First CSA day of the Season!!

Yesterday was the first day of  the CSA which I facilitate and host at my home.  I love this time of year when  we receive super fresh (picked that morning!) vegetables.

I had a grand time setting up things yesterday and meeting and greeting all of our last year's members and newbies!

The contents of our boxes included: 

oregano

thyme

 chives

leaf lettuce 

spinach

 baby swiss chard,

green onions,

radishes 

white sweet potatoes

 and asparagus!

  Wow!!!  What a great start to the season!

No pictures this time as it was a super busy day for me and my family...I also had a couple contractors at my home during our pick up hours.

If you live in my area, it is not too late to join the CSA.  Contact me through Facebook at Eat Well Fitness  or you can go to Local Harvest.org to find a CSA near you.

Here is super easy and quick fix meal...super fresh and yummy!

Romaine Boats

large romaine leaves

filled with

diced avocado

shredded red cabbage

red onion

tomato

cilantro

lime

sprinkled with dulse flakes

                       Kale and Bean Salad

1 bunch of kale~cleaned and chopped

Place kale in the bottom of a large bowl

3 cans of variety beans~ ex. Black, garbanzo, kidney~ drain & rinse

1 small red onion diced fine

1 bell pepper your choice of color

2 stalks of celery diced

Place all of these ingredients in a different bowl.

Marinade

¼ c. honey or a mixture of agave & honey ( I used stevia)

½ c. lemon juice fresh or Volcano organic lemon juice

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive oil or flax or hemp oil 

Blend marinade ingredients together and pour over bean mixture.

Add pepper if you like or salt free herbs of choice.

Then pour the bean mixture over kale and let sit for a couple of hours to marinate.

This can be served as a main dish or a side.

Local farm fresh red and green baby kale...mmmmmmmmmmmm

I have been adding this to salads and smoothies.

Chocolate Chip Mint Avocado Smoothie

low glycemic

In blender:

2 c. homemade almond milk

2-3 c. spinach

2 T. raw cacao powder

3-4 drops of peppermint oil

blend and then add:

1/2 frozen avocado cut into chunks

blend again and then add:

1 c. frozen blueberries

2 T. raw cacao nibs

stevia to taste

Blend to creamy consistency and enjoy!!!

Eat real food the way God made it and be thankful

Cleansing Recipes

Detox Juice

yields one gallon

1.

 make dandelion root tea:

2 c. filtered water

6 t. Starwest Dandelion Root (see link below)

thumb of fresh ginger or you may used dried pieces of ginger

bring water to near boil but not boiliing

add dandelion root

steep for 5-10 mins

strain this mixture and  allow to cool

( I re-use the dandelion root by adding more water and warming it up and allowing it to steep for at least 30 mins or more and then strain it and store for the next batch)

2. 

in your gallon jug add:

1/3 c. Just Cranberry Juice (no sugar..I use Knudsen)

1/3- 1/2 c. organic lemon juice ( I use Volcano Lemon Juice available at Costco)

add Dandelion Tea and water to fill jug....I also add a couple droppers of  alcohol free NuNaturals Stevia

My daughter and I are drinking this freely throughout the day.

This juice is super cleaning for your skin, kidneys, liver, digestive system and it's anti-inflammatory and alkalizing . It may help with weight loss, it's a diuretic, helps to balance blood sugar, is rich in micronutrients,  helps with the digestion and emulsification of fats. 

We have seen major improvements in my daughter and my skin, our digestion and elimination of excess water weight.

See the links below for more benefits of add this juice to your day.  (be sure to check for contraindications before using)

Check out this except from the book by Peter A. Gail, Ph.D, titled" The Dandelion Celebration-The Guide to Unexpected Cuisine"

Benefits of Ginger

Benefits of Cranberries

Benefits of Lemons   

My Daughter and I love to periodically cleanse and reset our system.  It is so easy to get off track and begin adding too many convenience foods (even if they seem to be healthy or you got them at the health food section of the store), or too many cooked foods

 into our life and before you know it, you are experiencing old symptoms.....digestive or skin issues,  weight gain, excess fluid build up...etc.....you fill in the blank.

Green  and Carrot Juice Prep

Green Juice

celery

parsley

cilantro

mixed greens

cucumbers

ginger

lemon 

pear

Carrot Juice

carrots

pear

parsley

The red juice is a green, onion, garlic, carrot & beet juice.  My daughter called it hamburger juice, because the flavor reminded her of the smell and taste of hamburger.  :)

She eats a vegan diet...but you never forget.

My favorite Blended Salad/Soup

spinach

cilantro

mango

cucumber

tomato

celery 

Serrano pepper

lime juice

topped with dulse flakes

I also had a few pieces of onion bread with my soup!

This is the most delicious bread I have ever made.  I call it onion ring bread.

SWEET ONION BREAD

recipe from Raw on $10 a Day

I doubled my recipe and used sweet red onions instead of yellow/white

makes two trays of bread

Mix together in large bowl until seeds gel~

2c. ground golden flax seeds

2 c. water

2 t. salt

Add:

5 carrots chopped up in Vita Mix or shredded

4 large red onions sliced in Food processor or other sweet onions

3 T. EV olive oil or grapeseed oil

mix together with hands until thoroughly amalgamated

dry on one side, flip and dry until desired texture and cut up with kitchen scissors

my bread is moist but firm and delicious...and sometimes I will make it extra crispy!

Chinese Kale Salad

baby kale

cucumbers

grape tomatoes

radishes

Chinese five spice

lime juice

 massage lime juice, kale and Chinese Five Spice then add other ingredients

Fermented Goodies in Indiana & Gluten Free Delights!

After my diagnosis of Celiac Disease I have been working on treating intestinal permeability, among many other things.  One very helpful item for my protocol  is fermented foods.  Hidden Pond Farms is a small local business that makes raw fermented foods.

Two of my favorites are the Ginger Kombucha and KimChi.  You can order on line for home delivery by visiting their website.

Fermented foods feed the good bacteria in the gut & aid digestion.

  Fermented foods are highly beneficial for everyone because they give you natural probiotics, which are critical for immune health.

The Sweet Beet has a great article which tells of the benefits of ferments and links for making your own.

Hidden Pond Farm is located in Centerville, Indiana

Another items on my daily regimen is ginger.....so I decided to make ginger lemonade...

1 thumb of fresh ginger

2 c. of water

Blend in Vita Mix 

add lemon juice & liquid stevia to taste

ice 

Ginger is anti inflammatory, great for digestion, warming to the body and just plain taste good!

Whole Foods has a great article on the benefits of ginger, tells you how to store it and uses.

My teenage daughter is also gluten sensitive and carries the gene allele for Celiac, therefore we have been doing a lot more gluten free cooking & uncooking.  

On Friday we made a gluten free pizza using Bob's Red Mill Gluten free Pizza crust.

I created a new cheese sauce because of our varied food intolerance's &  sensitivities.

You may also make a raw crust for your pizza & use tomato slices instead of tomato sauce and any other toppings you prefer. Mariated mushrooms & Onions are good...just soak in Bragg's Liquid Amino's or Coconut Aminos for a soy free option.  I really enjoy using sweet onion bread

SWEET ONION BREAD

recipe from Raw on $10 a Day

I doubled my recipe and used sweet red onions instead of yellow/white

makes two trays of bread

Mix together in large bowl until seeds gel~

2c. ground golden flax seeds

2 c. water

2 t. salt

Add:

5 carrots chopped up in Vita Mix

4 large red onions sliced in Food processor

3 T. EV olive oil

mix together with hands until throughly amalgamated

dry on one side, flip and dry until desired doneness and cut up with kitchen scissors

my bread is moist but firm and delicious

RawTidbit's Cheese Sauce

In Vita-Mix:

1 c. coconut milk

1-2 T. extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 c. of dried onion flakes

3/4 c. nutritional yeast

3 cloves of garlic

dash of Himalayan Salt

1 T. toasted sesame oil

3/4 c. raw cashews

dash of tumeric

1 dried chili pepper

Blend  until smooth and creamy. Use on pizza, raw or lightly steamed cauliflower/broccoli or on any other dish you like.  May also be used as a dip or spread on roll ups.

 

We used Jovial crushed tomato's for the sauce.  Their tomato products are gluten free, vegan and sugar free!!......and delicious.

Dessert

Blueberry Soft Serve

In Vita Mix

1/4 c. of almond milk, coconut milk or water

small handful of spinach

Blend until soupy

add:

1/2 frozen banana

1/2-3/4 c. frozen blueberries

Blend until you get a soft serve consistency

and top with cacao nibs.

Enjoy!!

Celebrating my daughter's sweet 16 Birthday!!!

Update.....

Greetings to my followers....
I have been lacking in posts this past year due to other activities that demanded my attention.
I have been blessed to be the host of a CSA that pick's up at my home during the 2012 year and will be hosting it again this year!
I have been part of a CSA going on nine years, this year and I highly recommend them.  It is a great way to support our local farmer's and have nutrient dense produce each week.

Also, my health issues have taken part of my lack of postings.   I have had some minor setbacks...such as a couple of injuries and a confirmation of Celiac disease.
The latter has been difficult, but I am working on a plan for healing.  I understand that it takes around three years for healing  & a point of remission to take place...if you follow a strict gluten free diet and address other underlying conditions.  I am now in the process of discovery of those other issues.

This situation has been a tad bit difficult as I am a vegan and most of the research I have done is recommending animal products to aid in the healing.  So, I am taking it one day at a time and waiting on the lab results.   

I will post more as I continue this journey in hopes of encouraging & helping others...

God Bless
`Kathy

What's on your Plate?

Everyday we should strive to feed ourselves & our family nutrient dense foods.  

Eating this way improves our health in so many ways.  It improves immune function, mental clarity, endurance, hormone balance, digestive health....

go on, add to this list....& post your comments below of the improvements you have experienced by eating a nutrient dense diet.

Pictured are some of the items I am serving my family today.

strawberries, clementines, snap peas, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, diakon radish & dip.

I made the dip by using Addicted to Veggies vegan sour cream recipe. Click the link to find it.

This is a great non dairy & gluten free recipe that is a staple at our house.

I added dried onion flakes, garlic, lemon juice and dill, a dash of Himalayan salt and a little homemade almond milk to thin it out.  

If you thin this out a bit more it could be used as a ranch salad dressing.   

It's a good idea to have fresh fruits & veggies on your table for the family to munch on.  This helps to curb the mindless eating of unhealthy foods...

If I am on the go and I have these items pre-made at the beginning of my day, I can just bag them up or put a lid on the container and stick them in a cooler to go with me.

I also like to take nut butter or some nuts and rice crackers.

Then I never have to stop for fast food and I keep my body fueled and healthy.

I like to always be prepared and keep it simple.

Lunch today

Roasted Brussels sprouts & organic butternut squash

sprayed with extra virgin coconut oil

rosemary

Himalayan salt & pepper 

Our family loves this recipe from Real Sustenance. 

World's Best Grain Free Lasagna

(Gluten/Soy free with directions to make dairy free)

This is my second time around with this recipe.

I like to make my own modifications.

First time

 I sauteed diced mushrooms and sliced onions for the meat in the recipe

the onions made it super yummy!

*Daiya Cheese mozzarella shreds

I had left over noodles so I dried them in my dehydrator for the next time I wanted to make it.

Today I used dried shiitake mushrooms for the meat.

The dried noodles

1 1/2 jars of Muir Glen organic pasta sauce

( I got the pasta sauce at Kroger for $1.49 per jar on manager's special)

*Daiya Cheese shreds & ; nutritional yeast

very simple and very good!!

*for my local friends.....Avon Kroger carries Daiya products!!!!

Daiya is gluten free, dairy free, nut free Vegan Cheese....

I especially like their Havarti style~ jalapeno/garlic flavor~mmmmmmmmm

Raw Turtle Cheesecake & Peppermint Patties

TURTLE CHEESECAKE

In food processor~

1 c. soaked and dried raw hazelnuts (or just use raw)

1 c. pitted medjool dates

pinch of salt

blend until sticky and press on bottom of a springform pan

Filling

                       1 1/2 c. raw cashews~soaked for a couple hours and drained

  1/3 c. lemon juice

1/3 c. extra virgin coconut oil~melted

 (set in dehyrator if needed)

1/3 c. raw honey or raw agave

1 t. vanilla extract 

2 twist o Himalyan Salt

Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth and creamy..you may need to scrape the sides down

After blending in the food processor I generally put the filling in the vita mix to get it extra smooth & creamy

                      

Topping

crushed pecans

 Mix cacao powder, agave or stevia to taste and a bit of coconut oil ~drizzle over pecans

                                    

after assembly~cover and place in freezer until ready to eat. Then sit out for a couple minutes before slicing.

                                                          

RAW PEPPERMINT PATTIES

 One night not long ago I was craving peppermint patties...so this is what I did and it worked out quite deliciously 

IN MAGIC BULLET PLACE 

(approx. measures...I just eyeballed it)

1/8 c. unsweetened flaked coconut & blend into a powder

add:

2 T. coconut butter

10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil to desired strength

blend until smooth

shape into mounds

place in magic bullet (no need to wash it)

2 heaping T. raw cacao

liquid stevia or agave

1 t. vanilla extract

liquefied coconut oil to blend...don't make it too thin.  I usually have to ladle it out and spread on the mounds of peppermint.   

place in the freezer or fridge until set.

You could make these much prettier by spread the cacao mixture all over one side, freeze and turn over and cover the bottoms and freeze again.

Enjoy!

  

Nutrient Dense Blended Soup or Salad & Raw Onion Bread

BLENDED SALAD

This is one of my favorite salad/soups combination.

Beginning from the bottom:

fresh mango

red bell pepper

cucumber 

tomato

spinach

cilantro

mango

celery

jalapeno

juice of one lime

water to blend

You can use any combination you like and come up with your own favorite blend.  

This is a super hydrating, fiber rich, nutrient dense and a filling soup or blended salad.

I like to leave mine a bit chunky for texture and to get my digestive enzymes flowing from chewing, but you can blend until smooth if you prefer.

My soup/salad after blending.

Blended Soups and salad can be an easy way to get nutrients into those that are ill...ex. elderly, cancer patients or someone with limited ability or desire to chew and swallow food.

For additional calories and or nutrients you can add protein like hemp seeds, chia seeds and sprouted protein powders. Sometimes I will add walnuts for omega 3's.   Extra Virgin Coconut oil is another option.  Be sure to check with your doctor if you have health conditions or concerns.

Lunch

Blended soup/salad sprinkled with dulse and diced avocado with a side of onion bread.

SWEET ONION BREAD

recipe from Raw on $10 a Day

I doubled my recipe and used sweet red onions instead of yellow/white

makes two trays of bread

Mix together in large bowl until seeds gel~

2c. ground golden flax seeds

2 c. water

2 t. salt

Add:

5 carrots chopped up in Vita Mix ( I shredded mine in the food processor)

4 large red onions sliced in Food processor (I used Sweet onions)

3 T. EV olive oil

mix together with hands until thoroughly amalgamated

dry on one side, flip and dry to desired texture and cut up with kitchen scissors

Be kind & considerate to those around you......

and put on love 

Community Supported Agriculture

I've been involved with a Community Supported Agriculture for 8 years....and I am looking forward to our 2013 CSA.   This past year I was blessed to be the host of a CSA group in my own neighborhood.

We had a great year of sharing and learning new ways to use our produce.  Some members discovered many new vegetables and found out just how delicious fresh local produce can be.

Just a few weeks ago I was still getting winter vegetables and I am longing for the greens of spring.....which is just around the corner.  :)

The pictures that you see are 1/2 share boxes.  Our boxes were always stuffed full of locally & sustainable grown, chemical free food.  

If you know me and would like to know more about our two Westside  CSA locations, give me a holler or message me.  We are having informational meetings this month and in March.

If you not in my area you can find a CSA near you at:  http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

This fig is one of the goodies I received in one of my shares....mmmmmmmmmmm.......