Category Archives: superfoods

Earth Day’s Little Helper

Our local Whole Foods has a plot at our park district’s community garden. {find a local garden} A few years ago, I admired the gardeners from afar when I lived in the neighborhood. I used to lay on a grassy hill with my (then a puppy) canine companion and admire the gardeners as they tended to their plots while I flipped through the pages of a book.

starting seeds in newspaper cups. the plants then go directly into the garden (in the cup), since the newspaper is compostable. perfect!

Back to Earth Day… Whole Foods volunteers planned to break ground at their garden plot on Monday and I have been excited for the past couple weeks to take Dekker. Fortunately, the weather in our area is on the up and up after our monsoon of a storm last week, and it was a gorgeous day to let him get  dirty!

helping hands giving plantlife a start…

a teaching moment

getting dirty!

children can be so genuine in their interactions. i loved it :)

lettuce plants…next stop, sunflowers!

I’m so thankful for the volunteers who take the time to do things like this for the community. I hope more and more people take advantage of these opportunities!

Life gets busy. Weather locks us in. Time doesn’t allow for everything to get done. But events like this are important for me and provide opportunities to teach my son about life and health. I looked at him during his late afternoon nap, and smiled at the innocence on his face and dirt under his fingernails. I can’t help but look forward to getting some of my own plants in the ground now that the weather here will finally allow us to do so. Hope you had a healthy Earth Day!

Maybe you can find your own community garden here!

Oreo Pancakes

OREO PANCAKES?!?

Oh, heck yes! And I’m not kidding. The young, oreo-loving child in me was determined to create something “healthy enough” to indulge in from time to time yet tasty enough to fool my childish tastebuds.

Ingredients

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup coconut or almond milk (I prefer coconut)

scant 1/4 cup cacao powder or about 3 heaping rounded Tbs

1 Tbs sugar (I haven’t tried them yet with stevia)

1 Tbs coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

What to do…

1. Mix the milk, oil & vanilla in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cacao, sugar and salt. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mix and blend. Add a little bit of milk if the batter is too thick. Cook on a griddle or in a large pan like you would any other pancakes. Yum!

Oreo Filling

1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 tsp vanilla

2-3 Tbs coconut milk

2-3 Tbs powdered sugar

Blend the coconut flakes in a food processor until it starts to become coconut butter. Scrape the sides and let it go a little bit longer. Add in the vanilla and sugar. Add the milk slowly. If the mixture is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. (If you put it in the fridge the mix will harder a little.)

Apple Cider Vinegar

When my mom decided to make some lifestyle changes back in August 2012, she added a mixture of water and Apple Cider Vinegar to her daily regimen in order to help lower her cholesterol. Along with a healthy diet and daily activity she was more than successful, and has lost over 30 pounds to date and lowered her cholesterol considerably. While I’m well aware what a healthy lifestyle can do, I was intrigued about the Apple Cider Vinegar and was amazed at the benefits I found after I did some reading! I’m currently putting it to the test in my own daily routine, and here’s why…

Unfiltered, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar is rich in minerals and is considered a valuable remedy for many illnesses. Medicinal use of ACV dates back to 400B.C, when Hippocrates used it to treat his patients. Interesting huh?! I thought so.

mineral content * contains potassium, magnesium and other beneficial minerals

lowers cholesterol * contains pectin, which helps lower bad cholesterol levels (there are some people with a pectin allergy and should avoid ACV)

anti-inflammatory * when added to a bath it can soothe sunburned skin, and when diluted with water it can help with internal inflammation

weight loss * it helps to balance blood sugar levels and when this happens insulin does not direct sugar to be stored as fat

lowers glucose * contains acetic acid, which slows down starch digestion and lowers glucose levels in the bloodstream

skin toner * can be used as an astringent for the face and neck (avoid the eyes)

antioxidant * contains beta-carotene which possesses antioxidant properties that boost your immune system and counteract damage caused by free radicals

Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to Your Day

*make sure you are using organic, raw/unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar*

I don’t have a problem with the following concoction and sometimes I’ll mix it in my water bottle and take it to the gym:

pour a glass of water, add a bit of cranberry or apple juice and 1 tablespoon of ACV

*It’s a simple and inexpensive thing that I’ve added to my daily routine and I’m definitely enjoying it*