Lemon Lift Morning Muffins

My son said: "Mom, these are the best banana muffins you have ever made!"

My neighbor said: "Those muffins you made for us the other day were really good!" (this from a boy who eats very little at my house) Also, I made a batch with added blueberries as a bread, and this boy also enjoyed a piece of that, and asked for seconds!

My daughter ate a bunch of pieces after her soccer and cross country practices, and that's ok because it's a bunch of nutritious ingredients! Breakfast, lunch, any time!

It is simply Smooth and Sweet Banana Bread minus 1/2 c water + 1 whole lemon.

This photo is of the wet ingredients for a DOUBLE batch!

Lemony Lift Morning Muffins

4 ripe bananas
12 pitted dates
1/4 c milled flaxseed
1/2 c water
1 lemon, quartered, seeds and stem removed
1 c (240 g) whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Combine top 5 ingredients (double batch pictured above) in strong blender such as our Blendtec blender. Measure dry ingredients, then add wet to dry. Bake at 350 for 30 min or so, let cool, and enjoy!

Daily Dozen Checkmarks: flax, grain, and 3 fruit (dates, bananas, and lemon)

Cherry Lemon Bars (New Laraball Recipe!)

OMGosh! These Cherry Lemon Bars are the bomb! So good I could eat a whole batch at once! In fact the first time I made them, I did! I never even had a chance to give my kids a taste! I have been envisioning this recipe for years, as the idea sat on one of my many lists. Lemon and berries are fabulous! Also, I added a few ingredients to bump up the Dr Greger Daily Dozen check marks! 

Check marks: 1) nuts, 2) fruit, 3), flaxseed, and 4) spices
Here you go!

Cherry Lemon Bar Laraballs
3/4 c unsalted cashews
1/3 c pitted dates
1/4 c dried cherries (try for unsweetened...I found sweetened with juice from Whole Foods this week)
zest of half a fresh lemon (actually I just trim off the lemon peel with a knife like this)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp vanilla

Blend ingredients in a food processor, until dough begins to fall away from edges, to desired consistency, and form into balls (the photo shows bars, but they are actually much more time consuming than balls), and enjoy!

Put all ingredients in a resealable bag and form dough into balls, so you don't get "food hands". Sorry to Laraball fans to be redundant, but I want everyone to know our easy tricks!



What the Health
This movie was AMAZING! I highly recommend you watch ASAP! Not surprisingly, the website looks like a fabulous resource as well. For example, the FACTS page :)You can stream and download any time for just $9.99!

I was lucky enough to attend a Q and A with the funny, sweet, and knowledgeable Caldwell, Ann, and Jane Esselstyn :) They are an amazing family!

Special thanks to Plant Based CLE (on FB) and Jane Esselsyn's Health Care is Self Care, the awesome organizations responsible for the fabulous event!

Coming soon: some of my favorite lessons from Dr Esselstyn, as well as some great nuggets from What the Health!

If you like what you find here, please "like" the fresh-you FB page, and share with your friends and families. Thank you!

Easy Creamy Carrot or Cauliflower Soup (6 Dr Greger Check marks!)

I started with Tangy and Refreshing Carrot Soup.

Then added:
1. nutritional boost! (more Dr Greger check marks!)
There are now 6 check marks (spices, beans, veggies, flax, hemp, and oats)!
2. Instapot directions (20 min manual setting, use only 6 c water)
3. alternative base: cauliflower (cruciferous veggies rock!)

Creamy Carrot or Cauliflower Soup

2 lb cauliflower + 1.5 c garbanzo / chickpeas / chi chi beans (1 can, drained)
OR 3 lb carrots + 2/3 c beans
10 c water on stove OR 6 c water in Instapot
1/4 c ground flaxseed
1/4 c hemp seeds
1 c oats (or other grain such as quinoa...go heavier on spice range with other grain)
3 cloves garlic
1/2" fresh turmeric (1/2 tsp powder)
1/2" fresh ginger (1/2 tsp powder)
2 tsp - 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 - 2 tsp black pepper
1/4 - 1 tsp sabji masala (or pumpkin pie spice)
1/4 - 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 min. After cooking on stove or in pressure cooker, blend with an immersion blender, or another blender to puree to desired consistency, and enjoy!

This is thick and creamy soup. Feel free to add water to thin soup to your desired consistency. Great with a topping of hummus, and/or some veggies!




Thank you for sharing, and liking on Facebook!

Power-Packed Ginger Ale!

Lots of new creations today - with paint and food!

Do you ever want ginger ale for a tummy ache? After all, ginger has been shown to help with all sorts of digestive and female ailments! 

Watch now! Ginger for Nausea, Menstrual Cramps, & Irritable Bowel Syndrome

But all that refined sugar and chemicals :( Are you surprised that that most ginger ale doesn't even have ANY ginger?! Crazy, right?!

In addition to ginger, peppermint, turmeric, and lemon may also help! So...

Power-Packed Ginger Ale

1/2 inch slice fresh ginger

1/4 inch slice fresh turmeric (1/4 tsp powder)

1 tsp dried peppermint (fresh would be awesome!...few sprigs would probably be just right!)

1/8 inch slice fresh lemon

3-5 pitted dates*

12 oz bubble water of your choice (or more!)

Blend first 5 ingredients with 1/2 c water (I used "whole juice" button on my Blendtec). Then add remaining water and a handful of ice to blender and shake it all up manually. You're all set! I actually add more water and ice as I drink. As you can imagine it's a strong flavor, and extra hydrating is always good! Enjoy!

Bubbly water has even been shown to help your digestive issues! Club Soda for Stomach Pain and Constipation

Paradoxically, I actually drink WITHOUT a straw, since that extra air in your system may worsen symptoms.

*5 dates = 1/4 c dried fruit (one checkmark), but if you want to opt for a lower calorie drink, each date is 30 kcal. Three dates provides plenty of sweetness for 90 kcal.

So this is potentially a 3-check mark Dr Greger Daily Dozen recipe! Cheers to happy intestines! 

In case you missed them, here are two other drinks to help you get your daily dose of TURMERIC!

5-Checkmark Spicy Ginger Latte

Snow Day Hot Cocoa

If you LIKE and want to SHARE, THANK YOU for liking and sharing!

Quick and Creamy Kale Couscous Gets 9 Check Marks off Dr Greger's Daily Dozen!

Quick and Creamy Kale Couscous is super easy, nutritious, and delicious! Prepare the dish in 5 minutes and enjoy it all week!

Quick and Creamy Kale Couscous gets 9 Check Marks off Dr Greger's Daily Dozen!

Quick and Creamy Kale Couscous

1 cup whole wheat couscous

2 handfuls kale, ripped, stems removed

1/4 cup walnuts, broken in small pieces

1/4 cup flaxseed, ground

6 dates, pitted, chopped

1 cup black beans, in juice

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

tsp black pepper

1/2 lemon, squeezed

balsamic vinegar (optional)

Start with dry couscous in your serving bowl. Cover couscous in bowling water, top with kale, cover, and let sit for at least 3 minutes (this will cook the couscous!). Chop dates and tomatoes. Combine all ingredients, and enjoy!

Serve with a side of blueberries and a glass of water, and follow your meal with a brisk walk for a dozen check marks from Dr Michael Greger's Daily Dozen!

I'll also share here, one of Dr Greger's newest videos, which by the way made me cry! Tears of complete admiration and gratitude for all that Dr Greger and his nutritional research team do for the health of the world!

BEHIND THE SCENES AT NUTRITIONFACTS.ORG

You Might Never Cook Kale Again!

My sister-in-law shared some amazing Pine Nut Kale Salad with me the night before I ran a half marathon over the weekend!  I was thrilled to have some delicious, healthy food to eat besides the take-out pizza we also ate!  She also made some fabulous hummus AND a savory black rice dish!  Lucky me!

By the way, Kale is super healthy -- check it out!

I loved the Pine Nut Kale Salad so much that my mouth was watering for it until I made it again at home the next day!

Pine Nut and Kale Salad

a bunch of kale (stems removed)

lemon juice

~1/2 c pine nuts

Combine everything, and let sit as long as you can stand, and enjoy! NO COOKING! When I made it at home, I couldn't resist having a hefty serving right away. However, I did save a tiny bit for later, and leftovers the next day tasted even better! The greens and nuts beautifully soak up all that delicious Italian flavor!

In other Kale News, Kale Chips from Trader Joe's are super! (other yummy TJ's items!)

Note the AWESOME ingredients list!, and high fiber and protein content!

I almost never pay any attention to calories, instead making healthy choices, so calories aren't important.However, I thought I'd provide a quick word of caution that they are a bit steep in calories and fat.

The fat is GOOD fat, and the calories are GOOD calories, but if you're "watching" you might try making kale chips at home, so they can even be super low-calorie!  I haven't perfected the kale chip making process, but it's pretty easy if your up for it!

Don't worry too much -- the fiber and protein should make you full before you've eaten too many!

COMMENTS: How do you like your kale?  Any fun recipes for healthy greens?

Kohlrabi Cabbage Salad -- Awesome!

This is a simple, refreshing, cancer-preventing, crunchy, tart, sweet, and savory salad that you will love!

Kohlrabi Cabbage Salad

1/3 of a head of cabbage

1 kohlrabi

1 large apple

1 lemon OR lemon juice

Apple cider vinegar

Pepper

Thinly slice everything up, mix, and enjoy!

*Before chopping kohlrabi, discard stems and cut off outer layer -- I hadn't even heard of this veggie before I joined Geauga Family Farms CSA!)

*If including a whole lemon, very yum!, cut off outermost yellow skin, keeping plenty of the white portion; it has a mild, taste and adds fiber!

*Play with the quantities of juice, vinegar, and pepper to get the taste you love! It's always a good idea to start with less than you think you'll need -- you can always add more!

*Kohlrabi and cabbage are cruciferous veggies, in the same group as broccoli and cauliflower, which all have amazing properties which allow humans to prevent cancer, and even potentially reverse it! Click on any of the links for more information and other recipes for cruciferous veggies!

I always love when I don't have to cook something at the stove or in the oven, and ESPECIALLY in this sweltering summer of 2012! Hope you enjoy too! How are you staying COOL?!

Heavenly Hummus

This creamy hummus is a healthy dip that is always a hit!  SO nutritious with beans and garlic and tahini (this is sesame seed paste) -- a healthy fat!  A great option for parties!  Or it's a great way to get your kids and whole family to eat more veggies -- serve it with veggies before dinner when everyone is hungry and will eat anything (not that eating hummus requires any arm-twisting!)!

3 c garbanzo beans, drained (save juice, may be added for moistening of hummus)
2-4 Tbsp tahini (4 Tbsp = 1/4 c)
1/4 c lemon juice
1 t garlic, minced
reserved bean juice or water (up to 2 cups!)
1 T parsley, fresh, minced (optional)
Paprika (for appearance)

Combine beans, tahini, juice, garlic, and parsley in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Sprinkle with paprika in serving dish; tastes great with low-fat Triscuits or fresh veggies!

Hummus is a super-cheap nutritious snack to make! Costco sometimes sells a super-huge can of garbanzo beans (108 oz!) for $3-4!  I haven't seen it in a while :( Maybe you will have better luck at your local Costco.

You can also try your hummus as a sandwich like THIS!

Costco also sells a large container of hummus that tastes EXACTLY like this authentic recipe! We buy it for our family often, in order to eat more hummus than we might if we only ate it homemade.

Another great product that I ate today was the best Tabouli -- it's from Costco! What a delicious bargain for a lovely prepared food made of all whole food ingredients (check out  list in the photo!)!  $3 for the big tub shown below!

Check out the fabulous Tabouli sandwich on whole wheat bread -- that would also be great with some hummus!  Yum!  Lots of fiber, and I love those flavors -- lemon and mint and tomatoes and pepper are my favorites!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you enjoy Middle Eastern foods? I have to thank Aladdin's Eatery for practically all my middle eastern food experience -- aside from hummus and tabouli! I probably had both of those foods there for the first time too!