Spaghetti Squash

 This meal is simple, filling and delicious. First, make this spaghetti sauce recipe. Let it simmer as long as you can; 2 hours is GREAT! I didn't have the mushrooms on hand, so I just threw in whatever was in the fridge. It was perfect.

Next, preheat the oven to 350. Cut open squash and remove seeds. Turn cut side open on a baking sheet and prick with a knife or fork. Bake for 60-90 minutes, until tender. Then let it cool for a bit and fill with sauce. The kids LOVED the spaghetti-like texture of the squash and the richness of the sauce. My 2 bottomless pit kids had a hard time finishing 1/2 squash.

Halloween

I love Halloween. I'm a total Halloween nerd! Something to do with the black, orange and purple, the crisp weather, squash & pumpkins being harvested, and the leaves changing. I just love it! So when my daughter showed signs of a sugar sensitivity 2 1/2 years ago, I didn't know what we were going to do! Last year was really tough, but this year was much better. (Not perfect, mind you, but BETTER!) I decided to let the children decide if they wanted to Trick or Treat on Halloween night or at our church Trunk or Treat, and they chose the latter. I'm definitely the kind of person that would feel very deceitful to give away candy at a trunk or treat knowing the effects that it has on our bodies, so I found this super cute idea on Pinterest. Perfect!

 Of course, the kids helped out with the drawings, and we had so much fun.

 I had sooooo many kids who came to my trunk who were so excited to have clementines! Definitely a keeper. And truly, I spent as much on the clementines as I normally do on candy, so it wasn't any more money.

Next, I have to share this because I promise I am totally empty in the creativity department. I can build on other folks' ideas, but as far as coming up with something on my own? Nope. (I tease my sister that when my parents created her, the bottle of creativity spilled, so there wasn't any leftover for me.) hahaha! She's amazing.
Anyway, I came up with this ALL BY MYSELF!!! The picture is terrible, but can you tell what it is?

 It's a "VAN-PIRE!" heeheeheeeheeheeeee! I had my Halloween playlist going, black trashbags taped on the van as a cape and pointy teeth. And I sat in between the teeth to pass out treats. So much fun!

So, then we came home, and this is my favorite part: the kids dumped ALL OF THEIR CANDY IN A BIG BOWL. To eat? Nope. No, this is to give to the "Halloween fairy". Okay, they know the fairy is ME, but it's a lot more fun to say Halloween fairy then just plain jane momma. They went to bed quickly, and I got to work.

 Several weeks ago I went to the dollar bins at Target and scored. Big time. I spent about $19 and got all kinds of cute things, including my favorite: Halloween books!! (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Frankenstein, White Fang classics for the big kids & a Disney princess autumn book and Halloween pop up book for my younglings.)

 I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies a few weeks ago and put them in the freezer for tonight, and I made popcorn balls and a healthier version of rice krispie treats for the kids. For those, I used a pumpkin cookie cutter and then put raisins on it for eyes and a mouth. (Recipes below)  My Krispie treats are cooling in the pan below, as is the popcorn. There's the bowl of candy prior to dumping in the trash where it belongs.

The kids were sooooo thrilled when they woke up the next morning. My cute little 4  year old said, "Mom! We have GOOD treats!" And instead of me picking through the candy....ya'll would be proud: I THREW IT ALL AWAY! Yay for my sugar-addicted self to throw it away.

Do you do anything different for Halloween?

No-Bake Halloween Krispie Treats
4 T organic butter
5 1/2 c vegan marshmallows (without high fructose corn syrup!!!)
1 t cinnamon
8 c organic corn flakes (my hubby found a box with flax seed & other nummies in it!)
raisins or dark chocolate mini chunks for decorating


Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium pot, heat marshmallows, butter and cinnamon over medium-low heat, stirring often, until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add corn flakes, quickly and gently tossing to coat (try not to crush too many of the flakes). Transfer to pan, spreading it out evenly and pressing down firmly. Set aside in a cool spot for 30 minutes.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies and transfer to a large plate. Use chocolate and fruit to decorate cookies like jack-o-lanterns.


Almond Butter Popcorn Balls
10-12 c popped popcorn (I go through and remove unpopped kernals)
1/2 c raw honey
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1/2 c chunky almond butter
1/4-1/2 t cinnamon 
2 t vanilla
2 T coconut oil
1/2 t sea salt

Mix all ingredients except popcorn over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring CONSTANTLY! Pour over popcorn and mix well. Set aside to cool. Once cool you can form into balls or eat right out of the bowl. Yummmmmmyyyyy!!!!

Cheezy Potatoes

Potatoes of your choice
olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 c almonaise
1/2 c+ almond milk
Ranch dressing spices (garlic and onion powders, parsley, etc. just whatever sounds yummy or you can use a teaspoon or so of this!)

1 batch Cheezy sauce

Optional:
chives
green onions

Cut potatoes into large dices and place in a thick layer on a foil layered pan (or 2). :)  Drizzle with olive oil and mix gently. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Shake up  the almonaise, almond milk and spices and pour over potatoes. Pour cheezy sauce over potatoes. Let sit for a few minutes until sauces are warmed. Garnish, if desired, with chives or green onions. Serve.
YUM!

Quick Red Lentil Soup

Quick Red Lentil Soup

• 1 1/3 c red lentils, picked through and rinsed well
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/8 t cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3/4 t fine sea salt, or to taste
• Lemon wedges and chopped mint for serving (optional)

In a large pot, combine lentils, broth, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cayenne and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables and very tender and lentils begin to fall apart, about 25 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully blend about half the soup in a blender, but use caution when blending hot liquids: blend only in small batches, hold the lid down firmly with a kitchen towel, and begin blending on low speed. Serve with lemon wedges and mint if desired. 

My kiddos ate this UP, and wanted it in their lunch the following day. It was delicious and satisfying on a chilly night.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise (seeds removed)
1-2 T coconut oil
1/2 t sea salt
1 1/2 c cooked wild rice (I used the sprouted quinoa/wild rice mix from Costco)
2 oz mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/2 c raw walnuts, chopped
1/3 c raisins, chopped
1 1/2 t olive oil
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the squash halves, cut side up, on the sheet. Brush with some coconut oil and sprinkle with 1/2 t sea salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven.

In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Place some of mixture in each squash half. Turn oven to broil and place in oven. Broil for 2-3 min or until cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.

(We have a large family and doubled this recipe. Everyone LOVED it!)

Southwest Quinoa Soup

Southwest Quinoa Soup
14-15 c vegetable broth
3 c quinoa, rinsed well and drained
3 T taco seasoning (make your own!)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 T turmeric
1 T cumin
2 Bay leaves
 1 can of red enchilada sauce (or 1 can tomato sauce mixed with a teaspoon of taco seasoning)
 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed (or 3 cups)
2 c frozen corn
1 large can diced tomatoes
1-2 t sea salt (to taste)
1 lime
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 sliced avocado


In a LARGE pot combine the first 14 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender (about 15-20 minutes).

Ladle into bowls, then add fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, avocado slices.
Delicious!

Turmeric Quinoa with Vegetables

We really love the flavors in Indian food: curry and turmeric. What I didn't know is that turmeric is very high in minerals and has high antioxidant properties as well! It protects us from free-radical damage and helps clean up metabolic waste, as well as supports our liver. We love the smell, the color and the flavor.

Turmeric Quinoa with Vegetables
***soak quinoa overnight if you have time. Drain and rinse well before using.

3 c water
1 1/2 c quinoa, dry (prior to soaking)
2-3 T coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t sea salt
1 1/2 T curry
1 t turmeric
2 bell peppers (I like red & orange)
4 c broccoli and cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 carrot, shredded

Bring water to a boil and reduce heat. Add quinoa and simmer until the water is absorbed and grains are soft. Drain quinoa and set aside in a bowl. Heat oil in large skillet and add onions & garlic. Saute for a few minutes, adding salt, curry and turmeric. Add the other vegetables and saute lightly for 6-9 minutes or until they become softened, but not overcooked. Add the quinoa to skillet and stir everything together. Add salt to taste, or more curry if you like a lot of curry. Serve after a big salad. Delicious!

Cherry Wild Rice

Cherry Wild Rice
1 c sprouted quinoa rice blend (I got this at Costco)
1/2 c fresh sweet cherries, quartered, seed removed
1/3 c chopped raw cashews
2-3 stalks finely chopped celery
freshly snipped chives (optional)

Dressing
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic

1 t Dijon mustard

1 t raw honey

1/3 c olive oil
1/2 t ground pepper

1/4 t sea salt

Measure 2 1/2 c filtered water and add 1 t (opt) of vegetable broth powder. Bring to a boil and add rice blend. Simmer 25 minutes, and then take off burner and let it steam for 10 more. Let cool.
Transfer to large bowl and mix in remaining ingredients.
Blend all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over rice mixture. Stir gently until well incorporated.

**I doubled for our family. This had a different flavor, but we all gobbled it up.

Peanut Butter Eggs

Peanut Butter "Eggs"

• 3/4 cup of a good quality peanut butter
• few dashes of sea salt
• 3/4 cup powdered Sucanut (put in blender and grind into powder)
• 6 T raw cacao powder
• 6 T virgin coconut oil, warmed to liquid
• 6 T maple syrup

Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl until it becomes a crumbly dough. (Note: if your nut butter is from the fridge, let it sit awhile.) Add salt or sucanut to taste. Form dough into flat little ovals (or egg shapes, but real Reeses eggs are flat). Freeze the dough for an hour or so, until it’s hard.

Meanwhile, mix the cacao and coconut oil. Add the maple syrup. Mix until it looks like chocolate sauce, and then take one “egg” out of the freezer at a time (so the rest stay cold) and cover in chocolate. (I used a corn-cob skewer.) Immediately return covered egg to the freezer and let harden. Store in freezer.

You can thaw a little before eating, or eat when frozen–either way, they’re awesome!

Fall Curry

Fall Curry
3 teaspoons coconut oil
2 cup bite sized diced peeled sweet potato
1/2-3/4 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (or 1 1/2 c water with 1 t veg broth powder
3/4 t sea salt
3 c chickpeas (or 2 cans rinsed & drained
1 large can crushed tomatoes (or pulse fresh ones in a blender)
1/4-1/2 c chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro. We served with quinoa as prepared below:

1 c quinoa soaked for a few hours and drained and rinsed well (or just rinse really well)
2 c filtered water
1 t veg broth powder
Bring water to a boil and add quinoa and broth powder. Cook 20-25 minutes or until water is mostly gone.

Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins
4 1/2 c grated fresh zucchini
1 c liquid coconut oil
2 c sucanut
3 T chia seeds (put in 9 T water and let it sit for 15 minutes or until gel)
3 t vanilla
3 t baking soda
pinch sea salt
4 1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 c raisins (or dried cranberries)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the sucanut, chia seeds, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in raisins.
Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little spray (or use muffin liners). Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

These were so awesome! We had them for dinner this week, following a tall cup of green smoothie. This makes a really quick meal and lots of extras to freeze and toast later. I had some for breakfast this week with layers of your favorite nut butter, sliced bananas and a bit of maple syrup. It was heavenly!


*Oh, I also split this in half and blended half the ingredients first followed by the other half. My blender sure isn't big enough to handle all of it! :)

Vegan Oatmeal Banana Pancakes
3 3/4 c oats
1 1/2 c flour (I used whole wheat)
6 t baking powder
1 1/2 t sea salt
4 1/2 c almond milk
6 ripe bananas, peeled

Blend the first 5 ingredients together until smooth. Add bananas and blend more. Cook on hot griddle. I add a bit of coconut oil before batter to make the ends nice and crispy. Serve with syrup of your choice.

This makes A LOT! They freeze really well, just pop in your toaster oven for a super quick breakfast.

Quick Marinara

Quick cook Marinara

1 T coconut oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 yellow squash, halved and sliced into half-moons
1 zucchini, halved and sliced into half-moons
2 1/2 c sliced fresh tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
1 t sea salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
2 T chopped fresh oregano
4 T fresh basil, chopped
1/2 t fennel

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add yellow squash, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking just until vegetables are tender and begin to release their liquid, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the oregano, basil and fennel; simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Pour in with a package of cooked GF noodles. I used rice noodles and they were wonderful!

The children LOVED THIS!!!

Chickpea Curry

Sorry about the picture. We left our good camera at a friend's house, so I had to resort to my iTouch. Doesn't take great pics. :(

Chickpea Curry
2 organic potatoes, cubed
1 head cauliflower, chopped
coconut oil for sauteeing
1 onion, diced
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
4 t curry powder
4 t garam masala
2 t ground ginger
2 t cumin
1 1/2 t sea salt
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 c canned coconut milk or almond milk
1 can (or 1 1/2 c) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Place potatoes in sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.
Warm oil in pan. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in spices and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the last 3 ingredients. Stir in potatoes and cauliflower. Simmer 5 minutes.

p.s. They first time I made this, I eyeballed the spices. Didn't turn out well! You have to be careful with these particular spices...MEASURE THEM!

Rio Chicken Salad

This. Is. Amazing. I know I say that about a lot of our recipes, but seriously! Okay, I must remember what is in this, because there is gobs of things. We actually made most of it to eat with some friends, and this is what we did with the leftovers.

We don't eat much meat anymore, I need to say that up front. Maybe...maybe once a month. Maybe. But this dish was definitely worth eating with meat. Mmmmmm!!!!

K. Here we go.

Chicken
Put 5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts in crockpot.
Whisk/blend together the following:
1/3 c agave
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c balsamic vinegar (or raw apple cider)
1/3 bunch parsley (leaves only)
4 cloves garlic (minced, or the whole clove if you are blending with a strong blender)
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1 T fresh basil
1 T parmesan cheese
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
Pour over the chicken and cook on high for 5-7 hours. Shred chicken and leave in juices to keep moist

Lime Rice
2 T coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Saute in large pan.
Add the following and bring to a boil:
6 2/3 c water
4 t vegetable broth powder
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 t cumin
3 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t sea salt
3 c brown rice
Reduce heat and simmer until the water is gone (about an hour, but check at 45 minutes)

You need a batch of Tomatillo Dressing.

Rinse and spin 2-3 large romaine hearts. Tear into bite sized pieces. Assemble your salad: lettuce, chicken & rice, shredded cheese (opt), pico de gallo, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado slices, freshly snipped chives and lime wedges. Top salad with tomatillo dressing or just squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad.

You can also do this in a burrito, if you'd like, but we (I mean, allllllll of us, age 1-35) loooooved the salad more then the burrito.

Fresh Vegetable Salad

This was magnificent! Definitely make it in advance so that the flavors can blend. We served with a big green salad and we were all very satisfied when the meal was finished.

Fresh Vegetable Salad
2 cups sliced celery
2-3 cups thinly sliced cauliflower
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups sliced cucumber
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings 
(You can pretty much cut up whatever is in your fridge.)

Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
opt: fresh cilantro

In a large serving bowl, combine the vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients, or blend in blender until smooth. Pour over vegetables; gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.

 

*for more of a vinegar taste, reduce oil to 1/2 c and add 1/4 c raw apple cider vinegar. 

Avo Eggrolls with Sweet Cilantro Sauce

1 word: Yum!

The mix of flavors is absolutely amazing!!! Thanks to Pinterest for the initial idea, and to my husband for adding to and making it ours!

Avocado Filling
4-5 avocados, diced
1/4 c red onions, diced
1/4 c sundried tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped cilantro (can include stem)
1-2 t sea salt (to taste)
juice from 1/2 lime

Saute onions, tomatoes and garlic in a dab of coconut oil until fragrant. Combine remaining ingredients and fill eggroll wrappers, using water to seal edges. Fry in coconut oil.

Cilantro Dipping Sauce
1 c cilantro
1/2 c sweetener (agave, maple syrup, honey, combination of the 3)

1 T sucanut
1 t cumin
1/2  pepper
4 t raw apple cider vinegar
1 t balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
optional: small handful of raw cashews (will make the sauce creamy), clove of garlic, squeeze of lime, pinch saffron
Blend in blender until smooth.

Serve eggrolls with dipping sauce and close your eyes to pick out all the amazing flavors!

Quinoa Wild Rice Veggie Bowl

Can you tell that I like quinoa? Actually we all do and it's so stinkin good for ya, that we eat it often! It's great for alkaline meals, and quinoa is also a complete protein! For this dish, I used this stuff:

Sprouted rice & quinoa. Pretty good stuff! You can definitely boil separate pans of rice & quinoa if you can't find it or just don't want to. :)

Quinoa Wild Rice Veggie Bowl
2 1/2 c sprouted rice & quinoa blend
4 1/2 c filtered water (I add vegetable broth powder to this for added flavor)
Simmer 25 minutes, and then take off burner and let it steam for 10 more.

1 small onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
1 pepper, diced finely
coconut oil
Warm oil in pan and add onion and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds or so). Add carrots last. Mix and then turn off burner. Add 2 t cumin, a few dashes of cayenne pepper (or more), sea salt & pepper to taste. Mix well.

After quinoa blend has cooled some, add the above mixture to it. Add vegetables of your desire (I added 1 1/2 c diced raw broccoli). Then add 1 small bag of non-GMO frozen corn, juice of 3 limes, 1/2 c or more chopped cilantro leaves. Mix well. Taste and see if you need more sea salt. It can be eaten warm, cold and at room temp. This was a huge hit!

Quinoa & Veggies

Quinoa & Veggies
1 1/2 c quinoa, soaked for several hours and rinsed well
3 c filtered water
1-2 c frozen (non-GMO) corn
1 red pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced with a sprinkle of sea salt (if your fam loves avo, increase to 2. I had to hide this in my salad to I stuck with 1)
sprouts of your choice
herbs of yours choice (cilantro & dill are good. lemon thyme is a new one that would be very tasty!)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 T olive oil
2 T low sodium tamari
1 T brown rice vinegar

Bring water to boil and add quinoa (and 3/4 t vegetable broth powder if desired). Simmer about 10-15 minutes and drain. Set aside to cool a bit. Combine with all but last 4 ingredients in a bowl. Blend last 4 ingredients together and pour over quinoa mix. Stir until combined well. Yummy cold, at room temp, or with quinoa still warm.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal

Make the night before. We actually had it for dinner on a busy night, and then again for breakfast the next day.

Overnight Blueberry Oatmeal
1 1/2 c rinsed steel cut oats
1/2 t ginger
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t sea salt
1 t baking powder
dash of vanilla or almond extract
4 c unsweetened almond milk
2 c unsweetened coconut milk
(or just 6 cups of your favorite dairy-free milk)
sweetener of your choice. I added raw honey, about 1/4-1/2 c
1 1/2 c fresh blueberries
1/4 c dried blueberries
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan and combine all ingredients except last 3. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients and pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove and let cool, then place in fridge overnight (mixture will thicken overnight).

Blueberry Sauce
2 c fresh blueberries
dash of water
Heat over medium high heat until it sizzles, and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, mashing blueberries against side of pan.

Serve oatmeal with a bit of milk and sauce. Add any other toppings you would like (i.e. nuts, chia seeds, coconut, etc.)

Raw Sauerkraut

I have never liked sauerkraut until I found this recipe, compliments of Beauty Detox Solution. It is so easy to make, and my 7 year old and 1 year old ask for it regularly. It is cram-packed with probiotics, and I eat it every day for easier digestion as well as other health benefits.
Now, I usually make 2-3 heads of cabbage at one time, but here is the basic recipe.

Raw Sauerkraut
1 head cabbage, reserving a couple outside leaves intact.
sea salt
caraway seeds
filtered water
1-2 quart jars, lids and rings

Put cabbage through food processor. (I've tried just chopping this, and we don't like it as much.) Toss with sea salt and caraway seeds, maybe 1/2 t each? Mix with hands. Dip jars, lids and rings in boiling water. Pack some cabbage in jar, push air out with fist and continue packing until there is about 2 inches from the top. ****MAKE SURE THERE IS AT LEAST 2 INCHES OR IT WON'T WORK!!
Fill with filtered water to the top of the cabbage. Take the outside cabbage leaves and roll up to fill up any air between cabbage and lid. Put lid and ring on and screw tight. Store in a dark cool place for 4-5 days until bubbly. Remove the large leaves, screw lid back on and place in fridge. This is good for 1 month. Eat 1/2 c daily before meal.

Here is a video with instructions. If you get Kimberly's new book, there are a few different renditions to this, for new flavors! :)

Summer Taco Salads

Becky's Taco Salad
1 LARGE bowl
2 large heads romaine
fill the rest up with spinach or another favorite green
1 large cucumber, diced
other salad veggies (peppers, tomatoes, radishes, etc...)
2-3 large handfuls non-GMO tortilla chips, crumbled
1-2 c black beans
chopped cilantro, to taste
1 small jar of salsa (or make your own!)
Mix all together and serve. If you like avocado, slice and put on the side.

Mexican Caesar Salad
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1/3 c roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3+ T lime juice
2 c crumbled organic blue tortilla chips
1 large avocado, diced
2 large heads romaine lettuce, rinsed & chopped (we put ours through a salad spinner
1/2 c sliced 365 Everyday Value Jumbo Pitted Black Olives, optional
Any other salad veggies you want to add.
Mix all together. Add lime juice as desired. We put a plate of lime quarters on the table and let the kids squeeze what they want on their salads. Fresh & nice on a hot day. :)

Mango Pancake Topping & NEW Salad Dressings

Do you see this???

This is the face of Dad and Daughter....fighting over our new favorite pancake topping: MANGO! Mangos are in season right now and so yummy when you cut open a ripe one. I put 2 or 3 in my blender, added less then 1/4 cup (maybe 1/8?) Sucanut (or a smidge of agave or honey would be good) and blended until smooth. Mango doesn't need much sweetener if it is ripe already. Such a great addition to our coconut pancakes!

We have also discovered a few new favorite salad dressings.

Homemade Ranch 

1 t parsley

3/4 t ground black pepper

1 t sea salt

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t onion powder

1/8 t thyme 

I actually quadrupled this and have the mix in my spice cabinet anytime I want to add a little ranch flavoring to something I am making....without the MSG and chemicals. 

Add to buttermilk or 1 c almond milk with 1 T fresh lemon juice, veganaise (if you want it thicker), or whatever else your little creative heart desires. :)

Basil is so easy to grow! We have 3 basil plants and use it every day in something! Try growing your own and save some money! :)

Basil Parmesan Dressing

3⁄4 c basil leaves
1 c oil (2 Tbsp. flaxseed, the remainder olive) 
1⁄2 c (or less) Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 c balsamic vinegar
3 T white wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic
1⁄4 t freshly ground pepper
1⁄4 t sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a high-power blender. Let flavors blend in fridge for a few hours, if desired.

Sweet Basil Dressing

Juice from 1 lime

1 c fresh basil leaves

4-5 leaves stevia (or a dash of powdered)

1 clove garlic

1 T water

2 T olive oil

1/4 t sea salt

Blend on high until smooth. This is pretty watery because it is lower in oil, but packed with flavor! I love how fresh it tastes! 

Black Bean Quinoa Flautas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I love Cinco de Mayo because it reminds me of years of family fun. My sisters always planned a super fun day filled with warm food, chip & salsa, laughter and games for the kids. Oh the wonderful memories I have!
Anyway, we got together with some friends this evening, and I wanted to bring along something healthy & "mexican" to eat. This is what we came up with:

Black Bean Quinoa Flautas
3/4 c quinoa, rinsed well
1 3/4 c water
1 t taco seasoning (for a GREAT homemade mix, click here)
1 t vegetable broth powder
1/4 t cumin
Combine all and bring to a boil. Simmer 20-25 minutes. While this is simmering, work on the rest.

2 c black beans, rinsed
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, sauteed
1 c mozzarella cheese (you can use vegan cheese if desired)
small flour tortillas (sprouted is best, whole wheat is okay too. We used corn and they just fell apart).
Combine with quinoa. Roll into small flour tortillas and use toothpicks to keep it shut, as seen below.

Fry in coconut oil until brown and serve with tomatillo salad dressing for a dip, if desired. YOU WON'T REGRET IT! :)

Tomatilla Dressing
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 c almond milk
1 c almonaise
1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix (still trying to health-ify this!!)
2 tomatillos, husked
2 jalapenos, seeds removed
1/2 bunch cilanto, most of the stalk removed
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
2-3 cloves garlic
Combine first 2 ingredients in your blender and let sit for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Store in fridge.

Orange Ginger Smoothie

kale
1 1/2 c filtered water
2 oranges
1/2 inch ginger
2 dates, soaked for 3-4 hours
1/2 c frozen pineapple
1 banana
1 c mixed berries
Fill blender jar to top with kale. Add water and banana. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend again. Mmmm!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Don't these look AMAZING? Well, they taste amazing as well! Here is the lowdown:

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

1 1/3 c raw cashews

2/3 c regular oats

4 T raw agave nectar

2 T maple syrup

2 t vanilla extract

1/2 c chocolate chips

Blend first two ingredients until they are consistency of flour. Add the next 3 ingredients and blend until dough consistency. Spoon into a bowl and mix in chocolate chips. Roll into bites and put in your fridge. Or freezer. :)

We ran out of chocolate chips, so we added raisins instead and 1/2 t cinnamon. Then we rolled in shredded coconut. 

Compliments of my bestie who directed me to Averie Cooks

Love this website, except that she uses a lot of refined sugars in some of her desserts. But some of the stuff looks absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! I also love her policy of not spending a lot of time in the kitchen. :) Wahoo!!! My kind of woman! 

Almonaise & Potato Salad

My kids were fighting over the last little bit of this new potato salad. Apparently this was a keeper. It all started with a new recipe: Almonaise. This can be used in place of Mayonnaise. I really liked it! Then you pair it with some more nummies and use it as a "dressing" over a potato salad. I made my potato salad a little differently, with lots of raw vegetables. Everyone looked at is a bit nervously, until they took a bite. That was the end of any hesitation. A perfect salad on a warm day!

Almonaise
1/2 c raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained. Rinse well and drain again. (These are now sprouted!)
Next, grab your high-powered blender and add the following:
1/2 c water
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 T raw apple cider vinegar
2 t agave nectar
1/2 t ground mustard
1/2 t sea salt
Add the almonds last and press the "sauces" button (or blend until smooth). 
Run cycle again and pour in 1/2 c cold pressed extra virgin olive oil while the cycle runs. Store in fridge for up to 1 week.
I doubled this so that I would have more for sandwiches, tuna salad, etc)


Sauce for Potato Salad
Blend the following in the blender:

1/4 c water
1/2 c raw cashews
1/8 c apple cider vinegar

1 T Agave

½  t paprika
1 t sea salt (or more to taste)

Fold in the Almonaise, and the sauce is done!

Potato Salad

Scrub & boil 3 lb organic potatoes. Chop (leaving on skins if you like) into bite size pieces. Put in large bowl and add the following:

3/4 c frozen peas

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 colored pepper, diced small

2-3 dill pickles, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

Anything else you might like! Fresh herbs (ribboned basil, cilantro, fresh dill, chives would be soooo yummmm!)

I added sprouted sunflower seeds and about 3/4 c cooked quinoa. The kids loved it! (Rinse and cook quinoa-1 part quinoa to 2 parts water-with 1/2 t of vegetable broth powder. Store in fridge to throw into salads or whatever!)

Fold in the sauce and let chill in the fridge for several hours. 

Sprouting

Say what? Yep, sprouting. Okay, before you skip to the next entry, hear me out. I have never liked sprouts, but then I learned about the explosive nutrients of sprouts and I began introducing small portions of sprouts. Now, my kids will eat sprouts! Example: sprouted wheat has 28% more Vit B1, 315% more B2, 66% more B3, 65% more B5, 278% more folic acid, and the list goes on. Why is this important? According to research done by Dr. William Peavy:

Enzymes are the vitality sustaining all of our body’s processes. Without enzymes, we die. Thus, enzyme depletion causes aging, slowing cellular processes and cellular reproduction and causing cells to be susceptible to free-radical damage. We age as the body becomes unable to replace old cells with healthy new ones. This applies to immune cells, too. Enzyme depletion is why immunity decreases with age: immune cells aren’t regenerating quickly enough to protect the body from disease. Staying young and healthy (regardless of how many years you’ve been alive) is simply a matter of keeping enzyme activity maximized in your body. Sprouts do precisely that, and they are the closest thing we have to a“fountain of youth!” 

So, while being "young & beautiful" isn't at the top of my list, it's a definite PLUS! Sprouting activates the enzymes in a plant so that it produces the vitamins that it needs for it's own growth. We simply start that process and then WE reap the benefits of those amazing enzymes! These nutrients cannot be replicated by any synthetic supplement. So, I'm going to teach you how to sprout!
This picture is after about 36 hours of sprouting in the great, humid state of Tennessee!!! See those tails???

These seeds are a mixture of red clover & alfalfa seeds.

I filled this jar only 1/4 inch (maybe less) full of the seeds, and then filled it up the rest of the way with filtered water. Let it soak over night.
The next morning, drain, rinse and then drain again. Put on a sprouting lid and turn on it's side.
It needs to be rinsed twice a day (I usually do it in the morning and at night) and rotated some during the day (1-2 times).
In Tennessee, it only takes about 2 1/2 days from start to finish to completely fill a quart jar with these puppies! Awesome, huh? Drier climates, it takes a little longer, maybe 3 or 4 days. Serve on salads, wraps, 1-2 T in homemade salad dressings, wherever! If you don't like the taste, you can put them in all kinds of things where you can hide the flavor!

Raw sunflower seeds are another super easy one. Simple soak in filtered water overnight, drain and they are sprouted at that point! We put on our granola, on salads, in sandwiches, wherever!

Lasagna & Spaghetti? Yes, please...

Birthday time, and the kids requested Spaghetti & Meatballs. Again? I kinda whined on the inside....yep. Again. So, I suggested that we try some Lentil Meatballs this time, using their favorite Lentil Burger recipe, and they nearly jumped out of their skin with excitement. And it worked! It was so delicious!
So, for Meatballs, take this recipe, and instead of making patties, make balls. Cook for a little less time and voila!

The sauce I used was the following:
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
10 large button mushrooms, chopped or sliced
1 cup grated carrot
2-3 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 quart diced tomatoes
1/3 cup spaghetti sauce mix
2-3 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste

In a large pot, lightly saute chopped veggies in olive oil add garlic and saute a bit longer. Add remaining ingredients.  Slowly bring to a simmer stirring frequently.  Add any wanted seasonings to taste

4 tsp. vegetable broth powder

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. crushed fennel

1 tsp. sea salt or to taste

1/2 tsp. pepper

Simmer at least 1 hour. Add meatballs and gentle stir. Serve over your favorite pasta.

 

 

Save 2-3 cups sauce prior to adding the meatballs for lasagna later in the week, or to freeze for later.

Lasagna

15 sprigs fresh parsley, take leaves off and finely chop

1/4 lb fresh spinach, finely chopped

3 c ricotta cheese

16 oz Italian cheese mix (mozzerella, asiago, romano, provolone)

3/4 c Parmesan

2 t dried basil (or finely chopped fresh basil)

2 t oregano

1 t fennel

1 t sea salt

1/2 t fresh pepper

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

Sauce

Mix together all ingredients except noodles & sauce. Place 3 noodles in sprayed 9x13 pan. Top with 1/2 cheese mix. Top with 3 more noodles and rest of cheese mix. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes covered in foil. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan and bake uncovered for 15-20 more minutes until bubbly. :)

Carrie's Favorite Salad

I'm out of town right now, and quite frankly, it's been quite nice to prepare meals without kiddos tugging on me. I miss those kiddos sooo much, though, and the payoff when I cook isn't quite like it is when I'm cooking for my sweeties. But, my sister kinda likes this salad. Craves it, even. Sorry, no picture. Maybe I'll make it later and take a picture:


Carrie's Favorite Salad
Your favorite greens (we did a baby spring mix and some spinach)
3-4 clementines, peeled and sectioned
1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 c raw sunflower seeds
chopped almonds
big handful organic raisins
opt: sprinkling of unsweetened shredded coconut

Combine all ingredients and serve with a salad dressing of 2 parts cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, 1 part raw apple cider vinegar, 1 part raw honey, 1 T poppy seeds.

Spring Strawberry Salad

Spring is in the air! Our kids loved helping make this. Only took a few minutes to throw together. Enjoy!!

Spring Strawberry Salad
Spinach-our big family uses about 1/2 pound at least!
1/2 small container organic strawberries, sliced
1/4 c raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 c raw unsweetened shredded coconut
1/8 c raw sunflower seeds
opt-1 can mandarin oranges, drained

Combine and drizzle with some Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing.

Acupuncture

Back pain runs in my family. For me to go a few months without pain is pretty miraculous, but I went 3 years after my first encounter with a Chinese doctor of acupuncture. Check her out here!

 What is acupuncture? Taken from her website:
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points of the body. The insertion and placement of these needles change the energy currents and patterns (Qi) in the body in beneficial ways. This ancient art of healing, along with herbal treatments, nutrition, and exercise, works with the natural vital energies of the body to promote its self-healing ability.  The proper use of acupuncture and herbs will bring the body’s Qi into proper balance.

I went back 2 weeks ago because I was feelin some not so fun things in my back again, and she has once again done amazing things! She can take my pulse and look at my tongue and tell me what my needs are, how cool is that! I love going to someone and have them tell me how to heal and prevent future problems instead of being slapped with a scrip to treat the symptoms.

For back pain we have also done massage therapy and chiropractic work with success. But did you know Acupuncture can also help with infertility, PMS, depression, anxiety, stress, allergies (seasonal AND food), high blood pressure, lupus, ulcers, asthma, colds/flu, diabetes, and so much more! See here for a list.

Have you ever been to an acupuncturist? What did you think?

Red Velvet Pancakes

This would be really fun for Valentine's Day, cooked in a heart shape. We decided we could have eaten it plain or for dessert, but we served with the choice of Grade B Maple Syrup or homemade mixed berry syrup. Heavenly!

1½ c buttermilk or almond milk
2 eggs
2 T coconut oil
½ beet, roasted and peeled
⅓ c sucanut
1 t vanilla 
¼ c raw cacao powder
1½ c Kamut flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t  sea salt 

Add first 6 ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and 4-6 times until dry ingredients are incorporated; do not over blend. Allow batter to rest 5 minutes.  Heat griddle or other pan over medium-low heat; use coconut oil to grease surface.  Cook pancakes as usual, making sure it is cooked all the way before flipping over. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven at 200°F loosely wrapped in foil.

Note: To roast a beet, remove beet greens, set greens aside for use in green smoothies and wash beet thoroughly.  Wrap beet in foil and place in 400°F oven and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.  After the roasted beet has cooled, peel and cut in half.


--To make Mixed Berry syrup, add 6 cups of frozen mixed berries to large blender with 1 1/2 c hot water and 1/2 c maple syrup. Pulse until chunky. Mmmmm!!!

Immunity Booster

I thought I had already written about this, but here are a few more ideas for natural remedies that we have used successfully:
-Garlic-still my fav for nipping it quick! The earlier in your sickness you take it (the first hint of a sore throat, etc.) the better! We have put it in mashed potatoes, but you can also crush and diced it fine, mix with butter and spread on a piece of bread. Mmmmm! The longer you wait, the more you'll have to take, as I've learned the hard way.
-mix grapefruit seed extract and elderberry powder into flavored kefir for immunity boost
-the immunity tea that I talked about in an earlier post is absolutely wonderful on a sore throat. Both my hubby and I loved it!
-water water water!! The kids have come home from school a few times with headaches, etc. It was because of dehydration. After drinking 2 cups of water they felt much better. Water will really help spread the good stuff around your body and clean the bad stuff out. Isn't it cool how efficient our bodies are???

Couscous with Vegetables & Green PolkaDot Box

We got our first Green PolkaDot Box the week before last! We are huge fans of this new company. Service was prompt, and they took such good care of us! They are like a small Whole Foods online, and will be expanding as they grow by offering more variety of products. What we have used so far, we really really like! The prices aren't all great, but most of them are just WOW! Click here to learn more about them!

This is a new favorite! Sooo colorful and soooo yummy! I love couscous, always have.

2 C whole wheat couscous
2 1⁄2 C filtered water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well, or 1 1/2 c of cooked black beans
1 c carrots, diced very small
3/4 c diced celery
2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow), diced very small 
1 onion, diced very small
2 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1⁄2 C each fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped (you can use dried if you don't have any fresh)
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. sea salt, or more
freshly ground pepper to taste
optional: 1⁄4 c fresh mint, chopped-we tried this and didn't care for the mint
optional: 2 c mushrooms, sauteed for 2 min. in 2 tsp. olive oil (our kiddos don't like mushrooms. Sad!)


Bring the water to a boil in a large pan, add the couscous, then turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for 20 minutes. 


Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, then add the mixture to the couscous. Toss with dressing (below) and serve warm.
Dressing:
1⁄4 c extra virgin olive oil 
2 T flaxseed oil
1⁄2 c fresh lemon juice
2 t ground turmeric
Shake all ingredients in a pint jar and stir into warm couscous mixture.

Baked Oatmeal

I made some healthy adjustments to this recipe, and we love it!

The night before…
• 3 c rolled oats -not quick cook
• 3/4 c sucanut or agave (we prefer sucanut to the agave. Firmer texture)
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/3 c liquified coconut oil
• 1 1/2 c plain yogurt or kefir (we make our own, and sometimes I use some of each)
In the morning...
• 1 c almond milk
• 2 eggs (or 2 T chia seeds plus 4 T water; let sit for 15+ minutes to gel-we have used both and they both work great!)
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t sea salt
• opt: add 1 apple chopped and 1/3 c raisin. We have also tried it with 1 sliced banana, diced peaches, diced strawberries, frozen mixed berries... Be creative!

Instructions

The night before…
1. Combine the night before ingredients and mix well.
2. Cover with plastic wrap or towel.
3. Leave on the counter overnight.
In the morning…
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
5. Pour into greased glass baking dish-we do one that is between square and 9x13.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until it looks a little browned around the edges.

Lentil Burgers

I never believed I would prefer another burger to a hamburger, but these have definitely snagged my preference! I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, but made a few modifications:

3 c dried lentils

8 c water

4 t vegetable broth powder
1 c uncooked brown rice

4 c seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c minced dried onion (or a little bit of fresh if you prefer fresh)

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced-if you love garlic like me
1/2 t pepper

1 c fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Rinse the lentils & brown rice. Combine the lentils, water, and vegetable broth powder. Bring to a boil and then add the rice; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45-55 minutes. Mash a little for consistency, then pour into a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, pepper, and Parmesan, mixing well. Form the mix into patties, about 14-15.

Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil. Place the patties on the foil; drizzle more oil on top of patties. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, turning once to brown each side.

We serve these alone (no bun) along with a large salad. My 3 older kids all said, "Wow, these are REALLY filling!" Yep, they sure are! This made enough for our family plus leftovers for the hubby the next day. These also store nicely in the fridge and are good several days later.