Sprouted Bean Dip(s)

I bought this package of beans at costco yesterday and I've been thinking of a way that I wanted to try it out.  I've been craving hummus lately so I thought I would whip up a batch of bean dip.  I used 2 cups of beans and 6 cups of water, followed the directions on the bag and then couldn't decide how I wanted to make the dip.  So I Googled healthy bean dip recipe and found this one..

Super Healthy Bean Dip

submitted by Katherine Lawrence of www.plantbasedhealth.com

This bean dip is packed with fiber, calcium, protein, iron and vitamins A and C.  The flavor of the spinach is masked by the salsa and cumin, so it a great way to add nutrition to a delicious snack.

1 1/2 c. cooked Black Beans

1 c. Spinach

3/4 c. Salsa

1 t. Cumin

Pinch of Salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Serve with vegetable pieces or homemade baked tortilla strips.

However I didn't have cumin so I added a tbsp of Tahini *(because I was looking for something a little creamier)

The next recipe I just played around with creating something that looked and tastes like hummus but I used some tofu and greek yogourt to really boost the protein content.

 Bean dip that looks like hummus
2 1/2 cups beans
1/2 cup greek yogourt
1/2 cup firm tofu (get the kind that is non GMO and possibly organic if you can)
1 tbsp tahini
3 cloves of garlic (that was boiled in the water with the beans- to soften up the flavour)
1 small sauteed onion (to release the sugars)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
a tiny splash of lemon juice

a couple of shakes of curry powder, garlic powder and chili powder (for a little kick) - or any spice YOU like!

 I am going to be packing this as my mid-morning snack with a bag full of celery and snap peas!!! For a pumped up clean snack!

Clean out the fridge Roasted Veg. Soup

We had so much stuff in our fridge from the final garden clean out: carrots (regular and heirloom), celery, leaks, potatoes and I didn't want any of it to go to waste so today I got out the cutting board and went to town.  I decided roasting the veggies would really bring out some intense flavour *mostly the sweetness* since I can't seem to get enough natural sugars in my day!  Here are the pictures of the process.  The quantities are not really important because anyone can clean out their fridge and cold cellar to make soup. 

While the roasted veggies were finishing up, I sauteed the left over sunday brunch bacon with the leaks.  Ohhh the smell ....

I added a bit of pumpkin (in the measuring cup), I only used about a 1/4 of the measuring cup- Thyme from my garden and the celery.

Roasted veggies, cut into big chunks, coated in olive oil and some herbs (basil and oregano), oven at 400F for 45minutes

Add these to the pot with some no salt added broth and water.

I added chick peas for some extra protein, I let this boil on Med for 25 minutes.

Puree and serve!

Because having a baby isn't enough...

You would think, having a baby, dealing with sleep issues, evil engorgement, cranky 5 year old, and a two year old is enough....  well I'm here to tell you NOPE!  Not enough, last night I spiked a fever... I've been to the Dr's and it's confirmed I now have mastitis...  bloody hell!  However it's one of those things that knock you on your behind but you have to get right back up.

My kids have been bugging me to make rice crispies with the Christmas coloured ones so today I finally threw in the towel and used real marshmallows to make them...but alas they aren't your typical rice crispy squares... I've beefed them up a bit!  

 I used coconut oil rather than butter, I added chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, dried fruits and shredded coconut.  My motto is, you've got yourself a blank slate with this recipe (or any rice crispy recipe) why wouldn't you add to it!  Well it also helps that my kids think chia seeds are like sprinkles :D

OMG GF VG NF DF... cookies!!!!! LOL

 

These really are that good!!!!  Ok so let me tell you, no dairy, no gluten, no nuts (unless you count coconut as a nut???  I'm not sure) and very very little sugar!  I used a slightly sweetened protein powder.  (veg based with stevia_ again not my favorite sweetener... but we gotta make sacrifices sometimes).  I can't wait for you to read the ingredient list... these are SO HEALTHY!!!! and you can send them to school with your little ones.  (unless coconut is against the rules???)  Anyways I made this up and I baked the recipe two days in a row because my kids loved them so much!  So this recipe is tested and works. 


Ingredients:
1/4 c. coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup (or agave)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2  c. veg based protein powder (slightly sweetened) - or what ever you have as protein powder
1/2 c. arrowroot flour
1/4 c. tapioca starch
1/4 c. flax seeds
1/4 c. ground flax meal
2 tbsp water
a few chocolate chips

Directions:

1) preheat oven to 350F
2) grind seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) to make a powder texture
3) melt coconut oil, add maple syrup and vanilla (mix well)
4) add all dry ingredients to this wet mixture (including the seed powder)
5) add the water at the end to help combine mixture and get a crumbly texture that forms a ball.
6) make into 1" balls and flatten out, add a chocolate chip (if you want)
7) bake for 15 minutes

coconut oil comes in a solid form, melt it slowly to create a liquid

seed powder

Looks crumbly but forms a ball... and tastes SOOO GOOD RAW!!! 

How amazing is it that these are PACKED with omega's, protein, fibre and low in sugar!  WOOHOO...  you can feel good about munching on these at your 3pm snack!

Bringing home baby rant...

It's been a while since I had a good old fashioned rant... So here goes. 

People asked me why I went to the gym so soon (today I did body Flow at Goodlife), they say I'm inspirational...  ah bleh...  I am not inspirational, I am in survival mode and when you are in a situation that you have very little control over you do anything that brings about the feel of normality.  I can't control how much sleep I'm getting, or my overwhelming emotions due to lack of sleep or extra hormones, how engorged I'll get,  I can't control my kids moods or how they feel...

But I can control the food I eat and the physical activity I get.  Endorphins are my friends...  I really need to watch out for baby blues, or postpartum mood disorder (not to be confused with depression)...  I've already had a few panic attacks (when I think Patrick - the 2 year old- is unsupervised near the baby (while I'm going to the washroom for a few minutes) and anxiety about clutter, since bringing baby Ellie-Lynne home from the hospital I have donated about 10 garbage bags of stuff to the salvation army.  Now if you think nursing is all roses and bonding... think again... engorgement is like a right of passage into motherhood, but let me tell you, it freakin sucks!!!  Imagine the pain and discomfort of turning kiwi's into cantaloupe melon's... searing, blinding pain...  Don't touch me!!!  don't hug me!!! don't even think about "liking my giant sized breasts!!!" 

Nothing like motherhood to un-leach the super bitch within...  mother bear syndrome?  Who knows, it's like 0 to 60 in nanoseconds. "YOU WHAT???"  spilled milk... smashed the toy on the wall and made a new dent in the paint...hit your brother/sister, left a dish on the carpet stairs going to the bedroom....painted with the yogourt...  ugh...  Who knows what might set me off... 

Relaxxxxxx  "that's what you say".  I relax when everyone is tucked into bed and sleeping soundly.  That's about it, even then, I've always got an ear listening for puking or crying. 

Also as I've been writing this I've been helping the baby with her hour long poop before bed.  It's 11.. she's fussy but as long as she gets all the gas out she will have a wonderfully long sleep.  Super swaddled and listening to white noise on the ipod. 

Ellie-Lynne's First play date

Thanks to a wonderful friend here are some super cute pictures of my daughters.  Ellie-Lynne is 6 days old in these shots. 

Happy Birthday Ellie-Lynne

Ellie-Lynne was born November 12th at 2:12 AM.  She weighed in at 7lbs14oz.  The birth was amazing. If you don't want to read the story just skip to the pictures!

I was in early labour Friday as I read a magazine at Starbucks getting free refills on coffee and ice tea's.  And as I got a pedicure my contractions, not yet painful, just annoying were about 10 minutes apart.  I got home had a late lunch and chatted on the computer.  I had diner as usual with the family, took a walk to the Longo's near our house and got Starbucks, here someone from the store asked how I was doing and I said "oh I'm in labour, it's not bad every 10 minutes" just out walking to help!  I guess the man behind me heard and offered to pay for my drink "you'll need it!" he had a baby in a bucket!  He was bang on!  I would need it!

I got home and started to keep better track because they seem to be getting closer together, Mark found an ipod app: contraction calculator.  I had a bath and called my midwifes when they were about 6-7 minutes apart.  Normally they would have come to the house for an assessment but since they were already at the hospital they told me to meet them there.  Ok well by the time I had gotten dressed and was ready to leave they were now 4 minutes apart and getting closer.

  We made it to the hospital around 9:45 (Mark had put the kids to bed and we had a friend over to babysit).  I had gotten it in my head that I wanted a baby 11.11.11, so tub, swaying and finally nitrous gas later and it was 11:45 and I still hadn't dilated much past 5 cm.  I threw in the towel, this baby was not going to be born on the coolest day of the year! I decided to ask for an epidural, and wouldn't you know he was in surgery!!!

So more gas and many many contractions later he finally showed up (like GOD walking into the room) I was now almost 8cm, but didn't care!  Got the epidural at a little past 1AM and was ready to push at around 2 AM.

I didn't do much to be honest, Mark even noticed that it looked like she was trying to kick her way out.  It was an amazing experience, my body did the work!  all the work!   Her head popped out and she started to cry... then plop she was on me and nursing within minutes.  I was up and walking to the washroom about half an hour later!  They had a private room available (otherwise I would have just gone home), so they set me up and here are the pictures of her birthday when my family came to visit! 

Baby Girl outfit DONE!!!!

I am really proud of this.  It was a 6 page printout pattern and I looked up what I didn't know how to do.  I finished before the baby got here.  Now I have time to knit up Annaliese a pair of pink and purple mittens. 

GF chocolate spinach and cranberry muffins

Moist and delicious and stupid healthy!  But since it was my friend Jen's birthday I added a bit more agave(sugar) than I would normally!

Ingredients:
- 2 ripe banana's
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c ground flax seeds
- 1/3 or 1/2 c agave
- 3 heaping tbsp of cocoa powder
- two handfuls of baby spinash
- 1/2 c (ish) unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 c (ish) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
- 1 1/3 c brown rice flour
- 1/3 c tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- a small handful of chocolate chips
- as many cranberries as you want (if you want)

With a hand mixer combine, ripe banana's, eggs, flax meal.

In the bullet (or blender) add spinach, milk and apple sauce. (blend until you can't really see spinach pieces)

Mix the wet ingredients together.

Still using mixer add agave and cocoa powder.

Combine dry ingredients (rice flour, tapioca starch, baking soda and baking powder)

MIX it really well! 

Add chocolate chips and cranberries (mine were frozen).

Place in oven at 350F for 23-25 minutes.

 Enjoy!  and know that you haven't added any unhealthy oil (because you are using ground flax,banana's, apple sauce and spinach as your moisture).  The sugar content is relatively low and the flavour is still good.  My kids each ate 3 before school.

Tip:  GF baked goods are really only good the day they are made.  Freeze them if you plan on keeping them around.

When the almost 4 year old takes pictures

Ok I admit I was too lazy too go downstairs to see his finished puzzle so I sent him with the camera.  What a hoot when I actually saw the pictures. 

Not bad eh? 

Ha ha, evidence that we are behind on our laundry!   (thanks for the reminder Luke!)

...

Yup it works!    (this made my heart melt)

Luke taking a picture of Patrick trying to re-build the silly eraser puzzles I bought...  (I didn't know they would come apart into a million pieces)

Yayyy!  the roof on the barn!  (Isn't it cute how Patrick has to sit on Luke finished puzzle)

The way out!