BananaCoco- NUT Oat Protein Muffins

These have been a hit to satisfy breakfast movers and shakers or to curb those snacking times of the day... Enjoy! Healthy Protein muffin recipe

In a mixer bowl blend the following:
5 bananas
2 scoops vanilla vegan protein powder
1 cup almond milk
1/4 coconut sugar
2 1/2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
1 teaspoon organic coconut extract
1/4 cup finely shredded organic coconut flakes
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs


then add the topping

Mix Topping:
1/4 cup raw oatmeal
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut flakes
mix well... top the muffins before baking

Makes 20 muffins

After mixing place batter in greased muffin tins and bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Blueberry Bliss Power Bars

I love these bars. I think you will too. They are hearty and packed full of protein! A healthy recipe for the entire family. Great way to start the day off right with a balanced breakfast or snack on the go!

Berry Bliss POWER Bar

First Step: BAR BASE

In a blender mix the following-

4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

2 bananas

1 1/2 teaspoons of Vanilla

1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder

BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH

Pour into a bowl and add the following:

2 Cups raw Organic Oats

1 Cup slivered almonds

1 teaspoon of flax seed

Stir together until well blended

PREHEAT OVEN: 350 degrees- spray a piece of parchment paper with coconut oil and lay on a cookie sheet or 9x9 baking pan. Pour the mixture on the parchment paper and shape into a square about 9x9 if using a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. 

While the base is cooking away....

SECOND STEP: BAR TOPPING

In a bowl mix the following:

1/2 cup raw oats

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of chia seed

MIX WELL then --add 1 cup fresh blueberries mix gently to combine. 

After the 8 minutes is up from the base baking pull that pan out of the oven and spread the topping on top and press down gently to set and replace back into the oven for another 15-17 minutes. 

Allow to cool and slice into bars. 

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Banana Nut "Power" Breakfast Muffin

 Recipe:
Dry Ingredients:
 2 cups oat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 scoops of vegan  protein powder
1/2 cup truvia
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup flax seed (optional)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp corriander (optional)

Wet Ingredients:
2 organic eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cup almond milk
4-5 ripe bananas

Topping:
1/2 cup raw oats
1/2 cup walnuts

Mix dry ingredients together then add the wet and blend well. Spray a muffin tin with coconut oil and scoop your mix into the pans, top with raw oats and walnuts and bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (check your muffins based on oven temperature and altitude may need longer baking time)

Grilling up some banana and peanut butter smiles

I am trying to come up with healthy new ways to give the kids some fun meals. This one happened by accident when we did not have much around and this is what we came up with. It's actually quite delicious and the warm banana really was a hit!! I always use organic ingredients but use what you have on hand.

Peanut Butter and Banana Grilled Sandwiches 
WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Peanut butter, a banana, honey, (flax seed optional), bread,butter, or coconut oil!

Prepare just like a grilled "cheese" I added flax seed because it is extra Omega 3 and they do not even know it. Spread the peanut butter/flax/and honey on a buttered slice of bread.

 Top with banana slices and cover with last piece of bread. (make sure you are putting coconut oil or butter on your bread..you want the "grilled" texture)
Cover and cook over medium heat- (flip once)

Hope you guys enjoy it!!! - Laura

Why teaching your kids about healthy food is vital for them to make healthy choices!

"It's time to take action! We need every child to understand where food comes from, how to cook it, and how it affects their body. This is about setting kids up with the knowledge they need to make better food choices for life! Jamie Oliver
I get the critics believe me, those who feel I am being "picky" about choosing to give my kids organic, or buying foods that are organic. As if choosing health is some sort of "curse" upon you that you should feel weird about. Also, I get the comments about price, "organic is so expensive etc." I will say this, yes it is more then other generic brand food. However, have you seen the price of junk food, chips, cigarettes, and cancer lately? The other day I walked down the "chip" aisle, and I actually could not believe the price of chips. Some of the family size bags are almost $5.00 for a bag of chips!! I have a choice, you have a choice. I could buy a bag of chips with little or no nutritional value for $5.00 or I can buy a bag of organic apples. It really is about trade offs. Making different choices.  Those who "put down" for choosing to be healthy just spend their money on different things than you do...that really is it!  It is a thought process. For me it is a pay now or pay later mentality. Now can I totally avoid cancer causing elements in this lifetime? Probably not, we are surrounded by it, the computer I am typing on, no doubt it probably giving me some sort of vibe. We all have cancer cells in our bodies, but what we feed our bodies helps keep us alkaline or acidic. Disease can not thrive in alkaline bodies.

We are teaching the future generations how to eat by what we make available for them. If you are the one making the food purchases, you are the one responsible. I get it's staggering and you can serve up some guilt trip to as to why we don't have time to make healthy options. But we do! We all do! We all have the same amount of time actually, we just choose to spend it differently. I am not saying every item in my pantry is 100% organic and I live off the land, I cant possibly do that where I reside. But I encourage you to look for local organic farms that you can support and buy your food from, where it is fresh and has more LIVE nutrients. There are money saving tips even when buying organic food.
You can stay along the outside edges of the grocery store to keep you from spending money on things that are not necessary. Purchase fruits for smoothies in the organic frozen aisle. It is cheaper and lasts longer! Try to have a meal plan and elliminate having a meat type dish every night. Organic meats and poultry can be expensixve if you buy for every night of the week. Limit the meat you consume weekly, it will keep you healthier , save you money, and you can get just as much proetin from plant sources.
I love my girls, I know that I can not keep them protected from everything. I do know that their health will be very important to them as they get older. Right now, I can not teach my kids at their young age of all the chemicals and how to read words they can not pronounce on the back of labels. But what I can do is SHOW them what is good and healthy! I can make food fun for them, I can make a green smoothie delicious enough for even a two year old to slurp down and that is what matters. Our bodies crave what we give it. To this day, my five year old does not drink soda. I do not buy it and I do not offer it. Someone offered her one and she took one sip and said it was TOO sweet and she did not like it. If you give kids healthy options they will not want crave the bad ones. Will they have stuff when we are visiting friends, probably! I am not going to circle over them and demand all my friends and family abide to our standards of eating. But I do know it is important to us when we are home. WE need to set the standard for our eating habits! Kids are depending on us.

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Green Goodness

Green smoothies are a way to get in a large dose of fruits and veggies in your diet, and they taste yummy so it's worth it!! You can make all kinds of green smoothies. This one is our families favorite. You can add all kinds of fruit but make sure you have a large helping of greens rich in vitamins.

NEEDED:
6 cups fresh organic spinach
1 cup organic strawberries- can be frozen
1 cup organic peaches-can be frozen
2 bananas
2 cups organic orange juice
1 TBSP of chia seed
1 TBSP flax seed
1 TBSP raw honey

Blend in vita mix or blender. Serves 4

Raw Berry-Nut Treats

This is a great treat that is packed full of fruit and protein for kids of all ages big and little. They can be cut into squares or even shapes you desire with a cookie cutter. I found this recipe this week and tweaked it to our family's preference.
Needed:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews ( can use almonds to or a mix of both-consistency will be nuttier)
2 cups strawberries
1/4 cup rasperries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut butter
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

- Soak the cashews at least 6-12 hours in water. Drain then rinse well.
- Add the cashews to a food processor and blend well. A few minutes will be fine, scrape down sides and blend again. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again several minutes.
-Pour into a 9x13 pan and place in freezer for about 2 hours.
-Cut into squares or shapes and enjoy!
-Store in freezer in air tight container.

Cranberry protein muffins with lemon zest

1/2 cup Truvia
3/4 cup Organic applesauce
1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 can of Organic whole cranberry sauce
zest of one lemon
1 tsp of lemon juice
2 eggs
2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup uncooked raw oatmeal
1 cup of almond milk
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 scoops of protein ( plant based protein is best)
1 cup of flax (optional)
1/2 cup chia (optional)
1/2 cup walnuts

BLEND ON LOW until all the ingredients are mixed. Spray muffin tins with non stick coconut oil and fill with batter. Then in a small bowl mix the following for a topping:
1/2 cup raw oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried organic cranberries
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of truvia

Top and bake for 20-25 min at 350 degrees.

Raw Chocolate Pie

Is there such a thing as a healthy pie? I personally was not aware of such a thing until I made a switch to an all raw diet for a time of cleansing and healing. About two months ago my search began and what I have found has changed my whole life and way of thinking even about "baking." This is a raw, vegan chocolate pie that I think will surprise you. When I first saw and tasted it I could not believe what I was eating was actually healthy and good for me, but it is!

Recipe for Raw/Vegan Chocolate Pie
 CRUST-
In a food processor blend the following ingredients until fine.
1 cup soaked cashews drained (  soaked means you soaked them in cold water at least 6-12 hours in fridge)
6 pitted dates
1 cup flaked raw coconut (not the sweetened)
1 tablespoon of raw cocoa powder
Press into a pie plate and make an even layer at bottom of pan and set aside.
FILLING-
In processor blend the following ingredients until smooth
5 avocados (pit and skin removed)
1/2 cup organic maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Pour onto the crust and top with shaved coconut flakes. Chill at least 3 hours.

Mango Gazpacho

With the temperature heating up I am looking for new ways to mix up some of my recipes. This is a delicious cold soup that can be thrown together pretty quickly. Enjoy. 
You will need: 
2 mangos diced 
1 small bag of corn
 1 small cucumber diced and seeded 
1 red pepper diced 
1/2 green pepper diced 
4 scallions diced 
1/4 cup chopped cilantro 
1 lemon (the juice) 
2 limes (the juice) 
1/4 cup honey 
2 cups water 
* Mix all the diced fruit and vegetables together, add the juice of one lemon and two limes, add 1/4 cup honey, cilantro, and water. Mix well. Chill and serve. Makes enough for 4. Add more water if you need more!

Cilantro Lime Thai Salad

This recipe is amazing and it keeps in the fridge for several days if you store the dressing in another container and use only when serving. Another healthy recipe to add to a list of amazing ideas for your overall wellness. Enjoy! Ingredients 1/2 head of Napa red cabbage ( chopped in strips) 1/2 head green cabbage (chopped in strips) 3 carrots thinly sliced 1 cucumber ( seeded and sliced in thin strips) 5 green onions chopped ( or 1/2 of a red onion) 1 bag of Organic Edamame ( cook first about 4 min) MIX Then make dressing as follows In a processor or Vita Mix- Blend Well: 1/2 cup Olive Oil 1 clove of garlic handful of raw cilantro 1 teaspoon of Sea Salt 1 teaspoon of Truvia Lime Juice ( about 2 limes) If you store the dressing in another container this will help the shelf life. Reheat dressing for 10 seconds if you had it in fridge, also if you have a family of more than 4, use the entire heads of both cabbages. ** Can also add chicken or avocado!!

Pumpkin Protein Muffins

I have been asked about this recipe so many times lately, I thought I would post it for you to try at home too. Healthy recipes and options are always something I am either looking for or inventing. This is one of my favorites and is a weekly staple. Love these for breakfast or snacks. These are packed full of protein, they are low carb, 1 gram of sugar and gluten free. ENJOY! I also personally use a vegan based protein powder ( no whey) it is completely plant based protein and does not leave you feeling weighed down. I can always order it for you if you want to know more. PUMPKIN PROTEIN MUFFINS 1/2 cup Truvia 1/2 cup organic applesauce or plain organic yogurt 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp ground clove 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 4 egg whites 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin 2 1/2 scoops of vanilla protein 2 cups of oat flour 1/2 cup raw oatmeal 1 cup organic skim milk 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 1/2 cup walnuts (optional) 1/4 cup flax (optional) 1/2 cup chia seed (optional) Combine all ingredients and add the protein, milk, and (optional) ingredients last. Spray muffins pans and scoop 3/4 way full and top with additional raw oatmeal and or flax seed. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Healthy Food

It is so easy to be fooled in making healthy choices when buying food. Many products are now labeled as all natural, and whole grain. To the consumer these may seem like healthier food choices than traditional packaging. However, read labels and understand ingredients. You may think you are making a healthier food option and are creating simple and healthy recipes when you are still consuming GMO's and toxic preservatives. It is so important to do your research. It is critical to your overall health and well being to know what these ingredients are, that are being put into the food you are consuming.