nutrition – Page 4 – Elevating Balance

Week 35

August 31, 2020Leave a comment

Healthy ice cubes 🤷‍♀️

Sounds weird, I know. Trying to prolong summer via my tastebuds with these tiny, flavorful pleasures! These are extremely versatile and fun to make (especially if you have some fun tray shapes). You could use any fruit, juice, herbs, or tea for the cubes and juice, sparkling water, or coffee for the beverage! (Not healthy, but I am definitely trying hot cocoa cubes this winter with a mini marshmallow in coffee)

Anyway….back to a healthy snack…I ended up blending kiwi and pineapple, layering on top of a blueberry or two, and once frozen – popping a few into my apple juice – once it started melting, it instantly tasted tropical. Im in Love.

Antioxidants, immune boosting, and aids in digestion are only a few of the many benefits of this mix. What would you create?

Week 34

August 24, 2020August 25, 2020Leave a comment

Zucchini Pizzas

I decided to prepare these 2 different ways. One was directly on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and the other was raised on a rack in a baking pan. I think the pizzas that were raised up taste better, they seem a little more firm at the base making them more pizza-like. They both still taste super great

There isn’t really a recipe for these guys because it’s all what you like besides the basics of having a zucchini slice act as the bread, your pizza sauce, and your cheese. You can either not top it or top it with seasoning or anything else you like! Bake at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes ❤

I did want to share some fun facts about the ingredients of this treat: The flower of the zucchini plant is edible,
mozzarella was originally made with Buffalo milk,
green peppers have twice the vitamin c then citrus fruits,
pepperoni means big pepper in Italian however this salami variety originated in New York City in 1919,
eating olives improves the appearance of wrinkles by 20% since they contain oleic acid,
and tomato seedlings have been grown in space!
Do you think they made pizza sauce?

Week 33

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020Leave a comment

Fruit Tarts

Every ingredient in this treasure is made possible by pollinators 🐝 thank you bees

These are delightful, it’s hard to stop at one!

Almond flour is high in protein, manganese, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats, low in Carbohydrates, and contains fiber.

Greek yogurt is full of protein, probiotics, B12, potassium, a work out recovery food, iodine, and calcium.

Berries are loaded with antioxidants, help improve blood sugar levels and insulin response, help fight inflammation, and help lower cholesterol.

Recipe

Crust

2.5 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cold butter
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 egg white

Filling

8 oz. greek yogurt (vanilla or whatever you like)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 cup berries of choice

Stir together almond flour and salt. Use fork to cut butter into mixture until a rough sand texture forms. Add honey, apple cidee vinegar, and egg white and mix. Divide evenly between 12 greased muffin cups, then use your fingers to press into a tart shape. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden.

Stir together yogurt, honey, cardamom, and vanilla. When tarts are completely cool, fill with yogurt mix, then top with berries and an extra drizzle of honey.

Enjoy!

Week 32

August 11, 2020August 11, 2020Leave a comment

Cherry Pomegranate Limeade Popsicles

A break from Zucchini!!

Cherry Pomegranate Limeade Popsicles

These are stellar, the sweet and the sour combo is very refreshing.

OG Recipe
4 tablespoons sugar (i used half)
4 tablespoons water
2 cups fresh cherries pitted
6 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

Dissolve sugar into water, add everything to blender, and pour into a Popsicle mold! 8 plus hours later, you’ll be in for a treat!

Cherries have a low glycemic index, are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Pomegranate gets its color from polyphenols, which not only give it its vibrant ruby color, but also are a strong antioxidant. Pomegranate also contains a very large amount of vitamin c, and may be able to help prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s alike. It helps improve digestion, and can reduce inflammation in your gut.

Limes are a huge immunity boost. They also reduce heart disease, improve complexion, and increase iron absorption.

Week 31

July 29, 2020August 23, 2020Leave a comment

Week 31 brought to you by….you guessed it! Zucchini haha

Zucchini Blueberry Muffins. Can’t wait to take these hiking!

Recipe

1.5 cups flour of your choice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup grated zucchini
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Blend eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and zucchini in a larger bowl.
Add your dry ingredients to the wet.
Fold in blueberries.
Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, tops will turn golden brown.

Makes 12 to 14 muffins

Week 30

July 28, 2020August 22, 2020Leave a comment

Since I have a never ending supply of zucchini at the moment, this week’s healthy snack is Baked Parmesan Zucchini Rounds.

They’re super easy to make. Slice about a 1/4″ thick, sprinkle with your favorite seasoning (I opted for garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper), and top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Definitely something I will make again!

Combo Week!

July 21, 2020August 22, 2020Leave a comment

28 – From The Garden – 29

For week 28 I made pickles! I made 3 different batches, one with regular white sugar, one with coconut sugar, and one with honey So far our favorite is the coconut sugar! It’s surprisingly the most spicy, I added jalapeños to all three. I had to give these at least a week and make sure these sugar substitutes still tasted okay before I recommended them to y’all!

Refridgerator Pickles Recipe from one of my best friend’s mom. (shout out to Kyle Eckroth’s Mom!!)

4 to 6 cups sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup sliced onions
3 to 4 sliced jalapenos
4 to 6 cloves garlic
1 cup sugar (white, coconut, or 1/2 cup honey)
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 Tbsp. canning salt

Put together in a glass bowl, stir, and put in refrigerator. Stir occasionally for half a day, they’re good for 3 to 4 months.

Week 29 is Zucchini Bread! I used whole wheat flour, coconut sugar as healthier substitutes, and opted in for some crushed walnuts. Yum!

Zucchini Bread Recipe

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

grease and flour one loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes before removing bread. Enjoy!

Makes 12 servings = 1 loaf pan

Week 27

July 8, 2020August 23, 2020Leave a comment

Kale, Zucchini, Quinoa Patties

I’m late on this one, needed some time to catch up on sleep after traveling. The zucchini and kale are from my garden. I chose to top one with pesto, one with sour cream, and one with parmesan cheese. Yum!

Please spam me with your zucchini recipes!!! I have so much.

Recipe

2 and 2/3 cups cooked quinoa
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
4 stems of kale, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 Tablespoon oil, plus more as needed

Instructions

Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, and any other seasonings in a large bowl. Stir in the kale, onion, cheese, and garlic. Stir in the bread crumbs and grated zucchini. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes so the crumbs absorb some of the moisture.
At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into 20 thick patties. You want the mixture moist, so the patties aren’t dry tasting. However, you want the mixture to hold together when cooking. You can add more bread crumbs to firm up the mixture, if needed. Alternatively, you can add a couple drops of water to moisten the mixture. *The uncooked quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days. Cover tightly and cook the patties when you have time.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 5-6 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a large plate while you cook the remaining patties. Add more oil to the skillet if needed between each batch.
Serve plain or in a pita, on a salad, on a sandwich, with sliced avocado, with hot sauce on top, etc etc. There are so many ways to enjoy them!

Week 26

June 30, 2020August 22, 2020Leave a comment

Smoothies

I made 4 different types of smoothies that contain fiber and protein, to help lose weight and keep you full. These are awesome because I just tossed the ingredients in a bag and stuck them in the freezer. Just have to add the milk and done!

Pina Colada

Green Dream

Razzle Dazzle

PB & J

So far the Green Dream was surprisingly tart (I went heavy on the lemon haha) and the PB & J was sweet and creamy.

Which one should I try tomorrow?