PIE

You need a food processor and blender. You might be able to get away with just a blender.

PIE

Crust

1 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts (I like almonds, cashews or macadamia).
3/4 cup dates
1 tbsp of honey or agave
pinch of salt

Put in food processor until all ground up and fine. Put in pie pan,smash it all down with hands, put in freezer until next step.

Filling-

4 mango's
2/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

Put in blender until creamy. Pour filling over crust. Stick in reezer until firm. Then eat!

I made this once using fresh pineapple and strawberries instead of mango. You could do any fruit you want. Good luck and let me know how you like this.

You could also just make the filling, put it in your freezer and eat as an ice cream or put in your fridge and eat as pudding. There is so much you can do with this simple recipe:)

Cauliflower Soup

I got this "recipe" from my student who has been doing this Healthy eating switch with me and I thought it was fantastic and super easy.  Thanks, Ellie!

She cooked 1/2 onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot, 1 head cauliflower and 8 cups veggie broth... Cook it in a pot and then blend it! She put some mrs. Dash in it too!  I added potatoes and it was great!  I also did a few green onions instead of half an onion.  I used an immersion blender so I didn't have to transfer it from the pot.

I am here

I am here and reading some of the posts. I have not posted in a while but I do have some yummy recipes that I want to share. I love all of you!!!

Emily

Quinoa Skillet and Cornbread

I made this and this over the weekend.  Cornbread got rave reviews!  The quinoa,  not so much, but I loved it!  My favorite quinoa dish so far.

Kefir

Sorry for all the posts today.  I'm on Spring Break, can you tell?

So, I have been trying to include Kefir into our diet more.  Even though it is dairy and we've been trying to get off dairy 100%, Cory and Jocelyn are about to begin an aggressive pro-biotic treatment through this specialist that we've been working with, and I thought I'd do whatever I could to help it out.  Have any of you done those little shots of pro-biotics that they have in the refrigerated section of whole foods stores?  Just wondering if they would help/work.

So we made these waffles (I won't repost, but here's the link), which were a hit.  We used Maple Syrup for the sugar which gave it a nice flavoring. My cousin tried it and didn't think they were that great, but we thought they were good... I guess take my review with a grain of salt.

And then I've been making extra smoothies with Kefir in them and freezing them for popsicles.  This particular kind has blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, banana, almond meal, ground flax seed, etc.

In my research, I've also found that you can substitute Kefir in any recipe that calls for Buttermilk.

But what I'm wondering is how you gals feel about Kefir?  I'm so new, but it seems that doing the little bit of dairy in Kefir is worth it if you want/need the pro-biotics.  Also, my question is, does cooking the Kefir alter the effectiveness of the pro-biotics?  I can't find the answer anywhere online.  Thanks in advance for educating me!

Easy Stir Fry

I always keep these all natural noodles on hand at my house to make an easy stir fry with whatever veggies you need to get rid of, but I never seem to have a good sauce to put on them.

I just found this recipe for Teriyaki Sauce and I think it's perfect!  I use Basalmic Vinegar instead of the Sherry, but you could use any other kind of sweet vinegar or vinegar with a little bit of sugar (or sugar replacement) and it would be just fine too.  I used agave instead of the white sugar and it was great.  It came from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sherry, sugar, ginger, and garlic.

Lentil Soup

This is less of a recipe and more of a how-to.  I make a ton of this at a time, because it freezes well and then I don't have to make more for awhile.

You saute an onion, cut up carrots, cut up celery, and sliced mushrooms in a little bit of oil then add a tablespoon or two of flour (I did 2 heaping tablespoons of wheat flour), and then I added 5 cans of beef broth or veggie broth. Then I diced up as many potatoes as I wanted in and added it and 2 cups of lentils and let it boil/simmer until the lentils and potatoes are soft.  

The original recipe came from an Inn in Portland and you add a sliced up keilbasa type sausage in the saute stuff before.  I just made it without and I thought it was yummy.  It is good the first day, but as it sits in the fridge, it gets better and better, but you do have to add more liquid to keep it a soup.

I actually just made this this week in the slow cooker and it was super easy and I ended up with 4 meals worth out of it, because I packed that slow cooker as full as it could go!  To make it for slow cookers, just put the carrots and potatoes in first so they're touching the bottom and sides of the pot because they take the longest to cook.  Then put the rest of the veggies in on top.  Sprinkle the flour in, add the lentils, and then add enough liquid to cover the veggies plus an extra little bit (maybe up to an inch above the veggies).  I cooked it on high for 4-6 hours.  Just until the potatoes and carrots were totally done.  

I put the leftovers in bread pans and freeze them and then you can transfer the soup to food saver bags (or just regular freezer ziploc bags) once they are frozen solid.  Then just pull out a brick of soup later and heat up and you have instant dinners!

Black Bean Soup

This was originally from Kraftfoods.com.  I've been making it for years and it still is the very best bean soup, in my opinion.  Sorry I don't have a picture.  Ashlee, haven't you made this quite a bit too?  I remember I gave it to you forever ago and you made it a few times...

Black Bean Soup

1 Medium Onion chopped or grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp. oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth (I've just been doing water instead and it doesn't seem to make a difference, but veggie broth would be great too)

3 cans (16 oz.) black beans, undrained
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt

cook onion, garlic, cumin and pepper flakes in oil in 4 qt. saucepan on medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender; remove from heat. Place 2 cans beans w/ liquid in batches with broth in blender; cover. Blend until pureed. Stir into saucepot. Stir in remaining beans, salsa and lime juice. Heat mixture to boil and reduce heat to low to simmer 30 minutes. Ladle soup into bowl with a dollop of yogurt.

Maple Spice Muffins

Maple Spice Muffins-From Doubly Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

Nonstick cooking spray

1/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

1/2 cup pure maple syrup 

1 (6 oz) container of low-fat lemon yogurt

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream (I just put plain yogurt in for this)

1 large egg

1 large carrot, washed and grated

1 small apple, grated

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I just did 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour and took out the all purpose.  It was still great)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. ground clove

1/4 tsp. salt

preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups.  In a large bowl, stir the margarine, maple syrup, yogurt, sour cream, egg, carrot, apple and raisins, breaking up the margarine with a spoon.  Sprinkle the 2 types of flour, baking soda, powder, cinnamon, allspice, clove and salt over the margarine mixture.  Stir until just combined, but don't overmix-the batter is supposed to be lumpy.  Divide the batter among the muffin cups.  I can get a full dozen mini muffins and a full dozen full sized muffins out of this batter.  The mini muffins bake for about 10 minutes.  Bake until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 20-25 minutes.  Turn muffins out onto a rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 1 month.

Jocelyn can eat all-literally ALL-of the mini muffins in one day (all 24 pounds of her), and I always have to make a double batch because in Cory's words, "They're Addicting!" and I feel good about them because they have a lot of good stuff in them.  I get requests for these almost weekly.

Whole Grain Pie Crust

I haven't tried this yet, but I found this while looking for a decently healthy pie crust to make a quiche, and I wanted to remember it.  It is from cooks.com and it has quite a bit less butter and more whole grains than other recipes I found.  Let me know if you try it.

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, finely ground
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (or sugar replacement)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons very cold water

COMBINE flour, ground oats, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle with water; blend together with a fork until mixture holds together.

SHAPE dough into ball; place on lightly floured sheet of wax paper. Top with additional piece of wax paper; roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into 9-inch deep-dish (4-cup volume) pie plate; slowly peel away wax paper. Trim excess crust. Turn edge under; crimp as desired.

Almond Milk

Once again, you all probably know all there is to know about making your own Nut Milk, etc.  But just in case, I thought I'd post some of the things I learned the hard way in my experimenting throughout the last month or so.  And if you have tips for me, I'd love to hear them.  I am a complete novice, but I've learned a thing or two.  I was desperate after spending almost $11 for a gallon and a half in one visit to the grocery store...ouch!

There are a ton of great videos on Youtube on making your own Almond Milk that you can go check out, and it's very easy.

Step 1:

Soak 1 cup of raw almonds in water at least 4 hours, at most overnight.

Step 2:

Rinse almonds and put in blender with 3 cups filtered water.  If you want a thicker milk, put only 2 cups water.  If you want thinner, put in 4 cups.

Step 3:
Blend.  I thought this would be too much for my little hand me down garage sale blender, but the almonds are so soft it doesn't take much to make a thick frothy milk.

**You can drink it like this if you prefer. Or...

Step 4:
Strain the milk through either cheesecloth (Walmart has a pre-packaged cheesecloth in the fabric section, Winco has it next to the kitchen gadgets...if you do use cheesecloth, you might want to double it up to catch more), or a Nut Milk Bag (anywhere from $8-15 online), a sprout bag (online or Good Earth has them for about $13, a strainer (I have a handheld strainer that has tiny holes and works really well, but I have to use a spoon to press the nut meal down to get all the liquid out), or you can even use a paint strainer bag from a home improvement store (they have 2 for $2, so it's obviously more cost effective).  If you use a bag, strain the milk through the bag, and then use your hands to squeeze out the liquid.  Save the Almond Meal for other uses.

**You can drink it like this if you prefer. Or...

Step 5: pour the milk back in the blender and sweeten however you prefer.  This is where there's a ton of trial and error.

First, some almonds leave a pretty bitter taste.  For some reason, the Good Earth bulk almonds made some gross almond milk.  BUT...I put it in the fridge and was planning on just calling it a loss, but a few days later, the bitterness settled at the bottom with the dregs and the stuff on top was delicious!  So don't throw it out if it's not good at first!

Once you have a good base, you can try anything as sweetener.  I tried Stevia and thought it was nasty (does anyone have a good use for Stevia?  I spent $11 on that stuff and it grosses me out).  I tried just agave and it was pretty good.  I've tried honey and medjool dates with marginal success.

Our best successes so far have been Banana Almond Milk (put 1 cup of milk in the blender with half a banana and a pinch of nutmeg...Jocelyn calls it a milkshake and I feel good she's getting some fruit too), and Vanilla Bean (Scrape the seeds of one vanilla bean and put it in the entire batch of Almond Milk.  I also added a bit of agave and I think it doesn't taste too far off the yummy store-bought vanilla stuff, although it's less "manufactured" tasting if that makes any sense).  And if you live near a Sunflower Market, that is the cheapest place I've found for Vanilla Bean.  $4 for 2 beans.  Last summer I bought 2 beans for $12 to make Pioneer Woman's Vanilla Bean Scones which were literally To. Die. For. although not in keeping with this lifestyle :(

Winco is the best source I've found for almonds so far ($3.68/pound in the bulk section), but someone told me Costco has a great deal too. I just haven't checked it out yet.

Bottoms up!

OH!!  There's quite a bit of Almond meal left over from each batch, so I've been getting double duty out of the almonds (they're so expensive, you may as well use them twice and get the entire nut in your body!).  Keep it in the fridge in a ziploc or other airtight container.  I put some of the almond meal in my smoothies every morning.  I've put it in smoothie popsicles I made for Jocelyn, and I've put it in some muffins and breads, etc.  There's a lot of recipes online for almond meal pancakes, etc. but my meal isn't very fine, so I haven't used it in anything that you can't conceal it very well.

Do any of you have more tips to add?  I am all ears!

Green Cleaning

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day...

I just read Katie's post about the baking soda for Shampoo, and I am going to start tomorrow!  Super excited about it!

You all are amazing women, and probably already clean your whole house with baking soda and vinegar, but just in case someone out there is looking for some more green cleaning ideas, here are some things that have worked for me.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner-I have two that I use depending on what I have around the house.  


1) pour some baking soda in the toilet and scrub it around a little.  Then pour some Apple Cider Vinegar in the bowl to make the soda fizz up.  Do one more scrub-a-dub and flush.  Or...


2) Pour borax in the bowl and scrub with the brush.  Flush.  I usually end up using this one, because I'm lazy and it's one less step.  It works just as well as the other for me anyways.


Mopping the Floor-I  have a little pail for cleaning that I fill with water and then add a cup of regular vinegar.  Use a rag and mop your floor.  Does just as well as the clorox mop (what I used for years and years)


Best Shower Cleaner ever-I take a cereal bowl and pour a bunch of baking soda in it and then put enough liquid dish soap (for handwashing dishes) and stir it up to make a paste.  I use a big hand brush with it and scrub the shower down while I'm taking a shower and nothing gets my shower whiter.  I used to use a lot of yucky stuff just to get my shower clean and it didn't work as well.


Stainless Steel cleaner-mineral oil (aka baby oil).  Wipe it on and buff it off.


Multi-purpose cleaner (a la martha stewart)-Fill a squirt bottle with water and pour a few drops of dish soap in.  I use this to clean everything first and then if it doesn't work, I try something else.  It does a great job and is a great every day cleaner.  Just shake the bottle before each use.


There's plenty of laundry soap recipes, so I'll not post mine... it's pretty similar, although, thanks Katie for the idea to use the food processor to chop up the Fels Naptha.  I've been using a cheese grater, and it's the only part about making the soap that I have hated!


Also, we tried the dishwasher detergent 2 dishwashers ago and it pretty much ruined our machine.  It left major film, though we added vinegar, and then for the rest of its' life, it continued to leave a white film on everything.  I got online to troubleshoot and it seemed that about half of people loved it and had no problem, and the other half had the same problem as we did.  And I could never tell if it was because of the hard water or what?  Do any of you have tips for homemade dishwasher detergent?  


What else do you use to clean green that I should try?  Or do you have a better recipe than something I'm using?  I also would love any tips on homemade deodorant (I've been hesitant to try) or toothpaste or anything else you gals do!

White Corn Tortilla Soup

Had this for dinner last night... yummmmmmmm.

White Corn Tortilla Soup

3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 7" corn tortillas, cut into 1" squares
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced white onion (I used yellow, it was fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalepeno peppers
1 pound white corn kernels (1 lb=16 oz - I could only find it in cans)
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt (yes tablespoon- the tomatoes aren't canned and it needs more than normal recipes, although... I didn't do the FULL tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (I had white, but I'm sure black would do)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
32 oz. veggie broth

Garnishes:

Tortilla Chips
Cilantro

In oil, fry tortilla squares over med-high heat until beginning to crisp. Add garlic, onion, and jalepenos. Continue to cook 1-2 more min. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 of the corn, and remaining ingredients except garnishes. Bring to boil. Boil 5 min stirring frequently. Either with a handheld blender, or using a blender in batches- blend until you have a course puree. Return to pot if necessary. Add remaining corn and bring back to a boil being VERY careful not to scorch. Remove from heat and serve with garnishes.

We had ours with sides of refried/salsa beans, and cooked kale. Kale didn't go great with it, but it was sure yummy anyway!

Three-Bean Chowder

Another recipe from 101 More Things to do With a Slow Cooker.  I use whatever beans I have in the house, but the refried beans makes the soup a little thicker and less "watery".  It's a good way to get more beans into your diet.

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans
1 can (16 oz.) fat-free refried beans
1 can (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced stewed tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium onion, chopped (or 1/2 cup dried minced onion can be substituted)
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours.

Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

This is a hit at our house!  It makes a very hearty, thick and chunky veggie spaghetti sauce.  We had a ton of it left over one day and made a homemade wheat pizza crust and just spread the sauce on the top, no cheese, and baked it and it was so good, Jocelyn ate only the sauce and vegetables and left the crust.  This recipe is from 101 More Things to do With a Slow Cooker.  You just have to love anything that starts out looking like this in the pot, right?

1 large onion, chopped
8-10 baby carrots, cut in thirds
2 cans (4 oz.) mushroom pieces, drained (or one 8 oz. package of fresh mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced Italian tomatoes, with liquid
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) Italian-style tomato paste
2 tsp. sugar (I did agave)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning

Combine all ingredients in greased slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours.  Stir well and serve over hot cooked spaghetti or other pasta.

Another good resource

A friend sent me this link with lots of recipes at No Meat Athlete

Q and A

Sorry, it's me again.  I hope you don't get sick of me, but I have a lot to learn!  I was just wondering what your opinions are on sugar replacements.

 We have been doing 100% raw organic agave, and then I read the debate on whether it's actually much better than High Fructose Corn Syrup, etc.  I think it is if it is raw and organic, but maybe I'm just ignorant?

Also, what do you think about Xylitol?  It seems like with all the benefits to xylitol, it's a no brainer to use that in place of sugar, but I've heard it's not very good to bake with.

Stevia?  Sucanat? Etc? Help!

Also, do any of you use nutritional yeast?  I've heard people use it in place of parmesan cheese sprinkled on their pasta, etc.

Some great recipe sources

Thanks again for letting me be a part of what you all have going here.  I really appreciate having a place to go for recipes and answers, and to put recipes and ideas that I've found so I can find them easily again!

Here are some of the best sources I've found for recipes so far, and I thought you might be interested.

The May Files   This is my cousin's friend's blog.  If you click on the recipe links on the side she's got a ton of information and fabulous recipes.  I'm going to try her sweet cornbread and quinoa artichoke skillet this week.

Veg Family    This site has a ton of great recipes, and it also has some great information if you click on the topics on the side bar.  There is a "pudding" they have listed to help vegetarian toddlers get enough fat in their diet that I'm going to try this week.  My little one is small enough without having her lose weight because of this lifestyle change.

Happy recipe hunting!

Homemade Raisin Bran

(Please forgive the bad cell phone picture)

1 and 1/4 cup water

3/4 cup coarse ground wheat flour (I don't have a grinder, so I just used regular wheat flour)

1/2 cup wheat bran

1 tsp. salt

Mix together, and pour onto 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats, or the like.  Tap the pan to spread it as thin as possible (I used a spoon to help get it thin enough) and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy.  It will get crispier as you take it out of the oven and it sits for awhile.  Break it up into little pieces and add 1/4 cup of raisins.

I got this recipe from an old High School friend, and my almost 3 year old was a gigantic fan! She helped me break the flakes apart and put one in her mouth for every one that went in the bowl.

Pesto Quinoa

This is my first success with Quinoa.  I have shared it with a few others that have tried and loved it as well.  The picture and recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• 1 tomato, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring the quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the moisture is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir the pesto through the quinoa. Fold the tomato into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 207 | Total Fat: 6.4g | Cholesterol: 5mg

Inducting a New Veggie Lovin Friend

Hello Ladies,

I write to you tonight to tell you I am hereby inducting a new member into our society. Her name is ShaylaBaylaBillingsBott but most people just call her Shayla or Shay. Shayla has been my friend ever since I had a memory. We danced together growing up and I am pretty sure you have all met her at one time or another. Em, she is the friend we went and saw perform that one night... remember? And if you haven't met her in person I know for a FACT that I have mentioned her to you.

Besides being a sensational dancer, she is a loving and conscientious mother, a caring and devoted wifey, and one of the best friends a gal could ever ask for.

I admire Shayla for her work ethic, her love and concern for her family and friends, and her constant efforts to improve herself. She is Christlike and beautiful!

I recently told Shay about Eat to Live and she read Dr. F's book "How to disease proof your child." She also read "The China Project," - so she is one step ahead of me!

Shayla, I will leave the rest of the introduction up to you- where you are food wise etc. if you want to (no pressure you're not in an audition).

I hope you will all join me in welcoming Shayla. I have added her to the list of blog authors and also to receive comments. If you don't want that Shayla let me know!

Welcome Shay! I am so glad to have just one more thing that helps me connect with you more regularly!

Banana Ice Cream

I love this so much! It has become a favorite in our home; along with family and friends.

4 bananas
1 Tbsp Coconut oil (optional)
1/4 cup agave or honey
1tsp vanilla or one vanilla bean

Cut bananas in small pieces and freeze the night before.

Mix Vanilla with honey or agave the night before (you could also use mint and then just take the mint leaves out the next day).

Mix all ingredients in food processor (you could use a blender but if you do only add a little banana at a time). You will have to scrape down the sides a few times. When it is creamy and fluffy then it is time to eat.

There are so many things you could do with this recipe.

Enjoy!

Sweet Broccoli Apple Slaw

Ashlee's Sweet Broccoli Apple Slaw

1 bag (12 oz) Broccoli Slaw or Rainbow Salad
1 large apple, shredded
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
a sprinkling of dried cranberries
Raspberry Pecan Vinaigrette

Toss and eat!

Yummmmmmm. Today broccoli slaw was on a MAJOR sale and so this is what I concocted for my lunch.

From the Broccoli Slaw alone I got:

200% Vit A
360% Vit C
16% Calcium
16% Iron
48% Folate
8 G Fiber
8 G Protein

and all for just 100 calories. Dr F would be proud.

Hope you guys are having a great day!

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! Andrew, who is notorious for going several nights in a row without dinner had two bowls full! I wasn't sure how having a soup without any chunky stuff in it would go....they usually don't like that, but I gave them some curly straws and they went to town. Now, to give fair warning, (and credit) this is a recipe from Giada of the Food Network; however it's not as rich as most of her stuff.

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped (I used an onion)
  
• 1 sage leaf
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

In your soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil, (not sure why she used both.....obviously this could be changed to "healthify" the recipe but I went with it). Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sage leaf, (mine looked kind of small, so I used two for good measure) beans, garlic, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I turned mine down way low and simmered for over an hour; I had the time and wanted the beans to be nice and soft and the flavors to have plenty of time to cook in. Next, pour the soup into a blender or food processor in batches. Puree until smooth. Return to soup pot and add cream and pepper. Serve.

Now for those that don't like cream....okay, let's face it we all LIKE cream, but for those who are dieting better than me, you could totally leave it out if you wanted. The soup was creamy from the beans alone...it just added a little more flavor and depth. And let's face it, coming out of that first trimester morning sickness fog, my family is lucky to have dinner at all. Brandon's actual words tonight were, "No offense, but this was great. The first dinner in a while that hasn't tasted like cardboard." Yeah ladies....I was in a bad way. Nothing sounded good, therefore I made no effort. Glad we're past that.

By the way Ash, I took your advice and used real garlic instead of the stuff from the jar for the first time. I may have turned a new leaf! It was every bit as good as you said it would be. And for full disclosure, one of my cloves of garlic looked a bit small, so I used 5. Livin' on the edge!

One more thing: Emily, I made your banana cookies this week and they were awesome!! Everyone in my family loved them, and I loved them having a treat with no sugar! ;)

A Cry For HELP

Hello Ladies,

Question... what do you eat for lunch? What do you feed your kiddos for lunch? I have gotten into a very bad rut and our lunches have been just AWFUL lately. It's easy to do a healthy breakfast and dinner, but what about lunches... and snacks for that matter? This pregnancy really has thrown off our normal eating habits in a bad way and I need help getting back on track. PLEASE any ideas would be appreciated!

-Ashlee

ps- I love you guys!

Quiona

Make your quiona like normal (water and quiona, bring to boil and then let simmer until soft).

When it is done cooking add a little bit of honey, cinnamon, and fruit.

I like putting blueberries and strawberries in mine. I think apples, bananas or pears would be good too.

Sometimes I add other spices like ginger, nutmeg and cloves.

This is a yummy treat and filling. Ayo and Simeon even like it.

Breakfast in a Muffin

This Recipe comes from My Mom.  We used to eat these all the time growing up.  My recipe card is very well loved and is written in her hand writing.  It is one of my favorite recipe cards because of this.

1 cup blended fruit [not juice]
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 c butter [I have also substituted apple sauce for this, or half of it, and it works pretty good too]
1 c oats
1 c flour [I use whole wheat]
1/2 c sugar [can use brown or white]
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Bake 20 minutes at 400*

Flaky Vegetable Pot Pie

This is from The Vegatarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook

1 potato diced (I used one sweet potato and one Russet Potato)
Diced Onion
Diced Carrots
Frozen Peas (thawed)
Broccoli
[and any other veggies you want to include, this is a good recipe to use whatever you have in your fridge.]

Crust
I have a crust recipe, but it was much easier for me to use pre-made pie crust, so thats what I did.  If you don't have a good pie crust recipe, and want one, I have a tried and true one that is quite easy.

Preheat oven to 350*, lightly oil a casserole dish.

[Cook filling, I just steamed my veggies and softened my potatoes.  Don't steam all the way since they will be cooking quite a bit in the oven.  I just wanted to make sure that they would get done all the way, so I steamed them a bit before hand.  I bet it would work just putting them in raw too though, hmmmm, maybe I should have tried that before I posted this!  :D]

place filling inside pie crust, fold over and press edges with a fork.  Also press top of the pie crust with the fork too, to allow air to vent through.

Bake until heated through and the crust is browned.  40 - 45 mins

[If you want to use the least amount of pie crust possible, you can put in bake-able bowls and just cover the top with the pie crust.]

We really liked this.  It is a nice home-style recipe and it is nice to just throw in any veggies that you have that need to be used as well.  It's very versatile.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Stew over Couscous

Combine in Crock Pot and cook on high 4 - 4 and a half hours or more on low:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced fine
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 med-large carrots, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 2 inch pieces (large julienne)
3 gold yukon or 1 large russet potato, cut in bite size pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained
3/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
3-4 cups veggie broth

Add during last 30-45 minutes of cooking:

1 red bell pepper, cut to bite size
1 zucchini, cut to bite size

Serve over:

whole wheat couscous

This is a recipe we were introduced to at a Progressive Dinner. I changed it slightly to be completely vegetarian and a little less expensive. It's still kind of an expensive dish, but it makes a lot and it's really good. We splurged this week and made it. I don't think I would have picked this out of a cook book to make, so I'm really glad someone else made it and I just got to try it. My whole family really, really loved it. It was refreshing to have such different flavors for dinner. We sometimes get in a rut and this certainly was unique and tasty.

Original recipe came from THIS cookbook which I think I am going to buy. My friend told me that it has very healthy recipes and a lot are vegetarian- without being PURPOSELY vegetarian. There's not a vegetarian section or anything (I was glad to hear that, I think naturally vegetarian recipes are usually better than the ones that someone created just for the purpose of being vegetarian).

--Ashlee

Chimichangas

Cindy made this for our family and we really liked it!

Chimichangas

Filling:

8 0z chopped cabbage or 1 bag coleslaw mix
15 oz canned corn, drained
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I use more than that)
1-2 cups shredded cheese (optional)
1 cup tomato, chopped (again, I use more)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onion (works fine with normal onion if you don't have green on hand - or you could omit completely if you don't like onion)
1 small can diced green chilies
juice from one lime
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon cumin

8 burrito sized tortillas

Optional Toppings:

Sour Cream
Salsa
Guacamole
Diced Tomatoes
Diced Onion
Sliced Olives
Chopped Avacado

Mix filling ingredients, divide between tortillas, roll to make a chimi, place seamside down in prepared baking dish close together (I usually use a 9x13 and a 9x9) Spray tops with oil. Bake 400 degrees for 20 min. Serve with toppings.

--Ashlee

Crunchy Sweet Brussel Sprout Salad

We had this as a side for dinner tonight. YUMMO!!! I was wishing I had brought it for Thanksgiving. It was delish.

Crunchy Sweet Brussel Sprout Salad

1 Pound Fresh Brussel Sprouts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Dried Cranberries

Shred Sprouts by removing the core and thinly slicing. Warm oil over med. heat. Add sprouts, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook until bright and slightly wilted (2-3 min). Add walnuts and cranberries and toss to combine. Serve!

For original recipe click HERE. Thank you food network! Hope your Thanksgivings were Wonderful!

--Ashlee

Dip

Another Melissa recipe....Dip! You can change this up any way you want. Add or take away. The sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, lemon juice and water is the base...don't change that.

1 cup raw sunflower seed

1/2 sesame seed (or hemp seed..another super food)

juice from two lemons or lime (if you use lime you may need to use 3)

about 1/4 cup water

2 tbsp maca powder (optional. this is a super food)


to taste...about 1 tsp or maybe more.. (use fresh if you can but dried will do the job. i use dried because fresh is expensive).

thyme

chives (a lot)

rosemary

sage

put in food processor or a blender will do the job, until smooth. This is a yummy veggie dip.

I sometimes use garlic, green onion, basil etc. The sky is the limit.

Crisp

Here is something a Melissa recipe. I think it is yummy and will help with those chocolate cravings that we all have.

2/3 flax (I use 1/3 ground up and 1/3 seeds. you can grind it all up is you want. Costco has ground up flax for way cheep).

1/2 tsp sea salt

a few squirts of Agave or Honey

1/4 cup cocoa or cacao

Mix by hand

You want it to be like cookie dough that is a little dry. You can make it more wet if you want. That is up to you.

Cut up an apple or pair, scoop it right out of the bowl with your sliced up fruit and eat. I love this!

Get Well Green Smoothie

Hello friends! We are sick. AGAIN!!! It took me a really long time to get over being sick in Utah and I woke up this morning with a disgusting nose and sore throat! Darn it, darn it, darn it!

I totally know why this has happened though. I have been eating horribly! I am going to partially blame the pregnancy... (yes you all know so I can talk about it) because I have truly only been able to stomach VERY mild things like mashed potatoes, white breads etc. Whole grains, fruits and veggies etc. have been so hard for me to eat. But I decided today that I cannot cater to those things anymore. It is messing with my whole body and I need to get back to eating well. I will make it work! I WILL!

Thank you guys for continuing this blog and our nutritional conversations. It has been a long time since I have done any research and felt motivated to eat healthily, and our recent conversations have really helped. I am feeling more excited again and I am ready to get back on track!

I have started already in fact. I read up on green smoothies and raw foods yesterday. I have decided that we are going to start eating green smoothies frequently for breakfast. I think my goal will be 4-5 times a week for now. We'll see how it goes. Baby steps right? We started today with a smoothie of my own concoction that I am hoping will help us "get well," hence the name.

Get Well Green Smoothie

The "Meat," of one Pineapple, chopped
2 Bananas, peeled and chopped
2 Oranges, peeled but with a generous amount of pith left on (that stuff is good for you!) and chopped
1 bunch of Lacinato Kale, stems removed, chopped
8 ounces of water

Blend, chill and serve. (Warning: If you don't have a large capacity blender I would do it in batches! Also: if you are scared of the Kale I would do a bit less to start out with. We really liked it with that much in, but if you have picky eaters I would start out with a bit less until they warm up to that kind of flavor)

I was so blessed at the store today. I ended up getting my Kale organic and for only a dollar! Can you believe it? Also the pineapple was the already peeled kind in a container also on super-mega sale. I was so thrilled!

To get the boys to agree to drink a green smoothie (they are great about healthy food, but I knew the green would freak 'em out... and I was right.) We had a big exciting talk in the morning about a new drink that would make us healthy and strong like Superheroes! And it's even a crazy color! We are going to have it a lot for breakfast now and if we keep drinking them we will get so strong! Etc. Etc. I don't feel like I was lying. I absolutely believe there is a correlation to how you feel, your health and well being etc. with what you choose to eat. Don't we all? So ANYWAY- we made a big deal about it, went to the store and bought ingredients to last us for the rest of the week, and I even bought some cheap "special superhero glasses," that we will drink them out of. Then I was totally honest with them about what they were eating. They watched me make it. I wanted them to know that Kale could taste delicious. I didn't want to hide it from them. They were worried when they saw how it looked, but once they smelled it they were good to try it. Jack drank his and flexed his muscles and said he felt stronger.

So far it's sitting in my tummy pretty well. Wish me luck!

Last note: This made a LOT of smoothie. More than enough for the 4 of us.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

This is yummy and super healthy. You can eat it just as pudding or for dipping fruit. Enjoy! This recipe is from, "All Recipes.com". I love that site.

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

* 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
* 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
* 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
* 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
* 2 tablespoons agave nectar
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

You can even sprinkle a little cinnamon on top (optional)


Directions

1. Place avocado, banana, soy milk, cocoa powder, agave nectar, lemon juice, and coconut into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Divide into small containers, and store in the refrigerator 1 hour until set.

Tomato Soup

I finally found a tomato soup recipe that I like. I have tried... no joke.. 4 recipes before this... all of which were horrible. I think the difference is that in this one there is more than just tomato. If any of you have a recipe for tomato soup I would LOVE to try it. We liked this one a lot, but if you had a good one you use I would want to know about it!

Tomato Soup - Family Fun

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Onion, Chopped
3 Stalks of Celery, Chopped
1 Carrot, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 28oz Can Tomatoes with Juice
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Oregano (I used more)
6 Cups Veggie Broth
2 Teaspoons Sugar
Salt and Pepper
Fresh or Dried Basil
1 Cup Milk (optional)

Melt butter in large pot. Saute onion, celery and carrots until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more min. Add tomatoes, paste, oregano, broth and sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 min uncovered stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Blend in batches in blender or food processor. Return to pot. Season with Salt, Pepper and Basil. Stir in milk if using.

We used the milk and liked how creamy it was even with just skim.

Sorry to post 2 days in a row! I just made this last night and wanted to share. Katie... Whitney... it's your turn for a recipe I believe!

--Ashlee

An Alternative Snobby Joe

Hey guys! Emily already posted a really yummy snobby joe recipe that uses lentils. I wanted to give you the one we use which uses black beans. I just basically stole Rachel Ray's sauce (and changed a couple of ingredients) and then substituted beans for meat. This is a family favorite at our house:

Ashlee's Snobby Joes

1 tablespoon olive oil
A few slices of onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (red is best... green will do)
1 tablespoon-ish mustard (I just give it a good squeeze)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons (I like less) steak seasoning blend (we use McCormick Montreal)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil. Saute onion and pepper. Add all other ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.

Eat on Buns with:

Pickle Slices
Tomato Slices
Barbeque Sauce

Yumm.

Random thought: I recently switched from packaged, pre-chopped garlic to fresh. I am loving my new life. Do any of you have an opinion on that?

Random thought #2: I don't think I'm going to the trouble of adding color etc. on my posts anymore. I'm boring.

Juice, "Morning Sun"

You need a juicer for this one. If you don't have a juicer I highly recommend getting one. It does not need to be fancy. I promise you will love it! I have been juicing for 7 months now. I have one to two juice a day and I LOVE,LOVE, LOVE IT!

My new favorite juice is from a book called, "Living Raw Food", by Sarma Melngailis .

"Morning Sun"

4 medium oranges, peeled
1 Apple
1 Pear
4 Cups pineapple (or one large can seems to do the trick)
one 1inch know of ginger
2 tsp honey

mix honey in after all fruit is juiced.

Enjoy!

Raw Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Raw Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting and Easy bake Banana Cookies

Raw Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with raw cashew cream cheese

Cookie

1 3/4 c almond meal
...1/2 cup pumpkin
1 dash cayenne pepper ( optional)
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 cup Raisins
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup coconut oil
1/8 cup agave nectar of honey
1/4 cup chopped nuts

Put in food processor until dough like. add chocolate chips and more raisins. place in food dehydrator about 108-116 degrees for 2-4 hours, desired texture. I did mine for 2 1/2 hours. I like them a little soft. If desired, put cream cashew cream cheese on top of cookie and eat.

Chocolate chips

Need rolling-pin, pizza cutter, mixing bowl and spoon

1 cup cocoa
4 Tbsp Agave nectar or honey
2 Tbsp cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla

Mix chocolate by hand. Place on wax paper, fold wax paper over the chocolate, roll chocolate out
place in freezer for 20 minutes, take out of freezer, peel back wax paper, cut chocolate into bit size pieces.

Cashew cream cheese

Soak cashews in a bowl of water for 4 hours before making cream cheese.

1 C cashews
1/8 cup water
6 Tbsp honey
Juice from one tangerine or half and orange
1 tsp vanilla

Put in food processor until well mixed. NO chunks.
Put in fridge. You can put this on top of cookies. So yummy!



Banana Cookies

2 1/2 cup oats (you can use gluten free. best price i have found is sun flower market $5.99 for two pounds)
3-4 bananas
1/4 cup canola oil, olive oil, coconut oil (the type of oil is up to you and your taste buds)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt (optional)

Bake 400 8-10 minutes

I like to add chocolate chips and raisins. If using coconut oil I like to add coconut, craisins and chocolate chips. The sky is the limit.

Lots of Love,

Emily

An Indulgent Sunday Breakfast

Hello veggie loving darlings. Our breakfast this morning was good. SO good. Way better than I thought it would be actually. It looks like just another breakfast bar, but we thought it was very special. Try it if you like. I call it indulgent because it has more sugar than we all would like, but there are a lot of great things in it too- and my kids won't eat nuts, but they loved this, so I figure it's worth it. Promise me if you try it that you won't healthify it too much. I know, I know. We all LOVE to do that to recipes- but just don't with this one will ya?

And to give credit where credit is due this recipe is from Ellie Krieger over at the Food Network. I got two of her cookbooks from the library and am absolutely in love. She's their "healthy," chef and for the most part I think she does a truly great job. I got the books "So Easy," and "The Food You Crave," (which is a collection of favorite recipes made healthy. Tonight we are trying her macaroni and cheese which has 20 ounces of pureed winter squash in it, and significantly less cheese than normal recipes... it's baking as we speak and smelling SO good)

Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars

1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (I toasted normal wheat germ in a pan over med heat for a few minutes- worth the extra effort in my opinion)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey (okay I didn't put the entire 1/2 cup but it was close)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 egg white
3/4 cup chopped dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup fruit only apricot preserves

Preheat to 350. Spray 8x8 pan. Stir dry together. Stir wet together until well combined. Stir walnuts and dried fruit in wet. Stir wet into dry until well combined. Spread in pan. Bake 30-35 min. When bars are nearly done heat preserves in small saucepan until runny. When bars come out immediately spread preserves on top. Cool and cut into bars.

They are very filling so one bar and a piece of fruit is a very satisfying breakfast! Yumm! And for pete's sake do NOT cut the preserves out of the equation. That was a stroke of genius!

Apple Crisp

It has been way to long! I have a recipe and it is not healthy but it is the best apple crisp I have ever eaten in my life. The recipe is similar to others but it is the way you prepare it that make is so dang good. Almost cookie like. You can use apples, peaces, pears etc.. for the fruit.

8-10 Apples- Peeled and sliced
3/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp flour
cinnamon (as much as you want)

1 1/2 Cups oatmeal
1 Cup butter (you can use Earth Balance butter (vegan) if you want)
1 Cup brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Flour

Put sliced apples in bottom of glass 9x13 pan, mix sugar, cinnamon and tbsp of flour and sprinkle over apples.

In bowl , mix oatmeal, softened/melted butter , brown sugar and flour.

Mixture will get lumpy and sticky (like cookie dough).

Drop clumps of mixture over apples- don't smooth out.

Bake 350
30-40 minutes

This is so yummy and perfect for the fall.

Enjoy!

Summer Mango Salad

Make this before summer leaves us till next year!

Mango Summer Salad

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 tsp minced fresh chile
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp brown sugar
2 T unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 small red bell pepper, minced

fresh cilantro or spearmint leaves

In a large bowl, combine everything but the cilantro. Cover and chill for 15-20 minutes and serve cold or at room temperature. Just before serving, top with cilantro. Serve as a salsa-style dip with chips or as a quesadilla topping on a tortilla with shredded lettuce and beans or cheese.

My friend Linda made this for my family a few sundays ago and we loved it! We had it just as a side dish without chips or on top of anything. It was delish!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I promise you will love this. Plus Quinoa is so good for you. Google it if you don't know about it. Very high in protein etc.

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (I used 2 cups)
1 1/2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh, canned, or frozen (I used frozen without cooking them to keep their enzymes intact)
1 red bell pepper
4 scallions, chopped (I used 6)
1 garlic clove, minced (jar of chopped garlic was in my fridge)
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped ( i used a tsp of coriander seed powder)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup olive oil (I used 2 Tbs)

Rinse* quinoa in a fine sieve under cold running water. Put quinoa into a pot with 2 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil**, then cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Fluff it a bit with a fork now and then to keep it from sticking. While quinoa is cooking, toss the beans, vinegar, corn, bell pepper, scallions, garlic and coriander in a large bowl. In another small bowl, whisk the lime juice, salt and cumin and pour in the oil while whisking. When quinoa is done cooking, toss it with the beans and vegetables. Then, drizzle the lime mixture over quinoa and vegetables and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. (I like it better the next day when all the tastes have had a chance to combine and be absorbed.)

I am back!

I have not posted for a while. Man Moving is hard and messes up everything. I will post a yummy recipe soon.

Hope all is well in baby land.

Love,

Emily

Bountiful Baskets

Okay, so I don't know if I'm the last person on the planet to know about this......but in case you guys don't already, I discovered the coolest thing this week. It's the Bountiful Baskets food co-op. How it works: on Monday you visit www.bountifulbaskets.org and place your order. Each basket is $15 with a $3 first time basket fee; occasionally there are add-ons - this week it was bread, granola, tortillas, or an extra order of produce specifically for mexican dishes. You must order at least one basket to get any add-ons, and I think you can order up to three baskets.

Then, on Saturday, you go to your local pickup site, (selected at the time of order) and get your basket. Guys, this is a seriously good deal. For $15 I got a full laundry basket full of produce. There were bananas, peaches, strawberries, canteloupe, grapes and pears, celery, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, and broccoli. I meant to take a picture of all I got for that steal of a deal, but didn't. Anyway, suffice it to say that it is a great deal. And I thought I'd share it with my veggie lovin' friends in case you didn't already know about it, because this is perfect for us, right? It also runs year round too! One thing to note, the baskets sell out fast, so make sure to get on the site as soon as it opens for the week. I think in Utah it's 8:00 pm on Mondays.

Dear Emily

Would you please post that Chocolate Zucchini Cake for us? I need a good healthyish snack :)

Much Love,

Ashlee