Paleo

Paleo Carrot Cupcakes

by

Happy Easter, friends!

I absolutely love spring. It has been beautiful here the past few days and getting outside for soccer games and walks around the neighborhood is so good for my soul! Easter is also one of my favorite holidays, maybe because its spring and also, I think, because the focus is on faith and enjoying time together rather than all of the other trappings that makes some other holidays so hectic and stressful.

Today I have a new recipe for you that is perfect for your Easter celebration this weekend and a book recommendation.

Paleo Carrot Cupcakes

Paleo Carrot Cupcakes

When our daughter turned one, I wanted to make carrot cake cupcakes for her birthday. Of course they had to be gluten and dairy free, but I also wanted them to be free of refined sugar and oils and as healthful as I could make them. I looked at dozens of recipes and none were quite what I wanted. So I used all of my healthy baking tricks and created these. They were a big hit with the whole family. So much so that I made them again for my husband’s birthday a month later and for Juliette’s 2nd birthday as well.

These cupcakes are so healthful, high protein and nutrient dense they could easily be breakfast muffins. Without the icing, they are completely free of any refined sugar. For moist, delicious and nutritious muffins, add in the walnuts and golden raisins and skip the icing. Shhh …. don’t tell my family they’re really super healthy muffins, they think they’re getting cupcakes.

Since I was making these for birthday “cupcakes” and now an Easter treat, I did add icing with powdered sugar to make them a bit more fun and festive, but that is completely optional.

The maple icing is my dairy-free version of a buttercream icing and its delicious with these cupcakes. I love to top them with carrot & walnuts too, but that isn’t necessarily my kiddos favorite. So eat them plain, iced, or with whatever toppers you and yours will enjoy!

Paleo Carrot Cupcakes

Might I suggest, if you are looking for a delicious, fun and healthful treat for your Easter brunch these might be the perfect thing. They will be making an appearance at our house next weekend!

If you’re looking for other Easter treats, you might also consider my Buckwheat Brownies (gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar and oil free) or these amazing little Salted Caramel Almond Clusters.

Lessons from The Blue Zones

The past few weeks I’ve been reading a book called The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner. Buettner and a team of researchers have spent years finding and researching places around the world with extraordinarily high concentrations of centenarians. They have found five such “Blue Zones” and Buettner tells stories of the centenarians he has met in each of the Blue Zones and outlines the diet and lifestyle factors which appear to contribute to the health and longevity of people of these regions. It’s a fascinating read for anyone interested in healthy living. The amazing thing is not just the longevity of the people of these regions, but their health as they age. He tells stories of 80 or 90 year olds he mistakes for 60. And they continue to be very active, walking every day, working in their farms, vineyards and gardens, caring for grandchildren and great-grandchildren, spending time with friends and family and contributing their communities well into their 80s, 90s and 100s.

Here are some of the common factors which appear to increase both the life span and more importantly, the health span of people in these regions:

  1. Move more — Stay active! Intentional exercise is wonderful, but just adding more movement to your every day life appears to make a big difference. Walk more. Park at the back of the parking lot and walk further to the store or office. If you work at a desk all day, get up and walk around the office for five minutes every hour. Climb stairs. Ride a bike. Garden. Play a recreational sport. Stretch while you’re watching tv in the evenings. Do yoga. Do isometrics while you’re standing in line at the grocery store. Chase your kids or grand kids around. The healthiest people don’t sit still and continue to stay active as they age.
  2. Eat less — Okinawans say “hara hachi bu“ before every meal–a Confucian-inspired adage that is a reminder to stop eating when their stomachs are 80% full. We tend to eat until we’re full. Okinawans eat until they are no longer hungry. This is a significant difference. As one researcher notes, “We gain weight insidiously, not stuffing ourselves, but eating a little bit too much each day–mindlessly.” (Buettner at 271) As a result of this attitude, people in each of the Blue Zones tend to consume fewer calories every day. Reducing calorie intake has been shown in many studies to prolong life, and an expanding waistline correlates with an increase in almost every western disease including heart disease and diabetes.
  3. Eat a whole food, plant based diet — In addition to eating fewer calories, people in the Blue Zones also eat nutritionally dense, real unprocessed foods, rather than the calorie-dense and nutritionally deficient foods commonly found in the western world. Each of these cultures also eat a very limited amount of meat. Strict Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, California (the only American Blue Zone) are vegetarians. The other Blue Zones traditionally only had access to meat on rare occasions and reserved it for Sundays or holidays. Traditional Sardinians, Nicoyans and Okinawans eat what they produce in their gardens, supplemented by duram wheat (Sardinians), sweet potato (Okinawans) or maize (Nicoyans). “[S]cientists analyzed six different studies of thousands of vegetarians and found that those that restrict meat are associated with living longer.” (Buettner at 275-76) Beans, whole grains, garden vegetables, fruit and nuts are the basis of all of these longevity diets. If/when you do eat meat, make sure it is from grass-fed or pastured, hormone and antibiotic free animals. When it comes to animal products, spend your grocery dollars on quality, rather than quantity.
  4. Have a purpose — Okinawans call it ikigai and the Nicoyans of Costa Rica call it plan de vida. Both phrases translate essentially as “why I wake up in the morning”. An 11 year study of people ages 65-92 found that individuals who had a strong sense of purpose, a goal in life, both lived longer and were sharper and higher functioning than those who did not. This may be as simple as caring for grand children or a hobby you enjoy. Volunteerism–helping others–is also important to feelings of fulfillment and healthful aging. Exercising your brain by learning a new language or doing things that are novel and complex has also been shown to decrease memory loss and may decrease risk of Alzheimer’s. (Buettner at 281)
  5. Relieve stress — Its so important to our health to find time and ways to slow down, relieve stress and increase our serenity and people in the Blue Zones all seem to do this well. Sardinians pour into the streets every day at 5 pm to socialize with their friends and neighbors. Nicoyans take a break every afternoon to rest and socialize. Traditional Okinawans each have a group of life-long friends called a “moai” that they visit with every evening before dinner. For Adventists, Saturday Sabbath is an entire day when they stop their work, homework, sports and weekly activities. They spend the day focused on God, family and spending time in nature (which often includes a hike). All of this results in a greater sense of well-being and lower stress. (Buettner at 284) Chronically elevated stress hormones causes chronic inflammation, which accelerates aging and increases our risk of all of the so-called “age-related” diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and even cancer.
  6. Belong to a faith community — Centenaries in the Blue Zones are all people of faith. Studies have shown that attending religious services make a difference in how long a person lives. One study found those who attended religious services at least once a month reduced their risk of death by about a third, an impact about as great as that of moderate physical exercise. Faith in God and a higher purpose lowers stress levels and promotes peace. “It appears that people who pay attention to their spiritual side have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, depression, stress and suicide and their immune system seems to work better.” (Buettner at 288)
  7. Make Family a Priority — Centenarians in the Blue Zones “tended to marry, have children, and build their lives around that core. Their lives were imbued with familial duty, ritual, and a certain emphasis on togetherness.” (Buettner at 290-91) “By the time centenarians become centenarians, their lifelong devotion produced returns: Their children reciprocate their love and care. Their children check up on their parents, and in four of the five Blue Zones, the younger generation welcomes the older generation into their homes. Studies have found that elders who live with their children are less susceptible to disease, eat healthier diets, have lower levels of stress, and have a much lower incidence of serious accidents.” (Buettner at 291) Another study found that elders who live with their families had much sharper mental and social skills.

These are not isolated factors, but tend to go hand in hand. For example, moving more, faith in God or a higher power and close relationships with family all help to relieve stress. I highly recommend reading the stories of fascinating centenarians from around the world and I think you will be inspired to adopt a longevity lifestyle too.

Buona Pasqua! A blessed Easter to you and yours. I hope you each enjoy this special time with nourishing and delicious food and, just as importantly, make the time to nourish your body, mind and soul by connecting with your faith, family, friends and getting outside to enjoy God’s beautiful creation.

XOXO,

Kristi

Print Recipe

Paleo Carrot Cupcakes (gluten free, dairy free, refined oil & sugar free)

These nutrient dense and delicious carrot cupcakes are make the perfect healthful Easter treat or first birthday cupcakes. Free of gluten, dairy and refined oils.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories: 355kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe banana mashed well with a fork (1/2 cup)
  • 4 oz. unsweetened organic applesauce
  • 1 c. grated carrots I have also used pulp from my carrot, orange and ginger juice
  • 1 c.
  • almond butter
  • 1/4 c.
  • coconut oil
  • , melted I put a glass jar in the oven while it preheats to melt the coconut oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 T
  • pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 c.
  • almond flour
  • 1 tsp.
  • baking soda
  • 1 tsp.
  • sea salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 c. golden raisins optional add-in
  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts optional add-in
  • Dairy Free Maple "Butter"Cream Icing
  • 1 c.
  • Nutiva Shortening
  • I have also used 1/2 c. coconut oil and 1/2 c. palm shortening
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line muffin tins to hold 18 muffins.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients in the order listed. Add the golden raisins and walnuts if desired. Mix until well combined.
  • Scoop batter into greased or lined muffin pan, filling each cup 3/4 of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until cupcakes are golden and baked through. Cool completely.
  • While cupcakes are cooling, make the icing. Combine the shortening and 2 cups powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Add maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Mix until combined, adding more powdered sugar as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Ice completely cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Heart Healthy Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad

by

I love to add a big dose of nutrition to my day by having a big green salad for lunch. We also have a green salad with our dinner nearly every single night. Usually its simple — lettuce or greens, maybe with some tomatoes. But sometimes I like to do something different and this salad is the perfect start to a special dinner. 

This is my copy cat version of Biaggi’s Honey Roasted Beet &.Arugula Salad, which is one of my favorite things to order there. (By the way, gluten free friends, Biaggi’s has a really good gluten free menu!) The avocado and goat cheese add just the right amount of healthy fats and creaminess to balance out the peppery arugula and the sweetness of the beets and crunch of the pecans rounds it out perfectly. And every single thing in it is so good for you!

Arugula

Arugula is a cruciferous vegetable in the same family as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale. Like all cruciferous vegetables, arugula is a nutritional powerhouse. Two cups of arugula  provides 20 percent of vitamin A, over 50 percent of vitamin K, and 8 percent of vitamin C, folate and calcium needs for the day. 

Along with other leafy greens (and beets!), arugula contains very high levels of naturally occurring nitrates (more than 250 milligrams/100 grams), which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is the natural blood pressure medication produced by the body’s own internal pharmacy when we eat right and exercise. Nitric oxid helps to relax and dilate your blood vessels which improves blood flow, muscle oxygenation and athletic performance and lowers blood pressure. 

Eating large amounts of cruciferous vegetables has long been associated with a lower risk of cancer, in part because they contain a sulfur-containing compound  called sulforaphane. These compounds give arugula its peppery bite and may also give it its cancer-fighting power. Researchers have found that sulforaphane can inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC), known to be involved in the progression of cancer cells. The ability to stop HDAC enzymes makes foods containing sulforaphane a powerful part of cancer prevention and could make them an important part of a holistic cancer treatment plan as well.  

Beets

Beets are high in fiber, vitamin C, folate and essential minerals like potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (which is good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas). 

Like arugula, beets help improve circulation and lower blood pressure due to their naturally occurring nitrates. As discussed above, these nitrates are converted into nitric oxide–a natural vasodilator. 

Beets are also a good source of betaine, a nutrient that helps protects cells from environmental stress. It’s known to help fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve risk factors for cardiovascular disease and enhance athletic performance.

According to Dr. Mercola, the powerful phytonutrients that give beets their deep color may also help to protect against cancer. Research has found that beetroot extract administered in drinking water reduced multi-organ tumor formations in various animal models. Beetroot extract is also being studied for use in treating human pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancer.

Roasting & peeling beets is easy. Just follow these instructions from thekitchn.com. Roast a bunch of beets at a time. They will keep in the refrigerator for a week, and you can use them for your salads for lunch or dinner throughout the week. Make sure you save your beet greens for another use. Beet greens and raw beets are also great additions to your morning green smoothie. 

Avocado

Avocados are one of my favorite foods. They are high in fiber and vitamins A, C,  K, B6, folate and choline. They have more potassium than a banana (!!) and also contain the minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and selenium. They are high in heart healthy monounsaturated fat, which actually promotes weight loss. Oleic acid, the main type of fatty acid in avocados, has been shown to reduce inflammation and have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer. Adding healthy fats like avocado, pecans and extra virgin olive oil to a salad promotes satiety, and when you feel satisfied you’re less likely to overeat or reach for a junk food snack later. 

Just reading all of this makes me want to eat this salad every single day. Nourishing your body has never tasted so good!

Dress the salad with a drizzle of good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a really good balsamic vinegar, if you have one. If you just have every day grocery store variety balsamic, that’s fine too. Make a simple balsamic reduction and keep it in the refrigerator to use all week and longer. It is delicious on salads or drizzled on roasted vegetables.

This salad is perfect for a satisfying and health promoting lunch, a light dinner or as a side or starter for a special occasion. I love it with gluten free Jovial spaghetti and Cousin Claudio’s Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce.

Blessings! 

Kristi 

Roasted Beet & Arugula Salad

Print Recipe

Heart Healthy Beet & Arugula Salad

Enjoy this amazingly delicious and health promoting salad as satisfying lunch or light dinner or as a start to a special meal!
Servings: 2 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS OR 4 SIDE SALADS
Calories: 220kcal

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups Arugula (or mixed greens if you prefer) (or 5 oz.)
  • 1 bunch (2-3) roasted beets (Heat oven to 400. Cut off leafy tops, scrub beats & wrap in foil. Place in oven on a baking sheet to catch juices. Roast 40-50 min or until tender when pricked with a fork. Let cool then peel off the skins and dice. I roast a bunch at a time and then keep them for salads and smoothes all week)
  • 1 Avocado, diced (Cut in half, remove pit, slice through the avocado in hatch marks/squares in the peel and then use a spoon to scoop it out)
  • 1 roll Goat cheese
  • 1/2 c Pecans, finely chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic Reduction

Instructions

  • Divide arugula between 2 plates for a main course or 4 plates for a starter or side salad portion.
  • Cut avocados in half around the pit, remove the pit and slice through the flesh of the avocado with a sharp knif. Use a spoon to scoop the slices out and divide evenly between the salads.
  • Slice or dice 2 beets and divide them between the salads. Add pecans and crumbled goat cheese, if using. Optionally, slice a log of soft goat cheese into 1/2 in thick slices and roll each slice in finely chopped pecans, pressing to get the pecans to adhere to the cheese. Place one slice of cheese on each salad.
  • Top your arugula or salad greens with the beets, avocado, and goat cheese rounds. Add more pecans if you like.
  • To make the balsamic reduction, pour the balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and add the honey or coconut sugar. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the balsamic is reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. The reduction will thicken a bit as it cools.
  • Drizzle each salad with extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic reduction and enjoy!
  • Enjoy!
    This makes one large main course serving or 2 side salads. Of course, adjust quantities to your taste.  

Sources for nutritional information:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282769.php

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

https://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado/

Eggplant Lasagna Stacks

by

My son LOVES eggplant and every year eagerly waits for it to be in season at the farm and start appearing at the farmers market. He loves Eggplant Parmesan, and I try to make my gluten and dairy free version for him once every season. But it is so time and labor intensive I don’t usually make it more than once. This year (after his Eggplant Parmesan) we are still enjoying an abundance of eggplant and he asked for eggplant lasagna. I couldn’t find a recipe I liked that met our dietary needs (half of us are gluten and dairy free) so I made up my own and it turned out to be a hit with the whole family.

eggplant-lasagna-stacks-collage

This sauce is one of our favorite tricks for dairy free cooking. Adding coconut milk or cream to tomato sauce makes it amazingly creamy and delicious and mimics the flavor you would get from ricotta cheese in a traditional lasagna or baked Italian dish.

I added the sausage because, well, my kids will eat just about anything with sausage in it. We use the Salt and Pepper ground pork sausage from Fischer Farms. With all meat, we focus on quality and enjoy it in moderation. Fisher Farms’ sausage is hormone and antibiotic free, from pastured pigs and completely nitrate and preservative free. And it adds amazing flavor. For me, its a good trade off for my kids enjoying eggplant, kale and all of the other goodness in this dish. If you prefer a vegetarian dish, just leave out the sausage and instead, add more kale and a few cloves of fresh chopped garlic to the caramelized onion and season generously with salt and pepper. It will still be delicious!

eggplant-lasagna-stacks

I still have fresh herbs growing in pots on my patio. I highly recommend growing your own herbs! It is so easy and such a huge help in making real food delicious, easy and affordable. Fresh herbs are too expensive in the grocery, don’t last long and I don’t always plan ahead enough to know what I’ll need. But I spend $10 to $20 on herbs in April or early May and I’m still picking from them now in early October. I love that I can just run outside and grab whatever I need, whenever I need it.

eggplant-lasagna-stacks2

I also used kale from my Tower Garden in this recipe. This is something else I cannot recommend highly enough! It makes it so easy to grow my own greens, herbs and other vegetables (all year around if you invest in grow lights!) and I can pick whatever I need, anytime. I pick kale or chard for my green smoothie almost every morning. You can’t get any easier, fresher or healthier than that!  You can learn more about the Tower Garden here, or if you are local and want to see mine you are welcome any time.

I’ve been experimenting with goat cheese for myself and my other dairy free family members. The proteins in goat cheese are much easier to digest than cow’s milk and much less inflammatory. So it is a good, more healthful alternative for some with dairy intolerance. Its totally optional here, but I sprinkled just a bit of goat cheese on half of our pan. We love it either way.

Find time to make these Eggplant Lasagna Stacks and enjoy with a big green salad!

And please comment below and let me know if you try it. I’d love to hear what you think!

Print Recipe

Eggplant Lasagna Stacks (Gluten & Dairy Free, Paleo)

My take on eggplant lasagna is gluten and dairy free but so full of flavor and nutrition you won't miss the noodles or the cheese! (vegan/vegetarian option)    
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 c. full fat canned coconut milk
  • 1 25 oz jar pasta sauce 2-1/2 cups (I used Aldi's organic brand)
  • 3-4 medium sized fresh eggplant choose eggplant that are firm and smooth with bright shiny skin
  • 2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1 onion diced
  • 5-6 kale leaves or spinach or chard
  • 20-25 Fresh basil leaves
  • Goat cheese optional

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Trim the top stem end off of your eggplant and cut into 1/4" slices with a mandolin or sharp knife. (I recommend a good mandolin for this, as it makes it so much quicker and easier and ensures your slices are the same thickness. I have this OXO Mandolin and love it! You will need 44-48 slices. In my casserole dish, I can fit 11-12 "stacks" with 4 slices of eggplant in each stack.) Rub the eggplant slices with olive oil, lay them in a single layer on baking sheets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast eggplant for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven.
  • While eggplant is roasting, combine coconut milk and pasta sauce in a small saucepan and warm it over low heat.
  • Combine onion and sausage in a skillet and cook over medium high heat until the sausage is browned and the onion is caramelized. While its cooking, chop the kale. Slice the leaves into thin ribbons and then cut up the ribbons into small bits. Add the kale to the sausage and onion mixture and stir until the kale is wilted. Remove from heat.
  • Spread a very thin layer (about 1/2 cup) of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan or a comparable size casserole dish (I use a 2 qt. Pampered Chef stoneware casserole dish and can fit 11-12 stacks, depending on the size of my eggplants).
  • Choose 11-12 of the largest eggplant slices and lay them in a single layer in on top of the sauce. (You want to start with the largest slices and with each layer, use the next largest so that you end up with the smallest slices on top of your stacks.)
  • Divide the sausage mixture into four parts and use one quarter of the mixture for each layer. Place a spoonful of the sausage mixture in the center of each eggplant slice. Tear 5-6 basil leaves into pieces and sprinkle on top of the eggplant and sausage mixture. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sauce over each stack. The stacks will not be completely covered with sauce.
  • Repeat this layering two more times: Top each stack with another slice of eggplant (using the largest slices of eggplant first) then top with the sausage mixture, torn basil leaves and 1/2 c. of sauce. Reserve 5-6 basil leaves to add as a garnish, just before serving.
  • After the fourth and final layer of eggplant, spoon the remaining sauce over the stacks. Then top with the last portion of the sausage mixture, spooning some on top of each stack.
  • Top with crumbled goat cheese, if desired.
  • Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Alternatively the dish can be refrigerated at this point and put back in the over before you're ready to serve.
  • Stack the remaining basil leaves and slice them into a thin julienne. When your Eggplant Lasagna Stacks are done, sprinkle them with fresh basil just before serving.
  • Enjoy!!

Notes

For a vegan/vegetarian option, simply omit the sausage and instead, to the caramelized onion add 12-15 leaves finely chopped kale, 3 cloves minced garlic and salt and pepper. Layer as instructed above.

Garlicky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

by

One of our favorite places is our local CSA, Seton Harvest, otherwise known as “the farm”. Of course we get amazing, locally grown, chemical free produce, usually harvested the day we pick it up. But its more than that. Going to the farm to pick up our weekly share, we get to escape our normal routine and stresses and breathe in the fresh country air; visit with friends; pet the dogs; feed the chickens; pick strawberries, fresh herbs, arugula, sungold tomatoes or whatever is in season and available for u-pick; hunt for caterpillars; chase butterflies; climb piles of mulch and make mazes out of bales of hale (yes that was us, sorry Joe and Julie!)

My big kids have practically grown up at the farm and it makes me so happy to see my youngest experiencing her first year running around the farm and loving it just as much as the rest of us do. Perhaps most of all, I LOVE that my kids know who grows their food and where it comes from (not just the supermarket!) and that they love things like eggplant and eagerly ask Farmer Joe when it will be in season and that they love to pick greens like arugula and sorrell and eat them on the drive home.

Garlicky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

One of our favorite places is our local CSA, Seton Harvest, otherwise known as “the farm”. Of course we get amazing, locally grown, chemical free produce, usually harvested the day we pick it up. But its more than that. Going to the farm to pick up our weekly share, we get to escape our normal routine and stresses and breathe in the fresh country air; visit with friends; pet the dogs; feed the chickens; pick strawberries, fresh herbs, arugula, sungold tomatoes or whatever is in season and available for u-pick; hunt for caterpillars; chase butterflies; climb piles of mulch and make mazes out of bales of hale (yes that was us, sorry Joe and Julie!)

My big kids have practically grown up at the farm and it makes me so happy to see my youngest experiencing her first year running around the farm and loving it just as much as the rest of us do. Perhaps most of all, I LOVE that my kids know who grows their food and where it comes from (not just the supermarket!) and that they love things like eggplant and eagerly ask Farmer Joe when it will be in season and that they love to pick greens like arugula and sorell and eat them on the drive home.

One of our favorite events at the farm is the annual sweet potato harvest, when we enjoy a beautiful fall evening of fellowship and digging sweet potatoes. Sadly, kid schedules haven’t allowed us to participate the last couple of years, so these pictures are a few years old, but we have been enjoying the labors of our fellow shareholders this week. When was the last time you dug up a sweet potato and then took it home and roasted it with fresh garlic (also fresh from the farm)? If you haven’t been so lucky, put it on your bucket list and find a time and place to experience this!

Even if you can’t harvest your own sweet potatoes, you can still make these sweet potatoes! This recipe is very loosely based on a recipe I found in Victoria magazine many years ago. I can’t tell you what issue or who the original author was but I do know it was a Thanksgiving recipe and it had crispy sage leaves on top. We’ve kept it simple, just sweet potatoes and fresh garlic, maybe a pinch of sea salt at the end if you think you need it. That’s it. And they are so good.

Garlicky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Whether you need a new sweet potato recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner or just a nutrient dense side dish for the next time you grill  — these will hit the spot. In a pinch, you can make them without the marinating time, but that is truly the secret to this recipe. Skip it and you will have perfectly fine roasted sweet potatoes. Plan ahead a bit and you will be rewarded with amazingly delicious, crispy potatoes infused with garlicky goodness.

One quick equipment note:  I highly recommend a good mandoline for this recipe and any others involving sliced vegetables. It makes quick work of the sweet potatoes here, and ensures that they are all the same thickness so they cook evenly and at the same speed. I have this OXO Mandoline and love it!

Print Recipe

Garlicky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These sweet potatoes are marinated in garlic and extra virgin olive oil and roasted to crispy golden perfection. So simple and yet so delicious!
Prep Time2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Use a mandoline to make this much easier and ensure your slices will be the same size and cook evenly.
  • Mince the garlic.
  • Put the sliced potatoes and garlic in a gallon size zip lock freezer bag. Add the olive oil. Zip the bag and then turn and massage the bag until the garlic and olive oil is distributed well. You want every slice of potato to be well coated, with some oil accumulating in the bottom of the bag. Lay the bag on one side and let it sit on the counter for at least 2 hours or in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. Turn the bag over a few times. This allows the olive oil to become infused with garlic flavor and gives the potatoes plenty of time to marinate in the garlic infused olive oil. The longer they marinate, the more flavor you will have.  
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Remove the potato slices from the bag and lay evenly in a single layer on 2 or 3 baking sheets. The slices can overlap a bit, but you don't want to pile them up or the potatoes will steam, rather than roast, and will be mushy not crispy. 
  • Roast for about 30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom of your oven part way through. At 20 minutes, start checking the potatoes. There is a very fine line between crispy potatoes and burnt potatoes. We like ours just this side of burnt. So it may seem a bit fussy, but I check them, remove any slices that are dark enough, and then put the pans back into the oven, checking every 2-3 minutes and repeating this procedure until they are all done perfectly. If you prefer not to fuss over your potatoes this much, just take them out when the first few are browned but not yet burned and the others are just beginning to turn golden brown around the edges or on the underside when you flip one over. They will be delicious either way! 

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

by

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

It’s fall!

I’m already seeing pumpkin everything, everywhere. So in honor of the first day of fall and one of my favorite times of year, I’m joining in the pumpkin love today.

You should absolutely jump on the pumpkin bandwagon this fall too. Not just because its delicious, but because pumpkin is packed full of nutrition. Pumpkin is very high in Vitamin A, one serving providing 245% RDA. It is also a good source of calcium, Vitamin C, several B vitamins (including folate) and a number of minerals including magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Spice Muffins

These amazingly moist and flavorful muffins are the perfect way to satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings with health promoting ingredients and without any sugar or other harmful ingredients.

They are free of gluten, dairy, sugar and refined oils. They are paleo and vegetarian, and can easily be made vegan as well by substituting flax eggs. They are high in protein due to the almond butter, almond meal and eggs. Use eggs from pastured chickens for a healthy dose of omega -3s. And they freeze well too. I love to keep these in the freezer to pull out and pop in the oven for a quick healthy weekday breakfast.

Treat yourself to some delicious, healthful, pumpkin-y goodness!

Print Recipe

Maple Pecan Pumpkin Spice Muffins (gluten & dairy free, paleo)

Ingredients

  • 1 very ripe banana mashed
  • 1 c.
  • Organic pumpkin purée
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 c.
  • Almond butter
  • 1/2 c.
  • Real maple syrup
  • 1 tsp.
  • Vanilla extract
  • 1 c.
  • Almond meal
  • 1 tsp.
  • Baking soda
  • 1 tsp. Unprocessed sea salt (I use
  • Celtic Sea Salt
  • or
  • Redmond Real Salt
  • )
  • 2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. Ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. Ground nutmeg

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin well with coconut oil or a bsking spray. If you prefer you can use paper or silicone muffin wrappers, but I really like these muffins with a bit of a crusty edge from baking directly in the pan.
  • Placed ripe, peeled banana in a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork.
  • Add the pumpkin purée and eggs and mix well. Add in the almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla, mixing until the batter is smooth and well combined.
  • Stir in the dry ingredients and spices and mix until combined.
  • Spoon into muffin tins,filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. You should have 18 muffins. Bake 20-22 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then carefully remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.
  • Enjoy your healthy pumpkin-y goodness!

Salted Caramel Almond Clusters

by

I love chocolate. I blame my mom (sorry, mom). And the days when she or one of my sisters or I would make a pan of brownies and my family would inhale the entire pan in record time. I am blessed to have a mom who loves to bake and our home always smelled of homemade bread, cookies and brownies.   

Now as a health coach and mom who works hard to feed my family nourishing foods that promote health, I still have absolutely no problem with a treat once in a while. But these days I try to choose my treats wisely. I try to choose treats that are delicious (never waste a treat on something mediocre!) and that completely satisfy my chocolate cravings or sweet tooth with healthful, real food ingredients and without harmful ingredients that sabotage our health like sugar, white flour, artificial flavors or colors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, processed oils and chemical preservatives.

These Salted Caramel Almond Clusters fit the bill perfectly.

Salted Caramel Almond Clusters

My family all loves these salty sweet treats but lets be honest:

I make them for me.  

Salted caramel, almonds and chocolate. Three of my favorite things all in one delicious little bite.

And the best part?

It’s all real food with just a very small amount of sugar in the chocolate chips. So you can enjoy them completely guilt free. As long as you don’t eat 10 or 12 at once. But I have to warn you they are pretty addicting so that is not out of the realm of possibility.

Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. You don’t need to fear the fat content of almonds, as they actually reduce hunger and promote weight loss.

Raw honey is a far healthier sweetener than processed white sugar. It doesn’t cause the same blood sugar spike or increase in insulin levels, and the glycemic effect is moderated even more when it’s paired with a healthy protein like in these little treats. According to Dr. Josh Axe, raw honey contains 22 amino acids, 27 minerals and 5,000 enzymes. Raw honey contains vitamins B6, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin. The bee pollen in raw honey helps improve immune function, fight infections and ward off seasonal allergies. Raw honey promotes antioxidant activity and a bit of raw honey at bedtime even improves sleep. You never want to heat raw honey as this destroys most of the health benefits.  

Dr. William Sears and Dr. Josh Axe both list dark chocolate as one of the top 10 highest antioxidant foods. Dark chocolate has an ORAC Score (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) of 21,000, and Dr. Axe places it third on his list of highest antioxidant foods behind only Goji berries and wild blueberries. Hooray!! We can enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate or a few dark chocolate chips as a healthful treat every single day. Milk chocolate obviously has more sugar added and fewer health benefits, which means we need to eat it in moderation and as a once in a while treat.

If you love your chocolate like I do, its also important to choose the purest and best quality chocolate you can. I personally love Enjoy Life chocolate chips, chunks and baking chocolate. Enjoy Life products are free of gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts and fillers. Perfect for those of us with food allergies. But even if we suddenly didn’t have food allergies, this chocolate is so good I doubt I would ever be able to switch back to anything else!                

Print Recipe

Salted Caramel Almond Clusters

These healthy little treats are amazing and satisfy your sweet tooth and chocolate cravings without any harmful ingredients! Enjoy completely guilt free!!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings: 36 Clusters
Author: Kristi Cirignano

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c raw honey
  • 1/4 c almond butter (make sure you use pure 100% almond butter with no sugar or other added ingredients. I prefer the fresh ground almond butter available locally at Fresh Market or at many natural grocery stores. I also sometimes order Kirkland Almond Butter from Amazon)
  • 1/2 tsp unprocessed sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 c whole almonds (I usually use roasted and salted almonds from Aldi in this recipe, if you use raw or unsalted Almonds I would increase the sea salt to 1 tsp.)
  • 1/2 c Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together the honey, almond butter, sea salt and vanilla.
  • Add almonds and stir until they are all coated.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using two spoons, drop spoonfuls of the caramel almond mixture into the parchment paper. I usually get about 36 clusters.
  • Put your baking sheet in the freezer while you melt the chocolate for the topping. 
  • In a small saucepan over VERY low heat, slowly melt the chocolate chips until the chocolate is smooth and will spread easily. Stir often to prevent burning. If your heat is too high, your chocolate will become thick so its important to use very low heat and be patient. As soon as your chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat.
  • Use a spoon to spread a bit of the melted chocolate onto each cluster.
  • Return the baking sheet to the freezer for 1-2 hours to let the clusters harden. Store Salted Caramel Almond Clusters in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy, as they will get soft and gooey at room temperature. 
  • Try not to eat them all at once! 

Notes

This recipe is adapted from Elana's Pantry . I have probably made these a hundred times since I found Elana's delicious Macadamia Caramel Clusters and have tried a dozen variations and methods. This is by far my favorite and the only way I make these delicious little treats now! Thank you for the inspiration, Elana!

 

Sources:

draxe.com/the-many-health-benefits-of-raw-honey

https://authoritynutrition.com/9-proven-benefits-of-almonds/

Sears, W., & Sears, M. (2010). Prime-time health: A scientifically proven plan for feeling young and living longer. New York: Little, Brown and Co.

http://draxe.com/top-10-high-antioxidant-foods/

Healthy School Lunches in Ten Minutes a Day

by

I recently read about a 2014 study that found home packed school lunches, as a whole, included more sugar, calories and unhealthy fats had lower nutritional value than school lunches. Wow! If this is true, we have some serious work to do, fellow lunch packing parents! I’ll admit packing school lunches is not my favorite activity. But it’s really important to me to feed my family foods that nourish their bodies and minds and we also have multiple food allergies, so its a necessity for us.

Our school lunches aren’t fancy, but they are filled with real whole foods that I feel good about feeding my kids. I’ve given you a quick reference list of the things on the rotation for my kids’ lunches. Read on below for my tips for getting this done quickly and easily. With a little planning ahead it really is possible to pack healthy, real food lunches in ten minutes a day!

I make most of our school lunches the night before. If I’m packing leftovers, I make lunches while I’m cleaning up from dinner so I only have to put food away once and I’m getting lunches packed at the same time. Then in the morning all I have to do is put the lunch containers in insulated lunch bags with a few ice packs. The biggest exception to this is soup–I heat it up and put it in thermoses in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast and it is still warm at lunch time.

I might have a bit of a problem with lunchbox containers. We have so many! But it helps keep the lunch packing process a bit more fun for me and I hope it keeps the kids from getting bored with their lunch options, too. We use the three compartment plastic EasyLunchBoxes and our Pottery Barn Kids bento boxes the most, but I also have several different Sistema containers. I really like their Lunch Cubes and Salad to Go containers and we use the Small Split for their morning snack.

Lunchbox collage

I generally follow the same basic formula: Main course (meat or another healthy protein/fat/whole grain), at least one fruit and at least one vegetable. Then I may add another side or two, depending on which lunch containers I’m using and whether I feel like they need more food.

I stock my freezer with things I can easily pull out and pop in a lunch container and they are thawed and ready to eat by lunchtime the next day.

  • When I make hamburgers, meatballs, or chicken for dinner I always make extra to freeze for lunches. I cut up chicken breasts into strips, grill them on a grill pan and freeze them for lunches. I always keep turkey meatballs and leftover hamburger patties in the freezer. My kids will happily eat any of these cold. I used to cut rounds of bread with a biscuit cutter and make cute little hamburger sliders with lettuce and cheese, but they prefer just the plain patty, which doesn’t seem quite as fun but I won’t complain because it makes my job easier. If possible, buy hormone and antibiotic free meat from grass fed/pastured animals. In addition to avoiding the hormones and antibiotics, pastured meat is much higher in omega-3 fatty acids and you get the benefit of the nutrition from all of the greens the animals eat. We buy our meat directly from Fischer Farms, a wonderful local family farm. I love knowing where my meat comes from and that it was raised humanely and healthfully.
  • Protein Muffins — I love to freeze these super healthy and delicious Grain Free Banana Protein Muffins from One Lovely Life for breakfasts and lunches. I make the recipe exactly as written except that I make 18 standard size muffins. These Flourless Chocolate Muffins were also on my list this week. Like the banana muffins, they are high in protein, have no flour, sugar or refined oils and they are so good.  You will never know they are made of chickpeas. My kids think they’re getting a chocolate cupcake in their lunches.
  • This week I also made and froze 24 Mini Pizzas. I use Food for Life sprouted grain hamburger buns or English muffins (for my gluten eaters) and for my gluten free kiddos either Food for Life gluten free English muffins or Udi’s whole grain gluten free hamburger buns. I lay the bun or muffin halves face up on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, top with organic pasta sauce and cheese (or Diaya non-dairy cheese shreds for my dairy free kids), pop them back in the oven until the cheese melts, then let them cool and freeze them in a zip top bag. I’ll add a piece of fruit and a small salad or sprouts to their lunch and they will be set.

Healthy School Lunches

Other Main Courses — 

  1. Tacos — We have tacos for dinner several times a month and I always make extra so we can have tacos for lunches at least one day. I make 3 extra tacos before I clean up from dinner, put each one in a snack size zip top baggie so the toppings don’t fall out, and then put them in their lunch container with a piece of fruit and another side or two (sometimes a few organic blue corn chips and salsa or guacamole). The tacos are cold and I’m pretty sure the shells are soggy by lunch time but my kids still love them.
  2. Canned tuna — My daughter likes tuna plain straight from the can on a sandwich, on a salad or with whole grain crackers.
  3. Almond butter or sunbutter sandwiches are quick and easy.  Make sure you buy 100% pure, no sugar added Almond butter and use sprouted, whole grain or gluten free bread with the fewest and best ingredients possible.
  4. Lettuce and cheese sandwiches — I use Diaya cheddar style slices for my dairy free kiddos and put lettuce and cheese on sprouted wheat, whole grain or gluten free bread. My daughter likes a slice of tomato too. Once in a great while I give them BLTs.
  5. Chili or soup is good for variety in the fall and winter and makes a great, healthy lunch when paired with a real food muffin and a piece of fruit.
  6. Hard boiled eggs  — Make a dozen hard boiled eggs at a time and have enough for several days lunches. Buy local, organic or omega-3 eggs from pastured chickens, if possible.
  7. Organic yogurt — My preference is plain yogurt with just a bit of honey and some fruit or granola added, so I can control the amount of sugar.

Sides — Every lunch I pack has at least one vegetable and one fruit. I may add  a second fruit or one or two of the other options listed here:

  1. Veggies with hummus or guacamole for dipping— carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, grape or cherry tomatoes, cucumber, or sugar snap peas, depending on which child and what they will eat.
  2. Lettuce or spinach salad — this is really just a few bites of salad, sometimes it gets eaten and sometimes it doesn’t!
  3. Pea, sunflower or radish sprouts — This is new for us this year. At our farmers market this summer we discovered Sprout Farms, a farmer who grows and sells micro greens and my kids love them! The amazing thing is that the sprouts really do taste just like the vegetable or seed they are grown from. The Pea Shoots really taste like peas and the Sunflower Shoots really taste like sunflower seeds. I’m thrilled to have another leafy green my crew will eat in their lunches. If you’re local, you can purchase them at the Downtown Evansville or Newburgh Farmer’s Markets or through their website. Or if you’re really ambitious you can grow sprouts in your own sprouting trays.
  4. Fresh Fruit — apple slices, berries, bananas, clementines and grapes are the most common lunchbox fruits for us
  5. Unsweetened applesauce — look for 100% applesauce with no added sugar (I’ve been known to pack apple slices and applesauce a few times when lunch supplies were very low.)
  6. Individual size fruit cups in 100% juice — I always have a few on hand for emergencies when we are out of fresh fruit
  7. Olives — My kiddos love olives and they are an easy and healthy fruit full of good healthy fats!  Our favorites are Castelvetrano Olives.
  8. Nuts and dates — I often fill one space in their bento boxes with nuts or a mix of dates and nuts for a healthy treat
  9. Cheese — buy organic where possible, local grass fed cheese is the best option if its available and fits your budget
  10. Protein muffins — see above for two of my favorites for my freezer stash
  11. Popcorn — a healthy whole grain treat as long as it isn’t popped in hydrogenated oils or loaded up with artificial flavoring
  12. Pretzels or whole grain or gluten free crackers — not really real food, but make it into my kids’ lunches once in a while
  13. Organic blue corn chips — also not really real food but I still use them once in a while on taco day

I hope this gives you some inspiration for your lunch boxes. It really is worth the effort to feed our kids real foods that nourish and heal their bodies and minds. I would love to hear if you have other real food lunch box ideas that your kids enjoy. Please share in the comments!

Summer Salad with Berries and Avocado

by

One of my favorite ways to get more fruits and vegetables into my diet is green smoothies. You can read about why I love green smoothies so much and get two of my favorite recipes here.

Another favorite way is to have a big green salad for lunch. My sister just did the Whole 30 plan a few months ago and she has been a good influence on my lunch habits. While we were on vacation earlier in the summer in St. Joseph, Michigan (a beautiful beach town on Lake Michigan with an amazing farmer’s market!) she got me back in the habit of having a big salad for lunch. It is such a great way to boost your nutrition for the day. My mom also often adds fruit to her salads. So I have been taking lessons from both of them and getting more creative with my salads. I just wish we had access to these beautiful farmer’s market berries all year long.

This is currently one of my favorite lunches. I even packed it for lunch on the beach several days. Mixed greens with fresh berries, avocado and pistachios for a little crunch. In place of dressing I just squeeze half a lemon over my salad and drizzle with a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Loaded with nutrition, satisfying and delicious–this salad keeps me feeling good all afternoon!

Berries and Avocado

This salad has 2 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit and packs a huge nutritional punch. Blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are all low glycemic and among the most nutrient dense fruits you can eat, containing more antioxidants than almost any other fruit. Blueberries, specifically, are rich in proanthocyanidin, an important antioxidant that has been found to fight cancer, promote weight loss and give you healthy glowing skin. I used blueberries and strawberries this time, but blackberries are in season here right now and are delicious in this salad too.

Avocado is also often considered a super fruit because of its nutritional content (high in folate, Vitamin K, and potassium among other things) and because it is high in healthy, monounsaturated fat. The healthy fats from the avocado, olive oil and nuts increase the satiety factor and help keep you feeling full. In addition, salad greens such as romain, kale, chard and spinach are all great sources of carotenoids, and studies have found adding avocado to your salad increases the rate at which your cells absorb and utilize these important antioxidants by two to six times. And, of course, the addition of healthy fats also increases the bio-availability of fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Berries and Avocado

So enjoy this nutrient dense salad for lunch and you can feel good all day knowing you are giving your body a good dose of the nourishment it needs to fight inflammation, prevent disease and stay healthy!

But don’t worry  …

If you glaze over reading all of this nutritional information, I’m with you. I share it just to motivate you (and me), but the truth is you don’t need to remember one word of it. I don’t believe in counting calories or fat grams or even tracking RDAs of specific nutrients, unless you need to address a specific health concern. If you want to skip to the bottom line, all you really need to know (to paraphrase Michael Pollan) is:

Eat real whole foods. Mostly vegetables, fruits and healthy fats.

Skip the sugar and processed junk.

And watch your health soar.

Print Recipe

Summer Salad with Berries and Avocado

Ingredients

  • 5 oz approx. 4 cups fresh mixed salad greens*
  • 1 cup fresh berries* I used blueberries and strawberries here but blackberries are in season right now and I love them too!
  • 1/2 of an avocado cut in thin slices
  • 1/4 cup pistachios

Dressing

  • 1/2 lemon
  • Approx. 2 T
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Please use organic greens and berries, where possible.
  • Spread salad on a dinner plate and top with berries.
  • Make sure your avocado is ripe. It should feel soft when you squeeze it. Cut it in half, slicing around the seed, and twist the halves apart. Use the side without the seed. With the avocado still in the peel,slice through the flesh lengthwise with a knife, then use a spoon to scoop it out of the peel. Make sure you get all of the green parts and leave only the peel, as most of the nutrients are in the darkest green parts of the avocado closest to the peel. Spread the slices on your salad. Leave the seed in the other half. Rub the flesh with a bit of lemon juice, wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator for another meal.
  • Sprinkle with pistachios or the nut of your choice. Walnuts are great here too.
  • Drizzle with the juice of 1/2 a lemon (I squeeze mine right over the salad) and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
  • Enjoy and feel good knowing you've given yourself a great dose of the nourishment your body needs to feel great and stay healthy!

Sources for nutritional information:

World’s Healthiest Foods — www.whfoods.com

Self Nutrition Data — www.nutritiondata.self.com

Garlic & Herb Wild Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

by

Wild Salmon

By now we all know how important omega-3 essential fatty acids are to our health. There are two essential fatty acids (essential meaning we have to get them from our diet): omega-3s and omega-6s. We should consume a diet with a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 EFAs to omega-3s. The Standard American Diet has a ratio of 12:1. We are eating far too many omega 6s (primarily from processed vegetable oils and processed foods containing them) and far too few omega-3s.

Too many omega-6s promote inflammation, and inflammation is the root of many diseases. A balance of omega 3s to omega 6s is absolutely vital for brain health, vision, joint health, cardiovascular health, digestive health and so much more. Trading pro-inflammatory foods for healing foods high in Omega-3s will have a huge impact on your health!

Garlic & Herb Wild Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Wild salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 EFAs. The International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids and the US National Institutes of Health both recommend at least 600 milligrams of omega-3s per day. According to Dr. William Sears, a renowned pediatrician, author and nutrition expert, eating 6 oz of wild salmon twice/week would give you the equivalent of this. (Sears, MD, William and Martha, Prime Time Health: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Feeling Young and Living Longer, p. 192-93.).

The health benefits of salmon are so great, even if it’s not your favorite it’s worth the effort to acquire a taste for it. When I was pregnant with my trio and on bedrest, sweet friends brought us dinner and asked if I’d rather have chicken or salmon. I answered chicken–I liked some fish but never really cared for salmon. If only I’d known then how much my babies and I all 4 needed that salmon! The year they turned two, I made a New Years resolution to cook fish once a week. One of my boys liked tuna and any white fish but always found salmon too fishy. For several years I kept making salmon and always made him eat 2 small bites, until one day out of the blue (maybe when I first made this recipe!) he suddenly decided he liked it.

Major mom victory! Persistence pays off!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

If you’re going to go to the trouble of eating salmon, make sure you’re buying wild salmon, not farmed. Even though it’s more expensive, it’s well worth it. Farmed salmon is much lower in omega-3s because the fish isn’t eating its natural diet of sea plants and creatures such as shrimp and krill. Farmed salmon is usually raised with antibiotics in its feed just like commercially raised land animals. And farmed salmon is almost always fed artificial coloring to try to mimic the rich orange color of wild caught salmon. The color of wild salmon comes from two potent anti-oxidants found in its natural diet: astaxanthin and canthaxanthin. Synthetic, petrochemical versions of these anti-oxidants, used to artificially color the salmon’s flesh, has turned into a big and lucrative business. Maybe someday I’ll write a post about all of the concerns with the salmon industry. For now, just know farmed salmon is giving you few health benefits and some harmful things as well. Stick with wild caught Alaskan salmon.

Garlic & Herb Wild Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is my family’s favorite salmon recipe. I get complaints if I try anything new (and I’m so thrilled that all of my kiddos love salmon that I rarely try anything new on them anymore!) It’s quick, really simple, can be prepared ahead of time and bakes in 20-25 minutes. All things I love in a meal. I love it with fresh herbs in the summer when my patio pots are overflowing, but it’s still very good with a generous rubbing of dried herbs, when you don’t have fresh on hand.

Roasted Brussels sprouts are one of our favorite veggies too, but this method is delicious with almost any vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, summer squash, sweet bell peppers …). It’s a great way to introduce new vegetables to resistant family members. Toss just about any vegetable with coconut, avocado or extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Add black pepper, garlic powder or dried herbs if you like. Roast til they’re starting to brown and are just al dente. All six of my clan will polish roasted vegetables off without any complaints. Or at least no complaints from the husband and daughters and minimal complaints from the boys, if I let them have ketchup. I still consider that a win!

Print Recipe

Garlic and Herb Wild Salmon with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

Garlic and Herb Wild Salmon

  • 2 lbs. Wild Alaskan salmon thawed, if using frozen
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (I use
  • Celtic Sea Salt
  • or
  • Redmond Real Sea Salt
  • )
  • 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use
  • California Olive Ranch
  • )
  • 2 Large or 4 small cloves of fresh garlic minced
  • 1/2 c. Fresh herbs such as basil parsley and rosemary, chopped

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  • 1 lb. Brussels sprouts rinsed and cut in half
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • to taste

Instructions

For the salmon

  • Pre-heat oven to 335 degrees. Lay thawed salmon fillets skin side down in a glass casserole dish or a baking pan pan. Sprinkle with a few generous pinches of sea salt and a small pinch of black pepper.
  • In a small bowl mix the olive oil, minced garlic and chopped herbs. Rub mixture evenly over the salmon fillets. The dish can be made up to this point and refrigerated until you're ready to bake.
  • If you've refrigerated the fish, let it come to room temperature before baking, Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until the fish is tender and flakes easily with a fork.

For the Brussels Sprouts

  • Rinse your sprouts in a colander and cut them in half, unless they are already very small. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Feel free to add garlic powder or other herbs if you like. Roast at 335 degrees, while the fish is cooking, 20-25 minutes or until the sprouts are starting to turn golden brown and are tender, but not too soft, when pricked with a fork.
  • Enjoy!

Start Your Day Right Smoothies

by

Green Smoothies Good morning, friends!  I thought today I’d let you in on one of my favorite “secrets” to improving your health and feeling great all day–green smoothies.

I can’t even tell you what a difference it makes in my whole day when I begin it with a green smoothie. I’m happier, I have more energy, my mind is focused and clear and I’m far less likely to make poor food choices throughout the rest of day. If I don’t take time to have a smoothie with breakfast or AS my breakfast, it’s bad news for the rest of the day. I’m more likely to be tired and crabby, I have less energy, I’m more prone to brain fog and I’m much more likely to give in to cravings and snack on unhealthy food choices which make me feel even worse. It starts a bad downward spiral for the day.

How, you might be asking, can one tiny little habit like a morning green smoothie do ALL of this?

Smoothies are packed with nutrients. Most nutrition experts currently recommend that we eat at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which isn’t always easy.  I work hard at it and I don’t always achieve this. Unless I start my day with a green smoothie that gets in 4-6 servings right off the bat. These phytonutrients, especially first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, go straight into your blood stream and fuel every single cell in your body. Your body will say: “Yes!  Thank you!!  THIS is the fuel I need to perform my very best and feel great today.”  No really, it will. You can almost hear it.

Imagine what would happen if I filled my car up with Diet Coke or Gatorade instead of gasoline. You would look at me and think, “You idiot. No wonder your car won’t start.” And yet that’s exactly what we do with our bodies. We try to fuel our bodies with sugar and processed junk and then we wonder why they don’t run well.  Why we don’t feel good and why we, as individuals and as a society, are getting sicker and sicker.

A recent study validated my own personal green smoothie experience, finding that in addition to all of the other amazing short and long term health benefits, people who eat more fruits and vegetables are actually happier and have greater psychological well-being!

Smoothies are high in fiber, but partially-digested (the blender does some of the work for you) so it’s easy on your digestive system. And all of this fiber keeps things moving. Did you know you should have at least 2 bowel movements per day?  (Sorry, but it’s really important!)  This helps you avoid bloating, gas and constipation, which gives you a flat tummy and helps you feel great. And when your elimination system is working properly, it is promptly removing toxins that make you feel bad and cause inflammation and harm to your health. This is a critical part of your body’s detoxification, or “garbage removal” system.  Smoothies literally help move toxic waste from your waist.

I always add 2 tablespoons of good fat to my smoothies. Coconut oil, flax oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado or a nut butter. It’s a great way to get in those brain-boosting and oh-so-important Omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats are essential because every single cell in our body uses them for energy. Your body doesn’t store good fats, a healthy balanced body burns good fats for energy. (Sugar and simple carbs are actually what your body primarily stores as fat.) Healthy fats are released slowly into your bloodstream, giving you sustained energy. And healthy fats make our foods taste better and more satisfying.  If you’re trying to loose weight, sipping on a smoothie for breakfast and throughout the morning as a snack is a great way to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs without a lot of calories.

So, here are my favorite Start Your Day Out Right Smoothies. These are the recipes I recommend for green smoothie beginners because they’re mild tasting, delicious and kid-friendly. If you already love green smoothies, or as you acquire a taste for them, you should up the nutritional value even more by adding stronger greens like chard, kale, collards and dandelion greens and using more vegetables and less fruit.

Try it every day for a week and see if it revolutionizes your day!  I’d love to hear what you think if you do!  And if you have a favorite green smoothie recipe please share in the comments!

Print Recipe

Start Your Day Right Smoothies

Ingredients

Tropical Green Smoothie

  • 10 oz. package of spinach leaves or any dark leafy green
  • 2 T Coconut oil
  • 1 c. Water
  • 1 Frozen banana
  • 2 c. Frozen mixed yellow and orange fruit I like a blend of pinespple, mango and peaches

Banana Peanut Butter Green Smoothie

  • 10 oz. package of spinach leaves or any dark leafy green
  • 2 T Peanut butter all natural/no sugar added, use organic where possible( or substitute all natural almond butter)
  • 1 c. Water or Almond milk
  • 2 Frozen bananas
  • *Use organic greens and peanut butter when possible. Most leafy greens are on the EWG's Dirty Dozen list of produce with the highest levels of pesticide residue and peanuts are also one of the most heavily sprayed crops.

Instructions

  • Add the greens, oil or nut butter and liquid to your blender first and blend on high until the greens are completely puréed. Then add the frozen fruit and blend until smooth. You may want to add more or less liquid or some ice, depending on how thick and creamy you like your smoothies. I like to be able to drink mine with a straw, so I make them fairly thin.
  • These recipes make approximately 2-4 small servings for a family for breakfast or one larger smoothie for one person for breakfast and to sip throughout the morning, Enjoy your new morning habit and see how great you feel!