Neal Barnard, M.D.'s Scrambled Tofu

*In case you'd like to know the scrambled tofu recipe we enjoy that I was talking about in the last blog, here it is. This comes from a Wonderful book that was the turning point for my husband & I 19 years ago. Please read if you ever get a chance. I re read it once a year.There are so many great recipes in here.

Chickpea-tofu salad

So my son & I are enjoying a day off of school today & decided to make up a healthy lunch to eat. Here's what we came up with. :) *We used leftover scrambled tofu from our Sunday Breakfast meal yesterday....the idea is you can always come up with creative salads. You can never become bored with salads. Be as creative as you want! Here's our version.


Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce (1 head, shredded in big pieces& rinsed & dried)
Fresh Spinach(rinsed & dried)
Fresh Kale(rinsed & dried)
Can of chickpeas(drained)
Approx.1/2 cup leftover scrambled tofu*
2 TBSPNS Tahini
1 sheet Nori (shredded)
2 TBSPNS Gomashio
Sprinkle of S&P(to taste)
2 TBSPNS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mix in a big bowl altogether & enjoy as a salad or as my son suggested put in a wrap...Yummo!
(He's so smart:) )
* My favorite scrambled tofu recipe is Dr. Neal Barnard's recipe from the book that changed my life"Food for Life".

Blueberry chocolate Smoothie

Yummo!!! A Low Calorie, Delicious Smoothie here for Yah. Hope you enjoy this refreshing treat that's good for you! :)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 blocks 90% Lindt dark chocolate
(Break chocolate into bits)
1 TBSPN Flaxseed meal
3 ice cubes
Blend all together in a blender & drink!!! Yummy in the tummy!

Mama G's Autumn Soup

Autumn is here & so are cold days & nights. There is nothing quite like sitting with a cup of hot homemade soup, all cuddled up in a blanket, snuggled by a fire. Here is a soup I like to make that varies from time to time depending on the ingredients in my cupboard. This recipe is my most recent. Hope you enjoy it. It's loaded with vitamins & minerals & it warms the soul. So pull on a blanket, pour yourself a cup & make a fire(or turn the fire on as I do with my electric one..heehee) & enjoy! :) 

Ingredients :                      

•  Grapeseed oil, 1-10 oz.fresh white mushrooms(rinsed, dried & chopped)
• 2 carrots(peeled & chopped into half coins)
• 2 leeks(peeled,washed&coined)
• 2 shallots (peeled & chopped)
• fresh bag spinach(rinsed)
• 1 lb.frozen broccoli
• 1 cup fresh lentils
• 1 can green beans, drained(or 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen)
• 1 can pinto beans(rinsed & drained) 
• 4 red potatoes(washed & chopped small)
• 2 boxes vegetable broth(32 oz.each)
• dried 1 tsp of each of these: oregano, basil, celery salt, garlic salt, onion powder, turmeric, and ground black pepper, and gomashio
• 1 tsp dried of each of these: chives & cumin
• 2 tsps. sea salt & 1 sheet of Nori ground in a coffee grinder(you can shred into tiny pieces if you don't own a grinder).                                              

1. Chop all ingredients, wash & dry & set aside. Prep is the key to making it go smoothly.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in stock put & throw in shallots. Cook till soft.                             
3. Throw in mushrooms. Cook till soft. Add 2 Tbsp. veg.broth.
4. Throw in Leeks. Cook for 3 mins. Add 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil.
5. Throw in carrots & red potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes. Add more broth as needed- make sure covers veggies.
6. Add 12 cups water & stir. Add fresh spinach, broccoli, green beans, pinto beans & lentils. Cook for 5 mins.
7. Add 1 last Tbsp. Grapeseed oil & all dried herbs, spices/ seasoning EXCEPT for Gomashio, Nori, S&P. Stir & cook for 15 mins.
8. Pour in rest of vegetable broth, S & P. Cook for 20 mins.
9. Add Gomashio & Nori & cook for 5 mins.

This may seem to take awhile, but it is worth it & you can do stuff around the house during each interval of cooking time. Perhaps pick out a great classic movie to watch with your soup? ;)
Hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you enjoyed or any variations you might have used.
HAPPY AUTUMN!

Benefits of Pomegranates

I wanted to take a moment to discuss my love of Pomegranates. They are a beautiful fruit that is so delicious & good for you. You can eat the seeds alone or put in blender for juice. Even can be made into a shampoo! (Haven't tried it yet, but will). Pomegranates have been said to help reduce blood pressure. It can also benefit heart & blood vessels & to inhibit certain cancers. It can amazingly stimulate serotonin & estrogen receptors that can naturally improve depression!!* Wow!!! My favorite way to enjoy this delicious fruit? The seeds mixed in with other berries in a fruit salad or even alone. As long as an organic & natural source, it can be enjoyable as a juice too. Such a perfect part of nature! What are your favorite ways to enjoy Pomegranates?                                       *Info from various research online( especially from Dr. Fuhrman's articles)

Breakfast Cookie!

 A Breakfast Cookie? Why Not have a cookie for breakfast? They are delicious! Not to worry ~ they're healthy!! It tastes like a dessert, but it's disguised!! Hope you enjoy this delicious recipe:

Ingredients

You will Need:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup natural applesauce
1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter(we like Smucker's)

oats, applesauce, and peanut butter

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
3 TBSPNS. vegan mini choc chips(We Love" Enjoy Life" brand)

Vegan Chocolate Chips

4 TBSPNS. frozen raspberries
2 TBSPNS. Maple Sugar(You can substitute Brown Sugar or 1/2 TBSPN stevia if you wish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the applesauce with the peanut butter.
Add all of the other ingredients with the applesauce mixture.
With a cookie scoop, put on a greased cookie sheet(We use Spectrum organic all vegetable shortening)

Vegan, Organic Shortening

Bake for 15 minutes.
Take out & cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Onto the cookie sheet

Makes approx. 24 cookies, depending on size.

Yoga

Yoga is an art, an exercise, a relaxation technique.  It is a way to feel one with yourself, increase flexibility and just feel good.  There are so many different forms in yoga, and so many different types to achieve your goal.  People use yoga to loose weight, fix their posture, feel more confident, breathe better, relax, sleep, wake up, and more.

I love yoga because it keeps me in shape for running, helps me wake up in the morning and fall asleep on nights when I can't sleep, and makes me feel good.  My favorite kind of yoga is the relaxing kind.  I'm not a yoga buff by any means, I'm not super flexible or super strong, but I do love the relaxing kind of yoga I do.

My favorite moves are:

• Tree Pose
• This is probably my favorite pose.  You stand on one foot, lifting your foot to above your knee, and balance.  It helps with focus, strength, and balance. 
• Sun Salutation 
• In this pose you do a lot of moving.  You start by standing, bend your knees and put your palms together, then reach up to the sky, straightening your legs and facing your palms out, and leaning back toward the sun.  This is usually done continuosly, by then bending your knees and going back to the original position.
• Corpse Pose
• This may be a "lazy" pose, but it is amazing for just relaxing, fixing your breath, and meditating.  The best part? You can fall asleep! In this pose, you lay on your back, legs and arms apart, palms up, and eyes closed.
• Child's Pose
• This is one of my go-to poses for waking up or going to sleep.  It is relaxing and a good stretch.  Sitting on your knees, you reach forward and rest your head on your knees.  Bring your arms back to lay by your side and relax for a few breaths. 
• Legs-up-the-Wall Pose
• I didn't realize this pose was used in yoga until recently, but it has become my savior!  If your legs hurt from standing or walking or running, Put your legs straight up on the wall and sit there until you feel better.  This pose helped me for years in cross country and on days when my legs just hurt.  The more you do on your feet, the more lactic acid pools in your legs.  When you put them up so high, it drains your fluids to your liver, and you pee it out! (That may be TMI, but I thought it was interesting information)
• Eagle Pose 
• In this, your legs are crossed, standing on one foot, and your arms are crossed over each other as you reach to the sky.  It's similar to the beginning of the Sun Salutation, but in this you are balancing and your legs and arms are crossed. 

These are just a few of the poses I do to relax, be more flexible, and feel healthy.  You should always start out slow and be careful about what hurts.  Make sure to be in tune to your body and know what helps and what just hurts!  These are some great beginning poses though that should be very comfortable for most.  Good luck, and if you like it, branch out and try some more!

Natural Eye Makeup Remover

Olive Oil Make-up Remover

We girls love to wear our makeup sometimes & we try to wear natural with the best ingredients in them. Taking off the makeup is another story! I don't want to go through all of the trouble(not really trouble) of putting on beautiful high-quality makeup, then ruin my face with a chemical-laden product of a makeup remover. Mandi & I have found a great solution!! OLIVE OIL!!! :) It glides on smoothly, will not irritate your face(seriously, ladies) & takes that makeup right off!! Yay!! You can keep the oil as is, a dab or two on a cotton ball or find a recyclable tin or what-not & pour in & freeze overnight, then glide off with a tissue or a clean finger(don't double -dip with same finger for bacterial reasons) & wipe carefully on eyes. Voila!!

Homemade Toothpaste

Hello, again! How are you all enjoying this beautiful summer weather? Personally, I have been soaking up these rays all day, gardening, playing with my dog and bunnies, and just relaxing!

I also found time to make this awesome toothpaste with my mom. It makes your teeth feel so much cleaner and really whitened up my teeth! You should give it a try!

Store-bought toothpaste can be pretty scary. Looking at the label, you see that its even dangerous to swallow! And it's supposed to go in your mouth, right? :P

The good news (there's always good news!) is that you can make your own. And its really very simple.

When making your own, you can choose each ingredient, be picky about what you use, change the taste, and save money!

Homemade Toothpaste
6 Tbs Baking soda
1/2 tsp Peppermint extract
6 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp sweetener (optional)

Mix these ingredients together and store in an air-tight container, and use whenever you brush your teeth! *warning: if you're not used to baking soda in your mouth, it can taste bitter. It is worth it though, so give it a try!

Because of bacteria concerns, you may not want to use this every day. But its a great way to whiten your teeth and use a natural way to clean your teeth!

(We are not dentists, but we are speaking from personal experience)

What do y'all think? Does it work for you? How do you feel about toothpaste?