Over the last few weeks we've had some random ailments hit our family, and I realized how many of our sicknesses and ailments we heal at home. I'm not sure if this came from growing up with out health insurance, and just getting used to doing what you can do at home, or just because I don't believe in healing with medicine in many cases. This does not mean we are fanatical, or never take tylenol. It DOES mean that whenever we can heal with a natural remedy, we do!
Here are a few examples of some healing foods and products we use:
Infection: Raw Garlic/Peroxide
Example: Ava had an absessed tooth, that needed to be pulled due to a large cavity. They prescribed her a round on antibiotics, which took down most of the symptoms for about two weeks, then they were back. Then there was another round prescribed. Which again, didn't work. At this point I was done! Especially considering antibiotics are on the TOP of my list of overprescribed meds and I like to avoid them ANYWAY. I ignored my feelings on them because the absess was so large, and so close to her brain cavity, I allowed the fear to overrule my gut instincts. So when it surfaced again we took a clove of raw garlic, and made a hashtag pattern to release the oils, and had her hold the raw garlic against the infected area two seperate times for about three minutes. Next day she was completely healed. No absess, no pain, no large white bump on her gums... And it's been a month now with no reoccurance! We also swished that day with peroxide, another secret weapon against infection! If you can get garlic to the site, you will be amazed at the healing powers. You can google a million ways of accomplishing this, for everything from sinus and ear infections, to internal infections.
Allergies/Colds: Raw, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Example: All four of us were hit with allergies when the cottonwood started blowing! After two days of misery, I took a shot of raw, organic apple cider vinegar. Within 5 seconds my nose started clearing, and I felt about 70% better within a few minutes. I took another shot a few hours later, and more the next day. I did not sneeze ONCE since my first shot, and after two days, I was at 100%. I gave Ava and Levi the raw ACV too, and they also stopped the runny noses and sneezing. Kelly refused to take the vinegar, and is still sneezing a week later. =)
Skin Ailments: Raw Honey/Raw Garlic/Raw Coconut Oil/Baking Soda
Depending on the type of ailment, I've found there's not too much that these things can't handle.
We use honey on abrasions, cuts or anything that may become infected. If it IS infected I mix it with chopped garlic. Coconut oil is awesome for dry skin, and literally thousands of things. Again, this is where google comes in handy. Baking Soda is great for insect stings, sun burns, etc. (Raw ACV is also good for sunburns!)
So those are just a few of the things we use. There's so many home remedies based on these few items, and also others. PLEASE remember that I am not a medical professional! (Those of you who know me are laughing that I even feel the need to point this out, I'm sure!) There ARE times that antibiotics and other medications are necessary and save lives! But I do believe that most chronic illnesses can be healed through nutrition, both taken INTERNALLY and EXTERNALLY!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Flourless Black Bean Brownies
I was craving something sweet today, so I modified a recipe to come up with these brownie-like-things!! If you're expecting ghiradelli, you may be slightly disappointed. If you have an open mind and love good food that's healthy and guilt free, you'll love em!
16 oz cooked black beans **
2 bananas
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 Tbs chia seeds (sneaking em in, all the time!)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
**1/2 salt
Blend in a food processor until super smooth, scraping down sides. About 5-6 minutes total.
Bake in a well-coconut-oil-greased 8x8 pan for about 30 minutes at 350.
Taste the batter and feel free to add more cocoa, I think I may next time! The texture is very soft and fudgy, and the taste has been 5 year old approved!
** I prefer to stay away from canned goods whenever possible, because canning changes the pH balance of your foods. BUT, if you've got em, use em! Can't be perfect all the time. Use the salt only if you're using unsalted/homemade black beans, or it'll be really salty! Be sure to drain and rinse your canned beans well.
16 oz cooked black beans **
2 bananas
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup coconut flour
2 Tbs chia seeds (sneaking em in, all the time!)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
**1/2 salt
Blend in a food processor until super smooth, scraping down sides. About 5-6 minutes total.
Bake in a well-coconut-oil-greased 8x8 pan for about 30 minutes at 350.
Taste the batter and feel free to add more cocoa, I think I may next time! The texture is very soft and fudgy, and the taste has been 5 year old approved!
 |
| Eating her third... |
** I prefer to stay away from canned goods whenever possible, because canning changes the pH balance of your foods. BUT, if you've got em, use em! Can't be perfect all the time. Use the salt only if you're using unsalted/homemade black beans, or it'll be really salty! Be sure to drain and rinse your canned beans well.
Ingredients for Change
I know changing the way that you eat, but more importantly cook can be pretty overwhelming... especially when you look at a recipe, and realize that you have NOTHING you need to make it! I found myself in that situation more than a few times in the beginning...
I guess the first thing to understand is that everything WILL change, the way you shop, the way you read labels, the way you prepare your food. But, you will also find a new standard of "normal". This way of life IS more work, but it's way worth it. There are a lot of things that you'll find you can substitute for healthier alternatives. There are also certain substitutions that just can't be made. For the most part, I've accepted that candy and cake are not going to be a part of my daily existence, and I won't purchase them. Another "substitution" a lot of people make the mistake of making is junk food, in organic form. If it's an item that would be junk food if NOT organic, then I generally consider that it would be junk food if it IS organic. In this list are items made with "organic sugar", like organic candy, items made with "organic white flour" (crackers, cookies, cakes, etc), organic fried potato chips and the like. Being organic does NOT always mean healthy. I still won't buy an organic pasta sauce if it has added sugar, for example.
I have found that most processed food that has been tampered with by human hands is depleted nutritionally to an astounding degree. I truly believe most Americans, while overweight with full bellies, are essentially starving, because there is no nutrition, vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes, etc to sustain the health that God originally intended.
Here are a few things that I've found I use on a daily, or at least weekly basis. These are things that you may want to consider just going out and buying to keep in your pantry.
As you go through this list, you'll notice that all these foods are given by God in nature, raised naturally, unprocessed and unrefined. In other words, raised the way God intended, and eaten just as they naturally occur in nature, because God apparently knew what he was doing the whole time!
Raw Honey - After researching all the different sweeteners available, I've decided this is the best choice for our family. A lot of vegans won't eat honey, as it's technically an animal product. But because our family's choices are based on nutrition, not on avoiding all animal products, it makes sense for us. Raw honey has amazing healing properties, both topically and internally. It is anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. It has all of the B-complex, A, C, D, E, and K vitamins, minerals and many trace elements. The live enzyme content of honey is also one of the highest of all foods. No other sweetener I am aware of can pack so many benefits into something that tastes good!
*Please note, most honey purchased on supermarket shelves is NOT raw, it is pasteurized, stripped of nutrition and approximately the nutritional equivalent of sugar water.
Raw Coconut Oil - The benefits of raw coconut oil (also known as "virgin" and/or "unrefined") are so ridiculously many that I really would encourage you to research this on your own! Besides being one of the only sources of Medium-Chain Triglycerides (here's a good article listing why this is important) it is delicious, good for you and can be used topically for nearly anything you can think of! It can be used medicinally in many ways... the list is nearly endless as far as benefits of this super food go.
Sea Salt - Sea salt is healthier for you than table salt. It is not processed, more natural, and contains many more trace elements and nutrients than it's dead, nutritionless table salt cousin.
Chia Seeds - Perhaps you remember Chia Pets? Yup, one and the same! Chia seeds are amazing little things, that you'll find I'll add into any food I can manage! Once again, the benefits are so numerous it's easier to just read this article on these amazing little seeds than have me ramble on!
Almond Milk - Organic and minimally processed. Generally used as our substitution for cows milk, for reasons seen below.
Unpasteurized Milk Products - This is a hot topic with many passionate arguments on both sides! Pasteurization did not become the norm in America until early in the 1900's. Before this nearly all products were bought and sold raw (unheated). Pasteurization also kills many beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals found in pure products. My personal opinion is that when milk is produced in dirty factory type settings, instead of on organic farms, (which this switch became mainstream around the same time pasteurization became the norm) the way it was originally intended, the odds of contamination are drastically increased. Not to mention that these same farms routinely treat their animals inhumanely, and many are sick and infected... One of the leading reasons to pasteurize your milk is to kill the infection from all the pus in your milk! I prefer my dairy products pus-free, and therefore buy milk either raw, from small, local, organic farms, or if I absolutely need milk for something and can't get a raw version I will ALWAYS spend the extra money for organic milk. I also purchase raw, unpasteurized cheeses, and if I can't get the milk, cheese, cream, etc., raw, I will generally just forgo it as a part of our diet. It is also important to note that there have been EXPONENTIALLY less sickness and deaths recorded in the last 100 years from unpasteurized milk products than there have been from pasteurized milk products. Yet unpasteurized milk is routinely touted in the media as one of the most dangerous foods available. PLEASE do research on this subject before you buy into the media frenzy of pasteurization.
*Also, along the same lines, cows that are grass fed and pastured have nearly no occurrence of e. coli in their gut, compared to the high levels of e. coli present in factory raised, corn-fed animals.
Truly Raw Almonds - Most people think that when they buy "raw almonds" in the grocery store, that's what they are getting. But these are mislabeled! They are PASTEURIZED! I don't know of any way of getting truly raw almonds except online. Instead of repeating points from above, just trust me that anything raw is much healthier for you!
Organic Quinoa - This is a favorite in our household when it comes to grains! Nutritionally dense and packed with protein, it is easily replaceable as rice in almost any dish. Even Kelly loves the flavor!
Farm Fresh, Cage Free, Free Range Organic Eggs - Best purchased FROM a local farm when available. The nutritional profile is much higher, and much more dense than regular old grocery store eggs.
Organic Bananas - We eat a ridiculous amount of bananas! They're a staple in many desserts and breads (either raw or baked), they're awesome frozen and blended for banana icecream (great with cocoa added too!), a fast snack, etc. We usually buy about 5 bunches at a time, and they'll last a few days, if we're lucky!
Organic Fruits and Vegetables - This should be a no brainer. Our local grocery store and health food store here in Gillette are both extremely limited in what's available, unfortunately. I usually buy whatever I can get, and plan meals around what's available! If Bountiful Baskets are available in your area, I highly recommend purchasing one each week! For $25 I get a basketful of fresh, organic produce worth easily twice that amount. I do the best I can, but sometimes 100% organic isn't an option, in which case we'll buy conventional produce. (Except corn! Nearly all conventionally grown corn is genetically modified, and it's just not worth it. I'll buy organic frozen corn until I can get it fresh and organic on the cob!)
As I think of more things to add to the list I'll update it in future blog postings. But just these few things are a great beginning!
I guess the first thing to understand is that everything WILL change, the way you shop, the way you read labels, the way you prepare your food. But, you will also find a new standard of "normal". This way of life IS more work, but it's way worth it. There are a lot of things that you'll find you can substitute for healthier alternatives. There are also certain substitutions that just can't be made. For the most part, I've accepted that candy and cake are not going to be a part of my daily existence, and I won't purchase them. Another "substitution" a lot of people make the mistake of making is junk food, in organic form. If it's an item that would be junk food if NOT organic, then I generally consider that it would be junk food if it IS organic. In this list are items made with "organic sugar", like organic candy, items made with "organic white flour" (crackers, cookies, cakes, etc), organic fried potato chips and the like. Being organic does NOT always mean healthy. I still won't buy an organic pasta sauce if it has added sugar, for example.
I have found that most processed food that has been tampered with by human hands is depleted nutritionally to an astounding degree. I truly believe most Americans, while overweight with full bellies, are essentially starving, because there is no nutrition, vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes, etc to sustain the health that God originally intended.
Here are a few things that I've found I use on a daily, or at least weekly basis. These are things that you may want to consider just going out and buying to keep in your pantry.
As you go through this list, you'll notice that all these foods are given by God in nature, raised naturally, unprocessed and unrefined. In other words, raised the way God intended, and eaten just as they naturally occur in nature, because God apparently knew what he was doing the whole time!
Raw Honey - After researching all the different sweeteners available, I've decided this is the best choice for our family. A lot of vegans won't eat honey, as it's technically an animal product. But because our family's choices are based on nutrition, not on avoiding all animal products, it makes sense for us. Raw honey has amazing healing properties, both topically and internally. It is anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. It has all of the B-complex, A, C, D, E, and K vitamins, minerals and many trace elements. The live enzyme content of honey is also one of the highest of all foods. No other sweetener I am aware of can pack so many benefits into something that tastes good!
*Please note, most honey purchased on supermarket shelves is NOT raw, it is pasteurized, stripped of nutrition and approximately the nutritional equivalent of sugar water.
Raw Coconut Oil - The benefits of raw coconut oil (also known as "virgin" and/or "unrefined") are so ridiculously many that I really would encourage you to research this on your own! Besides being one of the only sources of Medium-Chain Triglycerides (here's a good article listing why this is important) it is delicious, good for you and can be used topically for nearly anything you can think of! It can be used medicinally in many ways... the list is nearly endless as far as benefits of this super food go.
Sea Salt - Sea salt is healthier for you than table salt. It is not processed, more natural, and contains many more trace elements and nutrients than it's dead, nutritionless table salt cousin.
Chia Seeds - Perhaps you remember Chia Pets? Yup, one and the same! Chia seeds are amazing little things, that you'll find I'll add into any food I can manage! Once again, the benefits are so numerous it's easier to just read this article on these amazing little seeds than have me ramble on!
Almond Milk - Organic and minimally processed. Generally used as our substitution for cows milk, for reasons seen below.
Unpasteurized Milk Products - This is a hot topic with many passionate arguments on both sides! Pasteurization did not become the norm in America until early in the 1900's. Before this nearly all products were bought and sold raw (unheated). Pasteurization also kills many beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals found in pure products. My personal opinion is that when milk is produced in dirty factory type settings, instead of on organic farms, (which this switch became mainstream around the same time pasteurization became the norm) the way it was originally intended, the odds of contamination are drastically increased. Not to mention that these same farms routinely treat their animals inhumanely, and many are sick and infected... One of the leading reasons to pasteurize your milk is to kill the infection from all the pus in your milk! I prefer my dairy products pus-free, and therefore buy milk either raw, from small, local, organic farms, or if I absolutely need milk for something and can't get a raw version I will ALWAYS spend the extra money for organic milk. I also purchase raw, unpasteurized cheeses, and if I can't get the milk, cheese, cream, etc., raw, I will generally just forgo it as a part of our diet. It is also important to note that there have been EXPONENTIALLY less sickness and deaths recorded in the last 100 years from unpasteurized milk products than there have been from pasteurized milk products. Yet unpasteurized milk is routinely touted in the media as one of the most dangerous foods available. PLEASE do research on this subject before you buy into the media frenzy of pasteurization.
*Also, along the same lines, cows that are grass fed and pastured have nearly no occurrence of e. coli in their gut, compared to the high levels of e. coli present in factory raised, corn-fed animals.
Truly Raw Almonds - Most people think that when they buy "raw almonds" in the grocery store, that's what they are getting. But these are mislabeled! They are PASTEURIZED! I don't know of any way of getting truly raw almonds except online. Instead of repeating points from above, just trust me that anything raw is much healthier for you!
Organic Quinoa - This is a favorite in our household when it comes to grains! Nutritionally dense and packed with protein, it is easily replaceable as rice in almost any dish. Even Kelly loves the flavor!
Farm Fresh, Cage Free, Free Range Organic Eggs - Best purchased FROM a local farm when available. The nutritional profile is much higher, and much more dense than regular old grocery store eggs.
Organic Bananas - We eat a ridiculous amount of bananas! They're a staple in many desserts and breads (either raw or baked), they're awesome frozen and blended for banana icecream (great with cocoa added too!), a fast snack, etc. We usually buy about 5 bunches at a time, and they'll last a few days, if we're lucky!
Organic Fruits and Vegetables - This should be a no brainer. Our local grocery store and health food store here in Gillette are both extremely limited in what's available, unfortunately. I usually buy whatever I can get, and plan meals around what's available! If Bountiful Baskets are available in your area, I highly recommend purchasing one each week! For $25 I get a basketful of fresh, organic produce worth easily twice that amount. I do the best I can, but sometimes 100% organic isn't an option, in which case we'll buy conventional produce. (Except corn! Nearly all conventionally grown corn is genetically modified, and it's just not worth it. I'll buy organic frozen corn until I can get it fresh and organic on the cob!)
As I think of more things to add to the list I'll update it in future blog postings. But just these few things are a great beginning!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Best Banana Bread EVER!
1/3 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract2 eggs
4 super ripe mashed bananas (the blacker the better ;)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup heavy cream, buttermilk, almond milk, water... Whatever you have!
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt and baking soda. Add whatever liquid you're using to batter. Spread batter into a WELL-greased (I use coconut oil and then flour it lightly, it sticks!) 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for approx 70-75 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.
Everyone so far has loved this bread! Cooking time can vary by quite a bit, so it's probably a good idea to start checking around the 60 minute mark.
*It is implied that all ingredients are organic, I get tired of typing it over and over. =)
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract2 eggs
4 super ripe mashed bananas (the blacker the better ;)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup heavy cream, buttermilk, almond milk, water... Whatever you have!
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt and baking soda. Add whatever liquid you're using to batter. Spread batter into a WELL-greased (I use coconut oil and then flour it lightly, it sticks!) 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. Bake for approx 70-75 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.
Everyone so far has loved this bread! Cooking time can vary by quite a bit, so it's probably a good idea to start checking around the 60 minute mark.
*It is implied that all ingredients are organic, I get tired of typing it over and over. =)
Quinoa Cakes
2c leftover cooked, organic quinoa (I cook mine in veg broth)
1/4c coconut flour
1/2 shredded aged/sharp cheese (I used gruyere and sharp cheddar, both made with unpasteurized milk)
Splash Lemon
2Tbs Chia Seeds
2 smaller organic carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
1Tbs dried parsley (fresh would be even better!)
4 kale leaves, in bite sized pieces wilted on stove in a bit of coconut oil
2 green smoothie cubes (optional) **
Salt
Pepper
1 farm fresh egg, beaten
Blend all ingredients. Add egg last, and allow to sit for a few minutes to meld.
Fry on medium heat in a few Tbs of coconut oil until brown on each side and cooked through.
I served them with some fresh tomato and avacado, and pan roasted brussel sprouts on the side. The kids loved them! Another success.
*It is to be implied that all ingredients are organic, I can't be bothered to type it every time anymore!
**Whenever I have spinach that isn't getting eaten fast enough I puree' it in the blender (usually with a bunch of kale) and some water, until super smooth. It looks like pond scum. Then I freeze it in ice cube trays for smoothies, or other recipes where I can sneak in some spinach!
1/4c coconut flour
1/2 shredded aged/sharp cheese (I used gruyere and sharp cheddar, both made with unpasteurized milk)
Splash Lemon
2Tbs Chia Seeds
2 smaller organic carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
1Tbs dried parsley (fresh would be even better!)
4 kale leaves, in bite sized pieces wilted on stove in a bit of coconut oil
2 green smoothie cubes (optional) **
Salt
Pepper
1 farm fresh egg, beaten
Blend all ingredients. Add egg last, and allow to sit for a few minutes to meld.
Fry on medium heat in a few Tbs of coconut oil until brown on each side and cooked through.
*It is to be implied that all ingredients are organic, I can't be bothered to type it every time anymore!
**Whenever I have spinach that isn't getting eaten fast enough I puree' it in the blender (usually with a bunch of kale) and some water, until super smooth. It looks like pond scum. Then I freeze it in ice cube trays for smoothies, or other recipes where I can sneak in some spinach!
Roasted Cauliflower
My new addiction. Be warned, you'll want to eat the whole thing by yourself. This is not an exaggeration. You'll also be very, very sorry if you do.
1 head organic cauliflower, sliced into pieces about 1/4-1/3" thick
2-3 Tbs raw, organic coconut oil
sea salt
pepper
5 cloves crushed organic garlic
I sautee the garlic for about 5-7 minutes in the coconut oil to get the oil all infused and delicious. Then toss all the ingredients into a bowl. Place on a metal pan in a single layer. (The parts that touch the pan roast up the best!) Don't forget all the little peices of garlic and tiny broken pieces of cauliflower, these are the most amazing when finished!
Roast at 450, stirring and flipping and rearranging every 10-15 minutes or so, until desired effect if acheived. I prefer mine extra roasted and carmelized, and let them cook 50 minutes. Some prefer them less so, at about 35 minutes.
1 head organic cauliflower, sliced into pieces about 1/4-1/3" thick
2-3 Tbs raw, organic coconut oil
sea salt
pepper
5 cloves crushed organic garlic
I sautee the garlic for about 5-7 minutes in the coconut oil to get the oil all infused and delicious. Then toss all the ingredients into a bowl. Place on a metal pan in a single layer. (The parts that touch the pan roast up the best!) Don't forget all the little peices of garlic and tiny broken pieces of cauliflower, these are the most amazing when finished!
Roast at 450, stirring and flipping and rearranging every 10-15 minutes or so, until desired effect if acheived. I prefer mine extra roasted and carmelized, and let them cook 50 minutes. Some prefer them less so, at about 35 minutes.
The most important meal...
It's breakfast time! If you're anything like me, your child usually has approximately 15 minutes to eat, brush teeth, brush hair, get on socks and shoes and get out the door to the bus! (We like to sleep and push the envelope of promptness.)
We also have an 18 month old who does not tolerate wheat products all too well, and we haven't found a single cereal, even organic/gluten free ones, that does not cause a bad reaction. (We'll leave the reaction to your imagination.)
They both like oatmeal, but get tired of the same old thing every morning...
Enter... The BREAKFAST COOKIE!
And now I don't have to cook every morning. Awesome.
These are super easy, and don't require a lot of exact measurement, which is great, because I can't be bothered. I'm going to give you approximates, and let you use your culinary talent to play around to something that fits you!
3 pulverized, super ripe organic bananas
1/2c organic apple sauce
1/3 c unsweetened, organic vanilla almond milk
2 Tbs organic, raw honey
3 Tbs organic chia seeds (these create a gel when let to sit in moisture for a few minutes, they really help hold the cookies together and they are INCREDIBLY good for you!)
1/4c organic coconut sugar
1/3c dried organic flaked coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 well chopped raw, organic almonds
2 cups organic rolled oats
dash sea salt
Mix it all together, let it sit for about 15 minutes for the chia to gel (not that you're probably going to notice mixed with other ingredients) and for the oats to soak up some moisture. Form into a cookie shape on a nonstick pan (I love my silpat!) and bake for 15 mins at 350. Makes about a dozen cookies that are healthy, delicious and kindergartner approved.
We also have an 18 month old who does not tolerate wheat products all too well, and we haven't found a single cereal, even organic/gluten free ones, that does not cause a bad reaction. (We'll leave the reaction to your imagination.)
They both like oatmeal, but get tired of the same old thing every morning...
Enter... The BREAKFAST COOKIE!
And now I don't have to cook every morning. Awesome.
These are super easy, and don't require a lot of exact measurement, which is great, because I can't be bothered. I'm going to give you approximates, and let you use your culinary talent to play around to something that fits you!
3 pulverized, super ripe organic bananas
1/2c organic apple sauce
1/3 c unsweetened, organic vanilla almond milk
2 Tbs organic, raw honey
3 Tbs organic chia seeds (these create a gel when let to sit in moisture for a few minutes, they really help hold the cookies together and they are INCREDIBLY good for you!)
1/4c organic coconut sugar
1/3c dried organic flaked coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 well chopped raw, organic almonds
2 cups organic rolled oats
dash sea salt
Mix it all together, let it sit for about 15 minutes for the chia to gel (not that you're probably going to notice mixed with other ingredients) and for the oats to soak up some moisture. Form into a cookie shape on a nonstick pan (I love my silpat!) and bake for 15 mins at 350. Makes about a dozen cookies that are healthy, delicious and kindergartner approved.
The Why
All right, I'm creating this blog for all those who are venturing into organic eating, vegetarianism, veganism, or other similiar lifestyles, especially if you happent to live in an area not exactly suited to doing so. (Like Gillette, WY.)
As a disclaimer, I am not 100% vegetarian, nor vegan. I have done a LOT of research, and have come to realize that our bodies have an amazing ability to heal itself from nearly every chronic disease known to stump modern medicine, when given the correct tools and nutrition. I have seen diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and many other both serious and non-debilitating illnesses healed from within.
I have also witnessed the effects of a lifetime of eating processed (non)foods. I call them (non)foods as they are nutritionally depleted, hallow shells of what "food" really is. I have seen the effects in my extended family through cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, stroke, high blood pressure and who knows what else. I refuse to allow the cycle to continue in my own family! The bible says "He knows the good that he ought to do, and does not do it, sins." To me, this is all the reason I need to provide healthy, nutritious meals to my little family.
I believe in eating as much raw, organic plant based food as possible. I also believe that it is nearly impossible, no matter where you live, to do so all the time. I am not militant, just informed and willing to do the most that I can.
So I guess this blog is going to be a mash-up of recipes, thoughts, opinions and ideas on how to transition to a healthier lifestyle, as we stumble through it ourselves.
Happy reading! And eating. =)
As a disclaimer, I am not 100% vegetarian, nor vegan. I have done a LOT of research, and have come to realize that our bodies have an amazing ability to heal itself from nearly every chronic disease known to stump modern medicine, when given the correct tools and nutrition. I have seen diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and many other both serious and non-debilitating illnesses healed from within.
I have also witnessed the effects of a lifetime of eating processed (non)foods. I call them (non)foods as they are nutritionally depleted, hallow shells of what "food" really is. I have seen the effects in my extended family through cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, stroke, high blood pressure and who knows what else. I refuse to allow the cycle to continue in my own family! The bible says "He knows the good that he ought to do, and does not do it, sins." To me, this is all the reason I need to provide healthy, nutritious meals to my little family.
I believe in eating as much raw, organic plant based food as possible. I also believe that it is nearly impossible, no matter where you live, to do so all the time. I am not militant, just informed and willing to do the most that I can.
So I guess this blog is going to be a mash-up of recipes, thoughts, opinions and ideas on how to transition to a healthier lifestyle, as we stumble through it ourselves.
Happy reading! And eating. =)
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