The Fat Phobia (and sugar free desserts)

I hear so many people say how they want to keep things low fat or fat free. The mindset is that fat makes you fat. Makes sense right? Not really and it is actually extremely unhealthy.

There are different kinds of fats. The ones you should avoid right off the bat are the processed fats. The ones you find in any packaged foods. The corn, vegetable and soy oils...AKA, fake oils.

But then there are the good oils like olives and olive oil, sunflower, sesame, and flax oil. And good fats those found in salmon, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Our bodies need and crave fat. We need fat for

1. Brain development 
A low fat diet deprives the brain to be able to repair itself and function quickly.

2. Strong bones
Fat helps with calcium absorption. You can take all the calcium you want, but if your bones are not able to absorb it, your bones become weak and brittle.

3. Energy
Fat is one of the biggest sources of energy in our body!

4. Healthy and properly working body 
Our lungs are actually coated in a thin layer of saturated fat, fat boosts your immune system and actually aids in weight loss by controlling your insulin and blood sugar levels. (You can read in more detail here if you want.)

Don't deprive your body of the fat it needs!! 

Do your research before cutting out fat or going on a low fat diet I cannot tell you how many people have told me since the new year that they are starting a low fat diet. And besides, if you are buying an oil or yogurt that is fat free or low fat, the fat is taken out and replaced with sugar and carbohydrates so you are not eating a better for you food anyway.

On another note, I've also discovered some desserts that help with my sweet tooth without sugar/honey/maple syrup. I'm still trying to detox from sugar and needing sweet things every day, so I don't have a dessert every day- even if it IS sugar free.

The first one is as simple as buying some frozen berries, sprinkling with unsweetened, shredded coconut and leaving at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the berries slightly defrost.

Roasted Banana
Slice the banana in half and brush with coconut oil. Place on baking sheet and put for 10 minutes or so (keep an eye on it) at 400 degrees. Lower the oven to 350 degrees and top the banana with nut butter (I used almond butter with this one) and cacao nibs (you can substitute with chocolate chips, but then you are also adding some sugar to the recipe). *If you don't know about the superfood and nutritional benefits of cacao, read about it here.*

Date Boats
This one is my favorite because it's fast, easy, and raw! I ate it right away before remembering to get a picture but I found one on google that will work. ;)

Slice the date in half. I like the medjool dates best. Stuff with nut butter. I used a raw walnut and cashew butter. Top with raw cacao nibs. Again, if you substitute with chocolate chips, you are adding some sugar to the recipe.


Another super easy treat that helps with the sweet tooth is to fry either an apple or banana in coconut oil. No sugar, healthy fats, and fruit!

Simply place a spoonful (about a tablespoon) of coconut oil in pan and cook until soft. I topped it with cacao nibs and unsweetened shredded coconut. Cinnamon over apples is really good too.

I Love Dessert!!!!

As January comes to a close, the biggest accomplishment is that Elliott is fully potty trained. He took to it so fast and easily! It's nice not to have to buy disposable diapers anymore between Elliott potty trained and Matthew in cloth diapers.

Matthew is getting better about naptimes and sleeping through the night. But even though I did the same exact thing with him as I did with Elliott (who was sleeping through the night at 2 months), he's still getting up once or twice a night and his naptimes are way shorter than Elliott's were. He has quite a temper already too. He's not a fan of being by himself at all and when he's angry or bored, he does this screaming/shrieking thing. It's a lot harder to make him cry when his cry is an angry, high pitched, eardrum bursting shriek. Good thing he's cute. ;)

Today I finished phase 1 of P90X. It's hard getting up early to do an hour workout six days a week, but it's been hanging over me that I keep starting this program and never stick to it longer than halfway. So I'm in it to actually finish it this time. Two more phases left.

While I've been getting good weight loss results, I attribute it more to my nutrition than exercise.

I'm been doing the Whole30 program. I would have been done in two days, but for those of you that know me, you know that sweets and desserts are my vice! I've had the restart the program three times time this month for giving into dessert. :/ But once I make it through these 30 days eating the Whole9 way, I know my sweet tooth will be under control. I'm just working on having the willpower to get there! I feel great on it though (besides the sweet tooth cravings). Dropping inches in my waist faster than I ever had in my life...until I give in to that dessert... my skin is clearer and I have plenty of energy (and for waking up a couple times every night, nursing, and keeping up with Elliott's 120mph activity all day, that's a big deal!). 

I also came to the realization that I've been giving Elliott the same breakfast, every morning, for months now. Just scrambled eggs. Time to mix things up. I wrote up a breakfast meal plan where he's having something different every morning now. Zach likes the variety too. Friday is breakfast muffin day. (Zach and Elliott's aren't doing the Whole30). I thought I'd share some yummy muffins we tried last week.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins
2 1/2 cup rolled oats
8 oz full fat yogurt 
2 eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 bananas

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or rub with coconut oil. Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Bake 20-25 minutes. 

Another dessert I just had to share is some delicious, easy fudge that my sister, Rachel, and I made for Christmas. Well, obviously, we are in different states, but we made them the same time while talking together. ;)

Peppermint Fudge
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Hershey's dark cocoa powder
2 tbsp almond butter
Peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes

-Whisk coconut oil and honey together. Slowly add in the cocoa powder. Whisk in the almond butter and a few drops of peppermint extract (depending on how strong you like it). Pour into a loaf pan that is line with non stick foil or wax paper. Sprinkle the candy canes on top and freeze for 15 minutes. Cut into squares and store in the refridgerator until ready to eat. Just try not to eat the whole thing. ^_^

Finger Painting

Today we decided to do something fun and different. Searching my Pintrest boards, I found a non toxic homemade recipe and was so excited to give it a try.

It's just 2 tblsp of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, and 2 cups of water. Heat it slowly in a saucepan until it's thick and add food coloring!

I taped newspaper to the table and excitedly called Elliott in the room to come finger paint. I didn't think about the fact that he hates food on his hands or face, hates being muddy and hates even the tiniest bit of dirt in his shoes. So what did he think about finger painting?

When I told him we were all done, he finally gave me one good picture.

Oh well, it was fun getting to make the finger paint and hopefully I'll have a kid somewhere down the road that will actually like getting messy. ;)

Iced Cafe Mocha

My last couple prenatal visits have shown that my body is way too acidic. Meaning that I eat more acid containing foods than alkaline. Acid foods are foods like pork or beef, peanut butter, cocoa powder, most cheeses, deli meats, ketchup, eggs, corn tortillas, and butter. The best alkaline foods are your leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens or vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and cucumbers. Lemons, olive oil, grapefruit, berries, raw honey, coconut oil, and cinnamon are all examples of foods that help balance out the acidity in your body. Most people, and me since being pregnant, eat a diet that consists of mostly acidic foods. It's best to pair an acidic food with an alkaline food. Like chicken and asparagus. Or peanut butter on celery.

That being said, I am not a huge coffee drinker, but after I knew I shouldn't have it...guess what I started craving all the time. ;)

Then I stumbled upon this!

It's a tea that comes in different coffee flavors. You can make it two ways. The first looks like coffee grounds and you just run it through your coffee maker like you would make a cup of coffee. The other way comes as tea bags and you just brew it like you would a cup a tea...but it tastes like coffee!

Here is a recipe for a delicious, 200 calorie, healthier alternative to a regular iced cafe mocha.

Brew 10-12 oz of Teeccino. Put in freezer to let it cool down. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk*, dash or two of cinnamon, 2 tbsp of cocoa powder, and 10-15 drops of Stevia. Add some ice and I always find that it tastes yummier if you pour it into a pretty cup. haha.
*You could substitute with almond milk for a lower calorie drink, but then it wouldn't be as creamy.

Chilled Strawberry Delights

With the weather getting warmer, I thought it would be a perfect time to share a recipe with you from my friend, Katrina. She made these for class last summer at the Practical Herbalism class she taught. They were so good and I will definitely be making them for snacks, or desserts, this summer! They have so many super foods and health boosting ingredients as well so you don't have to feel guilty about having seconds...or thirds. :)

Crust ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
2 TBLS cocoa powder

Filling ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup raw cashews
2 TBLS vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw local honey
pinch of salt
1 cup melted coconut oil
8 dates (soaked in warm water for about 5 minutes)

Grind crust ingredients in food processor and press into muffin cups. Place all filling ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into crust. Top with a strawberry and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Enjoy!

Gluten and Dairy free Mud Pie

I've been wanting an ice cream cake all day, but really don't want to throw in the towel on being healthy like I did with Elliott's pregnancy and gain 45lbs! So I found this delicious alternative based off a recipe my Aunt Julie gave me. I simplified the original recipe a bit because I was too sick and lazy to want to spend too much time in the kitchen today.

Find a box of gluten free chocolate cookies.
Add 2-4 tblsp coconut oil.
Mix in food processor.
Press into pie pan.
Melt chocolate chips.
Scoop softened ice cream into pie pan.
Drizzle melted chocolate chips on top. I should have used the whole bag so the top of the pie could be covered. I didn't want to go back and melt more so I'll just remember that for next time. ;)
Put in freezer for about an hour.
Cut and serve. Delicious and easy!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love sitting around the big table with family and loved ones and sharing probably the biggest meal of the year. haha. I love getting to bake all morning and try out some new recipes. I love sitting around and playing games and laughing, laughing, laughing. :)

Of course, Thanksgiving is a time to think about and remember what you are thankful for. I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for my salvation, for Jesus coming to this Earth to die for ME and making me blameless in His site. Without him, I am nothing and would have nothing to live for. And because of that, I am thankful for all He has blessed me with. A wonderful, loving, handsome, fun husband. A happy, adorable son. A great place to live. An amazing church. My incredible friends and church family. Being able to stay home and be a wife and mom and my hardworking husband having a good job that supports us. My list could go on and on. God is so good!

I am also thankful for a yummy, relaxing and very enjoyable Thanksgiving we had in Tucson with my grandparents. My family was also able to drive over and spend a few days there. A good time was had by all!

My Thanksgiving menu included:


Of course lots of turkey!

Roasted Green Beans

Simply cut up green beans and place on baking sheet. Cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Topped with grass fed, organic butter.
 

Mashed "potatoes"

Cook cauliflower instead of potatoes. Use a hand mixer or food processor to mash them. I added some goat's milk, grass fed, organic butter, sea salt, pepper and a bit of parsley. 


Sweet Potato Casserole (I'm so bummed I completely forgot to get a picture!)

8 sweet potatoes, cooked
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil (I used my butter)
dash of salt

Mix everything together and put into a 9x13 baking dish.

Ok, this topping is amazingggg. Everyone- whether they were watching what they were eating or not (LOL)- loved this. Its surprisingly how much it really did taste like marshmallows. I didn't believe it at first when I read the recipe either. But you have to see for yourself!

5 egg whites
2/3 cup honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of vanilla extract

Using a double broiler (or the recipe did say you could use a small pan with water and a glass bowl on top) whip the egg whites until fluffy. Add honey, cinnamon and vanilla and turn on the heat. Whisk for awhile (took about 20 minutes with Rachel and I trading off) until it is thick and the consistency is like melted marshmallows.

Spread over sweet potatoes. Put in the oven under broil for a minute or two until it's browned. YUM!

And finally, Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1/2 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
4 tblsp melted grass fed, organic butter
dash of salt

Put everything into food processor. Press into pie pan and shape the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

While that is baking, mix the pie filling:

1 can of pumpkin puree (only ingredient should be "pumpkin")
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut milk

Mix together and pour into crust. Bake for about 40 more minutes.

Now we're home and finally unpacked. I think it's time to break out the Christmas decorations this weekend!!!

Pumpkin Spice Tea

'Tis the time of the year for yummy, holiday drinks! Every year from October to December, I would make frequent trips to Starbucks and get their yummy and festive, but sugary and high calorie filled drinks. October is my favorite time of the year for pumpkin. It doesn't feel like fall without curling up with a hot cup of pumpkin spiced something.

Did you know a pumpkin latte contains 380 calories and 50 grams of sugar. A chai tea drink at Starbucks isn't much better. Still a whooping 250 calories and 41 grams of sugar. So I started looking into making these drinks at home. While there are lots of healthier recipes online without the syrups, high fructose corn syrup and sodium, they still are not simply "drinks", they are meals. They each still contain anywhere from 250 calories to 450 calories. While homemade holiday drinks contain whole, real ingredients, it is not worth it to skip a nutritious meal for a sugary drink.

A little experimenting and I came up with a perfect pumpkin drink for just 50 calories and 0 grams of sugar. :)

Brew a cup of Chai Spice tea for however strong you like it. For me, this was for 5 minutes. In a blender, blend 1/2 cup of pumpkin. Add a couple dashes of allspice and nutmeg, a few dashes of cinnamon, and 5-7 drops of stevia (not pictured). Stir everything together and enjoy!!!!

Dove...and Desserts

Today Zach and a good friend, Joe, went dove hunting today. They shot 7 doves and we had one of the most delicious dinners ever. The meat doesn't get much more organic and free range than that! In my opinion, dove really didn't taste any different than chicken except it looks darker. Joe wrapped the dove breasts in jalapeno and bacon and bbq'ed them over Jack Daniel's wood smoking chips. Mmmm, the smell was incredible! I was going to post pictures, but I can't seem to find the camera cord so that'll have to wait. I told Zach he needs to go hunting more often and bring home amazing meat like that again. I felt so...I don't know the right word...country... or self sufficient. haha.

Afterwards I tried out a new recipe for grain and dairy free pumpkin cookies. They turned out pretty good. I didn't have almond meal so I just ground up the almonds. But I think next time it'd be better if I bought actual almond flour so it won't be so coarse.

Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup of almond meal
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
¼ cup coconut milk
4 tablespoons maple syrup
Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.  In another small mixing bowl mix the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Grease a baking sheet and scoop cookies onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Made 10 cookies.

I've been craving lemon bars too and stumbled across these- which again are grain and dairy free. They were sooooo good!!!

Lemon Bars
1 cup almonds (soaked the night before)
1 cup cashews (soaked the night before)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
4 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
1 tsp sea salt
1 lemon curd recipe

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the almonds and the cashews in a food processor. Grind them into a medium fine “flour”. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined. Evenly spread the nut batter into a greased 8 by 8 pan. Cook 15-18 minutes. When the top is lightly brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle, it’s done. Cool completely, then spread one recipes of lemon curd on top. Let set in the refrigerator for at least several hours. When ready to serve, take them out and cut into squares. Made 9 large squares.

Detox Drink

If you're like me, you probably get the "2pm munchies". Some days it'll be a craving for a specific sweet or salty thing and other days it can just be anything...I just want to eat. This = diet disaster!!! When I read about this detox drink here, I wasn't too sure about trying it. It doesn't sound like it'd taste too good. But when I finally got up the nerve to try it, I loved it. I've had it every afternoon for about 2 weeks now and every day it tastes better and better. lol.

I start with a bottle like this:

Fill it up with 3 cups of water and lots of ice. It tastes better cold.

Click on the links to each ingredient to see what the health and detox benefits are.

Next add 2 tblsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 tblsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Add stevia to taste. If you have the stevia packets, use the whole packet. If you have the liquid, add 3-4 drops. Make sure to shake and mix everything well!

Yummy Casseroles

I love casseroles. The problem with a lot of them is that they aren't healthy and full of canned and/or packaged ingredients. Casseroles are great though because you can make them ahead of time and cook just 30 minutes before you want to eat. They're also great for stretching your meat too. A little bit of chicken (or ground beef) goes a long way!

Tortilla Chicken
(you can make this as easy as you want. I made my own tortillas and soups, but you can choose to buy them if that's easier)

1 lb boneless, cooked chicken, shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup (or use this recipe for both soups)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can no salt added tomato soup
shredded cheddar cheese
1 dozen flour tortillas, cup into bit sized pieces (see here for tortilla recipe if you want to make your own tortillas. These tortillas turn out so yummy)
-Heat oven to 375 degree. Mix broth, soups, and tomato sauce. Layer a 9x13 baking dish with 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the tortillas, 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat for 2 more layers. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more.
This tastes great with topped with salsa and/or hot sauce, and refried beans!


Chicken and Dumplings
(I'm not sure if this technically is a casserole, but it sure is amazing comfort food.)

4 chopped carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
2 celery stocks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup green peas
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
2 tsp sea salt
1 cup water

For the Dumplings:
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup water with some lemon juice
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For the Filling:
Saute chopped vegetables in coconut oil and spices for approximately 5 minutes. Add water/broth and heat to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken and milk in the last 5 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Scoop dumplings by rounded tablespoon onto the top. Cook for 15-18 minutes at 425 degrees.

Though I haven't tried it, the recipe also says this is a good freezer meal. You bake everything ahead of time, and then freeze it. I'll have to try that!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I got the original idea from my friend here. I tweaked it a little bit to make it healthier. Zach has been working the midnight shift so I had a big, hot plate ready for him when he got home. He loved them. :)

Pancake
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tblsp olive oil
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup butter (make sure it's real butter), melted
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or whatever sugar you like to use)
1 tblsp cinnamon

Topping
1 banana
1 tblsp coconut oil

Mix all the pancake batter ingredients together an pour into skillet. In separate bowl, make the cinnamon filling. Pour into pancake batter just before flipping.

Also note that the cinnamon filling will expand the pancakes. My first try was a failure.

Make all the pancakes and put on a pretty plate.

Melt the coconut oil in the skillet and cut up bananas. Fry for about 2-3 minutes. Top over pancakes and drizzle pure maple syrup over everything. Enjoy!

Pressed for Time?

I haven't had time lately to do very long workouts before heading out the door to go somewhere else. And with VBS coming up this next week (I'm teaching the 1st graders!!), I'll be even more busy. I mentioned early the HIIT runs for cardio, but for strength, I've been doing short 10-15 minutes body weight training, but upping the intensity.

The one I did last night was the 100 pushup challenge (all regular pushups, no "girl" pushups if you can) combined with a 300 rep squat challenge (go all the way down until you are practically sitting on the ground). I did the pushups in 7 minutes and 14 seconds and the squats in 14 minutes and 10 seconds. A great workout that works almost every muscle! Now you do it and beat my time! :)

My personal favorite is just 10 minutes long and it's burpees...with a couple modifications. Standing up, squat down to place your hands on the ground by your feet. Jump your feet back so now you are in a plank. Do a pushup and jump your feet back into your hands. Stand up to a squat and staying in the squat position, jump forward, jump back, stand straight up and jump your knees to your chest. That's one rep. Set your timer for 10 minutes and do as many as you can. I did 50 the first day and 60 the next day.

I've also been doing Tabata workouts and love them! They are 4 minute workouts with 20 seconds of pushing yourself as hard as you can go and 10 seconds of rest. There are so many you can do. I'll list a couple here, but if you want more ideas, just google or YouTube "tabata workouts".

20 sec Squats (as fast as you possibly can)
10 sec rest
20 sec Burpees (as explained above)
10 sec rest
20 sec Mountain Climbers (here's a good picture I found showing how to do it)

10 sec rest
20 sec High Knees (one leg at a time; knee up past your hips)
10 sec rest
20 sec Squats
10 sec rest
20 sec Burpees
10 sec rest
20 sec Mountain Climbers
10 sec rest
20 sec High Knees

Workout #2
Burpees (20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)
Jumping Jacks (20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)
Plyo Jumps (squat down and touch the floor and jump up, hand above your head and feet off the ground as high as you can) (20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)
Plank Jacks (just what it sounds like. Drop down into plank position and your hands stay in one spot while you jump your feet out and in). (20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)
Repeat once more time for a 4 minute workout.

All these workouts are intense and you'll feel great after doing them. The best part is that they don't take very long! It's perfect for the days you don't have time to workout very long. The past couple weeks, my only workouts have been HIIT runs and/or tabata.

I also want to post a recipe for cupcakes I made last night. The best part is, they are gluten free and dairy free. (I think I may have an intolerance to either dairy or gluten but am not sure which one it is. Currently I am eliminating both and then will slowly add each one back in and see which one doesn't agree with me).

Coconut Cupcakes- makes 9

 

 

 

   

 

1/2 cup coconut flour  

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

3 eggs, gently beaten with a fork 1/3 cup of honey 

1/3 cup of coconut oil  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (I used frozen that were slightly thawed)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a medium size bowl, place the coconut flour, sea salt, and baking powder.
Melt honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan, just until melted. Let it cool completely so the eggs won’t curdle. Combine wet ingredients (eggs, honey, and vanilla), and mix thoroughly into dry ingredients.
Fold in fresh or frozen berries. In papered or lightly greased muffin tins, put about 1/4 cup of batter in each muffin tin. Bake for 375 degrees until the muffins are lightly browned on the top and a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the middle of the muffin, 20-28 minutes. (Our oven cooks things super fast so it only took 15 minutes for me. Just keep an eye on it!)
Cool and enjoy! 

The blog I found this recipe (http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/), also included this frosting recipe. I don't have a double broiler yet, so I didn't do the frosting part. It still tasted great...kinda more like a muffin though. But if you want it to be more like a cupcake, follow the recipe below.

Frosting- makes 3 cups
3 egg whites
2/3 cup of honey 
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Put the unbeaten egg whites, honey, and salt into the top of a double boiler over hot water. Beat with an electric beater on medium to high speed, while you bring the water to a boil. Continue to beat for 7 minutes, or until the mixture forms soft mounds. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla slowly and continue beating until frosting is stiff enough to hold it’s shape.
 

Homemade Bread

I have been trying to make bread in the oven for awhile now, but it never turns out right. On Monday I got a $7.50 bread machine (I love a bargain!) at the thrift store. I just made my first loaf of bread and am so excited to find out that the bread machine works perfectly! The bread tastes amazing!!! I am so excited to try all different recipes and now I will make all our bread. Here is the recipe I used for this time:

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons powdered milk
2 tablespoons butter (use whole/real butter!)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

In a saucepan, add the water and milk until warm. Pour in mixing bowl and add all ingredients in the order listed. Mix together and put into bread machine. Press start and 4 hours later, you have yummy, healthy homemade bread!

Coffee Cake

Here is a healthier dessert recipe. While there's no such thing as a healthy dessert, dessert made with clean, real ingredients instead of refined sugars, margarine, or processed, packaged box mixes is a much better alternative. Unfortunately, I've found that a lot of these desserts don't taste right. They have that "healthy" or dry or bland taste. I've been trying lots of different recipes since I have a crazy sweet tooth! This one was delicious!



1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup natural sweetener (we use coconut palm sugar. It tastes like brown sugar, can be used in baking equal to the measurement they list for sugar, low carb, unrefined, and is low on the GI index)
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/2 cup nuts (if desired. Look below for a recipe for making candied nuts)
1 cup plain yogurt

In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar; cut in the coconut oil until crumbly. Add cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt; mix well. Make a well in the center; pour in the yogurt and stir until moistened. Transfer to a greased 8 x8 baking pan and sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
 
Candied Nuts

1 egg white
1Tbsp water
1 pound nuts (I used walnuts)
1/3 cup sweetener (I used 100% maple syrup for this one)
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Beat egg white and water until stiff and fluffy. Fold in the sweetener, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add nuts and toss to coat. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rotating every 15 minutes.

Let's Bake!

I love baking. I've always like baking more than cooking. Baking tastes yummier, smells amazinggg, and I get so much more of a sense of accomplishment after baking and icing a beautiful cake or setting out a plate of cookies than a chicken dish or a casserole. But once you try eating healthier and eating clean and realize how bad a lot of those baking ingredients are for you, it reallyyyy limits your options. I've been experimenting with lots of different desserts. I will certainly post them once I've found a good one, but a lot of them end up tasting bland!

A simple no-bake recipe that is perfect for my killer sweet tooth are Protein Balls.

You'll need:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (we just get the EAS protein powder from Sam's club. I could still have it while I was pregnant and now while I'm breastfeeding too)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup rolled oats

Mix all ingredients together and roll into small balls. Place in the fridge for an hour or so and they are ready to eat! I have a hard time not eating the whole batch!

Zach found this recipe and it tasted amazing!! You'll need an ice cream maker though.

1/4 cup + 1/8 cup honey
1 egg + 1 egg white (Get organic, free range eggs. Those kinds are okay to eat raw. I'm not too sure about the ones in the store)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Don't put more than this in. It'll make it taste too bitter. That was our mistake at first)
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
In food processor, add eggs, honey and cocoa powder.
Bring almond milk to a boil in saucepan.
Add 1/2 cup of the boiling almond milk to the mixture in the food processor and mix.
Add that mixture into the saucepan with the remaining almond milk.
Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.
Put saucepan in the refrigerator until cool.
Pour this into your ice cream maker until it is the consistency of frozen yogurt. (This took about 30 minutes for me) 

Doesn't it look pretty? And it tasted just like any frozen yogurt you'd go get somewhere!










Another staple food you should make yourself is granola. Granola and protein bars are two healthy foods, but if you read the labels, they both actually have A TON of sugar. I'm still experimenting with protein bars (I'm actually making another batch right now), but here is a great granola recipe that my friend, Emily, gave me.

7-8 cups of rolled oats (It makes a big batch of granola!)

1 cup water

1 cup honey

1 cup olive oil
These measurements will stay the same. But the great thing with granola is that you can make it how you like it. Here are some options:
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
I'm not sure on the exact measurements for the other ones, but I just put enough in until it looks how I want my granola to look!
Flaxseeds
Almonds
Cocoa powder
Dried blackberries
Little bit of Stevia and cinnamon
Another granola recipe I have calls for:
Raisins
Dried cranberries
Banana chips
Apple chips
Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds
Carob chips
So you get the idea. Just add in whatever you want!

Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the honey and oil. Mix the dry ingredients in separate bowl. If you're using any dried fruit, leave those out until the end. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Mix together. Spread out on two cookie sheets. Bake at 275 degrees, stirring every 15-20 minutes for a total of 1- 1 1/2 hours. Add the dried fruit and cool. 

And finally, I have one more recipe to post for today. Pancakes!!!!

Whole Wheat Pancakes:

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups milk

3 T olive oil

2 egg whites

Mix everything together. Mix eggs in separate bowl until peaks form. Cook and enjoy!

Dessert Pancakes:

1/3 cup rolled oats

4 egg whites

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp cinnamon

Little bit of Stevia

Mix everything together and cook!

Makeover dinners

Spaghetti 
-Find a healthy marinara sauce. A healthy sauce means one where you can pronounce all the ingredients and one that is low in sugar. Personally, we use the Walmart brand "pasta sauce." It is the lowest in sugar and all ingredients that are real foods. You can easily make your own with crushed tomatoes, garlic, pepper, basil, etc. I've been just getting the jar sauce cause it's easier and faster. :P
-Brown some ground turkey, pour on the marinara sauce, and serve over whole wheat spaghetti pasta. Super easy and good for you!

Lasagna 
-Whole wheat lasagna noodles
-16oz package of fat-free or 2% cottage cheese
-Part skim Parmesan cheese
-Part skim mozzarella cheese
-Ground turkey
-1 egg
-Onion
-Garlic
-Oregano
-Basil
-1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes
-1 can of no salt added tomato sauce
Cook the pasta. In a separate bowl, mix Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, egg, onion, garlic, oregano, and basil. Brown the turkey and pour the tomatoes and tomato sauce over it.
In a 9x13 dish, layer the pasta first, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and 1/3 of the turkey mixture. Repeat layers 3 times. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Two healthy dessert options:

Strawberry Shortcake

  

-1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
-1 t. baking powder
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup honey
-1/3 cup oil (I used olive oil, but you could also use coconut oil)
-1 t. vanilla extract
-1/2 cup milk
-Sliced strawberries....as many as you want!
-Heavy whipping cream (whip until soft peaks form. Add some honey and/or stevia for sweetness)
Mix together flour and baking powder.  Add in eggs, honey, oil, vanilla and milk. Mix with hand mixer until smooth.  Pour into well greased 8×8 inch baking pan.  Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Cool completely.  Top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Honey Bars 
-1 cup natural peanut butter
-1/2 cup honey
-1 egg
-1/4 tsp vanilla
-1/8 cup sesame seeds (optional)
Mix all ingredients together. Put into a 8x8 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serve!

Spaghetti Squash

Why did I not know about this wonderful food earlier?!?! Spaghetti squash can be used just as it sounds...as spaghetti pasta. Pierce holes throughout the sides of the squash before cooking so it doesn't explode. Cook in oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour or boil for about a half hour. You also could microwave it for 10-12 minutes. (I tend to avoid the microwave, but I'll go into that more later). You'll know it's done when you can poke a fork it in and it feels soft. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before cutting open though because it will be crazy hot! Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and it'll look like this.

 

Using a fork, scrap out your "noodles". Use in place of any pasta.

One cup is just 42 calories whereas one cup of whole wheat pasta is 140 calories!!!
So yummy :)