A New Favorite Treat of Ours

We had this for the first time yesterday. It was amazing. Need a treat once in a while? Try Coconut Bliss 'Ice Cream'!!! It's made with coconut milk and is all organic. Try it! YUM!

http://www.coconutbliss.com/

:)

More on Agave Syrup...

OK, so I am hearing more and more about this controversial sweetener. My understand is, that when this was first introduced, it was in fact a good alternative to table sugar. However, it became popular so fast that a lot of companies make it highly processed now- why not more and faster is best right? BUT I have heard that there still are some makers of agave with integrity. So- here's my suggestion if you love your agave: call the companies. Ask them if it's truly raw organic agave syrup or if it's processed. Not that hard right? The brand I used to use, Wholesome, is to my knowledge one of the companies that makes it highly processed.

I liked this article too:
http://www.elanaspantry.com/is-agave-good-or-bad/

And this goes for any product. If you buy Kashi crackers and you're questioning the canola oil... call them and ask about it! Better to know for sure what is in our food then to ignore or even deny ourselves of it if it's fine in the long run.

Just a journey... I learn something new every day. :)

Smothered Chicken

Kind of like a fajita, but without the tortilla!

4 free range organic chicken breasts

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 red cayenne pepper

1 tbsp organic butter

1-2 colored pepper, sliced

1-2 onion, sliced

sliced fresh organic mushrooms

1/2 cup shredded organic raw mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded organic raw cheddar cheese

Drizzle some grapeseed oil in your pan, add chicken. Sprinkle with spices, cook on medium heat 8-10 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet, keep warm.

Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Cook pepper and onion in butter for about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes. Place chicken in skillet, and cover with veggies. Sprinkle cheeses on top, cover, and let stand until cheese is melted.

Oatmeal Cookies

Delicious and soft oatmeal cookies! Our favorite combo is with cinnamon and raisins. :)

3 sticks softened organic butter

1 cup xylitol plus 2 tsps molasses, mixed

1/2 cup xylitol

2 organic free range eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 1/2 cups organic rolled oats (I didn't have enough and used half rolled and half steel cut oats and it was fine)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Add ins: 60% cocoa baking chips, organic raisins, dried fruits (check for added sugar and icky oils), chopped nuts, cinnamon, etc.

Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees (my oven here is like super oven so you decide)

Beat butter until fluffy, add sucanat and honey. Then eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in rolled oats and extra mix ins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (grapeseed oil) and press down gently. Bake for about 8-12 minutes and you may want to switch the baking sheets half way through. Enjoy!

Healthy Baked Ziti

Everyone loves Italian!

1 box whole wheat ziti (or whatever really)

1 lb free range beef

1 onion, minced

4+ cloves of fresh garlic

Tomato sauce, homemade or bought (Muir Glen is a great brand)

1 small tub of organic ricotta or cottage cheese

About 3 cups shredded raw mozzarella cheese

Italian seasonings

pepper

sea salt

Basil

Garlic powder

Boil pasta according to package. Drizzle some grapeseed oil in a pan and saute chopped onions and garlic. Add beef and season with spices (don't be shy!). Cook until done and remove from heat. In a baking dish, add cooked meat and pasta, ricotta or cottage cheese, tomato sauce and mix well. Spread mozz on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Mmm!

Amazing Avocado

If you don't eat avocado, you should! Avocados are so full of nutrition and healthy fats that we all need. Avocado was one of my daughter's first meals! And, if money is tight for you, avocado is one of those food items that can be bought non-organic because of it's thick shell.

So I am trying to eat more of it. For myself and for the baby. I can handle eating it with just some sea salt on it, but love to try different things for variety. So here are a few creative ways to get in your avocado. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them! Comment!

1. Sliced with sea salt (add some salsa too if you want)

2. Guacamole, everyone loves that right?

3. On a sandwhich with turkey breast and tomato or turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato on wheat bread

4. Mixed with homemade refried beans (basically just smashed pinto beans and water) with brown rice and salt

5. Mashed and added to egg salad (see above picture)

Do you have any ideas?

Baked Chicken

Don't have a lot of time to prep or make a meal? Try this chicken. It takes 5 minutes to prep.

Organic free range chicken leg quarters (I prefer to remove the skin)
drizzle with grapeseed oil
season generously with pepper, sea salt, paprika, garlic salt or powder and parsley.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes on 375 degrees. Easy and delish. My favorite combination. :)

Ditch The Taco Seasoning

No need for packaged seasonings. Next time you make some tacos, try using these spices instead!

cumin
chili powder
sea salt
black pepper
coriander
paprika
turmeric
garlic powder
red cayenne pepper

Just add what you like (don't be shy) and add some water or grapeseed oil to your uncooked meat. Brown meat like normal. Now you are MSG free! Tastes even better with diced peppers and onion!!