Brownie Bites

Finding healthy snacks in the stores seems to be close to impossible, unless of course all I want to eat is fruit and veggies.  Which don’t get me wrong that’s the best food ever, but let’s face it I have a sweet tooth and a craving for chocolate now and then, okay more like all the time.  So I need a treat that is healthy, gluten free and tasty.  Not hard if you are in control of the ingredients right?  Right!

What You’ll Need:

1 ½ cups of peanuts (or whatever type of nut you prefer)

Pinch of sea salt

13-15 dates, pitted

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

What You’ll Do:

Put nuts and salt in food processor, process until finely ground.

Add remaining ingredients and process until all mixed.

Remove brownies from the food processor and press into a square shape.  Cut into small bite sizes, enjoy or put in fridge to harden and enjoy later.

Honey Basil Vinaigrette

This dressing goes perfect with garden fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. But really its a great dressing for your green salads as well.



What You’ll Need:

½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and Pepper

Combine ingredients in a Vita-Mix or food processor, blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Carrot Apple Grapefruit Ginger Juice

 This juice is so good, it doesn't need an intro.  Just go make it. Really.

What You’ll Need:
3 carrots
1 grapefruit
1 pink lady apple
1 inch long chunk ginger
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

What you’ll do:

Peel grapefruit. Cut carrots and apple into chunks. Cut chunk of ginger.

Throw all into your juicer or Vita-Mix. Blend until mixed -unless you want to make crackers with the pulp.  If you do, read the note below.

*If you decide to reserve the pulp for raw cracker dough, then you might want to blend the carrot and apple first, strain and reserve pulp, then add the rest of the ingredients to your carrot apple juice, blend, then strain again.

Gourmet Baby

My friend Becky recently asked me about how to make baby food for her little girl. I am thrilled that so many families are taking their childrens nutrition into their own hands, exactly where it belongs. I made baby food for all three of my kiddos, and to this day they are still amazing eaters. Disclaimer - if you want your kids to eat healthy, you must model behaviour for them. If you're chowin' on brownies and fries for lunch, don't expect your little one to happily sit there eating his/her carrots...come on now.

Making your own baby food is simple, environmentally friendly, economical and most importantly, much healthier for your precious ones than jarred food will ever be. Another advantage is that you know exactly what you are feeding your child and you can pronounce all of your ingredients.

First step?
Choose fruits and vegetables that are organic and in season for optimal flavor and nutrients.

Keep in mind that when introducing new foods to your baby it is wise to start with one individual fruit or veggie and then introduce a new food every 3-5 days. I was always a little more cautious and waited a week. This allows parents to check for any food sensitivities, and baby to 'get to know' and thoroughly enjoy a certain food.

Here are some of my little one's favorite first foods; bananas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, blueberries, avocados. Oh, and just you wait till you start combining fruits with other fruits or veggies with other veggies…you and your baby will have so much fun!

What you’ll need:
Fresh fruit or veggies
Food Processor
Ice cube trays or other eco friendly storage containers, if storing

Cook your veggies and/or fruit, I prefer steaming them, in order to retain more of the nutrients.
When done steaming, put cooked veggies or fruit into food processor and puree until smooth.

*If you have a Vita-mix and you prefer to retain all the nutrients, minerals and enzymes in your babies food, then make it raw. Skip the stove, and just throw your fruits and/or veggies in the Vita-mix and process until you reach the desired consistency. Remember, the Vita-mix can cook food, so if you don't want it cooked, don't process your food for too long.

Voila!! You have a gourmet meal for your little one, and it's fresh!!!

Made extra? Perfect. Put pureed food in eco friendly containers (see link for ideas), and freeze. You can keep these extras for three months in the freezer.... but remember, fresh is always best.

Link for Eco friendly containers:
http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/food-storage-c-66.html

StRAWberry Oatmeal!

I know, I know, for those of you who are new to raw foods recipes, this seems a bit ... strange. I totally understand. But, I've been asked time and time again to provide friends with sample menu's of my daily meals, so I couldn't not post it. It's an easy and deliciously satisfying breakfast. Plus, it's also incredibly nutrient dense!

Somewhere, sometime I promise to post info on the benefits of a living foods diet, but for now...I only want to focus on taste!



Ingredients:

Raw Oat Groats - (1- 2 cups) You can purchase these from a whole foods market in their bulk section. These are what the rolled oats look like before being flattened, steamed and toasted.

Sea Salt - pinch

Your choice of sweetener - couple of tablespoons should do. Use honey, dates, or Yacon Syrup if you want to keep it truly raw. If you don't care so much, you can use Maple Syrup.

Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean - Tablespoon or two, or a half vanilla bean pod (only use if you have POWERFUL blender or food processor)

Fresh Strawberries - however many you choose. I used about three large strawberries.

Preparation:

Put raw Oat groats in a glass or stainless steel bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.
In the morning, rinse well and do a taste test for consistency of groats. They should be chewy by now. If you want them softer, soak some more and test occasionally. If you have a really powerful blender or food processor (like a Vitamix or Kitchen Aid) then go ahead and drain the oats and place in blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend till smooth and creamy. Or, don't - you can just place the oats in a bowl and add your sweetener, vanilla and tiny pinch sea salt. Mix well. Cut up fresh strawberries and garnish. Enjoy!