I have moved!!

I have moved to The Everyday Rachel blogspot.  I no longer live in an apartment so the blog title doesn't fit anymore and I wanted to expand the blog into other areas as well.  Please visit me at:
theeverydayrachel.blogspot.com

Reusable snack/sandwich bags

My latest project:  Reusable sandwich/snack/food bags.

This one is large enough to put in a wrap, plus a smaller bag with celery sticks or baby carrots.
I made the seams on the outside on this one, made matching bias fabric to cover the seams.  This one is also lined with water proof fabric.  Just wipe clean and reuse!
No more plastic sandwich bags for us! 
Just use, wash and reuse!

Quinoa

What's New and Beneficial About Quinoa

• The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially declared that the year 2013 be recognized as "The International Year of the Quinoa." Proposed by the government of Bolivia and receiving strong support from many Central and South American countries, quinoa has now been singled out by the FAO as a food with "high nutritive value," impressive biodiversity, and an important role to play in the achievement of food security worldwide. We realize that quinoa remains unfamiliar to many people, especially in the practical sense of cooking and recipes. But we hope that situation will change, given the remarkable nature of this easily-prepared, nutrient-rich food.
• Researchers have recently taken a close look at certain antioxidant phytonutrients in quinoa, and two flavonoid—quercetin and kaempferol—are now known to be provided by quinoa in especially concentrated amounts. In fact, the concentration of these two flavonoids in quinoa can sometimes be greater than their concentration in high-flavonoid berries like cranberry or lingonberry.
• Recent studies are providing us with a greatly expanded list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa. This unique combination of anti-inflammatory compounds in quinoa may be the key to understanding preliminary animal studies that show decreased risk of inflammation-related problems (including obesity) when animals are fed quinoa on a daily basis. The list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa is now known to include: polysaccharides like arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans; hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids; flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol; and saponins including molecules derived from oleanic acid, hederagenin and serjanic acid. Small amounts of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are also provided by quinoa.

re-posted in part from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Black Bean Burgers

I have had a few request for my Black Bean Burgers....so here goes.
Adjust recipe to your taste.  I like mine a little spicy!
I roast garlic and peppers in the oven and then divide them to use in several dishes throughout the week.

1/2 cup cooked Quinoa (pronounced Keenwaa).  Cooked rice can be substituted.
1 can black beans
Roasted green, red & yellow bell peppers ( I use about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup sauteed shredded carrots, chopped
2 cloves roasted garlic
2 eggs
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs gound cumin
1/2 bread crumbs

I use a hand potatoe masher to mash the black beans but they can also be put in the food processor.
In food processor pulse once or twice the roasted peppers, garlic.  Add mixture to black beans. 
Add eggs to mixture and mix well.
Add enough bread crumbs and Quinoa to make a firm textured patty.
Fry patties using a teaspoon coconut oil.

Spicy Quacamole topping
1 small avacodo
1/4 cup Garbonzo beans (canned or cooked)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tbs jarred jalapenoes with 1/2 tsp jalapeno juice
Process in food processor until desired smoothness

top cooked Black Bean Burger with Spicy Quacamole sauce, some sauteed carrots
Soooo Good!

Mikarose dress giveaway!

http://doityourselfdivas.blogspot.com/2012/07/mikarose-dress-giveaway.html
Check out this givaway! 
It is nice to see nice womens closthes that are modest

Stay Tuned for Rachel's Homemade Laundry Detergent!

I will be re-opening my etsy shop soon!

I am now making my own laundry soap! 
It will be available in my etsy shop in a few weeks.

It doesn't "suds up" like other detergents, but it gets clothes really clean!
There will be several different ones to chose from.
I will have Regular detergent and sensitive skin detergent

I will also have a stain remover for you in the shop!
I will post the re-open date my store soon, so please stay tuned!

Have you heard? Black Rice is the new "it" super food!

Black Rice Pudding with sweetened coconut

Black Rice is becoming the new "it" organic food and the attention it is getting is well deserved.  The myriad of health benefits that this super food provides are staggering. 

Health Benefits     

The consumption of black rice has shown evidence of decreases in risk for heart disease and cancer.  High blood pressure, circulation and overall health seems to be maintained well by those who have added black rice to their diet.
Black rice has anti-inflammatory properties and is considered to be an excellent source of antioxidants.   This is important because heart disease is caused by inflammation.  We want to keep inflammation out of our bodies!
              

prevention of cancer

prevention of diabetes

prevention of heart disease

prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Prevention of Heart Attacks

Black rice is typically sold as an unmilled rice, meaning that the fiber-rich black husks of the rice are not removed.

Soaking and cooking reveals the true color of the rice-purple!  Because Black Rice retains it's hard outer shell, it is best to soak the rice overnight before cooking.
I measure out my rice, cover with twice the amount of water, cover and put in the refrigerator overnight.  I have left it in the refrigerator for a couple of days before cooking and it has been o.k.

Black Rice is a sticky glutenous rice which makes it perfect for desserts.  Black Rice can be cooked with plain water or juice.  I prefer cooking with coconut water.

To cook Black Rice: Soak black rice overnight.  Rinse the soaked rice and cook in rice cooker as you would white or brown rice.  If there is still liquid on top of the rice when it has finished cooking, just stir it into the rice.  the rice will absorb any extra liquid.

If you do not soak the Black Rice before cooking, it will take three times longer to cook!

This photo is of the black rice soaking.  The water turns purple as it soaks.

                            
For Black Rice pudding:
Coconut water (2 cups of coconut water to every cup of rice) and 3 tsp of raw sugar to the Black Rice in rice cooker. Cook according to rice cooker manufacturers directions. When the rice has cooled, spoon rice into dessert dishes, pour on a little chilled coconut milk and top with sweetened coconut flakes. Yum!