Category: Vegetarian Page 6 of 11

Anti-Inflammatory Berry Blast GBOMBS Smoothie {Paleo, Vegan}

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On July 21, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I’ve been preparing for a client presentation today all about one of my favorite topics in nutrition – GBOMBS.

I’ve written about them before, but I love the acronym because it’s an easy way to remember some of the most nutrient-packed, disease-fighting, health-boosting foods on the planet, according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman:

  • Greens
  • Beans
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Berries
  • Seeds (+ Nuts)

One of the easiest ways to pack in a bunch of GBOMBS at once is in a smoothie 🙂

Smoothies are also an easy way to “upgrade” our diet, adding in lots of nutrients that keep our body clean, energized, and feeling awesome.

My husband, Bill, and I have them for breakfast almost every morning. We change them up, so we are getting a variety of nutrients from different fruits, vegetables and super foods.

Today’s smoothie has a lot going for it, including being anti-inflammatory and detoxifying.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman and other functional medicine doctors and nutritionists, inflammation and toxicity are the two reasons most of us are sick and holding on to extra weight, so we want to load up on foods that help us reduce them, and this smoothie does the trick!

Check out the amazing health benefits of three of the key ingredients in this smoothie:

Supercharged berries

GBOMBS berries

Berries

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.

No matter which berries you pick, they are one of the best foods you can eat because they’re low in sugar, and their high antioxidant power helps protect our heart and contains potent anti-cancer compounds.

For these reasons and more (they taste amazing!), berries are considered one of Dr. Fuhrman’s GBOMBS foods.

A curly bunch of kale!

A curly bunch of kale!

Greens {Kale}

This superstar veggie is another GBOMBS food, so it’s also loaded with anti-cancer and anti-fat storage benefits.

Leafy green veggies are the most nutrient-rich foods we can eat. That’s our goal – to get the most nutrients we can in every calorie we eat or drink. It’s one of the secrets to optimal health.

Read more about kale’s amazing health benefits here.

flax

Flaxseed

Yet another GBOMBS food, flaxseed is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and keeps our brain and arteries healthy due to its Omega-3 fatty acid content.

Flaxseed is also loaded with fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar (a key to staying energized!), keep us feeling full, and promote healthy digestion (keep things moving).

Make sure you grind the seeds before eating them, as it is tough for your teeth to break down the whole seeds and release all of their health benefits. My blender does a good job of this, but a coffee grinder will work, too. 

Click here for more ideas to add flaxseed into your daily diet!

smoothiepic

Ingredients (ideally organic)

  • 1.5 cups unsweetened (or homemade) almond milk
  • 2 cups greens, loosely packed (baby kale, kale (remove stem), spinach, etc.)
  • 1 cup frozen berries (I used black raspberries in mine but any will do)
  • 1/2 frozen banana (peel it first)
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed / ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Optional to make it more filling: scoop of your favorite protein powder (I want to try this one and have been pretty happy with this one)

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender in the order listed above for about 60 seconds, until you reach a smooth consistency. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, blend the greens and liquid FIRST and then add the rest of the ingredients.

*As your taste buds adjust to like naturally sweet foods, you may find that adding a pitted Medjool date or a teaspoon of honey sweetens up this recipe a bit, but the berries, banana, and cinnamon are enough for me!

Mint Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls {Paleo, Vegan}

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On July 6, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, My Story, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Savor, Vegan, Vegetarian

Whenever I think of my birthday, I remember the mint chocolate chip ice cream cake I had EVERY YEAR growing up. I looked forward to it as much as the presents.

From the creamy, minty ice cream that instantly coated and cooled my tongue to the chocolate crunchies layer in the middle of the ice cream bliss, that cake was the BEST.

Since removing dairy from my diet a few years ago once I learned how it was triggering health issues, I’ve had to find other ways to recreate a similar experience.

Hence these little mint chocolatey bliss balls 🙂

Mint Chocolate Chip Bliss BallsMint Choco Balls Aerial

They’re a serious upgrade to my Carvel cake and are full of superfoods like raw cacao powder, cacao nibs and hemp seeds. Check out just a few of the awesome benefits of these foods:

Raw Cacao Powder & Nibs: This is chocolate at its best…raw. When we hear people talk about chocolate being good for us, THIS is the stuff they’re talking about. In its raw form (cacao), chocolate is packed with anti-aging and disease-fighting antioxidants along with mood-boosting and anti-inflammatory compounds. It’s a food we can enjoy every day. Lots of my sweet treat recipes are made with raw cacao, so check them out!

Hemp Seeds: Don’t worry – in case it’s crossing your mind – these hemp seeds won’t give you the “high” you’re thinking of, but they DO have lots of other benefits. They’re a great source of plant-based protein, high in healthy fats that naturally balance hormones and promote heart health, and rich in soluble and insoluble fiber to keep us feeling full and satisfied. For more benefits of hemp seeds, click here.

So, not only are these ingredients really good for us, but these bliss balls taste aaaamazing!

You should have seen my husband Bill’s face the first time he bit into one of these. He was in heaven! 🙂

Mint Choco Chip Bday Balls

Yields: 16-18 balls

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw walnuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 cup hemp seeds, divided
  • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1 1/2 cups Medjool dates, pitted (about 15 dates)
  • 5 drops therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil (a little goes a long way!…or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder
  • 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs

Directions

  1. Combine walnuts, 1/4 cup hemp seeds, cacao powder and sea salt in a food processor and process until finely ground, about 15-20 seconds.
  2. Add dates, peppermint oil and vanilla and process until combined.
  3. Add raw cacao nibs and pulse a few more times until everything is incorporated. Then, remove dough from the food processor and roll it into one big dough ball.
  4. Pinch off one chunk at a time to make 1-inch fudge balls. Roll balls in hemp seeds and store in the fridge, so they can firm up. After that, you can leave them in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy 🙂

mint balls

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies {Gluten-Free, Paleo}

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On July 2, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Savor, Vegan, Vegetarian

You’re in for a real treat today.

My husband, Bill, works at a summer sports camp for middle schoolers, and he brought some of these cookies to share with his co-counselors. One of them said,

“I don’t even really like cookies, but these are good!”

I’m not so sure about people who “don’t like cookies,” but I’ll take the compliment!

I’ve always loved cookies, and my first memories are of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies brought to you by none other than Nestle Tollhouse. I could do some damage on that bowl of batter…and I swear the raw eggs never made me sick 🙂

There aren’t many things more awesome than licking a bowl of cookie dough batter when you’re a kid, right?

Today’s cookies aren’t quite the same, and I didn’t eat the batter, BUT they really hit the spot when I’m looking for an upgraded sweet treat.

IMG_9705

They’re soft, slightly tart and chewy from the dried cherries, a little crunchy from the toasted almonds and (of course!) chocolatey.

The base?

Almond butter. 

No refined flour or sugar here! But that doesn’t mean they don’t taste amazing.

Since they’re not make with any flour, they’re a bit sticky, so you’ll notice they stick together a bit if you stack them…but that’s all the more reason to grab two instead of one 😉

cherry choco chip cookies

Cherry Dark Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies ~ Rachel's Nourishing Kitchen

Almond Butter Cherry Chocolate Chip Bite

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup slivered almond, toasted and chopped
  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/3 cup 100% pure Grade B maple syrup
  • 1 egg (free-range, cage-free preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
  2. Lightly toast slivered almonds in the toaster oven or on a small skillet until golden and crunchy; then, coarsely chop and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, stir together almond butter, maple syrup, egg, vanilla, salt, baking soda and baking powder until evenly combined.
  4. Stir in coconut, dried cherries, chocolate chips and slivered almonds.
  5. Scoop with a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack…or eat immediately!

Easy Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette

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On June 11, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian

I used to HATE salads.

Okay, maybe “hate” is too strong of a word.

But I didn’t like them for a long time. I didn’t eat salads until I was just about forced to as a freshman in college (because I was too picky to eat anything but cereal and pasta!).

I started slowly by eating some basic raw vegetables like lettuce, carrots and celery, but it took time to build up to adding in all the creative things I now toss into my salads (everything from lentils and sprouts to pumpkin seeds and broccoli!).

I don’t know if it was a texture thing or what, but for the first year or so that I ate salads, I didn’t use salad dressing. It wasn’t for health reasons either. I was just grossed out by the idea of a gloppy dressing being all over my raw veggies.

I started with squeezing some lemon juice on top. Gradually, I worked my way up to where I am now, making homemade dressings.

I haven’t looked back since! It’s just so stinkin’ simple to make your own salad dressings!

ACV Vinaigrette

You basically just need oil/fat + vinegar/acid (citrus) + herbs + optional sweetener and other flavorings. Not only that, but you avoid all of the unnecessary added ingredients that extend the shelf life and flavor of the store-bought stuff (i.e., sugar, soybean oil, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, etc.).

If you do get store-bought dressings, please please please look for as few ingredients as possible and do not buy Fat Free or Lite dressings!

Why??

The vitamins in leafy green vegetables are best absorbed in the presence of fat (they’re fat-soluble), so we need to eat fat with them. Plus, when companies take fat out of dressings, they add in cheap, refined oils, sugar and other stuff.

No bueno 🙂

Today’s vinaigrette dressing is one of the simplest to make but is full of great flavor!

It’s a little lighter than my FAVORITE dressing (the tahini-based kale salad dressing), so it’s perfect with a fresh, crisp salad on these warmer days we’ve been having lately. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Tangy ACV

 

Easy Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This simple salad dressing is versatile and can be used on any salad. Raw apple cider vinegar is particularly beneficial for digestion!

  • 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar (with "The Mother")
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1 cup olive oil (extra virgin)

  1. Put all ingredients in a blender until combined OR put everything in a mason jar and shake until combined. Use about 2 tablespoons with a big bowl of your favorite salad fixins’!

*The fresh thyme adds an extra pop of flavor but the dressing will still taste good without it!

San Diego: A Healthy Foodie’s Paradise & Top 10 Places to Eat

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On May 31, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Healthy Dining, My Story, Paleo, Tips & Tricks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Eating healthy and traveling can be a challenge, but in San Diego, it is almost effortless.

With juice and smoothie bars popping up on every corner and a commitment to serving sustainable, local, fresh and nourishing cuisine, San Diego is a healthy foodie’s dream.

(Especially for someone like me who is always looking for tasty dairy-free and gluten-free options!)

My husband Bill and I recently made our first trip to California and had an amazing time exploring the relaxing and beautiful coast and eating lots of delicious and energizing food.

hello san diego san diego pics

I have to give a shout out to my friend, Janna, who was kind enough to take the time to send me a few of the recommendations below. Bill and I did some exploring on our own, too, and came across some awesome food that we wish we could have brought home with us.

Check out my top picks below for places to try the next time you’re in sunny San Diego! I will give you more details about the vibe, what we ate, and what you have to try if you go there. Here is the short list (in no particular order).

  • Vitality Tap
  • Cafe21
  • Peace Pies
  • Georges at the Cove
  • Juice Crafters
  • Hillcrest Farmers Market
  • Plumeria
  • Burger Lounge
  • Jimbos Naturally!
  • SOL CAL Cafe – HAS SINCE CLOSED

Vitality Tap

650 1st Avenue, San Diego; 619-237-7625; www.vitalitytap.com

vitality tap

The Vibe: If you do not know what to look for, you could easily miss this place. It is inside of a nutrition store. They had a list of dozens of superfood boosters, including chlorella, goji berries, lucuma powder, and chaga mushrooms that you could add to any smoothie. Which reminds me, I have been doing a lot of research about chaga mushrooms recently, as one of my friends told me that she uses them to boost her immune system. You can read more about the therapeutic potential of chaga mushrooms here: https://www.chagainsight.com. Vitality Tap also encouraged us to post a review on Yelp to get a free detox shot. Free? Sign me up 🙂

What We Ate

  • Green Ingredient Smoothie (I was warned this was a pretty “intense” smoothie, due to the lack of sweetness, but I was ready for it). With a blend of greens, mango, lime, lemon, hemp seed, cucumber and spirulina, I knew it was an anti-inflammatory, detoxifying concoction that my body would love. Remember, medicine doesn’t always taste good, but people take it anyway 😉 This is true when food is medicine, too!
  • Flexin’ Smoothie (This was Bill’s favorite)
  • Avocado Bliss Smoothie
  • Undressed Greens Juice
  • All Day Energy Shot
  • Detox Shot

Cafe21

802 5th Avenue, San Diego; 619-795-0721, www.cafe-21.com

cafe21

The Vibe: Farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of the Gaslamp district that sources its food from local farmers and distributors and is committed to crafting creative, seasonal, and delicious dishes and drinks. There is a Mediterranean vibe that I loved about this place, but their menu is eclectic and offers something for everyone. The chef was accommodating and creative when it came to my dairy and gluten-sensitivities, and any dish our servers recommended was a winner. We liked it so much that we went for dinner and brunch. It was the best thing ever to come from Tennis Lessons San Diego and sit down and eat lunch at this place.

What We Ate

Dinner

  • Lentil, Cauliflower & Chicken Soup
  • Avocado, Mushroom & Eggplant Fries with Mediterranean-inspired Red Pepper Dip & Avocado Mousse (They made it dairy-free and gluten-free for me!)
  • Sangria-Marinated Short Ribs (Bill had these and they melted off the bone)
  • Black-Eyed Peas, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Onions & Peppers with Spaghetti Squash

Brunch

  • Garden & Vegetable Omelet Skillet with a Strawberry & Mixed Greens Side Salad
  • Mango Sweetie Hot Tea (you have to try their homemade teas!)

You Have to Trythe Avocado, Mushroom & Eggplant Fries. Our minds were blown (hence Bills face in the pic above)!

Also, if you sign up for their newsletter, they’ll send you special deals, including a free meal on your birthday!

Peace Pies

4230 Voltaire Street, San Diego; 619-223-2880; www.peacepies.com

peace pies

The Vibe: I was super excited to check out this place when I saw their menu online. It is a Bohemian café with a locally sourced menu of raw, vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free dishes. I’m pretty sure we went to Peace Pies three times for some combination of lunch/dinner/dessert. We loved it!

What We Ate

  • Magical Mango Curry Wrap with Kale Chips
  • Mediterranean Sampler
  • Voltaire Street Tacos
  • Majestic Mediterranean Wrap
  • Banana Chocolate Coffee Pie
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich
  • Stuffed Date with Maca Cashew Butter

You Have to TryMango Curry Wrap & Kale Chips (yum x100)…and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich!

Georges at the Cove

1250 Prospect Street, La Jolla; 858-454-4244, www.georgesatthecove.com

georges

The Vibe: Talk about a view. Wow. Not only was our rooftop table overlooking the Pacific picture perfect, but so was our meal. The sea was absolutely stunning and we found out from some locals that you can take a kayak tour of the sea caves in La Jolla, San Diego which will have to try next time we visit. After multiple people recommended we check out Georges, we knew we had to make it part of our trip.

What We Ate

  • Scallop Ceviche
  • Seared Yellowtail with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Red Pepper Puree
  • Fresh Fish Tacos (Bill ate tacos every day :))

You Have to TryScallop Ceviche. My co-worker, Gina, turned us on to this appetizer. She told us we absolutely had to have it, and we’re so glad we took her advice! Light, crisp and refreshing, it was a perfect start to our West Coast lunch on a breezy afternoon.

Juice Crafters

Multiple Locations; 935 Silverado Street, La Jolla; www.juicecrafters.com

juicecrafters

The Vibe: We stumbled upon this place when we were wandering around La Jolla and looking for something hydrating and energy-boosting before dinner. Juice Crafters is a family-owned cold-pressed juice and powerhouse smoothie bar whose approach is to “live well and be well.” That’s my kind of place!

What We Drank

  • Green Juice Plus

You Have to TryAnything on the menu! We only stopped by for something to hydrate us before dinner, but all of their smoothies looked good, especially the Chunky Monkey Smoothie they were advertising outside that day.

Hillcrest Farmer’s Market

3960 Normal Street, San Diego, www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

hillcresthillcrest2

The Vibe: Held Sundays from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., this was our favorite of the three farmer’s markets we checked out while in San Diego. There are over 175 vendors there, so give yourself some time to explore. Take a look out all the awesome eats below!

What We Ate:

  1. Taste of Africa – This was one of our favorite meals of the whole trip…and the cheapest. For $11, each of us ordered a bowl served with jasmine rice and vegetables topped with rich and creamy (and dairy-free!) curried lentils and chopped and sautéed collard greens. Bill ordered the jerk chicken instead of the lentils, and both of us took our first bite, looked at each other and made “the face” we make whenever we’ve just tasted a little bite of heaven.
  2. Green Fix – They sell juices and smoothies that highlight vegetables as the star, unlike many smoothie places that load up on the sweet stuff. They have options that accommodate a wide range of taste preferences with varying levels of sweetness, so if you’re gungho, try a jug of the “Raw” version.
  3. Asana Foods – They have lots of unique paleo options from granola to almond butters and are known for their killer acai bowl. We bought a jar of their cardamom goji berry almond “buddah”. They ship, too, so we can order online here.
  4. Happy Pantry – Best sauerkraut around. Fermented foods like sauerkraut (something I used to hate until about a year ago!) are excellent for our digestive health, skin, and overall immunity. We loved the variety of combinations and ended up with a jar of the Power Krautage. Bill loved the kimchi as well. Definitely check out this place. The people who work there are super friendly, too.
  5. B*tchin’ Bars & Dips – I’m not one to swear on this site, but that’s the name of the company! Their paleo-friendly bars, and gluten and dairy-free dips are OUT OF THIS WORLD. They’re made with almonds instead of beans, so people who have trouble with beans might want to try out this as an alternative. My favorites were the Pesto and Bombay curry flavors, but they are all amazing! You can’t help but laugh as the guys taking your order tell you to “have a b*tchin’ day.” Here’s to not taking life too seriously 🙂

Plumeria

4661 Park Boulevard, San Diego; 619-269-9989; www.myplumeria.com

plumeria

The Vibe: Described by Janna as her “favorite Thai restaurant in all of California,” we knew we had to check it out. On our last night in San Diego, we ventured to Hillcrest to check out this vegetarian restaurant. You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy the food there though, so don’t let that stop you.

What We Ate

  • Spearmint Tea, Spicy Ginger Tea
  • Zen Soup
  • Ginger, Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry
  • 5-Spice Duck Stir-Fry

You Have to TryZen Soup (one of the most delicious, flavor-packed dishes I’ve ever tried!)

Burger Lounge

Multiple Locations; Coronado Island, www.burgerlounge.com

burger lounge

The Vibe: Before we left for San Diego, we asked people about “must-see” places, and almost everyone suggested Coronado Island. We spent the morning at the beach and wandering around the island and worked up an appetite. We were debating doing one of the famed San Diego whale watching trips but just ran out of time, which was gutting! When we saw the line in front of Burger Lounge and the signs for 100% grass-fed beef, we were sold. If only other fast casual chains would get on board with having higher integrity, quality ingredients that taste delicious like Burger Lounge. I’m hopeful it will happen the more we ask for it!

What We Ate

  • Turkey Burger on a Fresh Vegetable Salad with Basil Dressing
  • The Lounge Burger (100% Grass-fed Beef Burger)

You Have to Try…Turkey Burger with Basil Dressing (YUM!) The best turkey burger I’ve ever had. Period.

Jimbos Naturally!

4S Commons Town Center, 10511 Commons Drive, San Diego, www.jimbos.com

jimbo

The Vibe & The Eats: Okay, so it’s not technically a restaurant, but I’m a sucker for cool grocery stores. I went to this place about every other day during the trip for drinks, snacks, immune booster packs (the time change wasn’t loving me), and even toiletries I had forgotten to bring.

It’s always nice to have a trusted grocery store to go to when you’re staying in a new place.

SOL CAL Café – I just learned that this place has closed, unfortunately!

Check out Cafe Gratitude instead!

910 J Street, San Diego; 619-255-2927, www.solcal.com

solcal cafe

The Vibe: With a tagline of “Healthy. Happy. Yummy,” I knew this place was for me 🙂 They serve cleanse-focused juices, smoothies, elixirs and modern vegetarian eats in a cheerful, contemporary setting. One morning we ran there for breakfast and walked home. The free cucumber water was refreshing and thirst-quenching after our run.

What We Ate

  • Lively Liver Elixir (detoxifying combo of dandelion, burdock root, red clover and cinnamon)
  • Happy Greens Juice
  • Om Sweet Om Smoothie
  • Lean Green Smoothie
  • Kelp Pesto Noodles with Mushrooms & Sundried Tomatoes
  • Waffle with Berries & Cream. Deliciously dairy-free and gluten-free, Bill had these for morning one day. Don’t they look amazing?! He cleaned his plate.

We could have eaten every meal there for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two weeks and eaten something different every time. I would love to go back and try the Cacao Oatmeal, Loaded Baked Sweet Potato, and the Sol Kale Salad.

And last but not least, here are a few honorable mentions worth checking out!

Honorable Mentions

Seasons 52 (Focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients)

Cafe Gratitude (I have heard great things!)

Puesto (Bills favorite taco place. Amazing guac and yummy tacos)

BarleyMash (Not exactly known for their healthy food, but their baby kale salad with lemon vinaigrette and chicken on top was deeeelish!)

So, that’s my list! We went to a few other places, too, but those were my top 10. Have you been to San Diego? What are your favorite healthy places to eat? Feel free to leave a comment below! 🙂

Homemade Pizza Combos {Paleo, Vegan}

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On May 26, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

If you grew up in the 90s or knew a kid who did, chances are you at least knew about the tasty snack gems known as Combos.

These little hollowed out pretzel logs were stuffed with all sorts of flavor-packed goodness, from cheddar cheese to pepperoni pizza.

I could house a bag of Combos in a matter of minutes, and my absolute favorite flavor was Pizza. They were addictive!

And after taking a look at the ingredient list, I can see why.combos info

As a kid, I couldn’t have cared less about the ingredient lists of the foods I was eating.

(Which would explain why things like Toaster Strudels, Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, Sour Patch Kids, Dunkaroos, Funyuns, and Little Debbie Swiss Rolls were perfectly permissible snacks on a regular basis :))

But, as an adult, who feels better than I’ve ever felt, I do care.

I don’t follow a strict set of “rules,” per se, but I do make sure that the food I eat is real (not a chemical concoction), whole (an avocado vs. a Cheeto), unprocessed (is a plant vs. made in a plant) and health-promoting.

I prioritize the “fuel” I put in my body and make sure it’s high quality, going to give me energy, and make me feel good…because I like feeling good.

Don’t you? 🙂

I was inspired to “upgrade” Combos and bring some of the same flavors to a healthy snack bite. When Bill and our friend, Brian, tried one for the first time, they said it tasted like Pizza Combos…YES!

One of the best parts is that they are no-bake, so they come together quickly. These are snacks you (and your kids) could have every day!

paleo poppers pizza bites

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 small clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (I used Trader’s Joe’s jarred ones, since they were soaked in olive oil. If you only have dried tomatoes, soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes to soften them and add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the final recipe for moisture.)
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
Some of the ingredients in this yummy recipe!

Some of the ingredients in this yummy recipe!

Coating (Optional but awesome)

  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  1. Process almonds in a food processor until they reach a fine meal, about 30-45 seconds.
  2. Add remaining ingredients through hemp seeds and process for about 60 seconds, or until the mixture looks like this and clumps together.clump The longer you process, the longer the oils from the nuts and seeds release and bind everything.
  3. Form the dough into 1 inch balls and set aside.
  4. In a mini food processor (or the bigger ones you just used), make the cashew coating, and process until it reaches a fine texture.
  5. Roll the dough balls in the coating and store them in a glass container in the refrigerator.
  6. Enjoy!IMG_9367

    And this is what my kitchen looked like afterwards...:o)

    Aaand this is what my kitchen looked like afterwards…:o) It’s okay to make a mess. It makes me feel like a mad scientist!

Not-Just-for-Moms No-Bake Lactation Cookies {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}

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On May 3, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegetarian

The other day, Bill and I were hanging out with my brother, his wife and their two adorable kiddos, Braxton & Raleigh.

We are lucky to live so close to each other to be able to see our nephew and niece grow up.

IMG_8841

We had just finished eating this Better-than-Takeout Chicken “Fried” Rice dish for dinner before throwing together our favorite Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites (which our nephew LOVED!).

He wanted to help us make them, too, so we propped him up on the counter next to the food processor and laughed as he watched the food processor whirl, mesmerized and totally focused on his newfound entertainment.

Braxton making Snickerdoodle bites

My sister-in-law, Layne mentioned that she’d heard a mom on a local radio station talk about Lactation Cookies that she used to stimulate milk production while she was nursing.

The only problem?

It costs $40 for one dozen cookies.

Not exactly something most of us could afford on a consistent basis, no matter how tasty or helpful they are.

Layne had also heard about the benefits of Mother’s Milk tea from Traditional Medicinals, which contains many of the lactogenic ingredients listed below.

mothers milk

Determined to find an alternative to the $40/dozen cookies, I went into nerdy food research mode and started looking online to learn more about lactogenic foods called galactagogues (ga-LAC-ta-goggs) – foods that are known to naturally increase milk production. I found a few different lists, but certain foods were consistent:

  • Flaxseed
  • Oats
  • Nuts, seeds and nut butters
  • Beans & legumes (lentils, peas, beans)
  • Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli, etc.)
  • Carrots
  • Stone fruits like papaya, dates, and apricots
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Coconut & coconut milk
  • Brown rice
  • Herbs & spices like cumin seeds, anise, fennel seeds, fenugreek, alfalfa, milk thistle, and turmeric

As I was looking through the list, I noticed some common themes. They’re all whole, unprocessed, real foods, and many of them also have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

So whether you’re breastfeeding or not, these foods are nourishing! And, no, you won’t start lactating just because you’re eating lactation cookies. You have to be breastfeeding for that to happen 🙂

Check out the recipe below to make your OWN no-bake lactation cookies (much cheaper than $40/dozen!).  The key lactogenic ingredients are oats, flaxseed, dates, cinnamon, and coconut.

lacto cookies

A few notes about this recipe that will be helpful as you shop for ingredients:

  • We buy gluten-free oats from Trader Joe’s.
  • We use a coffee grinder to grind our flaxseeds, but you can also just buy milled flaxseed or flaxseed meal. You get the most nutrition from the seeds when you grind the whole seeds just before using them.
  • We always use raw honey because of its health benefits. Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, MOMs, Whole Foods, and any natural foods store sell raw honey.
  • You can use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a greater lactogenic effect. If you use almonds, use a total of two tablespoons of honey because almond butter is milder in flavor than peanut butter.
  • The shredded coconut is optional and doesn’t leave a coconut taste – it just adds another galactagogue! If you absolutely hate coconut (like my husband) or are allergic, you can leave it out. The peanut butter dominates the taste anyway, so Bill didn’t even notice the coconut 🙂

NB Lactation Cookies

No-Bake Lactation Cookies

These little bite combine a bunch of lactation-supportive ingredients that nourish both mama and baby.

  • 2/3 cup rolled oats (gluten-free)
  • 1/3 cup flaxseed (ground)
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates (pitted)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or almond or peanut butter (I prefer to make them allergen-free))
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1.5 tablespoon vanilla extract

  1. Put the oats, ground flaxseeds, shredded coconut, salt and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the S-blade, and run for about one minute until it reaches the consistency of a fine meal.

  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and run the food processor for about 60-90 seconds or until everything is combined and starts to clump around the sides.

  3. Mold hunks of the dough about one tablespoon at a time into round balls. Store in the fridge in a glass container. We like taking them out a few minutes before eating so they soften up a bit.

I used to put chocolate chips in these, but babies are supposed to stay away from chocolate until about their first birthday because of the caffeine content, so if you’re not a nursing mama, feel free to add in 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs before taking the dough out of the food processor!

If you’re not a huge fan of flax, cut the portion back to 1/4 cup.

If you’re a mom and want to learn more about how to increase your milk supply, boost your immunity, lift depression, lose weight, and even reduce colic and allergies, check out the book Mother Food by Hilary Jacobson. Please consult with your doctor or lactation consultant for further guidance.

Here are a few other recipes on my blog that are full of galactagogues. I’ve given you a link to the recipe and listed the lactogenic foods next to it:

curry

coconut chai bites

Mediterranean Chickpea & Sundried Tomato Kale Salad {Vegan}

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On April 28, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Products I Use, Recipes, Tips & Tricks, Vegan, Vegetarian

I’ve been a kale lover for a few years now and have fun coming up with new ways to incorporate it into recipes.

I even found these super cool kale-lover clothing items at a small store called Simply Local in San Diego that reflect someone’s serious obsession with this leafy green veggie.

Kale Clothes SD

Today’s salad recipe has some Mediterranean inspirations with lemon, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and chickpeas. It comes together in a matter of minutes and can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.

From the kale and garlic to the hemp seeds and chickpeas, this delicious dish is LOADED with cancer-fighting and fat-storage fighting foods known as GBOMBS. Click here to learn more about GBOMBS and why we should eat them daily.

The key to this salad is massaging the lemon juice into the kale leaves to “cook” and soften the kale and break down its bitterness; it’s always important to give your raw kale a little massage.

Speaking of massage, when I was in college I considered going into massage therapy and even went so far as to buy a KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) guide-book to learn the basics. Clearly I didn’t pursue that route, so massaging kale will have to do! 🙂

Mediterranean Kale Salad

What I love about kale salads (one of the many things) is that they “keep” for a few days in the fridge.

Any other greens’ salads will wilt in a matter of hours once you put dressing on it, but kale salad holds up for about 3 days, so it’s something you can make ahead of time and enjoy for several meals.

Check out today’s recipe, and let me know what you think!

Med Kale Saladkale salad 2

Mediterranean Chickpea & Sundried Tomato Kale Salad

I love the Mediterranean-inspired flavors and ingredients in this salad. Feel free to add some chicken or fish on top, if you’d like, for a complete meal!

  • 1 bunch curly kale (destemmed, washed and dried)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed and finely minced (1 large clove or 2 small cloves))
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas AKA garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed (I use the Eden brand))
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds (hulled)
  • Black pepper (to taste)

  1. Tear kale leaves into pieces and put in large bowl.

  2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and sea salt, and massage everything into the kale leaves for 1-2 minutes, until the leaves are shiny, soft, and have reduced in volume by about half.

  3. Add the black pepper, nutritional yeast, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and hemp seeds and toss until evenly combined. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

Two Moms in the Raw Cookbook Preview & Bill’s Favorite Breakfast! {Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free}

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On April 22, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I love cookbooks. I wrote about some of my favorite cookbooks in this post around Christmastime.

I have lots of them and always SWEAR that I’m going to make 20 more recipes out of each of them before buying another one.

Cookbooks for me are like shoes or purses for a lot of women…I can never have too many!

I’m excited to introduce a brand new cookbook to all of you that I just found out about a few weeks ago after being contacted by a company that I met at the Natural Products Expo back in September – Two Moms in the Raw.

Two Moms in the Raw's booth at the Natural Products Expo. They're coming out with a new line of bars and granola made withOUT agave and with coconut sugar instead!

Two Moms in the Raw’s booth at the Natural Products Expo in Baltimore in September. They’re coming out with a new line of bars and granola made withOUT agave and with coconut nectar instead!

They gave me a sneak peek at some of the recipes from their cookbook and even let me make one of them and share it with you a few weeks before the cookbook is set to release on May 5th.

Having never made any of their recipes before, I didn’t know what to expect but hoped for the best.

All I can say is HOLY COW. This is what the final dish looked like…

eggs skillet

eggs closeup

The name of the dish was a little odd yet intriguing – “Beet Shakshuka” – but the taste was incredible. It reminded me of something I’d buy at a fancy restaurant for brunch.

Bill and I both devoured it, and he said it just shot up to one of his favorite meals we make!

The recipe comes from the new gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook written by Shari Leidich, founder of Two Moms in the Raw and is titled TWO MOMS  IN  THE  RAW:  Simple,  Clean,  Irresistible  Recipes  for  Your  Family’s  Health.

Shari and I totally align philosophically (which is the only reason I was 100% on board with promoting her book). She thinks of food as medicine and knows what we eat can truly change our lives.

Sound familiar? 🙂

The cookbook highlights both raw and cooked recipes that are focused on helping all people (good cooks and not-so-good cooks) upgrade their diet by adding in healthy and nourishing foods.

TMITR_hres.Book.Cover

TWO MOMS IN THE RAW has recipes for over 130 dishes, broken down into chapters based on meal: juices and smoothies; breakfast; dips; soups; salads; veggie mains; fish, poultry, and beef; and sweet treats and snacks.

From the Garden Jewel Salad and No-Stress Meatballs to Peanut-Free Thai Noodle Salad (pics below) and Single-Skillet Chicken Puttanesca, the cookbook is full of delicious meals.

And just like the other desserts on this blog, the dessert recipes in the cookbook ditch processed sugar in favor of natural sweeteners and power nutrients.

raw pic

In addition to the recipes, Shari offers insight on her preferred ingredients, kitchen equipment, and “household  healers.”

I love when cookbooks offer more than just recipes and give practical information, too. When I write my first one, that’s what I plan to do, too.

Ok, so back to the food.

Do you want to try this amazing beet breakfast recipe for yourself? Here’s a sneak peek of the recipe before anyone else can see it. It’s TOTALLY worth making 🙂

Want to buy the Two Moms in the Raw cookbook? Pre-order by May 5th to take advantage of the sale price – it’s a great deal. You can pre-order it here!

Beet Shakshuka Recipe

eggs closeup

cooked beets closeupskillet

Serves 4 to 6

From Shari: I keep the way I eat interesting by swapping in a variety of produce whenever possible.If that means using a veggie that contains a little more sugar—in this case, fiber-filled beets with their beta-carotene-packed leaves—I’m fine with it as long as it keeps me harnessing the power of produce at every turn. A dish with roots in Middle Eastern cuisine, shakshuka typically consists of eggs cooked to perfection in a savory tomato sauce. I keep the flavor profile Mediterranean by seasoning the dish with cumin and add a healthy shot of raw at the end in the form of springy scallions and earthy raw beet greens, which contain immune-boosting carotenoids, including lutein, which protects the eyes.

Ingredients
2 pounds assorted beets, such as red, yellow, and Chioggia—whatever you have—including the beet greens/tops
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Separate the tops from the beets and rinse and dry the beets and greens. Thinly slice the beet greens to yield 1½ cups and set aside; reserve the remaining greens for another use. Peel and cut the beets into ½-inch cubes.
  3. In a heavy, ovenproof 10- or 12-inch skillet (we used cast iron), heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the garlic and scallion whites and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the beet greens and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beets and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until the tomatoes release their liquid and the liquid is mostly reabsorbed, about 10 minutes. 
  5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Using a spoon, create 4 to 6 wells in the beet mixture and crack an egg into each well. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining ½ cup beet greens and the scallion greens. Serve straight from the skillet.

Click here to pre-order the cookbook for more recipes like this! 

Recipes and Photo from TWO MOMS IN THE RAW by Shari Koolik Leidich. Copyright ©2015 by Shari Koolik Leidich. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

This is a sponsored post. Please know that I only align with companies that 100% philosophically support my mission for health and well-being, and Two Moms in the Raw does.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan}

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On April 16, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

After making this Cinnamony Snickerdoodle Smoothie a few weeks ago, I told you I would come up with a recipe for Snickerdoodle bites…so here it is!

These little treats comes together in about 10 minutes and are great to make with your kids. I was able to recreate the chewy texture and cinnamon-sugar flavor of traditional Snickerdoodle cookies without using refined sugar or flour.

The key is using blanched almonds.

almond meal I bought mine at Trader Joe’s and dumped the whole bag in the food processor to grind them up until they reached a fine almond meal. You can also just use blanched almond meal if you have it, but the method I used is the cheaper way to go.

Most grocery stores sell blanched almond slivers in the baking aisle, so you should have no problem finding them. (I tried the recipe with whole almonds, and it didn’t taste as good.)

These bite-sized treats make a great dessert or after school snack.

They have an energizing combo of healthy fats, fiber and protein from the almonds and almond butter along with a hefty dose of blood-sugar balancing cinnamon. I know you will love this recipe! 🙂

cookie dough bannerSnickerdoodle Bites

Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites

  • 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
  • 1 cup Medjool dates (pitted)
  • 1/3 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons coconut sugar

  1. Put almonds in a food processor and process until it reaches a fine consistency and no chunks of almond remain.

  2. Add dates, almond butter, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and process until everything is combined, about 60 seconds.

  3. Shape dough into small balls (press between your hands, so they stick together) and roll in the cinnamon-sugar coating. Store in the refrigerator.

*If dates are not soft, soak them in warm water for 15-20 minutes and drain them, squeezing out excess water before adding them to the food processor.

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