Make Your Own Monday: Pickled Veggies

 Making homemade pickled veggies is easy peasy, cost-effective, and of course hella good! Making your own food means you are insuring the quality of the ingredients and the sanitariness of the process all the while empowering yourself and saving money.

 

You will need:

• veggies of your choice ( I like cucumbers, jalapenos, and carrots)
• garlic
• seasonings of your choice
• salt 2 tsp per cup of vinegar (you need this to fight bacteria, don't skip it)
• vinegar of your choice (I like white vinegar and apple cider vinegar

To prepare these: I washed and chopped my veggies into sizes I like. Then put them in a jar with some garlic and seasonings. Filled up the jar with vinegar, put the top on, and put them in the fridge.Then I waited for the vinegar to do it's magic. They were ready in an hour, but became more "pickled" as the days passed.

Tip: You can buy pickling seasoning from the store for a more traditional pickle taste. However,I like to experiment with my own flavors. One of the best things about this is that you can try different varieties of veggies, vinegars, and seasonings to see what you like the best. I am currently loving English cucumbers, jalapenos, and garlic in half white vinegar half apple cider vinegar. Simple, spicy, and delicious. 

This is a great one to get the kids involved in. They love to see the changes in color and texture the veggies go through, and of course they love to eat them. What's up with kids and pickles?



Note: These are refrigerator pickles, and should be kept cold to inhibit harmful bacteria. They can be kept for up to 2 months. 

There are many other types you can make. This link has more information pickle making and some great recipes. Check it out!

XOXO, 

Riss

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Share them below!

Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon - Planet Green

I am sure you know that watermelon is good, but you might be surprised at how good it is for you. Check out the following article on the health benefits of watermelon.

Surprising Health Benefits of Watermelon - Planet Green

Zesty Coleslaw inspired by Bake Sale Betty

This slaw is raw, vegan, really healthy, delicious and so versatile. It is inspired by the famous slaw served at Bake Sale Betty in Oakand.


After trying the slaw at Bake Sale Betty it was love at first bite, but the accompaning fried chicken breast they serve with it makes going there a treat I undertake sparingly. Plus it is so easy to do at home.


The first picture looks like it has a visible aura, and it is so delicious and nutritious it probably does! That dish was my first try at baked tofu. It was interesting, baking it gave it an almost chicken-like consistency. We really enjoyed it!


The second image is the same slaw, but topped with chicken. I love the versatility of this slaw because you can seriously pair it with any protein and it tastes yummy.


The original recipe uses only green cabbage, but I like to eat my colors, so I added the purple cabbage as well. Sometimes I add radishes to an extra kick, and I think carrots would also fit nicely in here.


This is a great recipe because you can make tons of it, then use it on sandwiches, in salads, or just eat it plainly.


Click here for the recipe

Try It Tuesday: Ch-Ch-Chia - The Little Seed That Could! (updated)

Years ago, I did this post on chia. Since it is now commonplace on the shelves, I felt a remix was needed and probably highly anticipated. Many chia products have sprung up on the shelves, and I for one, am excited to see this little wonder seed get its 15 minutes of fame.

 Last week, I came up with a great chia drink recipe I was loving that had 3 simple ingredients: chia, water, and 100% cherry juice. It was so good. However, as I was touting this wonderfulness to my hubby I mentioned how sweet it was even without added sugar. This lead me to check the sugar content on that cherry juice, and lo and behold, it had hella sugar (50 grams per 8 oz.)  in it! So I decided to stop drinking that, and opted for just adding chia into my water. Boring maybe, healthy definitely! 

Chia seeds do much more than grow cute little houseplants, they are super-nutritious and are a powerful diet aid. I discovered them (in a Columbus sort of way) when I did the raw food cleanse. They are these tiny little seeds that are so powerful that they can absorb nine times their volume in water. Because they are such powerful absorbers you have to make sure you soak them before you eat them. Once you soak them they form a gel that is 90% soluble fiber which aids digestion and can help lower cholesterol more effectively than oatmeal. The fiber also helps you feel fuller longer. 

Chia seeds: 

• Have twice the protein of any other seed or grain
• Have 5 times the calcium of milk
• Contain omega-3 and omega-6 oils
• More magnesium than broccoli
• More iron than spinach
• And the list goes on and on...

Chia is a best kept secret. It is truly a super seed! No wonder it has been used for thousands of years for endurance. The word chia actually comes from the Mayan word chiabaan, meaning strengthening. 

So, Riss, How do You Eat Chia?

The easiest way to prepare chia is to make it into a gel. Chia seed gel is super easy to make. I mix a big batch when I make it because we use it in everything smoothies, yogurt, salads, we even eat it straight (it tastes a bit like flavorless Jello). All you have to do to make the gel is mix 1/3 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of water. Let it sit for a few minutes shake it up, then let it sit for about 20 minutes. We use so much I usually use 1 cup of the chia to 6 cups of water. Then just store it in jar in the fridge where it keeps for up to two weeks. Be careful though, if it starts to grow sprouts it is no longer edible, and should be transferred to the nearest clay pottery cat you can find.

If you don't try anything else I share, TRY THIS! It is truly amazing.


*Remember never eat them without soaking or they can absorb your bodily fluids and cause digestive issues and dehydration.


XOXO,
Riss


Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Share them below.