Fruit Sauce ... Peach Style

I love making applesauce! Sometimes I add cinnamon and turn it into cinnamon applesauce. When I make applesauce at home I can control and sugar as well as the texture of the product.

When I find fruit on sale or a friend has a tree that has produced an abundant crop, I stock up on the fruit and turn some of the fruit into a sauce.

Simple to Make

Turning fruit into sauce is simple. All you need to do is cut the fruit and remove the seeds/pits. The fruit can be placed in a pot with a bit of water to line the bottom and the heat on low. Cook until the fruit is soft.

You can have a chunky sauce and leave the fruit the way it is and refrigerate or smooth it out in a blender, VitaMix, or with an immersion blender.

Peach Sauce

I pick peaches that are a bit soft; ones that slightly indent if I press on them. You can use ones even softer for more natural sweetness. I cook the peaches until they begin to separate from the skin just a bit. The fruit's natural sugars will be more evident and the sauce very juicy.

Storage

I store the sauce in glass jars that once held nut butter. I like to eliminate waste in my home so I reuse jars quite often. The jars are great as they can be packed in a lunch without creating more clean-up. The sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a month.

Variations

If you wish to add CHIA SEEDS to make a fruit chia pudding/jam, you can add 1/3 cup of chia seeds to 1 - 1 1/2 cups of fruit sauce depending on the thickness you desire. This turns the fruit sauce into a jam like consistency. The jam can be eaten on its own or used as a spread with nut/seed butter.

Instant Oatmeal ... Pancakes

Yes, you read that correctly. Packets of INSTANT OATMEAL can be made into pancakes. How you ask? It is a simple and, most likely, you have the necessary ingredients in your home. I have experimented with this recipe a few times. A previous post is linked here.

Instant Packages Save Time

Oatmeal is comfort food for me. I am still trying to make it just as "perfect" as my memory of the oatmeal my grandmother made for me. Since I was a child and my grandmother made me oatmeal, individual packets of instant oatmeal have been created. These individual packets may be flavored, low in sugar, and gluten free. This packaging helps people get the health benefits of oatmeal for breakfast without waiting. In our busy lifestyles, these packages have allowed us to control our portions and gain the benefits of oatmeal without the time to prepare and clean up.

Health Benefits

Oatmeal's health benefits include:

• controls blood sugar
• contains soluble fiber 
• helps control weight
• lowers cholesterol
• contains antioxidants

Oatmeal Packages can be made into PANCAKES

You do not need to turn the oatmeal packets into a cup or bowl of oatmeal, you can make them into pancakes.  All you need to do is add ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1 egg, 1 flax egg, or 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup banana puree (or pumpkin or avocado)

I typically use 1 flax egg (1 TBSP Ground Flax Seeds + 3 TBSP water ... mixed and rested for 5-10 minutes)

Pancakes are simple to make

Combine the instant oatmeal with the egg or egg replacement

If you have an unflavored oatmeal packet, you can add a flavoring like vanilla, cinnamon, or maple prior to cooking it.

Cook in a pan with a small amount of oil (enough to prevent sticking)

Top with your favorite toppings

Smoothie Bowl Formula ... A Breakfast Staple

I love recipes that can be modified based on flavor preferences and dietary needs. A smoothie bowl is just that "dish". You can customize the basic formula to create the breakfast you want ... and modify the recipe for  each member of the household. A smoothie bowl takes less than 5 minutes to make and clean up. it is a great quick-fix breakfast to enjoy when the weather is warm.

Pictured: Blueberry Smoothie Bowl with a garnish of walnuts, pepitas, and blueberries.

Smoothie Bowl Formula:

2 frozen bananas

1 cup milk of choice ( I use almond milk)

2 pitted dates (I order mine from Futterman Farms in Indio, CA)

1 cup of fruit

Optional: Protein Powder 

Topping Options:

• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Coconut
• Chocolate chips
• Fruit (to match flavor of bowl)
• Dried Fruit 

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with raspberries, homemade granola, help seeds (Interstate Bait), and walnuts. 

A Smoothie Bowl is Quick to Prepare

I keep frozen bananas (ones that have started to get brown freckles) on hand at all times. To prepare a nutritious breakfast all you have to do is put the ingredients in your Vitamix (or blender of choice) and blend. After about a minute the bananas are chopped and integrated into the other non-frozen ingredients. You DO NOT want to OVER MIX, that would create a smoothie you DRINK not EAT with a SPOON. The clean up is simple. All you have to do is wash out the blender and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with peaches, unsweetened coconut, pepitas, and walnuts.

Cashews for Breakfast ... Enjoy Cashewgurt as a Yogurt Alternative

I was told about the Forager Project by a family member and was excited to try Cashewgurt as a yogurt alternative. I am always looking for healthy, gluten free foods to try. I shy away from high fat dairy as I am somewhat lactose intolerant so I figured this dairy free yogurt alternative would be a great product to try!

The Cashewgurt is thin like traditional yogurt and the unsweetend plain is a bit tart like traditional yogurt. I purchase unsweetend plain yogurt to control sugar as I usually add fruit and other mix-ins into the yogurt to add flavor.


If you are a Greek Yogurt fan, the texture will seem runny. To get used to it, prepare a bowl of 1/2 Greek Yogurt and 1/2 Cashewgurt to get used to the texture.




Yogurt is often my morning blank canvas. To the yogurt I add 1 cup of fruit and:

• 1 TBSP cinnamon or beet root powder or maca powder
• 1/4 cup nuts and/or seeds

Today I added peach and pepitas to 1.5 cups of Chasewgurt

Microgreens Salad

Those that follow my blog know that I love to start with a blank canvas and add ingredients to create my art.  

My blank canvas today was micro greens found at the farmer's market. 

Starting with my blank canvas, I made a side salad to go with a homemade gluten free pizza for dinner. The salad was made with a bed of green cabbage, micro greens, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

Micro greens are nutrient rich and packed with vitamins. As the flu season approaches, I am trying to eat as many nutrient dense foods as I can to help my immune system!

Researchers at the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland studied micro greens and concluded the following micro greens had the highest concentrations of four different vitamins and carotenoids:

• red cabbage
• green daikon radish
• cilantro
• garnet amaranth

For example, red cabbage micro greens are rich in vitamin C, but low in vitamin E. Green daikon radish micro greens were rich in vitamin E but low in lutein when compared to the cabbage, cilantro, and amaranth. Cilantro micro greens have the highest levels of leutin and beta-carotene. 

These nutrients not only help fight cancer but are also important for the health and longevity of our skin and eyes.

Micro greens can be grown in small places which makes them idea for an indoor garden in an apartment, condo, or tiny house! They grow quickly; from planting to harvesting it will be 1-3 weeks. Micro greens can be used in a variety of ways including: salads, edible garnishes to decorate a plate, sandwich garnish, or pizza topping.

Ingredients/Instructions:

• 1 cup diced cabbage
• 1.5 cups microgreens
• 1 cup toppings (Here: SuperSeedz Sea Salt, walnuts, and raisins) 
• Drizzle of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Note: Research from Medical News today.
  

No Bake Protein Bar ... Mix

My New Hope Blogger Box contained No Bake and Easy to Make Vegan Protein Bar Mix by Creation Nation.

This product is delightful! 

Creation Nation PB & Jelly Get In My Belly Mix is FREE FROM :

• GLUTEN
• SOY
• DAIRY

Creation Nation PB & Jelly Get In My Belly Mix has VARIATIONS:

The package provides you with suggestions to make the base recipe or to make it sweeter or reduce the sweetness. As you know, I love recipes that can be customized so this was definitely the FIRST THING I MADE when I opened my blogger box. This is in my wheel house!

I added almond milk, Sunbutter (Natural), and honey following the original recipe.  I sprayed a glass storage container and refrigerated the bars after I made them. I cut the bars and served after 10 minutes and they held together well.

I cannot wait to try to make this by adding bananas as the package also suggests ... as well as adding a few other variations!

Support Companies that Give Back

When we make a decision to purchase a product we are implicitly supporting that company and its mission. I try to purchase products that are healthy, sustainable, and from companies that give back. Across many industries there are companies that pledge to give back to the community and produce their products responsibly. Some of these companies have established themselves as Certified B Corporations.

Certified B Corporations

"Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. We are people using business as a force for good" (bcorporation.net). You can access a directory of companies that are certified on the website to see if you are supporting a company that is socially and environmentally responsible. Perhaps you may change your purchasing based on what you see. When possible, I purchase products from companies on this list. B Corporations range in size from small, family run businesses to

Two B Corporations that I support through purchases on a regular basis include:

Zego (food industry)

Part of the reason we started ZEGO is to help improve nutrition for low-income kids through organizations like A Better Course. Since 2013 we have donated 2% of our revenue to this end and will continue through the company's lifetime.

Yum Butter (food industry)

Through the company's BuyOne:FeedOne model, they have been able to help feed over 150,000 children with malnutrition since 2015. The company has a holistic approach to helping stem malnutrition in the developing world.

Athleta (apparel industry)

The company's goals for 202 include: 80% of waste diverted form landfills, 25% of products made from water saving techniques, and 80% of fabrics are made from sustainable fibers.

B Corporations Take a Stand:

As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:

• That we must be the change we seek in the world.
• That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.
• That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
• To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.

 YOU can be a part of the B Economy:

The B Economy is bigger than B Corps. B Lab collaborates with leaders across all sectors of society to build a broader global movement of people using business as a force for good.

The B Economy is built by everyone who works for, buys from, invests in, learns or teaches about, or supports businesses striving to create a shared and durable prosperity for all. 

Many Companies Give Back 

Many companies give back through setting up charitable foundations and supporting all levels of the supply chain. A few gluten free food companies that give back include:

KIND

KIND's mission is “do the KIND thing for your body, your taste buds and your world.” Their charitable foundation is a charitable organization that aims to promote healthier and more empathetic communities, as well as embrace any humanitarian initiatives.

Justin's

Justin's hopes to make an impact along with making nut butters.  In order to do this, they focus their business on educating, inspiring, nourishing, and nurturing others. They are dedicated to paying-it-forward to the companies that helped them achieve success and taking care of their environment though sustainability initiatives, including recycled packaging and mindfully sourced ingredients.

LARABAR

LARABAR is committed to creating non-GMO products made with Fair Trade ingredients, and they also partner with Feeding America and Terracycle. Feeding America aims to alleviate hunger and bring awareness to the issue of hunger, while Terracycle makes recyclable products


These are just a few of the companies that pride themselves on sustainable practices and a desire to give back. Support companies that look to leave the world a better place.