You are my Sunshine

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Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

I have to confess that I made this ice cream while we were in Costa Rica. I meant to post it for Valentine's Day last year, but... some pretty big life changes happened and my blog had to be put aside for a while. Now, I am slowly getting back into blogging and hope to share several recipes that have been sitting in my files since we moved to Honduras. 

Now, first out of the files I am bringing before you strawberries and chocolate... who doesn't love that combination?! There is something about them that just makes my taste buds dance with delight! Making ice cream with these two is purely delicious, but I couldn't stop there. I had to add some crunch and character... pecans and coconut flakes. Altogether, this makes a wonderful treat for Valentine's Day and any other day when you are in the mood for chocolates and strawberries with crunch & character  :o)

Look closely at the picture below... see that cute little hand sneaking in there? LOL! Tabi decided that she had to add some character to my pictures. Remember how she did that with the Strawberry Coconut Muffins? I can't believe how much she has grown since these pictures!

Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

• 3 cups whole milk and/or cream (or coconut milk)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot
• 1/2 cup raw honey or raw sugar (add more if you want it really sweet)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)

In a blender, mix milk, egg yolks, arrowroot, raw honey, vanilla & cocoa till smooth. Pour into a container and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Pour into your ice cream machine maker and follow the instructions.

About 5-8 minutes before ice cream is done. Pour in coconut flakes, pecans & strawberries.

Scoop out ice cream and either store it into a plastic container and let it set in the freezer or enjoy it right away!

NOTE: If you DON'T have a ice cream machine maker. Simply mix everything together, pour into a plastic container and put in freezer. When frozen, set it out and let it soften before putting it back into your blender.

It won't be chunky unless you choose to sprinkle the coconut, pecans & strawberries on like toppings, but the ice cream base will have the consistency of soft-served ice cream. So yummy!!


Enjoy this and hope you all have wonderful Valentine's Day... Especially you Daddio! Happy Birthday and enjoy your bowl below... wish I could make it for you on your special day.

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Meet The Little Man: Tobias Dayne

December 14th  -  2:30 am

Tobias:

"Believing the Lord is Good"

Dayne:

A hybrid to honor our Dads - David & Wayne

21"

9 lbs & 2 oz.

I am thrilled to introduce all of you to our third child and first son! He is beautiful and very tranquil. So far, he has been a easy baby and I am so grateful. I still can't believe we have a son! My girls are in love with him and can't stop kissing him. I am in love with him and can't stop staring at him. My hubby is in love with him and can't stop snuggling with him. Yes, we are madly in love with our new little guy  :o)


The birth was AMAZING and I am looking forward to sharing with you the birth story from the very beginning. We chose to do the birth ourselves... no midwife, no doctor... just family. I want to share with you how the Lord lend us to do this and how He made it very clear to me through several things. Can't wait to tell you all about it and hopefully it will be soon! Meanwhile, you can read two short versions about the birth on our RO4Y blog and/or my dad's blog. Enjoy!


Now, I need some help from you guys. Our little man needs clothes and all we have are the girls' old clothes... no way am I dressing him up in pink and purple frills! I registered at Target for clothes and ChildTrek for toys & books, but if you want to send used or handmade clothes and toys... we will appreciated it the same! Gift cards are also welcome because we can use them when we visit the states.


We are finding out that he is going to be a fast grower... he is already wearing most of his 3-6 months clothes that my mother-in-law was able to send down to us! Please choose 6 months and up if you are planning to send clothing for our little man. 


If you would like to bless Tobias with new, used or handmade clothes and toys... please contact me at marillynbeard@gmail.com and I will let you know where to send them!

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

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New Focus

Wow, it has been so long since the last post! I hope you all had a great summer, fun Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a blessed Christmas!


Now, from my heart, I want to thank those who took the time to personally email me during my long 8 months of silence. Many of those emails brought light to my dark days and left me in tears of gratitude because they were exactly what I needed to “hear” at the time I read them. I am grateful & amazed at how God uses people (especially those we’ve never met) to bring words of encouragement to strengthen us during our times of hardships & trials… I do not know many of you personally, but God used each one of you in a perfect way to encourage my family and me. Thank you! God is awesome!


We now have internet in our home and I am looking forward to blogging again, however the last 8 months of minimal internet has shown me where my focus now needs to be. My focus needs to be on my relationship with Christ, my family and the ministry. We also are expecting our third child anytime now! So, I will be busy raising two toddlers and a babe… I’m sure many of you mothers can understand the joy and challenges life bring raising 3 kids under 5 years old! Whew!


I want to keep this blog going because many of you have shared with me via emails and comments that the blog has been an encouragement, a blessing and very helpful. I’ve enjoyed the work I put into Just Making Noise and hope it will continue to be a blessing for many years to come!


I am looking forward to sharing with you all the birth of our third child and hope that will be very soon! Please keep us in your prayers.


Again… Thank you!
Love and Hugs,

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Naturally Pickled Cayenne

I hope everybody had a great week and enjoying their weekend! We are still in the states and now in Des Moines visiting our home church, family and friends. It has been good so far... but I am soooo ready to get back home to my kefir and lacto-ferments!!!! My body misses them a lot SO BAD... traveling isn't easy because we are out of our normal routine with food and life. We tend to eat fairly simple at home... more now then when we were living in Costa Rica. Because of our clean diet... eating foods that we are not used to eating really wears us out. Even food that are "organic" and "healthy" can make us a little queasy because of ingredients that have not been a normal part of our diet over the last several months.

Some of you might be wondering if we buy our own food... yes!! we typical stop by Trader Joe's or/and a local farmer's market to pick up food to snack & cook whenever we can. Some of the time we are eating at friends' houses or eating out with friends... which makes it hard on us because we aren't always in control of what we eat. We really make an effort to buy raw milk, cheeses and kombucha to help us along... but it is hard to find raw, plain kefir as the ones in the stores are pasteurized and not very good. I have kefir and lacto-ferments everyday at home... that's why I miss it so much! I know my hubby and girls do too!! I keep reminding myself... just a few more days and we will be home! Just a few more... LOL!!!!

Don't get me wrong... we do enjoy our visits to the states, but it does take a lot out of us! I'm sure most of you can understand. When it comes to real food... the best place to eat is in the comforts of your home. Right?!

Now I've got another lacto-fermented recipe for all those who LOVE hot, spicy peppers. The cayenne really give a huge kick in the mouth with their fire... especially when they are fermented! I just made a jar of pickled jalapenos which I'll have to share later, but we are still finishing up the pickled cayenne which I made over 8 months ago!!! Yeah! Crazy, huh? I love it and the flavor is wonderful... more so now then when I first made these guys. They are crazy spicy and will make you sweat if you eat too much... so... go easy first to see how much you can handle. They are addicting! My hubby and daddio LOVE them with almost everything.

The juice is fantastic for spicy up stews, soups and anything else you want to add some kick to! Usually 2 Tbsp is more than enough for a big pot of chili to give it some great heat. Save this recipe for this summer! I know many of you wonder what to do with all your extra hot peppers... this is a fantastic way to improve the flavor, increase nutritional value, store for the winter months and give away to your friends & family! I love how bright the colors come out after they are done fermenting... a great burst of summer right in your fridge during the dark, cold winter is a beautiful sight, yes?! Plus, I remember reading somewhere that hot peppers often prevent sickness and have the highest source of vitamin C... awesome!

Naturally Pickled Cayenne

• 1 lb cayenne peppers
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp whey (don’t have it? Add 1 tbsp sea salt)
• filtered water

Wearing gloves, wash & sliced peppers. Add sliced peppers to a quart jar and lightly press down to add more if needed. Add the chopped garlic on top.


Mix sea salt and whey. Pour over peppers and add filtered water till peppers are covered. Make sure to leave at least 1 inch of space between the peppers and the lid.


Cover tightly with an airlock or regular sealed lid. Leave in room temperature and out of light for 2-3 days.


It’s ready when you hear a fizzy sound and see bubbles when opening the jar.


Store in a cool place and out of light (pantry, basement or fridge). Will keep for up to 6 months (but I’ve had it last longer than that and it got spicier!).

If you haven't yet... please read how you can benefit from lacto-fermenting your food! Also, this post is part of Fight Back Fridays @ Food Renegade.


Don't forget to enter the giveaways and have a great weekend! Hugs......
Mare

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Lacto-Fermented Costa Rican Chilero

It has been a while since I’ve shared any new lacto-fermented recipes, but I’ve got a delicious one for you today!


I came across this chilero mixture at the San Ramon Feria from the organic stand a few months ago and we were hooked on that stuff. Of course, they pickled the chilero with white vinegar, so Jon urged me to make some chilero and lacto-ferment it to see if it would come out just as good or better.


Amazingly, on the first try, the lacto-fermented chilero came out better than the chilero we bought from the feria. Why shouldn’t it? Raw, living food shouts with pure goodness and makes our guts scream for more! LOL!


The spicy, sweet flavor was so addicting that we ate up the chilero in one meal! Yeah, it was that good! We were having baked potatoes and the chilero was the “cherry on top”… everybody loved it… even my girls were begging for more! I had to literally take the jar away to save what little was left so I could show you guys… which explains the pictures. LOL!

Costa Rican Chilero

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 meduim yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1-2 cayenne or jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp whey (don’t have it? add 1 tbsp sea salt)
• filtered water

Combine carrots, onion, peppers, garlic and scoop into a quart jar. Gently push down.

Mix together sea salt and whey. Pour into the jar.

Add enough water to cover the veggies. Make sure there’s at least one inch between the veggies and the top of the jar.

Cover tightly with either an airlock or regular sealed lid.

Keep at room temperature and out of light for 3 days before opening.

Store it in a cool place and out of light (pantry, basement or fridge).

Like all ferments... the longer you leave it, the better the flavors will become. If you are a little scared to start fermenting your food... read How You Can Benefit From Lacto-Fermented Foods! This Chilero is super EASY and a great start on your road to exploring lacto-fermenting. Enjoy and have a great day!

Mare


UPDATE: I know I missed the Lacto-fermented Blog carnival by Sustainable Eats, but I figure it would be better late then never. I'll be entering all my LF recipes along with the one. Check out all the recipes that other bloggers have posted! There are some great stuff there.

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Review & Giveaway: Heavenly Organics

Thanks to the people of Heavenly Organics, someone is going to have a big box of goodies showing up on their doorstep very soon!

Thank you everybody for your shouts, this giveaway is now close.

Mission Statement:
To produce and market 100% organic product with sustainable methods that preserves and nourishes the biodiversity of the planet, as well as the traditional people and cultures where our products are harvested and produced.

I stumbled across this small company last year and their products have become one of my favorites. Especially their sugar… they were not exaggerating when they claimed that a spoonful of their sugar is a taste of Heaven.

This heavenly sugar is from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and processed according to the ancient health science of Ayurveda that describes how to remove certain impurities from raw sugar cane that are not considered beneficial & causes a bitter taste:

The only certified 100% organic sugar available in the US market… Heavenly Sugar is purified with wild-crafted herbs to remove toxins that come from the bark of the sugar cane without removing the natural nutrients found in raw sugar cane juice. The purified sugar cane juice is then sun-dried, giving it the added vitality of the sun’s energy. The result is the healthiest and best tasting sugar in the world. Certified 100& Organic, Herbal-Purified, Sun-Dried, Great-Tasting, Whole-Cane Sugar.

Some of you might remember the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Ice Cream that I shared back in January. I decided to use Heavenly Sugar instead of raw honey and loved how the raw sugar gave the ice cream a smooth, rich taste. Have you tried it yet? My mouth is watering just thinking about it… I should make it sometime this week! Oh yeah!

Another thing I made with the raw sugar, but haven’t shared it with you all is my Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake. I will work on getting the recipe up soon… not only is it made with chocolate, but it is also gluten-free! Don’t worry, the taste and texture tastes very much like the original… just healthier, richer and better tasting (that’s my opinion). Can’t wait for you all to try out the recipe and let me know what you think!

Along with their raw sugar, I used their yummy sweetened condensed milk for the tres leches sauce. That stuff is so rich and creamy… oh my! I’m so glad I finally found a delicious source of organic SCM. What makes this stuff unique is the way they treat their cows:

The only organic “cow-friendly” sweetened condensed milk. Our cows & bulls are treated with TLC (tender loving care) and allowed to live their full life span peacefully & happily, they are never slaughtered. They are not confined to stalls and allowed to graze freely on virgin land and organic pastures. We do not separate the calves from their mothers, as in almost all other dairies. The result is a rich creamy sweetened condensed milk with sublime, heavenly flavor beyond compare.

Yeah, I agree… the flavor is sublime, but this is the first time I've ever worked with sweetened condensed milk... so I don't know how it compares to other brands. Does it really matter? I still have one can left and don't know what to do with it! LOL!

Anyway... Next, we enjoyed 3 different kinds of raw honey… Himalayan White Honey, Himalayan Acacia Honey & Rare Wild Forest Honey. Each has their own unique flavor and texture. We liked all the honeys, especially the creamy & rich White Honey. The most unique is the Chambal… the flavor seems almost medicinal due to the neem flowers that the bees feast on. We really enjoyed it in our weekly soaked oatmeal and homemade crackers. All of Heavenly Organics’ honeys are organic, raw, sustainable, fairly-traded and health-promoting… the Wild Forest is the only one that is wild-collected:

White Honey: This delicious rare, exotic, raw, organic honey is collected from high in the Himalayan Mountains (in Kashmir near the border of Ladakh). This region is far from the reach of pollution and modern agricultural chemicals. This delicious, multi-floral honey is light or “white” in color and has a smooth, unique flavor that slowly opens your senses to a multitude of exotic flowers as it lingers on the pallet.

Wild Forest: This honey is collected from the wild bee hives by indigenous tribes in the dense forest of Central India. This area is famous in South Asia for the collection of wild-crafted herbs used in the preparations of medicines according to the ancient Science of Life, Ayurveda. Our collection methods have prevented forest fires and supports the biodiversity of the forests by increasing the number of wild bee hives. This honey has unique, health-promoting properties owing to the blooming neem flowers. Please view the video to see the sustainable, cruelty-free and wild collection practices used in gathering our “Chambal” Wild Forest Honey.

We’ve enjoyed every bite of Heavenly Organics’ products. Another great thing to know about this small company is where they are located… in Fairfield, IA! If you didn’t know… I used to live in Des Moines, IA and Fairfield is probably about an hour or two away. This is great for those who live in the Midwest and care about buying things close by as much as possible.

Now, the Giveaway…
The awesome staff of Heavenly Organics have generously offered to giveaway TWO packets of their products… that means we will have 2 winners! Thanks guys!

Yeah, you read that right! Each packet will have 1 bag of Heavenly Sugar, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 3 jars of raw honey (one of each flavor). Now, it gets better… anybody in the WORLD can enter for a chance to win a packet! The only requirement is you must be able to pay for the shipping costs. I say it is worth it because you will get amazing free products valued just over $35.

Ways to Enter...

1. Subscribe for my email updates. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you signed up. You also get an entry if you've already subscribed...again, make sure you tell me that! (1 entry)
2. Follow my blog (publicly). Leave me a comment that you've become a follower. (1 entry)
3. Follow me on Twitter. Be sure to include your Twitter username in the comment telling me that you are following me. (1 entry)
4. Tweet the giveaway. Leave a comment with the URL of your tweet! (1 entry)
5. Friend me on Facebook and post about the giveaway on your Facebook status. Leave a noisy comment below telling me that you did those two things. (1 entry)
6. Become a Just Making Noise Fan on Facebook. Leave me a shout below telling me you became a fan. If you are already a fan... you get that entry! (1 entry)
7. Blog about the giveaway. Make sure to link back to this page on your blog. Comment below with the URL link of your post. (That is 2 extra entries!)
8. Email 4 friends about the giveaway. Make sure you put a link to this page on the email. Leave a comment below telling me that you emailed your friends. (That is 4 extra entries!)

Okay, there are a total of 8 entries and 12 opportunities to win. Good luck and have fun!

The Rules...
PLEASE, every comment must have an email address. The giveaway ends on May 31st and is open to ANYBODY in the WORLD! Please be prepared to pay for shipping costs.
I will choose the winner via Random.org and he/she will receive an email from me. The winner will be annouced on May 31st and will have 48 hours to contact me with his or her full name, address and phone number. Thank you!

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