Category: General

This photo gives you a bird’s eye view of our area at the height of Fall.  Photo courtesy of www.mountainharvestfestival.com

Last week our small town observed the Mountain Harvest Festival a time where we locals celebrate not only the harvest, but locally produced food of all kinds, with music, workshops, concerts, farmer’s markets, kids activities, farm tours, a chili cook-off, crafts and provide elementary school student lunches with organic and locally produced meats and produce for the entire week!

Local farms and benefactors provided the high quality locally produced foods for the K-8 grades lunch program for all elementary students!   Students taking school lunch, instead of brown bagging jumped by 50% for the week!

While I don’t want to get into the politics of what’s right and wrong about school lunches and why today, I think most busy parents need and want to get more involved in  providing their children higher quality natural foods (not boxed or prepared),  and teaching  food preparation and food choices that include Real Foods. This will definitely be an ongoing subject for this blogger.

Chef and Author Ann Cooper spoke on this subject on the Early Show on CBS offering parents some ideas and tools for improving lunchtime.

Here are some of her suggestions from Lunch Lessons which include:

• corn soup
• pasta with greens and feta
• spinach and black bean burrito
• vegetarian chili
• turkey meatloaf

More information about her ideas and her book it is at the CBS website.

Mary’s Lunches

So far, I have been packing Mary’s lunch each day using dinner leftovers such as chicken stir-fry, barbecued chicken, potato kale & sausage stew, homemade soup along with fresh local fruit and occasionally a salad.  She hasn’t asked to eat lunch at school once.

I admit I’m not too creative at lunchtime, so I would love to know what you pack for your kids lunches.  Be sure to post your ideas here at my blog or at Facebook and Twitter.

Teaching Real Food Nutrition to Teens and Mature Junior High Aged Children (Moms too)

• If you have been hunting for a way to teach  Real Food Nutrition for Teens (Moms too.)   Download free pages and watch a free video now.

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As a mom with a teen aged daughter still at home, and with all the distractions of Facebook, and time commitments to school work, and  music activities, I have despaired of coming up with a viable scripture memorization plan for my daughter, Mary.  Now I have a FREE solution I would like to share with you.

In our modern technology driven world, author Robert J. Morgan makes an airtight case for scripture memorization in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart.

He says:
“It’s vital for mental and emotional health and for spiritual well-being,” he writes. “It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day.”

Enjoy FREE printable memory cards for each of these 100 recommended verses, and learn more about the book here.

I plan to use them for devotional time and for my own mental challenge.

Tell me what scripture memorization plan works best for your family.

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“I have been making bread for years. Yesterday I wanted to find a recipe to use with my Montana White Wheat, and I found your website. My husband and five children could not believe how excellent your recipe turned out! It is the whole wheat miracle I have always searched for. Thank you so very much for sharing.” Sincerely, Kirsten Farmer

Are you thinking of baking some wholesome whole grain breads and looking for a way to get started?

Listen to this complimentary MP3 audio Whole Grain Bread Baking Tutorial by Marilyn Moll for secrets to the best bread.

Here is what others are saying:

• My family has been looking for a way to eat healthier but still have bread. This is awesome we give it an A++++++ and 10 thumbs up.
• I have been reading the rave reviews of this bread for years. Normally my family does not enjoy w.w. bread, but this recipe is the exception! THANKS!!!
• Wow Marilyn, I’m impressed. It’s so good that now this is the only bread I WANT to eat. My kids like it too. I was hoping it would pass for their daily PBJ sandwich bread and it did!

Find us on Twitter at TheUrbanHome and tell your friends!

About five years ago I was introduced to the politically incorrect nutrition classic Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Dr Mary Enig and the Weston A Price Foundation.  The first myth they busted for me was that healthy fats do include butter, beef tallow, coconut oil and unrefined olive oil and of course that Real Milk was both healthy and safe.

Today I wanted to tell you about a homeschool mom, Kristen Michaelis AKA Food Renegade who adores the “living books” model of education promoted by Charlotte Mason. She is also a professional writer and fitness coach  who has combined these three passions to create the first and only Nutrition textbook and ecourse for teens of this kind.

Kristen talks about the basics:

• The major macro-nutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) & how your body uses them.
• The micro-nutrients like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, & their affect on health.
• The nutrient density of Real Food
• Industrial vs. Pasture-based animal husbandry
• Industrial vs. Organic agriculture
• The basics of Real Health
• Sneak Peak Video about Healthy Fats and Oils (Watch the Video)

Interested?  Check it out.

Disclaimer:  I make a small commission on purchases.

What you will find in this 171 page ebook:

• Blank monthly and weekly calendar pages for planning your year
• Weekly “To Do” lists showing exactly what needs to be done each week
• Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus forms
• Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Recipe Card forms
• A Holiday Self-Evaluation form
• Shopping Lists
• “Sheri’s Tips”- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook
• Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas
• Memory Making Ideas for the Family
• Holiday Journal Pages
• Many, many forms such as:
  Christmas Gift Shopping List
  Gift Making Checklist
  Christmas Card Checklist
  Holiday Wardrobe Planner
  List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away
  Favorite Meals to Freeze for Later
  Decoration Ideas
  Needed Supplies to Purchase This Week
  Holiday Baking Schedule
  Kids’ Gift Idea List
  Christmas Gifts to be Shipped
• PLUS!!! Two bonus weeks with family tradition ideas, menus, and
• PLUS!!! Some of our favorite holiday recipes!
• PLUS!!! Holiday Coloring Pages!
• Free 14 Page Planner Sampler
  

Buy once, and never buy another holiday planner again!

Or Purchase 5 ebook Holiday Combo Set and Save!

As the gardening season winds down, you might want to try fermenting some veggies instead of canning them. It is so much easier and less time consuming.

Basically a dill crock is a variation on fermented veggies. If you don’t have dill or a grape leaf you can still make the fermented veggies and keep it going.

Can you believe my dog loves these naturally pickled and healthy veggies which are loaded with high quality pro-biotics?

This is an easy project and it is easy to maintain – so be brave and give it a try..

Here is the simple instructions:

1. Use a half gallon jar or crock.

2. Make a brine of 2 Tbsp salt, 6 cups water, and ½ cup cider vinegar. The brine is used to cover all the vegetables in the crock.

3. Grape Leaf – Place a small layer of grape leaves in the bottom of the jar to help keep veggies crisp, if desired. It is not essential.

4. Dill: Place a layer of dill on top of the grape leaves.  Also optional – other herbs or no herbs can be used.  Try a bit of thyme if you have it instead.

5. The Vegetables: Almost any crisp vegetable can go into a dill crock such as carrots, onions, garlic, cauliflower, peppers, green tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, etc. Green Beans need 3 minutes of blanching because otherwise they turn out too tough or hard to chew.

6. Time: One you fill the jar or crock with the vegetables, pour in the brine, screw on a cap tightly to the jar or weigh the vegetables down with a plate and rock to hold the vegetables under the brine.

7. Store the vegetables in a closet or cupboard for 5-6 days up to 2 weeks. If a white foam appears at the top do not panic, this is normal, just remove the foam and the vegetables are ready to eat.

8. Refrigerate and enjoy!

9. Start a new crock with some leftover brine and salt/water solution and use up those delicious veggies long after the season ends.

10. Let your nose be your guide. This is not an official USDA method, but a time-tested method used for centuries.

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”  Ps 34: 17

My grandson, Job Edward Coble, was born to my daughter and son-in-law (Laura and Brandon Coble) this morning at 5:00 CT at 6 pounds 1 oz.  He wasn’t breathing too well so he has been transferred to a hospital in Nashville to prevent possible pneumonia.

Please pray for speedy recovery, doctor’s wisdom, especially comfort for the parents as they haven’t been able to hold him yet.

May God get the glory, AMEN.

Ed Note:  Kelly the Kitchenkop.com has been a big fan of The Urban Homemaker for years and frequently takes time to brag about her Bosch Universal.   She has often provided written summary/transcripts for my phone seminars in the past and always taken time to drop me a note with helpful tips that I share with you.

Now it is her turn to teach YOU all the basic concepts of Real Food Cooking based on the book Nourishing Traditions.

Remember this is a ROOKIE class, so it will be basic, fun, economical, and comprehensive.

CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE CLASS SCHEDULE or Watch Kelly tell you the top 10 Reasons to Take the Class

Take a look at the preview video.

Learn Simple Real Food Concepts and Transform your Life and Your Health
It’s like having a Titus Two Mentor right in your own Kitchen!

Disclosure:  I will receive a very small commission for class sign-ups.