Category: recipes

Saw this delightful recipe and couldn’t resist. It looks divine and I can’t wait to try it!

Ok, so maybe squash isn’t exactly a spring veggie… but it’s still super healthy and pretty darn yummy! Plus, it’s one of my very favourite vegetables, so I figured that I ought to share this brand new recipe that I came across that makes that ingredient the star. It’s called Spaghetti Squash Cheesy Bread, and […]

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR THE

SPAGHETTI SQUASH CHEESY BREAD RECIPE

 Celebrate spring with vegetables! — nutritionnut84

Grateful Thoughts: Soul Gift ~ My lovely gift from a beautiful friend.

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

I’m highlighting the blog  SOUL GIFTS written by the lovely Raili today as the subject of my Grateful Thoughts.

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Raili, originally from Finland, moved to Australia with her family when she was just a little girl. She also met and married a fellow Finn in the “desert heat of Mt Isa in North Queensland” of all places! Here’s how Raili describes herself:

“I think of myself as an Aussie-Finn. My family is a mini melting pot of nations – Finnish, Indian and Filipino born first generation Australians. You might have guessed by now that our kids are adopted. Our extended family too is a riotous mix of races, cultures, traditions and beliefs.”

She spent her career working as a nurse in the field of mental health. She says

“the privilege of working with some of most disenfranchised people in the community was humbling, enriching, challenging. I learnt so much about life, the universe, and everything.”

My special “soul gift” from Raili

At the end of November, 2018, I was surprised by my wonderful friend Raili,  as a recipient of her “soul gift” for the month of December. Here is a quote from Raili’s blog, explaining “soul gifts.” :

“This is my way of saying thanks to those who visit or follow my blog.   I wanted to do it in a unique way. I like gifting.  I like surprising people in a nice way.  So here’s what I have come up with.   I call it Soul Gifting – a small token of my appreciation for your presence on my blog – a published thank you with a link to yours, posted, at random times. Surprise!”

I thought it entailed a mention in her blog, but it didn’t stop there! She sent me a message, asking for my mailing address because she had a special gift to send me!

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Inside the card is a delightful recipe on the left called “Finnish Beetroot Christmas Salad” (Which is SO good, I’ll be eating all year – NOT just at Christmas!) On the right is a note from Raili:

Tamara,

I know people probably don’t use old fashioned cloth hankies anymore, but here’s one for you. I crocheted an edge too. You could use it as a doily I suppose. Anyway, a little bit of Australia winging it’s way to you for Christmas. Hope you have a happy one!

Raili

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The handkerchief is lovely, with a map of Australia in the middle, with 4 animals unique to Australia in each corner. The edge of the handkerchief is lined with Raili’s beautiful and delicate handiwork. I can tell you, it has a prominent place in my office. THANK YOU RAILI!

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With Raili’s permission, I’m posting the salad recipe below. I highly encourage you to make it…IT’S VERY GOOD! (Even my son liked it!)

The salad, which I made with the help of my 18 year old son, is wonderful and beautiful. Here are a few pics of the steps I took. The ingredients I used are below. I chose to use pre-cooked beetroot from the produce section. I  drained the beetroot juice in the package, to save for the dressing. Then I cooked the carrots/potatoes, and chopped the remaining ingredients. Next, I added everything to a bowl and stirred in just 1/2 the dressing. I ended up using 4 potatoes, as mine were very small. I also used sweet apples, as I didn’t have any tart on hand.

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Finnish Beetroot Christmas Salad

  • Servings: 8=10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

This wonderfully, delightful salad will satisfy all year!


Credit: https://soulgifts.com.au/

Ingredients

  • 1 small can diced beetroot (or cooked beet from scratch)
  • 3 carrots
  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 tart apples (finely chopped)
  • 1 gherkin – (finely diced)
  • salt and pepper to tasted

    • FOR THE DRESSING

  • 200 ml heavy cream
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 2 tsp beet juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch of white pepper (I used black, it’s what I had)

Directions

  1. Boil veggies – cool, peel and chop
  2. Add all ingredients to bowl
  3. season.
  4. Mix dressing ingredients. Raili indicates to serve on the dressing on the side. I decided to go ahead add the dressing to the salad, to get the full effect. I ended up using only 1/2 of it. The salad is delicious! Will absolutely make again!
    5. BEST MADE THE DAY BEFORE.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Thank you so much Raili for these beautiful gifts. It was such a wonderful surprise. Thank you for including me in on such a wonderful tradition. Thank you, also, for following my blog and supporting me over the years. God bless you!

To everyone else…please head over to SOUL GIFTS  and give Raili’s wonderful blog a visit. There are lots of things to see over there!

UNTIL NEXT TIME!… NAMASTE MY FRIENDS.

TAMARA

Healthy Keto Fat Bomb Recipes: Chocolate Keto Fat Bomb

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

For today’s video/recipe:

Chocolate Keto Fat Bomb

scroll to the bottom of the page.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, you can watch the “mini-course”, but basically, it’s a diet in which you eat the bulk of your calories in fat, HOPEFULLY…HEALTHY FATS, such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, salmon, grass-fed butter/ghee, etc. The macronutrient ratio for a typical keto dieter is 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs – theoretically, SHOULD be in the form of vegetables. A HEALTHY, clean eating keto diet would look like this:

1c53354f0491bbc276514eab2110ca1f.jpg

Many people struggle to reach that “70%” mark, for fat intake. One way people boost their fat intake is through “fat bombs”, which are very small, typically bite size snacks which are very high in fat. They give dieters a boost of energy and help them reach their fat intake for the day.

Many fat bombs aren’t so healthy, SO…This week, I’ve scoured youtube and the internet for healthy versions of this keto classic snack.

Today’s recipe is: Chocolate Keto Fat Bomb

Chocolate Keto Fat Bomb

  • Servings: 48
  • Difficulty: very easy
  • Print

Need a quick chocolate fix? This comes together in a jiffy.

Credit: https://youtu.be/JGrxYujpgDk – TrainHYLETE

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coconut Oil
  • 1 cup Sunflower Seed Butter
  • ¼ cup Chia Seeds
  • ½ Cacao Powder
  • ¼ Brazil Nuts

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Chill for 15 minutes.
  3. Portion into tablespoon size balls.
  4. Store in the refrigerator.


Healthy Keto Fat Bomb Recipes: Low Carb Coconut Crunch Bark (Like fat bombs…only better)

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

For today’s video/recipe:

Low Carb Coconut Crunch Bark

scroll to the bottom of the page.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, you can watch the “mini-course”, but basically, it’s a diet in which you eat the bulk of your calories in fat, HOPEFULLY…HEALTHY FATS, such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, salmon, grass-fed butter/ghee, etc. The macronutrient ratio for a typical keto dieter is 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs – theoretically, SHOULD be in the form of vegetables. A HEALTHY, clean eating keto diet would look like this:

1c53354f0491bbc276514eab2110ca1f.jpg

Many people struggle to reach that “70%” mark, for fat intake. One way people boost their fat intake is through “fat bombs”, which are very small, typically bite size snacks which are very high in fat. They give dieters a boost of energy and help them reach their fat intake for the day.

Many fat bombs aren’t so healthy, SO…This week, I’ve scoured youtube and the internet for healthy versions of this keto classic snack.

Today’s recipe is: Low Carb Coconut Crunch Bark

Low carb coconut bark

  • Servings: 10-15
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A unique twist on the traditional fat bombs, this recipe delivers crunch, as well as healthy fat.


Credit: http://sweetlyraw.com/ and https://youtu.be/w4OKsoQnJiE

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Toasted coconut flakes (toast coconut flakes @ 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes)
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (soak and dehydrate if desired)
  • 3 tbs hemp seeds
  • 2 tbs sunflower seeds
  • pinch of Himalayan salt
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut butter
  • 2 tbs melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbs ground powdered sweetener (xylitol was used in the original recipe)
  • 1 tbs tahini (raw or roasted)

Directions

  1. Stir coconut, all seeds and salt together
  2. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients.
  3. Pour liquid mixture over seeds and coconut, and mix well to coat completely.
  4. Spread out thinly on a prepared baking sheet.
  5. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm.


Healthy Keto Fat Bomb Recipes: Fat Bomb Smoothies

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

For today’s video/recipe:

Fat Bomb Smoothies

scroll to the bottom of the page.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, you can watch the “mini-course”, but basically, it’s a diet in which you eat the bulk of your calories in fat, HOPEFULLY…HEALTHY FATS, such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, salmon, grass-fed butter/ghee, etc. The macronutrient ratio for a typical keto dieter is 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs – theoretically, SHOULD be in the form of vegetables. A HEALTHY, clean eating keto diet would look like this:

1c53354f0491bbc276514eab2110ca1f.jpg

Many people struggle to reach that “70%” mark, for fat intake. One way people boost their fat intake is through “fat bombs”, which are very small, typically bite size snacks which are very high in fat. They give dieters a boost of energy and help them reach their fat intake for the day.

Many fat bombs aren’t so healthy, SO…This week, I’ve scoured youtube and the internet for healthy versions of this keto classic snack.

Today’s recipe is: Fat Bomb Smoothies

Fat Bomb Smoothie

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: super easy
  • Print

Throw the ingredients in a blender, it's as simple as that...and oh so tasty!


Credit: http://www.simplefunketo.com and https://youtu.be/ebo6h3Brqfw

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • Liquid – use Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, Heavy Cream
  • Avocado
  • Plain Greek Yogurt
  • MCT Oil
  • Liquid Stevia
  • Spinach – LOTS of it!
  • Protein Powder
  • Berries

Directions

  1. Throw everything in the blender and blend. Experiment with amounts, ingredients. Make it your own.

Tips from the Keto Dad: 

  • Keep the amount of berries small – like less than 1/4 cup
  • Eliminate the Greek Yogurt  (if you want less carbs)- even the best still have carbs you may want to avoid
  • If you’re getting too much fat, use almond milk instead of heavy cream – this can also make it dairy free!
  • More spinach!  You should be getting the majority of your carbs from veggies!


Healthy Keto Fat Bomb Recipes: Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs

Published on by Tamara Hoerner2 Comments

For today’s video/recipe:   

Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs

scroll to the bottom of the page.

For those of you unfamiliar with the ketogenic diet, you can watch the “mini-course”, but basically, it’s a diet in which you eat the bulk of your calories in fat, HOPEFULLY…HEALTHY FATS, such as avocado, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, salmon, grass-fed butter/ghee, etc. The macronutrient ratio for a typical keto dieter is 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs – theoretically, SHOULD be in the form of vegetables. A HEALTHY, clean eating keto diet would look like this:

1c53354f0491bbc276514eab2110ca1f.jpg

Many people struggle to reach that “70%” mark, for fat intake. One way people boost their fat intake is through “fat bombs”, which are very small, typically bite size snacks which are very high in fat. They give dieters a boost of energy and help them reach their fat intake for the day.

Many fat bombs aren’t so healthy, SO…This week, I’ve scoured youtube and the internet for healthy versions of this keto classic snack.

Today’s recipe is: Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs

Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

How can you go wrong with these delightful fat bombs made from salmon, eggs and hollandaise sauce

Credit: http://www.ruled.me/salmon-benny-breakfast-bombs/

Ingredients

Breakfast Bombs

  • 2 large eggs – hard boiled and peeled
  • 4 ounces smoked salmon, sliced
  • ½ tablespoon butter, salted
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Hollandaise Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter, salted
  • 1 large egg yolk, separated from the white
  • ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed*
  • ½ tablespoon water, add more if too thick
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. Finely dice smoked salmon. Fry half the salmon until crisp in a pre-heated pan with 2 teaspoons of butter. Set aside
  2. Mash the 2 eggs well with a fork. Set aside
  3. Make the hollandaise sauce -simmer 2 cups of water on the stove. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave, then set aside to cool. It should be melted, but not hot. In a heat-safe bowl, whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, dijon mustard and a pinch of salt together until you see air bubbles. Place the bowl over the simmering water on the stove, making sure water doesn’t touch the bowl-(creating a double boiler). Continuously whisk the mixture until it starts to thicken. Once thickened, SLOWLY pour the butter into the mixture. Continue to whisk until it thickens to desired consistency.
  4. Mix together raw smoked salmon, chives, and mashed egg. Add enough hollandaise sauce to bring the mixture to a firm consistency, and isn’t too wet.
  5. Split combined mixture into 4 balls.
  6. Roll in the crispy salmon to coat.
  7. ENJOY!

Healthy Holiday Recipes: Gluten-Free (& paleo friendly) Pecan Pie

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

This week, we’re continuing  the quest for healthy holiday recipes. With all the sweets and fattening treats around this time of year, it can’t hurt to have a few healthy recipes on hand.

Today we have GLUTEN FREE (& PALEO FRIENDLY) PECAN PIE from: Kayla Chandler

NOTE: This will be the last morning post until the new year. Look for my next morning post on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Gluten-Free (& paleo friendly) Pecan Pie

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A healthier take on this classic and delicious pie!

Credit: http://www.kaylachandler.com/gluten-free-pecan-pie-also-paleo-friendly/

Ingredients

For the Crust
  • 2 C. Blanched Almond Flour not almond meal
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil melted
  • 1 Pastured-Raised Egg
For the Filling
  • 1 C. Organic Unrefined Coconut Sugar (see link in article above)
  • 3/4 C. Organic Grade A Maple Syrup
  • 3 Tbsp Grass-fed Butter can also use Ghee or Coconut Oil (melted)
  • 3 Pasture-Raised Eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt
  • 2 C. Pecan Halves
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon optional

Directions

For the Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and make sure rack is in the middle section
  2. Combine the almond flour and salt until combined. Add egg and coconut oil and mix until a ball forms. (A food processor can be used for this step)
  3.  Press dough, including any stray crumbles from the bowl, evenly onto a 9-inch pie dish (see video above). Chill in the refrigerator.
For the Filling
  1. While dough chills, combine all filling ingredients, except pecans, in a bowl. Whisk until fully combined. Add pecans and stir until well coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove pie crust from refrigerator and slowly pour the Filling into the pie crust.
For Baking
  1. Place pie dish onto a large baking sheet to catch any spill-overs. Place in oven on the middle rack and cook for 20 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and cook for another 30-40 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving (takes a few hours to cool).

Healthy Holiday Recipes: Perfect Prime Rib

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

This week, we’re continuing  the quest for healthy holiday recipes. With all the sweets and fattening treats around this time of year, it can’t hurt to have a few healthy recipes on hand.

Today we have the PERFECT PRIME RIB RECIPE from Food Wishes.

Perfect Prime Rib

  • Servings: depends on size of roast
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

The prefect main dish for your holiday table. It's so elegant and delicious! You'll never believe how easy this is to prepare!

Credit: https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/11/prime-time-for-revisiting-prime-rib-of.html

Ingredients

  • 4 to 8 pound Prime Rib of Beef, BONE-IN, fat cap removed (ask the butcher to explain)
  • kosher salt as needed
  • 1/4 cup soft butter
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (this is just a dried herb blend – you can use any thing you like, or just salt and pepper)

Directions

  1. Leave prime rib on counter for at least 6 hours – preferably longer. (It must be at room temp, or the recipe won’t work.)
  2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
  3. Mix butter, Herbes de Provence and black pepper together and spread all over prime rib.
  4. Sprinkle salt liberally over the buttered prime rib
  5. Cook the beef at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound. Multiply size of roast (from packaging) by 5. This is the length of time you’ll cook the beef at 500 degrees. For example, if your roast is 4 pounds multiply 4 X 5 = 20, so you’d cook the beef at 500 degrees for 20 minutes.
  6. After the allotted time, turn oven off and leave for 2 hours. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.
  7. Remove from the oven and serve. Bones can be removed if desired prior to serving.

14 Healthy Kid-Friendly Recipes for the Holiday Season

Published on by Tamara Hoerner1 Comment

My quest for healthy recipes, led me to this article at cookstory.com with healthy holiday recipes for kids. There’s a little of everything, 14 recipes in total:

Balsamic Chicken & Stuffing Muffins

Creamed Spinach & Mushrooms

Fruity Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pear-Stuffed Baked Apples

Pork Chops & Cinnamon Apples

Raspberry Chicken

Slow Cooker Ham & Pineapple

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Apple Pumpkin French Toast Muffins

Citrus & Sage Roasted Turkey

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Holiday Leftovers Shepherd’s Pie

Nutty Apple Pancakes

holiday-recipes-collage

For the main article, follow this link:

 Healthy Holiday Recipes for Kids and Grown Ups Too

Healthy Holiday Recipes: Gordon Ramsey’s Green Bean Salad with Mustard Dressing

Published on by Tamara HoernerLeave a comment

This week, we’re continuing  the quest for healthy holiday recipes. With all the sweets and fattening treats around this time of year, it can’t hurt to have a few healthy recipes on hand.

Today we have Green Bean Salad with Mustard Dressing from Gordon Ramsey

Green Bean Salad with Mustard Dressing

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Tired of Green Bean Casserole? Try this refreshing and tasty recipe from Gordon Ramsey

Credit: Gordon Ramsey

Ingredients

  • 1 head of garlic
  • 2 pounds fresh Green beans (cleaned)
  • salt
  • 2-3 tbs White wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 150 ml olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the garlic for the dressing in foil and roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes until soft. Remove and leave to cool.
  2. While garlic is roasting, blanch the green beans by plunging them in plenty of boiling salted water for 1½ cooked, but still crunchy. Run immediately under cold running water, then drain and leave to one side.
  3. Toast almonds in a medium-hot dry frying pan for 2–3 minutes until golden.
  4. Squeeze the flesh from the garlic heads and mash with 1 tablespoon of the white wine vinegar until a smooth paste is formed. Add the mustard and honey and mix well. Pour in the olive oil in a slow drizzle, stirring constantly to thicken. Taste and season as necessary, adding a little more vinegar if needed.
  5. Dress the green beans, toss to coat well, top with toasted almonds and serve.

    6. SOURCE: https://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/18242/green-bean-salad-with-mustard-dressing