Get your salt fix...the kale way!

Kale Chips....mmm mmm!

Ahhh, its so very close to fall. The crisp mornings running out the door to catch the bus and the sunny afternoons running up the hill from the bus and into the kitchen door make it even more fun to make healthy favorites for my family. My now kindergartner and second grader always come home very thirsty and extremely hungry. Thankfully we have some down time when they get home to enjoy each other and have a big, hearty snack which typically turns into a very early dinner. Today we made kale chips...their way. The boys came home to a bowl of already made kale chips and a huge bunch of kale ready to be prepped by them to make into more chips. They love to eat and thankfully all 3 of my children love to cook. So as Will finished his homework Dean washed, trimmed, tore, salted and sprayed the kale. When it was done we all enjoyed a healthy, fun snack. We were having so much fun cooking that we kept going and prepared our dinner's main course of salmon cakes. I will post that protein, Omega 3 rich recipe later in the week. Just a little teaser....the kids LOVED the salmon cakes too! Score for Mom! High 5's for me!

For the recipe all you need is a bunch of kale that has been washed and dried very well, olive oil spray, salt and pepper!

Just tear the leaves off of the stem, spray the pan with olive oil, then lay the kale in a single layer. Spray a light coating of olive oil on top of the kale, sprinkle salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like (also good with Parmesan cheese!). 

Put in the oven at 350* for 10-15 minutes or until the edges curl and each leaf is very crisp....so crisp it almost melts in your mouth.

Then ENJOY! It is salty and crispy like popcorn but  with tons of vitamins!

Tasty Spicy Pumpkin Muffins❤❤

My very toughest critics just named these gluten free pumpkin spice muffins. My good friend's daughter cannot have anything with gluten so I just whipped these pumpkin spice muffins up for her. I also made them sugar free and only used 1/4 cup olive oil for the entire 24 big muffins. Here is the recipe. I had one (ok ok I had 2... I must tell the truth!) right out of the oven, I cut the muffins in half horizontally and smeared about 2 teaspoons natural peanut butter for my children. I had natural almond butter with my muffins. Yummy!

Tasty Spicy Pumpkin Muffins:
2 3/4 Cup quinoa flour
1/4 Cup coconut flour
1 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
2 T cinnamon
2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1 t salt
2 T pure cocoa
1/4 C olive oil
3 C pure pumpkin
2 t pure vanilla
4 eggs
2 droppers full pure stevia
1 C pure applesauce
Directions:
Over 350• Spray muffin tin with non stick spray and set aside. In medium sized bowl mIx first 9 ingredients. In separate large bowl mix last 6 ingredients until well mixed. Gently fold dry ingredients into the moist ingredients in larger bowl. Mix only until combined, it will be thick and lumpy. Full each muffin tin 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake. Best right from the oven with peanut butter or almond butter. Enjoy!

Stay tuned.... It's fall and my German Apple Cake is super tasty too!

Time Is On Your Side

Give Me A Minute!

It costs nothing, it creates bonds, it changes everything...its Time. I heard so many things that made me want to create a new post today but it was 2 particular people who said 2 particular things to me that really made me run to the computer to jot down my thoughts. I'll start with a big one, "Eating well is really tough, isn't it, Alaina?". You know what, it may be a little more time consuming to make a salad then to open up a tin can or rip open a candy bar and toss it in your mouth but with some planning and thinking ahead eating healthfully can be just as fast. Planning is a healthy eater's best friend. Time is on your side if you think ahead. My Mama always said, "You make time for what you want...what is important to you" and she is right. I plan play times, reading times, home work time, exercise times and relaxing times with my children. I want to eat healthfully so I plan my family meals in advance. I also plan exercising into my day each and every day. At the moment I am not overly worried about my messy house so I have planned minimal time to give it the deep clean that it truly needs. When you think about your week, all the appointments, school work, work, and fun to be had also plan your meals. Make a list of must have on hand foods for your refrigerator and make sure to stock up before Monday morning comes. My top 5 must have foods are #1 Eggs, #2 Salad, #3 Salsa, #4 Fish and #5 Blueberries. These are the top 5 foods consumed in my home by my 3 kids and me. With a little preparation on Sunday night I save calories and add nutrients for those times when we are all starving and in need of some "fast food". In my case fast food for the kids tends to be carrots, broccoli and hummus and for me its celery and salsa. Make sure that you spend a little time on Sunday night preparing for your busy week ahead. It will save you time throughout the week and save your waistline at the same time. While you are at it schedule exercising into your daily calendar and stick to it. If you like lists then create one like I do each morning. My to do list is always on the back of already used paper and always starts like this:

1. Wake up

2. Brush Teeth

3. Work out

etc etc etc.........

I always write "wake up" first so that I can wake up and immediately check one thing off of my list. I am a goal oriented person, competitive in nature and I like to be able to immediately check something off my list and the first 2 are simple and fast!

Thank you for taking using one of your precious gifts to read what I have to say. Your time is so valuable and so is your health!

Cha Cha Cha chia seeds!

My new favorite addition to Greek yogurt, salads, tofu, chicken, tuna and salmon..... Chia seeds! Chia seeds are like little power punches to your body with 70 calories, 6 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and almost 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. I absolutely love the little crunch and texture that they add to my favorite foods (similar texture to sesame seeds). So go buy some Chia seeds and add more nutrients to your favorite foods!

Frozen Goodness!!!!!!

A Sweet Protein Treat

I have had an amazing summer and it is not over yet! Kentucky and Cape Cod have been 2 of our destinations. I was even able to spend some time in Provincetown at the very tip of Cape Cod and home to my very favorite beach ever, Race Point Beach. The sand there is like none other. It is so thick and coarse and coated in some kind of oil. I never bring chairs or towels to that beach because I like to lay in the sand and have it fall right off of me when I stand up. I am convinced that some good doses of that sand can take years off my life (or anyone's life....but that is just my opinion because it feels so great!). Plus, every time I have been there I see either seals or whales or both! It is truly an amazing, magical place especially when shared with the ones you love! While in Provincetown last week we were treated to some amazing culinary delights. The Red Inn on the quiet West end of Commercial Street was one of our favorite destinations for delightful drinks, fabulous fish and superb service! Lorraine's Cafe served us wonderfully spicy salsa, fresh swordfish salads, fish tacos and a full bodied Pinot Noir whose name I cannot remember. And The Mews on the other end of Commercial Street was our last culinary treat. All of that amazing eating in Provincetown was a treat to my palate but watching everyone walk by with cold, creamy ice cream cones all day long had me excited to mix up some frozen protein treats for the family after our vacations ended. 

Race Point Beach!!!!!!!

As you know I love Greek yogurt and eat a serving (at least) every day! Today I whipped up a frozen treat that is packed with protein and flavor! I hope you like it. Here is the recipe:

Bikini Frozen Yogurt (makes 1 serving)

1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon pure almond butter

1/4 Cup blueberries (I wash and dry my blueberries and put them directly in my freezer! Makes them better summertime treats!)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I use very potent Watkins brand, use more if your cinnamon is just ho hum)

1 teaspoon Chia Seeds (amazing source of protein, fiber and Omega 3!)

1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a little bowl. (I use little containers with lids from my favorite cottage cheese (see picture) which helps me with serving size since I tend to go over board with my Greek yogurt treats). Put  lid on yogurt and put your serving of Bikini Frozen Yogurt into the freezer. Freeze for 30- 45 minutes or until desired frozen consistency. I sprinkle mine with 1 more sprinkle of cinnamon before I eat it. Yummy, fulfilling, creamy and full of protein! 

The finished Bikini Frozen Yogurt mixed and frozen in individual cup with lid. 

Back to Nature Diet Plan

Thank you for the blog request, Patrick! The Paleo Diet could and would work for most people.... For sure a fabulous recommendation of topics and diet regimes. However, without even purchasing a book on the topic or reading too much into the diet plan I think it's safe to say: shop along the perimeter of the grocery store and do not eat anything that comes in a wrapper, package or anything shiny. Really when you think about it the food we are meant to eat: fruits, veggies, meat, chicken, fish, whole grains, dairy, etc... All of these foods are caveman foods. Foods that have been available since the beginning of time. Soda, chemicals, processes foods, packaged items, all the foods that manufacturers make a killing on are a relatively new phenomenon. One of my brilliant University of Georgia Food Science professors once said, "Never eat anything your great Grandma would not recognize!". Now that is good, noble advice. The population during that generation was so busy working with their bodies that they had to have good, solid nutrients to keep their bodies running like finely tuned machines. If someone gave a farmer a Poptart that farmer would not only have no clue what it was but he would not want the quick, short lived, quickly burned and wasted energy it provided. Processed foods are easy, quick and convenient. But so are the healthy ones if given 5 minutes of prep time. Today I had an appointment during lunchtime and I knew I would not be near a food source if I were to get hungry. I quickly grabbed one of my pre packaged bags of celery from the fridge. Then when I was in the car (I always keep healthy snacks in the car!) I added 1/2 cup roasted edamame to the Baggie and had a fabulous little snack! A very wise man often says to me, "if you can predict it then you can avoid it". If you know that you are typically hungry around 12 noon and you will not be near your kitchen then grab some healthy alternatives from your kitchen. Do not ever rely on fast food or packaged convenience foods to give you the clean burning fuel you need to keep going and moving the way you want. And please realize that canned items like sodas, coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and the like are useless calories taking up space in an otherwise empty canvas of a stomach. Think about it this way..... How strange would it be to see a monkey or gorilla at the zoo drinking a Mountain Dew or eating a packaged item. It would never happen! But they are cousins of ours... We feed them vegetables, fruits, whole grains and the quality foods that we need to keep our bodies moving and performing the way we need and expect. Do yourself a favor and be sure to create your own food plan where you only eat real foods that can be purchased typically on the outer perimeter of grocery stores. Real foods that will give you the real energy you need and crave! Paleo diet has some wonderful recipes and fabulous guidelines for sure. The back to basics mentality being the most important aspect of it all. Let me know what new recipes you find and new snacks you are trying. We all have one chance at life......deciding to live healthfully is truly a lifelong process but every day it is worth it! You can do it!

Super Hummus

Oh my gosh! I have missed writing to all of you out in Internet land. It has been a very busy few weeks for me and my family. Our trip to Kentucky was a lot of fun...it is safe to say we enjoyed every minute. I loved cooking for my sister and Mom while my wonderful, beautiful, sweet nieces played with my 3 cuties.

Cooking is such an art form that many times I feel like I have cheated if I rush through it but that is the reality many nights with 3 hungry little bird mouths chirping loudly for their food. But today I had a good 15 minutes in which to prepare my lunch. After looking in the cabinets and refrigerator I quickly realized I didn't have much to work with. You will not believe this but I have not had salsa in at least 3 days...I know...the jitters will probably start soon, right?! So my favorite ingredient was out of the running for my lunch but then I spied a gorgeous can of organic Garbanzo Beans and decided to make hummus to go with the sparse selection of cut up vegetables I have left in the fridge (it is time to go to the grocery but I will save that for tomorrow...Trader Joe's morning!). I have been on a yellow mustard kick and you know how much I love nutritional yeast so I just started mixing it all up and created a hummus that I really liked. It is very different with the nutritional yeast added but that kicks the protein up another notch making the hummus even healthier!

Here is the recipe for Bikini Lady's Super Power Hummus:

1 Can Garbanzo Beans (or Chick Peas depending on where you are from ;-)

1 T yellow mustard

Garlic and lots of it (but I was out of fresh....a travesty I know) I used 1t garlic powder

1/8 t garlic salt (just 1 tiny shake really)

2 T nutritional yeast

water from garbanzo bean can (save from draining)

Directions:

Drain garbanzo beans and reserve the drained garbanzo bean can water. Rinse the beans. Put the beans and all other ingredients except the water from the can into your blender or food processor. Add the drained water 1 T at a time until you get the consistency you desire. I like my hummus teetering on the thick side since I like it to stay on my celery when I dip. Pulse or blend the mixture until thoroughly mixed and all the garbanzo beans are completely chopped up into a paste. Enjoy with any cut up veggies you have on hand. My favorites are celery, any color pepper and cut up cucumbers. Yummy and made from foods I had in my kitchen.