Aloha Tropical Popcorn (healthy)

Aloha! Today we are taking you to Hawaii with this wonderful popcorn flavor. That does sound wonderful right now. :)  I love the tropical flavors they make a fantastic flavor combination with popcorn. The dried fruit adds just the right sweetness to it. It is wonderful to be able to make quick and easy snacks. I have been sending with family to go in  their lunches this week. Aloha!

Ingredients:
4 C Popcorn (air popped)
4 T coconut oil melted
1 T fresh orange juice
1/4 C finely shredded  unsweetened coconut or the bigger shreds would be good too.
1/4 C dried fruit (mix of pineapple, mango, papaya, bananas, berries) pick your favorite combo
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt w/ iodine or to your taste preference.

Directions:
1. In a small bowl mix coconut oil, and orange juice together.
2. In a larger bowl pour in the popcorn. Pour the coconut oil  mixture over the popcorn and toss.
3. Toss in the fruit,coconut and salt.
4. Enjoy! 

Tropical Salsa

I have made another salsa with Mango in it, that you will find here. This one had a different mix. It tasted great with chips. It would also be wonderful with chicken or fish. I ate the leftovers for lunch with brown rice. It made a great lunch. It was a nice variation to the normal salsa. I have a lot of wonderful mangos right now, so I can make it again.

Ingredients:
5 ripe mangos diced
1/2 fresh pineapple diced
1 med. jalapeno pepper deseeded cut tiny pieces
1 small onion diced or you could use a red onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small bunch green onion chopped small
5 T fresh cilantro chopped
2 T lime zest (smelled wonderful) :)
2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
1 to 2 T honey *optional
add coarse salt to taste preference.


Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You can then serve or refrigerate covered for an hour.

Have a nice safe 4th of July Weekend!

Macadamia Nut Granola

Sorry I have been out of town. :) So that is why there has been limited posts. I appreciate Britney doing one. :) I brought back some Macadamia Nuts, and was interested to learn more about them.

Macadamia Nuts: (Some Interesting Information)

1. Helps lower cholesterol and decreases risk of stoke and heart disease.

2. 78 to 86 % of the fat is monounsaturated (Heart healthy good for you fat.

3. Only food source that contains palmitoleric acid. It is a type of monounsaturated fatty acid that can speed up your metabolism that could reduce your bodies ability to store fat.

4. The oil is healthier than olive oil. (I have not tried the oil yet.) It can be heated to higher temperatures than olive oil, without losing its flavor and breaking down.

5. They have falvanoids in them. Flavanoids turn into antioxidants in our body. Antioxidants can help destroy particles in the body that could cause diseases and other conditions. As a result to that it can lower your blood pressure.

6. They have Vitamin A, Iron, protein, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Small amounts of selenium (an antioxidant) calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

7. Plain roasted are the healthiest and unsalted. (keeps down the sodium)

8. They still are high in calories and fat, ( one of the highest in fat of the nuts) so don't go too crazy. Just replace them for other fats you eat, and enjoy the health benefits.

9. They are harvested after they fall to the ground.

10. Serving size 11-12 nuts

It was fun to have them to put them into this granola. It gave it a great flavor. I hope that you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

3 C old fashioned oatmeal

1 C Macadamia nuts chopped (pulsed them in the blender)

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 C coconut oil

6 T honey

1 C dried tropical mix (pineapple, mango,papaya, cranberries, blueberries)

Directions:

1. Mix oats, nuts, cinnamon and coconut in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan add oil, and honey. Bring to a boil, and let boil 1 to 2 min.

3. Stir honey mixture into oatmeal mixture.

4. Pour on to a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it. Bake at 275 in oven for about l5 min. Then stir in dried fruit and stir it. Let cook another 10 min. I decided I liked it less golden this time.

You can cook till your desired preference. Let cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!