Tag Archives: holistic living

Updated Holistic Living in the Mountains

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, drying herbs, essential oils, farm living, garden time, holistic living, organic food, plant-based and tagged with , , , , , , , ,
Just a small glimpse of the beauty of spring in the mountains.

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! Spring has arrived in full color in our beautiful mountains. The view outside my window is a stunning array of pastel colors from the blooms and a luscious green from the trees. It’s breathtaking! I started this webpage as a means of tracking my own eating habits, helping others, and sharing recipes that I developed that are clean and align to clean eating and holistic living. Over time, my diet/food intake evolved to vegetarian, and gradually to a vegan/plant-based lifestyle, which I have maintained for over six years. I also wanted to share methods of preserving food that we/my family have used for decades. Preserving by canning, freezing, and drying have been a way of life for us since I can remember. It helps us maintain a holistic way of life. It’s a lot of hard work, but the rewards exceed the work by far. I have a desire to maintain this lifestyle for myself, my family, my readers, and to preserve the culture and beliefs and memories of my ancestor’s.

Last year’s garden mid-spring.

Holistic living can mean different things to different people. For our family, it means that we grow and preserve the majority of what we consume, we live as close to nature as possible, and we work to nourish our body, mind and soul. Plant-based eating and clean eating is a large part of our diet. Does my entire family follow a plant-based life? No, not everyone eats totally plant-based. For those that do not follow a one-hundred percent plant-based diet, we raise our own chickens, which provides eggs and meat, and recently added ducks to the flock. We also purchase fresh whole cow’s milk from a neighboring farm, as well as fresh Kentucky raised angus for those who are beef eaters. We grow our own herbs, veggies, and fruit.

Basil from our herb garden.

Holistic living also consists of using healthy clean products for our personal hygiene, cleaning supplies, and our water. Is it a hard lifestyle to maintain? No, it’s a lot of work, but work is part of the plan of exercise, and it’s fun to plan new recipes, discover new products that are clean and create our own healthy cleaning products that we use in our homes, and that we feel safe and confident in using. No harmful chemicals, non gmo, no harmful food dyes, or animal byproducts. Clean holistic living helps nourish your body so that you feel like working, getting up and having fun. It helps provide better sleep, all while ensuring that your body is devoid of toxins, thus increasing good health, and stamina.

Holistic living for nourishing the mind for our family involves a prayer life, meditation time, relaxation time, and social time with family, friends, and church family. We love to share ideas, recipes, food, and prayers with others. When our mind is healthy and our mindset is positive, the body responds well. When the mindset is positive and our prayer life is rich with conversations with our savior, assembling and worshiping with our church families, our soul is nourished; thus leading to a better whole self.

Drying peppermint for teas.

I hope you’ve enjoyed one of many of my posts for our adventures and daily life of holistic living in the mountains. I will be adding a posts soon about how we use our organically grown herb, micro-greens, and essential oils for cooking, preserving, our health, and as teas. Feel free to like, follow, and or leave a comment. I love to read your comments, and answer your questions. For now, God bless, from the mountains of Kentucky!

Delicious Organic Granola

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean desserts, clean eating, clean recipes, farm living, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, my special days, organic food, plant-based, Spiritual life, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s a rainy day in the mountains, which always puts me in the cooking and cleaning mood! So, today I decided to begin cleaning the pantry out and realized that I had an abundance of oats and nuts that I needed to do something with. I went down a rabbit hole and started planning granola! The pantry didn’t get cleaned completely, but I did make some delicious granola! I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Ingredients:

  • Three cups of organic old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup organic chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup organic chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup organic chopped pecans
  • 3 tbs organic raw pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tbs organic sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbs organic chia seeds
  • 2 tbs organic ground flax seeds
  • 3 tbs gogi berries or raisins
  • 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 cup of organic pure maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup organic olive oil
  • Agave or honey for drizzling not mixing.

Mix all the dry ingredients and preheat the oven to 320 for convection. Mix the remaining ingredients over low heat until it comes together smoothly. Pour the wet ingredient into the bowl of dry and gently stir with a rubber spatula. When mixed spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and mix the granola with a metal spatula. Return to the oven and bake 20 more minutes. Take out of the oven and drizzle your choice of honey or agave and put under the broiler for just enough time for the granola to brown up lightly. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Mixing the ingredients.
Spreading the granola in a baking sheet.

Using the spatial mix the granola gently once it’s cool. Store the granola in a glass jar. Keeps for a couple of weeks if it is in an air tight container.

This is a two gallon jar! I’ve got another batch of granola to add to it.

I hope your family enjoys this tasty granola. I think it’s great alone as a snack and wonderful in a parfait. I also like it in a bowl with almond milk as a cereal.

Dinner

Just for fun! A picture of dinner this evening. Fresh beans, corn, potatoes, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes with sautéed portobello mushrooms with peppers and onions and a slice of cornbread. Nothing better than veggies from our garden!

For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky! Don’t forget to like, comment, and or follow! We

Vegan Italian Spinach Wraps

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, organic food, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope your day is a blessed one. I am excited to bring to you my new spinach wrap recipe that I’ve been working with for a couple of weeks. Saturday’s wraps were the success that I’ve been working toward! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups fresh organic baby spinach
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur unbleached or wheat)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
  • 3-4 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup cold filtered water (this can be modified if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic ground garlic

Add one cup of spinach and one cup of flour to a food processor dicing it to allow room for an additional cup of each. Dice again and add the remaining spinach and flour. Add spices, and process adding oil slowly as the mixture mixes. Add water until you have a dough consistency. Sometimes the amount of water varies. Only add what you need. If the mixture is too wet, add an additional spoon of flour and mix. You can’t go wrong on this mixture if you achieve a doughy consistency. You can play with the oil as well. If you need more, add a tiny bit.

Fresh spinach is the best!!

Preheat a cast iron skillet. I use ceramic cast iron for this and it works great. Add a tiny spray of organic extra virgin olive oil to the pan to heat. While the pan is heating spoon out a large spoon of the mixture onto a floured dough sheet or parchment paper. Using flour on your hands roll the dough into a ball and then begin rolling the dough flat.

Ball of spinach dough.
Second rolling of the wrap.

A second rolling of the wrap ensures the desired thickness of the wrap. You can sprinkle flour over the wrap to prevent it from sticking. Once you have achieved the desired thickness, lay your bread in the hot pan. It only takes about 1 1/2 minutes per side. While my bread is browning, I usually roll another piece of dough. Parchment paper, coffee filters, cheese cloth, or white paper towels between the wraps will help prevent them from sticking until they’re cooled.

Preparing the wrap!
This is the thickness that I like!

Remove the bread and place on your choice of liner. Once the wraps are completely cooled, I place mine in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for fresheners. This recipe usually yields eight to nine wraps. They taste great warmed with fresh veggies, a smear of peanut butter, as a side for Italian dishes, and extremely good with no dairy cheese melted on them.

You may substitute seasonings for Mexican seasonings, plain with a little salt and pepper, or with curry seasonings. The possibilities are endless. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. I look forward to posting new wraps. I am currently working on a high fiber flax wrap. I would love to hear how you eat yours! Feel free to like, share, comment and follow. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Garden Time

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean eating, farm living, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, organic food, plant-based, Spiritual life, Uncategorized, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Garden Time!!!

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky! Cold air invaded the mountains last night. It was a chilling 28 degrees when I awoke this morning. I was thankful that I had covered my ferns up last night. We have several mountain winters in March and April in Kentucky. With so many of the trees and bushes blooming early this year, it’s difficult to determine which winter it is. I’m not sure if this cold snap is redbud winter or dogwood winter. Nevertheless, hope remains as these small winters only last a day or two and then it’s mild weather again.

The smell of yesteryears lingers in the air as the garden was turned this week. The smell of fresh soil always reminds me of growing up only a few miles from where we live. Papaw plowed with a mule and plow from morning till evening. He would wipe the sweat from his brow, fan with his hat, rest a bit and return to his work. The smell of the rich dirt lingered in the air just as it does here today. The chickens are enjoying the freshly plowed ground as well. They love to scratch and search for worms in the loose dirt.

As I prepare breakfast this morning, I am reminded of eating oatmeal with my Papaw. I felt an unction to prepare a hardy bowl of oats, as he called them. I like to use a half cup organic oats, filtered water, fresh honey for the sweetening, and whatever fruit I have available. This morning I added a half of an organic banana, and some organic blueberries. I include a tablespoon of organic walnuts, a teaspoon of flaxseed, hempseed, and chia seeds. White serving I drizzle with almond milk and a tiny bit of honey. I toasted a slice of my homemade seeded bread with breakfast this morning. It’s a hard breakfast that will sustain me until late in the afternoon.

Delicious plant-based breakfast for a busy day!

I’m excited about planting this year. The manure has been spread and the first turning of the garden is complete. Seeds have been sewn in miniature green houses, and in the hydroponic garden. Fresh vegetables are a joy in the summer months. Fall is a time of harvesting and preserving for the winter months ahead. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy eating what they’ve grown from seed to nourish their bodies.

Spreading natural fertilizer.

Gardens can be as large or as small as you want them to be. For us, a large feeds our families all summer and sustains in the cold months. We usually have an abundance to share with neighbors, extended family, and church family. It seems the more we give to others, the more it grows.

Organic lettuce in one of the hydroponic gardens seven days after seeing the seed.

Eating healthy is a large part of being healthy. Eating organic, plant-based, and clean is a foundation for overall health. Get up and get moving! Being active helps prevent and fight many diseases that plague people across the world. Make it a point to know the ingredients in the food that you put in your body. Know the vocabulary of hidden toxic ingredients. Do your research, and start small and make changes weekly. For example, I no longer buy bread that is deemed healthy, but is it really when you can’t pronounce fourteen of the twenty seven ingredients. I choose to bake bread for my family on Saturday mornings. My recipe has four ingredients, of which one is water, and I add various organic seeds for the crunch and fiber. The following is a link to my bread recipe. It’s easy, doesn’t require an abundance of time and tastes delicious. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Living a clean and holistic life is very gratifying. The rewards are great and exceeds the long days and time spent prepping, preparing, and growing, foods that nourish your body, not poisoning them a little at a time with toxic ingredients found in processed foods.

The first turning of the garden!

I would like close with a great book suggestion for young readers, as a read aloud, and great for the primary classroom. It is written by our daughter and it’s beautifully written and illustrated. Check the book out at the following link;

http://My Magic Boots https://a.co/d/bcIP0sC

Link is added above.

God bless from the mountains of Kentucky! May your day be filled with joy, hope, the love of Christ, and good nutritious foods that can help heal you from the inside out. Feel free to leave a comment, like, and or follow by blog for more posts on clean and holistic living.

First turning of the garden complete! Awaiting a second plowing and plants!

Moist Vegan Banana Bread

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean desserts, clean eating, clean recipes, coffee time, farm living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky! I am super excited to share a new recipe that I have been experimenting with and finally perfected it last week. I love a good moist banana bread. I have tried several vegan recipes with little to no luck with the right amount of moisture and sweetness. This recipe fits the bill for both. It’s quick, easy, and requires minimal ingredients and those that you probably already have in your pantry. It’s also delicious with a cup of hot tea!

Ingredients:

  • One large overly ripe organic banana or two small overripe bananas
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (I like King Arthur’s unbleached flour)
  • 1/2 tsp pink organic Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 tsp anti-caking organic baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp organic all spice
  • 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp good quality Non-GMO vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped organic walnuts
  • Add in options can be; chocolate chips, pecans, raisins, or cranberries.

Process:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or butter a glass 8×8 baking dish. Line it with parchment paper and then spray or butter the paper.

Mash the banana, vanilla, and sugar and mix well. Add salt, baking soda, flour, vinegar, and applesauce and fold the ingredients together without overmixing. Add the milk a little at a time and until the batter well. Fold in the walnuts. Add the bread mixture to the lined glass baking dish. I baked my bread for 45 minutes. I checked it at 30 minutes and determined it needed fifteen more minutes to be baked through and through.

Mixed ingredients

I removed my bread from the parchment paper and set it on a baking rack to cool for thirty minutes. Once the bread was cooled, I placed it in an airtight container. I have enjoyed this bread all week as a snack with my lunch, toasted for a light breakfast, and in the evenings with coffee or tea. It is tasty, moist, and not overly sweet but flavorful.

You may add more sugar or even honey for a little more sweetness. If you’re not a fan of walnuts, pecans are a great substitute. I like to toast this bread for breakfast. It’s delicious with a smear of honey or plant butter. Unsweetened dark chocolate chips are a great addition as well. Either way you eat it, as breakfast, a snack, or dessert, it’s a delicious bread.

For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to comment, like, and subscribe. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tea Time Tuesday

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, God’s time, holistic living, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories, my special days, plant-based, tea time, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Fresh peppermint tea in my favorite tea mug!

Good afternoon from the mountains of Kentucky! Today feels like spring in the mountains. Easter Lillie’s are bloomed, some of the trees and bushes are budding, and I see green plants emerging through the flower bed covering. I am excited about spring as it always feels like an opportunity for new beginnings, time to plant, and time to enjoy the beautiful mountains that we are blessed with.

Summer in the mountains!

For those of you who are serious tea drinkers, and for those who enjoy a cup of tea from time time… you’ll enjoy my series, Tea Time Tuesday. It will be a reoccurring blog post that will include random topics ranging from making teas, uses of teas, to recipes that include tea in them, and occasional recipes for goodies to eat while drinking tea. I will also review books I’ve read while enjoying a cup of tea. While some posts might be simple ramblings or inspirational words. However, today’s post is about a topic that is worthy of conversation. Loose tea verses tea bags.

I’ve been an avid tea drinker for years. I like almost all flavors of teas. But, I do have a few favorites. I love a good chai tea with oat milk, and lavender. I drink peppermint tea almost every day. I like black teas and love a good chamomile tea with either honey or lavender and sometimes both. Regardless the tea I drink, I prefer loose leaf to tea bags. The tea that I grow and dry does not even compare to purchased teas, but there are times when I buy loose leaf, especially black tea and chamomile tea. So, why do I prefer loose leaf to bagged tea? Loose leaf is more flavorful, I don’t have to worry about how long it’s been shelved, I don’t have to wonder if the bags are good quality or could they be toxic. There are so many different reasons, but flavor and the ability to use a tea ball of loose leaf tea a second time, which is a great money and tea saver, especially if you purchase tea. If you don’t like a tea ball, you can always purchase organic tea bags that you can fill yourself. The organic tea bags are great for tea on the go. They store easily in my lunch bag that I carry to work.

I’m curious about your preferences. Which do you prefer bagged tea or loose leaf, and why? I would love to hear from you. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky. I think I’ll enjoy a cup of tea and porch sit a little while on this beautiful spring-like day!

Food Prepping for a Busy Week

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, holistic living, Kentucky memories, organic food, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky. It’s a peaceful morning here with a slow drizzle falling softly to the greening earth. Spring is just around the corner and we are seeing glimpses of it daily. The yellow buttercups are in full bloom, spring onions are ready to be enjoyed with meals, and the peepers are alerting everyone of the presence in late evening hours. Daylight is lingering into the evening hours extending the day just a bit longer. In Kentucky we know that these wonderful signs of spring does not mean that winter will not rear it’s head until next winter. On the contrary. We will endure our season winters in upcoming weeks, but they don’t last. So, with that being said, let’s get on with food prepping for the week.

Breakfast:

Being that I follow a plant-based diet, I am preparing a tofu veggie scramble that can be enjoyed with fresh bread as toast, or on a wrap when eating on the go. If you do not follow a plant-based diet (vegan) you can simply use fresh eggs in place of the tofu. You can find my link for tofu scramble at Scrambled Tofu and Spring Daydreams This tofu scramble lasts for days in a covered dish in the refrigerator.

Tofu veggie scramble

Bread:

I posted a link last week for fresh bread. This loaf was enough bread for seven days of delicious eating whether it was for toast, sandwiches, as a bread with a meal, or simply bread and plant butter or with honey. You can find my bread recipe at Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread This bread is easy and delicious and contain only four to five ingredients depending on your preference. I store my bread with wax paper first, then cover the waxed paper with aluminum foil. I am searching for a good BPA bread keeper. If you know of one, feel free to drop a comment!

Fresh baked organic bread.

Taco Soup:

For an easy and convenient supper this week, I am preparing plant-based taco soup. Again, if you do not follow a vegan diet, you may substitute my recipe for chili with meat. I chose taco soup this week because of its versatility, and it mimics a good chili soup. I can have soup one night, or two, and have taco salads another night, or two, or burritos. Taco soup can become multiple dishes. As soup, I enjoy it with a plant-based grilled cheese, or with homemade bread, or even with some of my daughters homemade sour dough crackers! It stores in the fridge easy, travels to work well, and lasts for days covered in the fridge. If I have leftover soup, I use my small canner and can a jar or freeze a bag for a later time. You can find my plant-based taco soup recipe at Three Bean Plant Based Taco Soup

Plant-based taco soup

Rice as a Side:

Rice is so versatile that it can be included with breakfast, as a side, or even added to the taco soup or taco salad. I use the insta pot to make a batch of brown rice for the week. I add the measurement according to the bag, except I prepare my rice in vegetable stock. I add chop a half an onion fine, add chopped peppers of choice, and add a heaping spoon of salsa. I add a teaspoon of each of the following; garlic, pink salt, black pepper, white pepper, and paprika. I add a half teaspoon of cumin, cayenne and turmeric. Cover and pressure for ten minutes. I allow my rice to sit in the pot until the steak self-releases as this helps ensure a good texture. Fluff the rice and store in a coveted bowl in the fridge.

Snacks:

Snacks are easy to prep. Today I will be prepare vegan protein balls. The protein balls are sweet, delicious, travel well with me to work, and make a light late evening snack. You can find the recipe at the following link Vegan Chocolate Chip Coconut Protein Bites I am planning on baking zucchini bread this weekend as well. It’s a great choice as it allows me to have a second option for breakfast as well. You can fine one of my zucchini bread recipes at the following link Clean Apple Zucchini Bread

Protein balls

I have found that prepping for the week alleviates stress of trying to figure out what to eat, makes mornings much smoother when packing lunch for work, and allows me to have more time in the evenings as supper is basically prepared. But one of the greatest benefits of prepping for the week is it eliminates eating out, it ensures that I am eating healthy, and saves money on our food budget. It’s a win win situation that when carefully done can make a huge difference in your week. I also enjoy our daughter in-laws baked goods. You can access her shop and order on the following link https://bakesy.shop/b/batch-baked-goods

I hope you enjoy the recipes that are linked the post. Feel free to subscribe and share with friends and family. Also, comments are welcomed. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky! I am off to retrieve some spring onions to add to our supper.

In Times of Uncertainty God is With Us

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, faith over fear, God’s time, in time of need, Kentucky memories, Spiritual life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky. I hope this post finds each of you well. I wanted to share a small part of my heart with you today. I awoke early in the morning hours, just after midnight. I had a sense of uncertainty welling up within me. If you are like me, it seems today, more than ever, i find myself being stretched to the limit with time to complete tasks, some of which go untouched. Unfinished work, tasks, or plans leave me with a feeling of uncertainty, which sometimes interferes with my sleep. This morning was one of those mornings. But through the sleepless hours, I was reminded of just how Big God is.

His joy will fill us… if we are willing to be filled.

As I lay awake trying to find sleep, I pondered questions such as when I could complete the task(s) neglected yesterday due to unplanned obligations. How can I stretch time to allow me to meet all of the tasks that face me tomorrow? When will I find a little much-needed time for myself? And the big question, Lord, am I spending enough time with you? With questions swirling through my mind, sleep seemed far away. I began praying for peace, answers, and for sleep to come.

I was reminded while praying to pray the Lord’s word. I was reminded that life and death are in the power of the tongue. There is life in His word. I found comfort in the following scripture. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV). I prayed for the Lord to help me trust Him during difficult times. He reminded me that He is my Heavenly Father, and just as I, as an earthly parent, will ensure that our children are cared for and help them in any way that I can, He, too, would help me. Trust filled me and sleep soon came. It was good sleep. It was restful sleep. I awoke feeling rested and ready to face the day. I was reminded this morning of His love and mercy and His word from 1 Peter 5: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you. My heart was filled with peace and the trust that the enemy tried to take from me in the early hours of the morning. The enemy is a liar! I am an overcome.

His word don’t lie!

We must remember that we wrestle not against flesh but against the principalities of evil. Spiritual warfare is real. The enemy’s sole purpose is to discourage, take away, and destroy God’s children. We must be steadfast, hold tight to His word, trust Him with all our heart, rebuke the enemy, and plead the blood over and around us and our family during this trying time, and at the name of Jesus, the enemy will flee. Life will be filled with uncertainties; you will feel overwhelmed at one time or another, and you will see that full calendar and fear that the tasks will not be completed. But, remember that fear does not come from God, but rather from the enemy spiritually fighting against you. God is ever-present and is as near as you allow Him to be. He will be there to help you when you call upon His name. The name that is above all names. He never leaves us, nor will He forsake us. The word tells us that He will go all the way with us.

Finally, let us never forget that as long as we have been born again, we are blessed and will be overcomers. Stay the course, press forward, pray on, stay steadfast, and trust Him for all our needs and we will finish this race as an overcomer. He is our Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending, and everything in between. I learned a valuable lesson in the early morning hours talking to Him. Maybe my awakening aimed to teach me and help you when you have that sleepless night.

God bless, from the mountains of Kentucky. I love to read comments. Feel free to like, share, subscribe, leave comments, or prayer requests. Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has blessed us with.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Homemade Crusty Vegan Bread

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Crusty seeded bread.

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky. It’s official! We are 22 days away from spring 2024. I am eager to say that I am very happy about that! When the butter cups are blooming, daylight lasts a little longer, and the birds are singing early in the morning, I begin to have spring fever. I am ready to sow seeds, plant crops, and enjoy the sunshine on my face. I am eager to share a new bread recipe with you that is clean, easy, and tastes delicious. But first, I would like to ask if you have ever looked at the list of ingredients on bread you buy from the grocery store? The ingredients are numerous and many that I can’t pronounce or have to search the internet to determine what they are. This is scary to say the least. Even most of the breads that are labeled as organic contains a long list of ingredients. The recipe that I am sharing today has basically five organic ingredients, of which one is water. Are you ready to take control of what you put inside your body? Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups of organic, unbleached all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur’s)
  • 1 1/2 cups of warm filtered water 75 degrees
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of aluminum-free sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
  • 2 teaspoons of organic non-caking yeast
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of organic seeds of choice. I used pumpkin, flax, and hemp seeds. (This is optional)

In a large glass mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients and add warm water slowly stirring as you add the water. I like to add the yeast to the warm water to help activate it and then add the water to the mix. I also like to mix by hand, but a stand mixer with a dough hook can be used. Gently fold in the seeds of choice. Once the dough is mixed set the bowl aside in a warm place and cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth. Let rise for two hours.

Freshly folded dough awaiting the oven to heat.

After two hours, turn your dough out onto a floured parchment paper or floured wood cutting board. Fold the dough each way into itself. Shape it into the shape the desired shape that you prefer your bread. Lightly dust a stone pizza stone and place it on the oven rack that you will bake your bread on. Preheat the oven and the pizza stone to 450 degrees. Add about two inches of water to a shallow glass cooking dish and place on the rack beneath the rack you’re going to bake the bread on. This will help your bread have a crispy exterior on top and a soft bottom. Allow your bread to continue to rise while the oven and stone are preheating. When the oven is preheated, score the top of the bread three to four times with a serrated knife. Remove the hot stone and carefully remove the dough and place it on the the hot stone. Bake for 25- 30 minutes, depending on how crusty you like your bread.

Fresh bread just out of the screaming hot oven still on the baking stone.

This bread can be made from wheat flour if desired or oat flour. The seeds are optional and can be exchanged for other seeds, or left out of the recipe. You may bake this bread in a preheated covered cast iron Dutch oven that is lined with parchment paper before adding the dough, or you may divide the dough into two small loaf pans.

Once the bread has baked transfer to a cooling rack and allow to completely cook before cutting. Sharp serrated bread knifes are great to cut the bread. This bread makes great sandwich bread, toast, French toast, as a side to supper dishes, toasted as crusty bread, or buttered as is. The inside is soft and airy and delicious. I love the texture of the baked pumpkin seeds within the bread. The possibilities are vast!

Cooling on the wire rack.

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe. Every time I bake, I am reminded of one of my favorite components of the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. (KJV)

The top is crusty, the bottom soft, and inside is airy. It’s delicious!

We should focus on this day, not days that have past, nor days that haven’t yet arrived. If we keep our focus on, this day, we do not get caught up in the what ifs, from yesterdays, or the what wills, of tomorrows. Keeping our focus on the Lord for this day encourages us to rely on Him more completely.

God bless, from the mountains of Kentucky. I welcome Feel feedback and or questions.

Making Organic Elderberry Syrup

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling2733 in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, drying herbs, essential oils, farm living, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Beautiful fall mountains of KY

During COVID many people rediscovered the health benefits of elderberries. I, myself, started taking a good organic elderberry supplement to enhance my immune system. Finding organic elderberry syrup was difficult or ridiculously expensive at the time, and the supplement was not inexpensive. After paying for the supplement for a few years, I decided to try my hand at making elderberry syrup. I am very pleased with the results and inspired to share my recipe with my readers.

There were challenges along the way. But, with determination, I was able to overcome those. First, I wasn’t able to find someone with an elderberry tree that was willing to part with elderberries, so I did the next best thing. I looked on Amazon for organic dried elderberries. The ones pictured below had the best price, largest amount, and the best rating.

Dried organic elderberries from Amazon

Next, I experimented with the amount of elderberries I would mix. After a bit of research and experimental tries, I decided the syrup would be tastier with some spices added. After a few batches, I decided on the addition of organic clove, organic ginger, organic cinnamon and local honey. With this in mind, I was ready to see if the taste was right. It was delicious!


Ingredients (makes a pint)
3/4 cup Dried elderberries
3 cups filtered water
1/2 tsp dried clove
1/2 tsp doTERRA clove essential oil
1/2 tsp doTERRA ginger essential oil
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
Fresh honey to taste

Essential oils are optional. I love the benefits of them and the taste. Read the labels closely before using to ensure they’re consumable.

Process

Add the three cups of filtered water to a stainless steel saucepan. Add 3/4 cup dried elderberries. Add the remaining ingredients except the honey. Bring the ingredients to slow boil. Set a timer and boil the mixture for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes turn the burner off and cover the mixture and allow it to cool. When the mixture is completely cooled strain completely through a fine mesh strainer into a clear pint jar. Cheese cloth can be used as well. Add fresh honey to taste and stir well. Place a lid on the jar and for a better taste keep it refrigerated.

My fist jar after a couple of days of use.

I take a tablespoon a day. A pint typically lasts for two weeks. The taste is wonderful. Elderberry’s have a wide array of health benefits. I’m not sure if the elderberry syrup helps increase one’s sleep, but I have slept unusually well since I started using the syrup as a daily regimen.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe. Feel free to comment or leave questions. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!