Homemade Ice Cream

3 Frozen Bananas
1/3 cup almond milk
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup pecans
1/2t cinnamon
Splash of Vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a blender and serve immediately

Stuffed Peppers (slow cooker)

4 multi colored Bell Peppers
1/2 cup cooked Basmati Rice
1lb lightly browned Grass Fed Ground Beef
1 carrot ( chopped )
1 stalk of Celery ( chopped )
1 clove Garlic ( minced )
1 onion ( diced )
Handful of defrosted Spinach
1/4 cup fresh dill
1t sea salt
1t pepper
2 cups broth (I used bone broth but you could use beef/chicken/veggie)

Cut tops off the peppers (you can dice the tops and add to your filling). Add your broth to a slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients and stuff it into the peppers. Place peppers in slow cooker on high for about 5 hours. (For more tender veggies you can sauté before adding to the ground beef/rice mix)

Octopus Salad

1lb Cooked/Chopped Octopus
3T extra virgin olive oil
1T lemon juice
1 small carrot (chopped )
1/4 small onion ( diced )
1 stalk of Celery ( chopped )
Pinch of salt and pepper
Pinch of oregano

Mix all ingredients and serve.

Tuna Salad

Two cans of wild caught albacore tuna in water (no salt added)
1 stalk of Celery ( chopped )
1/2 small onion ( diced )
4T Mayo
Pinch of Sea salt and pepper
Pinch of dill

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour. I hollowed out a tomato and added the mix then topped with Fenugreek - Clover - Cabbage Sprouts.

Sweet and Sticky Asian Drummies (slow cooker)

Sweet and Sticky Asian Drummies

These delicious chicken drumsticks have just enough sweet, sticky flavor to make you want to lick your fingers clean! 

Ingredients: (organic)

10 Chicken Drumsticks

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup Raw Honey (local)

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

2T Spicy Bean Paste

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

4 Garlic Cloves (minced)

2T Fresh Grated Ginger

Cracked Black Pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan mix all ingredients, except drumsticks, on medium high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Place your drumsticks in your slow cooker, pour the sauce over coating all the chicken and turn to high. Cook for 4 hours turning the drumsticks several times throughout. I accompanied mind with homemade rice pilaf and fried green beans with crumbled goat cheese. 

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes with Caramel Pecan Topping

Ingredients (*all organic)

3/4 cup White Pastry Flour

1/4 cup ground Oatmeal (I ground my own in a blender)

1T Ground Flaxseed

1t Baking Powder

1t Cinnamon 

pinch of Sea Salt

1 Ripe Banana

1cup Milk 

1T Raw Honey 

1t Vanilla

Sift dry ingredients. In a food processor combine your banana, milk, honey and vanilla. Add your dry ingredients and mix well. In a greased griddle add large spoonfuls of mix and cook until slightly brown flipping over once. (I topped mine with organic caramel sauce from a local bakery, fresh banana and organic raw pecans)

Drunken Slow-Cooker Chicken

Drunken Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients (*organic)

4 Chicken Thighs

1 Gallon Size bag of frozen, cored tomatoes-peeled 

1 Large White Onion (peeled and quartered)

1 Zucchini (sliced-I left the skin on mine)

2 Bell Peppers (cut into strips)

4 Cloves of Garlic

4 Scallions (chopped)

1c Water

1c Red Wine

6oz Tomato Paste

2T Chicken Bouillon

1T Oregano (I used Greek)

2t Sea Salt (I used Himalayan Pink)

Pinch of Pure Cane Sugar

Pinch of Cracked Pepper

I small Chili Pepper (chopped) **optional

Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker on high for at least 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Can be served over pasta or rice.

*****UPDATE*****
I had quite a deal of leftover sauce so I cut up a package of mushrooms (for extra protein) and added them to the sauce. I let it simmer for a while to cook the mushrooms then poured the sauce over brown Jasmine rice. This makes a great Meatless Monday Meal.

No Bake Energy Breakfast Balls

No Bake Energy Breakfast Balls

Ingredients (*organic)

1c Rolled Oats

1/2c Puffed Rice

1/4c Raisons

1/4c Pumpkin Seeds

1/2c Peanut Butter (I used crunchy)

2/3c Raw Honey

2T Ground Flax Seed

2t Vanilla Extract

1t Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together until combined equally. Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls and place onto a sheet pan. Refrigerate for several hours until firm. Enjoy immediately after, or can be stored in fridge for at least a week or place in freezer to prolong freshness.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Ingredients (*organic)

1 1/4c Flour

1/2t Baking Soda

1/2t Baking Powder

1/2t Sea Salt

1/2t Cinnamon

1/2c Quick Oats

1/2 Shredded Coconut

1/2c Butter (softened) 

1c Sugar

1T Raw Honey

1 Egg

1t Vanilla Extract

Pre-heat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In a heavy duty mixer add butter, sugar and honey; mix until creamy. Add add honey, egg and vanilla. Slowly mix in your dry ingredients and finally add the oats and coconut. Drop heaping teaspoons full onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Walnut Drop Cookies

Pumpkin Walnut Drop Cookies 

Ingredients (*organic)

2 1/2c Flour

2T Baking Powder

2t Cinnamon

1/2c Butter (softened)

1c Brown Sugar

1t Vanilla Extract

1/2c Raw Honey

2 Eggs (I used 2T ground Flax Seed mixed with 4T hot water instead)

1c Canned Pumpkin

1c Chopped Walnuts

1/4c Shredded Coconut (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder and cinnamon. In a heavy duty mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, raw honey and eggs (or ground flax). Mix in the pumpkin and coconut. Gently fold in the walnuts. Drop mix onto cookie sheet by the spoonful and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Just Like Grandma's Chicken Dumpling Soup

Just Like Grandma's Chicken Dumpling Soup

Ingredients (*organic)

Soup:

4 cups Chicken Broth (I use low-sodium)

4 cups Water

1/2 Onion (diced)

3 large Carrot (peeled and chopped)

3 stalks of Celery (chopped)

1 clove Garlic (minced)

2T Fresh Parsley (chopped)

2t Wildtree Chicken Boullion Soup Base

pinch of Cracked Pepper

pinch of Sea Salt

2lbs Cooked/Chopped Chicken (I used boneless/skinless thighs)

In a large stock pot add all the above ingredients (excluding the chicken) and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for at least 10-15 minutes. Add the chicken.

Dumplings:

1 cup Flour

2t Baking Powder

1/4t Sea Salt

1/2 cup Water

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in water. Mixture will be sticky. Remove the lid from the broth and bring back to a boil. Drop in spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture into the boiling broth and continue to cook at a high heat for 15-20 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Starting a Compost at Home

COMPOSTING AT HOME

How do I start a compost? What can I put in the compost? Are indoor composts going to make my kitchen smell? I had all the same questions before my husband and I (and 2 1/2 year-old daughter) rolled up our sleeves and jumped right in!

We started out by purchasing an indoor compost caddy. We found this for around $12 at Whole Foods. 

This came with one charcoal filter that will last roughly 4 months. You can purchase more filters separately. We collected our indoor compost for several weeks and to my delight did not endure any foul odors at at all! We keep ours under the sink next to our garbage can. You will notice how little you actually use your garbage can once you begin an indoor compost bin!

 Let's begin with items that you CAN compost:

• BROWN items with high carbon content: Cardboard/shredded paper (avoid ink). Mulch, wood chips  dry leaves, bark, hay/straw and cow or horse manure.
• GREEN items with high nitrogen content: Fruits, veggies, grass clippings (untreated lawns only), egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags.

Items to AVOID are:

• Dairy products
• Fats/oils
• Meats
• Pet waste
• Charcoal
• ANYTHING treated with chemicals or pesticides. 

We started our outside compost by finding some old wooden pallets that were no longer being used (ask around at your local grocery stores/factories/etc.) and set up three separate stations. The beginning stage is your initial compost from your indoor caddy that has not began to decompose yet. Stage two is where it begins to decompose and stage three is your finished product: Compost Tea.

It's important to keep the outside compost moist and to mix/aerate it at least 2-3 times per week. You will soon begin to move your compost on to the next stage and eventually use it as a soil for your garden. Come back and visit the blog again for more tips as we continue our adventure into backyard composting. 

Berry Spinach Smoothie

Berry Spinach Smoothie

Ingredients (*use organic)

1c fresh Spinach

1/2c Strawberries (frozen)

1/2c Blueberries (frozen)

1 medium Banana 

1/4c Kefir (I used whole milk Kefir with  wildberries)

1/3c Almond Milk (I used Vanilla)

Blend all of your ingredients together and enjoy immediately! (If you are using frozen fruit there is no need to add ice...if not, add a few cubes of ice before blending)

Breakfast Decadence

Breakfast Decadence 

This delicious breakfast was so simple to make! Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast topped with blueberry syrup, Blueberry Maple Breakfast Links and Scrambled Eggs with fresh Spinach and Goat Cheese. I was able to find homemade Blueberry Maple breakfast links at my local Whole Foods store in the fresh meat department (hormone and antibiotic free)!

FRENCH TOAST (serves 2)

4 slices of Organic Unbleached White Bread (or sourdough)

1 Organic Egg

1/3 cup Organic Vanilla Almond Milk

1t Organic Ground Cinnamon

Whisk the egg, milk and cinnamon together. Dip bread into mixture coating both sides and place in a lightly oiled (I used grapeseed oil) pan on medium high heat. Flip after a couple minutes when the bread begins to toast.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

4 Organic Eggs

1 cup chopped, Fresh Spinach

Pinch of Sea Salt

Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper

Organic Goat Cheese

Cilantro (optional for topping)

In a lightly oiled pan wilt your spinach on medium high heat. Whisk your eggs, then add to your spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until light and fluffy; remove from pan and top with goat cheese and cilantro. 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (no eggs)

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (no eggs)

Ingredients (*use all organic)

DRY:

2 cups Flour

1t Sea Salt

1t Baking Soda

1t Baking Powder

1t Cinnamon

WET:

2 sticks Unsalted Butter (softened)

1 cup light Brown Sugar

2T Raw Honey

1t Vanilla Extract

1/2t Coconut Extract

2T ground Flax Seed mixed with 6T Hot Water (used as an egg substitute) 

3 cups Rolled Oats

1 cup Raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream together all of your wet ingredients in a heavy duty mixer then slowly add the dry mix (do not over mix or the cookies will be hard). Fold in the oats and raisins. Drop heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, press down slightly and bake for 11-12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Here is a simple homemade refried beans recipe that is delicious and free of added chemicals like BPA found in canned refried beans. You have the option to modify the amount of sodium added and the best part is you can freeze your leftovers for future meals (just store in pre-measured 1-1 1/2 cup size airtight containers for convenience)!

Ingredients: (*organic)

1 lb dry Pinto Beans (rinsed, no need to soak!)

1/2 red Onion, chopped

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1t Sea Salt

1/2t Cracked Pepper

1/2t Red Pepper Flakes (can be omitted or substituted for half of a seeded Jalapeno or Serrano pepper)

1/4t ground Cumin

1T Oil (I used Jalapeno infused Grapeseed oil, but Olive Oil will also work)

7 cups Water

**optional toppings: Shredded Cheese, Cilantro and Green Onion**

Place all of your ingredients into your slow cooker on high heat for at least 6-8 hours stirring occasionally. Drain the excess liquid (reserving it to add to mixture later). Mash the beans and add the excess liquid if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Serve as a side dish topped with shredded cheese, cilantro and green onions or add it to a homemade burrito or nachos! 

Better Than Delivery Calzones

Better Than Delivery Calzones

Ingredients (*organic)

Pizza Dough (I used Wildtree's So Quick & Easy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough) prepare according to directions)

8oz cooked Chicken (diced)

8oz Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 cup Shredded Cheese

4oz Chopped Mushrooms (I used Shiitake)

1/4 small Red Onion (diced) 

Pre-heat oven to 425. Prepare dough according to package, then separate into four equal balls of dough. Roll out the dough and spread on some sauce, chicken, mushroom, onion and cheese.

Fold your dough over gently and pinch the edge with your fingers. Cut a couple of small slits into the top of the calzone.

Place calzones onto a baking pan lined with lightly oiled parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Berry Protein Blast Smoothie

Berry Protein Blast Smoothie

Ingredients (*organic)

1/2 scoop 'Garden of Life' RAW PROTEIN POWDER

1 cup mixed Berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and blackberry)

1/3 cup Almond Milk (I used Vanilla)

Crushed Ice

*optional 1T coconut flakes

Mix in a blender (such as a Vitamix Turbo Blend Two Speed) and enjoy immediately as a nutritious meal replacement!

I use Garden of Life RAW Protein Powder because, for one it's ORGANIC, but it's also free of GMO's, gluten free, dairy free, vegan and it's made up of plant based protein (sprouted brown rice, amarati sprout, quinoa sprout, millet sprout, buckwheat sprout, garbanzo bean sprout, lentil sprout, adzuki bean sprout, flax seed sprout, sunflower seed sprout, pumpkin seed sprout, chia seed sprout and sesame seed sprout). It also contains probiotics!

Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus

Ingredients (*organic)

1 can of Garbanzo Beans (rinsed)

2T Tahini

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

1T Olive Oil

2T Lemon Juice

1 medium Carrot (chopped)

3 Green Onions/scallions (chopped)

Handful of fresh Cilantro

1/4t  Salt (I use Himalayan Pink Salt 84)

Pinch of Cracked Pepper

Dash of Cayenne

In a food processor/blender (Vitamix), add all ingredients except olive oil and garbanzo beans. Blend well then add beans; continue to blend while slowly adding olive oil. Serve on a pita or with fresh veggies as a delicious snack. *can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for roughly 5-7 days or frozen to be used at a later time.

Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Golabki (Stuffed Cabbage)

Ingredients (*organic)
12 Cabbage Leaves (boiled for about 10 minutes)
2lbs ground Elk
1 cup cooked Rice (I used white Basmati from Lundberg)
1/2 medium Red Onion (diced)
1 stalk Celery (diced)
1 Carrot (shredded)
2 Cabbage Leaves (shredded)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1/4 cup Milk (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)
1T Basil
1t Sea Salt
Pinch Cracked Pepper
2t Herbamare *optional
2 cups Tomato Soup

Pre-heat oven to 375. Mix together Elk, cooked rice, onion, celery, carrot, shredded cabbage, egg, milk, basil, salt and pepper. Add heaping spoonfuls to the cabbage leaves, roll and place in a baking dish seam side down. Pour tomato soup on top and cover. Bake for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

***I had leftover meat, so I made meat balls...added that to some tomato soup with shredded cabbage and had a second meal: Stuffed Cabbage Soup! It was fantastic!