Gluten and Dairy Free - Sweet Potato Waffles

I don't know about you - but I love to take homemade waffles out of the freezer and plop them into the toaster for a fast nutritious breakfast or any meal for that matter (my parents eat my sweet potato waffles for dinner). The sweet potato waffles are from the cook book Special Diet Celebrations by Carol Fenster, Ph D. I have been using this recipe with adaptions for awhile now and everyone agrees these are very good. This is how I make them. First I peel and cook my sweet potatoes until they are tender. 

Once they are done I drain off the water into a pitcher (water my plants with the starchy water - beneficial for the plants).

Next I preheat my waffle grid (bought this one at the Goodwill for $3.99) and then I throw all the ingredients into my mixer bowl.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Rice Flour Brown (I buy in bulk and then freeze the extra - lasts longer)
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour (I also buy this in bulk and freeze)
2 tsp. baking powder (I make my own - recipe to follow)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp.  Bob's Red Mill Gum Xanthan (I put it in the freezer to preserve it longer)
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 medium cooked sweet potato, mashed to yield 1/2 - 3/4 cup
1-1/4 cups milk (I use soy - I buy the boxed variety at the Dollar Tree for $1.00)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

I throw everything in until well mixed. 

 

Spoon onto heated waffle grid and wait until the waffle is done and then take out. Once out you can eat it right away or wait awhile and reheat in toaster. The twins like it warmed with peanut butter on it and eat like it an open faced sandwich. Kenz and I like it with cool whip and warmed freezer jam over it. I also like it with peanut butter and syrup.

Kale and fruit smoothie

I made another smoothie again this morning and of course I added all the healthy stuff I need that will keep me young and healthy. I added kale, fresh strawberries, pineapple, plums, grapes, blueberries, a handful of pumpkin seeds, a Tablespoon of chia seeds. All of this went into my Nutri-bullet and I added 1 Tablespoon of grass fed gelatin along with coconut water up to the Max line. 

One thing that I have found the hard way that fruit going into the Nutri-bullet has to be thawed out. So my suggestion is if you are going to use a Nutri-bullet to warm or unthaw your fruit in the microwave before you add to the machine - it will make your life much easier.

Why I add what I do to my smoothie:

Pumpkin seeds - provide magnesium and zinc plus plant based omega 3's. It also provides healthy fats, antioxidants and fibers

Chia seeds -  Two tablespoons of Chia seeds also have a respectable amount of antioxidants, fiber (7 grams), protein (4 grams) and calcium (205 milligrams)  source
 
Grass fed gelatine - It contains 18 amino acids and is beneficial for your skin, digestive system, improving nails and hair. It also can help inflammation of the joints. source

Coconut water- helps with digestion, hydration, reduces high blood pressure, contains 5 essential electrolytes: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium

Fruit -Blueberries, plums and grapes are great for antioxidants, strawberries are rich in essential nutrients vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and fiber, pineapple is a diuretic and contains vitamin C, folic acid, calcium and  vitamin A.

Kale - is high in iron, vitamin K, filled with powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and support cardiovascular source

Look what I ordered from iherb.com

A couple of my favorite online product companies are Amazon (a given) and iherb.com. I sometimes compare prices between both companies and today was no exception. I totally ran out of my tapioca flour and was going to buy on Amazon and it was going to be $27.94 for 4 packs of 20 oz. each. So I looked on iherb.com and whoa - it was only $17.43 for 4 packs of 20 oz. plus if I ordered over $20.00 I would receive free shipping. So of course I ordered 5 bags for a total of $21.95 which sure beats Amazon prices. Do you ever shop around for the best deal? Have you ever shopped at iherb.com? Try it you might find the prices better than somewhere else - here is a link for $10.00 off your first order. Come back and tell me what you bought.

Banana Chocolate Muffins

I have been on and off again trying to get off gluten. A couple of years ago, I found a great site called Nourishing Meals. They had great allergy free recipes on their site, so I decided to buy their cookbook from Amazon called The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. It is filled with over 200 gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free recipes. One of my favorite muffin recipe is for Banana Walnut Muffins. The recipe states it makes 1-1/2 dozen muffins, but I seem to always make 23 muffins. Here is the recipe:

2-1/2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup whole cane sugar (I have used white sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder (homemade)
1-1/2 tsp xanthan gum (binder)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt (I leave this out)
4 large ripe bananas
1 cup milk alternative (soy, coconut, hemp, almond, etc.)
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (I buy mine at Costco)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup chocolate chips, optional
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, optional

I never follow the recipe by adding the dry together then the wet, I just dump everything in at once and then blend. This time I used the chocolate chips. But I have in the past I have used the blueberries in one batch with the bananas and in another batch I have used the walnuts. Either way they have turned out great. If you want to add flax or chia seeds, I would minus a little out of the brown rice flour.

Bake at 375degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Either use paper muffin tins or I use the silicone muffin cups. I use a Pampered Chef 3 Tablespoon Scoop but any large scoop like - Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 50mm (3-Tablespoon) will work it's the perfect size for filling each muffin cup.

Why lemons are good for you

Saying that lemons are a superfood is an understatement. Not only do they add abundant flavor to a variety of dishes, but they also boast a ton of health benefits. The flavonoids within the juice are said to contain antioxidants, which is why lemons are useful in treating so many ailments and conditions. Here are 10 reasons to enjoy them ASAP!

  1. Prevent kidney stones: Drinking one half-cup of lemon juice every day raises citrate levels in the urine. Studies have shown that this could protect against  calcium stones in the kidney.

  2. Soothe a sore throat: Mixing lemon juice with honey can help alleviate the discomfort that comes from a nasty sore throat.

  3. Support weight loss: Beyond the old notion that the Master Cleanse was the only way lemons could help you lose weight, new studies have shown the ways lemon juice supports your goals. Lemon juice contains pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to aid in weight-loss struggles.

  4. Start your day right: Leave caffeinated drinks behind, and start your day off with hot water and fresh lemon juice to stimulate your digestive track and add vitamin C.

  5. Stop an itch: When it comes to poison ivy or insect bites, the combination of lemon juice and cornstarch can help relieve some of the sting.

Keep reading for five more ways lemon juice is super.

  6. Aids in digestion: Even Dr. Oz is a big believer in the power of lemon juice for weight loss. He suggests drinking a mixture of lemon juice and flaxseeds in order to eliminate waste more quickly from your body.

  7. Anticancer properties: Studies have supported the anticancer activity of citrus liminoids, compounds that protect your cells from damage that can lead to the formation of cancer cells.

  8. Potassium power: Bananas aren't the only way to get a big helping of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, lemons offer 80 milligrams of this mineral that helps your body stay strong and nimble.

  9. Bring down a fever: Forget the days of starving a fever! When your temperature goes up, drinking a lemon juice mixture can help bring your fever down faster.

  10.                  Balance pH: While lemons may seem quite acidic, they're a surprisingly good source of an  alkaline food that can help balance your body's pH.

Source: http://www.fitsugar.com/10-Reasons-Lemon-Juice-Good-You-14860617

Essential oils in a tea

Essential oils in a tea

Cold season is upon us, it is for me any way. To fight this inconvenience every morning before work, I make a tea.

Recipe:

1 Tbsp of honey

4 drops of On Guard essential oils (Doterra) or Shield (Sparks Natural)

6 drops of Lemon essential oils

½ cup of hot water

I drink it when it’s hot and swish a little of the solution around in my mouth to kill any germs lurking inside before swallowing.

This helps keep the germs at bay.

Health Lemonade

Healthy lemonade

My mom's cleaning lady who is 94 years old swears by this healthy lemonade. She drinks it every day and believes that it keeps her young at heart. My mom has been drinking this for about a year and she's doing great. 

Here's the recipe:

3 lemons (squeeze- save the lemon peels for later use - future post)

1/2 cup local honey (add more if you like it sweeter or less for more tart)

3 cups water

Add all the ingredients in a pitcher. Stir until honey is dissolved. Drink a cup a day.