Category: Food

One of My Staple Snacks- Energy Bites!

5/22/2022

ONE OF MY STAPLE SNACKS- ENERGY BITES

Energy bites are a staple at my house. My nieces and nephews love them and still believe (after years of eating them) that if they eat them it will give them energy and are an excuse to run around and make lots of noise! They are great for energy but have so many other benefits too.

I often recommend daily flax meal to my clients to help balance blood sugar, metabolize excess hormones, to curb cravings and promote regular elimination. These bites are a great way to get flax meal in daily plus have a balanced snack to eat through out the day to keep blood sugar levels steady.

No Bake Energy Bites

1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. nut butter (without sugar)
1/3 c. honey
1 c. coconut flakes
1/2 c. flax meal
1/2 c. Lily's chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together and chill for 30 minutes. Roll into balls and store in refrigerator. If mixture is dry, add water to hold together.

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Bone Broth Basics

11/30/2021

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Bone Broth Basics
It's that time of year when we all want to cozy up with a bowl of steaming soup! And what's better to use as a base than bone broth? Bone broth doesn't just taste good, it's full of nutrition and essential minerals. It also provides amino acids and is a great source of collagen and gelatin.

Bone broth supports:

Restoration of leaky gut
Food allergies/intolerances
Joint health
Immunity

How to Make Your Own Bone Broth:

For a quality bone broth recipe, it’s important to use all the body parts like organ meat, feet and neck.
You also want to buy animal products that you know are pasture-fed and free of antibiotics and hormones in order to truly unlock all the bone broth benefits.
Add vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) and garlic for added taste and nutrition

Cooking Suggestions

Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to water prior to cooking. This helps to pull out important nutrients from the bones.
Fill stock pot with filtered water. Leave plenty of room for water to boil.
Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it arises.
Cook slow and at low heat. Chicken bones can cook for 24 hours. Beef bones can cook for 48 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around the bone.
Alternatively, you can use a crock pot to make the broth. Use the same directions by covering bones with water and adding apple cider vinegar. Cook on low for 8-24 hours.
Remove large pieces of bone, meat and veggies and discard. Strain through a sieve and then store in jars in the fridge or process in a pressure canner for later use.

After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top. This layer protects the broth beneath. You can eat this layer along with the broth if desired.

*You can also purchase bone broth instead of making it yourself. Organic, grass fed bone broth with no preservatives with provide you with the best nutrition and benefit.

I'd love to hear if you make your own bone broth!

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Kick Up the Flavor

8/19/2021

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Did you know you can use essential oils in your cooking? Not only does it add amazing flavor but it's easy and gives you added health benefits!

4 Reasons to Use Essential Oils in Cooking-
1- Powerful, fresh flavor
2- Long shelf life (even if you don't use it often, it will be fresh every time)
3- Easy and convenient- no chopping, peeling or mincing
4- Added health benefits of each unique oil

How to Cook with Essential Oils:
*1 teaspoon dried herbs = 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 drop essential oil
*Zest of 1 lemon/lime = 8 drops
*For hot or spicy herbs use a toothpick swirl -dip a toothpick in the essential oil bottle and swirl it around in the recipe
*Error on the side of less oil. Taste your recipe and then add more if needed.

My Tips and Favorites:
*Cilantro essential oil in fresh salsa and guacamole is amazing!
*Add 4-5 drops of On Guard or Wild Orange to a bowl of sliced apples covered in water. Let sit for 15 minutes, drain and enjoy a new twist on apples and keep them from turning brown.
*Place 1 drop of favorite essential oil in hot water for a soothing tea.
*Add 2-3 drops of Citrus oil to smoothies for increased flavor.
*Substitute Lemongrass & Ginger essential oils for ginger root and lemongrass to save time and a trip to a specialty grocery story
*Add 1 drop of Cinnamon, Clove or On Guard to oatmeal or hot breakfast cereal.

I'd love to hear which recipes you make and what your favorite tips and uses are with essential oils! Check out doTERRA's Top Ten Essential Oil recipes for more inspiration!

*Make sure all essential oils used in cooking are labeled for internal use

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Garlic- So Much More Than Just a Food!

4/28/2021

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Garlic is something almost all of us have in our kitchen. It's almost a universal food found in many cuisines and adds powerful flavor and smell to our food.

Delighting our taste buds, isn't all garlic is good for. Garlic contains sulfur compounds called alliin and allicin which are responsible for garlic's potent antifungal and antibacterial actions. It also contains vitamin A, C, E and selenium.

This food is particularly beneficial for the respiratory, circulatory and immune systems in our body.

Cardiovascular Benefits
- aids in thinning blood
- supports blood pressure within the healthy range
- support cholesterol within the health range
- stimulates circulation
- protective to the cardiovascular system

Respiratory Benefits
- supports decongestion
- helps expel mucus
- helps with fluid on the lungs
- aid the body in fighting infections

Immune Benefits
- soothes sore throats
- supportive to tooth discomfort
- soothes ear discomfort
- supports sinus discomfort

Garlic can be used several ways. The simplest is to add raw garlic to your cooking. You can also use it topically by placing a garlic clove next to your ear or throat for discomfort. Lastly, you can take garlic oil in a capsule to boost immunity, cardiovascular and respiratory challenges.

This week, save $6.50 on any bottle of garlic oil at the Country Cupboard in Fairbury! Sale price -$16.49

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Corn Syrup- A Hidden Imposter

10/2/2020

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Corn syrup is a cheap food filler that is found is most processed foods. It is produced from corn that is likely sprayed and GMO and is a sign of very poor quality of food. Our bodies aren't able to process corn syrup in the way we typically metabolize food. It bypasses the pancreas and goes straight to the liver where it is stored as fat. So why does that matter? This triggers the production of cholesterol which can contribute to leaky gut and increased inflammation.

Corn syrup increases:

risk of insulin resistance
triglycerides
food cravings
risk of fatty liver disease

This is an ingredient that I am adamant about staying out of my diet and life! If I do accidentally eat something with corn syrup, I notice that I have cravings for sugar for the next several days and have terrible irritability.

This imposter is hiding is so many foods that are in everyone's cupboard:

cool whip
ketchup
salad dressings
mayo
barbeque sauce
marshmallows
cereals
bread
soda
juice
cough syrups
crackers
pretzels
cottage cheese
yogurt
ice cream
pickles
baked beans
most packaged and processed foods

If you are going to make one change to have a healthier diet, this is the most important- eliminate corn syrup! It's not hard to do. Just start reading labels to become aware of where it's hiding and then look on the shelf next to the product. There is generally another brand that doesn't have corn syrup in it. Do yourself and your family a favor by taking the steps to live a corn syrup free life! They will thank you for it!!

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One of My Staple Snacks- Energy Bites!

ONE OF MY STAPLE SNACKS- ENERGY BITES

Bone Broth Basics

Kick Up the Flavor

Garlic- So Much More Than Just a Food!

Corn Syrup- A Hidden Imposter

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