Homemade Potato Salad

Have you ever read the ingredients list on store bought potato salad? Wow, this list is long and scary, well at least I think so. It has been awhile since we've enjoyed homemade 'tater salad. It's really simple too...

Boil

Diced Potatoes

Eggs

Chop up

Red Onions

Celery

Pickles

Boiled Eggs

Mix Together

 Everything above

Organic Mayo

Fresh squeezed lemon juice

 Dijon Mustard

It was really really good, especially after it sat in the fridge to chill!

Fast & Easy Morning Smoothies

 These morning smoothies are really fast and easy! They are filled with lots of protein, good healthy fats, greens, and some fruit. Above it a mix of 1/2 avocado, some organic strawberry papaya (locally Hawaii grown...wow so good!), a few frozen organic mango chunks, chilled organic coconut cream (from the top of a coconut milk can), 3 leaves of fresh dino kale, almond milk, chilled water, and hemp seeds. Haha, my oldest said to his siblings..."Come look at this gross smoothie mom made!" But, I thought it was so good!

 This is before I added all the kale. Avocado, organic boiled egg, apple banana, mango chunks, coconut milk fat, fermented beet&ginger Kavass drink (where it gets the purple color), almond milk, cold/chilled water, and hemp seeds. 

Then after i added all the kale...

Not as pretty, but all that K Vitamin friendliness in the Kale packs it with so much nutrients!
This might be like all the juices I make, you'll probably have to chug it down. What I like most about these smoothies is that they keep me full for a lot longer until my next snack or meal.

Enjoying Breakfast :)

My breakfast's are much different than a year ago, which mostly consisted of some kind of oatmeal, fruit, and fresh juice. I've found out that my body needs a different type of fuel to last. I'm a protein type and therefore need more protein and fats to slow down how fast sugars breakdown and metabolize into energy. Before I was eating too many carbs, healthy carbs, but in the end my energy was so low and I didn't quite know why because I was eating really healthy foods. Now that I've added more healthy meats and fats and taken out grains, I've felt better, but still have more to go to feeling my most energetic self.

For breakfast I usually have some kind of mix of eggs, meat, veggie, and a shake filled with really good and healthy proteins and fats. The above pic is two boiled eggs w/ uncured ham, real salt, and pepper. The shake is 1/2 avocado, 1/2 of small apple banana, some fresh papays, a few frozen mango chunks, three dino kale leaves, almond milk, water, and hemp seeds.

 A boiled egg mixed with some of last nights dinner...Apple Chicken Sausage, with sauteed onions and garlic, baked potato chunks w/ Italian herb blend. And some raw fermented sauerkraut. I've been learning tons about how much our bodies and digestive system needs fermented foods to provide good healthy gut bacteria.

And this was my oldest's breakfast request...

Asparagus, eggs, sauerkraut, and "the seed bread". 

Chard Chicken Wrap

My husband grilled some chicken. While everyone else enjoyed their chicken sandwich on bread, I enjoyed mine on fresh garden chard. Avocado, tomato, red onions, red pepper, dijon mustard, real salt, and pepper. YUM!

Theirs vs. Mine

 We had this spaghetti for dinner one night...I made the sauce from organic canned tomatoes, added spices & herbs, veggies (green peppers, onions, garlic), cooked up organic beef, baked asparagus, and boiled some organic quinoa/corn noodles. It's gluten-free. I'm trying to use less and less wheat for my family.

Then there was mine...

I'm doing totally grain-free. I've gone gluten-free, but never grain free. Basically, grains and meat, especially large quantities of both, don't mix well in the digestive system and can cause more discomfort and problems.  Ever heard that the gut is the brain? Make sense to me. It's vital for our guts to be healthy and strong so that the rest of our body can function and work properly, like our brain. Eating healthy fats for brain development/nervous system development is so very important especially in the womb as a fetus and as a growing child. We gotta promote healthy guts for healthy bodies! But, gong grain-free isn't for everybody, it just depends on the way you metabolize, convert, and use your food. Some do better than others and their bodies need very different foods for energy, strength, health, stamina, and life! That's why is so important to listen to your body.

So, for my noodles I julienned zucchini and then steamed them for my noodles. Then added the sauce on top. I'm super sensitive to a lot of foods and lately wheat and grains have been bothering me, so they are out of the menu for me. Which means I pretty much eat Paleo Diet and have noticed a big difference in the way I feel. Onward to bigger and better!

Homemade Almond Butter :)

 I pulled my almonds out of the refrigerator and put them in my Vita-mix to make my own almond butter. Almond Butter at the health food store can be expensive! Depending on where you live it will range from $11-$30 for a 16oz jar. So, I will resort to my trusty blender and these the awesome health benefits of almonds...

Apple Banana Ice Cream :)

 I sliced up some apple bananas...

Put them in in a ziplock bag, then in the freezer, and then put it in my Vitamix with some almond milk...

 It was really good!

Especially, after I added some almonds and pecans on the side!

Raw Lasagna

With all the health food stores around here on the islands I can find some really awesome raw food places! This vegan raw lasagna was yummy, especially the raw pesto and macadamia sauce.

We Love Pinepples!

We've always enjoyed pineapples, but here on the islands the pineapples are so so good!

 

Herb Grilled Chicken & Veggies

Organic Chicken Breasts that soaked in a marinade of...

Olive Oil

Coconut Vinegar

Fresh Lemon Juice

Minced Garlic

Your Favorite Herbs