Easy Crock Pot Ham and Potatoes and Moist Hands.

Today I used some of the spiral ham my brother and SIL gave us for Christmas to make crock pot potatoes and ham, Au gratin. (We've already enjoyed the ham with re-fried beans con queso & a salad on the side. And we've snacked on ham, sliced Gouda cheese and gluten-free crackers.)

A gluten-free recipe

Where do the moist hands come in?

While washing potatoes, separating the nicer ones to be baked, and the gnarly ones to be peeled ~ I put a small dollop of coconut oil into my hand and rubbed the skin of each potato. At the end of this process, I rinsed my hands lightly to remove potato debris and rubbed a paper towel vigorously between my palms. Walla ~ moist hands and potatoes ready to bake fora different meal.

Now on to the recipe: 

(Expand to suit the size of your family.)

Easy Crock pot Ham and Potatoes

One smallish crock pot
2 Tablespoons butter
3 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ham pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 generous pinch of love (I add this to all my recipes.)

Drop butter into crock and turn to low. Slice onion, chop ham into bite-sized pieces, shred cheese. Peel potatoes onto newspaper (hopefully you are composting). Layer potatoes, onion, ham, cheese to the top of the crock.

Hint: I usually turn my crock on high for one hour, then to low for 4 hours. If you plan to do this, set a timer to remind yourself to turn it down. Using this method, our meal was done in 5 hours and extended another hour, waiting for us to be ready.

I served our dinner with steamed broccoli and my very first batch of homemade sauerkraut.

Use the "Print Friendly" button below to print a copy of the recipe, with or without photos. ~Enjoy!

Gluten Free Crockpot Stew

We've been weaning ourselves from a dependency on grains. As far as I know, my prince and I are not intolerant of grain, but I suspect that we are sensitive.

I listened, recently, to several interviews with leading doctors, nutritionists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, researchers, and clinicians at a recent e-conference on the effects of gluten on the body and brain. I learned enough to convince me that grains (and specifically wheat, barley, rye, and foods containing any form of gluten from these grains) are irritants to the body, causing inflammation in some people, and allergic reactions in others ~ even causing ADHD, autism, Asperger's, migraine headaches, MS, fibromyalgia, IBS, arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and their brothers, arteriosclerosis and metabolic syndrome ~gulp ~ to name a few.

While much research is being done, and while the armies line up on either side of the issues surrounding this topic, it makes sense to move toward a diet as rich in organically grown veggies, fruits, meat, raw nuts, cultured foods and healthful herbs, moving away from processed foods, added sugars and a dependence on grains. Here is an easy recipe I made in just a few minutes. Someone on the GAPS diet would need to ditch the potatoes, but they could easily substitute turnips.

Gluten Free Crockpot Stew

Chop into bite sized chunks:
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
3 small red potatoes
Mince and add:
½ large onion
2-4 gloves garlic

Brown: 1 small tray of stew meat with 1 tbsp. coconut oil.

Sprinkle: 1-2 Tbsp. of your favorite seasoning
(Just make sure it is gluten free.) 
I used Sprouts Organic Garlic and Herb and freshly ground Himalayan salt.
1 Tbsp ground turmeric* (optional)
1-2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
About 6-10 sprays of Bragg's Liquid Aminos
I also added a pinch of love. (I use this in everything!)

Put all ingredients together and cook: For about 4+hours in the crockpot on low, or 2+hrs on high. Obviously, crockpots vary in heat and size, but with precooked meat, it doesn't take long at all. When *turmeric* is added to a dish, it takes on a distinctive, yellow-green hue. I add it for its anti-inflammatory properties, but in this recipe it can be left out if you want a brown stew.
Thaw: 1 cup frozen peas in hot water and mix into stew about 5 minutes before serving.

We ate tonight's stew with coleslaw. I found a recipe for "healthy" coleslaw dressing here and followed the recipe, except I didn't think it needed as much salt. I used Himalayan salt, but...in fact, I wished I didn't add any. And to help counteract the salt, I added a little bit more honey and cabbage, as well as some caraway seed. At dinner my prince remarked that the slaw needed sugar, so I got out my new box of turbinado sugar and sprinkled some on top and renamed it ~ Dessert Slaw. Next time I'm going to make a recipe for homemade mayonnaise that I found here.

It's easy to print the recipe using the Print Friendly button at the end of this post.

~Blessings to you and yours.

The {Easy} Blue Letter Bible

Life is NOT easy. 

Anyone old enough to read the first line knows this.

Things break 

Plans go awry 

Predators destroy 

Treasures fall apart

Houses burn

Cars crash

Crops fail
Beloved people breathe their last; 

In the end, we all breathe our last.

None of this is easy.

Not alone.

Not without the help of our creator.

Not without his instructions for life.

I've discovered a tool for studying God's Word that is simply amazing! 

It is called the Blue Letter Bible because you can search the entire Word of God, any word, phrase, concept or verse in a dozen of versions and find commentary and explanation and links in mere seconds. The search tools are virtually endless.  In one click,a student can cite in MLA, APA, and Chicago format. Links can be drawn to anything you've found there. You can also instantly share to Facebook, Twitter or easily email something you found to a friend.

In addition, there are Bible reading plans and devotional resources, both audio and visual.

I typed in the word easy. Here is a screenshot:

And then I clicked on the commentary tab. I could easily spend a week, listening to or reading commentaries, about this one verse in scripture! 

No, life is NOT easy, but the Blue Letter Bible is.

You can see for yourself.  Click on any of these "blue letter links below." 

Commentaries for Mat 11:30

Audio/Video (English) Chuck Smith Matthew 10-11 (1982-85 Audio) Jon Courson Matthew 11 Bob Hoekstra A Covenant of Better Promises Part 2 The Lord as Counselor Part 2 Chuck Missler Not Peace, but a Sword Dr. J. Vernon McGee Matthew 11:28-30 Bob Davis Matthew 11:20 David Hocking Come Unto Me Damian Kyle Matthew 11 Elisabeth Elliot How to Find Rest Joe Focht Matthew 11 What about Rest Rest of Soul Audio/Video (Español) Dr. J. Vernon McGee Mat 11.28-13.32 Xavier Ries San Mateo Cap. 11-12 Study Tools Harmony of the Gospels

Text Commentaries Chuck Smith Study Guide for Matthew C2000 Series on Matthew 10-11 C2000 Series on Matthew 12 C2000 Series on Matthew 17 Sermon Notes for Matthew 5:5 Study Guide for Jeremiah C2000 Series on Jeremiah 23-25 C2000 Series on Ezekiel 36-39 C2000 Series on Ezekiel 40-48 David Guzik Study Guide for Matthew 11 Study Guide for Matthew 23 Study Guide for Isaiah 43 Study Guide for Colossians 3 Study Guide for 1 John 5 Ray Stedman The Message of Matthew: Behold Your King! C. H. Spurgeon The Meek and Lowly One Rest, Rest Martin Luther Galatians Six Matthew Henry Commentary on Matthew 11 Introduction to Matthew Commentary on Lamentations 1 Commentary on Malachi 1 Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on Matthew 11 Introduction to Matthew Commentary on Isaiah 43 Commentary on Zephaniah 3 Commentary on 2 Corinthians 4 F.E. Marsh 65. Christ in Isaiah LII. and LIII

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease. I would be honored if you came along on my journey. Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.

It's {Easy} To Make Kefir

I've been making cultures lately, which means I've been growing probiotics in my kitchen, which means I've been feeding sugar to health-promoting bacteria, so it can grow and participate in our continuing quest for natural, healthy practices.

Which means: my prince doesn't eat yogurt.

For the past few months, a couple of times a week, I've made homemade crock pot Greek yogurt. I eat it with blueberries, cinnamon, and honey.

A few weeks ago I learned to make water kefir.

It's easy.

What is water kefir, you might ask? The easy answer: water kefir is a fermented beverage full of beneficial bacteria, AKA, probiotics.

More specifically, water kefir is a beverage made from a culture starter, that ends up full of probiotics, and eventually, carbonation. Water kefir has similar benefits to yogurt, but without the milk, so it can be tolerated by people with milk allergies. Many people have used it to eliminate soda from their diet. Others have solved problems with seasonal allergies and digestive issues by drinking kefir. It is also touted as an aid to diabetics, a way to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The list goes on...

I'm such a newby  at making kefir, I am not going to go into details. (Instead, I will share links for more information.) Just to familiarize you, here are the basic steps:

My first batch of brew, the Grolsch  bottles
and my kitchen mantra.

1. Purchase the starter "grains."  I bought mine here.
2. When they arrive, you will re-hydrate the grains in sugar water, following the directions in the package. 
3. When your grains are ready, you will feed them more sugar water. After 24-48 hours, you will pour off the kefir and restart your grains in another sugar water solution (and on and on for years to come, if you like).
4. At this point, you will drink your kefir, mixed with juice, or in a smoothie, or mixed with vanilla extract, etc.
5. You can use the kefir to make soda, by CAREFULLY following the instructions *below.  
6. If you plan to make kefir soda, you will need a few of Grolsch-style, airtight bottles. 
7. You will need a few other readily available supplies, so I recommend reading through *these instructions before you begin. 

Making kefir is one of those things that seems complicated in the explanation, but is very simple in the "doing." I hope you give it a try.

For a detailed and very interesting article on the benefits of eating probiotics, please click here: (Mercola.com).

For a great source of supplies to make cultured foods, please click here: (Cultures for Health).

For a great blog post about making kefir, including recipes, click here: Crunchy Betty.

Today's breakfast:
Home grown egg, home grown radish, and water kefir ?
Yep!

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?
Many Blessings to you.

It's {Easy} To Say Yes to God

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

 They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

 It rises at one end of the heavens

    and makes its circuit to the other;

    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

    refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

 The precepts of the Lord are right,

    giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

    giving light to the eyes.

 The fear of the Lord is pure,

    enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

    and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

    than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

    than honey from the honeycomb.

 By them your servant is warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward.

 But who can discern their own errors?

    Forgive my hidden faults.

 Keep your servant also from willful sins;

    may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

    innocent of great transgression.

 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
~Psalm 19

  

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ~Romans 10: 9-10

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.

{Easy} Savings on Office Supplies

It is now day 26 of my 31 days of Easy. You know how when you start to focus on something you see it everywhere?

I was remaking our guest beds and I thought, "I could write a post about hospital corners!'  Or, when harvesting my first fall crop of radishes, I thought: "Ya know, it's so EASY to grow radishes; I should write about it."

On the other hand. It isn't easy writing articles, taking and editing photographs 31 days in a row!

Today's post is one that I've been thinking about for a week. It is a mini commercial for the office supply store that actually chose EASY as the word they most want you to associate with them.

One of my favorite things about Staples is that they give credit on returned ink cartridges. You redeem the credit at the store to purchase other items. The other day I used a $20 Visa card that was a rebate Staples gave me for buying $24 dollars worth of paper. I also used a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $30, as well as my $4 of credit for returned ink cartridges. AND I carried my loot to the car in a bag they provided for free.

I don't know what you call that kind of shopping trip. But I call it...Easy.

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.

{Easy} Skin and Body Care with Coconut Oil

I'm a nut for coconut.

Much maligned by a few decades of false information, the health properties of coconut are well-documented and undeniable! New studies are finding coconut oil to be helpful in curing many of the dis~eases plaguing modern man.

Coconut oil is delicious in baked goods. It is wonderful on toast. It is easy to consume in tea, broth, or coffee. Please consider giving it a try.  

Even if you don't like to eat coconut, feed some to your skin. My prince and I have been using coconut oil on our skin, exclusively, for over three years.

We have shallow, wide-mouthed jars in our bathrooms. This way, home occupants and visitors can enjoy this wonderful treat on their skin.

When you use coconut oil, rub it in, not just on. Your skin will absorb it, and in a few minutes there will be no more greasy residue. Use it on your face. Use it to remove make-up. Use it as a rub on your feet (then put on socks) right before bed. Use it everywhere!

Coconut oil is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic. It has no nasty additives or chemicals, like other skin care products on the market.

I even use coconut oil for my oral care regimen and in my homemade deodorant.

Here is a link to a website where you can learn more about this miracle oil:  Coconut Research Center . And here is a link to the book that that got me interested: The Coconut Oil Miracle, by Bruce Fife, C.N., N. D.

According to Bruce Fife, here are just a few things that coconut oil can prevent and treat:

• "Heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke
• Diabetes
• Develop strong bones and teeth
• Promote healthy weight loss
• Kill viruses that cause mono, flu, Hep C,
• Relieve symptoms of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and stomach ulcers
• Relieve pain of hemorrhoids, protect from breast, colon and other cancers
• Prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay
• Prevent premature aging and degenerative disease
• Relieve symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement)
• Reduce epileptic seizures
• Prevent liver disease 
• Protect against kidney disease and bladder infections,
• Kill bacteria that cause pneumonia, earache, throat infectious, dental cavities, food poisoning, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, and dozens of other diseases
• Kill fungi and yeast that cause candida, jock itch, ringworm , athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections
• Defend against parasites
• HIV
• Reduce symptoms associated with psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis
• Relieve dryness and flaking
• Prevent and heal damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun, such as wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots
• Control dandruff
• Increase energy and metabolism"
  (~excerpt from The Coconut Oil Miracle)
• For a wealth of information about the many uses of coconut oil, click here: mercola.com

Please consider this easy, easy, easy way to nourish your skin and improve your health!

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.

Sharing with Deborah Jean's Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

{Easy} Yoga Mat Cleaner

This is what I call the Modern American Clothesline:

 good old-fashioned handkerchief, aprons, oven mitt, and...a yoga mat drying in the sun.  

Yoga and Pilates mats lay on the dirty floor. When class is concluded, everyone rolls their mat and exits the studio, essentially wrapping bacteria and dirt into the mat they will use for the next class. I have two tricks to keep my mat clean. The first is an easy-to-make, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal spray. It cleans my mats and makes them smell great :

Mix the following ingredients in a small spray bottle:
40 drops lavender oil
30 drops tea tree oil
1/4 cu witch hazel (available in the drug store)
1 cu warm water (preferably filtered or spring water)

Just spray this mixture onto your mat, periodically, give it a wipe and dry.

My second tip is this: I layer two yoga mats at the gym. When practice is over, I roll the top mat first, and then roll the bottom mat around it. This way, the mat I practice on never touches the floor, thus it stays clean longer. If I were to roll both mats together, I would essentially be rolling the floor and all its bacteria onto the mat that touches my skin.

Pssst:  ~ It is EASY to print a copy of the recipe by selecting the Print Friendly button at the bottom of the post.

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.

{Easy} Reduce Plastic with Plastic?

Now, here is a short story:

I am a gardener.

 I'm also a huge recycling fan, a compost enthusiast, and a chicken-keeper. 

Here is our garden with one month's worth of plastic bags strewn hither and thither. Disgusting, huh? I recycle plastic bags and strive to use paper or reusable grocery bags, and now I also do this:

Scene II (Enter new characters:)

"What is it?" clucked Lucy Loudmouth.

"Looks like a flower," suggested Cupcake.

"Another flower we get to look at, but not eat?" 

asked Little Bo Peep.

"Let me at it!" demanded Big Meany.

Sorry girls, it's just me making a point.  

Epilogue:

This, dear reader, is a daisy silicone lid, inspired by nature. It fits on any smooth rimmed bowl, pot, or pan, creating an airtight seal. Yes! You read that right. It can go in the oven! It is microwave safe. It is BPA free, food grade silicone. I bought ours at a kitchen gadget store to help me use less plastic. Here is a link to an online shop where you could buy your own, if you'd like.  Charles Viancin, Inspired by Nature. 

About 31 days of EASY: 

So many things in life are hard.  And some of those hard things are necessary. But why make things harder than they need to be?  For 31 days, I'll be writing about ways to bring ease.  I would be honored if you came along on my journey.  Pack light. 

If you want to know more about the 31 Day Blog Challenge, click here:
Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
or here: Why 31 days?

Many Blessings to you.