Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls

Some good friends of ours used to make these biscuit chocolate chip cinnamon rolls for our family and deliver them warm to our door.  Talk about irresistible!  When we moved away, I knew I wanted to get the recipe, but I wanted to try making these processed free.  What I found was that my kids loved them just as much as ever - success!  Because it's a biscuit dough, these are super simple, don't require a rise time, and there is no glaze or frosting needed.    

Dough:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp. sucanat or coconut palm sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening (non-hydrogenated)
3/4 cup milk

Filling:
3-4 Tbsp. melted butter
sucanat
cinnamon
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Add the shortening and use a pastry cutter to combine them until it looks like crumbs.  Add the milk and stir into the dough.  Add a little flour to knead it into a ball.  Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and roll it into a flat rectangle.  Cover the flattened dough with melted butter and sprinkle the dough with the desired amount of sucanat, cinnamon, and chocolate chips.

Roll into a log and cut into 12 pieces - about 1 inch thick.  place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. 

I use dental floss to cut them by sliding it under the log, then pulling the two sides to meet and make a nice cut without squishing the dough.  I also cut it in half first, then those two pieces in half and each of those into three to make the pieces pretty even. 

I know I'm a bit vague about the amounts for the filling, but you can really just eye ball what will cover the dough and how much or little you like of each component - ex. more cinnamon, less chocolate chips.  These are fast and very forgiving if you are allowing your kids to help in the whole process as well.  Have fun with it!

30 Second Raspberry Cinnamon Jam

 

This "recipe" is one of those everyday, I don't think about this as a recipe, kind of foods.  This is my version of raspberry jam with the added warmth of cinnamon.  I make this all the time, especially for sprouted grain toast or bagels in the morning, but because I only make as much as I need for one time and always eye-ball the proportions, I hesitate to call it a recipe.  It's sweet, and tart with a hint of spice, and of course, processed free. Here's the idea of it:

 

a handful of fresh raspberries

a sprinkle of coconut cinnamon sugar (find it here)

 

Put the raspberries in a small bowl, shake the desired amount of coconut cinnamon sugar on top and proceed to mash and mix it all together with the back of a spoon.  This works best with raspberries as opposed to other berries because they easily separate, yet remain gelatinous like a jam or jelly.  Now you can use this however you like.  I only use about a 1/4 tsp. or less of the coconut cinnamon sugar - it truly is just a sprinkle, but add what you like.  I hope you enjoy this - we certainly do!

 

 

Mini Spelt Flour Pumpkin Spice Donuts

 

 It's the first day of fall!  I like fall, not winter so much, but pumpkin and apple everything is exciting!  My kids and I have been talking about the pumpkin patch and that got me thinking about all the pumpkin goodies.  I wanted to make something we could all enjoy that was delicious and processed free.  Why not pumpkin spice donunts?  These have no refined sugar or flour, but are just as good as any other pumpkin treat you will have this season.  I made them in my mini donut maker (thanks mom!), but you could do this in the oven with a regular size donut pan.  I'll warn you ahead of time - these are addicting.  You'll want it to be fall all the time!

 

1 3/4 cups whole spelt flour (I like sprouted spelt flour best)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp.nutmeg

1/2 tsp.allspice

1/8 tsp.ground cloves

2 tsp.baking powder

1/2 tsp.salt

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sucanat or coconut palm sugar

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 large egg

1 tsp.vanilla extract

 

For the cinnamon sugar topping:

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

2/3 cup coconut palm sugar

4 Tbsp. melted butter

 

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, milk, sucanat, coconut oil, egg and vanilla.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine using a rubber spatula just until moist. Scoop this into a gallon size zip-top bag and cut the bottom corner to create a piping bag.

 

When the mini donut maker is heated, pipe the batter in a circle inside each donut shape.  Close the lid and wait until they are cooked through.  Place on a sheet of paper towels to cool completely.  Dip each donut top in the melted butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. The batter is not overly sweet for this very reason.  Now, devour!  I'm not going to lie, these are fabulous with some homemade apple cider!  You could also enjoy these while sitting on your back porch cuddled up with a blanket watching the fall leaves - just saying.

 

Healthy Store-Bought Dressing

 

I like a homemade salad dressing, but let's be serious - who always has time for that?!  Or all the ingredient on hand.  Let me tell you about my go-to salad dressing.  This is my favorite because I can pronounce every ingredient and they are foods I would put in my body anyway.  It's Bragg's brand healthy vinaigrette.  I put this on every kind of salad I make.  It pairs really well with savory or sweet salads and the best part is I didn't have to make it from scratch.  This makes having a big salad everyday super easy.  Here's what's in it: organic apple cider vinegar, organic extra virgin olive oil, purified water, organic honey, organic garlic, liquid aminos, organic onion, organic black pepper and natural xanthan gum. 

 

 

I have been up and down the salad dressing section of my local grocery stores and never found a good alternative that is processed free.  Well, look no further.  Here are three other kinds that boast an ingredient list just as good as the healthy vinaigrette.  Now you can get berry, Hawaiian, and ginger sesame dressings without having to make them yourself all the time.  This also gets bonus points for being available in almost every grocery store, just look in the health food section.  Talk about clean and easy!

Almond Horchata

 

I think I've mentioned that we are currently living back east for a while.  There is good food to be found here, but not really when it comes to Mexican food.  Coming from the southwest, we could always find fantastic Mexican food, but it's not the same here.  The other day I was in the mood for a horchata.  If you don't know what that is, it's a rice based drink with cinnamon.  It is sweet which means it contains sugar, so I thought I'd tackle a processed free version.  In doing some research, I found that it takes hours if not days to make a traditional horchata!  I think because I'm a mom of three, days to do anything is just not part of our lifestyle right now.  So, I started to think what it is I like about the drink in the first place.  I like the creamy base, the flavor of the cinnamon, and the slightly gritty texture of the freshly ground cinnamon on top.  Here is what I already had in my house that could duplicate all of these qualities.  Hence, the quick and easy almond horchata was born!

 

One serving:

1 cup unsweetened organic almond milk

5 to 6 drops liquid cinnamon stevia (Sweetleaf brand)

cinnamon for garnish

 

Stir cinnamon stevia into the almond milk, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and voila!  Creamy, cinnamon goodness.  Now, I will admit that if you are a horchata connoisseur, this is not for you, but a refined sugar-free, quick fix - this is it!!  Even if you like a traditional horchata, this is a nice spin-off in flavors to change it up.  See what you think.  You can also customizes this to your tastes and add more or less cinnamon stevia.  If you can't find cinnamon stevia, you can order it online or just use regular stevia and add a lot of cinnamon.  The cinnamon stevia will give you the best flavor though.

 

Apple Cake

My sister's birthdays are two days apart, so when they celebrate with a birthday dinner, this has always been their requested birthday cake for as long as I can remember.  It's hearty, rustic, and full of deliciousness.  I asked for their permission to attempt to make this completely processed free before their last birthday to see if it would measure up.  Boy, did it!  I don't think we'll ever go back to the original.  Here is my take on a family favorite:

1 cup melted coconut oil
2 cups coconut palm sugar
2 eggs
3 cups sprouted whole wheat or whole spelt flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups finely diced or grated apples
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9X13 pan with additional coconut oil or butter and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool and cut like brownies.

I like to use mini chips or cut up chocolate bars for this recipe.  We have also tried it with different nuts like pecans and it's just as amazing.  We have never put a frosting on this, however we often serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream - make it clean!  Who knows, this may just be your next birthday cake!

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

 

My kids and I just visited my parents over the summer, and I asked my mom to make one of my favorite breakfast recipes.  It was these cornmeal griddle cakes.  She used to make these for us growing up and I felt like a little kid waking up in my old house, bouncing down stairs in my pajamas to eat these at their kitchen table.  I love the savory, slightly nutty, and crumbly texture these have.  I must admit, I did hijack the recipe and make a few swaps so this could become processed free, but it was totally worth it!  Just look how the morning sunlight loves these too!!

 

 

1 cup milk + 1 Tbsp. vinegar (or one cup buttermilk)

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup whole corn meal (organic with the germ)

2 eggs

1 cup flour (use whole wheat or sprouted whole grain)

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

 

Mix the milk and vinegar and set aside, maybe 5 minutes.  In a medium sized bowl, pour hot water over the cornmeal and stir.  Add the milk mixture.  Beat in the eggs, then add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Stir in the oil.  Bake on a hot un-greased griddle.

 

These pancakes have the most delicate texture, which makes them thin but fluffy at the same time.  Drizzle on a bit of pure maple syrup and watch how they disappear.  Don't be afraid to experiment with fresh fruit as a topping either.  Raspberries or fresh peaches would be divine!

 

Fudgesicles

I'm posting this recipe right on the heels of my last post because the recipe is the same.  The only difference is that don't eat the chocolate avocado pudding right after you make it, you freeze it!  This makes the most decadent, creamy, rich, and satisfying fudgesicle you've ever had.  I think they are SO much better than anything you buy in the store which is full of refined sugar and processed junk.  My kids go nuts over these and love taking part in making them which I think really helps when it comes to teaching them about healthy foods.  This is a treat, but it boasts wonderfully healthy ingredients like, avocados (full of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fats, and fiber) and cocoa powder (the number one antioxidant food in the world.)  Let's hear it for chocolate, creamy, and delicious all being part of a healthy diet!

(Here is the link to the recipe)

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

 

I want you to listen closely as you look at this picture and tell me if you hear angels singing?  Do you hear them?  I do!!  This is one of those recipes that, I think, is angelically good.  I had seen similar recipes for avocado pudding and read the rave reviews, but was optimistically skeptical.  I anticipated a somewhat passable pudding that you could be proud of nutritionally and learn to think of as a good processed free pudding alternative.  I had read a few reviews that people hated it so I didn't want to expect too much.  Boy were they wrong, it was terrific!  I'm not sure why someone wouldn't like it.  I changed my version a bit to fit my tastes and guidelines and also to make it deliciously simple.  I hope this doesn't disappoint.  It's one of our new family favorites!

2 avocados

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1/8 tsp. salt

Put everything in a food processor (I used my mini) and turn it on!  That's it, so simple.  The kids loved it and the first thing my husband said was it tastes like creamy chocolate frosting.  Guess what's going to be on our next cake?  You can eat this immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  This makes about 4 small servings, but you could easily double it to make more.

Chicken and Vegetable Gnocchi Soup

I love soup!  It always feels like comfort food to me.  My new favorite thing is to eat at our backyard picnic table with the kids running around in the grass and enjoy the nice weather after the long winter.  This soup was what we had for dinner last night in our backyard and it felt like nature and my taste buds were giving me a big hug!

I first got this recipe from my friend Jeni.  I've since altered it to make it completely processed free and increased the veggies.  I kind of like to think of it more like a vegetable soup with a little chicken rather than the reverse.  I used a packaged gnocchi to make this fast and easy, but you can make them yourself with whole wheat flour or brown rice flour as a substitution for refined white flour.  Either way, it's delicious!

1 chicken breast, diced

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 to 1 cup diced celery

1 onion diced or pureed

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp. whole wheat flour/brown rice flour

1 quart half and half

2 carrots finely shredded

1 zucchini shredded

2 containers of chicken broth (14 oz. size) or one 26 oz. container

1 package gnocchi (whole wheat or gluten free made with rice flour)

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped finely

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In a large pot, cook the chicken in the coconut oil.  Remove it from the pot and set aside.  Add the butter, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat until translucent.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute before adding the half and half.  Cook the gnocchi and set aside. Add the carrots and zucchini as well as the chicken back into the pot and let it thicken.  Pour in the chicken broth and allow to thicken again.  Add the gnocchi, spinach and seasonings and heat through.  Take a final taste before serving to check the seasoning.

Feel free to add any other leftover veggies to this soup, it will only make it better!  This can also become a vegetarian soup if you leave out the chicken and substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.  This pairs nicely with some clean biscuits (here's mine) and/or a nice salad. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

 

This recipe was inspired by my husband.  He LOVES the combo of peanut butter and chocolate.  For his birthday, I decided I had to come up with a peanut butter frosting to top my clean chocolate cake.  Of course I didn't want to use any refined sugar seeing as I wanted it to be processed free, so this is not as "fluffy" as other frostings.  But it does hold it's shape enough that I think you could even pipe with it.  Let me tell you what a big hit this was.  My husband said this was his favorite cake ever!  I have to agree it was super delicious.  We have since made this again and I swear it was even better than I remembered the first time.  I think this has become my husband's official birthday cake!

3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

4 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a medium size bowl, heat the peanut butter in the microwave for one minute.  Stir in the coconut sugar and heat for another minute.  You are looking for the peanut butter and coconut sugar to really combine and soften.  Add the butter and vanilla and beat with a mixer until it's smooth.  This should be firm enough, but if it's not, you can sprinkle in a small amount of spelt or whole wheat flour and mix again.  This can now be spread on a cooled cake or piped.  If your coconut sugar is not very fine, measure it first, then put it in a food processor or spice grinder and pulse to get a nice fine texture.  Store the leftover cake with frosting in the refrigerator - if you have any!

Strawberry Lemonade Slushies

 

When we first started taking our kids to movies, we would buy lots of popcorn and frozen slushies to get them through the entire movie.  Yes, we used food as both a pacifier and a babysitter so we could enjoy the movies too.  I shudder at the thought of all the junk they consumed in one sitting.  I could never bring myself to do that again now that I've learned so much.  Movies in the theatre now include air popped popcorn made at home, and a bottle of water.  But what's even better is our movie nights at home!  We make these processed free strawberry lemonade slushies and the kids go wild.  These have the same consistencies as those red and blue frozen drinks at the theatre, but NO added sugar.  Lemons and strawberries - doesn't get too much better when this is what your kids are considering a super treat. 

Zest of one lemon (optional for more lemon flavor)

juice of 4 lemons

1 1/2 tsp. liquid stevia

1 cup water

3 cups ice

2 cups (heaping) frozen strawberries

Pour everything into a high powered blender and hold on tight!  This may take 1 to 2 minutes to completely pulverize the ice and strawberries.  I have had to play with this recipe several times to get the right proportions for what my family likes.  None of us like overly sweet lemonade, so if this is too sour, I suggest adding more strawberries rather than more stevia.  The liquid stevia is so strong that when you add too much, it seems to be all you taste.  You also might make minor adjustments if you have really juicy lemons or tiny ones.  If you don't like stevia, you could always use honey in a larger proportion, but I like the fact that stevia is 0 calories and has no effect on blood sugar.  Hope this makes for a fun movie night at your house too!

Kalua Pork

I spent an entire summer on the island of Oahu in my early twenties.  Let me just say, after experiencing the beauty, the food, and the warm people of Hawaii, you will want to be Hawaiian!  Kalua pork was one of my favorite dishes to eat with friends.  It's traditionally cooked in a pit in the ground, but since I'm not a huge fan of altering my yard that much, this recipe gets a friendly substitution of the slow cooker.  I also love that this version has only three ingredients!  Don't be surprised when this processed free dish has you doing the hula.

4 to 6 lbs. pork roast (pork loin, shoulder, etc.)

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

2 - 3 tsp. salt (Hawaiian or smoked if you can get it)

Score the roast and place it in the slow cooker.  Rub it with the salt and pour in the liquid smoke.  Cook on low 8 to 10 hours.  When it's done, pull it out of the slow cooker and shred it.  Add it back into the slow cooker with all the juices and stir it all together.  Now it's ready to serve. 

This is so versatile.  Serve with brown rice, make into kalua pork sliders with some homemade BBQ sauce, add it to salads, use it for pork tacos... the possibilities are endless.  This will make a good amount, so play with this tasty treat while you plan a trip to the islands!

Green Curry Chicken

This recipe has got to be one of the most requested by my husband ever!  I have to admit that I love it too, but it feels amazing when someone else loves a dish you make.  You feel kind of like a little gourmet chef in your own home.  This dinner offers the delicious flavors of Thai food, and I have to say, it tastes just like a dish that we used to order from a favorite restaurant of ours.  Who knew it could be so delicious, easy, and processed free! 

3 chicken breasts cut into small thin strips

1 to 3 Tbsp. green curry paste (less = mild, more = spicy)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 can bamboo shoots

3/4 cup frozen peas

In a large pan, brown the chicken in a little bit of coconut oil.  Make sure to season with salt and pepper.  Once it's cooked, make a space in the middle to sauté the curry paste mixture.  Add the curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, and chicken broth.  Stir until the sauce has combined then add the bamboo shoots.  Allow the sauce and chicken to simmer for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors and thicken.  In the last few minutes, add the frozen peas to warm them through.  Serve with brown rice.

You may want left overs because this tastes just as good if not better the next day.  Feel free to add some cooked potatoes and garnish with shaved cucumber.  Now all I need to do is finish the dinner with some coconut ice cream with chopped peanuts and we have a complete date night at home!

*Note: If you are trying to go grain free, this is delicious on it's own or over quinoa instead of rice.

Fruit and Nut Bar

This is my new favorite grab and go item.  It's Kit's Organic fruit and nut bar by Clif.  The chocolate almond coconut flavor and the fact that there is no refined sugar is what gets me!  Every item is organic and just listen to the ingredient line up: dates, unsweetened chocolate, coconut, coconut oil and sea salt.  That's it!  I love that it's easy to throw in my purse and walk out the door, and better yet, my kids really like them and think they are getting a real treat.  Give these a try - they might just be a new favorite of yours too.

 

Turkey Bean Tostadas

 

We recently moved from the sunny southwest to the freezing east coast.  While there are lots of good flavors to be found, none of them include Mexican food!  I long for the fresh herbs and delicious spices that permeate really good Mexican food.  I've realized that the best way to have it here in the east and keep it processed free is to make it myself.  This recipe is a take on one that I saw Emeril make years ago.  My family loves it!  It's easy and with the homemade tostada shells made with healthier oils, it's a win-win!

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped (or pureed like my family likes)

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 Tbsp. chili powder (add more if you like the heat)

1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

2 cans (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups broth/stock (chicken, beef or vegetable)

cilantro

8 to 10 soft corn tortillas (sprouted are best)

coconut oil

topping: grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc.

In a large skillet on medium high heat, add the coconut oil and onions and cook until soft.  Add the turkey, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and salt.  Break up the meat and brown it.  Add the beans and broth and cook to a boil.  Mash the beans as you stir to break them up and thicken the mixture.  This will ultimately become more of a refried bean consistency.  Add a bunch of chopped cilantro and stir to combine right before serving.

 

To make the tostada shells, scoop some coconut oil into a small pan and let it get warm.  You don't want to put the tortilla in the oil until it's hot or it will get too soggy instead of crispy.  Gently place one tortilla in the pan and let it fry on one side them flip it to fry on the other side.  This really only takes a few seconds a side - it's super quick!   

 

Place the tortillas on a paper towel-lined plate and repeat the process until you have fried them all.  I do this as I am stirring the turkey bean mixture at the same time.  You can kind of find a rhythm: stir and mash, fry, flip....stir and mash, fry, flip... until you are all done.  Then, everything is ready and hot at the same time.  I will often pull my tortillas right out of the freezer and start frying them.  You have to be a bit more careful as they will splatter more and lower the temp of the cooking oil, but ultimately it will still work. 

Let everyone construct their own tostada with whatever toppings they like.  I have used Greek yogurt when I haven't had sour cream, and neither my husband or I could tell the difference.  These make great leftovers too.  Just fry up more tortillas and you're good to go!

Healthy Ranch Dressing Mix

 

We don't really eat a lot of ranch dressing around here, but it's one of those items that you just have to have some times.  I know plenty of parents who swear it is the only way to get their kids to eat veggies and sometimes you just have to have it on a salad or for a recipe to make it extra special.  That's why I wanted to play around with this refrigerator staple and make it processed free.  It took some doing, but I finally have a dressing that meets my two criteria: quick and easy, and all natural!

1/3 cup dry buttermilk

2 Tblsp. dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp. dried dill

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

3 tsp. dried onion flakes

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried chives

1 tsp. salt

Pour all of these into a small food processor and blend into a powder.  Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.  It should be good for a long time - months and months!

 

When you are ready to make it, combine 1 Tbsp. mix to a 1/3 cup of sour cream (find one where the only ingredient is cream.)  This will make a nice dip consistency and you can leave it as such.  If you want to thin it out to make more of a dressing, add a little milk until you have reached the desired thinness.  My sister likes to mix it with Greek yogurt instead, but I prefer the sour cream.  I do have to say, I almost always have Greek yogurt and my family eats it no matter what! 

I also like that this makes a small amount versus other recipes that make 4 cups and you have to use it in two days!  No one should be consuming that much ranch!!  If you need to make more, you just double or triple this and there you have it.  No more mystery ingredients for my family.

Strawberry Milk

 

My daughter has been talking about Valentine's Day ever since Christmas ended.  I like to stay ahead of the game and think up clean recipes and treats so the kids can still celebrate the upcoming fun, but not have all the sugar and processed junk that could be involved.  Here is our version of strawberry milk made processed free!  My kids love this and I don't feel guilty about this drink at all.  Plus, it's great that it's pink - perfect for Valentine's Day!

 

1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries

1 cup milk (use almond milk if you don't consume dairy)

10-15 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 

Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  You can pour it through a fine strainer to remove any little strawberry seeds if you want.  My kids didn't mind the seeds, but I did.  This makes one serving, but's its just as easy to double or triple the recipe.  Let the pink foods begin!

 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Yogurt

This has to be one of the easiest and most satisfying yummies you could make.  I love Greek yogurt, but when you want something sweet, it does have to be doctored a bit.  This is where all those processed free tricks come into play.  One of my heroes, Dee McCaffrey, talks in her book about how she makes vanilla yogurt by adding pure vanilla extract and stevia to plain yogurt and voila, vanilla yogurt without the added sugar!  I've been doing this for years now and let me tell you, the yogurt combinations are endless. (Get her book, The Science of Skinny - life changing!)

I was inspired by the lovely treats associated with Valentines Day and thought this would be delicious.  And oh, how I love you chocolate and strawberries!  It's simple: make your homemade Greek vanilla yogurt to your taste (start with 4-5 drops of stevia and a 1/4 tsp. vanilla and add from there,) cut up strawberries, and dark chocolate chips.  That's it.  This comes together in no time!  You can also use grain-sweetened chips or carob chips if you prefer.   The mini chips are wonderful too!

Clean Oatmeal and Spelt Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know this is a horribly long title for a cookie, but I didn't want to leave out any of it's virtues.  In fact there are more to share.  This cookie is also wheat free, dairy free, and egg free.  Now that would make for a really long title!  And even though it is processed free, it is NOT taste free.  In fact, this is my very favorite cookie - hands down!  I think it has every bit of flavor that a regular cookie has, but nothing bad that your body can't recognize.  Really, how many recipes can boast that?  If you love cookies, give this a try.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

1 1/4 cups whole spelt flour (sprouted spelt if you can find it)

1/4 cup oat bran (you can also use quick oats or regular oatmeal that is slightly ground in a food processor)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sucanat or coconut sugar

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil, warmed to a liquid

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate, but you could also get grain-sweetened or carob chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sucanat.  In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.  Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until they are combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon about a 1/2 tablespoon size onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  I use a cookie scoop and make it about halfway full.  The cookies will spread, so make them pretty round - about 12 cookies will fit on the sheet.  Bake for 9 to 10 minutes.

 

 

 

These cookies will be a little delicate when you first take them out of the oven.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.  They will seem overly soft, but will firm up once completely cool.  I always get about 2 dozen cookies from this recipe, but you could make them bigger and get less cookies overall - your call, just increase the baking time to 11 to 15 minutes. 

I think these would also be delicious with chopped walnuts.  If you want to add some, keep it anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/2 cup.  Make - bake - eat - you're welcome!

 

This was the flour I used.  I like it because it is sprouted which means more nutrition and will digest as an alkaline food rather than an acid.  And here is my kitchen.  I just loved that for one moment it was clean with freshly baked cookies - all was right with the world!

 

 

 

Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I got the idea for this recipe from my sister.  I'm not sure where she found it, but I decided it was worth taking the time to make processed free.  My family loved it!  This has been the tastiest Brussels sprout recipe I've ever had.  I think this little veggie might make the regular rotation cut!

4 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
1 tsp. sea salt
4 oz. uncooked bacon, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) shallot, finely diced
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half.  Heat a large pan over medium heat with the coconut oil and add the Brussels sprouts.  Season with the sea salt and a little pepper.  Allow them to brown on both sides for a few minutes.  Here you can do one of two things.  You can either remove the sprouts from the pan and cook the bacon before adding them back in, or you can just add the bacon to the pan without taking out the sprouts and cook it that way.  The only difference is that your bacon will be a little softer and not as crisp if you leave the sprouts in.  It's up to your personal preference on crispiness.  Add the chopped shallot and garlic and let the cook until the shallot is translucent.  Add the balsamic vinegar and chicken stock and cook for a few minutes until they are a glaze.  Serve hot!

If you don't eat meat, you could still make these with vegetable stock and maybe a little liquid smoke.  I like the bacon because they just seem like a match made in heaven!