sugar-free hot cocoa

<<< sugar-free hot cocoa >>>

three simple ingredients

vanilla milk

silk light vanilla soy milk

+

unsweetened cocoa powder

trader joe's

+

stevia

stevia in the raw

Usually I don't promote all those darn "sugar-free" drinks and foods. They trick everyone into thinking they are healthy and going to help with fitness and weight loss goals, but we all know it's a load of poop. They are typically filled with artificial sweeteners and chemicals, but my dear little Stevia (if found in the right natural/raw form) is something I've grown quite fond of for an occasional sweet treat. 

I have read a lot about how raw and unsweetened cocoa powder is FILLED with amazing health benefits for your heart, immune system, and so much more. But when paired with loads of sugar and bad fats, it almost counter-acts all the good elements of the cocoa powder. My version of hot cocoa is a great way to get a good dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from cocoa without the sugar spike!

Try this method out and mess around with the ingredient ratios until you find your perfect combination! I use 1:1 ratio of milk to water, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, and 1 packet stevia. I like mine a little more "dark chocolatey"... 

lighter sesame chicken

lighter sesame chicken 

{the anti take-out}

4 small servings or 2-3 large servings

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 garlic cloves, minced (or grated)

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 2-inch chunks 

Coarse salt and pepper

Cooking spray

4-6 cups broccoli florets, steamed (for serving)

Brown rice, cooked (for serving)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds and garlic to make the sauce.  Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, stir egg whites and cornstarch with a fork until combined. Add chicken and season with a dash of salt and pepper.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high and spray with cooking spray.  Add chicken and cook for 10-12 or until fully cooked and golden brown (Do not overcrowd the chicken when cooking. Depending on your pan size, chicken may need to be cooked in batches).

4. Add chicken to sauce mixture and serve with broccoli florets and brown rice. 

pom pistachio feta salad

{pom pistachio feta} salad

my new favorite salad brought to you by the most beautiful fruit of this season

Ingredients:
-pomegranate arils
-pistachios (shelled and coarsely chopped)
-crumbled feta cheese
-fresh spinach or mixed greens
Dressing: balsamic vinegar {i love vinegar} or Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

I found the EASIEST way to deseed a pomegranate thanks to Blendtec Blog

How-To { KEFIR }

K E F I R

Don't get scared and nervous by the idea that kefir is a fermented milk drink made by combining kefir grains with milk. We eat many foods that have been through the fermentation process (yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, and kimchi) so don't run away from the kefir! People dating all the way back to Marco Polo documented making and using kefir.

Benefits:

-natural protein

-calcium

-live, active cultures and probiotics to improve digestion, remove toxins, boosts immunity, etc.

-the grains thrive on lactose in the milk, which allows the finished product to be 99% lactose free after the kefir eats it all up! (for those of us lactose intolerants)

-lots, lots, lots more!

above: my kefir grains

How To:

1.combine kefir grains (about 2 tablespoons) and milk (about 2 cups)

2.let stand in covered jar (give a little shake every few hours to keep kefir and milk completely combined. this is not neccessary, but helps) at room temperature until the milk thickens and sours (go ahead, smell it! haha).

3.strain the kefir milk from the grains, reserving the grains

4.add the grains to fresh milk and refrigerate kefir milk until you use it!

REPEAT AGAIN AND AGAIN

The kefir grains will use the lactose from the milk to "multiply and replenish" so after a while you can split your grains in half and donate them to another household and keep the cycle going and share the blessing of a healthy happy tummy and body:)

Kefir has a very distinct tangy flavor that I wasn't very sure about at first, but now I am used to it and have found great ways to use it. Here are a few suggested uses:

Fruit smoothies

Green smoothies

Fruit and granola parfaits

recipe: Whole Wheat Kefir Pancakes

recipe: Sourdough Kefir Bread

recipe: Whole Grain Kefir Banana Bread

Research any questions you have about caring for your kefir and the best way to use it. I got a lot of my beginners information from Real Food, My Way