Raw Honey: Natures allergy med and a few facts

Sniffle, sneeze, snort and snuff. Those are the sounds I hear during pollen season, which this year came early to Alabama.My husband has terrible allergies. The watery eyes, the runny nose. The whole nine yards.

He is miserable and in turn I am miserable. Bless him. So, I have been researching natural ways to help with his allergies.

I have long heard the benefits of local honey. In fact, my friend Tricia, has always joked that local honey cured anything. As long as local honey was in something it was healthy."Try this cup cake, it's made with local honey," she would say with a wink.

But was Tricia on to something? I think she was.

So recently when perusing my local farmer's market I came across local RAW honey.

So what's that? The most delicous thing nature ever made I tell you! Expensive as all get out, but worth every penny.

It's pure, 100 percent, unprocessed honey. It's unpasteurized and pretty much direct from the hive. It is not strained, filtered or ever heated and retains all of the pollen, royal jelly, enzymes and vitamins. I am, needless to say, a believer.

It is loaded with amino acids, B complex vitamins and vitamins A, C, D, E and K. (Also, iron, calcium and potassium. The list goes on and on.)

I have been putting it in everything from coffee to smoothies to shrimp. I love it.

There are some people who are sensitive to it. You can read about allergic reactions here.

Surely the raw honey I consumed in my coffee will balance out the two (small) cinnamon rolls I had for breakfast. Right?

Mama and Baby cook: Panko Crusted Tilapia Taco

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Want to feed your entire family (4) for less than $10? Of course you do. Try this amazing Tilapia Taco. It's sweet. It's spicy. It's wonderful!

Five4FiveMeals.com presents a cooking show where I show you how to cook a meal for a family of four for less than $5 a person.

Today we make Panko Crusted Tilapia Tacos. This recipe yields 8 small tacos and costs less than $2.00 per person.

What you'll need:

Taco:

Four 4 oz Tilapia filets
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1 tbsp dried cilantro
1 tbsp lemon pepper
Tortillas
1/2 cup cheese

Peanut Sauce:
4 tbsp creamy Peanut Butter
4 tbs hot water
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Pico De Gallo:
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
heaping table spoon garlic, minced

Preheat your oven to 350.

Taco:

Mix the panco, cilantro and lemon pepper. Wet your fish and press into the taco. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Pico De Gallo: Mix tomato, onion, cilantro, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, 1 jalapeno seeded and minced, garlic. Place in fridge.

Peanut sauce: Using a jar, scoop in 4 tbsp peanut butter, add 4 tbsp hot water, brown sugar and lemon juice and shake (with the lid on of course). It will be the consistency of salad dressing so you will need to refrigerate for 20 - 30 minutes.

Place the fish on your tortilla and cover with peanut sauce and pico de gallo and a little cheese.

Kale chips - so simple it hurts

Can cabbage be trendy? It can if it is Kale. I have heard much about Kale- soups, stews and chips. Chips? Yes. Chips.

People who have tried or made Kale chips rave about them. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And darn, they're good. It is the most easy snack you will ever make and the health bonuses are overwhelming. Kale is rich in calcium, high in vitamin K, vitamin C and beta carotene, and sulforaphane, which is believed to be an anti cancer agent. 

But bottom line, Kale is simple and better for you than a bag of Lays Potato Chips. Seriously, 25 minutes and you're done.

What you'll need:

A Bunch o' Kale

A little Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Preheat your oven to 350.

Break up the Kale like so.

Drizzle with olive oil

and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes and bam!

You have Kale chips. The end.

Hummus a new tune

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I love hummus. It is a protein packed snack. My sister has this really cute story about my baby niece holding up a carrot and declaring she needed hummus. 

I can purchase hummus for $3.99 at Publix (I love Publix) but I convinced myself I could make it at home. That was until I realized you couldn't make it without Tahini - a delicious sesame paste that is both exotic and pricey. At $6.99 a can (ouch) I was better off just buying the Sabre Hummus. But no. I would not be deterred from my mission.

So I experimented until I came up with a cheaper and delicious alternative that costs just around $1.25 to make.

What you'll need:

1 - 19 ounce can chick peas

2 heaping tbsp minced garlic

1 1/4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp ground red pepper flakes

3 tsp ground cumin

food processor

Drain and rinse your peas then dump them in the food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, cumin and half the red pepper flakes. Turn on the processor and wait. It will all become creamy and delicious.

Once throughly mixed place in a bowl and garnish with remaining pepper. Enjoy!

Aren't you glad I said (chocolate) banana smoothie?

What is more delicious than a chocolate shake? Two chocolate shakes? Three maybe? Ah... frozen chocolate blended with dairy and whipped to a frenzy. But my pre pregnancy pants are loose, and I prefer them to stay that way. What is a chocolate lover to do? Improvise of course.

Here I bring you a rich, delicious, light and cheap -about $.90- (don’t you just love cheap) smoothie that you and the kids will love. It is one “Smooth Operator.” What? You don’t like Sade? Okay, it’s a “Smooth Criminal.” Alright, alright. I’m not funny. I will stop now.

What you’ll need:
One medium sized banana that you pealed, cut up and froze ($.14)
6 ounces fat free yogurt (3/4 cups) - this equals one container of Yoplait ($.60)
1 tbsp baking cocoa($.13)

Place your frozen banana in your blender with your yogurt and cocoa and blend until smooth. That’s it. You’re done. I know. I can’t believe it either.

Polka Dot Blondie

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I am trying to be healthier. The cup cake I just ate whilst standing over the sink during my baby's nap time would indicate otherwise. But hey, it's a slow process.

Since I am beginning my foray into baking I decided to scour the earth for a blondie recipe that wouldn't leave my little arteries aching. Unfortunately (or unfortch as my friend Sarah Jane Jones would say) many recipes out there leave the bars too light, too dense, too dry or too gross.

But if you tweak this flour and add that flour and do this and not that you will get a delicious and somewhat healthier alternative to a regular blondie. I say somewhat because this recipe still contains butter, sugar and chocolate. Although it is dark, and that should count for something... I'm just saying. **If you are opposed to butter see the foot note below.

Also, at around $3 for the entire recipe this is great for a party, bakes ale, or to eat over the sink during nap time. No judgements here.

What you'll need:

1 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
2 cup oats
A pinch Kosher sale
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 cup milk (that is two tbsp)

One bag chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease up your pan. In a bowl mix together your dry ingredients. Slowly add the melted butter and milk while stirring. Add the egg and continue to stir until smooth. If your mix is clumpy add another tbsp of milk. Once everything is mixed, stir in the chocolate chips and slide in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.

** If you don't want to use butter, substitute a cup of applesauce and four tablespoons of oil. But, only use 1/2 cup brown sugar. I can not attest to what this will taste like.

One pot pork roast

Last week my grocer had pork roasts on sale for $1.99 a pound. As a rule I never pay more than $2.99 a pound for meat. The roasts were HUGE so I cut them in half, and had two -2 pound roasts.

We recently moved, and in a horrible twist of fate, my crock pot has gone missing. *clutches heart, sobs uncontrollably.

Let's all have a moment of silence for Clarese the Crock Pot.

Okay *sniffle* we can get back to topic. I pulled out the cast iron Dutch oven my husband gave me for Christmas (Yes, I am at the age where I get sexy gifts like Dutch ovens) and down to the business of making a sweet red pepper pork roast. A beef roast can be substituted if your family doesn't eat pork. This is an eight person roast, easy and costs around $10 to make. This is a great dish for company.

What you'll need:

1- 2 pound pork roast (or beef they both work the same for this recipe) ($4)

1 good sized onion($.99)

4 small sweet red bell peppers ($1.99)

1- 16 oz jar of salsa ($1.65)

A little smidgen of olive oil ($.09)

4 cups rice - not instant (to be served over) ($1.00)

Preheat your oven to 350 and oil the bottom of your pan. If you don't have a Dutch oven, a deep casserole dish will work.

Chop your onion and pepper into strips and line the bottom of the pan.

Place the roast over the onions and peppers and cover with salsa. Cover the dish and slide it into the oven. You will cook it on 350 for about 3 hours.

Cook the rice according to the package directions. (What? You need me to tell you how to cook rice?)

This is seriously delicious and ridiculously easy to make.

Veggie packed homemade pasta sauce

I have a picky eater in my house. My husband. He isn't a fan of jarred pasta sauce, unless it's the expensive kind. Geez!

So I have been experimenting with own. This recipe cost me about $1.75 and tastes amazing.

What you'll need:

5 good size Roma tomatoes peeled (refer here)

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 diced onion

1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried

2 tbsp sugar

1 pinch kosher salt

1 can tomato paste

2 tbsp white wine

Olive oil

Optional: carrots, spinach any vegetable you can think up. This is a great way to hide vegetables.

In a pan heat up your olive oil and add your onions. **I really recommend a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven for a better caramelization. If you don't have this, no biggie.

Dice those peeled tomatoes and toss them in the pan with you basil let your tomatoes and onions cook for about 10 minutes then add your white wine, tomato paste and sugar. Stir, stir, stir. Then add your garlic and kosher salt and let simmer about 8 minutes.

Viola!

Idiot proof shrimp

Need a dinner in a hurry that is sure to please? Try idiot proof shrimp! There are only three ingredients (four if you count olive oil, which you shouldn't).

My mother makes something similar and I pulled this together one night when cooking for my husband for "date night." (When you have an infant date night usually means you just eat off the good china.)

What you'll need:

A pound of shrimp (pealed and deveined)

1 cup white wine

4 tbs (1/4 cup) minced garlic

I love the look of the oil mixed with the wine.

Warm up a little olive oil over a medium heat. Add in the shrimp. Once they have just started to turn pink pour over the wine and add the garlic. Be sure you continue to keep everything moving in the pan or else the garlic will burn and be gross.

After the shrimp are good and pink remove from heat and serve immeidatly. This is great over pasta or paired with a salad. And if you want to finish off the wine you cooked the shrimp in, have at it!