Southwestern Hay Stacks
My husband decided to call this dish a Southwestern Hay Stack. He said even though the name doesn't sound very gourmet, its a pretty descriptive way for you to picture what this meal is about. Its basically like a Hawaiian hay stack, but with more of a Mexican flair. 

 This meal is something that is deeply satisfying and healthy at the same time. I love win win dishes like that. Its easy to whip up and a meal where you can do lots of the prep ahead of time. Again, a win win. Normally when I make this dish, I add shredded cheddar cheese to it. I forgot to do that today and guess what? It was just as good. So I'm leaving the cheese out of the recipe because if it doesn't need it, why add the expense or calories? Right? 


Ingredients: 

 2 cups uncooked white rice 
2 chicken breasts
1//2 cup salsa + extra for garnish
2 tsp fajita seasoning 
2 ripe avacados
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 can black beans
1 can corn
2 tsp dried cilantro 
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

 Place your chicken breasts, 1/2 cup of salsa, and fajita seasoning in a slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high and cook for 3-4 hours or until your chicken breaks apart when cut. 

 While your chicken is cooking, you can also cook your white rice in your rice cooker. 

 When your chicken is almost ready, you can begin to cook your beans. Add your olive oil to a warm pan. Then add your onions, salt and pepper them. Let them sauté until they are translucent. Add your garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then add your beans, corn, cumin, and cilantro. Let those mix on low heat while you make your guacamole. 

 Cut and mash your avocado in a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, and lime juice, stir together. 
Take your chicken out of the slow cooker and chop it into small pieces. 

 Assemble your "haystacks" part by part. Rice, beans, chicken, guacamole, then add salsa on top as your garnish. 

My husband said I could make this meal once a week and he would be a happy man. He loves fresh tasting healthy recipes, but that also leave you feeling satisfied. Hopefully this will satisfy your family as well. 

 Enjoy!
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Protecting your child's IQ through laundry.
If you have "liked" us on Facebook then you probably saw the article we shared from The Deseret News. 

 "Want a smart kid? Stay away from these two things."

 It basically talks about various American household products that harm fetal development and possibly lower a child's IQ. A new study found that there may be a link between prenatal exposure to chemicals called "phthalates" and childhood development. Chemicals found in a variety of products such as vinyl upholstery, shower curtains, plastic food containers, raincoats, dryer sheets, lipsticks, nail polishes, air fresheners, shampoo fragrances, and even certain soaps and hairspray can cause problems. 
When we hear about studies like these, it just reaffirms that the natural and organic products we make are a wonderful alternative to all of the dangerous chemical laden options out there. Who knew something as simple as doing laundry could harm your childs IQ potential? 

You can purchase our all natural and organic, GMO free lavender dryer bags on our website. www.thelavenderapple.com 


When I first began using The Lavender Apple's Dryer Bags, I had a brand new baby. I thought the natural chemical free bags were a great alternative to all the processed manufactured options at the store. Not only were they safe, they smelled great too. Plus they were reusable, so they were great for the environment and my pocketbook too! Plus, when I've used them all up, they make perfect bean bags for my toddler to play with! 


Give these little lovelies a try. You will bless your laundry with the scent of lavender goodness. Let us know if you have any questions of feedback! We would love to hear from you. 
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Insta Friday April 2
Another week has come to an end. We hope it was a productive one for you! We got lots done around here at the farm and are looking forward to a relaxing weekend!




A photo posted by Lavender Apple (@the.lavender.apple) on






A photo posted by Lavender Apple (@the.lavender.apple) on




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Roasted Balsamic Beet Salad
Ok ladies and gents, I'm warning you in advance that this salad is NOT low maintenance. You have to roast things, use aluminum foil, dirty several bowls, etc. But it's worth it. It is a lovely diversion from a typical salad. You get a nice earthiness from the beets, creaminess from the goat cheese, and crunch from the almonds. Definitely a good "I'm bored from the norm" salad. 


Ingredients: 
Beets (2-3 small beets, or 1 large beet per person) 
Almonds (1/2 cup) 
Goat Cheese (1/2 cup) 
Spinach (1 pound/1 pkg) 
Mustard (2 tsp)
Balsamic Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste) 
Olive Oil (1/2 cup)

Get about 2-3 beets per person you are going to serve. You want the beets to all be relatively the same size. I had a few large ones but mostly small ones, so I cut the large ones to match the size of the small ones so they all roasted evenly. 

Trim the tops and feet off of your beets and peel them The outsides of beets are particularly dirty tasting, so peeling them helps cure that. Then wrap each individually in tin foil. 

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and heat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your beets  on the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. 

Then make your dressing. 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic, 2 tsp yellow mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together. 

When beets are done (fork tender in center) unwrap them and cut into bite sized wedges. Cover beets with 1/3 of the dressing so they are well coated and can soak it up. 

Plate each plate with a bunch of spinach. Then crumble goat cheese on top, sprinkle with toasted almonds, add the beets, then add extra dressing on top. 



The Lavender Applealmonds, balsamic, beets, mustard, salad, spinachComment