Canning is a bit of a lost art in our world of convenience. My brother offered to just buy me some salsa if I wanted it. Yet if you have an interest in the slow food movement or a bit of nostalgia for simpler times, canning can be a nice way to spend a couple hours. Continue Reading →
PB&J Crisp
Fruit crisp is a really easy and fast dessert to make. It is not finicky at all, the ingredients and their ratios do not have to be very specific and it always turns into a warm, grounding dish. Since the doughy part is made primarily from oats (whole grains) instead of refined white flour like fruit pies and tarts the end product has much more protein and fiber as well as B vitamins and several minerals including manganese, magnesium and phosphorus, all important for bone formation and several other body functions. Not only do all those nutrients make it healthier, but they also make it more filling. Continue Reading →
Roasted Red Pepper Butternut Soup
Technically it isn’t fall yet but I’m up in the mountains and the temperatures in the evening are cold enough to warrant warm, creamy dishes centered around squash. Smoothies are often praised for the fact that they are easy to digest because they are already blended up, leaving less work for the digestive system- but the same goes for blended soups. Unlike many traditional comfort foods, a soup loaded with fresh vegetables and other high quality ingredients can be gentle on our bodies and full of health supporting nutrients. Continue Reading →
Black and Blue Cardamom Smoothie
What I like best about golfing this time of year is the succulent blackberries that line the edges of some of the holes. There is something that feels very “hunter-gatherer” about picking wild berries, even if they are right next to perfectly manicured land meant for dedicating hours of leisure time to, something that was in much shorter supply before we developed agriculture and cities. Berry picking also takes me back to my childhood, it was one of the few times that I would have access to an unlimited amount of sweets, and when they were ripened on the vine and warmed from the sun I liked them even more than five cent candy. Continue Reading →
Asian Millet Salad
Unfortunately, carbohydrates have suffered a poor reputation in many circles over the past few decades. Yet they are very simply a requirement for human life. They are our bodies’ main source of energy, and therefore they sustain us. Continue Reading →
Sauerkraut Coleslaw
Raw sauerkraut is incredibly healthy for the probiotics it contains but I normally find it to be quite unpleasant to eat. It has a very strong flavor that does not blend well with many other foods. I have tried it in several scenarios over the years, looking for a way to make it palatable and I have finally succeeded with this coleslaw. Continue Reading →
Chickpea Carrot Salad Boats
Endive leaves are a perfect way to make anything into finger food. I like to fill them up with salad for healthy but delicious and easy to eat appetizers. Since they are a type of lettuce leaf this is basically salad within a salad. Continue Reading →
Greek Salad Skewers
I love Greek salad, it is one of my favorite dishes on a warm evening but it can be kind of awkward to eat, especially in restaurants when they leave huge cuts of vegetables to be fancy… although I think it is secret laziness at the root of that trend. I needed some snacky food for a girls evening and I wanted something that would be easy to eat but was still healthy and fresh. When you skewer a salad it turns into easily controllable finger food, Continue Reading →
Pineapple Blueberry Buzz Smoothie
Bee pollen is available in many health food stores and markets in small orange and yellow granules. It is considered to be a very nutrient dense food because of its high concentration of carbs, proteins, antioxidants, phytonutrients and vitamins. There have not been enough extensive studies done to equivocally prove all the benefits that bee pollen is purported to have. However, among people that use it there seems to be a general consensus that it does in fact help elevate energy levels and also naturally reduces the discomfort associated with seasonal allergies. Continue Reading →
Cookie Dough Bites
I couldn’t decide what flavor to go with so I combined all the ones I wanted- oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, peanut butter and apple cinnamon. Unfortunately I forgot to pick up white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Luckily they all come together pretty well because this recipe makes a very large yield. These are really versatile and because there is no raw egg or anything that could lead to food poisoning they don’t need to be cooked, so they maintain a raw doughiness. Continue Reading →