Jamaican Quinoa

Jamaican Quinoa

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa (rinsed and drained)
1 can coconut milk (I love Natural Value Brand because it doesn't contain any fillers)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small onion or 2 stalks scallion, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
~1 2/3 cup water

In a 4 cup measuring cup, add all ingredients except quinoa. Pour the water in last, making up the difference between the liquid already in the cup and the 4 cup mark.

Incorporate the liquid and quinoa in the Instant Pot liner. Set the IP on the Rice setting for 8 minutes with NPR. Or poor all of this into a rice maker. I have a Miracle Pot that I purchased before I learned about the Instant Pot, so I make Jamaican Quinoa & IP Jerk Chicken side by side for a fast meal.

For a more authentic appeal, but definitely not paleo, include some beans or "peas." To do this, pre-soak or "quick soak" with the IP 1 cup red kidney beans. They turn out prettier if you soak overnight, but if your like me the quick soak can save you when you forget to set them out the night before. After soaking, cook the beans with 2 cups water in the IP set on Beans for 10 minutes. Use the quick pressure release and drain any extra water. Now follow the recipe above. If you are going to try this in a rice cooker, the beans have to be fully cooked. You would use 18oz cooked (or canned) red, kidney beans & follow the recipe above adding the beans at the same time you add the liquid and quinoa.

Serves 4

Modified from a recipe from cooklikeajamaican.com

Instant Pot Jerk Chicken

Instant Pot Jerk Chicken

Served with Jamaican Flavored Quinoa

Ingredients: 

Jerk Seasoning-

3 scallions

4 large cloves of garlic

1 small onion

4 to 5 fresh Scotch Bonnet, Habanero Chile, or Jalapenos (listed in order of heat), stemmed and seeded

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or Coconut Aminos 

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup

1 tbsp thyme   

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp ground allspice

2 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients for the sauce in your blender or food processor.

Place 3-6 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken in your IP liner. It can be any mixture of light and dark meat that you prefer, just be sure you do not fill the pot more than 2/3 full. Pour the sauce in and stir to incorporate. After closing the pot, set the IP to 9 minutes on the Poultry Setting with NPR. 

Remove the lid and shred the chicken. My favorite way to shred IP or crockpot meats is using my KitchenAid mixer. To do this, place up to 3 pounds of the cooked chicken into the bowl of your mixer with the flat paddle attached. Do not scrape the sauce off the chicken as you transfer it into the mixer. You will want a bit of sauce for flavor, so leave it sloppy. You will also want to use your splatter guard if you have one. Slowly turn the mixer on to a medium speed and allow it to shred your chicken in a mater of seconds. Of course you can always shred the chicken by hand using two forks, if you prefer.

** If you don't have an IP you can make Grilled Jerk Chicken, which inspired this IP conversion!

Jamaican Quinoa recipe is coming tomorrow!

Easiest Baby Cookies Ever

Easiest Baby Cookies Ever

 

And they are healthy!

Sweet Potato Finger Cookies

Ingredients:

Organic Sweet Potatoes

Melted Coconut Oil (optional) 

 

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Remove ends. Slice the potato in ~1/4 inch slices, taking care to keep them lined up as if the potato was still whole. If you have a thick potato, you may need to slice it in half down the length of the potato first. 

Carefully transfer the slices to a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

 

You can lightly baste the tops of the potatoes with melted coconut oil to prevent brown, crispy edges. Sweet Pea likes to sink her teeth into the crispy bits, so I skip the coconut oil.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. The slices should be soft when you remove them from the oven. 

The first couple slices on each end may have hardened and not be appropriate for baby. That's ok, they can be the momma tax.

You can make just one potato, but I like to make at least 5 at a time. Might as well fill up the cookie sheet! And, Sean loves these for breakfast too. Just sprinkle them with a little cinnamon before serving. If there is any left after breakfast, I'll divide them into 4oz canning jars and pop them in the freezer. 

When I cook for Sweet Pea, I like to make plenty of extra to put in the freezer. Each morning I remove a variety of jars for Sweet Pea's meals. I can either let them defrost in the refrigerator over night or defrost them in the oven. I prefer the oven method. I remove the lids and put the jars on a cookie sheet in a warm oven for about 10 minutes while she drinks her first bottle. By the time she finishes her bottle, her breakfast has defrosted. Today she's having ground beef, garlic zucchini, and purple sweet potato cookies. Can you guess which one she went for first?

 

Lactation Cookies- Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Egg, & Refined Sugar Free (Nut free option)

Lactation Cookies/No Bake Refrigerator Cookies

Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Egg, & Refined Sugar Free

Nut & Chocolate Free Versions 

 

1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, or your favorite seed butter
1/3 cup sweetner of choice (maple syrup, coconut crystals, honey, etc)
3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/2 cup Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds (optional, but if you don't use them you may need more oats)
1/4 to 1 cup flax meal (how much fiber do you want)
4 tbsp brewer's yeast  
3 cups or less Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (if you need it to be GF, be sure to buy GF oats)

  
  

Melt coconut oil & nut/seed butter in a large pot over a medium low heat. Add your sweetner of choice. Stir till it melts in. Turn off the heat. 

 

Add cocoa powder, salt, flax, pumpkin seeds &  brewers yeast. Stir well. 

 

Slowly add oats till you reach the desired consistency. It most likely won't take all 3 cups unless you have omitted the flax and pumpkin seeds. Taste test & adjust flavor to your liking. This is the point where I typically derail and the mixture never makes it to the next step. I just sit back with a bowl of deliciousness. Who needs cookies, I've got a spoon!

 

Spread mixture so that it is about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick on a jelly roll pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate till solid but still soft, about 30 minutes. If you miss the point that they are easy to cut, you can always let them sit out on the counter till they are just right. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They also freeze well, but will need to partially defrost before serving.

Note* I never make these in a single batch. I typically make this recipe in a large stock pot and quadruple the recipe, which fits nicely onto two of my large jelly roll pans.

*Chocolate Free Version- 

These are still delicious without the chocolate. I'd add 1 tsp of vanilla and some dried fruit for pizzazz. Cherries are my favorite. If you use large pieces of fruit, such as dried apricots, be sure to chop them before adding to the melted mixture.

**Non Lactation Version- 

Leave out the brewer's yeast.

Well, we've been busy since the last post! We have found an agency that we love!!!

We went to orientation at the beginning of March and fell in love with the staff at Christian Homes & Family Services. They have such a heart for all who are involved in the adoption process. They have an apartment complex just for birth moms to utilize if they need a place to stay. They provide counseling to all involved before and after the adoption. And you can just hear how much they love birth moms, adoptees, and adoptive families.

I was amazed with everyone we met and our social worker, Sharla, already feels like she has been a family friend for years. Sean's favorite part of orientation was the panel discussions. The agency brought in 3 adult women who had been adopted, 4 birth moms, & 2 couples who have recently finalized their adoptions. Each group was given a chance to speak to us and we were able to ask any questions we needed. All in all it was an amazing weekend & we were well prepared for completing our home study.

Typically after orientation it take 6-8 months to complete your home study, which includes stacks of paperwork, fingerprinting, disaster planning (yes, we have an escape route posted in our kitchen), fire marshal inspection, letters from our doctor, letters from our pastor, references, CPR & first aide classes, financial records, an interview with a social worker, writing a letter to the birth mom, putting together a family profile & scrapbook, and lastly the social worker visits to our home. I'm happy to say that we have completed all of these things in just under 2 months!!! Ok, so I'm still nit picking my scrapbook, but it's almost done.

So now we wait... wait to be selected by the birth mother of our future child! We wait and we pray. We pray that her journey to us be filled with people who love her and guide her towards Christ's unconditional love. We pray that she may find Christian Homes quickly so that that can help bear her burdens as she makes a difficult decision. We pray that she is wrapped in the love of Christ & can feel our prayers. We hope that you will pray with us too!

 

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13 

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:16

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1

 

If you happen to run into a pregnant women in need of support, please don't hesitate to give her our blog or the following contact information for Christian Homes & Family Services.

Christian Homes & Family Services

Toll free 1.800.592.4725

www.ChristianHomes.com

 

Happy New Year!

May 2014 be full of love & laughter!

Dear Friends & Family,

Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog! We are very excited about our new adventure and anxious to share our plans with you. We hope that 2014 will fill your home with love and laughter as well as fill ours with another member of the family. Last year Sean and I decided we would like to pursue adoption, as a way to expand our little family. As many of you may know, my father and two of his siblings are adopted. Adoption has always been something I wanted to pursue. I am so very thankful that God blessed me with a husband whose desires mirror my own.

We are both blessed to have families who are more than supportive of our decision and friends who are anxiously awaiting the day when we announce we have found a little one with whom we will be a forever family. We can't do this alone.

We have spoken with several adoption agencies in DFW & a few across Texas. They all tell us the same thing: not nearly as many babies are being placed for adoption as in years past. As a result, each agency has a pre-waiting list before orientation and starting the home study process. In March it will be a year since we submitted our first application for a pre-waiting list. At that time, the agencies were hoping to provide an orientation in July, but it was postponed to September, then December, now February. We have been told that once we complete orientation it will most likely take eight months to complete the necessary paperwork and home study, before our family profile will be presented to birth moms for selection. While we are waiting patiently to see what God has planned for us, we are preparing for our home study and completing our State Minimum Standards, in hopes of speeding along our home study process when the opportunity comes.

In the meantime, we would love to have your support, by keeping alert for birth families that may be considering adoption. This is the true purpose of this blog, to communicate with birth families who might consider us an option as a forever family for their child. By now, you all should have received New Years cards and a few business cards with our adoption contact information (I've also listed it at the end of this page). Please feel free to pass these along to your friends, family, pastors, physicians, or anyone else. If you run out & need more, please let us know & we will send them!

In the next few weeks we will be posting more information about us, our families, & our hopes. Feel free to check this blog from time to time, or don’t hesitate to call us, for an update!

Wishing you all the very happiest New Year! 

May 2014 be full and overflowing with love and laughter!

 

Love,

Sean & Celeste

Toll-Free: 1(855)378-7947

Email: Sean.Celeste.Adopt@gmail.com

Blog: www.GraftedLove.blogspot.com