Make Your Own Kombucha Recipe

WHAT IS IT??

“Kombucha is a variety of fermented, lightly effervescent sweetened black or green tea drinks that are commonly intended as functional beverages for their supposed health benefits. Kombucha is produced by fermenting tea using a "symbiotic colony" of bacteria and yeast”

It also helps reduce candida yeast and overgrowth of bacteria that is harmful to your organs and mental health. Many people attest to it clearing up physical pain of the guts and digestive, to clearing brain fog and lethargy associated with mental health and auto-immune disorders.

The term Kombucha and SCOBY were both coined in the 90's by an amazing guy named Len Porzio - you can check out his site here, to gain some more useful information!

HOW DOES IT FERMENT AND GROW??

It uses a mushroom-like, flat disk of culture called a SCOBY.

S.C.O.B.Y.
Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast

S.C.O.B.Y.

WHY SHOULD I DRINK THIS STUFF??

One word: probiotic culture. You know that yogurt you eat? Ya, that's a probiotic culture too! But even better as it is dairy free.

The Lazy Mom Guide to School Lunches

Well it's that time again..... Back to school. It's here! Tomorrow is pumpkin spice everything and our tiny little miracles are back to the grind of school. THANK GOD! I swear this summer has been the longest summer of my life.

However, school lunches can be a pain in the butt. Here's my trick to get the kids food together by spending about 30 min once a month and maybe 15 minutes once a week to keep you sane!

The Mother of all BBQ

It's the end of summer. It's stupid hot out and that leads to one of 3 things in this house smoothies, salads or BBQ everything. Here is my fast take on grilling up some fabulous food.

Before you fire up the BBQ put a little olive oil on a paper towel and rub it all over your grill. It stops everything from sticking and puts perfect grill marks on your food. 

Now fire it up. Our grill has a thermometer at the base of the lid, on each grill, so it's a more accurate temperature reading on what the grill temperature actually is.  

Get your grill really hot. Turn down the temp once you put your food on the grill or you'll end up with raw in the middle burnt hockey pucks.

Meat- You're going to need something for meat. Steak wrapped in bacon, chicken wrapped in bacon. See the theme? Everything is better with a little bacon! Flip your meat

Veggies- Well now this opens a whole weird and crazy world of grilling awesomeness! Our current favourite is sweet potato medallions tossed in olive oil sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. We were at the end of our Kohut Corn we picked last fall so it was already shucked. 

You can grill pretty much everything. We have cut heads of romaine lettuce in half oiled it and slapped it on the grill and it was AMAZING. Seriously try it! 

I'm a sucker for fresh veggies so I usually have some raw, freshness to top off the meal. Tomatoes drizzled with olive oil sprinkled with a little salt and pepper is perfect. 

Tips: Keep your flavours simple. Always use condiments. Horseradish Aioli is amazing on steak and easy to make. Kick it up and try something new.

Crack Taters aka Baked Baby Potatoes

Best. Baked. Potatoes. EVER.

Ingredients 

3 lbs Small Potatoes

1 Green & Yellow pepper

1 cup Olive Oil

1 cup Hemp Oil

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan 

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350.

Use a deep dish stoneware or cast iron dish (9 x 12 x 3).

Mix all ingredients except potatoes and peppers, in a mason jar - shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Wash and cut potatoes in half - except the really itty bitty ones: bite sized is the goal.

Dice peppers.

Pour wet over dry and toss.

Leave to marinate for 20 - 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 1hr and 45 mins.

Toss intermittently.

Serve warm with other stuff, or eat it all in one sitting, like I know you want to. ENJOY.

Dannon Makes a Bold Move Towards Non-GMO Ingredients and Labeling.

I could very well eat yogurt until the cows proverbially come home. 
But with the insurgence of GMO's in cow feed, crops, and a general lack of transparency in the corporate food market, I've literally stopped buying it.

I know, I know, there's a grand debate on whether or not any dairy is good for you ... we at Moms For Real Food Initiative are still on the fence with that discussion.
I do know, that most people who are diet, food and health conscious, know that probiotics are good for your guts. And having an option that is tasty, readily available, non-GMO, and something their kids will eat, is always a win!
 
So when comapnies like Dannon make a bold move to change their practices, I sit up and listen. 

Image provided by Dannon #KnowYourYogurt

DANNON MAKES THE MOVE TOWARDS NON-GMO LABELING ...


Dannon listened to the consumer when they demanded more honest and clear GMO labeling. Consumers have made a very clear move towards more naturally sourced and manufactured products, so Dannon decided to ride with that movement by evolving all three flagship brands toward the use of non-GMO ingredients: Dannon, Oikos, Danimals.

These flagship brands represent nearly 50% of their sales, and this change is being reflected in all countries in which Dannon products are sold. 



Dannon decided to work with US feed suppliers and farmers to start planting non-GMO feed for their cows as soon as possible to fulfill their needs. Once those changed are implemented, the products sourced to the above mentioned three brand families will contain milk from cows eating the non-GMO feed.


DANNON'S TIMELINE FOR THESE CHANGES?


By the end of 2017 ALL products within the Dannon brand family will be made with non-GMO ingredients and they will have completed a full conversion.


Side note: Dannon still believes that currently approved GMO's are safe. However they also believe in their consumers who predominantly prefer non-GMO ingredients. So addressing this preponderant demand by building a strong relationship with farmers, and accelerating these changes to meet that demand, means quite a lot.


IN THE MEAN TIME ...


A commitment to labeling GMO products is the forefront of their campaign of corporate-to-consumer transparency. 
By December 2017 the presence of GMO's in their products will be clearly labeled, independent of whatever actions are taken regarding labeling by the US government.


By taking on this practice, Dannon becomes the very first leading national yogurt maker to embrace sourcing locally, and non-GMO. They already far into implementing safe and fair animal practices via the Validus Certification system.
 
Projecting proudly by the end of July 2016 (yes this month) more than 90% of their direct milk supply will come from farmers that are certified in this manner.


By now, you know Moms For Real Food Initiative is all about transparency and real food maintaining companies!

This move by such a large corporation will hopefully encourage other comapnies to follow suit.

(For specific information on the Dannon Pledge please visit their website www.DannonPledge.com )


You can keep up with these changes by following Dannon on their various social media platforms:
Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Website - PLEDGE
Here is a link to their list of Ingredients 




*This post contains content sponsored by The Dannon Company, Inc. The opinions expressed in Moms For Real Food Initiative's post are our own.
For more information on Dannon's move toward sustainable agriculture, naturality and transparency, and nongmo ingredients visit www.dannonpledge.com and www.dannon.com/ingredients *

Who's Your Farmer? Cilantro and Chive Restaurant

So far with "Who's Your Farmer?" we've focused on people who USE farmers ... and that's ok! Because without these amazing people who use locally produced and sustained foods, our local farmers wouldn't be as famous as they are.
Keri visited Cilantro and Chive on Lacombe, AB, a few months ago and could not stop raving about them. So she left the owner a note (albeit a slightly tipsy napkin note) to contact her.
A couple weeks later she got an email from the dubious Rieley Kay, chef and co-owner.
He proceeded to tell her that not only were they a local restaurant, but that they source locally, and where possible use organic producers! WIN-WIN-WIN!

So we made an appointment to go visit and have a little chat. 
Below is the video of the interview, and the some really great information about Cilantro and Chive's origin, a list of farmers they use, AND a list of BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES they use.  
You are welcome.

 

Canadian Essential Oil Company Saje Wellness

Saje Wellness Market Mall Calgary Alberta

We don't openly advocate many companies on Moms For Real Food Initiative which do not directly relate to food, but I felt Saje to be a justifiable exemption.

Saje Wellness Market Mall Calgary Alberta

Last night I spent an evening with some Calgarians and co-founder of Saje Wellness, Jean-Pierre LeBlanc. He taught a FREE class for beginners on wellness, living a life free of illness and essential oils.
He spoke, not only about his product, but about wellness, healthy living, and "disrupting medicine". His passion for the importance of using a pro-active mentality towards ones health was based on his own personal journey. There is something to be said about being able to directly associate and relate, when so many of us suffer from some sort of "chronic" illness.

He raised interesting points like: Chronic pain and illness and why these things do not have to be a "life sentence", and how you can become not only healthy but well - permanently.

The discussion of your mind, body emotions all being connected is becoming more and more prevalent, and that if one isn't "well", it manifests elsewhere! Have a sore throat? What is that "thing" you've been keeping in and not saying.

He is also an advocate for other local companies! Case and point: he spoke about organic, locally sourced food and local company SPUD.ca. Then proceeded to give us all $30 towards our first purchase!

Did I mention this class was FREE?

I've tried many different essential oil comapnies, wellness brands and the like, but there is something honest, forthcoming and "non-Amway" about Saje as opposed to other Wellness Companies .....

Why do I love this company? 

• The mere fact they are Canadian and not corporately owned is huge. When you buy your oils and products from them, you are still supporting local! 
• Jean-Pierre was asked about "organic sourced" during the class, and his response was heart felt and honest; "Organic. When we are able to, we always use organic, locally sourced and even wild crafted herbs."
• All of their ingredients are derived from safe and renewable resources. Packaging is simple, and made of recycled or recyclable materials.
• The products you buy have all been meticulously blended and manufactured with the individuals wellness and holistic lifestyles in mind. 
• The co-owner himself comes to his stores to teach. Not a representative, not his assistant, not a "team member", but him. 
• They do these classes FREE. (need I say more?)

  

  Co-Founder Jean-Pierre LeBlanc

• The products work. If I were stranded on a desert island without Peppermint Halo I'd be a frigging wreck.
• POINTS system - every purchase makes you more money. You earn points and every few purchases you get a full roll on size for free.(varies) I've already cashed this in at least 4 times.  
• They take care of their staff - the true sign of a company's integrity is how happy there staff is. Go on, ask one of them!
  

KEY POINT: As opposed to most "Wellness and Essential Oil Companies", there is no "opt-in", "sign-up", or "minimum purchase required", it's simply wellness for free and if you want to buy stuff, great - but there was ZERO pressure.

A little FAQ and history about Saje:

• 1992 Saje natural wellness is founded, Saje’s first location opens at Lonsdale Quay,BC
• 2002 Saje’s first Alberta location opens on 4th street in Calgary
• 2013 - Health Canada licenses saje’s remedial products
• Canadian-owned and operated, with offices in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia.
• High quality, organic (first and foremost) locally sourced ingredients
• 37 stores nationwide
• Co owned by Kate Ross LeBlanc & Jean-Piree LeBlanc
• Competitively priced

 You can read more about Saje here, but please, go to one of there many, nation wide classes, you will NOT regret it! 

German Bundt Cake Revisited!

GERMAN BUNDT CAKE - REVISITED

Recipe by Tracy Loeppky©

Hi all! As you may, or may not have guessed, my lineage is German and Dutch. Many, many recipes have been taught to me by my Omas and Opa!

One of which is the classic German Bundt Cake.

Now - I will post the original recipe, and also list my alternative ingredients for people who like to have some choice in their baking.
Enjoy!

Wet

• 200 grams sugar (7 oz.)
• or Coconut or Berry sugar, you may also but this in half
• 1/2 lb. butter (8 oz, or 1 cup)
• Cream together

Add

• 4-5 Eggs
• 6 tbs milk
• or Almond milk
• For extra moistness add a splash of oil, or pudding mix (no added sugar mix)
• Vanilla Extract

Dry

• 500 grams Flour (17.6 oz, or 2 cups)
• or GF flour, Spouted Grain flour, but you may need to add additional moisture in the form of apples sauce, oil, or fruit
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 heaping tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup oil - must be a liquid oil
• (Any other dry ei. choice chips, raisins, nuts etc)

1. Add dry to wet
2. Mix well, scraping edges frequently.
3. Should be a thick, sticky and heavy texture. Not wet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until tester comes out dry.
5. I used a standard confectioners sugar icing. You may use whatever you like - or nothing at all!

I'm a 'City-Girl' Trying to be a 'Farm-Girl' But You Won't Let Me - An Open Letter

Hello Baby-Boomers,

I am what you call a 'City Girl'. And a 'Millennial'.
I am, however, an 'Old Millennial' at almost 32 years of age. I do relate to most Gen-Xrs better than most of my 'Generation'. I also do come from a long line of 'Educated City-Folk'. So by all rights of classification I am a 'Millennial City Girl'. Seriously, though, most Millennials scare me.

I am on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter (though Twitter isn't really my hotspot). Social media is a part of my existence. I can learn most anything I want on YouTube (like tiling a bathroom) or Google (How to de-skunk my dog). I do still enjoy the smell of new books and reread old favourites until the bindings fall apart. I am 'plugged in'. I am hardly reachable on my house phone (we only have it in case a babysitter doesn't have a cell). Call, text or instant message me, I have my cell phone basically everywhere I go. Never call me at home. I love alternative rock, classic rock, 90s punk and grunge, and even the occasional pop song.

I live in a 1960's bungalow in town with my 'picture family' of a husband, two kids and a dog, though I don't have a picket fence, yet. I even drive a mini-van. I love my Chucks, Birkenstocks and Lulu Yoga pants. I am first and foremost a 'City Slicker'.

Keri, Earl's and the Beef Rant

Ok! Here's my take on the ‪#‎earls‬ beef issue. 

Earl's Restaurants LTD wants to use 'Certified Humane' beef. Great! Good for them! It's what consumers want. They want to know their meat is treated in a humane way while it was alive and slaughtered in a Humane way, with no antibiotics or hormones. 

While Alberta beef is definitely some of the best beef in the world. Alberta cannot provide a supply of 2 million pounds of beef per year due to a lack of paperwork. That's it! It's a lack of having the piece of paper and following along with bookkeeping, record keeping, and the logistical parts that are required with it. It's one of the cheaper certifications one can get. Alberta beef is raised in compliance with most, if not all of the regulations. Yet, not certified. So if the Alberta Cattle Producers want to make a change go through the process of getting certified! Then you can be a supplier of 'Certified Humane' beef. Here's the 53 pages of regulations that cover everything from records to feed to space to everything. So all you cattle producers that want to supply Earl's and any other company that will be switching over to 'Certified Humane' GET CERTIFIED! It's going to happen. You can't get on the train without the ticket! 

http://certifiedhumane.org/…/2014/02/Std14.BeefCattle.1J.pdf

Here is also the slaughter regulations: http://certifiedhumane.org/…/20…/04/2013.AMI_.Guidelines.pdf for it to be Certified Humane it has to comply with all the standards set forth. 

This isn't going away. It's in fact getting bigger. It's gaining momentum if you will. This is the way the world is turning! People don't want their meat to come from a feed lot where the animals are crammed into a tight space with a bunch of other animals, knee deep in mud and feces, getting rounds of antibiotics as 'preventative' (I have been there I have witnessed it with my own eyes. Don't tell me it doesn't happen). People want to know their food had a good life out on 'the Open Range', fresh air sunshine, grass, doing their animal things, being treated with respect and kindness.

Here's my advice: find your local farmer who raises animals in a way that's in line with how you want your meat to be treated. Raise your own animals. Source from reputable farmers. Go to the slaughter house or butcher shop and see how your meat is going to be handled and processed. Stop shopping at Walmart, Costco and other big name retailers who's meat comes from anywhere and you don't know how it's handled. 

As a consumer your biggest boycott can be just by knowing who your farmer is and how your food is handled. Wouldn't it be AMAZING if EVERYTHING everyone ate in Alberta came from ALBERTA? We don't boycott the fact our lettuce comes from Mexico, our peppers from California or Argentina, our garlic comes from China. So get on that boycott train! Actually support Alberta with YOUR money! 

Join a CSA, find a small Market Garden, Grow your OWN. Just do something that will actually benefit your province! Stop jumping on the stupid train of boycotts because some company you didn't actually know used an Alberta supplier and switched because that's what consumers want and you still buy your meat from the cheap bin or because it's on sale and it very well could have come from Mars. Use your head and shop with it! 

DO IT!

A Month of Chicks

How freaking ADORABLE is that face! 

Hello Peeps!

This post comes with a warning!!! Well actually 2.

Moms For Real Food Initiative will not be held responsible for the sudden upswing in chicken ownership throughout Alberta! 

Also SUPER CUTE FLUFFY CHICK PHOTOS ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So the cheeps are growing. FAST! A month ago we picked up the sweet fuzzy little buggers now they look like mini chickens. 

This was our brooder set up. Parts of an old pig feeder. Worked amazing!

We ordered 200 chicks. On arrival date there was a miscount (whoops) so we had 197. Which is still a lot! With transport we lost 5 chicks. It's a sad part of having chickens sometimes they die. So we had a little funeral. They all settled in quite fast which was amazing. all snug and sleeping in the brooders. 

Top Gardening and Plant Apps

We love our technology! 
Both Keri and I are hard-core Apple users and enjoy the pomp, circumstance and gadgetry involved! 
But we also love the simpler life like gardening, farming and Chickenry. (Yes, that is now a word)

So to help all you wonderful peeps out there who also love both sides of being a Techie Outdoorsman, these Apps are for you!

Top Herb, Gardening and Plant Identification Apps

About Herbs
$ - Free
Memorial Sloan Kettering Center
This App gives you images, common and Latin names of all edible plants. Its extremely easy to use, and list it all alphabetically. More than 200 plants to choose from, this is the most integrative app I've ever used.

Pork Loin Roast with Juniper Berries

Pork Loin Roast with Juniper Berries

  
This pork roast recipe is decadent, luscious, and makes the best reduction deglazing I’ve ever tasted! If you feel like having a “fancier” dinner, this is the roast for you!

Ingredients

• 1 pork loin roast (2 kg)
• 1/2 cup Olive oil
  

Rustic Chicken Soup Recipe

 

For my family, having a roasted chicken dinner somewhat resembles that of a Viking hoard feast .... along with the aftermath.  The carcass left over doesn't have much left on it, but you would be surprised to know it will still produce a full meal!

From one 5 - 7 lb chicken you can produce as much as a full gallon of soup.

NOTE: Put this recipe on the stove at 12 noon if you wish to have it for dinner that day. Soup takes TIME. You will be very dissapointed at the flavour and result if you put this one an hour before you're wanting it served.

Who's Your Farmer? Hop Compost is Organic Compost GOLD!

We go visit farmers, and ask 10 questions, and then make a video ...

We begin our "Who's Your Farmer?" series with a different kind of farmer ... a "garbage" farmer. 
Well, to be fair, it's not conventional garbage, or compost, we're talking about. This is organic "craft compost", and it's {going to be} the best thing you can use in your garden or farm.

Keri and I visited Hop Compost in Calgary, AB, and spoke with Kevin Davies, the founder.

Watch the YouTube video interview with Kevin - and prepare yourself - you will learn things about compost, compost fertilizer, and conventional fertilizer you haven't heard before! 
The amazing process which Kevin and the team at Hop Compost have devised is the stuff of legends. In fact, we believe that hop compost is at the forefront of a new organic compost and fertilizer era.

A FEW FACTS

• Since 2015, their debut year, Hop Compost has diverted 2,029,000 pounds of waste from local landfills. This has saved over 5,200,000 pounds of emissions, 65,000 cubic feet of land, and 507,000 liters of water.

• HOP compost has 7.6 times the nutrient value compared to conventional compost.

• Using a closed loop of organic farmers and vendors ensures Hop Compost's top quality 

• Grow Calgary - the largest urban farm in Canada - by using Hop Compost announced their crop yields are rising enough to be able to donate an additional 1125 meals to food banks 
  

  

Canada's large cities will soon run out of landfill space:

• Calgary has 18 years left

• Vancouver has 4 years left

• Toronto has 0 years -a they transport their garbage to Michigan

• 1/3 of most landfills are comprised of COMPOSTABLE material

Conventional FERTILIZER

•  Is poisonous to animals and humans

• Has been proven to be toxic atmospherically*

• Areas which use high amounts of conventional chemical fertilizer have an increase in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma & brain cancer*

• Heavy use of chemical fertilizer pollutes the air much like smoking*

*Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma stats: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Brain cancer stats: Boston University, School of Public Health

".. I would say organic is possible...a lot of people have been making the same purchase decisions that they’ve just inherited through generations. It seems like a natural move to go into a green center and buy a chemical fertilizer .."

Please watch the video and read the transcribed interview below.

MFRFI: What do you do here at Hop Compost?

Kevin: 

Economic Struggles and Encouragment From the Past!

Once Upon a Time, The Government Encouraged Self-Sufficiency ......

Now, they require our dependency, through GMO crops, GMO seed patent laws, fast foods, regulations on raw milk/eggs/meats, taxation, flu shots - and the list goes on.

With the economy, especially in Alberta, being extremely tight and most of us balancing a budget tighter than bankers fist, we need hope. Hope that even though things are tough, they weren't as tough as Wartimes - and even THAT wasn't s bad as the Dirty 30's depression.

So what did folks do? They grew. And they shared. Then they survived. So too shall we!

I came across these War Time posters from the US, and suddenly realized - holy crap - in just over 50 years we've come full circle in our mindset ... and that is ALL it is: a mindset!

Living Right, Living in Balance, takes patience and hard work.

Tuna Helper From Scratch

Tuna Helper From Scratch! 

Ahh the aroma of simmering hamburger and tuna helper! It's the stuff of legends, no?

But, if you're like me, there is now a big red X over it on my shopping list due to the enormous amounts of MSG, sugar and other multi-syllabic chemicals.

So. I've taken all my favorite Helper recipes and replicated them.

Tuna Helper Scratch Style

Ingredients

Basic White Sauce

How to make a basic white sauce, or a "roux".

I Want Chickens! Now What?

For Peeps Who Want Cheeps!

With Spring officially here we are getting excited for our boxes of chicks to arrive at the airport. So the first step in any adventure, even crazy ones like ordering 200 chicks (no they aren't staying in town, they will be on a farm). Is usually doing some research to figure out what you're going to do with them once they get home. Being a City Girl I never knew there were so many Regulations for keeping birds, how many crazy breeds there are or how much I would LOVE having chickens.

Read the fun stuff! I have included bylaws and the boring dry stuff at the end.


How big do you want them?

Dutch Tomato Meatball Soup

Dutch Tomato Meatball Soup 

Aka Groenten Soep with tomatoes (by my Moeke)
Aka Best Soup in the World (by my kids)
Aka Mama's Time Saver Soup (by me)

So our supper meals basically revolve around our crazy busy lives. Between 4 days a week at lacrosse, Cubs, fire hall for the hubby and bag pipe lessons we are busy! This soup is great to make massive batches of freeze and pull out later, or if you're like me feed your family for 4 days straight. You can even add more other random veggies to it later to change it up a bit, and not have your hubby groaning it's soup again. So here's the lay out of this recipe, I wrote out what I used tonight and at the end what you can substitute if you don't have everything. My Moeke (my grandma) told me once 'to start any good soup you must have onions, carrots and celery'. So I use that as my starting point for everything.

Veggies 

Get a bunch of veggies

Seriously almost anything works (however beets are awful)

1 yellow onion

6 or a large handful of carrots

1 head of celery 

A bunch of potatoes (I think I used about 5)

I have also thrown in... Peas, corn, shallots, garlic, green onions, tomatoes, zucchini, turnips, mushrooms, rutabaga. Seriously versatile.

Meatballs 

1 lbs of ground beef 

1 egg 

1 handful bread crumbs 

Salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 pinch nutmeg (trust me)

Use any kind of ground meat. Beef, pork, Turkey, deer. Seriously your choice of meat is up to you, I won't judge.

Extra stuff 

Olive oil

2 cans of diced tomatoes (if you have them. No biggie if you don't)

Either 2 big cartons of stock or a big pot of home made. Any flavour works

1 can coconut milk give it to the kids to shake, busy for hours. Do not get the 'light' coconut milk its nasty. 

1 package Vermicelli noodles. Skinny rice noodles. If you're making a small pot you can use pasta noodles, but heed my warning they turn your soup into nasty slop in you freeze them.

Bullion if you want choice is yours 

Alright now to the good part, making all my crazy ingredients (and wonky directions) make sense:

1. Heat olive oil in your big pot. 

2. Add your chopped up veggies starting with onion.

3. 'Sweat' the veggies and add a box of stock (or about 4 cups of your homemade stock) so the veggies soften 

4. Make the meatballs and leave them aside 

5. Add diced tomatoes if you want. Or don't

6. Blend up the veggies with a blender or your stick blender (only reason I bought a stick blender) It does splatter so be careful don't wear white. Or don't blend it if you want it chunky, no biggie.

7. Add meatballs to the pot

8. Once the meatballs (they will start to pop up and float when cooked) are cooked add the vermicelli. It takes about 5 min for the vermicelli to soften and cook

To Serve 

(because even though I'm in a rush I still like my food to look pretty)

Put some coconut milk on your soup, yup drizzle that on, see if you can make a picture. A little parsley and boom awesomeness in a bowl.

It's that easy. And soooooooooooo yummy! Its easy to refrigerate or freeze and great for lunches. 

I serve with torn up some bread because we are 'dippers'. Or grilled cheese sammies