CLEAN COFFEE MAKER!

My coffee maker has been running slow and the little valve that lets you pour a cup before it is done running is not working properly either (as in it runs coffee everywhere when you take the carafe out). So I decided it was time for a cleaning...this is how I do that.

I pour a pot of half vinegar/half water into the maker and run it through twice. Now I am running a half pot of straight vinegar through twice. Then I will run straight water through twice (so tomorrow's coffee doesn't taste like vinegar). I will, of course, wipe it all down and make it not dusty too.

Viola! Clean, and hopefully working better, coffee maker.

MIA!

I've been MIA and I know it...but all for a good reason. Well, I think it is anyway. My dear hubby took me to STL for Valentine's Day. But wait, although he deserves some credit, he ALSO had to speak at a meeting Monday night so I just got to tag along...but we stayed overnight and then I got to go to Whole Foods! And that is what I am going to blog about today...my love for Whole Foods! I think that is appropriate for the week of Valentine's Day! I will also include my love of Beachy's Grocery where I got to go on Saturday with my mom...it has been a great grocery week!!!

I'll go chronologically...cause that is just how I roll! :)

As many of you likely may not know Beachy's Bulk Foods is an Amish grocery store outside of Arthur. It is "off the beaten path" so if you are going to try to go there get directions, or better yet invite me and I won't miss the turn more than once. There I buy flours, oats, and all my spices. This time I also found dye free pudding mix (WOOHOO!!). So I was able to stock up on all my basics there. There is also a really nice buffet in town that is simply THE best place to eat lunch...I mean if you are up there anyway. :)

I also got to go to Whole Foods. The closest Whole Foods is 2 1/2 hours away so this doesn't happen often. I love Whole Foods but I am probably one of the few who goes there for JUNK FOOD! Since we avoid dye, we can't get candies, or cereal or, well, a lot of things. But at Whole Foods they have good alternatives (albeit pricey). So I got sundrops (all natural M&M's- and SO much tastier), oreos, gummy stars (this was a new find!). We also got some other bulk things quinoa, cous cous, dried cranberries, etc.

Now I feel great cause my cupboards are full! And my belly is empty so it is off to make breakfast for me. I will post about my planned menu and the changes I've made tomorrow.

Breakfast Ideas!

Since this week started with a breakfast challenge, I am focused on finding ways to have good breakfasts without whacking out the entire day. I, of course, should be used to doing this. But every now and again, I need to refresh and reload. Today is a good day for that.

Some of our breakfast ideas:

• muffins - fruit, cinnamon, etc
• coffee cake
• baked oatmeal -with many variations
• toast and yogurt
• breakfast banana splits - a banana that is split and smeared with peanut butter, then vanilla yogurt and some grapenuts for crunchies
• oatmeal
  
• Grandma Cessna's Oatmeal - quick oats and grapenuts cooked in milk in the micro
• over night cinnamon rolls
• cereal - very occasional treat
  
• eggs
• frozen pancakes (leftover and frozen from pancakes made for supper)
• "Fruit n cream" oatmeal - I make either quick or rolled oats and stir in a spoonful/bowl of one of my homemade jams...Viola! fruity oatmeal without the dye. :)
  

Clean Fridge!

Last week I took advantage of no power. Since we were told we would be out for 3-4 days, we had to empty the refrigerator. We put all of the fridge stuff into a cooler and stuck it on the back deck. All the freezer items we put in a rubbermaid on the back deck. We lost no food. When the power came back on, I took the time to clean out the fridge. I took out all the shelves and washed them and washed the walls of the fridge. And then when I put things back, if it hadn't been used in a while it didn't make the cut. Or if there was barely enough to be usable...it didn't go back.

It is so much easier to cook and work in the kitchen when the fridge isn't a disaster area. It took about a half hour (maybe a little longer) and the results were well worth it.

Simplify the fridge!

Bagel Recipe

In honor of the Great Bagel Fiasco yesterday I am posting the recipe link I use for bagels that don't make us go crazy! You can find the recipe with photos here. I love the Happy Housewife! Of course, I don't do it exactly as she does. I would post the recipe but her photos make it so much easier to see what it should look like...so head over there...plus she rocks and has all kinds of good stuff!

The last time I made the bagels these are the things I did differently. I left out the gluten. I couldn't find mine. Since then I have cleaned out my freezer and found it...I will use it next time. I do not put the hole in the bagels. This is for two reasons...when I put a hole in them they are as ugly as all get out. And two, we like to have bagel sandwiches and the hole makes them "leaky." And after forming the bagels, and while leaving them to rest for the 20 minutes...I rest them on waxed paper that has been greased and floured...it helps me pick them up to boil them without them getting SO out of shape. Other than that I do just what she says. I love her photos. They really help make it clear. My bagels are much much uglier than hers but they taste yummy! And they don't make us crazy!!!!

Enjoy! This morning we are having strawberry muffins from scratch! It is gonna be a good day!

Back on Track!

I realized I have disappeared from my little space here on the internet...my goals have also gotten pushed around. It has been a rough January. I am not much a fan of winter really (although I say I like it in the summer). I get bogged down and sedentary and blah! So I was already tired of dealing with the cold and the winter storm hit. We were housebound for several days as our roads were easily compared to a speed skating track....cabin fever hits quick. Although, we only lost power for 25 hours, it still set me back further in my big plans. Plans to simplify, to enjoy each day for what it is, and all that. My house is a pit now which is discouraging. So that is my story and I'm sticking to it. And now back to blogging about something important. I'm just going to start with today.

As it says in the title of this blog, we try to eat no fake food. I am not perfect in this and today I had a miserable failure. Miserable because I think that is pretty much how we all feel and failure because well, I missed it. This weekend we had friends over and since they were getting ready to leave on a cruise (oh the jealousy) they left some things that would go bad in their kitchen before they got back. So this morning I let my boys have a treat...Sarah Lee Blueberry bagels with cream cheese. Everything went downhill from there....and it took till 4 pm (9 hours later) to figure out what happened. Sarah Lee Blueberry bagels have red 40, blue 2, green 3, and blue 1 in them. This has led to yelling, screaming, defiance, and now running in circles...literally. Although days like today are hard on our household, my voice, I'm sure the kids ears, and my general mental state...they are a good reminder why we do what we do and eat what we eat. I will not make this mistake again in a hurry.

So although, my house is a pit, my kids are running like wild pigs through it, and I am tired to the point of tears (almost)...I am refocused. Although I have fallen off the horse I am ready now to get back on it. I am back on track. And I am out of cliches.

I am back to blogging and back to simplifying...I am simply back on track!