Perfect Veggie Pizza

We love pizza at our house, so for lunch today I took my usual homemade pizza recipe and transformed it into a delicious vegetarian pizza.

Perfect Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

• 1 envelope active dry yeast (I use quick rising)
• 1-1/2 cups warm (not hot) water
• 1 Tablespoon organic sugar (next time I may try honey)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups organic brown rice flour (first time for me to replace bread flour with rice flour in my crust)
• 2 cups organic whole wheat flour
• organic cornmeal

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and wait about 5-10 min.  Add the sugar, salt, and flours (slowly). Stir to form a soft dough (may be sticky).
Turn onto a floured surface; knead about 5 min. Place in a bowl greased with olive oil, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour but you can cheat on the rising time and it will turn out fine. Punch down the dough. Press onto a pizza stone that's been greased with olive oil and sprinkled with cornmeal.  Add organic vegetarian toppings of your choice and drizzle with organic EV olive oil before baking. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and toppings are lightly browned.

Sauce  
1 small can organic tomato sauce
1 teaspoon organic oregano
1/2 teaspoon organic red pepper flakes
4 torn basil leaves

Toppings we like (all of the veges are organic on my pizza)
3/4 bag of daiya cheddar style shreds (This was my first time to use this dairy free cheese, and it actually turned out great!)
3 cloves minced garlic
asparagus
sliced mushrooms (I use Shiitake)
fresh spinach leaves
bell pepper (I used red)
red onion
seeded grape tomatoes
drained and chopped water packed artichoke hearts
sliced black olives

We also like a little organic grated Parmesan cheese on top of our pizza after it comes out of the oven. My healthy version of our favorite pizza recipe was a hit today....no leftovers!

UPDATE 5/22/11 - Since transitioning to vegan, we now use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. 

Our First Vegetarian Shopping List

Since choosing a healthier lifestyle last year and cleaning out our pantry of all processed foods, white flour, white rice, etc. we started buying grass fed beef, wild caught fish, and chicken without hormones or antibiotics. Because of the expense involved and after reading several books including Michael Pollan's Food Rules, Eat This and Live by Dr. Colbert, Crazy Sexy Diet, and the Veganist by Kathy Freston, we decided last month to cut our meat intake down to twice a week. For the past two weeks though, three out of the five of us (my oldest son and daughter still eat meat and junk food when they're out with their friends) have been exploring a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. The Savvy Vegetarian has 10 helpful tips that can be downloaded on her site.

      












Our Vegetarian (Not Vegan Quite Yet) Pantry and Fridge Makeover

Protein
tempeh (3 grain)
red quinoa
organic free range eggs (Since we live in a zoned subdivision, we can't raise our own backyard chickens for eggs.)
raw organic walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
organic ground flax seeds
organic soy milk
Boca meatless crumbles (for spaghetti and taco salad)
dried 13 bean mixture (I throw away the seasoning packet)
frozen organic shelled edamame beans
lentils

Grains (organic)
short grain brown rice
wild rice
wheat berries
steel cut Irish oats
couscous
whole wheat and brown rice pasta
sprouted grain bread (in the freezer section at grocery store)
red quinoa
organic brown rice flour
wheat flour
wheat tortillas (in the refrigerated section at our local health store)
Kashi cereal

Canned Foods
organic vegetable broth
Pacific Natural Foods organic red pepper & tomato soup (We only get 30 min. at school for lunch, so this makes a great, quick meal)
organic black beans, chick peas, and black eye peas
organic fat free refried beans
artichoke hearts
black olives
organic diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

Produce
Whatever we can't find that's fresh, organic and seasonal, we buy organic frozen instead. We also buy frozen fruits for our smoothies which includes: Acai, wild blueberries, mango, pinapple, strawberries, and blackberries. Last year was the first time we attempted organic backyard gardening. This year, we plan to expand our garden, so hopefully we be able to grow more of our own product. We also bought a sprouting kit, and we grow broccoli, alfalfa, and mung bean sprouts weekly.

Beverages
organic soy milk
almond milk
coconut milk (we put a little bit in our smoothies)
organic coffee beans
organic white and green tea
nettle tea (for my seasonal allergies)
organic wine - The only brands I've tried that I like so far are Frey's Gewurztraminer , Pacific Rim Organic Riesling , and Bonterra's Chardonnay and Merlot

Snacks
organic popcorn
organic blue corn tortilla chips
Dr. Cracker Organic Seedlander crackers
Kashi granola bars

Misc. 
extra virgin coconut oil
organic extra virgin olive oil
organic grapeseed oil
organic peanut oil
organic garlic (fresh and powder)
organic turmeric, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, cinnamon etc.
stevia sweetner
local honey
pure maple syrup
dried miso soup mix
organic dark chocolate 70%+
pink Himalayan salt

Being the daughter of a meat cutter, I never thought that I'd be able to go two weeks without meat. My husband (6' 2" and was 260 lbs.) has already lost 20 lbs. this month and doesn't feel hungry. We both have more energy and feel better. Hopefully, we'll be able to sustain this healthy lifestyle change.

Lip Balm

What would an organic DIY blog be without a recipe for lip balm? Let me Google a lip balm recipe for you and you'll find oodles of different concoctions.  The common ingredient for most lip balm recipes is beeswax. I purchase quite a bit of my supplies from Amazon since we have one natural food store where we live, Basic Foods, which is somewhat limited. You can also find beeswax at Mountain Rose Herbs. The next time I buy beeswax (which will probably be years from now since it takes such a small amount), I'll get the pellets so I don't have to grate it.  

I guess I put too much beeswax in my first batch, so I ended up throwing it out (I should have just remelted it and added more oil.)  On my second attempt, I used this recipe with coconut oil, jojoba oil, beeswax, and beet juice as a tint. The beet juice and oils didn't mix well for me. I tweaked the Peppermint Cocoa Lip Balm recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs site on my third try, and it turned out fabulous. The cocoa butter gives this balm a hint of chocolate flavor.

Cocoa Butter & Honey Lip Balm

1 Tablespoon pure cocoa butter

1 Tablespoon organic jojoba oil

1 Tablespoon almond oil

2 teaspoons grated beeswax (or pellets)

1/4 teaspoon local honey

(Most lip balm recipes recommend that you squeeze 1 capsule of vitamin E after the oils are melted, but I didn't put any in mine this time.)

Place the cocoa butter, beeswax, and oils in a small Pyrex measuring cup (I used a small glass) and heat in the top of a double boiler (I just use a frying pan) until the butter and beeswax have melted (it takes a while for the wax to completely melt). Once it's melted, remove from the stove and add a small drop of honey and capsule Vitamin E Oil (optional but recommended in most recipes). Immediately pour the mixture into containers. I couldn't find any BPA free plastic tubes, so I purchased 1/2 oz. lip balm tins from Mountain Rose Herbs (or you could reuse any small glass container). Allow your balm to completely cool before placing the caps on.  This recipe makes exactly enough for two 1/2 oz. containers.  Enjoy!

Body Lotion

There are many body lotion recipes on Tipnut. By far, our favorite homemade lotion recipe comes from the Sonoma Garden Blog. Cute gift labels for the top of your lotion jars are even included as a free download on this blog. I've made several batches of this recipe, and it's come out perfect every time. The only difference that I make is I use about 5 drops of lavender oil instead of the recommended 24-36 drops. We also use this lotion all over our bodies (especially during the winter) instead of just on our hands. My husband loves it on his tired feet!

My variation of the recipe:

1 1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup emulsifying wax (We purchase ours from Mountain Rose Herbs.)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (organic is always best)
A few drops of your favorite essential oil 

The Sonoma Blog instructs you to microwave the EVO and emulsifying wax for about a minute. I try to avoid using our microwave (some studies suggest that microwaving kills nutrients), so I melt the wax and oil in a pyrex measuring cup that I put in a pan of almost boiling water on top of the stove. Once it's melted, I add a few drops of lavender oil to the mixture. I do use the microwave to heat the 1 1/4 cups of water (I use purified water instead of tap water) for exactly 1 minute before I stir it in to the oil & wax mixture.

We used to spend money on expensive body lotions from various retailers and still had dry skin. Now, we spend a fraction of the cost,  and our skin feels better than it did in our twenties!

Brown Sugar Scrub

Making our own skin exfoliate has been the quickest and easiest body products we've replaced so far. Just two ingredients: about a cup of brown sugar and half cup or so of extra virgin olive oil. Mix the two ingredients in a glass container (we reuse glass containers with screw lids) massage gently into your skin, and rinse with water (no need for soap). The sugar removes dead skin and your skin will remain soft as a baby from the olive oil. We even use it on our faces and lips (don't rub hard). At first, we were a little worried that the olive oil would break our faces out, but it's done just the opposite......and we've been using it twice a week for the past year. You can find more body scrub recipes all over the web including Martha Stewart's site which includes cute labels for gifts, but personally, we like the ease, cost, and results of this recipe.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Much to my three teenagers dismay, my husband and I (who are busy educators in Southeast Texas) decided to start living a healthier, greener, and simpler life style. We planted our first organic garden, started eliminating chemicals and processed foods from our home, and began reading more about health & fitness.

My first experiment in making homemade cleaning products was this laundry detergent. Not only did I find it much more cost effective, but I like the idea of controlling ingredients in the products we use on our bodies. One of my friends, who works at a day spa, told me about the different recipes for homemade cleaners at Tipnut. After playing around with several of their recipes and watching this how to video on You Tube, I tweaked one that actually works well for our family.....even on my son's stinkiest gym clothes.

RECIPE
enough hot water to fill 1/4 of a large stock pot
1 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda...you should be able to find it in the laundry detergent section)
1/2 cup Borax (you'll find this in the laundry detergent section too)
1 bar ivory soap
Optional: 5 drops of an essential oil such as lavender or tea tree oil

• Grate the Ivory Soap with a cheese grater (very quick and easy to do)
  
• Add to stock pot that's 1/4 full of water
  
• Stir over medium heat until soap dissolves and is completely melted
  
• Add the Borax and Washing Soda and stir until it doesn't feel grainy on bottom of the pan
  
• Remove from heat and top the stock pot full of water.
  
• Add 10 drops of essential oil if desired (I usually leave the oil out.)
• This mixture will gel once it cools.
• Use 1 cup per load. (We use a large soup ladle and use one scoop per load) stirring soap before each use.
  

You're clothes won't come out smelling like perfume, but they will smell fresh and be stain free. I also add a little white vinegar to the liquid softener dispenser in the washer for loads that have clothes more prone to static.

Who knows....we may even start hanging our clothes out to dry on a clothes line this year! Won't my kids just love that?