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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Lara Bites

These lara bars/bites are SO easy to make. My two year old loves them. You can really make your own concoction of whatever your favorite nuts are. You really can't go wrong. I adapted my recipe from 100daysofrealfood blogger.  These are very filling and great on the go snacks. I roll mine into a ball because I'm lazy and it makes it easier for my little guy to eat them. My son wouldn't eat nuts if his life depended on it, but when you throw them in a blender with other ingredients they have no idea they are in there-plus it makes me feel good he's eating a healthy snack!


Lemon Lara Bites
Serves: 7 balls
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, or cashews
  • 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • ¼ cup almond or peanut butter (I really like the almond butter flavor)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Optional: (tastes ahhmazing) 5-8 drops of Lemon Essential Oil- I use Young Living 
Instructions
  1. Combine dates, cranberries, pecas, almonds,  peanut butter and water in a food processor and puree until mixture starts to stick together. Add a little more water if necessary to help mixture come together.
  2. Pick up date mixture and using your hands work to squeeze it together into one big clump. Mash it down on a cutting board or sheet of wax paper. I like to refridgerate mine for 30 min or so and then roll in balls. You can roll them right away if you'd like.
  3. Roll into balls. For best results store in the fridge, although bars can be kept at room temperature
I usual double or quadrupal this recipe because I eat these wayyy too much!!!!
BTW, these are SO much better homemade then the Lara bar version



Recipes adapted from: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/01/recipe-homemade-larabars-4-ways-including-nut-free/

Cashew Cookie Larabar
Serves: 12 squares
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
  1. Combine dates, cashews, peanut butter and water in a food processor and puree until mixture starts to stick together. Add a little more water if necessary to help mixture come together.
  2. Pick up date mixture and using your hands work to squeeze it together into one big clump. Mash it down on a cutting board or sheet of wax paper to form into one even rectangle shape using the sides of your hands (or a knife) to make the edges straight.
  3. Slice into 12 even squares. For best results store in the fridge, although bars can be kept at room temperature
Granola Larabar
Serves: 8 squares
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine granola, dates and water in a food processor and puree until mixture starts to stick together. Add a little more water if necessary to help mixture come together.
  2. Pick up date mixture and using your hands work to squeeze it together into one big clump. Mash it down on a cutting board or sheet of wax paper to form into one even rectangle shape using the sides of your hands (or a knife) to make the edges straight.
  3. Slice into 8 even squares. For best results store in the fridge, although bars can be kept at room temperature.
Notes
* Sub coconut oil for the butter in the granola to make this recipe dairy free


Peanut Butter Larabar
Serves: 8 squares
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • ½ cup peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Combine dates and peanut butter in a food processor and puree until mixture starts to stick together. Add a little more water if necessary to help mixture come together.
  2. Pick up date mixture and using your hands work to squeeze it together into one big clump. Mash it down on a cutting board or sheet of wax paper to form into one even rectangle shape using the sides of your hands (or a knife) to make the edges straight.
  3. Slice into 8 even squares. For best results store in the fridge, although bars can be kept at room temperature




Saturday, February 28, 2015

Restoration with an Entertainment Center

Our new entertainment center! So happy with the way it turned out.
After

Before





Inspiration Photo

Tried to look at picture and hand draw

In a really ghetto way, I taped the cut out paper onto glass

Frosted Glass outcome


We got this entertainment center from a neighbor who was throwing it away. Yay! 
I did one coat of white paint, and a couple coats of a charcoal grey color. I tried giving it an antique look.


Recent addition- Dresser Rehab project

Wow it's been forever since I've been on my blog. I am a terrible blogger! I've recently purchased a piece of furniture from a good will for $20. I think it was a china cabinet? When I saw it, I knew it had a purpose in my house. I talked the price down from $65 to $20 with an awesome guy who worked there. I decided to make this china cabinet into a dresser/armoire for my daughter who will arrive here in a couple months.
After
Before

                       Gutting the drawers:
                      
                                       
                         
Trying super hard to get this velvet paper out! 
Old gross looking drawer


Love how this turned out
This was a bit of a challenge- custom Moroccan design and frosting glass windows-First time doing this

The process: I used chalk paint for the first time. I had bought the teeny tiny jars at home depot-which do NOT go far let me tell you. I thought chalk paint was supposed to be pretty easy, but I found that I had to use a lot of coats in order for this piece of furniture to look decent. I ended up using white chalk paint, and then taking regular white paint and doing a thin coat over it to not look so grainy. I used frosted glass spray paint, and designed a Moroccan print for the glass. I then bought chicken wire-spray painted it black and adhered it to the sides of the armoire. I think there used to be glass there but I decided to give it more enclosure by using the chicken wire. I tore out all the ugly drawer coverings and placed new drawer liners in them. I also installed polls on each side to hang clothes. I think I bought the wood poll for $3, and the hooks for $.50/ea at home depot.
Overall, I think the cost was very inexpensive to rehab this old cabinet- I think I wasted a bit of money on the chalk paint because of how big this cabinet was. I think next time I would just use regular white paint or try to find a location where you can buy chalk by the gallon or just make my own which I hear is easy!

Wanted frosted glass to give more privacy to armoire and for decor
Sprayed painted chicken wire black, and installed on sides of  armoire for more completeness


Recycled the old hardware. After shopping for hardware, I thought the original looked best
Created hanger polls in armoire to hang baby clothes. Also found some nice picture frames at goodwill and painted them white to match the furniture.  


Finished!

           







Sunday, August 17, 2014

Homemade Popcorn Action

Home Made Popcorn

 Okay, I understand when you want popcorn...you want it now...in the 1 minute 30 seconds it takes to make. Well....if you have 5 minutes, you can make your own, and make it a WHOLE lot healthier than any popcorn you buy at the store. Tonight was the second time I've made it, and I was surprised at how fast it took, and it doesn't burn like typical microwavable popcorn.  
Ingredients:
Kernels
Coconut Oil
Garlic powder
Sea salt

Directions:
Get pan hot, pour a couple tablespoons of coconut oil in, then one layer of kernels. Cover. Continue to shake. Once it starts to pop, continue to shake. Once it slows down to barely any pops, take off the heat.  Be careful not to take off lid until popping has stopped. I like to season with garlic powder and sea salt, and maybe a little bit of butter (real organic butter- no such thing as fat free over here). You can add whatever you like. 



Obsessed with Kombucha!

Okay,my new obsession lately is Kombucha. I have almost tried all of the Synergy Raw drinks. Absolutely love them all! I love it because it tastes good, makes me feel good, and the fact that it has all of these amazing ingredients in it that help your body. Win win to me. Ditch the soda, and drink Kombucha. You won't regret it. I was stoked to find out Costco carry's it! Its about $2.50 per bottle. Sprouts always has it on sale for $2.50 as well. Typically runs about $3.79 any where else. (: My next goal is to make my own! If anyone knows a great home made recipe, let me know!



Friday, June 13, 2014

Sweet Tomato Basil Carrot Soup


I'm just going to start off by saying that this is the best tasting vegetarian soup I've ever had! This should definitely be served in a restaurant somewhere-just sayin' (: Seriously my new favorite soup! Be prepared to have your tasted buds blown away!

 Just a side note: The fresh basil and balsamic vinegar seriously do make a big difference in this soup. It really gives the soup a kick. From wow- to ahhmazing.


Sweet Tomato Basil Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
2 medium size sweet potato, chopped
(1) 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like)
2 tsp. Fine Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced 

**use all organic ingredients when possible**

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and saute the onions until translucent. 
2. Add the carrot, sweet potato, tomatoes, stock, sea salt and pepper. 
3. Continue to cook until carrots and sweet potato soften
4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add coconut milk, and simmer a few minutes more.
5. Add in the red pepper flakes, balsamic and fresh basil. Puree until smooth using a hand blender or can transfer to Vitamix or whatever you tend to use to puree.


(my son's leftover roast beef grilled cheese) A side of toast would go well with this soup as well. 


Adapted from: http://craving4more.com/2013/12/23/spicy-tomato-basil-soup/

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins


Bought a zucchini the other afternoon at the farmers market; hoping to make zucchini muffins. I love wandering the farmers market. I have this horrible urge to want to buy and hoard all the fruits and vegetables. haha I'm not sure why it's so exciting there. But I do get inspired to try new vegetables when I go. I'm a creature of habit, and its' hard to break away from the standard fruits and veggies that we always eat. I feel guilty for not knowing all the names of vegetables out there. I probably look like a lost puppy when I'm at the farmers market, but really I'm just brewing up ideas, and soaking in the abundance of Gods' great earth and it's abundance. lol.. I digress...Sneaking vegetables into muffins is the best! There are some great recipes out there for just that. Especially if you have a little one, who acts as the worst and best eater at times. It makes my heart happy when I see him eat a healthy muffin with veggies in it. 

These muffins are great and are extremely low in sugar. So if you need a bit more sweetness in your muffins, feel free to add more. My personal goal, is to add as little as possible in hopes to trick my taste buds to acquire a lower amount of sugar.

Here is a great grain free recipe I found: http://www.thrive-style.com/2014/04/grain-free-zucchini-banana-coconut-muffins/. My recipe is adapted from hers. I would have made this recipe, but didn't have the coconut flour, and my zucchini was ginormous...which left me to figure out alternatives to the recipe.

Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sprouted whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
2 bananas, mashed
6 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar (can use pure maple syrup too)
1 medium-large zucchini, shredded
optional: dash of pumpkin spice

**use all organic ingredients when possible**
Directions: 

1. Preheat oven 400
2. Mix all ingredients very well. I like to separate the wet ingredients from dry at first, then add dry into wet ingredients.
3. Pour batter into greased muffin pan, or muffin cups. 
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes. 

Served: approx. 24 muffins, keep refrigerated