Bee Update

It has been quiet concerning the bees since the last Bee incident.  Remember that one?  We sure do! The obstacles a newbie beekeeper can come up against....

After merging the hives into one it has been a bit of a nerve racking winter of wondering if the hive would survive. Dan worked really hard through out the summer feeding them in preparation for the bees to make enough honey to get them through the winter.  Not to mention this winter has been cold!  Brutally cold at times.

That's A LOT of snow!

Then this past weekend the temperatures warmed up, and it was safe to open the hive to check on them.  And we were happy with our findings!  The hive is alive and well!  Of course some bees die off during the winter but the majority are still huddling together in their hive that is a warm, on average, 55 degrees even during the coldest of days and nights.  *As it gets colder, the worker bees actively generate heat within the hive. First, they feed on honey for energy. Then, the honey bees shiver. They vibrate their flight muscles but keep their wings still, raising their body temperatures. With thousands of bees shivering constantly, the temperature at the center of the cluster will warm up considerably, to about 93° F! When the workers on the outer edge of the cluster get cold, they push to the center of the group, and other bees take a turn shielding the group from the winter weather.





 

There are two bees at the top of the hive.

 

 

I tried to get a shot of the grouping of bees deep near their cache of honey in the hive but the photo doesn't show this.





These bees simply amaze me! Honey bees remain active all winter long, despite the freezing temperatures and lack of flowers on which to forage. The honey bee colony's ability to survive the winter depends on their food stores. Keeping warm takes energy in the form of honey. If the colony runs short of honey, it will freeze to death before spring. Dan's estimation of honey stored was approximately 40 lbs.

Soon Dan will start feeding the bees fondant, a sugar paste, until the spring flowers and other means of forage bloom.



We are very happy with how things are going right now. We are looking forward to an active bee season starting this spring!





 Alyssa



*All Bee info was taken from my husband, Dan and from Bee info sources such as About.com














Tip of the Week - Happiness

 

 

 

 

It becomes easy to forget to make time for ourselves.  We are so often busy taking care of others; children, family, friends.

 

And then we stumble upon motivation like this that reminds us to make the time for ourselves.  To do what makes us smile.  Makes our hearts fuller.  Makes our bodies sing.  Makes us feel alive.

 

So we must always find the time.

 

May you do something to make you feel Happy To Be Alive today!

 

Alyssa

Amazing Chili!

Last night I made an amazing Chili that I just had to share with you!  Seriously, it is probably the best chili I've ever made and will now be my go to Chili recipe.  I made ours vegetarian but feel free to use organic beef or chicken if you prefer. 

1 tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz vegetarian crumble (soy protein) such as Lightlife Smart Ground, original OR 1 pound Organic ground beef or boneless chicken breast, chopped
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
20 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp. molasses
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Sauté onions and garlic in the oil on medium heat.  Add the protein of choice and sauté until cooked or heated through.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for two hours.  Enjoy!

My son, our pickier eater, LOVED this!  He ate and entire bowl. :)  Ahhhh.....proud mommy moment.

I served this with some Gluten Free drop biscuits I had made earlier in the week and put in the freezer.  It would also go great with corn bread.

This winter has been brutal but Chili always warms up the home and your belly!

PS.  I apologize for no picture but we ate up the pot so fast I forgot to take a snapshot!  Next batch I promise!

Alyssa

Carrot Cake Cookies - Gluten and Dairy Free.

Lately I've been craving Carrot Cake.  Dreaming about it actually.  Maybe it's because I'm done with winter and ready for spring.  Carrot cake makes me think of spring time and Easter holiday.  It's absolutely delicious.  What's not to love? Carrots, walnuts, raisins combined with sugar and spices....a cream cheese frosting.  Ahhh....

However, in my family, we're not really sweets people.  Don't get me wrong we like sweets but in moderation.  Without fail every birthday or other reason for a cake to be baked four pieces will be cut and more than half of a cake will be left over.  So to bake a cake for a simple craving seems to be a bit over kill.

So I came up with a Carrot Cake in the form of a cookie.  Keeping it Gluten and Dairy Free makes it allergy friendly for my family's needs.  It's also nutritious; filled with vitamin rich carrots, omega 3 walnuts, and oats.  These are a snack I feel good about packing in the kids lunch box for a tasty after lunch treat.

 

Gluten and Dairy Free Carrot Cake Cookies

Makes 3 dozen

 

1 1/2 cups of Gluten Free all purpose flour (Bob Mills is a great brand.  I make this blend)

1/2 cup Gluten Free old fashioned rolled oats. (not instant or quick)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened.  (I use Earth Balance)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg - omega 3 enriched, cage free

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup finely shredded carrots (2 large carrots)\

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven 350 degrees

*combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl

*beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes

*add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 1 minute or until smooth

*add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until combined

*mix in the carrots and walnuts into the batter

*drop the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and flatten a bit with the back of a spoon.

*bake for 12 minutes or until golden

*cool on a rack and serve

 

Be creative and add:

Raisins

Currents

Unsweetened coconut

if you so desire!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So until Old Man Winter has had had his fill, think spring and bake something yummy!

Tip of the Week! - Giving your brain an oil change

I thought it would be a good idea to bring back Tip of the Week!  Each week I will provide a food or health-based tip that I have found either useful, interesting or fun. As always, please read my disclaimer located in the top right-hand section of my blog. Thank you!

I would really enjoy to read any tip that you may have so feel free to leave one in the comment section!


Our brains are 60% fat.  Therefore it needs healthy fat.   Healthy fats are essential fats such as Omega 3.  The best source of Omega 3s are Fish Oil supplements, seafood and fish oil. Nuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil and ground flaxseed are other good sources.

Many children are deficient in Omega 3 oils due to, most often, food preferences and exposure to unhealthy foods.  Luckily the imbalance is easy to correct by feeding your child/ren seafood, fresh 'pure' food and fewer prepackaged foods.

A few signs that your child may need an "oil change":
> Poor school performance
>misbehavior
>mood swings
>skin: dry, flaky, scaly
>allergies: asthma, hay fever
**

Give your family an oil change by eating pure foods filled with Omega 3.  It's easier than you think!

**Information read from The NDD Book by William Sears, MD

The creation of Healthy Appetites

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about nutrition and it's effects on children's learning, behavior and health.  It brought me back to why I created Healthy Appetites in the first place.

When my daughter was in Kindergarten, I volunteered in the classroom quite frequently.  Spending a lot of time there, I noticed the types of snacks that children were being sent to school with.  I was deeply saddened by what I saw.  Candy, drinks loaded with sugar, chips, cookies.  So little fruit, veggies, proteins or even water.  I wondered...Why?  Why would a parent send their child off on their day with food that does so little for them?  I've come to understand that we all are doing the best we can with the knowledge that we have.  We all believe we are doing the right thing.  It's as basic as that.

This understanding had lead me to believe that if we started with educating the children than maybe we could make a change to healthier eating.  If we educate the children on how to eat healthy, how to cook healthy, what healthy really means; maybe in turn the children will educate the adults in their lives.  I honestly believe that we only know what we know.  We will never know all we can or even need to; but we must continue to educate ourselves.

And so Healthy Appetites began.  I'm not a health expert.  I'm not a nutritionist or dietitian.  I am a mom who, like any mom, loves her children.  Who wants the very best for them. I want to fill their bodies with all the nutritious food they need to become strong and healthy. I love to cook and want to share that passion with my children in hopes that someday they will love to cook too.

Thank you for taking time to read my blog, to make the recipes I share so you can share them with your family.  I'm very grateful to you.  May we all continue to strive to do better.  To make a difference.  To keep learning and sharing.

Thank you!

Alyssa

Lemon Rainbow Chicken

Recently I've been trying a couple new recipes with the family.  Trying to "mix things up".  I for one get bored with the same old thing.  I don't like feeling stuck in a rut about meal time...though I do feel that way sometimes.

This recipe I made last night was a success and I'd like to share it with you.

Lemon Rainbow Chicken is a one-pot meal that is jam packed with nutrition.  A rainbow of your family's veggies, quinoa and chicken.  It can also be custom-fitted to your family's nutritional needs such as vegan, gluten- or dairy-free. 

Besides it being extremely good for you, I love the fact it's a one-pot meal.  This helps during those busy week nights when getting a healthy meal on the table can be a challenge.  Less fuss, clutter and my husband appreciates the less dishes to wash!

 

Ingredients

 

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 cups dry quinoa

4 cups organic vegetable broth or free range organic chicken broth

3 chicken breasts or tofu cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup lemon juice (juice of 3 lemons)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Rainbow of veggies: 3-4 cups of your family's favorite, chopped.

I used:

Red: red bell pepper

Orange: shredded carrot

Yellow: yellow bell pepper

Green: zucchini

 

 

In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic.  Add the quinoa, broth and chicken (or tofu).  Bring to a boil and cover.  Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Stir in your veggies, replace the cover and cook a couple minutes more.

 

Sprinkle with cheese, slivered almonds and/or red pepper flakes if you'd like.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

I absolutely love sitting down with my family every night for dinner.  We talk about our day, sharing our favorite and not so favorite parts.  Just reconnecting and enjoying each others company.  Such a special time....I hope you all enjoy your family dinners too!