Honey Nut Steel Cut Oat Granola

Why buy it when you can make it better at home.... 

When I was doing my meal plan for this week I decided I wanted to do some yogurt parfaits to switch it up. I decided on strawberry peach. The recipe called for gluten free granola. I put it on the grocery list then decided to scratch that idea and just make it on my own. Believe it or not I have been eating clean for three years now and never actually made any granola. I actually rarely use it for some reason was craving it.

I put together this combo and couldn't be more excited with how it turned out. The honey nut flavor is so good! Way better than anything I could have bought in the store. It certainly won't be an all the time kind of treat because of how much honey I used but every once it awhile I have a feeling we will be making a few batches of this.

My only advice would be to double the recipe. I have a feeling this pan of it that I made won't last long.

Ingredients 

• 3 cups of gluten free steel cut oats (or non gluten free if you don't have an issue with gluten) I only had two cups on hand so I did my last cup out of rolled oats. 
• 2 cups of slivered almonds. I used whole almonds and chopped them in the food processor. I prefer raw organic almonds. 
• 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt 
• 1 tsp of ground organic cinnamon 
• 1/2 of melted extra virgin organic coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup of organic honey 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup of dried coconut flakes (optional) you could also do any type of dried fruit if you prefer. 

Directions 

1. Mix together steel cut oats, salt, almonds and cinnamon then set aside. 

2. Mix together wet ingredients and stir (vanilla extract, melted coconut and honey) 

3. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir well to ensure all of the granola is coated. 

4. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees 

5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread granola over it. After I spread it out I drizzled a little more honey over it and cinnamon. 

6. Bake for 20 minutes then remove and flip the granola 

7. Return to baking for another 20. Flip it again 

8. Give it one last flip and bake for about 15 more minutes. 

9. Allow it to cool for about an hour then you can break up the granola and store it in an airtight container. This would be when you would want to add in your coconut flakes or dried fruit. 

ENJOY! 

Baked Peach Oatmeal

I have been on a baked oatmeal kick these last few weeks. You may have seen a few of my other recipes show up on the blog. I am on a quest to find my favorite. This one is ranking up there pretty high. The cooked peaches tasted wonderful! I am looking forward to making this one over the summer when the peaches are ripe.

Here are the ingredients that you will need: 
2 cups of gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 cups of vanilla almond milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
1 and 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 large peaches chopped

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with coconut oil.
Combine dry dry ingredients in a separate bowl (oats, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, brown sugar)
In a separate bowl combine almond milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla and peaches, and egg.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry mix stir it all together.
Pour into the 8x8 pan and bake for 40 minutes uncovered.

ENJOY!!!

Quinoa Chicken Burrito Bowls

A Killer Way To Cook Quinoa

Ingredients
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 large onion diced
1 red pepper diced
2 cups of yellow corn
Shredded taco cheese
Diced avocado
Cooked Quinoa (I boiled mine in chicken broth for additional flavor)
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Chilli Powder
2 limes

Directions 
In a separate pan cook quinoa according to the package. Again, I used chicken broth instead of water.
Cut chicken breast into bite size pieces. Add in butter and olive oil and brown chicken.
Season with salt, pepper, cumin and chilli powder. I didn't measure, I just made sure I coated the chicken.
Add in minced garlic. Flip until brown.
Add in the diced onions and peppers. Cook until softened.
Add in cooked corn then quinoa once it has absorbed all of the chicken broth.
Stir, re-season again to your liking and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Squeeze 1 fresh lime over the mixture.
Once you serve the mixture top with taco cheese and diced avocados and enjoy! Garnish with a lime.

Tropical Smoothie Bowl

Tropical Smoothie Bowls 

Social media has allowed me to make friends ALL over the place. I enjoy connecting with these people and even learning from them. The other day I was online and I came across one of my friends smoothie bowl pictures. It stopped me dead in my scroll. I was like I HAVE TO TRY THIS!!! It looked so yummy! These smoothie bowls are showing up everyone on social media and I had yet to try one. I asked if she wanted to be featured on my blog and she said absolutely! She did a little write up for you all and shared her recipe. I have included it below. ENJOY!!! Thanks Kari!

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With spring in the air everyone is looking for some of there favorite cooler sweet
treats.
I’ve been a smoothie or shake person for about a year now and find myself having
them for more meals than most people would probably like to admit.

What most people don’t realize is exactly how much food I’m putting into my
smoothies, I’m often criticized for “drinking” my meals. When in reality, I put whole
foods in my blender, the only difference between my meal and theirs is I don’t have
to sit down to physically cut and chew it.

I stopped at home for lunch (initially planning a smoothie) when my stepmom made
a pit stop. Knowing I only have an hour and didn’t have anything unthawed, I
opened my fridge to see what our options for a quick meal were. I laughed as I said,
“Well I was going to have a smoothie, how do you feel about smoothie bowls?”
She gave me that, “I’m humored and not sure about you sometimes,” look that moms
everywhere have mastered but willingly agreed that it sounded “lovely.”

I was introduced to smoothie bowls a few months ago, I saw the meals highlighted
on both Pinterest and Instagram. I’ve tried several recipes I love but find that most
of my favorites happen on accident. Today was one of those accidents. You’ll have to
try it for yourself to believe me.

Smoothie Recipe:
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves 2 small bowls or one large bowl

Ingredients
½ Banana
1 Kiwi
½ Avocado
¾ c. Pineapple
½ Granny Smith Apple
½ c. Plain Greek Yogurt
½ c. Unsweetened Almond Milk (adjust as needed depending on consistency
preference)
1 tsp. Blue Agave Nectar (You could use honey if you don’t have this)
1 tsp. Maca Powder (optional) if you don’t know the health benefits Maca provides,
read this: http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/7-top- health-benefits- of-maca/

Directions 
Throw all of these ingredients into a blender, cover and hit the power button! (This
is truly the best part about giving smoothie recipes, no need to have step by step
instructions.)
Dump your smoothie into a bowl and top with whatever your feeling or you have on
hand. We used, the rest of our banana and kiwi but added some fresh raspberries,
walnuts and shredded coconut!
Comment below to give Sarah you’re feedback on it if you decide to give it a whirl,
and remember, a recipe is simply a reference—add or remove what you wish to
make it your own. 

Italian Anyone??? Easy Breakfast Option 

I should confess. I have a slight obsession with all things tomato and basil. It's funny because growing up I hated tomatoes. Since I transitioned to clean eating this has become one of my favorites. I put together this breakfast quiche option and skipped out on having a crust since I am gluten free. Turns out, I don't even miss the crust. The egg combo holds together well. I encourage you to give it a try. Especially if you are doing low carb or gluten free. 

Ingredients 

• ½ of a small onion diced 
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced up 
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes cut in half 
• ⅓ cup packed fresh basil, chopped
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella shredded 
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• ¾ cup milk 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a skillet cook chopped onions and garlic until tender. I used a bit of butter to help brown it. Once cooked, set aside.
In a large bowl combine eggs, egg whites, milk, salt and pepper. Wisk together.
Cut tomatoes in half. Add into the egg mixture.
Next add in the mozzarella cheese and basil.
Pour into a glass pie pan or round baking dish.
Top with salt and pepper, a bit of cheese and a few tomatoes for garnish.
Cook in the cover for 50 minutes uncovered.

Enjoy! Serves 6.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since going gluten free, we have been on a quest to find new things that we love and taste great. We had our first attempt at chocolate chip cookies recently and LOVED THEM! The almond flour gives it a delicious buttery taste unlike regular chocolate chip cookies. I actually got this recipe from the fixate cookbook and wanted to share it with all of you. The fixate cookbook has been my saving grace while I transitioned to gluten free because many of the recipes are already adapted to be gluten free. You can click here to check it out on my website. 

Ingredients 

3 cups almond flour

1 tsp. baking soda, gluten free

1/4 tsp. sea salt or Himalayan Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin organic coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey

1 large egg

2 large egg whites (1/4 cup)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions Preheat oven to 375Line two baking sheets with parchment paperCombine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set asideBeat oil and maple syrup in a large mixer bowl until creamy, approximately 4-5 minutesAdd egg, egg whites, and extract; beat additional 2 minutesAdd almond flour mixture and mix until blendedDrop rounded TBSP not prepared baking sheet. Flatten cookies with a spatula if desired. Bake approximately 14 minutes or until golden brown.Store in airtight container

Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Bowl

Ingredients

• Gluten free steel cut oats  - I like the Bob's Red Mill Brand
• Natural organic peanut butter
• Shredded coconut flakes 
• A few dark chocolate chips 
• Cinnamon 
• Peanuts (garnish) 

Directions 

• Cook oats according to package. 
• Once oats are cooked add in the following ingredients and stir:
• 1 tablespoon of natural PB 
• 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips 
• 1 teaspoon of coconut flakes 
• Dash of cinnamon 
• Once you stir all of this in place in a bowl and garnish with a bit more peanut butter drizzle and coconut flakes. Add 1 tablespoon peanuts for a garnish. 

ENJOY! 

Going Gluten Free? WHY?

My Quest To Be Gluten Free 

The messages have been flowing in this week to my inbox asking me about why I am going gluten free, how it is going and how I am feeling since I started. I figured since I put everything else out there, I might as well give an update and do some explaining! Lets start at the beginning. 

Last fall I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I spent the year on levothyroxine and things were regulating with my thyroid, but I still was feeling EXHUSTED, lethargic, moody and often times anxiety ridden for no reason. We still were experiencing infertility issues too.  I started to question what else was going on. I decided it was time to see an endocrinologist rather than just my PCP. It was then that we started to get to the bottom of why I was feeling so awful even though my labs said I was fine. 

The thing was, I wasn't fine. We first switched my medicine to synthroid and that helped a TON. The anxiety and exhaustion started to get a lot better, but I still didn't feel GREAT like I wanted to. This past January, I was gearing up for our first round of IUI. I had a doctor appointment at the fertility clinic in the morning and an appointment with the endo in the afternoon. We were all set to go ahead but my endo put the brakes on it because my labs were showing that something else was still not right. She was worried that the treatment would be a waste of time because my body didn't quite seem to be up for the challenge. It also was then that we discovered that my hypothyroidism was also Hashimotos disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. The ultrasound of my thyroid also showed that I had nodules that we would now need to watch. 

Getting ready for the insulin resistance test. So glad to have my hubby by my side. 

What concerned the endo the most was my cortisol levels in my labs. She wanted to do further testing before we went anywhere with the fertility treatments. An insulin resistance and adrenal test was scheduled for mid February. Man what a day that was. Talk about an exhausting process. The goal is to test your blood sugar several times over a period of time. They give you a large dose of insulin. What is supposed to happen is they drop your blood sugar levels basically in half (Mine started out at 86 and they got it down to 42 within 15 minutes of the test beginning) then your body reacts and fights it off. The thing is nobody showed up to the game for me. My blood sugar levels never really moved over the course of the six hours I was there. 

The test confirmed that many of my side effects I was having: night sweats, feeling like I was going to crash soon after eating anything, not being able to go very long without foods... the list goes on... were all pointing to the blood sugar issue. 

She recommended that I begin using metformin to regulate my blood sugar. She has was leaning towards me trying to go gluten free. With many of her Hashimotos patients she has encouraged them to go GF and they often began to feel much better. While it does not help EVERYONE, it has helped enough patients that she suggests I give it a try. She wants me to do a strict 3 month trail of gluten free. It was something that I had been reading about in many of my Hashimoto's books that I have been studying. I was considering the switch even before she made the suggestion. I began it this past week and am keeping a food journal to document what I am eating and how certain foods are making me feel. I really want to hold off on the metformin and give this a try before I move forward with any medicine. I go back to see her in May and am hoping I don't need the medicine. I did make a deal with her that I would reach out and ask for the medicine if I don't feel any better in the coming weeks/ months before I see her. I am hoping to get things regulated and am sticking to low carb/ high protein. I am eating six small meals each day. I also now have to use a gluclometer and track my sugar levels daily. I was not surprised with the diagnosis - I have a strong family history of both thyroid issues and also diabetes but I didn't expect it so early in life. 

The day after all of the tests, I needed to just stay home and take a day to myself to process everything. I truly believe it is okay to not be okay. We are human. Life is hard some days. Acknowledging that is necessary to move forward. 

I can't change the cards that I was dealt but I can change the way I decide to play the hand. I had my few days of having a pity party. I was sad, I was mad, I was bummed and quite honestly I was overwhelmed. Trying to deal with so much at once almost felt like too much all at once but I reminded myself that god only gives you which he thinks you can handle, so he must think I am a pretty strong women because I sure have been thrown a lot of curve balls lately. 

A few of my new gluten free foods I picked up at Trader Joes. They were AWESOME there. So helpful and made me feel less bummed about my new situation. 

I am treating it as a learning opportunity like I do everything else. Stay tuned for lots of gluten free recipes, reviews and updates as I journey thru this! I would love any tips or brand suggestions you might have! 

Taking on the new challenge - meal planning, reading GF books and beginning to use my food journal 

Thai Peanut Pasta

Rice Noodles For The Win... This Dinner Is Awesome!

We have been on a quest to change things up in our dinners since I began my journey with going gluten free. We have a meal plan chalked full with new recipes this week. This one was too great not to share. I loved how sweet it was. My husband was not a huge fan but it was a hit with my little one. He was surprised that pasta could taste like peanut butter ;) This one is very filling. You could include chicken with it but I left it out this time. 

Here is what you will need:

Ingredients

• 1 package of rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion, or regular onion
• 1 tablespoon of organic butter
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 2 tablespoons of organic chicken broth (or water), plus additional 1-2 tablespoons if needed (if the sauce is too thick).
• 3 tablespoons of crunchy organic peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos 
• 1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar (BRAGGS is a great brand) 
• 2 teaspoons organic pure maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha if you would like it to have a spicy flavor. I left it out for mine. 
• Use peanuts on top for a garnish 

Directions 
******Cook rice noodles according to package while working on sauce**********

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat sauté the onions in the butter until soft.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining ingredients- water, peanut butter,liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and Sriracha.
   
2. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil, then add your noodles and stir to coat, top peanuts.
   
3. Enjoy! 

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Not Your Momma's Oatmeal....

With my new Hashimoto's diagnosis, I have decided to take the plunge into going gluten free. My doctor is encouraging me to give it a solid three months and see how I feel. After reading the book "The Root Cause." I really began to feel more strongly about this decision. It seems like it should help me to feel significantly better. I have made a commitment to "go all in" for these next three months and then decide afterwards if I plan to continue it. I am keeping a food journal and paying careful attention to how I am feeling after I eat different foods. 

While I already eat pretty clean and low carb, I still would have pasta here and there and enjoyed a warm slice of fresh bread every once in awhile. I realize I am further ahead than many would be when it comes to going gluten free, but I still have my work cut out for me. 

When I was doing my meal plan for this coming week, I wanted to try some new recipes and this breakfast bowl was one of the first ones I went after. Here is how I made it: 

Ingredients 

Plain quinoa 

Pure maple syrup 

1/2 ripe banana 

Small handful of organic blackberries 

Natural peanut butter 

1 teaspoon of chia seeds 

Organic cinnamon 

Directions

Cook quinoa according to the package 

Once the water is absorbed add in 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of pure organic maple syrup. 

Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon into the mixture then stir 

Once you place the quinoa mixture into the bowl top with bananas, blackberries and chia seeds 

Drizzle natural peanut butter over the top and enjoy! 

If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of quinoa you can also check out this awesome article about the 7 benefits from including quinoa into your diet. Check here to check it out! 

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Apple Banana Gluten Free Muffins

Back To School Breakfast Idea

As I gear up for the school year I am getting back into the habit of packing lunches again. I not only have to pack lunches for my son and I but also breakfast since we are running out the door so quickly in the mornings. He eats his packed breakfast at school and I drink a Shakeology on the way. A few hours later I usually have my "breakfast" for the day. This week we are going to be enjoying these apple banana muffins. They were too healthy and yummy not to share! This recipe is actually out of the Fixate Cookbook! There are lots of other great recipes in there to check out! This cookbook is totally worth getting! Check out my site to get your own copy of this!

Ingredients
2 large organic brown eggs
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 tablespoon of organic butter
1 dash of pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
1 medium organic apple chopped into small bites
3/4 tsp of baking soda

Directions 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Line muffin tins - Mine made 10 muffins
Combine eggs, banana, vanilla and butter in a bowl and set aside
Comine almond flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in another bowl - set aside
Begin to combine the two mixtures together
Once combined add in apple pieces
I used a cookie scoop to portion the mixture out.
Cook for 18 minutes. Allow muffins to cook before enjoying

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

YUP... I did it - totally turned a head of cauliflower into a pizza crust. Tricked everyone! 

About to conquer this bad boy! 

I have been wanting to try this all the rage trend for quite some time now and decided this was the week I would give it a shot. My mission was to trick my two boys (my hubby and my son) into thinking this was the real deal and that it was just a new kind of pizza. Much to my surprise it totally worked. I never would have guessed it because my husband and my son are not fans of cauliflower. I remember looking at the giant head of cauliflower thinking there is no way in hell this will taste like a pizza but I went for it anyways. Fooled me that's for sure! I will say this was way more work than using regular pizza dough. It took me about an hour from start to finish to make this meal and I totally made a mess of my kitchen! Check out the recipe and be brave and give it a try! You might just be able to trick your family too! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 head (Small Head) Cauliflower - the one I used was a little big and I did not use all of it.
• ¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ teaspoons Pink Salt
• ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
• ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Egg - I like to use brown organic eggs.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

2. Wash cauliflower then trim the off the stems. I mostly just used the heads and left the stems.

3. Place into a food processor and pulse until it is fluffy like snow.

After I used the food processor this is what it looked like.

4. Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6 - 8 minutes depending on how hot your microwave gets.

5. Place the cauliflower into a dish towel and hold over the sink. Ring out the dish towel to remove all of the moisture from cauliflower. Be careful you need and oven mitt so you don't burn your hands. I know this step seems bizarre but I promise it works.

Removing out as much moisture as I could

6. Then place what’s left of the cauliflower into a bowl and mix with the egg, cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano and dried basil. Mix together with your hands.

Ingredients You Will Need

7. Roll into a firm ball and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza dish. A baking stone would be best but I did not have one.

8. Gradually flatten out the ball into a circle that looks like a pizza. Bake for just a few minutes until it looks golden.

Ready to bake

9. Take it out and top it like a pizza. I kept it simple and did sauce and cheese. 

10. Put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted. Remove allow to cool and enjoy!

All baked and ready to eat! 

This won't be as firm as regular pizza is so you will want to plan to eat this one with a fork. Give it a few minutes to cool before cutting it. I was too excited to try it and cut it a bit too soon!

 

Even though he does not look all that amused gave it a thumb's up!