Apple Butter

**I have changed this recipe a bit. The last one used too much vinegar. I reduced the amount and used water to fulfill the rest of the liquid requirement. Perfect! **

Holy moly!  This is so good.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, so I only made half the recipe.  But I will be making a full batch very soon.  Here's what I did: 

5 apples
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Peel, core and chop apples.  Throw them into a crock pot with the apple cider vinegar.  Leave overnight at least 10 hours on low.  Blend the apples with the rest of the ingredients.  Put mixture back into the crock pot for 6 hours.  Done.  This made approximately 3 cups of apple butter.

You can also substitute pears for apples, or do both. I tried 2 pears and 3 apples and it was awesome.

Pasta, Tomatoes, and Mozarella

Boil wheat pasta to al dente.  Drain and toss with cubed mozarella, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced zuchinni, chopped basil, olive oil, and salt to taste. Super easy, and so good.

Dried Bananas

Sliced up some bananas, dipped them in lemon juice, and threw them in the dehydrator overnight.  No need for candy when you have these!

ACV

Vinegar is awesome.  I use white vinegar to clean just about everything, and as a fabric softener.  Apple cider vinegar is more expensive, so I only use it for consumption.  Consuming apple cider vinegar provides many benefits, including:  weight loss, source of vitamins and minerals, daily detox. 

How I consume ACV: add 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar to 10 ounces of water and 1 TBSP raw honey.  I drink this every morning first thing when I wake up.  It's a great detox after a fast, and tames my morning hunger.  It's supposed to be great for curbing appetites, so drinking it before each meal is ideal. 

More info:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/24199-benefits-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

Home grown celery

Okay, this was sort of an experiment.  My husband chopped 2 inches off the bottom of a celery stalk and stuck it in a bowl of water.  There are new celery shoots growing out of the center.  Totally cool.  Not sure  if this will work or how long it will take.  I will update. 

Buckwheat pasta

• 2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix the flours and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the water and olive oil in the well. Stir with a fork.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 minutes.Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, about 30 minutes.  Cut the dough into 6 pieces.  Roll out each piece into a 12-by- 18-inch rectangle on a floured surface (about 18-inch thick).  Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut the strips in half. Toss the pasta with flour on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. 

This made enough for three meals for our family of five.  I used the pasta to make pizzocheri.  I will post that recipe soon.  

Bread

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
•  2 cups warm water (110 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 9 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 7 cups whole wheat flour
• Sesame seeds  
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• Dissolve yeast in the 2 cups hot water. Add sugar, salt, flax, water, oil and 3-1/2 cups flour; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (I usually need the whole 7 cups). On a floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Divide into six portions. On a floured surface, shape each into a 14-in.-long rope. For each loaf, braid three ropes together on greased baking sheet; pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 50 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. 
•  
• Note:  I also add freshly ground rosemary.  I make two or more loaves at a time, then I wrap in foil and freeze them all.    

Vegetable pulp leather

Juicing everyday leaves us with a lot of pulp.  Most of our pulp gets composted or fed to our trees.  Now that I have a dehydrator, I have another use for my pulp.  I added salt, garlic, and basil to the pulp and spread it out over the dehydrator racks.  135 degrees for 8-10 hours. 

Sprouted Wheat Berry Seeds

Wheat grass is so easy to grow. I'm not sure if this is the proper way to do this, but this is what I did.

Put a handful of wheat berry seeds (I bought mine in the bulk section of our local grocery store, no specialty or health store required!) into a wide mouthed glass jar.  Cover the seeds with clean water and a pinch or two of kelp granules (kelp NOT required, but it helps prevent the seeds from getting moldy).  Leave in a dark place for 10-12 hours.  Strain the water out.  Rinse the seeds with clean water and strain again.  Put the jar back in it's dark spot.  The seeds will be wet, but not covered in water.  Repeat this rinsing process at least twice a day for a few days.  Once the sprouts are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, place the seeds in a shallow tray filled with soil.  In just a few days, your grass will be ready to enjoy :)

Crab salad

This was inspired by a recipe I saw in Runners World Magazine.  I tweaked it a bit, and here is my rendition.

3 cans canned crab meat (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1 cup canned or fresh cooked lentils
2 sliced celery stalks
3 chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts
Fresh basil to taste
1 large diced tomato
1 chopped kale leaf
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Cayenne pepper to taste
Juice from half a lemon

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy on bread or crackers. This yielded enough for 2 adults, 3 children.