Creamy Mango Strawberry Frozen Delight

My little girl is getting one of her molars in and has not had a great appetite. My approach to feeding her has been based on baby led weaning, which basically means allowing her to make her own food choices (although she is primarily gluten free, with some spelt). I just provide her with the best quality foods and she eats what she wants. So far it has worked out great. She has an amazing palate! Her favourite foods include avocados, hummus, broccoli and sweet potatoes.....let's hope this keeps up! The only time she has trouble with eating is when she is teething. I always approach this by giving her lots of variety and continuing to let her make her own choices. One thing that I know she will eat no matter what, is homemade sorbet (made with only frozen fruit). I wanted her to have some quality nourishment today and as a nutritionist I understand the importance of quality fats for brain development so I got creative. Here is what I came up with and it was a total hit for the whole family, even daddy who doesn't really like avocados :)

It was hard to name this creation. It is not sorbet like I normally make with just fruit because of the fats but I can't really call it ice cream either. So it is a....

Creamy Mango Strawberry Frozen Delight
Serves 2-3
Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen mango cubes (great source of beta carotene, vitamin C, fibre, B6)
• 4-5 frozen strawberries (get organic if possible - great source vitamin C, manganese, folate, fibre, antioxidants)
• 1/2 avocado (healthy fats, folate, vitamin K, fibre)
• 2 heaping tbsp of hemp seeds (amazing source of plant protein, fibre, omega 3's, chlorophyll)
• 2 tbsp of coconut milk (great source of energy and quality saturated fats - important for growing brains)
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup - source of minerals (you could also use honey here)

Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until well creamy. If you don't have a high powdered blender use a food processor. Enjoy!

Even better when served up in a monster bowl :) 

Tasty Thai Lettuce Wraps and a cookbook review

I am always looking for quick meal ideas that are healthy to make on a busy weeknight. I do love to cook and when I have the time enjoy spending extra time in the kitchen preparing meals however LIFE IS BUSY! I don't always have the time on a to spend hours in the kitchen especially with a toddler running around :) 

So that being said, healthy eating is a top priority for me and for my family! Eating meals that nourish my body fuels my energy, helping me work better and able to spend more time running after my little toddler...who has a ton of energy. 

My mother bought me a cookbook called Weeknights with Giada by Giada DeLaurentiis. It has some really great ideas! I do have to revamp some of the recipes to give them a health boost. One of my favorite recipes that I made alot this past summer is her Watermelon, Watercress and Couscous salad with feta, I do however swap out the couscous (which is just white pasta in a small shape) for quinoa which is a more complete food full of vitamins, minerals and protein!

I also really like the Lemony White Bean, Tuna and Arugula salad. This salad is a quick go to recipe that can take advantage of kitchen staples for a super quick meal. 

I also made the Sweet and Spicy Greek Meatballs one night when I had company. I also swapped out couscous for quinoa here and used organic, grass fed beef instead of lamb only because I am not a huge fan of lamb. The spices used in this recipe is far from what I would do intuitively but it turned out amazing. Cinnamon, oregano, mint, are not spices I would typically mix myself but it was amazing!

The sauteed kale, mushrooms and cranberries and the roasted zucchini were also both amazing!

There all also some quinoa recipes on my list of things to make! I also want to make a dairy free version of her Lentil and Brown rice rolls that are rolled with swiss chard! Yum!

Overall, I would not recommend all of the recipes in the book. They are not all focused on health but there are more than enough amazing recipes here that make it a worthwhile cookbook to have on your shelf, you just have to health them up a bit! 

I made these Thai lettuce wraps for a lunch date with my mom. I adapted it slightly to add more veggies and more color. The next day I used the leftovers over a large mixed greens salad and enjoyed it again! My little lady loved the meat mixture along with roasted sweet potato! 

Serves 4

• 3 juicy limes, juiced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp of thai fish sauce
• 1 tbsp of raw honey
• 2 tbsp of olive oil 
• 1 large shallot
• Fresh lemongrass, 4 inch piece finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 package of ground turkey or chicken (I used Beretta Organic Meat here)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped
• 1 head of boston lettuce, leaves separated 

1. Whisk together lemon and lime juice fish sauce and raw honey.
2. Heat pan over medium heat add olive oil (be sure not to let the pan get to hot as it will damage the delicate oil). Add shallots, onions and lemongrass. Cook until tender. Add turkey or chicken and season with sea salt and pepper. Cook until the meat in cooked through. Add diced red peppers and cook for another minute
3. Add the dressing to the pan. Mix together and let warm for 2 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat and add mixture to lettuce leaves. Top with fresh mint and enjoy with a side salad!

Super Simple and Creamy Butternut squash soup

Yay!!!! It’s squash season. My favorite thing about fall is the food! Even though it is not technically fall, the cooler mornings and the few chilli days that we have had makes me feel like fall foods. I love cooking up soups, stews, chilli, cabbage rolls, using the healthiest ingredients of course. All of the comfort and warming foods are so nourishing to the body and the soul! 

Butternut squash soup is definitely on the top of my list. I make it all kinds of ways, sometimes I add an apple or pear, sometimes I add coconut milk and ginger. Depends what mood I am in. I also love it just pure and simple! This soup gets its amazing flavor from roasting the squash. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in the food that you are cooking. That simple step can be done while doing other things and then the soup can be whipped up in a flash. Enjoy!

1 tbsp organic butter + 1 tbsp of olive oil or 2 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, diced

1 butternut squash. sliced in 1/2 and seeded

2 large cloves of garlic 

6 cups or so of broth OR water, or enough to cover with 1 inch over vegetables

sea salt and pepper taste

1. Roast butternut squash face down in a preheated oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until very soft. Take out of oven and let cool for a little bit while doing the rest of your prep. 
2. Meanwhile sauté onions over medium heat with butter/olive oil or olive oil for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add garlic, sauté for another 2 minutes. 
4. Scoop out squash and add to pot along with water/stock to cover over vegetables 1 inch. 
5. Season with sea salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes 
6. Let cool. Add to blender and blend until smooth. 
7. Re-heat and Enjoy!!!! 

Note - I have a Vitamix which is the most amazing blender on the market. It can handle hot liquid therefore I can skip the ‘let cool” step. If you happen to have a vitamix feel free to skip that step! If you dont have a vitamix, then you really should start a savings account and get one. It is amazing!!! Pricy but worth every penny ;)

Can also be served up in a sippy cup. Please note - it is important to get a BPA free cup, i like tommy tippers!

Share with me! What are your favorite fall foods????

Early Fall Loving Breakfast

Well the mornings are starting to get cooler...fall is in the air. When that happens I like to add a bit of warmth to my breakfast. This recipe did the trick for me. I actually really enjoyed the contrast of warm apples and cool yogurt. Yum!

I used local organic apples here. If you read my blog, you know I am all about taking my little girl to pick your own fruit places and we did it again. We went to the local organic farm that I am blessed to have a few minutes away and picked apples. What a difference in taste when you are eating them right off the tree. So even if you are not going apple picking (which you totally should), I would highly suggest you make sure you get local apples. When you go to the grocery store we see apples from all over the place, including New Zealand. Why would we want to buy apples all the way from New Zealand when they are growing in our backyard?? I know many farms dont have as many apples as usual this year due to a late frost so get out there and get them fast. 

Enjoy!

10 Minute Breakfast 

1 apple, diced  

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1 tsp pure maple syrup #2 or 3

Pinch of cinnamon

2-3 heaping spoonfuls of sheep’s milk yogurt or any plain yogurt (add some maple syrup or honey if needed)

1 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)

1 tbsp gogi berries (optional)

2 tbsp granola - I used Living Intentions 

Heat pan to medium/high heat. Add coconut oil and chopped apples. Sauté for 5 minutes or so until soft. Please keep an eye on your pan to ensure that it doesn't get to hot. Adjust temperature as needed. Add maple syrup and let it reduce for 1 minute and add cinnamon.

Add yogurt to a bowl. Top with warm apples, hemp seeds, gogi berries and granola. 

The Best Smoothie Ever!!

As you know from my last post, I have an abundant amount of fresh blueberries after picking them with my little girl and some friends just over a week ago. Just writing that makes me smile :) I love blueberries, especially the ones I picked with my little lady. As I said last week, I love eating them by the fistfuls! My second favourite way of enjoying them is in smoothies of course.

I made a smoothie the other morning that was just so delicious and easy to make that I had to share with you all.
Have you ever bought a young coconut?? Please share with me below if you have and what you did with it!!! I love to hear from you!
I just started buying them for the 1st time this summer. I must say, I am a little addicted to them. They are so tasty and make one heck of a smoothie. At first I wasn't sure what to do with them or even how to open them. Once I got my first one I realized that it is super easy to do and worth any work it takes to get it open.
If you need some help CLICK HERE! That is the video from Eat Naked that I watched to learn how to open a young coconut.
Do you ever buy coconut water?? Well for the same $$$ you can get the same amount of coconut water + the meat of the coconut. And it tastes way better! Try it, I dare you to :O) And please let me know about your experience!!


Here is my new favourite smoothie recipe!

1 cup of fresh blueberries
1 cup of ice
The juice and pulp of 1 fresh young coconut
2 tbsp of hemp seeds
Honey, maple syrup or stevia - sweeten to taste - I used 1 heaping tsp of honey and a touch of stevia

Blend and enjoy the best smoothie ever!

Adventures of the Blueberry

Hello Everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying this last little bit of summer! I know I sure am. I love this time of year!! The local produce is so abundant, it has me bursting at the seams with excitement. Yes, I know I am a bit of a nutritionist geek! One of my favorite things to do is go to local farmers markets and pick my produce straight from the source. I find it so relaxing and exciting to know exactly how fresh my food is. It has become a little more hectic with my one year old but still so much fun!

Sophie couldn't get enough blueberries

I truly believe that now more than ever, it is critical to teach our children where our food comes from. Many little ones think that most food comes out of a box from the grocery store and seem to have little connection with our earth and how food is grown. 

I grow some produce in my garden and also go picking to whatever local organic farm I can get to. 

Sophie loves it!!! She has so much fun picking the fruit off the tree and munching away. She actually eats a lot more fruit than she normally would. 

Please!!! Take your kids to your local farms and teach them the importance of eating local and where food actually comes from. 

Why eat local you ask?? Because you are getting the best nutrition for your buck. After a fruit or vegetable is picked it starts to lose its valuable nutrients becoming less and less nutrient dense with every day. It is also a lot cheaper to buy directly from the source. I also think it is important to support our local growers. And most importantly, it tastes so much better!

Blueberries are bursting with flavor and nutrition! I just love them. So when my friend from Appreciating Health told me about a place by her house to go picking, I hopped in the car with Sophie and we went with her and her little man Henry. She lives in Bowmanville. Anyone looking for more information please feel free to email me. 

Mr Cutie Pie Henry loves his blueberries!

Here are some of the beautiful health benefits of the almighty blueberry 

• Blueberries are phytonutrient superstars. These fruits contain significant amounts of anthocyanadins, which are powerful antioxidants
• Blueberries are an excellent source of bone-nourishing vitamin K. Yes, you read that right. Blueberries for your bones...who would have thought.
• Recent research on the powerful antioxidants in blueberries is showing that they have a positive impact on memory and brain health. 
• Your heart loves blueberries. The antioxidants in blueberries are known to protect the heart 
• Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C 
• Blood sugar problems or diabetic?? Blueberries are a great fruit for you, known for their positive affect on blood sugar metabolism

While I love eating blueberries by the fist full, I also love adding them to my smoothies. 

Here is one of my favorite recipes

1 cup of fresh of frozen blueberries 

1 cup of ice 

1 cup of sesame milk (or other milk of choice)

2 tbsp of hemp seeds

2 tsp of raw honey or maple syrup or to taste

Optional superfoods

2 tbsp of yogi berries

1 tsp spirulina

4 swiss chard leaves 

1 tsp of nutrasea fish oil or flax oil 

Blend and enjoy!

Loving Leftovers!

Hello Everyone!!! I know it has been a long time since I have posted. I have been spending my precious time with my little angel who will be 13 months on the 14th. Can you believe it?? I sure can't. This time has flown by. I am truly grateful for my little Sophie everyday. She has brought so much love and light to this world and to my life. I am blessed everyday!

Look at that face!! It melts my heart every time :)

This was me and my little lady in June picking some organic strawberries. So much fun :)

I am officially back to work and excited to share with you all of my new recipe creations from the past year. I have a lot to share :) It feels good to be back at work and sharing what I know best and feel most passionate about!

Over the years I have seen hundreds of momma's in my nutrition practise. I can't tell you how many times I heard  the common stumbling block of not having enough time to prepare healthy meals for their family and/or fit exercise in. Well to all of the super momma's out there, I truly hear you now. I totally understand what all of my momma clients were talking about. Life is busy!!! And I only have the one! I kinda feel like I am part of the club now and I can truly understand how time can be an obstacle sometimes. Something that I know for sure is that we make time for that which is most important to us. If healthy eating and exercise is of high value to you, somehow, some way you will make it happen.

This is what it looks like in my kitchen when I am cooking :)

I choose to make healthy eating and exercise (more on that in another post) a priority in my household no matter how crazy things get. Sometimes my house isn't as clean as I would like it to be......well pretty much all the time! In my world I would rather have a messy house and eat truly healthy and delicious homemade food! 

I know many of you reading this are also very busy, many much busier than I am. I am going to make it my mission to show you that you can do it to!!! Whether you are a mama or a daddy or just a busy person, I know that you to can find more time to prepare the best most amazing food for you and your family! You can make healthy food fast and delicious!!

The following recipe is a great way to use up leftovers. I made this for lunch today and it took me all of 15 minutes...that was with my little girl at my legs, then wanting up to see what I was doing, then needing a diaper change.....it went on and on, as usual. 

I made this and shared this with my little girl today and we both just loved it!!! This time of year the local produce is so abundant! So many beautiful fruits and veggies to choose from!! It is my favourite time of year.  

Loving Leftovers!

1/2 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa or other whole grain 

1 tsp coconut oil or sesame oil

handful chopped chicken (can also use beans here for a veg option)

a sprinkle of organic tamari

1 cup or more of leftover veggies (or freshly steamed) - here I have cauliflower, yellow zucchini, sweet potato, asparagus and broccoli, all roasted and local

1-2 tbsp of sauerkraut*

1 tbsp of hemp, sesame or sunflower seeds

chopped fresh herbs - i used cilantro here 

Preheat oven to 300F. Put veggies in a oven safe dish, sprinkle with some olive oil and place in the preheated oven. Only takes about 15 minutes to warm through.

While the veggies are warming sauté brown rice and chicken is coconut oil to warm. Add tamari

Place the rice mixture in  bowl. Top with veggies, then sauerkraut, seeds and fresh herbs. 

Enjoy!!! And get creative. The possibilities are endless with this dish. Use whatever you have on hand!

*I make my own sauerkraut. If you don't want to (I totally understand) make your own than I encourage you to get the high quality stuff from your local health food store. I like Eden Organic. The ingredients are cabbage and salt. Pure, simple, delicious and oh so good for you!