Easter 2012

Me and my family on Easter. They are my heart outside my body.

Blueberry Muffin LÄRABARs

 These are great especially when your sick of the same old snacks that you eat on a regular basis. It adds a new taste and honestly you look forward to snacking on one of these babies! Sure, you can buy the bars at the store for just a little over a $1.00 for one bar but they can get pretty pricey especially when you want to buy some in bulk. The ingredients in this recipe is so simple, healthy and doesn't hurt the wallet. 




Homemade Blueberry Muffin LÄRABARs

based on the LÄRABAR site

1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dates, pitted (use Medjools over Deglets – they bind better)
2 cups cashews
1 lemon, grated zest of
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds of

Chop the blueberries in a food processor. Until they become a semi-paste. Place the blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Chop the dates in the food processor until gooey and scrape those into the mixing bowl with the blueberries. Chop the cashews in the food processor until they resemble coarse crumbs. Empty the cashews into the mixing bowl. Add the grated lemon zest and the vanilla bean seeds to the fruits and nuts. Mix thoroughly by hand (knead it if you have to) and press into an 8 or 9-inch baking pan to about 1/2-inch thickness. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then turn the square out onto a cutting board. Slice to desired size and shape. 

Makes 10 1.7 x 4.25-inch bars.

Credit to: http://userealbutter.com/2012/04/11/homemade-blueberry-muffin-larabar-recipe/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+userealbutter+%28use+real+butter%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Living "Clean"

My very good friend and blog author for http://www.mycleanjourney.com has inspired me to do this clean program. I know there are so many detox juices and other things out there that probably aren't very healthy but also don't really "detox" you to the fullest. A main thing you have to do when your detoxing is you have to eliminate toxins, lead, and chemicals that are being build up inside your body before you can really get the full benefits of detoxing. With this program you go through eliminating foods from your diet and then you follow that by doing the juice or smoothie part with one solid meal a day. I've been doing this elimination part for about two weeks just because I love it so much but I also continue with my daily workouts. I've never felt so great in my life! If your looking to reset your body and to feel great or just to make a change in your life I would start here by reading this book and taking the right and most effective steps to begin a better life.

This is my therapy. I love to workout and break out a good sweat!

Pineapple Coconut Muffins

gluten-free pineapple coconut muffin recipe

I can't even begin on how much I love these muffins. The girls love them too. They eat them with a cup of coconut milk for breakfast. I'm doing a clean program and because I have to eliminate certain foods you can replace some of the ingredients with the stuff you are allowed to eat. For instance the brown sugar can be substituted with stevia or some agave. Have fun with it and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!Ingredients:

1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour (aka jowar flour)
1/4 cup organic coconut flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup coconut milk (or vanilla rice milk)
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
1/2 cup diced pineapple, packed



Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

First, toast the coconut. Spread the coconut rather thinly on a baking sheet and toast the coconut in a pre-heated oven for roughly 6 to 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes to keep the coconut from over-browning. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the starches, flours, sugar, and dry ingredients.

Add in the oil, juice, coconut milk, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. The batter will be thick and smooth, a bit sticky, but not too wet.

Add in the pineapple, and the toasted coconut. Stir to combine.

Spoon the batter into twelve lined muffin cups. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes until domed and golden, and firm to the touch.

Cool the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes, then pop the muffins out of the pan (to keep them from getting soggy bottoms).

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/04/gluten-free-pineapple-coconut-muffins.html#ixzz1snExRhrC