Time To Clean Out The Pantry!

Layered Crock Pot Meatloaf

2012-02-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

Meatloaf in the crock pot, plus all the sides at once? Yes, please!

Potatoes, sliced
organic frozen corn
and meatloaf:

1lb organic free range ground beef
1 cup milk
1 tbsp MSG free soy sauce such as San-J Tamari
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 free range egg
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup rolled oats

Mix meatloaf together in large mixing bowl. Spray crock pot with grapeseed oil spray. Layer potatoes, then corn, then spread meat mixture over corn, and finish with a thin layer of organic ketchup. Cook on high for about 3 hours, or low for about 5.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

2012-01-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

This is the easiest, most delicious Italian meal you will ever make!

1 package organic chicken thighs (6-8 thighs or 4 breasts)
1 can organic diced tomatoes (with juice)
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup Italian seasonings
2 tsps sea salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tablespoons oregano, basil, parsley, etc (all or just one)

Place all ingredients in your crock pot, cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Serve with warm pasta.

Homemade Chewy PB Oat Granola Bars

2012-01-26T14:59:00.000-05:00

Here is Heavenly Homemaker's

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars (you're going to want to double this!)

1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup oats
1 cup TOTAL of any combination of: sesame seeds, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips
*I used 1 cup kamut puffs, and another cup of a mixture of sesame seeds, currants, and chocolate/carob chips (for a doubled batch) and the kamut puff were amazing in this!!

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.

Remove from heat and add one cup of oats. Choose your favorite combination of coconut flakes, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and mini chocolate chips, to equal a total of ONE CUP. (She just got out her one cup measuring cup and poured in the ingredients until the cup was full.) Pour in and stir well.

Spread mixture into a 8x8 or 9 x 4 inch pan.

Chill for 2 hours, then cut into bars.

Wrap in plastic wrap for a quick grab and go snack!

Vegetable Beef Soup

2012-01-26T14:49:00.000-05:00

1 pound organic ground beef
4 cups organic beef broth
2 cups water
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups fresh cauliflowerets
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup uncooked macaroni (optional)

Directions

Cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the broth, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, potato, cauliflower, tarragon, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
You may also cook this in your slow cooker (ground beef pre-cooked)- on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Crock Pot BBQ Beef

2012-01-01T20:43:00.000-05:00

We love this meal, and I always make extras for leftovers or for freezing.

2 pounds organic ground beef, browned
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup xylitol
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 tsp. cloves
4 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. Bragg's apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 cups organic ketchup
3 pieces chopped celery
2 medium grated carrots

Combine all ingredients into your crock pot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Or high for about 1. You can eat this over whole grain bread, tortillas, lettuce wraps, etc. Or scoop it up with organic corn chips.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

2012-01-01T20:33:00.001-05:00

2 lbs organic boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4-5 chicken breasts) or 2 packages organic chicken thighs (what I used)
1 onion, thinly sliced (I use red onion)
2 red bell peppers, sliced in half-circle slices
1 green bell pepper, sliced in half-circle slices
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup organic chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Add all ingredients to your crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas and top with salsa, avocado, organic cheese, etc.

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

2012-01-01T20:19:00.001-05:00

pumpkin coconut soup

ingredients

5 tbsp. grapeseed oil

1 medium sized yellow onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 inch grated fresh or ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 cups organic chicken broth

1-2 cups red lentils

1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

1 14 oz. can coconut milk

2 tsp. sea salt (more to taste if you'd like)

1-2 tsp. pepper

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

directions

Chop the onion into small, even pieces and grate the ginger with a fine grater. in a large stock pot, add 2 tbsp. oil over medium heat. once the oil has heated, add the chopped onion, ginger, and minced garlic to the oil and stir. cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onion is mostly cooked through (it will be translucent).

While that's cooking, peel your butternut squash and take 1/2 of it and cut into about 1/2 inch cubes.Add to pot.

Add 1 tsp. ground cumin and stir, allowing the cumin to get all toasty and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add pumpkin puree, coconut milk, chicken stock, and red lentils. Cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes or so. Add 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper (again, you can add more after this if you'd like. depends on your taste buds. mine ask for salt).

Once your soup is ready, allow to cool for a few minutes before spooning into your blender. Blend your soup until pureed and return to pot to heat up again to your desired temperature. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

2011-12-14T22:25:00.001-05:00

Super easy. Very delicious.

2 packages organic free range chicken thighs
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard (Grey Poupon is a decent brand)
sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix the honey, mustard, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Put the chicken in the crockpot and pour the mixture over the top. Cook on high for 6-8 hours. Yum! I love easy dinners!

Lasagna Soup

2011-12-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Ok- so, I have been dairy free for quite some time now, and let me tell you how much I MISS lasagna!!! I saw a recipe for this and I danced. And it was just as good as I expected it to be! I, obviously, did not use the cheese mixture garnish, but you can if you want to. :)

for the soup:
2 tsp. grapeseed oil
1-1/2 lbs. organic grass fed ground beef
1-2 chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen)
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
4 lasagna noodles (wheat. rice, etc.)
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. organic ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded organic mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and cook until brown. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings: 8

**You can easily do this in your crock pot. Just brown the meat first and add the rest to your pot. Cook on low for several hours, adding the pasta for the last 1/2-1 hour.

Gluten Free Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

2011-12-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

Here's an easy comfort-food recipe for you that you can do in your slow cooker or regular pot. I never thought I'd eat this again without using Bisquick! Ta da! I am happy and so is my tummy. :) My photo kind of stinks, by the way!

Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings (Crock Pot)

2 packages organic chicken thighs
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables
1 onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
4 cups organic free range chicken broth
2 Tbsps tapioca starch mixed with 1/2 cup water
sea salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp each?)

Mix all ingredients in crock pot except tapioca starch. Let cook on low for about 4 hours or high for 1 or 2 (until chicken is cooked and veggies are tender). Add tapioca starch/water mixture to thicken it up a bit. Drop dumplings by the spoonful on top, and cook for a few more hours, until dumplings are done.

Gluten Free Dumplings

2 C gluten-free Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix)
1/3 C grapeseed oil
1 Tbs. Baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 - 1 C Milk (dairy or non dairy)

Mix all dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk and mix until dough is moist.

**You can also make this in a regular pot. Just cook the chicken/veggies until done, add tapioca, then cook until dumplings are done. :)

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Bread

2011-11-05T20:58:00.002-04:00

Definitely a keeper- definitely!! I am munching on this moist and 'just enough' sweet bread as I type. I just might make this for Thanksgiving- maybe for our Thanksgiving breakfast. Our family of four (ok, ok, it was mostly my husband and I) went through an entire loaf in less than 24 hours! It's just that good!

3 cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix plus 2 tsps xanthan gum
2 organic eggs
1 pint fresh cranberries (organic if possible) or 2 cups defrosted frozen cranberries, chopped- or you can pulse it your blender or food processor for a few seconds
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup xylitol, mixed with 2 tsps molasses (to make a 'brown sugar')
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon orange zest or 1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon clove
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 2 loaf pans.
Beat eggs and xylitol mix with electric beater or mixer (or fork if you are lazy like me). Add oil, milk, orange juice, zest and vanilla. Slowly beat in baking soda, baking powder, salt, all spices xanthan gum and flour. Mix until combined.
Gently fold in chopped cranberries. Pour into loaf pans and smooth the top of the loaf with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 1 hour.
Allow to cool slightly in loaf pan before inverting onto cooling rack.

Delicious fresh from the oven with a little organic butter or coconut oil melted on top!

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

2011-11-03T21:10:00.001-04:00

SO yummy! Yum yum yum yummy!

1 cup flour blend (I used 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF flour mix and 1/4 cup oat bran flour)
1/2 cup xylitol
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter or coconut oil
1 lrg egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp xylitol
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure almond extract
grease 11x 7 pan or an 8 inch square pan or double recipe for a 9x13 pan.

In lrg.bowl combine 3cups sliced ,skinned fresh peaches& a tbsp xylitol. Let stand 30 min.. Drain.(well)
Combine 1/2 c. xylitol, 2tbsp tapioca starch & 1/4 tsp of each, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt. Toss with well drained peaches.Add 1 tsp almond extract. Place in prepared pan.
Add cobbler topping:
Comine dry ingredients, cut in butter. Whisk together buttermilk,egg & vanila. Stir into dry ingredients just until mixed. Drop by tbsps on filling. It will spread out while it bakes. Sprinkle with xylitol. Bake in middle of oven from 35-40 min until browned at 375 degrees.

Pineapple Chicken Wraps

2011-11-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

This recipe is from Poor Girl Eats Well.

4-6 leaves of your favorite lettuce

1 1/2 c cooked organic chicken breasts or thighs, shredded

3/4 c pineapple, chopped into ½” pieces

2 serrano peppers, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped (optional)

Small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c rice vinegar

1/4 c San J Tamari wheat free soy sauce (this is fermented and good for you!)

2 T raw honey

Rinse the lettuce and pat dry. To prepare the dressing, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce and honey together in a bowl. Whisk vigorously until completely combined and set aside. In a large bowl combine the shredded chicken, pineapple, serranos, onion, and cilantro. Add about 3/4 of the dressing and toss together well. Assemble your wraps by spooning a generous amount of the chicken & pineapple mixture. Drizzle the tops of each with a little more dressing, roll 'em up, and enjoy! Or, you can eat them as a salad like we did! :)

Basil Broccoli Pasta

2011-11-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

1 bag Rice pasta cooked according to package

2 heads offresh broccoli or 1 bag frozen broccoli

1 onion, chopped

1 cup fresh basilleaves

4 tbsps minced garlic

1 package organic chicken thighs

grapeseed oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in about 2 tbsps grapeseed oil. Addchicken and cook until just done. Then add broccoli (chopped), pasta (cooked),salt, pepper, and mix. Cook until heated through. Drizzle with extra oil, if desired.

If you can have dairy, you can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Raw Berry Pie

2011-08-07T21:13:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts

1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates, chopped

Filling:

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1 1/2 cups cashews

1/3 cup raw honey

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 cups mixed berries, set aside
(raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)

Methods/steps

Crust:

1) In a food processor, grind the nuts and dates together into a slightly sticky dough. Add 1 -2 tsp water if needed.

2) Press into the bottom of a 6” springform pan, or into a pie plate.

Filling:

1) Blend the first four ingredients until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil. Continue blending until incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture into a bowl.

2) Add the berries to the remaining cream in the blender and pulse the berries until they start to break down, keeping some texture. Transfer the berry mixture into a bowl.

Assembly:

1) Pour half of one cream onto the crust. Pour the other half on top. Continue, pouring the first cream on top, followed by the second.

2) Now, with a knife, swirl the two creams together into a pretty pattern.

3) Chill the cake for a few hours, or until firm.

Guilt Free French Fries

2011-07-22T15:16:00.003-04:00

So easy. So yummy. No guilt!

Organic potatoes julienne cut
grapeseed oil
sea salt

Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil then sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until your desired crunch!

Chicken Marinades!

2011-07-22T14:48:00.005-04:00

We grill all summer long. Heck, we grill all winter long too. LOVE grilled chicken. Here is a few of our favorite chicken marinades. So easy, healthy and delicious!

Tandoori Chicken:

1 package organic boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup plain organic yogurt

1 med lemon, juiced

2 cloves garlic

½ tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

Marinade in a ziplock bag at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill to perfection and enjoy!

Grilled Buffalo Drummies:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons MSG free hot sauce such as Tabasco
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, thighs or drummies

Mix all ingredients and marinade for 4 hours or overnight. Grill to perfection! This chicken goes very well with the Mustard Balsamic Salad Dressing!

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken:

This chicken marinade has a very fresh and tasty zing to it. It is a perfect chicken marinade for those that are adverse to spicy dishes. Also, one of the most recommended chicken marinades for the summer months.

Ingredients:

1/2 an onion (optional)
3 teaspoons of oregano
3 teaspoons of thyme
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of grapeseed oil
2 whole chicken breasts, split in half, or boneless skinless chicken thighs (organic)

Method:

Rub the chicken with the cut half of the onion, then discard the onion.
Thoroughly mix the herbs and garlic with the lemon juice and oil.
Coat the chicken in the marinade, making sure all areas are covered.
Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to a maximum of 48 hours.

Pineapple Tamari Grilled Chicken:

I love this one on an Asian salad.

1 can pineapple chunks or rings (rings are easier to grill!) plus juice
1 cup San J Tamari
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw honey

Marinade for four hours or overnight, then grill to perfection. Yum!

*Note- all these recipes are great for veggies and fish too!

Mustard Balsamic Salad Dressing

2011-07-22T14:36:00.003-04:00

Super delicious! And perfect for your summer salad with grilled chicken!

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard

mix and enjoy!
Try this dressing with a salad and some marinaded chicken!

Poppy Seed Dressing

2011-06-15T12:18:00.005-04:00

Pin It

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 cup white vinegar or 1/4 cup white and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion (optional)
1 cup olive or grapeseed oil
about 1/8 tsp stevia
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine honey, vinegar, salt, mustard, stevia and onion and process for 20 seconds. With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds.

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

2011-06-01T15:37:00.003-04:00

Perfect for a hot summer day! We enjoyed these popsicles on my daughter's birthday and again on Memorial Day! Yum!

1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 can coconut milk (not lite)
1 cup plain full fat organic yogurt
4 oranges, peeled
3/4 cup xylitol

Mix all ingredients together in your blender until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays & place toothpicks in the center after covering with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid.

Check out these cool push pop molds I found at Bed Bath and Beyond!
http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/Shopping/ProductDetail.aspx?CID=Garden&SCID=GardenOutdoorEntertaining&ProductID=BC00332934&SourceCode=20509000001&mr:trackingCode=F6202114-E190-DF11-BC8B-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA

Coconut Raspberry Cupcakes

2011-04-26T22:38:00.006-04:00

A special treat for Gigi's first birthday! You can use any berry in this recipe. :) I also have to admit that this cupcake recipe was inspired by elanaspantry.com. :)

½ cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 free range organic eggs
2 Tbsps coconut milk/cream (the cream at the top of the can or from a quart)
½ cup xylitol
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
½ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)- or any berry

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, xylitol, coconut milk and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the berries.

Scoop ¼ cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour. If you choose not to frost them, they will be dairy free. :)

Frosting:...............Use your favorite frosting, I don't have a great healthy recipe for one yet. You can use organic butter and cane sugar for a traditional butter cream, or experiment with coconut milk cream for dairy free. I think either one could become healthy by using powdered xylitol, I just haven't gotten around to buying some yet!
You can also get a pretty good frosting swapping out the sugar for raw honey and adding a little arrowroot powder (like a tsp. or so) to thicken it back up. Happy experimenting!

Makes 8 cupcakes, unless you double the recipe, which I always do. :)

Tropical Dairy Free Smoothie

2011-04-13T20:37:00.004-04:00

Enjoy a glass of this nutrient-packed smoothie! So refreshing, delicious, and healthy!

You will need:

1/2 can coconut milk
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh)
1 cup frozen strawberries (organic is best)
1 orange, peeled
1-2 bananas

Blend it all up until completely smooth. Enjoy!

Oat Biscuits For Baby

2011-04-13T20:30:00.002-04:00

I make these for G, but the rest of the family likes to munch on them too, especially with honey on top! :) I love these because, right now, Gia is wheat-free. It's hard to find 'munchies' for her that don't contain wheat or sugar. You would think baby and toddler food would not contain sugar... ha! Even the organic kinds do! Such a bummer. Ok- back to the oats. So I bake these little puppies for her and store them in the freezer. I think they also make an excellent teething biscuit, especially when frozen!!

Ingredients:

2 cups organic buttermilk

3 tbsp. organic butter

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. xanthan or guar gum

2 ½ cups oat flour- you can make this by grinding oats in your blender.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with grapeseed oil spray.

2. Beat butter, baking soda and xanthan/guar gum on medium speed until well blended.

3. Wisk in buttermilk until mixture is frothy.

4. Fold in oat flour.

5. Drop by tablespoon onto greased (grapeseed oil spray) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Homemade Baby Food

2011-04-13T20:12:00.004-04:00

Making your own baby food is very simple. Here is a quick little lesson.

1. Prepare produce- washing well, peeling if necessary, etc. I actually keep the skins on my fruits, such as pears or apples, because I buy organic and when you process them it all blends in anyway. Nutrients!

2. Steam veggies or fruits until tender. Or bake until tender (squash, yams etc.).

3. Blend in your blender or food processor until completely pureed, with a tiny bit of liquid. You can use purified water, breast milk, goats milk, cow's milk (babies over 1)...

4. Store in fridge for a few days and use as needed, or you can freeze. To freeze (I recommend this), simply place pureed foods in clean ice cube trays, stick them in a ziplock bag and pop them in your freezer. Once frozen, you can pop them out of the trays, storing the cubes in the bags until needed.

Our favorite first foods (Our Gia did not eat solids until around 10 months):
Avocado- this is great because it is healthy fat, and babies are used to digesting fats (from breast milk/formula), and you can mash it fresh!
Sweet Potatoes
Squash
Organic Pears
Organic Apples
Peas
Oatmeal- you can grind the oats in the blender to make the oatmeal nice and smooth.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Kids

2011-03-20T14:39:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time. I don't know what most kids eat for breakfast nowadays, I just remember what I ate as a child. My favorites included: poptarts, toaster strudel, sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Life, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc., packaged cream of wheat and white toast with butter, white sugar and cinnamon. Every single one of those choices contain tons of sugar. Processed sugar. Not the best way to start your day. No wonder I was so ADD!

I recently read a blog called raisinghealthyeaters.com. I read a post on the 10 best cereals for kids. I was honestly appalled at some of the cereals- Life and Honey Nut Cheerios were included in the top ten. I will now list the ingredients for Honey Nut Cheerios as I am an ingredient girl :D

Ingredients
Whole Grain Oats (includes the oat bran), Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Naturan Almond Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.

And Life:

Ingredients

Whole Grain Oat Flour, Sugar, Corn Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, BHT (A Preservative)Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Thiamin Mononitrate( One of The B Vitamins)Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (One of The B Vitamins)Riboflavin (One of The B Vitamins)Folic Acid (One of The B Vitamins)

Ok, let's be real here. Should 2 cereals with SUGAR as a SECOND ingredient really be considered healthy, let alone in the top ten of all cereals or even breakfast options? And Life also contains artificial dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. One thing I would like to say to the writer of raisinghealthyeaters.com is, well I guess I would have more than one thing to say! Seriously though, I don't know what she is thinking. She should not be encouraging parents to feed their children like this, telling them this is healthy. And this is why... wait for it.... we must educate ourselves. So ignore every little thing I am telling you until you get out there for yourself and learn! Check those ingredients! (No, I did not make them up) :)

Alright. My rant is done. I would now like to share with you a few of our favorite breakfasts, that yes, my daughter loves. I feel good about giving her (and myself!) these choices. Now here are some good ways to start your day! Raisinghealthyeaters top ten cereals for kids move aside!!!
May I introduce...

Top Ten Breakfast Ideas For Kids (That are truly healthy and fun too!)

1. Green Eggs
Or 'green eggies' as my daughter calls them. Here is a great way to sneak in some greens and make it fun for kids. Simple ingredients: Free range eggs, raw organic spinach, sea salt, pepper and diced onion (optional). Mix them together in your blender then scramble.

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothies
No, there is actually no jelly in this smoothie.... Mix in your blender 1 Banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter (no sugar added), 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla extract (optional), 1/3 cup almond milk and ice cubes.

3. Honey Nut Oatmeal
We buy quick oats in bulk, we actually eat oatmeal quite a bit! It is super easy to pour boiling hot water over the oats in your bowl just to moisten them. Then, add in to taste, raw honey, cinnamon, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1/4 cup finely ground walnuts, and as much milk as you like (almond, raw cow's milk, etc.). Mix together and serve. For variety, you could also swap the oats for quinoa.

4. Very Berry Breakfast Quinoa
Quinoa is very high in protein and therefore a great start for the day! Cook quinoa according to box directions. In your bowl, mix with raw honey to taste, some cinnamon, 1 tsp. coconut oil, and thawed mixed frozen berries. Delish! Again, you can swap the quinoa for oats for variety.

5. Carrot and Fruit Smoothie
Our blender gets a lot of use.... Blend one raw carrot, any kind of frozen fruit- about 1 cup, 1 banana, 1 cup plain full fat yogurt (organic is best), and 1 cup raw milk or almond milk. You can also sneak in some greens- raw kale or spinach, however, depending on the fruit you use it may turn the smoothie a more brownish color. If you are avoiding dairy, coconut milk can r eplace the yogurt, but it will not be as high in protein.

6. Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins
I am attaching a recipe here. I recommend using the gluten free version for breakfast, as quinoa flour is high in protein. Of course, these make a delicious snack too. :)

7. Blender Pancakes
1 cup grain of your choice, 1 cup of yogurt or buttermilk, 1 tsp of lemon juice: Add ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix up creating a vortex. The vortex is key to make sure there is enough liquid… add more liquid sparingly, if there is no vortex (mixture will get too runny otherwise). Whirl mixture for a few minutes in order to break up the grains. After the grains have been ground up let mixture sit overnight (8-10hrs).In the morning begin mixing below ingredients in blender: 1 tablespoon – melted butter or coconut oil, 1 egg, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp of Pumpkin spice or cinnamon, up to 1 tsp vanilla extract and/or sweetener of your choice (optional). Cook on your skillet using coconut oil, butter or grapeseed oil spray, and be sure to top with fruit or real maple syrup.

8. Veggie Frittata
Frittatas are very easy to make. You can do a lot of different versions. Basically just throw some free range eggs, lots of veggies, some organic cheese, sea salt and pepper together and mix up. Then pour into a hot buttered skillet for a few minutes. Then bake at 400 degrees until done. Very easy. This slices like pie, so it's kind of fun compared to regular scrambled eggs.

9. Full Circle Organic Oat Bran Flakes Cereal
One of the only cereals we tend to eat other than oatmeal! I am not able to find the ingredient list online, so I will have to post it next time I buy a box. Or you could go check it out for yourself. ;)

10. Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
Lastly... a special treat breakfast that you can feel good about feeding your family! Everyone needs a little breakfast 'treat' now and again. You can find the delicious recipe here.

Ok, so there it is. Top ten. Longest blog post ever? Maybe! Happy breakfast eating. Happy healthy choices!!

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

2011-03-20T14:29:00.003-04:00

I made this Friday night as a special breakfast for Saturday morning. Everyone loved it and we had enough for Sunday morning too (I even halved the recipe). If you have a special breakfast or brunch coming up (Easter maybe?), THIS is your dish. Scrumptious!

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch

cubes (we used a whole wheat sourdough with all healthy oils!)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut

into 1 inch cubes (organic, if possible)

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

12 free range eggs, beaten

2 cups milk (raw is best)

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1 cup xylitol

2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (also called arrowroot powder)

1 cup purified water

1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

1 tablespoon organic butter

Directions:

1.	Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or grapeseed oil spray. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
2.	In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3.	Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.	Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
5.	In a medium saucepan, mix the xylitol, arrowroot, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast. YUM!

Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins (Gluten Free)

2011-03-06T17:07:00.006-05:00

Can I just say.... I love quinoa flour!!! mmmmm....

Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup oat bran flour
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup ground flax
3 eggs
2/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
3/4 cup Xylitol

2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use dairy free for dairy free muffins ;))
1/2 cup coursely chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, xylitol, applesauce, and vanilla. Next add your flour (s), flax, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased (grapeseed oil spray) or lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Coconut 'Larabars'

2011-03-06T17:01:00.002-05:00

We love bars in our house.... especially my 3 yr old! We make a version of 'mock larabars' quite often. Here is another creation:

Chocolate Coconut Raw Bar

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Cocoa
1/3 ground flax seed
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 raw almonds, finely ground
2 Tbsp raw honey

I grind my almonds, chocolate chips and flax first in my Blentec blender (a food processor will work) and set aside. Next pulse dates. Add cocoa, coconut, coconut oil, honey, flax, almonds, and ground chocolate chips until mixed. Press into a glass pan and refrigerate, cutting into bars when ready to serve.

Valentine Fudge- The Healthy Way

2011-02-21T15:13:00.002-05:00

Thank you to The Nourishing Gourmet for this recipe! So easy and delicious, my Valentine's loved it! I used Xylitol as my sweetener. Raw honey would work well too- I have never heard of the coconut sugar. MMMM.

The Easiest, Healthiest, Most Scrumptious Fudge Ever

By the way, you can easily substitute with this recipe. Coconut oil works very well, but those less inclined to this oil could also use butter for a more traditional taste. Raw honey works very well ( though I find it almost a bit too sweet, so you may want to reduce the amount a little), and I bet you could use other forms of palm/coconut sugar (like the granulated form). I use a food processor, but I am sure that you could also use a stand or hand mixer. You can also easily double this recipe.

coconut/palm sugar

1-In a heat resistant, glass measuring cup (pyrex), place the coconut oil. Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water, and place the glass measuring cup in it. Heat on the stove top until the coconut oil is mostly melted (the coconut oil should be room temperature, not hot. This will protect it’s raw benefits).

2-In a food processor using the regular blade, add the melted coconut oil and the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.

3-Place enough plastic wrap or parchment paper in a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Scrape your fudge “dough” into the loaf pan, and fold the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the top of the fudge. Gently press down, to even out the thickness of the fudge (you want it to be about 1/2 inch thick, it will cover probably about 1/2 of the bottom of your loaf pan). Take out the fudge, carefully wrapped up, and place in the freezer or refrigerator until it has set up. In the freezer it only takes about 20- to 30 minutes.

4-Cut into small squares, and enjoy!

Amazing Homemade Soft Pretzels

2011-02-21T15:10:00.004-05:00

This recipe is SO delicious. If there is ever a day you wish to enjoy your grains.... make these!

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/making-homemade-soft-pretzels

They freeze well, and xylitol works great in place of sugar if you choose to make the cinnamon sugar variety. In a perfect world, I would be making these often. I just can't get enough of them!

Chicken Chili Soup

2011-02-21T14:59:00.004-05:00

Super easy and healthy. You could throw this soup together on your craziest day and still enjoy a (peaceful?) dinner amongst the chaos! (Coming from someone with two small kiddos...)

Chicken Chili Soup

1 package antibiotic and hormone free chicken drummies or thighs
1/2 bag cannellini beans, soaked overnight and boiled (OR use 2 cans)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (organic is best)
12 cups free range chicken broth (learn to make homemade broth here)
Start with one teaspoon of each and go from there:
sea salt
black pepper
turmeric
cayenne pepper
paprika
cumin
and a sprinkle of chili powder
Throw all ingredients in a pot or crock pot, cooking until chicken is done. Remove meat from bones and stir back into your pot. Serve with chopped avocado.

Raw Food Bars (LaraBars)

2011-02-21T14:21:00.009-05:00

Here is a lovely version of a mock larabar. Never had a Larabar? You're missing out! So delicious, and so pure. Simple ingredients, and very little for that matter! They are pretty pricey, so here is a version you can make at home.

Mock Larabar Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bars

1 cup oats
2 cups dates
1 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup ground nuts- almonds or walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Soak 2 cups dates in water for a few minutes.
Grind up your oats, then nuts and set aside.

Pulse dates in blender or food processor a few times, then add raisins. Add vanilla extract (might need to add a touch of water too if it's not mixing well).

Mix in ground oats and nuts. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix together by hand, forming into a ball.

Press into a square dish and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Cut into squares or bars. Store in fridge.

Peanut Butter Love

2011-02-04T19:51:00.006-05:00

We.Love.Peanut.Butter.Period.

However, I hate all the sugar they put in it! We usually buy organic brands, they at least do not contain refined sugar and hydrogenated oils. A Favorite of ours is Maranatha brand. You'll pay a pretty penny for this jar of yummy goodness, but at least the ingredients are as follows:

Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Sea Salt.

Compare that to a commercial brand, such as, Jif or Peter Pan and you get:

MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT. (JIF)

Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Soy Protein, Sugar, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Cottonseed and Rapeseed)Minerals (Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Phosphate, Copper Sulfate)Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid) (Peter Pan Reduced Fat Version)

Can I get a... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

First off, it was hard for me to locate online the ingredient lists, especially for the Peter Pan brand. Like they have something to hide maybe? And if 'choosy' moms choose Jif... then oh my. What does choosy mean again?

Throwing this out there.... maybe parents will be offended... BUT most kids LOVE peanut butter right? PB and J, a well loved, kid friendly/favorite lunch (don't even get me started on commercial jelly and wonderbread- or commercial wheat bread for that matter. Or some organic wheat breads for another matter....ok, focus Dana, focus!). Do any of us parents really know what these ingredients are in our child's Peter Pan peanut butter??? Let me let you in on my knowledge. Take out EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT, MINUS THE PEANUTS, and you should feel good about feeding this to your child. I once heard someone's very bold statement that feeding a child unhealthily should be considered child abuse. This sure pissed a lot of people off! But think about this, if we do not know what is in the food we feed them, or know what these ingredients do to their/our health, can we argue this accusation? 'Food' for thought.

So! Here is my solution. A frugal, healthy and easy solution. Seriously. $2. Five minutes. You can do that for your little munchkin, can't you?

Homemade Peanut Butter

3 Cups Peanuts

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Combine in blender. Blend for a minute or two, then scrape with a spatula. Repeat. And Repeat again.... and again... until your desired consistency. Store in fridge. Makes about 2 cups.

Add raw honey for a sweeter peanut butter.

And eat that yummy goodness straight from the spoon and bask in your healthy treat.

Zucchini Rice Flour Muffins

2011-01-28T14:15:00.002-05:00

After my mother in law gave me a bag of rice flour, I had some experimenting to do! I had never used it before. Can't say it's my favorite flour (NO comparison to coconut flour- yummm!), but it did the trick. Hubby came home to these fresh out of the oven, and ate 5 before returning to work, so I guess they're keepers? Not super sweet, just a simple, healthy, gluten free snack.

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup xylitol or 1/2 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 free range eggs
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1/4-1/2 cup organic raisins (these added a wonderful sweetness to them)
1 cup nuts (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients except zucchini, raisins and nuts in mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed scraping bowl, until all is blended. Mix zucchini, raisins and nuts in with a spoon. Pour into greased (grapeseed oil) muffin tin or cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes (mini muffins) or 20-25 minutes (reg muffins) or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Makes 1 to 1 1/2 dozen.

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

2011-01-23T20:16:00.004-05:00

Yum, yum, yum!!!! It's delicious- try it!

3 cups Thai coconut milk (NOT lite)
2/3 cup cocoa
6 Tbsp raw honey
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1/4 cups almonds, coarsely or finely chopped

Mix all ingredients except almonds in blender. Mix in almonds with a spoon. Turn ice cream maker on, and pour mixture in, churning for 15-20 minutes. Store in freezer.

**You could mix this recipe up by changing out the almond extract/almonds for peanut butter, or adding chunks of dark chocolate or shredded coconut... the possibilities are endless!

Banana Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

2011-01-17T14:52:00.004-05:00

Easy to make cake, delicious with the frosting or without! Could even use the batter in muffin cups!

Banana Cake with Sour Cream Frosting

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (organic)
1/2 cup raw honey
2 large free range eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream (organic, if possible)
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup powdered cane sugar or powdered xylitol
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature (organic if possible)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer, beat butter and honey in large bowl until blended. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in 3/4 cup sour cream, bananas and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and beat until well blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover cake and freeze. Thaw before continuing.)

Beat remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, powdered sugar/xylitol, vanilla and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Spread frosting over cooled cake.

Coconut Apple Nut Raw Food Balls

2011-01-16T14:51:00.003-05:00

Just whole food yummy goodness! This recipe was inspired by my friend Julie, who cracked the "Larabar" secret. I wanted to try them using real apples... and well.... the bars didn't work quite right, but these balls are just as delicious! It was a good disaster. ;)

2 1/2 cups dates

2 organic apples, sliced or shredded (with skins)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup flax seed, ground fresh
3 to 4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Grind almonds to a fine meal by pulsing in your food processor or blender. Set aside. Mill flax seeds, and also set aside.

Soak dates in warm water for a few minutes (until soft) and drain. Process in food processor or blender (may need to add a tiny bit of water to the blender). Add apples and cinnamon. Process until apples are fully incorporated and as small as they will get. You can finish the rest in your processor, or transfer to a bowl and mix by hand.

Add almond meal and flax, mix well. Add walnuts/pecans and pulse just a few times to mix in. Stir in coconut. Shape dough into balls and store in freezer.

Chicken and Quinoa Pilaf

2011-01-11T16:07:00.003-05:00

An easy dish I threw together... we really liked it! Enjoy :)

4 hormone and antibiotic free chicken thighs (would work with breasts or drummies too)
1-2 onions, diced
1/2 bag frozen organic mixed veggies
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3-4 cups organic chicken stock (learn how to make your own here)
1 cup quinoa
sea salt
pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add chicken and onions and cook covered for a few minutes. Flip chicken and add 1 to 2 cups stock, cover and cook until done. Add veggies and quinoa- AROUND the chicken and poor 2 cups stock over top. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until quinoa is cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

2011-01-11T15:02:00.004-05:00

This recipe was given to my Husband by a patient of his in Green Bay, Katie Nelson. (www.katienelsonmusic.com). It is really delicious! I've heard that baking with quinoa flour is tricky, as it is a little bitter tasting, but this cookie was moist and almondy, and the frosting was creamy and delicious- a wonderful combination! You could, of course, mix in another flour if you felt it was bitter tasting, but our entire family just loved them! Thank you Katie!

Quinoa Cookies

preheat oven 375 degrees

1 & 3/4 sticks of organic butter
1/2 cup of raw honey (coconut nectar works too)
1 free range egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 t almond
1 & 1/2 - 2 c of Quinoa flour
1/4 t baking powder
a few grinds of sea salt ( 1/8 t?)

at this point : taste it and see if you would like to add a bit more honey or almond extract.
It will have a slightly bitter taste because of the quinoa.
should be a slightly soft cookie dough- I had no problem scooping it and it staying in little balls:)
add
1/3 cup shredded coconut (no sugar added)
1/2 cup of whole walnuts

Bake them 8-10 minutes.
You will see around the bottoms beginning to get brown and then it's just a minute or 2 more... till the tops get slightly browned.

they will not flatten out. so I recommend making smaller cookies.

They are very fragile so be careful....

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

Cacoa Frosting:

3 T softened Organic butter
2 T raw honey
1/3 cup of Raw Organic Cacao powder
1 grind of salt (if you don't use salted butter)
1/4 t of Organic Vanilla extract
rice, coconut, almond or reg milk to get it to your favorite consistency

mix together

will be a fluffyish dark chocolate frosting- may still look a bit separated but don't worry , it will melt on cookie.

Put the frosting on center of cookie before the cookies have cooled and they it will melt down the edges and look fudgie delicious ;)

Coconut Orange Cake

2011-01-11T14:47:00.003-05:00

This cake is gluten free, dairy free and could be egg free if you used an egg replacer. It is heaven. Most coconut flour desserts, in my opinion, are heaven. But this is song-worthy heaven. Sing along with me.... I'm in heaven, heaven... and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...... yup, this cake is heaven.

Coconut Orange Cake

Ingredients

6 free range eggs
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup coconut milk, a mix of the cream and liquid
6 Tablespoons raw honey or other sweetener
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange /lemon zest (I used orange, hence the title)
½ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder (aluminium free)
½ teaspoon sea salt
juice of ½ medium orange or lemon or other

Directions

Take your eggs out of your refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt coconut oil. Whisk the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla and orange zest together.
Combine coconut flour, baking powder and sea salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour coconut oil into batter and mix until all lumps are gone.
Pour the batter into your greased pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
After the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, poke holes all over the top with a fork. Juice the orange /lemon half right over the whole cake, making sure to evenly distribute the juice.

Coconut Topping

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil, melted in a glass bowl
2 teaspoons of raw honey
1 packed teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

1-2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions

Mix all ingredients into warm coconut oil. Place in fridge just to cool down a little, maybe 5 or 10 minutes. Stir well and pour 'glaze' over warm cake, letting it soak in.

Eat slowly, and enjoy your little taste of gluten free heaven.

Easy Garlic and Onion Lentils

2011-01-05T21:45:00.002-05:00

Super easy, super healthy, super frugal.

Serves 4

1/2 bag lentils, rinsed
2 onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Grapeseed oil
4 cups purified water

Saute garlic and onions in oil until tender. Add water and lentils and cook until soft.
:)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-01-05T21:35:00.002-05:00

This is one of the soups I make with my homemade chicken stock I've been making. My freezer is stocked now that I've been making it, and the soups are awesome! (learn how to make it here)

12 cups free range chicken broth

1 onion, diced

1 hot pepper (don't forget to remove seeds!)
1 green pepper, diced

1 14.5 oz can diced organic tomatoes

1/2 bag black beans soaked and cooked (drain only half the liquid), or 2 14.5 oz can blk beans, rinsed

5 organic free range chicken drum sticks

1/2 bag of frozen organic corn

2 limes juiced

Salt and ground pepper

Chili powder- just add to your desired taste

Place all ingredients in your stock pot or crock pot and cook until done :) Once the chicken is cooked, remove meat from bones and place back in your pot.

Top with:
Avocado
Raw Cheddar
Organic sour cream
Organic blue corn chips, crushed

Spiced Apple Ice Cream

2011-01-01T20:51:00.004-05:00

Spiced Apple Ice Cream

from gidgetgoeshome.com {adapted from ReadyMade Magazine} (I changed this recipe just a little to suit my taste)
makes just over a quart

Ingredients:

For the spiced apples:

2 large apples (or 3-4 small), cored, peeled, thinly sliced, and cut into quarters (about 2 cups)- I recommend organic
about 1/2 cup raw honey - this can be adjusted to your taste
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest or lemon juice
1/8 tsp. sea salt

For the ice cream:

1 cup raw whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. Tapioca Starch
1 1/2 ounces organic cream cheese, softened (3 tablespoons)
2 cups organic heavy cream
1/2 cup Xylitol or cane sugar (I use organic evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp. organic vanilla
1/8 tsp. sea salt

1. Combine the spiced apple ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook the apples over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender and all the liquid is gone, about 10 minutes. Let the apples cool a bit and then place them in the fridge to chill.

2. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the starch.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the cream, 1/2 c. sugar, brown rice syrup and 1/2 t. vanilla. Bring the milk mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

4. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the salt. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes. (or just do it all in the saucepan)

5. Pour the ice cream mix into an ice cream maker (strain if desired) and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the chilled spiced apples to to the mixture in your ice cream maker during last minute of mixing and churn until just mixed. Pour into airtight container(s) and freeze for at least 2-4 hours.

Dr. Bronner's Dishwasher Soap

2010-12-30T21:23:00.002-05:00

****ALERT!!!!***** This recipe was awesome the first time I tried it. I thought I had struck gold! After a few days, it clumped up in the bottle and was diluted. My dishes were dirty. I will continue to experiment and keep you all updated. Comments welcome!

Your dishes will sparkle!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup liquid Castile soap(Dr. Bronner's)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil or thieves essential oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:

Stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

Christmas Eve Minestrone

2010-12-29T15:27:00.003-05:00

I call this Christmas Eve Minestrone because I made it for our family to eat on Christmas Eve for lunch. It was warm and delicious, perfect for any winter day.

Ingredients

12 cups chicken stock, homemade or store bought (free range is best), plus water
1 (28-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes with their juices
2 (15-ounce) cans white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained, OR two cups raw cannellini beans and 2 cups raw garbanzo beans soaked and boiled
4 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
4 organic celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
Sea Salt and ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini chopped
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen organic spinach, defrosted

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.OR combine all in your stock pot and let cook for 30 minutes to several hours.

Even Better Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls (Sorry Paula Deen)

2010-12-29T15:14:00.002-05:00

Ok- so a friend mentioned she was making a recipe from The Pioneer Woman's website, and I just had to make these as well because they looked TOO good! Her recipe is here:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

And if you are interested in making them just a little more healthy, you can use these substitutions:

Ingredients

Pioneer Woman: My suggestions:

1 quart Whole Milk- use raw milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil- use coconut oil
1 cup Sugar- use xylitol, raw honey or cane sugar (I tested out the raw honey in the dough, but not in the filling)
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour- use whole wheat or experiement with your favorite gluten free flours
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt- use sea salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter- use organic butter
2 cups Sugar- use xylitol or raw honey or cane sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar- use powdered xylitol or powdered cane sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring (I did not use this, but I am sure you could use real maple syrup)
½ cups Milk- use raw milk
¼ cups Melted Butter- use organic butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee (I also did not use this)
⅛ teaspoons Salt- use sea salt
* I use organic vanilla extract instead, and it tasted fine :)

Green Smoothies

2010-12-22T21:01:00.003-05:00

Bored with breakfast? Give a green smoothie a try! Either for a healthy breakfast, a quick lunch or just for a mid-day snack, this smoothie will give you fuel for your day!

2 cups organic full fat plain yogurt (or coconut milk for dairy free)
1 cup raw milk (or almond milk for dairy free)
2 cups raw organic spinach
2 cups organic frozen fruit/berries- you choose, we love strawberries and mango
1 banana
1-2 tbsps Standard Process Whey Pro Complete**
1-2 tbsps Standard Process SP Complete Powder (with or without dairy)**

Blend all ingredients in your blender until smooth. You may add some raw honey or stevia for a sweeter smoothie.

**Standard Process Whey Pro Complete and SP Powder (comes in dairy free or with dairy) are available from Doctors only. Restoration Wellness carries these products (www.restorationwellness.com).

Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

2010-12-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
12 to 15 servings

Ingredients

Dough:

6 tsps dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup scalded raw milk
1/4 cup xylitol or cane sugar
1/3 cup organic butter, melted
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 free range egg
3 1/2 to 4 cups whole wheat flour

Filling:

1/2 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup xylitol or cane sugar, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins, walnuts, or pecans, optional

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, pecans, or raisins if desired. Beginning at the 15-inch side, role up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.

Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

2010-12-22T16:33:00.001-05:00

Ingredients

1/4 cup organic balsamic vinegar
one small pinch stevia (you can always add more later)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic, or 1 1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Christmas Ginger Snaps

2010-12-17T21:38:00.005-05:00

Hubby's favorite.... got to make them every year! :) I think these would taste great (and look great) with a drizzle of white or cream cheese frosting... maybe even maple... does that sound weird? Well, enjoy!

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup soft coconut oil
1 cup organic brown sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup molasses
1 free range egg
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Cream coconut oil and sugar/xylitol. Stir in molasses and egg. Add one cup flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves. Add remaining flour. Chill dough in freezer for 15 minutes. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and bake on greased (grapeseed oil spray) cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

My Grandma's Favorite Sesame Seed Cookies

2010-12-17T21:30:00.004-05:00

I make these every Christmas because they are my 86 year old Grandma's favorite. In fact, she gave me the recipe. They are a pain in the butt but look gorgeous! :) Grandma is worth it. This recipe makes a ton of cookies, you may want to cut it in half. Thanks to my friend Cynthia for helping with these today!

Sesame Seed Italian Cookies

2 cups organic cane sugar or xylitol
2 cups coconut oil
6 free range eggs
1 cup raw milk
8 tsps organic vanilla extract
8 cups whole wheat flour
12 tsps baking powder
sesame seeds

Cream sugar and coconut oil. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Add flour and baking powder. Make dough soft in your hands, rolling into your desired shape. Dip in milk and roll in sesame seeds. Bake at 425 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Turkey Tetrazzini

2010-12-17T21:22:00.003-05:00

Do you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? Try this yummy dish :) Can be gluten free! I guess it should be categorized as "easy" if I can make it with an 8 month old on my hip?

1 tsp grapeseed oil
10 ounces sliced organic white mushrooms (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp each sea salt and pepper
3 tbsps whole wheat flour or tapioca starch for gluten free
2 1/2 cups free range chicken broth
1 cup raw milk
2 cups cooked organic turkey
1 package organic frozen peas
1 package wheat or rice pasta

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions and mushrooms until tender. Add seat salt and pepper. Add flour or starch and stir. Add broth, mixing for a few minutes and add milk. Mix in peas and turkey and heat until warm. Serve over cooked pasta.

How To Make Your Own Shampoo

2010-12-15T16:05:00.003-05:00

Ok... homemade shampoo? I know what you are thinking! I searched and searched for a recipe online for a homemade shampoo that didn't involve washing your hair with one thing, then spraying it with apple cider vinegar... ick. I found this- and after a long search for glycerin (which I stumbled upon without trying at Tops), I gave it a try. My husband loves it. I am not a huge fan :) Seemed too greasy for me, but hey, you might like it. He likes it, and I'll continue to make it for him. It only took 5 minutes.

1/4 cup of castile soap- Dr Bronners
1/4 cup distilled water (or just regular purified water)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp glycerin

Mix in an empty bottle and shake lightly :)

Almond Squares, Christmas recipe #4!

2010-12-15T15:52:00.004-05:00

Almond Square- another one of my Aunt's famous recipes! :)

2 sticks of melted butter (I used organic)
3 eggs (free range is best!)
2 tbsp Almond extract (pure)--- oops I thought it said tsp when I made mine and it turned out great still!
2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cup raw honey and 3/4 cup cane sugar)
2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
Sliced or chopped almonds

Mix first four ingredients by hand. Fold in flour. Pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish (greased with grapeseed oil spray). Sprinkle with almonds and powdered cane sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Brown top under broiler (oops I forgot this step too!) for approximately 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so you don't burn it!!

I was thinking this base would be fun to experiment with- maybe lemon extract in place of almond topped with walnuts and cranberries? Or fold in some apples and cinnamon... just thinking out loud. :)

Meatball Cookies, Christmas Cookie #3!

2010-12-15T15:44:00.003-05:00

When I got married, my Aunt gifted me a pizzelle maker and a homemade recipe book full of all our favorite (and her famous!) Christmas cookies! Every year, we indulge! I would like to share a few with you, starting with these delicious chocolate meatball cookies. Alter them to your liking- I cut down on the sugar a little for mine.

Meatball Cookies

3 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup cane sugar and 1/2 cup raw honey)
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil (I used coconut)
1 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

Mix oil and sugar. Add cocoa and mix again. Add milk and dry ingredients, mix and add chocolate chips. Roll into meatball shapes. (Make sure you cover all of the chocolate chips with cookie dough) Place onto lightly greased (grapeseed oil spray) cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Glaze when cool, if desired.

Glaze: Mix 2 cups confectioners sugar (you can use organic powdered sugar) with 1 tsp vanilla. Add enough milk or water to make glaze of spreading consistency.

*They sure look nicer when frosted, but certainly don't need it as they are so yummy just by themselves!

Homemade Raw Milk Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2010-12-14T15:26:00.005-05:00

We love making homemade, healthy ice creams in our Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that was gifted to us! This recipe is super yummy, and fun for this time of year too!

2 cups organic heavy cream, well chilled
1 cup raw milk, well chilled
3/4 cup organic cane sugar or xylitol
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons mint extract
1/2-3/4 cup cup chopped dark chocolate chunks

Turn ice cream maker on and pour each ingredient in through the top spout. Let churn for 15-20 minutes, and freeze until solid.

Veggie Dip

2010-12-14T15:22:00.002-05:00

CREAMY GREEN VEGGIE DIP

1/2 cup organic sour cream
1/2 cup mixed herbs, such as, parsley, chives and dill
1/3 cup grapeseed oil vegenaise
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
12 oz organic cream cheese, room temperature
Assorted vegetables, such as, baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, cucumbers

In blender, process sour cream, herbs, vegenaise, 2 tablespoons water, vinegar, salt, and cayenne pepper until smooth and pale green. Cut cream cheese into chunks. Add to blender, one at a time, processing until smooth. Transfer mix to serving bowl. Serve with fresh vegetables.

Cranberry Walnut Apple Bread- Whole Wheat

2010-12-14T15:17:00.003-05:00

Cranberry Walnut Apple Bread

16 Servings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 1 hour + cooling

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raw honey
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 free range eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups chopped peeled tart organic apples
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt;. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, honey and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be very thick). Fold in apples, cranberries and walnuts.
Transfer to an 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pan coated with grapeseed oil spray. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Newest Project :)

2010-12-14T15:14:00.004-05:00

This is the latest project I've embarked on.... and I love it. It is so frugal and even fun. We love having a regular roasted chicken for dinner, and of course delicious homemade soup on these cold days! Learn how you can stretch a whole chicken for 4+ meals here:

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/11/stretching-a-whole-chicken-for-4-meals.html

There are also recipes for roasting the chicken, making homemade gravy, homemade stock and more!

Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints, Christmas Cookie #2!

2010-12-09T17:47:00.003-05:00

Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints (a favorite in our house!)

2/3 cup of organic cane sugar
1 cup softened organic butter
1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract (why I use organic vanilla- because non-organic contains a lot of EXTRAS. Check next time you buy, you'll see!)
2 cups unbleached white wheat flour
1/2 cup organic raspberry fruit jam (or other fruit)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray cookie sheets with grapeseed oil spray. Beat sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl. Add flour and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Make thumbprints in each ball and fill with 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.

Dark Chocolate Mint Crinkles, Christmas Cookie #1!

2010-12-06T19:53:00.002-05:00

1 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup unbleached white wheat flour
1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
4 free range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, sugar, honey and oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and mint. Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray cookie sheets with grapeseed oil spray. Roll dough into one inch balls. Coat each ball in powdered sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

For The Love of Christmas Cookies :)

2010-12-06T19:47:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love Christmastime?! This year my baking goals are at least 4 different kinds of Christmas cookies, converted to healthier versions. Christmas is just about the only time of year I use sugar and don't care about it (well, cane sugar).... I haven't yet been able to stock up with bulk xylitol, and spending $9/lb at our local grocery store just isn't going to happen this year. So can sugar it is. And raw honey too, of course. Anyway, it's hard for me to say no to sweets this time of year (I sure wish I had when I get sick in January... ) :) so I'll just make a few "healthier" versions of some of our favorite cookies. Stay tuned for some yummy recipes.

Brittany's Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

2010-11-22T15:50:00.003-05:00

This dish is very yummy and very creative! We loved it! I even used organic ground turkey in place of beef, and organic chicken broth in place of the wine (because I didn't have those two things on hand) and it worked beautifully. My one permanent change is the earth balance butter, I prefer not to use that, so I just use real organic butter :) You could use coconut oil if you needed it dairy free!

Try it! So good!

http://realsustenance.com/recipes/sweet-potato-shepherds-pie/

Dark Chocolate "Picnic Cake"

2010-11-22T15:15:00.004-05:00

I made this cake yesterday on a whim. It was a Hershey's recipe, that I converted. My best friend approved of it, (not knowing it was healthier) :) and if you knew her and her sweet tooth, you'd know that that says a lot! We thought it was delicious. I think it would taste great using extra extracts in the cake and/or the frosting too, such as mint or maybe some peanut butter frosting. :) Here's the recipe for a "healthier" chocolate cake:

1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 stick organic butter
1 1/3 cups boiling water
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup organic sour cream
2 free range eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking pan (with grapeseed oil spray)- I used a bundt pan for fun! Combine chocolate chips, butter and water in your mixing bowl; stir with a spoon until chocolate is melted and mixture is blended. Gradually add flour, honey, sour cream, eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla; beat on low speed of electric mixer until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on your pan), until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/2 stick organic butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups powdered xylitol or powdered organic cane sugar
1/4 cup raw milk
1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Place butter and chocolate chips in a pan and heat to medium low heat until melted, stirring almost constantly. Place remaining ingredients in a glass mixing bowl. Pour chocolate mixture into bowl and beat until smooth. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes if needed before frosting cooled cake.

Homemade Baby Wipe Solution

2010-10-20T14:18:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe you can use with cloth wipes, or make your own disposable wipes with it and paper towels or something similar. It works great!

2 cups purified water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons baby soap (such as Burts Bees or Dr Bronners works well too)

or

2 cups purified water
2 tablespoons olive oil (etc)
several drops tea tree essential oil

I mix the ingredients together in my squirty bottle (an old seventh generation dish soap bottle) and shake. So simple and easy. I know what is in it, and what is going on my baby's skin. Just shake before use, and squirt onto cloth wipes. You can also pour it over your wipes/paper towels in an old wipe tub, dispensing as needed. Just be sure to check for mold often.
I also found this website, that I thought had some fun wipe solution ideas: http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml

Have fun experimenting with essential oils!

Homemade Laudry Soap

2010-10-18T20:14:00.003-04:00

My experimenting lately has been with personal care and home care products. I got this fabulous Dr. Bronner's soap, and this is just one of the zillion things you can do with it. I love the way it smells! (I used the almond scented soap)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Recipe adapted from Green Clean by Linda Hunter

1 cup castile liquid soap (Dr. Bronner’s or Mountain Rose Herbs are good choices as they are organic and main ingredients are coconut oil & olive oil) OR Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
2 cups water
1/3 cup salt
1 cup baking soda or washing soda
vinegar

Warm the salt and baking soda in water until mostly dissolved. Transfer to a one gallon container. Add your soap fill the rest of the jar with water, this giving you 1 gallon of detergent. Use 1/4 -1/2 cup per load, depending upon how dirty the load is. Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to your wash during the rinse cycle. This works as an effective fabric softener and disinfectant. Depending upon the hardness of your water, you may want to decrease the water quantity or increase the soap quantity.

Please note: do not add essential oils to your detergent. These oils will break down the fiber in your clothing. If you want a particular fragrance, try putting a few drops of essential oils on a rag and throwing it in the dryer. This will add fragrance but not transfer to your clothing.

Review: This recipe does clean very well, although I was not impressed by the cleaning job it did on my cloth diapers. Hard to give an exact price calculation on this one, but I figured this recipe makes enough detergent for 64 loads (at 1/4 cup per load) and with the ingredients costing no more than $4.00 (on the generous side), your total cost is most likely less than $0.06 per load

Dana's notes: I got this from passionatehomemaking.com and I happen to think it works just fine on my cloth diapers. :)

Homemade Toothpaste

2010-10-18T20:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, I said it- Homemade toothpaste! Buying fluoride free toothpaste can be expensive. We ran out, and I realized after looking at this recipe that I already had all of the ingredients. So I gave it a try. For a homemade toothpaste, it's not half bad! Give it a try. And just a tip, xylitol is a great sweetener for toothpaste, because it is actually really good for your teeth anyway!

http://www.oldpathsfamilyfarm.net/blog/2008/04/04/yummy-homemade-toothpaste/

So you can use stevia or xylitol...

Good for you for giving it a try! ;)

PESTO!

2010-10-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I used walnuts)
3 medium sized garlic cloves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices. Yummy!

Frugal Soups!

2010-09-10T17:22:00.003-04:00

It's been a pinching pennies kind of month over here with my husband's business opening soon. These two soups have been a great way for us to eat a healthy, fast, inexpensive meal. Plus, they are perfect for this fall weather we are having!

Boil 2 cups split peas or red lentils with about 6 cups purified water.
Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and chives to taste.

Done! :)

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-09-10T17:12:00.003-04:00

Making your own granola bars is one of those "throw whatever you have on hand in" type of recipe! Here's one that I did:

GRANOLA BARS

3 cups oats
1/3 cup organic raisins
1/3 cup dried organic cranberries (watch out for added sugars and hydrogenated oils)
1/3 cup dried cherries (same)
1 1/4 cup nuts (any kind), chopped
3 tbsps flax seed
3 tbsps sesame seeds
3 tbsps sunflower seeds
6 pitted and chopped dates
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 free range egg, beaten
2/3 cup organic butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Making the Granola:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl, mixing well.

Press firmly into a 15"X10" glass pan which has been generously sprayed with grapeseed oil spray.

Bake at 350°F for about 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned along edges. Cool. Cut into bars. **Mine did not stick together well after sitting for one day. I think if you refrigerated them, they would stick better right away.

It's possible to make a double batch for granola cereal two ways; before adding the honey, remove half of the mixture and store in refrigerator to be used as breakfast cereal, or combine all ingredients and toast in oven on a baking sheet, using a spatula to mix/turn. Proceed with remaining mixture as above to make the bars.

Coconut Flour Apple Muffin HEAVEN!

2010-09-03T13:28:00.004-04:00

Best coconut flour recipe I have tried yet! Easy and delicious. And I loved that I didn't have to change any ingredients- it was already healthy! :)

Enjoy!

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/09/spiced-apple-muffins-gluten-grain-and-dairy-free.html

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prep the muffin tins. I suggest using muffin papers (baking cups), otherwise you can grease it.

Dry Ingredients:

In a medium size bowl combine the dry ingredient and briskly whisk until all lumps are removed.

Add:

Melt together on the stove top, just until melted (don’t get it hot, otherwise it could cook your eggs prematurely).

And:

3 eggs, lightly whisked.

Whisk until everything is well combined, and then add:

3/4 cup of shredded apples (wash, and core the apples, and then shred, peel and all)*see note above*

Divide between ten muffin tins, and bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the muffin.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and take out of the muffin tins and serve!

Dairy Free Chicken Rice and Broccoli Casserole!

2010-08-17T21:48:00.004-04:00

Chicken Broccoli Casserole*

3 cups cooked brown rice**

6 cups cooked diced organic chicken

1 cup grapeseed oil vegannaise

3 cups white sauce (recipe below)

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 -14 oz. bags of organic broccoli (thawed)

1 cup bread crumbs*

Cook rice and chicken, set aside. In the same pan the chicken cooked in, make white sauce:

White sauce

1 half onion, chopped

3 tablespoon grapeseed oil

3 tablespoons tapioca flour

2 cups organic chicken broth*

1 cup plain flavored almond milk

1-2 tsps sea salt, 1tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp pepper

Saute the chopped onion it the oil until tender. Add the flour and cook for about a minute letting it bubble. Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring constantly. Add almond milk. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper to taste. Adding a clove of garlic with the onions gives the sauce a nice flavor too.

Add vegannaise and lemon juice to white sauce. Grease a 9 x 13 pan using grapeseed oil spray. Add rice to the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Next add a layer of broccoli over the top of the rice. Spread half of the sauce over the broccoli, then add the chicken, 2nd half of broccoli and the other half of the sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

*Make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free broth and bread crumbs.

**Easy time saver tip: Anytime you cook rice, make double and freeze extras for another recipe.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

2010-08-16T22:46:00.003-04:00

Coconut flour is new to me, but I am having fun experimenting with it. This recipe is from elanaspantry.com and I thought was worth sharing. It is especially good with coconut oil spread on top :) I would even use coconut oil in the recipe in place of the grapeseed oil.

http://www.elanaspantry.com/blueberry-muffins/

Who Needs Manwich Anyway?!

2010-08-16T22:37:00.004-04:00

So easy from scratch sloppy joe's that you will be sure to love!

Ingredients

Directions

Brown ground meat with chopped onion and grapeseed oil.
add remaining ingredients, stir and let simmer for 15-20 min.
serve on buns or bread or just eat plain. yum!

Homemade Fudgesicles!

2010-08-15T21:31:00.007-04:00

Prepare yourself for melt in your mouth yummy goodness!!! These fudgesicles have a small story behind them: I have had several people mention to me lately about using avocado as a great base for raw desserts. I am all about avocado, so I decided to give a dessert a try. I did an avocado-chocolate-coconut cream popsicle. Not our favorite! Nothing like an avocado pop right? Well, just wasn't my cup of tea. I will definitely try more raw desserts using avocado, but these popsicles needed another try. Enter, fudgesicles! So basically I just took out the avocado, and added some extra goodness. Now we are talking. Now I am pleased with my result!!! :)...........ok ok my sweet friend Christy reminded me today that I forgot to add the dates. Whoops!!! So we can't rule out avocado fudgesicles just yet! ;)

1 can organic coconut milk (very creamy brand such as Thai)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup raw honey
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in your blender until mixed. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze :)

Extra add ins:

For chocolate peanut butter pops add about 3 good size tablespoons organic peanut butter and blend.

For a minty treat, add 6-8 Newman's Own Organic Newman's O's Mint cookies and blend. (These contain organic sugar)

Each recipe makes 6-8 fudgesicles.

A Year of Changes....

2010-08-05T23:14:00.003-04:00

WOW. Has it really been a year of posts already? One year ago I began this blog, to sort of document the changes we were making as a family. How far we've come! It feels great. As we begin another year of healthy changes, and experience the beginning of Restoration Wellness, these are some of things our family is focusing on:

~Gluten free recipes to reduce inflammation in our bodies, experimenting with coconut flour and almond flour more often.
~Dairy free recipes for the same reason, experimenting with coconut milk and almond milk more often. NOT using soy products in place of dairy.
~More natural and organic personal products.
~Homemade household cleaners using 'yummy' essential oils!

We're super excited to begin a new phase in our healthy living journey.

What changes are you making on your journey?

Coconut Curry With Chicken

2010-07-31T20:36:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I came up with this recipe. It was SO yummy, it will be a new staple meal around here.

1 can organic coconut milk (I like Thai brand because it is so creamy)
1 package organic chicken breasts (cut up) or tenders (about 3-4 breasts, 8 or so tenders)
1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 a bag of frozen peas and carrots
3 Tbsps Coconut Oil
2 Tbsps San J Tamari
3-6 Tbsps Curry powder- depending on how you like it
Sea Salt
Garlic Powder
Curry Powder
Quinoa or Brown Rice

In a large skillet, melt coconut oil. Add veggies and saute for a few minutes. Add chicken pieces. Sprinkle chicken with sea salt, curry powder and garlic powder. Cook for about 2-3 minutes then flip. Season again with spices and cook 2-3 minutes.
Pour coconut milk over chicken and veggies. Mix in Tamari and Curry powder and another teaspoon of sea salt. Simmer for a about 10 minutes and serve hot over Quinoa or Brown Rice.

Loose Leaf Tea- My New Love!

2010-07-31T20:32:00.002-04:00

My mother in law has gotten me hooked on making iced teas using loose leaf tea. Ever try it? It is super easy. I love fruity teas, such as a passion fruit blend or blueberry rooibos. Steep your tea, add some raw honey, stevia or xylitol (or a mix!) add your water and chill.

What a perfect refreshing summer drink!

Homemade Popsicles

2010-07-31T20:23:00.004-04:00

This summer we've made some yummy homemade popsicles, as they are a favorite of any child! Most recently, we made Strawberry Coconut Popsicles. Great dairy free option.

My daughter also loves this creation:

Makes 4 small popsicles

Mix together in a cup:
About 2-3 Tbsps organic lemon juice
About 2-3 Tbsps organic lime juice
1 tsp stevia
2 cups water

Mix together; taste and adjust to your preference... this recipe is just a guide for you.
Pour in your molds and freeze until solid.

We have recently found popsicle molds with straws attached and are super excited!

Dairy & Egg Free Fudgy Cookies (No Bake)

2010-07-31T20:20:00.002-04:00

"Fudgy" No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan, Soy-Free, Wheat-Free)

Try mixing the flavor up by substituting carob powder for the cocoa or almond butter for the peanut butter!

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

2/3 cup raw honey or real maple syrup or a combo of both
1/4 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup organic peanut butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the honey or maple syrup, oil, cocoa and cinnamon. Boil for three minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, rolled oats and vanilla until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto waxed paper and chill to set, about 30 minutes.

Are You Awake?

2010-07-18T22:51:00.000-04:00

http://awakeupstory.healthychild.org/index.html

Homemade Tortillas

2010-07-18T22:29:00.003-04:00

It is sometimes hard to find good-quality tortillas without the added bad oils. Generally, I buy Ezekiel brand, but they can be expensive. So when my mother in law started making these tortillas, I decided to give it a try. They were super easy and very tasty.

Flour Tortillas (Makes 8)

2 cups flour; my MIL uses a white/wheat, we used whole wheat (soft white milled at home). Both work great, but the whole wheat were a little more hearty, naturally.
1/4 cup organic butter, melted
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sea salt

Mix all the ingredients and knead dough for about a minute. Divide dough into 8 balls. Heat up a heavy frying pan, cast iron is best, over medium heat. No need to oil the pan. Sprinkle some flour on a clean counter top and roll each ball into a flat circle about 6 inches in diameter. Place one at a time in the frying pan, cooking only on one side until you see bubbles popping up all over the top of the tortilla. Take it off the heat and wrap in a clean dishtowel as you cook the rest.

Pair it up with some taco meat and don't forget your avocado! ;)

Delicious Iced "Coffee" Beverages!

2010-07-18T22:19:00.004-04:00

Ok- this is my newest favorite find. Dandy Blend. It is a coffee substitute, made from the totally water-soluble extracts of three roasted herb roots: dandelion, chicory and sugar beet- and two roasted grains – barley and rye. It is super yummy! And a body cleanser! We tried it recently in this latte style drink (recipe thanks to our friend Amber W!):

Dandy Blend Lattes

3/4 cup boiling water
3 tsp Dandy Blend
1/2 cup organic heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Global Sweet Xylitol
1/4 tsp Stevia
Ice cubes

Makes one serving. Pair it with Double Tree Inn cookies and you are in heaven.

Restoration Wellness Chiropractic

2010-07-13T10:58:00.005-04:00

We are very excited to announce the 'birth' of Restoration Wellness, LLC!!!!

Restoration Wellness
Dr. Matthew J Boheen

1130 Crosspointe Lane Suite 7
Webster, NY 14580

Offering services in:

Chiropractic
Nutrition
Weight Loss
Detoxification
Lab testing/diagnostics
Pediatric Chiropractic
Allergies

www.restorationwellness.com
Find us on Facebook!

770-570-2673

Opening October 1st 2010
Scheduling appointments NOW!

Super Light But Filling Lunch

2010-06-29T22:32:00.003-04:00

Guacamole + pinto beans + tomatoes scooped up with raw veggies or corn chips = yummy!

Not your typical lunch, but still great and healthy.

Guacamole:

2 avocados
1 garlic clove
sea salt
pepper
lime juice

Mix together.... and just throw some pinto or black beans on top with fresh organic tomatoes (add some cheese too if you want) and eat with good quality corn chips (watch for MSG!) or raw veggies, or Mary's Gone Crackers (these are gluten free) and enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken, Salad and Homemade Ranch Dressing!

2010-06-29T22:24:00.003-04:00

Make a salad with whatever you have on hand/is in season (lots of veggies and good greens!)

Saute some free range chicken breast or cutlets in grapeseed oil, sea salt, pepper, dill, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and parsley, cooking several minutes on each side. Serve cooled chicken over your fresh salad and top with this homemade dressing:

Homemade Ranch Dressing:

1 1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil Veganaise
3 Tablespoons organic almond milk
1/2 Teaspoon Parsley
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Dill
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Chives
1/4 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon San-J Tamari Sauce (wheat free, organic)
1/4 Teaspoon of lemon juice
About an 1/8 tsp stevia

Wisk together and refrigerate for a while before serving.

Pecan Crusted Cod

2010-06-29T22:15:00.003-04:00

4-6 wild caught cod fillets (Alaskan is great)
1 cup or so of ground pecans (walnuts would probably work ok too)
1 cup coconut flour
raw honey
grapeseed oil

pour some raw honey in a dish and add a small amount of water. In a separate dish, mix nuts and flour. Place cod fillets in honey, then in nut mixture and cover as best you can using your fingers to "smoosh" the nuts on the fish.
Heat a skillet over medium heat with grapeseed oil covering the bottom. Place cod fillets in heated oil and fry on each side for a few minutes.

Once served, drizzle your piece of fish with raw honey and enjoy!

Sauteed Zucchini:

Enjoy your in season zucchini with this super easy recipe. Chop zucchini, and saute in grapeseed oil, sea salt, pepper and turmeric. Yum!

Salmon Marinade

2010-06-29T22:09:00.003-04:00

This marinade was so good, I plan to try it with chicken drumsticks!

4 wild caught Alaskan salmon fillets
4 tbsps sucanat
4 tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps grapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or 2 tsps garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Mix ingredients together and pour over salmon. Marinade in fridge for 30 minutes. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, using a turkey baster to keep the sauce on the fish. :)

Farmer's Market Soup

2010-06-21T16:06:00.002-04:00

A detox my hubby is on plus a trip to the farmer's market equals this soup :)

3-4 cups navy beans soaked overnight in water
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, sliced
2 organic tomatoes, chopped
one bunch green onions, chopped
3 organic celery stalks, chopped
1/2 kohlrabi, skinned and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup organic tomato puree
sea salt
basil
garlic powder
onion powder

Mix everything together in your stock pot or crock pot and cook for several hours until the beans are cooked. :)

These are a few of my favorite things.....

2010-06-19T16:47:00.004-04:00

Changing ingredients in recipes to make them healthier can be tricky. Here are some of my favorite healthier alternatives:

White sugar- My favorite thing to use in place of it is Xylitol (same amount as the sugar & make sure you get a brand that is not chemically processed! Xylitol made from birch tree is super great! We like the brand Globalsweet) or raw honey (slightly less than the sugar)

Canola oil- grapeseed oil or coconut oil

Shortening- coconut oil

Margarine or vegetable spread- real butter

Brown sugar- sucanat

Soy sauce- San-J wheat free Tamari

Mayo- grapeseed oil veganaise

Enriched white flour- whole wheat flour or coconut flour

White rice- brown rice or quinoa

Chocolate for eating or baking- 60% cocoa dark chocolate

Soda- Zevia stevia sweetened soda

We've made a lot of changes in the last year. What changes are you making?

Chicken Soup For Your Soul!

2010-06-08T21:25:00.002-04:00

10 free range organic chicken drumsticks
1 bag organic carrots, chopped
6 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
frozen peas and corn
4 cups organic free range chicken broth
3-4 cups water
sea salt
pepper
garlic and onion powder

Place everything in your crock pot and cook on low all day. Once cooked, remove chicken and remove meat. Place meat back into crock pot. Season and serve. :)
My husband requests this soup every time he is sick. :)

Organic or Not Organic?

2010-06-01T14:32:00.005-04:00

Ever wonder what you should buy organic and what you can get away with not buying organic? Read this article:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/01/dirty-dozen-produce-carries-more-pesticide-residue-group-says/?iref=allsearch

Break Time

2010-05-30T22:20:00.001-04:00

Taking a break from posts... busy with my babies :)

They'll come here and there but not often. But only for a little while. :)

Bummed Over Braggs

2010-05-07T17:50:00.003-04:00

I have recently read some valuable information about Braggs Liquid Aminos. My hubby read it as well, and we've agreed to try something else. We still use other Braggs products, however.
Read the article for yourself, and be sure to read the links too. Make an informed decision for yourself, although I will be removing it from my recipes and my fridge! I'll keep you posted as I find a similar product I like which does NOT contain any hidden MSG's!

Read here:
http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/09/choosing-a-natural-soy-sauce-why-braggs-liquid-aminos-is-not-it.html

A New Favorite Treat of Ours

2010-04-22T16:02:00.004-04:00

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...

2010-04-22T15:57:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-22T15:46:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-22T15:36:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-16T17:38:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-14T15:27:00.002-04:00

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?

Time To Clean Out The Pantry!

Layered Crock Pot Meatloaf

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

Homemade Chewy PB Oat Granola Bars

Vegetable Beef Soup

Directions

Crock Pot BBQ Beef

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken

Lasagna Soup

Gluten Free Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Bread

Directions:

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

Pineapple Chicken Wraps

Basil Broccoli Pasta

Raw Berry Pie

Ingredients

Methods/steps

Guilt Free French Fries

Chicken Marinades!

Mustard Balsamic Salad Dressing

Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

Coconut Raspberry Cupcakes

Tropical Dairy Free Smoothie

Oat Biscuits For Baby

Homemade Baby Food

Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Kids

Ingredients

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins (Gluten Free)

Chocolate Coconut 'Larabars'

Valentine Fudge- The Healthy Way

Amazing Homemade Soft Pretzels

Chicken Chili Soup

Raw Food Bars (LaraBars)

Peanut Butter Love

Zucchini Rice Flour Muffins

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

Banana Cake With Sour Cream Frosting

Preparation

Coconut Apple Nut Raw Food Balls

Chicken and Quinoa Pilaf

Chocolate Quinoa Cookies

Coconut Orange Cake

Easy Garlic and Onion Lentils

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Spiced Apple Ice Cream

Spiced Apple Ice Cream

Dr. Bronner's Dishwasher Soap

Christmas Eve Minestrone

Ingredients

Directions

Even Better Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls (Sorry Paula Deen)

Ingredients

Green Smoothies

Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls

Cook Time:

Level:

Yield:

Ingredients

Dough:

Filling:

Directions

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Directions

Christmas Ginger Snaps

My Grandma's Favorite Sesame Seed Cookies

Turkey Tetrazzini

How To Make Your Own Shampoo

Almond Squares, Christmas recipe #4!

Meatball Cookies, Christmas Cookie #3!

Homemade Raw Milk Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Veggie Dip

Cranberry Walnut Apple Bread- Whole Wheat