Mango Pineapple Salsa

So I have been reading a great book Anti Cancer. It has some great tips on how you can take care of your body better. I love those kind of books.  One of the things he recommends is eating 25 servings of fruits and vegetables a week. He also said it is a good idea to include variety in your servings. So this salsa is a great way to include a lot of variety into your servings for the week. The extra bonus is it tastes great too. It got a thumbs up from my family.

Ingredients

2 C diced  fresh pineapple
2 C diced mangoes (I thawed frozen)
1/4 C red pepper diced
1/2  C chopped red onion
2 T minced jalapeño
1/4 C chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
3 T chia * Optional (nice thickener)

Directions serves 4-6

1. Place all the ingredients except chia in a medium bowl and toss the mixture.
2. Toss the chia on top and then toss the mixture again. The chia adds nutritional benefits also it works as a nice thickener. It is Delish!

Summer Fruit Frappe (no added sugar)

Today I got to talk to my son Derek on the phone (What a gift to have telephones and hear from family and friends we love) when he was on his way to Michigan to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I admire him, and the things he is learning, and the way he is serving with his whole heart. It hit me again today. I have been blessed to have some wonderful children in my life. My husband and I have learned so much from them. We continue to learn and grow from them. Our role has changed we are no longer their caregivers. We are just here to support and love them as they go on to accomplishing great things in their lives. The Bonus is we get to have in-laws and grandchildren added to our family too. Our 4th grandchild is  coming in December. Life is full of many blessings.   

I love Summer time. Everything about enjoying the water, weather, summer nights, summer fruit, and playing with family at the lake. I created a yummy drink that combined a lot of yummy fruits and spinach into a great power drink. 

Ingredients

1 C water or almond milk
juice from 1 orange
1 C fresh or frozen pineapple
1/2 C fresh or frozen mangoes
1/2 C fresh or frozen peaches
2 frozen bananas chopped up
1/2 C blueberries or other frozen berries
3 T yogurt Optional (leave out vegan version)
1 C Ice cubes
2 T Chia
1 T flax seeds
1 C fresh spinach

Directions   serves 2 or more

1. Pour ingredients into the blender starting with the water or milk and then add all the rest. Blend and pulse until nice and smooth.

2. Serve and enjoy a refreshing power drink. Great for a Summer day.

Refreshing Dole Whip With Banana (Sugar Free)

So the weather is heating up this is a delicious guilt free dessert. I Love it. We ate Dole Whips in Hawaii but I guarantee they where not as healthy. The flavor is not sacrificed. It was so refreshing and easy. I served it with some cut up strawberries and it was wonderful. Pineapples are so good for you (read about benefits here), and you will feel like your enjoying a touch of Hawaii. Aloha! 

 Ingredients

2 C frozen unsweetened pineapple (I used canned)
1 1/2 frozen banana cut in pieces
1 tsp vanilla *optional
Cut up fruit *optional (I loved it with sliced fresh strawberries)

Directions serves 2-3

1. I put the pineapple in the freezer to freeze it only took a couple hours. If yours is not already frozen.
2. Then place the pineapple and banana in the blender and blend and stir until nice and creamy. *Optional you can add the vanilla at the same time. Either tastes good.
3. Scoop into bowls and serve at once or store in freezer until ready to serve.
4. Serve with sliced fresh fruit if desired. Yum!

Tropical Green Smoothie

So it is that great time of the year to eat a lot of great fruits. I love making them into smoothies. If you add some greens and some other healthy ingredients you have a great meal or snack. There are so many yummy smoothie recipes. This is one that I came up with today when I was making my breakfast. It ended up being pretty thick you may need a spoon. Isn't it wonderful to get so much nutrition in one glass. A handful of nuts would be a great addition to the meal too.  It is a great way to start your day.  "Seize the day"!

Ingredients

1 C coconut milk or almond milk
1 handful of washed spinach
1/2 C frozen or fresh mangoes
1 frozen banana
1/4 C frozen or fresh pineapple
1/4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1 T chia
1 T flax seed


Directions Serves 1 to 2

1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender and let it whirl until all combined. Drink right away.  Enjoy

*For additional sweetness add a little honey. If you want it not as thick increase the liquid.

Easter Brunch Carrot Cake Muffins

 These carrot cake muffins are wonderful to eat anytime of day. It would be a lot of fun to eat them for an Easter breakfast or brunch. It would also be a fun way to welcome in Spring. :) They are loaded with healthy ingredients. I loved how mosit they tasted yum.


Ingredients
1 1/2 C kamut flour (or your choice of whole grain flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 C grape seed oil
1/3 C raisins *optional
1 C grated carrots
1/3 C honey
1/2 C pineapple tidbits, drained, and dried off

Directions
1. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. In a separate larger bowl, mix together wet ingredients. Gently stir in dry ingredients.
3. Pour in greased muffin tins.
4. Bake at 350 for about 20 min or until done.

Pineapple Mango Bites

I am a big fan of pineapple and mangoes so why not put them in a muffin bite?  That is what I did.  They turned out moist and sweet. They would be great for breakfast or a snack.  

Ingredients

1 1/2 C oatmeal old fashioned

1/2 C plain Greek yogurt

1/2 C almond milk

1/2 C honey

2 T coconut oil

1 egg

1 banana, mashed

1/3 C mango, diced

1/3 C pineapple, diced (I used fresh)

1/2 C coconut, unsweetened, shredded

1/3 C oat flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt.

Directions (Makes 12 muffin-sized bites)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease muffin tins or fold in parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together oatmeal, yogurt, milk, honey, and coconut oil.

2. Fold in egg, banana, mango, pineapple, and coconut.

3. Stir in oat flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Let it rest for 5 to 10 min.

4. Put mixture in muffin tins. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutritious Pina Colada Smoothie (Nonalcoholic)

I know that Pina Colada is traditionally something to drink during the summer, preferably sitting on a beach or besides a pool. But this light refreshing smoothie could be a delicious treat anytime of year. It certainly tasted good today during a winter snow storm! Give yourself the gift of summer in the winter. :)

Ingredients
1 1/4 C crushed pineapple (unsweetened) drained
2 C vanilla almond milk or coconut milk
2 frozen bananas
1 C ice cubes
1 tsp coconut extract

Directions serves 2 to 4 
1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
Enjoy a refreshing Treat

Mixed Fruit Sorbet (no added sugar)

This is a wonderful way to enjoy your Summer. Eating a frozen fruit sorbet. With no added sugar. It has a nice mixture of fruit in it. You don't have to feel guilty while you are enjoying it. :) Great way to refresh yourself for the day.

Ingredients:
1/2 C water
1 C low fat plain yogurt
1/4 C frozen blueberries
1/4 C frozen strawberries or fresh
1/4 C frozen pineapple
1/2 frozen banana
1 C ice
1 peeled orange broken into pieces
sliced fruit for garnish

Directions: serves 2 to 3
1. Put the ingredients into the blender in the order listed. Blend or pulse until creamy. You may have to stop and stir it a couple times.  (Especially if you double it like I did)  Serve at once, or place in the freezer  for 30 min to 1 hour to thicken it up. Scoop into parfait dishes. Top with your choice of fresh fruit! Yum!

Sunrise Smoothie

I loved this smoothie. It was sweet with out adding any other sweeteners. The fruit made it the perfect sweetness. It was a nice refreshing drink that would be great any time of the day. If the fruit was frozen it would even be more refreshing. Yum! It is a great way to enjoy summer by enjoying the summer fruit that is available. :)

Ingredients: 2 servings


2 mango's peeled and chopped up
1 C pineapple (I used fresh)
juice from 1 orange
juice from 1 lime
a banana would be wonderful too
1 C of ice

Directions:
1. Pour it all into the blender and blend until smooth!

Enjoy Today!

Healthy Morning Side Muffins

Image credit NASA 

I love the morning when the sun is just coming over the mountains. I love seeing how the sun sheds light on to the mountains. I love the sunshine it warms my soul. The sunrise brings a fresh start to a new day. Look to the sun for light. :)  I love light. This world is a beautiful place. :)  

I love the weekends It is so nice to have my husband home and regroup as a family. This weekend we left the projects behind, and enjoyed a "field trip" as my husband called it. We were gone for the day and evening enjoying time together. We went and visited a college campus for my daughter, and a new shopping center. Then another daughter was in a pageant and we enjoyed watching  her stretch to new limits. My children teach me by the things they do.  It was a fun day to be together. The cool thing is when your gone all day, and leave a clean house, the house stays clean. It is nice to have a day off every once in a  while. We all need it.

These were yummy muffins, As have said before I think muffins are even better the next day. I think all the flavors are enhanced. I look for muffins not to be sweet like a cookie. If you are looking for sweeter you can increase the sweetener. These are a great way to start your morning. :)

Ingredients:

3 C whole Grain flour (I used mixture spelt, kamut, and buckwheat)

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

6 T coconut oil 

3/4 C coconut sugar or other sweetener

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 C rice milk

1 ripe banana mashed

1 C grated carrots

1 to 1 1/2 C pineapple tidbits (drained)

Directions:

1. Measure and pour into a bowl all the dry ingredients. Stir together with a wire whisk and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl beat the softened coconut oil and then beat in the sugar till creamy. Beat for a couple minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. 

3. Then beat in the milk and  bananas.  Stir in the dry in ingredients. 

4. Stir in the carrots and pineapples.

5. Pour into greased muffin pans. Bake 375 for 12-to 25 min. depending on the size of your muffins. 

6. Remove from the pan while still warm. Store extras in airtight container.