Motivation Monday

By:  Maria



Attitude of Gratitude

Seems appropriate to reflect on the things we are grateful for this time of the year.

Sure, we all have something in our lives that might create some stress or perhaps a goal we have not yet reached and may have regrets or disappointments.  However, we can all think of at least one thing in our life that brings us happiness.

We have a nice tradition in our family that we continue no matter who is hosting the Thanksgiving dinner and it brings smiles, happiness and sometimes tears to all dinner guests and sets the mood for the gathering.  I'd like to share it with you in the hopes that it will inspire some to switch from the negative aspects of our lives to the positive influences and blessings that surround us.

The Gratitude Tree.

The kids find a small, old branch at a park or in our backyard and bring it home, where we place it in a vase or jar (and trim if need be!) and put in the middle of our dining room table.  We take blank pieces of paper, punch a hole at the top and tie a ribbon to each one. The papers are placed in a bowl next to a handful of colored pens. It's not a required task, but I explain to newcomers that, if they so desire, they can fill out a piece of paper and write something that they are grateful for or a special blessing worth mentioning and hang it on a branch.

Most people do this quietly, on their own and, before sitting down for dinner, the branch is filled with messages of thanksgiving and blessings.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

 

German Apple Pancake

By:  Maria

Simple, delicious and guilt-free.  This recipe can be used as a dessert (Thanksgiving!) or a delicious breakfast treat.  Loaded with the protein of eggs, the nutritious fiber of coconut that your body readily absorbs and the tasty flavor of cinnamon that improves insulin sensitivity!  All of this neatly tucked into a ramekin that makes individual-sized portions easy.

The flavors are outstanding right out of the oven, but keep well in the refrigerator and can be re-heated for a quick breakfast or easy snack.

Ingredients

 6 eggs

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I like to use the unsweetened vanilla)

2+1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered, unprocessed honey

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 + 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (or less to suit your taste)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (or chopped)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea salt

Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons maple syrup. Once whisked together, add coconut flour, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Beat together well. Set aside.

 In a large sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, 1 teaspoon (or less) nutmeg, and cinnamon, simmering quickly until blended. Add chopped apples to the pan, and mix in lemon juice. Season with sea salt to taste. Stir to cover apples in coconut-maple-honey-spice mixture, and simmer until apples begin to soften—approximately 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Grease ramekins or muffin tins with some coconut oil. Spoon apple mixture into the bottom of each ramekin until evenly distributed (I used 8 ramekins).

Once apples are evenly distributed, pour batter mixture over each cup of apples, until just covered. 

If you like, top your German pancakes with a few walnuts or pecans.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425°, and then reduce heat to 375° and continue to bake for another 15 minutes (check during last 5 minutes to avoid over baking).

Remove from oven and let cool oh-so-slightly - just enough to be able to handle the ramekins.

Eat, enjoy and smile knowing what you are eating is guilt-free!

Misleading Claims

By:  Maria



It is unfortunate that the FDA does not regulate all food labels; keeping food manufacturers from using cagey wording to lure you into believing the food you are about to consume is healthy. It takes a short few steps into the grocery store to see food labels claiming "low in", "free of", "good for" or "heart healthy". Those claims have accomplished one thing:

We have become diseased and overweight at alarming rates and this trend - which started with the "low-fat, no-fat" revolution - keeps getting worse.
Here are some tips that will help you avoid falling prey to the misleading claims - read ingredient lists so you can become an informed consumer and make the best choices for your health.

Let's take a look at some of those claims:

1. Lightly Sweetened - This one seems prevalent in the cereal aisle. You can see for yourself how ludicrous this claim is simply by reading the ingredients list and seeing the different types of sweeteners that hide behind unknown names (go here for comprehensive list). Take a look at Kellogg's Smart Start - it claims to be lightly sweetened, yet it has more sugar per cup than a full serving of Oreo cookies! Not sure about the "smart" in that cereal.

2. Reduced Fat - One of the most misleading claims since the manufacturer's are targeting exactly the customers that think reduced fat is actually a good thing and that the product is healthy. Although lower in fat, what's not advertised is the fact that with the reduction of fat, there is an increase in sugars and sodium and absolutely NO nutrition gain to speak of.

3. Natural - Probably the number one abused labeling used by manufacturers. Some of those "natural" products include high fructose corn syrup, toxic synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers and GMO's.

In my book, that is not the type of natural I want to consume!

4. No Trans fat - Ah, the big one! Everyone seems to be talking about trans fat and how they are avoiding this particular evil. Little do they know that the products claiming to have no trans fat, more than likely STILL HAVE TRANS-FAT! Yep, as long as it contains less than 0.49 grams per serving that label is perfectly acceptable (when was the last time you had the product's actual serving size??). Given the fact that the American Heart Association recommends less than 2 grams per day (and I believe they're being grossly generous with that poison), you can see the problem. So even if the label reads 0g trans fat - ignore it....scroll down to the actual ingredients and look for shortening or partially hydrogenated anything.

If you're going to purchase/consume processed "food" that comes with a label, READ it. Bypass the nutrition label and head straight down to the ingredient's list to see what you are about to eat. If your 6 year old cannot pronounce it and it takes you longer than 4 seconds to read it, more than likely, it's having a negative impact on your health.

Garlic Mashed "Potatoes"

By:  Maria

For some, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes.  For Pete's sake, who doesn't like mashed potatoes?!

 Well, unfortunately, there are some people that - when they eat potatoes - experience GI problems (although some don't realize that the bloating, gas, stomach discomfort after eating potatoes isn't normal!).  Potatoes contain a natural toxin called glycoalkaloids (some refer to it as an anti nutrient) that, in some folks, irritates the intestinal tract and can leave them with moderate to downright meal-stopping discomfort.  Another reason why some decide to forgo the potato is because of the natural tendency to gain weight when they are a common/frequent part of their diet.

OK, so why post a recipe for mashed potatoes?!

Although the photo above looks like mashed potatoes, it truly isn't.  The secret ingredient used to replace the potato is low in carbs, high in nutrients and oh-so-tasty!

Cauliflower!

Before you turn your head and completely dismiss the recipe, let me tell you that when I first introduced this to my family (without enlightening them about the switcheroo); upon first taste, they knew something was up, but kept shoveling forkfuls of mashed cauliflower in their mouths as they asked whether they were potatoes - success!

Try this and you won't be disappointed.

1 head of cauliflower (florets cut up)

2-6 cloves of roasted garlic (suit your garlic palate and use whatever amount you desire)

1-2 tblsp organic butter or clarified butter or even coconut milk (depending on your taste buds)

sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a stock pot with water to boiling and place a steam basket inside. Place the florets and garlic in the steaming basket and salt both to taste.  Cover with lid and steam until thoroughly softened (about 10 minutes).  Remove and drain excess water.  Dump everything into your food processor - including butter and pepper (adding a pinch of nutmeg is also delicious!) (doing this in batches is a-ok), process until creamy smooth (this is where I might add some coconut milk to make it creamy).

Individual Potato Stacks

By: Maria



Individual-sized anything when trying to watch how much we eat during the holiday's takes the guesswork out of the how-much-should-I-eat equation.  This recipe is so easy (3 ingredients!), so basic and SO delicious, it will become a frequent side dish to many meals.  Feel free to double or triple the recipe to accommodate the number of people you will be serving.

Ingredients

2-3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (no need to peel!)

Coarse sea salt and pepper

3/4 c coconut milk

Brush the inside of 6 muffin cups with either coconut oil or clarified butter. Place a couple of slices into each muffin cup, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with a couple of slices of potato and salt and pepper, until each cup is full.

Pour one tablespoon of coconut milk over each potato stack.

Bake @ 400 degrees until potatoes are golden brown (test by piercing with knife - should go in easily!) - about 30-35 minutes.

Once baked, loosen edges with knife or narrow spatula before taking out of muffin pan.

Voila!

These are delicious warm, right out of the oven, but we have had these as leftovers - cold - and they are a great little snack.

Stuffin Muffin

By:  Maria

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and although we all look forward to spending time with family and friends, we do not look forward to the guilt we might feel after eating a meal full of processed ingredients, sugar, and industrial oils that leave us regretting it all!

The next few posts will be dedicated to recipes you can (and should) make without experiencing the guilt.  Filled with ingredients your palate will enjoy and your body will not regret.

Stuffing is probably one of the most eagerly anticipated dishes at the table.

This year, instead of opting for the same ol' boxed stuffing(gasp!) or the traditional stuffing with less-than-favorable ingredients; why not try one of these recipes for your Thanksgiving meal?

The bonus?

If you bake these in muffin cups, the serving sizes are kept reasonable and the likelihood of overeating is significantly reduced.

#1 Sausage & Vegetable Stuffing

1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tblsp Coconut oil
1 large leek, chopped (white and pale green parts only)
1 large organic apple (granny smith, pink lady) peeled, cored & chopped
1 cup chopped organic celery
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium organic yellow onion, chopped
1-8oz pkg white button mushrooms
1-1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tblsp coconut flour
1 tsp chopped dried rosemary
1/3 cup chopped organic italian parsley
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup organic chicken broth
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted (in oven or on a skillet)

 Brown sausage in a skillet. Transfer to a large bowl.
 In same skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add leeks, apples, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and poultry seasoning. Saute until leeks and carrots soften, about 6 minutes.
 Add veggies to the bowl of sausage. Stir to combine.
 Add coconut flour, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
 Beat eggs with chicken broth. Pour over sausage mixture and stir to combine.
 Spoon stuffing into a greased baking dish or fill muffin cups, sprinkle top with pecans, and cover with foil.
 Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
 Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the top

#2 Pecan, Bacon &  Squash Stuffing

2 cups pecans

 2 tblsp clarified butter or coconut butter, cut into small pieces

4 cups mushrooms, chopped

2 cups squash (any variety), diced

6 slices nitrite/nitrate free smoked bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

4 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, rinsed well

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups organic low-sodium chicken stock

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly; coarsely chop.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or muffin cups with some clarified butter or coconut butter. Cook bacon in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add celery and leeks. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; season with pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.  Add mushrooms and squash; mix.

Return skillet to medium-high heat, and add stock; bring to a simmer, scraping up brown bits and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add to bowl with bacon-vegetable mixture. Stir in eggs. Gently mix in pecans. Transfer to baking dish/muffin cups. Dot top with butter (optional). Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Carnitas!

By:  Maria



Typically, Carnitas would be made with pork. However, I like this recipe using beef (grassfed beef is even better!), but using a lean pork roast works if that is what you prefer.

Ingredients

2-4lb. beef/pork roast

4 garlic cloves

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 lg. bottle of beer (you can also just use a broth, but flavor will be different)

white corn tortillas

toppings for carnitas (tomatoes, olives, avocado)

Insert garlic cloves randomly into roast; place in crockpot with whole pepper and half a bunch of cilantro which has been chopped. Season to taste. Pour in beer(or broth). Cook on high 4-6 hours (if I'm going to be out of the house all day, I will use the low setting and cook for 8-10 hours). Remove meat; shred and place back into crockpot.

Serve with warmed/steamed tortillas and top with your choice of toppings. (my girls like theses topped with cheese, tomatoes, onions and I will also top with any homemade salsa I have on hand - like a fresh mango salsa - mmmm).