Lemon Coconut Macaroons - A Nourishing Treat

My love for desserts and my passion for nutritious foods are equally matched.  Prior to learning my way around a kitchen, it didn't always dawn on me that I could have the best of both worlds. Desserts didn't always have to be unhealthy, and healthy foods didn't always have to be tasteless. When this "aha" moment hit me around 6 years ago, I decided to get to work. My mission was to create desserts that are not only healthy, but are actually good for you.  Nourishing Desserts was born!

At first it wasn't pretty.  It wasn't even that tasty.  After lots of experimentation, I figured out how to combine key ingredients together in such a way that desserts were moist and delicious. Desserts that I could actually eat for dinner if I wanted.  (just sayin........)

One of the things I learned was about sprouting.  Sprouting is essentially taking a food that is already packed full of nutrients, and multiplying its health value.  Items such as raw nuts and seeds are primed to be soaked.  For this particular recipe, it is not necessary to have the nuts reach complete sprouting stage, but soaking the nuts prior will have extreme health benefits for your digestion. Soaking breaks down enzyme inhibitors and aids in digestion.  It will break down the protein and starches to release the vitamins and minerals and make them more available for digestion.

According to About.com, sprouts are incredibly nutritious; especially for those on a raw food diet. Studies show remarkable levels of B Vitamins, as well as Vitamins C, E and A (up to 15 times the original content!). Some folks refer to sprouts as "pre-digested" food due to this breaking down process in the sprouting stage of life. This makes the sprouts far easier to digest than the original seed, bean, nut or grain. The heightened quantity of enzymes is another factor that aids in their digestion. Sprouts can be eaten at any meal to help the digestive process along and keep raw living nutrition pumping through your blood.

Lemon Coconut Macaroons


In my Seasonal Menu Plans, I feature a Nourishing Dessert each week.  This particular one I was going to save for the Nourishing Summer Menu (to be released on June 1st) but I couldn't wait, it's just that good!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed is best)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight,drained and rinsed is best)
• 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon coconut butter
• 3 Tablespoons raw, local honey
• 1 lemon - its juice and its pulp
• Unsweetened shredded coconut (enough to roll your macaroons)

Place all ingredients (with the exception of the unsweetened shredded coconut) in a food processor. When squeezing the lemon juice, ensure all seeds are removed.  Then take a spoon and scoop out as much pulp as you can and place in processor.   Blend well.  (You'll have to open the lid a few times and push down the mixture with a spatula).  When the mixture has formed the consistency of a dough, roll into macaroons.  (mixture will yield around 12-17 macaroons depending on how large you decide to make them).  When formed, roll the outsides of your macaroons in the shredded coconut (on a plate or bowl is best). Place in the freezer to set, around 20 minutes.  Then transfer to refrigerator where they should be stored until eaten.  Lasts up to 4 days refrigerated. 

Enjoy with a cup of tea, a sparkling summer beverage, or on its own.

Be well,

Janelle 

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Money Saving Tips - Produce TO NOT Buy Organic

Spring Produce

Finally, it IS and FEELS like Spring!  I love being out watching spring sports and everyone in their yards spring cleaning inside and out.  Folks are trying to shed their "winter coats" and are prepping their soil for gardening.  It's also the time of year when people are trying to make a more conscious effort to get into shape and de-clutter their bodies from the winter hibernation.  Vegetables and fruit are often on top of mind!

As a Nutrition Coach, naturally I recommend local, organic, and seasonal produce where possible.  I often hear from my clients that the cost of organic food can be too overwhelming.  Until the food industry changes, I agree!  I share this sentiment.  I'm a Mom first and foremost running a household like you on a budget.  I can't and don't buy everything organic, but I do adhere to certain guidelines based upon my research of where I can and cannot make concessions.

Lucky for us, there ARE some things we can do to ease the cost of organic; one of those things is to recognize that not ALL of your produce needs to be organic.

The Environmental Working Group has deemed something known as "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen".  Based off of the toxic load of pesticides sprayed on produce, some have much higher concentrations of pesticides and others are negligible.

Remember, eating conventionally grown produce is far better than eating no produce at all.  To reduce your toxic load, make sure that the ones found on the dirty dozen list are the ones that you always buy organic.

The Dirty Dozen:

Strawberries are one of the "dirtiest" crops

• Apples
• Celery
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Hot Peppers
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Kale/Collard Greens (and other dark leafy greens)
• Summer Squash (plus other squashes)

On the contrary, here is the produce you can feel good about saving a few dollars on and buying conventional. The least amount of pesticide residue will accumulate in the skin and flesh of these choices:

fresh asparagus

The Clean Fifteen:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Sweet Corn (make sure non-GMO)
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Papayas
• Pineapples
• Sweet Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Potatoes

Other produce and veggies NOT found on these lists are somewhere in between.  Use your best judgement on those.  (a good rule of thumb I go by is anything with a hard shell is most likely least contaminated and anything vine-grown probably is contaminated).

For example, this chocolate avocado pudding was NOT made with organic avocados, but this Strawberry Vinaigrette WAS made with organic strawberries.

Did anything on these lists surprise you?  Will this alter your buying habits of produce in the future? I'd love to hear from you.

If you'd like to learn more about Janelle and Perfectly Nourished, please visit our website.

TIP:  The Perfectly Nourished Seasonal Menu Plans reminds you of these choices within the shopping list and recipes, among with other helpful health tips along the way!

Be well,

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3 Spring Cleaning Tips for Body and Mind

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."  -Jan Glidewell

Spring Cleaning

People like “stuff”. We tend to hold onto it year after year. We save and stock up on things that we don’t know what to do with anymore. Maybe we keep things because they hold precious memories of days gone by, or they remind us of our parents, grandparents, past loves or childhood. To part with these precious possessions seems out of the question. There is a saying that goes, “You have to get rid of the old to make way for the new.” If you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your life, try spring-cleaning. Throw out some of that stuff, say goodbye to your past and welcome the new energy of your happy, healthy future.

Try these three ideas:

• For good mental and physical health, we actually have two “houses” that need to be spring-cleaned: our physical homes and our physical bodies. Just as we accumulate “stuff” in the form of outgrown clothes, magazines, rusty bicycles, tools and random keepsakes, so do our bodies accumulate old food residues and toxins that need to be cleaned out.

• To spring clean your body, give it a break from rich and complicated foods by either cleansing or fasting for a short period of time. 
  Cleansing means paring down your food to just simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water and perhaps whole grains. Fasting means limiting most foods and drinking lots of water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, teas and soups. 
  Without much energy going toward digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing and fasting can sharpen your concentration, help you gain insight and promote spiritual awareness. It can also bring improved immune function and better digestion.  You don't have to invest in a crazy cleanse program with supplements and shakes.  Skip all of that.  Simply, start making a conscious effort to add more fruits, vegetables, water, teas and soups into your daily diet.

• While you’re cleaning out your body and home, don’t forget to spring-clean your heart. Throw away negative thoughts and habits you’ve been harboring that no longer serve you. A clean, open heart will allow you to receive all the good that awaits you each and every day. If your heart and mind are cluttered, there is no room for life’s gifts and surprises to enter.

Food Focus: Greens

Swiss Chard

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free.

Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Start with the very simple recipe below. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new green to try. Soon you’ll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.


Recipe of the Month: Shiitake and Kale
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1 bunch kale, chopped
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Warm oil in pan on medium heat with minced garlic until aromas of garlic are released, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add chopped kale, stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Add a splash of water and pinch of salt to pan, cover and let steam for 4 minutes.


Looking for more inspiring recipes?  Check out our Nourishing Spring Menu Plan!

Like what you see and want to learn more?  Please visit our website

Be well,

Janelle

5 Ingredient Vinaigrette

Spring is in the air and with it comes the promise of gorgeous and delicious spring and summer salads.  Many people eat salads with the best of intentions, but ruin their healthful creation by piling on gobs of unhealthy dressings.  Even those so called "lite" dressings, which may be low in calories, are chock-full of ingredients that are detrimental to your health.

store-bought processed dressing

Here is an example of a popular Italian dressing. First ingredient - canola oil! This is NOT a healthy oil. It causes low-level inflammation in the body, a precursor to disease.  Not to mention the other harmful ingredients such as monosodium glutamate (msg) and polysorbate-60.




What most people don't realize is how SIMPLE and DELICIOUS making your own, healthful salad dressings can be!  Below is a recipe for a home made, simple, 5 ingredient  spring strawberry vinaigrette made with all fresh, real-food ingredients. So simple to make, takes no more than a few minutes with just a few basic ingredients.

Spring Strawberry Vinaigrette

- 6 organic strawberries (medium)
- 1 small shallot or 1/4 white onion
- 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon raw, local honey

Remove stems from strawberries and cut in half.  Place in a food processor or VitaMix.  Chop the shallot or onion and add to strawberries.  Next add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey.  Mixture should look like this pre-mixed:

dressing ingredients pre-mixed

Blend.  Poor in mason jar.  Voila!  Delicious home made vinaigrette to be served on any salad or used as a dip for veggies.  Makes 4 oz.  Keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

strawberry vinaigrette dressing

Olive oil is an extremely healthy oil in its uncooked state, providing loads of healthy omega-3's.  It is also rich in polyphenols which has anti-inflammatory properties (the very opposite of canola). That said, olive oil is not suited for medium or high-heat cooking as olive oil has a very low smoke point. Save your olive oil for dressings and marinades like our nourishing spring strawberry vinaigrette.

For your strawberries, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you choose organic.  Strawberries are on the "dirty dozen" list of one of the foods most highly contaminated with pesticides.  There are 54 pesticide residues confirmed by the USDA found on conventional strawberries, many being known carcinogens and neurotoxins.  Pesticides cannot be washed off of foods.  They are found in the meat of the fruit or vegetable.

This simple Spring Strawberry Vinaigrette is one of the recipes found in my Seasonal   Nourishing Spring Menu Plan. All of the recipes found in these plans are just as simple and nutritious as this dressing.  Full details here.  Weekly shopping lists provided and delivered straight to your inbox!

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

Love, Forgiveness, and The Art of Healing

There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love. 
- Bryant H. McGill


Love, Forgiveness, and The Art of Healing

Have you ever eaten an entire package of cookies, chips, or crackers?  Or eaten enough pizza and soda until you felt sick?  Perhaps had too many desserts not knowing when to stop?  I have been listening to many folks talk about this recently, and it makes me wonder - why?  Is this simply a distraction to a larger picture?

Sometimes we overeat to distract us from emotional pain.  Have you ever noticed yourself eating when you are not hungry at all?  Perhaps you are lonely.  Or angry.  Or sad.  Or maybe some emotion you are not even aware of yet.

Regardless, it is some sort of hurt that you are holding on to.  Think about it, identify it, isolate it, recognize it, and confront it.

Freedom comes with Forgiveness

Tap into the Power of Forgiveness

Rather than self-sabotage, wouldn't it be more effective to address your uncomfortable feelings?  The best, most thorough, most divine perfect way to do so is through forgiveness.

Forgiving is not easy, not even for the most enlightened among us.  If you have been allowing your present health to be negatively affected and controlled by your past hurt, I urge you try implementing forgiveness utilizing these suggested steps:

1. Talk to sympathetic friends and family about your desire to forgive.  Talking with others is extremely comforting.
2. Write a letter to the person you'd like to forgive, even if that person is yourself.  You can decide whether or not to send it.  
3. Look at the situation from the other person's perspective - your perspective just might change.
4. Don't forget to forgive yourself.  We can often be our harshest critic.
5. Fully understand that you and you alone are responsible for your own attitude.  Don't let holding a grudge keep you from feeling free, open, and powerful in your own life.

Forgive.  Then watch how much easier your relationship with eating becomes.

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

Perfectly Nourished Recipes

I'm in the process of giving my website a "face lift", and one of those changes was to get rid of the existing recipe page that I found to be clunky and difficult to navigate.  Going forward any new recipes will have their own individual post with instruction on how to prepare.  That said, many of my previous recipes are now homeless!

Rather than deleting forever, I decided to create this post to be a comprehensive repository for those recipes.  Keep scrolling to find the recipe you linked on over to review!

Banana Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Grain-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup (can replace with honey, but will not have golden brown color)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao content)
• 1-2 bananas (depending on how thick you'd like the mixture)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (may need two).
• In a large bowl combine the almond flour and baking soda. Mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Coarsely chop the chocolate until it is in bite-sized chunks. Measure one cup. Slowly fold in the chocolate chunks to the batter. Chop your banana into small pieces. Fold carefully into the mixture. Drop the batter on to the prepared cookie sheet(s), careful to leave enough room in between.
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Make sure to not over-bake. Let cool for at least 20 minutes prior to serving.

Cinnamon-Apple Grain Free Muffins

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Fall Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup raw, local honey or maple syrup
• 1 large egg (pastured)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 organic apples peeled, cored, and diced.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare muffin tin with 8 muffin liners.
• In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Keep diced apples separate. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture and make sure everything is thoroughly combined. Fold in the apples. Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners.
• Bake for 25 minutes. Be mindful of your oven, however. Almond flour has a tendency to cook quickly so you may need to slightly adjust the cooking time. Toothpick should come out clean. Let muffins cool, then serve!
• ** Note - when measuring your coconut oil, make sure it is in its liquid state and not solid. Measuring in the solid state will not yield the proper amount of oil.

Vegan Cinnamon Oat Muffins

Vegan Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic (non-sweetened) apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder (unsweetened cocoa powder will do in a pinch)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips (or bar chopped into chunks

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Combine applesauce, coconut oil, coconut palm sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl thoroughly combine the oat flour, raw cacao powder, baking powder and baking soda. Add oat mixture to applesauce mixture. Mix until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake 20-22 minutes rotating the pan 1/2 turn after 10 minutes (to ensure even cooking). Muffins are done when tops are firm to the touch.

Banana Blueberry Grain-Free Muffins

Paleo Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 large eggs (pastured)
• 4-5 mashed ripe bananas
• 1-2 cups organic blueberries (adjust to your liking, I like a lot of blueberries)

Instructions

• preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (8) muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl combine almond flour and baking soda. In a medium bowl whisk together the coconut oil and the eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Stir the mashed bananas into the batter, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
• optional: for more of a dessert, add a 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (70% cacao mass) to the recipe.

Avocado-Style Deviled Eggs

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 3 Organic Free Range Eggs
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 2 scallions (or 1/8th white onion)
• 1 tsp ground mustard powder (or 1/2 tsp dijon mustard - add more to taste)
• Sea Salt to taste
• Paprika

Instructions

• Boil the eggs for approximately 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool in ice water bath. After sufficiently cooled, remove shells. Slice eggs lengthwise (horizontally). Remove yolk and place in separate bowl. (I recommend utilizing 2 of the yolks and not using the third. Full of fat-soluble vitamins and good cholesterol, you can save it later for a snack!)
• With fork, mash yolks. Slice the avocado and scoop the meat into the bowl. Mix together with yolks. Add in the scallions (or white onion) and the ground mustard powder. Once the consistency is creamy, add sea salt to taste. Scoop the mixture into the egg whites. Place on serving dish and sprinkle with paprika.

Enjoy!!!!  I hope you like the new website.

Be well,

Janelle

Decadent Chocolate Recipe

Home made Raw Chocolate

It is  no surprise that I love chocolate.  This is for sure my food weakness.  With Valentine's Day that just passed, chocolate was in an endless supply.  That said, chocolate itself is NOT the enemy, it is all of the processed sugars, oils, artificial colors and flavorings, and soy lechiten (used as an emulsifier and is a dangerous endocrine disruptor) that is. Once I discovered this, my relationship with chocolate took on a whole new level.  It went from unhealthy to healthy in just a matter of a few ingredients!

I've modified this recipe from one of my favorite raw food chefs, Ani Phyo.  Ani uses cacao butter as the base for her chocolate with raw cacao powder as the additive, however I find that using coconut oil works just as well (and is a more readily available ingredient in most grocery stores).  Raw cacao is a superfood, as described in detail in a previous post. Coconut oil, although a saturated fat, contains essential lauric acid which has been proven to speed up weight loss, reduces the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, and stimulates thyroid function.  If you'd like to learn more about the benefit of coconut oil, here is a link to a fantastic article that speaks more to this perfect food.

Raw Chocolate made with Coconut Oil

Easy Raw Chocolate Recipe:

1. Melt 1 cup unrefined coconut oil over low heat
2. Mix in 1/2 cup of cacao powder
3. Add in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
4. Whisk and remove from heat

That's it!!

There are so many options you can do with this raw, superfood chocolate.  You can spread it in a pan and make raw chocolate bark with raisins and nuts.  You can put it in little molds and make solid raw chocolates. Add a little coconut cream in the middle and you have a delicious coconut truffle!  Or you can dip with fruit and make chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, and the like. Whatever you decide, make sure you place your delicious chocolate concoction in the refrigerator to set, for at least one hour.

Voila - a delicious treat that not only avoids all of the chemicals, sugars, and preservatives, but is actually nourishing for your body.  The best part?  I can honestly say that after months of eating good quality chocolate, the cheap and processed stuff doesn't taste appealing any longer.  Win win!!

Raw Chocolate Bark

How do you think you will use this recipe?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.