Banana Walnut Muffins

I altered this recipe to make it gluten free, dairy free, and as healthy as possible:) Have fun and enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised at how amazing these were. I will put in parenthesis what I did to alter recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup old fashion oats, not quick cooking (1 cup gluten free oats)

1 cup 1% or fat-free buttermilk (1 cup organic lite coconut milk)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour Red Mill)

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (sea salt)

1 large egg (1/4 cup flax meal added to 1/4 cup warm water. mix and set aside for later)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup mashed ripe bananas, 2 or 3 bananas

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar (1/2 cup Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Crystals) a low Glycemic sugar alternative found at whole foods)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine oats and coconut milk and set aside for an hour. Preheat oven to 350. Line your muffin pan and spray liners with cooking spray or if you don't have liners spray your pan. Not lining them will create a chewier crust around the muffin.

In small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Take oats and milk mixture after it has set aside for an hour and add egg or flax mixture. If you use an egg, beat it before adding it. Add applesauce, banana, and sugar or sugar substitute until well blended. Add dry ingredients, whisking just until they are combined: over mixing makes muffins tough Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Add walnuts on top. I added them into the mixture and on top.

Bake 20 minutes if you are following original recipe. I used a 6 large muffin tin without liners and mine were cooked in 15 minutes. I tend to under cook my baked goods because I love them super moist so just watch them close and follow the old toothpick rule. If you follow my recipe and use a 12 muffin tin I would look at them at 10 minutes. The recipe made 9 large muffins for me. If you use a 12 tin pan, you will have more than 12 also.

Oh and I added gluten/dairy free chocolate chips to mine:)

Enjoy! You will not be able to only eat 1:)

Spring Rolls

This is my new FAVORITE thing!! The best spring rolls by far!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 oz dry rice noodles (I choose the very thin ones) (about 1 cup cooked)

1 1/4 cups shredded carrots

1 1/4 cups shredded cabbage

2 scallions (I used leeks) sliced very thin

15 fresh basil leaves (chopped)

15 fresh mint leaves (chopped)

2 TBSPs fresh cilantro chopped (I just sprinkled some dry pantry cilantro)

1/4 cup crushed peanuts

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (I used powdered ginger I had)

1 tbsp soy sauce (If you want it gluten free, use gluten free soy sauce)(I found a raw coconut aminos that you can use as a soy free supplement) surprisingly good and so much better for you. Coconut Secret makes it.

1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp toasted dark sesame seed oil

15 round rice wrappers found in the Asian section of your market

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (look above for supplement)

1 tbsp coconut milk

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp Chinese Chili paste (spicy or sweet)

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Remove from heat and stir in rice noodles. Let stand for 10 minutes stirring occasionally until soft. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut into 1 inch lengths and transfer to bowl.

2. Add all remaining ingredients except rice papers and peanut sauce to the noodles and mix well. (I chopped everything very small so it blended really well together without being too chunky).

3. Prepare bowl of warm water large enough to fit rice papers in. One at a time, dip the rice paper in the warm water until it begins to soften, 8-10 seconds. Transfer to a flat work surface. Working quickly, put about 1/4 cup filling on each wrapper. Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, and then fold each side toward the center. Roll from the bottom to the top of each roll, as tightly as you can without ripping the wrapper. Wrap in plastic to keep from drying out. Repeat with remaining. Serve at room temp, with peanut dipping sauce. Refrigerate the rest. Serve cold or room temp.

4. Peanut sauce. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth and well blended.

Enjoy!! Your kids will love to help you make these. Don't be overwhelmed by the ingredient list. They are much easier than they look and fun and worth every bit of it!! You will not believe how yummy these are!!!!

Have fun!

Crazy But Good FOR YOU Soup!

I could not believe how beautiful this soup was to make! I have to say I was impressed with the overall results. Found this recipe on theceliacmaniac.com website.

Make sure to use organic ingredients when making this soup.

Ingredients:
1 large onion or leek chopped
1 bunch of beets (about 3) peeled and chopped. Stems and leaves removed
1 large bunch of swiss chard, chopped (stems and leaves)
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Add oil to large pot and saute onions for 2-3 min
Add beets and squash. Add enough water to cover veggies and bring to boil and cook for 10-12 min. Add swiss chard and add more water if needed to cover. Cook for another 10 to 12 minutes or until squash, beets, and chard stems are soft. Remove from heat.

Scoop out into a blender and blend until smooth until all soup is blended. Add salt and pepper.

Freeze some for a quick healthy soup any time you want.

Pair with a great spinach salad. I added shredded red cabbage, carrots, cranberries, chopped almonds, tomatoes and balsamic olive oil dressing and chicken!! YUM!


End result is a little weird I have to say, looks like ketchup but surprisingly it tastes pretty good. If you are not a big beet fan you may not like this soup but if you are more interested in the health benefits of this soup you may just see past the beet taste. I can honestly say that I am not a beet fan and enjoyed this soup. Worth a try. If anything you can always give it away to someone who is a beet fan!!

Mixed Greens Soup

For those who love a super healthy soup! Use organic ingredients if possible.

1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 cup leeks, 1 glove garlic, 8 cups of chicken or veggie broth, 1 large sweet potato, 4 cups of kale, 4 cups rainbow chard, 4 cups collard greens or other chard, 1/2 cup cream (optional), 1/8 tsp white pepper, salt to taste. (I use 1 bunch kale, and 2 bunches of rainbow chard, and green chard) You can use any type of greens you like but 3 large bunches are enough.

In a large pot, add oil and leeks heat until tender then add garlic and cook for 1 min.

Add broth, potato cubes, and greens and stir

Bring to boil, then simmer. Cover partially and simmer 1 hr. Remove and puree

This next part is optional if you want to add cream. I don't add cream to mine.

Return to simmer, uncovered until it thickens (10min)

Skim off foam if any and stir in cream, simmer 10 more minutes

Season with salt and pepper and garnish with lemon

I was surprised at how good this soup was. It would also be a great base soup if you wanted to then add ham, more carrots, and potatoes to make it a chunky soup. I added soup crackers to it and the boys loved it.

Healthy Chicken and Rice

Gluten and Dairy Free

Bake 2 large chicken breasts for 30 minutes at 350. I sprayed olive oil and sprinkled salt and pepper on each before placing in oven.

Cut up 4 cups of broccoli (trader joes bag) and 1 red pepper and steam with 3/4 cup of gluten free chicken broth or low sodium chicken broth until cooked through. I put veggies in my fry pan and covered them with my cutting board and it steamed them perfectly with the broth.

Cook up 2 cups of brown rice.

In a blender or bullet mix together 2Tbsp of Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp of dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of ground pepper.

When chicken is done slice up into small pieces.

Add chicken to broccoli and peppers, add rice, and pour sauce over all of it and mix together.

Good, clean, yummy!

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

One of my favorites and so easy to make with the veggies you like.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil (optional)

2 Cups peeled potatoes (I used the small bag of purple, yellow, and red mix)

1 Medium onion or LEEK

2 cups diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups diced carrots

4 cups of reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth

1 cup diced zucchini

4 oz green beans

1 can of diced tomatoes (I used a huge can since I love tomatoes)

1 can cannellini beans rinsed and drained

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves slivered

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Spices you can add:

lemon zest 2 inch long strip

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

***Warm oil over medium heat and add potatoes, leek, and celery and cook until veggies start to soften (5min) add garlic and cook until fragrant***

I did all of this in a large soup pot and just added as I went.

Add carrots, broth, lemon zest, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 min or until veggies are tender. Stir in zucchini and green beans and cook for 5 more minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice and cannellini beans and return to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to med low and simmer for 5 min. Stir in 1/4 cup basil.

Top with the remainder of the basil and Parmesan cheese.

This is a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks but I tend to make it my own with every recipe. I changed it a little and did not measure any of the veggies, just add what you like for veggies, I'd say 1 cup to 2 cups so you don't get too carried away but have fun and pick what you like. You can't really mess it up!

Pasta with Escarole and Cannellini

A great healthy way to get your greens on!

Use as a main dish or side dish with a white fish or chicken.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 medium onion chopped (I used leek)
1 large carrot
2 large celery stalks with leaves, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2-3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
6 cups loosely packed cut escarole (1inch pieces), well washed (I could not find escarole and just used spinach instead)
1/2 cup defatted chicken or vegetable broth
1 can (19oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
8oz pasta twists

1. Bring large covered pot of water to boil
2. In a fry pan, heat oil over med heat. Stir in onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and saute for a minute. Add pepper, basil and salt, and reduce the heat to med-low, cover and cook stirring frequently for 5 to 7 min or until veg are tender.
3. Add escarole (spinach) and broth to veggie mixture and raise heat to high. Cook until wilted. Stir in beans and reduce heat to med, cover and simmer for 3-5 min or until beans are heated.
4. Cook pasta accordingly. Reserve 2 Tbsp of cooking liquid and drain and rinse pasta.
5. Combine pasta, reserved liquid, and escarole (spinach) mixture.
6. Top with fresh grated parmesan (optional)

Tuna Salad

What you will need:

2 Cans of tuna (rinse and strain)

1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) (rinse and drain)

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup peeled, diced cucumber

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup scallions or leeks

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt (I used 3/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt)

3 TBSP snipped fresh dill (I sprinkled a little dill on mine from the spice rack)

2 TBSP reduced calorie mayonnaise (I didn't use any, just added more yogurt)

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard (I used a TBSP of Dijon mustard)

After draining the tuna, strain it under cold water, and break it up into small pieces. Drain and rinse the chick peas and add them to the tuna. Add in peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, leeks, and toss gently.

Add yogurt, dill, mayo, lemon juice, pepper and mustard and stir well until mixed.

I put mine between two pieces of dry whole grain toast. You could always add mayo on your toast if you wanted to keep it out of the salad and use less.

Other ways to eat it. Place on top of greens and add some toast on the side.
Put inside a pita pocket.
Make a wrap.
For Canyon and Sawyer, I put it in a small bowl and they ate it with jelly toast on the side.
Canyon was eating it and said, "Mom, can you put grapes in mine to make it sweeter?" Love that kid:) A great idea!! If you add grapes and walnuts to it, even better yet!!

Buffalo Stroganoff

A great alternative to cream of mushroom soup when making casseroles or hot dishes.

A great base for any recipe.

No YOLK egg noodles. Cook, rinse, drain, set aside.

Saute mushrooms, leeks, zucchini. I sprayed olive oil lightly over veggies before sauteing them. I also sprinkled a little salt and pepper on them.

Cook your ground buffalo and then add your veggie mixture in. I added garlic to my buffalo when cooking it up in the fry pan. Add the portobello soup and simmer for 10-15 minutes. You will not use the entire carton. Add as much as you like. I tend to add more and if you want it thicker you can add a cornstarch mixture to it.

Put your egg noodles on a plate or in a bowl (bowl if mixture is soupier), top off with meat and veggie mixture and add sour cream to the top if you like. Stir it all up and enjoy!

Cafe Yumm!

My favorite restaurant which is only footsteps from our door is Cafe Yumm. It's my favorite because it is healthy, cheap, and tastes delicious! The other thing that makes it good is the special sauce. Unfortunately you may not be able to get the sauce but the ingredients are good on there own and I barely use any of the sauce. I will list the ingredients of the sauce if you feel like trying to make it.

So easy to make and will now be a weekly meal at our house.

Make as much as you think you will need for your family.

Brown Rice

Black Beans

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Salsa

Sour Cream (or yogurt)

Cheese (optional)

Avocado

Top it off with turkey, chicken, or tofu

Mix it all together! Enjoy!

Ingredients in the cafe yumm sauce

Expeller-pressed canola oil, filtered water, lemon juice concentrate, almonds, nutritional yeast (candida-free), garbanzo beans, soy lecithin, ascorbic acid, fresh garlic, soy beans, herbs.

BLT and Omelet

A great Turkey Bacon

A great 100% Whole Grain Bread.

I absolutely love Cherub tomatoes although they can be pricey. They are always perfectly ripe and a great on the go snack for you and the kiddos.

I used spinach as my L lettus which tastes just as good!

When making the BLT, fry up your turkey bacon and cut up your tomatoes. Toast your bread and put it all together. You can always add cheese if that is an essential for you.
Try Nayonaise by Nasoya as a mayo alternative if you are a fan of mayo.

Finished BLT for the kiddos with veggie and fruit.

The next day I took my left over turkey bacon and made an egg white omelet for us for breakfast. Spray pan well then add your 100% egg whites. Sprinkle a little cheese, add spinach, cherub tomatoes and turkey bacon and let it cook on low until the egg whites are not runny.

Fold it over in the pan and sprinkle a little more cheese on the top and there you have it!

Scramble up for kiddos.

Vegetable Lasagna

I love making vegetable lasagna! It's work but worth it in the end. You can be in charge of what vegetables you want in your lasagna. In this version, I used

1 Red Pepper

2 Zucchini

2 Yellow Squash

1 Leek

1 container of mushrooms

1 Sweet Potato

Spinach

Broccoli steamed

1-2 Cans of diced tomatoes drained or you can use fresh cut in small pieces.

Chop up all vegetables and fry them in a pan until cooked. I usually will fry up my squash, zucchini, red pepper together, put it in a big bowl, fry up my leeks and mushrooms, add them to the bowl, and then fry up my sweet potato until soft. You can use olive oil or I tend not to use anything. I add water to my sweet potato to help it fry up faster. When all your veggies are cooked toss them all together in a bowl.

You can be boiling your water and noodles at this time also and making your cheese mixture.

I try to buy the dry cottage cheese curds in a bag, most grocery stores will carry them. King Soopers does here in Fort Collins. I take the entire bag, and mix in some shredded mozzarella. If it's too dry I like to add regular cottage cheese. Other options for your cheese mixture, are ricotta, and I know some even add egg.

This is a lasagna that seriously is up to your creativity and your likes. I have yet to make a similar tasting veggie lasagna. Every time I make it, it's completely different.

When everything is cooked start making your lasagna.

I put spaghetti sauce on the bottom, just enough to cover the lasagna pan.

Noodles

Cheese Mixture

Veggies

Spinach (I just use fresh spinach and sprinkle it on top of the veggies)

Tomatoes (Canned or fresh)

Noodles

Cheese Mixture

Veggies

Spinach

Tomatoes

Top it off with one last set of noodles

Cover with Cheese and put foil on it and cook for 30 minutes on 350. Because you are using lots of water carrying foods, you may find your lasagna looking a bit soupy. Try to get as much liquid out of everything before you put it together. You can try to drain some of the juice out very carefully when it is done cooking. It is usually fine and after you let it sit for 15-20 minutes, it tends to all soak up and not be soupy. I find too, that it always tastes better the next day.

Be creative with spices if you tend to like them. It's really a lasagna you can form to your own tastes. You can always add a layer of ground turkey and tomato sauce if you want meat.

Good luck. Would love to hear if you try it out!

I prepped all my veggies the day before so it would not take as long during the process.

One thing that has helped me as a mom, is when I get home from the grocery store I prep all my veggies for my meals and then they are ready to go when I need to use them.

SUPER FOOD QUESADILLA

Start out by buying a good whole wheat tortilla. These are one of my favorites and my boys love them with peanut butter and jelly in them. A great on the go snack for the kids or an easy picnic lunch for at the park.
The finished look:)

Spray your pan and place the tortilla in the pan. I cooked my spinach before hand to get more on the tortilla. Spinach cooks down to nothing so if you put it on raw you won't get much. (I fill my fry pan up with spinach and spray a little olive oil on it and add sea salt and pepper). Add turkey and tomatoes (I used salsa on this one because I was out of tomatoes) Then add just a tiny bit of cheese...you don't need much to give it the flavor you like. Put the other tortilla on top and cook on low/medium heat and flip carefully:)
Enjoy.

You can cut up your spinach in tiny pieces for the kiddos and they will usually not be able to tell if they are picky eaters. Some kids think anything green is bad but give it a try. You can even try to make a quesadilla pizza with cheese and spinach and spaghetti sauce to get your tomatoes in. Kids usually love tomato paste and it's very good for you!

I'M BACK!

Thanks to all of you who have been patiently waiting for a new post! The last couple of months we have moved twice and said goodbye to my mother in law so I am finally feeling settled for now:)

I will do a quick review of the superfoods I have posted already and then give you the rest. I challenge you to just try and incorporate a few at a time until you get comfortable trying to find ways to include most each day.

So here are the 14 Super Foods in the Super Foods Rx book. Keep in mind, there are many more. These are the ones I will touch on for now.

Beans

*Try to eat: at least four 1/2 cup servings per week

*Includes: pinto, navy, Great Northern, lima, garbanzo, lentils, green beans, sugar snap peas, and green peas

Blueberries

*Try to eat: 1 to 2 cups daily

*Includes: purple grapes, cranberries, boysenberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, blackberries, cherries, and all other varieties of fresh, frozen, or dried berries

Broccoli

*Try to eat: 1/2 to 1 cup daily

*Includes: brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, turnips, cauliflower, collards, bok choy, mustard greens, swiss chard

Oats

*Try to eat 5 to 7 servings a day

*Includes: wheat germ and ground flaxseed, brown rice, barley, wheat, buckwheat, rye, millet, bulgur wheat, amaranth, quinoa, triticale, kamut, yellow corn, wild rice, spelt, cous cous

Oranges

*Try to eat 1 serving daily

*Includes: lemons, white and pink grapefruit, kumquats, tangerines, limes

Pumpkin

*Try to eat 1/2 cup most days

*Includes: carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, orange bell peppers

Wild Salmon

*Try to eat 2-4 times per week

*Includes: Alaskan halibut, canned albacore tuna, sardines, herring, trout, sea bass, oysters, and clams

Soy

***I suggest reading on this one as people seem to have opinions about it***

From what I have read, it seems like the benefits outweigh the risks as long as you are following the recommended amount.

*Try to eat: at least 15 grams of soy protein (30 to 50 isoflavones: not from isoflavone-fortified products) per day and divide total daily soy intake into two separate meals or snacks

*Includes: tofu, soymilk, soy nuts, edamame, tempeh, miso

Spinach

*Try to eat: 1 cup steamed or 2 cups raw most days

*Includes: kale, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper

Tea

*Try to drink one or more cups daily

*green or black

*amazing benefits

Tomatoes

*Try to eat one serving of processed tomatoes or others listed below per day and multiple servings per week of fresh tomatoes

Includes: red watermelon, pink grapefruit, Japanese persimmons, red fleshed papaya, strawberry guava

Turkey

*Skinless Breast*

Try to eat: 3 to 4 servings per week of 3 to 4 oz (maximum 4 oz per serving)

Includes: skinless chicken breast

Walnuts

*Try to eat: 1 oz, five times a week

*Includes: almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds, peanuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews

Yogurt

*Try to eat 2 cups daily

*Includes: kefir

Note that the main Superfood has the most benefit. The foods after "Includes" are other options that share the same benefits as the main superfood. This gives you options for variety and creativity in trying to includes these foods in your daily diet.

Good luck!

PUMPKIN

SIDEKICKS:

carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, orange bell peppers

TRY TO EAT:

1/2 cup most days

WHY PUMPKIN?

Most nutritionally valuable foods. Inexpensive, easy to put in recipes, high in fiber and low in calories

Packs an abundance of disease fighting nutrients, most important is the synergistic combination of carotenoids. A 1/2 cups serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times recommended daily dietary intake of alpha carotene and 100 percent recommended daily dietary goal of beta carotene.

QUICK CAROTENOID BOOSTS

Sliced orange, red bell pepper, peeled baby carrots, fresh or dried apricots or prunes, a slice of cantaloupe or watermelon, slice of mango, or persimmon. FUN: Haagen Dazs mango sorbet (Very good, I've tried it!)

ALPHA CAROTENE ALL STARS

Pumpkin (cooked 1 cup) 11.7 mg

Carrots (cooked 1 cup) 6.6 mg

Butternut Squash (cooked 1 cup) 2.3 mg

Orange bell pepper (1 cup) .3 mg

Collards (cooked 1 cup) .2 mg

BETA CAROTENE ALL STARS

(All below are 1 cup cooked servings)

Sweet Potato 23 mg

Pumpkin 17 mg

Carrots 13 mg

Spinach 11.3 mg

Butternut Squash 9.4 mg

WHEN BUYING PUMPKIN

Since pumpkin is only fresh in the fall, you can buy it in the can all year long. Canned pumpkin is actually more nutritious (except for the seeds)

Make sure you buy canned pumpkin puree, not pie pumpkin

**At only 83 calories a cup, it offers more than 400 percent recommended alpha carotene and close to 300 percent beta carotene recommendation as well as almost half of the iron requirement for adult men and postmenopausal women.

Other winter squash is full of beneficial carotenes. Butternut squash is full of flavor and great for soups

Look for winter squash that is HARD, STEM ON, DULL SKIN, DEEP RICH COLOR

IDEAS

Cooked carrots are easy to make and kids usually will love the sweet flavor. (cooked have more nutritional benefit)

Pumpkin seeds are a great plant based source of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. I will add them to my blueberries and yogurt everyday with my walnuts...yummy.

Sweet potatoes are always good. Microwave them for a quick meal addition (5 minutes)

Slice them to make sweet potato fries, spray them with olive oil and back for 20 minutes at 400 degrees

WILL POST SOME GOOD RECIPES SOON!

ORANGES

HOW MUCH?

Try to eat 1 a day

HOW TO GET YOUR 350 MILLIGRAMS A DAY

1 large yellow bell pepper 341 mg

1 large red bell pepper 312 mg

1 large orange bell pepper 238 mg

1 Large green bell pepper 132 mg

1 cup raw chopped broccoli 79 mg

1 cup fresh strawberries slice 97mg

1 cup papaya cubes 87 mg

1 navel orange 83 mg

1 medium kiwi 70 mg

1 cup cubed cantaloupe 59 mg

1 cup Odwalla C Monster 350mg

1 cup fresh orange juice 124 mg

1 cup orange juice from concentrate 97 mg

Citrus flavonoids are found in the whole fruit of the orange (tissue, juice, skin, pulp etc)

The power of citrus flavonoids are amazing. They have the ability to prevent cells from mutating and initiating one of the first steps in the development of cancer and other chronic diseases. They have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth, strengthen capillaries, act as anti inflammatories, and they are antiallergenic and antimicrobial.

They promote cardiovascular health.

Major cancer agent when eaten in the whole form

Reduce the risk of stroke by 25%

Known to elevate HDL cholesterol (good) and lower LDL (bad)

Pectin found in the white lining of citrus fruit is good fiber and helps to reduce cholesterol and is also helpful in stabilizing blood sugar

***Eating a whole orange hold many more benefits than juice will provide***

Eat the pulp and buy high pulp juice

The peel of the orange and other citrus fruits contain lots of nutritional power. If you are to use the peel in cooking, wash with warm water and a little soap or buy organic citrus.

SUPPLEMENTS

It's always better to get it from the source but if you take a Vitamin supplement it is best to take a 250 mg supplement in the morning and 250mg in the evening instead of 500 at a time. Keep your daily supplement intake below the Food and Nutrition Board's tolerable upper limit of 2000 mg a day. 1000mg a day is more than enough.

HOW TO PICK YOUR ORANGES

They do not ripen after they have been picked.

Heavier and smaller with thinner skin have more juice

More juice if you let it go to room temp and roll it on the counter before juicing it.

GET SOME!

Eat an orange, tangerine, or clementine daily

Add mandarin orange segments to a spinach salad

Sprinkle grapefruit halves with brown sugar and broil for a great desert

Add orange juice to a fruit smoothie

Keep orange and lemon zest in your fridge or freezer and add to cakes, cookies, muffins, yogurt, fruit salad, and hot tea.

IDEAS FOR KIDS

Have orange wedges for snacks or after playing/exercising

Kids always love smoothies!

BLUEBERRIES

A mess worth cleaning:)
Don't forget your blueberries every day!

SUPER PUMPKIN COOKIES

SUPERFOODS: Pumpkin, Walnuts, Wheat Germ, Flax Meal

I found a recipe and changed it to make it a bit healthier. Now keep in mind that healthy and cookie are two words that don't really go together BUT the good news is you can do things to a recipe to make it better for you AND instead of eating one, you can eat 3:) I put the original in parenthesis.

Here it is.

4oz butter (recipe called for 8oz)(1/2cup)

40z apple sauce (I used it for the remainder of the butter)(1/2cup)

1/2 cup raw sugar (recipe called for 1 cup of white sugar)

1/2 cup brown sugar (recipe called for 1 cup)

3 Tbsp of egg white (recipe called for 1 egg)

1 tsp of vanilla

2 cups of pumpkin (recipe called for 1 cup) I used fresh pumpkin I pureed this fall. You can use canned pumpkin. I'm not sure what size they come in but I'd recommend trying to get close to the 2 cup mark. You can never have too much pumpkin PLUS it's one of the superfoods!

Cream butter, apple sauce, sugars with a mixer

Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and blend together

In a separate bowl

1 1/2 cup oats (recipe calls for 1 cup)

1tsp baking powder

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt (I didn't use salt)

I added 2Tbsp of flaxmeal and 2Tbsp of wheatgerm (recipe does not call for this)

1 1/2 cups of 100% whole wheat flour

1 cup of white flour (recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of white flour only)

I also added Walnuts. I didn't measure but I'd guess about 3/4 cup. It depends on how nutty you want them.

Obviously chocolate chips make any cookie better so you can always add them too.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mixture will seem wet but just drop the dough on some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and they will bake just as they are dropped. They won't spread out so you will have a thick, soft, moist, yummy cookie!

Bake for 10 minutes at 350. I like my cookies more on the doughy side so test them at 10 min to see how you like them.

Have fun and let me know if you try them!

Canyon LOVED them and grabbed an extra when I wasn't looking:)

OATS

All information taken from Super Foods Rx Book

SUPER SIDEKICKS: Wheat Germ and Ground Flaxseed

SIDEKICKS: Brown Rice, Barley, Wheat, Buckwheat, Rye, Millet, Bulgur Wheat, Amaranth, Quinoa, Triticale, Kamut, Yellow Corn, Wild Rice, Spelt, Couscous

HOW MUCH

5 to 7 Servings a day

HOW THEY BENEFIT YOU

Stabilizes blood sugar

Lowers Cholesterol

Low in calories, high in fiber and protein

The degree of protection against disease offered by oats and other whole grains is greater than that of any of their ingredients taken in isolation.

Read this Chapter for more amazing benefits

SERVING?

1 slice of bread

1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

5 or 6 small crackers

1 four inch pita

1 small tortilla

3 rice or popcorn cakes

1/2 hamburger roll, bagel, or English muffin

1 serving of cold cereal

FLAXSEEDS

*Try to put 2 T of flaxmeal in your yogurt, cereal, or shake everyday. You can buy them whole but you must grind them as the nutrients are difficult to absorb from the whole seed. The oil in them spoils quickly so grind them as you go. (I keep flaxmeal in an airtight container in the fridge with my wheat germ and put 2T of each in my shake every morning for breakfast.)

WHEAT GERM

*2 T of wheat germ is packed with nutrition and can significantly boost your day's nutrition! Keep it in your fridge with your flaxmeal and start your day off right!

WHOLE GRAIN CONFUSION

*Carbs are not created equal!

*Whole grain carbohydrates are good for you and critical in your quest for lifelong health

*When reading labels look for the word WHOLE at the beginning of the ingredient list. This applies to all baked goods, bread, crackers, cereals, pretzels, etc. The fiber content should be at least 3 grams per serving for bread and cereal. If it's lower, put it back!

*Most people eat refined carbs like cookies, doughnuts, breads, and cakes loaded with sugar and fat.

*Whole grains are health promoting, refined grains (pasta, white flour, white bread, and white rice) have been associated with negative health effects.

*If you stick with real whole grains, you will get full before you get fat:)

HOW TO GET 15 GRAMS OF WHOLE GRAIN FIBER A DAY

*Uncle Sam Cereal-toastedwhole grain wheat flakes with crispy whole flaxseed (1cup) 10 grams

*1/2 cups oats 9 grams

*Post Shredded Wheat N Bran (1 1/4cups) 8 grams

*2 T flaxseed 7 grams

*1 slice Bran for Life bread 5 grams

*1/4 cup oat bran (raw not toasted) 4 grams

*2 T wheat germ (crude-not toasted) 2 grams

*1/2 cup cooked brown rice 2 grams

1/2 cup cooked yellow corn 2 grams

WAYS TO INCLUDE THEM IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

*Buy only Whole Grain Bread (Miltons Healthy Multi Grain Bread, Pepperidge Farms Natural Whole Grain 9 Grain, Premium Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat sliced Bread) Many others but I listed the ones I knew you could find anywhere for the most part.

*Substitute brown rice for white rice

*Buy whole grain crackers for snacks (My favorite cracker I buy at Whole foods is Ak-mak 100% Whole Wheat Stone Ground Sesame Cracker) tastes amazing!

*Use whole grain tortillas and pita bread for sandwiches and wraps

*Add oats to meatballs, turkey loaf or meat loaf

*Try Quinoa (very good surprisingly)

*look for Japanese soba buckwheat noodles (good in soups or cold with a sesame dressing

SUPER BREAKFAST IDEAS

*Bowl of hot oatmeal with raisins or dried cranberries or blueberries, sprinkled with 2T of ground flaxmeal and 2T of wheat germ

*Yogurt with berries and flaxmeal and wheatgerm on top.

*Make a smoothie with a little ice, yogurt, berries, milk and add the flaxmeal and wheatgerm before blending.

My favorite new creation is vanilla isagenix shake (you could substitute a vanilla yogurt and add protein powder if needed) with blueberries, peanut butter (1T), and my wheat germ and flaxmeal.

***Again a chapter so full of amazing information. I only take bits and pieces out of the book. The best reason for buying the book is the shopping list in the back that takes out all of the guesswork for what foods to buy. That way you know you are buying the best "whole grain" foods in all the categories.***

Screaming Snowman Snowshoe Race

My New Year commitment was to sign up for some sort of race every month. For February my friend Tina convinced me to do this amazing snowshoe race! I have to say I was a bit nervous and concerned that it was possible to actually run in snowshoes:) It was very possible and a TON of fun!
It was by far the toughest, most exhausting race I have ever done but so worth the coffee mug for placing 2nd. Tina was AWESOME and placed first! Our friend Dawn came in at 4th place so our Fort Collins MOMMY team dominated this race:)

Thanks ladies for such a fun day! Next year we will have to attempt the 10K!

Thanks Tina for driving and inviting us on such an amazing adventure!

Dawn, it was so fun getting to know you better! Hope to run with you again very soon!!

BROCCOLI

SIDEKICKS

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, turnips, cauliflower, collards, bok choy, mustard greens, Swiss chard.

HOW MUCH

1/2 TO 1 CUP DAILY

*too much can have adverse effects, eat in moderation

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO EAT BROCCOLI?

Most powerful weapons in our dietary arsenal against cancer

One of the most nutrient dense foods known; it offers an incredibly high level of nutrition for a very low caloric cost.

One cup of broccoli (cooked) contains more than 100 percent of the adult male/female RDA for vitamin C

This chapter is AMAZING. If I could post all of the benefits of broccoli it would take forever. Just know that it's a cancer curer...seriously!! Also great for bones, cataracts, birth defects

HOW TO SHOP FOR BROCCOLI

Choose tight, deeply colored, and dense florets. Choose smaller head. Yellow florets means broccoli is aged...not good. Firm leaves, not wilted.

HOW TO COOK BROCCOLI

Never wash before storing in the fridge. It will keep in a crisper for 5 to 7 days

The leaves are rich in nutrients, keep them:)

Steam or microwave. Boiling can loose more than 50 percent of its Vitamin C

HOW TO GET BROCCOLI IN YOUR DIET

Puree it and add it to a spaghetti sauce, your kids will never know

I love to saute it and brown it in a fry pan and add it to egg whites for a fun mid day meal, add fresh tomatoes to top it off.

Great for stir fry's

Add it to a salad

Always a fun addition to any casserole or hotdish. Chop it up small so your kids can enjoy it.

Kids will enjoy it with a dip. Hummus is good or a low cal ranch dressing.

Raw vs cooked have different benefits so eat both if you can.

Adding cheese for some improve taste but again, moderation.

Since every child loves mac and cheese, mix it in or add it to the cheese sauce in puree form.

FROZEN YOGURT BLUEBERRY POPS

Makes 12 Pops

A great way to have fun with the kids! Haven't had the chance to make these yet but please let me know by posting a comment if you try them out!

12 paper or foil baking cups, 2 1/2 inch size

Zest and juices of 1 small lemon
2 cups of plain nonfat yogurt (I recommend Stonyfield french vanilla)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (I would not use sugar but apple juice instead 4 oz) If you use the french vanilla yogurt and the apple juice you will not need sugar. Another idea would be to use a strawberry yogurt. Just try to pick a no added sugar, non fat yogurt.
1 pint of blueberries
12 Popsicle sticks

Line twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups with fluted paper baking cups. In a bowl, blend the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt and sugar until smooth. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the mixture among the paper lined muffin pan cups. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours, or until almost firm; insert a Popsicle stick in the middle of each pop. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours. For longer storage in the freezer, cover with plastic wrap. To serve, peel off the paper liners from the pops; let stand at room temperature 4 to 6 minutes to soften slightly for easier eating.

Have fun and let me know how they turn out. I hope to make them soon myself.

INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE

This post doesn't necessarily talk about the kind of superfoods we eat, but to me personally it ties right in! The message at church today talked about ingredients and how some of us may look at what we put into our bodies on a daily basis. I am one to spend hours at the grocery store looking at labels and care deeply about the ingredients I am putting into my body.

Today I was impacted by the realization that it's just not the ingredients in food that are important in our lives but the ingredients found in the blood of Jesus. These are the ingredients that truly give us life.

The 5 ingredients we are given are REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS, PURIFICATION, JUSTIFICATION, AND SANCTIFICATION. I challenge you this week to not only include a serving of broccoli (the next superfood) but a full serving of Jesus. Take a moment to thank him for this one body he has given us and for his blood that gives us LIFE full of pure ingredients, the only ingredients we truly need!

Ephesians 1:7-8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (NIV)

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,

and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved, from God's wrath through him.

Hebrews 13:12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy (sanctified) through his own blood.

The blood of Jesus is a SUPERFOOD we can't live without!

You won't know unless you give it a try!

BLUEBERRIES

HOW MUCH?

1 to 2 cups daily

OTHER BERRIES

Purple grapes, cranberries, boysenberries, raspberries, strawberries, and all other berries including frozen and dried.

WHY THEY ARE SO AMAZING

One serving of blueberries provides as many antioxidants as five servings of carrots, apples, broccoli, or squash

Berries seem to slow and even reverse many of the degenerative diseases associated with an aging brain.

Too many others to list:)

Remember that all berries are full of amazing benefits. Blueberries are just the best overall. So if you have to choose one, pick blueberries but don't be afraid to mix it up!

HOW TO INCLUDE THEM IN YOUR DAILY DIET

Put them in your cereal

Put them in a shake or smoothie.

Add them to pancakes (My favorite pancake mix is from Arrowhead Mills...Multigrain Pancake and Waffle Mix. Another good choice is their Buckwheat Pancake and Waffle Mix.

I have a cup of yogurt (another super food) (I buy Stonyfield Non Fat French Vanilla) with a cup of blueberries for my mid morning snack. This is usually right after my workout so I make it before I go and put it in a cooler to eat when I am finished. Since we usually run errands after my workout, it's a great snack to have with me to avoid being hungry. The boys are always happy to help me eat them. I put them in Canyons cereal almost every morning. A good addition to rice cereal as well for your infant when they are ready to eat them.

NOTE: *Super Walmart carries Dole Frozen Wild Blueberries in a huge bag for a good price. They also carry Stonyfield yogurt for the best prices!

SUPER SALAD

As promised I have taken a picture of what I had for lunch today. It's a good way to include many of the super foods in one healthy meal!

WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR SUPER SALAD

*Spinach (Super Food Powerhouse)

*Romaine (It's fun to mix them together)

*Red Cabbage

*Tomato (Super Food)

*Orange and Red Bell Pepper (Part of the spinach family for superfoods)

*Carrots (I am in love with organic carrots right from the stem)

*Brocco Sprouts (Super Broccoli) (Broccoli sprouts provide ten to one hundred times the power of mature broccoli to neutralize carcinogens) (Superfoods Rx book)

*Extras, when I am done with my cleanse I will be adding the extra calories of dried cranberries and almonds (or any nuts and seeds you like) to my salad. It gives it a great taste and provides more amazing healthy nutrients that our body needs!

*Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar for my dressing. (Measure the amount you want. I put 1 TBSP on my salad and find it's enough)

Protein to add to your salad

*Wild Alaskan Salmon (4oz is all you need and it's plenty)

*1/2 cup of beans

SUPER FOODS

I recently discovered an amazing book by Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews called "Super Foods Rx." It has been life changing for me and I hope to share this journey with you and help you to see why it is so important to decide what you will eat at your next meal and how that decision can truly affect the rest of your life.

I will post a new Super Food once a week and I hope you will find a way to incorporate that food into your daily diet. I am currently doing a 30 day cleanse and the calories I have are all going towards the 14 Super Foods. I am so excited to see how much those foods will impact me during the next 30 days! I will keep you posted!

THE FIRST SUPER FOOD (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) IS...

BEANS

HOW MUCH?

Try eating 1/2 cup serving 4 times per week.

WHAT KIND?

Pinto, navy, Great Northern, lima, garbanzo, lentils, green beans, sugar snap peas, green peas, green beans, lima beans, and all whole dried beans.

GAS YOU SAY?

Yes they can give you gas but your body can become familiar with them and reduce the gas in time. There is always Beano!

BENEFITS TO EATING BEANS

*High protein, low fat

*Heart-healthy food

*High fiber

*Help regulate blood sugar while providing slow burning energy

*Fill you up!

*Preventative to cancers

TIPS WHILE SHOPPING FOR BEANS

*Buy beans that are low in sodium or wash them to reduce sodium

*Buy fresh!

HOW TO INCORPORATE BEANS IN YOUR DIET?

*Hummus (puree garbanzo beans with chopped garlic and olive oil)

*Bean salad (mixture of beans with herbs and olive oil)

*Beans with pasta for pasta e fagioli

*Mash beans and use as a sandwich spread

***ALL INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM THE SUPER FOODS RX BOOK***

HOW I AM ADDING BEANS TO MY DIET THIS WEEK

I opened a can of black beans and put a 1/2 cup on top of my salad and took the other 2 -1/2 cup servings and put them in containers in the fridge for later use.

I will post my "Super Salad" in the next post.

I'd love your comments and questions.