Walnut and avocado fettuccine

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. When a friend told me she was doing a fast through her church that calls for avoiding meat, poultry, fish, dairy, caffeine, yeast, sugar and things with preservatives, I was very interested in whatever recipes she tried. She shared this very simple Avocado and Walnut Fettucini that was so delicious that I had it for lunch and dinner last night.

The original recipe calls for:

12 oz. whole wheat pasta

4 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 c lemon juice

10 sun dried tomatoes

1 cup chopped green peppers

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 diced avocados

Boil pasta according to directions. I found a great brand at Meijer that cooks up in just four minutes called Al Dente Pasta Co.'s Whole Wheat Blend Plus Flax Roasted Garlic Fettuccine.

While pasta is boiling, whisk oil, lemon and garlic together and add to a large serving bowl. Add remaining ingredients, then add pasta and toss well. That's it!

For the bowl pictured above, I omitted the green peppers because I didn't have any.

Caramel apple wrap recipe

My kids were famished after helping me clean the house, so I pulled something together I call the Caramel Apple Wrap. All of the ingredients (except for one) are healthy and combined make a very yummy snack for kids.

Take a whole grain wrap and spread with 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (make your own, learn how to here!). Add 1/2 of a sliced apple and sprinkle with 10 or so chocolate chips. Then wrap and sprinkle with cinnamon.

My kids downed these within 15 minutes, and said that they were "Deee-licious!

How a raw food diet changed my eating habits in 14 days

On Jan. 16 I began a 14-Day Raw Food Challenge that was created by a husband/wife team that I freelance for. Week 1 consisted of blended soups and smoothies and week 2 consisted of adding a raw chewable meal for dinner. I didn't make it through all the recipes and I did cheat here and there, but I learned a lot about hunger and mindless eating. I used to think I was hungry all the time, so I'd find myself mindlessly eating all the time, mostly on processed foods (from the health food store, of course!). Once I started fueling my body with the nutrients it needed, I noticed that my hunger regulated itself and I didn't mindlessly eat. I lost a couple of pounds (that are still gone!) and I feel healthy and light.

I look at food in a different light now, including what I feed my kids. They need to eat more vegetables, so I try and make meals appealing with a lot of variety. For dinner the other night, I wanted them to have a spinach salad, so I pulled one together using organic croutons, strawberries and blueberries, some shredded cabbage and some parmesan cheese. I used a bit of ranch dressing and the kids ate it up! No, it wasn't raw, but both kids happily gobbled up a cup of spinach and a half a cup of cabbage in one sitting. That is success to me!

Turn those stinky socks into a cold/flu remedy!

Although I usually share my experiences with food and young children here, I couldn’t resist sharing this natural remedy for the cold/flu. If you have kids, you know how they seem to be a germ magnet. I spoke with Lisa Miller of Lisa Miller Wellness and she shared a simple remedy you can do at home with your child to help ease the yuckiness of the cold or flu.

It’s called “Magic” Sock Therapy. And, no, the “magic” of the socks aren’t their stinkiness – make sure to use a clean pair of white cotton socks. Submerge them under really hot water for a few minutes and then wring them out. Put them over your child’s feet and then cover up with some wool socks.

After the socks cool off, repeat the above steps (using the same pair of cotton socks) for one to five hours, or until you’re well. The socks pull congestion through your head, down your body and through your feet. Make sure to bundle up well with some warm clothing and/or a blanket, because as the socks cool off, you’ll start to get chilly.

You can use this on yourself as well, and Lisa advised that it was best to do at night.

Protect your brain with this granola recipe and start the new year out right

I recently read a book called Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children, by Carol Simontacchi. This book is an amazing and scary read. Amazon.com says "according to [author and] certified clinical nutritionist Carol Simontacci, the food industries that give us packaged, processed, artifically flavored, chemical-ridden, artifically colored, nutrient-stripped psuedo foods such as sodas, processed soups, sugared cereals, and fiberless bread 'wontonly destroy our bodies and our brains, all in the name of profit.' We Americans (adults and children) eat 200 pounds of sugar and artificial sweeteners each year ... The reason, according to the author, is that we're starving our brains with lack of nutrition."

Not only does this contribute to obesity, but it also causes mood swings, depression, violent behavior, ADD/ADHD and anxiety, among many other things. If you have a New Year's Resolution to eat healthier, or if you have an unexplained health issue, you might want to pick up a copy of this book. It may lead to an "ah-ha!" moment for you and start you on the path to wellness.

Thankfully, the author does not just leave the reader hanging with the scary statistics. She also offers up some healthful recipes that are heavy on flavor and nutrition and low in sugar and artificial anything. One of my favorites is a homemade granola recipe to help fill the nutritional void that many of us experience.

I've personally made this more than several times. It's great for breakfast with a little bit of rice milk or as an afternoon snack.

Granola with Fruit and Nuts:

4c rolled oats

2c oat bran

1c raw sesame seeds

2c raw sunflower seeds

1c unsweetened coconut flakes

1c almonds, chopped

1c walnuts, chopped

1c raisins

1c dried apricots, diced

1c dried papaya or figs, diced

1/2c olive oil

1/4c honey

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large roasting pan, mix together the oats and oat bran, seeds, flakes and nuts. Over a low flame, heat the oil and honey together until the mixture is very thin and easily poured. Drizzle the oil and honey mixture over the dry ingredients, mixing constantly, until all the pieces are coated evenly. Bake the granola, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes or so, until lightly browned, 45-60 minutes.

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Meanwhile, prepare the fruit. When the granola is baked and cooled slightly, mix the fruit with the granola and stir thoroughly to mix. After the granola is completely cooled, store in food storage bags or plastic containers in the refrigerator.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

What to eat when you're sick - a simple vegetable broth recipe

So you got sick. Now what? Lisa Miller of Lisa Miller Wellnesssays that it's critical to continue to fuel your body with the right foods and liquids.

When people are sick they usually don't want to eat," Miller said. "It's important to drink broth, or other fluids, to keep hydrated, and to get your vitamins and minerals to fight off the illness."

The heat of the broth will help to think mucous and clear congestion. You can drink this broth several times a day.

What you'll need:

A few cloves of garlic

8 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

2 large celery ribs, sliced

1 cup of mushrooms

1 bay leaf

(any other vegetables or scraps of vegetables you have lying around)

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a large soup pot. Bring to a simmer and then cover. Simmer stock for approximately 45 minutes or until the vegetable become very tender. Strain the vegetables and broth through cheesecloth or a nut bag for a smooth consistency. Feel free to eat the vegetables, or puree them for an easy and healthy meal.

You can also check out this simple juice recipe to boost immunity and to hydrate your body.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net; they've been an invaluable resource for many of my posts - thank you!

It's flu season: Boost your immune system with this simple juice recipe

It's that time of year again. It's fall and we're experiencing fewer sunny days (meaning less natural vitamin D from the sun), the kids are back in school and germs are liberally being passed around - and around and around.

According to Mike Adams, editor and founder of NaturalnNews.com, "fresh cabbage juice cures ulcers and prevents cancer. Fresh celery juice alkalizes the body, boosting bone density and healthy immune function. Fresh parsley juice is anti-cancer and cleanses the entire digestive tract of toxins. Almost any edible plant can be juiced and they all contain powerful natural medicines: Carrots, cucumbers, pears, pineapple, oranges and much more."

A juicer is a very valuable appliance to have in your home. One very cheap way to begin juicing is to try and score one off of freecycle.org to see if juicing fits into your lifestyle. Remember, though, that the more powerful the juicer (like the Breville Juice Fountain), the more juice your fruit will yield; very important when buying more expensive organic produce. When selecting produce to juice, make sure to refer to the Dirty Dozen Guide put out by the Environmental Working Group to determine what fruits and vegetables are more likely to contain pesticides and chemicals.

Give your immune system a boost with this simple and versatile juice recipe.

What you'll need:

Juicer

1 bunch of organic parsley

1 handful of organic spinach

3-inch piece of ginger

3 medium-sized organic apples

2 stalks of organic celery

3 large organic carrots

Directions:

Juice the above produce in the order listed, according to the manufacturer's directions.

Fresh juice should be consumed right away, as it will begin to oxidize as soon as it hits the air (plus it tastes better!). If necessary, it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Bottoms up!

I am the Grand Rapids Healthy Food Examiner for Examiner.com

I've been on a search for a "job" where I could get paid for talking about healthy foods, restaurants, foods, recipes, etc. and I finally found one! I am the new Grand Rapids Healthy Food Examiner for Examiner.com.

You can visit my page here: tinyurl.com/healthyfoodexaminer.

So far, I've written five articles on school lunches, The Green Well Gastro Pub, my green smoothie recipe, my homemade nut butter recipe and am working on three more articles on VP Farms in Caledonia, Sisters Natural Foods in Byron Center, and a stay-at-home-mom blogger who makes most of her food from scratch.

If anyone has any restaurants, recipes, or other story ideas that relate to healthy food, please let me know! I'm always on the lookout for new story ideas

The above image is from VP Farms, located at 3422 - 76th Street in Caledonia. It's hundreds of tiny little basil plants - and they smell wonderful! If you get a chance to check this place out before the season's over - go for it! Everyone I've talked to there is extremely helpful.

It's A Wrap!

I constantly find it mentally draining to figure out what I'm going to feed my kids every night. My husband and I rarely ever eat at the same time as they do, and we almost always eat something different from the kids. For that matter, my husband and I usually eat something different from each other as well.

Trying to appeal to the whole family, I decided that a wrap was the ideal vehicle. I could prepare a variety of stuffings and we each could choose our own. The one pictured here is made with chicken cooked in my electric skillet (more on this FABULOUS piece of cookware later), mexican blend of cheese, low-fat vegetarian refried beans, and a salsa that I made out of blueberries, corn and tomatoes. It was a hit with my kids, and later that evening my husband and I had a more traditional burrito with chicken, hot sauce, refried beans and lettuce.

I've been really enjoying hitting the farmers markets in the area this summer, and picked up some excellent corn that I cut straight from the cob and put it into the salsa raw. The blueberries were also from the farmers market and the tomatoes were from my garden. I tossed everything in together and seasoned with a little sea salt. It was especially good with crunchy, salty tortilla chips.

Healthy Popcorn and Light Sabres

After a recent work trip, my husband came home with two light sabers (or "light savers" as Bodin calls them). We decided to watch the actual Star Wars series with the kids to see if they liked them. I prepared a batch of our favorite popcorn and we all settled in. Reese, in between handfulls of popcorn, kept asking: "Where's Luke? Where's Luke?" After some fights between the kids with the light sabers (Mine is the red one!!) we finally got through the first two movies, and they really liked them!

Both kids almost always want a snack before bedtime, so I try and find healthy ones that I don't feel guilty about sending them to bed with. For the life of me, I cannot remember where I found this recipe, but it's one that I've been making regularly for a few years now.

Brown-bag air-pop your kernels in the microwave. I just place 3-4 Tablespoons of kernels into a brown lunch bag and stick it in the microwave. No oils required!

Then, I take my oil sprayer (usually filled with grapeseed or olive oil) and spray the popcorn. Then, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and nutritional yeast, and you have a great-tasting and healthy fiber-filled snack. My kids shove each other's hands out of the bowl to finger-scoop some of the excess flavorings; it's sooo good. Nutritional yeast is very good for you. Here's an excerpt from: http://www.efn.org/~sundance/NutritionalYeast.html:

"Nutritional yeast contains 18 amino acids (forming the complete protein) and 15 minerals. Being rich in the B-complax vitamins, it it vital in many ways and particularly good for stress reduction. The B-complex vitamins help make nutritional yeast such a valuable supplement, especially to the vegetarian."

You can get nutritional yeast at any health food store. It's very inexpensive and lasts for a long time. Happy popping!