Happy October, Friends!
I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful fall! I’ve been so busy with group workshops, coaching and a new certification program I’m doing through the Institute of Functional Health Coaching (much more on this in another post!) that I haven’t been blogging very much the past couple of months.
So I wanted to share something fun with you today. A few years ago we grew SOOOOO many cucumbers in our Tower Garden that I couldn’t eat or give away any more. So the kids and I made pickles. I’m not a canner, but a friend suggested we freeze them and it worked perfectly. They were delicious and lasted us all through the fall and winter. My husband and kids loved them and have been asking for more ever since.
We moved the Tower Garden inside and use grow lights now, which is amazing for lettuce, herbs and greens all winter, but I haven’t had homegrown cucumbers since then. This fall we’ve had an abundance of beautiful organic cukes from our CSA and we happen to have a beautiful bunch of dill growing on the Tower Garden right now too. So yesterday Juliette and I made eight quart jars of dill pickles. They’re in the refrigerator now for a couple of days and then I’ll put most of the jars in the freezer.
I can’t say I’m an expert pickle maker by any means, but if you google freezer dill pickles you will find several recipes. This is the one we used this year, with a few modifications (for us it required about double the vinegar plus an equal amount of water to cover the cucumbers for 8 jars. I also added chopped fresh garlic, black peppercorns and we used a lot of fresh dill). Adjust the seasonings according to your own tastes. You honestly cannot mess this up. If you decide to try this, make sure you leave a good inch at the top of your jar to allow for expansion as the pickles and brine freeze. And as an added precaution, I freeze mine with the lid off and then put the lids on after they’re frozen.
Next time you buy pickles, take time to read the ingredients. Most brands are full or preservatives and have artificial blue and yellow coloring, which is so irritating because it is so completely unnecessary!! (You can read a little bit about why you should avoid artificial colors here.) I like Bubbies brand (which is usually in the refrigerator section) but I can’t always find their dill pickles here. If you’re in the same boat, it really is easy to make your own and its such a fun thing to do with your kids. My whole crew thinks its so much fun to make and eat our own pickles!
Local friends, make sure to check my website and Facebook page often for upcoming workshops and wellness events. I have a lot of fun things in the works!!
Blessings to you and yours!
Kristi
PS. I’d love to see you at any or all of my upcoming workshops!!
Be a Smart Healthy Shopper
Friday, October 13, 2017 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
NMS Chiropractic Clinic | 2568 Waterbridge Way | Evansville, IN 47710
Join Danielle Pond (Dietician @ NMS Chiropractic) and Kristi Cirignano (Certified Health Coach) for a light healthy lunch and a fun hour of talking about how to become a smart and healthy grocery shopper & get more healthful whole foods in your life! We will talk about::
–what foods you should focus on when you’re making your grocery list or doing your shopping
–food label reading strategies including how to interpret the information on a food label and what ingredients you should absolutely avoid putting into your shopping cart or mouth
–simple ways to get more whole food nutrition into your diet
Lunch is always gluten and dairy free and we will have recipes to share! This event is free but space is limited so please RSVP to Kristi@nourished-for-life.com or via eventrite at https://smart-shopper.eventbrite.com
Raising Healthy Kids
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Kristi’s home | 10276 Shefield Ct. | Newburgh, IN 47630
We all want to raise healthy kids, but it’s a challenge in today’s environment! Do you struggle with:
–picky eaters?
–societal pressures on our families and kids to eat like everyone else?
–meal planning?
–finding time for cooking and feeding your family healthful whole foods when we are running all day from work or school to homework to sports and activities?
Eating nutrient dense whole foods is so, so important to our kids performance in school, sports and activities, and even more important to their long term health. But its not always easy! Join us for a light, healthy lunch and we’ll talk about overcoming picky eating, peer pressure & meal planning tips to set yourself up for success!
Lunch is always gluten and dairy free and we will have recipes to share.! This event is $10 per person. Please register via eventbrite at https://healthy-kids.eventbrite.com
Essential Oils & How They Can Benefit You
Friday, October 27, 2017 at 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Kristi’s home | 10276 Shefield Court | Newburgh, IN 47630
Join us for a light, healthy lunch and learn the basics of essential oils …
What are they?
How do you use them?
How can they benefit you and your family?
You will get to smell and sample a variety of oils and learn how to use them in your home!
** Please note essential oils have many benefits, but they are powerful substances and it is important do your own research on any oils that you use, use caution and make sure you are using them appropriately and safely! We will share some of my favorite resources for researching oils and their uses.
Lunch is always gluten and dairy free and we will have recipes to share. This event is $10 per person. Please register via eventbrite at https://essential-oil-basics.eventbrite.com
