Category — Recipes

Chocolate Power Bars

• 2 C whole rolled oats
• 1 C almonds, raw
• 1/4 C flax seed
• 1 1/2 C nut butter (my favorite is walnut)
• 1 1/2 C dried dates (my favorite is the Medjool variety)
• 1/2 C carob powder or cocoa powder
• 1/4 C honey, raw
• 1/4 C blackstrap molasses

Process oats, nuts, seeds, and dates in a food processor until chopped fine. Then place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Press into a glass baking dish, cover, and place in refrigerator. Allow time to chill and then cut into squares.

This recipe makes a delicious and nutritious snack that both kids and adults will love. We bring them along on picnics, when camping, or while hiking. They are very tasty… but be careful, they pack a lot of calories. These power bars are a good natural alternative to the “health” bars typically sold – that are usually loaded with chemicals such as artificial sweeteners.

Experiment with different kinds and combinations of nuts and dried fruit. Let me know what you come up with. Be creative and enjoy!

Veggie Juice (Simple Gazpacho)

• 1 C water, spring or filtered
• 1 large tomato, quartered
• 1/2 C baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach, organic
• 1 medium cucumber, skinned and chunked
• 1 T lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 raw garlic clove
• salt to taste
• hot pepper to taste
• 4-6 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in order into Vitamix or blender. Blend on high until smooth. This makes a delicious, healthy and refreshing way to get a couple servings of veggies.

This makes a simple and delicious drink similar to Gazpacho. Just add onions and bell pepper (organic) and you have a classic Gazpacho. You can experiment with different kinds and combinations of veggies and spices. Try celery, parsley or vinegar. For variety, you can eliminate the water and ice and use a food processor to dice the ingredients and make a delicious cold salad or salsa. Be creative and enjoy!

Mediterranean Beans

• 2 cans low sodium garbanzo beans
• 1 T cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 T wine vinegar (try red or white)
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• seasoning to taste (try oregano, basil, thyme, and black pepper)

Rinse beans. Put all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

For Southwest Beans make these substitutions: black and pinto beans, coconut oil, and season with cilantro and hot spices (chili, cayenne, or jalepeno).

For Far East Beans make these substitutions: soy beans, sesame oil, and season with garlic, ginger, black pepper and Bragg Liquid Aminos (lower sodium soy sauce).

Our family loves these recipes because they are simple to prepare, are healthy, and taste great. We typically serve them as a side dish or as a salad topper. You can use the base recipe as a starting point and experiment with different beans, oils and seasonings. Be creative and enjoy!

Superior health depends on our environment too. We may not have that much control over the global environment, but what about locally? Have you done anything to help the environment of your township? What about your neighborhood? What about your home?

Have you ever thought about poisons found in your own home? Some very toxic ingredients are found in everyday products. Things like sprays, fingernail solutions, hair care products, mouthwash, perfumes, cosmetics, powders, medicines, polishes, drain cleaners, insecticides, antifreeze, and other household and garage products can be very dangerous.

One change our family made was to commit to using natural cleaning supplies in our home. We did this for several reasons:

1. We wanted to help reduce the risk of our own children accidentally becoming poisoned
2. To allow our children to participate in household cleaning chores without fear of poisoning
3. To reduce introducing more toxins to our environment
4. To keep our home clean, fresh, natural and non-toxic

We use natural dish cleaning products by a company called Seventh Generation. We purchase these at Wholefoods. But for everyday cleaning, we primarily use two different homemade products…

Natural All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

• 50% water
• 50% distilled white vinegar
• 15-20 drops of 100% pure essential oil

Just put in a spray bottle and use. The essential oils we usually use are lemon or peppermint.

Natural Scrub

• 1 2/3 C baking soda
• 1/2 C natural liquid soap
• 1/2 C water
• 15-20 drops of 100% pure essential oil
• 2 T distilled white vinegar

Mix in a large bowl. Add the vinegar last and then stir to eliminate the lumps. This is similar to “Soft-Scrub”, and can be used for tile, tubs, toilets and sinks. We re-use empty shampoo bottles and use a funnel to fill them up with this natural scrub. Our kids actually love to scrub away when we use peppermint oil because they think it’s like using toothpaste!

I hope you really give it a go and make these natural cleaning product recipes. I think you’ll really enjoy them. They’re simple to make, work well, and they can help keep your environment clean, fresh, natural and non-toxic.

Healthy Sports Drink

• 3 C spring water or filtered water
• 1 C orange Juice
• Juice from 1 lemon or lime
• 1/8 tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
• 1 T organic apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp agave nectar or raw organic honey (optional)

1. Mix well and chill

This drink provides a great way to beat the heat and stay hydrated especially while exercising. I’ve been using this recipe for years. It’s simple and tastes great. One 8 oz serving has around 40 calories and 75 mg of sodium, as well as a variety of other nutrients.

This drink provides a well-balanced and all-natural alternative to the typical sports drink. By using this recipe you can avoid refined sugars and artificial colors found in most marketed sports drinks. The optional apple cider vinegar and agave nectar or honey give additional health benefits and adds a nice sweet and tangy flavor. Try different kinds and combinations of juice. I like grape and apple juices mixed. For a fresh twist, try mango and passion juices.

Be creative and enjoy!

Chocolate “Mousse” Dessert

• 1 C soy milk beverage
• 1 C pitted dates
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 2 T carob powder
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1/2 C raw, unsalted cashews or macadamia nuts

1. Mix all ingredients in Vitamix or other food processor and blend until creamy.
2. If your blender has difficulty with the nuts or dates, soak them in water or soy milk for several hours prior to processing.
3. Chill for at least an hour prior to serving.

This is an absolutely delicious dessert that will have people begging for more and kids fighting over who can lick out the bowl. People won’t believe this desser has all wholesome ingredients, with no processed sugar and no dairy.

It is good solo or topped with fresh fruit. Try peanuts, almonds or walnuts for a different twist. If you want a vanilla “mousse”, simply eliminate the cocoa and carob, double the vanilla extract, and use vanilla soy milk.

Be creative and enjoy!

Creamy Apricot Cashew Salad Dressing

• 1 C Water
• 1/4 C Vinegar, apple cider or white wine
• 1/2 C Cashews, raw unsalted
• 3/4 C Apricots, dried
• Salt to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in Vitamix or other food processor and blend until creamy.
2. If your blender has difficulty with the cashews or the apricots, soak them in water for several hours prior to processing.

This makes a creamy dressing that is sweet, tangy and delicious. Our family loves it mixed into a green leafy salad and tossed with sunflower seeds. Do you want to see your kids go back for seconds on salad? Give it a try! Also good on steamed veggies of all sorts.

Be creative and enjoy!

Cheesy Garlic Sauce

• 1 C Water
• 1/2 C Raw, Unsalted Cashews or Macadamia Nuts
• 1-2 Raw Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 C Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients in Vitamix (or equivalent blender)
2. Blend until creamy

This is a delicious and versatile sauce. Our kids love our veggie dishes made using it. They couldn’t get enough of our “Cheesy Broccoli & Spinach Pasta” dinner we made using steamed vegetables and whole-wheat pasta covered in this sauce.

You can experiment with different kinds of nuts. You can try using more garlic, if your family and friends don’t mind! Also, using a touch of mustard gives it a nice twist. Try it on potatoes, cauliflower or green beans.

Be creative, and enjoy

Basic Bean Burgers

• 2 cans of low-salt beans (we favor black & kidney beans)
• 1 C rolled oats (or oat groats soaked overnight)
• 2 T Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 C sunflower seeds
• 1 C peas (or other green veggie)
• 2 T Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• spices to taste (we enjoy garlic, onion, and oregano)

1. Thaw the frozen peas by rinsing or soaking in water.
2. Put beans, sunflower seeds and peas in food processor. Process until a paste is made.
3. Scoop onto lightly oiled baking dish and form patties.
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (flip after 15 minutes).

This recipe is simple, delicious and very adaptable. The only unusual ingredients are the Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and the nutritional yeast flakes. These can usually be found at the local health food store.

Our family typically serves them on small whole-wheat pitas, which are only 80 calories each. We top the burger with lettuce, tomato, sweet onion and a touch of condiments. They’re also good served on a plate and smothered in sauteed mushrooms and onions.

We enjoy experimenting with different variations of ingredients… you can too. Instead of peas, you can try substituting other green vegetables such as spinach or broccoli. Try substituting white or sweet potato for the oats. Spice it up by using red beans and a variety of Mexican spices to make a “South of the Border” burger. You can also vary the flavor by adding a small amount of nuts (we enjoy walnuts, pecans or almonds), which can be quite delicious… but it increases the fat content.

Be creative, and enjoy!

Breakfast Meuslix

• 2 C dry rolled oats
• 1/4 C raw, no-salt nuts (we prefer almonds and walnuts)
• 2 T sunflower seeds
• 1 T ground flax seed
• 1/2 C dried fruit (we enjoy raisins, cranberries, and apricots)

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (we get our kids involved by mixing up a large batch; larger amounts can be mixed using the ratios listed in the recipe and then kept in the freezer for future use).
2. Cinnamon or other spices can be added to taste.
3. When served, add a generous amount of fresh fruit (we really enjoy bananas and blueberries).
4. I recommend using nut milk(s), soy milk or rice milk instead of cow milk. If you prefer a softer feel, use more liquid and let the mueslix soak for 10-15 minutes.

This is a delicious, healthier (whole-food) and less expensive choice as compared to traditional boxed cereals. The nuts are the most expensive ingredient, but you are only using a small amount. The bulk of the mueslix are the oats and the fresh fruit. At this time organic oats can be purchased for only around $0.79 per pound. Compare this to boxed cereals, which cost around $4.00 per pound and up.

You can experiment with a variety of nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds and pecans add a rich flavor. Try using different kinds of dried fruits and fresh fruits for a new twist.

Be creative and enjoy!