Strawberry Pecan Chia Cookies

 Air fryers are the best kitchen item ever invented, at least in my lifetime. I can make cookies when my bananas have turned and I can’t eat them anymore and I can do it in minutes!!  You can’t mess these cookies up but if you need tips I provided below.

Strawberry Pecan Chia Cookies 

1/2 c pecans, toast (air fryer 2 min on 400) and chop 

2 bananas, with more spots than you can count 

1 TB chia seeds

Mash bananas in medium sized bowl and stir in chia seeds  let sit for 10 minutes.  Add the following:

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c old fashioned oats, depending on size of bananas used (see below)

1/2 cup diced strawberries 

1/2 tsp vanilla, optional

2 TB maple syrup, optional

Stir well then with a spoon scoop the mixture onto parchment lined air fryer basket to make a cookie shape  the size will depend on how big the bananas were, how big you make your cookies and how much oats you had to add to compensate for size of banana.  You want to mixture to still be wet enough that you don’t want to touch it to form patties (see pic below).  Air fry on 400 for 10 minutes, flipping over after 5 minutes.

This is the size I made them and the consistency of the batter. It made around 11. My bananas were fairly big and I used 1.25 c oats. Since 1/2 c of oats is what is in a bowl of oatmeal you can eat like a third of this recipe for breakfast!

Other ideas:

For this recipe you can also add PB for more protein and flavor and/or chocolate chips

You can also make these using apples, pears, peaches, applesauce, other berries, mango, use your imagination!  With these changes you can also try other nuts like chopped walnuts, chopped dates, pumpkin seeds, whatever you have. For an extra special treat you can just add chocolate chips 😋❤️

It’s the perfect snack or breakfast for on the go, road trips, hikes, a day at the beach or water park and you can feel good about it!  No refrigeration necessary unless you want them to last more than a day (in my opinion).

Lemon Cream with Berries

 This recipe is a spin from Martha Stewart Living found on pintrest and adapted by Carolyn Strickland, a good friend of mine who is an amazing plant based chef.

Lemon Cream with Berries 

1 package of silken tofu, firm or extra firm
1/2 cup cashews, optional, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1/2 cup honey or agave
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 TB lemon zest, optional

Blend everything except the zest and berries in a high speed blender and pour into ramekins to refrigerate for at least an hour.  Add chopped or whole berries and zest and serve.  You can also mix in berries and zest and use right away as a dip with graham crackers.

No Bake Peach Pie Bars

 If you are anywhere close to Chilton County you know we are known for our deliciously sweet peaches.  The first year I moved here I was so hooked that when the season ended I shed actual tears!  I got this recipe from Bethany Hamilton but hers uses apples.  I had to use peaches!  I also subbed hazelnuts for cashews due to friend's allergies.

No Bake Chilton County Peach Pie Bars

For the Pie crust:

2 cups chopped dates
1 c raw almonds
1 c raw cashews or hazelnuts
1 tsp lemon juice

Put all ingredients into a food process and pulse until well chopped and easily forms dough.  Press into a pie crust or bar pan or a 9x13, lined with parchment paper.

For the filling:

8 or 9 chilton county peaches, diced
1-2 TB maple syrup
2 TB ground flaxseed
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice, optional

Put 1/2 of the peaches into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and pulse.  Pull out the blade and stir in the rest of the peaches.  Pour on top of crust.  Refridgerate for an hour and serve!  

Sunflower Guacamole

 I found this on alive.com and thought my customers would like a good recipe to try with their sunflower microgreens!  Sunflower is packed with so many great nutrients and adding in some avocado is icing on the cake :)

Sunflower Microgreens Guacamole  

2 avocados
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 c roughly chopped sunflower microgreens
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

Place avocado, lime juice and salt in a bowl and mash to a chunky consistency.  Add in microgreens, onion and jalapeno and stir to combine.

Emotional health - a year later

 I re-read one of my posts today on getting to the core of emotional health.  I talked about losing my mom a little every day.  About being vulnerable so I can help others.  Two things stood out to me as I re-read this:

1.  Mom passed away exactly a year and 2 days later.
2.  I have posted nothing but recipes since then.

Regarding the first point, I had no idea we would really lose her that quickly.  I was preparing myself for the wretched days of her not knowing who I was or know my kids.  I was busy trying to support my Dad and aunt as they tried to take care of her.  I was dropping everything to help pick her up from the bottom of the shower when she passed out as Dad tried to bathe her.  Hard, emotionally draining stuff like that.  I was not preparing myself to say "my mom passed away this year", or "I don't have a mom anymore", "she is in a better place".  I was busy making the time she had here good and keeping up with all we had to do.  The hospice company brought her home in February and I thought, this is great, we will have help as we get through the last year or maybe two.  I've seen people linger on with hospice.  At least now we had help.  What I didn't expect was that they would bring us a book that shows us the signs of the final week and show us that this is where we were.  Previous to her coming home, she was in rehab for a few weeks following a bad UTI in the hospital.  She kept saying "I can't do this anymore".  I kept telling her we were going to take her home as soon as she would eat and get her strength back up.  Just keep walking, Mom we will be bringing you home as soon as possible.  When we got her home she kept saying that.  When hospice told us what was going on I realized, she's not talking about the rehab.  She can't do THIS anymore.  She can't be here anymore.  She was letting go.  She wasn't fighting anymore.  She was ready to go home.  That final week was full of family and friends and neighbors, coming in and loving on us, going out of their way to feed us and support us.  It was the most beautiful and most painful week of my life to date.  God was so evident in every day.  His angels were surrounding us and giving us strength to talk to her and sing to her.  And just like that she was gone.  The next week was a flurry of decisions and to do lists.  More people showed up for her funeral than I could have ever imagined.  A couple of weeks later COVID escalated and we haven't seen most of these beautiful people since.  I have only seen my family once since then.  I'm so thankful we were able to celebrate her life before the shut down.  Not everyone had that opportunity this year so I do not take it lightly.  And I had no idea it was going to be this hard to do life without her.

So second point - with all this crazy how is it I'm only able to share recipes?  I guess I have to go back to the original post to find the answer to that - talking about my feelings is pointless.  But that is not true.  Talking about them right now is keeping me from mindlessly eating chips watching Hulu.  I have found the core of some of my cravings lately.  I'm not taking time to stop and talk about what is going on.  Do I have to do it on here all the time - Nope.  Don't worry I'm not going to flood you with journal entries about my feelings.  I realize, however, that we are all going through stuff.  ESPECIALLY this year and we need to talk about it.  Whether it's in a blog post, a text to a friend or a phone call.  We need to unpack the brain.  If you are looking to mind numbing tv and vegan junk food to get through an emotion, as I have done from time to time, you have to look at the core and address the core problem.  It won't be easy and it will take time out of your to do list.  You won't fall apart forever, just long enough to get it out so you can move on.  Take time to be still.  Be still and know that God is in control and He sees you.  He knows where I am and can give me exactly what I need to fix the core of my problem, if I take time to be still.  The craving will reveal the core of the problem if you sit still.  Take time to miss my mom and talk about it because this is not a small thing.  

Cashew Cheese sauce

This sauce is awesome for pasta, potatoes, pizza base, rice and veggie bowls, basically anything you want to add cheese to.  It's great for dipping crusty bread too...  Noah is my picky eater and he loves this sauce.  He likes to mix this with marinara sauce to take spaghetti over the top!

Cashew Cheese Sauce
*adapted from This Cheese is Nuts by Julie Piatt

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in water OR soak 10 min in boiling hot water
1/4 chicpea miso (found at Whole Foods)
1 TB nutritional yeast
1 TB lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water (not for soaking)

In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients on medium for 1-2 minutes.  If you do not soak the cashews it will have a more gritty texture so make sure you soak.  If you do not have a Vitamix soak in hot water for at least 20 minutes or overnight, covered in the fridge.

This recipe will cover a pound of pasta very nicely.  Feel free to add a can of peas if your kid will eat it.  Or lightly steamed broccoli.  

Picture:  Pasta, Classico Pasta sauce, sauteed mushrooms, peas, cashew sauce and topped with spicy salad microgreens

Almond Cheddar spread/dip/cheese ball

 I love the simplicity of this recipe.  It has been adapted from This Cheese is Nuts by Julie Piatt.  I love her book and we use several of her recipes religiously and this is one of them. It's a big hit at every party as a dip, it works great as a spread on sandwiches and wraps and it can be formed into a cheeseball with crushed nuts covering the outside.  I have made this recipe a little simpler but notes below will tell you the original plan for this recipe.

Almond Cheddar Spread

2 cups raw almonds
1 7 oz jar of pimentos, undrained
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Add everything to a Vitamix blender (add pimentos first) and blend until smooth.  Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency.  

For a cheeseball, try not to add any water so the ball forms as firm as possible.  Empty the cheese onto a piece of wax paper and form the ball.  Crush 1c of toasted almonds or use toasted slivered almonds and press into the ball.  Place on serving tray and add crackers or cut carrots and celery.

Note:  If you do not have a Vitamix or high speed blender, soak the almonds overnight in water or soak n boiling hot water for 10 minutes.  The original recipe uses 1 3/4 tsp smoked sea salt so that's a cool spin.   

Overnight Oats

This is my go to recipe for "on-the-go" breakfast or lunch.  There are many variations you can use from chocolate peanut butter to fruit and chia seeds.  For this recipe I use my favorite farm's (Boozer Farms) crop of peaches and blueberries.  Mango is also awesome with blueberries.  Bananas are great but I advise to cut them up and throw it in right before serving.

Overnight Oats

1/2 c old fashioned oats or gluten free oats
1 peach, diced
1/2 cup blueberries
1 T honey
1 T chia seeds
3/4 to 1 c non dairy milk

In a mason jar (or tupperware) add the oats, chia seeds, peach and blueberries.  Drizzle honey on top and pour in the milk.  Seal and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours).

Ratatouille

As you can see this recipe uses nightshade vegetables.  It was once thought that these veggies increased symptoms in those suffering from arthritis but recent research has proven that it has anti-inflammatory properties and should be consumed by anyone who wants to lower their inflammation.  That would be everyone.

Serve on grits, polenta or brown rice pasta

Ratatouille

*adapted from Lipoprotein (a)

1 eggplant (1 lb) cut into 2 inch cubes
1 orange or yellow bell pepper cut in 1 x 1/2 in pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut in 1 x 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/2 in thick
1 1/2 T minced garlic
1 3/4 c tomato broth or water (or vegetable broth)
2 large tomatoes, diced or 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley or basil
2 TB nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

Put eggplant, peppers, onion, zucchini/squash and garlic in a large pot.  Add 1/4 c of the broth and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes.  Add remaining broth and tomatoes, vinegar, basil and oregano and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Add parsley and nutritional yeast and stir.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

Nutty Noodles & Veggies

This is a recipe I found from a book on Lipoprotein (a).  It's a topic I'll expand on later but for now this recipe sounds amazing.  I changed it up a little for ease of use.

Gluten Free note:  if you want to try gluten free pasta the best we have found is brown rice pasta.  It holds up the strongest and tastes the best.

Nutty Noodles and Veggies

1/4 c peanut butter, almond butter or tahini (ground sesame seeds)
3 T reduced sodium tamari, coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
juice of 1 lime (2 T)
1 T minced garlic
1 T peeled and grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
8 oz brown rice or whole grain thin noodles (ex spaghetti, linguine or soba)
1 c frozen shelled edamame, thawed or a can of chic peas, drained and rinsed
1 c shredded red cabbage
3/4 c shredded carrot
1/2 c diced red or orange bell pepper
1/4 c seeded and finely diced cucumber
1/4 c thinly sliced greens onions
1/4 c chopped cilantro or parsley
1 1/2 T hemp seeds or sesame seeds

To make the sauce, whisk together the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl.  Cook pasta as directed on the package.  Drain in a colander, rinse in cold water and drain again.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Pour the sauce on the noodles and gently toss to coat the noodles.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes to PERFECTION; Bonus recipes - Cake and Caramel

We have some friends who taught us how to make sweet potatoes the very BEST way without adding anything to it and I can not go back to eating them any other way.  Do yourself a favor and try these out - you WON'T be sorry!!!

This can be done with any type of sweet potatoes but the japanese sweet potatoes come out like pound cake 😋  This works best in an Instant Pot but if you only have a steamer pot, that is fine too.

Sweet Potatoes to PERFECTION

4 or more japanese sweet potatoes, or any kind
Instant pot or steamer pot
9x9 square casserole dish

Peel and rinse sweet potatoes.  Place in an instant pot on the rack that comes with the pot.

Add a cup to a cup and a half of water to the pot.  Set it on manual for 16 minutes (assuming these are roughly 3 inches thick.  If they are small or skinny go with 13).

Preheat oven to 375.

When the instant pot is done, carefully remove the potatoes and place them in the casserole dish.  Pour the water from the pot into the dish.  Bake in the oven for an hour.

After an hour the sweet potatoes should be lightly browned.  This is the delicious caramelized outside.  As you allow them to cool the liquid gels up slightly and makes a nice glaze for the potatoes.

Sweet Potato Caramel

You could use more like 2 cups of water, use 1 cup for the baking process and reserve the other cup to make a Sweet Potato Caramel.  Just pour it into a small pot and cook on low until thick.  You can use this on desserts or as a sweetner for a hot beverage.

Sweet Potato Cakes

When you have leftover sweet potatoes, the best way to reheat them is in the air fryer or oven.  Just mash it down into a patty and place it on parchment paper in the air fryer for 8 minutes on 370.  You can flip and toast the other side for a few minutes if you want but it's not necessary.  In the oven, it should take 20 minutes on 400.

Sesame Cauliflower

We love asian food so when I found this recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (chocolatecoveredkatie.com) I had to try it!  We had it on brown rice and it was delish!

Incredible Health tip:
Why eat cauliflower?  For one, just one serving (1 c) has 100% of your vitamin C!  Also a quarter of your vitamin K, which could help prevent mineralization where minerals build up in the arteries - a major risk factor for heart disease.  Cauliflower has glucosinolates which may help prevent cancer by protecting cells from damage and has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial effects.  All good things!

Sesame Cauliflower

Serves 3-4

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c maple syrup, honey or agave
1/4 c rice vinegar
1 TB minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp roasted sesame ooil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 1/2 TB cornstarch or arrowroot
1/4 c water
sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat mat.  Arrange cauliflower florets on pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile whisk together the soy sauce, sweetener, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and ginger in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  While waiting stir together the cornstarch and water until dissolved.  Slowly whisk this into the saucepan as soon as it boils.  Turn heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently once it returns to a boil.  Cook until thick.  Flip cauliflower and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Add cauliflower to the sauce and stir until the cauliflower is covered.  Serve over brown rice or desired grain.

Crockpot Overnight Peach and Berry Oatmeal

I never liked oatmeal growing up.  It was slimy looking and soupy which gave me no desire to eat it.  It wasn't until I had Crockpot oatmeal that I discovered HOW to make oatmeal to taste like COBBLER!  The key is to cook it unto death.  With lots of fruit.  Even now, when I cook it in the microwave I add fruit and use less water so it all cooks into more like a cobbler, add some granola and a dash of creamer and it's like cobbler topping with ice cream.  FOR REALS!

Incredible Health tip:
Why should you eat oats?  Oats have high amounts of manganese, phosphorus, copper, B vitamins, iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc.  Why you should care about oats is because it's an excellent source of beta glucan which is a soluble fiber found to help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.  But it's a carb???  Not all carbs are created equal.  This is a carb you need.  It helps you stay full and satisfied.  It's already high in antioxidants but add some Boozer Farms peaches, blueberries or strawberries and you have a double whammy!

Crockpot Overnight Peach and Berry Oatmeal

*adapted from Fix it and Forget it Lightly cookbook
Makes 4 servings

2 c plant based milk (almond will give it a nutty flavor, soy is preferred in our home)
1/4 c brown sugar or maple sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c old fashioned oats
1 c peaches, chopped
1/2 c blueberries
1/4 c chia seeds
1/4 c craisins, optional
1/4 c walnuts, optional
Granola for toppping
Sweet and Creamy Almond Creamer by Silk
                                                                                                                        (Similar to picture shown just in a crockpot and not quite as solidified)

I recommend using a crockpot liner for super fast cleanup.  Add all incredients to the pot except granola and creamer and combine.  Cover and cook on low overnight, ideally 6-8 hours.  Oatmeal is ready to eat in the morning!  Stir it up and have granola and creamer ready to add as toppings. 

Recipe Note:  Walnuts will do great in the oatmeal but other nuts tend to soften too much.  If you want to use any other nuts just have them out as a topping when you are ready to eat.  Blueberries tend to burst when cooked so, although it's still tasty, if you prefer to have it whole when you eat it, just have as a topping instead.  Strawberries hold up a little better.  This is also great with apples and pears in the fall with some pumpkin spices.