Happy Mother’s Day!
I love you mommy!
xoxo
Now time to lace up the Asics and walk to the coffee shop!
Happy Mother’s day to all of the mommies out there!
I don’t know how you ladies do it, you’re amazing!
Ch Ch Ch Chia Pudding
Ch ch ch chia!
I loveeee Chia Seeds! My sister and I just finished off this entire jar of Ch Ch Ch Chia Pudding! And I can’t stop saying CH CH CH CHIA! Somebody, make it stop!
There is much more to these seeds, than the power to grow a pet out of a terra cotta pot! Chia seeds are the latest craze in superfoods and healthy plant-based fat. Do you think that Joe Pedott, the creator of the famous Chia Pet had any idea that these would later be considered a superfood?
What is a Chia seed?
The Chia plant (Salvia hispanica) is a member of the mint family that’s native to Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are often eaten raw, but can also be soaked in liquid to form a gelatinous mixture. Chia seeds can also be ground into a powder for baking.
What do they taste like?
Chia seeds don’t really taste like anything. Their flavor is practically non-existent, but he magic is in the texture. When combined with water or liquid, they absorb 9 times their weight in water, forming a gel-like consistency. They are great in smoothies and oatmeal because they add texture and a thicker consistency. The proof is in the pudding… ha ha ha
Why Chia?
Chia seeds are an amazing source of plant-based fat, and are especially high in Omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. They also contain a large amount of Fiber, which aids with weight loss by keeping your stomach feeling full. Last but not least, these tiny little seeds are filled with powerful antioxidants to help rid our bodies of free radicals, and Magnesium and Potassium. Talk about big things in small packages!
Depending on the brand, 1 Tablespoon of dry Chia seeds tallies up to about 55 calories, 5g of Fat, 5g of Carbohydrate, 6g of Fiber, 3g of Protein.
Below is an example of dry chia seeds before they have swelled, and after they have been left in liquid for 10 minutes.
Ch Ch Ch Chia Pudding
serves 2
¼ cup whole chia seeds
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (I love Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond!)
½ ripe banana
1 Tbsp rolled oats
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
4-6 drops of liquid stevia or other natural sweetener to taste
Set the dry Chia seeds aside in their own bowl – they will be added last. In a blender, combine almond milk, banana, rolled oats, cinnamon, vanilla, and sweetener. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture and whole chia seeds into a jar and stir. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and stir again. Let the pudding stand in the refrigerator for 10 more minutes until the chia seeds have expanded. Enjoy cold. Or prepare them and leave in the refrigerator overnight like overnight oats.
Note: I use unsweetened almond milk and add my own vanilla and stevia, but you could use sweetened vanilla almond milk if you would like. If so, omit the vanilla extract and sweetener from the recipe.
Adapted from Eating Bird Food
Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
Would you ever guess that this loaf of banana bread is healthy?!
Not only is it vegan and made from whole-wheat flour, but it does not contain any refined sugar, oil, or dairy!
I love bananas, in fact I think they are my favorite fruit (at the moment)!
I love them right out of the peel, dried as chips, frozen and dipped in chocolate, sliced on my almond butter toast, blended in my smoothies, and of course hot and gooey in my banana bread.
I had a huge bunch of bananas that were about to go bad yesterday, and my freezer was already filled with a bag of frozen bananas, so I decided to experiment with my very first vegan baking recipe from Love Food Eat. I love vegan baking because it’s always a challenge to substitute dairy products, and you can lick the entire bowl of batter without getting sick! While I was at it, I wanted to attempt to make the healthiest banana bread possible, without the use of oil, butter, shortening, eggs, or sugar!
Vegan Banana Bread
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 cups very ripe mashed banana
1/3 cup Medjool dates – finely chopped
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed with water. Set aside and stir occasionally until it forms into a sticky/gooey texture. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon). Mash the banana and chop dates. Add mashed banana, dates, and flaxseed mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until it turns into a dough. Lightly coat a baking pan in nonstick cooking spray. Pour the dough into the pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 55-60 minutes until edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Avo Fruit Smoothie
I am still hooked on fresh juice since participating in my Juice Challenge. I made a Rainbow Sherbet juice this past Monday, and I was craving it the instant I woke up yesterday. I wanted to try making it into a smoothie, so I combined the fresh juice with some avocado and ice cubes and blended it up in my Vitamix. It turned out rich, and creamy, and kept me full and energized until lunch!
I love throwing avocados in my smoothies because it adds a dose of healthy fats, fiber, tons of nutrients, and adds thickness. I’m a huge fan of thick smoothies, so avocados are always my go to when I want to get a creamy consistency.
Avo Fruit Smoothie
serves 1
2 fuji apples
½ lime
¼ pineapple
¼ large cucumber
1/4 Hass avocado
5 ice cubes
Juice the apples, lime, pineapple, and cucumber. Combine fresh juice with avocado and ice cubes in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy cold.
Tomato & Lemon Pepper Toast
It’s Toast Tuesday!
Today is a variation of one of my old favorite treats. I used to love bagels with cream cheese, tomato and lemon pepper in high school. Nowadays, I still enjoy this flavor combination, but I’ve swapped the bagel for sprouted grain toast and traded in the regular cream cheese for a fat-free version.
Tomato & Lemon Pepper Toast
Serves 1
1 slice Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Low Sodium Bread
1 Tbsp nonfat cream cheese
2 slices tomato
lemon pepper to taste
Toast the bread, spread with cream cheese, top with tomato slices, and a sprinkle of lemon pepper.