Healthy Holiday Candy (made with coconut oil)

If you are one of those people who associate the holidays with candy and stock up as soon as the Christmas candy goes on sale, I invite you to resist the urge to buy all those tempting, beautiful packages, and make your own candy instead! It tastes just as good (better in my opinion) and is made from real ingredients (no nasty artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, etc) and no refined sugar! It's amazing how simple it is too. Just heat up your coconut oil and have several recipes going on at the same time in different bowls. Then you can make an assortment plate for your friends and family!

Reese's Peanut butter (or Sunbutter) Cups
Found this recipe at: http://www.teacheatlove.com/2013/05/unjunked-peanut-butter-cups-and.html 

Chocolate:
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted*
1/2 cup cocoa or carob powder
2 tsp vanilla (alcohol-free)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey)

 Filling:
1/2 cup peanut butter, other nut butter (I used Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Butter)
1 tsp coconut oil, melted

1. Mix the chocolate ingredients together.
2. Mix the sunbutter or peanut butter filling in a separate bowl.

*Hint: To warm your coconut oil, you can scoop it into a 2 cup glass measuring cup and then place it in a bigger pan that already has a couple inches of hot water. Stirring makes it melt faster. Once it has turned to liquid, I added the other chocolate ingredients directly into the measuring cup. I also warmed my sunflower seed butter mixture this way. Don't microwave it, or it will destroy the amazing nutrients in the oil!)

2. Drop a teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into mini muffin cups. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes to set.

3. Drop a half teaspoon of the nut butter filling in the center of each chocolate. Freeze for 5 minutes to set.

4. Cover with another teaspoon of the chocolate mixture, adding a little more to completely cover the filling.

5. Freeze for at least an hour.

Store in the freezer and take out just before serving.

(Warning: These are so good! You won't be able to stop eating them!)


Coconut Macaroons
Found this recipe here: http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/smart-sweet-raw-macaroons/ 

Mix together:
3/4 cup coconut oil (warmed)
2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
(1/2 tsp almond extract, optional)

Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with wax paper, and freeze until set.
Take out just before serving. (You can also drizzle chocolate over the top before freezing. See the chocolate recipe above.)

Chocolate Macaroons with almonds

Make coconut macaroons using the above recipe.
Add 1/4 cup chocolate or carob powder.
Add chopped nuts if desired.

(My husband and I loved these better than the regular macaroons- we used chocolate powder and loved raw almonds in them!)


Almond Chocolate Bar
From a recipe here: http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/smart-sweet-raw-macaroons/ 

2 cups coconut oil
1 cup cocoa or carob powder*
1/3 cup Maple syrup or honey
1 1/2 cups nuts, roughly chopped.

*Carob did not work for me in this recipe- I would stick with cocoa

Whip oil in bowl until fluffy (2-3 mins) or vitamix.
Add chocolate (or carob) powder and maple syrup and whip (1 min).
Stir in nuts.
Pour into a 9x9 baking pan and chill for 1 hour. Then break into pieces and enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Candy:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw honey (thick)
1/2 cup cocoa or carob powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients (this was a little challenging with the thick honey- I would suggest warming the honey a little to make it easier to mix in). Drop teaspoons onto wax paper lined cookie sheet to form small discs. Freeze until firm (keep stored in the freezer).

Molasses candy:
Taken from: http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/03/how-to-consume-coconut-oil-reader-questions-answered-plus-coconut-oil-candy-recipes.html 
(I wouldn't make this for other people, but personally I love them and they are so good for you with the blackstrap molasses- a great source of calcium and iron!)

2 Tbsp. Blackstrap molasses
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. nut butter (I used sunflower seed butter)

Mix ingredients and pour into silicone candy mold (or mini muffin pan with liners). Freeze until firm. Enjoy your healthy candy treat!

Chewy Fudge or Vegan Frosting- (previously labeled as Classic Chocolate Candy)

1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup when making this to use as frosting)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp carob or cocoa powder
2 Tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter)

Whisk oil and honey. Slowly whisk in powder. Whisk in almond butter (or use a Vita Mix blender and blend until well combined- you will have to use your tamper, as it will be pretty thick). If making fudge, pour into a loaf pan and freeze for 15 minutes. Then cut into squares and enjoy. :) If making frosting, spread over your cupcakes or vegan cake (or make a pan full of these homemade bars to use as your "cake" like I just did!). Keep chilled until ready to eat. If you want the frosting to be softer, take out about an hour before serving.

Protein Packed Plants!

Since so many people ask me, here are some of the plant foods with especially high protein.

Keep in mind that, not only are these foods high in protein, they are also filled with other important nutrients, including calcium, iron, cancer-fighting antioxidants, phytonutrients, etc.
AND they contain NO saturated fat, cholesterol, antibiotics or other toxins found in animal products, that are linked to cancer and other diseases.

So...would you rather get your protein from a slab of cow, increase your chances of cancer and heart disease, miss out on all the other nutrients your body needs, and feel sluggish and, well, like you just ate a dead animal...

OR eat real food, grown from this amazing planet God has given us, and feel super light and energetic as nutrients only nature can provide pour into your body?

Protein Packed Plants:

Legumes
1 cup lentils= 18g
1 cup black beans= 15g
1 cup red kidney beans= 14g
1 cup pinto beans= 12g
1 cup chickpeas/garbanzo= 12g
1 cup green peas= 9g

Whole Grains (cooked)
1 cup amaranth= 9g
1 cup quinoa= 8g
1 cup millet= 6g
1 cup buckwheat= 6g
1 cup brown rice= 5g
1 slice sprouted whole wheat bread (aka Ezekiel or Trader Joe's)= 5-6g

Nuts/Seeds (Raw)
1 cup cashews= 20g
1 cup almonds= 24g
1 cup sunflower seeds= 28g
1 cup flaxseed (whole)= 31g!
1 cup pumpkin seeds= 36g!!
1 cup chia seeds= 48g!!!

Vegetables
1 cup spinach (raw, packed)= 5g
1 potato (with skin)= 4.3g 
1 cup asparagus (raw, chopped)= 3g
1 cup kale (raw, chopped)= 2.9g 
1 cup broccoli (raw, chopped)= 2.6g
1 cup cauliflower (raw, chopped)= 2g
1 cup carrots (raw, chopped)= 1.2g

Fruits
1 cup avocado (mashed)= 4.5g 
1 cup dried apricots= 4.4g
1 cup prunes= 3.8g
1 cup dates (chopped)= 3.6g
1 cup banana (mashed)= 2.5g (1 medium banana= 1.3g)
1 cup kiwi (sliced)= 2g
1 cup cherries= 1.6g

The more real food you eat, the less room there will be in your stomach for junk. So fill up on all these amazing foods and feel the difference in your health!

Note: Vitamin B-12 is only found in animals, therefore it is important to either supplement or eat fortified foods (almond milk, nutritional yeast, etc).

Raw Cranberry Sauce

This tasty cranberry dish is great all by itself, on top of a bed of crisp romaine, or alongside your holiday meal. Most importantly, it contains NO refined sugar, and all of the ingredients are RAW which means you are getting all the nutrients in your foods. You will be eating whole, real foods, straight from nature into your mouth. You will feel great and energized instead of gross and left craving more sugar. Ok, I will stop convincing you of the power of raw foods and let you try this amazing recipe.

Raw Cranberry Sauce

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 large orange
6 medjool dates
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
optional: a handful of chopped raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamias, etc)

Blend in your Vitamix (or high speed blender) until desired consistency is reached. I like mine nice and chunky.

You can add more maple syrup or dates if it's not sweet enough for you.

Enjoy!

:)

Our Daily Green Smoothie

We make daily green smoothies at our house, around lunch time (in addition to green juice 4-6 mornings a week) using our Vita Mix. We first started doing this for our extremely picky 3 year old, so he would get some good nutrition, without having to force him to eat the slimy & wet textures of fruits/veggies that he would burst into tears just looking at. So if we miss a day, it means that he isn't getting a really big part of his diet. Hence, we are committed to making this everyday, whenever possible. It also has been great for my husband and I- a sure way to get our daily nuts/seeds, omega 3s, probiotics, vitamin C, and of course all the fruits and veggies and protein.

Here is what our juice usually consists of (the measurements are approximate since we are always changing the kind of fruits & veggies we put in and we sometimes add the juice from our greens instead of the whole greens):

Our Green Smoothie:

(REVISED April 2014)

GREENS:

2-3 cups (tightly packed) leafy greens: spinach, kale, or collards (spinach blends a lot easier and is almost tasteless, so great for those not accustomed to green smoothies)

FRUIT:

2 cups frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)- we love mango & strawberries

1-2 bananas (for sweetness)

1/4 lemon (peeled & seeded)- lemons have so many health benefits!

OTHER VEGGIES:

2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)

or

a small wedge red cabbage

or 

1/4 cup chopped cucumber, zucchini, or asparagus or broccoli

NUTS/SEEDS:

1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons source of Omega 3s (ground flaxseed, chia seed, or hempseed)

LIQUID:

2 cups water, almond milk, or coconut milk

EXTRAS:

- Protein powder: 1 scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand) (my husband likes extra protein, but I don't add to mine or my kids) 

- Probiotics: 2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)

- Extra Vitamin C: 3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg) (I try to add more Vitamin C to our diet after reading Dr. Andrew Saul's book "Doctor Yourself" and learning about the research showing diseases being cured with high levels of Vitamin C.)

ORIGINAL POST (Nov. 2013):
Our Green Smoothie:
1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower/pumpkin/sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 big handfuls greens (spinach, collards, or broccoli usually)
2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)
1/2 cup frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)
1-2 bananas
scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand)- added to adults' smoothies
2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)
3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg)
water- enough to get desired consistency

** This smoothie is guzzled by 2 adults and an almost 4 year old (our 14 month old gets a slightly different smoothie you can see here).

My daily juice recipe

These days we try to make fresh juice at least 4 times a week. Here is what our juice usually consists of (this is for 2 adults, 1 small child, and a baby):

Daily Green Juice:
3-4 cups of dark leafy greens (kale, collards, or spinach)
a pound of carrots
1/2 large cucumber
1-2 celery
1/2 lemon or lime
small piece ginger
a sweet fruit such as: oranges (3-4), pineapple (1/3), apples (2-3), or grapes (1 cup)

This makes enough for about 8-10 oz for each adult, 6 oz for the child, and 2 oz for the baby.

Note: For our baby, who is 14 months right now, we don't include pineapple, oranges or lemon/limes  since they give him a rash around the mouth. Instead we use apples or grapes for sweetness.
However, most of the time, we will just juice greens and carrots for our baby and blend that up with some fruit and a little water and raw almonds (or sunflower or pumpkin seeds) to make it into a smoothie for him which he loves. We use fruits such as frozen mangoes, berries, and banana.

We also add to our juice sometimes (remember these are all raw):
- zucchini- It tastes bland and goes well with any other juice, especially carrot. The pulp is actually really good to eat plain too; it's still somewhat moist and just tastes like grated zucchini.
- broccoli
- bell peppers
- parsley

What do I do with the pulp? (I get this question all the time)

Since carrot pulp makes up the bulk of our pulp container, I mostly just use that and discard the rest (it is not very much and most of the juice/nutrition has been extracted so there's no flavor, just a small mass of tasteless stringy stuff).

This is what I do with carrot pulp:
- Add to oatmeal with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, dates, vanilla, almonds, for a "carrot cake" taste
- Add to cooked grains, such as quinoa, for a warm, savory pilaf with italian seasonings, garlic, and a little Earth Balance "butter"
- Add to smoothies for some extra fiber
- Add to muffins or baked goods (I'm just now experimenting with this)

Dinner: Keep it simple

It's good to remember that I don't have to cook a big meal every night just because I want to be healthy and avoid frozen pre-made dinners or fast food. It's possible to eat a simple, yet totally healthy home cooked meal that can also taste great.

Here's my new formula for those nights when I'm low on time:
1- cook a whole grain (boil and simmer on the stove)
2- add some veggies to the pot when it's almost done (but there is still water in the pot)
3- Season and add a little dairy-free butter or olive oil,
4- Have a big salad to go with it
Note: I usually try to add beans to the grain dish or on the salad since they are a great plant source of calcium and iron, not to mention the fiber and protein.

My simple dinner experiment:
So tonight I made quinoa, not knowing really what I was going to do with it. There are countless uses for quinoa (such as warm in the morning with almond milk, cinnamon and dates; warm as a pilaf with cooked veggies and seasonings; cold as a salad with a vinegarette dressing and mango/red pepper  or with citrus dressing and squash/craisins, etc) so I wasn't too worried.

A couple minutes before it was done cooking (it only takes 10-15 minutes total to cook by the way), I ended up throwing in a diced yellow squash and the carrot pulp from the juice I made yesterday. I also added Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" spices and a couple tablespoons Earth Balance dairy-free "butter" spread (I get the soy free kind).

I paired that with a big salad and we had a wonderful, yet simple and nutritious meal. :)

Nutritional note:
Here is a great article from Harvard School of Public Health, about the benefits of eating good carbs (aka whole grains): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/ 

UPDATE:

I just found this awesome quote from Brigham Young!

"I believe that we enslave our women; … our tables are covered with every delicacy and variety that we can think of… I do not believe in mixing up our food. This is hurtful. It destroys the stomach by overtaxing the digestive powers; and in addition to that it almost wears out the lives of our females by keeping them so closely confined over cooking stoves…We can have a variety in diet, and yet have simplicity. We can have a diet that will be easily prepared, and yet have it healthful. We can have a diet, that will be tasteful, nutritious and delightful to us, and easy to digest…” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 13: 154

Amen!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

This was my week to teach Joy School (a preschool group of 6 kids who's moms rotate teaching) and I made my favorite banana muffins. The kids LOVED them and most ate 2 whole muffins for snack (plus the carrot juice that they juiced themselves in our Omega 8003 juicer).

Today was proof that you don't need to fill baked goods with white flour and sugar for them to be kid-friendly!

Note: These are not totally vegan, since they still contain 1 egg. We still currently eat organic eggs occasionally in baked goods. If you want it to be totally vegan, I would try a vegan egg replacement such as flaxseed.

(Sorry there are no pictures- they were gone before I could take one!)

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 Tbsp melted butter (I use the dairy-free Earth Balance spread found in most regular grocery stores)
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey (or less if your bananas are really ripe)
1 egg, beaten (you can use a egg replacement here)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used sprouted whole wheat flour)
2 shakes cinnamon (or up to 1/2 tsp)
1 shake nutmeg (or up to 1/4 tsp)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Combine mashed banana, applesauce, and melted butter. Mix in honey, egg, and vanilla.
Sprinkle in baking soda and salt and mix. Add the flour and spices last and mix.

Put into muffin cups and bake for about 23-25 minutes.  (Mini muffins about 18 min.)

Double the recipe and freeze for a quick snack anytime (just microwave for about 20-25 seconds).

Enjoy!

Avoiding dairy while breastfeeding = An easy baby...?

Hey everyone. I just want to share my experience here for a minute. I stopped eating dairy and meat when my second baby was 3 months old. And I didn't just stop eating dairy and meat. I added tons of fruits and vegetables (mostly raw) to my diet, as well as raw nuts & seeds (mostly almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame), incorporated a lot more beans/legumes, and continued to eat whole grains, with a limited amount of processed/packaged food. Yes, I was in the kitchen a lot (and still am- we have half our toys in the kitchen to entertain my 2 kids).

My second baby was pretty easy going from the start, pretty much the complete opposite from my first. My first had lots of fussiness/colic, reflux, crying while nursing & stomach upset, difficulty sleeping, etc. With my second, we have dealt with none of that, and virtually no negative reactions to my diet through my breast milk. I really think it has to do with the fact that I stopped eating dairy.

I just came across this- 101 reasons not to feed dairy to your kids:

http://www.vegfamily.com/babies-and-toddlers/101-reasons.htm

The reasons are not all documented and are probably based on this person's opinion. However, the crazy thing is, my first baby dealt with a lot of the negative things on the list, whereas my second baby did not.

(And that's not even getting into the positive change I have felt in my own health since eliminating dairy!)

Here is a great article from a more reputable source, Harvard School of Public Health. They say "Calcium is important. But milk isn't the only, or even best, source. Check it out below:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/

Needless to say, I will not be giving cow's milk to my now almost 14 month old toddler. I will be continuing to breastfeed (4-5 times a day, currently), in addition to giving him the fresh vegetable/fruit juice & green smoothie we make daily (with raw nuts/seeds), the whole grains (such as quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, oatmeal, whole grain pasta, sprouted whole wheat bread), the beans/legumes (especially lentils, peas, and other beans mashed up in guacamole), the healthy baked goods & pancakes, the raw almond butter mixed in with applesauce that he loves, and other fruit & veggies.

Love this about how to feed kids in a vegan way:

http://www.raisingvegkids.com/veg-kids.html 

We are not perfect by any means. Sometimes we resort to Joe's O's (Cheerios cereal from Trader Joe's) and there are days where I am running out of ideas so he doesn't get as good a variety as I would like. But I do make a huge effort every day to prepare healthy food for my family, in my own kitchen.

In today's world, we cannot rely on packaged food companies, the government, or even the medical world to correctly guide us to a healthy life. Just look at how cancer rates are rising. We must take the responsibility upon ourselves to search for the best way to feed our families, through the many resources online, documentaries (Food Matters on Netflix is an absolute must watch!) and listening to our hearts and spiritual promptings that come to us as we seek light and truth from above.

Fall Quinoa Salad

This is my new favorite dish for the Fall. It tastes like Thanksgiving! I am planning to add it to my growing list of healthy comfort food. It would pair nicely with slippers, a blanket, and snuggled up with the one you love (whether that be a person, a movie, or book). :)

"Two Peas & Their Pod" has posted this recipe (and a way better picture of it) here.  I think it is way better served warm, instead of cold, and with a touch of cinnamon. So happy to have another quinoa salad that I love (my summer fave is this Mango Quinoa Salad).

Sweet Potato Curry

Dinner tonight was Sweet Potato Curry, one of our favorites!

Combine the following in a Crock Pot and leave for about 5 hours:
1 cup dry lentils (sorted and rinsed)
4 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 cups coconut milk (canned, organic, full fat)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Optional: add a 1/2 cup frozen peas or broccoli about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or other grain of your choice. And don't forget a big salad too. :)

This is a protein packed, iron packed, Vitamin A & other nutrient packed dinner, sure to fill and satisfy even those who aren't accustomed to eating vegetarian or vegan meals. My husband loves it. Give it a try!

Phasing Out Body Care Products

I have just recently made a goal. This is serious folks. Just like my goal to take out meat & dairy and center my meals around plant based foods.

My new goal is to eventually stop using any and all body care products (such as commercially produced face wash, lotion, shampoo, deodorant, etc), and instead use totally natural, single ingredient substances, such as coconut oil and honey.

Why?
I am so sick of mainstream products containing toxic chemicals, and organic products being so darn expensive. Before people started producing bottles of shampoo in factories, I'm pretty sure human kind did pretty well using the natural elements God gave them in this amazing world.

So, here is what I'm going to start with.

Deodorant- Since my plant-based diet leaves me virtually odor-less (under my arms), I don't even wear deodorant every day and I'm still fine. When I do, it is Miessence Tahitian Breeze certified organic deodorant. But since that is running out, I am starting on coconut oil. Google it, seriously. Since coconut oil (Extra Virgin) is a huge anti-bacterial, in theory, it should kill any bacteria under my arms that would create a nasty odor, right? I'll let you know how it goes!

Face lotion- Coconut oil! I've been using it every night, and using Miessence Rejuvenating Moisturizer during the day. I love Miessence- the first ingredient is aloe vera and all ingredients are completely raw (never heated) so all of their powerful health properties have not been cooked away. But alas, if I want to eat healthy, I can no longer afford to buy expensive body care products, if I can find natural substances that do just as good a job (or almost as good a job). So when my Miessence runs out, I'm going to just use Coconut oil.

Face wash- In the morning, a splash of water. At night, honey: Apply and rub into pores. Rinse with warm water. See more about honey and other natural facial cleansers here.

Body lotion- Coconut oil! Google all the benefits if coconut oil.

Eye makeup remover- coconut oil! I'm so glad I discovered this- it works better than any other makeup remover, even on waterproof mascara.

Hair product- coconut oil! I love putting this  stuff on my hair to smooth it down. It also makes it super soft. A little goes a long way.

Toothpaste- I currently use Miessence certified organic Mint Toothpaste with baking soda as the main ingredient. My teeth have never felt cleaner- I love how the baking soda works so well, and the all-natural mint flavor is great. But when that runs out I will be trying out my own toothpaste recipes, using baking soda and essential oils. When I do, I will definitely share what I come up with.

I am going back to the basics. I love this amazing planet and I believe that when God created it, he consciously provided us with everything we need to be healthy and to take care of our bodies.

Let me know what natural body care you have tried and what you recommend!

Pumpkin Nog

Egg nog season has officially begun, and I fully intend on having my fair share of dairy-free nog this year. I glanced at the options today in Whole Foods, and I was so excited to find So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog & Pumpkin Spice (I thought the only non-dairy option was Silk Nog). I was seriously considering buying some, but of course, I looked at the ingredients, and predictably it was loaded with sugar. There are 14g of added sugar (dried cane syrup) per 1/2 cup. Is this really the best Whole Foods can offer me? A "healthier" option to cow's milk, that is filled with sugar? I took one more look at the ingredients and decided to make some myself.

So tonight I decided to make an almond version, using my aunt Juliette's Almond Milk recipe (that can be found on her blog 3 Fruity Chicks). It is so easy, but you do need a high powered blender such as a Vita Mix or Blendtec. (1/2 cup raw almonds gives you a little more than 5 cups of Almond milk! Way cheaper than store bought kind.)

Then to turn my basic Almond Milk into "Pumpkin Nog" I added:
1/2 cup pumpkin (I used Trader Joe's canned Organic Pumpkin)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
a couple dashes of extra nutmeg & cinnamon
(and I used 1 tsp pure vanilla (alcohol free) instead of the vanilla bean)

I didn't bother to strain out the almond pulp since my Vita Mix did such a good job blending it up and I am all about taking the easiest & quickest way possible lately. :)

It was delicious! So creamy and good. I drank mine cold, then warmed up (both great), then put it in a bowl with some pumpkin granola, yum. :)

And this is almost totally raw, with NO added sugar (the dates are the only sweetener). I'm never buying another carton of liquid sugar nog again!

P.S. I can't wait to try my own regular nog version! Probably just adding nutmeg and a little cinnamon to the regular almond milk. I'll post about it soon!

Raw Caramel Dip for apples

My aunt and cousins (the  3 Fruity Chicks) are such an inspiration to me. I love their blog and the yummy, healthy recipes I discover there. This one is absolutely wonderful. Caramel dip for apples! I made this on Halloween for a special treat. You can find it here. 

Cake Batter Protein Bars (with endless variations)!

Holy Moly these are amazing!

I made a whole pan of these before a road trip and I just wished I had made more- they were gone the next day.

I got the recipe here, but changed it a bit (see below). I loved that my son who hates oatmeal is getting the whole, raw, oats (ground up) in these without even knowing it! I did put a few sprinkles on top so they would appeal even more to my son, although next time I will be using the naturally colored kind that I just saw at Whole Foods!

3 cups brown rice crispies
1 cup packed oat flour (ground in my Vita Mix from oat groats, or blend in your blender from rolled oats)
1/2 cup protein powder (Garden of Life Raw Vanilla- the best! Or just put in oat flour here)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp vanilla (alcohol free kind, from Trader Joe's)
3/4 cup raw almond butter (or other nut butter)
3/4 cup sticky sweetener (I have been using 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup raw honey)
(I have been adding in a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed, and wheat germ lately and they are still great!)
Add ins/Variations: see note below

Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Then pour the dry into the wet and combine really well. Press into a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper (for easy removal). Chill, then cut into bars.  I keep mine in the freezer individually wrapped and take out whenever I want one (they are so nice straight from the freezer- a perfectly chewy texture). Yum!

Update July 2014: I wanted to use less sweetener, so I substituted 1/4 coconut oil for 1/4 of the sweetener. So I ended up using: 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup raw honey (instead of 3/4 cup sweetener).

Note: We have been experimenting with lots of different kinds of bars lately, so here is what we love so far. Let me know what you come up with too!

Sprinkle bars: Top with naturally colored sprinkles
*Strawberry bars: Add 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries (chopped)
Tropical bars: Add 1 cup freeze-dried mangoes (chopped) and 1/2 cup coconut
Fruity bars: Add 1 1/2 cups of any of your favorite freeze-dried or regular dried fruit!
Cinnamon bars: Add 2 Tbsp cinnamon
Chocolate chip bars: Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Luna bars: Make chocolate (from coconut oil recipe here) and pour over the top of chilled bars in pan (uncut). After chilled and set, remove and cut.

*Update: My son just requested a Strawberry Bar Cake for his birthday! (For the frosting I will be adding chocolate from my coconut oil recipe on top and of course some naturally colored sprinkles). To see what I came up with for his cake, click here.

Berry Cobbler Bites (with garbanzo beans, and vegan too!)

My son has stopped eating most grains, even his usual staples of rice & toast, but will eat muffins, so I'm trying to get as many muffins going as I can, especially with hidden ingredients such as beans (since he won't eat them plain or in other dishes).

So, I just made these vegan Blueberry Muffins. I omitted the streusel (since my son would just eat that and not the muffin), and instead of sugar, used  2/3 cup raw honey with a tiny pinch of Stevia. I also used 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/2 cup white flour (instead of 1 1/2 cups white). They turned out great! But they are not really muffins. They taste like berry cobbler! You could add any kind of berry and it would be delicious. You could probably add peaches too. Yummm....

So here is my version, which I call:

Berry Cobbler Bites

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup garbanzo bean puree
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 cup whole wheat flour (I used Sprouted whole wheat)
1/2 cup white flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup almond milk, curdled with 1 teaspoon white vinegar
10 ounces frozen wild blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine coconut oil, honey, garbanzo bean puree, and apple sauce, and beat together well. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Beat together just until combined. Add the curdled almond milk and beat once more. Fold in the blueberries and spoon into muffin cups (3/4 full).
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown (they will be a bit soft and doughy- that is normal, remember these are cobbler bites, not muffins. And no worries about not being cooked enough- they don't have eggs, remember?).
These are great warm from the oven. :)

Support my dad's movie "Abandoned Mine"!

UPDATE: This movie can now be purchased for download or to rent on Amazon, iTunes, and other movie sites. Check it out!

This film was written, directed, and produced by my dad, Jeff Chamberlain. Here is a message from him below. Please support! There are only a couple more days (until Aug 5) to make reservations online, or else some of the screenings could be canceled!

-------------------------------------------

I can't tell you how excited I am about having my film, Abandoned Mine screened in your area on Thursday August 15th!!!

I'm on a mission to send a message to Hollywood. You don't need nudity, sex, and gratuitous violence to reach young audiences with a PG-13 thriller. It also has positive themes of redemption and social responsibility - something Hollywood is very unconcerned with. 

As a long-time career guy in TV and Film, and as a family man with four daughters, faith and family are central in my mission as a filmmaker. 

Watch this 3 minute promo for a quick peek at what ABANDONED MINE is all about. 

Faith and Family Promo

http://youtu.be/cP3B_hMj9UI 

Our deal with the theater requires us to reserve tickets in advance. So if you can support me in my passion to make "movies with a mission" please reserve tickets now for your group. We need the advance reservations to keep the date. 

There are two ways to reserve:

1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/AbandonedMine,  give us a like, and then click to the "Events" tab where you'll see a listing of the screening locations.  All the details to join the event and buy tickets are on those event pages.  I would appreciate you sharing your local event on your timeline as well!

2. Go to www.abandonedminethemovie.com , learn more about the movie, and then click on "Cities & Showtimes" where you can choose your event location, and click on the links to reserve your seats! Feel free to share this link on LinkedIn, Twitter, email, or other social channels.

There are deadlines to reserve seats, and of course seating is limited -- so please help me get out the word today by forwarding this email to everyone who is like-minded.

I invite you to show your support so we can keep making faith and family-friendly "movies that matter".

Warmest,

Jeff Chamberlain

Writer - Director

ABANDONED MINE

Yummy Salad Ideas

I just wanted to share something I've been doing recently that is working out pretty well. Every day in the morning, I make a different type of main-course salad for my husband to bring to work and for me to eat while he's gone. This helps me because it's hard to make my own food when I have 2 hungry kids wanting me to make theirs. And it helps my husband have something healthy to eat at work instead of grabbing the easiest thing possible. It also ensures that the salad he eats is healthy and not drenched in creamy caesar dressing. :)

I put them in a Ziploc container, and keep in the fridge until it's time to eat. Then when it's meal time, I simply grab it out of the fridge, and then and I can focus on my kids' meals.

Here are our current 5 favorite salads:

BBQ Chicken-less Salad
(I mix together all ingredients except for lettuce, and coat with BBQ sauce, then place BBQ mixture on top of the lettuce, so we can mix together when ready to eat)

Zesty Avocado Salad 
(I add beans to this too, and then place the avocado salad on top of a big bed of greens)

Taco Salad: Rice & beans seasoned with taco seasonings (mostly cumin, and a little garlic and cayenne pepper), lettuce, tomatoes, and lots of freshly made guacamole (avocado, tomato, lime juice, salt, cilantro...or for easy guacamole, just mashed avocados mixed with salsa) and/or salsa, topped with organic corn chips (I put the rice and beans in a separate container, so we can add to our salads when ready)

Spinach- Strawberry Salad: Spinach, sliced strawberries, craisins, topped with chopped raw almonds, with a dressing of red wine vinegar, agave, olive oil, and lemon juice
(Note: Since this isn't the most filling salad, we will usually have a side of whole grain pasta with marinara sauce, or quinoa)

Garden Salad: lettuce, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, and a creamy non-dairy dressing such as Annie's organic Goddess dressing (soy based)
(Note: Since this isn't the most filling salad, we will usually have a side of whole grain pasta with marinara sauce, or quinoa)

Carob Brownie Bites

I just created these little wonders. Easy, tasty, healthy. Hope you like them!

Carob Brownie Bites

1 cup raw almond butter (crunchy)
1/4 cup raw honey (thick kind in a jar)
1/4 cup carob powder
1-2 tsp water

Mix together in a bowl with a spoon. Add enough water so that you're able to stir it all together, but it shouldn't be excessively sticky or goopy. It should be pretty firm.
You can press into a square baking pan and cut into mini squares. Or you can roll into balls.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer. You can eat directly from the freezer (they won't be rock hard).

Yum!

What do I feed my baby?

What do I feed my baby?
Some have wondered what I feed my baby, with my new healthy way of eating. Here is my answer to that.

Raw/Fresh
To give my baby the most nutrition, I use as much fresh (raw) fruits and vegetables as possible. Since I have a Vita Mix, I can use all fresh fruits and vegetables since it will blend them up, so I don't need to steam them first (except for sweet potato).

Note: In order for the Vita Mix to blend it up well, I need to make at least 2 cups. If my baby won't be able to eat it all before it goes bad, I will eat it myself or add to recipes that our family eats (such as our daily smoothie).

Organic
To reduce my baby's exposure to toxins found in pesticides, I use organic ingredients when possible, preferably from a local farm (to find a list of farmer's markets near you, go to: http://www.localharvest.org/) 


What don't I feed my baby?

Frozen baby food
I try not to make big batches of baby food to freeze, as tempting as it is (and like I did with my first baby).  I don't do this because...well, would you want to eat reheated frozen food all the time? Doesn't fresh food taste better? It does to me. I am introducing food to my baby; this is his first experience tasting something other than breast milk. I want my baby to taste food in its freshest, most delicious form; the way it is found in nature. Not some soggy, reheated, freezer-burn-tasting gloop.

Purchased baby food jars
I try not to feed my baby the baby food jars from the store because, well, have you tried them? They don't taste very good. That's probably because they have been heated to extremely high temperatures, thus losing most of the nutrition of the fruit or vegetable. Then they actually put back into the food synthetic forms of vitamins, such as Ascorbic Acid (synthetic Vitamin C) so that your baby can get at least SOME nutrition. But the natural vitamin C found in real fresh fruits and vegetables is much better for our bodies than the kind made in a lab.
I can't bring myself to give my baby this stuff, even organic, unless I have to (when we're traveling on vacation, out of the house and no time to prepare anything, etc)

And I'm sure it goes without saying...

I don't feed my baby any packaged or processed food- as most are laden with cancer-causing chemicals such as artificial flavors, colors, & preservatives, and devoid of essential, disease-fighting nutrients.

I don't add salt or sugar (or honey- since it can cause botulism in babies under 12 months). These are not only unnecessary, they are also not good for my baby's growing body.

I don't give my baby water- not only is it unnecessary, breast milk is way more nutritious. I breastfeed frequently throughout the day to make sure my baby has the chance to drink as much as he wants.

So...how do I manage to find time to make fresh food for my baby?

I find time to make fresh food for my baby because I can't bring myself to give him nutrient devoid or tasteless foods, and I feel that just because he's a baby and can't chew well yet, doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve fresh foods. If anything, he deserves them more than any of us because this is the beginning of his journey in life. This is his first impression of what food is. My baby is so precious and innocent and pure and deserves the very, absolute, best of everything. Therefore, I fit it into my daily routine, just as I decided to fit in daily juicing, daily smoothie, and fresh salads. Yes, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen (and it has become our second playroom), but great health is worth it to me.

How do I do it?
About 2-3 times a week I make a small batch of fresh baby food, so there is always at least one or two freshly made baby food purees in the fridge. For other meals, he will have something simple, such as avocado mashed with ground sunflower seeds, banana-cinnamon oatmeal, frozen peas in the mesh feeder, small pieces of banana coated in wheat germ, etc. Also, I make it a point to give him something green every day (so usually my purees have kale, spinach, broccoli, or peas in them).

Fresh Purees:
Here are some purees I have made for him recently.

(Although I made up these recipes, some were inspired by recipes found in books such as "Organically Raised" by Anni Daulter, "Raw Food" by Erica Palmcrantz, and "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall.)

Avocado Soup (all fresh/organic ingredients)- 1 avocado, 3 stalks kale (leaves only), 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 4 baby carrots, 1/4 cucumber, dash of dill (dried), dash of parsley (dried), 2 tsp ground raw sunflower seeds, water as needed (Note: This is great for a family dish as well, just double or triple, add some tomato, salt, a little garlic powder or other spices as needed)

Creamy Quinoa Goodness- 1 steamed sweet potato, 1/4 cup fresh or frozen mango, 3 stalks fresh kale (leaves only), 1/4 cup cooked quinoa, water as needed (you can add brown rice or replace for the quinoa)

Green Delight- 1/2 cup peas (I used frozen organic), 5-6 fresh organic green beans, 1/4 cup fresh organic broccoli, water as needed

Apricot/Pear/Blueberry (all fresh/organic ingredients)- 4 small apricots (pitted), 1 pear, 1/4 cup blueberries or you can add plum instead (I add this puree to oatmeal sometimes)

Note: All of the above were combined in a Vita Mix and blended until desired consistency was reached. My baby is almost 10 months old and is starting to chew more, so I make the purees more chunky for him.

My little cutie :)

Tip: Grind your nuts & seeds!

Every week buy a bag of raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, and raw sesame seeds. Grind them into a powder (using a VitaMix, masticating juicer like the Omega 8003, food processor, etc). Keep the powder in an air tight container in the fridge, so you can add to your smoothies, salads, or mix in with baked goods.

My current favorite:

"Pumpkin Parmesan": Mixture of ground pumpkin seeds & nutritional yeast
Sprinkle on top of whole grain pasta with tomato sauce, or mix into your tomato sauce to create a cheesy/creamy tomato sauce (without using dairy).

Almond Truffles

These are my family's new favorite raw dessert! So good...

Dough:
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey (the thick kind in a jar)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Update: I just added 1 Tablespoon carob powder, and more almond butter & coconut since it tasted a little sweet to me... experiment with how you like them)

Add-ins:
Dried cranberries
Raw cacao nibs (or Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs)
Anything else you like to put into cookies

Rolled in:
Shredded unsweetened coconut
or
Wheat Germ (my little boy loves wheat germ)

Make the dough by combining the dough ingredients in a bowl.
Add whatever add-in's you want, as much as you like.
Roll into balls and roll in coconut or wheat germ.
Freeze until chilled and enjoy! (You can keep in the freezer, but if you don't want them to be rock hard, let thaw a bit before enjoying.)

Note: You might want to consider doubling the recipe since they are so good and will be gone in a day if you're like us. :)

The Garden Diet

Have you heard about The Garden Diet? It's a website (and program too), run by a man, Storm (early 60s) and his wife Jinjee (45), who are amazing examples of eating raw long-term and how it positively affects their bodies, especially in regards to aging (http://rawveganwarrior.com/?p=840) 

Jinjee has great articles especially about the emotional aspect of eating, such as "Seeking Good Feelings From Bad Food" ( http://jinjeetalifero.com/?p=2729)

Here's the website with a main overview of their family & what they are about:
http://thegardendiet.com/

Every day I am trying to figure out the best foods to eat for my body. I feel great eating lots of raw foods, and since I am also currently breast feeding, I have been taking a real-food supplement to make sure I am not deficient as I begin this journey (I have learned lately about the dangers of taking synthetic supplements which are in most every bottle at the vitamin store).

I am truly amazed at how much I love fresh, organic vegetables and fruits way more than cooked food now! I thought it would get boring, but instead the flavors are so amazing to me, way more than before. Here is an example...

Tonight I had a salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, avocado, lime juice, italian seasonings, and nutritional yeast. It tasted so good! I didn't want to put on dressing because then I wouldn't be able to taste the true natural flavors of the fresh vegetables. The lime juice and seasonings was very subtle and perfect. Didn't need the nutritional yeast, yet I wanted the additional nutrients. I ate delicious fresh organic strawberries for dessert.

My 3 year old (the one who has always been very picky, and used to only want to eat crackers and other packaged food for meals) very happily ate raw organic broccoli, a whole apple, fresh strawberries, a bowl of rice with Earth Balance "butter" and a dash of salt and turmeric, plain sunflower seed butter (in a cup with a spoon), and a homemade almond truffle.

My almost 9 month old baby had a homemade blend of (all organic) kale, broccoli, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and a little bit of applesauce. He loved it (he loves everything I give him- I think he must have gotten used to the tastes of fresh raw vegetables and fruits from my breast milk)!

My husband works during dinner time, but I just asked what he ate and he had trail mix, carrots, 3 oranges, a banana, and homemade pumpkin flax muffin.

I love seeing how consuming large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables is changing my taste buds and making me feel great! And not needing to wear deodorant anymore is another HUGE plus!

Update: 6 months later!

Just want to let you know how things are going for me and my family.

Here I am (with my baby) 6 months after I started eating a lot more fruits & vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts & seeds, and hardly any meat or dairy or processed foods.

And 3 months since I've been making daily green juice for my family, consisting mostly of vegetables (leafy greens, celery, cucumber, carrots, beets, asparagus, etc) and a little fruit (lemon/lime, orange, apple, or pineapple, etc), and ginger

And continuing our daily green smoothie (consisting of water, leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, broccoli, etc), fruit (strawberries, mango, blueberries, banana, pineapple, etc), and a source of protein &/or healthy fats (ground almonds or sunflower seeds, ground flax seed, spirulina, coconut oil, etc.)

Myself:
I feel great. I love eating real, raw, & whole foods. They fill me up and I never feel gross like I used to after eating fast food, greasy food, meat, etc. My digestion seems to be at an all-time high- I feel my body is working the way it is supposed to. My body feels light and energized. I used to suffer from a frequent and excruciating random pain, and I haven't had it at all since I started doing this, which is a huge motivation to not go back to the way I was eating before.  I know exercising also makes a huge difference in how I feel too. And the fact that I live across the street from a wooded trail so I can get into nature pretty much every day if I want to- that is essential for my mental well-being.

**A very surprising yet awesome side effect of my healthy eating is that I don't have to wear deodorant anymore because I have hardly any body odor! Yes, it's true. Here's how I discovered this: I had been using a natural baking soda deodorant, which I loved, but I forgot to wear it one day and was surprised at how my arm pits did not smell at all (I actually made my reluctant husband smell them to see if there was something wrong with my nose or if it was true, and he agreed with me). This was a day when I had been outside sweating a lot. So I went running the next morning, not having showered yet from the day before without deodorant. When I came back, there was a very small hint of body odor that only I would have noticed, and it didn't even smell that bad. This was amazing to me. So for about a week now, I have been deodorant-free and neither I, nor my clothes, smell at all! I even wore one of my favorite shirts again (without washing) because it didn't smell at all. Hope that wasn't TMI, but this is truly amazing to me!

Another thing is, I crave greens now- we make sure to never run out so we buy extra from the farmer's market (they have great lettuce & kale right now), and if we have more than we can eat, we will just juice it before it goes bad- problem solved! I've gotten to the point where I can eat lettuce without any dressing on it, which I never thought I could do. I think our daily juice has given me an appreciation for the taste of dark leafy greens. We have been putting progressively less fruit in, so there is a lot more of the green taste than the sweet fruit, but we all love it- even my 3 year old who is notorious for his extreme pickiness!

My current challenge is that I have major sugar cravings at night. During the day, I try to eat what I know will make my body feel good, so it's pretty easy for me to avoid sugary junk foods. But at the end of the day, when I finally get my kids to sleep, I am always craving something sweet, which usually ends up being a bowl of sugary cereal with almond milk (unsweetened though). Yes, I do buy organic cereals without any bad ingredients, but they still have a lot of that darn evaporated cane juice! And if I eat it at night, then I'll be sleeping by the time it makes my body feel bad- that is my justification. So, I'm still working on this one. I know, at least I'm not binging on brownies and cookies and ice cream (those things have lost most of their appeal because I look at them as empty calories without any true nutritional value, and I would rather have a brownie made from raw almonds and cacao powder so at least it is satisfying my craving and giving me some great nutrition- but if I had junk food sweets in the house, I'm sure I would be eating them at night! Good thing I go shopping during the day when I am thinking clearly....). Anyway, I'm trying to eat more fruit or sweet vegetables (such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, etc) to satisfy my sweet tooth during the day and see if that helps. I'll let you know how it goes.

My 3 year old:
Since we have been buying more fruits & vegetables and whole grains, and less packaged snacks, he has stopped asking for them as much (he used to constantly beg for goldfish crackers or granola bars). Instead he looks in the fridge or on the counter to find something he wants (such as an apple with sunflower seed butter, carrots & organic ketchup (weird, I know), or a bowl of brown rice with non-dairy butter and salt). He isn't getting sick every month like he used to (when his diet consisted of mostly crackers and cows milk). His eczema has pretty much disappeared (he had it really bad ever since he was a baby), and lately he always seems to have a very high level of energy- don't know if most 3 year olds are like that. This kid runs around the house, jumping down stairs, doing silly dances, and he is singing random songs at the top of his lungs probably 80% of the time. It's a bit frustrating when it's time to get dressed, brush his teeth, eat his food, go potty, etc, because he can't really do two things at once and everything ends up taking forever. But despite the constant singing and never ending burst of energy, I am happy that he is happy and well-nourished. :)

My husband:
Although he has not chosen to avoid meat & dairy as much as I have, he is still eating a lot less of it, and the quality of food he eats is a lot higher now. He has been drinking our daily green juice, smoothie, and my dinners (which don't include meat or dairy- aka Rice & Bean Enchiladas and big salad). We have replaced most of our dairy products (except for cheese he puts on his sandwiches)- so when he has cereal, he adds unsweetened almond milk instead of cows milk, uses non-dairy butter spread on his toast (sprouted whole grain bread), etc. He still eats lunch meat and cheese in a wrap most days for lunch. But the most significant change he feels has been his weight. He had been consistently weighing the same since his deployment (which was about 10 lbs more than when we got married). When we started juicing 3 months ago, he started losing weight and is now back to his pre-marriage weight (he lost about 8 lbs).


In conclusion...

Things we are in love with:

Our juicer
Our Vita-Mix
Our local farmer's market
The 89 cent bags of organic carrots from Trader Joe's (and other great deals)
Avocados
When my son says he wants more green juice :)
A fridge and counter top filled with fruits and veggies after shopping trips (the best part is knowing that we will actually be consuming it all that same week)
Whole Foods
Going running through a beautiful forest and feeling amazing afterwards

We are grateful that even though we live in a world of packaged and fast food, we can still make choices that allow us to feel great and be healthy by filling our bodies with lots and lots of fruits and vegetables. :) It truly is amazing to feel such a difference in just 6 months!

BBQ Chicken-less Salad

I got the idea for this after eating a BBQ Chicken Salad from Panera Bread. Yes, folks, I actually bought a salad with chicken in it. (I ate a small amount of chicken and gave the rest to my husband.) I thought it was time to have a bite or two of meat, since I'm not totally against eating meat EVER. Just based on what I've read and researched so far, I believe a small amount of meat, very infrequently (aka once a month) won't have any major negative consequences on my health. However, I always plan meals without meat or dairy in them, so that when we are out and I feel like it's time to have some meat (or a very small amount of dairy) that's when I eat it.

Back to this salad. Sorry I'm not giving measurements- I know everyone has different tastes, so you can decide how much of each ingredient you want to put in.

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Black beans
Organic (non-GMO) frozen corn
Orange (or other) bell pepper (organic)
Carrots
Tomato, sliced
Avocado
Chip strips (I made these from whole wheat tortillas, baked for 6 mins on each side at 350)

BBQ Sauce Dressing:

(If there is an organic and natural BBQ sauce, I would probably use that, but since the only one we had was from our food storage and had artificial flavor and color, :( I decided to make some from this recipe in Judita Wignall's book "Going Raw.")

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 1-2 hours (but I used tomato sauce instead)
2 Tbsp soak water, or more as needed (I didn't use this obviously)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp diced onion
1 Tbsp honey or agave
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Blend until smooth. Then drizzle over the salad and enjoy!

"Not-So Cheese Sauce"

(From Vita-Mix's "Whole Food Recipe" book)

This is surprisingly delicious! I was amazed at how much it looked and tasted like real cheese sauce. I don't even really like cheese sauce, it tastes so artificial to me, so this was much better to me. You can put it on macaroni, or use as a nacho sauce or dip, or anything else you can think up. :)

You pretty much need to have a Vita-Mix or Blendtech to make this sauce.  I got this recipe from the recipe book that I got when I purchased my Vita-Mix (which is filled with great recipes like this one).

1 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large roasted red pepper*, peeled (or 1/4 cup canned pimientos)
1/2 cup raw almonds or cashews (I used almonds and it was great, cashews would probably be even better)
1 tsp onion powder (I used garlic powder instead and it was great)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or 2 Tbsp baking yeast- don't know how that would taste though)
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (this isn't in the original recipe, but it's great if you like spicy nacho sauce)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp potato starch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water (I didn't have it so I used cornstarch, and had to use a little extra to get it to thicken better)

Put everything into the blender in the order listed above, except don't add the boiling water or potato starch mixture yet. Start at low (Variable 1) and increase quickly to Variable 10, then to High. Keep on high for 5-6 minutes (or until you see steam coming out of the lid). Turn it down to Variable 7, take out the lid plug, and pour in the boiling water and cornstarch mixture. Keep blending until the sauce is thickened (1 minute or so).

*Note: I used a roasted red pepper, instead of canned pimientos. Here is a link with step by step pictured instructions on how to roast a red pepper:  http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2013/02/roast-red-pepper.html

If you use a regular blender, I'm assuming the nuts won't completely blend up, and you won't be getting any heat as you blend. But if you really wanted to try it, you might try using boiling water to start (for the 1 cup water listed as the first ingredient), and somehow grind your nuts before putting them in (in a coffee grinder, masticating juicer that also grinds, or buy almond meal) or using creamy almond or cashew butter. Let me know if you do try it with a regular blender and how it turns out!

Cheese-less Omelets & Quesadillas

Is it possible to have a cheese-less quesadilla or omelet? Of course!

Here are some ideas:

Sweet Potato Quesadilla:

For my filling I combined brown rice & pinto beans with mashed sweet potato, then seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper. I put my filling into the tortilla and grilled on both sides until brown. Then I scooped some guacamole into the middle and it was so delicious!

The Guacamole Omelet 

(I made my guacamole here with avocado, tomatoes, red bell peppers, lemon juice, and seasonings):

The Rainbow Omelet:

Pick whatever veggies you want and arrange over your omelet in a rainbow (I put avocado slices in my omelet here).

Mexican Fiesta Omelet:

(I put chopped greens inside the omelet, topped it with guacamole, then put sliced grape tomatoes on top, and filled my plate with chopped red pepper)

Green Energy Soup

I just made this today and I want to eat it everyday! It is packed with nutrition and extremely alkalinizing. Just put it all in the blender:

Green Energy Soup 

(from my book "Going Raw" by Judita Wignall)

2 cups water

5 leaves kale, stems removed, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cucumber, chopped

2 Tbsp lime juice

2-3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

pinch cayenne pepper (opt)

1 avocado

pepper to taste

Blend in vita mix (best option, but regular blender is ok, just won't be as smooth). The lime juice makes this amazing, so don't leave it out. What a refreshing, completely raw meal that is so easy to eat and very tasty!

Note: If your produce is room temp (such as if you just came back from the store), and if you blend in a Vita Mix or Blendtech, the soup will be luke warm (or warmer depending on how long you blend for) which I thought tasted great, especially if you're not used to cold soups (such as the Spanish "gazpacho"). Please don't microwave this, or heat it up... half the nutrients will be killed, and the whole point of this soup is that it contains awesome nutrients for your body. :)

3 Steps to a Healthier Life

Here are some simple steps that we all can take to live a healthier life:

3 R's to a Healthier Life:

REDUCE-- REPLACE-- REPLENISH

1. REDUCE exposure to toxins. Be aware of the toxins in our food supply and in your personal care products, and reduce, or better yet, eliminate them.

Click here for a guide to avoiding toxins in food products.

Click here for a guide to hazardous ingredients in personal care products and how they compare with organic products.

(There is a lot of information about this, just google "toxins in food" or "toxins in cosmetics", etc)

2. REPLACE bad food with good, aiming to eat at least 50% raw fruits and vegetables (emphasis on the vegetables, especially the dark leafy greens which are packed with important vitamins/minerals for our bodies to function well).

To get my greens, I drink a green juice in the morning, a green smoothie with lunch, a huge salad for dinner, and additional greens if possible (such as in a sandwich). Every time I make a meal or snack, I try to eat at least 50% vegetables (or fruit, but I try to eat a lot more vegetables than fruit). For example, for a snack I will have carrots with hummus, or for breakfast I will have oatmeal with a whole apple (chopped up and mixed in- it will look more like apples with oatmeal than oatmeal with apples- I also add cinnamon, almonds, dates, & ground flax seed). So instead of vegetables and fruits being the side dish, I try to make it the main course, with my grains/nuts/seeds/legumes on the side.

One more thing that helps me do this is to always eat my fruits or vegetables FIRST, before I fill up on other food. That way I make sure to fit them in. And when you start to eat fresh fruits and vegetables first, when you are hungry, you may start to crave them the next time you are hungry, because that is what your body is now used to. It is amazing how we can change the way our bodies work.

I challenge you to try eating 50% fruits & vegetables (and eat them BEFORE your other food) for a week and see what happens! Then comment below about your experience! :)

3. REPLENISH your body with nutrients that you are not getting from food. I hate to say it but despite your best efforts to eat lots of fresh produce, our food isn't the same quality it used to be (due to depleted soil, pesticides, GMOs, hybridizing, and "green harvesting"). I was sort of in denial about this until lately. I thought, as long as I eat a healthy diet, I will be fine. Besides, I didn't want to spend my money on something that I could get in food. But it simply isn't possible today. Our grandparents could eat 1 peach, and we have to eat who knows how many just to get the same amount of nutrients. (Click here for an article about how vegetables are losing their nutrients (or just google "nutritional value of vegetables decreasing").) It is another sad truth I have had to accept lately.

In order to give your body what it needs so it can fight off disease effectively, you will need to supplement with natural (NOT synthetic) supplements of essential vitamins, minerals, and glyconutrients (have you heard of those?? Click here for more info).

Do you know the difference between natural and synthetic vitamins? Synthetic vitamins are made in a lab, whereas natural vitamins are found in plants. Our bodies absorb natural vitamins well; synthetic vitamins aren't completely absorbed into our bodies and I just learned that they are actually quite harmful to us! My relative has a consumer awareness guide on her website about how to tell if your vitamins are natural or synthetic, and what the difference is. Click here to get the guide. 

I'll give you some examples:
Vitamin C: if it says Ascorbic Acid, it is synthetic. If it says citrus, rose hips, or acerola berries, it is natural.
Beta-carotene: if it doesn't list a source, it is from acetylene gas (synthetic!). If it says carrot or sweet potato, it is natural.
Vitamin D: If it says irradiated, ergosteral, or calciferol, it is manufactured in a lab. If it says fish oils, it is natural.
Click here for more.

Did you know that MOST vitamins are synthetic? It's much cheaper to produce synthetic vitamins than the real ones. I just can't believe I didn't even know there was a difference. I thought "vitamins are vitamins" and I'm sure most people do too.

One final note: Please, please, please throw away your pharmaceutical vitamins (aka the prenatals my doctor prescribed me when I was pregnant that my insurance covered). They contain artificial color to make them look pretty! And a host of other nasty ingredients. When I finally realized this, I went to Whole Foods to get more "natural" vitamins, even though my other ones were free. But I had no idea that I should have been looking to see if they were synthetic or natural, and after learning about this, I just checked my new "natural" vitamins and they are...you guessed it...synthetic! I'm breastfeeding right now so it's kind of a big deal to get the best nutrition possible so that my baby can be healthy too. So I'm going to start taking a completely natural vitamin/mineral/glyconutrient supplement that I just found out about and I can't wait to get REAL nutrients into my body.

Hope this info helps! Good luck with your own journey to better health. :)

~Lynleigh

P.S. I'm sure we all know this, but once you start giving your body the nutrients it needs to do its job, get out there and exercise every day! That is another essential ingredient for optimal health!

Whole Wheat Pancakes (Vegan) with fruit

This is a healthy and very tasty pancake recipe you can make for your kids, without the bad ingredients in packaged mixes, and with the benefits of ground flax seed (fiber, protein, Omega 3s) and whole wheat flour (protein, fiber).

These are topped with lots of fresh fruit, instead of syrup, or you can make your own fruit syrup (put pears or peaches in the food processor, add a little honey or pure maple syrup).

I based this off of a recipe I got when I was a missionary in Brazil. The friend who gave it to me was American, so these are not Brazilian pancakes unfortunately. :) But these are way better than any packaged mix I've had.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (Vegan)

These are not raw, but with the loads of fruit piled on top, your meal can be mostly raw! (See below) 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (or Rice Milk) (add a little more for a thinner consistency)

1/2 banana, mashed (this is the egg substitute)

2 Tbsp raw honey

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients and cook on medium heat, flipping once until done. Enjoy!

Special thanks to my husband for making these delicious pancakes this morning and adding the banana instead of egg (because we were all out) to make them vegan. He always makes the pancakes at our house and they always turn out great- way better than I make them. Thanks babe!

Juicing video: How does it work?

Here is my son is giving a short demo of how to juice:

As you can see, it is not very difficult, and is a lot of fun for kids to do by themselves! (But it can take awhile, for the slow pokes, so I let him put some in first, then I do the rest so it doesn't take all morning....)

It is important to note that...

Juicing shouldn't replace anything, it should simply be an addition to your normal diet.

When we first started juicing, it was tempting to think "I just got all my fruits and vegetables for the day, so I don't need to eat anymore, or make our usual green smoothie." But I didn't start juicing to replace my smoothie, or my salads. I started juicing to ADD a glass of nutrition to my day. So even though we started drinking this juice in the morning, we STILL had our green smoothie for lunch (along with a sandwich), and STILL ate salad for dinner (along with whatever else we were having). It is important not to decrease the amount of fiber you normally eat.

That's just my two sense on the subject. :)