Baked Brie

Cheese is one of my all time favorite foods! I tried brie for the first time a few weeks ago and I loved it. I like it best when it's baked because it gets all ooey and gooey and melty. Mmmmm! I made this recipe for lunch today and ate it with my homemade whole wheat bread.

Baked Brie

1 round brie (about 8 oz.)

1 T. butter

2-3 T. sunflower seeds

drizzle maple syrup

Place cheese in glass pie pan. Spread with butter, sunflower seeds, and a light drizzle of maple syrup. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Serve with crackers, bread, or fruit. Enjoy!

Try using different toppings: walnuts, almonds, honey, dried fruit, whatever you have on hand!

Corn Salsa

Summer is my favorite time of year. I love the warm weather, the long days, and I especially love the food! This recipe is perfect for those warm summer evenings in the backyard. It's full of fresh flavors and yummy veggies! What's fun about this recipe is that it can be served with corn chips as salsa, or served with a fork as a salad. Personally, I love it both ways!

One of the main ingredients is beans. Beans are a wonderful food that are very nutrient dense, high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. (Click here to learn more.) This recipe is a great way to add more beans to your diet. Corn Salsa (or Salad)

3 ears raw corn, cut from cob
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 avocados, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.

This recipe makes a very large batch. It can be refrigerated for 3-5 days. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Avocado Shake

My husband lived in Manaus, Brazil for two years and it always makes me jealous when he tells me about the fresh produce he had there. Apparently they grow giant avocados that can get as big as a football! Yum. The funny thing is that Brazilians generally don't eat avocados salty (i.e. guacamole.) Instead, they eat them sweet. My husband was the one to introduce this recipe to me and now I crave it all the time. Seriously. And the best part of this recipe is that it's delicious AND nutritious! Avocados are packed with good fat and fiber. So whip up these guilt-free shakes, and enjoy!

Avocado Shake

1 avocado

1 c. milk

4-5 t. raw cane sugar (or sweetener of choice)

8 large ice cubes

Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Serves 2.

Whole Wheat Bread

Recently I've started making homemade bread instead of buying sliced bread at the store. I feel like it's a much healthier choice for my family because I control all the ingredients. But besides that, I just like it better. There's nothing like the smell of fresh, hot bread coming out of the oven.

I must admit that I've never been a great bread maker. In fact, I've always been a really BAD bread maker so I just figured that it wasn't my thing. But a couple months ago I tried this recipe that I got from my aunt and it actually turned out great! It is simple, healthy, and delicious.

Whole Wheat Bread

4 c. hot water

3/4 c. honey

1 T. salt

1/2 c. gluten

2 T. yeast

1/4 c. oil

9-10 c. whole wheat flour

Mix water, salt, and honey until dissolved. Add oil, gluten and yeast and mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Add about 4 cups flour and mix with spatula or wooden spoon until *smooth. Then add flour 1 cup at a time until dough is pretty stiff (I usually only use 9 c. flour total.) Then with your KitchenAid (or equivalent) mix with a dough hook for 10 minutes more. Divide dough among 4 greased loaf pans. Prick each loaf several time with a fork and let raise in a warm place until doubled. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

*At this point, you can add fun mix-ins such as millet, sunflower seeds, oats, flaxseed, etc. I love to experiment with the mix-ins.

This bread also freezes well. Enjoy!

Garlic Shrimp

I love shrimp! I like to have shrimp on hand because it's easy to prepare and my whole family eats it up. I've started buying raw shrimp (frozen, with legs and shells intact) because it cooks nicely and it's cheaper than cooked shrimp. Double bonus! The other night I was in the mood for a shrimp dish and created this yummy (and simple) dinner:

Garlic Shrimp

2 T. butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 large onion, sliced
1 lb. raw shrimp (veins, shells, tails and legs removed)
1 lb. fresh or frozen green beans
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
salt to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic and onions and cook 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until about halfway done (about 2-3 minutes.) Add green beans and mushrooms and cook until veggies are tender-crisp and shrimp is fully cooked. Add salt to taste.

You can use any vegetable you like instead of green beans. Try using broccoli or your favorite stir fry blend. Also, you can use any type of onion in this recipe. Pearl onions might be fun to try! Let me know how it turns out for you! :) Enjoy.

Fudge Brownies...(that are actually good for you!)

Today I was craving chocolate all day, but I wanted to make a healthier version of these divine treats. I ended up trying a recipe (which contains flaxseed) and I must say they are amazing. They are very ooey and gooey and fudgy. And the best part is, they are good for you!

Fudge Brownies

1/4 c. water

2 T. ground flaxseed

1/2 c. agave (or 3/4 c. sugar)

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/4 c. buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. cocoa

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour in greased 8x8" pan and bake for 25-28 minutes.

Feel free to add any chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or whatever you like. I'll admit I sprinkled chopped Reeses cups on them while they were hot and then spread them around...:) They are the perfect treat for that day when you're craving chocolate (and believe me, I have plenty of those days!) Enjoy.

Juicing

Lately I've been trying to eat healthier and adopt a more whole-food type lifestyle. Let me tell you, it's not easy for me because I really love processed foods, but I know how bad they can be for my health. I will never be perfect at this way of eating because I cannot give up sweets and salty snacks entirely, and I will NEVER give up ice cream (it's my weakness!) That being said, I've tried to incorporate more whole grains, fruits and veggies in my diet and less foods like white bread, fruit snacks and sugary drinks.

My sweet husband, aware of the changes I've been trying to make, was so thoughtful and gave me a juicer for Mother's Day. I am very new at this juicing concept, but so far I love it. It's a

great way for me to feel like I've started the day right and also a great way to boost my veggie intake each day! So this week I've been juicing every morning. Today, I tried this juice recipe:

Green Lemonade

3 stalks celery

4-5 handfuls spinach

2 apples

1 cucumber

large chunk ginger

1/2 lemon

Now, I must say it was not the most delicious juice I've ever had, but it wasn't horrible either. Let's just say it tasted healthy. :) I am not accustomed to eating as many veggies as I probably should. By making veggie juice I can pack several into one meal. It's great!

Anyway, I love my juicer and I know that it will help me in my efforts to making healthier eating choices and habits.