About Me

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I have a health ministry for friends, family, and health lovers world-wide. I'm totally into all-natural and avoid chemicals, food additives, etc. even in my cosmetics. I am working toward eating Vegan, Organic, and raw as much as possible (my family too). I'm married, and have two teen daughters that I homeschooled up until high School and two grown step kids. Optimal Health - God's Way ".....and the fruit thereof shall be for meat (FOOD), and the leaf for MEDICINE." Ezekiel 47:12 KJV

Monday, January 26, 2015

Cherry Banana Protein Shake recipe (dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and refined sugar free)

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (original or vanilla)
2 TBS Mt Capra Caprotein fermented goat milk protein powder (or other protein powder of choice)
1/4 cup or more organic frozen or fresh cherries pitted
1 medium banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS honey
1 scoop Vitamin Shoppe Organic Stevia Extract
Add ice if using fresh fruit or if you want it more like a slushy
Add a little water if too thick

Blend in high speed blender.

Note: This recipe also works with blueberries or other fruit.



Sunday, January 25, 2015

Mexican 7 Layer Dip recipe (dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and sugar free)

I found this great recipe on the Gluten Free Club site. Make dietary adjustments as needed.

If you need to avoid dairy, use Daiya brand or make your own sour cream from coconut milk, and use Daiya vegan Cheddar Cheese.

I used turkey bacon instead of pork bacon.

I used Amy's Organic Refried Beans (vegan and come in a BPA-free can). They are delicious.



Ok, so it's not 7 layers, but it's hard to stop adding more layers of all your favorites. Customize this dip however you like, this is just a yummy starting point!
Once you have all your layers chopped, shredded, and ready to go, start layering everything in a clear dish: try a pie plate, baking dish - even small wide mouth mason jars to create individual dips.

Mexican 7 Layer Dip
Author: 
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
Classic appy dish - it has something for everyone! Omit any layer you like to make it according to your liking and dietary needs, replace with whatever you like!
Ingredients
  • 1 can (16oz) GF refried pinto or black beans (or less depending on size of bowl used)
  • ½ cup GF sour cream
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp GF green hot sauce (salsa verde)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup cooked bacon, chopped
  • ¼ cup black olives
  • 2 Tbsp green onions, minced
Other Toppings Ideas
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Salsa (as its own layer or mixed with refried beans)
  • Use Greek yogurt or soft tofu instead of sour cream
  • Mix refried beans with 4 oz GF cream cheese
Instructions
  1. Spread refried beans into bottom of serving bowl, about ½" thick.
  2. Spread sour cream over beans, followed by tomatoes.
  3. In a small bowl combine avocado, lime juice, hot sauce and salt. Toss gently to combine then add over tomatoes.
  4. Sprinkle cheese, and then the bacon and green onions.

Grilled-Pineapple Crepes recipe (dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and refined sugar free)

So yummy! My husband made this a few nights ago on a whim. It was leftovers night, and we had some gluten free pancakes in the fridge and a ripe pineapple to eat. Wow! So good!

Ingredients:
Gluten-free Pancakes
Grilled pineapple chunks
Pineapple juice
Daiya non dairy cream cheese

Instructions:
Heat pineapple juice in a pan until it's reduced by half. You can also add 1-2 TBS of apple sauce like we did.
Grill pineapple chunks. We used our Foreman Grill for speed and simplicity.
Re-heat leftover gluten free pancakes.

Assembly:
Pour some of the heated juice in a bowl.
Place one pancake on it.
Spread cream cheese on pancake.
Top with pineapple.
You can also use some more cream cheese as a topping on the pineapple.









Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Creamy Garlic Kale Salad recipe from Whole Foods (dairy, gluten, egg, sugar, and soy free): Not your momma's kale salad!

I first tried this at Whole Foods last week and loved it! I found the recipe online and made it tonight. Yum!

If you're avoiding soy, use Coconut Aminos instead of Braggs Liquid Aminos. You also have the option to use 2 TBS apple cider vinegar instead of water.

Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or so to marinate. You can skip this step if you need to eat right away, but allowing some time to marinate will wilt the kale a bit and make it a little more palatable - particularly for those who are skeptical of eating raw kale.

http://faithfulprovisions.com/kale-recipes-garlicky-kale-recipe-from-whole-foods/






Monday, January 12, 2015

Smoke points for various cooking and baking oils

Important info!

This website is full of great info with lots of details for each oil:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CookingOilTypes.htm

Here's a another useful resource showing which oils work best with the heat dial setting on your stovetop (click each link for photos):
http://www.smartkitchen.com/resources/cooking-appendices/reference-materials/heat-temperature-charts

You can also check out the chart below from Alton Brown at Goode Eats:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/CollectedInfo/OilSmokePoints.htm

Back Up Next
Note: Smoke point ranges can vary wildly based on many different factors.
Use the following temps only as a starting point.
SORTED BY TEMP
SORTED BY NAME
200's
225 F: Canola Oil, Unrefined
     : Flaxseed Oil, Unrefined
     : Safflower Oil, Unrefined
     : Sunflower Oil, Unrefined
300's
320 F: Corn Oil, Unrefined
     : High-Oleic Sunflower Oil,
       Unrefined
     : Olive Oil, Unrefined
     : Peanut Oil, Unrefined
     : Safflower Oil, Semi-Refined
     : Soy Oil, Unrefined
     : Walnut Oil, Unrefined
325 F: Shortening, Emulsified
       Vegetable†
330 F: Hemp Seed Oil¥¥
350 F: Butter (Good Eats)
     : Canola Oil, Semi-Refined
     : Coconut Oil†
     : Sesame Oil, Unrefined
     : Soy Oil, Semi-Refined
356-370 F: Vegetable Shortening
361-401 F: Lard
375 F: Olive Oil (Good Eats)
389 F: Macadamia Nut Oil††
400's
400 F: Canola Oil, Refined
     : Walnut Oil, Semi-Refined
406 F: Olive Oil, Extra Virgin*
410 F: Corn Oil (Good Eats)
     : Sesame Oil**
420 F: Cottonseed Oil†
     : Grapeseed Oil¥
     : Olive Oil, Virgin**
430 F: Almond Oil***
     : Hazelnut Oil***
435 F: Canola Oil (Good Eats)
438 F: Olive Oil*
     : Rapeseed Oil***
440 F: Peanut Oil†
     : Sunflower Oil†
450 F: Corn Oil, Refined
     : High-Oleic Sunflower Oil,
       Refined
     : Peanut Oil, Refined
       (Good Eats)
     : Safflower Oil, Ref.
       (Good Eats)
     : Sesame Oil, Semi-Refined
     : Soy Oil, Refined
     : Sunflower Oil, Semi-Refined
460 F: Olive Pomace Oil**
468 F: Olive Oil, Extra Light*
485 F: Grapeseed Oil**
495 F: Soy Bean Oil†
500's
510 F: Safflower Oil†
520 F: Avocado Oil, Refined
Almond Oil***              430 F
Avocado Oil: Refined       520 F
Butter (Good Eats)         350 F
Canola Oil: Unrefined      225 F
            Semi-Refined   350 F
            Refined        400 F
            (Good Eats)    435 F
Coconut Oil†               350 F
Corn Oil: Unrefined        320 F
          (Good Eats)      410 F
          Refined          450 F
Cottonseed Oil†            420 F
Flaxseed Oil, Unrefined    225 F
Hazelnut Oil***            430 F
Hemp Seed Oil¥¥            330 F
Grapeseed Oil¥             420 F
Grapeseed Oil**            485 F
Lard                       361-401 F
Macadamia Nut Oil††        389 F
Olive Oil: Unrefined       320 F
           (Good Eats)     375 F
           Extra Virgin*   406 F
           Virgin**        420 F
           Olive Oil*      438 F
           Pomace Oil**    460 F
           Extra Light*    468 F
Peanut Oil: Unrefined      320 F
Peanut Oil†                440 F
Peanut Oil, Refined
  (Good Eats)              450 F
Rapeseed Oil***            438 F
Safflower Oil: Unrefined   225 F
      Semi-Refined         320 F
      Refined (Good Eats)  450 F
Safflower Oil†             510 F
Sesame Oil  : Unrefined    350 F
Sesame Oil**:              410 F
              Semi-Refined 450 F
Shortening, Emulsified
    Vegetable†             325 F
Shortening, Vegetable      356-370 F
Soy Oil: Unrefined         320 F
         Semi-Refined      350 F
         Refined           450 F
Soy Oil†                   495 F
Sunflower Oil†:            440 F
                Unrefined  225 F
             Semi-Refined  450 F
Walnut Oil, Unrefined      320 F
            Semi-Refined   400 F
High-Oleic Sunflower Oil,
       Unrefined           320 F
       Refined             450 F
bullethttp://www.homemag.com/servlet/com.gdi.versifi.ui.ServeFolder?folderid=3036
bullet** http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olivechemistry.htm
bullet*** http://www.cybgroup.co.uk/rapespec.html
bullet† http://www.christianchefs.org/charts/oils.html
bullet†† http://www.macfarms.com/mfoil.html
bullet¥ http://www.sableridge.com/web/grapeseed.shtml
bullet¥¥ http://www.rella.com/hseednut.html
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Lasted edited on 08/27/2010

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Great tips for freezing fresh lemon and lime zest and juice!

Recently I started freezing zest and refrigerating the juice when buying bags of organic lemons and limes. I like having it handy for recipes. I always worry about the juice going rancid though before using it all up, so I was happy to find these great tips.

http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/02/freezing-fresh-lemon-slices-lemon-juice-and-lemon-zest/


Vegan, Raw, Creamy Mayonnaise (dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and sugar free)

I only wanted to make a small batch so I used half of all the ingredients in the video below and made slight changes:

Ingredients (I used all organic):
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup grape seed or safflower oil (option to use more coconut oil instead of these)
1/4 cup cashews
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional; can also try less apple cider vinegar and more lemon juice)
1/2 to 1 tsp yellow mustard (optional)
1 garlic clove minced (optional)



Instructions Video:
http://youtu.be/orOvHZLJ5ow
Basically, she blends all ingredients in a food processor except olive oil and apple cider vinegar. After mixing the olive oil and vinegar together in a measuring cup, she pours it slowly through the opening at the top while the food processor is running slowly. That's it! Easy!

Vegan, Raw Key Lime Pie Pudding (dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and refined sugar free)

I just whipped this key lime pudding together on a whim after my daughter and I made raw cookie dough balls but flattend them a little to resemble regular cookies. I realized that the crust I usually make for key lime pie is almost identical to the ingredients in the cookie dough balls, except for the chocolate chips in the cookie. So the light bulb went on, and I figured we could make a raw key lime cookie sandwich! It was awesome! Keep in mind, this pudding is great on its own. The cookie is just a bonus.

I didn't measure any of the ingredients in the pudding. I happened to have a half Haas avocado on hand that I was planning to have for dinner, so I threw that into my mini Blendtec Wildside attachment along with all the ingredients from my key lime pie filling. I just guessed at the amounts since I wasn't making a formal dessert. I didn't have time to soak the cashews so I just ground them up first with some water until creamy and then added the other ingredients.


Here's the cookie sandwich, made by my daughter (I used more pudding in mine):

Here's the recipe for my raw key lime pie:
http://yourbodygodstemple.blogspot.com/2014/12/vegan-raw-key-lime-pie-recipe.html

Here's the recipe for the raw cookie dough balls:
http://yourbodygodstemple.blogspot.com/2014/12/raw-cookie-dough-bites-recipe-dairy.html