Strawberry Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette would pair lovely with a salad of fresh spring greens, sliced berries, toasted pecans, and gorgonzola cheese.  If you don't care for balsamic vinegar, try substituting cider vinegar.

• 1 c. strawberry sauce*
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

*In place of the strawberry sauce, you can use 8 oz. of strawberries and 2 Tbsp. additional sweetener

Blend the strawberry sauce (or strawberries plus sweetener), vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper until smooth.  With the blender or food processor still going, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream, and blend until emulsified.  Use immediately, or cover and store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Popsicles

With the weather finally warming up, it's time to pull out those popsicle molds!  This is an all-in-one treat.  Easy, healthy, and adored by all kids.  As long as they're sweet, you can really hide whatever you want in them.  If you ever have left-over smoothie, just pour it into some popsicle molds for a healthy treat later on.  Here's a variation I made with the berries we recently picked.

• 8 oz. strawberries
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. coconut milk
• 1 banana
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2. c plain nonfat greek yogurt

(If you've already whipped up a batch of this raw strawberry sauce, you can use 1 cup of sauce in place of the berries.  Just leave out the vanilla, and, if desired, cut the honey back to 2 Tbsp.)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until pureed and smooth.  Stick a spoon in your mixture to make sure it's sweet enough for you.  Pour into molds, and freeze.  Then sneak one out before your kids get to them! :)

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Strawberry Granola

I make homemade granola fairly often, and recently I've read about people substituting apple sauce for the oil.  I haven't tried it yet, but I thought, if apple sauce can be substituted for oil, then why not try strawberry sauce?  

So I tried it...I had no idea if it would turn out, so I made a small batch just as a test...About a half hour into baking (when my normal granola would be finished), I was disappointed at the soft and chewy texture, but decided to wait it out a bit longer...

And what do you know - an hour later, it was CRUNCH heaven!!  And then... it was devoured - by me and two little munchkins - success! :)

Here's a basic granola recipe with no additional add-ins.  Just plain, simple, and crisp!

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. wheat germ (just because I add it to everything)
• 1/2 c. flax seed (just because I add this to everything too!)

(If you don't have wheat germ and flax, just add an extra cup of oats)

• 1 c. strawberry sauce
• 1/2 c. agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine oats, wheat germ, and flax seed.  Stir together strawberry sauce, agave nectar, cinnamon, and vanilla, then pour over oat mixture, tossing well to thoroughly coat.  Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for one hour, stirring every so often.  After an hour, turn the oven off, and leave the granola for another half hour to hour.  It will continue to crisp up as it sits in the oven!* Allow to cool completely before storing.

*I have to laugh as I write this.  After baking for an hour, I was still unsatisfied with the less-than-crunchy texture of the granola, but I really had to run an errand, so I turned off the oven so I could leave the house.  Well, when I came back an hour later, guess what...I pulled the granola out, and it was crisp!!  What a surprising way to learn a new trick. :)  As it cooled, it crisped up even more.

Have you tried flavoring granola with any other type of sauce?  If so, I'd love to hear!

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Strawberry Oatmeal

This is a nice change to the basic bowl of oatmeal.  Eat it plain, or top it with some yogurt and strawberries.

For 2 servings:

• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup strawberry sauce*

Combine ingredients in a pot, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes.  Stir frequently to avoid the sauce burning on the bottom of the pot.

*Using the measurements listed on the back of the oat can, I simply replaced part of the water with the sauce, but added a little extra because the sauce is thicker than water.

Enjoy some Pinkalicious oatmeal! :)

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Strawberry Puree: One Sauce, Multiple Uses

We came home with 3 gallons of strawberries yesterday!  After spending what seemed like an eternity washing and hulling them, then getting a good night's sleep, I was excited for baking day today!

I love strawberry sauce.  I love it on pancakes, angel food, pound cake, cheesecake, ice cream, to name a few.  A lot of chefs like to drizzle it out of a squeeze bottle for a nice elegant dessert, but I prefer to pour it on by the spoonful. :)

I used most of my picked berries this year to make a basic sauce.  I portion it and freeze it to have on hand whenever I need it.  This sauce is so easy to whip up...and it's RAW.  Yep, just blend and store, no cooking required. 

This sauce is extremely versatile.  Use it as a syrup or a topping, add it to yogurt or smoothies, use it to flavor oatmeal or granola, use it as a base for popsicles or jam, vinaigrette, etc.

Here is my basic sauce recipe: (These measurements will yield 2-3 cups of sauce)

• 1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1/4 c. agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Alternatively, you can use a masher for a chunkier sauce.  Use immediately, or cover and store in refrigerator, or freeze.

As always, taste and add more sweetener if you prefer a sweeter sauce.  Honestly, a lot depends on the ripeness of the berries too.  I don't like to sweeten the basic sauce recipe too much because I can always adjust the sweetness later when I use the sauce, depending on what I'm using it for.  (For example, if I'm using it to top something that's already sweet, then I leave it as is.  But if I'm using it as the main base for something like popsicles or jam, I may add a little extra sweetener.)

So, if you picked more than you can use, and you're all baked out, just whip up a batch of this sauce, store it, and use it in a variety of ways throughout the week!

Here are a few ideas to get you started (with links to the recipes):

Strawberry-Flavored Oatmeal

Strawberry-Flavored Granola

Strawberry Coconut Popsicles

Strawberry Vinaigrette

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A Sinner Saved By Grace. Meditating on this today...

I am loving the New City Catechism!  

This week's question dealt with the law of God in the Ten Commandments.  (Ok, I know, I'm a bit behind...but hey, better late than never, right?!)  

Have no other god other than the One true God.

Do not make any idol for yourself.

Do not take God's name in vain.

Do not profain the Sabbath.

Honor your father and mother.

Do not murder.

Do not commit adultery.

Do not steal.

Bear no false witness.

Do not covet.

In the commentary portion of the catechism, there is a quote from "The Doctrine of the Law of Grace Unfolded" in The Works of that Eminent Servant of Christ Mr. John Bunyan, Volume 3*, and I must re-quote it here because I could not say it better myself.

"The danger doth not lie in the breaking of one or two of these ten commandments only, but it doth lie even in the transgression of any one of them.  As you know, if a king should give forth ten particular commands, to be obeyed by his subjects upon pain of death; now, if any man doth transgress against any one of these ten, he doth commit treason, as if he had broke them all, and lieth liable to have the sentence of the law as certainly passed on him, as if he had broken every particular of them....  These things are clear as touching the law of God, as it is a covenant of works; If a man do fulfill nine of the commandments, and yet breaketh but one, that being broken will as surely destroy him, and shut him out from the joys of heaven, as if he had actually transgressed against them all....  Though thou shouldst fulfil this covenant or law, even all of it, for a long time, ten, twenty, forty, fifty, or threescore years; yet if thou do chance to slip, and break one of them but once before thou die, thou art also gone and lost by that covenant....  For, my friend, you must understand, that...as they that are under the covenant of grace shall surely be saved by it, so, even so, they that are under the covenant of works and the law, they shall surely be damned by it, if continuing therein....  Again, you must consider that this law doth not only condemn words and actions...but it hath authority to condemn the most secret thoughts of the heart, being evil, so that if thou do not speak any word that is evil, as swearing, lying, jesting, dissembling, or any other word that tendeth to, or savoureth of sin, yet if there should chance to pass but one vain thought through thy heart, but one in all thy lifetime, the law taketh hold of it, accuseth, and also will condemn thee for it....  And so likewise of all the rest of the commands, if there be any thought that is evil do but pass the heart, whether it be against God, or against man, in the leat measure, though possibly not discerned of thee, or by thee, yet the law takes hold of thee therefore, and doth by its authority, both cast, condemn, and execute thee for thy so doing." (emphasis mine)

*Edinburgh: Sands, Murray & Cochran, 1769, 245-247. 

Ouch! It's painful to hear, but it's so true and equally important to understand.  I believe it's important to reflect often upon our sinful state because the more we realize the sinner we are, the more thankful and amazed we will be at the amazing mercy and grace of our Savior.  I am a sinner, and as such I stand guilty and condemned in the face of the law.  BUT GOD!!!!!  I think those are my favorite two words in the whole Bible.  Oh, how we need a Savior!  

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved." (Eph. 2:4-5, ESV)

God is so holy, He cannot look on sin.  That's why He forsook His only Son, Jesus Christ, when he died on the cross.  My sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus, and because of that, God had to turn His face.  It was because of my sin.  Because I cannot keep the law.  Try as I may, I am guilty of breaking it.  

That's why I need a Savior.

Today I stand justified.  God looks at me now and sees his beloved Son.  Christ took my place, He has declared me righteous, and that's how God sees me today.  A sinner who has been forgiven.  A sinner saved by grace.  That's the only reason God can look at me now.  It has nothing to do with me.  I cannot keep the law, and He cannot look on sin.  BUT my sin has been nailed to the cross.  So now God looks at me and sees Christ's forgiveness and mercy and grace heaped upon my heart.  Righteousness.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!  I am UNBOUND from the chains of sin and the law, and I am BOUND to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  (And in case you didn't know, that's how the name of this blog was inspired.)  Praise be to God for His infinite grace!

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Easy Homemade All-Purpose Cleaners

Easy, Cheap, Green, and Powerfully Effective!

 

Several weeks ago, I made a comment on my facebook page that I buy vinegar by the gallons and go through it like water.  Thank you for all the good feedback and questions you asked! Today I'm finally getting around to updating my previous "DIY Non-Toxic Cleaners" post to answer your specific questions.

Basically, I keep two all-purpose cleaners in my house - one vinegar solution and one hydrogen peroxide solution.  Both ingredients are, of course, all natural, and are cleaning powerhouses when it comes to killing germs and bacteria. 

Typically, I wipe my kitchen down at the end of the day with my vinegar solution.  When I feel like I need a stronger disinfectant (for example, if I was handling raw meat or something), I would probably choose the peroxide solution.

Once I week, I disinfect by using both solutions.  I simply spray the vinegar solution, then immediately spray the peroxide solution over the vinegar solution.  Then wipe.  Studies show that this method of disinfection is MORE effective than any other household cleaner on the market! (You can check my previous post for references and resources).

Here are my recipes, but you really can't go wrong.  For milder cleaners, just dilute with more water; for super strong cleaners, don't dilute at all.  The following ratios work well for all my normal every-day cleaning.

Vinegar 

One part vinegar to one part water, plus a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Hydrogen Peroxide 

One part peroxide to two parts water, plus a few drops essential oil (optional)

Just a note on the essential oils... They're not a necessary ingredient to make your own cleaners, BUT they are beneficial for two reasons.  They make your solution smell nice (yay for NON-artificial fragrance!!), and depending on the oil you choose, they can BOOST cleaning power.  Both lemon essential oil and lemongrass essential oil have antibacterial and antiseptic properties.  I like lemongrass for the citrus scent with earthy undertones, and I add about 10 drops to my solutions.

Here are the main reasons I use these solutions:

1. Save money.

2. I have little children in the house, so I feel safer using non-toxic sprays.

Here are some ways I use my solutions:

1. Wipe down kitchen counters

2. Disinfect counters

3. Disinfect cutting boards

4. Clean bathroom counters

5. Clean tubs/showers

6. Spot-treat floors

7. Mop linoleum floors (I fill my swiffer with the vinegar solution...I know they make it nearly impossible to refill, but just ask your hubby to pry it open for you) :)

8. Clean mirrors (vinegar solution)

9. Clean windows (vinegar solution)

10. Clean tabletops

11. Wipe down cabinets

12. Laundry booster  - just straight vinegar or straight HP, non-diluted - I normally pour a little bit in with my detergent or in the fabric softener cup, to help clean towels...this method has really helped with my former smelly towel problem!  Also helpful for potty training laundry. ;)

Two other cleaning agents I keep on hand are baking soda and rubbing alcohol.

I use baking soda for:

1. laundry booster (interchangeably with the vinegar, as listed above)

2. Water stains and mildew spots in the tub and shower (I make a paste with soda and water, then scrub)

I use rubbing alcohol for:

Ink stains.  One of my kids "accidentally" drew on my white duvet a few months ago, and when I asked you all what to do, you said "try rubbing alcohol!"  Well, thank you for the advice because it worked!!  More recently, another one of my kids drew on my white rocking chair ottoman (again, it was a pure "accident" she said!).  I poured on the alcohol, then rubbed it with a cloth, and the stain disappeared right before my eyes!

Before:

After:

Try concocting your own solutions, and please let me know of any uses that I missed in the lists above, as I'm sure there are tons more!!

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