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.

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. 

 

Green Kid Crafts Review & Givaway...Tell your friends!

When I was asked if I would be interested in reviewing an earth friendly, kid friendly, craft kit by Green Kid Crafts, I jumped on it. Any opportunity that combines a green approach to creativity, learning and fun for my children is always welcome.

Founded in 2010, Green Kid Crafts is the original craft subscription company. With Green Kid Crafts, parents and kids can enjoy planet-friendly, monthly projects that spark creativity and cultivate respect and love for the environment. Suitable for ages 3-8, three of their craft projects are delivered to kids every month for a cost of $19.95 per month. All materials are included in the package making it one stop shopping for child engagement.

My first impression of Green Kid Crafts was a good one. The box it ships in is also the box the crafts come in. I liked that there was no extra box that I would have to break down and put into recycle. Everything was nicely wrapped in some lime green tissue paper. The inner top of the box came with a picture of each craft that was inside. Included in the box were three crafts; a wind chime, pirate loot, and scrapbook. Each craft contains everything you need except for some essential things like glue, markers, scissors, tape, and paint, which most of us have laying around the house someplace. Each craft comes in a sealed clear bag with materials and step by step instructions inside. My kids loved taking everything out and divvying it up amongst themselves. Each craft is fairly simple yet involved enough to keep them interested. Each one took us anywhere from 20-45 minutes to put together from start to finish.

The first craft we did was the wind chime. Since there was one wind chime and two kids, my 6 year old took the liberty of drawing a line halfway down the middle of the wood so that she and her brother each had their own side. This is very important when sharing your craft space with a 3 year old apparently :) We chose to use paints to color the wood. I learned that my daughter is a realist and my son is more of an abstract artist. Once the paint dried, they glued on all of the cute little decorations it came with and our first work of art was complete.

The next craft we did was the pirate loot. It came with everything to make a paper pirate hat, an eye patch and even some silver treasure coins. My son is still learning how to use scissors so my daughter did all of the cutting and he did a lot of the decorating. He did get to cut some scrap paper I gave him, so he felt like a big boy. This was one of my favorite crafts because not only do they get to be creative, but afterwards they took turns wearing the eye patch and hat and played pirates. It's the craft that keeps on giving.

 

We saved the scrapbook for last. Fathers day is coming up and we wanted to make it for daddy. I love the scrapbook it came with. It is a fold out cardboard like paper accordion style scrap book that ties. Each side has 4 pages. We had a lot of fun going through our pictures and picking out which pictures we thought daddy would like best. It came with some decorative paper, scraps of fabric, stickers and embellishments to liven up the pages. Plus we added some things of our own to personalize it even more.

All in all, I think Green Kid Crafts is a wonderful service. Normally when we do crafts, it’s usually the same kind of things; painting, coloring, making cards and books. With the monthly subscription you get three different creative crafts to spice things up that really are more involved than what we normally do and of great quality. They are crafts that you can keep and play with that won’t find their way into the garbage. Another bonus is it is a wonderful way to connect with your child and keep craft time interesting. I find the cost to be very reasonable. By the time you were to go out and buy all the little embellishment, decorative paper, stickers, and all the other things that you get with these kits you would end up spending much more than $19.95. Not to mention, trying to figure out what to do with the leftover materials, the gas money spent, and impulse buys you are sure to pick up as well, or is that just me? If you want to find out more for yourself, go check out Green Kid Crafts!

I would like to say thank you to my sister in law, Melissa, of  melissawhitman.com who asked me if I would be interested in reviewing Green Kid Crafts. We had so much fun with it. I would also like thank Penny at Green Kid Crafts for the opportunity to share your wonderful crafts with my children, and give others the opportunity to check out Green Kid Crafts through this giveaway.

If you would like to win a Craft Box of your very own, just follow the entry instruction below. Remember when you are done putting in all of your entries to come back to my Blog and leave a comment letting me know what you did.

Mandatory entry:

1. Go check out Green Kid Crafts, then come back and leave a comment about what craft you would like to see in a future box.

For extra entries:

1. Like Green Kid Crafts on Facebook.

2. Like melissawhitman.com on Facebook.

3 Like Happy.Healthy.Simply on Facebook

4. Sign up for the Green Kid Crafts newsletter.

The giveaway will close next Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 10am PST.

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.

And the green grass grows all around....

It is that time of year again. No more slacking on the yard. Spring arrives and slowly the grass begins to grow. Our Kitchen window sits directly across from our neighbors front yard. Little do they know that when I am doing the dishes, if they are outside, I am watching. Not like a weirdo or anything, its just in my direct line of site and there is not much else to look at :) One day, as it is pouring down rain, I notice a landscaping truck pull up. Out hops a couple of guys sporting full rain gear and shovels. A little ambitious, I think to myself being that spring literally just began and although it's suppose to be sunny, it's just above 40 degrees and raining. I'm not worried at this point because our grass is still very short, but the thought occurs to me that we are going to have to get the ball rolling quick this year, being the house on the corner of a main road and all.

Fast forward three weeks; it's sunny, semi warm and  between the constant rain and few days of sunlight we've had, our very short grass isn't so short anymore. I go out to start up the lawnmower and realize after pulling on the string a million times that its not going to start. It occurs to me to check the gas and yes, it is bone dry. A couple of days later my husband brings home some gas. I fill it and pull the string another million times and it doesn't start again. Hmm....it must be broke. A few days later, the grass is now officially long and we are the only house on the street that looks like we don't own a lawnmower. I'm slightly embarrassed. I need a lawnmower and I need one TODAY!

Thus begins my internet research. Trying to find a lawnmower that will last, won't  break us and that we won't break. Mind you, we have owned and somehow managed to break 3 lawnmowers. I came across a reel lawn mower. You know, one of the old fashioned kind you push that doesn't use gas. I wasn't sure if it would be able to tackle our now very overgrown lawn, but after talking to my husband about it and sending him many annoying text messages while he was at work about it, I came home one afternoon to him in the front yard mowing the lawn with our new Fiskars push reel lawnmower. I was pretty excited. Here was a mower, that we didn't need gas for. It was so quite you cold hear the birds chirping. I didn't have to worry about any projectile pine cones hitting one of my children, plus what a nice way to get some much needed exercise.

 For the rest of the day, my husband and I took turns mowing the lawn.  Yes, I said day. Not afternoon, but day. Did I mention our grass was 6 inches long by now? Its not that the push mower didn't do its job, it cut grass wonderfully. It just takes a few run threws to get the grass the height you want it when it is as overgrown as ours was. Plus we have some really mossy areas in the yard that make it a little hard to push in places. We finished the front and got to the back and halfway through my husband decided to give the gas mower one last try. We were tired and it was almost time to start dinner, at this rate, we wouldn't be done till bath time. He managed to get it started after some tweaking to the choke and finished up the back yard in no time. I couldn't help but laugh.

Don't get me wrong, I love the reel mower. It is really great for maintaining your lawn. It works beautifully for it. But if your trying to cut through 6 inches of overgrown weed filled mossy grass, its a little time consuming. What  I love though, is that i can mow anytime now with the kids around. I don't have to worry about them getting hit by anything that the gas mowers can sometimes spit out. They can even get behind it an push with me. Its green. We don't have to spend the money on the gas, pollute the air, or worry about having a fourth broken lawnmower that ends up in some landfill one day. Bring it on grass!

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:)