As a young child, I spent my days at daycare while my mom worked. Some of my earliest memories are spending time in the kitchen with the daycare cook helping and watching. I also remember telling that sweet cook that I was allergic to spinach and couldn't eat it or I would get verrry sick. I don't think she believed me, but she never made me eat that gross canned stuff~ thank God.
Growing up in the 80's, in the height of convenience food, meant loads of canned vegetables and TV dinners. Farmers markets, if they were around, didn't make an appearance in our suburb either.
Last week I was reading one of my favorite blogs and Molly was swooning over bok choy. Oh how I wish I could soon over things like bok choy! I may occasionally swoon over steamed broccoli, but never bok choy.
We've been organizing our books recently and I came across a book I had forgotten about. This book goes along with the popular book Prescription for Nutritional Healing and is reminding me once again, how important vegetables are in our diets. They are so vital to our health! Obviously, I knew this, but its great to be reminded of their power and effectiveness.
So I am working in more vegetables throughout the day. To start sneaking them in (I have to sneak them in on myself), I juiced some beets, carrots and kale (gagged on the smell of kale juice), mixed it all together and froze the concoction into ice cube trays. Now each morning I take one of the potent juice ice cubes and add it to my smoothie. See! I am such a healthy eater! Beets and kale right off the bat.
Adding shredded red cabbage to our salads and extra veggies is also not so bad.
The best of all was the carrot bread made this weekend that has been declared Canaan's favorite. He has even asked for this to be his birthday "cake". Little did he know, it wasn't pumpkin bread (like he thought), but carrot bread made with whole wheat flour, no sugar, but with lots of carrots and even some beets.
(All that was left when I woke up this morning)
Canaan's Favorite Carrot Bread
• ½ cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups king Arthur whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup grated carrots (as finely grated as you can get)
• ½ cup applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 Degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
1. In a large bowl, beat together the nectar, apple juice and oil. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl while stirring occasionally. Beat the eggs together, and gradually stir into the batter until everything is combined. Mix in carrots, vanilla and applesauce until well combined. (if the batter is a little thick, you can thin it with a bit of water or juice) Pour batter into prepared pan.
2.Bake on middle rack for 60 minutes, or until it tests done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.