Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Berry Yogurt Parfait

 
I'm about to have a little love fest of photos for my berry yogurt parfait!  It has been my very favorite breakfast of the last few months, and I'd even go as far as calling it a dessert - it's that good!  
 
It's chalked full of yumminess without any refined sugar, which makes it processed free.  This comes together in no time (especially if you use berries that don't need to be cut up) and puts a smile on my face every morning I eat it.  Now that's worth waking up for!

 
plain organic whole milk yogurt (I like goat's milk yogurt)
organic heavy cream
vanilla crème liquid stevia
fresh berries
coconut sugar and cinnamon blend (see mine here)

Put enough yogurt in a bowl for one serving.  Pour a splash of cream in and about 5-6 drops of vanilla crème stevia.  Stir to combine.  Top with fresh berries and sprinkle on your desired amount of coconut sugar and cinnamon. 

 
Here are my favorite brands of yogurt and stevia:
 



 
 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Bean Pasole


Everyone needs a few recipes that can come almost entirely from the pantry.  This is one of those recipes - you can basically have everything on hand you need to make it without a shopping trip.  This is something I keep in my hip pocket for a day when I don't feel like cooking, haven't been to the store, or don't have time to babysit the process.  The basics of this soup came to me from my friend Amanda.  She delivered this to my house one day when I was horribly sick.  My whole family loved it and I asked her for the recipe.  It only took minor changes to make this processed free and now we eat it all the time! 
 
2 - 15 oz. cans hominy (rinsed and drained)
2 - 15 oz. cans of beans (pinto, navy, kidney, etc.) I usually choose 2 different kids to look pretty
32 oz. container (4 1/2 cups) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
16 oz. jar of thick and chunky medium salsa (no sugar added)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or 6 Tbsp. milk + 3 Tbsp. butter)
 
optional toppings: cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, etc.
 
Put all the ingredients, except the cream, into a crockpot and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, pour in the cream, stir, and recover.  Serve as is or add some additional toppings. 
 
Truth be told, I almost never add any other toppings because I haven't been to the store to get them.  Sometimes it's just a sprinkle of cheese.  You could also easily add some leftover roast, pork, or chicken to this if you are looking to use up a small amount of cooked meat.  This is very forgiving and ridiculously fast and easy.