Tomato Basil Dressing!!

I actually slept in today to give my body a rest- it felt wonderful!!  I love waking when its light outside.  That said, i also feel like i missed a few hours of productive time.  But the body  needed a rest and extra sleep is always a plus!!!  

Every morning i start the day with 24-32 ounces of water- typically alkaline water with lemon and cayenne or just lemon- today it was just lemon!!

After that all i really wanted was something light and cleansing- i chose cantaloupe.  it was delicious and refreshing!!   Tuesdays i'm at the studio seeing clients and patients while the boys are at camp. Typically I see clients back to back so i don't have time to eat other than a quick bite between clients.  Today i sipped on my tea (i'm obsessed with teas- more to come in future blogs), drank lots of water and munched on cucumbers and carrots.  Nice light day of whole organic real food as usual.

 

When i pick the boys up from camp they are always extremely hungry.  This is the perfect time to have loads of healthy snacks ready for them.  In the car i always have fresh fruit and veggies such as cucumbers, carrots, grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe etc...  The downfall is my car does get a little messy- but their nutrition is more important!!

For dinner (or what i call dinner- our 4 o'clock meal) i made a light Tomato Basil Dressing!!  I started with a basic recipe and added more.  Here is the basic recipe i started with:

3 roma tomatoes

2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

2 tbsps hemp oil

1 handful basil

1 tbsp coconut nectar

Black pepper and sea salt to taste

Then i added:

1 more handful basil

1 handful cilantro

a few dashes of cayenne

1-2 tbsps scallions

2 garlic cloves

1/2 ripe avocado

The result was fantastic over a bed of greens, sprouts, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds!!! 

  I always create a variety of ways of eating one meal when i'm eating.  I put the salad in a nori sheet and dipped it in more dressing.

Next i put a little salad in a bowl and added chunks of avocado and more pumpkin seeds!!

After dinner it was off to karate for mason with  my snack bag again.  i always have snacks with me.  This time i had grapes, kale chips, a vega bar and almond milk.  Owen always snacks while mason does his karate!!  

I'm munching on chlorella tablets now.  I must eat at least 50-80 a day!!  i love them!!!  Chlorella is loaded with chlorophyll, protein and is very detoxifying!!

be well, kelly

My fave juice!!!

As you know i'm always creating new juices!!  My fave lately has been a very simple and seasonal one!!

Cucumber Lime Basil Ginger

3 cucumbers
juice of 2 limes
1 large handful basil
1-2 inches ginger
*optional- i often add one handful spinach and one handful cilantro!!!
  
Today we tried a new pancake recipe!  Used a multi-sprouted grain flour instead of buckwheat flour.  The boys loved them just the same.

2 soaked dates
1 cup hemp milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sprouted grain flour
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or you can use sprouted quinoa)
1 scoop sun warrior vanilla protein
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 dropper vanilla stevia
dash of sea salt

Here is one of owen's favorite lunchbox sandwiches:

Sprouted Grain Bagel
Seed butter- combination of hemp, flax, sunflower and sesame seeds flavored with vanilla and cinnamon
Strawberry jam made with strawberries and dates


My lunch was a working lunch and i did not have much time to make anything creative plus i had no good leftovers- bummer.  Wanted to eat very light lunch today. 

salad:
Arugula
Alfalfa Sprouts
carrots
tomotoes

dressing of:
apple cider vinegar
1 clove crushed garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon
dash sea salt and pepper  

Bike riding with the boys after camp. 
After dinner we enjoyed some yummy raw vegan ice cream!!  Did you know its National Ice Cream Month???
i love my vanilla and the boys love their chocolate.  I have not figured out how to make raw cones so the boys use gluten-free cones.

Relaxing monday night at home!!  

Early night to bed- night night!!!

kelly

Sunday is Grocery Shopping Day!!!

Sunday is my grocery shopping day!!  I'm always thinking about the next week's menu and gradually each week i put together a list of recipes and meals that i know i need to shop for.  I go to the market with a list and a plan but i always see fabulous produce that was not on  my list that i buy and just create a new fun recipe for.  So food and going to the market are a creative outlet for me.  The best part is that we need to eat every day many times.  We have the opportunity to satisfy our senses and fuel our body with the foods from nature each time we eat!!  I did 99% of my grocery shopping at My Organic Market today and stopped at whole foods just for a few things.  Check out some essential foods i have ripening on my counter at this time:

avocados- i always have ripe avocados in my refrigerator and ripening ones one my counter.   you need avocados to add to smoothies and soups, to make dips and even to make facial masks.  i use avocado and honey as a skin softening facial mask weekly!!1

tomatoes- this week i plan to make a homemade ketchup and a tomato basil dressing for zucchini pasta.  Always great to add to salads too!!

ginger- Ginger is loaded with medicinal properties plus i just love it.  great to add flavor to dressings, spice up green juices or make a simple ginger tea. 

lemons and limes- i use loads of lemon for my morning water daily and i love limes for juices and dressings!!
garlic!!!- Extremely medicinal!!!  you should eat loads of garlic every day so the more the better- in juices, sauces etc.
onions-  i also love onions so here are a few sweet onions for salads and dressings this week.  my scallions are in the frig. 

bananas- i let the bananas get very yellow with brown spots and then i peel them and freeze them for smoothies!!

watermelons are delish right now too!!!  the boys love watermelon.  you can make watermelon juice or even blend it up for a watermelon smoothie.  Add the rind to decrease the affect of sugar on your body.  sometimes i also have papaya, pineapple, pears and mango ripening on the counter- but not this week!!

Each sunday check out the blog for more essential grocery shopping tips!!!

Now for some highlights of my day!!!
Started the day with cardio and equinox barre burn class.  i love this class- mix of pilates, ballet and strength training with weights!!  Home to make a smoothie.  The white stuff is extra protein powder mixed with hemp seeds- i love to use a spoon and chew a little.  i only do this with vanilla or chocolate sun warrior because i love the taste!! 

14 ounces chilled yerbe mate tea
1 cup mixed berries
2 frozen bananas
1 handful goji berries
1 handful bok choy
1 handful kale
1 big scoop sun warrior vanilla protein
1 big tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp dulse
1 tbsp acai
1 tbsp camu camu

Blend till smooth and enjoy.  I drank half immediately and half on the way to the water park- 32 ounces total

check out the fun they had at the water park!!!

Of course they enjoyed some pizza too!!  Like i say- its what they eat 90% of the time that matters!!!  my food philosophy with my boys is that i don't try to control what they eat all the time.  I know that i fuel them with the best foods possible when they are with me and what happens when they are at parties, out with friends etc is fine.  I want them to think for themselves and make their own choices.  i want them to experiment with everything and see how different foods make them feel.  I model a healthy lifestyle in the hopes that they will one day choose to live their own healthy lifestyle.  I do not nag or freak out if they won't eat what i feel is the best thing for them.  They make great choices most of the time and i'm proud of them for that!!  The best i can do is continue to model and encourage.

For lunch i used my creative coleslaw from yesterday to make a collard wrap plus i ate some with kale chips too.  i loved the mix of textures with the kale chips and coleslaw- the kale chips were crunchy and the coleslaw creamy!!  Great combo!!!

Early sunday night to bed!

be well, kelly  

Creative Coleslaw

It's a dreary rainy Saturday!!  I love these days sometimes.  An excuse to stay inside and just hang with the family, make delicious food and catch up on stuff.  This morning i started the day with a colonic, coffee enema and loads of probiotics.  i feel totally renewed on my colonic days.  i do colonics once a week or once every two weeks- it varies dependent on schedule.  i usually do an infra-red sauna right after the colonic but my hubby wanted to leave early today for golf so i just did my colonic.  some days i feel totally energized afterwards and other days i feel a little weak.  today was an energy day.  So i headed to the gym with the boys!!  Great intense 30 minute interval training session on elliptical (but honestly felt a little weak afterwards!!), 20 minutes strength training and 15 yoga/stretching.

i made my smoothie before going to the gym because i knew i would be sooooo hungry- and i was!!!
Here is my recovery smoothie in my cooler pack i usually have in my car with either green juices, smoothies, blended soups etc.  

1.5 cups water
1 frozen banana
1 cup mixed berries
1 handful goji berries
2 leaves kale
1 big handful dandelion
1 big scoop vega protein
1 tbsp ground flax
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp dulse
**  blended her up and yeh!!!!


After the gym we headed to Potomac Running store in rockville to get me fitted for new running shoes.  They were fabulous and very helpful.  I have some new training goals in regards to running so i'll keep you posted!!

In the same center where the running store is there is a toy store.  i stopped to get the boys some new projects to do during this rainy day!!  Mason picked a Playmobile Set and owen did not quite get a project (even though i was encouraging him to get a project) but instead he chose an ice cream truck.  Out of all the things in the toy store he chose an ice cream truck- hmmmm??  Mason did a great job putting the Playmobile set together by himself and owen had a blast watching him (attempted to destroy occasionally but was not successful). 

The playmobile set is behind the boys on the table!!!

While mason was putting together the Playmobile Set i was putting together lunch!!  I do many raw coleslaws and i like this one because the dressing is light but rich- sounds weird but that is how i would describe it.  And extremely flavorful!!

Coleslaw with Almond Avocado Dressing

Salad:
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
5 carrots , peeled, shredded
1 large red onion, peeled, shredded
2 cups pea sprouts
2 cups arugula

Dressing:
1.5 cups cold, plain almond milk (or 1 cup if you want dressing very thick)
1/2 cup organic raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup organic, cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 cup organic avocado meat

1/4 cup coconut nectar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cayenne or more to taste
lots of dashes of black pepper

Pour dressing over salad and enjoy!!!

I added pumpkin seeds for more protein. 

I have lots left over for the next few days!!

For dessert we had our little dessert bowls.  This is a great treat if you just want a little something sweet and luscious. 

2 tbsps raw organic almond butter
1 tbsp coconut nectar
1 tsp cacao nibs
optional- you can add superfoods such as lucuma, mesquite, spirulina, carob etc...
-vary the nut/seed butter to vary the nutrients.

*mix it all up and eat slowly to enjoy the sweet luscious taste and texture in your mouth!! 

After this meal i will not be hungry till my "after the kids go to bed drink" of kombucha and maybe some chlorella tablets.  Some people have a midnight snack of ice cream i have one of kombucha and chlorella.  ok- so i never see midnight because i'm usually up at 4:30 am but my midnight is 9pm.

Time for workbook time with the boys.  They both have workbooks to do over the summer to keep their brain synapses growing!!! 

Last night for date night joe and i watched Friends with Kids- great little flick!!  check it out!! 

hope weather is better tomorrow for a water park birthday party we are going to!!

Eat smart and live well!!  kelly

Homemade Almond Milk!!

Today started early as usual with my 5 am workout!!  On my way home i usually crave my smoothie or juice but today i had to fast till 9:45 because i was having my blood take for my yearly assessment.  I like to get my bloodwork assessed regularly just to make sure all is optimal!!  Since I've been kicking up my workouts i really need to fuel my body after my workouts.  I was not happy not being able to fuel myself till 9:45.  I made my smoothie and had it ready for me the second i gave my blood- i was soooooo happy and all my energy came back!!! 

I spent the day networking and connecting with people regarding my 7-Day Cleanse and Potluck!! One of my favorite parts about the work i do is creating relationships and spending time with like-minded people.   I'm very grateful!!!   Check out my website for more information on the 7-Day Cleanse and Potluck. 

I used the Sweet and Spicy Sauce i made yesterday  mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar for a quick salad before i was off to My Organic Market to distribute flyers plus pick up some stuff. 

There is no reason you need to buy almond milk- ok occasionally when in a bind - but really it is so easy and so much better for you.  i made a stash for a few different recipes i will be doing: almond milk smoothie and raw mayonnaise are just two!!  I will use the pulp to make some raw bread!!!

Soak 1 cup of almonds over night
Drain and rinse
Place in blender with 3 cups water
Blend on high for 2 minutes
Strain using a nut milk bag to separate pulp from milk
It's that easy!!!!!

Time for date night with my hubby!!!  kelly

Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

 I love raw vegan wraps and rolls.  For the wrapper i use a variety of things such as collard greens, romaine lettuce, cabbage leaves, nori sheets, dehydrated veggie/flax wraps - just to name a few.  This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the Raw Revolution book written by Cherie Soria who is the founder of The Living Light Culinary Institute.  The Living Light Culinary Institute is one of the places where i received my raw food culinary and nutrition education.  It was a fabulous experience!!!  Anyway- this recipe is full of balanced flavors and nutrients and leaves you feeling satisfied on all levels.    

Cabbage Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Sauce (will make approximately 3/4th cup of sauce)

½ cup tahini (or pumpkin seed butter or almond butter or sunflower seed butter)

2 tbsps grated fresh ginger

2 tbsps lemon juice

3 tbsps orange juice

2 tbsps coconut nectar

2 tbsps coconut amines or wheat-free tamari

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

*Blend the above ingredients in Vita-mix blender.  I like to take half of this recipe and keep it as is and then take the other half and add 1 tsp thai red curry paste (see below for pic).  This paste is not 100% raw but it really kicks up flavor in recipes!!!  

Cabbage Rolls:

6 cabbage leaves
1 head green leaf lettuce
1-2 bunches cilantro
1-2 cups basil or thai basil leaves
1/4 cup scallions

4 carrots, shredded

optional: add mung bean sprouts (2 cups)- i would have added these today but mine were not very fresh so i chose to do the roll without the sprouts.  But the sprouts add a great texture!!!

Take inner part out of cabbage leaf and lay flat.  Add green leaf lettuce leaf, cilantro, basil, scallions, shredded carrots and mung beans.  You can add sauce to roll before rolling or roll first then dip.  I like to roll and then dip into the sauce.  I never have enough sauce for 6 rolls because i use soooo much sauce!!! 

Tonight our "family fun" game was CHECKERS!!!!!  I LOVE CHECKERS!!!   We had a blast!!!!

Be well and take time every day to spend lots of focused, mindful time with the people you love!!!! Truly listen to what they are saying!!!!

kelly