Mexican Pasta

I have adapted this recipe from Original Fast Foods and my family really likes it. It makes great left overs so David can take it to work.

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole grain (or brown rice) pasta

1 zucchini, chopped

1 C. carrots, diced

1/2-1 red or green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2-1 jalapeno seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. chili powder

1-2 T. cumin powder

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

2 C. sprouted beans. (see how to sprout beans HERE)

1 can chopped or whole olives, drained

1 small can enchilada sauce (or you can make your own)

1 small can tomato sauce (add another if you want it soupier)

diced fresh cilantro and raw cheese for garnish

Directions: Cook pasta in water, drain and set aside when done. In large pan, saute zucchini, carrots, green pepper, onion, jalapeno, garlic, chili and cumin powder until tender (about 5 minutes on low heat). Add fresh tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Then add fire-roasted tomatoes, beans, olives, enchilada and tomato sauce and heat thoroughly. Stir in pasta and dump everything into a casserole dish. Top with cilantro and raw cheese. Cover tightly and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

Share What You Learn With Others

I have found that ever since I have started learning more about "whole food" eating, at times I have been overwhelmed with the amount of information I have. Part of the reason why I started this blog, is not only to journal my thoughts, recipes and write down info I learn, but to share with others the knowledge I am gaining every day. I have learned that it is important to share your information with others...whether it is a blog, sending an email to your loved ones with a great recipe you like, trying to convince your significant other to read a great part of your book (not very likely with a busy hubby like me) or getting together with other people that are on the same journey you are. I have found a few other women who are also on their own quest and we have decided to get together a few times each month to share what we are learning, to talk about the things that work and the things that don't, to laugh, to eat beautiful whole foods, and to give each other encouragement along the way..

Last week, Cody and Marie (both girls that are doing the half-ironman with me in June) came over to talk about our little adventure, to talk about our week, and to of course, eat yummy food.

Cody, finishing our fabulous meal...thanks for the menu ideas!

Here is what we made:

Spinach Soup
(from Cooking Light..fresh, fast food: weeknight meals)

2 t. olive oil

1 1/2 C. chopped onion

2 C. organic veggie broth

1 C. diced Yukon Gold potato

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

1/2 C. real sour cream

1 t. grated lemon rind

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in pan and saute onion. Add broth and next three ingredients.

2. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts

3. Place soup in high powered blender (if not high powered, divide it up). Add sour cream and blend.

4. Pour soup into four bowls. Top with grated lemon rind and a sprinkle of some raw cheese!

5. Smile and savor every delicious bite

(119 Calories per bowl, 4.7 grams fat)

Orange and Bulgar Salad (Didn't have beets so we used a different root vegetable)

1 3/4 C. water
1 C. uncooked Bulgar
1 Medium beet, peeled
2 navel oranges
parsley vinaigrette:

2 T. chopped parsley, 2 T. red wine vinegar, 2 T. olive oil, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper

Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil; stir in Bulgar. Cover, remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

2. Roast beet in over (or microwave if you are short on time. You can do this by covering beet with three damp paper towels and put in on a plate. Microwave for 6 minutes or until tender)

3. While beet cooks, peel oranges, cutting crosswise to make wagon wheel slices. Cut beet into moon shaped sliced.

4. Place Bulgar on four plates, top with oranges, beets, crumbled cheese and parsley vinaigrette

(301 Calories, 13.6 g. fat for salad. 63 Calories for salad, 7 g. healthy fat!)

Marie, Me and Cody

To keep on your "healthy" path:

1. share something you learned with someone else

2. tell youself it is worth the journey, even when it is hard

3. write down your impressions about what you read and learn from others

4. share something yummy you make with a friend and laugh throughout your meal

5. realize you are doing something amazing for yourself and your family

6. become an expert about one thing at a time...take it slow

7. if you get frustrated, don't go buy a costco pizza, take a break, pick yourself up and try again

8. remember you aren't alone....EVER!

9. smile everytime you try something new that works

10. accept the statement "I AM WORTH IT!" and more importantly live like you are!

Mango Sorbet

This recipe is super easy. I got the idea from my Vita-Mix cookbook. The recipe called for strawberries, but I used frozen mango chunks. I am sure it would be great with any fruit! David said this version reminded him of the Dole Whip that you buy at the Tikki Room at Disneyland.

In your high speed blender, mix:

1 small container natural vanilla yogurt

(if you don't want dairy, use So Delicious Coconut non-dairy yogurt)

Agave to taste (maybe a few tablespoons)

4 C. frozen mango chunks.

I turn it on low and then power it to high and leave it on for two minutes and I have ice cream. If you don't have a blender that will do this, then mix up your base, probably having the mangos thawed out first and put it in your ice cream maker. You could probably double it for your maker.
No one complained except for Victoria...but she has issues with mangos! Jocelyn, as you can see was quite content and asked to lick every one's bowls..
My kids like sorbet for breakfast.. they think it's pretty cool when they ask for ice cream for breakfast and I say, "Of Course!"
This is Jocelyn finishing her third bowl!

Peanut Butter Balls

I finally made up a recipe that I love AND my family loves! They are especially delicious dipped in raw chocolate sauce. Here is what you do:

1 1/3 C. oats

1/2 C. (heaping) peanut butter

1/2 C. coconut butter

1/2 C. Grade A Maple Syrup

1/2 C. dried coconut

1 t. vanilla

Chocolate Sauce for dipping (equal parts of agave and cacoa powder)

In a double broiler, slowly melt coconut butter and and peanut butter. Once melted add to a mixing bowl with all other ingredients. Use cookie scooper to scoop out of cookie sheet and dip or drizzle with chocolate if you want. Freeze and enjoy...and if you are like me...enjoy, enjoy, and enjoy!

Rotating Your Greens

I just learned that it is important to rotate the greens you are using, not only in your salads, but in your smoothies as well. When we eat the same greens all the time (like I was used to only lettuce and spinach), your body will get the same nutrients and more importantly, each different green has certain amount of alkaloids built in, that when eaten at too high of quantities, acts like a poison.

This makes so much sense to me. No wonder that animals grazing are always moving around to different plants...they know that they can not eat too much of one type of green. Our bodies are the same way. I believe this is God's way of allowing the greens to replenish. If a certain type of greens were consumed depleted, they wouldn't be able to regenerate.

If you are like me, and just used to putting spinach in your smoothie, here are a few other greens to try. Some are certainly stronger than others, but usually taste fine when mixed with fruit and a little stevia. Here are some other greens to try!

Kale

Collard Greens

Swiss Chard

Mustard Greens

Sunflower Sprouts

Dandelion Greens

Cody's Yummy Quinoa Salad!

My friend, Cody (also my nutrition coach) gave me this awesome salad for quinoa. You can find Cody HERE: Here is the recipe with a few "Leanna" tweaks." After David tried it, he said he could eat this every day for lunch...don't know if he really would, but I took that as a compliment.

Here is the recipe:

3 Cups sprouted quinoa. You can learn to sprout quinoa HERE.

3/4-1 C. finely diced celery

1 C. finely diced cucumbers

1/2 C. finely diced green onion

3/4-1 C. finely diced carrots

1/2 C. finely diced red pepper

3 T. diced cilantro

3-6 T. diced parsley

1 C. sprouted beans of choice (I used mung beans)

3 T. olive oil

5 t. lemon juice

Fresh Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Enjoy!

What is the difference between Chlorella and Chlorophyll?

You may be thinking to yourself, I don't even know what those are...let alone the difference.

Well, here it is:

By definition, Chlorophyll is: any of a group of green pigments that are found in the chloroplasts of plants and in other photosynthetic organisms.

I have been reading about Chlorella, but wasn't sure how this differs from Chlorophyll...
Well...after doing some research, I have added Chlorella to my top list of things to feed my body for optimal health and nutrition. (I will be posting Leanna's Longevity List later this week).

I did a little research and found out:

*Chlorella is the highest natural source of chlorophyll (even more than wheat grass and alfalfa)
*Chlorella is a whole food (no other vitamin or mineral can ever replace the value of a whole food. definition of a whole food: a whole entire organism in it's entirety)
*contains up to 10 more times Chlorophyll than spirulina
*Chlorella is effective in dextoxifying the body
*it is used to cleanse the body of metals and chemical pollutants
*is a single cell, fresh water green micro-algae
*can bring balance to your body
* has the ability to absorb pesticides as they enter your body
After reading and researching, with the advise of others I trust, I will be trying Sun Chlorella. You can read about this amazing substance and purchase it HERE!

You can find answers to some common questions about Chlorella HERE.

Raw Melissa

I had the fortunate pleasure to attend two nights back to back this last week of "uncooking" classes at the Raw Melissa studio in Springville. Melissa Chappell is an amazing chef that makes yummy food out of whole foods and sells her desserts to several of the health food stores in the area. She teaches classes a few times each year and when I saw the sign up on her website (HERE).
For only 15.95, you can purchase her "Faves" cookbook which includes many of the recipes she taught us in the class: Apple Crisp, Lime Mousse, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Strawberry Cheesecake, Candied Walnuts, Macadamia Nut Thumbprint Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream. All are made with whole foods, are dairy free and raw! I got to sample everything and have already made many of the foods I mentioned above. This has really excited me about eating healthy and also my family, because all of her recipes taste wonderful and have flavors that we are familiar with.

I told Raw Melissa, after I met her that she is a breath of fresh air and just what I needed to stay motivated..
As a teaser, here is her No Bake No Bakes Recipe. I am listing this for my dear friend, Trina because we seem to make these every time we get together (less frequent now that I am in Utah and she is in California)...but now I have a raw, whole foods version.
(hope you don't mind Melissa for giving a sneak-peak of what's in your fabulous cookbook).

4 C. rolled oatmeal
1/2 C. almond butter (or natural peanut butter)
1/2 C. coconut oil
1 T. vanilla
6 T. cocoa powder
1 C. agave
3/4 t. salt

Mix by hand in a bowl. If the coconut oil is hard (which it usually is because it doesn't melt until it is 70 degrees), you can melt it over a double broiler. Drop by spoonfuls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Put in freezer until hardened.

Eat and enjoy!

(If you are like me, then you will be reliving your childhood in every frosty bite)

Stevia

When I first heard about STEVIA, I really don't know much about it or why I would want to use it. I went to the health food store to try to find it and realized it was NOT by the other sugars...I was confused, because I was told I could find it in a store that sold "healthy" products. I asked someone to help me, and the lady said, "Oh, you won't find it over here...you have to get it from the supplement section." I was confused, but bought it anyway. Now I know why. Here is an excerpt from Raw Food, Real World about stevia:

"Stevia is a native South American herb that is cousin to the chrysanthemum, contains no sucrose. Instead, it has glycosides, which burst on the palate like an Olympic runner hits the track. The flavor of stevia is approx. 300 percent sweeter than conventional sugar; so the proverb "a little goes a long way" definitely applies here...

Because it has NO effect on the blood sugar, stevia is a wonderful addition to the pantry of the raw foodist as well as anyone suffering from diabetes, yeast diseases like candidiasis, or gum disease...

Unlike saccharine and aspartame, all natural stevia (go figure) is not approved for commercial use as a sweetener, as it's not yet very widely distributed."

This is why you have to find it in the supplement section. David and I enjoy a tiny drop (remember it's CRAZY sweet) in our tea at night and I add a full droperful to my SMOOTHIE!

It's funny, because I am now adding less fruit to my smoothie and more vegetables. I now add an entire zucchini, 2 cups of spinach, at least one cup of kale, some frozen fruit, all the other goodies (click on SMOOTHIE up above to see what I am talking about) and some stevia. This keeps me full all morning and gives me great natural energy!

So...when you go to your health food store, make sure to ask someone in the supplement section where the Stevia is.

Snacks

I have had a few people ask me about snacks, especially for those with adrenal fatigue. If you find yourself getting tired in the afternoon, you can do a lot just with food to help you out.
It's important to eat snacks throughout the day. Especially if you are fighting adrenal fatigue, you don't ever want your body to get too hungry..because then it was to work harder than it should to stay a float.
I am trying to snack on things that my body can process and use for fuel, without having to work too hard, to try to help sustain my energy better throughout the afternoon.
This info is taken from Original Fast Foods:

"Carbs, proteins and fast supple the body with 100% of its energy. CARBS are broken down into sugars, proteins into amino acids and fats into fatty acids and glycerol. Complex carbs are made up of long stings of simple sugars which much be broker down in to individual sugars before they can be utilized for energy. They take longer to digest than simple sugars found in fruit, but are still quick energy sources when compared to fats and proteins. Simple and Complex carbs from whole foods are the most ideal energy sources for the body. .........
Protein...when protein is consumed in excess, the excess is either broken down or excreted from the body through the kidneys and stored as body fat. It's better to use carbs for an energy source because carbs are the only energy source that can be stored as glycogen (which is the most ready and explosives source of energy for the body and can be rapidly converted to energy as needed.
Fat....consumed in excess of true needs are stored as body fat, which is not utilized for energy unless glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are exhausted and the only remaining fuel source is body fat."
We should try to meet our caloric needs with this ratio 80/10/10. 80% carbs, 10% fat, 10% protein.
It's amazing that we can get enough protein by eating a plant based diet, eating foods in their season.
If you are trying to lose weight, or recover from an illness try to:
Consume 8-12 fruits each day, along with all the leafy greens and raw vegetables you can eat (at least one pound). Limit your consumption of fats (nuts and seeds) to 1 ounce a day.
If you need more calories, then go to starchy vegetable, legumes and then sprouted/soaked grains.
What I snack on:

Fresh fruit, dehydrated fruit, smoothies with fruit and lots of greens, maybe a few soaked almonds. If I am really hungry, I eat carrots and hummus, home made granola (with coconut milk), tropical oat and chia bars and grain free trail mix bars...all the recipes are a few posts below this one.
You can also make your own Larabars. If you don't want to make them, you can buy them at any health food store, or even on Amazon. My favorite flavors are Key Lime Pie, Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. These are a whole foods bar that are made from fruits and nuts. HERE is a recipe to make your own.
If you have any questions or want to know more about this, don't hesitate to ask!

Sprouting Beans

(There are sprouted mung beans...can you see the tiny white sprouts coming out of the beans? Pretty cool and really fool proof)

Sprouted foods contain a lot more nutrients, than foods that are not sprouted. Once you sprout a legume for instance, you are really turning your legume more into a vegetable and your body can absorb it a lot easier. They become more concentrated with enzymes, protein, minerals and vitamins.

Why is it easier to digest a sprouted bean?

Because you are basically taking something way more complex in structure, sprouting it,

bringing it to life and making it more simple.

More Simple = Less Gas...or no gas! (funny, but true!) If you want to read more about sprouting beans, you can HERE.

This last week, I sprouted, for the first time, four different types of beans and it turned out to be easy! I sprouted black beans, kidney beans, mung beans (amazing little things) and adzuki beans!

1. Dump a bag of beans, or two cups into a glass bowl and cover with filtered water.

2. Let sit for 24 hours

3. Rinse thoroughly using a strainer.

4. Place rinse beans in a small mesh strainer and set strainer over a bowl to collect water drips

5. Cover beans with a damp towel (I have some that I will just use for sprouting)

6. Rinse really well twice a day, letting the water drain out and recover with towel

7. Repeat for 2-3 days, until your beans have little sprouts sticking out of them.

8. That's it! Use your beans in soups or cook "slow-and-low" in a crock pot.

I cooked all my beans separately with some salt and other seasoning and then froze them..two cups in a bag..for future use.

Last night, using my "soaked" whole wheat tortillas, we used some kidney and black beans (that I reheated and seasoned) to make burritos. We added guacamole, lettuce and salsa!

No one complained...and there was no "gas" fest going on after dinner.

What a beautiful thing!

Soaking Grains

So, I just learned some cool things about soaking grains before using them. I found this whole-wheat tortilla recipe on Deliciously Organic, that you can download HERE. We just tried it last night and it was great! The main reason for soaking grains (or sprouting them) before use is so your body will be able to more easily digest them. The bran of the grain contains phytic acid that often times, prevents absorption in the intestinal tract.
Once you have soaked, or sprouted your grain, you are releasing the minerals that are contained in the phytic acid for absorption, thus neutralizing the acid. Many of the harsh starches are then able to be broken down and even people with severe grain intolerance can eat soaked or sprouted grains.
I have been sprouting grains for the last month, and it is not hard, but does take some work. Soaking, is a lot easier and something you do before you go to bed and then can use the next evening. The tortillas on the link above were great and really easy to make..and my kids loved them. It is a good first recipe for someone to try who isn't sure about the whole soaking or sprouting thing.

ENJOY!

P.S. If you would like to read more about soaking and sprouting different things, click HERE is a great short article to help get you started.

P.P.S. The tortillas stored in the fridge great and even heated up nicely the next day!

Sprouted Quinoa and Beans Tacos

I made this last night for dinner, and much to my surprise (especially after all three kids were crying cause they saw green things and tomatoes in their food) all of my family members asked for seconds and ate until they got sick...cause they couldn't stop. This recipe is adapted from "South of the Border Rice" from the Diet Rebels Cookbook. 2 T. olive oil

1/2 red pepper, finely minced

1/2 green pepper, finely minced

1/2 onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can diced green chilies

1 Can black beans, drained (or sprouted beans if you have them) Click HERE to find out how to sprout legumes. really easy.

1 C. fresh or frozen corn

1 can organic fire roasted tomatoes..with juice (add a larger can if you like more tomato's)

2 T. chili powder

cumin to taste

sea salt to taste

fresh cilantro chopped

2 C. lightly cooked quinoa.

In your large pan, saute your peppers, onion, and garlic in olive oil. When soft, add in chilies, corn, beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and sea salt Let simmer for 10 minutes and then add quinoa. Cook until heated through and make sure to check your seasonings before you are done.

Add fresh cilantro once you turn off the heat.

I served this in sprouted corn tortillas (that I warmed on the stove), fresh guacamole, lettuce, raw cheese and a little good quality sour cream. I kid you not, my fussy kids were licking their plates!

Sprouting Quinoa

Sprouting quinoa is super easy and will aid in your body's digestion of this powerful super-gran. It is higher in nutrition than other seeds or grains. You pronounce it "Keen-wah."
You can read about quinoa HERE.

So, to try sprouting quinoa, place one cup of seeds in a small stainless steel mesh strainer. Run it under water until it is free of bubbles.
Rest the strainer onto of a glass bowl and fill the bowl full of filtered water. Let the quinoa soak for 30 minutes.
Rinse again, and empty water from the glass bowl. Set the strainer again over the empty bowl and cover the quinoa with a damp towel. Let sit, out of sunlight, for 8-12 hours.
Rinse again and repeat the last step.
Rinse and now your quinoa is ready to use. You can cook it at a low temp with water on the stove (half the water recommended on the quinoa bag), or you can store it in the fridge for around a week.
Add some quinoa to your salad, fruit salad oatmeal...whatever. I love quinoa!

Is there such a thing as Adrenal Fatigue?

I came across this article today and was really surprised. The author, an MD is basically saying that Adrenal Fatigue is not real! If you are interested, you can read his article HERE. He says:

"Adrenal Fatigue is a term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms which include: body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems...it isn't an accepted medical diagnosis....Proponents of the adrenal fatigue diagnosis claim this is a mild form of adrenal insufficiency caused by chronic stress. The unproven theory behind adrenal fatigue is that your adrenal glands are unable to keep pace with the demands of perpetual fight-or-flight arousal. As a result, they can't produce enough of the hormones you need to feel good"

After experiences all the above mentioned symptoms, and after treatment...am improving and all my lab results are improving, how could this be made up? He says the symptoms are "nonspecific," but I think the more I have read about adrenal fatigue...we are all in the same boat! What this doctor was proposing about stress and fight-or-flight..I believe whole-heartily. It is exactly what Adrenal Stress is..and is not Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalga, like he is proposing...maybe related...YES, but Adrenal Fatigue is real and is certainly overwhelming and frustrating, when you don't know what to do and when you can't figue out what is wrong with you!

I think a lot of doctors don't accept Adrenal Fatigue as a real thing, because it isn't something they are taught in med school. They learn about Addison's Disease, which is an underlying disease that causes an insufficient adrenal gland. There is no money to be made in Adrenal Fatigue. After counseling with my nurse practitioner and reading about Adrenal Fatigue, by doctors that accept it and are helping people recover ever day, I know that I must do the following to be healthy and continue to recover (program taken from "Adrenal Fatigue: by Dr. James Wilson). Although I choose to buy my vitamins and supplements from James Wilson, there are many doctors now that understand Adrenal Fatigue and how serious it is and will help you on your road to recovery. Hopefully, they will tell you the following:

1.Be in bed by 10 at the latest and asleep no later than 11 p.m.

2. Try to sleep in until 7...9 is ideal. I laugh at this, because being a mom, I don't often get this luxury..but I have a supportive husband who will let me sleep in when I get the chance. Your adrenals like to sleep in...remember that.

3. Awake with a glass of water and add 1/2 t. salt

4. Have a balanced breakfast of proteins, fats, and small starchy carbs (unrefined)

5. eat a snack around 10:15 of protein/fats/carbs and rest for a few minutes with your feet off the ground. Also practice deep breathing.

6. Eat an early lunch, before noon..You don't want your body to get too tired or your adrenals will always be playing catch up. Getting too hungry, is like your body being too tired. always make sure you eat throughout the day. lunch should be a balance of protein, small amount of carbs and fat and three different colored veggies. Make sure to chew slowly.

7. 2:00-afternoon snack of protein/fat/carbs and rest for a few minutes.

8. Eat an early dinner..before 6 pm and have protein, unrefined carbs and three different colored vegetables!

9. 7:00-relax and practice deep breathing

10. Small snack before bed

11. in bed by 10 and asleep by 11.

Sprouting 101

What is so important about sprouting?

When you sprout a grain, a bean, a seed, or a nut you are eating something way more nutritious that your body recognizes more as a vegetable vs. eating processed flour, nuts, seeds...that your body has a harder time processing. Sprouted grains contain important enzymes that aid in proper digestion and they also contain good bacteria. When we eat food that is refined and over processed..all those enzymes are lost.

You can read more about sprouting grains HERE!

Here are simple steps for sprouting grains:

I use wide mouth mason jars with sprouting lids...you can also just go to the hardware store and get some screen cut to fit your jar lids you already have.

Fill however many mason jars you want 1/3 full of grain

(I have just done white wheat and red winter wheat. Pretty soon, I will be experimenting with more ancient grains, like kamut and spelt).

(This is from the first time I did it and it was way too much grain in the morning.. don't add more than a half of a jar full..before the water)

Fill the jars full with filtered water, cover with sprouting lids and let sit out of the sunlight over night.

In the morning, drain the old water and rinse thoroughly. I leave my jars sitting at an angle in my sink so the water can continue to drain.

Over the next 12 hours, you should rinse them a few times. As soon as you start to see the little white bud coming out of the wheat, this is a good place to stop.

I then dehydrate the wheat at 115 degrees until they are hard again.

Once the wheat is dry, it is ready to grind and use for whatever you want. I realized that when I let my wheat sprout too long, my bread did not turn out. I found out after reading, The Diet Rebels Cookbook, that it is because there wasn't enough gluten to hold together in baking.

That is it! Try sprouting some wheat, dehydrating, and grinding. I have a dry container for my vita mix that lets me grind my grains

Local milk

Do you live in Utah County?

If so, you can get Raw Milk, Fresh Eggs, Grass-fed Beef and Raw Honey

for really great prices.

Check out www.huckleberrydairy.net

Tropical Lemon Cranberry Coconut Chia Bars

OK, so I am in love with Chia Seeds! They are soo fabulous and have such great nutrients in them. They help increase energy, curb appetite and give the body some Omega 3s and other minerals. I will be experimenting with Chia seeds a lot in the near future. I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs! Click HERE for the recipe and and step by step instructions. Sooo yummy! I keep them in the freezer and then just take one out when I want it. I also lined my pan with parchment paper, so it was easy to take them out when they were done.

Grain Free Trail-Mix Bars

My friend, Denise sent me this recipe because she knows I am trying new healthy things. This recipe is awesome. Follow the instructions exactly (not hard at all) and they will turn out great. I did add a little extra honey to hold them together and added some dried cranberries.

Click HEREfor the recipe and pictures of the bars. These are very filling. My friend Cody and I snacked on them while we were in St. George this last weekend. They got us through: a trail run, hot yoga, 15 mile bike ride and a gorgeous hike through Zion's national park. I think they are best if kept in the fridge!

Enjoy!

gRAWnola

This granola recipe is from Raw Food Real World. It is awesome! It will stay crunchy if you keep it in the fridge. David had it yesterday with Coconut Milk on it and said it was great! I just snack on it. Ingredients: 1 apple, cored and chopped (I used organic Gala) 1 1/2 C. date paste (I made my own by soaking medjool dates, taking out the pits and mixing it up in the food processor using a little of the date water) 1/2 Grade A or B Maple Syrup. Grade A is heated the least...if you can find it 2 T. lemon juice 2 T. orange zest 1 t. cinnamon 2 t. sea salt 1 T. vanilla 1/2 C. sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours 2 C. almonds, soaked for at least 4 hours 3 C. pecans, soaked for at least 2 hours 1 C. pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours 1 C. dried cranberries In your food processor or Vita-Mix, blend apple, date paste, syrup, lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 C. of the sunflower seeds. When smooth, transfer to a big bowl. Add the remaining seeds and nuts to your food processor and coarsely chop the nuts and seeds in a few quick pulses. Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, and then add the cranberries. Mix until well coated. Spread the granola on lined dehydrator trays (I used parchment paper) and dehydrate at 115 for 6 to 8 hours. Flip the granola over onto the screens (I left the parchment paper on when I flipped it over) and dehydrate for another 8 to 12 hours or until crunchy. Peel off parchment paper and break into pieces. It will get harder once you let it cool and place in the fridge!