Tradition

My family and I have a tradition. We eat at The Old Farmhouse Restaurant every Friday morning. The kids look forward to it, as do Aaron and I. We talked about abandoning our tradition and replacing it with eating a healthier meal at home, but have decided to keep it. The kiddos are happy! So this last Friday, we spoiled our kids with pancakes bigger then their heads and hot cocoa.  Aaron and I stayed on track and got oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts, cinnamon, and some honey. Very delicious. I have to say that my husband is the health nut. I don't know where we would be if he weren't passionate about staying healthy and actually caring about our bodies, from the inside out!  Staying healthy is something that I know I need to do, but when your other half 'knows' as well, it helps keep everyone on board.  
Have a blessed day all!

Dani

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I just tweaked a whole wheat pancake recipe that I found online. Here is my ingredient list:

3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

2 Tbsp Baking Powder

6 Tbsp RAW sugar

4 egg yolks

3 Cups Nonfat milk

6 Tbsp apple sauce

3 Tbsp FRESHLY ground Flax Seed

Mix everything together and cook in a non stick pan or lightly oiled cast iron pan.

These pancakes were amazing! My kids LOVED them. For perfect sizes I used my measuring cup that measures 1/3 cup. The Apple Sauce is replacing the oil that would have been used in the recipe,(I used some of Romans baby food berry apple mixture), the non fat milk replaces 2%, and I added the freshly ground flax seed which I just learned I could grind in my coffee grinder. I learned yesterday as I was doing some research that flax seed has a fresh oil that is released when you grind it, and that it can go rancid fast. So, if you buy it already ground... chances are it has WAY less nutrition as a freshly ground seed. Good info to know! Sometimes we spend a lot of money on things that are already ground and we don't realize that it doesn't have as much nutritional value. This makes a ton of pancakes, so feel free to half the recipe.

It made me think of a coffee bean, and how much tastier it is from a freshly ground bean!

Well, that is my post for the day! 

Blessings!

Dani

Mighty Muffin Success!

Alright, so I took a picture! I stored these Mighty Muffins in the fridge last night because of a current 'ant problem' that we are having. I just took them out to try one cold... they are great! The flavor of the banana and apple really stand out.  So these little guys, ARE in fact mighty because they are loaded with potassium, Vitamin A, C & E, also I threw in some flax seed which studies show that flax seed may help fight everything from heart disease to diabetes to breast cancer.  I added some oats to my muffins as well, so these are a great fiber source. 
Blessings,

Dani

Brown Rice!

This was dinner tonight. Very simple and packed with flavor! Brown rice which is a staple for us, loaded with veggies, cilantro, onion. I baked some quartered corn tortillas at 400 degrees for about 7-10 minutes and sprayed them with fresh lime. This was a great meal! Needed some protein but I didn't have any beans left.

Every Sunday afternoon, I make a pot of brown rice. About 32 ounces of brown rice and that gets us through most of the work week. Its great to keep in the fridge, so that you can have it on hand and ready to add to whatever healthy meal that you are trying to make! Just wanted to share our dinner idea. The chips were so good and perfect with this combo! Have a good night everyone!

Mighty Muffins

Going to make these Mighty Muffins! Excited to see how they turn out and maybe freeze some for a quick, on-the-go snack! These are from another great site, http://www.forksoverknives.com/mighty-muffins-for-mothers-day/

From the Inside Out

In September 2011, I watched a documentary called, 'The Incredible Human Machine'.  It was amazing, and after watching the entire thing... I had to pick my chin up off the floor! It was life changing and really opened my eyes to what I was consuming, and how I was 'fueling' my body. 

My husband and I hardly ever eat fast food. Its just something that we have always stayed away from. When we travel, we pack food, and stop at grocery stores to get something healthy to snack on.  After realizing that I wanted to make a big change, I did... and it lasted a whole 70 days. I gradually got back into eating the way I was before.  

Aaron (spouse), and I recently watched another documentary called 'Forks over Knives' and we decided that this is the way we needed to start eating. So I am starting this blog, for anyone to read and hopefully get helpful fun ideas to feed a family based on a whole foods, plant based diet. 

I am not a writer, I am just hungry and excited to learn about eating the best I can.  Below is a helpful list of a whole foods, plant based diet. I hope you all find some of this information helpful and I hope you all start feeling better, from the inside out.  

(Engine2diet.com)

Cooking oil substitutes

Fat-free cooking spray, such as Spectrum

Vegetable stock

Fresh produce

Choose a wide variety from this category, and focus especially on 

dark leafy greens.

Fruit 

Vegetables

Herbs, such as parsley and cilantro

Whole grains

Brown rice

Wild rice

Risotto

Whole grain breads/pita

Whole grain baking mixes

Whole grain pancake mix

Whole wheat pasta

Dried and canned goods

Select items without added salt, sugars, or preservatives. 

Beans - including black, kidney, pinto, and 

northern varieties

Lentils - including red, green, and brown varieties

Fruits - including raisins, apricots, pineapples, 

strawberries, dates, figs, and mangoes 

Spices

Tomatoes

Nuts

Avoid roasted varieties.

Walnuts

Cashews

Almonds

Pistachios

Meat Substitutes

Meal-starter crumbles

Tempeh

Tofu

Seitan

Wheat Gluten

Lentils

Milk Substitutes

Choose varieties that do not contain added oils.

Almond milk

Multi-grain milk

Oat milk

Rice milk

Soy milk

Sweeteners

Molasses

Maple syrup

Honey

Banana and apple sauce can replace sugar in recipes

Vinegars

Balsamic

Fruit

Oriental

28 DAY TOOLBOX:  Kitchen Must-Haves… to get Plant-Strong!

Make snacks and meal preparation 

easier by keeping these staples handy.

In the fridge

Cooked brown rice

Cooked beans/legumes

Hummus

Salad

Sliced fruits and vegetables

In the freezer

Watch the fat and sodium content of prepared frozen 

foods, especially meat substitutes.

Corn tortillas

Fruits and vegetables

E2 approved breads

Meat substitutes, such as veggie burgers 

and veggie dogs

Pita bread

Pizza crusts

Blessings,