Not Your Mama's Shortcake!

Not Your Mama's Shortcake! 

But, I bet they're both 100% from scratch, right?! Are you ready for a nutrient dense dessert? You may just ask for more! This post was inspired by my Complete Breakfast in a Muffin recipe as seen here. The ingredients are almost exactly the same except I used vanilla Complete and added a strawberry reduction and whipped cream. 

This recipe is gluten free (not grain free) and you can make coconut milk whip in lieu of heavy cream making this shortcake dairy-free too!

Ingredients for Shortcake:
2 tbs of ground flax seeds
2 tbs of vanilla Complete (like this)
1 T applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp coconut oil + 1/4 tsp to coat the bowl for non-stick
1.5 tsp coconut sugar 
1/4 tsp raw honey 
large coffee mug

Preparation:

1. Grease the bowl with the 1/4 tsp of coconut oil (you can use a paper towel to coat or your clean fingertips). 
2. Add all the ingredients to the mug in the order above. Mix well with a spoon.
3. Cook on regular temperature for 2 minutes (this is based on a 1,000 watt microwave). You will know it's done when the top is springy and not sticky.

It'll look like this when it's done. It kind of reminds me of the texture and bounciness of sponge cake. 

Since the shortcake takes so very little time, you might make your whipped cream and strawberry reduction ahead of time. 

Ingredients for strawberry reduction:
10-12 medium strawberries + 3 sliced to garnish
2 tbs water

Preparation:
1. Heat the strawberries with the water in a pot for about 10 minutes on medium. Using an immersion blender you'll blend the strawberries for a minute - just until the whole strawberries are broken down a bit. You can also use a potato masher. 
2. Slice the extra strawberries for garnish. (I didn't have any fresh on hand. During the non-season, I buy organic and then freeze them to use for later.) 
3. While the strawberry reduction is cooling, make your whipped cream. 

Ingredients for whipped cream:
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tbs cane sugar
1/2 tsp real vanilla 
Optional: Pinch of sprinkles (I recommend Let's Do Organic)

Preparation:
1. The best way to make whipped cream is in your mixer with a very cold bowl. Put the bowl and whisk in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. 
2. Add all of the ingredients to the cold bowl and mix on high for 2 minutes. If you over mix, it'll be a lumpy not so creamy texture. 

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Another strawberry favorite recipe you may like:
Strawberry Pizza

Why We Need To Eat More #Vegetables!

Why we need to eat more vegetables.

Besides tasting great, they are nutrient dense – they pack a lot of nutrition in one bite with very few calories! A half cup of vegetables offers the best health building substances: nature’s vitamins and minerals also called phytonutrients.

Veggies are a dieter’s best partner because they are considered ‘free foods’ meaning you can eat an unlimited amount without having to count the calories. The reason for this lean indulgence is the body uses almost as many calories to digest them in the first place. You’d have to eat platefuls of most vegetables before calories begin to add up.

You can fill up faster due to the fiber found in the vegetables. Dr. William Sears always says that ‘fiber is filling without being fattening.’

Preparing vegetables different ways using a variety of them is fun – right? I think so! I’ll share a recipe at the end for a quick, healthy dish using all vegetables!

Vegetables provide complex carbohydrates which helps keep blood sugar level (the only exception is the fructose found in corn and beets).

Vegetables contain cancer-fighting phytos. Dr. Sears says, ‘What you don't see in the nutrition charts or on the package labels are the hundreds of valuable nutrients, called phytochemicals, found in plants that have as-yet untold health-promoting properties. New research, especially in the field of cancer, is showing that vegetables are nature's best health food’ (AskDrSears). 

One of the healthiest eating habits you can foster in your family is to make vegetables the centerpiece of your meals and let the other food groups accompany them. My recommendation is to make your plate 1/3 vegetables.

How to get your children to eat vegetables? Eat them yourself. Enjoy them. Offer them to your children (over and over if you have to and always with enthusiasm). Use modeling, not bribery or force, to get your children to eat more vegetables. You can make the vegetables fun to eat: Dip them, dress them, blend them, disguise them, sauté them, and grow them. Learn this and more at my Start workshops (held online and in-person (limited locations)). Please inquire by contacting me on my blog.

Vegetable Medley:

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

1-2 chopped garlic cloves

2 teaspoons of dried herbs of your choice

1 teaspoon of sea salt, divided

Prepare ¼ cup chopped onions, 2 carrots, ½ cup of chopped daikon radish, 1 zucchini, ½ head of green cabbage, and 1 medium tomato.

Sauté vegetables in oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and herbs on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Season the finished dish with the remaining sea salt to taste (optional).

Yields 5 servings of vegetables.

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Bridge the gap here.