how-to Archives • New Nostalgia

How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

I have been on the hunt for the perfect way to make a hard-boiled egg, and finally think I found something that works for me!

I sheepishly confess I have been purchasing organic, peeled hard-boiled eggs from my local coo-op, at a price that is WAY too high. I do have to say, it was nice to have someone else boil and peel the eggs, but at $2.99 for 4 eggs, it is something that I need to do myself! I remember telling a friend that I paid this for my hard-boiled eggs and she just chuckled at me, and thought it was hilarious that I was willing to pay way too much for something that could so easily be done at home. I knew it was time to change up my method and find something that worked for me.

The method I used to use was this: eggs go in a pan, fill pan with water, turn heat on to boil, once it comes to a boil turn the heat off and set timer for 12 minutes. That SHOULD work, but it didn’t for me. The above method takes an eye on boiling water, making sure to set the timer the minute the water comes to a boil. I am not one that is patient enough to watch for water to boil, so I would either set the timer too late or too early, and my eggs would either be undercooked or overcooked with that dreaded dark ring around the yolk.

My new method is similar, (keep scrolling for detailed instructions) except you bring the water to a boil FIRST, then carefully lower each egg into the boiling water with a large spoon, then immediately set the timer. When the timer goes off, you rinse and soak in cold water until the eggs feel cool to the touch. I like this so much better, as I don’t have to keep an eye on the water and set the timer the minute it boils.

Hard boiled eggs make the perfect protein snack. I love storing them in large mason jars in my refrigerator, the clear glass makes them easy to see and grab, but the jar seals and the oder does not permeate my entire refrigerator.

My girls will grab an egg to have with toast for breakfast, or as a quick afternoon snack. They also love egg salad sandwiches and I recently used it in my favorite chicken salad recipe as one of the ingredients that makes my chicken salad to die for! The other ingredient is sliced grapes…try hard boiled egg and sliced grapes in your favorite chicken salad recipe…you will love it!

How To Make The Perfect Hard-Boiled Egg

Step 1: The Boiling Stage

Put up a pot of water to boil — you’ll need one big enough for water to flow freely around the number of eggs you’ll be cooking. Once the water’s boiling, use a large spoon to gently lower the eggs into the water. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and set a timer for 12 minutes.

Step 2: The Cooling Stage

After 12 minutes, take the pot off the heat, drain the hot water out, place the pot in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the shells are cold to the touch. Yes, that’s it!

If you plan to shell them to serve and enjoy, tap them gently against the pot (or your sink) once they’re cool — the shells will shatter and slip right off.

Want an easy way to chop your egg into perfect little matchstick-like pieces? Here you go!

Here is a fun way to chop your hard-boiled eggs.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

Do You Sprout?

by Teniel Moore, Raw Foods Contributor

Sprouting is one of the cheapest, simplest and most nutritious foods you can eat. My favourite things to sprout are lentils, buckwheat, quinoa & mung beans. These have never failed me.

I know lots of people that do not sprout nuts and seeds simply because they think its too hard and don’t know where to start.

Well why sprout you may ask?

Soaking softens the skin and begins the sprouting process, also soaking makes it so much easier for your body to digest the grains or seeds. Gas causing enzymes in legumes are released into the soaked water. (make sure to discard the soaking water)

When you sprout it truly increases the amount of nutrients in the food compared to the dried grain/nut/legume. When you sprout the vitamins minerals and protein increase.

And also the calories and carbohydrate content decrease. So its a win win all around.

So now I’ve told you how super nutrient dense and good for you sprouting is, let’s find out how to do it.

What you will need:

~ Organic grain or legume of choice

~ A sterile large glass bottle with some fine mesh cloth to cover, or nut milk bag or sprouting jar

~Filtered water for soaking

So lets get started.

Soak your grain or legume in a large glass bowl or jar with heaps of filtered water. Cover and let sit on bench overnight. If you remember, its best to change thesoaked water at least once or twice. But this is not crucial.

The next morning you will need to drain the grains or legumes and rinse well. Drain the water away. Place them into your sprouting jar you have chosen to use pop a breathable cover over the top. You can use an elastic band to hold in place and set up on an angle to make sure all the water strains away. If you buy a proper sprouting jar it will have an attachment that lets the jar sit up on an angle.

These are mung bean sprouts soaked then rinsed and ready to sprout.

Now all you need to do is repeat the rinsing every 8 hours making sure to drain well each time.

What I usually do is this:

~First rinse in the morning, then do another that night.

~Repeat again in the morning and again at night.

On the second or third day of doing this you will see gorgeous little sprouts growing. You can keep doing this process until you get the sprouts the length you like. It should take no longer than a few days. Once done do a final rinse and very good drain and store in the fridge. They will last around 3 days in the fridge.

These are mung bean sprouts after 3 days ready to eat or you could leave them another day if you like.

Here is some sprouted buckwheat. So easy to do and they grow the cutest little tails. I then dehydrate the buckwheat till it goes crunchy and add it raw cereals.

Its great to add texture and crunch to the top of a smoothie. I also make my own buckwheat flour by grinding the buckwheat up in coffee grinder. Then I have wonderful sprouted buckwheat flour ready to use in cooking.

Lentils and mung bean sprouts are great to snack they are crunchy and delicious. Throw them in salads on top of raw crackers and even in a green smoothie!

Mixed sprouted salad.

Mixed sprouted salad recipe

A selection of mixed sprouts and legumes

Mix in some crunchy almonds (soaked and dehydrated if you can)

A generous drizzle of organic olive oil or organic flax seed oil

Pinch of Himalayan salt

Cracked pepper

Generous sprinkle of cumin powder

Generous sprinkle of cinnamon

Generous sprinkle of garlic powder

Generous drizzle of coconut nectar or maple syrup for sweetness

Generous sprinkle of kelp seasoning granules (optional)

Squeeze of lemon juice

Mix well and enjoy. Best eaten straight away.

Raw Foods Contributor

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My Favorite Way To Cut An Orange

My kids think I am the only one on the planet that can cut an orange “properly.” I love that they think that. Their friends also tell me they love how I cut oranges. Then adults started telling me the same thing, which is when I started to believe there was something special about how I do it.

Hmmm…who woulda thunk it?

In this post I’ll show you my favorite way to cut an orange so you can see just how simple it is to get those picture perfect slices.

Cancer Journey/ HEALTH/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

Fighting Cancer With Nutrition

September 21st Caring Bridge Journal Entry

I’m slowly but surely making decisions everyday about attacking this cancer from a nutritional standpoint. There are so many suggestions and so many things one could choose to do in this area, and it could be overwhelming. I’VE DECIDED NOT TO LET IT BE.

This is another area that I have had to just release to God and know that He will lead me to what He wants for me. I’ve had an open mind to those I trust the most, and through them I feel like He is guiding me. It is a calm, imperfect, slow process and I LOVE IT:P

I will share with you the different things I am embracing and why, some may sound quacky, but when you have Stage 3 Invasive breast cancer, quacky is allowed!

If you think about it, putting chemicals in your body that are so harsh that they eat up your blood veins, kill good cells along with cancer cells, and make you bald, is pretty quacky, too, but that is what we are doing along with nutrition. Makes granola and green stuff sound a bit more normal, huh?

My husband walked out the door this morning saying, “Babe, get what you need to get.” His support and trust in my decisions in this area means the world and made me feel so loved and cared for.

I’ll start with what I am doing so far, it is just the beginning but its is something. I am NO EXPERT, whatever I am doing is just me stumbling along choosing to do what makes the most sense, all the while knowing it is PRAYER that heals, and whether that is healing here on this earth or my ultimate healing in heaven, only God knows what His perfect plan for me is.

I so desire to be a good steward of my body, and a good steward of information that God has sent my way. Prayers in this area would be so appreciated!

1. WATER
Chemo has to be one of the most dehydrating things known to man. I have drank so much water in the last week, and not much is coming out, so obviously my body needs it! TMI?
I use an Eco Vessel water bottle and it is by my side 24/7. Literally!
I love it. It holds 17 oz, fits in most cup holders, has a lid that allows ice in (very important to me), and is insulated, which keeps my ice from melting for hours. I wake up at least 2-3 times a night very thirsty, so it stays filled and cold on my headboard. There were days when I was very nauseous and it was a chore to make myself drink, but I did. I feared getting dehydrated, I know so many who have to be hospitalized during their cancer fight because of dehydration, and that can be very serious.

2. Very little sugar.
We have had amazing desserts delivered and I have had bits of each of them and enjoyed them, but for the most part I enjoy seeing my girls and Todd delight in them. Chemo has done a weird thing to my taste buds. It makes everything taste sweet. Not a very good, sweet, either. For example, a glass of juice can taste like I’m drinking a glass of sweet cough syrup. Yea, ick. It has been a great way to steer me away from the sweets, but I am ready for normal taste buds again. I am not off sugar, but I am very aware of how much sugar I eat, and when possible I use Sucanat (like on the oatmeal I am eating right now:)

3. Lots of fruit
This one has been easy for me because I am so spoiled. My Grandma and Grandpa Earl signed me up for Harry and David’s fruit of the month club. SUPER GREAT GIFT. Nectarines are the fruit of September and they have been DELISH! I have also been able to afford lots of good fruit thanks to meals that have been delivered by friends and family. It saves our grocery budget, so I buy fruit, veggies and supplements with the extra money. Every meal we have received has had some sort of fruit (or veggie) with it, so that is pretty awesome. I am trying to pick lots of different colors of fruits. My freezer is full of different types of frozen berries that I use for smoothies, to put on my oatmeal, or just eat slightly thawed. I recently found the best black, seedless grapes! I’m trying to get creative so it doesn’t get boring. Just this morning a dear friend dropped off some treats along with organic bananas and carrots–nourishing foods are such a great gift to me!! Thanks, Johanna!!

4. Veggies
This one was harder for me when my tummy was not well. Now it easier. I have lots of frozen veggies to use in soups. I keep spinach on hand and use it in my fruit smoothies or pile it high with other veggies and make a salad. I bought a butternut squash that I can’t wait to bake. I’m lucky that I like vegetables, as I know many do not. I have an aunt (Hi, Ellen!) that is sending a recipe for a cleansing soup that I’m sure will have lots of veggies in it. My chopping board and I are ready, I think it would be great to have on hand for lunch.

5. Odwalla Superfood Green Drink
This was just a simple way for me to get some greens like wheat grass, barley grass, wheat spouts in when everything was crazy and I was too tired to think. It is high in Manganese and Potassium. I know there are other, better and cheaper ways of doing it, but while I was sick this was easiest. I just drank a cup every morning. It was one of the only juices that didn’t taste too sweet for me, and I drank it through a straw so I wouldn’t have to look at the crazy dark green color. I have plans for getting my greens in other ways, I will share when I actually implement them.

6. Barlean’s Total Omega 3.6.9 Swirl
This product has fascinated me. It was another super easy way to know I am getting my Omegas without having to think too much. It was on sale at my health food store and the Orange Creme Swirl flavor sounded good. It is made with Organic Flax Oil and Pure Borage Oil. There is no crazy taste, it is delish. I take 1 Tbls a day. It is very digestible, which was great for my sensitive stomach. The lady that recommended it for me has no gall bladder and she said this product is the only one she can find that she is able to digest well.

7. Protein
All of the great meals we have been getting have made this one easy. I love chicken and one of my most favorite meals that was delivered was simple grilled chicken with an INCREDIBLE smoky bbq sauce. I am working on getting more protein from non- meat sources, like lentils, beans and nuts. In fact, today it is lentils and rice for lunch…yum!:)
There were days when all I could get down was a protein bar, they came in handy, but are high in sugar, so not my favorite method of getting protein.
Eggs, cheese and yogurt are all high in protein. I am a bit confused with what to do with these as my cancer type is estrogen fed and depending on what you believe, there are concerns with eggs and milk products and estrogen. I won’t get into that because there are many different opinions out there, and I don’t want my comment section to become a debate 🙂 but it is something that I am processing…

8. Fiber
This is pretty easy when I am eating all the fruits and vegetables that I should be. We had some incredible flax seed rolls delivered with a meal that I am sure had a good amount of fiber in them. I love dipping hearty breads in my soups. I have been eating lots of oatmeal and nuts that have fiber, too.

9. Vitamins and Supplements
The only thing I have been doing so far is a multi-vitamin and 2,000 i.u of Vitamin D. I am waiting to hear back from a blood test taken to check my Vit. D levels, I am a strong believer that Vitamin D is CRUCIAL to my healing.

I have a great plan for all my vitamins and supplements in the very near future. I am going with the Shaklee brand, and will become a representative for them so I can get them at a good cost, and offer them to any of my blog readers if they are interested. It was a process I was embracing before my cancer diagnosis, so it feels natural to continue on in that process. Here are the products from Shaklee that I have decided to take so far:

~Shaklee Vitalizer + Iron
~NurtiFeron
~CarotoMax

There are a few others I would love, but we will see how the budget is doing and maybe add slowly. I will go into more detail with these products and why I am taking them sometime soon.

I will continue to let you know what I am adding and what I feel is working for me. I know this stuff is not for everyone, but it is through others sharing their journey that I have found some answers, so I will share mine.

***If you are a meal provider for our family in the future, I don’t want you an ANY way to feel like it has to be organic and crazy healthy. My breakfast, lunch and snacks are extremely healthy and I know now more than ever that LIVING and enjoying gifts is so very important, so know that I will enjoy yours. This post makes it sound like I am an”all organic, won’t- eat- anything- that- is -not- good -for me” person. Not true. I am taking a balanced approach, so please do not feel pressure to bring an out- of- this- world, healthy meal. We are so very thankful for whatever you provide, even if it is pizza or takeout (another one of my most favorite meals that was provided was a Chinese takeout feast!:))

Today’s food:
Breakfast–Oatmeal with Sucanat, cinnamon & a handful of frozen rasberries; yogurt
Lunch–Salmon burger from my health food store +lentil rice salad
Dinner–Chili, Spinach salad, and bread from the bread makerSnacks-Homemade apple pie from a friend, smoothies, fruits/veggies, crackers, etc.

FAMILY/ HEALTH/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ Natural Products/ RECIPES

Steps To Healthy Living

photo credit

A few months ago I had the honor of doing a guest post on “The Mother Huddle.” It was such an honor and I had great fun sharing my thoughts over at Destri’s blog. Destri is a pretty special lady, one I consider a friend despite the fact that we have never met in person.

The guest post was titled “Steps I Have Taken To Bring A More Healthful Approach Into My Home.”

As the beginning of summer approaches, I am already feeling the pull of unhealthy choices when it comes to food. BBQ’s, quick dinners at grandpa’s pool, lemonade full of HFCS, the ice cream truck…I don’t know about you, but for us summer brings a bunch more opportunities for healthful eating to go right out the window. I do and will lighten up a bit during the summer when it comes to eating healthy, but I also want to keep in mind the good habits we have established and continue to pursue them. Rereading the post I wrote for The Mother Huddle will help me do just that!

Steps I have taken to bring a more wholesome approach into my home:

We Follow These Rules:

Try to eat like our grandparents did, before convenience foods came about.
No high fructose corn syrup! Studies show that this stuff causes confusion in the area of the brain that tells your body that you are full. It makes you crave more sweets! This is just one of many reasons to avoid it. Also, we found that it was triggering my youngest daughter’s asthma. Since changing our eating habits, she is off all inhalers! Yippee!!
No hydrogenated oils/trans fats and use only healthful oils (olive oil, coconut oil)
Think brown, not white (whole wheat flour, whole grain pasta, brown rice, 100% whole wheat breads, etc)
Stay away from foods if the ingredient list is long and full of words we can’t pronounce.
No more buying white sugar! We replaced it with natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, sucanat (rapadura), & stevia.

We Make Snacks Count By:

Making homemade treats containing ingredients that are beneficial to the body (we loveMudballs)
Having veggie fun! I cut up bright colored veggies into bite-sized pieces, fill a 6 cup muffin tin with a different vegetable in each cup, serve with toothpicks. If I only have 4 types of vegetables, I’ll fill the 2 remaining cups with dip and toothpicks.
Eating fruit as our dessert. I see my 3 girls (age 10, 9 and 7) eye the beautiful bowl of blueberries thawing on the table during dinner, excited to eat ‘em for dessert! They also love frozen cherries, grapes, peaches, mangoes, melons, and pineapple. We eat them all just slightly thawed.
Making homemade popcorn in the microwave using a brown paper lunch bag. My girls love this and do it themselves. Big money saver!
Adding veggies to our fruit smoothies. A large handful of fresh spinach disappears when blended into our sweet fruit smoothies.
Using leftover smoothies to make popsicles. These are delish, and yes, they are the same smoothies that have spinach in them! These type of real fruit/yogurt popsicles are so costly at the store. Its amazing how inexpensive and easy it is to make your own! If you don’t have molds, use paper cups and wooden craft sticks.
Staying away from empty calories–even treats can be beneficial to the body (dark chocolate, desserts with fruit/oats in them, ice cream topped with fresh fruit, whole wheat brownies)

We Are Going Greener:

We got rid of harsh chemical cleaners. I use a vinegar and water spray for just about everything, and have simple recipes to make my own laundry detergent, dish washing detergent and liquid hand/body soap. (this saves us a TON of money, and I believe some of those chemicals contributed to my daughters past issues with asthma, so we are saving money on medical bills, too!)
We drink from reusable water bottles, keeping them in the refrigerator so they are cold and ready to drink.
We got rid of most plastic storage containers and use different sized mason jars instead. I love how they look in my pantry, freezer and refrigerator. They make it easy to see what is inside, and they look orderly.
If it comes in a package, I ask myself “Can I make this homemade?” It is almost always more healthful and saves on the packaging (pancake mix, granola bars) I buy many ingredients from bulk bins and put them in mason jars when I get home.

Taking steps for more wholesome homes can be overwhelming, so be encouraged that these changes did not come overnight for us, nor do we do it all perfectly. We eat our share of junk food and sugar outside our 4 walls, (and even inside them on the weekends), so it ends up being about 80/20,

which I am comfortable with. It has been a step by step journey,

one I will never regret starting as I see such huge changes in the health of my family.

This post is linked to:
The Finer Things Friday @ The Finer Things
Home And Family Friday @ Home Is Where My Story Begins
Its A Hodgepodge Friday @ Its A Hodgepodge Life
Tips Me Tuesday @ The Tip Junkie
30 Minute Blog Challenge @ Steady Mom
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple