Year: 2013

Fruity Lemonade

Melissa King 24 Comments

Who doesn’t like a refreshing cold drink in the summer?  I know I love it on hot days like today.  Problem is, most store bought mixes are laden with processed sugar and chemicals.  Take a look at the ingredients in this Country Time Lemonade that I got off their website.  Did you notice how there are no actual lemons in the ingredients???  There are, however, lots of other unwanted additives.  I have highlighted some of the nastier ones.

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Ingredients: SUGAR, FRUCTOSE, CITRIC ACID, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, CALCIUM FUMARATE, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, YELLOW 5 LAKE, TOCOPHEROL (PRESERVES FRESHNESS). CONTAINS: SOY.

You can almost guarantee that the soy products contain
GMOs.  This is easy to make and much better!

lemonade watermark

If you don’t want a drink, you can make these into popsicles using these molds.  I made mine using a juicer, but you can use a blender and strain if you like, or just make it into a lemonade smoothie!  I got the idea for this after I saw all the fruits that came in my co-op basket.

Fruity Lemonade

Fruity Lemonade

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Prep Time 5 min

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons (remove rinds, but leave as much white as possible)
  • 3 mangos (skins removed and pitted)
  • 4-5 cups honey dew melon cubed
  • 1-3 T of raw honey or maple syrup

Instructions

  1. If you are using a juicer , juice all ingredients except for the honey.
  2. Take a taste.
  3. Add 1-3 T raw honey or maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it. I personally love the tarty flavor.
  4. If you are using a blender juice the lemon separately.
  5. Add the rest of the fruit and the sweetener into the blender with the lemon juice.
  6. Blend for about 90 seconds.
  7. Serve immediately or store for later. I got about 32 oz of juice out of mine. Enjoy!

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Healthy Key Lime Tarts (Vegan and Paleo)

Melissa King 62 Comments

Healthy Key Lime Tarts.  One of the things I think of during summer is healthy key lime tarts.  I knew I had to find a way to make a healthy key lime vegan tart recipe.

My father-in-law loves all things key lime and he loved this key lime tart recipe!  I had him come over and taste test them.  If you like my Key Lime Larabars, you will love these key lime tarts!

 

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

 

I had soaked some cashews because I was making some Smoky Sweet Potato Tacos and the recipe called for a maple cream.

I thought they were plenty sweet and didn’t end up making the cream part.  The tacos were bomb though!

I used the extra cashew cream in this recipe. These little tarts are vegan, grain free, gluten free and raw.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

Healthy Key Lime Tarts

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Prep Time 2 hr Serves 5 - 6 servings     adjust servings

Ingredients

    For the crust

    For the filling

    Instructions

      For the crust

      1. Soak the cashews overnight and then drain and rinse.
      2. In the food processor , grind up the salt, almonds and pecans until they are a course/crumbly texture.
      3. Add the dates and pulse until a dough starts to form. You may need to add a couple tablespoons of water or oil if the dough is not holding well.
      4. Press the dough into individual greased tart pans . I have the kind with the removable bottoms. Makes it real easy to remove them afterward. I got five out of my batch. It helps to use wet hands while forming the dough into place.
      5. Once all the dough is formed in the cups, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm the dough back up.

      For the filling

      1. While the dough is firming back up, you can start on the filling. Throw the cashews, coconut milk, sweetener and lime juice in a blender and blend until smooth. I used my Vitamix . Take a taste. If you like it a little more tart, add some more lime juice.
      2. Pour the contents into the tart shells and let chill in the fridge for a couple hours. That’s it!

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      Healthy 4th of July Ideas

      Melissa King 2 Comments

      We are coming up on yet another holiday.   I seriously can’t believe it’s going to be July!  Didn’t we just start this year?  I swear, once you have kids, time flies!  Anyway, I thought I would give you some healthy inspiration for July 4th.

      potato-salad

      Dairy Free Potato Salad

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      BBQ Cauliflower Bites

      salad with watermark

      Macaroni Salad with Chickpeas

      Black-Bean-Burgers1

      Black Bean Burgers

      burgers-1

      Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

      French-Fries1

      Healthy French Fries

      strawberry tart 1 watermark

      Grain Free Strawberry Tart

      BB tart watermark

      Grain Free Blueberry Tart

      ice cream watermark

      Strawberry Ice Cream

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      Blueberries and Cream Popsicles

      watermelon-1-watermark

      Refreshing Watermelon Punch

      Enjoy and have a happy and safe 4th!

      Thick and Fudgy Brownies

      Melissa King 113 Comments

      My husband is a huge chocolate lover.   He especially loves fudgy brownies.  I am more of a nut butter girl myself.  So I combined those two things to make these yummy thick and fudgy brownies!  This is attempt number 3 at brownies and these brownies came out so good!  I used white whole wheat in my brownie recipe, but they can easily be done with a gluten free flour as well.

      brownies FG 10

      These can also be done with peanut butter or sunflower butter as well.  I knew these were a hit because my daughter ate hers right up and asked for another.  My husband said they reminded him of Duncan Hines brownies in a box!.  Without the chemicals of course! I used dark chocolate and cacao powder so these are filled with healthy antioxidants for your body too. A brownie you can feel good about eating. Can it get any better than that really?

      Thick and Fudgy Brownies

      Thick and Fudgy Brownies

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      Prep Time 15 min Cook Time 15 min Serves 10 brownies     adjust servings

      Ingredients

      Instructions

      1. Preheat oven to 350.
      2. In a large bowl , add all the dry ingredients.
      3. In a saucepan , on medium heat, combine the coconut oil, applesauce, maple syrup, almond butter and chocolate.
      4. Stir until everything is well combined. Set aside.
      5. Line an 8X8 pan with a sheet of parchment paper leaving enough room for some paper to come out the sides. This will make the brownies easy to remove.
      6. Add the heated mixture to the dry ingredients and stir only until combined.
      7. Lastly add the egg and milk and stir until everything is mixed well. Be careful not to over-mix or the brownies can come out tough.
      8. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. I kept mine slightly gooey and they worked out great that way. The first time I overcooked them and they were so dry.
      9. Once the brownies are cooled, pull them out by grabbing the parchment paper.
      10. Cut with a pizza cutter into squares.

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      Recipe Notes

      Store them in a container in the pantry or the fridge. Keep in mind, if you store them in the fridge, they will harden slightly because the coconut oil will solidify. I got about 10 brownies out of my batch. Enjoy!

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

      Melissa King 17 Comments

      Summer is here and who doesn’t like a frozen treat?  I already have several up in my recipe index.  This pina colada ice cream is just a perfect addition.  The taste of pina colada reminds me of when I lived in Las Vegas.  We would go to the resort pool parties and sip on pina coladas.  Super yummy.  I found this recipe initially at The Midnight Baker’s website.  She made them into popsicles, but I turned them into ice cream.  You could do either.

      pina colada ice cream watermark blur

      If you don’t have an ice cream machine, you can make them into popsicles
      or smoothie pops.  Any way will work great!  We received a pineapple and some vanilla beans in our co-op basket so I used them in this recipe.

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

      Pina Colada Ice Cream

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      Prep Time 15 min Serves 4-5 cups     adjust servings

      Ingredients

      • 1 can coconut milk (I used Thai Organic)
      • 1 frozen banana
      • 1 vanilla bean (whole) 1tsp extract would work well too.
      • 3 cups pineapple diced
      • 2 T liquid sweetener (optional)

      Instructions

      1. Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend for about 90 seconds. Take a taste. It will be slightly tart. I liked it that way.
      2. You can also add 2 T of maple syrup or honey to sweeten it more if you like. I did not add any sweetener to mine.
      3. Pour contents into ice pop molds or an ice cream machine . Mine took about 20 minutes in the machine.
      4. The ice cream will come out like soft serve. If you prefer a harder ice cream, place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to firm up. Enjoy!

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      Super Easy Tacos

      Melissa King 30 Comments

      I have said before that my husband is a huge fan of all Tex Mex food.  I swear he could eat tacos everyday.  This is one recipe that he makes that I absolutely love, even though I am not that into Tex Mex.  This recipe is not spicy, because I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food.  I will add in some options if you want it a little hot.

      tacos watermark

      Last week, in our co-op, there was an option to buy 48 ears of organic and non GMO corn.  We jumped on that deal and have it tucked away in our freezer.  We used some of that corn in this recipe.  There is nothing like the sweet taste of corn on the cob.  It reminds me of summer just like watermelon does.  Yum!

      Super Easy Tacos

      Super Easy Tacos

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      Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 15 min

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups black beans
      • 2 cups corn (please use organic and non GMO corn if possible)
      • 1-2 cups cooked wild rice or quinoa
      • 1/2 yellow onion chopped
      • 2 tsp cumin
      • 1 tsp garlic
      • 1 tsp chili powder
      • Juice from 1/2 lime
      • 3 T oil (I used Avocado Oil )
      • 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
      • 1 pickled jalapino chopped (per taco)

      Instructions

      1. Cook the rice or quinoa according to the package instructions. 
      2. I actually always have some kind of a grain cooked in the fridge that I can add to meals to stretch them out. 
      3. In a large sauce pan , saute the onions, beans and spices in your oil of choice.
      4. When onions begin to soften, add corn, rice and lime juice and cook an additional 7 minutes or so on medium heat. That’s it.

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      Recipe Notes

      Now you can create the taco with whatever fixings you like. We use Food for Life sprouted corn tortillas, add in the cooked mixture, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro and cheese of your choice. We use our dairy free cheese sauce and it tastes awesome with this recipe. Enjoy!