Energizing Smoothie Bowl

energizing smoothie bowl:: Energizing Smoothie Bowl ::

Hey friends! Let’s talk breakfast… I get stuck in a rut, all too often. How about you? I typically start my day with a protein shake. {Don’t get me wrong… I actually LOVE my morning shake, but sometimes I want a little change!} Since I have a moderate allergy to eggs, that eliminates the morning scramble.

Yesterday morning, Mr. Amazing and I switched it up by making this simple, yet delicious, Smoothie Bowl! It’s honestly the easiest and most versatile breakfast {or mid-day snack}! Just whip up your favorite smoothie… making it extra thick and creamy, and add a variety of your favorite healthy toppings!  [Read more…]

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk

 :: Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk ::

Mmmm! Creamy cold, almond milk! Do you drink it at your house? If not… it’s definitely worth a taste! Even better, try making it from scratch! The task always seemed daunting, in my opinion… which is why I never made it in the past. However, we go through cartons and cartons of almond milk each week… so I thought it was worth a try to make a batch of it homemade. Everything is better fresh, right?!!

About five years ago… maybe even longer, we stopped buying traditional dairy milk in our house. We started using almond milk in its place {since everyone is lactose intolerant in our family}. When my youngest little guy, Finn, stopped nursing at 14 months old, I started giving him almond milk, as well. Did you know that one serving of almond milk has 50% more calcium than regular milk? Amazing! Well, my little guy is now three… and still LOVES his daily cups of almond milk!

The key to making this smooth, creamy milk is soaking the raw almonds in water! Simply place the almonds in a bowl, and cover with about an inch of water. {They will plump as they absorb water.} Let stand overnight, or up to 2 days. 

Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk

Once your almonds have been adequately soaked, make sure you rinse them with fresh water, and drain, so they are ready to use. Put your almonds into a blender with 3.5 cups of water {less water, will equal a stronger flavor, overall}. 

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Green Berry Smoothie

Green Berry Smoothie

It’s a New Year can you believe it?  I am thinking positive by starting my day positive and healthy with a Green Berry Smoothie.  Yes, as you can tell Sara and I love smoothies.  Did I mention I worked at Jamba Juice when I was a freshman in college, so yes I am a smoothie dork? I love the way they make me feel in the morning.  I need what ever additional energy I can get, because the whole coffee thing doesn’t get things cracking around here.

I know I am not alone in this whole “feeling good” department and it is something we are always striving to find.  Every year I do make a few resolutions or vows of some simple life changes.  I do have to say that we eat pretty healthy around here when we can, but one of the life changes I would like to incorporate in our life style is adding some gluten free meals into our diet.  This Green Berry Smoothie is gluten free recipe and it is packed with protein, fruits, and vegetables.  But what I am HOPING {it’s my word this year} is to add it more into our kids diet.  With Mason being on the Autism Spectrum, his diagnosis has yet to prove it’s results in a gluten free lifestyle as he is very high functioning, but I think that it can improve his attention span and his energy level in a positive way.  As for myself, we haven’t seen much winter here and there is always the beach and pool that us mamas have to attend to with the kids. [Read more…]

Baked Oatmeal

:: Baked Oatmeal ::

In California we are synonymous for “May gray” and “June gloom.”  Since it has been a few mornings of gloom in this lovely month of June, I decided to make some Baked Oatmeal.  It is one of my favorite breakfast recipes.  It is homey and filling and reminds me of the Fall.  I know, I know, its not fall, but sometimes I like to pretend it is.The aroma of cinnamon and applesauce will make your house smell like heaven. Though it sounds rich, it definitely is a light recipe.  What I love about this wonderful Baked Oatmeal is that it can be made the night before.  You can prepare all of the ingredients and then just pop into the oven.  Simple as that, and it makes wonderful left overs.

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