Zucchini Banana Muffins

I just shredded some of my Mom's FRESH zucchini from the garden and created a DELICIOUS muffin recipe and had to share!!

I absolutely LOVE baking and creating healthier recipes that taste good AND make us FEEL good! With Chris having Celiac's disease and me having a Thyroid disease..we both feel better eating Gluten Free and cutting back on dairy, sugar and grains.

This was my creating today! They're not exactly pretty, but they're so moist and my kids have already ate 9 of them! :)

1/4 C ground flax seed
3/4 C warm water
2 C shredded zucchini
2 mashed bananas
1/2 C melted coconut oil
1/4 C pure maple syrup
1/4 C organic cane sugar
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1.5 C coconut flour
1 C any gluten free baking mix flour
1 TBSP baking powder
3/4 C applesauce
2 TSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

coconut oil for oiling the pan

Preheat to 350
Rub coconut oil in the muffin tins

In a small bowl, whisk together flax seed and water and let sit while you blend other ingredients.

In another bowl, add zucchini, bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, flax seed mixture, and applesauce.

In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to wet mixure.

Transfer to muffin tin, fill 3.4 full and bake for 15 minutes, or until done.

<3 Feel free to share or save on your page for later use! <3

#glutenfree #dairyfree #healthymuffins

Chicken Salad....MMMMMMM

Something I NEVER get sick of is chicken salad filling to have on hand. You can make lettuce wraps, tortilla wraps, sandwiches, put it on salad, use crackers to dip in it, or just eat plain!! It's also so easy to change it up and make it different. I love to add water chestnuts, apples, crumbled bacon, boiled eggs all diced up..you can use Greek yogurt, and mashed avocado for the sauce...WHATEVER you want!! :) But here's a really basic recipe to use and then change up as you want: 

Classic Chicken Salad Wraps

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)

1 cup halved red grapes

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

1/2 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's) 

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

4 tortillas

Place the chicken, celery, grapes, green onion, and pecans in a large bowl and stir to combine. In another bowl combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise with the dill, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir until coated. Give yourself a little taste and add more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice as you please. You can also add another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise if you like your chicken salad to be thinner. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to overnight to allow the flavors to combine, and serve wrapped inside tortillas. 

Cashew Cookies

You know me...I love healthifying cookies!! My kids love them and I love experimenting and throwing in ingredients that are in my pantry. Here's a new one that is great refigerated or frozen. You can add Protein Powder, or other seeds and nuts. I love to play around and throw in whatever! 

Ingredients

1 C cashews

1/2 C oats

1.5 TBSP honey

1 TBSP Peanut butter 

1 TSP vanilla

3 TBSP Carob Chips

• Directions
• In a food processor, combine oats and cashews until they reach a flour consistency. 
• Add in remaining ingredients except for chips. Process for a few minutes, until doughy consistency forms. It may still seem a big crumbly, but will feel like dough when you press it. 
• Mix in Carob Chips
• Form and press into inch sized balls and transfer to a plate. The chocolate may melt a bit since the dough will be warm from the processor. This is ok!  Can be refrigerated or frozen :)

                                   

Keep It Simple Cookies

Keep It Simple Cookies!!

Ingredients

2 large bananas (can be a few days old for easier mashing)

1 cup quick-cooking oats

Mix-ins of your choice (I used dark carob chips and a pinch of cinnamon)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mash the bananas in a medium bowl. Add the oats and whichever mix-ins you choose (I recommend a handful of dark carob chips, crushed walnut pieces, cinnamon or raisins - I chose dark carob chips and cinnamon) and mix.

3. Shape into balls with your hands and place on a baking pan covered with parchment paper (I used parchment instead of greasing the pan). Press down into a disc shape if desired.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes (mine were done after 12).

5. Enjoy!

YIELD: 12-16 cookies 

PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes 

COOKING TIME: 12-15 minutes

You can turn these into Protein bites, by adding protein powder!! Our favorite is RAW PROTEIN from Garden of LIFE. Besides Shakeology, we've never seen anything so nutrient packed, especially in a protein powder. This has organic sprouted quinoa, organic millet sprout, organic flax seed sprout, and so on. Finally a protein powder that is 100% clean and has ing's that are doing amazing things for your body! We had ours shipped from the Vitamin Shoppe online and it came the next day with free shipping. 

I got my Carob Chips at Winco in their bulk section. I know they're also available at Whole Foods and other Health stores.  Unlike chocolate, carob is naturally sweet, low in fat, high in fiber, has calcium, and no caffeine. And because chocolate is linked to migraines and caffeine-sensitivity for some people, carob definitely has its advantages. Carob comes from the pod of a tree that grows along the Mediterranean Sea. The pod contains a sweet, edible pulp. Once dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder called carob flour (but more commonly referred to as "carob powder"). It's similar to cocoa powder in color and can be substituted one-for-one in recipes, but carob is unique with its own special flavor and texture. If you've never tried carob, you're in for a treat. It's sweet, mild and packed with pectin, a soluble fiber. Traditionally, it was used to soothe an upset stomach. The chips are sweeter so you don't need to use as much as you would with regular Hershey's chocolate. 

There's so many options to do with this cookies. I like to add in trail mix and random nuts and seeds. They're so versatile and HEALTHY! 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

½ teaspoon garlic salt

olive oil (optional) 

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and choice of your toppings

(I use spinach, tomatoes, turkey bacon, olives - and I make my own sauce )

Instructions

To "rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.

To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

*Note: Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

I love that I can make a pizza that doesn't make me feel gross after and that is completely healthy and kid friendly! My kids love pizza, and they 100% approve of this one and they like picking out their own toppings and making their half of it :)

Paleo Veggie Medley || Fast Paleo Veggie Medley

I'm always looking for a way to change up avocados. I don't typically enjoy the taste...so adding all these other veggies, really helped me to get my healthy fats in :)

Ingredients

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

1 green onion, finely chopped

About 1/4 – 1/2 medium ripe vine tomato, diced

1/4 cup sweet potato, diced

1/4 cup zucchini, diced

1/2-1 tbsp coconut oil

Cooking Steps

Place avocado and tomato on a small plate or in a small bowl. Set to the side.

Sauté green onion, sweet potato and zucchini in coconut oil over low to medium heat for a few minutes or until zucchini and sweet potato are tender. Once done sautéing, top the avocado and tomato with the sautéed vegetables.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This was a hit for the entire family...even my weee little ones :) Of course my littlest picks out the black beans because she thinks they're raisins..but I'll take it!

What it took for 2:

* 1 spaghetti squash
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 red onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (leave seeds in for more heat)
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 Tbs. ground cumin
* 1 Tbs. Mexican oregano
* 1 Tbs. chili powder
* 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
* 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup freshly torn cilantro, plus more for garnish
* 1 lime
* 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Roast squash on a baking sheet for 50 minutes. Let cool another 30 minutes, then cut in half. Spoon out the seeds, then using a fork, scrape up the flesh, making the “spaghetti.” Isn’t that cute?

Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper and red bell pepper. Saute 2 minutes. Add cumin, Mexican oregano, chili powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute another minute. Add the beans, corn and cilantro. Stir to combine. Squeeze in the lime juice and give one last stir.

Add in half the “spaghetti” to the bean mixture and stir to combine. Taste and season accordingly. I probably tossed in a little more salt at this point.

Switch oven to broil.

Stuff each squash half with the mixture and top with grated cheese.

Stick it back under the broiler until the cheese melts and gets all brown and bubbly, baby.

QUINOA!!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Quinoa! It's a powerful superfood that we use in literally, almost everything we make! Soups, salads, casseroles, stir-fry, pudding, eggs...it's so versatile! Check out these health benefits you're getting when you eat Quinoa! And as always, a favorite recipe that our kids LOVE :) 

What is quinoa??

While quinoa is usually considered to be a whole grain, it is actually a seed, but can be prepared like whole grains such as rice or barley. You cook it the same as rice, and it actually cooks quicker. It's gluten free and cholesterol free and tastes great on it's own with a little Himalayan Salt and coconut oil :) 

1. Quinoa is one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids.

2. Quinoa contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. Fiber is most widely known to relieve constipation. It also helps to prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure and diabetes. Fiber lowers cholesterol and glucose levels, may lower your risk of developing hemorrhoids and may help you to lose weight as it takes a longer time to chew than does other foods because it makes you feel fuller for longer and is less “energy dense” which means it has fewer calories for the same volume of food.

3. Quinoa contains Iron. Iron helps keep our red blood cells healthy and is the basis of hemoglobin formation. Iron carries oxygen from one cell to another and supplies oxygen to our muscles to aid in their contraction. Iron also increases brain function because the brain takes in about 20% of our blood oxygen. There are many benefits of iron some more of which include neurotransmitter synthesis, regulation of body temperature, aids enzyme activity and energy metabolism.

4. Quinoa contains lysine. Lysine is mainly essential for tissue growth and repair.

5. Quinoa is rich in magnesium. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and thereby to alleviate migraines. Magnesium also may reduce Type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy blood sugar control. Other health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth.

6. Quinoa is high in Riboflavin (B2). B2 improves energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and is known to help create proper energy production in cells.

7. Quinoa has a high content of manganese. Manganese is an antioxidant, which helps to prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production as well as to protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Makes ~28 bites
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs Gluten Free flour
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, flour, salt and pepper. 3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each). 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Flour-Less Blueberry Muffins

You’ll hear me talk about this a lot, but My favorite health book is the “The Skinny Rules.” It literally changed my life. I highly suggest getting it because, even though I’ve had it for a year, I still use it every month. I learn something new every time, and love the shopping guide and section about how to read labels. One of my favorite rules that has helped us was 

Rule #7: NO CARBS AFTER LUNCH

Here’s why:

How often do we think that at the end of the day we’re owed something and we “deserve” that bowl of ice cream because it was a hard day! Am I right!?!?  We have to break that habit, and eat most of our carbohydrates in the morning and live off a different array of foods; proteins and fiber after lunch.

Carbs are forms of sugar, and sugar cues the pancreas to make more insulin, which in turn triggers appetite. The later in the day that you consume sugar, the more likely it is that you will get food cravings late at night. Those are not a good thing!

`Snack on fiber, protein, vegetables, and fresh fruits.(not dried ones at night..they’re little sugar bombs!)

`Eat lean and green at night. Repeat. Post on your fridge and abide by it and you will SO much closer to staying thin.

A hard thing for me to give up was my BAD carbs. I loved muffins, breads, and bagels. Once I learned that I didn’t have to give them up completely, I healthified them so I could still enjoy my favorite things. Plus they’re great snacks for the kids!

Blueberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas 
3/4 C blueberries
Preheat oven to 400. Mix everything together, and pour into greased muffin tins. Bake 18-20 minutes.

Italian Anti-Pasto Salad

Welcome to our blog!!
I am so excited to get this going, and have a blog going again!! I love sharing everything we've learned and opening up our lives. I hope you enjoy our recipes we share, which are always Gluten-Free. We've learned so much the past couple years about the effects that food can have on your mental and physical health. I completely believe that food can either be the worst form of poison, or the most powerful medicine. We've had personal experience of overcoming depression, and an eating disorder through clean eating, vitamins and Shakeology. We'll share more of our stories later on, but today I wanted to share a yummy salad that I found online. I can't stand the thought of turning on the oven when summertime starts coming around. I just want something light and refreshing that I can throw together quickly! Like this gem I found on skinnytaste.com : 

Italian Antipasto Salad

Servings: 1 • Size: 1 salad 

Calories: 254 • Fat: 16 g • Carb: 19.5 g • Fiber: 7.5 g • Protein: 16 g • Sugar: 3 g

Cholest: 37.5 mg

Ingredients:

1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

1 thin slice red onion

4 green pitted olives (or black)

1 pepperoncini, sliced

1/4 cup roasted red pepper, sliced (homemade, or buy packed in water)

1/4 cup Red Peppers

1/3 cup cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 oz (4) turkey pepperoni, sliced thin

2 slices Prosciutto, Di Parma, sliced

For the vinaigrette:

1 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp red wine vinegar

fresh black pepper

Directions:

Place the lettuce on a large dish and top with meats, vegetables and cheese. In a small bowl add vinegar, add black pepper and whisk in oil. Drizzle over salad and enjoy!

Enjoy!