Thursday, November 17, 2011

Green #Smoothie #Recipe

I'm in love with vegetables (and fruit)! I love nearly everything in the green department for vegetables. I know this is not a favorite color among many. So, I recommend two things: 1) blend up a smoothie and / or 2) eat whole food nutrition in a capsule or chewable!

This morning we made a green smoothie comprising of banana, pineapple with its core, fresh spinach and kale, water and ice. Fill Vitamix in this order. Blend for 30 seconds.

*Benefits of banana: potassium, rich in vitamin B6, elimination properties (think electrolytes)
*Benefits of pineapple: antioxidants and inflammatory properties, highest in Maganese, digestive benefits
*Benefits of spinach: antioxidants, carotenoids, highest in Vitamins K, A, C and folate
*Benefits of kale: cholesterol lowering benefits, Omega 3 properties, detox support, several dozen flavonoids, high in vitamins K, A, and C, inflammatory properties

What is your favorite green smoothie recipe? Don't have one? Try this one! Then share with me your favorite smoothie (one that you make). 

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

*WHFoods dot org


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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Sunday #Dessert - Dirt Cake, Improved #Ingredients

I have had a taste for chocolate pudding for a minute now but nearly, if not all, pudding packages and pre-made in the cup types have controversial ingredients that I’m not willing to bake from (i.e. high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), hydrogenated oils, and artificial dyes). I know there’s the “in-moderation” factor but that usually comes in the territory of eating at someone else’s house (a restaurant, etc) and not pigging out. Ha!

Before I knew about HFCS, I used to make a dirt cake. Its main ingredients I’m sure you’re familiar are cream cheese, pudding, and of course, Oreos!

I’d like to share a new version of the dirt cake below. It varies a bit from the traditional dirt cake. You’re welcome to substitute or add ingredients to your liking.

Dirt cake, new version:


End product - Caution: SUPER Sweet! 

Crust:
9 Graham Crackers, finely crushed 
6 tablespoons of melted butter
1/3 cup of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix together. 

Spread in pan of your choice, bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.



Filling:
Organic chocolate pudding (Dr. Oetker's brand is a good option) - cooked on the stove top.

Toppings:
16 Newman's Own chocolate sandwich cookies, divided; finely crushed and coarsely chopped (filling removed and not used)
Whipped Cream

Recipe for whipped cream:
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar (make your own in a blender using organic cane sugar)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

While preparing ingredients, put the mixing bowl in the freezer to facilitate the mixing process of the cream.

Mix on medium 1 pint of the whipping cream until peaks form. Do not over mix. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use.

After Graham Cracker crust cools, spread pudding on top, apply a dusting of finely crushed cookies then spread whipped cream on top. Finally, sprinkle coarsely chopped cookies over cream. Cover with foil and chill 3-4 hours. (Note: You can use serving dishes or whatever fancies you.) 



Buon Appetito!


I do receive a small commission from Amazon.com if you purchase anything through their site using one of the links above (read my full advertising disclosure here). 

Thank you very much for your generosity in helping to offset the costs of website upkeep, so that I can keep sharing wellness resources with my community and beyond.

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Friday, July 22, 2011

#Recipe: #Banana Bread

I was inspired by a recipe I found on All Recipes for banana bread and this is my rendition.

I've made plenty of banana bread recipes in the past but they came out far too dry. Two ways to fix this: Find a better recipe and /or use mini loaf pans

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter slightly softened
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4-5 medium sized bananas, over ripened (2 1/3 cups)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl or with hand mixer, cream together softened butter and coconut sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add bananas and stir thoroughly. Batter will be somewhat watery looking. This is a good thing. If it’s not, you probably didn’t use enough bananas. At last, fold in flour mixture until just moistened.

Spray 4 mini loaf pans with Pam and pour batter evenly into all pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until nice brown color and toothpick comes out clean. You want it to be somewhat spongy on top. Do not over bake. Bread will have pockets of banana throughout.



Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Continue to cool for 10 minutes then wrap in foil and store in air tight container.

Slice and serve warm, if desired.

Buon Appetito!

I do receive a small commission from Amazon.com if you purchase anything through their site using one of the links above (read my full advertising disclosure here). 

Thank you very much for your generosity in helping to offset the costs of website upkeep, so that I can keep sharing wellness resources with my community and beyond.

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Monday, July 18, 2011

My Personal #Quotes - #Encouragement #Nutrition #Wellness

These quotes are being added to my blog to ensure copyrighting protection. They are my words


"Good nutrition is the foundation for which your health is found based". ~ Jessica David 

“Time and money can be two hindrances to fulfilling your goal(s); however, once you become knowledgeable, you begin to shift priorities creating value in your complete health.” ~ Jessica David



"Do not mistaken my open-mindedness as a compromise in faith. Won't happen. Nothing and no one can change my heart from Jesus." ~ Jessica David

"When people seem out of funk and things just don't make sense... I remember whose I am and what this world offers doesn't always line up with what God wants for me." ~ Jessica David
"Reach for the stars and if you miss, you'll still land upon the greatest of mountain tops." 
~ Jessica David

"Choose, eat, and live well! ~ Jessica David


"Reflect on where you've been; embrace where you're at, and envision where you'll go." 

~ Jessica David

"Words are powerful. They carry so much weight but yet can change the direction of the wind in an instant." ~ Jessica David


 
"Everyone has a story to tell and share. Giving people a chance to share is the rewarding part of a relationship." ~ Jessica David


"Surround yourself with people who lift you up. Someone may think similar to you but if they're inciting negativity it would behoove you to move on. Find ones that inspire greatness." ~ Jessica David

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Awesome Granola-Chip Cookies

Awesome Granola-Chip Cookies

The original recipe is Awesome Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies by Dr. Bill Sears, The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, 2006, page 304.

I modified his recipe based on what was in my pantry at the time. 

½ cup raw honey
½ cup coconut oil (if you're allergic to coconut oil, try grapeseed or EVOO)
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 egg
1 ½ cups of granola 
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup of chocolate chips

Heat oven to 365 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients then mix dry ingredients separately. Add dry to wet. The batter will be slightly loose. Drop the batter by the tablespoon on a cookie sheet and bake until light brown. The batter will spread while baking. Done in 7-9 minutes. Yields: 30 cookies. 

Notes: Use parchment paper that's not bleached. This is for easy clean up. 

The batter is already brown so you’ll have to watch for a smooth brown appearance.  You may need to test one batch so bake only a couple until you get the feel for what they’ll look like when they’re done.

Choose, eat, and live well! =)




Saturday, July 2, 2011

#Honeysuckles - One of life's #sweet memories

A couple weeks ago, my son and I walked around a local lake and as we were finishing up our first lap, we could smell the fruity, sweet scent of honeysuckles. 

Honeysuckles bring me back to my childhood. I grew up on the East Coast and honeysuckles were everywhere! With the change of Winter to Spring and with the smell of fresh cut grass came the sweetness of honeysuckles. The honeysuckle season seemed to last only a month or so. They were gone well before Summer. Living in Southern California provides many benefits and in this particular case, honeysuckles lasting well into June (and possibly longer)!

I'm usually pressed to finish my laps but this particular evening, I decided to teach my son the beauty of eating the nectar from a honeysuckle. We stepped aside and popped a squat on the grass next to a shrub of honeysuckles. Looking around there weren't that many to choose from. The landscapers had came through the day before and cut most of them down. I don't know perhaps they're a nuisance of some kind? I hope that's not the case because they smell beautifully and the nectar is sweet to eat! I recently learned that there are over 100 species of honeysuckle! I had NO clue! I'm only familiar with the white flour type. I know there is a scientific word for it but I have some pictures below that will show you exactly what I am referring to.

After popping a squat, I picked out a few white flowered honeysuckles and showed my son how to pull off the bottom and pull out the "stamen [to] reveal a small drop of honeysuckle nectar" (M. Holt) then I gave him a few turns. He got it in no time. He's a fast learner for being 2. Here are some pictures of our adventure. 




For more information on honeysuckles check out eHow's site.

Don't forget to stop and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Organic product great for curly hair

I want to share my experience with a wonderful product, Original Sprout, it truly works miracles in my son's hair. 

We learned and first tried the Miracle Detangler about two years ago and have been loyal customers ever since! We have increased our product usage to the Leave in Conditioner, the Hair & Body Wash, and the Deep Conditioner. 


I shampoo and condition my son's hair about 2-3x a week during his bath time at night. I comb and apply the Leave In Conditioner to help decrease the amount of tangles the next morning.


Here are some pictures of his bed head:






Our morning regimen requires a wide toothed comb, a spray bottle with water, miracle detangler and the leave in conditioner. I wet his hair completely with the water then add the miracle detangler. This allows me to get the comb through without hurting his head. After combing out the "rats", what we can tangles, I then add the leave in conditioner and then shape his hair back into his natural curls. It's a process that takes about 3 minutes. Once his hair is done it stays looking nice all day. 

Here are the after shots:






The product encourages his hair to "lay down" - or, soft and flatter than his TWA (teeny weeny afro). He's got one big curl in the front of his head ... that takes me back to his "superman" days. When he was born, he had a nice head of straight hair but with one big curl in the front. =)

I think you ought to try the product if you have curly hair, hard to manage hair, or ethnically mixed hair. 


Here's to "worry free" hair products (what's in and not in the products) and most importantly, safe and effective. BTW it smells great!


Be well. 


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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

#Repetition - A Reminder to Keep Offering to Your Children

This post is about encouragement. If you're a parent whose child(ren) do not eat fruits and veggies, don't lose hope. 

Let me ask you this first though. Do you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily? If you don't, maybe that's why your children don't. However, if you do and you find they aren't eating any or enough this is where the encouragement I want to offer to you kicks in. 


Keep offering and eating your fruits and vegetables every day. Eat a variety too! 


For a quick, healthy dinner, I like to make a veggie burger over brown rice and a side of additional veggies - usually carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. (I personally can't get enough veggies!) I've made this and eaten this with my family a dozen times over. My son always eats the brown rice, broccoli and carrots without a fuss. Tonight my son picked up a piece of the veggie burger (I cut it up in small pieces and toss it with the brown rice) and asked me, "eat it?" I said yes, of course. He puts it in his mouth and he's mmm mmm the whole time he's chewing. He asks me for more! I'm excited on the inside. I don't make a big deal of it because that may give him a negative view of eating later.


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Choose, eat, and live well! =)




Wednesday, April 20, 2011

#Vinegar #Cleaning #Natural #Safe

You can use water and white distilled vinegar with some scrubbing power (or a scrub brush) to clean your counters, tubs and tile. You can use this mixture on your sinks and toilets using paper towels or reusable towels. If you're like me and don't like the smell of vinegar, add a few drops of an essential oil. Consider changing how you clean when you have small children in your home.
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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Lightly Breaded and Baked Zucchini

I made oven fried zucchini. I served the zucchini with a side of whole wheat rotini and tomato sauce. 

The zucchini sticks weren't fully breaded upon completion, they still tasted great! But I'm a bit bias because I love zucchini!!!


Recipe is inspired by Bridget Swinney. 


Ingredients:

Cooking spray 
1⁄2 cup  Panko bread crumbs 
2 T Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 
1/2 tsp oregano 
1/2 tsp basil 
1⁄4 tsp garlic powder 
3 medium zucchini 
1/2 cup coconut milk 
1 cup spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place bread crumbs, oregano, basil, cheese, and garlic powder in a Ziploc bag and shake well to combine all ingredients. Set aside.


3. Cut each zucchini in half horizontally. Then cut each half lengthwise into 8 pieces. Fill a small dish with milk. Dip each zucchini stick in water or milk, then drop into crumb mixture. Shake until zucchini stick is coated on all sides. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of sticks.


4. Bake on cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until brown and tender. Serve with warm spaghetti sauce and pasta.



Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Child like Mother? #Quotes

From Clean Eating April/May 2011 issue, "Like Mother / Like Child" (pg. 20), in summary, it is said that how the mother eats is how the children will eat. If the mother avoids fruits and vegetables, the child will most likely emulate his/her mother and become a "picky eater". If you're not eating fruits and veggies mothers, buy a whole food supplement and fake it 'til you make it.

The supplement will create over time, a craving for fruits and veggies like no other time in your life. Even if you eat fruits and veggies, what do you eat? Is it a good variety? Make no exception, fruits and veggies CAN save your life.

Quotes to live by:
Thomas Fuller: "Life is not valued until sickness comes."
Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Supplementing with #wholefoods and #natural products

A very small percentage of people get everything they need from eating healthy, whole foods in which most vitamins can be consumed from naturally occurring sources.

I am thankful that my family receives a good portion of their naturally occurring vitamins from fruits, veggies and grains. I really enjoy vegetables so sometimes getting fruits in is best done through a smoothie. My son on the other hand really likes fruits though he does love carrots, broccoli, along with kale, spinach, and zucchini. We keep a good selection of fruits and vegetables on hand. He's learned to love tomatoes last month which made me pretty darn excited. For his age, he will try anything at least once but typically he will try it again and again until he determines he likes it. I never give up on offering him anything because one day he may want it, like it and ask for it.

For the portion of vitamins we don't get from our whole foods, we eat a whole foods supplement. We also take other types of supplements that have benefits specifically to digestion health.

Every day my son eats one acidophilus (probiotics) chewable, two vitamin C chewables, 10 drops of ALJ herbal extract and his whole foods gummies made of 17 fruits, veggies and grains.

I take the same whole foods product in capsule form, ALJ herbal extract in capsule form, and sometimes (especially during cold season) two vitamin C chewables.

We make smoothies throughout the year and we add local raw honey to help combat allergies to pollen, flax seed meal (omega 3s, positive effect on cholesterol), milk thistle (20-40 drops, protects the liver and an awesome detoxifier among other benefits), and a protein powder by the same company that makes the whole foods supplement.

What products do you eat to bridge the gap? 

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

#Tomatoes - An example to always offer #healthy foods to your children

Last month I offered my 2.5 year old son eggplant parmesan with tomato sauce and he tried some and said mmm mmm as he was chewing. Of course when I eat anything that I want him to try I make a big deal out of how good it is while I chew too. So for the next 3 days I offered him the spaghetti. Only on the first day did he eat the eggplant. I offered it to him but he refused. I was okay with that because like the tomatoes he will eventually like eggplant too.

How we got here took over 3 years in the making. I've been a huge fan of tomatoes since forever. I really craved them during pregnancy and probably cooked a dish nearly every night for dinner that incorporated tomatoes. Over the next 2 years, as with anything else I want him to experience, I offered tomatoes over and over and over again. Nothing. He didn't want anything to do with it.

So never give up on your kids. They say it typically takes about 15 exposures before your kids may show interest. With tomatoes, it has taken much longer.

Though I do have a secret to share. My son did not know that the gummies he eats that includes 17 fruits, veggies and grains includes TOMATOES!! So these 3 years of eating tomatoes, he finally likes it. This should tell you perseverance trumps all (and of course, a lot of patience).

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

#Smoothie Season & #Mangoes

Immunity Boosting Smoothie

Orange Juice (Vitamin C), 

Pineapples (Antioxidants), 
Mango (King of Fruit), 
Strawberries (Vitamin K), 
Protein powder (Complete Vanilla), 
Milk Thistle (Liver Support), 
* Flax Seed Meal (Omega 3),
Local Honey (Combats Pollen Allergies).

Add spring water until the consistency you like is reached. 


Mangoes are known by "King of Fruit" because they are supposedly one of the most nutritious fruits on the planet.

* You can purchase flax seeds and blend them into a powder (flax seed meal) in your Vitamix


I do receive a small commission from Amazon.com if you purchase anything through their site using one of the links above (read my full advertising disclosure here). 

Thank you very much for your generosity in helping to offset the costs of website upkeep, so that I can keep sharing wellness resources with my community and beyond.

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)


Thursday, April 7, 2011

Vitamins? Eat #WholeFoods instead!

If you're going to give your children vitamins, please find a natural brand free of artificial dyes. Do not buy Flintstones or anything remotely similiar. Best bet get your vitamins from naturally occurring sources - fruits and vegetables!





Do know that 98% of the ingredients in this brand have nothing to do with "Vitamins"!

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

#Pineapples #Benefits

I LOVE pineapple. 

So the other day I was at my local health foods store and one of the workers always puts on a food demonstration or features a food product from the store that week, usually whatever is on sale. I walked in and beelined to her because I wanted to know what was featured plus my stomach was growling. She was serving strawberries and pineapple. 

I said I would love to buy pineapple fresh but I don't know how to cut the skin off. She showed me. Wow, so simple! 

First you see if the fruit is ripened. The way you can tell is if it has yellow in the vines of the skin. If it's green, it's not sweet yet. If it's part yellow then it's half sweetened. Let it sit on the counter until it turns yellow. Don't wait too long though because it can spoil quickly. Once it's ripe, you pull off the top with your hand. Then you cut off the top and the bottom. Cut the pineapple in half. Then you'll cut a "V" into the middle of each half to remove the stemmy core. Then you slice it like you do with cantaloupe to remove the melon from the rind. Serve. Voila!

The pineapples were on sale for 97 cents each! 

The pineapple I picked out was partial green and yellow. 

One day later, it was nearly all yellow. I cut into it the way I learned how and it was so easy! The fruit is perfectly sweetened. I got a bunch of fruit for the little pineapple I had chosen! I am sure I'll be buying more from now on!

I've always chosen pineapple for their natural anti-inflammatory benefits. They are also high in vitamins and have digestive benefits. They are mega immune supporters, mainly vitamin C. They offer antioxidant defenses. Benefits of pineapples.

Have you eaten any pineapple this week? 

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)