Gluten Free Jovial Pasta

Pasta is something I have enjoyed for as long as I can remember. From my mom's semi-homemade pasta dinners to sharing Macaroni and Cheese with my brother, I have fond memories of pasta meals with family.

Finding a great gluten free pasta used to be a very big challenge. Today many companies are in the marketplace and produce pasta that is not only holds up to water (they used to be soggy) but also is nutritious.

One pasta that I love is Jovial Gluten Free Brown Rice Penne. No one would know this Italian made pasta is gluten free! It has great texture and holds the sauce in each crevice.

The pasta pictured was made with a vegetable medley, garlic butter sauce and 1 chicken sausage diced up in the batch.

Ingredients:
2 cups of diced vegetables (sweet onion, sweet potato, zucchini, asparagus)
1 gluten free chicken sausage (or tofu or beans to make vegetarian)
2 cups of Jovial Pasta (dry) NOTE: I do one cup dry pasta per person being served.

Sauce:
4 cloves of garlic (diced) and 2 TBSP no salt butter

Directions:
I diced the vegetables and sauteed them in extra virgin olive oil and the garlic
Once el dente, I diced and added the sausage
I added the butter, covered the pan, and turned the heat to simmer
As I added the butter I started the pasta ... and cooked for 5-7 minutes
I added the pasta and some water (a few TBSPs) to the pan and finished cooking

Serve as is or add crumbled cheese or diced red pepper

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Muffins with morning sun coming in through the blinds. 

What a sight to wake up to on a weekend morning!

The  blank canvas I started with today was Mom's Place Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins w/ Crumble Topping. I love customizing a packaged product to create something unique. The muffins themselves without the changes taste great, just like homemade. The muffins with the modifications add a kick of flavor.

I modified the package directions and added the following to the mix:

• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 flax eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt *See NOTE
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup diced fresh ginger 

NOTE: to make vegan ... soak 1 cup of cashews in water overnight and blend

The taste and texture calls you back for more!

I followed the package directions for the following:

• I added 2 melted tbsp unsalted butter to the crumble mixture NOTE: add coconut butter to make vegan. Next time I will add 1/2 the crumble as it is a sweeter topping than I normally use. I will also add 1/4 cup of oats. I will save the other 1/2 for another batch at a later time.
• I used large muffin tins and filled them 1/2 full of the muffin batter and topped them with the crumble mixture. 
• I sprayed the muffin tin rather than use a liner as the packaged suggested. Next time, I will use a liner for ease in clean up and storage.  

A Small Company with Big Flavor ... 88 Acres

I had the opportunity to try 88 Acres Sunflower Seed Butter at the Nourished Festival in San Diego. I enjoyed the flavored sunfllower seed butters and have enjoyed having them on toast ... the maple was excellent as a substitute for maple syrup on french toast!

 I cannot wait to try the PUMPKIN SEED BUTTER and the WATERMELON SEED BUTTER ... two products I have not had and am eager to taste and use in recipes!

The ginger apple seed bar reminded me of a fall day. It would go great with hot cider or ginger tea!

I Just Can't Get Enough ... Grounded Snacks

Lundberg Family Farms Continues to Delight Customers

Not only does Lundberg Farms create excellent sweet and savory rice cakes that are enjoyed by people of all ages, but they also create baked grain bites that are masterful. Each flavor, made from flavors curated from around the world, and enhances your meal.

I had an opportunity to try the product at the Nourished Festival in San Diego in February. Since that time, they have been a regular inhabitant of my cupboards!

The Wonders of Jool

The Wonders of Jool

There are many uses for Jool. It is great on its own as well as in recipes. Jool's natural sweetness lends it to uses for breakfast or dessert.

Jool for Breakfast

I added a layer of Jool Chocolate Date Spread to my Banana Bread Recipe to create a layer of flavor in the middle. I served the bread with a thin layer of Jool Chocolate Spread and even added a roasted banana.

Dates contain natural sugars and are high in fiber and antioxidants. They have a low glycemic index and may help control blood sugar. They contain 20% of the RDI for potassium, 14% of magnesium, and 12% of vitamin B6. Studies have shown they may contribute to brain health, bone health, and ease a woman's labor pains.

I DROOL for JOOL

I DROOL for JOOL

I Drool for Jool! 

When I came across Jool Chocolate Date Spread at the La Jolla Open Aire Market I KNEW I needed to try the product. It was everything I love in one package! To me, dates and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly. I am SO happy I tried this product!

You Know You Love A Product When ...

When you open the jar you see something that LOOKS like Nutella, but know that it is not Nutella as it only has THREE ingredients: dates, chocolate, and olive oil. I celebrate a product with no added sugars...the natural sugar of the dates is all you need here!

When you spread the Jool Chocolate Date spread on bread, a banana, a pancake, a waffle, or an apple you are transformed. The rich cacao and the sweet date flavor complement the fruit and pastry and send you on flavor thrill ride. Sprinkle on some walnuts and you get a crunchy delicacy!

So Many Ways to Use Jool Chocolate Date Spread ...

I decided to use Jool Chocolate Date Spread in one of my tried-and-true recipes. I added it to my Power Cookie Sandwich Recipe. I loved the results! I made a batch using dates and cranberries and a batch using dried bananas. Both tasted great ... but the dried bananas were special. The next batch I make, I will use a combination of dates and dried bananas.

Gluten Free Noodle Soup for a Cold Day

I was introduced to the noodle products from Gluten Free Meister at the Nourished Festival earlier this month. I was given a package of Tonkotsu Ramen Pork Bone Broth Flavor to use in a recipe and share. The weather has been soup weather, chilly and damp! Therefore I decided to make soup as it not only satisfies the appetite but also warms the body!

I added 4 small/medium size bok choy (diced into small pieces to fill two cups) and a two cups of diced cooked pork (sauteed with onion and garlic) to the package ingredients and created a healthy meal for two in less than 30 minutes.

Have a few packages of Gluten Free Meister soups on hand to create a healthy and gluten free meal when time is short and stomachs are growling!

Homestyle Ancient Grain Sandwich Bread

At the Nourished Festival in Del Mar earlier this month I had the opportunity to try Gluten Free Homestyle Ancient Grain Bread from Rotella's Italian Bakery.

The loaf I tried toasted up well with a crisp on the outside that held up to any toppings that were layered on it!

Enjoy Rotella's gluten free bread with your choice of protein or just with some butter to go with a warm bowl of soup during the winter months. My favorite sandwiches were tofu and hummus and roasted veggie as the textures along with the bread was satisfying.

Raspberry Infused Muffins

I was looking to create a heart healthy meal and a red inspired dish for Valentine's Day. I decided to use as my blank canvas a packaged muffin mix and add heart healthy red raspberries.

I used as my blank canvas Duinerken Foods Muffin Mix. I substituted plant based products for animal products; I used flax eggs for the eggs the recipe called for and almond milk instead of cow's milk.

To create the red raspberry infusion I filled a muffin tin half full then added raspberries. I covered the layer of raspberries with more muffin mix and topped the mix with a raspberry.

The result was a muffin mix with a crunchy top and a moist interior. The muffins are just the right amount of sweet. Serve them with a raspberry yogurt parfait for a heart healthy Valentine's Day breakfast.

I am a fan of Duinkerken Foods products. They are great blank canvasses that can be customized to create a masterpiece!

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

My New Hope Blogger Box arrived with a sample of Healthy Gourmet Kitchen's Moroccan Red Lentil Soup. The soup was easy to make and tasted great ... a nit of spice and not salty!

Simple to Make

All I had to do was dice 1/2 an onion and 3 cloves of garlic and add them to a pot with olive oil and saute until translucent.  I added the sample soup package and 5 cups of broth ( I used low salt) and brought it to a boil. Once the soup began to boil, I turned it down to low, covered it, and let it cook on low for 30 minutes. Before serving, I used an immersion blender to puree the soup.

What I learned ...

This is a great product. I ate a bowl of soup with cheese and crackers and my husband enjoyed a bowl with a roasted vegetable and hummus sandwich. It was satisfying and warm on a cool January night. Next time I might cube some roasted potatoes and add to the soup as I serve it for some added texture. I might also pan fry some tofu and add cubes of tofu to the soup for additional texture. (Chicken could be added too if you wanted to stray from the vegan meal).

Tree Below Zero Carbonated Juice Beverage with CBD Oil

Tree Below Zero 

My husband tried Tree Below Zero Blueberry Raspberry Pomegranate carbonated juice drink infused with CBD oil yesterday after he played two hours of competitive tennis. He found the drink to have a slightly sweet berry flavor and a quite a it of carbonation, perhaps because we do not drink carbonated beverages often!

The drink is made with clean, natural, and organic ingredients. Yesterday it was great as a post workout recovery drink for my husband.

I am eager to try one ... the Cranberry Ginger is calling my name. I will have it with my oyster mushroom pizza later today!

Try their innovative, award winning beverages today!

Can You Eat Half An Organic Pineapple?

Of course you can! Rely on Solely for convenient, fast ... fruit!

Solely Fruit Jerky

Solely creates fruit jerky made with ONLY FRUIT...one or two ingredients per fruit jerky bar. Their products are NON-GMO and organic. They do not add sugars or preservatives to their products.

Solely works hand-in-hand with farmers and has created a network of Solely Certified Farms that produce clean, non-GMO, organic fruits and vegetables.

Pineapple with Coconut has a pineapple taste with a hint of coconut. It is a chewy fruit bar that is naturally sweet.

Apple Cinnamon Chicken

I recently was introduced to Squeaky Pops Apple Cinnamon flavor and have enjoyed them! They also come in Cheddar Cheese. I cannot wait to try that flavor too!

Great Snacks

The small bags are great to pack in a school lunch! Squeaky Pops are crunchy with a hint of sweet; a satisfying taste to me. I love them on their own and with hummus!

Cooking

I took a small bag of squeaky pops and crushed them with a rolling pin.I added the crushed Squeaky Pops and a hint of black pepper to a bag with a boneless skinless chicken breast (I use organic) and shook to coat the chicken. 

After coating the chicken I sauteed it in a pan for about 5 minutes on each side then baked it in a 350 degree oven (on non-stick aluminum foil) for 30 minutes (flipping after 15). Your cook time differs depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.

NOTE: I did not do an egg wash as I have friends that are egg free and I wished to see how the recipe would work so they could enjoy the coating too!

Serving

I served the Apple Cinnamon Chicken with ENHANCED rice. I cooked rice and added nuts, seeds, and dried fruit when almost all of the water was absorbed. I used one cup of rice and 1/2 cup of nuts, seeds, dried fruit mixture.

I cannot get enough Sun! Can You?

I cannot get enough Sun...SunButter that is!

I cannot get enough SunButter. I spotted the NEW packaging at Sprouts recently and purchased a few jars to replenish my supply. I try to limit added sugars from my diet. Thanks SunButter for helping me achieve my goals!

SunButter not only TASTES GREAT, but is also an American product.
 
SunButter is made in the USA from sunflower seeds grown in the USA. It TASTES GREAT and is a perfect NUT BUTTER ALTERNATIVE. SunButter is not only NON-GMO Project Certified but also free from the common 8 allergens:

1. peanuts
2. tree nuts
3. milk
4. eggs
5. fish
6. crustacean shellfish
7. wheat
8. soybeans

SunButter appeals to a variety of people.
Adults and kids alike will love SunButter. It is a "school safe" product that can be used in lunches or treats for a class. SunButter is a product that people will love, whether they need to avoid eating nuts or not.

SunButter is for more than a "SunButter and Jelly" Sandwich
I recently made a healthy snack using SunButter, pepitas, and hemp seeds (Interstate Bait) on a rice cake. This snack was filled with plant based protein, fiber, and antioxidants. It was a great gluten free, low-sugar pre-workout snack.

I also modified my Power Cookie .... Sandwich Recipe and added SunButter.  This cookie can be made to be a healthy breakfast cookie or snack, or can be made decadent. The stir-ins determine the flavor profile and the purpose. This batch is made with dates to create a GRAB-AND-GO breakfast treat.

You can make the cookie any size ... a larger cookie can be cut in half to create a sandwich. I added SunButter to the sandwich below.

I have an amaZING fitness partner ...

The SUMMER HEAT WAVE IS HERE! My workout partners today included: water, sunscreen sunglasses, and Coconut Cashew Crisp ZING Bars.

Zing Bars were created by Registered Dietitians who understand that what we eat impacts our mind, mood, and energy. I love opening a ZIng Bar and knowing that I am making a healthy choice for a gluten free protein bar.

Enjoy a great tasting bar that is high in nutrition and made from natural ingredients.

I had an amaZING day? Did you too?

I had an amaZING day! 

Did you? 

I taught three classes back-to-back-to-back early in the day and had enough time to complete projects around the house 🏠 and get in a great workout too! 

Thanks Zing Bars for fueling me through my three classes on a 90 degree day! Your bars not only TASTE GREAT but are also:

• Gluten Free
• Low Glycemic 
• NON-GMO Projet 
• Vegan
• Soy Free
• Artificial Free
• High in Protein
• Contain Good Carbs
• Contain Good Fats

I look for bars that fit that taste great and are good for me! Zing Bars satisfy me every time!

Want to feel like a kid again?

Want to feel like a KID again? 

Pack a ZEGO Just Fruit Bar in your pocket, purse, gym bag, or lunch and have a trip down memory lane as the taste will remind you of a fruit roll-up ... done right! I love the Just Fruit Bars as they provide natural sugars to help fuel my body during a hike, on a flight, or between sweaty workouts/classes I am teaching. I love the plant based bars as they are:

• allergy friendly
• gluten free
• paleo
• non-GMO
• organic
• soy free
• dairy free
• artificial free 
  

Need another reason beyond taste, texture, health, and nutrition to buy Zego Bars? This small business is also a Certified B Corp and dedicate a percentage of their income to giving back. Support a small business that gives back! Make a positive difference for your health and the community!

Handfulls Snacks ... Enjoy by the Handful or in Your Favorite Recipe

I have fallen in love with Handfulls Snacks! Their Crunch Bites line of products are great to enjoy BY THE HANDFUL or to add to salads for some extra CRUNCH and protein!

Crunch Bites add a rice cracker shell, a crunch, to the California Almond! They come in a variety of flavor profiles for you to enjoy!

Crunch Bites or Fusions can be added to a salad to add flavor and texture. The image below shows adding a HANDFUL of Crunch Bites to a salad! Read my recipe for A Simple Salad With A Crunch.

Handfull Snacks Fusion line of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are great BY THE HANDFUL as well as used in recipes! They come in a variety of flavors, savory and sweet! I have enjoyed baking Fusions into gluten free breads, sprinkling them on my Greek Yogurt for breakfast, adding them to salads, and adding them to fried rice. The possibilities are endless! The flavors are superior! 

I enjoy adding Fusions to recipes. I made Strawberry Nut Bread using CABO CATAMARAN CRUNCH and created a gluten free bread that was moist, flavorful, and satisfying!

Breakfasts can be made magical with the addition of Handfulls Snacks.  A Gluten Free Breakfast with a Fusion of Flavors includes Denali Mountain Mix with adds great flavor and texture at the start of a HOT day!