Warm yourself up with this yummy Mulling spice mix

Hot Mulled Spice Mix 


This is a unique blend of spices with an Asian flare that is great to warm you up on these cold nights. These spices also aids in digestion. It is an attractive mix that is great to package up and give as gifts.


MULLED SPICE MIX Formula:

2 c. whole allspice berries
2 c. whole coriander seeds
2 c. 3-inch cinnamon stick pieces
1 c. whole cloves
1 c. dried organic orange peel
1 c. whole star anise, optional
1 c. dried lemongrass, optional
1 c. dried mint, optional
1/2 c. whole anise seeds (or whole fennel seeds)

Mix and seal air-tight.

To use:

In a crock pot or a large pot on the stove, place 2 heaping tablespoons of the spice mix into 1/2 gallon apple cider or other juice of choice and gently heat, letting the spices infuse into the liquid for at least 45 minutes. Letting it gently simmer on the stove for a few hours makes your house smell wonderful and lets more of the spice's flavor out.

Variation:

I like to make a very concentrated infusion of the spice mix and purified water, letting it simmer, covered for at least 60 minutes. Strain before adding to a beverage.

I Then make an herbal tea of rooibose, honeybush, or raspberry leaves... I mix in a little of the concentrated spice infusion to taste, and sweeten with a few drops of stevia glycerite (recipe on this blog). This way, I avoid the sugar from the fruit juice.

Store the extra spice concentrate in the fridge (leaving the whole spices in it until serving). then it's ready for us when we want it.


Enjoy,

Leila

A zippy sugar-free 3-bean salad recipe (no artificial sweeteners)

Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad

Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad

This has been a favorite salad of mine since I was a child. My aunt made this salad using regular granulated white sugar. It is really good but I wanted to create a version that does not use sugar. I also use a fresh, healthy oil instead of canola, soy, peanut, or corn oil.

Making this salad yourself is really easy, and now you can control the sugar content.  It never is as good in restaurants as when homemade anyway, have you noticed that?

I like to make and have on hand a sugar-free sweetener blend of 50% erythritol and 50% xylitol, which is conveniently used here. Just store in your pantry for quick access.


Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad Recipe:

1 pint (1 lb) canned green beans
1 pint (1 lb) canned wax beans
1 1/2 c. freshly cooked dried red kidney beans (or 1 can drained and rinsed)
1/2 c. chopped green or red bell pepper
1 very large onion, thinly ringed
3/4 c. erythritol/xylitol blend (mix both granular sweeteners at a 50/50 ratio)
1 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. very light olive oil
1 1/2 t. sea salt or BioSalt (recipe on this blog)
fresh ground pepper, to taste (40 grinds)


Method:

Drain beans and combine with green pepper and onion.

Combine sugar-free sweetener, vinegar, salt, and ground pepper and mix until sweetener is completely dissolved  (I recommend heating the vinegar mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stirring well and then heating another 30 seconds, and stir again, to help it dissolve).

Add the oil to the vinegar mixture, mix and pour over the vegetables.

Toss well. Chill overnight. Toss again before serving to coat well.


Note: For a variation use garbanzo beans.


Enjoy,

Leila



UPDATE:

I changed the dressing to cut back on the amount of erythritol and xylitol called for. I also varied the vegies used.

Cutting back on the sugar-free sweeteners used saves you money. Plus adding a bit of stevia glycerite to the mix, makes the sweetening blend more synergistic and sugar-like in taste. Trust me, you won't miss the sugar here at all in this recipe!

I used all green beans because I frequently do not have yellow wax beans just hangin' around. The yellow wax beans are my favorite part of the salad though. I used yellow bell pepper for color and for the milder flavor they have. I used both kidney beans and garbanzo beans for more color variety and nutritional purposes. I think this recipe would work fine using fresh green beans too, blanching them first would probably be best.

Do which ever variation you want, they are both good!

Alternate Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad Recipe:

1 50-ounce can (3 lb 2 ounces) canned green beans
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 very large onion, thinly ringed
1/4 c. erythritol (Lakanto's sweetener is also great)
1/4 c. xylitol
1/4 t. NOW brand stevia glycerite (or homemade stevia glycerite recipe on this blog)
1 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. very light olive oil
1 1/2 t. sea salt or BioSalt (recipe on this blog)
fresh ground pepper, to taste (40 grinds)


Method:

Drain beans and combine with yellow bell pepper and onion.

Combine sugar-free sweetener, vinegar, salt, and ground pepper and mix until sweetener is completely dissolved (I recommend heating the vinegar mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stirring well and then heating another 30 seconds, and stir again, to help it dissolve).

Add the oil to the vinegar mixture, mix and pour over the vegetables.

Toss well. Chill overnight. Toss again before serving to coat well.


ENJOY!

Mixing the sugar-free dressing.

Three-Bean Salad before tossing together.

Tossed  Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad - Ready to marinate.

Variation with thawed frozen green beans.

2nd UPDATE:

Here is another option for you. I changed the dressing again, to lower the amount of erythritol and xylitol called for.

I cut back even further the amount of erythritol and xylitol used in the dressing. Doing this cuts down on the possible effects of consuming sugar alcohols. Xylitol, cool as it is, sometimes gives some people a bit of gastric distress. Erythritol is the gut-friendliest of the sugar alcohols, which is great to know. Sugar alcohols are also more expensive than regular white cane sugar, as I'm sure you've noticed.

I chose to add some food-grade vegetable glycerine to the mix. It is naturally sweet, sugar free, affordable, and has a warming effect, which nicely counteracts the cooling effects of the erythritol and xylitol. Vegetable glycerine also gives a nice syrupy glossiness to this salad dressing.

I still add a touch of stevia glycerite. Just so you know, when you blend these sweeteners, they act synergisticly with each other, enhancing each others sweetness. The result is that when combined they taste more like real sugar. And your gut is happier too.

The salad still tastes great with these new adjustments. You can choose any of these dressing variations, they are all good.

As far as the vegetables go, I used a red bell pepper this time. and I think I prefer slightly less onion, So I used a med-large red onion instead of an extra large onion.

So I'm just giving you another option for making this salad, Your'e welcome :)


2nd Alternate Sugar-Free Three Bean Salad Recipe:

1 50-ounce can (3 lb 2 ounces) canned green beans
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium-large red onion, thinly ringed
1/4 c. food grade vegetable glycerine
2 T. erythritol
2 T. xylitol
1/4 t. NOW brand stevia glycerite (or homemade stevia glycerite recipe on this blog)
1 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. very light olive oil
1 1/2 t. sea salt or BioSalt (recipe on this blog)
fresh ground pepper, to taste (40 grinds)


Method:

Drain beans and combine with yellow bell pepper and onion.

Combine sugar-free sweeteners, vinegar, salt, and ground pepper and mix until sweetener is completely dissolved (I recommend heating the vinegar mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stirring well and then heating another 30 seconds, and stir again, to help it dissolve).

Add the oil to the vinegar mixture, mix and pour over the vegetables.

Toss well. Chill overnight. Toss again before serving to coat well.


TIP: I like to add 1/2 tsp. Psyllium Husk Powder to the dressing to slightly thicken it.


Enjoy!

Author, Leila.

Make your own Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Clusters

Dark Chocolate Almond Cherry Clusters

We bought these at Costco and loved them. They are very easy to make yourself. I like portioning them out with a mini cookie scoop, they look professionally made that way.

Enjoy the benefits of the antioxidants and protein packed in these little babies.


Almond Cherry Clusters Recipe:

16 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate (like a 72%)
8 to 10 ounces dry-roasted whole almonds (salted is o.k.)
8 to 10 ounces dried TART cherries


Method:

Melt and temper the chocolate.
Stir in the almonds and cherries.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto parchment or silicone lined cookie sheets.
Cool in the fridge, in front of a fan, or outside if its cool.
Store airtight once set up.

Makes 2 cookie sheetfuls.

Note: To save money, alter the ratio of almonds to the cherries, to cut costs.
ie. 16-oz chocolate, 12-oz almonds, 8-oz cherries, works well.


Enjoy!

Leila

Living Oat Cereal - Try this for breakfast

Sprouted Raw Oat Cereal

This is definitely different than cooked oatmeal but it has it's own charm. Sprouted oats have the advantage of being very digestible. It is a great idea to consume more raw foods, especially sprouts, the cute little power houses that they are.

Chia seeds are all the rage now. You could add a couple teaspoons of chia, and if it sat a while, it would thicken your cereal.

Be brave. try this living cereal.


Sprouted Oat Cereal recipe:

1 c. oat sprouts
2 T. soaked sunflower seeds ("C" Soaked Sunnies - recipe on this blog)
2 T. organic raisins
1/2 c. chopped fresh fruits (like apple, banana, peach, strawberries, Mixed berries)
Almond milk or coconut milk (there are 2 almond milk recipes on this blog)


Method:

How to sprout whole hulled oats: Soak a desired amount of oats in water overnight in a sprouting jar. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Let it continue to drain while placed in your dish-drain angled down on it's side.

Rinse and drain the oats 3 times a day until they just begin to sprout. Drain well and store in your refrigerator until use.


To make 1 serving:

Portion 1 c. sprouted oats in a serving bowl
Top with soaked sunflower seeds, raisins, and fruit of choice.

Pour desired milk over and serve.


Note; Find gluten-free organic oats if that is a concern for you.

Oat Sprouts

Enjoy,

Leila

Alive Sprouted Seed Bread Recipe

Alive Sprouted Seed & Wheat Bread

This is my favorite version of  the 3 sprouted wheat bread recipes on this blog. I love them all though. Again, I slice it up and slather it with organic salted butter. I don;t know how this bread would fair in a toaster, I don;t think too well, but it doesn't need it anyway.

There is much nutritional value in soaking the seeds before adding to the sprouted wheat dough. It removes the enzyme inhibitors that all seeds have and then wakes the seeds up and makes them much more nutritious and bio-available to your body. Cool.

I soak the seeds on baking day, and time it so that they are ready.


ALIVE SPROUTED SEED & WHEAT BREAD Recipe:

2 c. red winter wheat
1/2 c. raw hulled sunflower seeds
4 T. sesame seeds (preferably the brown un-hulled)
2 T. poppy seeds
1 to 2 T. caraway seeds
2 T. flax seeds


Method:

Soak the wheat 6 to 8 hours. Drain then rinse and drain well. Rinse and drain 3 times a day for 3 days.

When the sprout is as long as the wheat berry, drain and let the sprouts dry 3 to 6 hours before grinding (wet sprouts do not grind up as well).

Soak All the seeds except for the flax seeds for 4 hours in purified water. Drain the soaked seeds and let air-dry for 3 to 6 hours. Set aside.

Grind the wheat sprouts in a food processor, wheat-grass juicer or meat grinder. Grind to a smooth paste. Grind a second time if it is lumpy, coarse or chunky, or the bread won't work out as well.

Add the flax seeds and the soaked air-dried seed mixture to the ground wheat sprouts. Mix
until uniformly blended in.

Form the dough. With clean, oiled hands, knead the dough, folding it into itself several times. This will spread the gluten and help the bread stick together and rise better. OR You can go strait to shaping the loaves before popping them into the oven. Form balls of dough about 3-inches in diameter (you should get from 2 to 4 loaves).

Prepare a flat baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper that has been oiled with coconut oil. This bread really sticks!

Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet. You can dust the prepared baking sheet first with sesame seeds or organic corn meal to help prevent sticking.

Now flatten and form each each dough ball to a height of about 1 1/2-inches and a diameter of about 4 to 5-inches.

Bake in a preheated 250 degree oven on the middle shelf for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. My mom bakes this bread at 200 degrees for 5 to 6 hours. choose which ever way you desire. You do not want gummy centers, too high a heat leaves it gummy inside and dries out the crust too much. This bread should be moist like brownies.



Enjoy,

Leila

Alive Sprouted Wheat Bread

This recipe is very similar to the Essene Raisin Bread recipe on this blog. Try this Alive Sprouted Bread if you don't care for raisins. It is wonderful slathered with salted organic butter. Do store this moist bread in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.

Sprouted wheat is much healthier for you than just regular whole wheat flour, however, this is not a gluten-free recipe.


ALIVE SPROUTED WHEAT BREAD Recipe:

2 c. organic red winter wheat

Soak the wheat 6 to 8 hours. drain then rinse and drain well. Rinse and drain 3 times a day for 3 days.
When the sprout is as long as the wheat berry, drain and let the sprouts dry 3 to 6 hours before grinding (wet sprouts do not grind up as well).

Grind the wheat sprouts in a food processor, wheat-grass juicer or meat grinder. Grind to a smooth paste. Grind a second time if it is lumpy, coarse or chunky, or the bread won't work out as well.

Form the dough. With clean, oiled hands, knead the dough, folding it into itself several times. This will spread the gluten and help the bread stick together and rise better. OR You can go strait to shaping the loaves before popping them into the oven. Form balls of dough about 3-inches in diameter (you should get from 2 to 4 loaves).

Prepare a flat baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper that has been oiled with coconut oil. This bread really sticks!

Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet. You can dust the prepared baking sheet first with sesame seeds or organic corn meal to help prevent sticking.

Now flatten and form each each dough ball to a height of about 1 1/2-inches and a diameter of about 4 to 5-inches.

Bake in a preheated 250 degree oven on the middle shelf for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. My mom bakes this bread at 200 degrees for 5 to 6 hours. choose which ever way you desire. You do not want gummy centers, too high a heat leaves it gummy inside and dries out the crust too much. This bread should be moist like brownies.


Note: For a tastier bread, you can add chopped dates, chopped nuts, raisins, nut butters, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla, etc... Just mix thoroughly into the ground sprouted wheat.


Enjoy,

Leila

Make your own healthy protein powder drink mix - it's easy!

Vanilla Protein Powder Formula #1 (Multi-Protein Blend)

Almost every time I turn a package of protein powder around to read the ingredient list, I am VERY disappointed. I see lots of artificial sweeteners (aspartame, Sucralose, Acesulfame-K), or they use fructose, high-fructose corn syrup solids, and real sugar, which is an improvement compared to the artificial sweeteners most use. If the commercially prepared protein powder is flavored, it is usually with artificial flavoring, and sometimes artificial coloring too.

Plain protein powder has it's disadvantages too. It usually tastes yucky on it's own, it's gritty and makes a thin, unappealing beverage. You can doctor plain protein powder up with flavorings, sweeteners, fibers & gums, fruits, and on and on - where's the time savings in that?

I wanted a fast protein drink mix that I can take on the road. One that isn't gacky. I want to be able to just dump some in a shaker jar with cold water and go.

I created this formula back in 2010, with ingredients that are easy to find (if you go to a health food store). This is my first attempt,at making a vanilla protein drink mix and it is pretty good. There will be more protein drink mix formulas added in the future (think chocolate)...

Soy and rice protein have more grit to them than whey protein does, just so you know. Egg white protein powder is very smooth and disappears in liquids nicely, not leaving a weird taste behind, so I like using it. I would try a high quality whey protein isolate if you don't have issues with dairy. there are even some that are now lactose-free. I do like to use different types of proteins to widen the range of absorption time (quick-acting and slow-release) so that it stays with me longer. That's one reason for the added fibers too, plus the fibers thicken the drink slightly.

Warning: Hemp protein and most pea protein is really gacky. Hemp is especially healthy - and gacky.

An added note about protein: I feel it is a good idea to change the type of proteins you use frequently. This lowers your chances of you body deciding it's had enough of 1 type of protein, and start reacting negatively to it.

A lovely idea would be to add a couple drops of pure vanilla essential oil to the premix as you are blending it well in the blender to disperse it. It is an expensive oil though. You might also try the Sucre Vanillé Recipe that I have on this blog, in place of the plain xylitol and erythritol.

The point is, enjoy having a better protein drink choice and experiment with this formula! Let me know what works for you.


Benefits Of My Protein Formula:

Good for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels
Contains fibers and probiotics (inulin and psyllium)
Contains plant-based sugar-free sweeteners (xylitol, erythritol, and stevia)
Customization ability with the protein formula
Calcium and magnesium enriched
Contains benefits of coconut
Contains natural flavoring
The lecithin improves fat digestion
Chemical sweetener free
No unwanted additives
The salt is a beneficial mineral salt
Gluten-free

PLUS, you can change the types of protein powder you use, to your liking (vegan, egg or soy-free).



VANILLA PROTEIN POWDER Recipe:

8 ounces plain unsweetened fermented soy isolate powder
4 ounces plain unsweetened brown rice protein powder
4 ounces plain unsweetened egg white protein powder
0.50 ounce coconut milk powder
56 grams xylitol
56 grams erythritol (Lakanto erythritol is a great choice)
40 grams vanilla powder
20 grams Inulin powder
2 grams white 80% strength stevioside powder
16 grams lecithin granules
7 grams BioSalt or sea salt (recipe on blog)
28 grams calcium/magnesium powder
20 grams psyllium husk powder, finely ground


Method:

In a large blender (VitaMix), mix all but the protein powders to disperse ingredients evenly (start on low speed!). Grind finely to powder the xylitol and erythritol.

Add egg white powder and blend on low.

Add more protein powder until the blender is filled to it's maximum fill line. Blend on low.

Dump blended protein mix into a large mixing bow..

Sift in the rest of the protein powder and whisk together very thoroughly with a wire whisk.

Transfer to an empty protein powder container and shake well.

Store in a cool, dry place.


To Mix Up A Protein Drink:

To an 8-ounce glass of purified water add 2 T. of the prepared protein powder drink mix.


Tip: You can use this protein drink mix in smoothies too.


Note: If you desire a less-sweet protein drink mix, cut the xylitol and erythritol in half.



Sources:

Honeyville Grain has dried egg white powder (more affordable than Jay Robb's)
Good Earth Health Food Store has bulk protein powders, sea salt, xylitol, etc...



Have fun!

Leila