Cornmeal Pancakes

As I've said before, we love pancakes in this house.  Tonight, I wasn't feeling great, was tired, and not excited about making dinner.  I wanted something simple, so of course I thought, Brinner! 
Now that I'm going gluten free, I decided to try to come up with a new GF pancake recipe instead of going to one of my standbys.  After combing over the millions of different flours and such that I have in my pantry, I came across a bag of Nitty Gritty Cornmeal of VT and decide to make Cornmeal Pancakes.

Cornmeal Pancakes

1 cup fine cornmeal
1 cup of tapioca flour
1/2 tsp of xanthan gum
4 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 TB Organic, Raw Stevia (Or honey, agave, etc)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk or any other milk.
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla


Whisk together all dry ingredients.  Once combined, add the rest of the wet ingredients.  Stir until combined and let sit for about 10 minutes.

While the batter is resting, preheat a griddle over medium heat.  I use a touch of coconut oil to prevent sticking.  Once heated, add about 1/4 of a cup of batter for each pancake.  You will need to cook about 3-4 minutes on each side depending on your pan/stove top.  This should make about 12-15 pancakes.



These are great with just a dab of maple syrup, but for the second of half of the batch I added some dark chocolate chips and mashed frozen blackberries. 

Frozen berries are great to have on hand and really reasonable when you consider how pricey organic fresh berries can get.  I always have a handful of different berries in the freezer for occasions just like this!

 

*If you don't want to make these gluten free, replace the tapioca flour with whole wheat flour and omit the xanthan gum.

Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but one of my favorites is Almond Joys.  Since I'm going gluten free for now, I stocked up on brown rice flour and almond meal.  As I was looking at my pantry I saw the bag of almond meal next to the coconut oil and decided I needed to do some experimenting.  I started with a chocolate cookie base, eggs, a fat, etc. and built it from there.  The result was a delicious cookie that I can't stop eating.  Unfortunately, I got so into the experimenting, I forgot to write down what I put in it.  Luckily, I loosely remembered and made a second batch tonight writing it down this time.  And I must say, batch two was even better!  Almondy, coconutty, chocolatey goodness, even better than an Almond Joy!

Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup brown rice flour (you may sub any flour you wish here)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetend ground coconut
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 of a cup of oats
2 large eggs
2 TB dark agave syrup (3 TB if you have a sweet tooth)
3 TB melted coconut oil
1 TB melted butter
2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or carob chips (preferably grain sweetened, but and kind will do)

Prehead oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bown, blend together all dry ingredients.  Once mixed, start adding the wet ingredients in the order above, mixing with each addition until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet, in about 2 TB balls.  Press slightly to flatten.  This should make about 15 cookies. 

Cook for about 9-11 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and place cookies on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin.  I can't get enough of it.  2 years ago all the pie pumpkins in my garden died, but last summer I was graced with 8 beautiful pie pumpkins which I was able to roast and puree into 20, 1 cup servings which reside in my freezer until I'm ready to use them. 

I don't make waffles very often, but today I decided to come up with a clean, gluten free version.  1st try...not so much.  With a few adjustments, the 2nd batch was fabulous.
Also, if you don't want to do gluten free, just take out the xanthan gum and use whatever whole grain flour you like!  Xanthan gum acts as wheat gluten does which keeps the grain together.

Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3 large eggs or 4 small to medium eggs
2 cups almond milk (or use any milk you'd like)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 TB honey
4 TB melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla

Plug in your waffle iron and let it pre heat.  In a large bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients.  Next add your wet ingredients, 1 at a time, stiring until just combined at each addition.

Cooking really depends on your waffle iron.  Mine takes about 1/4 of a cup of batter on each square and about 7 minutes cooking time.  A good indication that your waffle is done is when there is not more steam coming out.  But again, that varies from iron to iron, so you may have to experiment a bit.   I served mine with a little drizzle of maple syrup, but these are so tasty, you don't really need anything!

Eggs: Don't believe the stuff you hear on the street.

Poor eggs.  These delicious little nuggets of nutrition have gotten a bad rap the past 2 decades.  In the late 80's/early 90's, the powers that be suddenly decided that eating eggs will lead to your demise.  Too much cholesterol!  They'll give you heart disease!  STAY AWAY!  Maybe they weren't that crazy about it, but close...  About the same time that my sister used to go around town scamming eggs from family trying to beat my mom's 2 eggs day rule. 

More recent studies, (One being the smarties at Harvard)  however, have found that to not only do they NOT give you an instant heart attack, but they work to help prevent them.  Infact, very little of the egg's cholesterol actually ends up in your bloodstream and artieries.

Yes, egg yolks do have a lot cholesterol.  And yes, like almost everything in live, you do need to exercise moderation.  For instance, don't consume more than 7 eggs yolks a week.  Especially if you are someone who is already struggling to control their cholesterol.  However, that gives you the green light eggs daily. Today I had 3 eggs.  1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.  Right there alone, that's about 25 grams of wonderful protein to start my day. 

So if you've gotten past the fact that eggs are bad for you, let's move on to start realizing that eggs are a superfood! So here they are people.  The top 5 reasons why you should bring eggs back to breakfast.

1) Protein:  And lots of it.  Protein is the key to weightloss.
2) Amino Acids:  Eggs contain 9 amino acids.  Amino acids are ESSENTIAL to life.  They aid every single function within the human body.
3) Choline: This helps the brain function and promotes healthy levels of folic acid (which makes healthy babies) and B vitamins (which provide energy).  Most people are deficient in Choline, especially woman.  Eggs are the best source of it in our diet.  A diet rich in choline can also prevent breast cancer.  Studies show women who consume a whole egg regularly are 24% to 44% less likely to get breast cancer. 
4)Trytophan: This came up in my pumpkin seed post.  This stuff helps your mood, sleep, and prevents cancer. 
5)Lutein: Eggs are great for your eyes.  They contain a good dose of lutein which help prevent macular degenereration.

Below are some very basic ways to enjoy eggs.  Farm fresh eggs are best, organic farm fresh is better for you.  Plus, the fresher the egg is, the easier it is to peel!  Plus the yolks are much brighter and I'm a big believer in the brighter the food, the more nutrients.

Hard Boiled

Take your eggs and place in a small sauce pan with cold water.  Set on a burner set at high.  Set your timer for 15 minutes.  When the timer goes off, your eggs are done!  For a softer boil, do 12 minutes.
Mash up with a dab of butter, dash of salt, and pinch of pepper.  I like to eat mine in a bowl with whole grain toast to use as forks.

Amanda's Special Scrambled Eggs

2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1 TB of fresh dill chopped (1/2 tsp if you only have dried)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp butter
Dash of nutmeg
1 TB milk

In a fry pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk together the egg and remaining ingredients until frothy and lighter in color.  About 1 min. 
Pour the egg into the pan and with a spatula, push the egg from side to side until almost all the wetness is gone.  Remember, done in the pan means over done on the plate!

Egg Salad

2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
2 TB organic mayo or vegan mayo  (Can also sub blended avocado)
1 tsp mustard
1/8 cup of sliced green olives or capers
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the eggs using the hard boiled method.  I then like to let my eggs sit in very cold water for about 15 minutes to cool them down.  Remove the yolks from 3 of the eggs and mash all together. 
Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined. 

I like my egg salad cold, so I let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before eating.  This is great to enjoy on a bed of lettuce or as a sandwhich.

Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup

Cold snaps like this are made for soups. Today I decided to make a soup that I've never made before. Had some gorgeous kale in the fridge,  just picked up some organic french lentils at Rail City Market today, and had some organic chicken sausage in the fridge, so the choice seemed obvious: Sausage Kale Lentil Soup.

Sausage Kale and Lentil Soup

1 lb organic sausage (I had some smokey andouille on hand which was perfect)
1 onion, diced
1 cup of carrots, diced
1 tsp grapeseed oil
12 cups of vegetable stock (used water and my trusty veggie Better than Boullion)
1 sprig of fresh thyme and rosemary
1 1/2 cups of lentils
1 large bunch of kale (about 4 cups chopped)

In a stock pot, heat the grapeseed oil and brown the sausage links.  After browned, pull out the sausages set aside.  Add the carrots and onions and brown those a bit as well for about 5 minutes.
Add the stock to the, herbs, and lentils to the pot and bring to a rapid boil.  Bring down your heat to about medium and simmer.
Boil covered for about 30 minutes.
While that is boiling away, take your browned sausage and cut into half moons.  You will add those to the soup once it's boiled for 30 minutes along with the roughly chopped kale.  Boil for another 15 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Seeds

Since I've been eating clean for the past month, going gluten free hasn't been that difficult for me...until it comes to snack time. I'm a salt snack fiend, so I've been trying to come up with healthy snacks that I will actually crave.
I decided to try pumpkin seeds because they are a superfood.  They contain antioxidants, minerals, B6 vitamins, and amino acids tryptophan and glutamate.  Tryptophan aids sleep and is converted into serotonin in the body.  Serotonin is the key to sleep and stabilizes your mood.  If you suffer from anxiety or depression, you most likely lack proper levels of serotonin.  I could go on for days about this magical mood lifter, but that is for another day.  Glutamate had the same kind of effects on the body, but again, for another day. 
This is another "how-to" recipe.  This is the basic method, but I encourage you to experiment with different spices and oils.
Since these super seeds were making me feel super, I decided to go with another superfood: Tumeric.  Tumeric is arguably the healthiest spice in the world.  From aiding in weightloss, to being an antioxidant and cancer prevention, it's a great spice to cook with.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups of raw organic pumpkin seeds
1 TB grapeseed oil
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until the seeds are evenly coated.
Spread the seeds onto a sheet pan in a single layer.  Roast in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes.  Keep on eye on these because they can burn quickly.
Remove for oven and let cool.  I like to eat them when they are warm, but they are great at room temp as well. 
Eat them as a snack, in cottage cheese, or on a salad.  These are also good to add crunch to a root soup.

Quick Chicken Tacos

Last night was a prime example of clean eating made easy by preparation.  With a few already prepped items, we were sitting down to a delicious, healthy, clean supper in 20 minutes.

Chicken Tacos

8 corn tortillas (or whatever tortilla you like...You can also use lettuce to wrap)
1 TB Grapeseed oil or coconut oil (urge you to use these because they won't turn into transfat at high temps)
1 small zucchini cut into half moons
2 cups of shredded chicken (precooked earlier in the week)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 clove garlic minced
Salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or cilantro)
1 avocado, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage (I buy mine pre shredded from Healthy Living)
Sour Cream
Salsa
1 to 1 1/2 cup Cheese, shredded (please shredded yourself!  It's cheaper and shredded cheeses often have crap added)

Grab your tortillas and put on a microwave safe plate with a wet paper towel on top.  Set aside.

Pre heat oil in a skillet.  Add zucchini and let cook for about 3 minutes.  Then add the chicken, cumin, chili powder, and salt.  Let cook for another 2 minutes and add the lime and garlic.  Cook for a another minute or so, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Take off the head and stir in the parsley.

While the meat is cooking, cut up your avocado and shred cheese.  When you take the meat off the heat, pop your tortillas in the microwave and cook for 1 minute.

Then build your tacos!  I eat avocado, cabbage, a tiny bit of sour cream, cheese, and salsa on mine, but please experiement with different veggies and toppings.  If you can stand it, throw on some chopped fresh jalapenos.  They have immune and metabolism boosting abilities. 
I served with a side of quinoa with salsa mixed in. Also try quinoa with some lime juice and fresh cilantro.

Carrot Ginger Soup

I'm not going to lie, there was a time in my life where I've said I HATED ginger. I even threw a fit at a pub in Boston for putting Asian Coleslaw on my plate and made them take it off.
However, I've recently grown to like it. I've been drinking hot lemon water with ginger and honey and the taste is growing on me.
So while deciding what soups to make for the week, I decided to come up with a carrot ginger soup. Something that I used to turn my nose up at when coming across on menus.
Soups are great to make a big batch of on Sunday to have for the week. For the last several weeks I've been making at least one soup a week and it's made eating clean muc easier.

Carrot Ginger Soup

2 lbs of carrots, peeled and chopped in about 1 inch sections
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsley chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped (leaves too)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and coarsley chopped
1 tsp coconut oil
2 quarts of water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 tsp pepper


Heat a large sauce pan over medium high heat.  Melt coconut oil in pan and add onions, carrots, and celery.  Once those have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the ginger and garlic.

Cook for another 5 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.  Crank the heat to high and add the liquid.  I used Better Than Boullion.  I put 4 tsps into 2 quarts of water, stir, and add to the hot pan. 

Bring the soup to a boil and add salt.  Once the soup comes to a rapid boil, turn head down to medium low.

Let the soup simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered.  Must be uncovered so the liquid condenses.  Take off burner and puree with an immersion blender.  If you don't have one, let it cool a bit and puree in a blender. 

Once pureed add the yogurt and pepper and stir until totally combined.  You can use any kind of yogurt you have.  I would use plain greek or a flavor that complements it.  I love Butterworks Farm yogurt and happened to have a tub of maple.  Added a nice hint of maple and sweet to the soup.  Don't be afraid to experiement!  That's how I always find my favorite recipes.  Try adding different root vegetables, spices, etc.

Pumpkin Pancakes

You are going to see a lot of pancakes on this blog.  To me, Saturday mornings mean pancakes...and William LOVES them.  I came up with this recipe this morning and it was a hit! I have a soft spot in my heart for pumpkin pancakes because it was the first thing we ordered William in a restaurant and he devoured them.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/2 cups whole grain wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (any kind of milk will do)
3 TB coconut oil, melted
1 egg
2 TB raw honey
1 cup mashed pumpkin (you can used canned organic.  I used pumpkin I froze from my garden)
1 tsp vanilla.

Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next, start adding the wet ingredients, one at a time, stirring each time until combined.  Start with the milk, end with the vanilla.

Pre-heat a large skillet on medium heat.  For each round of pancakes, melt about 1/2 tsp coconut oil to prevent sticking. 

The size of pancake is up to you.  I use about 1/4 cup scoops which allows me to do about 3 at a time in the pan.  These pancakes have a lot of liquid in it, so it will take a bit longer to cook than your normal pancake.  Therefore, it's important you keep your head at medium to prevent burning them.  Each pancake takes about 4 minutes on the first side, 2 on the other.

Using that measurement, I ended up with 15 fluffy, creamy, delicious pancakes!

Whole Wheat Bread

This is a recipe I have in memory, but I know I got it somewhere online at some point, so I can't take full credit.
I used to make this with conventional ingredients, but just cleaned up the original to make delicious, healthy bread for my family.  Much tastier and cheaper than store bought!

Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 1/4 tsp of rapid rise yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup very warm water (just warm enough so it's almost uncomfortably warm)
2 TB of honey
1/4 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil

Set your bread machine to just the dough setting.  You can cook in your bread machine, but I prefer to bake in my oven.  The form and outer texture is better.

Put the water, salt, yeast, and honey into the machine.  Let sit for about 5 minutes to let the yeast start to work.
Next add the flour and oil and push start!

An hour and 1/2 later, take the dough out and onto a flour surface.  Stretch out and fit to a normal sized bread loaf pan.  Set in a warm place for about 30 minutes and allow to rise.  Brush top with eggwash and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Take out of pan as soon as it comes out of the oven and let cool on rack.

Banana Quinoa Pancakes

This little gem is one of my favorites. While I did get the idea for a quinoa pancake, this recipe is one I found on Ambitious Kitchen.  Made some very minor adjustments. William and I both inhaled these.  A keeper for sure!

Banana Quinoa Pancakes

1 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp coarse salt
2 large egg whites
1 egg
1/3 cup vanilla almond yogurt
2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large very ripe bananas, pureed

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking powder, and quinoa.  In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Slowly stir in the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined.

Melt a little coconut oil on a preheated skillet and scoop on about 1/4 cup of the mixture.  Cook about 2 minutes per side.  You will know to flip when you start seeing bubbles form.  This should make about 12 pancakes. 

These would be great with some chocolate chip, coconut, or berries added. 

Mayonnaise

My husband is a huge mayo fan, so today I experimented and came up with a couple recipes. Both were tasty, flavorful, and made me excited to try more!

Olive Oil Mayo

1 egg yolk
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar (choose whatever you like best, I used white wine)

If you don't have an immersion blender, whisk together the egg yolk, garlic salt, and dry mustard.  Whisking vigoroulsy, drizzle in about tsp of olive oil at a time.  Once you have an emulsion, the mixture will thicken, and become lighter.  Once that happens, you may start adding more olive oil to the mix at a time.  About halfway thru the olive oil, stir in the lemon juice and vinegar, then continue adding the oil.

Once all the oil is mixed in, let the mayo set for about an hour.  You can then store in the fridge for about a week.

Vegan Mayo

1/2 cup unsweetned almond milk or soy milk
1 cup safflower oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar (choose whatever you like best, I used white wine)

For this, I will give you the immersion blender version.  If you don't have one, do the same for this recipe as the other, except replace yolk with milk.
Add all ingredients, except for the lemon juice and vinegar, to a medium bowl.  Set your blender on high and slowly mix the ingredients, moving it up and down in the bowl.  Once the emulsion occurs, add the lemon and vinegar and mix in throroughly.

Chicken Soup for the Body and Soul

Is it just me or does the whole world have the flu?  Seems like it, so even though my family is relatively healthy right now (knock on wood) I'm in the mood to make some chicken soup. 

Chicken Soup

Stock
1 gallon of water
1 whole chicken, approx 5 lbs
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 stalks celery, broken in 2
2 carrots, broken in 2
2 stalks rosemary and thyme
4-5 large sage leaves
1 TB sea salt
1 clove garlic

Fill a large stock pot with the gallon of water and set burner to high.  Take your whole chicken and remove all the skin except for the skin on the thighs and wings.  This will make your stock far less fatty, but keep enough flavor.   I use kitchen shears to do this.  Again, using my shears, I cut off the legs, wings, and cut the body in half.  All goes into the pot, including the gizzards.  Once the chicken is in, I put the rest of the stock ingredients into the pot.

Once the stock comes to a roaring boil, turn the heat to medium and let boil for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir occasionally.
When the stock is finished, I use a chinese strainer to remove all solid bits within the pot.  Toss everything except the chicken in the garbage.  Once the chicken cools enough to touch, pull 1/2 of the chicken meat from the bone.  Shred into whatever size you desire your chicken to be. 

Pull the rest of the chicken off the bone and put in the fridge to use later in the week for sandwiches, salads, etc. 
Return the stock to the burner and set to medium low.

Soup

1 cup kale (about 2 large leaves) chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 leek halved and sliced
2 stalks celery choppped
1 carton, low sodium organic broth
2/3  cup semolina soup noodles (or whatever you like)
1 to 2 tsp sea salt (or to taste) 

Add all ingredients to the stock, except the noodles.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the noodles and boil another 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Clean Meatloaf

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I received from a friend of mine. By far and away, the BEST meatloaf I have had in my life. It’s so light and moist.

Meatloaf

1 lb of organic, lean ground beef
4 slices of whole wheat bread ground into crumbs (should be about 2 cups of soft breadcrumbs)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Italian spices
2 TB of fresh parsley, chopped fine
½ tsp pepper
1 garlic glove, minced
¾ cup of unsweetened almond milk (any milk can be used here)
¼ cup onion, diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of a bread loaf pan with coconut oil.
 
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients by hand. Be careful to mix until all items are just combined. If you over mix, the meatloaf will be tough.
Place the meat mixture into the loaf, and bake for about 1 hour. You want the meatloaf to be crisp on top and the internal temp to be 160 degrees.
I like my top to be crispy, so I don’t put ketchup on it. However, while eating I do like it with a side of ketchup. Right now I use Heinz organic, but I am working on my own recipe. I served this meal with baked sweet potatoes and steamed green beans.
Make about 6 servings.

Wheat Crackers

I'm defintely a salt tooth, not a sweet tooth.  So it was important for me to find a salty, clean snack.  I came across a mock Wheat Thins recipe and with some minor adjustments, came away with a tasty cracker!  Looking forward to experimenting with some flavors...stay tuned!

Cheat Thins

Adapted from a recipe by The Homespun Journal

Ingredients

 

1¼ cups whole-wheat flour

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2  tsp smoked paprika

1/4 cup coconut oil (You can also use cold butter)

1/2 cup water

1½ T. honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchement paper or foil.

Combine flour, fine sea salt, and paprika.  Cut in the coconut oil, until the mix is mealy.  Next add the water, honey, and vanilla.  Mix together as you would a pie crust, just until the mix can be formed into a ball.
Take the ball out of the bowl, onto a floured surface.  Split in half. 

Roll out the dough into a very thin sheet, about 1/8th of an inch.  Cut into squares and place onto the cookie sheet.  These will not expand, so they can be close.  Sprinkle with the coarse sea salt.

Bake for 10-11 minutes.

Food Diary

This is a typical day for me with our new eating lifestyle.

7am- Whole grain pancakes with homemade berry syrup. I make the pancakes and syrup the night before so all I need to do is reheat in the morning!
9am- Hot tea 10am- Organic, Lactose free Raspberry yogurt. This has no sugar added and only the fruit to sweeten it.
11am- Homemade graham crackers and more hot tea. I’ve been starting to drink dandelion root tea. It’s helps stabilize hormones and detoxifies the liver.
12:30pm- 3 cups mesclun greens, ½ cup sliced red cabbage, and 1 cup of shredded chicken (I boiled this the night before. Made enough to last the week. I’ll have it in a whole grain pita with avocado and pomegranate seeds tomorrow!) 2 TB balsamic vinegar and olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper.
2pm- More graham crackers and a kiwi. (I’m lucky enough to work at a place that brings in a bunch of organic fruit every day!)
4pm- Munch on some raw green beans on the commute home.
6pm- Organic chicken sausage, quinoa, and mashed sweet potato.
8pm- Snack on some homemade wheat thins and cottage cheese. More tea!

I also drink a ton of water throughout the day. I don’t really drink much besides water and tea. If I do, it will be naturally sweetened seltzer or some sort of milk. Remember, diet drinks are FULL of chemicals.

There will be days on occasion that are not as clean. For instance, my Anniversary is this week and there may or may not be fois gras poutine in my future. But the bright side is, when I have those “cheats”, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I will actually savor it because I know my everyday meals are filled with whole, clean, nutritious foods. The flip side of that is I’m finding myself craving whole, clean foods more and more.

One more thing I want to add, and can't say enough, is preparation is the key!  Everything I eat in a day is absolutely delicious.  None of it feels like a diet or needing to be choked down.  However, it's not as easy as running out to grab fast food or heading the the vending machine for a snack.  If you prepare for each week with healthy snacks portioned and ready to go, healthy lunches ready to put together, etc.; you will suceed!  

Quinoa Cakes

The following recipe is more of a method. Please feel free to substitute any of the veggies or meat in here for something else you have onhand!

 

Quinoa Cakes

2 Cups cooked quinoa**
1 cup shredded chicken (I just boil chicken for about 25 minutes until tender.  Do extra, great to have in the fridge for lunches! Do this with any meat or fish on hand or add another cup of veggies/beans, etc)
1/2 cup cooked beets diced
1/2 cup roasted or steamed brussel sprouts (Cook about 10 sprouts and 1 large beet together to save time)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Add all items, cooled, into a large bowl.  Combine with hands until well mixed.  Form into small patties, about the size of your palm.  Set these on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

When the patties have set, heat 1 TB of coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the cakes and cook 6-7 minutes on each side.  You want both side golden brown.

Serve hot with something like creamy cauliflower puree or at room temp over a fresh green salad.  Great to make extra and keep in the fridge for lunches.



**Super easy.  2 parts liquid to 1 part quinoa.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15ish minutes, until fluffy. Use chicken or veggie stock to add more flavor.  I cook twice the amount I need so I have have it onhand for something else.

Week one: DONE!

After one week of eating fairly clean, I'm hooked!  I said fairly because I'm not a person who throws away food. There are too many starving children in the world to justify throwing away brown rice because it isn't organic.  However, after the holidays, we were at a good starting point for this.  My pantry and fridge was getting bare due to all the holiday cooking I had done.  Therefore, I was able to replace a lot of my staples with whole, organic food without throwing anything away.
Before my first shopping trip, I was sure I'd double the amount I usually spend on groceries, but what I found was shocking.  I actually spent $25 less than what I typically spend in a week on conventional groceries.  Why?  This is what I was able to deduce.

-Buying bulk items is cheaper than prepackaged conventional
-There is always a good amount of organic items on sale
-With a more exclusive mindset on whole foods, you are less likely to stray from your list with things you see on sale that you just have to get.

Basically I walked away from the grocery store with whole, organic foods for the whole week and nothing else.  No junk.  And it felt great!  I will say, to keep the food bill down, go into the store with a shopping outline, not a list.   For instance, go in saying, I need 5 vegetables.  When you are at the store, decide what you get by what is on sale.  Also, what is on sale is usually in season so it's fresher.  Same with all categories.  If you need snacks, wait til you get there to pick out of what is on sale.

Besides weeding the junk out of our lives and actually saving money, I am already seeing the health benefits for my family.  I've lost 4 pounds.  My son, who goes number 2, once or twice a week is going EVERYDAY now!  That may not seem like much to you, but if you've had a kid dealing with constipation since birth, it's thrilling!  He is also a treat sneaker.  He's always sneaking into the pantry for a treat and usually walking away with an Oreo some other unhealthy snack.  For the past two days, he's been sneaking the clean graham crackers I've made.  Since the change he's only asked for those and yogurt for snacks.  I've already gone through 3 batches since Saturday!

Lastly, the food is delicious.  It tastes whole.  Like food should taste.  Can't wait for week two!

Chicken Nuggets

While I'm lucky enough to have a little boy who will eat most things, when given the choice, he usually asks for chicken nuggets.  Therefore, nuggets were high on the list to "clean".  I decided to use boneless, skinless thighs when I made these to ensure they were moist and to add a bit of fat to help it "fry" in the oven.  Chicken breast would work as well.

4-5 chicken thighs* cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp course ground pepper
For the Coating
1/4 cup of corn meal (I love Nitty Gritty- Made in VT)
1/8 cup oat flour
1/8 cup ground flax
2 TB almond meal
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Soak the chicken in the almond milk, salt, and pepper for 1 hour in the fridge.
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.  Take a cookie tray and rub with about 2 tsp of coconut oil to prevent sticking.
Put all dry ingredients for the coating into a gallon storage bag and shake till mixed.  Take the chicken from the fridge, drain, and put into the bag.  Shake so all the dry ingredients stick to the chicken.
Place the chicken on the cookie sheet and place in the oven.  Cook on 475 for 5 minutes, then reduce to 400 and bake for about 10 minutes, until pieces are golden brown.

*Costco carries large packs of organic chicken at a pretty good price. 

Graham Crackers

As I transition to the world of CE, one of the things I've been doing is looking at our cupboards and eating habits to see what I can convert to clean.  One of these staples in our household are graham crackers.
Graham crackers actually started as a health food due to the wholeness of graham flour which contain more of the wheat germ.  Today, they have been a big perverted.  While the flour is still whole, the store bought kind is full of sugar and ingredients I can't pronounce.
I found a clean recipe for graham crackers on one of my favorite sites, The Gracious Pantry, which has tons of healthy, clean recipes.
While I used her recipe as a guideline, I did adapt it to my tastes and health preferences.
These are so delicious, better than store bought.  And it made my house smell ridiculously good...plus no eggs! My 3-year-old got to lick the spoon!

Graham Crackers

(adapted from a recipe from Gracious Pantry)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups graham flour
3/4 cup corn starch
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup honey
3 TB coconut oil (melted) plus 1 TB left solid.
4 TB almond milk
1 TB molasses
1 TB cinnamon
1 t ginger

Directions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper or foil.  Take about 1/2 of the solid coconut oil and rub on the surface to prevent sticking.
In a medium bowl, mix graham flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.  Blend well and set aside. 
In your mixer blend together the honey, melted coconut oil, almond milk, and molasses until blended.  Slowly add your dry ingredients with your mixer on low speed.  Just mix until fully combined.
Spread the batter onto the pan.  Take the rest of the solid coconut oil and rub on the palms of your cleaned hands.  Pat the batter flat and make sure its pushed to the sides in a uniform, flat fashion.  The coconut oil will allow you to do this without it sticking to your hands.  Plus, coconut oil leaves your skin soft and smelling great!
Bake in oven for 11-12 minutes.  Once done, lift the parchment out, set on a large surface and cut into desired size.  Eat warm and soft, or let them cool to give them time to harden a bit like traditional crackers.

Sweet Potato Hash

I came up with this recipe after having a left over roast pork.  Savory, sweet, and filling!

3 medium baked sweet potatoes, chopped.

2 cups of swiss chard, spinach, or kale chopped

1 medium onion diced

1 leek, halved and cut into small moons

1 clove garlic minced

2 cups of diced, cooked pork

2 TB grape seed oil

Dash of Cinnamon

Salt and Pepper  to taste

Add the grapeseed oil to a hot skillet.  Once brought to temperature, add the onions for about 2 minutes.  Next add the potatoes, garlic, and leeks.  Let those brown for about 2 minutes.  Next add the greens and meat.  Let the entire combination sauté over medium heat for about 5 more minutes or more depending on the crunch you like on your hash.  When off the burner, stir in the dash of cinnamon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed Red Peppers

4 Red Peppers

½ cup cooked quinoa

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup shredded cabbage

¼ cup corn

1/8 cup of capers

1 small onion diced

1 clove garlic minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

TB of grapeseed oil

Cut the tops of the peppers and clean out the inside.  Place them standing upright in a small casserole dish.

In a skillet, heat the grapeseed oil.  Once hot, add onion and garlic.  When onion is slightly translucent, add the rest of the veggies and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Take off the heat and add the quinoa, capers, salt, and pepper.

Stuff equal parts of the mixture into your red peppers.  Bake in the oven, preheated to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  All ingredients used are organic and GMO free.

Baby Steps

I know many people like to dive into new adventures, but I have found that both my husband and myself get overwhelmed with sudden, major change. Therefore I’ve decided we are going to start with manageable steps. There are a lot of terms out there for eating healthy, but above all I like “Clean Eating”.
I’ve read a lot of about CE thru blogs, articles, studies, etc. One theme that rang throughout is that CE is definitely up to interpretation which, frankly, I don’t think is a bad thing.No single person or way of thought is the be all, end all. However, go too far off the path and you enter the forest of disillusion which I’d like to stay out of. Way more interested in making it to Mount Healthy!So here is my definition of CE. It’s simple.

Buy local, buy organic, buy whole, buy superfoods.

Local:Eat what’s in season for your location. The more local, the fresher…the fresher, the better! However, I’m a Vermonter and I know that for 5 months of the year, there isn’t a lot in season. Therefore, I will rely on my friendly organic farmers of New Zealand and Chile from time to time. 

Organic:This is simple. Don’t put chemicals in my food. Don’t put chemicals in the ground my food is grown in. Don’t put chemicals into the yummy animals I eat.

Whole:Refined carbs, sugars, and grains are a thing of the past.

Superfoods:Identify the foods that provide the most bang for the buck and integrate them into our daily diet.So that is my simple start. No, I’m not throwing away all my non organic items yet. But everything I buy going forward is going to follow my guidelines. And yes I will allow some cheats, but will strive to find healthy alternatives to the food I tend to cheat on. 

Down the road
While Baby Steps is the name of the game for now, I do have future goals out there as a dangling carrot to work for. 
Chemical Free House- All clean, whole foods in my fridge, freezer, and pantry. Currently we have switched over to Seventh Generation for our cleaning needs, so we are already making steps toward that.  
Juicing- When funds allow, I will be purchasing a juicer and plan to join the green juice craze!
Buy cows- Well not live cows, but the goal is to but sides of beef from local, organic farmers. Same goes for chickens.
Become a baker and candlestick maker- I aim to eventually make all the baked goods we consume and even make our candles. Love having candles lit, but I want to be breathing in natural scents.Learn to Can- We’ve had a wonderful garden over the past few years and I want to enjoy the harvest all year round!
Holistic Healing- If all hell broke loose tomorrow and our medications were no longer available to us, could I naturally heal my family? That may be a little extreme, but I want to become less dependent on the pharmaceutical companies and turn to mother earth for our medical needs.
Bye Bye Plastic- Eventually swap out all my plastic containers with glass.