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!
Friday, July 12, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
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.
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 :)
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
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).
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).
Friday, June 7, 2013
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. :)
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).Here's the website with a main overview of their family & what they are about:
http://thegardendiet.com/
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!
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