Wednesday, November 17, 2010

It's all about the (Good) Beef!

This fall we bought a quarter of a cow from our milk farm. I think it amounted to approximately 80 lbs. of meat, almost half as ground beef.

Here it is stocked in our new (used) freezer that conveniently fit in our garage, just steps from the kitchen!


Not only will it be nice to have meat readily available for the next several months, but the cows are grass-fed on natural grass and never given growth hormones, hormones of any kind, or antibiotics, so the meat is more nutritious.  It tastes better to! Just one more step in our journey toward healthier living.

And by the way, if you're thinking that "eating beef" shouldn't be part of a paragraph about "healthier living", check out this article (it's kind of long).

I'm not an expert, but what I do know ... Fats are not created equal. The nutrition of all-natural beef can't be compared with assembly-line, medicated, get-big-quick cows. Digesting our food well is crucial to good health, and beef does digest well in a healthy digestive system.  There are so many myths out there, and errored research, that so many things we're taught (mostly here in the U.S.) sadly, just aren't true.

There are an endless number of posts that I could write about such food and health issues that I've learned over the past several years (such as, real butter is better for you than fake, low-fat butter substitutions, and  raw milk is extremely healthy).  One book that dispels many current food and health myths is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  The Weston A. Price Foundation is also a good starting point.  Look around, you might be surprised!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

I love this taco seasoning mix recipe that I found from a blog friend, Sara.

I've tried a couple other homemade mix recipes in the past but didn't care for them.  This one is definitely a keeper! And the best thing is, you control the ingredients - no MSG or any other odd ingredients. 

Taco Seasoning Mix
1/4 c. chili powder
2 Tb. cumin
1/2 Tb. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Mix spices and keep in an airtight container.
Add 2 1/2 Tb. spice mix (more or less to taste) plus 1/2 c. water to 1 lb. of browned ground beef.
Simmer 10 - 15 minutes. 


(Next time I'm going to add try adding some dry minced onion to the mix.)

Earlier this week, I cooked up 8 lbs. of taco meat! I used one for that night's dinner and froze the rest. I've been wanting to do that for quite a while! I also froze some in little 1 c. containers because my boys like to put it on chips and cheese for lunch.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Halloween Fun

Yesterday we hosted a hobo, a hippie, and a glow stick man at the house.

 Aaron (almost 7)

These are the coolest costumes! Glow sticks taped with clear packing tape to black clothing.
Isaac (almost 12) and friend

Dancing glow stick men!

This is what they look like in the light

And here ...

Noah (15)  Groovy! He played the hippie role way too easily! Far out, man!

I don't usually dress in costume, but I could have been an ice cube, as cold as it got while walking with the kids trick or treating! At least it wasn't raining. Okay, Halloween done, now a new knitting project to start!