Gluten/Dairy Free banana hemp bread

A couple of trips ago to Costco I bought some raw shelled hemp seeds. I was almost out of the hemp protein powder that I normally use in my smoothies and thought I'd try the hemp seed instead. The following morning I made a smoothy and while the seeds mixed really well and had a wonderful consistency, I wasn't to fond of the flavor. It wasn't bad but it really drowned out the flavor of the cup of berry mix I love to taste. So here I am with a big bag of hemp seeds and not sure what to do with them. 

Fast forward a few weeks. I'm in the kitchen and really have a hankering, yes I said hankering, for something bread like.  My husband, and I have been trying to watch our carbs. He is out of town on business for the day and not here to keep me on track by the way. I'm on day three of no honey in my tea, no gluten free cinnamon toast with my eggs, and no bananas in my smoothy. Speaking of bananas, I look over at the bananas hanging on the banana basket, so ripe the tops are about to break from the weight of them when it hits me, I'm gonna make the kids some banana bread.  Grabbing my phone, I pull up a standard banana bread recipe online and do some major tweaking to make it gluten free and dairy free and with as little amount of carbs as possible with the ingredients I have on hand. The original recipe called for a cup of sugar and I figured if I was substituting a cup of dry ingredients with a tiny teaspoon of liquid stevia I would need something dry to balance it out. This is where the hemp seeds come in. Finally I found another use for them!

 I tested the finished product out on my kids because as many of you know, kids are natural born food critics. They raved and forced me to try a slice...or two:) Sorry husband! So here is my creation. Feel free to comment if you get a chance to make them, I would love the feedback. 

2 cups gluten free flour mix (I use namaste foods perfect flour blend)

1/4 cup raw shelled hemp seeds

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil 

1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla xtract 

3 eggs or equivalent substitute

1 tsp alcohol free liquid stevia ( or 1 cup sugar if you prefer)

3-4 medium overripe bananas smooshed or 1 1/3 cup.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease baking dish

Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl

Mix all wet ingredients in small bowl

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix. 

Form loaf in baking dish ( I used a 8x 6 x 2 glass Pyrex dish) It helps to put cooking oil on your hands.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Note: If using another dish to bake like a loaf pan or muffin tin you may need to adjust cooking time. 

Also a handful of chopped walnuts would be tasty to throw in If you have some on hand.

New begginings & Sweet Potato Tacos

I know I keep making promises that I will be blogging and sharing recipes more often, and have not.  I apologize for not keeping those promises. Life has thrown our family several curveballs the last 8 months all of which we have managed to successfully swing our way through. My husband got a promotion which we needed to relocate for. We spent a couple of months and lots of elbow grease getting our house ready to sell. Unfortunately we bought our house right before the big bubble pop of 2008 and were unable to sell, forcing us to find renters and Stat! Five days after posting an add on craigslist we found awesome, creditworthy, dependable renters. Phew... We also had to say goodbye to our family Dog of 14 Years, lost a dear childhood friend and my husbands grandfather all within the same week. So that's were I've been.

We moved from a fairly small town to the city or Redmond, Washington. I've got to say despite moving from a 1250sq ft three bedroom house on a quarter of an acre, to a 904 square foot apartment I don't miss the space. There is so much for the kids and I to do here within minutes of our front door. Now instead of spending my spare time mowing the lawn and tending to the house needs, we explore. Also, moving into a smaller space that doesn't have a 2 car garage/storage unit has forced us to get rid of about half of our stuff, which feels great. Less stuff=Less to clean up=more time to spend with the family and my interests. We also have an awesome gym that we don't have to pay a monthly membership for and a pool we can use anytime we want. Oh and did I mention that I don't have to mow the lawn:) That's right someone mows it for us weekly and we get to play on it. It really works for our family.

I have lots of posts planned so stayed tuned, but today I wanted to share a link to one of my favorite blogs called Two Blue Lemons. She has many awesome recipes but my favorite one is a sweet potato taco recipe which I always get special requests for, except from my husband that is, and only because there was a time when I made it sometimes twice a week and suffice to say he got tired of them. I could still eat it twice a week or more though if it were only up to me:) I like to use feta cheese instead and sometimes add tomatoes. Also if you are in a pinch and don't want to make the refried beans yourself, I have found Amy's Organic refried black beans to be comparable in flavor to the homemade version. Not as good, but my kids couldn't tell the difference. Be sure to click on the link above if you want to try these tasty tacos.

So enjoy & here is to new beginnings!

Chocolate hemp protein shake...Kid approved!

My new favorite food product is Hemp protein powder. I love making smoothies and experimenting to find new combinations that are not only tasty but good for you as well. In the past I have used soy protein powders, which taste better to me than whey but cannot use anymore because soy interferes with healthy thyroid function and I have a hypothyroid problem. So I switched to whey, which is hard to find without any soy in it, and the couple brands I have found, have a particular taste that I just don't like and is really hard to mask. Not to mention the long list of additives it contains. 

This lead me to try Hemp protein powder.  I must say, I LOVE it! It contains 14 grams of fiber per serving, 18 amino acids, a perfect ratio of omega 3 to omega 6, and is a complete protein, unlike whey and soy. It is also much easier to digest because it is a plant based protein. So those with dairy allergy's, soy allergy's etc.. will have no problems with it. It doesn't have any aftertaste and also is very planet friendly. The only thing that some people may not like it that is has a slight gritty texture, which doesn't bother me one bit. Plus it only has one ingredient; ground hemp.  I could go on and on about why I love it but I'll stop here and let you do your own research if you want to learn more.

After a few smoothies and taste tests from the husband and kiddos I have come up with a really yummy recipe. The kids like it cause it tastes like chocolate. I feel good cause I know they are getting a lot of good nutrition. You can't taste the greens even a little bit. I will have this for my breakfast and sometimes for lunch too. It really is filling and the protein keeps you from getting hungry till lunch time. Did I mention how quick and easy it is too? 

What you will need for 1 smoothy:

1 Banana

1 big handful of spinach or mixed green

1 Tbsp unsweetened Cocoa powder

2 Tbsp Hemp Protein powder

2 Tbsp Almond Butter

1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed (Optional)

6 drops liquid stevia (I use alcohol free) Or 1 tbsp honey

6 ice cubes or more depending on how thick you want it.

1 cup unsweetened plain Almond Milk (or milk or milk substitute of your choice)

Preparation:

Combine everything in blender in order listed above and blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Variations:

If you don't want to use almond butter Just replace it with two additional tablespoons of hemp powder for a total of 4 tbsp hemp powder. That will ensure you get enough protein to keep you satiated until your next meal. If your diet doesn't contain much fiber on a regular basis though, you may want to start with just the 2 Tbsp of hemp powder and work your way up to the 4. The reason being is that one serving, which is 4 Tbsp, contains 14 grams of fiber, and if you are not use to much fiber, you may experience some stomach bloating. 

 

Taco Salad with a Twist

This recipe was inspired by my best friend. She made something similar for me on my birthday and in trying to recreate it, I have come up with something close in flavor but with my own twist. Thank you Carrie:)  It has become a family favorite and has made its way into the frequent dinners club at our house. Of course my kids don't like anything with the word salad in it, unless of course the word "fruit" is in front of it. To remedy this, I give them a deconstructed taco salad. They eat a lot of their dinners this way since we eat a lot of salads. They love it and usually clean their plate.

This recipe is gluten Free, and can easily be made dairy free by omitting the cheese, vegetarian by omitting the ground turkey and vegan by omitting the meat and cheese. It is refreshing and delicious which ever way you choose. I prefer to use organic vegetables because they taste so much better, contain more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals and I don't need to worry about GMO or pesticides. Of course you don't have to use organic, it is merely my personal preference.


What you will need:
2 Romaine hearts, thinly sliced
2 big tomatoes, chopped small
2 handfuls of cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped small
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 lb lean ground turkey (season with chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and pepper to taste, or you can use a taco seasoning)
3 or 4 big handfuls of corn chips ( I use the red organic corn chips made by Que Pasa. They use beet juice to give them their color. It also gives them just a hint of sweetness)

For the dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp lime juice or juice from one fresh lime
A few shakes of  red Tabasco (or more depending on how spicy you like it)
pinch of salt

Preparation:
* Over medium heat cook turkey, stirring occasionally. Drain any fat off if there is any once it's done cooking.
* Meanwhile, Mix all dressing ingredients in bowl, set aside.
* Rinse, dry and chop veggies and add to big bowl as you go.
* Combine remaining ingredients into bowl.
* Toss with dressing and serve
* For added spice, throw on top a shake or two of Tabasco.

Note: If you are making this a bit ahead of time, sprinkle some lime juice on top of avocado to keep from going brown or just wait to cut the avocado till your ready to serve. Also wait to put the chips in till ready to serve to keep them from getting stale. Serve immediately once dressing's applied.

This salad can be easily changed and still taste great. I think the cilantro and dressing are key though. I have used a baby greens mix instead of romaine, aged cheddar instead of feta, and have made it with onions as well. So go on, what are you favorite veggies? Throw them in and give it your own twist.

The Mason Jar Salad

Everyone has at least one mason jar in there home. Be it left over from a jar of homemade jam you got from Grandma on Christmas, or maybe you’re into canning yourself. Either way this is a great way to put it to use.

A while back my husband came across an article online that had the brilliant idea of making a salad in a jar and brought it to my attention. I have done a bit of tweaking to to and this is how I make ours. It is quite simple, really. All you need are a few basic ingredients and a jar and you have yourself a healthy, portable, quick lunch in a reusable glass container to boot.

The mason jar is really a multipurpose piece of glassware. You can use it as intended, for canning, and then when you are done with whatever you had in it, it can become a storage container for nuts and other refrigerated items, a container to hold your lunch salad, a glass so thick you can drink coffee out of it, a portable ice tea container, you can use it as a planter for some herbs, a drinking glass for the little kids who tend to drop things a lot (its hard to break, trust me) and I’m sure there’s some other ideas out there as well. My husband loves these for work and they are so much cheaper and healthier than driving through some fast food restaurant for a quick bite. If you don’t have a few of the large quart jars lying around, I suggest you buy a 12 pack at the grocery store. They cost a little over $12 but can be reused an infinite amount of times. We usually make 2 or 3 at a time. They stay good for about 4 days in the fridge.

What you will need:
-Quart canning jar with lid
-Dressing of choice
-Radishes or Cherry or Grape tomatoes (enough to cover the bottom of the jar)
-Thinly sliced cabbage or zucchini, cut into 3 inch long by 1 inch wide pieces
-Mixed greens of your choice (fill till jar is about ¾ full)
-Top with your choice of nut and seeds of choice ( Chopped walnuts are yummy. For the seeds we alternate between raw pumpkin seeds, sesame seed, and throw in flax seeds too sometimes)
-If you eat cheese throw some on top (we like feta)
-For added protein throw some kidney beans on top

Directions:
1.Add dressing to jar ( I fill till about ½ inch sits on the bottom)
2.Layer bottom of Jar with enough radishes or cherry tomatoes to cover the bottom. This keeps any of the lettuce from getting into the dressing and getting “weird” before your ready to eat it.
3.Add a thin layer of cabbage or zucchini sticks, just enough to make sure there’s enough space to make sure the lettuce can’t slip into the dressing.
4. Add greens until the jar is about ¾ of the way full
5. Add Nuts, seeds, cheeses, and beans if you use them to the top and place the lid on the jar.
6. Shake till mixed and enjoy!

Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can get creative with this. Add whatever ingredients you like. The only critical part is making sure you put radishes or cherry or grape tomatoes on the bottom to keep the lettuce from touching it. If you add radishes they will start to pickle in the fridge, they taste wonderful if you like picked things. If you don’t, stick with the cherry tomatoes.

To Make Vegan: Leave out cheese and use a homemade vinaigrette.

Do you have any other ideas on ways to use a mason jar? Feel free to share :)

Kid approved vegan homemade pancakes

Are you tired of pancakes from a box? You know, the kind that contain ingredients you’ve never heard of and that you can hardly pronounce? All you have to do is mix with water.  I ate pancakes this way most of my life. I never even thought about making them from scratch, until one day, I was out of the box kind and really wanted to make some pancakes. So I did what any pancake craving woman would do. I got online and started pulling up recipes. Thus began the search for the perfect pancake recipe. I have tried many. After making several variations from too fluffy to too flat, too bland to too sweet, with eggs and without, I have settled on one that is not only heart healthy but kid friendly too! It also happens to be a vegan.

If you haven’t used wheat germ before it is a great addition to throw in to baked goods, sauces, smoothies and of course, pancakes. 2 Tbsp contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 6% of your recommended daily iron.  In a 2 Tablespoon serving size of flax seed the fiber content is 1.33 grams of Soluble Fiber and 2.67 grams of Insoluble Fiber. That’s a lot of fiber. Not only are they a good source of fiber, but they rock in the Omega 3 Fatty Acids department.  In a 2 Tablespoon serving, there is 2400 mg of Omega 3. If you don’t have these two things in your fridge already they are a great addition and easy way to get some extra nutrition in your families diet. Beings that they should be refrigerated, they last a really long time too.

Ingredients:
2 cups almond milk (or other milk substitute)
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour ( I use the pastry flour but all purpose would be fine too)
2 tbsp Wheat Germ
1 tbsp sweetener ( I have used molasses, agave, sugar, & honey, and pure maple syrup, they’re all great)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Optional:
1 Banana, peeled and sliced thinly
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:
*Combine milk, ground flax seed, vanilla extract and sweetener (if using liquid sweetener)
*Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl, mix well.
*Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until mixed. Do not over mix or pancakes will come out too thin. Unless of course you like them that way:)
*Preheat heavy skillet over medium heat. It should be very hot. Coat with spray or oil. I like to use cast iron for added iron. I find I need to spray the pan more frequently with cast iron as well.
*Pour ½ cup batter in at a time for adults and ¼ cup batter for kids.
Note: If you want to have the pancakes with banana and walnuts, fold them in after batter is mixed.

If your house is anything like mine, we all like our pancakes different. My kids like pancakes plain with pure maple syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, sliced bananas on the side. My husband will only eat pancakes with peanut butter and syrup.  I like them with bananas and walnuts cooked into the pancakes. So how do I solve this conundrum? I make plain batter and then when it gets down the last cup of batter or so, I throw in half a sliced  banana and a handful of chopped walnuts. I find the banana gives them so much sweetness that I don’t have to use any toppings. These pancakes also freeze well. I usually double the recipe and freeze what’s left for a nutritious breakfast on school days. Just defrost and microwave for 30 seconds, until heated through. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Mother's Day Tea party treats

What’s for breakfast? Coconut scones and Cheese Cake stuffed strawberries, of course. I can’t let the leftovers go to waste now, can I? Yesterday was mother's day and this year I thought I would throw the mom’s in my family a little tea party. Hats and all.  I had been preparing all week. Who am I kidding, the week before that too, doing a little bit here and there. You kind of have to, with two little ones who seem to need something every time you start doing something that doesn’t involve themJ OK, back on point. The tea party was a success. Mostly everyone was able to attend, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect, there were no disasters, and the food all turned out great and I wasn’t a total stress ball like I can sometimes be when throwing a party. My husband VOLUNTEERED (I swear) to serve us our tea. We even had a little bell to ring when we needed refills. My 6 year old had a lot of fun ringing Daddy.

Back to the Scones and Strawberries. The scones are vegan friendly. The strawberry filling was made with organic cream cheese which could easily be swapped out for a soy based cream cheese for those of you who can’t have any dairy. There is one called Tofutti, that is suppose to be pretty good, although I haven’t personally tried it so don’t hate me if its not your cup of tea. Pun, pun pun:)



Vegan Coconut Scones

Ingredients:

4 cups Organic (regular is fine too) All purpose or pastry whole wheat flour
1.5 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
½ cup virgin coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
About 1.5 cup Coconut milk (or other milk substitute)



Preparation:

*Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
*In large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients
*Mix in coconut oil (work it around a bit, I use a spoon to smash it in good so it breaks up a bit)
*Add vanilla extract
*Slowly add coconut milk, working dough as little as possible, until you have a dough that just barely stick together. I usually don’t need to use all of the coconut milk.
*Turn the dough out on a heavily floured surface
*Knead the dough slightly. When it is done it should be smooth and easy to handle (if you see little balls of coconut that’s fine, they will melt in)
*Gently pat dough into two 1.5” thick discs
*Cut each disk into 6 or 8 pieces, depending on how big you want them. I usually do 8. I use a pizza cutter and slice It like a pizza.
*Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, turning pan halfway through.
*Cool on baking sheet
*Once Cooled, apply the glaze if you want to use one.


Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 Tbsp Coconut Milk, added 1 -2 Tbsp at a time
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract




Cheesecake stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs large strawberries
8 oz softened organic cream cheese or cream cheese substitute
¼ tsp Pure liquid stevia (or to taste) Or 3-4 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Graham cracker crumbs or Oreo crumbs ( if making dairy free, be sure to read ingredients on box, there are some that are dairy free)


Preparation:

*Cut tops off strawberries
*If you want strawberries to stand upright, cut off a little bit of the bottom.
*Rinse
*Clean out inside of strawberry with a vegetable peeler or small knife
*Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and sweetener by hand or with a hand mixer, till smooth.
*Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill the strawberries.
*Dip each strawberry in crumbs
*Serve or Refrigerate if making ahead of time.

Note: If serving outdoors in warm weather, don’t plate until ready to eat.

I hope you all had a wonderful mothers day surrounded by love ones. Now go on and make your self some scones. You don't need to have a tea party to do so.

Carter's Black Bean Chocolate Birthday Cake

My son just turned three years old last week. For his birthday I made a delicious and nutritious chocolate birthday cake guaranteed to minimize the dreaded sugar crash that so often accompanies the typical sugary laden cakes. All of you with children out there, you know what I’m talking about.:) The recipe is adapted from one of my favorite food blogs, Healthy Indulgences. The recipe for the frosting is a basic vegan butter cream frosting. If I wouldn’t have spilled the beans, about the beans, (pun intended) not one person would have guessed there were black beans in it. The Kids loved it, the adults loved it and being packed with protein and fiber takes away any guilt that you might feel normally after eating cake. The recipe makes enough for one 9" layer cake. I tripled the recipe and was able to make a small two tiered cake and 8 cupcakes. I found this recipe when we were on the South Beach Diet, trying to stay low carb and satisfy a sweet tooth. If you are on a low carb diet, and want to cut your carbs even more, you can use 1.5 cups of canned soybeans instead. Enjoy!

For the Cake:


Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon pure Stevia extract
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
*Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray
*Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. This helps it from sticking and easier clean up.
*Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.
*Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake them a bit to dry.
*Place the beans, 3 of the eggs, stevia, vanilla and salt into blender.
*Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied.
*Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
*Beat butter with honey until fluffy. Add remaining two eggs.
*Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix.
*Lastly, stir in cocoa powder and Mix till its nice and smooth, you can use a hand mixer or mix by hand. I prefer to use the hand mixer.
*Pour the batter into pan. Grip pan by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to get out any air bubbles.
*Bake for 40-45 minutes.
*Cake is done when the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night.


For the Frosting:

Ingredients:
*1 cup soft vegan margarine
*1 lb powdered sugar
*2 tsp vanilla
*3 tablespoons almond milk or other milk substitute

Preparation:
*Mix all  ingredients together until creamy and smooth.
*Cover and refrigerate until needed.
*Makes two cups of frosting
*Note: If you are not making a birthday cake and don't want all the sugar that the frosting comes with, the cake is delicious by itself. When I make this for my family i usually just sprinkle a little powdered sugar all over to make it look pretty:)

This is my second homemade birthday cake I have made for one of my children's birthdays and I must say it was a success. The racetrack was made from crumbled up dairy free Newmans Own Oreos. I used the inside of the Oreo for the little white dividing road lines. It was however, challenging to  put this together without my son noticing what I was doing. At one point he was sitting on the counter by me trying to eat all the crumbles and asking for "just one more cookie". In the end though, I had one happy boy.

Kale chips. Kids Love them!

Growing up I don't think I ever ate a piece of kale. I don't think even knew what it was. My kids won't eat it raw. They will however devour a whole bunch of kale in one sitting if it's baked right. They'll even ask for more. They are very simple to make and only need three ingredients. Always buy organic if you can. Non organic can have a pesticide residue even after rinsing and who needs that? I challenge you, even If kale is your worst enemy, to give these chips a try. You won't be sorry...at least I hope not:)

Ingredients
1 bunch of organic kale, rinsed and torn into large bite size pieces.
Extra virgin olive oil (a few glugs, enough to coat)
Garlic salt to taste (or whatever your favorite seasoning is)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Make sure kale is dry, pat with paper towel if necessary. Toss with olive oil, coat each piece thoroughly. Sprinkle seasoning and toss. Place kale on baking sheet without overlapping the pieces. Bake for 8-10 minutes until kale is crisp. This makes enough to fill two baking sheets so you can do two batches separate or two sheets at a time. If you use two sheets make sure to rotate each sheet between both racks halfway through cooking @4-5 minutes. These can burn very quickly if they go too long so if In doubt, check, check, check. I do. Keep in mind that these shrink a lot while cooking. My kids eat an entire bunch in about 15 minutes which makes me one happy mama:)