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Showing posts from August, 2014

30 Healthier Ways to Pimp Your Popcorn

There is a new movie treat in town and it's called Pimped Popcorn.  You know what that means right?   Nope, not marshmallows and caramel. Nope, not 'fake' butter or artificial sugars. Nope, no artificial food dyes. This type of popcorn won't rot your teeth, or cause cavities or leave you with a crazy imbalanced sugar high and crash.  That kind of treat is so last year! These top 30 ways use only natural sugars and power superfoods that will give you healthy energy and satisfy your cravings!! Pimped popcorn is popcorn filled with decadently healthy Superfoods to give your popcorn insane pizazz and a serious nutritional boost without realizing your eating healthy. BAM! Whenever I mention healthy to anyone in my circle, they begin with a sign and a "ugh". I'm not sure why healthy has such a bad rap.  There is so much you can do with healthy!! You do realize you can eat healthy and decadently at the same time right? Yup.  It can be

PIMP Your Green Smoothie

Ever wonder how to add magic into your smoothie?   Ever wonder why your smoothie just doesn't come out the way they make them at the store? It's easy to fall into the same ole recipe every day. Why not spice it up? Here are some of my favorite add-in's that enhance my smoothies to ultimate delicious status! Try adding 1 or two new things to your smoothies each time.  Don't add in the whole lot!  HERBS: (small and large handfuls) Fresh Basil Fresh Mint Fresh Chocolate Mint Fresh Rosemary Fresh Parsley Fresh Dill Fresh Cilantro SPICES: (a dash or two) Dried Nutmeg Dried Cinnamon Dried Cloves Dried Cardamom Dried Vanilla Powder Dried Tumeric NON DAIRY MILKS and BASE LIQUIDS: (1/2 cup - 1 cup) **Unsweetened for less sugar **Regular for extra flavor Almond Milk Cashew Nut Milk Quinoa Milk Hemp Milk Coconut Milk Coconut Water Decaf or Regular Green Tea (from a Teabag) Camomile Tea English Breakfast Tea TigerNut Horchata (all fla

Cantaloupe Mint Gelato Smoothie

Hey guys! Some super exciting news!  I entered another food contest! Shape Magazine, Silk Soy Milk & Go Sweet and Skinny partnered together and offered a contest on Instagram!   The idea was to use Soy Milk in a recipe or picture and post it on Instagram.  Since I am a creative chef over here, I decided to enter.  Naturally. These days I am feeling so positive about my path that I figure why the heck not, right?  Why not try.  Why not create?  Why not!  What have I got to loose?   This positive attitude of mine is spreading amongst my friends, so I'm hoping maybe I will inspire you! I enjoy being out there, trying new things and sharing my light.   Even if I don't win, at least I created something new!  And guess what?!  You guys get my recipe!! Since I consider myself the Smoothie Queen and I also love to make pancakes, I figured I would either create the ultimate soy pancake or the ultimate soy smoothie. I ended up choosing the idea of a dessert in a smoo

PIMP Your Sunflower Seed Butter

Did you know that Sugar is everywhere?  And most sugars are not healthy for our thriving bodies.  When I went Paleo, Whole 30 for six months-the beginning was so tough.  No added sugar whatsoever. It was scary to not have my artificial sugar crutch.  How was I going to survive without it?   It was time to put my creative thinking cap on and get serious about the snacks I was going to put in my body.  Especially since I was learning so much at my kick-ass Nutrition school on sugar and it's effects. How could I enjoy snacks that were sugar free, and what would they be?  How could they be tasty and healthy at the same time?  How could I end my sugar craving and heal my body but at the same time nourish my body? In walks Organic, Natural, Sugar-free, Sodium-free Sunflower Seed Butter by Once Again Organic.  Well, actually, the seed butter didn't just walk in, it was more like I learned a lot at school, I was following a Paleo Diet and had some serious restrictions so I w

How To Enjoy A Trip To The Dentist

Let's face it.   Everybody hates going to the Dentist.  There is always a fear of cavities, or that the teeth cleaning may hurt your sensitive teeth.  Or that the Dentist will lecture you on lack of flossing and read you the riot act on your mouth care-even if you think you are the mouth health care superstar. But most of the time our fear gets in the way and it makes everything hurt so much more.  Have you ever noticed that? I'll start out by saying I have lovely teeth.  And I really take care of my mouth, but I can't tell you how nervous I get when I have to go to the Dentist.  I already know when I wake up that morning that it's going to hurt.  That I will most likely have cavities because that would happen to me.   I psych myself up to think that the experience is going to be horrific.  I usually convince myself of this.  And my fears usually get the best of me.   I cringe when I think of those sharp instruments scraping my teeth.  -insert thought of nails on

20 Unique Ways to PIMP Your Tigernut Horchata

Hi guys! Have I told you about this new drink that I'm totally addicted to? So lately I'm loving Tigernut Horchata!  What is that?  Well it's a drink that tastes really good!   It's made from Tigernuts which may sound like nuts, but are actually a Mediterranean vegetable tuber root that is made into a drink.  Sounds gross right?  Actually, It's so freaking delicious!  It reminds me of a light and beautiful iced coffee.   This vegetable and drink is allergen free: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, Paleo, grain-free and nut-free.  The actual dried veggie is sugar-free.  Free of almost everything and still tastes delish.  This drink is also considered a Pre-biotic which is great for gut flora.  And as a plus this drink is also Organic , so you know nothing but the best is getting into these drinks.  They come in a few flavors.   My favorite is the unsweetened version because it is very low in natural sugars.  Just 3grams.  Their other flavors are Bee Pollen, C

How To Make Easy Hemp Milk

All I can say is- This is the easiest recipe I have ever made! I think this is the easiest recipe that anyone will ever make besides making eggs and toast. It's effortless, nutritious, healthy and creamy. Why Hemp Milk?  Well… It's a great alternative to dairy milk.  It's tree nut and nut free and it's delicious! There are no additives or thickeners in the homemade version. It is lactose free and Casein free!  It is low glycemic!  Only 1 gram of natural sugar. This is a great alternative for those that are Lactose Intolerant. It's cheaper then buying the store bought! Did you know that this tiny seed is a Superfood?   Did you know it's packed with crazy nutrients and vitamins like Iron, Vitamin A, Potassium, Magnesium? There is 86mg of Magnesium!  That is amazing.  Magnesium helps with muscle spasms, regulates sleep and well…keeps you "regular". Did you know that Hemp Seeds are a huge source of Omega-3's?  And Omega-6.

How Quinoa Milk Gave Me My Confidence Back

The other day, I had a friend over for dinner that I hadn't seen in two weeks.  She said I was different this week, that I had seemed so positive in comparison to the last time we hung out.  She said she could hear it in my voice.   I looked at her and whispered, "It was the Quinoa Milk".   My very own kitchen skills scored me homemade Quinoa milk-But I wasn't always so experimental in the homemade non dairy milk department... My Yoga teacher from last Summer used to to tell me how much she loved making almond milk and how easy it was.  She got the "alien with five heads look from me".  I thought yeah right…what is she smoking. Flash forward to now-9 years into the life of a recovering Celiac, with some serious Leaky Gut issues that started about two years ago and haven't stopped that have lead to hair loss, Anemia, malabsorption, Acne, the need for a Liver Detox, on and off the Paleo Diet for 6 months, 100 percent clean, refined sugar free an

The Secret To Perfect Sugar-free Pancakes

Sounds crazy right?  Like it can't be done?  Like there must be hidden sugar in here somewhere?  Like there is a catch? The way I see it-When there's a will, there's a way. Detox diets can be restricting, but… It can be done.  And it can be done and taste delicious!  Isn't that what life is all about? Why should you deprive yourself right?   Why can't you enjoy whatever lifestyle you choose, right?   Or whatever lifestyle chooses you... Why can't your food taste good gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free yada, yada, lots of free's-why the heck not? In this recipe I used sugar-free vanilla extract , Liquid Stevia (the real kind you get at health food stores, not the kind that is cut with additives-don't be fooled by marketing!  Read ingredient labels). I also used dessert spices like Nutmeg and Cardamom. And I also used fruit, because fruit sweetens up everything, naturally!  I played with two versions, one wa