I'M MOVING...Plus, Sweet Potato Cinnamon Smoothie Recipe!!!

I am moving to a new address (on the internet, that is)!  I have been tirelessly working on my new site and I think I am ready to go on and make the transition. Luckily, I haven't had the blog long enough for it to be a huge ordeal. I have a few more details to iron out, but hopefully everything will go smoothly.

This will be my last post from yestorealfood.blogspot.com. My new website address is http://www.yestorealfood.com. It's obviously still going to be a food blog, however, I am turning it into more of a food + lifestyle + photography (in other words...all the things I love) blog. If you subscribe to the blog, I hope to automatically redirect the blog feed so you don't have to resubscribe (however...unfortunately I'm not a "techie," so this may not happen). So...if you suddenly stop getting my emails, you may need to resubscribe from the new website (once I get the subscriber feed installed). Alright...on to the recipe.

I had some left over sweet potato, and I didn't want to throw it out (I hate wasting food)! I had heard of making a smoothie from a sweet potato, but had never tried it, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I am so glad I did, because I will definitely be making this again. It would be a great smoothie to drink in the fall. It has that creamy cinnamon taste that sort-of reminded me of pumpkin pie (I know it must've been from the cinnamon). If you try it out, let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
(Makes 1 serving)
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 medium sweet potato (cooked and peeled)
1/2 frozen banana
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and enjoy!

Protein Blueberry Bars

Who doesn't love protein bars? Their convenient, delicious, and an easy way to get more protein into your diet. They're also good for you, right? Well...not always! There are some really good ones out there, but many of the protein bars you see lining the grocery store shelves are basically glorified candy bars. They are loaded down with extra sugar, and most of the time, not the natural kind. And while they might be delicious, they are not always as healthy as they claim to be. Many of the ingredients in these popular protein bars can include:
-High fructose corn syrup
-Canola oil and hydrogenated fats
-Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, etc)
-Refined sugars

Why not try making your own homemade protein bars? Give it a shot! What do you have to loose? Nothing...but you might just fall in love with these. Not only are they better for you, but they will end up costing you less in the long run. AND...major bonus...you don't even have to turn on the oven for these. Just freeze for an hour and they're ready to go!

I am going to give you the exact ingredients that I used for these particular bars in the picture (I think they taste pretty amazing). Below the recipe, I will also give you substitutions, or some other ideas to try (if, for instance, say you're not crazy about blueberries).

Homemade Protein Blueberry Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (I use Crazy Richard's 100% Natural)**

3/4 cup honey
2 cups of instant rolled oats
1 cup fresh blueberries (see possible substitutions below)
1/2 cup protein powder (chocolate)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 cup flaxseed

In a saucepan, combine almond butter, peanut butter, and honey. Stir well and heat until well combined and softened. Remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl and add oats, blueberries, protein powder and flaxseed. Stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture into a square glass baking dish and press down firmly. Freeze for one hour. Remove and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Possible modifications to recipe above:
*Be sure to use one cup of a type of nut butter. However, you may wish to use one cup of peanut butter, or one cup of almond butter (instead of half of each).
*If not a fan of blueberries, could try substituting for dried cherries, dried cranberries (YUM!), or whatever kind of fruits you like.
*You could omit the coconut flakes, if you prefer
**Crazy Richard's is a 100% all natural peanut butter. The only ingredient is "peanuts." This brand can be found at Wal-Mart, or Harris Teeter. Be careful with the popular brands of peanut butter. Many contain high fructose corn syrup.
On a side note: Not only are these bars high in protein, but extremely high in antioxidants, as well. It is said that flaxseed may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. According to Web MD, it owes its healthy reputation to three healthy components:

*Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.  Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.

*Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.

*Fiber, Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.

If you try these out, please let me know what you think in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!

PATRIOTIC LAYERED SMOOTHIE

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!! As families across the country prepare to celebrate America's independence from Great Britain, with parades, fireworks, and barbecues, I am once again reminded of how great this country really is. Political views and opinions aside,  I am so proud to be an American and my prayer is that God will bless this nation beyond measure in the years to come.

Alright...moving on. My boys have been away at their grandparents for most of the week (thanks mom and dad...love you), so when they came home today (and I really did miss them like CRAZY), I wanted to surprise them with a little Fourth of July treat. They love smoothies, so I whipped up this layered smoothie. If you've never made a layered smoothie before, but want to give it a try, the trick is to make sure each layer is thick enough to withstand the next layer. Usually sticking each layer in the freezer for 30 minutes will do the trick. I'll be honest...because I usually tell it like it is. One liked it, the other didn't. That's usually the way it goes around here, though! :) Go figure!;-)

Ingredients:
Mix each layer separately, in blender. Pour and freeze each layer in 2-4 glasses for 30 minutes each.

For red layer:
1/4 cup yogurt (I used plain greek yogurt, but you can use reg. or flavored yogurt, as well)
1/4 of a large banana
1/2 cup of strawberries (frozen or fresh...may also use cherries...make sure their pitted)
1/2 cup almond milk, acai or cranberry juice (I used almond milk)
1 Tbsp honey
3-5 ice cubes


For white layer (this was my favorite):
1/2 cup yogurt (I used plain greek yogurt, but you can use reg. or flavored yogurt, as well)
1/2 banana (frozen is best, but fresh will do)
1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 scoop Vanilla protein powder (optional)
1 tbsp honey
3-5 ice cubes

For blue layer:
1/4 cup of yogurt
1/4 of banana
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup almond milk, acai juice, or cranberry juice
1 Tbsp honey
3-5 ice cubes

Have a great day celebrating with family and friends!!!

Homemade Cranberry Almond Trail Mix

 Who doesn't love trail mix? I mean it's delicious, it's tasty, it's healthy, extremely portable for people on-the-go, and full of good-for-you stuff! It's also a great snack for the kids on those long summer drives to the beach (I'm counting down the days)!! However, I also know that most store-bought mixes are loaded down with extra sugar and salt. So, why not try making a batch of your own?

In this post, I am going to give you a few ideas for different ingredients to try in your homemade trail mix. First, here is the ratio of ingredients I used in the mix above.

Easy Homemade Trail Mix

1 cup raw unsalted almonds

1 cup raw unsalted cashews

1 cup dry-roasted and salted pistachio nutmeats (simply unshelled pistachios)

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup of white chocolate chips

I love this combination of ingredients. You can leave out the chocolate chips if you prefer to have no added sugar. My kids love this mix and I know the chocolate chips have a lot to do with it, so I don't have the heart to leave them out. :) Besides, what's a trial mix without the fun stuff??? I do try to use the unsweetened dried fruit, and most of the nuts unsalted (with the exception of one type, or so). That way you still get plenty of the salty/sweet taste without it being too overly salty. I hear they even make chocolate chips out of stevia now, but I have yet to try them. You could also opt for organic chocolate chips, or even go with cacao nibs to make it even healthier.

One great thing about homemade trail mix is you won't have to pick through all the ingredients you don't like, because you'll be using everything you do! Below are a few ideas for you to make it your own. Choose one, or several, different combinations from each category:

1 cup each of two, or three, different kinds of nuts (this is the base of your trail mix):
Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, etc., etc.

1/2 cup of seeds:
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower, pinenuts

1 cup dried fruit:
Cranberries, raisins, golden raisins, banana chips, gogiberries, blueberries, pineapple, dried coconut flakes

1/2 cup fun stuff:
White chocolate chips, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, m&m's, carob chips, pretzels


Warning!! :) This stuff can be highly addictive, and while it is good for you, it can also very quickly add up in calories. What I like to do to help control my lack of will power, is to divide these up in ready made portion sizes. That way when I need a quick pick-me-up, I can just grab one of these. Then I'm not as tempted to sit down to the whole container of trail mix and start munching away till, before I know it, I've eaten 1500 calories worth of trail mix (it's not hard to do...at least for me, anyway)! I just scoop out about a 1/4 of a cup into snack size ziploc bags, and throw them in the pantry!

Let me know if you have a favorite homemade combination! I'd love to hear it!

Sauteed Mixed Greens Recipe

I start off with good intentions! I see a bag of mixed greens on the shelf and I grab it and throw it in the cart as my mind races with all the wonderful warm dishes I can make with it. I must confess...I do not like raw mixed greens, but add a little garlic and heat them up on the stove! Oh my goodness...love 'em! However, as the days pass, so do my good intentions, and the bag ends up in the trash, wilted and wasted. Then I feel so guilty. It was about to happen again, today. Luckily, around lunch time, I started craving warm greens, so I whipped up a few things in the skillet and it did not disappoint. In fact, I ended up eating the entire bag! YAY! No wasted greens....EVER again!;-)

They say, the darker the better, when it comes to greens (don't know if that's actually a true statement)! One thing I do know is that leafy greens contain lots of vitamins and minerals, loads of fiber, and phytochemicals, which, by the way, I'm sure you know helps prevent several forms of cancer. Phytochemicals can also reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens. This little 5 ounce bag really is a nutritional powerhouse! So, go get a bag of greens and feed your body what your cells crave! It'll love you for it!

Sauteed Mixed Greens
1 5 oz. bag of mixed greens (Baby kale, chard, and spinach)
1 1/4  Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
Salt and pepper to taste
Slivered almonds (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, and onion and cook until softened (about 3-4 minutes). Add garlic, and heat for about 1 minute. Add bag of greens and heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes. I ended up throwing some slivered almonds at the last minute, which added a nice crunch.:)

ENJOY!

BROWNIE CAKE with chocolate fudge frosting (shhhh...don't tell them it's made with chickpeas)

So, I've been wanting to share this recipe for Chocolate Brownie Cake. This recipe was adapted from another source. There is also a funny story that goes along with this (my only regret is that I didn't take a picture to post along with it)! Oh well, there's always "next time," and I'm certain there will be many more opportunities to post my "flops!" 

I subscribe to Dr. David Brownstein's emails and I have a few of his publications/books, such as 'The Guide to HEALTHY EATING.' I whole-heartedly recommend him if you are ever in need of resources in the area of holistic medicine. In my opinion, he has a lot of helpful information. Recipe is as follows (taken directly from the book above):

Chocolate Brownie Cake

1 1/2 cups garbanzo beans
3/4 cup organic chocolate chips 
3 free range, organic eggs
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar or sucanat 
1/4 cup organic butter 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and process in a food processor into small pieces. Add remaining ingredients and process again until smooth. Pour into a buttered (I used coconut spray) 8 X 8 inch Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Cool cake and frost, if desired.

Chocolate-Fudgy Frosting
2 Tablespoons organic heavy cream, yogurt, or almond milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup organic chocolate chips
1/4 cup raw almond butter or cashew butter (I used almond butter)

Combine the cream, sugar, chocolate, and butter in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until melted and mixture comes almost to a boil. Add the nut butter and mix well. Let cool for 5 minutes before spreading on cake (has a fudge-like consistency).

Before heating the ingredients for the frosting

After I added the almond butter

The end product!

YUM!!!

Now for the "flop" story. I had been looking forward to these ALL day! I had made them the night before, came home from the gym the next day and thought...ok, I definitely deserve a few of these (I shouldn't tell you it had been almost 2 weeks since I had worked out...that's a whole other story)! Anyway...as I started to cut them to place on the plate to take photos, I came across something really tough to cut through. I thought to myself...hmmmmm...."That must be a few really hard chickpeas that didn't get ground up."  I still thought it very odd, because how hard can chickpeas really be? When I went to place the brownie on the plate, along with it came the little silica gel packets that you would find in shoe boxes, electronics...ummmm...bags of cacao powder (that I had used instead of the chocolate chips)!!! YES, you guessed it! I had scooped up the gel packet from my bag of cacao powder and baked it in the cake. So, I am thinking it was pretty toxic after baking with that in it! After the pictures, I had to throw the whole thing away!:( 

My boys came home from camp and were looking so forward to the brownies. They were just as disappointed as I was. Oh well...and so it goes! On to the next recipe...

EASY HEALTHY VEGGIE QUESADILLAS

I don't know about you, but I get tired of eating the same old thing for lunch day after day. I am usually eating on the go, but when I am home, and I have time to put something together, I want something different. Today, I was craving a quesadilla. I LOVE quesadillas!! If I go out to a restaurant and they have quesadillas on the menu, that's usually what I order. I'm pretty boring. There's just something about chicken quesadillas (only shredded meat, though...no chunks for me) with an extra side of salsa that makes my mouth water (it's watering as I type this)! However, they come with a lot of extra calories, fat, and not-so-good-for-you ingredients. So, in order to know just what's going into my quesadillas, sometimes I like to make them at home. It's simple! You don't even need a quesadilla maker. You can do it right on your stove top.

 All you need is the following:

2 tortillas 

Cheese of choice (cheddar, monterey jack, etc)

Vegetables (I used avocado, tomato, onion, baby Bella mushrooms) 

Coconut oil spray

These veggie quesadillas were simple to make and took hardly any time at all. I just used what I had in my fridge, but use whatever you like, and make it your own. With regard to the tortillas, I try to stick to sprouted grains, and have eliminated most white flour and whole grain flour breads from my diet. Just in case you're wondering, Food for Life  has a great explanation of what sprouted grains actually are. I eat their Ezekial bread just about everyday (actually a couple of times a day)! 

So, back to the quesadillas...

If you are using mushrooms and onions, spray a small pan with coconut oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes on medium-high heat, or until the onions are transparent. 

Next, make sure the pan still has enough oil (I had to spray it again), and lay the first tortilla in and sprinkle with the cheese. I chose not to use much, but use as much as you want. 

Next, top with your veggies, and then top with the other tortilla. Once the cheese has melted and the bottom side has browned, carefully flip it over to brown the other side. 

Here, I used avocado, tomato, onions, baby bella mushrooms, and fresh basil.

And there you have it! A delicious simple, healthy and satisfying lunch!

Top with sour cream, guacamole, or salsa!

Let me know what some of your favorite fillers are. I'm always looking for some new ideas!