjoy 25% off from now through next Wednesday, June 1, 2011. You can order as many as you like at this price, but larger quantities may take a few extra days to ship.



Since the Vitex is a great product, but quite inexpensive, I knew that it would be disappointing to some of you to pay shipping for just one little thing. So, I decided to throw all of the liquid stevia products up for sale this week as well! We have all flavors and sizes in stock right now, so go ahead and stock up. :)

Church Cookies, or Super Breakfast Cookies

So I tried something new this weekend, and it was a hit with the family, so now I get to share it with you!

So often on Sunday mornings we are in a mad rush to get out the door for church, and inevitably some late riser will get in the van and complain that they didn't get enough to eat for breakfast because they ran out of time (because THEY DIDN'T GET UP WHEN I SAID TO). A-hem. It is also very common that one early-riser kid will be filling ziploc bags with cereal to hand out to the late-riser kids on those mornings as well.

Yes, we get quite a few crumbs in our van. It's true.

Well, I heard about the concept of "breakfast cookies" years ago, and found a recipe recently that I wanted to try out. Breakfast cookies are basically just cookies healthy enough that you can eat 'em for breakfast without feeling guilty about it.

And I'm all for yummy food without guilt.

I figured I would make the cookies the night before church, and then I'd be ready for the mad dash out the door, the van snacks, or the after church I'm-starving-what-is-there-to-eat snack. I thought that maybe these would get to be called Church Cookies around our house.

So here's how it goes:

1 cup coconut oil, melted (or you could use melted butter instead)
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (or more)
half cup of milk, buttermilk, or milk alternative--any of it will work
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups old fashioned or quick oats
1 cup dried cranberries (we like the kind that is sweetened with apple juice), or you could use raisins, other dried fruit, nuts, or even chocolate chips if you want to get crazy about it

In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the dried cranberries and the coconut oil. Mix it all up, then mix in the coconut oil* and then add in the dried cranberries.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes or so. Cool on wire racks. Toss 'em to your kids on the way out the door to church, or let 'em snack on them all day long. Whatever floats your boat.

Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

These are not as sweet as typical cookies, so I would recommend that you don't skimp on the dried cranberries or whatever goodie you are adding in. To my sweet tooth, these need that extra burst of fun. More cinnamon could work just fine too. Don't be afraid to play with this recipe. It seems fairly forgiving that way.

*The reason I recommend adding the coconut oil last is because when exposed to the cold ingredients (like the milk) it tends to harden up and not mix in as nicely. So I just kinda sneak up on it by having everything else all mixed and then toss it in the bowl and mix it up real fast so it doesn't have time to give me any trouble.

I tweaked this recipe from one I found at Heavenly Homemakers. She has so many good resources there for healthy eating.

Deal of the Week: SuperMom Vitamins!

I'm so excited about the deal I have for you this week! SuperMom vitamins in the 240 vcap bottle, for 25% off! How awesome is that?!

Feel free to stock up and order as many as you would like, but know that larger quantities may take me a few extra days to ship.

This deal will stay up through Wed., May 25.

Enjoy!

Introducing Deal of the Week!

I am seeing so many awesome deals all over the internet these days, so I decided to join in on the fun. Daily deals aren't really practical for this business, but I think a weekly deal should be quite doable.

So, starting today, I'm aiming to post a new Deal of the Week that will run from Thursday-Wednesday. My plan is to crunch numbers, buy higher quantities, and generally do all I can to offer you deeper discounts than are usually possible. We'll try it for a few weeks and see how it goes. I'd love to get your feedback on how you are liking the deeper discounts, and what products you'd like to see coming up at bigger and better sale prices.

Enjoy!

Healthy Irish Soda Bread

Since today is St. Patrick's Day I decided to try my hand at making some Irish Soda Bread. I tweaked a recipe I found in order to make it healthier. It turned out great and was quick and easy to put together and have ready with our dinner. I will definitely plan to make it again. Here's how it goes:

Healthified Irish Soda Bread

Makes 1 larger loaf or two smaller ones

1 cup honey

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder (without aluminum)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups dark raisins (optional--and you could substitute cranberries, nuts, or other dried fruits quite easily)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cast iron pan or use a cookie sheet. (or, I used one cast iron pan and one 9 inch round glass cake pan)

In your mixer bowl, combine honey, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Cut in diced bits of butter and mix periodically until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, beat eggs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg, pour the rest of it in with the dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and mix for about a minute. Dough will be sticky.

Place your dough in the skillet or split into two skillets or into two blobs on a cookie sheet. Brush dough with reserved egg.

Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown and tester comes out clean. You can serve it warm or cold, with butter or some nice all-fruit jam, or even maple syrup. It is gently sweet and quite filling. It was a big hit with my family. Enjoy! :)

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal--YUMMY!

I have never been a fan of oatmeal. I don't do mushy grains of any sort. No grits. No rice pudding. (shudder) No oatmeal. No rice made with milk. (ew!) I just. don't. BUT, my boys like oatmeal and so does my husband, so I do make it for them for breakfast and snacks sometimes.

Well, I'm always on the lookout for good recipes that are healthy, filling, and budget-friendly, and today I tweaked one (from a friend who has a blog that many of you would enjoy. Click here to visit her.) and it turned out really great! It's a baked oatmeal, which I did not expect to like...but I love it! Probably because it's more like cake. :)

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

* 3 c oats--quick or old fashioned, doesn't matter
* 2 T cinnamon--or more :)
* 2 t. baking powder
* 1 t. sea salt
* ½ c. organic maple syrup
* ½ c. honey
* 1 ½ c.buttermilk, or if you're doing this on the fly, just use milk with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar in it and let it sit for a few minutes to get nice and curdle-ish. You could make this with a milk alternative as well. (rice milk, almond milk, etc.) I don't know if the alternative milks would curdle, but I'm guessing that it really isn't going to matter if it doesn't.
* 2 eggs
* ¼ c. coconut oil (or butter), melted
* 2 t. vanilla
* 1½ c. frozen blueberries

Mix up everything except for the berries. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Fold in the berries. Then pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes until it has a cake-like texture and it lightly browned. Nice to eat warm or cold. You could add butter and more maple syrup to it if you wanted to. For us, it was sweet and yummy just as it was.

*Options: You could add more or different fruits to it. Fresh, frozen, or dried apples, banana, raisins, cranberries, etc. would be awesome. Also, chopped nuts would be good too! Very easy to do, you could definitely mix it up the night before and bake in the morning.

BIG hit at our house. Even from the girl who used to not like oatmeal. I like this!