Nut Butter Chocolate Bites

Posted on May 23, 2013 by LindsayVLS

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I was on a mission to make a raw fudge chocolate bar.  It didn’t happen.  What DID happen was the most delicious, beautiful, happy accident I’ve had in my kitchen.  As you know I love myself some chocolate.  I don’t like to buy candy bars from a typical store because they are filled with all sorts of crack…….. I mean sugar and other junk.  Raw chocolate bars can be a little pricy(starting at $8.99 a bar)  I love having options of making these yummy treats at home.

IMG_5705[1]Until recently I had only made homemade chocolate with coconut oil, raw cacao, and stevia or maple syrup.  Last night I decided to add some homemade almond butter to the mixture and ended up with an almond butter cup.  There is nothing better than a guilt-free chocolate treat. I could go on and on about how much I love these, but enough with all the talk lets get to the good stuff.  Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

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Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup raw cacao powder*(cocoa power will work as well, just make sure the ingredient label only state cocoa on it, no sugar!)
  • 1/4 cup nut butter of your choice-I used almond here, but cashew would be so yummy, even regular peanut butter too
  • 1 dropful of liquid vanilla stevia* OR 2-3 tbsp maple syrup.
  • pinch of Real Salt*
  • mini muffin tins or mini cupcake liners
  • non stick spray

*Use coupon code OZI624 at iherb.com and receive $5 off your order over $10 or $10 off your order over $40, plus free shipping.  I love iherb.com they have the best prices on a variety of products and they ship fast!

Preparation:

  1. heat coconut oil until melted, and mix well with the nut butter.
  2. add the cacao powder, stevia, and salt, mix well to combine.
  3. Spray mini muffin tins or mini cupcake liners with nonstick spray.  Add the nut butter mixture and fill each tin about 1/4 full.  You should have about a dozen.
  4. Stick tray or liners into freezer for 15 minutes.  Remove from fridge, unwrap and enjoy!

~These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days(I bet you can leave them in the freezer until you want to eat them, just make sure once they set, to put them in a container)

 

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Navitas Naturals Giveaway!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by LindsayVLS

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then you I know love to blend.  I’m all about the smoothies.  They are easy and satisfying and jam packed with vitamins and minerals.  Smoothies are even better for you when you pack them with a variety of superfoods.

I’m excited to share some of my favorite products with you  thanks to my friends at Navitas Naturals. Navitas Naturals specializes in organic, superfoods from around the world.  I love experimenting with their products which are certified organic and use minimal processing methods.

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These three products are great for smoothies, baking, cereals, desserts, sauces, dips, get creative!

Now to the good stuff, how can you win this trio of superfoods?  There are a few different ways you can earn entries:

  1. Come on over to my Facebook page and “Like” me :)
  2. Sign up to receive my monthly newsletter here
  3. Share this contest on your personal Facebook page (Tag my Facebook page so I can see that you shared it-or use #SFLGiveaway)
  4. Comment on ANY of my recipes found on my blog

For each action that you take, please leave a comment on this post (leave a separate comment for each action, so I can count each one!).  This contest will end on Monday at 11:59 Mountain Time.  Good Luck!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments

Cauliflower Margherita Pizza

Posted on April 24, 2013 by LindsayVLS

Cauliflower-Pizza-Crust-Recipe-0

 When Salt Lake City food blogger, Becky Rosenthal asked me to cook with her I must admit, I was a little intimidated.  When Angelo and I found out we were moving from Detroit to Salt Lake City I immediately started checking out the food scene. We had been to Salt Lake City before, the first restaurants we experienced were Sage’s and Copper Onion.  Both of them were amazing and we said to each other if this is what the food scene is like in SLC we could totally live here.  Little did we know a year and half later we would be living there!  When I first started reading Becky’s blog SLC Foodie, I saw her review on Copper Onion and immediately knew I could be friends with her.  She is a foodie and is clearly passionate about sharing the incredible and growing food scene in Salt Lake City.  Fast forward two years and I attended one of Becky’s Mixers specifically for bloggers and met some amazing women as well as finally meeting Becky(although I felt like I had known her, you know how you read someone’s blog for so long its like they are your long lost cousin!)

Becky has a passion for food and a passion for creating recipes and adding her own twist to it.  I love getting with other like-minded people in the kitchen.  Collaborating with other people in life just makes everything so much better.  If you think you’re a genius try working with someone else, twice the ideas and twice the fun! 

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We made an amazing cauliflower crust pizza along with a Mediterranean Cous Cous Salad.  The Mediterranean salad turned out to be so fresh, and tasty with kalamata olives, pine nuts, feta cheese, bell pepper, onion, and a light olive oil lemon dressing this salad will be my go to salad for the summer.  I made it about a week after Becky and I tried it out and loved it the next day in a wrap with hummus.

I’ve made cauliflower crust pizza a few times.  I love it because I can literally eat the whole thing and not feel guilty about it!  The crust isn’t quite as crispy as a typical American Pizza, but after eating pizza in Naples, Italy I love having a messy pizza that I can get down and dirty with(Think Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love-except you’ll still fit into your jeans).  To make the cauliflower crust we added eggs, cheese, salt, pepper and some herbs to help cut the taste of the cauliflower.   I love how versatile cauliflower is, you can make mashed potatoes with it, substitute couscous for it, and make an amazing pizza crust.  I love pizza as much as anyone but I don’t love how sluggish and gross I feel after eating too much of it.  Here is a guilt free recipe that is guaranteed to make you feel satisfied without feeling greasy and lethargic afterwards.

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Ingredients

  • 1 small head of cauliflower, leaves and stems removed
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Manchengo sheep milk cheese (or Mozzarella)
  • 2 eggs
  • cornmeal, to dust the pizza stone

For the Pizza Sauce

  • 1 jar marinara or pizza sauce
  • 1/2 cup sheep milk cheese
  • 5-8 basil leaves

Preparation

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
  2. Chop cauliflower into small pieces, pulse into a food processor until it looks like a small grain.  Transfer cauliflower into a large bowl, add herbs, slant, cheese and eggs. Mix to combine.
  3. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cornmeal all over a pizza stone.  Place the cauliflower mixture on the middle of the stone and press it into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 and then another 10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Crust will be done when it turns golden brown.
  5. Remove crust from over, change temperature to 450 degrees.  Add pizza sauce, cheese and your preference of toppings, and bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Manga Manga!

Check out Becky’s blog post about our pizza here

Update: I found this recipe online for a cauliflower pizza crust, it sounds like this process takes a little longer but you’ll end up with a crispier crust, if that is your preference!!!  Check it out from Detoxinista right here

Are you looking to change your eating and lifestyle habits, start here with a one-on-one health consultation. For more health and lifestyle tips follow me on Facebook here.

 

Posted in Dinner, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Chocolate Bunny Juice

Posted on March 26, 2013 by LindsayVLS

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Spring is in the air, the weather is getting warmer and Easter is right around the corner.  It’s the perfect time to make this rich chocolate bunny juice.  This recipe is from Natalia Rose’s book Fresh Energy.  Natalia is a mentor and detox teacher that I’ve been following for years, her cookbooks are amazing, I strongly suggest you get her newest Fresh Energy!  I’ve completed her PH Detox course and I continue to learn tips and tricks from her.  If you’ve never had a fresh juice before this would be a great one to start with.  Using raw cocoa powder gives it a chocolatey velvet texture, which makes it taste like chocolate milk.

This recipe is so easy to make and it has less than four ingredients in it.  Celebrate the spring like the bunnies do and have some chocolate bunny juice!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of romaine lettuce
  • 6 large carrots
  • 1-2 tbsp raw cocoa
  • stevia to taste

Preparation:

Put lettuce and carrots through a juicer. Add raw cocoa to juice with stevia to taste(start small with stevia you won’t need a lot).  Blend all ingredients together and enjoy your bunny juice.  Happy Spring!

Posted in Breakfast, Lunch, Recipes, SIdes, Snacks, Thirst Quenchers, Treats | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Which are you? Carrot, Egg, or Coffee?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by LindsayVLS

“How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives”

- Annie Dillard

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We all deal with stressful events in life.  This is LIFE, stress happens. Death,  sickness, heartbreaks, good surprises, bad surprises, accidents, mistakes, failures, and successes.  We cannot avoid Some of theses are good events some of these are bad ones.  The point is every person in the world, if they are lucky, will experience these things.  And when we experience these events you have a choice.  You can choose to handle life like a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean.  How will you choose to face the world?

I received the following story from my cousin, and I wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy

 Which are you ? Carrot, Egg or Coffee Bean?
-source unknown

“You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, Mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity? Do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor of your life. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you changed by your surroundings or do you bring life, flavor, to them?”

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Gluten Free Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Posted on March 2, 2013 by LindsayVLS

I’ve said before that I am not great at baking.  I LOVE to cook, but baking is a whole different game.  It took me three times to get this recipe right. The first two times I ended up with “muffins” that wouldn’t come out of the muffin tin, so I mushed up the “muffin” into a ball and ate them like that, classy, I know.

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I was SO happy to get this recipe right.  I honestly thought that Meyer Lemons were going to go out of season and I would have to wait a whole year to try them again.  Thankfully the third time is a charm.  If you can’t find Meyer Lemons, you can certainly use regular lemons.  I used coconut flour as the base.  I have to say I’m really weird about the flavoring of coconut in certain dishes, I don’t always love the flavor.  With the poppy seeds, lemon, and the vanilla, these muffins don’t taste like coconut at all, so if your not a fan of it don’t hesitate to try these, you won’t even notice the flavor(Candy I’m talking to you).

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Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup raw agave or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup grape seed oil
  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
  • lemon zest from two Meyer Lemons, or zest from one regular lemon

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven 350F
  2. Add the coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt into a large mixing bowl
  3. Mix eggs, almond milk, vanilla extract, agave, and grape seed oil into a separate mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together.
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.  Fold in lemon zest and poppy seeds.
  5. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray, and fill tins about 1/2 full.  Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on the edges.

Makes six muffins

 

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Magical De-Bloat Potion

Posted on February 25, 2013 by LindsayVLS
Magical De-Bloat Potion

Magical De-Bloat Potion

I am so happy to share with you my new magical “potion” that I have been drinking.  I made this about a week ago and I’ve been drinking at least 4-6 glass of it per-day since.  It’s a mix of tumeric, ginger, cayanne, and lemon juice with hot water.  This potion is powerful!  We are talking detoxing and getting rid of toxins, your body naturally eliminating waste, anti-inflammatory, your waist size dropping and after a few days of sipping this your energy should be up.

On my second day of drinking this I went into work and shared my new found magical recipe with some coworkers.  My boss said to me “when you walked in you looked less puffy, not that you always looked puffy before, but there was something about your color and your face where you just looked lighter”.  I don’t weigh myself so I can’t tell you if I have lost weight, but I FEEL lighter and have more energy which means more to me than any number on a scale.  Try this recipe and sip it for a few days along with eating a clean, healthy diet and report your results back to me.  Go ahead and get your Harry Potter on and let me know what you think! IMG_4014[1]

Turmeric-The major health benefits of Turmeric start with it being a strong anti-inflammatory spice.  Turmeric has been used in Chinese and Indian systems of medicine for centuries and is now becoming popular in the Western world to treat various  symptoms.  Turmeric contains curcumin which is what gives the tumeric its yellow pigment.  Curcumin has been shown to be as potent as other anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofin and hydrocortisone, without all the nasty side effects.  Studies have also shown what a powerful antioxidant this spice is as it helps protect your body from free radicals that attack your body and can lead to cancer or DNA damage.  The more turmeric in your diet the less destruction to your body, on a cellular level.

Ginger-There are many different forms of ginger from whole fresh roots, to crystallized ginger.  For this recipe I used ground ginger or powdered ginger. Ginger has been used in herbal medicine to help promote the elimination of intestinal gas, and intestinal spasmolytic, which helps relax and soothe the intestinal tract. Adding this spice to the magic potion will help your body eliminate waste naturally, and get rid of excess bloat.

Cayenne- Cayanne gets its heat from the high concentration of capsaicin.  Capsaicin is recognized as an effective pain reliever, as a digestive and anti-ulcer aid and also produces cardiovascular benefits. Adding cayenne pepper, even in small amounts can help reduce symptoms of indigestion. This spice can help reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and well as decrease the formation of blood clots. Cayenne pepper is known as increasing the body’s ability to burn fat, and who doesn’t want to burn more fat?

Lemon-Lemons are a great source of vitamin C and B6 as well as potassium, folic acid, flanoids, and phytochemical limonene.  Lemon can help aid in weight loss because of its benefits as a digestive aid, and it helps cleanse the liver. Lemons are also a great way to help your body fight infections and promote immunity.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray M.D.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2-1 Tbsp Turmeric*
  • 1/2-1 Tbsp Ginger*
  • 1/2-1 tsp Cayenne (depending on how much heat you can handle)
  • 5 Tbsp lemon juice( I used juice from Meyer Lemons, but regular lemons will work fine), OR 10-15 drops of CPTG Lemon Essential Oil
  • optional(I usually omit this) Stevia to taste, or maple syrup.
  • 32 oz. warm water
*I like strong tasting drinks, so I used about 1 tablespoon of the turmeric and ginger, if your making this for the first time, start with a little less.

Preparation

  1. Boil 32 ounces of water in a tea kettle, once it boils remove it from heat and set it aside.
  2. Add spices and lemon juice to a pitcher or container that holds at least 32 ounces of water.  Once the water has cooled a bit( you don’t want to add boiling water into the mixture, this will breakdown some of the benefits of the lemon) add it to the pitcher.  Give the mixture a good stir and sip on it throughout the day.  As the magic potion sits the spices will fall to the bottom, you can stir it each time your pour yourself more, and always add some more warm water if it gets too spicy for you.  Add stevia or maple syrup to sweeten it if necessary.

I make this mixture and sip on it for 5-7 days.  I feel so light and healthy while I am drinking it so I don’t want to stop!  Let me know what your results are in the comments below or on facebook. One friend said she lost two inches on her waist after drinking it for four days!

Are you looking to change your eating and lifestyle habits, start here with a one-on-one health consultation.

 

Posted in Snacks, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 83 Comments

Sweet Potato Fries

Posted on February 21, 2013 by LindsayVLS

 

IMG_3949[1]Sweet Potato fries have become somewhat of an obsession with me the past few weeks.  They are so good and satisfying without any guilt. I always try to have a few sweet potatoes on hand, so when I’m craving comfort foods these are my go to snack, that can easily be turned into a dinner. Sweet potatoes are low-glycmic as opposed to white potato which are high-glycemic.  Sticking to low-glycemic foods helps you burn fat more efficiently, doesn’t spike your blood sugar, and as a result you won’t crave salty and sugary foods in one or two hours.

I play around with the seasoning on this recipe each time I make them.  I love that this recipe is so customizable so you can make it however you want. If you’re craving something sweet you could use cinnamon and stevia* as your seasonings.  I usually like mine spicy so I’ll add some crushed red pepper. Below is the a basic recipe and taste just fine as is, but feel free to experiment and let me know what you like best!!!  I LOVE to eat these with Guacamole or try them with my Creamy Corn and Avocado Soup!

Benefits of Sweet Potatoes: I’ve already mentioned the benefits of a low-glycemic diet.  Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carotenes, and vitamins C and B6. Sweet potatoes are also easily digested by the body making them a “quick exit” food, which means you’ll have more energy.  In addition they are a good source of maganese, copper, biotin,  vitamin B2, and dietary fiber.

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato(or one potato per person)
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut sweet potatoes into even strips
  2. Add about 2 tbsp olive to a bowl and toss with strip of potato.  Add a decent amount of salt and pepper to properly season each piece.  Experiment with seasons.  Some of my favorite combinations are paprika and cumin or garlic powder or cinnamon and stevia*.
  3. Place sweet potato strips onto a nonstick(or spray with nonstick spray) baking sheet.  Place in oven, checking every 10-15 minutes.  They key to getting a good crispy edge on each side is to keep flipped throughout the cooking process.  I cook them for about 30-40 minutes(until they reach the desired crispness I like!), but I flip them every 10 minutes or so.

*Purchase stevia through iHerb.com.  They have the best prices and if you use coupon code OZI624, you’ll receive $5.00 off your first order! Make sure your buy NuNatural brand, it is my favorite, and doesn’t give a bitter taste!!!

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Creamy Corn and Avocado Soup

Posted on February 20, 2013 by LindsayVLS

IMG_3949[1]There is nothing more satisfying during cold winter months than a creamy soup.  I tried to do a raw food challenge last week, where I ate all raw during the day and one cooked meal at night.  About halfway through I listened to the signs of my body and added cooked foods back in during the day.  I could eat raw all day long during July and August, but in the winter I really crave the warm, feed your soul kind of foods. This doesn’t mean it has to be a big bowl of creamy saturated fat!  I used avocado in this recipe which gives any soup a yummy creamy consistency, so many of us love. This recipe is inspired by Natalia Rose’s Raw Mexican Corn Chowder in The Fresh Energy Cookbook.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups corn kernels*(thawed if bought frozen-see note below about buying corn)
  • 1 avocado peeled and pitted
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • lime juice from one fresh lime
  • about 2 cups water(adjust to make it the consistency you want)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cilantro(optional garnish)
  • scallion(optional garnish)

*A quick note about corn.  ALWAYS buy organic corn.  I usually suggest organic ingredients and make it up to you to choose what you want.  Unfortunately in the United States of American corn is more often grown as a GMO(genetically modified organism) and the FDA doesn’t require companies to label what is real corn and what is fake(GMO) corn.  Buying corn organic assures you that its not GMO, or you can get it locally from your farmers market during the proper season!

Preparation:

If you have a high speed blender like a Vitamix, put all ingredients(except cilantro and scallions) in the blender on the “soup” setting and let it do it thang! Once it’s done blending add cilantro and scallions to garnish.  If you don’t have a high speed blender see the steps below.

  1. Add corn, avocado and garlic into a food processor. Keep mixing ingredients until all the avocado and garlic are chopped and mixed well with the corn.  If you want it to be less chunky, “chop” for longer, if you like chucks cut your “chopping” short.
  2. Add 1/2 the water and the corn, avocado and garlic mixture to a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add cumin, red pepper, lime juice, salt and pepper.  Cook the mixture in the pan until it is fully heated.  Adjust the thickness as needed, you can add more water if you need to thin it out.
  3. Serve your soup with a garnish of cilantro, and scallions!
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Cucumber Airplanes

Posted on February 12, 2013 by LindsayVLS

It’s all about being creative when it comes to cooking with kids.  For this class we used a book called “Cooking and Art.  We followed a recipe to make “cucumber airplanes”,  where we cut cucumbers in half, scraped out the guts(seeds), then filled it with a salad that we made.  Each child made their own salad. We had mixed greens, avocado, garlic sauce and hummus that was generously given to us from our friends at Laziz Hummus, tomato, bell pepper, onion, and seasonings to taste.

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We cut slits in the side of the cucumber, filled it with slices of carrots to be the “wings” and “tail”.  Some of the children decided theirs looked more like a boat, or an insect!

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After making our cucumber airplanes(insects or boats) we talked about simple healthy snacks. We made some bread(could do toast) with almond butter and apple slices on top.

All cooking classes are held at Bad Dog Arts, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Click here for more information!!!

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Snack time!!!

 

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