Yay, I'm contributing to the blog! I've finally started dabbling in making things from scratch I know it's just a sandwich but bare with me.

Marbled Rye bread 

Tomato

Lettuce

Bacon

Mozzarella cheese 

and the part and made the sandwich amazing  the Sauce:

                         1/2 cup  Mayo

                         2 tbl.      Plain Greek yougurt

                         2 tbl.      Lime juice

                         pinch      Kosher salt

                         3 tbl.      Fresh minced Parsley

                         2 tsp.     Oregano 

I found a recipe to make your own Mozzarella http://itssoverycheri.com/2012/07/02/homemade-mozzarella-cheese/, Yes on pintrest. But I'll have you know that I made the sauce up myself!

I assembled the sandwich with everything but the lettuce and threw it in the george foreman grill for a few seconds and it was ready to go! Doesn't it look beautiful :)

Banana Orange Smoothie

This is the recipe Leah is talking about. We literally eat this every morning. SOOOO GOOD!!!

Desired amount of bananas
Desired amount of Oranges
Bit of Vanilla (optional)
Ice
Blend!!

Raw Vegan Sushi

This recipe is SOOOOO YUMMY!!


Prep time: 15-30 min, depending on how long it takes you to slice the veggies. This whole recipe only takes us about 15 min. 


"RICE": Grate/shred Jicama or Cauliflower, mix in some fresh or dried Dill (optional). If you are using Jicama, you need to strain it because it is too watery and will make your sushi fall apart. Place shredded Jicama in a cheese cloth, or some other straining device, then ring it out till it is as dry as possible. 
FILLING: Any veggies of your choice. We used sliced cucumbers, carrots, red pepper, cilantro and sprouts.
SAUCE: Fresh coconut water (you can use plain water if you don't have coconut), Dried apricots, fresh ginger. 

Sauce: Put coconut water in blender (you want the sauce to be creamy so we don't add a ton of coconut water but you can put in as much as you would like and add more as you go). Then place desired amount of dried apricots in water and allow to soak for how long it takes you to prep the veggies and sushi. Then grate in some fresh ginger(to taste). You don't need a ton of ginger, just put a small amount in at first and then keep adding to your liking. Blend to desired consistency, adding more coconut water, apricots or ginger as you want. 

Instructions: Place Sushi Nori sheet on a piece of saran wrap on top of your cutting board. Spread your "rice" on the nori sheet then top with your veggies. Roll the sheet into a long tube, then slice into small rounds. Dip in sauce and ENJOY!!!

Mom's White Sauce

Jeff and Leah
Serves 3

This is so yummy and SO EASY!

Mom used to make this a lot when we were little.

1/2 cube of butter (you can use 4 T olive oil)
1 diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Whole Grain Flour till butter becomes a thick paste
Milk to desired consistency (can use water, I used half Water half Raw Milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in heated in pan. 
Add onion and simmer till butter browns, and onions are translucent. 
Add garlic simmer for 30 seconds or so.
Add your whole grain flour in, 1/4 a cup at a time, until your melted butter becomes a thick paste. 
Let simmer for a minute or so, stir so it won't burn.
Add Milk until you get a gravy consistency. It is much more liquid then you anticipate. It will also thicken as it sits, so you might have to keep adding liquid.
 Add Salt and Pepper to taste.


At this point you can add whatever herbs and spices you desire. Last night, I added Fresh Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.  We served it over Quinoa and added Peas. Jeff loved it!
You can also add cooked meats, you could serve it over Rice, Noodles, cooked Spaghetti Squash.  It's so versatile and delicious!

Choco-Slims (Vegan Brownies)

 

Anna Lisa and Kingi

8x8 pan 350 Degrees - 20 min

1 eggs worth of Egg Replacer

1 c Dates (soaked)

1/2 c Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar

1 c  Applesauce

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

3/4 c Spelt/Brown Rice Flour

1/2 c Cocoa

1/4 c Cocoa Samoa-Grated

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

 

Optional: Flaked Unsweetened Coconut, Walnuts, Chopped Almonds ect.

Soak dates in just enough water to reach the top for about an hour. Pour dates and soaking water into a blender, then add the applesauce and vanilla. Blend till smooth. Transfer into a bowl, then add the egg replacer, maple syrup, and cocoa samoa. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir till combined and poor into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for about twenty minutes.  Do not over bake, you will know it's done when a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs still attached.  No really, DO NOT OVER BAKE, it gets dry easily and then you will be disappointed!

Notes: If you don't have cocoa samoa, you are missing out on a super yummy experience!  It can be made without it. If you are looking to buy cocoa somoa the Polynesian markets usually carry it. If you aren't vegan, you can use a regular egg and it turns out great too.

Kingi's Freezies

 

Anna Lisa and Kingi

Everyone will enjoy this with different ratios of banana/coconut milk/sweetener ect. This recipe is approximations so good luck!

2 T Cocoa or Carob powder

2-3 Ripe (not over ripe) Fresh Bananas

1 T Agave Nectar (you can also soak and blend 4 dates here to replace the agave)

2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

 2-3 Cups of Plain Almond Milk

Then put a lot of ice in there and blend it up!

Frozen Grapes

by Ashley and Caleb

Best summertime snack tip ever. Wash and dry a bunch of grapes, remove them from the vine, stick them in a freezer bag, wait a few hours and...you have a healthy replacement for Otter Pops or popsicles. This is not messy AT ALL and kids love them. (So do we!) If you are worried about them being a choking hazard for your little ones, they are easy to cut in half. So, do yourself (and your kids' clothes) a favor and try them.

Aunt Andrea's Whole Wheat Tortillas

Jeff and Leah

4 c Whole Grain Flour (wheat, spelt, kamut)
3/4 - 1 tsp Salt
3/4 - 1 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 c. Oil
1 3/4 c Warm Water

Stir dry ingredients together
Make whole in middle and add oil and water.
Stir well.
Knead till smooth.
Pinch off one inch ball.
Roll into thin circle on a floured board.
Cook in hot, dry frying pan till bubbly then turn over and cook on other side.

Breakfast Fruit Smoothie

Jefferson and Emily (via Leah)

Jefferson and Emily taught me this one and I eat it every other morning, maybe twice a day...

So easy, so good, so eat it!

Take 2 peeled oranges, throw them in a blender, add 2 ice cubes.
Blend till smooth
Add  2 bananas blend till smooth.

Drink it. love it. Awesome!

Feel free to add in other fruits as you want.

The thing that makes this drink so amazing is using fresh not frozen fruit.  Also make sure your bananas are pretty ripe, somewhat bordering on over ripe.

So do it, and love it!

Balsamic Apple Salad

by Ashley and Caleb

The same fated night that Dan and Lorraine changed our lives with the delicious bacon/bok choy combo, they rocked our world with this salad:

Apples
Lemon juice
Balsamic vinegar
Blue cheese
Walnuts or pecans

Slice the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the apples just before serving and throw some blue cheese and chopped nuts in there and get down with your bad self. (Lorraine claims that she overdid it with the vinegar the night we had it, but it ROCKED. I don't think there's any way you can go wrong here, do you?)

Dan and Lorriane- can you come over and cook for us some more?

Bacon Bok Choy

by Ashley and Caleb

We recently had dinner with our friends Dan and Lorraine, and this is what they cooked. It was SO good and takes under 30 minutes to make. Caleb and I have cooked it about once a week since then and Adelaide keeps saying "I LOVE bok choy!"

1 head bok choy- the leafier the better
6 pieces of uncooked bacon
garlic powder (Caleb wants to try fresh next) to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and chop bok choy down to where it is mostly the white stem. Discard stem and set aside chopped bok choy. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook in a wok or high-sided pan until browned and just crispy. Drain fat and return to pan. Add the bok choy, salt, pepper and garlic powder and toss until bok choy is wilted and soft. Serve over rice.

SO GOOD!

*Notes: I put down about 6 pieces of bacon, but you can add as much or as little as you like, depending on your definition of "healthy". But let's not get into that here...my point is that the bacon flavor is really what makes this dish. We use a bacon that has no added nitrites/nitrates and crisps up nicely. Great for a busy weeknight.

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins

by Ashley and Caleb

OK! I know that all I post are breakfast recipes, but when you're trying to minimize your wheat intake, eggs or smoothies in the morning get old really fast.

Remember how you made that awesome oatmeal and then saved the leftovers? Here's what you do:

1 ¼ cup almond flour (or 1 cup flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup coconut oil (or melted butter)
1/3 cup maple syrup 
3 eggs, lightly beaten (reduce to 2 eggs if using wheat flour)
1 cup leftover oatmeal 
1 cup raisins (optional) 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine coconut oil, eggs, oatmeal, syrup, raisins and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide between lined muffin cups. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

*Notes: These are very moist muffins so I keep reducing and reducing the amount of coconut oil. A little less than a 1/4 cup will usually do. Because they are so moist, these muffins freeze really well.

Overnight Oatmeal

by Ashley and Caleb

This is a method that I got from the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. This book is really thick, with all sorts of science and history along with recipes, which makes it a very interesting read. We have found some real gems.

Here is why we started preparing oatmeal this way: Grains contain phytic acid which can combine in the intestines with calcium, iron, zinc, etc. and actually block the absorption of these essential minerals and other nutrients. Soaking the oatmeal allows enzymes to break down and neutralize the acid. Also, it tastes good.

Long explanation over. Here is the recipe.

1 C rolled or cracked oats
1 C warm water PLUS 2 tbs. plain yogurt, keifer, whey, or buttermilk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 C filtered water

Combine oats with warm water and yogurt mixture, cover and place in a warm place overnight or for at least 7 hours. The next morning, bring an additional 1 C water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the soaked oats, stir, remove from heat and let stand a few minutes. Serve with butter and honey.


*A few notes: This DOES taste different than the oatmeal you're used to, but give it a few times, and you won't want to go back. It cooks up very smoothly and quickly (unlike untreated oatmeal, which takes FOREVER to cook) and I prefer it now. It took me some time to get used to thinking about breakfast before I went to bed, but it's nice to have a hot breakfast ready in five minutes in the morning. We like to put raisins and Grade B maple syrup in place of the honey. DELICIOUS. Make extra and stick it in the fridge and I'll show you what to do with it in another post.

Mango Sauce Lettuce Wraps

Filling:

Collard or any kind of lettuce Leaf
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Bell Pepper, any color
Chopped Lettuce or cabbage or filler of your choice

Sliced Cucumber

Any other veggies of your choice

Mango Sauce:

1 Cup Chopped Mango (if using frozen then add an extra date)

1 Tbsp. Tahini (raw, or roasted)
1 Pitted Medjool Date

1 Teaspoon (approx) chopped scallions/chives

1 Leaf Sage, or you can use 1 teaspoon of dry.

2 Leaves Basil, or you can use 2 teaspoons of dry. 

Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth.

Spread sauce on lettuce leaf, add veggies, roll into a wrap and dip it in the extra sauce. Devour!

This is soooo Yummy! 

We also use this sauce as a salad dressing. You can use it for practically anything you want, even a fruit dip. It's THAT good!

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

Base:
Shredded Carrot
Shredded Zucchini
Shredded Cucumber

You can use any one of these vegetables or a combination. Put shredded veggie in a strainer and drain the juice if you don't want it so watery.

Put shreds into a bowl and Mix in desired amount of the following:
Salsa
Chopped Cilantro
Lime Juice
Diced Avocado
Optional: A little bit of guacamole or taco seasoning.

Spoon Mixture into a Lettuce Leaf and Enjoy!
You can also use this as a salad topping or however you want. We like to make them into lettuce wraps but they are definitely messy :)

Bananas with Date Caramel Sauce

Rich delicious dessert, a healthy alternative to puddings and trifles

Slice banana rounds in to a bowl, make sure they are ripe bananas for best flavor.

Blend (or Magic Bullet) 4-5 dates with just enough water for it to blend, should be a thick creamy sauce, or continue to add water to desired consistency.   You can add a dash of vanilla for a more caramel flavor.

Add none or whatever fruit on top for more tastebud excitement.

Pour sauce over bananas.  Devour!!

Swimming Mangoes

Swimming Mangoes is a refreshing breakfast/dessert/anytime snack!

2 cups of chopped mango (we used Champagne mangoes but any kind will work)
1 YOUNG thai coconut, just use the water and not the jelly/meat ( here's how to open, its a lot easier than you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THEdI_gSNQ4 )


Put the chopped mango into a bowl and pour coconut water over them.
Devour!!

**Use the meat in our zuchinni pad thai recipe.

Orange Honey Glaze for Squash

Jeff and Leah
 
I love this recipe because you can prep everything ahead of time!  Then it will only take a few minutes to cook the squash and heat the glaze.  WALLAH!  Serve with a cool salad.  So good!

 Credit Food Blogga

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking pan with tinfoil (for easy clean up).  Cut the squash in half, seed and slice into 1 inch thick slices.  Brush the flesh of the squash with olive oil, and roast flesh side down for 30-35 minutes , or until tender.

Glaze:

2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Shallot, diced (or half a small onion)
3 T Honey
2 T Water
2 tsp Lime/Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Rice Vinegar
2 T Orange Juice
2 tsp Orange  Zest
2 tsp Fresh Minced Ginger
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
Salt to Taste
1/4 Roasted Sunflower Seeds ( I did Roasted Sesame Seeds)

* In a small skillet over medium heat, add 2 tsp Olive Oil.  Add Shallots/Onions  and saute until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

* In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT sunflower seeds.  Whisk until smooth.

* Just before  you're ready to serve the squash, add the sauce to the pan of sauteed shallots.  Heat on medium until the sauce begins to bubble and becomes lightly syrupy, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and drizzle over the cooked squash, sprinkle with seeds, serve immediately. 

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake
Jeff and Leah

This was really important for me to find, I was really wanting chocolate cake, but I didn't want the white flour and sugar that always comes with it.  Thankfully I found a pretty good recipe at Whole Grain Gourmet and tweaked it a little.

First of all, it's important to use cake flour.  If you don't have cake flour, don't worry! I found this awesome way to make your own.  Go here, and do this! Make your own cake flour.  Also I  have used two sweeteners, honey and maple syrup.  Maple syrup was awesome and honey was gross.

Here is what I did for the cake.


Ingredients:

2 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
1 1/2 cups sifted Organic Whole Wheat/Spelt Cake Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Salt
1/4 cup Butter, softened at room temperature OR Coconut Oil
1 1/4 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
2 Eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Sour Cream OR Coconut Milk (use the fat not the liquid)
1/2 Boiling Water

Preparation:

* Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9" cake pan.  <----THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!
* Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
* Melt the chocolate and then allow it to cool slightly.  Be careful not to allow it to harden.
* Beat the butter and sweetener together for two minutes.  Add the eggs and beat for an additional two minutes.  Beat in the vanilla and cooled chocolate.
* Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture in approximate thirds, alternating each time with 1/4 cup of the sour cream.
* Stir in the boiling water.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
* Bake for 23 minutes. DO NOT over bake this cake!!! Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

I have made this with whipping cream and on it's own and both were amazing!  I don't need anything on this to make it great, but the whipping cream with strawberries or raspberries!

Cauliflower French Fries

Cauliflower French Fries

By Jeff and Leah

I made these yummy "french fries" the other day with Anna Lisa's delicious Veggie Pita and Jeff and I have never looked back!

Once again we must give credit where credit is due.....
Delighted Momma is a fabulous place and I couldn't get off the computer!

When I think of a crunchy salty snack... chips, french fries and carb loaded goodies (everything I have been craving this pregnancy but resisting) come to mind. I recently heard about cauliflower poppers and I knew I had to try them.

I have said before that I am not a big fan of raw cauliflower (yucky) but after I made skinny mashed potatoes using cauliflower I knew it was my new favorite lo-carb substitute.

What you will need:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
  
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut the cauliflower up into small pieces.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower pieces and thoroughly coat each piece.
4. Place cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for one hour and turn 3 times during cooking until each piece has a nice brown coloring. The browner they are the better.
   
5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Make them! Dip them, OR NOT!  They are that good!

LARA BARS

Making LARA BARS
By Jeff and Leah

I totally ripped this off word for word from

Enlightened Cooking

the only credit I take are the few LARA BAR combos I made up.

Very Cherry Bars (use as a template for almost any combination) LARA BARS use a multi-layer package that keeps out UV light and oxygen, which, in turn, maintains freshness without the use of preservatives. I use plain old plastic wrap and my refrigerator, then pop one in my bag when I’m ready to go.

1/4 cup chopped dates (roughly chopped whole fresh dates; see my note about pre-chopped below)
1/4 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/3 cup whole pecans, almonds or walnuts
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Set out two pieces of plastic wrap for shaping and wrapping the bars. Do this first; you’ll have sticky fingers when you need it.

Place the dates and cherries in a food processor. Pulse until processed to a paste (photo 1). Transfer paste to a medium bowl (don’t clean processor).

Add the nuts to the processor and pulse until finely chopped (photo 2). Add the nuts, along with the cinnamon, to the bowl with the fruit paste (photo 3). Use your fingers to knead the nuts into the paste (just keep squishing, it’s fun; brings back memories of play-dough; see photo 4).
.
Divide mixture in half. Place each half on each of one of the sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around each bar and start squishing into a bar shape form, 3 and 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 3/4-inch thick); press against countertop to flatten bottom side, flattening top side and ends with flat of hand (photo 5) Tightly wrap the plastic around each bar and store in the refrigerator. Makes 2 bars.
.
Nutrition per Serving (1 bar): Calories 207; Fat 9.4 g (sat .8g, mono 5.2g, poly 3.1g); Protein 3.9g; Cholesterol 0mg; Carbohydrate 24.9g; Sodium 0.4mg. (Note: I did the nutrition analysis using Diet Analysis Plus 7.0.1)

Note about using pre-chopped dates: Pre-chopped dried dates are much cheaper than whole dates, and sometimes are the only option available at the supermarket, depending on where you live. However, they are typically coated with oat flour (to prevent sticking), and sometimes a bit of sugar, too. They are too dry and hard to work as is in this recipe, but with a bit of tweaking, they will work just fine. To make them usable for larabar purposes, place them in a small bowl and cover with warm water (not hot or boiling water; this will make them turn to mush). Let stand 3 to 5 minutes until softened; then drain and pat dry. Not only will this soften the dates, it will remove any oat flour and/or sugar).


A Few Ideas for Variations:

Apricot-Almond: Use 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried apricots and 2 tablespoons date (to measure 1/2 cup total); use almonds for the nuts. (Made this and it is delicious.  I am eating it and typing, I added cashews, half and half) 
Tropical: Use tropical fruit bits (these come pre-packaged at the supermarket); use raw cashews for the nuts. Add 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, and 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice to the mix.

PB & J (cheap and delicious!): Use 1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries and 1/4 cup raisins or dates; use raw or roasted peanuts (lightly salted or unsalted) for the nuts.

Blueberry Bliss: Use 1/4 cup dried blueberries and 1/4 cup dates; use almonds for the nuts. Add 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, and a drop of almond extract to the mix.

Cashew Cookie Dough: Reverse the proportions of fruit to nuts--Use 1/3 cup dates for the fruit and 1/2 cup raw cashews for the nuts.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Same as cashew cookie dough, but add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of cinnamon and 1/2 ounce very finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate to the mix. (I made this and it is amazing how much it tastes like cookie dough! WOW! YUMMY!)
Pistachio Heaven: Same as cashew cookie dough, but use raw pistachios and add a tiny drop of almond extract.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough: Same as cashew cookie dough but use raw or roasted (lightly salted) peanuts for the nuts.

LEAH'S BARS

Okey-Dokey family and friends, these are some combos I made up and seriously just make this!

I love roasted nuts and so I cheated and made some non raw bars.... I don't know if I like them BETTER but they do feel more like a dessert and make me happy.

Dating your almonds: Use 1/2 cup dates and 1/3 cup roasted almonds! DONE! :)

Nutty Coconuts: Use 5 dates, 1/4 cup plus coconut, 1/3 cup raw cashews, 5-8 roasted almonds.

And my crowning achievement!  SOOOO GOOOOOD!

Apple Pie: Use 4 dates, 1/4 cup dried apples, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/3 cup roasted almonds. (If you want to be really cheaty add a drizzle of maple syrup or sprinkle of sucanat)

But seriously people, just start mixing your favorite fruit nut combos and you will be surprised at how good everything is!  (But by doing so you must promise to SHARE!)

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

by Ashley and Caleb

Once I was making taco soup and randomly didn't have any taco seasoning...? So I jumped online and found this recipe at Allrecipes. I tried it and I will never go back to the packaged, full-of-odd-ingredients-and-preservatives seasoning again.

*Note: It is a little spicy, so I usually reduce the amount of chili powder and red pepper flakes.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 Tbs. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Combine and revel in its ease and awesomeness.

"Alfredo-Marinara" Sauce

so this sauce is very versatile and you can add other stuff you like to it, this is just your basic formula. use this to top your pasta or spaghetti squash or use it as a sauce for your pizza if you aren't eating cheese, because it has a "cream" or "cheese" flavor to it.

in a blender add:
1-1 1/2 C. of nuts (walnut-cashew-pine nut)
1-2 cans of diced tomatoes (juice and all)
1 clove of garlic
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil (or you can use fresh if you have it)
2 T of braggs (if you are cutting down your salt intake) or "salt to taste"

blend on high till smooth and creamy. obviously you can add more tomato if you want it more tomato-y or less thick. you can also throw in bell peppers or onions ect. if you want.

Pumpkin Bread

By Jeff and Leah (adapted from The Kind Life)

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 25min
Total Time: 1 hr 45 min

Serving: 2 loafs

1 cup chopped Almonds
3 1/2 cup Whole Grain Flour
2 cup Maple Syrup ( Remember it is TWO loafs, but I have cut down to 1 1/2)
2/3 cup Honey (brown rice syrup)
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2  tsp. Ground Ginger
2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 cup Coconut Oil
2/3 cup Coconut Milk
2/3 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and Flour baking loaf pans.
2. Spread chopped almonds in a single layer and broil till browned and smell awesome.
3. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients BUT Coconut and Nuts. In medium bowl combine wet ingredients and mix WELL. 
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold in flaked coconut and almonds.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out CLEAN  (this is important) Remove from oven, and cover loaves tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes.  Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack.  Tent loosely with the foil, and allow to cool completely.

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

by Ashley and Caleb

Ok. So I miss baked goods. Sue me. I went in search of a way to use up our copious amounts of canned pumpkin and came across some good flour-free recipes. And some not-so-good ones. But this is one of the good ones. Adapted from the Frisky Lemon blog, who in turn adapted it from Caveman Food. So there you have it. I have given credit where credit is due.

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup. When these are combined, add pumpkin. Add cranberries and pecans. Divide batter evenly into lined muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. I can never tell if these are done, so good luck! Ha ha. Just kidding. Kind of. If the toothpick comes out mostly clean, they are done.

Advice: Don't use less than 1/4 cup maple syrup. I tried. Just trust me on this. You can sure add more if you want though. I highly recommend lining the tin (as opposed to greasing it) as these are very hard to get out in once piece. Also, sometimes I throw some 80% dark chocolate chunks in there in place of the cranberries. Delicious.

Coconut Banana Pancakes

by Ashley and Caleb

This is a recipe that I adapted from the Green Kitchen Stories blog. The term "pancake" is used loosely at best, but these are great when you're trying to avoid flour or eat up very ripe bananas. We have tried topping them various ways (more coconut and blueberries on top, barely sweetened whipped cream, etc) but honestly they are sweet enough that we just dollop some grass-fed butter on and call it good. These are very filling, and our kids love them.

Coconut Banana Pancakes
3 bananas
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
3/4 cup blueberries (frozen)
1 tbsp cinnamon
coconut oil

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Whip eggs and mix with bananas. Add coconut. This next step is very important, so pay attention: let the coconut soak in the banana/egg mixture for at least ten minutes. Caleb and I tried just whipping it all right up and cooking it, but the coconut was still pretty crunchy even after cooking. We noticed that the later batches of pancakes had a better consistency. If crunchy coconut doesn't bother you (or you're in a hurry) just skip this step. Add the blueberries and cinnamon and cook on medium heat in coconut oil (or butter! We love butter!). These do not flip like flour pancakes, so it's best to keep your cakes small- ours are usually about a 1/4 cup.

Enjoy!

the VEGGIE pita

the first time i had this Salani brought it down for me and i didn't even look at what was in it i just ate it and devoured the whole thing in about two minutes flat. afterwards i went to ask her how she made it and said to myself "whaaaaat...? weird" but just trust me it tastes great and is a way for me to help me get in my pound of fresh veggies in every day cause you can stuff this thing with as many veggies as you can.

1 whole grain pita (we use the whole wheat kind from buy low 1$ a pack and really yummy)
olive oil mayo (be generous, i don't like mayo but in this sandwich it tastes way better if you are generous)
Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard (be liberal with this as well)
ketchup (yes weird i know but trust me)
Italian herb seasoning (if you don't have this blend I've used plain oregano and it work just as good)
pepper
red onion-chopped finely (if you don't like onions i can't promise this sandwich is for you, be generous)
sliced tomato
avocado (sometimes i can't afford or just don't have one available and you can leave it out and it's still good)
cucumber slices
sprouts (again optional, but it's really yummy with them)
spinach
romaine lettuce

warm or lightly toast the pita, them slather on all the dressings (i start with mayo then mustard, then ketchup) then add the pepper and the herbs so they stick evenly, then the onions so they'll stick evenly too. Then add the rest of the veggies and chow down!

"Recipe" for me and Emily

So i don't know if anyone will ever use our recipes (well, ok, we don't really have recipes :)  because they are so simple; for instance:

Yummy Tangerine Lunch:
Buy a 3 lb bag of Tangerines from Winco for 1.98 (way good deal right now!)
Peel tangerines, we will usually eat an entire bag each!
.....consume while reveling in the Master Chef's (God) creations

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp

Jeff and Leah

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

So first of all I cut up apples.  Make a nice thick layer. Drizzle some maple syrup over it, and I added some apple sauce because my apples were dry.

Topping

Magic Bullet some almonds, till it looks like you have enough to top it, I did some more roughly to add some volume to the crisp. Add about HALF as much cashews and magic bullet that roughly.
Mix it with some oats, I did about half nuts and half oats. 
Take some coconut oil and mix it in till it seems like the consistency of regular apple crisp.
Add about two tablespoons of maple syrup, add some unsweetened coconut.
Then I added cloves, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.

TASTE AS YOU GO AND ADD MORE SPICES ACCORDINGLY.

At the end I was worried it wouldn't be sweet enough and I drizzled some syrup over the top. In the end I don't know if it was necessary.

1. Sprinkle nut mixture evenly over the apples
2. Cover dish with tin foil
3. Bake till you can see the apples bubbling
4. Remove tin foil and let nuts start to brown, and poke your apples with a fork and make sure they are soft.
5. You can serve warm with coconut ice cream or my yummy coconut whipping cream!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

I am obviously pretty excited... I got this recipe off of Annie's Eats, and changed it..... Of course.........
 It turned out pretty good, I would have cooked it longer then I did, make sure the toothpicks come out clean. 

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins



Jeff and Leah

yield: about 18 muffins

Bake: 350 degrees

1 3/4 cups Whole Grain Flour ( I love spelt in desserts, it is so fluffy)
1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Salt
2 tbsp Applesauce
 3/4 cup Maple Syrup (or honey, or brown rice syrup)
2 Large Eggs
1 cup Mashed Banana
6 tbsp Peanut Butter ( I wished I'd added more)
1 cup Coconut Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare your muffin tin
3. In medium mixing bowl combine dry ingredients
4. In large mixing bowl whisk together wet ingredients
5. Pour dry ingredients slowly into wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
6. Divide evenly between muffin tin. 
7. Bake 18-20 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool in pan 5-10 min then transfer to wire rack to cool.

I didn't let them cool enough and I didn't cook them long enough, so do that. :)  Also her recipe called for brown sugar instead of maple syrup and buttermilk instead of coconut milk.  So depending on your needs feel free to try the other ingredients.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

So I started this blog so we can share all the delicious and healthy recipes we have been discovering on our quest for health.  So cheesy I couldn't help myself  :)

So I figured as we found some awesome recipes that were tried and true we could add them here and then others could enjoy!  Feel free to adapt and comment if you found a way you liked it better.  I just don't want to get stuck in a rut and I figure if we are all discovering good tasting awesomeness why wouldn't we share it?

I will start:

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Jeff and Leah

Makes about 4-6 Servings

2 LARGE sweet potatoes, about 2 lbs
1/4 c vinaigrette dressing (I used Newman's Own Olive Oil it has no sugar!)
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
1/2 c sliced green onions
2-3 T thinly sliced Fresh Basil
2 tsp Fresh Thyme
1/2 c crumbled Feta

Preheat oven 425 degrees.

1. Cube potatoes and toss in the vinaigrette till coated.
2. Lay on a cookie sheet and bake until the potatoes are starting to get soft.
3. Switch the oven to a low broil and add green onions and fresh herbs
4. Finish broiling till potatoes have finished and are soft all the way through and slightly crispy on the outside.
5. Remove from oven and add feta, toss while still warm.

I have made this recipe with dried herbs, not as good, but still delish!

You can serve on a bed of fresh salad and just add more of the same dressing to the bed of lettuce and top with the sweet potatoes.  Seriously suprising how yummy this is!