One Vibrant Mama

Smoky Burgers

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With sincere apologies to my husband and my old man cat, there’s a new love in my life.

ohmygoodnessthisstuffisinsanelydelicious

When I switched to traditional foods over ten years ago, I gave up all foods that contained smoke flavoring or liquid smoke because I assumed it would be loaded with nasty chemicals.  That changed when I discovered that there are naturally smoked sea salts out there.  I ordered one immediately.

When it arrived, I opened the bottle at the dinner table and the most alluring aroma drifted out.  I immediately had visions of winter foods getting some kicked up, smoky flavor without having to pull out the grill. I love grilled food but I don’t love having to stand outside in freezing cold air or fight snow or frigid rain to get it.

I couldn’t quit sniffing the bottle.  The kids got a kick out of it.  It smells insanely delicious. This salt doesn’t have a flat, smoky scent.  You can smell the wood in the fragrance. I began plotting food and wondered if I could slip it into hubby’s cologne bottle without getting caught. I tasted a little and there are multiple levels of indescribable flavor. I was accused of rolling my eyes in the back of my head on the first taste.

I decided I would make my basic pan-fried hamburger recipe but substitute this smoked sea salt for the 1 tsp of salt I normally include in a burger.

The result was one happy mama and thumbs up from everyone at the dinner table.

The bottom line: this smoked salt delivers.

If winter is driving you nuts and you need something with a sultry flavor to pep you up, keep a jar of this in your spice cabinet. You won’t be sorry.

Plans are now in the works to try this smoked sea salt in a variety of dishes including salmon and some sauces.

Smoky Burgers

1 pound ground beef
2 Tbs coconut flour, sifted
1 tsp Smoked Sea Salt
dash pepper
1 egg, beaten well

In a bowl, combine the ground beef, coconut flour, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix gently until combined. Shape into four patties. Pan fry over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Serve on buns with all of the trimmings.

Replacing Plastic in the Fridge

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This week we replaced all of our plastic food storage containers with mason jars. Of all of the changes I am making, this one has been the easiest as we were already doing this part-time.

This has been a quick and easy transition, since my kitchen is already set up for mason jars and I use them for many things (except fermenting).  I had already moved to using mason jars instead of cannisters long ago, so I’ve had an abundance of jars for a while.

Now all meal prep, all leftovers and all odds and ends are stored in mason jars.  I use a sharpie to write on the lid, and when it comes through the dishwasher the writing is faded enough that I can write on it again without confusion.  While these lids do contain BPA, we don’t fill the jar above the shoulder and we keep the jars upright.  We don’t put the lids on until the jar contents are cool.  So between those precautions, I’m more comfortable with this solution than I am with using plastic containers.

The storage containers were really getting on my nerves, to be honest, because the cabinet that contained them was always a jumbled mess no matter what I did.

Yes, it really was that bad of a wreck.  My daughter unloads the dishwasher and she couldn’t even see that cabinet without getting up on a chair, so she just chucked everything in when it was clean.  Seriously not a good solution to the kitchen management, there.  But it is what it is…. er, was.

Now I’ve replaced them with a single layer of quart-sized mason jars.  While I do have other sizes, all the way down to a cute little 4-ounce jar, we’re sticking with one size, the quart jar, for everything in the kitchen for ease of storage and use.  Otherwise, I know we’ll wind up with a jumbled mess and jars getting lost in the back of the fridge.

Yes, that’s much better.

The lids and rings live in a drawer in my bar.

We cleaned out the fridge and moved the shelves into different positions so that they fit the quart jars.  We now have one shelf designated for leftovers.

Valentine’s Day: Chocolate Crepes

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Nourished Living Network’s Progressive Valentine’s Day Dinner continues today with breakfast! I have Chocolate Crepes and Chocolate Grain-Free Donuts and Jessica from Delicious Obsessions offers her Fruit and Nut Granola with Chia and Coconut. Adrienne at Whole New Mom has Baked Oatmeal and Lea from Nourishing Treasures has High-Protein Pancakes and Carrot Cake Muffins. Last but not least, Kelly from The Nourishing Home has Baked French Toast Casserole and Jill from The Prairie Homestead has Soaked Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. Tomorrow the carnival will continue with appetizers and soups.

Chocolate crepes are a fun treat for Valentine’s Day. Crepes are a thin, egg-based pancake that is quick and easy to make. This recipe comes out lacy and very tender. They’re traditionally folded into quarters, but without the gluten to make them as springy, I find it’s easier to fold them in half.

Serve these with coconut or dairy whipped cream, some chocolate syrup and a little fruit if you have it available. You can roll the fruit inside the crepe or sprinkle it over the top. Or add extra whipped cream and chocolate syrup and sweeten the batter more for a dessert.

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National Carrot Day: Carrot Cake Bean Fudge

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Later today, be on the look out for some Man Food for you football party this weekend. But first, in honor of National Carrot Day, I give you

Carrot Cake Bean Fudge

Celebrate with this little gem! We left out the raisins and the coconut at hubby’s request, but next time I make this I’ll make it with both so the kids can enjoy it. And I might add some crispy pecans, too. [Read more…] about National Carrot Day: Carrot Cake Bean Fudge

Happy Birthday, George: Cherry Bars

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I can not tell a lie: it’s George Washington’s birthday. Since he is most associated with cherries and sharp objects, let’s do a cherry recipe that requires a food processor. Cherries are out of season or dried fruit will fit the bill.

I purchase my dried fruit from Green PolkaDot Box. I use Oskri Organics because they aren’t run on shared equipment. If you aren’t gluten-free, they have both dates and nuts available that will work for you from Aurora or Nutty Guys. If you’re gluten-free, you’ll need to find a different source since both of those brands are run on shared equipment with wheat.

This snack has been in the Menu Mailers since Volume One. You’ll recognize it as a traditional foods version of a Lara Bar. I love them because they’re versatile, portable and quick to make. Nothing screams ‘happy mama’ like a quick, mess-free snack the kids can help make.

This is a go-to snack for us when I have crispy nuts of any kind on hand. You can use any dried fruit in place of the cherries, you can substitute raisins for part of the dates, you can even add cocoa powder, raw cacao powder, spices and extracts to produce different flavors. The sky’s the limit and this is a wonderful snack because you can fit it to whatever you have available on hand.

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The Living Kitchen Podcast #41: Interview with Millie Copper from Real Food for Less Money

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Listen to internet radio with Preparedness Radio Network on BlogTalkRadio

The Living Kitchen is the show where real food, food intolerances and preparedness become a sustainable lifestyle. This week on The Living Kitchen, KerryAnn interviews Millie Copper from Real Food For Less Money. They discuss reducing your food budget, food storage and more.

Real Food For Less Money
Millie’s Books

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