Oat Cakes

This is a recipe that I absolutely love!  Thanks for finding it Malinda :) They are a mix between a scone and a muffin.  They have a heartier, heavier texture than a muffin, but not so hard like a brick scone!  They are very natural and good for you!  The first day you cook them they are divine, the days after that, they start to dry up, so crumble them up over some greek yogurt & honey or freeze them to use at a later date.

From "Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen" by Heidi Swanson

OAT CAKES

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt

1/4 cup flax seeds

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (see page 219)

1/3 cup extra-virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup natural cane sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325°F  with a rack in the top third of the oven. Butter two standard 12-cup muffin pans or line them with papers.

Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and walnuts in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, butter, maple syrup, and sugar and slowly melt together. Stir just until the butter melts and sugar has dissolved, but don’t let the mixture get too hot. You don’t want it to cook the eggs on contact in the next step.

Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir a bit with a fork, add the eggs, and stir again until everything comes together into a wet dough. Spoon the dough into the muffin cups, nearly filling them.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (regular size muffin pan) or 10-15 minutes (mini pans), until the edges of each oatcake are lightly golden. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for a couple minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the cakes and tip them out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 18 oatcakes or 30-40 mini ones

*I prefer to make them in mini muffin tins because they are so dense I would rarely eat an entire muffin.  The mini muffins are perfect snack size.  You have to be very careful not to over bake these or they become very dry. 

Almond Berry Oatmeal

Steel cut oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts, next to the smoothies!  There are some mornings, especially in the winter where you just need a nice, hot bowl of oatmeal.  Here is a recipe that will warm your belly & leave you totally satisfied :)  If you haven't tried steel cut oats before, you are missing out.  They make your oatmeal chewy, not mushy.  There is debate whether they are better for you than rolled oats, but not enough solid evidence to know.  I do know they are better for you than quick oatmeal though.  It does take 25-30 minutes to cook, so there is a down side to steel cut oats, but if you have the time, it's worth the wait!  I make a large batch so I have enough to reheat for another day or two.

Steel cut oatmeal (according to package directions)
Agave or brown sugar
Coconut oil (only about 1 tsp. per serving)
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc...)
Bananas, sliced
Almonds, raw (chopped)
Coconut (optional)
Cinnamon, sprinkled on top

You can add anything you like to oatmeal, obviously, but this is a combination that I love!  Just add your sugar sparingly and let the berries & bananas do the sweetening.  In the winter when berries aren't in season, you can use craisins & apples. The coconut oil will add a good healthy fat for the day and will flavor it just enough to add a little twist!  If it's too thick you can thin it out with some milk or half & half. 

Bon Appetit

Fish and Flax Oils

This is my kids favorite part of our morning routine!  I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm not! 

We use Barlean's fish oil and flax oil everyday and it is truly the highlight of their morning.  They beg for more because these taste so wonderful!  You can find them at your local health food store usually.  They come in lots of different flavors that all taste delicious.  They are sugar-free and are naturally sweetened!  You should defnitely try them!  Let me tell you why....

We need Omega 3's because they support:
Cardiovascular health
Healthy cholesterol balance
Joint mobility and bone density
Memory & cognitive function
Healthy blood sugar
Healthy mood
Immune health
Eye health
Energy & endurance
Hormonal health
Skin, hair & nail health

Andrew Larson, M.D. & Ivy Larson, ACSM, said "Doctors agree the health benefits associated with Omega-3 essential fat intake are too numerous to count.  Despite those benefits the "fish taste" factor has proven to be our number one problem with patient and client compliance.  Thanks to Omega Swirl those days are gone forever.  Omega Swirl is a genious combination of taste and nutrition your entire family is guaranteed to love."

The american diet is lacking in Omega 3's.  We seem to get a lot of 6's and 9's, but not enough of the 3's, so this is a great way to ensure a good balance.  It has been hard in the past because our kids couldn't take a large capsule, and I hated taking the capsules because they seemed to make me burp fish all day :( yuck!

So, why Barleans Swirls over other types? With the swirls, everyone can take a spoonful and you are getting instant nutrition.  In a clinical study conducted by The Centre for Nutritional Studies, Barleans Omega Swirls were found to be 900% more bio-available than standard fish oil, with the total percentage of oil that reached the blood stream 9 times greater with Omega Swirls than with the same dose and type of fish oil.  Because of their proprietary Swirl technology significantly reduces the size of the fish and flax oil molecules, it allows the oil to more efficiently pass through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream.  Theoretically, it could take up to 20 standard fish oil gelcaps to equal the amount of Omega-3 from just a two tsp. dose of Omega Swirl!  Amazing!

If you can't afford to take them everyday, at least take the fish oil.  Your cells and your body will thank you!

On Target Living Blog: If I don’t drink milk (cow’s milk) how will I get the calcium I need for healthy bones?

This is a very interesting article. Check it out!

Do you think you need to drink cow’s milk for healthy bones?
Did you know cow’s milk is not the only way to get calcium?

http://blog.ontargetliving.com/2011/08/if-i-dont-drink-milk-cows-milk-how-will.html

Vegetable Beef Soup

Fall is here and soup season is upon us!!  I love to make soups and this one is a great way to get rid of all the extra vegetables in your refrigerator!!  My kids even like this one and with the pearled barley in it for substance, your husband shouldn't complain that it's not filling enough!! Try it out and see :)

Vegetable Beef Soup

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 lb. organic ground beef (preferably grass fed)

4 stalks celery, diced

6 lg. carrots or 20 baby carrots, diced

1 bell pepper, diced (any color)

1 ½ c. frozen corn

12 c. beef broth

1 ½ c. pearled barley, uncooked

1 can fire roasted tomatoes, diced

½ t. garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil for about 3-5 minutes on med high heat.  Add ground beef and cook until done.  Then add celery, carrots, & the bell pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes on medium high heat.  Add frozen corn and beef broth.  Bring to a boil.  When boiling, add pearled barley and bring to boil again.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cover pot to cook barley (20-30 minutes).  Once barley seems to be tender, add the can of roasted tomatoes, garlic powder, and salt & pepper to taste. 

This makes a lot of soup, but it freezes well.  Eat it for dinner, save some for leftovers, and freeze the rest!  Or better yet, share with a neighbor on a cold, rainy day!!

This is a great meal for a bread day!  Delicious 12 grain bread with homemade soup!!  It doesn’t get better than that!

Bon Appetit

Veggie Sandwich

The Ultimate Veggie Sandwich

12 Grain Bread (see other blog post for recipe)
Cucumber, sliced
Bell peppers, sliced
Avocados, silced
Tomatos, sliced
Sprouts (I like to home grow mine.  I'll post about that later)
Havarti, swiss, or any cheese of your liking
Roasted red bell pepper hummus

I LOVE this sandwich so much!!  Get two nice slices of bread, spread both slices with hummus, then just layer the veggies high and mighty!  It might look a little too large for your mouth, but don't worry, it'll all work out!!  Feel free to experiment and add whatever it is you like to this sandwich.  The possibilities are endless!

While you're slicing your bell peppers and cucumbers, just add them to your kids after school snack veggie tray.  Or dice up your extra peppers and add them to your morning omelet.  There are so many uses for your extra veggies.  It's worth the time it will take you to cut them up!!

Tip:  Store your extra avocado with the pit inside and wrap tightly with aluminum foil to prevent it from going brown.  Then store it in your fridge.  Use within a couple of days. 

Tip: If you don't make your own bread, when looking for wheat or grain breads in the store, make sure the first ingredient is wheat flour and not enriched flour.  You want as little ingredients as possible, unless it's all seeds and grains.  If you can't understand it, don't buy it!  The more whole ingredients the better.  And if you can buy from a local bakery that grinds their wheat daily, even better!!  (Like Aspen Mills orGreat Harvest Bread Co. )

PB Balls Gone Healthy

Are you sick of eating packaged protein bars?  This is my new favorite homemade, healthy before or after workout bar (or ball)! It's also a great after school snack!!  It's loaded with protein from the peanut butter. Also, by adding flax meal you are getting some omega 3's, oats are giving you numerous benefits but more importantly fiber and phytochemicals, unsweetened coconut is giving you lots of vitamins and minerals, and if you use local honey, you'll be helping your allergies as well!!  Go ahead, throw anything in these babies!  This is the way I like them for those of you who like to follow a recipe:

PB Protein Balls
1 c. peanut butter, natural (organic)
2 1/2 c. rolled oats or quick oats
1/2 c. flax seed meal
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut
1/2-1 c. chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  It does get quite sticky, so if you'd like to, just get your clean hands in there and mush it all together.  It definitely works best that way!  When the batter looks like the consistency of thick cookie dough, it's ready to roll!  Just pour a little canola oil on your hands so the mixture won't stick to you. Then scoop teaspoon size balls into your hand and roll!  I like to put them on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper to set in the fridge for about an hour.  After that, just throw them into some baggies and you're good to go :)  You could also freeze them if it makes too many for you and your family to eat in a week or so. 
Bon Appetit