To be honest, I was also out of some of the key ingredients so I had to be creative. I decided to use coconut flour and tapioca flour (both gluten-free). The coconut flour made them incredibly moist! I was out of raw honey and yacon syrup so I made a pureed date paste – added a caramel flavor. Check out my new recipe…

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/8 cup coconut or grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, organic natural peanut butter
• 3/4 cup date paste (see directions below)
• 1/4 cup date or brown sugar or xylitol
• 1 1/2 tsp egg replacer powder or 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup coconut flour (see directions below)
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup gluten-free flour such as millet, amaranth or quinoa (if you don’t have these flours you can use part tapioca and part coconut flour)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place about 3/4 cup dates in a bowl of hot water and set aside while preparing recipe
3. In a blender or processor, grind shredded coconut until it is a fine powder (you might need to add small amounts of water at a time to help the grinding process)
4. In a bowl mix the dry ingredients
5. Stir in the wet ingredients
6. Pour out the hot water from the bowl of dates and place dates in a blender along with about 1/4-1/3 cup water or coconut milk.  Blend on high until it forms a paste – add more liquid if needed.
7. Stir the pured dates into the cookie mixture.
8. Grease a cookie sheet with coconut or grapeseed oil
9. Shape the dough into 1-2 inch balls and place the balls on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
10. With a fork or your fingers, slightly flatten the dough.
11. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire racks.

*Makes 2 dozen

                          

Related posts:

1. Flourless & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Pudding…YUM!!
2. Gluten-Free Butternut Quinoa
3. Raw Carrot Cake Cookies – My Favorite

Wildwood brand makes a great, easy to digest Sprouted Tofu – pure protein!  For the greens, I use fresh kale and frozen, organic spinach.  The quinoa is easy to prepare.  The night before you want to cook the quinoa, simply put it in a bowl and cover with water, about 2-3 inches above, and let sit on the counter for about 8-12 hours.  Rinse and cook.  Keep in mind that when you cook quinoa that has been soaked 1st, it requires less cooking time and needs less water for cooking (only fill the cooking pot with enough water to cover the grain).  The Teriyaki sauce literally takes a minute, just place the ingredients in a jar and shake.

Ok, so here is the recipe and what to do…

Teriyaki Tofu:

1. For the Teriyaki sauce: In a jar add 3/4 cup warm water; 2-3 Tbsp  Coconut Aminos, Nama Shoyu or Tamari; 1 heaping Tbsp Miso paste of choice (I used the light yellow variety); 1-2 tsp agave, maple syrup or honey; 2 Tbsp salsa; 1 tsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional but gives a yummy kick); splash of toasted sesame oil; 1 Tbsp Veganaise Mayo (optional, adds a creaminess).  Give it a good shake and you are ready to go.  *If you have any dried fennel, thyme, oregano, rosemary or garlic, a dash of any or all makes a delicious addition to this sauce!
2. Cube an entire package of the sprouted tofu (small pieces) and place in a baking dish. Then pour the teriyaki marinade over the tofu, enough to cover it completely – about a 1/2-1 inch above.  Don’t worry, the more sauce, the more flavor the tofu will have because it completely absorbs it.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes at 425 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  You can try broilding it for the last 10 minutes to get the tofu a little crispy on the edges, yum!

Greens:

1. In a large saute pan, pour enough of the teriyaki sauce to cover the bottom.  If you want, add some sliced green onion and fresh garlic to the liquid and heat for a couple of minutes.
2. Take half of the bunch of kale and slide the leaves off of the stalk, leaving the core out (can be pretty chewy).  Chop into thin strips and add to the heated pan.  Then add an entire 16 oz bag of thawed spinach and stir.
3. I usually add extra rice vinegar,  Coconut Aminos, Nama Shoyu or Tamari and olive oil to the greens.  Should be done within 5-6 minutes

Quinoa:

1. Rinse the soaking quinoa and cook on the stove top.  Only fill it with enough water to cover the grain.  Should only take 15-20 minutes max to cook.  After it is done cooking, stir in some coconut oil, nutritional yeast, my 8 spice blend or just use the spices garlic, fennel and onion, some Celtic Sea Salt and a splash of lemon juice

Time to Eat:

We like to fill the bottom of a bowl with the quinoa, and layer with the greens and tofu, then top with some extra teriyaki sauce.  That is it, enjoy.  Great meal for 4 hungry people – or for 2 people and leftovers the next day.  Makes yummy asian wraps.  Simply place the leftovers in a tortilla (try Ezekiel Sprouted tortillas) with some extra lettuce and veggies, pour teriyaki sauce over it, roll up and there you go, quick lunch!

                          

Related posts:

1. Pumpkin Seed Pesto meets Miso Coconut Sauce!
2. Gluten-Free Butternut Quinoa
3. Italian Enchilada Pie

 When we think of holiday parties and meals, we generally picture heavy, fattening foods that make us feel guilty after indulging. 

Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS

•  1½ cups plain yogurt (also try plain goat or soy yogurt) or Same amount of the Sunflower Dressing 
•  10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed until dry
•   1½ cups Veganaise (non-dairy, raw Mayo – try the grapeseed oil variety) 
•   8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, chopped 
•   4 green onions, chopped 
•   2 Tbsp onion powder
•   2 tsp garlic powder
•   2 Tbsp Vegit seasoning
•   3 Tbsp vegetarian chicken broth powder
   (May also replace spices and broth with a package of dehydrated vegetable or onion soup mix.)

Directions:

Mix the spices and broth or soup mix with the yogurt and Veganaise.
Blend in the chopped spinach, water chestnuts and green onions to the mixture.
Cover the dip and chill for at least 2 hours. 
Stir before serving.
Serve the spinach dip in a hollowed out whole grain Sour Dough dip loaf or bowl.
*Makes about 4 cups

 *In this recipe I replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt, and regular mayo with Veganaise – These substitutions eliminate lots of fat and calories and adds more protein and calcium!        

INGREDIENTS

• 18oz. can black olives (preservative-free)
• 10 oz. jar green olives (preservative-free)
• 8 oz. can Greek black olives (pitted & preservative-free)
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped\
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup pepperchinis, chopped (preservative-free)

Process the black olives in a food processor, on pulse   chop, and pour them into a bowl.  (When processing ingredients, pulse-chop for 10-15 seconds at a time until desired consistency.)
Process the green and Greek olives on pulse chop and   add them to the bowl with the black olives.
Process the chopped shallots, garlic and pepperchinis on   pulse chop and add them to the olive mixture.
Stir the olive topinade well and serve in a hollowed out   whole grain sourdough dip loaf or in a bowl to put on rolls, or over mashed potatoes, shepherds pie or turkey.
*Makes about 4 cups.

*In this recipe I eliminated the excess oil that is generally added (up to 1 cup oil) and replaced with more varieties of natural olives and pepperchinis.  The fat and calorie content is lower, while the flavor is much more intense and powerful!

                          

Related posts:

1. Four-Course Holiday Menu that WOW’s
2. Cilantro Veggie Tuna Salad!
3. Raw A la Fresca

Before I advise you to try “Alkaline water”, first understand why we need it.  Did you know that over 90% of the population is overly acidic? Simply put, the blood’s PH is too acidic (below 7 on a scale from 1 to 14).  Ideally our body strives to be 7.36, 7 to 7.4 is acceptable.  The lower you go on the number scale the more acidic (1 is pure acid and 14 is pure alkaline).  Dangers of an overly acidic body…

·         Acidity is the breeding ground for other diseases and illnesses to develop and be nurtured, such as cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, diabetes, premature aging, etc.  Cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline environment, they need acidity to grow and flourish!

·         A weakened body.

·         Forces the body to rob minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) from organs in order to neutralize and eliminate the acid.

·         Low energy.

·         Excess acidity uses up the body’s alkaline reserves, removing our cushion in case the body is in danger and needs immediate alkaline relief – Opening the body wide up to illness.

·         As I have mentioned many times, the body stores acid in fatty tissues in order to neutralize it, therefore obesity is very common with acidity.

·         Lowered immune system

I am not trying to stress you out – that would create too much acidity in your body J  I just feel like we all need more understanding on the topic and with that foundation it is much easier to understand the importance of alkaline water.

Next blog to come…alkaline water and proper hydration and cell health with alkaline water…

Of all researched alkaline water systems, Kangen reaches the highest standards and is a very “green friendly” company: http://www.lifegivingwaterforyou.com/

                          

Related posts:

1. Get Healthier & Leaner with Alkaline Foods & Water
2. Alkaline Water is Essential for Everyone!
3. Acid Vs. Alkaline

The human body is amazing and is well-equipped to fight off disease and viruses, given the right “ingredients”.  However, this is dependent on how well the body is running and being taken care of.  If it is worn down and laden with unhealthy bacteria, yeast and acid, then the body will have a very difficult time trying to protect itself.  It is like sending a cowboy off to fight a duel without his guns.  If we want our body to win the duel against illness and viruses, then we had better equip it with the right protection.  Otherwise, you are surrendering without a fight.

We have trillions of cells and they need protection.  Antioxidants work with our body to help protect it and deal with free radicals.  According to Dr. Tony with GW Health, “As we age, our antioxidant defenses begin to slow down. Pollution, illness and other stresses on the body can also increase free radical activity in our bodies. For this reason, it is vital for us to nourish our body with antioxidants.”  During this day and age, with flu on the rampage, I don’t think that it is enough to simply eat organic, healthy fresh foods.  Considering all of the pollutants and stress of daily life, healthy eating is only part of the answer to protecting your body.  The remaining “ingredient” is a blend of antioxidants. 

I have been alternating Catie’s Vitamin C with Tony’s Pomegranate Power, which are raw, cold-processed blends of the highest antioxidant foods on the market.  They include the various “red-superfruits”: Pomegranate, blueberries, gogi berries, mangosteen, cranberries, acai, grapeseed, kamu kamu, bilberries, schizandra berries, and much more.  All of these fruits should be categorized as the “Powerful Antioxidant Superfoods”.

Another reason to increase your antioxidant intake…Did you know that in the U.S., the average person ingests at least 300 lbs. of chemicals/pollutants/pesticides per year?  Think about all of the chemicals and preservatives in our foods and the toxic gases and carcinogenic chemicals parading the atmosphere – It is amazing that the rates of cancer and other diseases aren’t higher.  As I previously said, eating a healthy and organic diet is only part of the solution.  Every person should be supplementing with Antioxidant-Rich Superfoods.  They have been proven to fight and deactivate the hundreds of pollutants and pesticides we inhale and ingest daily. 

The following health-promoting characteristics are shared by these powerful fruits: High in antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, trace minerals, energy, stamina, and are anti-inflammatory, alkalizing, boosts the immune system, powerhouse of nutrition, anti-aging, environmental protectors, stimulates mental function, and balances the nervous system.

It might seem too expensive to spend $40/month for these antioxidant blends, but if you think about it that is only about $1.30/day and it is preventative nutrition!  If you by coffee or tea out during the week, then cut back three days per week and that should pay for your antioxidant product.  It is all about priorities, right?  J

                          

Related posts:

1. Health Promoting Super Red Foods
2. My Staple: Green Superfoods
3. Maqui vs. Acai Berry: Which is Superior?

Immunizing babies has become a very controversial topic. I know many moms who are not immunizing at all and others taking it slowly, waiting until after a year and then only doing so one at a time. I myself haven’t immunized my 17 month old son yet, and haven’t quite decided what to do. I am definitely not giving him all of the generally recommended immunizations; instead, I will probably give him only a select few once he is 3. I feel that if your baby is breastfed, not at daycare with lots of kids, and eats healthy, there is no need to rush with immunizing. I think that to begin immunizing babies right after they are born is too overwhelming for their tiny bodies, along with the philosophy of multiple immunizations at one time.

From what I have read, a majority of the diseases that babies are immunized for are not much of a threat after they are 2-3 years of age. Plus, there are soo many immunizations now, compared to when I was born, that are not necessary and were probably created just to make a profit! Most parents are naturally so worried about their child’s health that they will give them any and every immunization; otherwise they would feel like bad parents. I think the problem is that most pediatricians don’t take the time to educate the parents about their options and each immunization, nor do they necessarily provide the safest brand for each one. The parent has to take the responsibility to research the various immunizations and find a pediatrician who will work with them openly.

The question that I hear asked the most is which are the few immunizations most recommended and necessary and which brands are the best. Fortunately we have Dr. Sears, a well known Pediatrician, who recently posted a list of each pediatrician in the country who supports parents that either do not want to or are uncertain about immunizations, also known as “Vaccine-Friendly” Pediatricians. Plus he has a book called, “The Vaccine Book”, which breaks down each immunization, comparing brands, etc.  Here is a link to Dr. Sears list of Vaccine Friendly Pediatricians, by State:  Http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/Vaccine_Friendly_Doctors.asp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=vaccine2&

                          

Related posts:

1. H1N1 Flu & Tamiflu…Getting Sick Could be Safer!
2. Teriyaki StirFry that is friendly to the tummy :)
3. Goat’s Milk or Cow’s Milk for Babies?