These are the most delicious, homemade dog treats that your dog will ever taste! They are sugar-free, grain-free, and contain no artificial sweeteners whatsoever. Many of the items in these nutritious dog treats are healthy replacements or organic ingredients that provide extra nutrients and necessary fats for your dog. For example, both coconut oil and coconut flour are healthier substitutes for ... »
“I’m not a vegan but sometimes I cook like one.” These easy to make, light and airy cookies make a great breakfast or snack food. They fill you up and provide fiber, protein and a bunch of nutrients. They’re low in carbs and do not contain grain, butter, eggs or white sugar. HELLO! It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Chocolate Chip Chia Seed Cookies Recipe created by Cindy at Hom... »
Pickled watermelon rind adds a new twist to many a dish! This article gives you key tips for making the best watermelon pickles eva! !UPDATE I ate 3 of these jars alone last week – glad I gave away the others. ADDICTIVE! Most folks have never tried watermelon pickles – that’s why I love making them. Their kinda special. When you share a jar you’re sure to get smiles in retu... »
In my quest to make healthy lunchbox treats I created these flax seed-based coconut macaroons! They are barely sweet and my kids love them. This recipe makes about 108 small, 1-inch bites that fit into 3 canning jars (quart). If you want different flavored macaroons, after creating approximately 36 bites, add chocolate to the mix. Then make another 36 and add peanut butter to the rest for the fina... »
Why is it that sometimes the healthiest foods are the gassiest foods? Kale, kohlrabi, broccoli and Brussels sprouts should have warning labels – something like, “Eat too much of this and your jeans won’t fit.” or “Work up to a bowl full gradually.” or “Best not eaten on date night.” Here are two ways we eat kale at our house to lessen its impact lat... »
To candy orange, lemon and grapefruit peel, the trick is to boil the peels first to remove bitterness. This step is critical to create yummy, gourmet, bittersweet slivers. You’ll need: 4-5 grapefruits that have not been sprayed with chemicals. (OR 8-10 oranges, OR 10-12 lemons) 2.5 cups water 2 cups raw sugar 1/2 cup fine sugar for final coating One pot to boil the peels, make the syrup and ... »
Looking for a new way to use your herbs? A fresh take on pesto? Something you can serve with pasta, crusty bread, salad or all those wonderful heirloom tomatoes? Try this nutty pesto recipe with a more complex flavor profile. I threw these ingredients in a blender as an experiment and boy was I pleased with the results! The ratios looked like this: ~Overflowing handful of basil leaves (I used ge... »
“Keen-wa” is easy to cook! Prepare it like rice. Vegetable broth or stock of some kind in place of water enhances its nutty flavor significantly. It needs to be rinsed before you do anything with it otherwise it will have a residue that gives it a bitter taste. Wouldn’t that be the worst? Feeding your kids a disgusting glob of bitterness and then they have baggage for life and ma... »
Some of the best birthday and father’s days end up being the most simple. Instead of buying him gadgets and trinkets to store on the shelf we executed an idea from one of the kids: “Let’s each make a fruit salad for Dad!” The littlest made a king’s crown. The oldest made a peacock in front of a sun. She’s been studying peacocks and the year before got ‘Mo... »
This season I’ll be experimenting with candied pumpkin rind! I’ll post my results soon. Also see my other post that shows you pictures and tips for 11 Fun Pumpkins and Winter Squash. Learn which ones are best for carving, cooking and decor. Use the entire pumpkin! Well, everything except the stem. No recipe for that yet : ) We had a few pumpkins that weren’t quite ready for carv... »
Don’t let those male flowers shrivel up before you have a chance to convert them into a gourmet treat! The farmers market had beautiful, huge squash blossoms for sale but they were $4 each – so I passed. That same day I took a walk to my community garden bed and saw that my pumpkins had taken off and there were tons of male blossoms open. I already had several baby pumpkin fruits start... »
It’s fun to rev up traditional recipes and this one for zucchini bread gets a health boost from flax seed and other natural ingredients, plus a pleasant kick in the zuke from dark chocolate. When they were little, my daughters loved bringing zucchini to our neighbors. Now that they’re playing sports competitively and growing up fast, they eat it up before I can offer it to our friends.... »
Let these ‘in your face’ ginger cookies snap back at you! Lots of ginger and spices leave an impression you won’t forget. Not passed down from Grandma (we love you Grammy), we used olive oil instead of butter and organic ingredients including flaxseed to make them even more healthy and satisfying. Takes 15 minutes to mix and 15 minutes to bake. Easy to make and the dough does not... »
A crunchy, satisfying snack food that’s got plenty of vitamin B-6, protein and fiber. More often than not, our kids don’t get enough protein to ward off hunger, repair damaged tissues and build new cells – basically to grow up healthy. Here’s the simplest recipe on earth for a healthy, crunchy snack baked at home that appeals to adults and kids. Roasted Chickpeas If more th... »
Herbs are fun to experiment with and we hit a home run with these homemade pretzels. Click here for a printable recipe using no herbs. Makes 16-24 pretzels, several pretzel sticks and a dozen small pretzel bites GO AHEAD, FREEZE THE DOUGH! You can freeze or refrigerate the dough. If this recipe is too much for you, freeze a good-sized ball of dough for up to 3 months or place it in the refrigerat... »
Bake your favorite cupcakes. Use school colors for the icing on top. For the graduation cap, use mini peanut butter cups. Small graham cracker squares (you may have to trim a rectangular piece) make a nice top. Mini chocolate candies resemble a button and for the tassel use spaghetti-sized licorice or sour rope. Huge hit with my kids and their classes! Now I’m determined to make the healthy ... »
When I can’t get my favorite scones from Petite Madeline Bakery in Oceanside, CA, I resort to a good alternative. Chopped fresh borage leaves melded perfectly with lemon zest for a light and moist scone combining mild cucumber and citrus flavors. We discovered Fresh & Easy’s English-Style Scone Mix. It has no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. What a relaxing morning, en... »
Our “recipic” for Herbed Blue Hake highlights how ground mustard seed and peppercorns are combined with lavender, thyme, onion, garlic and olive oil to produce a highly aromatic herb mixture that will entice everyone to join you in the kitchen the minute it starts baking! TIPS: Create a tight fit for your fish in a foil covered pan. This will help contain the sauce over the fish while ... »
