Smoothie Cravings!!!

I have been craving smoothies like a mad woman lately. This is unusual since I get cold so easily, I don’t normally drink cold things on cold days, lol. Yesterday, I got to venture over to the West Side to Emerald City Smoothie which specializes in Healthy Smoothies, unlike places like Jamba Juice or Orange Julius. I had a Zip Zip, which has banana, apple, soy milk, protein and Be Well supplements. It was delicious!! I may or may not have splurged on a 24 oz!

I have also been experimenting with my Amazing Grass mixes that I bought. I had the Amazing Meal Chocolate after my workout the other day. This morning, I amped up with quite the little punch of a smoothie:

Raspberry Zinger

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach

8 oz. Synergy Raspberry Chia Kombucha

1 packet Amazing Meal Pomegranite Mango Infusion

5 ice cubs

Directions:

Put everything into your blender of choice and blend until desired consistency is reached. It has quite the kick, which is what I like. The extra spinach helps smooth it out. It was a little bitter, almost like the old fashioned Raspberry smoothie @ Jamba.

Well, I am off to crossfit! Hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Apples and Pumpkins and Pies….Oh My!

I loove Fall! I love the change in the air, the colors of the leaves, the arrival of pumpkins and apples…it makes me giddy just thinking about it.

I found some pictures I took a Fall or two ago and wanted to share:

I’ve got some fantastic pumpkin recipes headed your way so keep checking back!

Fluffy Yummy Coconut Flour Pancakes

I have been cravings smoothies like none other this week! Not sure what I am deficient in, but my body is screaming for protein, fruit and icy goodness. So, I went online and ordered these little beauties:

The ingredients in these are phenom! They have all sorts of goodies like alfalfa, wheatgrass, veggies, protein, calcium and sooo much more! I went a little nutso and ordered a bunch to try before committing my $40 to one kind of healthy smoothie mix. This morning, I used the Amazing  Meal with Vanilla Chai with my “pumpkin spiced latte” and a half a banana. It was good, but I was not feeling the least bit full, until I had some of my hubby’s pulled pork (terrible combo I know). 3 bites in and I was stuffed! So, they keep you full, you just might not notice it at first.

Anyways, Hubby thought it sounded gross so I made him some DELICIOUS coconut flour pancakes!! I had a bite and they were amazing!!

Fluffy Yummy Coconut Pancakes

(Borrowed from NourishingDays)

Makes 4 1/4 cup pancakes (serves 1- 2)

Ingredients:

2 eggs (@ room temp)

1/2 cup almond milk/coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon honey (I used 1 packet of Truvia)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour

Directions:

Used my pancake spatula!!!

• Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia.
• In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated.

• Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon.

I added chopped walnuts to one of them

*The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

The fourth one didn't quite make the cut (ie: I ate it)

• Serve hot with butter, coconut oil, honey, syrup, or fruit.

Mmmmm...warm blueberries!

What a great way to start the day! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

Fruit Loops Grain Free Breakfast Cereal

I loved cereal growing up. My dad and I would sit down to Corn Pops or Frosted Flakes and he would pass me the whole milk and sugar. Blissfully, we would sit there and eat cereal. On days when it was just me, I would take the box, milk jug and bowl into the living room in front of the tv. It’s there that I would normally polish off the milk and cereal. I think back on that and shudder just a little. Some of my other faves were Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Lucky Charms (marshmallows eaten first), fruit loops, Frosted Cheerios (with added sugar), Raisin Bran Crunch and many others.

These are obviously bad choices because of the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates which skyrocket bloodsugar. But what about the healthy ones, you ask. Well, as I always say, let’s look at the ingredients!

Let’s look at “Organic Raisin Bran” from Cascadian Farm

INGREDIENTS: ORGANIC WHEAT BRAN WITH OTHER PARTS OF WHEAT, ORGANIC RAISINS, NATURALLY MILLED ORGANIC SUGAR, ORGANIC CANE SYRUP, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MALT SYRUP, SOY LECITHIN (AN EMULSIFIER), IRON AND ZINC (MINERAL NUTRIENTS), VITAMIN C (SODIUM ASCORBATE), A B VITAMIN (NIACINAMIDE), A B VITAMIN (CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE), VITAMIN A (ACETATE),A B VITAMIN (FOLIC ACID), VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN MONONITRATE), VITAMIN D (CHOLECALCIFEROL), VITAMIN E (MIXED TOCOPHEROLS) ADDED TO RETAIN FRESHNESS. CONTAINS WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Now….Raisin Bran from Kelloggs

WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, RAISINS, WHEAT BRAN, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP,
CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF SALT, MALT FLAVORING, INVERT SUGAR, NIACINAMIDE,
REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), ZINC OXIDE, RIBOFLAVIN
(VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC
ACID, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN B12

I don’t know about you, but all I see is roughly 4 different kinds of sugars along with wheat and added vitamins to replace the ones that were naturally occurring that were lost during processing. And if you were to argue, Kim, isn’t Organic cereal better than that other stuff? My answer would be unequivocally NO. I do not think processed grains in a box is good for you wallet (current price of Cascadian Farm Raisin Bran=$4.99!!) or your waistline.

If you must have cold cereal (like I had this morning) I suggest giving this a whirl….

Fruit Loops Cereal

Ingredients:

Almond Milk or Light Coconut Milk

Slivered almonds

chopped walnuts

Pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon Chia seeds

Goji Berries

Blueberries

Strawberries

Blackberries

Raspberries

Cinnamon

Directions:

Put all ingredients in your most favorite cereal bowl, mix together and devour!! It’s DELICIOUS! It tastes just like Fruit Loops. Tucan Sam would be proud of this one! I had it for breakfast and dinner today ;0)

 

5 Simple Steps To Snacky Success

My favorite blogger was posting on how to roast garlic. I have never done this before, so I busted out my new garlic and followed the easy steps to roasted glory.

As I was waiting for the oven to heat to 400, I though it might be a good idea to roast some other things since I would be heating up our house (which I never mind but Tim hates).

So, I decided to make some Garlic Cheesey Kale Chips.

Garlic Cheesey Kale Chips

Ingredients:

Kale (as much as you want!!)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I recommend using a Misto so the leaves don’t get too heavy)

Garlic Powder

Salt n peppa

Nutritional Yeast

Directions:

1. Heat up your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and dry kale. Cut into small pieces, discarding the stems (stems make icky chips).

3. Lay on a cookie sheet and spritz with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast (if it’s your first time, go easy on the seasonings- you can add more next time).

4. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes, keeping a close watch to make sure they don’t burn. Remove when crispy.

5. Devour immediately :0)

Spaghetti Or Bust!

Last year I went through a major squash phase. I mean MAJOR. I was eating winter squash like it was candy. Butternut sprinkled with cinnamon, acorn seasoned with maple syrup, spaghetti drizzled with marinara sauce….oh my!

So, as I was driving home today, a commercial for the Old Spaghetti Factory came on and that sealed the deal. I was having spaghetti tonight!! Then I remembered that I am Paleo now and that my dreams of tortellini, angel hair, elbow and spiral noodles were not for me. Then, I remembered my faithful friend, Mr. Spaghetti Squash!

Paleo Mac N Cheese

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise with seeds removed

Sauce:

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

2 small cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 cup nut/seed butter (I used Sunflower Seed Butter, but tahini or almond butter work great!)

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (use cornstarch in a pinch)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Fill a 9×11 baking dish with 1-2 inches water.

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise and scrape out the pulp and seeds.

Place cut side down in the water and poke the top flesh with a knife to vent.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile….place all sauce ingredients in your blender/processor/Magic Bullet and blend until smooth.

Pour into small saucepan and stir over low/med heat until thick. Set aside.

When squash is done, gently loosen the squash by taking a fork and “combing” the inside of the squash.

Pile it onto a plate or in a bowl and add cheese sauce. Top with fresh ground pepper and dig in!

Bon Apetit!

Pick Me Up Off the Floor Chicken Salad

We survived South Sister!! It was cold, cloudy, windy, treacherous and glorious! We didn’t make it to the summit due to intense cloud cover (which burned off as soon as we got down, of course) but we get dang close! Personal victory was doing it all Paleo style!!

Here’s a summary of what I took to eat:

Dinner Saturday:

Turkey, bacon, tomatoes and avocado wrapped in red leaf lettuce

Organic Butternut Squash Soup

Breakfast Sunday:

Paleo Banana Bread, banana, almond butter  and hot coffee :0)

Snacks:

Apple, sweet potato (actually an amazing hiking food!)

Lunch on the mountain:

Albacore, tomatoes and a hard boiled egg

Dinner in Bend:

Salad with chicken, avocado, mango (not my idea) and cucumbers

Drive home:

Carrot Cake Lara Bar (iffy on the Paleo side because of raisins), cucumbers/carrots, zucchini hummus and beef jerky.

I had so much energy and felt so great! I noticed that even though we gained 5,000 feet in 6 miles, my soreness was like a 1 on a 10 scale!! I’m thanking the Paleo lifestyle for that!!

Woohoo!

So, after having my butt handed to me @ Crossfit this morning and spending almost 5 minutes on the floor gasping for air, I was suuuper hungry and wanting something to help my poor muscles recover! And this is what I came up with!! I hope you love it is as much as I do!!

Pick Me Up Off the Floor Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Leftover Kale Salad (If you don’t have any, chop up some veggies and kale and mix together)

Chicken Breast (I like to saute mine in 1 inch of water for about 4-5 minutes on each side)

1 heaping tablespoon Nutritional Yeast (or more if you like it cheezey!)

2-3 teaspoons red curry powder, to taste

1-2 tablespoons olive/coconut oil (omit if using leftover kale salad)

Directions:

Cook chicken (bake, saute, grill) and cut into strips. Add to kale salad. Add nutritional yeast and red curry powder (and oil if using fresh veggies) and mix thoroughly. Put on your plate and dive in!! (The heat of the chicken help soften the kale a bit, which I like).

I added a cooked sweet potato too. They are so easy to make fast!! Wash (I leave the skin on) and poke with a fork a few times. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 2.5 minutes. I like to wrap mine in tin foil after to let it cook a little more. Just be careful not to do it too long or you will end up with a flat, dry lump.

The health benefits of sweet potatoes are numerous to be sure! Though the primary nutrient in a sweet potato is carbohydrate, they are also good sources of fiber, beta carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin B6 — and despite being primarily carbohydrate, some studies have shown that sweet potatoes can help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance.  They are high in fiber and have a lower glycemic index rating (50).

Research has also shown that phytonutrients in sweet potatoes may be able to help lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and free radicals.  This is helpful not only for digestive tract problems like irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, but also for anyone who wants to reduce the potential risk posed by heavy metal residues (like mercury) in their diet.  Other benefits of sweet potatoes may include anti-inflammatory effects.

Have an amazing day!!

Lose Your Butt Banana Bread

Did you know that stress produces Cortisol and that excess Cortisol gets stored in two places: the butt and the gut! Cortisol helps your metabolism to burn fat for fuel and use sugars (glucose) instead of storing them. If your levels are way out of whack, it can lead to inflammation, adrenal fatigue and excess fat storage in your tummy and hiney.

What does banana bread have to do with Cortisol?? Lot’s! The foods we eat play a huge role in our hormone production! That’s why eating organic produce and meat is sooo important. Since today is Day 1 of the Paleo Challenge, I wanted to give you  a recipe to help start your day off right. Studies show that a good breakfast within an hour of waking will keep you more energized, keep those fat burners firing and help you feel less stressed throughout the day!

So, I present to you….

Paleo Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
5 tbsp honey (I used 3 packets of Truvia)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups almond flour or finely grounded almonds

Directions:
– Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan.  I used two mini loaf pans.
– Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
– Add the oil, vanilla, mashed banana, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and almond flour and combine well.
– In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
– Fold egg whites into the banana mixture to pull it away from the sides before gradually folding the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.
– Pour the banana mixture into your desired pan (you could also use muffin tins)
– Place in the oven for 40-45 mins.

Serve and enjoy with some Earth Balance (soy, dairy free spread)!

Check out this Blog for more awesome Paleo bread recipes (read the infredients first to make sure it is legit!)

Flat Belly Cobbler

A friend of mine recently gave me a ton of pears straight from her parents garden! I have been waiting anxiously all week for these little guys to ripen and finally the time has come!!

Not to mention the abundance of blackberries still in my back yard.

I’ve mentioned before a recipe or two from Elana’s Pantry. She has an awesome cookbook out called The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook– Delish!! I have really enjoyed looking through her amazing recipes, especially since a lot of them fit right in with the Paleo lifestyle. You should definitely check it out! The thing I like about using almond flour instead of grain flour is that it does’t give you the bloated puffy tummy after eating it!! Hence, Flat Belly Cobbler!

I modified her Apple Blackberry Crisp to include my delicious pears. I hope you enjoy it!

Pear Blackberry Crisp

Modified from Elana’s Pantry

Ingredients:

• 6 pears, cut into smaller pieces
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder ( I subbed Corn Starch)
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Or grapeseed/coconut)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar (I used 2 packets of Truvia)

Directions:

• Place pears and blackberries in a large bowl
• Sprinkle with lemon juice, vanilla and arrowroot, tossing to incorporate all ingredients

• Place pear-blackberry mixture in an 8×8 inch Pyrex baking dish and set aside

• To make topping, in a medium bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, oil and agave

• Crumble topping over pear-blackberry mixture

• Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350° for 60 to 75 minutes until fruit is juicy and bubbling
• Remove from oven and uncover
• If topping is browned, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
• If topping is not yet browned place in oven uncovered for 5 minutes, or until browned

• Serve and enjoy!

Thank you Elana for this awesome recipe and easy to follow instructions! This is an awesome recipe!! Probably one of the best crisps I have ever had! And, with no added sugar!!!

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes

This week we’re house-sitting for my inlaws. It’s been glorious having AC on the hottest week of the year! This has allowed me to use the oven where as at our house, Tim might have thrown a bit of a fit. Outside, our inlaws have a huge tomato plants that has yielded tons of yummy fresh tomatoes.

Tomatoes are also a really healthy fruit (yup, fruit!).

Inspired by a post I saw for Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto (which I made last night and was not a huge fan of), I decided to share the best part of the recipe with you- the roasted part! You might want to save this project for later in the evening as it requires your oven to be on for about an hour and a half- yikes!

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes

Ingredients:

8-9 fresh tomatoes (heirloom would be incredible if you can afford it!)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I like to use my Misto to cut down on excess oil)

Garlic Powder, Fresh ground pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 and spray a baking sheet.

Wash and cut tomatoes lengthwise and remove stems. Place on the pan and spritz with olive oil. Then, sprinkle as much of the seasonings as you want!!

Bake for an hour and forty minutes, keeping a close eye for the last 10. Remove from heat and enjoy right then or use them to top pasta, chicken or fish! Yumm!!

Enjoy this delicious treat while you still can!!