Mini Chocolate-Chip Love Bites

These are so good you might want to eat the whole batch at once... don't say I didn't warn you.  :)

Adapted from "Chocolate Covered Katie" (blog) recipe.

I doubled everything and it made about 20 cookies:
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 1/2 cup applesauce (organic if you can)
* 1/4 cup nut butter (I used Trader Joe's crunchy peanut butter with flaxseed)
* 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* 1/16 salt
* 1-2 tbsp. mini chocolate chips (I used a vegan chip by "Enjoy Life" -- deelish!)
* 2 1/2 tbsp. dried berries (I used organic sulfite-free dried cherries)
* 1 tbsp. unrefined cane sugar (you can use another healthy sweetener of your choice)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mash the applesauce with the nut better then add all other ingredients.  Mix well until combined.   Shape into cookies (use a mini scoop or your hands work, too).  Bake on a greased cookie sheet for around 14-16 minutes and allow to cool for 10 minutes.   (I used a Silpat cookie sheet liner and it works great to give an even baking -- no burned tops or bottoms.)

Recipes from Arbonne Cooking Class at Williams-Sonoma

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Source:  Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook/ Williams Sonoma

½ lb Shiitake Mushrooms

2 tsp canola oil

1 garlic clove

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce

7 oz thin dried rice noodle

12 rice paper wrappers

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced.

2 avocados, ripe, pitted, peeled and sliced

2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 cup packed, herb sprigs such as mint, cilantro, basil, etc.

• Trim stems from shiitakes and discard (or save for soup or stock). Slice caps and set aside. In a large nonstick fry pan, heat 1 ½ tsp of oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and sauté until they have released their juices, 3 -4 minutes. Add 1 tsp soy sauce and cook until pan is dry, about 1 minute
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles, stir to separate, and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Wipe pot dry, return noodles to pot and toss with remaining. ½ tsp of oil.
• Fill a large shallow with very hot tap water. Soak rice-paper wrappers, 1 or 2 at a time, until flexible, about 30 seconds. Shake off any excess water and stack on a plate. Place 1 wrapper flat on a work surface. Arrange a combination of noodles, bell pepper, avocado, mushrooms, carrots and herbs across center of wrapper; fold ends in over filling, then roll up tightly from edge closest to you. Repeat to make more rolls. 
• Cut rolls in half on the diagonal and serve right away.

Nuoc Mam Cham - Dipping Fish Sauce

Source: adoptvietnam.org

Note:  Only apple cider vinegar should be used during the 30 Days to Fit plan.  Tamari could be used as the dipping sauce during this time.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Honey or agave nectar
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce (3 Crabs brand recommended; available at asian groceries such as Assi Mart or Super H Mart)
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 2 small fresh chili peppers

Directions

Stir honey with vinegar and fish sauce.

Combine garlic, peppers, and add mixture.

Stir in the fish sauce mixture.

Stir Fried Chicken & Bok Choy

Adapted from Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook/Willams Sonoma

2 tbsp Dry Sherry

1 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce

½ tsp Sambal Oelek or other Asian Chile Paste

1 lb Baby Bok Choy

1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

3 tsp Peanut or Olive Oil (divided by half)

2 Garlic Cloves

1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, Minced or grated

¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

2 cups Cooked Brown Rice

• In a small bowl, stir together sherry, soy sauce and chile paste and set aside
• Trim stem ends from baby bok choy and separate into leaves. Cut chicken into ½” slices then cut into 1” strips
• Heat 1 1\2 tsp of oil in a wok or large nonstick fry pan over high heat. When oil is hot, add bok choy and toss and stir just until tender crisp, 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add remaining 1 ½ tsp oil to pan. When hot, add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant but not browned, 15-30 second. Add chicken to the pan and cook, stirring until lightly browned and cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
• Return bok choy to pan along with any juices accumulated in bowl, then add sherry mixture and toss and stir just until heated through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with chile flakes and serve, right away with rice.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

4 egg yolks

½ cup xylitol or sugar when not doing 30 Day Plan

1- 13.5 oz can light coconut milk

1-13.5 oz can regular coconut milk

2 teas vanilla extract

• In a large bowl, whisk yolks & sugar together until pale yellow, 1-2 minutes.  Add light and regular coconut milk and whisk again until well combined.
• Transfer coconut mixture to medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just thickened and mixture coats the back of the spoon, 8-10 minutes.  Be sure not to let the mixture boil.  Remove pot and stir in vanilla.
• Transfer contents of pot to a bowl and chill until cold.  Process mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions and then to a container with a lid and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.   

Laugher IS the best medicine

Laughter is one of the most powerful ways to ward off disease and illness known to man. Most of us probably don’t think about how often we laugh, but rest assured, our body is keeping count. Children seem to understand that laughter is the best medicine, as they laugh, on average, up to 400 times a day. Adults average only 17 times per day. Is it any wonder children seem to enjoy life more than their parents? 

The benefits of laughter are far reaching. Laughter brings joy to your life and to those around you; makes your cheeks red and your face glow, making you more approachable and even more loveable; alleviates pain in the body and provides you with a sense of well-being by releasing endorphins and serotonin, which have been proven to help reduce pain and can even enhance treatments of many illnesses and diseases; reduces the negative stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine; allows us to connect with others more readily and to share a common bond with them; and also helps supply your body with oxygen, helping you feel full of energy and life. 

Your body treats laughter just like exercise, as it makes the blood vessels work more efficiently, increases blood flow to the heart, and helps to increase lung capacity.  A good belly laugh can boost your immune system’s ability to ward off disease for up to three days. Imagine the benefit of laughing multiple times daily! 

Laughter is a great distraction from the stresses and rigors of life. Any time you can change your focus from the negative emotions of your day, even for just a few moments, the better off you are. Laughter also enhances your ability to have a good night’s sleep. 

The bottom line is that laughing is one of the best natural health remedies. So, if your stress levels are mounting, if you are feeling unhealthy, if you are feeling rundown and depressed, or you just want some relief, then LAUGH! The more you laugh, the better you feel, and the better those around you will feel too.

Practicing Presence: Living from the Heart

Great article!   CLICK

Soda News

Thanks to my sister for sharing this article.     Intriguing, indeed!   

CLICK

Healthy Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Adapted from recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (blog).....

Soft Chocolate-Chip Cookies

(Makes 14-20 cookies)

• 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup oat flour (140g) *can use gluten free oat flour*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp brown sugar or brown coconut sugar (or Sucanat)
• 4 tbsp xylitol (or evaporated cane juice)
• 3 tbsp to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I get Vegan chocolate chips and they are awesome!)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
• 3-5 tbsp milk of choice, as needed

Preheat oven to 380 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients and mix very well. Add wet, and form into a big ball. Now make little balls from the big one. For soft cookies, refrigerate until cold (otherwise, just bake right away). Bake 7 minutes, or until they’ve spread out and look just a little undercooked. Remove from oven when they’re still a little undercooked, then it’s important to let cookies cool at least 10 minutes before trying to remove from tray, as they’ll continue to cook while cooling. For soft cookies, store in a lidded plastic container. For crispy cookies, store in a lidded glass container.

Chickpea, Basil and Tomato Salad

• 1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed -- or soak your own!
• About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved  (go organic!)
• 25 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar  (Bragg's is so good)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp honey (10g) -- or Agave if you are strict Vegan
• pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Then EAT!

Can’t get any simpler than that. :)

5 Things Happy People Do

See how many of the 5 you do, too!   CLICK to read

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Another recipe in honor of Gluten Free Month... thank you, Julie, for sharing!

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips (yes, it's gluten free!)

2 t. grape seed or olive oil

6 brown rice tortillas ( publix greenwise in frozen foods)

2 t. stevia mixed with 1/2 t cinnamon

1 1/2 finely chopped ripe avocado

2 T finely minced fresh cilantro

2 t fresh lime juice

1 c finely chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 350, brush both sides of tortilla with oil, cut into triangles with pizza cutter and scatter on cookie sheet. bake for 10 minutes until crispy. take out of oven and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. I then gave them a shot of sea salt to enhance the flavor.

Prepare salsa by chopping strawberries and mixing with cilantro and lime juice. I refrigerated so the juices could mingle, then added the chopped avocados just before serving.

Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole

In honor of  Gluten-Free Month and given the fact that a nice lady had made this for tasting today at Whole Foods... I decided to whip this up tonight so we can reheat all weekend long.  YUM!

You will need:
Coconut Oil Cooking Spray
6 Slices Gluten Free Bread (Udi's or Whole Foods brands are great)
2 Cups Mixed Berries (I used Organic Strawberries and Blueberries)
5 Eggs (or Egg Substitute)
1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk (I used Rice Milk)
1/2 Cup Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Oil an 8 inch glass baking pan
Line pan with bread (overlap slices and press down to form solid bottom layer)
Scatter Berries over top of bread
Whisk together eggs, milk, syrup and spices -- pour over bread
Bake until golden brown and set -- approx 45-50 minutes