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FamilyNutrition, Life Thoughts and Adventures

Hi, I'm Coreen Ward.

Welcome to my blog. 

I am a mother to one sweet boy,

wife to one supportive husband,

owner of one crazy hairless cat,

and an explorer to one adventurous life.  

I teach pilates and am a nutrition enthusiast with a fascination for functional medicine. 

I love sharing nutrition tips, recipes and creative solutions for the whole family.

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  • Writer: Coreen Ward
    Coreen Ward
  • Oct 30, 2018
  • 2 min read

Kombucha is all the rage with us hippies. We buy it. We drink it. And now we make it. Does it work? Who knows. It reminds me of the amber necklaces we bought for our kids to help with teething. We would look to other mothers with their amber laden children and ask.

"Does that work?"

And the answer would be a resounding. "I think so...maybe...Yeah, I think it does...I don't know"


Komucha is the same for me. Not to get too personal, but I have no issues with my bowels. I have a pretty regular, happy gut. Tests could prove me wrong perhaps, but I have no complaints.

So, when someone asks

"Does Kombucha work?"

I answer, "It may, give it a try and see for yourself!"

Getting any natural form of probiotic and a boost of immunity is alright in my book.

Besides, it has been around a very long time. China started it back in 221 BC calling it "The Tea of Immortality".

Now we sell it with fancy bottles for $4 a pop (or more if made by an official hipster).


Making it yourself is much cheaper and not as hard as you would think.

This is my first batch and I am experimenting with flavor and timing.

I tried elderberry and ginger with a half black tea/ half jasmin green tea base.


All Kombuchas are tea based with a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). SCOBY is similar to a mother of vinegar. Adding sugar to your mix helps fermentation which gives .5% alcohol by volume. Not enough to get drunk or even buzzed, so don't even try it for that purpose.

There are so many recipes online and you can even purchase a SCOBY on amazon.


Be brave and try it. Join the culture club... get it? Culture!

Become a Boochy Mama

SCOBY Doby Doo, where are you?

I'm Gettin' Boochie with it!

I could go on all day with the puns

Hmm, maybe there is more alcohol in this than I thought. 😂





  • Writer: Coreen Ward
    Coreen Ward
  • Oct 10, 2018
  • 2 min read

Max and I drink Ningxia Red by Young Living all the time and we call it "blood". That's because we are weird.

I kept hearing about elderberry syrup and thought I would try my hand at it. It is a beautiful dark color and very reminiscence of what you might think Zombie Blood would look like. Halloween is right around the corner so I thought, why not?

Zombie Blood it is!

Elderberry syrup and gummies are great for adults and kids alike. Elderberries are great immune boosters and high in vitamin A,C and bioflavonoids. If you add a bit of Rose Hip Berries to your mix then you have an even added boost. I use local honey to help with allergies. Remember honey is not good for babies up until 1 or 2 years of age. Sugar or Maple Syrup is a fine replacement.

I purchased my Elderberries on Amazon and to be honest bought the whole Rose Hip Berries by mistake. I guess I will have to wait another week to make that Rose Hip Jam I was eyeing because those seeds are NO JOKE! I also bought in bulk to save money. I like to make huge batches and share with my friends.

I doubled this recipe and had enough for me and two friends.



"Zombie Blood" Tonic

2/3 cup Dried Organic Black Elderberries

1/3 cup Dried Organic Rose Hip Berries

3 1/2 cups Water

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger Root

1 tsp Cinnamon Powder

1/2 tsp Clove or Clove Powder

1/2 to 1 cup Raw Honey - add to taste


Using a medium saucepan add Elderberries, Rose Hips, Ginger, Cinnamon and Clove to your water. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 45 minutes until liquid reduces to half. Take of heat and let cool to lukewarm. Mash berries with fork or mash potato smasher then strain through mesh into bowl or jar. Add honey and stir in well. I found a little went a long way so add gradually. Keep in a lidded container in the fridge. Should last 2 months.

Dosage:

Take 1/2 -1 tsp for kids and 1/2 - 1 tbsp for adults daily during flu season. Some people take the weekends off. Bump up your intake when you feel a flu or cold coming on to a dose every 2-3 hours until symptoms disappear.








Disclamer:

All information you read on Eat Your Peas & Carrots is for informational and educational purposes only. Information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements within this site have not been approved by the FDA. These are my opinions and should not be interpreted as an attempt to offer a medical opinion. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medications, please consult your health care practitioner.




  • Writer: Coreen Ward
    Coreen Ward
  • Oct 1, 2018
  • 1 min read

Here is my favorite "healthy" cookie. Even my family likes these!

This is a recipe I got from Lagusta's Luscios a million years ago. I searched and searched for the link and came up with nothing.

The filling is the fun part. Add different jams, ginger, nut butters, or chocolate(not always vegan, but my husband's favorite).

Gluten free substitute: Almond Flour replaces Oat Flour and Gluten Free All Purpose replaces Whole Wheat Flour.

If you are looking for nut free, then maybe this cookie just ain't for you. Catch the next one;)


Jam Cookies

1 cup Raw Almonds

1 cup Oat Flour

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

pinch of Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup Olive Oil (Coconut Oil is also fun)

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

All-fruit Jam (my favorite is Raspberry)


Set oven to 350º F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Chop almonds into a course meal. Food processor works best by pulsing a few times. I use my Bullet and shake the whole machine like a cocktail mixer while it's running. It looks foolish, but it works.

Combine the dry ingredients together. Add the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla to the dry mix. Combine lightly. Roll into walnut sized balls. Place on oiled cookie sheet. Press an indentation in the center with thumb. (Max was in charge of this step)

Fill indentations with jam. Do not overfill.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.




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