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.

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.