Fruit and Vegetable Décor for Thanksgiving

I thought these were creative and festive ways to enjoy vegetables and fruit for Thanksgiving!

Fruit Turkey: 

 Turkey Veggie Platter: 

Image Credits: Bayonne Farmers Market

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Tags: Fruit, Thanksgiving, vegetables

Whole Wheat Bread

Have you ever tasted whole wheat bread that was 100% healthy, delicious, and still had a wonderful texture that didn’t remind you of a brick?

This last year my Mom gave me her whole wheat bread recipe and taught me the simple tricks for the most perfect whole wheat bread.

Ingredients: 

3 cups Warm Water

1/3 cup melted Coconut Oil

1/3 cup Agave Nectar

8 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 tablespoon Sea Salt

1 1/2 tablespoon Instant Yeast

2 tablespoons Dough Enhancer

Extra melted Coconut oil for kneading the dough on the counter top and for “glazing” the bread once it’s done.

2 Bread Pans

Instructions:

Step 1) Combine the warm water, melted coconut oil, and agave nectar in mixer.

Step 2) Add 4 cups of the whole wheat flour, the sea salt, instant yeast, and dough enhancer into the mixer.

Step 3) Slowly start to add the rest of the whole wheat flour, about a half cup at a time…

…you’ll know that you are done adding flour when the dough is no longer sticking to the mixer (see the picture above and below for comparison).

You will need more or less flour based on elevation and even the weather – which is why you’ll need to add the flour in just a half cup at a time to prevent putting in too much flour. Add more, if needed.

Step 4) Once the dough is no longer sticking to the mixing bowl, mix the dough on low speed for 6 minutes.

Step 5) Add about a teaspoon or so of melted coconut oil to a clean counter top surface. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the counter top.

Step 6) Roll the dough into a ball…

…and with a sharp knife, cut evenly into two pieces.

Step 7) Roll the dough and shape it into the bread pans.

Step 8) Bake bread for 35 minutes, or until bread is fully cooked.

Step 9) With a basting brush or a paper towel, dip into the melted coconut oil and brush/rub onto the top of the bread. As you can see, it’s a little dry on top, and the coconut oil on top will help with that. I will let the coconut oil dry before putting the bread away.

Step 10) Enjoy! :)

Notes: 

You can use honey, but I have found that the agave nectar works better with the instant yeast.

I grind up my own wheat to make the whole wheat flour by using a combination of 50% red wheat and 50% hard white wheat. I have found that it’s the best combination, but you can always experiment with the ratio of red and white wheat to determine what’s your favorite.

I love making this bread, and once you’ve made it a couple of times, you’ll find that it’s pretty fast and easy to make.

On a budget? Making your own bread is a great way to benefit from healthy bread and save money! For bread this healthy at the store, whole wheat bread can cost about $6 per loaf! I have found that it costs me about $1 per loaf of bread – huge savings!

Go ahead and enjoy your whole wheat bread plain, with jam, or as part of a sandwich!

You. Are. Welcome.  ;)

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Tags: Recipe, whole wheat bread

Raspberry Lemonade

Raspberry Lemonade made the way it was supposed to be: with real fruit.

Ingredients: 

8 cups cold Water

1/2 cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

2 cups fresh Raspberries

3 drops Liquid Stevia (or more – “to taste”)

Instructions:

Step 1) Blend the fresh raspberries (I used some of the 8 cups of water, which helped blend the raspberries).

Step 2) Combine the water, lemon juice, blended raspberries, and drops of stevia (add more if needed).

Notes: 

I’ve been looking for a healthy raspberry lemonade recipe and all that I could find were recipes that involved a lot of white sugar or powdered raspberry flavoring – seriously??? I wanted the real stuff!

I decided to take things into my own hands, and just made my own raspberry lemonade. This recipe tastes so amazing since I used real ingredients; fresh lemons and raspberries.

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Tags: healthy recipe, Raspberry Lemonade

Ideas For Healthy Grilling

It’s officially Barbecue Season, and that doesn’t have to mean eating unhealthy foods! There are plenty of healthy options for you to consider that will still be delicious and mouth watering dishes!

Who ever said healthy had to be boring? Not me.

Grilling Meats: 

• Smoked Salmon

• Chicken

• Lean Red Meat

Grilling Meatless: 

• Tofu

• Portabella Mushroom Burgers

• Veggie Burger

Grilling Fruit: 

• Pineapple

• Peach

• Plum

• Apricot

Grilling Vegetables: 

• Asparagus

• Mushrooms

• Peppers

• Zucchini

Image Credits: Grilled Salmon, Grilled Tofu, Grilled Pineapple, & Grilled Vegetables.

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Tags: BBQ, Nutrition, recipe ideas

Berry Smoothie

I love berry smoothies since it’s the perfect way to cool down on hot Summer days and still satisfy that sweet tooth!

Ingredients: 

1 cup Mixed Berries, frozen

1 cup yogurt, plain

Instructions

Step 1) In a blender, mix both ingredients together until smooth.

Notes: 

For the mixed berries, I include frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

I prefer the 50-50 ration, but you can always change up the ratio of frozen berries to yogurt to add to take away some of the sweetness (more berries = more sweet).  Enjoy!

 Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Tags: Dessert, Healthy, Nutrition, snack