Healthy Blog Recipes to Try #1

There are so many good and "good for you" recipes, that it's hard to keep up with all of them.

So I decided when I came across something I'd like to make, I'd gather them up, hoping you might like to try them also.

I'm looking forward to making these!


Lentil Sloppy Joes from Loving Life
Only changes would be agave nectar or rapadurah (a less processed sugar cane) for the brown sugar



Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breast from Confessions of a Recovering Chocoholic
No frying, extra breading or creamy sauces, just a good hearty meal


Superfood Pancakes from 16 Balls in the Air
Wait til you see this one!


Peanut Butter Freezer Treats from Daily Bites
Yummy!


Grain Free Fig Bars from Mrs Ed's Research and Recipes
Always looking for more ways to eat figs!


Which ones would you like to try? 

Thank you to these blogs in hosting these recipe links:

This is post is linked to:

Basic #2 - Fabulous Fruits

"A thousand different sorts of trees, with their fruit were to be met with, and of a wonderfully delicious odor"

-A quote from Christopher Columbus' journal on his voyage- 

I don't know about you, but that quote makes my mouth water... Maybe it's because I love fruit, all fruits, every fruit. Some of my most cherished childhood moments are sitting around the table eating an avocado or mango with my mom. She had the magical way of invoking in all three of us kids a love for all kinds of food. Probably because she loved all sorts of food. Fruit is easy to like; I think everybody does. We just get stuck buying the same ol' ones, like our veggies.

Again, like in all food, there is the nutritional hierarchy. Let's look at the two authors and PhDs that we looked at before for the vegetable rankings, Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Steven Pratt.

Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health High Nutrient Foods chart lists these:

-apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, all melons, oranges, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines

Dr. Steven Pratt's book, Superfood Rx, is the original chart for superfoods. His superfoods are in blue above with more listed here:

-purple grapes (specifically), cranberries, boysenberries, currants, cherries and all other varieties of fresh, frozen, or dried berries.

-oranges, lemons, kumquats, limes

-red watermelon (specifically), red fleshed papaya, strawberry quava

He suggests eating 1 to 2 cups daily of the berries, and 1 serving each daily of the citrus and red fruits.

Here's what Dr. Steven Pratt, in Superfood Rx, says about berries:


"I think of the polyphenols in berries as the choir directors. The other nutrients are all members of a huge, effective choir, working together to create something much more powerful than each individual voice. With that in mind, and remembering that each polyphenol in each berry has something to contribute, mix it up! Don't limit your berry consumption to any particular kind. Eat them all!"

This speaks to not only eating a variety of berries but also a variety of fruits, in general. There are compounds yet to be discovered and they all work synergistically together for our benefit. Keep fruits as close to the original as possible.

Fruits are available in many ways, fresh and frozen being the best. As far as berries are concerned, frozen berries are by far the most cost effective way; they don't spoil and you can thaw them, if frozen is not desired. But there is nothing like yummy fresh ripe fruit to go with ANY recipe at ANY time. You don't even need a recipe, just grab, wash and eat! It's that simple and is definitely less than 15 minutes to give you super nutrients to fuel your body.

This is one of those recipes in which you just use what you have available and make to suit your tastes. Definitely use the yogurt but use whatever fruit and nuts you have on hand. Easy prep and easy clean up.

Here it is: a 3 in 1 breakfast, snack or dessert recipe.

Powerful Fruity Parfait

In a goblet or pretty vertical glass,

layer starting at bottom

small spoonful of all fruit jam (sweet surprise)

organic low fat yogurt (unsweetened)

spoonful of raw honey over yogurt

chopped strawberries (berries of all varieties)

1 tbsp. fresh squeezed tangerine juice (any citrus)

layer sliced almonds (or chopped nuts)

another layer of yogurt with honey on top

chopped strawberries and tangerine juice

topped with a few sliced almonds



My favorite way to serve this in the glasses my grandmother gave me. They make the meal pretty and special and remind me of her and her passion for pretty dishes.

Serve and enjoy your nutrient dense parfait that has eye appeal and taste appeal. Yum! Children of all ages enjoy meals like this. :)

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy
Gluten Free Wednesdays
Real Food Wednesday

What are your basic food choices? Do they include High Nutrient/ Superfoods?

Nutrient Packed Gluten Free Mini Muffins

I'm sure you know people that have grinders for their whole grain breads to get the freshest, most nutritious grain they can. That's why I have mine. So I decided to find a gluten free mixture that would be as fresh and nutritious as what I use in whole grain breads. 

I am so excited because they are not only nutritious but gluten free for my dear daughter. The great thing is my husband and son love them too.

I have found a great combination that works for us...

Nutritious Gluten Free Mini Muffins

1 1/2 c. brown rice (grinds to make about 2 1/2 c. flour)

1/4 c. amaranth

1/4 c. millet (I put these two together and blend on high in a Blendtec. Makes about 3/4 c. flour)

1/4 c. flaxseed (I blend on med. high in Blendtec. Makes about 1/2 c.)

Makes about 3 3/4 c. total of flour then mix with

1 tsp. sea salt

4 tsp. baking powder 

Set aside.

Lightly beat 4 eggs and add

4 tbsp. oil (I like olive, grapeseed, avocado, or almond)

6 tbsp. raw honey

2 c. milk (I use almond milk to make it dairy free)

Gently mix dry and wet together. 

Optional but very delicious: add raisins/currants and finely chopped nuts for flavor and crunch. In my picture I used sunflower seeds but my favorite is walnuts.

Place heaping tablespoons of batter in mini muffin tin. They are better if you slightly under bake. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Then I let these rest 5 minutes in the pan so they come out easier. These get a nice rise and are loved by even the pickiest of children.

Makes about 4 dozen minis. If you don't have more than 15 minutes, put extra batter in frig to finish later.

You can also grind grains ahead of time and keep in freezer. This grain mix (rice, amaranth, millet and flaxseed) is also great to substitute for any other muffin recipe you have.

Garden of Eden Nutrition: 

Amaranth contains protein that is unusually complete for a plant source and has a higher protein content than wheat. For more information on Amaranth go to the Nutritional Value section here. 

Millet is considered to be one of the least allerginic and most digestible grains available. To read more on millet, follow this link.

Here's a quick list of the benefits of Flaxseeds.

What if you don't have a grinder or high powered blender? Please don't let that stop you from trying new gluten free flours from your grocer or health food store.  Some people have issues with gluten and some don't. If nothing else, it's a nice way to add more variety and nutrients to your healthy eating plan.

Quick Nutrition: Just grind some flaxseeds or buy cold pressed ground flax and add it to your existing muffin recipe. It'll add a wonderful nuttiness and some great benefits.

A healthier lifestyle is only one change away.

Great cultural changes begin in affectation and end in routine.

-Jacques Barzun 1959-

For more great recipes:

Gluten Free Wednesdays at The Gluten Free Homemaker

Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Orange Pecan Whole Wheat French Toast

How would it be if you were getting ready to receive your inheritance and your brothers go through the line before you so you hear what they receive? Some don't get much because they don't deserve much considering the way they acted earlier in life, but some get raving reviews and receive words that they would be victorious over their enemies and that the scepter would never depart from them, and others become great merchants and still others a judge for the people.


Then it becomes your turn to receive the words that would define who you are and who your children would become. And the words from your father Jacob are..."Asher, your bread shall be fat and you shall yield royal dainties." (Genesis 49:20) What?


You mean after you tell my brothers that they're going to be great warriors and judges you come to me and say, I'm going to have "fat bread and royal dainties"? Yes, in fact, Asher's inheritance was just that. But you have to understand that not only did he have sustenance for his family every day with bread and oil (meaning he had very profitable crops) but that his family and country were gifted in the area of food and provision, so much so that they later served their delicacies to King Solomon and his household according to two different commentators. 


We have a God that not only provides needs, as in daily bread, but beyond as in the royal dainties, the luxuries of life. I'm sure that if you really took the time to meditate on how and what God has provided, you, yourself, could say, yes, my inheritance has been filled with not only daily bread but royal dainties as well.


Orange Pecan Whole Wheat French Toast


1 lb. loaf of leftover bread (hide it if you have to) :)


Whisk together
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. raw honey
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (freshly ground)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. almond milk (or organic milk)


Dip bread and soak up mixture. Put on griddle, medium low heat, until lightly browned. Keep warm in 200 degree oven.


After toast is done, place, sprinkle and drizzle over top
1 - 2  oranges, peeled and sectioned, juice reserved
1/2 c. pecans, chopped fine

Here's a quick picture tutorial on the quickest way to peel and section an orange. To get the juice, after you section the orange squeeze the leftover segments over the french toast right before serving.

We like our french toast not too sweet. You may like to add more honey or all-fruit marmalade over top after toast is done but I'd rather not have the extra sweetness, especially in the morning. You can also add the orange zest to the egg mixture if you wanted more orange flavor. If you don't have homemade bread, another option is the high fiber bread (6g fiber) available. It's a real filler and helps slow the absorption in the body.


Buy the best eggs (omega 3 or cage free) you can afford and try to limit your dairy intake by using something like almond milk. (Dairy is very acidic in the body.) Pecans add crunch and extra nutrients and the citrus is awesome to have every day. Have a look to see what citrus does as a fat burner.


There are many ways to use our leftover bread, since we have plenty. :)  And adding variety in the morning is an excellent way to stay consistent with healthful eating.


To make this go quicker, plan ahead - slice your bread the night before, combine your egg mixture and place in frig to use the next morning. Pull it all out and just do what you can; if you have any mixture leftover, place what you need to in the frig and finish the next morning. Or even prepare it all the night before and heat them in a toaster oven as needed. 


A nice warm filling breakfast is a great way to start the day! Remember small changes are better than no changes at all.

This is linked to:

Friday Food at MomTrends
Foodie Friday at DesignsbyGollum
Finer Things Friday at TheFinerThingsInLife
Fight Back Friday at FoodRenegade
Ultimate Recipe Swap at LifeAsMom

Fortified Peanut Butter

Do you need your kids to eat more of the good fats and less of the bad fats? I think as parents, we all struggle with this. My children love peanut butter and as I'm always looking for better ways to feed them (secretly, if necessary) I wanted to improve something they eat 2 -3 times per week (sometimes more if it goes in smoothies). So I decided to add more nutrient dense nuts and seeds to increase the nutrition to a staple in our home.

Fortified Peanut Butter

In a food processor
1/8 c. almonds (raw and unsalted)

1/8 c. walnuts (same)

Process until small chunks

Add

16 oz. jar natural peanut butter (the kind you stir like Smucker's)

1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds

1/4 c. raw honey (keeps oil from separating again)

Only for the daringly domestic

1-3 tsp. EFA oil blend (optional)

Blend altogether.

If you need to transition your children from gooey hydrogenated filled peanut butter to natural, start with mixing a third to a half with the pure peanut butter, increasing amounts gradually, and over time they will be accustomed to eating the healthier (I think tastier) peanut butter. 

Here are links for the benefits of almonds, walnuts, and flaxseeds.

You can serve peanut butter as sandwiches or on fruit and veggies like celery, apples, and bananas. I have even heard of people eating it on broccoli, though I haven't tried it myself.

This whole recipe takes less than 15 minutes including washing the food processor. What other things can we do to fortify our bodies for protection?

In A.W. Pink's book, Profiting from the Word, he says, "An individual is spiritually profited when the Word fortifies against sin."

"Fortify" has such a strong meaning:
(a) to strengthen and secure with fortifications,
(b) to reinforce by adding material,
(c) to impart physical strength or endurance,
(d) to give emotional, moral, or mental strength,
(e) to strengthen and enrich

Pink reminds us that the Bible teaches us "how to be kept from displeasing God". "Yes, we are to anticipate the future and be fortified against it, by storing the Word in our hearts for coming emergencies." 

Just as we want our physical bodies fortified and protected from those things that would harm us, we should protect our spiritual bodies by fortifying them with the Word of God.

How much fortification do you have right now?