Blueberry Popsicles

I love a good book. You know the kind; it's so good you can't put it down and you find yourself ignoring all the chores calling your name... and it's hard for me to ignore chores because I'm a do-er. Sitting still, no matter what the reason, has never come easily to me. So here I am this afternoon during the boy's naptime, reading, feeling a little guilty for all the dog hair that needs to be swept up, but I just can't help myself.

This is also how I feel sometimes when I get in the kitchen. I just can't help myself; I get addicted to the experimentation and find myself asking questions like, "What happens when I put an apple, mint, and miso into the Vitamix? Do I get a really fantastic dressing?" And before I know it, it's been like an hour (or two or three) and I have all of these bowls and jars filled with my food experiments.

That's kind of how this recipe happened. It's very simple, but oh my, so yummy, and from my kitchen, also so very healthy. Perfect for these continually hot summer days. And blueberries again? You betcha! Sorry, I hope you're not getting sick of the blueberries in my posts, but it's just what we in my house have been craving.

Blueberry Popsicles


1 cup whole plain yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup Xylosweet

Mix ingredients together in Vitamix or other high powered blender. Pour into popsicle molds and place in freezer until frozen.

Makes 4-5 popsicles.

Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream

I've been inspired by such delicious and dairy-free ice cream recipes as popularized by raw food enthusiasts (I should know... I used to be one). I do eat some dairy now, although I limit it to the occasional plain whole milk yogurt, certain cheeses, and very rarely--- organic full fat ice cream. With this recipe, however, I can serve it to my family without guilt.. good for you coconut fat, no refined sugars or additives, and mostly fruit sweetened. I like to make this in the afternoon for a nice cool-me-down-summertime-snack.

And really, the fruit can be interchanged with any combination of fruit you like. (My three year old asks for blueberries every single day, so this choice was a no brainer for me.) I'd love to hear about your  experiments, so leave me a comment!

Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream

1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 teaspoon stevia powder
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch salt

Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or other high powered blender until smooth. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. With my cheap-o Rival ice cream maker, I usually have to let it run for 40 minutes, take a 10 minute break to let the ice cream maker cool down, then run again for 10-15 more minutes. It's still a bit runny at this point, but put it in the freezer for 2-4 hours and it will get a nice, even, ice-creamy consistency.

Green Chicken Curry

I'm a big, big fan of anything curry. Just say the word and I get giddy. Some of my favorite cuisines for dining out are Thai and Indian. So, as you can imagine, I am whipping up a curry dish often in our house. This recipe happens to be one of my favorites- green chicken curry. So simple, so tasty, you'll be saying, "ohmygosh" on your first bite (ok, maybe that's just me). I love to load my curries with veggies and make them fairly thick so that you can go sans rice and enjoy a healthy, low carb, high protein meal without a second thought for the traditional starchy side. If you do however enjoy the sop-up-all-that-soupy-goodness-of-this-dish factor that you get with rice, white or otherwise, try it over a batch of quinoa instead.

Green Chicken Curry

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt, pepper
1/2 white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons green curry paste
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
1 -2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffanade

Heat coconut oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and drop into pan when oil is hot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through, flipping chicken halfway. While chicken is cooking, chop onion and garlic. Add to pan with cooked chicken. Add coconut milk, broth, curry paste, and fish sauce. Stir to combine. Then add the arrowroot powder and whisk around to get the mixture nice and thick. Lastly add the broccoli florets and cook until just bright green.

Serve up in bowls and top with fresh basil, and if you like it hot, also try some sriracha sauce.

Quinoa Oat Bars

This recipe sort of just came together. It started off as the soaked granola recipe from Cooking God's Way, but I realized after I had already melted butter and coconut oil in a bowl that I didn't have enough oats. So I pulled out some other pantry ingredients and... created this recipe instead. Once I had a finished (and super tasty) product, I struggled with what to call it. Bars, for sure, but what kind? Peanut butter, oat, quinoa, teff, soaked, gluten free? I landed on gluten free quinoa oat bars, because it just sounds good and healthy (to me, at least). And although I made these into bars, they could easily be made into cookies or even scones.

I also hesitated posting this recipe just because the list of ingredients is a bit more lengthy than I prefer. But it turned out so good that I felt any attempt to make it on your behalf would prove fruitful. That said, I hope you won't let the ingredient list stop you from trying it as it is a fantastic alternative to sugar-and-white flour-laden traditional pan bars seen at most picnics and parties this time of year.

And I know it is good; not only did I eat about four bars when it came out of the oven, but my toughest critic- my three year old son- devoured a few bars himself in one sitting. (Then he asked me to save the rest for him. The conversation went something like this, "Mommy, dooooonnnn't eat anymore... save them for me for after my nap!!!")

Quinoa Oat Bars

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
3/4 cup cream or coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups old fashioned oats (if you're gluten intolerant, make sure your oats are certified gluten free)
3/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup teff flour
1 c sunflower seeds
3/4 cup sliced almonds
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1/2 cup peanut butter, softened
2/3 cup xylosweet
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
pinch salt
3/4 cup raisins

Mix first 10 ingredients in large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let set overnight or 12 hours.

After soaking time is up, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine remaining 7 ingredients into the quinoa oat mixture and give a few really good stirs to ensure all of the ingredients are well coated and evenly distributed. Pour batter into parchment paper lined bar pans (I used one 9'13 pan and one 8'8 pan) and spread to an even layer with a spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool on wire racks for 30 minutes. Cut and serve.

Makes one 9'13 and one 8'8 pan of bars. Enough for your next company picnic or family reunion!

Chocolate Mint Shake

The mint from my garden has take over and since it was so hot today, I wanted to create something that utilizes this refreshing herb and quench my need for something cold. This shake did the trick. It's super simple: just add to a blender, blend, and drink! The coconut meat and/or milk gives it its amazing satisfying creaminess while keeping it dairy free (for those who, like me, need to avoid dairy in an ice cream obsessed world).

I've always been a huge fan of the combined flavors of mint and chocolate. In fact, my favorite ice cream growing up was always peppermint bon bon. (Little did I know then that the ice cream was not naturally that bright green color... but rather the result of some not-so-good-for-you artificial colors! I was very disappointed when I found this out!) But with this recipe, my suggestion is to go a tad light on the mint at first, as it can be quite overpowering if you accidentally use too much, but if it's not minty enough for you, you can always add more, blend, and taste.

So with that, go pick that mint from your garden that you've been puzzled at what to do with and blend yourself bliss!


Chocolate Mint Shake

Meat from one coconut (or 3/4 cup coconut milk)
2 cups ice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
6 mint leaves
3 tablespoons Xylosweet, agave, or raw honey
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender.

Enjoy on a hot, sunny afternoon!

Vanilla Almond Milk

We don't buy conventional cow's milk at our house. And when we do buy cow's milk, we buy it raw straight from our local organic dairy farmer. (Why raw? Learn more here...) So what to do when the mood for milk strikes? I make nut milk. During my raw food days, I made nut milks all the time. They are great as a post-workout replenishment. Easy to make, delicious to drink, and nutritious to boot, this vanilla almond milk recipe is a fabulous substitute for anyone looking to reduce or eliminate their dairy intake, or for those just wanting to try something new. Works great for breakfast or snack time with a granola bar.

Vanilla Almond Milk 

1 cup raw almonds
4 cups water
2 dates, pitted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Soak almonds in a bowl covered with water for eight hours or overnight. In the morning, drain the water and combine almonds and 4 cups of water in a blender or Vitamix. Add dates, vanilla, and salt. Turn on blender and run at highest speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour mixture into a nut milk bag set over a large bowl. Squeeze the "milk" out of the nut milk bag (try to remove as much liquid as possible, all that will be left in the nut milk bag is the pulp). Drink warm out of the bowl or transfer to a glass container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Campfire Series: Mediterranean Burgers

We're back from our 10 day road trip to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. We braved it and camped out for half of our stay, proving for some more great campfire recipes to share. Although these burgers have ingredients that might not normally get packed in your dry goods tote, you can make the patties in advance, throw them in a ziplock bag and pack in the cooler. Then, when your campfire is ready, you just toss them on the grate for an easy campfire dinner. You'll feel like such a gourmet camper as you soak in the vibrant Mediterranean flavors of these burgers, you may never go back to regular old patties again.


Mediterranean Burgers


1/4 white onion
1 garlic clove
6-8 sundried tomatoes
1 pound grass-fed ground beef (Why grass-fed? Learn more here...)
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffanade
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Finely chop onion, garlic, and sundried tomatoes and combine in medium sized mixing bowl. Add ground beef, feta, basil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Shape mixture into four patties. Cook over hot campfire grate (or grill) for about five minutes on each side until you reach desired doneness.

Serve topped with pesto (recipe to follow).