What I Have Learned

I recently have been making batches upon batches of banana bread. If you think that I am lying ask the checker at Smiths, who rung me up with a CART LOAD of bananas, 30 bucks worth on sale to be exact. Anyway, case in point is that I have made the same recipe over and over again, to have it come out completely under cooked even if I leave it in until it is char black on the outside. What I have discovered is that if you add too much banana, it will be mushy in the middle even though you cook it till the cows come home. Another thing that I discovered, is that seltzer water does wonders to lighten a heavy bread. Especially gluten free breads, because they are so dense to begin with without gluten to leaven them. Here is a recipe that I just adpated from vegweb to be gluten free. It is really light and tasty, but needs something more, maybe a cinnamon walnut crumbly topping. I will post the recipe and my updates on how it is going. I am trying to make the perfect gluten free banana bread, just the right balance of sweetness, banana, and lightness.

When it is perfected I will post the recipe, it is almost there!

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I made this recipe up because I was sick of buying expensive power bars, that were full of high fructose corn syrup, and a lot of other additives. It really is simple to change and add things to it. For this picture I made them for the holidays and rolled them in coconut. Other times I have added dry fruit to them, you could do mini chocolate chips, and press them into a pan and cut them up like a bar. I take them when I go on a long bike ride, they pack really well, or just for a snack, but take caution they are addictive and before you know it you might just eat the whole bowl, not that I have ever done that.

1 C peanut butter
1/2 C honey
1/4 C brown rice syrup, or more honey
2 1/2-3 C cereal, I used a brown rice cereal from Good Earth that is like rice krispies
1 C puffed millet cereal, also found at the health food store, again any puffed grain cereal would do, or you could do 1/2 C of oats
2 T chia seeds, or flax, or both

Mix all of the ingredients together and scoop out with a mini ice cream scoop, or you can press the mix into a baking pan to make bars, they will soften as they sit. After lettting them soften for 1-2 hours cut into bars.

Feel free to add coconut, wheat germ, dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, really whatever your heart desires. You can also make them with almond butter instead of peanut butter.


Chia seeds are SO good for you, they have more omega threes than salmon. Chia has fifteen times more magnesium than broccoli, three times more iron than spinach, six times more calcium than milk, and two times more pottasium than bananas. 2 oz of chia seeds gives you 560 mg of vitamin c! Chia seeds soak up to 10 times its weight in water, this helps you to stay hydrated longer (which helps with endurance).
The greatest part about chia seeds is that they are tasteless, so you can add them to salads, smoothies, power bars, muffins, cookies, ext. ext.
To get the most nutrition out of them put a 1/4 C in a jar and fill it with water. The chia seeds will soak up the liquid in the jar, making it like gel. You can then add this gel to your smoothies. Don't let them sit too long or they start to get really thick, because chia seeds can also be used to thicken things.
Chia seeds are very filling, and some people use them as a weight loss aid. They make you feel full, and so you can take a 1/4 cup of the gel before meals to help curb your apetite, and still get all of the nutrition that you need.

I buy my chia seeds at grainmix.com they are only 5 dollars a pound, which is an incredible deal.

Easy Fruit Salad

 

This is such a good breakfast, mid day snack, or dessert!! There has been a ton of strawberries on sale lately, and other berries, so I have been eating this yummy salad almost daily.

5 strawberries
1 mini pineapple
1 oarnge
1 banana
1 mango
1/4 C walnuts
1/4 C coconut**
drizzle of honey

Chop up the fruit, and walnuts, put in a bowl. Drizzle with honey, and the coconut. Simple, but so delicious.

Any fruit would be good in this, just throw whatever you have in on hand.

** Make sure the coconut is not sweetened, you can get it at the health food store, look for it in the bulk section. Coconut that is sweetened is soaked in high fructose corn syrup and a lot of other preservatives, who knew!!

Money saving tip: When fruit is on sale, buy double or triple of it, and freeze half of it for smoothies

Fun in the Kitchen

Lets just say Isaiah wanted to express his own creativity in the kitchen with the baking soda!

Coconut OIl, Why is it Good For You

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Coconut Oil

Good fat

Today, healthy fat deficiency is prevalent throughout the North American diet. Studies show consuming a sufficient amount of fat, in the right forms and proper proportions, has significant health benefits for both body and mind. Among other things, good fats can strengthen the immune system; greatly reduce cardiovascular disease; increase energy and performance; grow healthy skin, hair, and nails; regulate body weight; improve organ and gland function; and enhance brain and nervous system functions such as mood, intelligence and behavior.

Weight Loss Aid

VCO, a healthy fat due to its composition of medium chain fatty acids, is a natural weight loss aid. VCO gives you a full and satisfied feeling, resulting in less total calorie consumption throughout the day. Virgin coconut oil also contains rare medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are digested more rapidly than the more commonly consumed long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT is prevalent in most diets because it appears in commonly used oils like safflower, corn, soybean and canola oils. The rapid digestion of MCT results in a rapid rise in metabolism and energy levels, resulting in more calories burned and weight loss. A 2002 study conducted by Marie-Pierre St-Onge and Peter J. H. Jones, published in the "Journal of Nutrition," states "research conducted to date in animals shows that replacing dietary LCT by MCT causes a rise in energy expenditure, a depression of food intake and lower body fat mass. Similarly, in humans, MCT increase energy expenditure relative to LCT consumption."

Candida Cure

Candida albicans is a yeast microorganism that lives naturally in your intestinal tract. Candida overgrowth symptoms occur when the yeasts multiply and spread throughout the body. The effectiveness of virgin coconut oil as an anti-fungal agent on these candida species was tested in a 2007 study performed at the Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, University College Hospital, in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study found that candida albicans, the most common isolate from clinical specimens taken, was 100 percent susceptible to pure coconut oil. The study concluded that "coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species."

Disease Treatment and Prevention

Virgin coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids, including lauric acid (also found in human breast milk) and caprilic acid. VCO contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties due to these medium-chain fatty acids. On a smaller scale VCO can strengthen the immune system and prevent the common cold and flu. On a larger scale, a study performed on HIV infected patients at San Lazaro Hospital found that "coconut oil does have an anti-viral effect and can beneficially reduce the viral load of HIV patients."

Skin Care

Virgin coconut oil is an excellent face and body moisturizer. Use a small amount of VCO daily for wrinkle prevention on the face, or as a gentle replacement for baby lotions. The anti fungal properties of VCO will effectively kill fungal infections like athletes foot when applied liberally to the infected area twice daily.

Here are some excellent ways to use coconut oil in your beauty regimen:

· As an all-over moisturizer, keep a jar handy near your shower. Before drying off with a towel, apply the coconut oil to damp skin. The oil works as a water sealant, keeping the moisture locked in. Then simply pat yourself dry.

· Try using it as a gentle, effective eye make-up remover, even for stubborn waterproof mascara.

· Use it before and after sun exposure to protect and soothe skin from harmful UV rays

· It is a remarkable hot oil treatment for those with damaged hair or dry scalp (dandruff). Gently heat the oil and massage it into scalp and hair. Don’t forget the ends! Leave it on over night for the ultimate deep conditioning treatment. Remember to cover your pillow with a towel. Then just shampoo it out in the morning.

· Before retiring for the evening, try applying it to your face, hands, elbows, knees and feet. Wear hand gloves and socks to wake up with an ultra soft experience.

· Use it to moisturize cuticles while relaxing in front of your favorite TV show.

· Slather on chapped, winter lips.

· Mix with a coarse sugar or salt to make your own economical body scrub.

· Finally, because of its anti-viral, anti-fungal properties, it can be used to soothe and help heal eczema, fungal infections between the toes and when applied underarm, can prevent body odor.

-taken from naturallysavvy.com

Where to get it?
I like to buy mine in bulk because it is a lot cheaper. I buy mine at Mountain Rose Herbs. It is the best price, and has such a good flavor. I just bought the 5 gallon bucket, it worked out to be 36 dollars a gallon with shipping.