Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 14-oz can quartered artichokes packed in water, rinsed and drained 1 cup packed spinach leaves (fresh or frozen) 6 oz cream cheese 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup sour cream 1 TBSP lemon juice 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1/4 tsp pure salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder Combine everything in an oven proof baking dish. Bake at 375 for 30 mins — give or take — until it’s bubbly and looks good! ________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ We munched on this with pieces of warm, sour dough bread while...
Read MoreMexican Hot Chocolate
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP cold water 2 TBSP natural sugar 4 tsps cocoa or cacao powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp nutmeg pinch of pure salt 1 & 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup cream 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract Combine the first 7 ingredients (up to and including the salt) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally until everything is dissolved (3 – 5 minutes). Add the milk , raise the heat to medium, and whisk frequently until very hot, but not boiling (about 10 mins). Add the vanilla and cream, continuing to whisk until heated through (about another 5...
Read MoreIce Cream Milkshake
1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup high quality ice cream Fill blender up to the 1 cup line with milk. Add 1/2 cup ice cream (scoop it in until the liquid rises to 1 & 1/2 cups). Blend and enjoy! Serves 1. Optional add-ins: 1 or 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg 1/2 of a banana (and/or other fruit of choice) 1 TBSP coconut oil, melted 1 or 2 TBSP high quality protein powder ________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is a nice cool treat for summer — especially the exceptionally hot summer we’ve been having here in Upstate NY! ~ Pictured above with...
Read MoreOrange Gelatin
VERSION 1: 2 cups fresh orange juice, cold 2 cups fresh orange juice, near boiling 3 TBSP non-hydrolyzed gelatin Begin heating 2 cups of the juice. Pour cold juice in a bowl, dissolve gelatin in juice by stirring gently, and let sit for 3 minutes. Slowly add hot juice to cold juice mixture, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until set, several hours or overnight. Serve as is or with heavy cream or fresh whipped cream. For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut...
Read MoreGrape Gelatin
VERSION 1: 2 cups high quality, 100%, grape juice, cold 2 cups high quality 100%, grape juice, near boiling 3 TBSP non-hydrolyzed gelatin Begin heating 2 cups of the juice. Pour cold juice in a bowl, dissolve gelatin in juice by stirring gently, and let sit for 3 minutes. Slowly add hot juice to cold juice mixture, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until set (several hours or overnight). ~ Serve as is or with heavy cream or fresh whipped cream. For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten...
Read MoreSpicy Buckwheat Snack
1/2 cup buckwheat groats 2 TBSP tamari/soy sauce 2 TBSP lemon juice 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp ginger powder 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper Soak buckwheat groats for about 6 hours. Drain & rinse in a fine mesh strainer. Combine soy sauce, lemon juice & spices in a small bowl. Add buckwheat & let marinate 1 hour. Drain again, discarding the liquid (don’t rinse). Spread out buckwheat groats on large sheet, & dry either in a dehydrator (anywhere from 4 hours to overnight), or on low heat in the oven for an hour or two (the lowest bake temperature possible for your oven)...
Read MoreYogurt & Granola
3/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt 1 TBSP honey (or one mashed speckled banana, or 3 drops liquid stevia) 1/2 cup granola Mix together yogurt and honey (or mashed banana). Add granola. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is another tasty yogurt combination my kids like. Sometimes it’s breakfast, sometimes lunch, & sometimes a snack. ~ Careful choosing packaged granola. Some are gluten free, others aren’t. They all contain sugar – some a little, some a lot. Some companies use natural sugar, others,...
Read MoreYogurt Banana & Cinnamon
3/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt 1 TBSP honey (or to taste) 1 banana, sliced sprinkle of cinnamon Mix together yogurt and honey. Top with sliced banana and cinnamon. ______________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Some posts, like this one, are more ideas than recipes – sharing simple combinations of foods that we enjoy. My kids really like this as an after school snack or for lunch on a weekend when there’s nothing else cookin’. ~ Keep in mind….Yogurt is marketed as a health food, but almost all varieties you’ll...
Read MoreApple and Cheese
I know – not much of a recipe, but my son just mentioned the other day that none of his friends at school had ever heard of eating apple and cheese together. It’s one of our favorite snacks! We like it with a sharp, raw cheddar. So….just an idea if you’ve never tried it =) Along the same lines…..the kids really like this sandwich: TOASTED-CHEESE-&-APPLE-SANDWICH For those avoiding certain foods, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Can use raw cheese if on a raw food...
Read MoreYogurt w/ Berries
3/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt 1 TBSP honey (or 1/2 of a speckled banana, or 3 drops liquid stevia) berries of choice Mix together yogurt and honey (or mashed banana). Stir in berries. ________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ Yogurt is marketed as a health food, but almost all varieties you’ll find at the store are much less than that – containing several undesirable additives. The way around this is to buy plain yogurt, without any additives, and add your own natural sweetener (and fruit if you’d like). ~ To avoid...
Read MoreApple Slices or Banana w/ Nut Butter
One of my all-time favorite snacks! Any type of nut butter will do. Nut butter is also delicious on bananas, carrots and celery. If you’d like to try making a home-made nut butter, click the links below for detailed instructions: ALMOND-BUTTER PECAN-BUTTER CASHEW-BUTTER MACADAMIA-NUT-BUTTER “NUTELLA”-CHOC-HAZELNUT-BUTTER MAPLE-CINNAMON-PUMPKIN-SEED-BUTTER For those avoiding certain foods, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Raw Can use a raw nut butter if you’d like....
Read MoreCottage Cheese, Apple & Cinnamon
cottage cheese chopped apple (or pear) cinnamon This is a delicious, protein packed snack or light lunch. For those avoiding certain foods, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Raw ________________________________________________________________________ Here are other cottage cheese combinations we like: COTTAGE CHEESE AND………. ~ fresh sliced peaches w/ sprinkle of cinnamon ~ cantaloupe (cut in half, scoop out seeds, and fill w/ cottage cheese) ~ plain yogurt (equal portions of each...
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