My Nature Box!

 

I love Nature Box!
This is what I received in my first box!

These Pistachio Power Clusters arrived instead of
 Pear Praline Crunch Granola .... and they are a big hit with my husband!

 The Apple Orchards Granola is so moist and delicious I eat it right out of the bag.

 Cranberry Jubilee is also quite delicious!








The Citrus Chipotle Chickpeas were a bit spicy but I think they are good for what they are. As I have never been a big fan of chickpeas I wasn't expecting much. I am considering blending some into a powder to bread things in. Maybe some cauliflower or chicken!
These would also be good on flavor coordinated salad.



Somehow I failed to take a picture of the Granny Smith Apples I received. They were so very good! No sugar, nothing added, just apples!

Here are all my little munch time soldiers ready to battle hunger!



Not getting paid for this review either.
I just LOVE food and think everyone should have access to great information about fantastic products.

Box review for month two coming soon!

Messy Veggie Lasagna

I started out going to make these lasagna roll things.
It seemed easy enough and then all of my gluten free lasagna just fell apart when I tried to cook it... I fed it to the dogs. They really enjoy my failed attempts at cooking!


I usually make homemade spaghetti sauce on top of the stove. But I have been dying to test out the hot soups option on my Vitamix.

Tomato Sauce
1 (28oz) Can Plum Tomatoes with Basil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. Oregano
Garlic Powder - to taste
Onion Powder - to taste

Blend using Hot Soup setting. It is certainly hot!

The Hot Soup setting runs for 5 minutes. I was unable to find this information anywhere online or in the books so I am putting it out there.

After my lasagna was a flop I made some wheat pasta.
You'll need a 6 qt baking dish.
I put some tomato sauce in the bottom first just to coat.
16 ounces of pasta cooked
2 cups baby spinach (could have used more but with kids I didn't want it too green and mushy)

 8-10 grape tomatoes chopped seeds removed and about 10 ounces of mushrooms chopped.







Blend together

1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
2 c. mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 c. parmesan (mine had seasonings)
Add to the pan!

You probably want to mix as you go! I didn't for picture reasons... and that just made it harder on myself. Mix between your layers!

 I added about
2 cups of my tomato sauce
Mix evenly
Add a sprinkling of cheese.






Mid-sprinkle photo! The sauce is kind of pink
from blending with the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes


Magic!









Messy Veggie Lasagna

16 ounces of pasta cooked
2 cups baby spinach
 8-10 grape tomatoes chopped seeds removed 
10 ounces of mushrooms chopped.
Cheese Mixture

• 1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
• 2 c. mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. parmesan

2 cups Tomato Sauce

• 1 (28oz) Can Plum Tomatoes with Basil
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. Oregano
• Garlic Powder - to taste
• Onion Powder - to taste

Add a sprinkling of cheese. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Vitamix

Firstly I must tell you. I am the very proud owner of a Vitamix blender (I am not getting paid for this). A blender I have lusted over for the past two years.
True story.

December 31, 2012 - HAPPY NEW YEAR - we bought a NutriBullet which I liked a lot. But we bought this because I felt insane for wanting such an expensive blender.
After 11 months the seal became weak and smoothie leaked all down inside the NutriBullet.
The motor is fine. But the gears are stuck and sticky and just a mess. I cleaned it up as best I could. Which was not very good at all because smoothie dried under plastic and I stored it away in the original packaging because I save the boxes and inserts/receipts until the warranty expires. I am THAT person. Guilty!
Tediously saving these things got my Keurig replaced when it broke within 90 days of purchase. Take that box-thrower-awayers!

I'm hoping to give it a new home with someone who will take it apart and clean it up!

Oh yes... Vitamix .... I feel like a jingle belongs here...
Vitamix Vitamix blends and crushes Vitamix makes life so wonderfullllllll and delicious.... moving on....

The Vitamix is a large blender. It likely will not fit under cabinets.
I knew this and picked a good location to put it.
I keep the container and tamper in the cabinet above the base. I also keep two bottles of water in there in the event that I don't have any readily filtered. 

With the Vitamix Blender I also received this recipe book, also amazing!
Additionally included was a getting started DVD (didn't watch it yet) and some instruction manuals.

Smoothies for everyone!

My photography skills/equipment are extremely limited but I'm trying guys! I'm trying.

This is some Watermelon Lemonade I made. Stay tuned for more pictures and a recipe!

We use our Vitamix 2-4 times a day and are so satisfied with our purchase. What's more, we bought a certified reconditioned blender. I trusted what others said about them being just like new and the warranty is still amazing(5 years instead of 7)! It saved us hundreds of dollars and everyone likes that!

Arts and Fun (Woah! 100th Blog!)

 Art Stuff

Because you have to do it, even if you're not very good at it yourself!
We've worked on some pointalism projects.

They really just wanted to finger paint. After they got that out of their systems they were able to do the project.

 We have had some fun with clay too.

Gavin and Cambria both found the hardest part

 to be deciding what to make.

Arayla didn't have that problem so much. 

She started rolling and squishing right away.

 Gavin made these guys. It is related to minecraft videos he watches on youtube. I am supposed to email this to the person who does the videos. I need to get to it! (I'm pretty sure someone snagged extra clay from his sisters.)

 Cambria made this little chick egg critter.

Arayla made this person. 

We have also worked on bean mosaics.

I'm pretty sure we got beans everywhere!

The girls made cats.
Gavin made a tree and a rain cloud.

We roll balls of cute little dough! 

 We bake....

 We yoga!

 We picnic inside when it snows!

Planting Seeds Growing Food

Spring is here!We are trying to expand our garden this year and that starts with seeds! We worked together to start our seeds.

They really loved the cool water bottle that their dad made for them by poking a hole in the cap. Cambria helped to water the seeds once they were planted. 

Arayla really wants to grow healthy and strong.
She is excited to be growing her own food. 

We may have dropped a few seeds into the wrong places.
"Oops is that ok?"
It sure is! :)

We'll be having zucchini and squash.
Carrots. 

Green onions. 

Tomatoes and peppers too! 

 We have been discussing nutrition for science/health topics. What better way to bring a discussion about good food choices into life than with a garden!

Gavin is a very precise seed planter. He helped with some of the smaller seeds. Like the bok choy.














Stay tuned for more in the garden fun!