Almond Butter Cups - Raw & Vegan!

10/31/2014 0 Comments

Happy Halloween! I hope you and yours had a safe, somewhat healthy and Happy Halloween! Last night I stayed up late making sweet treats so we could enjoy some candy that wasn't loaded with ingredients we didn't want. We started the day with Raw Cinnamon Rolls!

I made two of our favorite candies Raw Almond Butter Cups to mimic a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

and Raw Snickers Bars.

My personal favorite were the Almond Butter Cups - Elvis Style with a banana at the base.

I already had my share today and let me tell you it is SO hard sharing this blog with you looking at all of these pictures knowing I have more in the freezer! I felt compelled to share so you could have some in YOUR freezer!!

This recipe is SIMPLE - FAST - IMPRESSIVE and reminds me of the real thing! As much as I would love to boast about how I came up with this genius recipe it would be far from the truth. I am quite new to candy making but I can't wait to experiment with more!

The Snickers Bar and Cinnamon Rolls were created from @lilsipper's Health-e-CookBook, both of her e-books have very creative recipes.

The Almond Butter Cups came from the Detoxinista! It was my first time to her blog and I have a good feeling I'll be back. I used silicone cupcake liners and it worked sensationally. The best part? You can be eating these in 30 minutes or less. I did opt to freeze ours overnight...it was worth it!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! This will be a new special treat we enjoy and share with others. We try to eat oil-free but sometimes you gotta let your hair down! :)

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Almond Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl

10/28/2014 0 Comments

Almonds are chopped, pulsed and spun into a creamy delicious almond butter. Coconut, olive or other vegetable oils can be added to enhance to creaminess and speed the process along. You can also opt for an oil-free batch as the almonds will naturally release their oil as the almond butter ages. It does take a little patience to make homemade almond butter but I believe it pays off. It is much more cost efficient ($5-8/lb for almonds = many batches of almond butter vs. $8-12 for a jar of almond butter), I can mix up the ingredients and make a sweeter, saltier or oil free version and there is something very special about making a product such as almond butter out of just raw almonds

I saw a recipe on instagram from @papaya_sunshine for an Almond Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl! It looked and sounded amazing and she raved about how much her husband loved it. When I hear those words "husband loved it" or loves it I perk up and look at the ingredients to see if perhaps my husband would love it too! :) I was certain he'd love this smoothie and boy did he!!

Place in a blender and blend until smooth. I added a tsp of reishi powder for our immune system. Opt to use whatever dairy free milk, nut butter and sweetener you have on hand and enjoy!

We topped ours with extra goodies! Banana coins, cashews, raisins, almonds, a prune, cranberries and a light dusting of coconut flakes over the bananas. I licked the bowl clean before Gerald, it's safe to say it is very good.

This is a new favorite in our house! May you enjoy this smoothie and many more!!!

Sweet love,
Christa

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One Bowl GF Oil-Free Flax Meal Pizza Crust

10/24/2014 2 Comments

On Monday we made a flax meal pizza crust infused with herbs. I had leftover carrot mash from carrot juice and was unsure how to use it when I had a brilliant idea, to use it in the pizza as an oil replacement. I tried it and had glorious success. The idea was inspired from the baking gods and goddesses and I am thankful!

The dough was light, airy and easy to work with. I kneaded it with love so it would turn out very good for my husband. He had worked hard spreading his homemade compost around our new plants! I wanted to show my appreciation so I tried very hard to make this pizza to his liking!

Once kneaded I rolled the dough into a big plump ball that made my heart smile. It looked just right! I placed it on a pre-greased cookie sheet and pressed it into the shape of a pizza pie with a hearty crust. I baked the pizza for about 30 + minutes as I prepared homemade pizza sauce and toppings. My personal preference is to get the pizza crust brown around the edges and almost completely done to where the center pops back up vs. sinks. Then I add the sauce and toppings and bake for another 15 minutes give or take until done, slice and serve! I used to only bake it for 15 minutes but then had to bake the pizza for sometimes 40 + minutes waiting for the center to be done and not be soggy! This works for me and I hope it works for you!

This crust was dare I say almost perfect. It even formed a big bubble in the center as if it were from a pizza shop! There is no yeast, oil, sugar or refined flours here only really healthy ingredients so you can enjoy more than one slice and still feel great! :)

To make this delicious pizza pie you will need:

2 cups flax meal
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup carrot pulp (from carrot juice)
3 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 tsp salt
Dash: Red pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, basil, sage and pepper.
Opt: I used a sprinkle of Trader Joe's Dukkah Blend which is a mixture of almonds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, anise seeds and salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coat a pan with olive oil (or line with parchment paper)
Combine the flax meal and warm water in a large bowl, mix well. Add the balance of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Roll up your sleeves and begin working the dough, kneading for 1-2 minutes until completely worked together. I find getting my hands wet first and along the way helps.
Roll the dough into a ball, place it in the center of your pan and begin to form your pizza. I like to leave a high edge for a thick crust!
Bake for 30 minutes until it is almost completely done. While it is baking prepare your sauce and toppings.
Pull it out of the oven, top with sauce and your favorite toppings and bake for another 10-15+ minutes until done. Serve hot and enjoy!!!

CC's Homemade Pizza Sauce:

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno (optional)
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp oregano and 2 tbsp basil

Directions:

Saute the onions, garlic and jalapenos in 1-2 tbsp of water until soft.
Add the balance of the ingredients and simmer on low, heating throughout, while the pizza is cooking.

I hope you enjoy this pizza as much as we did!!!

May you have a beautiful and blessed weekend!
Christa

2 Comments

Our Little Garden

10/24/2014 0 Comments

Gardening is therapy for my heart and soul. First hard work is done to prepare the space, sweat, blisters, bug bites persist yet glorious hard work overcomes all bringing a great sense of joy and inner peace. As the weeds come out of the ground they also come out of my soul.

Then come the rows, carefully prepared with love hoping the hard work has paid off. Seeds are picked out, planted, covered and blessed.

Then the 3 w's:

Watering
Waiting
Weeding

I wonder will the seeds take...will they grow. When I don't see anything I doubt for a moment and am overjoyed to find growth on a new day.

Gardening is like anything else, if you don't succeed the first time try again! I've already re-seeded a few areas and thankfully I did because now new growth is coming up. I have a few more to tend to. ;)

We planned our rows out this time.

Can you tell I am married to an engineer? He helped organize us and I learned quickly documenting it on an excel spreadsheet. Fun!

Fingers crossed what we planned actually comes to fruition!

I am hoping the garden produces so much we have plenty to share!!!

Here are some of the beauties coming up!

Do you have a garden? We hope to have a big piece of property someday, an earth ship home and a permanent garden spot but for now we are so happy to have the go-ahead to plant where we are. We've done container gardening in San Diego on our patio and it was fun to see how much we could grow. Whether big or small in a kitchen window seal or a patio growing plants brings much joy!

With love and dirt under my thumb,
Christa

“It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into the warm earth, to feel at one's fingertips the possibilities of the new season.”
― Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

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CC's Homemade Pizza Sauce

10/24/2014 0 Comments

Onions, garlic, oregano and tomatoes make a simple sauce full of flavor that comes together effortlessly. I added jalapeño and red pepper flakes to spice things up a little and keep my husband enticed. We enjoyed it on homemade pizza and it was so satisfying. I love making my own sauces and making the home smell of delightful fragrances. Don't you? Enjoy! Love, Christa

CC's Homemade Pizza Sauce:

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño (optional)
1 cup tomato purée
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp oregano and 2 tbsp basil

Directions:

Saute the onions, garlic and jalapenos in 1-2 tbsp of water until soft.
Add the balance of the ingredients and simmer on low, heating throughout. Use on pizza, as a marinara dip or as desired. Yum!

This sauce is featured on the One Bowl GF Oil-Free Flax Meal Pizza Crust.

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Homemade Beet Powder for Beet Juice, Smoothies, Natural Make-Up and More

10/14/2014 2 Comments

Beets are a nutritional powerhouse loaded with immune boosting qualities!

Once I learned how good they were for us I couldn't help but keep some around for our smoothies. We even planted seeds for some fresh organic heirloom beets (hopefully!)

Did you know 1 tsp of beet powder is equivalent to the nutrition of 1 whole beet???!!! I didn't! I learned about it on Instagram from @rawgrandma. Dehydrated beets, ground into a powder can be used in smoothies, sauces, soups, treats and more adding a gorgeous color and an instant shot of health. To make some for yourself wash and peel some beets...

Slice thin with a knife or mandolin...

Place on a dehydrator rack. I love our Excalibur, thank you baby for the gift! Dehydrate overnight at 104-105 degrees until completely dehydrated. I let ours continue until mid-day.

Remove and grind into a fine powder. I ground ours in our coffee grinder. I will try our food processor or blender next time for a more refined powder. You can also purchase beet root powder online. :0)

I even used the beet powder as a 100% organic and raw blush and lip-gloss! Place the beet powder in a clean make-up container for powders or tap some in the lid of a jar (I chose this option) dab your brush in the powder, tap it to remove any excess chunks and apply, adding additional layers as preferred to reach a beautiful glow! For lip-gloss use a carrier oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, almond oil and apply to lips, rub in. Dab your finger in the powder and rub your lips together or use your finger to rub in. The moisture in the oil will unleash the color for beautiful kiss-worthy lips. Simple and pretty! I found an awesome lipgloss recipe here that I can't wait to try: http://yumuniverse.com/easy-diy-beet-powder-cream-blush/!

I hope you enjoy the health benefits of beets or even beet powder. Read more about beets and their benefits here: https://greendetour.com/beet-juice-powder/.

With love,
Christa

2 Comments

Burrito Bowls

10/7/2014 0 Comments

Burrito Bowls offer a complete balanced meal that's easy to make, attractive to your eye, nourishing to your body and super delicious! For a vegan or non-vegan this meal is sure to please! It is a great meal to kick off National Vegetarian Awareness Month.

I honestly didn't know it existed! It was established by North American Vegetarian Society in 1977! FIX.com is spreading the awareness about the benefits of vegetarian lifestyle. Read all about it here. They even created the beautiful image below.

Simple.

Satisfying.

Nourishing.

Burrito Bowls!

To make this bowl start 1 cup of cooked brown rice in the center of a bowl. Surround with a layer of guacamole.

Cover the guacamole with Raw Walnut Taco "Meat"! Opt to add "refried" beans. We took soaked and boiled beans, added a dash of oil, seasoning and placed it in the food processor for a homemade version. (Props to my hubs!) Then surround the plate with your favorite leafy green, we used amaranth leaves. :0) Opt to top with a heart of Sriracha sauce!

Ingredients:

2 cups of brown rice
1 Batch Guacamole
Raw Walnut Taco "Meat"
Homemade or purchased beans (your fav - whole or blended)
1-2 cups fresh leafy greens
Dash of Sriracha sauce
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes and cilantro.

Directions:

Pre-cook the rice on the stove or in a rice cooker. Place 1 cup each in a bowl for 2 servings.
Create a fresh batch of guacamole, surround the rice. Rinse and whip up some raw walnut taco "meat" and place on top of the guacamole.
Place beans around the base of the rice and fresh greens around the bowl. Serve with a heart of Sriracha on top and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and cilantro, dig in! Serve as is or with tortillas or chips.

Healthy and Delicious!

EnJoY!

Christa
xox

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Almond Butter Cups - Raw & Vegan!

Almond Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl

One Bowl GF Oil-Free Flax Meal Pizza Crust

Our Little Garden

CC's Homemade Pizza Sauce

Homemade Beet Powder for Beet Juice, Smoothies, Natural Make-Up and More

Burrito Bowls

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