My New Favorite Breakfast Bar

With my schedule these past few weeks, I have desperately needed a breakfast on the go. For years I have been on the hunt for a good breakfast bar that isn't loaded with flour, sugar, additives, and a bunch of other ingredients that will take away my energy rather then give me energy, but have had NO LUCK : (

That all changed about two weeks ago when I was walking through my health food store market in the raw food section and figured I would try a rather pricey yet raw breakfast bar. Let me tell you, it was more then worth it and I am ready to share it!I Of course my requirements were delicious and nutritious but it didn't stop there! This is a one of a kind raw, vegan, organic, most importantly SUPER EASY, breakfast bar that has the potential of leaving you satiated until lunch! It doesn't get much better then that when looking for a breakfast/snack bar on the run.

So here is my new found secret! It's Lydia's Organics! My two favorites are the Spirulina and Cocoa Crunch. YUMMY! You have got to try this for yourself. If you can't find them in your health food store, grab them online at Lydia's online store.

Easy Raw Thanksgiving Recipes

So for this year's thanksgiving, we are going to my parent's house like we do every year. I figured, if I wanted to have some dessert and healthy side dishes I better step in. I've decided to be responsible for making the apple pie and cranberry sauce. I am NOT talking about the buttery, floury, sugary filled apple pie, that feels like you have just consumed a brick after dinner. I'm talking about an even tastier, healthier, raw apple pie that doesn't make you feel guilty even after your third slice!

So the recipe is super easy and can be put together in a pinch. No need for your oven or long wait time for the apples to get just right. Just get out your food processor and you are good to go!

Yummy Raw Apple Pie!

As for the cranberry sauce, since I prefer not indulging in cranberry sauce that is held together by who knows what to create some jellow looking glob, I decided to find a recipe that could provide some great nutrition to my body without giving me the sugar spike and crash. I am so excited to try this really yummy looking recipe on Angelic Monkey's blog.

Raw Cranberry Sauce (recipe from Angelic Monkey blog)

Raw Cranberry Sauce

Raw Cranberry Sauce (recipe from Angelic Monkey blog)
ingredients
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 apple peeled
1 orange (zest first then peel, cut, quarter)
pinch of cinnamon
5 dates, pitted

directions
1. Combine everything in food processor
2. Pulse in food processor if you like it chunky or blend  in blender if you like it smooth

Click here for more health thanksgiving recipes!

Raw Apple Pie

Lisa's Raw Apple Pie

ingredients

crust

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

16 dates (remove pits)

filling

5 apples (variety is best)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp juice of lemon

directions

1. Mix crust ingredients in food processor, roll crust in ball, flatten in pie dish

2. Mix filling ingredients in food processor, pour on top of crust (if you want to slice apples instead to make it pretty instead of mixing in food processor you can, but I like them all chopped up). Do a taste test and add more of any of the filling ingredients to taste.

3. Line pie dish with pecan pieces around circumference of pie (optional but enhances the crust like feeling on the edges).

Click here for more delicious healthy thanksgiving recipes!

Falling In Love...With Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

I love helping people find healthy alternatives for sweets and candies. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my grandmother owned a candy shop and I decided to be her little helper for the day. For my break, she took me to her friends restaurant upstairs from her shop where I helped her bake chocolate chip cookies for her customers. She let me eat as much of the raw cookie dough as I wanted and I think from then on, I fell in love. In love with the raw cookie dough that was.

So now, over 20 years later, my cookie dough craving still sneaks up on me from time to time. With a bunch of food sensitivities and not being a big fan of those sugar ups and downs, the raw cookie dough I grew up on wasn't an option. So here's to all of us health conscious, food sensitive, cookie dough cravers out there that want a nutritious cookie dough snack without having to sacrifice ANY flavor! Raw cookie dough that is actually nutritious AND delicious??? 


Some of these simple ingredients are oats, cocoa nibs, and cashews. Here's the full recipe!

The Truth About Coconut Oil : How To Use It In Desserts

No I am not talking about the coconut that is found in a Mounds Candy Bar. I am talking about Certified Organic, RAW, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil baby! This stuff has to be my new favorite. Coconut oil comes from the oil extracted from fresh coconut meat. It has gotten such a bad wrap over the years. Reason being, because everyone is concerned about the saturated fat that it contains. BUT, the saturated fat in raw, extra virgin coconut oil is NOT THE SAME as the saturated fat found in hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenation occurs when oil is heated at very high temperatures and the fats in oil turn into  trans fats. This is why you want to make sure that when you are buying coconut oil, you are buying the one that is is labeled, Raw, Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed, Organic if possible, Coconut oil, so that you can take advantage of every single health promoting effect it contains. Look who else might start really enjoying it!


Try this DELICIOUS Chocolate Walnut Truffle Recipe!

What can it do for me?
Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which is known for being antiviral, anti microbial, and anti fungal. It is easily digested and gives us quick sustained energy unlike sugar or many processed foods. Contrary to popular belief, coconut oil actually increases our metabolic rate, burns off more fat, and leads to weight loss. It's incredible for the skin, lips, and hair and absorbs quickly so you are not all oily.

How do I use it?
Replace it for any butter or oil as a spread. Start adding it to your smoothies, raw foods, dehydrated food recipes, infant and baby food, ice cream and baking and sauteing. It has one of the highest smoke points over any other oil.

4 Legged Friend With Shiny Hair, Strong Nails, Healthy Skin...Who and What am I talking about?

Most mornings I struggle to open up the dark container with the pretty colorful label filled with my favorite coconut oil because I always seem to screw the cap on too tight. I am not forcing the lid open for me either, well maybe I have a taste, but it's for my soulmate, best friend, loving, cutie Sharlena. Sharlena is my 5 year old dog that has a great build, a beautiful shiny coat, strong nails for climbing trees (her breed is known to climb trees but she doesn't know how), and moisturized skin. I scoop about a tbsp into her bowl after she finishes her dog food and by the time I finish washing the spoon I used to scoop it in her bowl, I turn around and she has gobbled it all up! She LOVES IT!!!

Sometimes, I just sit there and watch her gobble it up giggling the entire time. I don' t know why I get such a kick out of the fact that I give my dog coconut oil, and she loves it. It's just funny to see how our dogs like superfoods like we do. My dog is very picky. She won't eat everything. She doesn't like sweets, and really likes the healthy stuff. From treating her body well, and listening to her senses, look at how big her smile is! She is so energetic, loves taking long car rides, and feels great that she is shining from the inside out... This might also have to do with the Green Superfoods I have been giving her. More Raw Superfoods for your 4 legged friends!

Chocolate Walnut Truffles

Chocolate Walnut Truffles
I came across this recipe yesterday and these looked delicious! I put my own twist on it. Instead of the agave nectar I added dates to keep this recipe as whole as possible. I didn't heat the coconut oil to keep it raw and more nutritious and you can try using different dried fruits in place of the dates. This is a great snack on the go and an easy start to encorporating coconut oil!

ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup raw walnuts

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3 medjool dates
dash of sea salt

directions

1. Process walnuts in food processor until finely ground, set aside

2. Mix coconut oil, cocoa powder, and dates in food processor

2. Add ground walnuts and process everything.

4. Spoon small portions and roll into balls. Roll balls in cocoa powder

5. Store in fridge or freezer

Raw Basil Pesto

So my husband just got his food sensitivities test back. I am going to have to start getting really creative with our dinners. I started tonight and transformed Ani Phyo's Pesto recipe into my own so that my husband can eat it. It turned out so good!!! I thought getting rid of the garlic in a pesto recipe would have killed it but it SAVED it!!! I didn't use as many nuts and I'm glad I didn't because my stomach can't handle it. You can use this in sushi, as a spread for flax crackers, or added to pasta's, grains, or raw grains if you are on a raw food diet!

Raw Basil Pesto
ingredients
2 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup salted pistachios
1 small lime, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil

directions
1. Grind pistachios in food processor, set aside
2. Pulse basil leaves down to small pieces in food processor
3. Add pistachios, lime juice, and olive oil in the food processor and mix everything all together
4. YUMMY!!

variation
add to pastas, flax crackers, or sushi

Sesame Cinnamon Oatmeal

I had these this morning and they were so satisfying! Not too sweet and not too much cinnamon. They were just right and kept me satiated until lunch. Enjoy it!

ingredients
1 cup oat groats
2 large turkish figs
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sesame seeds

directions
1. Soak oat groats overnight and rinse
2. Add groats, figs, cinnamon, and water to food processor and process until creamy
3. Top with sesame seeds for an added crunch!

Raw Banana Pancakes

ingredients

1 cup ground flax seed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 banana
sea salt
cinnamon

directions
1. mix all ingredients in blender on low
2. form into little patties and eat!

variation
add sliced strawberries, blueberries, or drizzle apple butter on top

Chickpea Miso Soup

This Soup is so easy to make. It takes about 15 before spoon filled goodness enters your mouth and the warm sensations of a first bite of hot soup runs down your throat and into your tummy ; ) I found this recipe on the side of the chickpea miso container by this company. Being a little chef in my own kitchen, I now know how flavorful leeks are in soups, Oh My Goodness, Wow! Definitely will be using more leeks in soups to come!

Chickpea Miso Soup
2 leeks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup chickpeas
4-5 tbsp chickpea miso (or miso of choice)
4 cups water

directions
1. Bring leeks and carrots to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes
2. Add chickpeas and cook an additional 5 minutes
3. Mix a little of the water with miso paste until it becomes a liquid
4. Add miso to soup and turn off heat
5. Serve and enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Recipe inspired by www.loveveggiesandyoga.com
ingredients
2/3 cup cashews

1/3 cup oats

4 medjool dates

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
2 tbsp water
Here is where to buy my favorite Cocoa Nibs!

directions

1. Blend oats and cashews into a flour

2. Add dates, vanilla, and water, then blend into dough

3. Stir in cocoa nibs

4. Wet your hands and roll into ball

5. Store in fridge or freezer for an easy to grab snack!

variations

add chopped walnuts or enjoy cookies with a tall glass of my Raw nut milk

Raw Chocolate Pudding

ingredients
1 avocado
1 banana
2 tbsp carob powder

directions

1. blend until smooth
2. store in fridge for 2-3 days, or in popsicle

variation

mix with strawberries, granola, or hemp seeds

Banana Nut Muffins (Gluten/Dairy/Egg Free)

These muffins are delicious!! I found these on this website and decided to play around with the recipe. I like to keep the sugar content in my recipes to a minimum or use whole foods to sweeten it up as much as I can. You can bake these or dehydrate them if you want to keep this a raw recipe. Whatever works for you. I kept these in my refrigerator in a closed container for a week and they stayed nice and fresh! Yummy Yummy!

Banana Nut Muffins (Gluten/Diary/Egg Free)

1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)
1 banana
1/3 cup hazelnut meal (ground hazelnuts)
4 dates
2 tbsp agave
1 tsp cinnamon

directions
1. Blend cashews and flax
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend
3. Pour into muffin tins
4. Bake 350 degrees for 20 - 25 min (or dehydrate overnight to keep it a raw recipe)