apple pie smoothie

apple pie smoothie ~ vegan, raw, gluten free~

Last night I was motivated to make almond milk.  It’s something I’ve been wanting to try for a while now but couldn’t find the time to get to it (story of my life!). Making almond milk takes a little planning, as you need to soak the almonds for 8 hours prior.

almond milk

But other than that it was very simple…and tasty!  You just drain the almonds and add to a blender with two cups water, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, a pinch of sea salt and a dash of cinnamon.  If you prefer smooth almond milk, strain it through cheesecloth.  Since I knew I would be making a smoothie I didn’t bother with this step.

almond milk

The inspiration for this recipe came from Kris Carr’s website.  I modified it by using the ingredients I had in the house…and added a touch of maple syrup for sweetness (shhh!)

Apple Pie Smoothie

2 apples

2 cups milk of your choice (I used homemade almond milk)

1 banana

3 pitted dates

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup

¼ – ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (depending on your taste)

1-2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 large cup of ice cubes

 apple pie smoothie ~vegan, raw, gluten free~

place all ingredients in a blender, mix until smooth and frothy, enjoy!

apple pie smoothie ~vegan, raw, gluten free~

avocado lime custard cups

I LOVE avocados.   It’s not unusual for me to eat one or two avocados every day!  I add them to salads or enjoy them simply with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, primarily in the form of Oleic Acid.  Oleic Acid is responsible for delivering disease-fighting antioxidants through out the body. They contain high levels of B vitamins and vitamin E, which helps skin looking healthy and youthful.  One avocado has twice the amount of potassium than that of a banana and contains more than 1/3 of your daily vitamin C needs!

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To celebrate my 33rd birthday this year Shaye had an Avocado Lime Pie specially made.  I was a bit skeptical due to the fact that I’m used to eating avocados on salads or as guacamole.  It never occurred to me to use avocados for the base of a dessert.  Let me tell you…I’ve been missing out!  The pie was delicious!  I wanted to recreate this pie in a gluten free/vegan version and this is what I came up with.  I took the easy way out by making a crumbled topping instead of a piecrust.  It’s not as decadent as the original version but it’s light, refreshing and  makes for an excellent spring time dessert!

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Avocado Lime Custard Cups

1 and a half ripe avocados

¼ cup honey

¼ cup canned coconut milk

¼ cup fresh lime juice

½ tablespoon grated lime peel

Crumbled topping

¼ cup pecans

¼ cup unsweetened coconut

pinch sea salt

-Simply blend avocados, honey, coconut milk, lime juice and lime peel in a food processor until creamy and pour into 2 custard cups.

-Add pecans, coconut and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until lightly chopped.

-Top avocado lime custard cups with the crumbled topping and place into freezer.

-When ready to serve take out of freezer and thaw for 10-15 minutes.

avocado lime custard cups

Enjoy!

touch a truck and tempeh chili

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It certainly doesn’t feel like April out there!  Its freezing and I could not warm up today!  We started off our day by enjoying breakfast with friends and family at The Wicked Oyster. We then proceeded to “touch a truck,” a bunch of dump trucks, fire engines, bulldozers and such on display for kids to enjoy.  It’s kind of a big deal.  Even at such a young age Noah is OBSESSED with trucks (how do boys know to like trucks?) and loved seeing them up close and personal (minus their loud horns).  After walking around outside we were FREEZING!  To warm us up I decided to make tempeh chili for dinner.  This is one of our “go-to” meals.  It cooks up quick and can be adapted using whatever you have on hand.

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Tempeh chili

Ingredients

4 ribs celery, chopped

1 red onion, diced

5 cloves garlic

2 carrots, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons Bragg’s amino acids (can substitute soy sauce or tamari)

1 block tempeh, crumbled

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed (black beans or kidney beans work well too)

1 can low sodium veggie broth

2 cups water

salt and pepper

a few large glugs of olive oil

Cholula Hot Sauce to taste!

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Directions 

-Pour a few generous glugs of olive oil into saucepan and heat on medium high.

 -Sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic until they are cooked down and the onions start to caramelize.

-Add Bragg’s, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and cook until spices become fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

-Add crumbled tempeh and cook for 2-3 min or until tempeh is lightly browned.

-Stir in broth, water and beans.

-Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 45 min or until flavors are nicely blended.

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I’ve added corn, red pepper and zucchini in the past.  You can even leave out the tempeh and use two cans of beans instead.  It’s a great recipe to use when you need to clean out the refrigerator…get creative!

check out www.beginwithinnutrition.com for more healthy ideas!