JCnaturals

Simple, Green Living pt. 1

Anna — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:03:42 +0000

I’m going to start a series of posts having to do with living green. Conserving energy. Recycling resources. Sustainable living. Taking better care of our planet and our health.

Let me know what you think…

To begin with, let’s talk about some ways to save money by using less paper. Using cloth is better for the trees, the environment in general and your pocketbook! Here are some ideas:

1. Use cloth bags instead of paper or plastic when you shop. A lot of the stores sell them, or you can find them at thrift stores. Better yet, make some yourself!

2. Cloth diapers instead of disposables. They aren’t as bad as they sound! And if the thought of washing them yourself is too much for you to handle you can always use a diaper service.

3. Cloth napkins instead of paper ones. You can pick some up at your local thrift store… or make them yourself.

4. Handkerchiefs instead of kleenex.

5. Rags instead of paper towels. You can use old rags to clean up spills, to dust, etc.

6. Cloth menstrual pads instead of plastic pads or tampons.

Ok - so those are some ideas off the top of my head. What ideas do you have?

Divine Chocolate Cupcakes

Anna — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:05:59 +0000

Jaden is having a school Valentine’s party on Friday. He is super excited about it! But parties can often times be frustrating for him because there are so many sweets available that he is unable to eat. This past week, I’ve been experimenting with some recipes and have found a terrific one for chocolate cupcakes that I am bringing to share with his entire class. And oh my. They are yummy. These contain nothing artificial, but I did make them with white flour. Unbleached though. :) And did I mention that they are really, really good? This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Cupcakes - recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Cupcakes:
1 1/8 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 large organic egg
1 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup whole milk plus
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Frosting:
1 cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 additional cup Ghirardelli Milk or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cupcake molds or muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
To make the cupcakes, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk in the milk, coffee, and melted butter. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake molds, filling them about three-quarters full.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, remove the cupcakes from the pan. Continue to cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl, over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Heat the cream until hot. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Transfer to a bowl and cool to just warm. Whisk in the butter until smooth. Let sit until it reaches a spreading consistency, about 1 hour. Spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle them with chocolate chips.

Happy New Year!

Anna — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:39:58 +0000

On New Year’s Day, Scott took the boys sledding with some friends. They both loved it and said they had just as much fun as when they went skiing. Sledding is free. :) We are pleased.

Oregon State Fair

Anna — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:35:55 +0000

Here are some shots that we took at the State Fair back in September… and I’m just now getting around to posting them!

Happy Thanksgiving

Anna — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:18:15 +0000

Ok… so I haven’t been blogging in quite some time now. Sorry about that! Our family has been in the midst of some major transitions including both a move from one state to another and a new job for my husband. Instead of blogging, I’ve been packing… and unpacking. Instead of making soaps, I’ve sold most of my inventory and temporarily closed the web-store until we’re a bit more settled in our new home.

Anyhow, I thought I’d start things off again by saying “Happy Thanksgiving” and then sharing one of our family’s new favorite holiday recipes!! We first had a taste of this wonderful casserole several years ago in Texas at the Brown’s house. Martha is a superb cook!! This summer when I visited her, I asked for the recipe and found out that it is on Paula Deen’s web-site. :) So, here it is… Corn Casserole!!

1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8-ounce package corn muffin mix (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.