My Health Journey, A GIVEAWAY, & Something To Laugh At

Hello hello and happy new year!

It might not be legal to say that half way into January, but the year is still new so I wish you a happy one.

Health seems to be at the forefront of most our minds after we may or may not have over-indulged over the holidays.  To kick off 2015 here on Riddlelove, I wanted to share one of my favorite easy-grab foods.  We have been enjoying goodies from the Bearded Brothers since the golden days of summer.  As I share on my health journey video below, I'm a huge advocate for cooking from scratch, but there are those days that take unexpected turns and it's nice to have an emergency supply of grab-able food in the pantry.  I adore these bars because they are 100% clean.  I couldn't have made them more healthy, so there's no bad feelings while stuffing our hungry faces with them.  You flash the words "raw," "gluten-free," and "paleo" at me with the slogan, "Bros Before GMOs," I pretty much order in bulk before I know what's happening.  It makes it all the more easier to click that order button when your first one is 15% off after subscribing with them and free shipping over $75.

I've tried all their flavors (several times) and have many favorites, but my top three are Outrageous Orange Kale, Radical Raspberry Lemon, and Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla.  My kids' faves are Mega Maca Chocolate and Colossal Coconut Mango.  I'm so happy to partner with the Bearded Brothers to offer you a whole case where you can sample two of each flavor!  Go on and enter below!

Today is packed with healthy goodness.  On top of this nifty giveaway, here's a video (complete with some embarrassing childhood photos) of my health journey, and how I went from being chronically fatigued to full of energy, and everything in between.

But wait!  There's more!  If you missed it on YouTube, here is my uninspiring pep(less) talk for 2015 from earlier this month.

And just in case you're bored, another new year's resolution of mine is to laugh more, so I started a new YouTube where I make fun of myself, basically.  I find that it's easy for us homeschoolers to take things overly seriously; most of the time unintentionally.  It's a lot of work to homeschool!  Add the feeling of anti-homeschoolers' hot breath bellowing over our lesson plans and it can get really hard to laugh.  I have found myself pulling away from potentially explosive situations in our homeschool just enough to imagine it as a reality TV show and have to laugh, which is the inspiration behind these YouTubes.

Back to the giveaway!  Continental US residents only, I'm afraid, though you can order yourself a box from anywhere.  A winner will be chosen from random.org once the contest has ended and will be notified via email.  Come back to this post to see who the luck winner is.  There are so many ways to get several entries, so go for it!

***  Congrats to Heather Simpson who won the bars!***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Healthy, Simple, & Festive Snacks, Lunches, & Treats for Wintertime

    

Fun food traditions don't have to be laden with toxic refined sugars and flours.  The kids and I are starting new wintertime culinary rituals that are fun and full of memory-making potential.  They've already made me promise that we do all of the following for winters to come.  Several of these were Pinterest finds, so I'll provide the link to each of those and a little note of how our experience turned out.

 My mom introduced us to these black olive penguins a couple years ago and have become a  wintertime staple ever since. My older kids (ages 10 and 12) help cut the carrots and our 6 and 9-year-olds can do the rest.  The 2-year-old more than happily helps eat them.  We give him a couple cream cheese balls and olives to play around with while the rest of us assemble them.

 We even roast chestnuts on a, well, closed oven.  We found a bag at Trader Joe's and have received them in our produce box before we started growing our own veggies.  We loved how they looked like little presents after roasting them.  Simply preheat your oven to 350º, cut a big "x" on the flat side of each one (I highly suggest adults do this part; it's tricky), and roast for 35-40 minutes.  Unwrap the chestnut presents while still very warm, but not too hot to burn little hands, and enjoy a warming, buttery treat.  Martha has some pretty yummy recipes for them if you have any leftover.

 This simple grape-and-cheese Christmas tree with a celery trunk (and little sprigs of thyme as pretty little dividers) was an easy and tasty snack that the kids put together themselves.

 We used our old hummus flower idea to make a Christmas star with hummus (here's a simple recipe) and heirloom carrots of different colors.  If you haven't grown your own, Trader Joe's has bags of them available.

 The most challenging snack were these snowmen.  The one I made with our 6-year-old fell apart, but our crafty 9-year-old pretty much mastered it.  There might have been some tears shed from disappointed little eyes after snowmen cracked and crumbled, but I think we might try them again next year.

 Homemade hot (or warm) chocolate is too simple not to make!  It's taste is far superior than powdered mixes, not to mention it's way healthier.  We rotate between Perfectly Frothy Raw Hot Cocoa and this Mexican Hot Chocolate.  When I'm really in a need for extreme chocolate, we pull out the Dairy-Free Sipping Chocolate Recipe.

 Need a little something more than chocolate to sip?  Indulge in this super-quick Egg(less) Nog.  It's a favorite.

 These Grain-Free Coconut Lace Cookies don't last long around here.  Buttery+thin+crispy= cantstopwontstop.

 Originally, I was shooting for a Paleo Peppermint Patty kinda thing, but I actually prefer these Paleo Bon Bons without the peppermint.

    I love recipes that are naturally grain-free without having to tweak anything.  These Gluten-Free Chocolate Cloud Cakes are a real show-stopper and simply delicious.

Happy festive, healthy kitchens, friends! xo

Cheesy, Gluten-Free Cauliflower Soup ~ A Recipe

The fact that I am posting a cauliflower recipe means that there has been some serious palate-healing.  It was one of the two veggies that made me gag as a kid.  I hated everything about that pale cruciferous: the rotten smell while it steamed, the deceitful whiteness making one think it might taste something like potato, then the massive shock and disappointment when that first bight confirms otherwise.  If you would have told me as a child that I would grow up to one day love, and even crave cauliflower, I'd laugh in your face.  Yet here I am, grown-up Katie, happily sharing a recipe that in fact has become my husband's favorite soup to come out of this kitchen.  Miraculous.

A note on this soup:  It can be a wee bit on the watery side since there is no flour to thicken it up.  A simple remedy to that is peeling and cubing 2-4 potatoes or sweet potatoes and adding them in with the cauliflower.  I tend to avoid this simply because it adds more time to the process and we don't mind the consistency.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes, simmer time: 20 minutes, serves 8-10

• 1/4 cup bacon grease or other healthy fat (We only buy organic bacon from pigs who foraged freely so the grease is actually nutritious and makes this soup incredible.)
• 1 onion
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts chicken stock (find a recipe here)
• 1 cup creme fraiche (find a recipe here)
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (this truffle sea salt is my secret ingredient to make the soup phenomenal)
• 5-8 slices Canadian bacon or ham
• optional garnish: finely-chopped sautéed mushrooms

1. Place grease in soup pot and heat until melted.  While the grease melts, chop onions, then add to pot and sauté for about 3 minutes.
2. While onions sauté, chop cauliflower, then add to pot.
3. Stir in smoked paprika, peppers, and thyme.  Add stock.  Stir, then cover and let soup simmer to a light boil for 15 minutes.
4. While the soup simmers, grate cheese and finely cube Canadian bacon.
5. Once soup is done simmering and the cauliflower is soft, turn off heat source and add creme fraiche, cheese, and salt.  Blend with an immersion blender or in batches in an upright blender.
6. Stir in cubed Canadian bacon or ham and reheat on low if necessary.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with finely-chopped sautéed mushrooms for added flavor and to increase immune support, if desired.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Healthy Baked Maple Custard ~ A Gluten-Free Recipe

Does anyone else like to use long-bake-time recipes on cold days?  There's nothing like a warm oven filling the home with yummy smells when it's chilly outside.  Here is a simple recipe with no refined sugars that is a lovely little snack or dessert to pull from the fridge at a moment's notice (or straight from the oven as soon as it's not too hot to eat.  I love warm custard.) Also?  This recipe is easy and non-threatening; qualities I look for in life.

Baked Maple Custard

Prep: 10 min; cook: 70-80 min; serves 6

• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup grade b maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• ground nutmeg (optional garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 325º.
2. Thoroughly whisk all ingredients except the nutmeg together.  Pour mixture into ramekins or these fun jars like the ones pictured above.  Sprinkle the tops with nutmeg, if desired.
3. Place cups in a baking pan (I use my roasting pan with the grill removed) and fill pan with hot water so it comes to about halfway up the ramekins or jars' sides.
4. Bake for 70-80 minutes or until the custards are set (they jiggle a little but aren't liquidy anymore).  Enjoy warm, completely cooled, or chilled.  Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta ~ A From-The-Garden Recipe

After coming in from the garden, we are pretty hungry.  And very sweaty.  Here is a bit of an instant-garden-gratification lunch that I crave this time of year.  Most of the ingredients have just been pulled from the earth, making it fresh and flavorful.  The best part?  It only takes about ten to fifteen minutes to whip up and is very satisfying.  Use it a a base recipe if it suits your druthers.  Have some avocado?  Slice it up and toss it on.  Sometimes I'll pull a chard leaf or two, chiffonade them (find chiffonade instructions at the bottom of this link), and sprinkle over the dish.

Raw Zucchini Pesto Pasta

Prep time: 10-15 minutes; makes 1 dish

• 1 medium/large zucchini
• 1 medium tomato, or half of a large one
• 1-2 tablespoons pesto (see recipe below)
• 1-2 slices organic lunch meat (I use Organic Prairie's or Costco's)
• A sprinkling of parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Make zucchini noodles by using a julienne peeler.
2. Toss noodles in pesto on large serving plate.
3. Chop tomato and sprinkle on top, as well as pieces of meat, parmesan cheese, and pepper.

Simple Pesto

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Place all pesto ingredients in food processor and mince until it's as coarse or smooth as you'd like.

Enjoy!

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~ 

I'm sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday.

Super Quick, Raw Beet & Fennel Salad (GAPS, Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Enjoy the garden's first offerings of spring/early summer with this salad.  The cleansing, cancer-fighting, folic acid-rich beets and the iron-packed yet soothing-to-the-stomach fennel make a wonderful partnership in power-boosting your health.  The flavors also pair wonderfully together.  This recipe can be made without a food processor, but it will take longer.  

Quick Raw Beet & Fennel Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes; serves 6-8

• 1 large shallot
• 2 bunches beets
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (this balsamic raspberry vinegar is really good in the recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1. Peel beets & shallots.  Use the mincing blade on the food processor to dice shallot.  Remove mincing blade and replace with grating attachment.  Grate beets and fennel.
2. Scoop processed shallots beets, and fennel into a serving bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and stir well to incorporate.  Serve and enjoy!

 ~ Browse more riddlelove recipes here. ~

Healthy Mexican Beef & Potato Melt ~ A Gluten-Free Recipe

Casserole-type meals never seem to be the prettiest dishes but have always been my favorite.  It seems generic and distasteful to admit that, but it's true.  Good ones are so warm and cheesy and comforting.  It's a nifty thing when one can serve an entire dinner in a single pan.

I would like you to meet my newest addiction.  The best part is?  Everyone in the family loves it, too!  Not too spicy for sensitive little tongues, but flavorful enough to satisfy grown-ups, this hearty dinner of crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside potatoey, cheesy, Mexicany goodness is a happy dinner and potluck offering.  Try it and see if it doesn't become a new favorite in your home, too.

Mexican Roasted Potato Casserole
Prep time: 15, bake time: 45 (divided); serves 6-10

• 4-6 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed in 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil (high quality won't become harmful at high heats)
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (find a quick, safe recipe here)
• 1 pound ground beef (grass-fed preferred)
• 2 more tablespoons taco seasoning 
• 1 cup salsa (we use this salsa verde)
• 2 cups grated cheese of choice (we used white cheddar but jack would be more traditional)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• creme fraiche (a dollop for each serving)

1. Preheat oven to 425º.  Place potato cubes in 9x13-inch pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and mix until pieces are coated.  Stir in the first tablespoon of taco seasoning.  Bake potatoes for 40 minutes.
2. While potatoes bake, brown ground beef.  Turn heat to simmer and pour 1/4 cup water into cooked beef.  Stir in the other 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and turn off heat once water has been absorbed (I've also been known to stuff a food processor full of spinach or other greens, run them thru, and mix it in with the beef at this point of the preparation).
3. Once the potatoes are browned and done, layer beef on top of them.  Pour salsa over beef.  Top with grated cheese and sprinkle green onions on top.
4. Bake 5-10 minutes to allow cheese to melt.  Serve warm with a dollop of creme fraiche on top.  Other yummy garnishes are fresh cilantro and avocado slices.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

Grain-Free Coco-Vanilla Cake With Creme Fraiche Frosting ~ Joseph's First Birthday Cake

It is hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that this littlest one of ours is one year old.  It seems he "popped out" (as his sisters would say) only a couple of days ago, but at the same time I feel that he has always been in my life.  A sonnet of love is bubbling up from within me, but that must wait for another time and place.  This post is about his cake.  I can't help but share one picture of the birthday boy right here and now, though:

I wanted him to enjoy his first cake without introducing him to refined ingredients and artificial colors and dyes.  Coconut flour came to the rescue.  With a little bit of this and that added to it, this little cake was born.  Frosted with creme fraiche which imparts an irresistibly smooth, tart rounding out of flavors, this cake remains simple yet complete.  I had to add little frozen blueberries because they are his favorite.  A single bees wax birthday candle topped it, and we all erupted in laughter when he spit-blew it out (with some spitless help from dad, of course).  By the time he was finished, not a scrap was left on that plate.  Baby and mama, both satisfied.

This can obviously be enjoyed anytime by anyone.  It is not meant to be boxed in only as a first birthday cake, but to be enjoyed at any time of year by all ages; GAPS dieters included!

Joseph's Grain-Free Coco-Vanilla Cake

Prep time: 10 minutes; bake time: 18 minutes; makes 12 cupcakes or 1 single-layer round cake

• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar, rapadura, or sucanat
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Line 12 muffin cups or grease 1 cake pan or 8x8 square pan.
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place batter into prepared cupcake or cake pan.
3. Bake cupcakes for 18 minutes or cake 25-30 minutes, or until a fork stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

• 1 cup creme fraiche (also sold at Trader Joe's if you would prefer to buy it already made)

1. Frost each cupcake as liberally or as sparingly as you want.  Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  I recommend not frosting them until right before serving the cakes.

A Collection of Healthy Soup Recipes

As we are smack dab in the middle of soup season, gathering up all our soupy recipes seemed like a good idea.  More will likely be added to the collection by the end of this cold weather time, but here they all are, bundled up and ready to warm homes and bellies.

While we are on the subject of soups, the hand blender has been my favorite soup tool for years.  Pureed soups are a hit over here so we use this handy appliance very frequently.  It saves a lot of time and mess to be able to blend the soup right in the pot instead of trying to transfer it to a stand-alone blender.  I happened to stumble upon a deal that's currently going on over at Amazon for the exact hand blender I have loved using for several years.  It is over 50% off and if you are an Amazon Prime member, free 2-day shipping is also offered.  What perfect timing this deal is, right during Soup Season!

Now on to the soup recipes collected thus far:

• Cheesy Cauliflower Soup ~ Gluten-free, rich, delicious, and Jeremy's fave.
• Creamy Tomato Bisque With Fresh Tomatoes ~ The most popular soup on the blog.
• Slow Cooker Beans & Greens Soup ~ Hearty, extremely frugal, and very quick to prepare.
• Nourishing Potato Cheddar Soup ~ Our family's favorite.
• Warming Butternut Squash Soup ~ Creamy and rich.
• Simple Winter Squash Soup ~ A perfect everyday bowl.
• Sausage Kale Soup ~ Extremely health-promoting with a secret ingredient.

Happy souping, friends!

I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Winter Mexican Rice Pilaf ~ A Gluten-Free Recipe

What is wintery about this pilaf?  The vegetables.  What vegetables, you ask?  Exactly.  Some things we make are overtly vegetable-laden.  Other times, we run a covert operation.  When I need assurance of a peaceful dinnertime with vegetables eaten whether they know it or not, dishes like these are crafted.  My family scarfed down this rice and along with it, a whole butternut squash and one bunch of rainbow chard.  Yes, it is true.  A happy dinnertime experience and veggies eaten can happen all at once!

We enjoyed this rice with some grated raw cheese, creme fraiche, fresh cilantro, and avocado. Simple and scrumptious.  It would also be delicious over a bed of (un)refried beans in a bowl, wrapped up in a special burrito, tossed in some enchiladas, or included in a homemade Chipotle dinner.

Winter Mexican Rice Pilaf

Prep time: 15 min; bake time: 45 min; yields about 6 servings

• 1 1/2 cups rice (I used half wild rich and half short grain.  It's what I had and it worked.)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 winter squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin, spaghetti...)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 bunch dark green leafies (chard, spinach, kale...)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• pepper to taste

Possible Garnishes:

• creme fraiche
• raw cheese
• fresh cilantro
• avocado
• salsa

1. 12-24 hours before serving, soak rice in water and vinegar and cover.
2. When you are ready to prepare the dish, heat oven to 375º.  Slice squash in half, scoop out seeds, and place in baking dish, cut side down.  Add about a cup of water to the dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until squash is soft and easily scoopable with a spoon. 
3. While the squash bakes, drain and rinse rice.  Place in large pot and add chicken stock.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Skim off any foam and turn heat to medium.  Add chili powder and cumin.  Simmer, covered, until the rice is fully cooked. 
4. While rice simmers, de-vein dark leafy greens of choice and place in food processor.  Mince.  When squash is done baking, allow to cool enough to handle, then scoop out flesh.  If it's watery enough to mix into the rice, dump it straight into the rice.  If it's still chunky, scoop the squash meat into food processor and run it until the squash is smooth.  Stir squash, minced greens, garlic, salt, and pepper into rice.  Heat through and serve warm.  Freezes well.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, SImple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, FIght Back Friday.

Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies ~ A Paleo, Gluten-Free Recipe

Our littlest baby started sleeping through the night at seven weeks old.  I felt human!  This baby stuff is a piece of cake when you get enough sleep.  I was ready to take over the world!  Until teething, mental, and physical growth spurts hit and I never slept again.

I allow myself to sleep in (for as long as the baby sleeps) every Saturday morning.  This is only possible if breakfast is prepared ahead of time and the older children can satisfy their "starving" bellies themselves.  Enter the breakfast cookie.  I mean, who doesn't want to eat a cookie for breakfast?  Or anytime, for that matter?  These truly can be enjoyed at any hour of the day, thanks to each wholesome ingredient.

Paleo Lemon Vanilla Bean Breakfast Cookies
Prep time: 15 min; bake time; 15 min; makes 20 cookies (leftovers freeze well)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (do not melt first)
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• zest from 1 lemon
• juice from 1 lemon
• beans from 1 vanilla pod (slit pod open and scrape beans out with a spoon, or squeezed out like toothpaste if it's been used to make vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  Measure and pour coconut and almond flours into mixing bowl.  Turn mixer to low and continue to add the rest of the ingredients until fully mixed.
2. Form cookies by taking about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, rolling them in a ball with your hands, and gently pressing them down to about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper) for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely on the cookie sheet before removing.  Serve immediately, store in air-tight, lidded container on the counter for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to several months.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.

Sausage Kale Soup ~ A Healthy Winter Recipe

As a triple cold and flu season carries on, we continue to find new ways to combat it while carrying on with everyday life.  Food is the best medicine, as the old Chinese proverb goes.  I wholeheartedly agree.  If sugar and flour feeds bad bacteria and viruses, this soup strengthens the immune system to ward the yuckies off.  

My family does not enjoy mushrooms, but since they are such a strong immune booster, I slip them in this soup and blend them all up.  Then no one has to deal with the nose-crinkling mushroom texture.  However...  If you enjoy chunky soups and thinly-sliced mushrooms like I do, forgo the immersion blender and enjoy!  I usually save about a third of it in a big bowl before running it through with a blender to make it palatable for my family.  Chunky or smooth, this soup hits the spot and strengthens our bodies.

Sausage Kale Soup

Prep time: 20 min; cook time: 20 min; serves 8-10 (freezes well)

• 1 pound uncooked sausage of choice (I use Trader Joe's sweet Italian chicken sausage)
• 4 potatoes (peeled if using hard skinned potatoes like russet)
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 bunch kale
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• pepper to taste

1. Remove sausage from castings (this is optional.  It's a personal choice I make because I just don't like them.  To avoid castings altogether, buy sausage not in the form of links).  Place sausage in soup pot and brown over medium heat, crumbling the meat with a spatula while it browns.
2. As the sausage browns, slice potatoes in bite-sized pieces if you plan to make a chunky soup.  If you plan to blend it, you can just cut them into fourths.  De-vein kale and cut or rip it into bite-sized pieces.  Rinse and slice mushrooms.  Dice onions and garlic (I use the food processor to slice the mushrooms and dice the onion and garlic together.  It gets these tasks done in seconds.)
3. Once the sausage is cooked, pour chicken stock over it and add potatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes.  Cook, covered, over medium/high heat for about 20  minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
4. Remove from heat and add kale, salt, creme fraiche, and pepper.  If the soup is too cool, return the soup pot to heat source and simmer until hot enough.
5. Serve immediately for a chunky soup or run it through with an immersion blender if you prefer a pureed soup.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at SImple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.

Healthy Orange Julius ~ A Smoothie Recipe

Yup.  It's another smoothie recipe.  We adore this one.  A little sweet, a little tart, smooth, and creamy.  Whip up a batch for breakfast or snack.  Your body will thank you, and so will your palate.  Here's how it goes:

Orange Julius
Prep time: 10 minutes, serves 5

• 4 oranges, peeled
• 2 cups kefir or yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 2 cups ice

1. Place all ingredients in blender and process on high for 45-60 seconds, or until it's smooth.  Enjoy immediately (this smoothie does not store well unless poured into popsicles).  Pour any leftover smoothie into popsicle molds.

~ Browse more Riddlelove recipes here. ~

I'm sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter.

Raclette ~ An Old Swiss Dinner (Naturally Gluten-Free)

You might have noticed on our menu plans that we have been enjoying raclette dinners quite often these days.  I thought it might be good to explain what, exactly, it is (besides amazing, beautiful, and crave-worthy).

A long time ago, way back in the 1500's, Swiss herdsmen would bring with them hardy potatoes and a big chunk of cheese for their meals while they were keeping watch over the cattle.  They would boil their potatoes and melt slices of cheese on top of a hot stone and "racler" (scrape) the cheese off the stone and onto their boiled potatoes.

Today, in the warmth of our homes, we can plug in our raclette "stone" and go to town.  While we're at it, why not add more to the grill than merely potatoes?  You can also choose to pour your melted cheese over a wholesome slice of sourdough bread, if you aren't a gluten-free home.

Here's how it works.  Do you see those silver handles sticking out from under the grill pictured above?  They are connected to little trays, and that is where you place your sliced cheese.  

Our favorite cheeses for raclette: 

• Brie
• Gouda
• Jarlsberg
• A cheddar/gruyere mix that you can find at Trader Joe's  
• There is a raclette cheese.  I love the way it tastes, but it is really stinky and my children can't handle the smell.

Once the grill is hot, simply toss whatever you would like to eat under a blanket of melted cheese.

Our favorite grill items are:

• Slices of boiled potatoes
• Caramelized onions 
• Sausage (cooked)
• Sauteed peppers
• Steamed or roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets...)
• Pears
• Apples

As everyone gathers around the table and we wait for the food to warm and cheese to melt, jolly exchanges are made.  Kids share about their day, grown-ups announce news of this and that.  Each person plates their grilled masterpiece and pours the melted cheese of choice over it.  Oohs and awes are heard and you've got to try this combo is said more than once.

Raclette has become a weekend ritual at our house, and we look forward to it every time.  The grill pictured above is my parents.  We have a granite stone and it works wonderfully.

Have you had raclette before?  What's your favorite way to enjoy it?

I'm sharing this at Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fight Back Friday.