{Everything-Free} Breakfast & Why?

Removing foods from your normal routine isn't easy.  In the last month I have had several people share with me their decision to try a new diet removing gluten, dairy, soy and many other smaller ingredients.  Our food culture here in the United States is not very welcoming to such a diet (though I must say it has greatly improved over the last 5 years). Yet, the health of my generation and those following has demonstrated a need for change.  People are experiencing dramatic health issues as early as their teens and twenties.  From my own personal journey, I have come to believe these issues are connected to our food.  Now, I do not pretend to be a professional physician or even a formally educated advisor.  All that I share is simply what I have learned over the years from professionals and my own battle for full health.  Feel free to read with a grain of salt and please do your own research as well! I could talk for hours about the alterations that have been made to food over the last several decades or the toxins that we put into our bodies on a daily basis, but I will refrain from all that today.  Instead, I encourage you to research the processes your food goes through before it reaches you.  You might be very surprised.

Since our bodies have gone through so much by the time we are in our twenties it makes sense that normal bodily functions begin to fail or malfunction.  A major part of our bodies that take the hit is our internal organs, specifically our stomach, intestines, colon, liver and gallbladder. These are the areas food is broken down, filtered and gathered for nutrients.  If so much of what we eat is harmful it doesn't take long for each of these parts to wear down and stop performing as your body needs.  Your body's balance is thrown off.  It becomes hard for your brain to function well without nutrients and so the messages to your body are not as they should be, causing issues like low blood sugar, lack of enzyme production, low or high acidity in the stomach, etc.  Eventually food allergies or intolerances begin to form.  Your organs begin to only be able to take certain foods as the years pass because they don't have the proper amount of enzymes, etc. to break down, filter and gather nutrients from all foods.  The longer you go without fixing the root issues of rebuilding your organs and eating clean, safe food the less you will be able to eat and the more upset and off balance your body will become.  The end result: autoimmune diseases. Take a gander at this link to see what many of us are headed toward.  As WomensHeath.gov states, "overall, autoimmune diseases are common, affecting more than 23.5 million Americans.  They are the leading cause of death and disability." Don't let yourself become a part of this statistic. 

I hope this sounds a bit scary to you, sometimes it takes a little kick in the rear to make or continue on with difficult changes. As I said in the beginning it's not an easy thing to reassess your health and restart your diet.  Generally, it's not accepted in our culture, but the effects of our daily food choices are so very real.  It's worth it.  Slow down and look at the food you eat.  Where does it come from? What's in it? How has it been cooked and stored? Start noticing your body's ups and downs and responses to food and stress.  Take small steps to support your organs.  Care about how you live and what you eat.  

As I said earlier, people have been approaching me asking for help with food options that are allergy or intolerant friendly.  I find that  breakfast seems to be the most difficult meal to keep interesting.  So as a little inspiration, I'm sharing a nutritious and easy {Everything- Free} option.  It's so yummy I had it this morning! 

{Coconut Yogurt with Fruit & Energy}

1- 1 1/2 cups Plain So Delicious Coconut Yogurt

1 tbsp Macca Powder

1 tbsp Raw Hulled Hemp Hearts (I get an 8oz bag from Costco)

Fresh or Frozen Fruit  (I love berries!)

I prefer the plain Yogurt because it's low in sugar and I can always sweeten it with Stevia or local Honey.  The Macca Powder and Hemp Hearts provide lots of natural energy, are filling and full of nutrients.  Click on the links to learn about the benefits of each and see the brands I favor! 

{Shared}

Gluten-Free Wednesdays

{The Everyday - Kelp Noodles}

Welcome to November! I cannot believe how fast this past month has gone and how quickly my life has changed.  We enjoyed our lovely trip to the Hawaiian Islands at the beginning of the month and spent the rest of it getting back into real life.  We were able to go to the beautiful and lush island of Kauai for our honeymoon and  I cannot wait to share all about the food culture and variety there. For now, just know that anyone with a common allergy could not only survive, but actually thrive.  There are wonderful options all over this beautiful island.  Honestly, it was so amazing, a move was and still is tempting....

As for today, I am back home in my lovely seaside home of Carlsbad and I am excited to share with you one of the most nutritious and unique foods in my refrigerator.  Kelp Noodles! Have you tried them? They are, at first glance, very odd looking and truly not that appealing, but believe me they are surprisingly fun. 

Full of fabulous fiber and rich in iodine, Kelp Noodles assist with digestion and boost your thyroid. Oh and did I mention they are practically calorieless... They can be found in most health food stores like Mother's, Jimbo's or even Sprouts on occasion. Kelp Noodles can be used to spice up a salad, add texture to stir fries or even to replace spaghetti if you're craving a hot dish with tasty marinara sauce.

To get started, I suggest washing and rinsing your noodles.  Then, using kitchen scissors, cut little 1-2 inches long pieces into a salad and see how you like the extra crunch.  Kelp Noodles can soak up flavor well, especially if they are allowed to marinate in a dressing or sauce. If you'd prefer a softer noodle I suggest you take this approach.  Next, try using longer cuts of the noodles in a stir fry with Coconut Secret's Coconut Aminos Seasoning Sauce. Add veggies and nuts and spices to your heart's delight! You really can't go wrong.  In the end it may remind you of a warm Thai noodle dish soaked in soy sauce, minus the calories and estrogen-filled soy.

If you really start to enjoy the flavor of this sea vegetable you should try other textures and flavors! Check out my recipe for Seaweed Rice Salad to get you started. 
Add this fun exotic food for some variety in your daily diet and let me know how it goes!Enjoy!

{The Everyday - Two Essential Spreads}

Whether for slathering on toast, apple slices, celery or carrots, these two spreads are full of omegas and protein.  I like to start my day out with food that will fill me up and provide energy for the day and raw Almonds and Sunflower Seeds are an easy go to for me.  

Almond Butter and Sunflower Butter are my two favorite spreads out of all the nut/seed options out there.  Raw Almond Butter, in my opinion, is the best whole and nutritional nut spread you take eat and Sunflower Butter just plain tastes delicious and is very similar to Peanut Butter.  I have a subtle allergy to peanuts, so this is my treat instead.  These spreads can be quite pricey at most health food stores, so if you are going to buy pre-made spreads I have to recommend buying from Trader Joe's.  They offer a much less expensive raw (that's the key), not roasted, Almond Butter with the options of crunchy or smooth and salted or unsalted.  As for the Sunflower Butter it's a similar story when it comes to price, so TJ's is still the way to go.  My only pause with the Sunflower Butter is the sugar content.  It, like Peanut Butter, has more sugar than I would like to advocate for others or just put in my own body on a regular basis, so I recently looked into creating my own. 

 If you are interested and own a food processor or VitaMix I would definitely recommend making your own butters.  It's actually quite simple.  Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of seeds/nuts in with a tablespoon of your preferential oil (I like to use Coconut or Grapeseed) and any other additions flavors for taste.  If you want a smoother more spreadable butter, just keep adding oil until it reaches the consistency you desire. 

In the batch I recently made I added 1 to 2 tbsp of Agave a dash of Cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp of delicious Vanilla.  After processing my spread I scooped it into a glass jar I recycled from another spread and put it in my fridge.  It's lasted me 2 weeks so far and seems like it will keep for a few more.  

An easy inexpensive and nutritious treat if you ask me! Give it a try and share what flavor you used to spice up and flavor your butter.  I'd love to hear about your experiments.

Enjoy!

{Berry & Coconut Smoothie Bowl}

I am almost 2 weeks into this adventure! It's difficult and I have to admit I don't feel great.  I'm quite exhausted, bloated and.....kinda crabby most of the time.  My kind Love has been so patient putting up with my feisty and pouty disposition.  I must admit I let out exasperated cries for pizza and cheese and coconut ice cream quite often.  I think the biggest lesson I am learning is discipline.  Instant gratification for my sweet tooth is not an option right now.  

I did make a tasty and simple little treat for myself yesterday morning.  I have a decent amount of victoriously delicious meal that even friends and my Love have enjoyed.  I though I might share this little one with you.

{Saturday Morning Breakfast Bowl}

½ Frozen Organic Banana

Frozen Organic Blueberries

Fresh Organic Strawberries

Fresh Thais Coconut Meat

Plain So Delicious Coconut Kefir

Splash of Organic Vanilla

Dash of Cinnamon

A few drops of Vanilla Stevia

{Topping}

Fresh Organic Blueberries

Dehydrated Organic and Raw Coconut flakes

Blend it all and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

{The Everyday - Snacks}

Welcome to my new {The Everyday} posts! I've decided to take the time to share some of the foods I eat on a more regular basis.  I a finding that many of you have questions about the day to day diet.  Questions like, what do I eat for snacks or breakfast or how do I eat enough protein from a Vegan, Raw and GF menu?  I have my staples and the occasional new treats I find and try, so I thought I would begin to share these with you all.  There are so many options out there.  Let's explore them together!

This week I gave a new brand of tasty-looking granola a try.  I've been bored with my breakfast and wanted to spice it up with something! Typically GF granola is loaded with flaxseed, which I'm not  huge fan of, but this granola had all the ingredients I like to use instead! I was so excited! They had a few flavors and though tempted to try all of them, as is my nature, I limited myself to two.  I'm not going to lie, the price for these little goody bags was not easy to swallow, but such is the game with Raw,Vegan and GF food.  The Cherry Ginger and Cranberry Orange were the flavors that made the final cut and came home with me that day.   Needless to say I did not have the patience to wait until morning to give each a  try.  I popped the bags open on the way home and took a nibble a bit of each.  Wow.  I was even more excited.  Each kind had a perfect blend of spice, nutty oatiness and that tart, yet still sweet, dried fruit! I loved both flavors!

When I got home I sat and read a bit about the company.  A wonderful part about the Vegan, GF and Raw community is the stories behind the process of the food.  Real people, small operations and a passion for the health of others.  Typically you can find out about it all on the packaging, but their websites are always fun to visit as well.  Laughing Giraffe Organics is one such company.  They are the creative geniuses behind these new finds.  A family run business, this company makes all of their products by hand. It's aspects like this that make me ok with paying a greater amount for my food.  Quality over quantity, so the opposite of the rest of our commercialized and processed food.  You get what you pay for!  I also love their vision.  They say it well. Yay for pure and whole nutritious food! 

"Laughing Giraffe Organics provides healthy snack foods that are made from the finest organic ingredients. Because our products are made from real unprocessed foods, they are extremely rich in nutritional value. Small amounts will satisfy your snack needs more than “empty calorie” snack foods. Real foods have real calories that are needed to stay healthy and they taste great!"

Vegan Raw Samoa Cookies

January, a month of beginnings and new resolutions.  By now many have already given up on those dreams and goals, allowing themselves to sink back into the well-worn trail of 2010.  It's easy to concoct beautiful visions of new and refreshing habits and lifestyles, but difficult to stay true to them as time passes.  Our daily life swirls around us, slowly wiping away the conviction, motivation and memory we had only weeks before.

Last January I took on a little dream of my own, which over time has built up this lovely Sweet and Salty Life of mine.  Creating this blog was the result of a few nudges, a bit of foodie-film inspiration and a deep desire to write about my culinary creations and experiences.  A year later, I am still here and loving every time I get to share a bit of my story. 

As a part of acknowledging my journey I just want to thank each and everyone of you that have encouraged me, sampled my tasty and perhaps not so tasty experiments, taken the time to read my thoughts, given feedback and most of all shown such a desire to love what has become my passion.  

So cheers to another year of culinary adventure and to all of you my dear friends!

To continue the adventure I bring you a girlscout-inspired treat, the Samoa Cookie! A delicious concoction, this recipe was a pleasant surprise thanks to my delightful, new food processor.  By far my favorite gift from my parents, I have had such fun playing with nuts, fruit, flour, etc. in my beautiful Cuisenart.  The cookie for today is completely Vegan with frosting that is both Vegan and Raw.  Could it be any better for you? 

{Vegan Samoa Cookie}

Ingredients:

Base

1/4 cup Raw Cashews

1/4 cup Raw Almonds

1 TBSP Raw Chia Seeds

1 cup Gluten-Free Oats

1 tsp Macca Powder

2 TBSP Raw Coconut Nectar (raw agave or honey might work as well...just haven't tried it yet!)

1 TBSP Raw Maple Syrup (again....your choice)

Frosting

3 TBSP Raw Coconut Oil

1-2 TBSP Raw Agave Nectar

2 1/1 tsp Raw Cocoa Powder

Dash of Cinnamon

Dash of Pink Sea Salt

Begin by processing the Nuts, Seeds and Oats together.  Add the Macca quickly after and continue to process.  Drizzle in the Coconut Nectar and Maple Syrup and pulse. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and pulse again until the Nuts, Seeds and Oats stick together.  Scoop out and place in a pan lined with parchment paper.  Spread the base pressing it outward  with clean hands until the surface is even and it's about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes. 

While it's hardening, combine all the frosting ingredients in the processor and process until smooth and lightly warm.  Pull out the base and frost your cookie! Return the pan to the refrigerator (for longer preservation put in freezer) until frosting is hardened.  When ready, cut into bars and enjoy! They soften the longer they are out of the fridge or freezer, but you'll eat each so quick you probably won't even notice!

Good luck with your 2011 dreams, may they be just as sweet as this simply delicious treat.

{Linked to}

Whats for Dinner Mom
My Sweet and Savory:Meatless Mondays
A Southern Fairytale
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Gluten Free Wednesdays

A Farmers' Market Chopped Salad

A farmers' market inspired salad is what I bring you today.  Besides finding and scouring through cookbooks, strolling through farmers markets is my absolute favorite pastime.  I haven’t visited one in a couple months, so I was way past due for a good long meander through my local market.  Today was glorious.  The sun was shining and the air, though chilly, was fresh and post-rain clean.  I got my cash ready and mozied along the street stopping at various booths that grabbed my attention.  Organic and local produce was prevalent and I couldn’t get enough of breathing in the earthy smell and tasting the sun-ripened sweetness.  Now, if you’ve never understood the draw of local or organic, let me explain.  

Basically, the more local your produce is the longer it’s on the vine, branch, in the ground, etc.  This means it’s not harvested until it is perfectly ready to explode with ripe goodness.  The taste, appearance and texture of the produce will be at its prime. If it’s organic this means the produce received nothing of a chemical nature that could alter the fruit or hurt the consumer.  A nice benefit for those of us that tend to forget about washing the produce before inhaling…like me…is that all we have to worry about is dirt. 

Now compare this to the chain grocery stores’ chemically-induced, oversized, pre-picked, poison-covered produce and perhaps you’ll join me and start visiting the local farmers' market! 

Because of my little trip I was able to create one of my tasty and nutritious chopped salads for lunch! This simple salad is made up of the ingredients I found there with a little help from Trader Joe’s brown rice and black beans.  Salads are not meant to be calculated or exact like some people’s approach to baking, so feel free to reduce or increase the amounts of any ingredient I include. 

{Farmers' Market Chopped Salad}

Kale

Chard

English Cucumber

Fuerte Avocado

Heirloom Tomatoes

Cooked Brown Rice (cooled)

Cooked Black Beans (cooled and salted)

{Fresh Dressing}

~for 2 1/2 – 3 cups of salad

1 TBSP Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

1 TBSP Eden’s Organic Red Wine Vinegar

1 TBSP Raw Organic Blue Agave

Sprinkle of Pink Sea Salt

Wash and chop the lettuce creating one-inch strips both horizontally and vertically.  This will help your body better digest the fibrous salad!  Slice the Cucumber, Tomatoes and Avocado.  Combine these with the Brown Rice and Black Beans and toss with the lettuce.  Drizzle with Fresh Dressing and toss again.  For a creamier dressing, pour in the Fresh Dressing and then mash the Avocado in a separate bowl (instead of chopping), mix it with a sprinkle of Pink Sea Salt and toss throughout salad. 

Enjoy!

{Shared and linked up with some favorites of mine}

 Real Sustenance

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Blueberry Peach Vanilla Nut Smoothie

The last couple months have proven difficult for me.  I have always had trouble with digestion, but lately it's been getting worse.  This pushes me forward, giving me motivation to keep seeking for answers.  I have been reading more and more about the vegan and raw food diet.  It makes so much sense! For anyone who is intrigued or needing answers to health problems I would definitely recommend looking into these lifestyles.  My favorite read right now is Raw Food/Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis.  These two do a great job of simplifying the information and explaining the amazing benefits of eating raw.  They have me greatly convinced and now I'm just trying to move towards the raw lifestyle.  As a result I have started eating vegan, so if I must be classified I would call myself a gluten-free vegan, attempting to eat raw whenever possible.

In their book Matthew and Sarma share a wonderful array of delicious recipes.  The easiest to create are of course the smoothies.  A perfect, sweet and filling treat, smoothies are a fun and colorful way to eat well.  I have had fun creating all sorts in the past weeks.  So.... I thought I might share two with you.  Hope these refresh your day as they have mine!

{Blueberry Peach Vanilla Nut Smoothie}

Ingredients:

2 Cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
2 Frozen Peaches
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Creme Stevia
{Feel free to add more if you like it sweeter}
3 Cups Crushed Ice
{This varies depending on how thick you like your smoothies}
1/4 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt





For protein and lasting energy add one of these two ingredients:

1/4 Raw Cashews

2 tablespoons Raw Almond Butter

For the Almond version, blend all the above ingredients and then add in the two tablespoons.  For the Cashew version, first blend the nuts with the milk and then add the rest.  Feel free to experiment.  Smoothies are flexible, so add or reduce the amount of sweetener and ice to your preference.  Make it YOUR smoothie. Get creative and enjoy!

For other great healthy recipes check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten-Free Wednesdays