Chocolate Walnut Toffee Bars

This is a decadent high caloric once in awhile dessert ...not for the faint of calorie <3
As always use organic ingredients when ever possible
I have tried to post the picture of the front of the cook book giving credit where credit is due but not sure what went wrong will fix ASAP


I found a cookbook that is gluten free . I have only tried a few recipes but I have had to alter things because of my preference and food allergies.

1/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 egg  ( I used 1 Tb ground flaxseed 3 Tb water mixed set aside)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
11/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped pecans(I used chopped walnuts)
1cup choc chips ( I used Enjoy Life semi sweet mini vegan choc chips from )

Mix butter and sugar
Mix in brown rice flour then mix remaining  ingredients.
Butter pan then press in a even layer and bake until golden brown on edges for  approx 15 min.
Set aside

In sauce pan melt and bring to low boil the first 2 topping ingredients
Simmer And Whisk together while simmering and it will gel together when this happens it is ready
Pour over baked bar and spread evenly
Sprinkle with pecans-(I used chopped walnuts)
Sprinkle with choc chips- waiting a few minutes for the chips to melt a bit then spread with a spoon
Let cool COMPLETELY
Cut into squares
Happy Eating
Sandra

Tex Mex Soup

Yesterday's Green Chili Chicken 

Now turned Soup

Canned tomatoes

Canned black beans

Celery 

Carrots 

Onions

Veggie broth

Cilantro

 Brown rice

Cumin garlic powder sea salt 

Smoked paprika 

I must confess that I winged it on this one as usual when I make a soup it's usually different every time and hard to recall a recipe to write down as I kinda just throw it together .

By the time I declare it a winner I have to muddle through my past steps of what I did .

I will just tell you what I did .

 

Left over green chili chicken- bones removed chunked up

Cut into chunks onions celery and carrots and chopped cilantro-to taste

The organic canned tomatoes I took all the juice and blended it my blender along w 1/2 of tomatoes

then I used the chunky tomatoes that were left over and just put it in the pot

2 -3 boxes of veggie broth

spices

stir , simmer a while ...enjoy !

 

 

This was a old draft I never posted I had to think for a minute on what this was about .

I hope it was worth the bother

 

 

Happy Eating

Sandra

 

Chicken Veggie Soup

This is a easy breezy comfort soup.
Yesterday I was in need of some comfort food that would take the chill off and make me feel warm n cozy.
This soup like many soups I make are actually thrown together with just a few ingredients & a afternoon of simmer time.( the amounts are a guesstimate)

Ingredients :
1 Pkg Organic Chicken (bone in-2 breast 4 legs)skin removed on the all except 2 legs)
1 Large Organic Onion chopped in chunks
8 Organic Carrots peeled & chopped in chunks
8 Organic Celery chopped in chunks
6 Lg Kale leaves stems removed chopped up
1 Large Turnip pealed chopped in chunks
1 Tsp - Basil Thyme Oregano & Sea Salt
1 Very Large Pot

Saute Onions in little of Olive oil (being careful not to burn oil)
Add spices
add water to 1/2 way full - place chicken in it and bring to boil cover n simmer for 2-3 hrs
take chicken out cool it down and take off of bones into chunks and set back in pot and simmer 30 min or so - then add all veggies and fill the rest of pot w water to 3/4 full cover and simmer until veggies are tender

Happy Eating
Sandra

* you could add brown rice if you wanted

Gluten free Almond Cookies

Gluten free Almond Cookies

1/2 cup Butter
1Tb Ground flaxseed -3 Tb water set aside while you get other wet ingredients
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
Mix wet together

Mix dry together

Mix both

3/4 cup almond meal/ flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/4 tsp tapioca starch
Chopped raw almonds to dip in before baking
Make into balls , dip into chopped almonds in one side
Place almond side up on parchment papered cookie sheet
400* 10 -12 minutes until horn brown on edges
Let cool completely

They are slightly crumbly
I may modify this recipe and will post
They are yummy as is but I want to adjust it

How I might change it would be to try 2 tsp almond extract
Maybe 1/2 tsp tapioca starch
Or arrowroot


Happy Eating
Sandra

Where has the time gone ?

Well Hello,
Very Long time no post , things have been a bit crazy .
I intended to post more often but life has a way of throwing curves .
All is well with me and my health journey .
To list a few excuses are in mid September I had a flood in my house that turned my world upside down in the fact that it seemed to be a easy fix then turned into many events leaving a main room in my house a construction zone for many weeks. It's been a year of many replacements and fixes from a new toilet to air con repair computer crash...router and printer replaced all in the last few months .

Needless to say I have been busy with all of that while still moving forward with new goals.
I have registered officially to run the PF Chang 1/2 Marathon here in Az .

Seems I never have time to just sit on the computer to write .
I also have mixed emotions about the need for me to do so . The interest is weak in that when people find out what I live without in my daily food journey they think its impossible or I may spend hours talking to them about cleaning up the food we eat all though they seem truly interested then I never hear from them again leaving me to wonder why do I waste my time. Not all are that way but most sadly are.
I will again try to post new things when I feel it and maybe this can be revived to the intended reality of just helping and encouraging people to make better choices to be healthy.

I've come to the conclusion there is blog overload and too much to belong to "like"and leave our footprint on to keep track of  and follow etc etc .
Everything is short lived and interests change almost daily with  too many choices.

I will post soon on my Christmas Baking 2012
Happy Eating
Sandra

Chicken Sausage Links

Every now and then we need a good " breffiss ". My Favorite was sausage but all the stores have processed goop with nitrates nitrites and MSG blah blah blah etc etc .
This is not rocket science just figured out this is as easy as 123 .made it up myself .
You could use ground turkey if you want and you could grind your own meat .
I prefer to buy it ground already . I use  a mix as you need to have some fat in it to give it moisture . (olive oil could be used )
I also use this recipe for sausage n gravy over spelt no yeast biscuits .Mind you this can't be eaten every Sunday but every now and then it's a splurge.

Chicken links

1 lb ground chicken breast
1 lb ground chicken thighs
Combine both

In small bowl mix spices then put in chicken mix well

1 tsp dried basil
1tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Sage
1tsp sea salt
Ground pepper optional

Shape into links then brown in sauté pan for about 30 minute or desired doneness .It makes about 12 links. I personally like mine very cooked ...thats just me ;)
Wrap individually then freeze for a "breffiss" time saver .
As soon as I can figure out how to get my picture uploaded of the sausage n gravy and the biscuits I will insert them later .
For now ...
Happy Eating
Sandra

Ps
I on purpose spell breakfast wrong ...it's the country bumpkin in me ;)

GF Almond Butter Oat bars

Here is a protein bar that is super delish and serves as a quick energy boost before or after a workout or maybe even for breakfast.
It is really a double batch but you can cut in 1/2 and put in a 8x8 pan .
I like my oblong 7'x11'...I know its a weird shape but that's what I have and like.
I bake it @ 350* for 20 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown .
LET COOL COMPLETELY before cutting.
Cut into squares or rectangles whatever your like just enough for a nice serving of energy.
I really didn't want to post a picture of this because it really doesn't do it justice but because we are a visual driven people hopefully you can look past the cruddy camera quality.
they are YUMMY !!!


~Almond Butter Oat Bars*~
mix
2/3 cup Almond Butter
1/2 cup Vermont Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree or Applesauce
4 TB Light Olive Oil or Grape seed Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
6 TB Ground Flax Seed
2 TB Toasted Sesame Seeds (mixed in )
mix in
3 cups of GLUTEN FREE OATS**(there are 2 kinds regular and chopped - chopped works best)
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Chopped Raw Pumpkin Seeds (no shells)
1/2 Vegan Choc Chips
2 TB Toasted Sesame Seeds sprinkled on top

spread in light olive oil greased baking dish
350* 15 -20 min until golden edges
let cool then cut

*always organic when possible
** some people still can not have Gluten Free Oats as they may be super sensative to it .
Check with your Doctor for your specific limitations.

(Vegan) Chocolate Chip Cookies

OK so Ive been hiding from what I don't know but I'm out from under my rock to get a few recipes
I've cooked up over the past few months.
I have been doing more gluten free as it seems it helps me feel better.

For starters here's the Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies I think are out of this world.
I started with a basic choc chip cookie from my moms recipes but have changed it up so much I can truly call this mine.
 I find that if you bake until browning on the edges and cool on pan then they will stay together without having to use xanthan gum or guar gum etc. ( secret is ground flax seed)
*Organic everything when possible




~Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies~

mix 1 -set aside
11/4 cup gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup gluten free oats
(make sure its the shredded looking oats there are 2 kinds in like packaging)
11/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
                                                    1 tsp sea salt

mix 2 -

2 TB ground flax seed plus 6 TB water(set aside a few min to let flax seed activate)
then add
1 cup applesauce plus 4 TB light olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

mix 3 (to 2)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

then mix all

after mixing well add
1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips (the only thing that keeps this pkg from saying vegan is that it is done in a factory where it has other items that "could" have a minute possibility of other foods touch it - highly unlikely you be your own judge)
1 cup chopped walnuts
sprinkle tops w/ raw sugar before baking

 use brown parchment paper on cookie sheets and bake 350* for approx.12 minutes or until edges are golden toasty brown
bake n freeze

~Happy Eating~
Sandra

Organic Chunky Beef Chili

Ingredients

2 lbs Organic beef stew meat
1 Lg can fire organic roasted stewed whole tomatoes
1 Lg 25 oz can of organic black beans with liquid from can

1 Lg 25 oz can organic garbanzo beans drain liquid from can
1 Lg organic white onion
1 can of green chilies
3 cloves organic minced garlic
1 jalapeno coarsely chopped
chili powder*
cayenne pepper*
cumin*
sea salt*
pepper
*all spices to taste
 approx 1-2 tsp each or more depends on your taste buds


Directions

saute chopped onion until slightly caramelized
add minced garlic saute for a minute then place in crock pot
add can of green chilies, chopped jalapeno and can of tomatoes
Add garbanzo bean and black beans brown beef and place in crock pot
add spices
stir and cover for at least 6- 8 hrs


options
eat as is w garlic toast or biscuits
or add a couple a handfuls of brown rice macaroni to crockpot 20 -30 min before you
ready to eat
or make brown rice or brown rice macaroni and place in bowl and place chili on top of it in bowl

* I am a blood type O so typically  I only use ingredients that are BT O friendly
it kinda looks like corn in picture but its the garbanzo beans

Corned Beef Left Overs = Reuben

Corned beef used to be a old time favorite from the past .
Eating products that have a lot of chemicals in it is something that I do my best to avoid.However I came across Corned Beef from Trader Joe's with no msg nitrates or nitrites last march.
I tried it and I loved it and went back for more and found it to be a seasonal thing and would have to wait until next march for it to have again .
Oddly enough I remembered it was that time...to start looking for the corned beef and stock up on it.
A Few weeks ago I saw it and snatched up 4 packages.
O sooo yummy .
Yesterday was St .Patricks Day and I made in the crock pot corned beef and organic cabbage & carrots about a 1-2 cups of water and covered for the day and I made sweet potatoes in a pot on the stove.Just regular boiled  and chunky ...light colored (not the orange ones).
It was very very yummy.

Today was the left overs.


A REUBEN sandwich.
Ingredients were all blood type o friendly.

Sliced corned beef
organic sauerkraut
homemade thousand island dressing
goat cream cheese
100% rye bread (not made with wheat flour )
 home made 1000 island dressing

1/3 cup vegenaise (grapeseed)
1/3 cup organic ketchup
1 tablespoons each finely chopped red onion celery
4 olives finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
                  a dash of cayenne and black pepper

HAPPY EATING
Sandra

Do you read labels ? If not you should !

We hear about men and women with cancers of all kinds.My generation is dieing way too young...34yrs old ...44 & 52yrs old. WOW !!!
 Unheard of really when I was a kid.
Why do you think it is?
I believe for sure not only our environment is filled with toxins . Our food is too.
Everything you put in your mouth has been changed by all the additives and preservatives that is allowed.
We have been asleep at the wheel and its time to wake up and smell the coffee.
We have been lulled to sleep with being lazy and take for granted the safety rules we THINK the FDA and all other agencies are enforcing.
What has been allowed in our food is nothing short of shameful.

When I started my journey to lose weight I not only had a goal to lose weight but I also had a goal to be healthy.
In being careful not to eat ingredients like corn wheat and potato products as a blood type O it became obvious I didnt know what some ingredients were so I had to google it .
In a perfect world I wouldn't be writing about this and I could trust everything that is sold in any American store.
That's the furthest from the truth.I am appalled as to some of the ingredients.

Did you know that shrimp is dipped into a bath of SODIUM BISULFITE to help preserve it so it wont get brown spots before you get it???
I googled it and what I read is so not good.
In the 80's it was banned when 13 people died from this chemical and was reported that there probably was more connected to this. It was put on lettuce in salad bars and fresh fruits and vegetables back then but there was no "REGULATION" governing how much.
I haven't connected the dots that would say why it was allowed back in the food but the only thing I can see is that in small amounts its "ok" as long as its declared in the labels and used in certain amounts.

Shell fish are not my thing but I might have them maybe like 1 time a year.
Mainly because they are not from America and its not on the top of the list as healthy, kind of like cat fish(I never eat) because they are bottom feeders of the ocean .
The product I purchased was a bag of frozen raw shrimp from the US Gulf. I saw it had that chemical in it and said to myself I will look it up when I get home.Not my usual pattern but I was so excited the shrimp were from AMERICA that I bought them .
My investigation led me to this blog.
I found this out and brought it to the attention to the customer service clerk in safeway .She had no clue and could care less even bringing the printout of the chemicals dangers and description.
Its hard to believe how you are treated when you politely present a problem like this.

Did you know Asthmatics can have a life threatening moment when they eat shrimp ?
Some may blame it on the shrimp itself saying they are allergic to it but its most likely the chemical that its dipped in .
There are many examples of poor stewardship of our food industry.I could go on and on and on .
But I wont .I will just mention a few things I have found since I started reading my labels and looking up ingredients.
Carrageenan is another preservative .Even though it is derived from a red seaweed I wonder on the safety on it when I read articles like this:

STOMACH ACHES CAUSED BY CARRAGEENAN

Some folks can eat just about anything. Some people might
have no problem producing a tall glass of homemade soymilk,
then converting it to chocolate milk by adding the
following ingredients: Three teaspoons of sugar. One
teaspoon of chocolate powder. Two tablespoons of Vaseline
petroleum jelly. The Vaseline might produce gastric
distress, and the soymilk drinkers would erroneously
conclude that they are "allergic" to soy. Some people
do not experience gastric discomfort caused by the
Vaseline-like  food additive, carrageenan. Many people do.

Carrageenan is a commonly used food additive that is
extracted from red seaweed by using powerful alkali
solvents. These solvents would remove the tissues
and skin from your hands as readily as would any acid.

Carrageenan is a thickening agent. It's the vegetarian
equivalent of casein, the same protein that is isolated
from milk and used to thicken foods. Casein is also
used to produce paints, and is the glue used to hold
a label to a bottle of beer. Carrageenan is the magic
ingredient used to de-ice frozen airplanes sitting on
tarmacs during winter storms.

IS CARRAGEENAN REALLY NATURAL?

Carrageenan is about as wholesome as monosodium glutamate
(MSG), which is extracted from rice, and can equally be
considered natural. Aspartame (NutraPoison) is also natural,
as it is extracted from decayed plant matter that has been
underground for millions of years (oil). So too are many
other substances such as carrageenan that can also be
classified by FDA and USDA as wholesome and natural
food additives.

Just because something comes from a natural source does
not mean that it is safe. The small black dots in the
eyes of potatoes contain substances that are instantly
fatal if eaten. Got poison? You will if you eat the
black dots on the "eyes" of potatoes.

Carrageenan is a gel. It coats the insides of a stomach,
like gooey honey or massage oil. Digestive problems often
ensue. Quite often, soy eaters or soymilk drinkers react
negatively to carrageenen, and blame their discomforting
stomachaches on the soy.

High weight molecular carrageenans are considered to be safe,
and were given GRAS status (safe for human consumption) by
the FDA. Low weight carrageenans are considered to be
dangerous. Even SILK admits this.

In order to get more information about carrageenan from
a scientist, I spoke with one of America carrageenan
experts, Joanne Tobacman, M.D. Dr. Tobacman teaches
clinical internal medicine at the University of Iowa
College of Medicine. I explained to Dr. Tobacman that
I rejected animal studies (we discussed valid concerns
about animal research, and why they never produce
reliable results for humans). I requested evidence of
human trials that might show carrageenan to be a
danger for human consumption.

Dr. Tobacman shared studies with me that demonstrate that
digestive enzymes and bacterial action convert high weight
carrageenans to dangerous low molecular weight carrageenans
and poligeenans in the human gut. These carrageenans
have been linked to various human cancers and digestive
disorders. Again, I remind you that Tobacman's evidence
and conclusions are based upon human tissue samples,
not animal studies.

I will cite additional information from four studies:

1) Filament Disassembly and Loss of Mammary Myoepithelial
Cells after Exposure to Carrageenan, Joanne Tobacman,
Cancer Research, 57, 2823-2826, July 15, 1997

2) Carrageenan-Induced Inclusions in Mammary Mycoepithelial
Cells, Joanne Tobacman, MD, and Katherine Walters, BS,
Cancer Detection and Prevention, 25(6): 520-526 (2001)

3) Consumption of Carrageenan and Other Water-soluble
Polymers Used as Food Additives and Incidence of
Mammary Carcinoma, J. K. Tobacman, R. B. Wallace, M. B.
Zimmerman, Medical Hypothesis (2001), 56(5), 589-598

4) Structural Studies on Carrageenan Derived Oligisaccharides,
Guangli Yu, Huashi Guan, Alexandra Ioanviciu, Sulthan
Sikkander, Charuwan Thanawiroon, Joanne Tobacman, Toshihiko
Toida, Robert Linhardt, Carbohydrate Research, 337 (2002),
433-440

In her 1997 publication (1), Tobacman studied the effect
of carrageenan on the growth of cultured human mammary
epithelial cells over a two week period. She found that
extremely low doses of carrageenan disrupted the internal
cellular architecture of healthy breast tissue, leading
her to conclude:

  "The widely used food additive, carrageenan has
   marked effects on the growth and characteristics
   of human mammary myoepithelial cells in tissue
   cultures at concentrations much less than those
   frequently used in food products to improve
   solubility."

Tobacman continued her work by exposing low concentrations
of carrageenan for short intervals to human breast tissue
(2), and observed pathological alterations in cellular
membranes and intracellular tissues. Tobacman wrote:

  "These changes included prominence of membrane-
   associated vesicles that coalesced to form unusual
   petal-like arrays...and development of stacked
   rigid-appearing inclusions in the lysosomes that
   arose from the membranes of the petal-like arrays
   and from smaller, dense spherical bodies that
   formed clumps."

In reporting a historical perspective, Tobacman
revealed that carrageenan has been found to
destroy other human cells in tissue cultures,
including epithelial intestinal cells and
prostate cells. She concludes:

  "The association between exposure to low
   concentrations of carrageenan in tissue
   culture and destruction of mammary
   myoepithelial cells may be relevant to
   the occurrance of invasive mammary
   malignancy in vivo and provides another
   approach to investigation of mammary
   carcinoma."

Tobacman's third paper (3) explored the increased
incidence of mammary carcinoma to the increased
consumption of stabilizers and additives such as
guar gum, pectin, xanthan, and carrageenan. While
no relationship between the either above named
additives and cancer was observed, carrageenan
showed a strong positive.

Although high molecular weight carrageenans are
considered to be safe, Tobacman demonstrates that
low molecular weight carrageenans are carcinogenic.
She writes:

  "Acid hydrolysis (digestion) leads to shortening
   of the carrageenan polymer to the degraded form,
   poligeenan. It is not unreasonable to speculate
   that normal gastric acid...may act upon ingested
   carrageenan and convert some of which is ingested
   to the lower molecular weight poligeenan during
   the actual process of digestion. Also, some
   intestinal bacteria possess the enzyme
   carrageenase that degrades carrageenan."

Tobacman's 2002 publication (4) proves her earlier
hypothesis. She writes:

  "Mild-acid hydrolytic depolymerization of
   carrageenan affords poligeenan, a mixture of
   lower molecular weight polysaccharides and
   oligosaccharide products."

Tobacman is currently preparing and characterizing
low molecular weight poligeenans (carcinogenic)
that have been extracted from human digestion
modalities. Her yet-to-be published data suggest
that carrageenans are dangerous for human consumption.

My advice: Read labels. If there is carrageenan
in a product, select an alternative.

This morning, I checked my local supermarket (ShopRite,
Emerson, NJ) to see which soymilk manufacturers added
carrageenan to their formulas.

REFRIGERATED SOYMILKS

The largest selling soymilk in America is SILK.
Do I pick on the industry leader? Damned right I
do. SILK sets the standard. You deserve to know the
truth. Just for the record, when SILK changes
their formula they will become my hero. In my
opinion, SILK tastes better than any of the
commercially available soymilks. Unfortunately,
consumers sacrifice good health for good taste.
That is not a fair trade, particularly for
our children.

SILK uses carrageenan. SILK plain, SILK chocolate.
SunSoy also uses carrageenan. Hershey's real chocolate
is not so real. They use it too. So does Nesquik.

THESE COMPANIES DO NOT USE CARRAGEENAN

VitaSoy does not have carrageenan! they use barley flower
as a thickener. 8th Continent does not use carrageenan
either. Their choice is to use cellulose gel and soy
lecithin to create a smoother soymilk.

SHELF STABLE

On the shelf (non-refrigerated), I found Rice Dream.
They do not use carrageenan. They use xantham gum.
Soy Dream (made by Imagine Foods) does not use it
either. Their emulsifier is rice syrup. Eden Soy
does not use it. They use barley extract.

Do a little experiment. Drink a quart of SILK.
Pay careful attention to your carrageenen-induced
tummy ache and intestinal discomfort. Many consumers
unfairly blame that on soy. Now you know the truth.
Drink a quart of VitaSoy, 8th Continent, Soy Dream,
or Eden Soy, and you will not get the garrageenan-blues.

Why do some manufacturers "get it," while others
remain clueless?

_________________________________________________

Robert Cohen author of:  MILK A-Z
Executive Director (notmilkman@notmilk.com)
Dairy Education Board
http://www.notmilk.com
This file: http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.txt

Do you know of a friend or family member with one or
more of these milk-related problems? Do them a huge
favor and forward the URL or this entire file to them.

Do you know of someone who should read these
newsletters? If so, have them send an empty Email to
notmilk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and they will receive
it (automatically)!

REALLY ???
So it is allowed in organic almond milk because ???
Sounds like Im crazy for bothering to post this to some but I think its crazy we all have allowed the food industry to put anything and everything in our foods that is questionable.

How about all the cancers and tumors and diseases like Lupos Alszhiemers
MS ?
Remember the old saying of  "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT". Holds true when we take the time to really read our labels and know what we are eating .

I challenge you to read every label in your pantry and see if you can't find things in it that when you look it up because you do not know what they are you will be mad .
If you dont get mad then you should.

"Happy Reading"
Coach Sandra

Promises ...Promises...

Lets go way back to October.
I bragged quite well about the meal my daughter made me promising to post the recipe.
After taking a couple of months to get it from her and me taking the time to try it on my own.
Here we are.
Finally !


The dinner was Falafel served on Ezekiel Taco Shells with homemade ranch sauce.
The other items were Tex Mex Quinoa Balls .
Yesterday I played around in the kitchen and came up with a little twist to an already amazing recipe.
Its a long story but I found myself wanting Falafel but without the wait time to soak the dry garbanzo beans.
I will list all the original recipes then my new twist for the impatient people like me.

picture of Stephanie & Grand Princess Elle

My daughter Stephanie is great in the kitchen.I love that she is very creative when it comes to food and cares about what she eats and its quality.
Stephanie adapted these recipes from a bunch of resources and came up with her version.


Falafel
Steph's Original

1lb of dry garbanzo beans
1 medium chopped onion
4 garlic cloves
fresh minced cilantro
handful chopped fresh parsley(not flat leaf)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 lemon (juice from it)
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
olive oil
salt pepper
canola oil for frying
Prepare beans:
sort and rinse chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
place in large bowl with water to cover them about 1inch above the beans
cover place in frig overnight, shake beans next morning while also making sure beans are still covered with water
never use hot water
drain and rinse beans when ready to make falafel
Saute`
1-2 tsp olive oil
minced garlic
diced onion until tender
add cumin, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt , pepper
set aside to cool slightly
Combine:
in food processor combine chickpeas,garlic, onions, cilantro, parsley, juice of 1/2 lemon, and baking powder
the texture should be fine and mealy over mixed will be like hummus not enough it will not form a ball
Form:
line a cookie sheet with chlorine free parchment paper
shape into little meatball size
batter will be sticky and you may have to wash hands a few times .
it should resemble the texture of raw meatloaf
when finished place in frig covered for about 2-3 hrs.
Fry:
heat canola oil or light olive oil and place falafel balls in pan not to crowd the pan
4-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown
be gentle as they are fragile
place cooked falafel balls on paper towel to absorb extra oil
repeat until all are cooked
they should be a little crispy on outside while soft on the inside kind of like hush puppies

Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup goat milk yogurt
1/4 cup veganaise (grape seed)
spices are to taste
chopped fresh parsley
oregano
basil
fresh garlic minced and or both garlic powder
salt & pepper

Usually the falafel is stuffed in a pita bread but I eat for blood type O which eliminates the use of mainstream wheat products.So I subbed out that with a Ezekiel(is ok because the gluten lectin is destroyed in the sprouting process) small taco shell that I made crispy by frying it in a little light olive oil.

Place the falafel balls in taco shell add homemade ranch made with goat yogurt /veganaise (grape seed) shredded romaine lettuce or spinach and diced tomatoes you could even have red onion and cilantro
This meal is definitely a treat  and is not super low in calories but its the good fat as they say and its in moderation
This was AMAZING  one of the best things I ever ate. Really !
before /after baking

I was impatient yesterday so I set out to make falafel with out the "dried bean" steps
I was using the canned organic ones
I made them with these ingredients adapted from the Tex Mex Balls which I will post tomorrow

Sandra's Quick Falafel Balls

1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
1 cup canned garbanzo beans~drained
1 medium onion chopped and saute`with a little olive oil until transculent and lightly brown
*set aside to cool
2 garlic cloves
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
1 handful chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
sea salt to taste
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder (I think I will try it with out the baking powder next time & adding flax seed meal ~ apparently it needs a binder )


picture shows three different kinds of quinoa balls
Tex Mex
Pizza (mozz chz on top)
Falafel Quickies(lighter colored ones)

in small food processor
mix onion, garlic, juice from lemon, red pepper flakes, cumin and baking powder until it gets pasty
(like the consistency of tomato paste)
place pasty mix in bowl with garbanzo beans and quinoa
mash together until a meatball like texture that can form a ball and stay together.
place on parchment lined baking sheet
350* 20-30 min.
bake approx. 15 min turn bake another 10 -15 min until golden brown in color and heated through.

That's what I have for today.Tomorrow I will finish this little quinoa project, until then.

Happy Eating
Coach Sandra

* correction

OOPS MY BAD

I wrote in recipe for 1 cup of buckwheat flour and 1//2 cup brown rice flour

*corrected = 3/4 cup buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup brown rice flour

Chocolate Cranberry Delight

I am back with the wonderful results.

I only had 3 little bites and this is a sugar over load for me phewwww !

I hardly eat any real sweet things ...however it is scrumptious.

I took my mothers old Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting recipe and made it for Blood Type O.

the ingredients for the frosting is as follows.

* 3 oz of Trader Joe's creamy goat cheese (cream cheese from goats milk and I weighed it to be exact because the pkg actually is 4.5 oz)

* 1 Tb. almond milk

* 2 1/4 Trader Joe's Organic confectionery sugar cane

* 1/8 tsp sea salt

* 1/2 tsp pure vanilla

mix together until creamy

drizzle over brownie as it is a very wet icing

it also will be a tan in color because the confection sugar used is not regular very white sugar

Chocolate Cranberry Delight

* 3 Tb unsweetened cocoa powder 

* 2 Tb Trader Joe's unsweetened pure nothing added cranberry juice not from concentrate  

* 2 Tsp pure vanilla

* 1/2 cup Trader Joe's Organic applesauce

* 2 Tb light olive oil

* make this mix in small bowl... 2 Tb ground flax seed w 6 Tb water...let soak a few minutes

   (next time I am replacing water w more cranberry jcto see if it will resemble red velvet cake more)

mix all above in order as given

add

* 1 1/2 cups Organic evaporated cane sugar

mix these 2 flours together and add to mix

* 3/4 cup buckwheat flour

* 1/2 cup brown rice flour

stir in handful of dried cranberries(no sulfur dioxide added /all natural ) 

* 1/2 cup Trader Joe's Organic chopped walnuts

* optional - also sprinkle a few walnuts on top before baking

* as always use organic when ever possible

350* for 35 minutes in a glass square pan greased w light olive oil

What treats are on the menu for Valentines Day ?

Going through all our traditional holidays and special celebrations we all have and do present a challenge for us healthy conscious people.
I seem to find a way to make the transition with most recipes but not with out some trial and error.
Face it ...in the real world most people who eat healthy occasionally have a treat here and there .
Moderation is definitely the key.
I will attempt to make a recipe I totally transformed that was red velvet inspired.Taking old recipes we have in our recipe boxes from the old days is fun to me.
I am sure it will not taste exactly the same but that's a good thing in my world .

I will call them "Chocolate Cranberry Delights"

Vegan butter can be used and ground flax seed instead of eggs makes this vegan if you need that.
I don't use eggs anymore in my baking, it saves me from "running out" of them and I get more flax seed in my diet. A win win. I also think it has a better texture when I use ground flax seed.
The exact formula to replace eggs is 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water.
*Note that eggs in smaller quantities when replacing is best typically its 2 or 3 .When something requires large amounts of eggs...not so much and not for everything.
The solution to making them free of a lot of fat calories I also will use applesauce and light olive oil.

I will post a picture and the exact recipe shortly .I am getting ahead of myself here. I need to test it first but I just could not wait to share with you my "valentine" treat .

Im off to go bake and will be back with results.

See you soon.
In the meantime...
Happy Eating
Coach Sandra

Blackeyed Peas Just Because :)

Black Eyed Peas w/Grass Fed Stew Beef

Yummy Yummy !!!

Here is a cozy recipe that will warm your heart and tummy.

This is so easy its silly.

Ingredients needed

*2 lbs grass fed organic stew beef (you can use ground organic beef too)

*1lb dried black eyed peas

*Jalapenos chopped*optional

*1 lg onion chopped

*2 garlic cloves diced

*smoked paprika  1 tablespoo
*garlic powder 1 tablespoon

*dash of cayenne pepper * optional

*sea salt

*1 cup water

*6 cups of hot water
(if you use cold it will start the peeling process on the blackeyed peas when the water hits the warm  b e peas)

*cilantro 1/2 cup chopped

*carrots 1 cup thin sliced

sort and rinse beans follow instructions for quick soak method on pkg

set aside to soak
get crock pot on high and ready

brown beef and place in crock pot

saute onions place in crock pot

coarsely chop jalapenos place in crock pot

sprinkle smoked paprika, garlic powder dash or 2 of cayenne

add sea salt 

cover and let start to cook a few minutes when you hear a sizzle add water

cook about 2 hours

 add soaked and rinsed and drained black eyed peas

add 6 cups very hot water

*I put mine in micro to boil then added it to crock pot

add cilantro
cook for 4 to 5 hrs on high total

add carrots last hour of cooking

cook until beans are tender and take off lid to get to desired consistency

serve over brown rice in your bowl

that is garlic ezekiel toast with that bowl of b e peas to the right here

dash of tabasco is fun
if spice isn't your thing omit hot spicy ingredients

use organic anything when possible 

you could add everything in the beginning all at once and stir and cook however I prefer it in stages

Happy Eating
Coach Sandra

Healthy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This recipe Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies I found on the Gluten Free site gluten-free-desserts.com/recipes.
I changed it to make them even a bit more healthier .
I will dub them 
Healthy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup Arrowhead Mills organic brown rice flour
1 cup Arrowhead Mills organic buckwheat flour
1/4 cup Bobs Red Mills tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp Trader Joe baking powder (aluminum free)
3/4 cup Trader Joe organic sugar
3/4 cup Trader Joe organic brown sugar
1 cup Trader Joe organic no sugar added applesauce(approx.12 tablespoons )
4 tablespoons Fresh and Easy light olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 tablespoons of Bobs Red Mills ground flax seed - 6 tablespoons of water (set aside in small bowl to soak a few minutes)
2 3.5 oz Trader Joe's organic dark chocolate candy bars chopped into chunks
1 cup chopped organic Trader Joe walnuts

mix dry ingredients (except choc. chunks and walnuts)
mix wet ingredients (except flax seed mix set aside in small bowl)
add flax seed mix to wet ingredients
mix dry to wet ingredients

add walnuts and choc chunks
drop with a spoon onto parchment paper (unbleached chlorine free) lined cookie sheet
sprinkle top with raw sugar

bake @*350 for 12 minutes or until golden brown
*oven may vary please check a@ 9 or 10 minutes

Happy Eating
Coach Sandra

* pictures used are of my baked cookies
*as always use organic ingredients when possible

*ingredients changed
1 cup canola oil
12 oz choc chips
1/2 teaspoon water
2 eggs
baking powder

Don't Be Scared Of Buckwheat

 Finally I have some new creations that will surprise your taste buds.This is my favorite of the bunch.

Buckwheat Oatmeal Cookies

These are recipes I have had from my mom making necessary changes to them to make it blood type O friendly for me. Vegan friendly too

3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup buckwheat flour(can use 1 cup of spelt flour instead of the 1/2 bw & 1/2 oat)
1/2 oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup applesauce (organic no sugar added)
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1/3 cup organic sugar  or raw turbinado sugar
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed -3 tablespoons of water (put in little bowl to soak to the side while you get other ingredients ready)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

mix dry ingredients (except the oatmeal-raisins-walnuts)
mix wet ingredients
* in small bowl the flax seed and water set aside(replaces eggs)
combine dry to wet , add flax seed mixture.
add oatmeal
add raisins
add walnuts
stir well
drop spoonful on parchment paper lined cookie sheets(unbleached chlorine free)

*350
9-12 minutes until slightly brown...may vary from oven to oven
* as always use organic when you can

Happy Eating
Coach Sandra

Nothing Here Is Rocket Science

Happy New Year 2012
Many new resolutions are made New year New You !!!.We just have to resolve to take things in stride and stay focused.
If losing weight is a goal then set out to try something everyday to change remove or fix why we might be over weight such as eating better and exercising.

Recently during the holidays I noticed that when traveling one could easily cave in to bad food.
I made a conclusion on this trip that your options are very very limited and planning better needs to be a priority.

I've taken snacks such as homemade trail mix veggie sticks almond butter n jelly , apples and bananas before. However this last trip on the way home I was just ready to get home and didn't make a great effort to plan. Stopping in truck stops and even the GREAT BUC-EE'S gas stop have no options for me as a healthy choice eater.
I found myself in  a room filled with people and products. Yes products is more like it .All of which have sooooo much chemicals additives and things that are far from a good choice.
 I was looking around at people.You would think they were getting a sandwich made of gold or a jerky made with out sodium sulfate.

 Buzzing with business this place is off the charts .
If you have never been to a Buc-ee's you don't understand what I mean.

It has the cleanest bathrooms and TONS of food options and no tractor trailers are allowed in the parking lot so its all a very clean and family atmosphere. Also the typical snack foods, chips, candy,gatorade, soda, coffee etc.
I was able to come out with raw almonds in individual snack size pkg.and pumpkin seeds that only had salt added to it.
 They did have apples and bananas but they did not look great, they looked old.
Even though they were not organic I would have considered it had it looked better.
Everything is dominated with wheat....wheat bread .white flour (wheat ). and every chemical and additive allowed by our wonderful FDA .
My goal here is NOT to bash Buc-ee's but to bring attention to what we've become. A society that mindlessly puts things in our mouth that we call food.
I was saddened as to how excited the people were in the anticipation of what they were gonna eat.
That my friends is why America is obese and having health issues .Cancer at younger and younger ages. Celiac's disease (gluten intolerance re:wheat) Autism, Alzheimer's and the list goes on and on.
I believe these "things" we've allowed in our foods over the last few decades is our problem.
Its like we have been lulled into accepting this and most people never even look at a ingredients label or care.
After this moment I had it made me realize I must PLAN more and bring a better cooler with a few things to get me through the long trips I take sometimes.
Timing is everything.If you can project and calculate a eta for the cities you will be traveling through then you will know if you can possibly get food at a local eatery there and what is available to you.Yes that takes some thought but well worth it when your standing in a store filled with food and you have almonds and pumkin seeds to ring up .

A perfect world to me would be everything is organic and I never have to compromise.But that is never gonna happen.You are the odd man out usually.

I usually bring ezekiel bread products such as hamburger buns or sesame bread slices I toast them ahead let them cool down and put them in a baggie or two so when I need to have a chicken breast sandwich or a hamburger I have that option avaiable to me.(I am able as a blood type O to have that I of course forgo the sauces and cheeses offered with them)
.I do not eat fast food out when at home so when traveling its a option for sustanaince I accept.
For instance...On my last trip my husband had a chicken (grillled) filet with lettuce and tomato from chick-fila he swapped out the bun and he was in business.
I on the other hand had the grilled chicken garden salad with a wee bit basalmic vinagrette
Compromise YES but bad choice NO.

I never used to think this way but if I wanted to make the changes to eat healthy this stands as a reminder the rest of the world doesn't want to.

It can be done and you will succeed. You just have to plan it and think a little .

* A"quality" cooler
*specific foods to help with meals for me-blood type O friendly
almond butter, preserves, salad dressings - homemade ,ezekiel breads, allowable cheeses (I can have goat feta and mozzerella) crackers-made from brown rice
*homemade trail mix-organic cranberries(no sulfites), raisins, raw almonds,pumpkin seeds,walnuts
* fruits, vegetables-carrots, celery, apples, bananas, etc
* look in the area for available restaurants and the menus from on line: the times open etc.(print out and pack)

A well kept cooler at appropriate temps will allow me to make a sandwich or a salad that I made ahead of time.
Nothing here is rocket science but all of us are use to the old way of quick easy and convenient.
PLANNING is everything. That way you are not forced to compromise your new standard of eating healthy.
Set yourself up for success.

You can eat your way out of it one bite at a time if you resolve to.

YOU CAN DO IT !!!

Happy Eating !!!
Coach Sandra

2 Years Ago This Month I Started My Weight Loss Journey

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012....As I celebrate my 2yr Anniversary of eating healthy.
Its time to set some new goals and begin a new year excelling to new heights.

The Holidays took over my time but not my eating .
I disappeared after Thanks Giving.
I apologise.
 I'm back.I have lots to talk about I will blog this weekend and catch up.

I had a nice  conversation with a young man named Armando in Sprouts today .He was trying to rid his diet of bad foods and go organic.Good for you I say !!! You can do what you want if you resolve to do so .I enjoyed our chat .
Our conversation was inspiring me to get back to this and still continue to pursue helping others get healthy.
I fell off the radar chart for a bit due to traveling and the holidays out of state but I will write about some experiences I had with the trip in the food category .

I want to give a class on "good eating " Soon !!!
I will get back as quick as I can
Until then ..."Happy Eating"
Coach Sandra

ps if you have never been to my blog before browse the older posts ...especially the one titled ..."FINALLY I woke up thin"