Category :Food

Birthday Shenanigans

Turkish-coffee-modamama

turkish-coffee-modamama

baklava

Birthday fun began with dropping off our girl at the grandparents.  It then continued with a visit to Istanbul cafe for a delicious Turkish coffee with baklava and Turkish delight.  

A little early afternoon shopping at sales, followed by a glorious lunch of avocado spring rolls, and indulgent dairy free nachos, and we headed home.

At home I had a leisurely run *8k* and then a lovely dollop of rich gluten free chocolate cake *twice* with a sentimental viewing of Mad Love.

I haven’t seen this film since I was a kid.  But I remember Drew Barrymore inspiring a whole year of short unkempt hair, plaid shirts, and daisies in my hair.  It was kind of fun to get all nostalgic.

The evening was capped off by a crisp glass of wine, and a foot massage.

Yup, not too shabby of a day.

xoxo

Jo

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Protein Bars

Vegan-Gluten-free-chocolate-protein-bars

Who doesn’t love a healthy snack right?  So I created these very yummy chocolate protein bars.  So far, everyone – my husband, my daughter, and my mom – loves them and they’re gone faster than you can blink.

Interested?  Here’s what you need:

1.5 cups of wheat free oats
1/2 a cup of rice crisps – adds a little more texture
1/2 cup of chocolate protein powder (I used Vega)
pinch of salt

1/2 each of peanut/almond/cashew (whatever type of nut) butter and maple syrup
A little – spoonful – of coconut oil
Vanilla extract optional
1/3 cup of chocolate chips

First thing, grind the oats into a flour texture – I used a blender.  Then pour into a large bowl.  Add the rice crisps, and protein powder, and salt.  Then pour in the nut butter and maple syrup.  I also like to add a little (teaspoon) vanilla extract, but you don’t have to.  Mix everything together into a nice thick dough like texture.  If it’s too dry – add some coconut milk or almond milk to moisten.  Then pour the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper.  press it into the pan and flatten it down into an even layer.  Stick in the freezer.

Over very low heat melt the coconut oil and the chocolate chips into a syrup.  Remove from heat. Take out the pan from the freezer and pour the chocolate syrup onto the flattened layer.  Stick it back in the freezer for a few hours.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

Blueberry Kale/Spinach Smoothie

blueberry-kale-smoothie

blueberry-kale-smoothie

blueberry-kale-smoothie

This smoothie is a delicious breakfast when you’re on the go.  Or, as I prefer it, an amazing post training, post run, snack.

1 cup Frozen blueberries
1 cup Spinach or Kale
1 cup Almond or Coconut milk
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 scoop Protein powder
ice cubes
Sprinkle of cinnamon

Combine everything in a blender. Mix and voila!

And it’s a winner with kids too.

blueberry-kale-smoothie

What to do with Leftover Juice Pulp

My regular obsession with juicing has led me down another path:  cooking…sort of.  Don’t get me wrong, Andrew is very much the gourmet and I have no intention of fighting for that title.  It’s just that as I’ve been juicing, every time I got rid of the pulp I was disheartened about the waste.  So what did I do?  I finally figured out what to do with the pulp.

I made two batches of gluten/dairy free muffins with veggie pulp.  And then made a curried potato stew with the rest of the pulp.  Yay!  I have good nutritious meals and yummy juice.

I’m thinking of putting it into pastas, and stir fries too. 


*Proud pat-self-on-back moment*

*linking up with Sunday Funday*

Gluten/Dairy Free Protein Bar Recipe

I had a reader who was interested in this recipe, so I thought I’d post it for all of you.  Enjoy!

1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup brown rice syrup
1tsp vanilla extract

2 cups oats
1 cup puffed millet
1 cup puffed rice
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tblspn greens + or spirulina
1 1/2 cups seed+nut mix

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
Heat wet ingredients over very low heat until fully melted, stirring occasionally.
Add wet mix to dry mix.
Mix thoroughly with hands.
Spread into oiled pan
Refrigerate.
Cut and store in fridge or freezer.

CoffeeTalk Vlog: Vegan…Sort Of

Hey guys.  So we’re more Vegan here, and you can watch the vid to find out a little bit about why.

Also, here’s the links to the cookbooks I mention :  ReFresh,  Fresh, Juice For Life, and Veganomicon.  And the mask on my face is Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque.

No-Bake Chocolate Brownie Bites

I made gluten/dairy free Coconut Brownie Bites as a dessert recently because I was having an uncontrollable chocolate craving. *well, that’s not true, I can control it.  I just don’t want to*   As you can tell they were a hit with more than just me.

Healthy and delicious, she can certainly have these.  But just one…Andrew took her to the grocery store after and he told me she was totally wired.  Bouncing up and down in her stroller, singing, and talking non-stop.  I’m just glad she was with him and not with me,”I just gave her chocolate.  Here you go, she’s your problem now.”

If you want to make these easy no-bake treats you can go here.  Or if you’re lazy, like me, here’s the recipe quoted directly from her site:

Coconut Brownie Bites –
Ingredients:

  • 10 pitted Medjool Dates
  • 3/4 Cup Walnuts
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

What Do I Do?

  1. Use a food processor to pulse the walnuts into crumbs
  2. Add all other ingredients and blend until mixture forms a ball
  3. Form mixture into small balls and roll in coconut.

Pear-Apple

Made a yummy treat:  homemade warn juice!

Peeled and cored 4 apples, 3 pears, and one half of a lemon.  Juiced them, heated it up on the stove over low heat and topped it off with a huge dollop of cinnamon. 

Nothing better on a cold, rainy afternoon!

Random Sundays: Quinoa Salad

I love a simple healthy delicious meal and that’s why I like this quinoa salad.  You just make a whole bunch and keep it in the fridge for when you’re feeling peckish.  And it’s so simple!

Cook quinoa: 2 parts water for every 1 part quinoa – bring to boil and simmer covered until water is gone.
 Let cool.
Then chop up a whole bunch of fresh parsley *I like to grab a huge couple of fistuls* , lots of cucumber *about half- 3/4 of a large one*, one tomatoe and one red pepper.  Mix it all in with the quinoa.  Then I pour in a crap load of good quality olive oil *tons and tons until it’s well saturated but not soupy* and the juice of a lemon *or two depending on how tangy you like it*.  Yum!

I don’t follow a recipe so much as put in as much as I want of each
thing depending on what I want that day – more cucumber, more red
pepper, etc, etc.

Healthy Chocolate Treat

I crave chocolate at least twice a day.  And for months I’ve been indulging, but I’m trying to cut out sugar and such treats because I can feel it in my system.  My body just doesn’t feel good – discomfort, sluggishness, etc. *I’ll spare you the details*  So lately I’ve tried this protein shake as a substitute for when my chocolate cravings hit hard. I always have a shake after a workout, but this one is more of a dessert shake.  I put no nut butter in it *after workouts the nut butter fats and omega help to speed recovery and repair* and more agave syrup than usual *for that extra sweet treat*  I’ve really found this to help satisfy the sweet tooth, and the fact that it’s all good ingredients, plus a dose of hemp seeds, makes me feel better mentally in that I’m nourishing and not burdening my body. 

And I pour it into a big wine glass or beer glass *like this one*  to make it feel more decadent.

Ingredients:
 1 banana
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
3 ice cubes
1 heaping tablespoon chocolate flavored rice protein powder
Almond or Rice milk to desired consistency

Throw it in a blender and go.

Quote of Today:
“How much DO you eat?”

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