A smoothie a day...

I'm obsessed with my blender. It gets used, on average, twice a day. I have no idea what combination of this or that makes for the healthiest combination, but I do know this: we have been damn healthy. The girls have had one runny nose in the past six months - it lasted less than 48 hours each. I can't remember the last time I had a cold. Maybe it has something to do with our smoothie-a-day obsession? Not sure, but not planning to stop. Keep that blender blending.  :)

Green Smoothie-of-the-day

• Organic baby spinach - at least 2 cups
• 1 frozen organic banana - I buy organic bananas when the Merc has the super-ripe ones on sale. Then I peel them, cut them into big chunks, and keep them in a freezer bag in the freezer
• 1/2 - 1 C organic frozen mango
• 1-2 T organic ground flaxseeds
• 1 C homemade almond milk
• 1 T organic coconut oil - melted, but not too warm, and drizzled in while blender is running

Foodie Friday: Fruit and Fish (not together)

We really don't eat on-the-go much - during the week, the girls and I do breakfast and lunch at home almost daily and dinners are about the same for the four of us, except for our awesome weekly dinner group. I also have always had a "thing" about taking food everywhere with us - I've felt like the girls, as older babies, toddlers, and now, should be able to have a meal or snack at home and easily last through an outing, such as grocery shopping or storytime, and back home before needing food again. I really made a point to not use food as a pacifier, of sorts, so that their attention and effort was put forth into the activity not exerted on a food distraction. (Now exiting the soapbox, stage left...)

Snacks are important and it is nice to have options that are ready, easy to toss on the table, or throw into the purse when necessary (which, despite my previous rant, does happen). The girls love KIND bars, which are more of a fruit/nut bar than a granola bar. And, when limiting grains, they are a nice choice. Here's a homemade bar that is somewhat similar and TASTY!

Apricot Coconut Bars
courtesy of shutterbean

• 1/2 C organic roasted unsalted cashews
• 1 C organic dried Turkish apricots
• 1 C organic unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 C organic rolled oats
• 2 T local honey
• 2 T organic coconut oil (melted)
• 2 T organic chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• Pulse cashews in food processor until small crumbles (I use my blender with the food processor attachment); remove and set aside
• Pulse apricots until ground; add remaining ingredients, saving cashews for last
• Once cashews are added, pulse everything again
• Smash into a parchment-lined 8x8 pan and pop into the freezer to harden (I left them for a couple of hours)
• Now try to eat just one. Do it. Only one!!!!

In the event that you need dinner as well, and not just a snack, these salmon cakes are quick and easy. I've made them in the past with frozen salmon that I baked, etc... but using a decent canned salmon (boneless and skinless) definitely expedites the process! The girls devoured them (especially Abby, queen of seafood).

Easy (simple) Salmon Cakes

Makes approximately 8 

• 2 cans salmon (I've been using the Wild Planet brand - boneless and skinless, sustainably caught wild Alaska pink salmon)
• 4-6 organic green onions (chopped)
• 1/3 - 1/2 C organic bread crumbs
• 1-2 local, organic eggs (depends on the size of the egg)
• Zest of one organic lemon
• Squeeze of organic yellow mustard
• Splash or two of Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper
• Mix all together
• Form salmon cakes with hands
• Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan 
• Cook salmon cakes (I had room for 4 at a time); I'm not sure how long they cooked on each side - just until browned a bit
• Serve with some "dip dip" - we used sour cream and pickle relish mixed together; John added sriracha

Chocolate Chip Cookies... with Coconut Oil

I was having a conversation recently about cooking/baking. I love the fact that recipes are endless. There is always something that could be made. There are always new ingredients to try. The need for food never goes away. I like to read about the latest "10 Greatest Foods" and the newest "Diets For Success" because, while I'm not a dieter (never have been, never will be), I do find value in learning from bits and pieces here and there as a way to improve upon our nutritional choices. And I'm continually amazed at the people (especially parents) who don't spend time, energy, and resources on becoming well-balanced and healthy. Our girls are eating machines. They love mealtimes and their food preferences are fabulous. I took them to The Merc last weekend to pick up some fun treats for dinner - Daddy was out for drinks and basketball with Uncle Travis, so I thought it would be fun for us girls to "eat out" (yes, getting goodies from The Merc constitutes eating out for us). Abby selected sushi (vegetarian rolls). Elise chose couscous (with roasted zucchini). I love it. 

So, as far as trying new things and testing out pieces of the latest and greatest... coconut oil. I've never used coconut oil but I'm reading about it on the internet, in books, and in magazines. I made cookies this week and substituted half of the butter with coconut oil. The result? Tasty McTasterson! Subtle coconut flavor that may have actually added to the texture and richness of the cookie. I used my favorite recipe that I've shared before but with the addition of coconut. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Oil

• 1/2 C (one stick) organic unsalted butter
• 1/2 C organic unrefined fresh-pressed virgin coconut oil
• 1 C organic sugar
• 1 C brown sugar
• 2 local eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 C organic white whole wheat flour
• 2 1/2 C organic regular oats (ground up in the blender first)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Dark chocolate chips (approx 3/4 bag)
• Organic cranberries (approx 1 C)
• Combine dry ingredients
• Combine wet ingredients
• Add all together; mix in chocolate chips and cranberries
• Bake at 375° for 8-9 minutes (do not overbake; I use a Silpat)
• This full recipe makes 5 dozen cookies, give or take depending on size. It can easily be cut in half, but I like to make the full recipe and freeze half. Remember: roll the cookie dough into balls, freeze on a cookie sheet until hard, and store in a ziploc baggie. Frozen cookie dough balls can be placed straight into the oven - they just might need a few extra minutes of baking time.

You put the chicken in the coconut...

Grocery shopping without a list, without the girls, and in an unfamiliar store naturally leads to impromptu buys. I wander. I get distracted. I buy random things. This week, it was coconut milk. So last night, it was coconut chicken.

• Local free-range chicken breasts cut into chunks
• Coconut milk
• Bread crumbs
• 1 Egg
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Pierce raw chicken breast with fork; marinate in coconut milk in fridge (1-2 hours)
• Dredge chicken in egg, followed by bread crumb/shredded coconut/salt/pepper mixture
• Pour a bit of coconut milk into bottom of greased pan (I used an organic olive oil cooking spray)
• Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes
• Once chicken is done, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to give the coconut crust a nice browned color and taste

We ate this with a simple veggie pasta, made with steamed broccoli, sauteed carrots and onions, wilted spinach, and a sauce of white wine, milk, mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper, topped with a few fresh cherry tomatoes.

Dessert is ALWAYS a killer reinforcer for eating a good dinner; the girls chowed on the chicken! Abby isn't typically a fan of pasta (I can relate), but she ate up this tasty whole wheat mini-bowtie pasta - will buy again. Oh, back to dessert... homemade raspberry frozen yogurt. Yes, the counter-top is now jam-packed because the juicer was added to the mix, right beside the ice cream maker, which has earned its spot atop the counter!