Teff Porridge

I am always searching for another warm breakfast option that doesnt involve eggs. Today, I found it....creamy, warm teff.  Teff is a gluten free ancient grain that has been a staple in Ethiopian homes for thousands of years. It makes a creamy hot cereal with the nuttiness and consistancy of cream of wheat. Besides tasting delicious, it also packs a nutrient punch. Full of calcium, vitamin C, protein, and fiber. You can also buy it in it's flour form to make baked goods, pancakes, or waffles.

I used to work in the alzheimer's ward of a nursing home. There was a lady who lived there whose name was Josephine. She would reminisce every morning about cold, winter mornings growing up in Canada. The story always ended the same...."and my father gave me a big bowl of porridge to send me off on my way to school." So, every morning, we gave her a huge bowl of oatmeal (what she called porridge). I always remembered that, so on cold mornings I send my kids out the door with something warm in their tummies....here's to you Josephine.

Breakfast Teff Porridge
1/2 c. teff grain
1 1/2 c. water

Boil water. Once boiled add teff grain, cover, and set on low. Stir every 5 minutes
or so until creamy. Takes 15-20 minutes. I diced up some apples and fried them in
coconut oil to put on top. We also added maple syrup, cinnamon and walnuts.

Sneakingly Healthy "Waldorf" Salad

I put waldorf in quotation marks because I know this is not traditional waldorf salad. Really the only thing it has in common with waldorf is the apple and mayonaisse. But, if I had called it glorified sandwich salad sandwiches,  Jackson would never have ate it....so, waldorf it is. 

Glorified Waldorf Salad
1 package of chicken of the sea salmon (You can use tuna fish, or finely shredded chicken as well)
1/4 avacado
1/4 - 1/2 of a finely chopped apple or pear
1 large spoonful of mayo of your choice. I use earth balance mayo
2 pieces of fried and diced bacon
1 tsp PURE maple syrup

Combine all together and let sit for 1 hour or overnight in the fridge (covered) if possible. Serve on toast or with crackers. You can also add pepper, salt, and any other cut up fruit if you would like to. Grapes also work well. 

This lunch is full of healthy fats from the protein source and the avacado. The maple syrup and fruit give it some sweetness and the bacon lends a salty note. Great way to get kids to eat salmon!

Good for You Chocolate Dip

Try this tasty chocolate dip for kids made with no dairy, gluten, or eggs when you have a sweet craving. Full of antioxodents and protein makes you feel good about your indulgence. A great sweet treat for kids that's not full of sugar.

Chocolate Dip
1 cup spinich
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup dates
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 1/4 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Blend in Vitamix or other high speed blender till creamy. Best if it sits in fridge for a few hours. 

Miraculous Mushroom Soup

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you will get a cold. Getting a cold, every once in a while, is good for your immune system. Anyone that knows me, knows that getting sick makes me super emotional and anxious. It is really hard for me to just give into it and rest. Moms all over know what I am talking about. You run the family and there is no time for you to be sick. I've been trying to deny it since Saturday and now I finally have to give in and like my favorite song goes, "Let it Go." So, I committed cardinal sin #1, cancelled all committments I had scheduled for this week. That was rough! On the advice of my naturopath I should do for myself what I would tell my kids to do if they were sick and that is to rest. I am blessed to have such wonderful healers in my life that give such good advice. It takes a village. If you don't have a good chiropractor, acupuncturist, and naturopath you may want to consider finding at least one. Back to the yumminess: I took a soup that I normally make and I immunified it by adding some garlic and ginger. As always, it's gluten and dairy free. The creaminess from it comes from the cashews. It is a recipe from my favorite cookbook, Nourishing Meals. Recipe is below. I would have posted a picture but I cannot find my camera since the house is completely tore apart with hopes of feng shuing the kids rooms....but that's another blog, another day:)

Miraculous Mushroom Soup
1 onion rough chopped
3 carrots rough chopped
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
10 cloves garlic, skin off, split down the middle
2 inch piece of ginger peeled and split in 2
2 containers of baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
2-3 tsp. Herbamare or sea salt
6 cups of water
1/2 cup cashews
Heat oil and saute onions, garlic, carrots, and ginger. Saute for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and seasonings and saute for a few more minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Than simmer for 20 minutes until veggies are soft. Put cashews in Vitamix/Ninja/Blendtek, etc. add soup and blend till creamy. If you cannot fit in one blend, seperate and than combine all in soup pot to warm.

The stats:
Mushrooms increase the production of antiviral proteins that can destroy invaders that make you sick.
Garlic is a natural antibiotic and antibacterial. The Chinese have been using ginger for 2500 years to treat congestion, sinus pain, and sore throat.

Jack of All Trades Garlic Mix

This was a great find for me! I was searching last week for a cold remedy online. I found a few things, but I wanted the most simple. So, I made this balm. Here is what was in it:

Jack of All Trades Garlic Mix
3 cloves finely minced garlic
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp olive oil
Blend in a ninja blender, food processor, etc. and store in fridge in a glass jar. Will last in fridge for a few weeks.

I used this balm to rub on the bottom of my feet before bed. I than applied socks and went to sleep. I woke up in the morning without a sore throat anymore and feeling much better. I loved the smell of it, so I made another batch, not to rub on my feet, but to eat. Here are a few things I have been using it for:

- rubbing on bread and toasting for garlic bread
- sauteing vegetables in 
- using in guilt free alfredo sauce

This could also be rubbed on a chest or back if you are having a chest cold. I mean, no mistakes about it, you will smell like garlic but the benefits will probably outweigh the smell.

Guilt Free Alfredo

I was never much of an alfredo fan. It was just too rich for me with all of cream and butter. But, lately Jackson has discovered that he loves quinoa noodles....so I have been investigating new dinner recipes that involve noodles. I found this one today on one of my fav websites, detoxinista.com. The more I do adaptations of "normal" food, I find that cauliflower wears many different masks. This recipe is absolutely guilt free. You could also eat it over shredded zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Here is my recipe that I have tweaked a little bit from the detoxinistas.


Guilt Free Alfredo
1 teaspoon coconut oil, or butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 small cauliflower head, cut into florets
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste

Saute the minced garlic in the coconut oil or butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned. Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft. Transfer everything from the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth and creamy. Add coconut milk till you reach a consistency that you like. You'll want it alfredo like! I wanted an even more garlicy flavor, so I also added a tsp. of my Jack of All Trades Garlic Mix (see next post). Mix with noodles in a saute pan and serve with a nice salad:)

Ultimate Recipe for Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream

Not much more to say about this is that it was the easiest thing I have made ever and was a real treat! 
It even had the same consistency of ice cream and didn't taste entirely of bananas!

Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream
2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 pack stevia
1/2 can coconut milk

Blend in vitamix. You will definately have to use tamper.