For the love of Pho

If it is possible for mammals to occasionally be cold blooded then I am going to go out on a limb and say I am one of those anomalies. I have heard that some moles have trouble maintaining proper body temps. All I know is I need a terrarium and a heat lamp. But since human terrariums are hard to come by, I will settle for Pho. For those of you virgin to the pho scene, consult Wikipedia.

So when I am cold or feeling gross (which is Nov-March) I love me some pho. This week I was really in the mood but not feeling like sitting in a restaurant (okay didn't feel like taking off pajamas) so I embarked on a homemade pho alternative. I didn't want to cook broth for hours/days like it should be. I just wanted a quick version to satisfy the craving. Ladies and gentleman I give you quick and easy Faux Pho.

In a larger pot, heat up a box of Pacific Brand Pho Starter Beef
(If you know a better one, use it. I like this one)
Cook Rice Noodles in separate pot. Rinse and set aside.
Stir fry onions and some sort of beef. I used frozen sliced ribeye from Costco and it was perfect.
Throw meat in broth or leave it in a bowl like a topping.
Prepare more toppings how you'd like.
I used chopped cilantro, raw sliced onions, limes, sriracha, and hoisin. The red peppers in the pic are for munching.
Assemble on table and let your kid fill their bowl of broth however they like.
My experience has always been: If they build it, they will eat it.

Green Eggs and Bacon for Dinner

Last night was one of those nights were I needed a nap before cooking dinner, just totally exhausted. When I woke up later then I had hoped, I was forced to create dinner from found objects in the fridge.

Since we always have bacon, I started there. I know what you are thinking. She seemed so health conscious, so holistic and wise. Bacon? Really? Well, when I was little my Nana loved giving me bacon and I loved my Nana so I will always feel happy eating bacon. Everything in moderation.

So with my bacon, naturally I thought of eggs. Now, with two protein sources picked I surveyed the veggie scene. This is what I found: Broccoli, parsley, kale, chives, baby spinach, carrots, celery, jicama, radishes, tomatoes, and cucumber. Clearly I could not use it all so here is what I made:

Green Scrambled Eggs
Finely chop the tops of the broccoli off so you are left with just the little buds
Finely chop chives, parsley and baby spinach
Saute all together in a little butter until soft
Turn pan to medium low
Crack in eggs and scramble into veggies
I like my eggs cooked for about six minutes.
Add a few finely chopped chunks of white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

I served mine with a side of bacon and multigrain toast.

I was honestly surprised at how tasty they were. I think the key was making sure the veggies were chopped very fine so that they incorporated into the eggs smoothly. The kid devoured them which is always rewarding. They looked pretty, were quick to prepare and made for a somewhat nutritionally sound meal.
Thus, they got promoted to blog status.

Trick or Treat? Sounds like I lose either way.

After an extended hiatus I am back to the blogging.

Summer was a whirlwind of activity and the first month of school was a blur. All of the sudden, I realized I was getting bombarded with Halloween costumes and Thanksgiving invites. Welcome to fall.

With my daughter in kindergarten this year I have taken on the role of room parent for her class and now find myself staring down the barrel of a halloween party. Cupcakes and cookies smeared high with icing, cups of brightly colored drinks, and piles of candy: this is not going to work for me.

But, I'd hate to start of the first party of the year as "mommy killjoy" as my friends (with no kids) have nicknamed me. Thus begins the inspiration.....

How do you appease the frothing mouthes of the five year olds while avoiding the brightly colored faux food of the past?

1. Witches Broomsticks: Insert a pretzel rod into a piece of cheddar cheese. You can use precut cubes or cut thick slices off a large block. Simple and clean, courtesy of my mom.

2. Gingersnap cookies and Pumpkin Dip: Okay there is sugar in here but no artificial colors and pumpkin has nutritional value.

Pumpkin Dip

(Vitamin A, Fiber, Vitamin C, Iron and minimal sugar)

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1 can of pumpkin

Fall spices to taste (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, etc)

Maple syrup to taste

Mix together until creamy.

If you aren't going to bake your own cookies I really like Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snap.

3. Greek yogurt and Apple Slices: As is, delicious. Or you could get fancy and stir a little bit or honey and cinnamon into the yogurt to bring in the fall flavors.

4. Blood Red Hibiscus Tea: Kids love bright colors? No problem. Steep dried hibiscus flowers into a fabulous berry flavored brew. Delicious hot or cold. Amazing with fresh oranges floating on top. Add honey if it seems too tart.

So there you have it. A small reprieve from the horrors of the Halloween Sugarfest.

Hemp Pro 50 wins over my heart and stomach

I have bought a lot of protein powders. Rice, soy, oat, whey, vanilla, chocolate, chai, berry. Some have been manageable, others went right in the trash. I keep buying more in the hopes of finding one that I look forward to drinking because I love the concept. Quick, healthy, easy on the gut. This is how I want to start the day. So when my local health food store had free samples of a new powder I was all about it.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro.

Now I bought the Hemp Pro 50 for two reasons.

1. It was less expensive.

2. More omega 3s

As you can see from the pic the 70 has more protein, less omegas.

This protein powder is so smooth I can drink it with no fruit blended in.

Yesterday's breakfast:
One cup of sunflower milk
Two tbsp of hemp pro 50
Heaping tbsp of Trader Joes almond butter with roasted flaxseed
Blended until smooth.

Tasty.Would it be more delicious with a banana in there? Yup. But I am on a very restricted diet and fructose is not on it. But for you and your family, go for it.
The hemp powder is not gritty, has no aftertaste, and gives the drink a slightly nutty flavor.

In summation:
Great source of protein
Tons of omega 3s
A little added fiber
Great taste and texture
Website has great recipes
Was on sale with coupon when I bought it making it $14 for the 16oz jar.

The lunch box: A study in efficacy and healthiness

Packing lunches.

It's my greatest challenge.

Mornings in our house are full of late rising, argumentative dressing, slow eating, and generalized whining. That leaves me about five minutes to pack a lunch before running chaotically to the bus stop.

This summer while I continue to pack lunches for camp, I am committed to perfecting the art of healthy and quick.

I have found a couple of products that I am loving right now.

1. Cool Gear EZ-Freeze Stay Fit Snack containers.

I used to hesitate to put dairy in the lunch box. Especially in the summer. This product seriously unshackles dairy and makes it a safe and healthy lunch box choice. Yogurt or single serve cottage cheese fit perfectly inside. They are relatively cheap, and they really stay cold. And for what to put inside....

2. Stonyfield Yogurt: YoBaby Meals

I love this yogurt. Six active probiotic strands where most yogurts have two. Easy to read ingredients and a serving of veggies snuck in for an extra bonus. Zoe assures me they are delicious. Visit the website for coupons. It is a little pricier than other brands.

3. Seaweed

Since I went carb free for myself, I long for a chip/pretzel/etc. I started snacking on seaweed to fill my salty, crunchy needs and Zoe soon followed. Turns out kids love seaweed. I have watched her friends come over and devour a box in no time at all. Chock full of micronutrients, I gladly replaced a bag of goldfish for seaweed in the lunch box. We have purchased Annie Chun's Sesame Seaweed, Trader Joe Brand Seaweed and now Costco has start carrying huge mulitpacks which are fantastic and the perfect size for packing.

4. The dreaded Beverage choice

For beverages I waver. I like her to drink water but I hate paying for Waterloos boxed water (even with that adorable penguin). I could pack her a thermos full of water but she complains that all the other kids have juice boxes and I remember the pain of being different. I know that's ridiculous but I pick my battles. So I have found that I can make my peace with occasionally purchasing some juice boxes for her. Apple and Eve Fruitables are a little high in sugar for my liking but at least they attempt to tamper it down with some veggie juice. I also will buy Hansen's Junior Water- less sugar and no artificial colors, as long as you buy the water and not the juice. I m open to suggestions on beverages or I will wait until thermoses are cool.

5. Frozen Fruit

Since my freezer is always packed with frozen fruit for smoothies, it was a no brainer to throw some in the lunch box as well. It stays cold until lunch, helps keep the juice box cold, and doesn't go bad before I have a chance to use it. In the summer, when fresh berries and fruits are plentiful it is even better to freeze your own. Caution: frozen blueberries and raspberries can get quite messy post thaw. I'd stick to mango, papaya, strawberries and peaches.

So right now my goal is to have in the box:

1. As little sugar as possible

2. No artificial colors or flavorings

3. Protein, good fats, and a vegetable serving

A typical lunch is:

1. Fruitable juice box

2. single serve cup of 2%cottage cheese or YoBaby Meal yogurt

3. Sliced cucumber or grape tomatoes

4. frozen fruit

5. almond butter on a sandwich thin from Trader Joe's

I am clearly a work in progress. Like I said, packing lunches has been a challenge for me. I am open to creative ideas and products other people are using. Send in your suggestions.

Mommy McMuffin

My daughter has eaten at McDonald's. Multiple times. Enough to know the names of the sandwiches. I don't like it, but sometimes life shows up different then one would expect and a happy meal turns into a tolerable option.

But the fat, the sodium, the preservatives, high fructose corn syrup.... it's a nutritional nightmare.

Egg McMuffin, meet your nemesis.

Your healthier and tastier doppelganger: the Mommy McMuffin.

Two slices of ham (recommend Applegate Organic)

Cut into squares and lightly saute until hot, not burnt

Dump ham onto separate plate.

Lightly toast bun with cheese.

(I am loving Trader Joe's Multigrain Slims with Yogurt Cheese)

Scramble egg in ham pan to your liking.

Assemble ham pieces and egg onto cheesy bun.

Listen to child say the three words you've longed to hear:

"Better then McDonalds"

It's hard to do a nutritional comparison but I will do a close estimate.

Egg McMuffin v. Mommy

Serving Size: 7.1oz/ 6 oz

Calories: 300 / 240

Fat: 12g/ 11g

Saturated Fat: 5g/ 3g

Cholesterol: 235mg/ 215mg

Sodium: 840mg/ 490mg

Fiber: 2g/ 5g

MInimal prep time, minimal cook time. Easy ingredients to keep in the house. So tasty.

No hormones, antibiotics, artificial colors or flavors.

The incredible, edible plum

Hangovers....stomach flu....morning sickness....migraines.....overeating.....car sickness....eczema

Who in your family can't benefit from the healing power of the umeboshi plum?

My first experience with ume plum vinegar came through my good friend Lauren who gave me a delicious recipe for pressed salad many years ago. The salty, briny vinegar is a stand out flavor that I soon wanted to add to every salad I ate. Not just tasty, ume plums have been used as medicinal remedies in Japan and China for centuries.

Here is a great article on the health benefit highlights of ume plums.

You can see how I use it on a summer salad that I recently prepared for Mother's Day.

And if you really want to experience something amazing (or you are really hungover/ill) take yourself to Teaism and order the plum ochazuke. It is the the most soothing meal I have ever consumed in all of Washington DC. They float whole ume plums in the soup from which you will suck the briny flesh. There are no words for that kind of flavor experience. Just look at its glory.

Oh Honey, you shouldn't have. (tasted like feet)

Raw Honey

or how I overcame my fear of botulism

Initially I had some reservations about raw honey, mostly due to the fact that prior to learning about natural foods, I liked all my food one way: sterile. I mean, if you can pasteurize something or make it shelf stable or preserve it, why not? Safety first, right?

Well as it turns out whole foods equal healthier foods and sterilizing food kills precious enzymes, nutrients, etc. So after extensive research, I bought my first jar of raw honey.

This honey was too strong for my husband. Actually, to quote him, he said it tasted like eating dirty feet. As usual, my kid thought it was delicious (seriously, no taste buds on my kid) and I found it tolerable. I liked seeing all the little bits of hive and what not, swirling around in there. Made me feel like I was really getting all the power of the bee. But it was hard to overlook the foot smell, so after that jar I tried one a bit less "chunky". Next honey.

Okay, so this one rated better than the first, still chunky but less footy. Sadly, this honey was not local to Virginia and when it came time to use the raw honey for springtime allergies the rule is: Buy Close to Home. Next honey.

Now this is a tasty honey. Golden Angels Apiary, we chose the Wild Rose variety, bottled in Singers Glen, Virginia. No bits of hive in this guy, to the delight of my hive hating husband. Rated excellent by the whole family.

What am I doing with all this honey?

• Honey is naturally anti-viral,anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
• It can be used in place of cough syrup or to soothe a sore throat
• It can be on wounds to speed healing and fight infection
• A spoonful of local honey a day helps ward of environmental allergies
• Naturally occurring enzymes and probiotics aid in digestion

There is a ton of info about honey all over the internet. I think this website remains factual and concise: World's Healthiest Foods.

A quick recipe for when you feel sickness creeping up on you. And it works. My patients swear by it. Drink it when you feel sick or when you are taking care of your sickly family. And don't be scared. It is actually pretty tasty.

Garlic Lemonade

2 quarts water
8-10 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
the juice of one lemon (or two if you like lemons)
raw honey, however much you'd like

a pinch of cayenne pepper
optional: a chunk of peeled ginger

Combine the water and the garlic (and ginger, if using) in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for one hour. Remove from heat. Add the lemon, cayenne and the honey. I like to leave all the chunks just chilling at the bottom of my jar. Strain it if you'd like.

You already know why the honey is there. A quick rundown of the rest. Lemons: vitamin C, plus acidity to fight infection. Cayenne: brings your body temperature up to sweat out those nasty germs. Garlic: oh the healing power of garlic (and ginger) is endless. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, the list goes on and on. I could write a whole post just about garlic. Hmmmm.......

****You probably have heard this a million times but just to be sure NO HONEY FOR BABIES UNDER ONE YEAR OLD. Okay. I feel better now****

To Market, To Market

Tis the season for the return of the farmer's market here in Crystal City. Zoe and I took a walk down to see what they had to offer this Tuesday. I laid out a challenge for her: Find me a vegetable you have never eaten and we will eat it tonight. She accepted the challenge and we were off.

Here is our favorite pic from the market:

I digress. Back to the challenge. Zoe actually found two ingredients that she wanted to try and who am I to cut short the passions of a budding foodie?

We came home with swiss chard and ramps.

Here is what we made.

Finely chopped ramps (bulbs and leaves)

Chopped Chard (leaves and stalks)

Saute until soft in a cast iron skillet with little bit of butter

Salt/Pepper

Paired with some leftover smoked brisket from Mother's Day and brown rice, Zoe proclaimed our meal delicious. Challenge complete.

And now the boring facts....

• Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K and C, with a 1175g serving containing 214%, 716%, and 53%, respectively, of the recommended daily value.
• It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein.
• Swiss chard is an excellent source of bone-building vitamin K, manganese, and magnesium; antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E; heart-healthy potassium and dietary fiber; and energy-producing iron.
• It is a very good source of bone-healthy copper and calcium; energy-producing vitamin B2 and vitamin B6; and muscle-building protein.
• Swiss chard is a good source of energy-producing phosphorus, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, biotin, and niacin; immune supportive zinc; and heart-healthy folate.

Nutritional Value of Ramps

• Ramps are a fat free and low calorie food.
• One half cup of ramps, boiled and chopped, contains only 16 calories.
• As part of the Allium family, ramps, like leeks, onions and garlic have been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
• As little as two or more servings per week of Allium vegetables has also been shown to lower the risk or prostate and colon cancer. Like onions, ramps also offer some fiber.
• One half cup of ramps offers five percent or less of the daily value of manganese, iron, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Mother's Day Feasting

Yesterday was Mother's Day so my husband and I treated my parents to an all-out meat and veggies extravaganza. I had planned to take more pictures but we were all so excited to start eating, I forgot.

Here is the menu:

4lb ribeye roast

brined overnight, coated in a pepper dry rub and smoked for 4 hours

4lb brisket

brined overnight, dry spice rub and smoked for 8 hours

Roasted Vegetables

golden beets, celeriac, carrots, onions, japanese sweet potato

drizzled in grapeseed oil and sprinkled with sea salt and garlic powder

Spring Salad

arugula, baby spinich, fennel root, tomatoes, baby cucumbers

tossed in olive oil, ume plum vinegar and lemon juice

Strawberries and Cream

fresh whipped heavy cream with just a touch of vanilla (no sugar added)

fresh strawberries

My dad, who is 100x harder to feed then my five year old, loved the whole thing. He even ate all the roasted vegetables because he thought they were all varieties of potatoes. When I told him he had just eaten beets and celery root he seemed a bit surprised as he was sure that he didn't like those things.

After I digest all this meat, I will be sure to come back and delve in to the reasons I love using ume plum vinegar.

Quinoa: I thought everybody knew you

A post about quinoa may not be advanced enough for some of you, but on the off chance that you have not been introduced to this tasty seed, let me formally introduce you.

Quinoa is a gluten free seed, related to dark leafy greens like chard or spinach. It can be used in place of rice or potatoes in the "starch section" of your plate. It crushes rice and other grains in the protein department, yielding 8g per 1 cup serving and adding 5g dietary fiber. Make it like you would any grain by adding in herbs, veggies or enjoying it plain for dinner. It's always tasty but for me, its most delicious first thing in the morning.

Morning Quinoa Delight

Make a bunch of quinoa the night before. Serve some for dinner and then set some aside in the fridge.

In the morning, melt a bit of butter in a saute pan.

Chop up one apple and one carrot into bite size chunks

Saute in butter until slightly soft. I like them browned but still crunchy.

Toss in a cup of the quinoa and some chopped pecans or other nut of your choice.

Stir until quinoa is warmed.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and eat.

This is a tasty breakfast porridge. Full of protein, fiber, minerals and nutrients- this kicks your oatmeal's ass. And my kid loves it, yours may too.

Herbs 101

In our house, there is a wall unit devoted entirely to loose herbs, about 50 different herbs all in all. I use them pretty much everyday. I can't possibly cover all that they do in one blog but I'll start with the basics.

If you want to get into using herbs for healing with your family I recommend buying just a couple basic herbs and launching off from there. I buy all my herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. They have great prices and amazing quality.

If you are just getting started here is what I recommend:

• chamomile: gas, colic, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia
• catnip: restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, stomach upset
• mint: any stomach issue
• elder flower: fever, colds, flu, excess heat
• lemon balm: anxiety, stomach issues, headaches
• hibiscus flowers: makes tea taste good and is red and pretty
• slippery elm or licorice root: sore throats, coughs

Making tea is one of my daughter's favorite "adult" things to do. Start saving all your glass jars (pickles, salsa, jelly, etc). You are going to need a lot! Get a big mixing bowl and a scoop. Scoop equal parts of different herbs into the bowl and mix them together. Pour the mix into a new jar and label it.

Why do I really love making my own tea?

1. My daughter practices measuring, stirring, pouring and labeling and she thinks its all great fun.
2. I am teaching her knowledge of medicinal plants.
3. When she doesn't "feel good" she asks to make a cup of tea and it always helps.
4. It's so much cheaper than buying prepackaged tea.
5. Hand blended tea makes great gifts.

Making tea blends:

Now you have all your herbs in the jars and ready to go. Here are some of my blends or experiments with your own. I added some extra herbs in green if you decide to go all out.

Nighty Night: Catnip, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, rose, lavender, passion flower

Tummy Soother: Mint, chamomile, lemon balm, catnip, fennel/anise for gas, blackberry leaves for diarrhea, cinnamon for diarrhea

Rise the Sun Tea: (as named by Zoe and I don't know why) 2 parts Hibiscus flower, 1 part mint-- drink iced instead of juice

Stuffy Head: mint, lemon balm, elder flower, thyme, eucalyptus, sage, rosemary, echinacea

Sore Throat: slippery elm, licorice, mint, sage, eucalyptus, thyme, echinacea

Having herbs readily available is such a relief to me when I know my child is suffering and I don't want to give her over the counter medicine. If you want to rely on herbs for most of your "I don't feel good" moments I recommend adding the following books to your library:

• Anything by Dr James Duke, especially The Green Pharmacy
• Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm
• Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand

If you read the post on leftover smoothies and you are wondering the answer to what else I put in my popsicle tray, it's leftover tea. Trust me, when your child has a fever or sore throat, an ice cold licorice root and mint popsicle will REALLY help. Just be sure to sweeten it with raw honey.

RAW HONEY? Okay, we will tackle that another time.

Leftover smoothies=Tasty desserts

When you have made too much smoothie (and this happens a lot when you are first experimenting) here is my solution:

POPSICLES! YAY!

Just pour your leftover smoothie into any popsicle tray, ice cube tray or empty yogurt cup with a stick and freeze. There are some really great, new popsicle molds on the market right now...bpa free, stainless steel for quick freezing, silicon, etc.

Honestly, if I don't have time to whip up a breakfast smoothie, we have been known to eat breakfast popsicles over here. Good luck finding a healthier or tastier popsicle then the our spinach mango pops!

And there is one another thing in our popsicle tray that is sure to please.....check back tomorrow.....

PB and J becomes AB and Bs

If your child has ever asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast, this is sure to please. PB and J: Meet AB and B (almond butter and banana/berries). You could make a peanut butter and jelly with bananas sandwich for breakfast, but I think this is a great alternative. Less carbs, more probiotics, whole fruit, less sugar, and omega 3s make this an easy powerhouse breakfast.

It almost follows the smoothie guidelines missing only the serving of vegetables (review my post Breakfast Smoothie #461 for smoothie rules). I have experimented with adding spinach, celery or cacao greens powder for veggies and it is still pretty good, but truly I make an exception most days and leave the veggie out of this one.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberry or other fruit flavored kefir of choice. My daughter has decided pomegranate is the best. (probiotics/protein)
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's almond butter with roasted flax seed (protein/omega 3s)
• 1/2 banana (fruit)
• 1 cup frozen berries (fruit)

These are just my ratios. The easy part of smoothies is adding more or less of each ingredient until you get the flavor and consistency you like.

*Side Post: Why almond butter with flaxseed over plain peanut butter?*

Almond are less allergenic as they are a true tree nut as opposed to peanuts which grow underground and are prone to mold and fungus issues.

Almond butter gives you a slight edge on fiber and slightly less sugar. Almond butter has less sodium but more fat. Trader Joe's almond butter with flaxseed edges out the peanut butter for me with the addition of omega 3 fatty acids, but ultimately they are pretty similar. The choice is yours.

I will use Trader Joe's peanut butter as a comparison but check the stats against your brand of choice.

Almond Butter with Flaxseed v. Peanut Butter

Serving Size: 2 TBSP

Calories: 200/ 200

Total Fat: 17g/ 15g

Sat Fat: 1.5g/ 3g

Sodium: 80mg/ 150mg

Carbohydrates: 6g/ 6g

Dietary Fiber: 4g/ 3g

Sugar: 1g/ 2g

Protein: 7g/ 9g

Okay so now you are ready to start experimenting with smoothies but what if you have to add a little more this and then add a little more that and then Oh No! Too much smoothie! Don't worry, I have a plan that too....

Breakfast Smoothie #461

Today's post is titled "smoothie number 461" because that's how many smoothies I have made since purchasing my blendtec a little less than a year ago. It has a built in digital counter so you can keep track of your own crazy! And that's not counting the hundreds I made before that in my magic bullet.

My name is Allison and I am addicted to smoothies. Admitting it is the first step. If you having smoothie lust as well I strongly recommend buying yourself either the blendtec or the vitamix. I will save the debate over which is better for another day (they both have there merits) but here is how you know if you need one.

• Do you frequent smoothie king, jamba juice, or robeks a couple times a month at 4/dollars a hit for blended fruit that cost 25/cents?
• Do you curse with your everyday blender when you are eating the end of your smoothie with a spoon due to underblending?
• Do you want to watch your child suck down handfuls of spinich, kale, carrots, and beets before they head off to school?

If you answered yes to any of these questions it is $400 blender time for you. No regrets.

This morning's smoothie might be my laziest one yet, a good one to start with for a smoothie novice. And with minimal blending required any blender can handle it.

Here is my smoothie requirements every morning:

• Healthy dose of probiotics to strengthen against the booger onslaught of the kindergarten classroom.
• At least one fruit and one vegetable
• 5g of protein

Here is how to do it:

1. 10 Frozen mango chunks (I love the ones from Trader Joe's, cheap and so sweet)
2. Big scoop of plain yogurt
3. 1/2 cup or so of water depending how you like your consistency
4. scoop of Amazing Grass Cacao Superfood

If you make it and you don't like the flavor add more mango, or switch to flavored yogurt. The possibilities are endless. And if you don't like the flavor of this one just wait until I post my almond butter-bananas-strawberry recipe. It will rock your world......

Mmmmm, kind of like chocolate

Tonight is for the parents. I have discovered a new treat and I am loving it. Raw Cacao Nibs.

If you like bitter dark chocolate then you are going to love this.

I have enjoyed them two ways:

1. Mix 1:2 cacao nibs with dries berries (I used goji and mulberry) and your favorite nuts (for me macadamia and pistachio) Consume by the handful.

2. Add to a bowl of some tasty yogurt. I like Trader Joe's plain unsweetened greek yogurt.

As I continue to play around with this new found snack I will keep adding new places to use it. But in the meantime check out the benefits.

http://livesuperfoods.com/raw-cacao-nibs.html

I will add that I had some concerns about the "energizing" aspect of the nibs. I am super sensitive to caffeine and am quick to palpitations with stimulants. I found that two tablespoons of cacao nibs midday left me awake and motivated but not crazed or uncomfortable. Still I think I will limit the consumption to adults only in our household. Zoe gets all the cacao she needs in her cacao superfood powder but that is another story......

Quick and Dirty Breakfast

Why quick and dirty? Well, this breakfast if definitely quick and my kid hates to get out of bed on school days so quick is important. Why dirty? Well, I am not gonna lie: it could be healthier. But it could be worse too. Check it out.

Trader Joe's Gluten free pancakes. They come three to a pack/ four packs a box. My recipe is simple.

1. Remove pancakes from plastic and pry apart.

2. Wrap in paper towel and microwave 45 seconds. Flip over(still in paper towel) and heat another 20-30 seconds. Let the stack sit for a minute steaming in the paper towel.

3. Spread Trader Joe's Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseed on one side of one pancake. Stack another on top, spread again and lay the last one on top.

4. Enjoy your triple stack almond butter pancake sandwich delight.

*If you have a few extra minutes you can toast them after the initial microwaving. They are super tasty when they are crispy! With just microwaving they have a very chewy texture.

Now the important part. How does this triple stack stack up against the competition?

Trader Joe v. Eggo Buttermilk frozen pancakes:

Fat 4.5g 9g

Calories 230 300

Sugars 10g 11g

Protein 5g 6g

Fiber 2g 1g

Obviously there is more on a nutrition label, but this is what I care about. I feel good knowing I sent my kid to school with some carbs to fuel her, flaxseed for omegas and digestion, almonds for protein, and no artificial colors or flavors. Of course, to wash down the triple stack I make a mango and greens smoothie but that's for another day...