My kids love soda.  What's not to love, right? Sugary sweet and delightfully bubbly and fizzy - it's a treat for sure!  As it turns out, there's A LOT not to love about these drinks.  Mass production processes and the desire for increased profits has led to the use of increasingly cheaper ingredients, as well as unhealthy preservatives, stabilizers and colorants that make the product more appealing and stable for long-term storage on grocery store shelves.  Basically this all means these drinks are now full of GARBAGE - processed corn sugars, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and some even contain flame retardants (brominated vegetable oil)!!  There's not a single ingredient in the majority of these products that I feel is safe for my children to consume.  There are some companies out there that make sodas suitable for human consumption, but they tend to be pretty expensive and then many aren't much more than juice combined with cane sugar and carbonated water - which, honestly - you can just mix up pretty easily yourself at home.  We used to let the kids have ginger ale when we'd go out to restaurants, thinking that since it had ginger in it, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, it would at least help to redeem some of the 'ickiness' of the sugar.  But the popular 'ginger ales' of today are NOTHING like what they used to be.  In fact, I'm not even convinced there's any actual ginger in them at all!  And they're certainly not the tonic of health they used to be.

I know there are options for healthy 'fizzy' beverages, such as kombucha and water kefir, and I tried making water kefir a couple of years ago - it turned out ok - but it seemed to be a little bit cumbersome to me.  Kefir grains are not always readily available and they can be a little expensive depending on where you live.  I've done a bit of wine and beer brewing at home so I decided to look into methods for making natural sodas and learned that one common way of making homemade sodas is to use what's called a 'ginger bug'.  I'm not entirely sure why it's called this, because it doesn't look like a bug, nor does it have insects in it - it's basically a wad of shredded ginger that becomes fermented.  Maybe the 'bug' part refers to the wild yeast and bacteria that handle the fermentation? I don't know, but regardless of the strange name, this little wad of ginger makes a mean soda full of natural anti-inflammatory agents from the ginger, beneficial enzymes and probiotics to help restore gut flora and help keep your digestive system running like a charm!

There are many ways to make a ginger bug and although this process is based in science, there's a lot of room here for experimentation.  You do not need to adhere to these measurements precisely but try to keep similar ratios of ginger/sugar. When feeding my bug I typically approximate the amounts so as not to dirty a measuring spoon. :)

Here's how I chose to start my bug:

Ginger Bug:

My Ginger Bug!

• 1 Pint Filtered, un-chlorinated water
• 2 TB Grated Ginger (Skin and all, wash well, preferably organically grown)
• 2 TB Unprocessed 'raw' sugar (Any sugar will work, but I used both coconut sugar and raw turbinado in mine)
• 1 TB un-sulphured molasses (for extra vitamins)

I put this all into a large quart-sized mason jar and stirred well to dissolve the sugar, covered with a folded-over cheesecloth and secured with a rubber band and the metal lid.  

• Stir at least twice a day to agitate the mixture and keep it active.  
• Every day for about 5-8 days add in about 2 tsp grated ginger and 2 tsp sugar.  
• I would add in extra molasses and a tablespoon of water about every other day just to replenish what might have evaporated.
• Continue to stir every day, twice a day or more.
• Keep in a moderately warm place where it will not be disturbed (my kitchen is about 78F)
• The darker your sugar, the darker your bug - so if you're using a very light sugar and not adding molasses your bug might be much lighter in color than mine.

You'll know when your bug is ready when it's all bubbly on the top and you can hear it fizzing while stirring.  It should smell gingery and sweet, maybe even a little yeasty like a beer.

I personally thought starting and keeping the bug going was a breeze, but there are a few things to keep in mind to help avoid issues:

• Make sure if you are fermenting other foods (sourdough starter, sauerkraut, etc.) you want to keep SEVERAL FEET in between your concoctions to avoid cross-culturing.
• A lot of ginger in the US comes from foreign countries and is irradiated before it hits the stores - organic foods are not irradiated.  The irradiation process can destroy the natural bacteria and yeast present on the skin and prevent a bug from fermenting properly so try to choose organic ginger if possible or find some that's not irradiated. 
• Be consistent in feeding and stirring your bug to keep it active.
• Make sure you're keeping a cheesecloth or other breathable cover over the top to keep out bugs and debris but allow excess CO2 to escape. 

Once you've got an active bug, you can strain off the liquid (saving the solid part of your 'bug' to use again by replenishing with fresh water, ginger and sugar) and mix it into any number of recipes for natural sodas as the agent of fermentation (which is what makes the bubbles - the carbon dioxide is a byproduct of the fermentation process).  I will post the recipe for the Ginger Beer I made with my bug as well as a Ginger-Pineapple Soda soon.  Go get your bug started and stay tuned!...


Inspiration for this recipe came from: The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from around the World by Sandor Katz

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Bread gets a bad rap these days especially with so many people having sensitivities and allergic responses to gluten.  I think part of the reason is that in our over-processed and hurried society, we don't take the time to make bread the way our ancestors used to and we've rushed most of the beneficial components of bread right out of the loaf.  Even when buying a loaf of 'traditional' sourdough from a bakery you'll find that it usually isn't made with a traditional wild yeast starter, but instead adds prepared activated yeast.  I've been reading a fantastic book called Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, which has in it a wealth of information on more traditional foods and their health benefits, along with the increasingly more processed foods prevalent in the typical American diet and their detrimental impacts to our health.  I highly recommend the book, lots of great information as well as recipes for 'back to basics' foods, beverages, tonics, etc.

There are numerous health benefits to cultivating a wild yeast starter for use in bread-making, some of the more notable are:

• The longer preparation time and soaking of the grain in the process of making the starter help to facilitate breakdown of the proteins in the grain into amino acids, making the grain more easily digestible and often causing less digestive distress for those with sensitivity to gluten.
• Sourdough basically makes it's own natural preservatives in the form of acetic acid, which inhibits the grow of mold, giving the loaf a longer shelf-life naturally without requiring the addition of any other preservatives. 
• Sourdough has a lower glycemic index than most other breads, which means it has less impact on blood sugar and will not likely cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels immediately after consumption.  This makes it a better choice for individuals needing to regulate blood sugar levels such as those with diabetes. 
• The lactobacillus bacteria produced as part of the fermentation process not only help to provide a happier digestive system by increasing beneficial gut flora, but they naturally produce lactic acid which helps to break down the phytic acid that is present in the grain.  Phytic acid prevents absorption of certain minerals, so by reducing its presence, the lactobacillus are effectively making for a more nutritious loaf of bread.  

As with most things in the kitchen, making a sourdough starter involves a little science, some artistic license and quite possibly a little witchcraft, lol.  I don't tend to get too strict with regard to measurement but here are the approximations I used for my starter:

You want to use equal parts flour and water and if you're using measuring cups and not measuring by weight, which most people will probably do, you'll need more flour than water.  Dry ingredients measure out differently by the cup than liquids.  A cup of water is approximately 8oz whereas a cup of flour is approximately 4.5 oz.  Given this, if you use 1/2 cup of water you'll probably need a little more than 3/4 cup of flour.  So where I used flour, I just had the cup slightly heaping as opposed to measured flat in the cup.  Not exactly scientific, but it worked.

Day One:

A slightly heaping 3/4 cup of flour (use a good quality flour, unbleached - I used wheat but you could use rye, barley, etc.)

1/2 cup filtered water (preferably un-chlorinated)

Add the flour and water to a large glass bowl and mix vigorously until it's completely combined.

My starter was pretty vigorous after only a day.

Scrape down the sides and make sure it's a uniform mixture.  Should be pretty sticky.  Cover with a towel and secure with a rubber band or loosely cover with plastic wrap.  You want some air and wild yeast to get in but you don't want critters, dust or debris in there.  Place in a warm, stable-temp location in your kitchen.  Preferably 70-75 degrees F.  The warmer your kitchen, the faster it'll ferment but you don't want to cook it so if it's too hot in there you might want to find another place to put it. 

Days 2-5:

For the next 4 days you'll want to continue to feed the starter with the same ratios you used on day 1.  Follow the same directions, each time stirring in the flour and water vigorously and covering with a towel or loosely with plastic wrap/a lid.

Day 3, my starter had larger bubbles.

I consulted myriad sources for starting and maintaining sourdough starter and they all seemed to recommend different intervals at which to feed the starter, some saying you needed to do it as often as every 4 hours.  I don't know about you, but that sounded reminiscent of the days when my children were infants and I was up every few hours to feed them! I'm not that excited about bread that I'm going to care for my starter that often, so I only fed mine once a day.  If you're noticing that yours isn't bubbling and frothing like it should be, then maybe you might want to try feeding it 2-3 times a day until it gets going.  My kitchen is about 76 degrees and my starter was bubbling after the first day -
results will vary here depending on the flour used, your water source, your kitchen temp, etc.

What to expect along the way:

On day 2 you should start seeing a few bubbles in your mixture, although don't freak out if you don't.  The bubbles are an indicator that the wild yeast on the flour and from the air have started consuming the sugars in the flour and are releasing carbon dioxide, which is what's making the bubbles.  Your starter might just be slow for any number of reasons so be patient if you don't see bubbles right away.  The mix should smell a little sweet and yeasty.

On day 3 you may or may not have bubbles, but most likely will unless your starter is slow.  If you're not seeing any yet you may want to check your kitchen temp and considering a warmer, less drafty location.   In my starter I had quite a few bubbles at this point and the mixture was starting to smell sour and not entirely pleasant - a little like sweaty socks.  This is actually normal! Yum! Sweaty sock bread!  The mixture should also look like a sticky, thick batter and larger in volume than the previous day.  You will probably hear bubbles popping as you stir it.

On day 4 the starter will continue to get looser and larger in volume with more bubbles.  It will also start to smell even more vinegary and sour and if you taste it, that will be reflected in the taste.  This is normal.

On day 5 your starter should be ready to go - it should have doubled in volume, be nice and loose and airy with bubbles - almost frothy -  and it will have a pungent odor.  If your starter is not ready to go at this point, continue to feed it for a few more days using half the amounts you'd been using for days 1-5.

If your starter is ready but you're not, then you'll want to put a tight lid on the mixture, pop it into your fridge and store it until you're ready to use it, continuing to feed it once a week.  During the feedings, you will probably see better results  If you're starting to get 'too much' volume in the container, you can discard or use some of it and then continue to feed.  You can keep your starter going indefinitely in this manner.

Notes:

Once it's ready to be used, you can pop the starter into your favorite recipe per the guidelines.  I'm going to try tinkering around with the recipe on the King Arthur flour website to see how it comes out, since it seems pretty basic.

If you're fermenting anything else on your kitchen counters - like the Ginger Bug for Ginger Ale I've currently got brewing (recipe to be posted later) - you'll want to make sure you have several feet in between the concoctions so there's no cross-contamination with the yeast.

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My son's birthday was yesterday and he couldn't decide what kind of cake he wanted so he told me to just 'surprise him'.  I just finished reading this great book called the The Husband's Secret, which is set in Australia near the Easter holiday and in which a dessert called a 'Pavlova' is mentioned numerous times.  After I looked up what it was - a light meringue-like cake typically served with fresh fruit and whipped cream or lemon curd, named after the famous ballerina of the same name - I decided to give it a try! I've never made any sort of a meringue before, so I figured why not try something completely brand new when it's my son's birthday and I'm already a bit pressed for time? Yeah, that's just how I roll.

I based my version partly on this recipe I found in Saveur magazine and about 20 other recipes I read through in various locations on the web.  I have a little trouble following directions and thought 3 cups of sugar sounded absurd, so here's the ratio of ingredients I used:

For the Meringue:

10 egg whites

2 cups fine sugar

1 TB White Vinegar

1 TB Vanilla Bourbon Paste

1/4 C Cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350F and grab a sheet of parchment paper.  Draw a 9" circle on the parchment, - flip over a cake pan if you've got one and trace around the pan with a pencil.  Turn the parchment over pencil-side down onto a cookie sheet.  

Combine the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla until well combined.  It's going to make this really odd, sticky blobby mess that may kind of freak you out a little.  Just trust me - it's really a strange consistency - it will pour slowly, but then if you try to stir it, it's almost like it's solid.  I couldn't resist playing with it a little.  Stop playing with it and set it aside. 

Put your egg whites into a bowl and add in the sugar.  Using a metal whisk (preferably one attached to some kind of stand mixer or other mechanical device) beat on low until sugar is dissolved into egg whites, then kick up the speed to high until soft peaks form (about 5-8 minutes).  At this point, plop in the cornstarch goo and continue beating on high until glossy stiff peaks form - maybe another 5 minutes.  

Spread the mixture gently onto the parchment, trying to keep it roughly the size of your drawn circle. 

Everything in my process went perfectly until we got to the baking part.  The directions said to place the sheet into the oven, turn down the temp to 215F and bake it for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, then shut off the oven and leave the meringue sitting in there for another 3-4 hours until cooled.  

Yeah  - I did this, but then the ceiling of my cake eventually dropped and fell into the blob of the inside which was clearly not cooked.  Could be that I used too many egg whites and not enough sugar, but who knows - I will have to research this a little more.

The top is missing because we kept picking it off and eating it - so good!

Thankfully, I've had enough of these little adventures to know that I need to have a backup on hand since what was going to be my son's cake was decidedly un-cakelike.  Good old pound cake came to the rescue there - super easy to whip together - will post that recipe later.  

So, not wanting to give up on this strange new dessert,  I turned the oven back on, popped this pavlova thingy back into the oven and baked at 200F for almost 2 more hours and then I just let it sit again in the oven until it cooled.  After all this, my final result was very strange in look and feel and yet oddly delicious and somewhat addictive.

As you can see, it's still a tiny bit gooey in the inside - still not completely done.  

The exterior layer breaks off easily and is very crisp and melts in your mouth.

My kids call it the 'styrofoam cake' because the exterior of the cake has a texture and feel very similar to a type of styrofoam - not the rubbery kind used for coffee cups but the firmer, more brittle kind used for floral displays and crafts.  The exterior of the cake is very crispy and brittle and the interior is somewhat like a marshmallow.

It melts in your mouth like cotton candy and is sweet but not overwhelmingly so and the entire thing tastes exactly like a well-toasted marshmallow.  I think I'm going to pour some melted chocolate and graham cracker crumbs on it...   mmmm.... A new twist on S'mores cake!! Deliciousness....  I will definitely do some more research and try again to see if I can get this to come out like it was supposed to, but for a first time FAIL it still came out pretty darn tasty!

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Natural Insecticidal Garden Spray

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper when I went out to survey my little organic garden beds one morning and discovered that something had turned them into a mess of patchy lacework.  My kale, kohlrabi and brussels sprouts appeared to be the hardest hit and after closer inspection, I determined that the culprit was some little caterpillars.  Although I was angry enough after all of the hard work I put into getting my garden up to douse the little buggers with something really nasty, I took a few moments to calmly reflect on my original intent - that being a healthy source of chemical and GMO-free veggies for myself and my family.  And spraying nasty junk on the greedy little bugs, no matter how satisfying it might have been, would have destroyed my intent in one fell swoop.  So - I set to work on some non-toxic (to humans) methods that would get rid of the pests without poisoning my family or the environment.

Here is the first spray recipe that I've tried and I have to say that it seems to be working fairly well.  I happened to have these essential oils on hand thanks to some other natural projects of mine, so I was able to make this mixture quickly without having to go out and buy anything, but these oils are fairly common and can easily be found in most health food stores or online.

Recipe:

• 28 Oz Bottle (Reused an Empty Method Spray Bottle)
• 1 TB Bronner's Liquid Soap (Any biodegradable vegetable soap will do) - Tip: don't use any with tea tree oil it will burn the leaves of your plants.
• 10 Drops Orange Essential Oil (Lemongrass would also work)
• 20 Drops Neem Oil
• 5-6 Whole Cloves (Just put them in the bottom of the container)
• 10 Drops Cinnamon Leaf Oil

Fill to the top of the container with water.

Spray tops and underside of leaves. Repeat every few days and after watering/rain (I try to water at the bottom of the plant near the root so as to avoid washing off my spray). This mixture will help take care of many common pests such as aphids, mites, white flies, mealy bugs as well as nasty little caterpillars. I've also discovered that roaches and ants don't care for it either.  I can attest to it killing the caterpillars, although as with any treatment, you will have to be diligent in keeping up with spraying to avoid re-infestation.  You will also want to make sure you thoroughly wash your veggies before consuming.  Nothing in this mix is toxic, but it will probably taste really disgusting and could cause some digestive upset.

Note: I have read that Neem can be toxic to bees and some other beneficial insects, so if you're using this spray on or near any plants require pollination, I would leave out the Neem oil.

I'm really not a mean person, so I did feel a little bad torturing these caterpillars in this manner, but with the rate of destruction in my garden I decided I had no choice.  Here is a video of me testing out my spray.  As you can see, it's not only effective, but works fairly quickly... I guess I feel a little better knowing that they didn't suffer too long.

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Fiesta Quinoa Salad

• 1.5 Cups Quinoa (Uncooked - will yield about 4-5 cups cooked)
• 1 14 Oz Can Organic Black Beans
• 3 Ears White Corn, raw, cut the kernels off the cob
• 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes Quartered
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, Chopped
• 2 Avocados, firm, chopped

Dressing:

In a blender combine:

• 2 Chipotle peppers (canned in adobe sauce - I used Goya brand) - I also grabbed about 1 TB of the onions and sauce
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Himalayan Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Cumin
• 1/8 Tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 Large Clove of Garlic
• 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/4 C Agave Nectar 

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions and then allow to cool. Add in the beans and veggies, pour the dressing in and combine until mixture is evenly coated with dressing.


Note: The dressing has a bit of heat to it- add in an extra chili pepper for more heat or use just one for less.

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People have been eating fermented foods for thousands of years and in many cultures, these foods are a regular dietary staple.  There is a great deal of evidence to support the health benefits of eating these types of foods, although most of them didn't come about for health improvement reasons per se, but were born out of the need for preservation and just the natural processes of decay (sounds gross, right? But that's nature for ya).

Fermented foods have been shown to improve digestion, boost beneficial gut flora, improve immune function and many studies have shown that these types of foods can help with common ailments such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Allergic Rhinitis, Atopic Dermatitis and even the common cold.  Examples of fermented foods include wine, cider, beer, kefir, yoghurt, leavened bread and pickled vegetables.   Most of the pickled and fermented foods you will find in the grocery stores have been pasteurized or processed to make them shelf-stable and thus, the health benefits have been eliminated or severely reduced in the process.  Fortunately, it's easy to make your own pickled/fermented foods at home and actually kind of fun!

This week I decided to try out some pickled cabbage using a classic Russian technique for salted fermentation.  There's a lot of room for experimentation with this type of recipe so don't worry about being too exact with ingredients.  This process is part science mixed with artistic license so just relax and have fun with it.  Here is what I used for my first try:

Picked Red Cabbage:

2 Small-Med Heads of Red Cabbage
5-6 Carrots
2-3 Cloves FRESH Garlic, minced (Optional)
2-3 TB Himalayan or other good quality salt, (anything but that processed white "table salt" garbage)
2 TB Whole Peppercorns (I used a tricolor blend) - (Optional)
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 TB Honey or sugar (Optional)

Shred or thinly slice the cabbage and carrots.  You don't want the cabbage too thin or your finished product won't be very crunchy.  I used the slicer/shredder function on my food processor for the cabbage/carrots and it took just a few minutes to get both heads evenly sliced/shredded with the perfect width, but if you prefer old school, a knife and a manual shredder will work just fine.

I placed the cabbage and carrots into a large stainless steel pot and mixed well - then I added in the salt and thoroughly massaged the salt into the mixture.  I didn't really measure the salt but I used approximately 1/4 cup.  You want the cabbage to be pretty salty but not overwhelmingly so.  Spend a good amount of time mashing the salt into the cabbage, you really want to make sure it's dissolved and massaged in.  You can smash it with a fist, squish it in your hands, whatever - just have fun with it - great way to take out some frustrations!

Mix the peppercorns, garlic and the bay leaves in and then smash the whole mixture down firmly into the bottom of the pot.  I waited until after day 2 to add in the honey, and only because when I tasted the mixture it just seemed like it needed a tiny bit of sweetness.  Cover the mixture with a plate and something heavy.  I used some canned goods for this but a large clean rock would work or a couple jars of liquid, a small kettle bell, whatever you've got on hand.  You can cover the pot with a towel or just use the pot lid if it fits over the weights.

Now comes the hard part! WAITING!! I really struggled with this part, because it smelled absolutely heavenly (especially with all that garlic) but this is where all the magic happens, so be patient!  Place your pot in a spot where it won't be disturbed and where it will remain at room temperature.  Fermentation will occur slightly faster the warmer the ambient temperature so just keep this in mind when you are determining how long to let it sit.  It will take approximately 3-6 days or so for the cabbage to get to the point where it's ready to be eaten.  

After the first day or two, there should be a visible quantity of liquid surrounding the plate (it won't be floating, but the cabbage should look like it has some 'sauce') - this is from the salt pulling the juices out of the cabbage.  If your cabbage looks too dry, add in a little bit of water, just enough so that the liquid is visible around the edges of your pressing plate.

Every day, remove the weights and poke holes down to the bottom of the pot with the end of a wooden spoon to allow the mixture to off-gas.  Replace the weights and lid and continue to let it sit.  After about 2 days you might want to give it a taste to see if it needs more salt or spice - this is where I decided to add in my honey.

I decided my cabbage was done at the 4 day mark.  When yours is ready, jar it up and refrigerate.  It's ready to be eaten immediately, but will keep for quite some time in the fridge.

NOTE:  The peppercorns will soften during the fermentation process and will add in a nice spicy bite to the cabbage, especially if you use a mixed blend like I did.  The amount I used was a bit spicy so if you don't like pepper/spice then I recommend adjusting this - either reduce the quantity, use a bit of ground black pepper instead, or leave it out completely.

I like to eat this just plain by itself, but it's also good dressed with a little Olive Oil, vinegar and fresh herbs.  Makes a great topping for rueben sandwiches or on a burger.  All kinds of possibilities!!

ENJOY in good health! :)

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Hello, my name is Jennifer and I am a chocoholic....  The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right? lol... I love chocolate in pretty much any form but there is nothing more heavenly to me than a crunchy, salty, chewy and slightly sweet treat - especially one that is dipped in dark chocolate.  I found this perfect combination in the Sea Salt & Chocolate 'Kind' bars  - they are amazing! But they are also so expensive!  And TINY! The cheapest I can find them online is $16.50 for a box of 12 and then I have to order $50 worth in order to get free shipping.  Besides, while I really have no problem with most of their ingredients, I'm not thrilled with the sound of 'glucose syrup' - technically 'glucose syrup' could be any syrup made from a starch, but I'm pretty sure to keep costs down it's probably corn syrup, which is probably also why they are relatively elusive as to what kind of 'glucose' they're using - or it's a mix.  Either way, I don't like not knowing for sure, so I figured I would try to make my own...

These bars are honestly the best I've ever had and they are pretty easy to make for the most part.

Salted Chocolate, Nut and Rice Crisp Bars

Salted Chocolate, Nut and Rice Crisp BarsIngredients:

Ingredients:

3.5 Cups 'Large' Nuts - I used a mixture of Raw Almonds and Hazelnuts
3 Cups 'Little Nuts & Seeds' - I used a mixture of chopped walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds - all raw
2 Cups Brown Rice Crisps - I used Whole Foods 365 brand unsweetened Brown Rice Crisp Cereal
4 Scoops of Shakeology Fiber Boost (or finely ground flax seed meal)
3 Teaspoons Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste
3/4 Cup Honey
3/4 Cup Brown Rice Syrup
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
GOOD salt for sprinkling - Sea Salt, Himalayan Salt or something equivalent, preferably a medium to course grind.
1/2-3/4 Bag of Dark Chocolate Chips (60% cacao or greater)
1-2 Tblspoons Coconut oil

Method:

You will need two baking pans for this - I used two 9x13 inch baking sheets with a lip and they were the perfect size for this amount of ingredients.

Heat the oven to 350 F, place the large nut mixture on one pan and the little nut mixture on another pan. Dry roast the nuts for about 10 -15 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're lightly browned and looking a bit 'oily' - the large nuts will take longer than the smaller nuts so that's why I recommend splitting the two across different pans.






Let the nuts/seeds cool and then combine in a large heat-safe bowl (glass, stainless, ceramic) and then toss to coat with the Shakeology fiber/flax meal until it's evenly combined and coated. Spray the pans with some cooking spray to coat and set aside.










In a pot on the stove heat the honey, Vanilla, brown rice syrup and maple syrup - you're going to need a thermometer - preferable a candy thermometer to get this to the right consistency. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, until the mix becomes viscous and the temperature reaches 'soft ball' stage on the thermometer - this is approximately 235-245 F (A manual test if you don't have a good thermometer is to drip some syrup into cold water - the syrup should easily form a ball in the water but will flatten out when removed).

NOTE: I recommend using a pot that is at least 3-4 times larger than is necessary to contain the volume of your liquid mixture - once it starts to boil it will expand a great deal and you will want the extra space to prevent a boil over.

Once the syrup has reached the proper consistency, immediately pour it out over the nut mixture and quickly and thoroughly stir to ensure everything is evenly coated with syrup. Pour the mixture into the two greased pans and using the back of a spatula or greased hands, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pans. Allow this to cool for about 15-20 minutes. You want it to be cool enough to stay together but still warm enough to slice easily with a knife.

When cooled, flip each pan over onto a cutting board and cut into bars - using the recipe above and the 9x13 pans, I got exactly 32 bars out of this recipe - so 16 per pan. If you're not a chocoholic like myself, you can simply sprinkle these with a bit of salt and call it a day - if you want some chocolate on yours, continue on...




Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. In 4-cup pyrex bowl (or any heat-safe bowl that has a wide enough bottom to dip the bars), melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil over low heat, stirring frequently. There are a few different ways to do this - you can put the bowl in the microwave for 20-30 second intervals use a double-boiler method or use Jennifer's lazy method, which is just place the pyrex on my cooktop over the lowest heat setting and whisk frequently until it's all melted and smooth. :)

Pop bars into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set quickly

Once you've got the chocolate to a smooth fluid consistency, dip the bottom of each bar to coat with chocolate and then place onto the wax paper. Any chocolate left over can be drizzled with a spoon over the tops of the bars. Sprinkle with your salt and then allow to cool. If you pop them into the fridge they will be ready in about 10-15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.  Makes approximately 32 servings.

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There's nothing more comforting than a big pile of mac & cheese when you're needing comfort food,  but the boxed stuff just really doesn't do it for me and while a giant pan of homemade, 'old-fashioned' mac & cheese makes me drool at the mere thought, dairy is on my 'eat very scarcely' list for a number of reasons I won't get into here.   In an attempt to appease my son, who is always begging for mac & cheese, I've happened upon several vegan versions - some are good, some are great, but this one that I found is AMAZING!!  I've modified it a bit (I have a bit of a problem with following directions) - here is my version adapted from The Detoxinista:

Baked Vegan and Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1.5-2 Boxes Gluten-Free Pasta (12 oz boxes)
2 Cups Raw Cashews (soaked for at least an hour)
1.5 Cups Water
2 teaspoons Himalayan Salt
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
2 Teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8th Teaspoon Cayenne Powder (Optional - or use just a dash or two if you think it might be too spicy)
3 Teaspoons Turmeric Powder (I like to use a lot of this because it makes it really yellow, which tricks my kids into thinking that it's 'Kraft' PLUS Turmeric is an amazing spice that has all sorts of health benefits so pile it on!

3-4 C Chopped Broccoli Heads
3-4 C Chopped Kale Leaves

2 Cups Brown Rice Cracker Crumbs - I used the Salt & Pepper Brown Rice Triscuits - NOTE THAT THIS PARTICULAR BRAND IS NOT 100% GLUTEN-FREE.  (Crumb crust is Optional)

Directions:

1. Soak your cashews for at least an hour.  I usually pop mine into some water in the morning and then they're good to go by the time dinner rolls around.
2. Prep your veggies - try to get the broccoli heads uniform in size and chop the kale leaves into tiny pieces.
3. When your cashews are done soaking, boil your water and start cooking your pasta.  You want to undercook the pasta by several minutes - about 4-5 minutes LESS than recommended.  During the last minute or so of cooking, toss in the broccoli to parboil.  
4. Drain the pasta and broccoli and empty into an oven-safe dish, preferably one with a cover.   Add the kale and toss.
5. Drain the cashews and pop them into a high-powered blender or a food processor.  Add in the water, salt, lemon juice, yeast, mustard, garlic and spices and blend the living daylights out of the mixture, adding a little extra water if necessary to facilitate the blending process.  You want a nice, thick, smooth sauce.
6. Pour the sauce over the pasta mix and toss to coat evenly.  Cover and bake for about 10-15 minutes until the pasta is tender and evenly heated.  
7. For a nice crispy crust, sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the top and pop under the broiler on high for a few minutes to brown. 

IMPORTANT Note:  While this is a much healthier and cleaner version of old school baked mac & cheese, it is still NOT a low calorie dish and trust me when I say, you are going to want to eat the whole pan of this....  Cashews have fat - they're a much healthier fat than dairy fat - but it's still fat.  So make sure you're being reasonable with your portions and serve with a nice big pile of veggies or a salad.

Serves about 10-12 generously if you use both boxes of pasta.  If you like a saucier pasta, use only 1.5 boxes.

Approximate values per serving (at 10 servings per recipe using BOTH boxes WITH the cracker crust):  413 cal, 9.7 g Fat, 10.7 g Protein, 74 carbs, 1 g Sugar.  If you leave the crumbs off, it's only got 335 cal, 7 g Fat, 9 g Protein, 62 carbs, 1 g sugar.

View original recipe here:  http://detoxinista.com/2011/01/move-over-kraft/

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I LOVE kale... it's so nutritious, so versatile, so pretty and wicked cheap! Unless of course you're at whole foods wanting to buy some kale chips and then it's like $7 an ounce - say what?...  Kale chips baked in the oven are one of the easiest and cheapest snacks to make and you end up with a delicious and nutritious snack that's as addictive as potato chips without all the greasy fat and starchy carbs! I've made these chips in the oven numerous times and they've always come out amazing.  Today, however, since it's officially been a year and seven months since I bought my food dehydrator and have yet to use it... I decided to christen it with a batch of RAW kale chips.  Takes a little longer than the baked chips but supposedly retains more of the live enzymes and nutrients and besides, I needed a good excuse to finally use this dehydrator!

I had approximately a bunch and a half of kale to work with so that's how much I used for this recipe.   I used the really curly green kale because that seems to be the only kind my local store ever has in stock.  After removing the stalks and tearing into 1-2 inch pieces,  I had enough to fill a large 8 quart bowl.  I washed and drained the kale pieces and then returned them to my bowl.

In my blender I mixed up the following:

• 1/4 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon of Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Himalayan Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Bragg's Sea Kelp Seasoning
• 1 Clove Garlic, Minced

Blend on high until the mixture becomes opaque and slightly viscous.  Pour the mixture over the kale pieces and then using your hands, mix well so that all pieces of the kale are coated evenly.  Allow this to sit for a about 10 minutes and then mix again.  

Spread the kale pieces out evenly on the dehydrator trays, trying to keep them in a single layer and as flat as possible.  Now in order for them to qualify as 'Raw' you need to process at a temp lower than 115F which is much lower than the recommended setting on most machines for fruits and veggies.  At 115F or lower it will take several hours for the chips to finish - there are many factors involved (size of the pieces, how much you have in the machine, etc. ) but it will take somewhere around 4-5 hours, maybe longer at this temp.  Leave them in as long as it takes for them to become crispy and not chewy.

  

They should be a nice deep shade of green, brittle and crispy - they'll literally melt on your tongue - sooooo GOOD!!!  If you don't care about having 'Raw' chips and just want a nice, evenly baked chip you can process at a higher temp (135F-160F) and it will only take 2-3 hours or less.  These will store in an air tight container for several weeks - if they make it that long.  Yummy!!

Unknown

Is there anyone out there that doesn't love a good brownie? I personally could eat an entire pan in one sitting - all that chocolately goodness, slightly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside...  My mouth is watering as I type this...  Traditional brownies are loaded with all sorts of garbage that just aren't good for us.  Here's a recipe for a healthier version that's vegan, gluten-free and packed with healthy fiber, plant-based fat and protein.  Great fuel to keep you going and tastes amazing!

Teenie Beanie Proteinie Brownies:

Approximately 12 Servings

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) Can Black Beans - Rinsed well and drained

1 Medium Ripe Banana

2 TB Chia Seed

1/2 Cup Plain, Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Himalayan Salt

1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar

1 Scoop Sunwarrior Protein Powder (Either Vanilla or Chocolate will work)

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Natural 100% Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Almond Meal

3 T Coconut Oil (melted)

Mini Choc Chips and/or Walnut pieces to garnish (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Mix the chia into the almond milk and let sit for a few minutes until it starts to gel.  Combine all the  ingredients (and the chia mixture) into a food processor or mixer and mix until well combined.  Spoon the mixture into greased or papered muffin tins - fill the tins slightly less than half full.  Sprinkle with nuts & mini chips if desired and bake for 30-35 minutes or until slightly browned at the edges and firmed in the middle.  Let them sit for a couples of minutes after removing them from the oven and then move them to a wired rack to cool.  

You won't even taste the beans, I promise!!

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