Cranberry bliss bars! Slice of heaven!

These were one of my all time favorite treats when I use to work for starbucks! The starbucks version I’m sure is loaded with sugar, wheat, dairy and other naughty things. My version is just as yummy with only healthy ingredients. I made it without a ton of oils and fats also because you know how I feel about digesting fats and sugars together! They don’t work well together!

Cranberry bliss bars

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds

1/4 cup ground gluten free oats

1/4 cup ground raw buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds

1 tablespoon tapioca flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons melted vegan butter (or grass fed butter)

juice of 1 small orange

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons chopped white chocolate (see below for my recipe)

4-5 packets stevia (or 1/4 cup maple/honey)

pinch of sea salt

Orange cream cheese frosting

Blend/process until creamy:

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1/4 cup soaked macadamia nuts

juice of 1 small orange

juice of 1/2 of a small lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2-3 packets of stevia (or just add more maple/honey)

pinch of sea salt

* If you want to make your own white chocolate chunks you can melt 1/4 cup cocoa butter and mix in 1 tablespoon cashew butter and a sweetener such as stevia, honey or maple. ( I used stevia) Then let cool in the fridge until it hardens.

* Mix the cake ingredients together and form into a large 8-10 inch “cookie” on parchment paper lined pan.

* I lightly cooked this at 250F for about 15-20 minutes.

* Let cool before applying the frosting.

* Top with orange zest and dried cranberries.

* Makes 8 servings

This recipe can also be seen herehttp://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gluten-free-wednesdays-9-25-13/  with lots of other gluten free recipes

Toasted seaweed snacks

These are a must try! A great snack for kids or when you are on the run. So quick and easy to make and so much tastier than straight nori sheets out of the package. Seaweed is loaded with minerals that your body needs especially iodine, zinc, and selenium which are found mostly in seafoods. Iodine is food for your thyroid and so it helps keep your metabolism moving at the correct rate. Zinc helps stabilize blood sugar, reproductive function, brain function, and immunity. Selenium is also an immunity booster and another mineral needed by the thyroid to function correctly.

Toasted nori

5 sheets of nori seaweed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch of sea salt

 

* Rip the seaweed into 4 squares and turn the stove on medium.

* Apply a very light coat of the oils (mixed together with the salt) onto a square.

* Place the seaweed into the fry pan for about 2-3 seconds or until it shrivels just slightly and flip it on the other side for a few seconds.

* Thats it! Eat Lots of them!

 

Harvest bread (gluten free/vegan with grain free option) and an explanation of the “vata” dosha

This is the perfect bread for fall! My kids can’t get enough of this stuff! You can make it using only raw buckwheat flour if you want grain free. Buckwheat is excellent for balancing your blood sugar and it is a good source of magnesium. It is also good for helping to dry dampness in the body (mucas, infections, sluggish digestion).  It can also increase “vata” which can be overly drying especially in individuals with a more “vata” type constitution. You can figure out your dominant dosha by taking a quiz here: http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/?gclid=CNPlvZuG4LkCFUpBQgodNAgAmg

Vata types tend to be very energetic, have difficulty focusing, artistic,anxious,nervous,dry skin and usually very thin body frames. Fall is a vata season so everyone will naturally have an increase of vata in the fall. So if you do have an excess of vata in your body I would recommend using gluten free oat flour instead of buckwheat. Oats are calming and nourishing and would be a great soothing food for vata types.

Harvest bread

1/4 cup coconut flour (ground coconut shreds)

3/4 cup raw buckwheat groat flour or oat flour(or half of each)

1/2 cup walnut flour

3 tablespoons tapioca flour

1/2 cup cooked butternut squash

3 tablespoons melted earth balance butter (or grassfed butter)

1 tablespoon coconut milk

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

zest of 1 small lemon

4 tablespoons maple/honey

4 packets stevia (or more as needed)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup of each: raisins,dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup of warm water

2 tablespoon cinnamon powder

large pinch of allspice

large pinch of sea salt

*Combine the ground flax seeds and warm water and let sit for a few minutes.

*Grind your “flours” and mix ingredients together.

* Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes or until slightly firm.

* Let cool and enjoy! Makes about 8 servings

Versatility blog award answers and a nourishing blood building soup for fall

Sift,stir , and savour has nominated me for the versatility award so I am going to try and come up with 7 interesting things about myself and nominate some other blogs for the award as well!

 

The Rules of the Versatile Blogger Award:

• Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.
• Acknowledge the blogger on your blog and link back.
• Share 7 random, interesting things about yourself
• Nominate up to 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award, provide a link to their blogs in your post, and notify them on their blogs.
• Copy and paste the award somewhere on your blog.

 

Here are my 7 facts about myself:

1. I am learning Chinese right now in school and finding it easier than I thought it would be (I may of just jinxed myself)

2.  I am super sensitive to air pollution and have been for about 15 years-I get jittery like when you have had too much coffee and I use to have panic attacks. I am feeling better since adding bone broths/liver pills.

3. I  am from the Seattle area but lived in San Diego for 3 years when I went to school to be a veterinary technician.

4. I really disliked working in a western medicine veterinary clinic because every thing was treated with antibiotics and steroids. I was much happier in the holistic clinic that I worked at that used homeopathic medicines, and special diets for pets.

5. I have been married for 13 years and have 2 super blonde kids age 3 and 7 who fight like cats and dogs.

6. I like lots of variety in my life so I plan to have a beach cabin, mountain cabin and a city home some day in the future.

7. I am in an acupuncture/chinese medicine program and LOVE it and can’t wait to learn more and start giving treatments.

Blogs I nominate:

1. http://www.healthyeah.co.nz/  A surfer from New Zealand with a passion for whole foods, healthy living. She has awesome recipes and food photos!

2.http://chugyourgreens.com/ A smoothie page a just discovered with a large variety of smoothie ingredients and cute photos!

3.  http://www.thespicedoc.com/ I have been following this blog for a few years and love learning about Chinese medicinal foods and herbs. Also seeing photos from China where she is living is a bonus!

Check them out!

Nourishing blood building soup (Sorry for the photo! Replacing soon!)

In the crock pot:

2 soup bones with marrow

2 cups cooked black rice

2 cups mung beans

about 1 1/2 -2 quarts of water

3-4 cloves chopped garlic

2 (or more depending on how spicy you like it) tablespoons Thai brand green curry paste

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

2 tablespoons of honey/maple (per taste)

Sea salt to taste

* Cook for 24 hours then put in refrigerator for a few hours until the fat hardens on the top then scrape off the fat and throw away. ( Some people like to keep the fat but my body/gall bladder can’t handle animal fats well so I take it out)

*Add: 3-4 cups chopped veggies such as: cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, potatoes,celery, and fresh basil

* You can blend in the blender if you like it creamy or leave it chunky.

* I topped with 1/4 cup chopped basil also for an extra zing!

Smoothie Tuesday! Nectarine queen

 

 

Today I made a nectarine smoothie with the best nectarines I think I have ever had. Now that fall is here my smoothies are going to turn up the heat so to speak. The spices are going to be extra heavy to allow the stomach to actually digest a cup of coldish fruits/veggies on these cold days. Make sure you drink your smoothies with some hot tea or soup so it doesn’t cool off your digestive fire!

 

Nectarine Queen

1 large nectarine

1 medium orange

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 soaked date

2″ chunk ginger

about 2 cups of water

large pinch of cinnamon

pinch of turmeric

* I topped with goji berries, raisins, cinnamon, and chia seeds.

Dairy free vanilla pudding tart with cashew whip cream

I completely forgot about this recipe I worked on a few weeks ago! This one turned out really good especially for us people that miss that sweet creamy texture and flavor that we ate long ago when dairy was still in our life:) I have started my acupuncture/chinese medicine program about 2 weeks ago so I took a little break from the blog world to get things going with school and studying schedules. My digestion has not been so good lately because of the new school stress so I’m on a soup diet so I will be posting a new soup recipe tomorrow!

Dairy free vanilla pudding pie

2 cups coconut milk

1/4 tapioca flour

1 teaspoon agar agar powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup maple syrup

optional: few drops of stevia for extra sweetness or replace some of the maple for stevia.

Crust

1 cup cashew flour

3 soaked dated

pinch of sea salt

Cashew whip cream

Blend:

1 cup soaked cashews

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon melted coconut or cocoa butter oil

1 tablespoon honey/maple

5 drops stevia

* Cook the pudding ingredients on medium while stirring often for about 15-20 minutes until it is thick and creamy. Place in refrigerator to cool off.

*Mix the crust ingredients together and press into the bottom of a tart tin.

* After the pudding is cooled pour into the crust and apply some cashew whip cream and eat or put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set before eating.