Cleaning Up My Coffee

I've written many times about how we've spent the past couple of years cleaning up our food. Whole foods in- chemicals out. For us this has been egged on by food allergies and just a simple growing awareness of what we put in our mouths.

But I held hard and fast to one thing...what went into this little cup each morning:


I take my coffee prep seriously. Very, very seriously. While my hubby has gotten himself to the point that he's content sipping on a quality black coffee, I was still pouring creamers with ingredients I couldn't pronounce and a healthy *cough* dose of aerosol whipped cream on top. A couple of my health-nut girlfriends teased me that while I was so worried about everything else we ate, I turned a blind eye to my daily intake of coffee additives.

I ignore it and them.

I think there's that one food in everyone's life where you feel like Gandalf on the bridge...


After a couple of years of intentionally not reading the ingredients, I caved and decided it was time to do something. Maybe it was the fact that I finally let the alarm bells go off in my head that my dairy creamer could last for about 2 months in my fridge before going bad. The stuff must have been practically embalmed.

Now don't get me wrong. I haven't turned into such a health snob that I won't touch that stuff when I'm a guest somewhere, the issue is that I was consuming it usually twice a day in my own home.

Then with some recent health issues, I've had to pull sugar almost totally out of my diet. The coffee plot thickened.

So I did some experimenting. Some suggested Stevia- I couldn't bring myself to get over the aftertaste. One girlfriend puts straight maple syrup in her coffee- that didn't work for me. One guy I know uses honey- a little piece of my coffee-diva died.

I'll spare you any more details, but I finally found that little happy place of whole food coffee heaven. It's simple really- organic heavy cream and pure maple syrup are the only two ingredients. Both are whole foods, and real maple syrup is a natural sugar that your body can process easily while having health benefits to boot.



To make a batch of my "coffee happy place", I add:

• 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1 cup organic heavy cream

This is totally subjective to your palette and how sweet you like it. You can also add a touch of vanilla or peppermint extract if you want to flavor it.



I whip it up with my hand mixer until it reaches that beautiful whipped cream consistency, able to make a little peak if lifted.


Then I add about 2 tablespoons of it to my cup of Joe to make this gorgeousness:


I take the rest and freeze in an ice cube tray. Then I can just pull out two cubes and pop it in my coffee in the morning.


Now my coffee is clean and delicious and wonderful and I may run away with it someday.


And all is well in war and peace.

Tea Time

What do Lord Grantham, Call the Midwives, Sherlock, and our homeschool co-op all have in common?

They’ve all been featured on BBC!

Okay, that’s a bit of an over-dramatic way put it. But it’s not every day that you have network cameras show up in your kids' classroom. They were doing a piece on a German family in our co-op, and I was extremely pleased with the final news clip. Homeschooling has been under serious fire in Germany. It’s a topic that needs to be shown for what it is, and BBC did a great job with this story.

If you check out this two minute news piece, you’ll even see my Adriana’s face pop up a few times in the clip since she is in the art class of the featured mom.

Just watch the video at the beginning of THIS article. 

So since we’re talking British TV, it seems only right to put tea time in the same post. My version of tea would probably have England groaning, but it will have your immune system rejoicing. Now that we are in cold and flu season, we have been devouring pots of this stuff that my sister has dubbed “Emergen-C Tea”. I recently got a cold, and I was amazed at how fast this stuff helped kick the sinus junk from my system. 

Emergen-C Tea

1 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. local honey

½ tsp. vitamin C powder (I buy mine at Trader Joes)

1 packet of raspberry herbal tea (optional)

Put the first three ingredients in the bottom of a mug. Pour hot water over all and mix. I like the tangy taste of my tea just like this, but my kids like it with a pack of raspberry tea steeped in it.

Now curl up with a blanket, a cup of this tea, and some Downton Abbey re-runs. You can boost your immune system while you yell at the Telly that they would dare to knock off Matthew with a stupid car crash.

(Note: Since we chug this stuff, I've taken to keeping a bottle of 2 parts honey to 1 part vinegar in a separate jar. It takes away some of the bite of the vinegar as it sits and also is much easier to pour. Then I just put a tablespoon of this mix in my tea.)

My Latest Craving {a warm, fast breakfast}

It's getting to that season where you just want a pair of slippers and some warm breakfast when it's time to wake up in the morning.

I wrote before how our breakfast meal has had a bit of a make-over. I have to admit that we began falling back into our cereal rut when school started back up. It's just so easy.

So here's my school-day, chilly weather breakfast wish list:

• warm
• healthy
• quick 

Is that too much to ask?

So with some help from a girlfriend and my sister, I got some ideas for how to make our first meal of the school day speedy and toasty-warm.

Here are two breakfast ideas that can be made in under two minutes and don't involved any packaged food. The first requires 5 minutes of prep the night before, but the second is a true grab-and-go.

Personalize Sized Homemade Instant Oatmeal
-5/8 c. water
-5 Tbsp. whole oats
-1 Tbsp. chia seeds
-dash of cinnamon
-dash of salt
-2 tsp. of maple syrup (less if you don't like it very sweet)
-1 Tbsp. dried fruit (optional- we have also done fresh peaches or blueberries but dried cherries is a favorite)

The night before, mix all ingredients in a microwave safe glass or bowl. Stick it in the fridge. In the morning, it will look something like this...



Simply pop it in the microwave for about 90 seconds, and that's it. Easy, peasy. My kids like to pour a little milk over it at the end.


Remember that this is a personal sized recipe. I do this six times over for our whole family (easy if you're doing it in a whole batch). The best part is that if I take 5 minutes to prep these oatmeals before I go to bed, my husband can grab his cup when he wakes up early to head off to work and have a hot breakfast in less than 2 minutes. Then my older kids can do the same when they are ready for breakfast. Bye, bye, Mr. Quaker man. You and your little sugar-filled packets can take a hike.

Now, if you didn't have a chance the night before to prep but still have a hankering for a warm morning meal in a jiffy, this next one is for you. Did you know you that a microwaved egg done right is actually delicious? It will literally take longer for me to type this recipe out than for you to make this egg.

Minute Egg
-1 egg
-1 tsp. water
-pinch of your favorite cheese

Crack an egg into a small glass bowl or cup and whisk it up with the water. (I totally eye-ball measure the water since pulling out a measuring spoons seems like so much work. Pathetic, I know.)

Microwave it for 30 seconds. Pull it out, stir it with a fork and put the cheese on top. Put it back in the microwave for 20 seconds or until no longer soupy. Do not overcook it!

I was in the mood for gorgonzola on this particular morning, and my minute egg was like a little gourmet breakfast with a dirty secret.

So there you have it- a quick, healthy breakfast does not have to be an oxymoron!

My Latest Craving {steel cut oats breakfast cake}

Dear Typical Sieb Breakfast,

You are usually riddled with gluten or gluten substitutes, and you are far too intimate with Empty Carbs. Per the doctor's orders, I am putting you on probation and giving you a complete make-over. You will now make friends with Protein. You will need to be on speaking terms only with Instant Oatmeal and will learn to get along with Steel Cut Oats. You may keep your relationship with Coffee for the sake of all the adults involved.

Sincerely,
A Mom Who Needs Take You Seriously


So here's some of what I'm learning...

Steel cuts are a raw version of oats. This means two things. One: steel cut oats retain the nutrients lost in the process of rolling and steaming traditional rolled or instant oats. Two: if you're gluten-free, these oats are safe option since rolled oats are often rolled in flour; and also since those with a serious gluten allergy may find that even gluten-free rolled oats can have the same effect on your digestive system as wheat.



Most baking calls for rolled oats, and you can't just decide to switch them out since they haven't been processed the same way. That set me off to wanting to create a recipe that would work for our allergies and incorporate steel cut oats. After a few times of perfecting it, we now make this breakfast cake almost once a week for breakfast. I make it up the day ahead, and stick in the oven the next morning right after my alarm goes off for the second time, and when we're ready for breakfast we have warm deliciousness waiting for us. It's a "cake" only in name since the ingredients are healthy enough to give you the perfect boost into you day. But when you add in that word, it's amazing how much more enthusiastic kids get about consuming it.



Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Cake (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups water
3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid state

1 1/3 cup almond meal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 c. raisins or blueberries or chocolate chips (you could add in a bit more if you wanted)

THE MORNING BEFORE: 
In a large mixing bowl, mix steel cut oats and water and let sit until that evening (at least 8 hours).

THE NIGHT BEFORE:
In the same bowl in which the oats have been soaking (do not drain the liquid) mix the bananas, applesauce, vanilla, and chia seeds. Warm the coconut oil to a liquid state and quickly whisk it into the mix to avoid clumping. In a separate bowl, mix together the almond meal, salt, powder, soda, and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients in with the steel cut oat mixture. Fold in the coconut and raisins (or blueberries or chocolate chips). Grease a 13x9" glass baking dish, and pour in the batter. Cover and put into the refrigerator overnight.

THAT MORNING:
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and continue the con of making your kids think you're actually allowing them to have cake for breakfast.

Update: I've been making this lately without soaking the oats the morning before and have found it works just as well since they sit overnight in the batter before cooking.

My Latest Craving {ethnic food}

As you know from my last blog post, half of our household has a gluten allergy; plus my littlest is dairy-free as well.  When it came to changing what I prepared for meals, I've found that dinner time to be my easiest to adjust to because of one simple trick...I cook almost exclusively ethnic. If you think about it, a majority of typical American food is riddled with gluten. Chicken nuggets: check. Mac & cheese: check. Pasta: check. Ceasar salad: check. PB&J: check. Meatloaf: check. Cheeseburger: check. Apple Pie: check. Pizza: check, check.

Now I have to admit that giving up the above list wasn't a serious sacrifice since those weren't my favorite foods. Well, minus pizza. *sob* (And don't leave me comments about how delicious gluten-free pizza can be. Nothing will ever fill the hole in my heart that is Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust Pizza. Nothing.) But I digress. I personally think that gluten-free replacements for American foods aren't the greatest. However, ethnic food is almost entirely naturally gluten-free (and usually dairy-free as well).

Now my kitchen prep is like a little world travel: Korea, India, Vietnam, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Greece, Thailand. And allow me to demystify it for you with a little secret: it's actually not difficult to prepare.

I'll pass along to you, a current favorite in our house which can actually be made in the slow cooker (bonus!). It's Chicken Tikka Masala. A girlfriend of mine brought it to us when we moved, and one bite let me know I had to have the recipe. I've tweaked it a little bit, and have some notes for how to make it without any cow products since many people with dairy allergies, like my daughter, can handle goat and sheep's milk. The recipe allows for a full pot so that you can pull at least two meals out of it. Bon Appetit!

Chicken Tikka Masala 


Chicken Tikka:
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (Get goat's milk yogurt if you can't have cow's milk. Trader Joe's has the best price for this.)
11/2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp cumin
1/4-1 tsp cayenne (Depending on your personal spice tolerance)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
8-10 chicken thighs (Costco has some great boneless chicken thighs)

Put all ingredients except chicken into a gallon-size bag. Sealed the bag and "smoosh" the ingredients until they mix. Add the chicken and coat the chicken completely with the marinade, cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Masala Sauce:
2 can 28 oz. diced tomatoes
12 oz tomato paste
4 inches fresh ginger, grated 
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 onion, diced
2 tbsp garam masala
3 tbsp tikka paste (Can be found at Wegmans. Mild curry paste can be used instead, if you add about a Tbsp of lemon juice.)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried coriander

For the end:

1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
2 cup cream (omit if dairy-free)
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)


Turn your oven to broil. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack over top. Take the chicken out of the marinade and place on the baking rack with the marinade on top. Place under the broiler about 6-10 inches from the heating element and broil on each side about 6 minutes. You don't have to worry about cooking the meat all the way through, you are just looking to lock in the flavor.

While the chicken is broiling, in a pan over medium high heat, add about a tsp or two of oil. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a few more minutes until the mixture is nice and fragrant. Place the mixture into your crockpot. To that, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garam masala, tikka paste, cumin, chili powder and coriander. Stir together. When the chicken is done broiling, add that with all the marinade/juices straight to the slow cooker and stir into the sauce.Slow cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Before serving stir in 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala and salt if it needs it. I find this just brightens up the spice flavors a bit. Then stir in the cream and fresh cilantro. Serve a chicken thigh and lots of sauce over basmati rice or any rice of your choice. 

If you have a favorite gluten-free meal, I'd love for you to share the recipe link in the comments. I'm always up for trying something new!

My Latest Craving {goji berry mix}

Goji berries are supposed to be one of the super-est of superfoods, the Chuck Norris of the fruit world. Why? Bursting with antioxidants and anti-aging compounds, vitamins, immune-boosting elements, and even protein, these little bad boys are considered one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet.



However, here was my honest problem: I wasn't in love with them. They fell under what my husband calls "law of diminishing returns foods". You know, those foods that taste pretty good with the first few bites but get less appealing with each passing munch? Still, they weren't bad; so knowing their benefits, I snacked on them here and there. But I wanted to find a way to actually like them, to truly want to eat them.

Then, the other morning, after an especially potent cup of coffee, I had a very rare light bulb moment in my kitchen. What if I mixed this and that? Wouldn't the salty flavor compliment the rich flavor that would compliment the sweet flavor? And, guess what, my friends...it did! Just three simple ingredients, and now I'm headed to my pantry for a snack looking for those goji berries.



Goji Berry Snack Mix

I simply mixed equal parts of:

• goji berries
• cacao nibs (I've already sung the praises of this superfood)
• salted, shelled sunflower seeds (be sure to use salted)

How simple is that!? The flavors blend together beautifully. And I dare you to find a more nutrient rich snack mix. And I can practically hear my body thanking me when I skip over the packaged snack and take a handful of this. And for a split second, I think I hear Chuck Norris' voice...okay, time for that second cup of coffee.

Budget note: I find that buying the goji berries in bulk online is much cheaper than in the store.

My Latest Craving {energy}

In early 2003, I put away all my coaching items; and exited the gym one last time. I'd spent 16 years in the world of gymnastics- 10 as a gymnast and 6 as a coach. And one of the things I remember thinking was, "I'm actually going to have to intentionally exercise now."

For all those years, exercising was my playtime and then my job. From that last gymnastics class on, my love-hate relationship with exercise began. Aerobic videos, strength training, Pilates, running, or pretending that chasing my kids was all the exercise I needed- I felt like I was on a hunt for the workout that didn't feel like drudgery.

In April of this year, my search came to an end. Enter Bikram Yoga. Ninety minutes of an exercise practice that combines strength training, flexibility, and cardiovascular workout done in a room with a heat of 105° and a 40% humidity (the heat helps you sweat off toxins and helps your body do the practice)- yeah, baby! After the first class, I was in love. I was thrilled to find that lost feeling of actually looking forward to my workouts. And won't even bore you with my ravings about how it's taken away all the pain from old gymnastics injuries, how it makes my body feel younger, or how I no longer have to be on my daily asthma meds...you can ask me in person if you really want to hear about all of that.

Because the point of this post isn't about what exercise you or I personally enjoy, it's about my new little energy craving. Like any other exercise, I'm not supposed to have a full stomach when entering the yoga room. I've learned that the hard way, having to excuse myself from class to go make face-to-face friends with the studio's toilet. Okay, TMI. But the dilemma for me personally was how to have enough energy to get through class if I haven't eaten beforehand. So I started thinking about what I could take that was natural, wouldn't fill me up, and would do the job. I thought about how my midwives had me keep honey on hand during labor in case I needed an energy boost. I thought about how chia seeds have long been called "runner's food" for their ability to help provide stamina and endurance. So I knew I wanted those:


And I thought about nuts and seeds which have protein that gives you a more lasting pick-up. So I thought I'd add some nut butter:


I tested my theory a few different times and was thrilled with the results. I hardly had to put anything on my stomach and I could tell the difference in the energy level that I was able to maintain through class. But it doesn't just have to be for yoga. Do you get up early to run or exercise in some other way? I'm not a nutritionist, but I know how these little bad boys have helped me.


Energy Boosters

2 Tbsp. local raw honey
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. your favorite nut/seed butter (I love using sunbutter)

Mix all the ingredients together. Spoon four mounds onto a small plate covered with wax or parchment paper. Eat one or two of them shortly before your next workout.

Now, this isn't recipe you'll be making for your Christmas party, it's definitely got all the potent sweetness of the honey. But give them a shot before your next workout, and tell me if you don't notice an energy difference.

My Latest Craving {healthy vegan caramel apples}

I'm one of the only people I know who bemoans the start of fall. Facebook is filled with the rejoicing of the beginning of this season, but I'm wallowing the misery of summer coming to a close and winter looming.

One of few things lessens the blow is a really tart apple covered in caramel. (Though it's only a 10 minute fix.) Normally it's a once or twice an autumn treat, but no longer! With a new recipe that takes this..

and this...

...with a little vanilla, we've been caramel apple-ing it up over at our house. Hoorah for healthy delicious desserts that can be made up in 10 minutes!!

You can find the caramel recipe at the bottom of this Healthful Pursuit blog post HERE (the grain-free donuts you'll see at the top of the post are yummy, too). Then I either drizzle it over cut apples or let it sit in the fridge a bit to firm up and spread across an apple on a stick.


Oh, and enjoy your precious fall while I mope around that summer's gone...

My Latest Craving {a healthy oxymoron}

With my life full of boxes and my head full of organizational details, I'm wishing for fast, healthy food. And let's be honest with ourselves, such a thing is pretty much an oxymoron. 

My friend, Bethanie, of Green & Grateful, has come to my rescue with breakfast recipes like THESE super-quick banana pancakes.

And THESE gluten-free chicken fingers, that I plan to make a bunch of this week with most of it heading to my freezer.

Plus, I'm making a huge batch of a lime and black bean quinoa salad from a recipe a friend gave me that is almost identical to THIS.

We've also been enjoying quick, healthy, dairy-free soft-serve ice cream for a potassium power treat. That recipe you can find HERE.

But I'm begging asking you, my readers, what is your favorite quick, healthy foods? Leave me a comment and let me know, because I am truly all ears!!

Right now, more and more of my house looks like this...

And my movers are going to "love" me for adding to their work with some recent thrift/antique store purchases like this...

They'll be even more happy about a bunch of reclaimed wood on my balcony! I have lofty visions of making a new headboard with said wood. And that darling antique window (minus the blue painter's tape) is going to add some fab character to our master bedroom.

Now don't forget my above request! What should I be making in my currently sparse kitchen!?!

My Latest Craving {lime slushies}

There's something about slushies that appeals to me during the summer. I know it's not the large amounts of dye or the overload of sugar; so maybe it's the idea of an icy treat during the heat. I recently was playing around with making a healthy version, and my lime slushie creation was quite a hit with the kids. A treat that has no sugar, lots of vitamin C, and leaves you feeling refreshed- that's definitely something worth craving.



Sugar-free Lime Slushies

• juice of 4 limes
• 2 cups of ice
• 3 pinches of pure Stevia
• mint for garnish

Blend the first three ingredients in a high-powered blender until the constancy of a slushie is achieved. Garnish with mint and enjoy. (Do this when you need your kid's attention; because as soon as you sit back, relax, and look comfortable, you'll have them all over you like flies to garbage.)



So what's your favorite summer treat?

My Latest Craving {dates}

While most of you have probably been enjoying the beauty of the dates for awhile now, they're a more recent addition to my cupboard. I'm suppressing my urge to make a corny joke about the date fruit, and avoiding dating fruitcakes, and if you just followed this run-on sentence we should hang out in person sometime. But I sorely digress. 


Where was I?

Ahhh, yes, the deliciousness of dates. I've seen dates referred to as a superfood because of the little fruits are power-packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and even some much needed energy-boosters. Because of the sweetness, I'm not a huge fan of eating dates plain, but I've found them to be a yummy source of natural sweetener. I've used them in making sugar-free chocolate smoothies, but my favorite recipe to use these in is a quick, easy German Chocolate Fudge Ball recipe. I've whipped these up more than once when I had a hankering for a sweet treat.

You can take this...

(dates, pecans, unsweetened coconut, and ground raw cacao)

add a few other simple ingredients and turn it into this...


These deceptive fudge bites are one of my helpers in making "dessert time" simply a continuation of healthy eating. There's no sugar, dairy, or flour which helps in keeping all the allergy-laden people in my life happy.

You can find the recipe for them HERE. It's a blog chalk full of delicious healthy desserts; so be ready to get lost in chocolately-goodness recipes while you're there.

And Costco (of course!) has an excellent price for dates.

Now, I want to hear from any of you on your favorite way to eat this superfood fruit...

My Latest Craving {trying exotic fruit}

Many times when walking through the produce department (especially at my local Asian market), I wondered if I'm missing out. I see fruits that I've never tasted in my life. Part of me has wanted to be adventurous. The other part of me hated to spend money on something I'd never heard of, especially since I had no idea if I (or my kids for that matter) would like. So this past week, I thought I'd tap into my adventurous side and do an exotic fruit taste test with my children. I thought it would be a fun activity, and my kids were happy to imagine themselves as little food critics. I also thought that posting our results might help out anyone else who has ever wondered the same. So we taste-tested lychee, cactus pear, Chinese yali pear, sweet lime, dosakai, dragon fruit, chayote, and rambutan.


Lychee:

When eating lychee, you need to peel of the tough skin and be sure not to eat the seed (which is supposed to be bad for you to ingest).
Mom's take: I was not a fan; it was a bit slimy with a strange flavor.
Kid's take: One of my kids actually liked this, but the other two gave it a thumbs down. Ava didn't even want to try the fruit because of the consistency.

Cactus pear:


For this fruit, you're suppose to cut off the skin and spit out all the little seeds
Mom's take: The flavor wasn't bad but the amount of inedible seeds made this fruit hard to enjoy.
Kid's take: Kiddos agreed with Mom.


Chinese Yali Pear (also known as Asian pear):

You eat this like any other pear.

Mom's take: It was a very fresh, light pear flavor.
Kid's take: This was a unanimous hit with the kids.


Sweet limes

Sweet limes are supposed to be enjoyed in the same way as a regular lime.

Mom's take: I don't know if I got a bad one, but I thought it was bland and a little bitter.
Kid's take: The boys said they liked it.


Dosakai:

You can eat dosakai with or without the skin, one of the things I read suggested sprinkling it with a bit of salt.

Mom's take: The taste reminded me of a robust cucumber flavor. I like the way the salt brought out the flavor.
Kid's take: The boys thought it was a mix of sweet and sour and enjoyed it.


Dragon fruit:

To eat the dragon fruit, you are supposed to cut it longways and scoop out the flesh. The seeds inside are edible.

Mom's take: This had a fresh, exotic flavor.
Kid's take: They agreed that this was their favorite from the taste test. I'm sure the beauty of the outside and the name didn't hurt their opinion!


Chayote-

Chayote should be cooked like a squash. The skin should be removed before eating.
Mom's take: I served this with butter and thought it was quite delicious.
Kid's take: None of them thought this fruit was a keeper.

Rambutan:

To eat this fruit, squeeze with your fingers until the skin splits. Peel off the skin and eat around the seed.
Mom's take: It was sweet with a different, yet appealing flavor.
Kid's take: They said it was "amazing."

For a final wrap up, I can see myself buying the Chinese yali pear, rambutan, and dosakai; and we most definitely will be getting some more dragon fruit.

So I've made commenting easier than ever with the new Facebook commenting added in. Tell me, what's your favorite "exotic fruit." (since there are many more than what I listed)? Maybe next time at the store, I'll give your suggestion a try...

Latest Craving {massaged kale salad}

Kale is one of those foods that has to be prepared correctly for me to like it. I'm not especially drawn to a plain piece of this leafy superfood; but when made right, I've found out can be delicious.

Kale is considered among many nutrition experts as the healthiest vegetable you can eat. It's packed with vitamins, iron, and calcium. Kale is only green because the high amount of health-promoting chlorophyll it has in it outweighs the carotenoids that would usually cause a veggie to be red or orange. So it's like eating a rainbow of veggies in one power-packed leaf! Because of this kale promotes healthy eyes, healthy skin, and helps provide energy.

I've enjoyed kale chips, kale in smoothies, and juicing it. But my favorite recipe for kale is this:

Massaged Raw Kale & Avocado Salad

I made only slight tweaks to this recipe that came from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Salad:
1 bunch curly kale, chopped (about 8 to 10 cups)

2 avocados, diced

1/4 cup salted or seasoned sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of goat or regular feta

Dressing:

3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Chop the kale into small pieces and add it to a large bowl. In a smaller, separate bowl whisk together the dressing. Add the dressing to the salad and gently massage it into the kale with your hands. This will soften it almost immediately. Then add the diced avocado. Crush and massage it into the kale. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and feta. Watch your husband skeptical look turn into a surprised grin as he puts the first bite in his mouth.

My Latest Craving {healthy chocolate chip cookies}

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies? Now how about ones that have no added sugar, are allergy friendly, and are actually hearty and satisfying. It doesn't leave you with that gross feeling that most desserts do. While these chocolate chip cookies of course aren't technically a superfood, they should be with some of the things in them! Maybe I'll lobby the superfood committee. If there is such a committee, they're probably living in a hippie commune somewhere, drinking green tea by the gallons and surviving until 126 years old.

I got this yummy recipe from my friend Bethanie's helpful blog Green & Grateful. I've made one minor change that I think makes them even more moist. They've been scarfed down whenever we bring them to an event, so here goes...

Gluten, Sugar, & Dairy Free Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies 
(how's that for a long name!?)

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup chia seeds (if you don't have chia seeds, just make this more rolled oats)

2/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 – 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third. In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips. 

Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and spoon the batter into about 1 Tbsp. sized mounds on the sheet. (I form them into balls and then press them down to make a cookie shape.) Bake for 15 minutes.

I've actually eaten these with my breakfast. That feels like it should be a true confession, but with these ingredients it doesn't have to be!

My Latest Craving {juicing}

Alright. If I'm being really honest, I'm not craving this so much right now.  I was, way back when it was a fun Tuesday morning breakfast. But after doing a juice detox last week (only freshly made juice to eat), "craving" might not be the word to use right now.

So let me channel my happy Tuesday morning feelings that I possessed just a short time ago to write this post.

Juicing is a great opportunity to get all the benefits from the enzymes of a bunch of fruits and veggies into one power-packed drink that your body can quickly absorb and use. My kids will actually drink it (hint: I give it to them in colored cups so that they aren't turned off by the shade of the beverage), and I have happy mommy feelings as I watch them drink kale, beets, and much more. (hint 2: If we're heavy on the veggies that morning, I sweeten it with a little honey.)

I stole borrowed the juicer my poor mom hardly wants to look at after months of juicing post-jaw surgery last year. I start with this:


And end up with about 6 or 7 full glasses of this:


Hating to waste the pulp, I juice the fruit and veggies separately. I keep the fruit pulp to mix with yogurt and chia seeds. Next is the vegetable pulp:


I might mix it in as I cook a big batch quinoa and combine that with Kalmata olives and feta. (Presto! Healthy lunch!) Or I might make it into crackers using this RECIPE. (hint 3: Adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar gives the crackers a yummy kick.)


Some of my favorite things to add to the juice are:
kale or collard greens
carrots
celery
beets
cucumbers
apples

And, never, ever forget the pineapple. It makes everything all better and even collard greens can be hidden behind it's flavor.




Oh, and one lesson learned from last week. Don't juice radishes. Seriously. Just take my word for it.