Squeal - got the new catty giddiness

Ok folks who is old enough to remember the Sears Holiday Toy catalog getting delivered??

Well I am no longer a wee I  am still a child at heart so that’s how I feel when my favorite clean eating foodie  company drops their new catalog - it’s like CHRISTMAS all over again seeing what’s NEW to try out ..... only now I can screen shot my wishlist vs having to circle them with a big red marker ⭕️ !!  🤣

Feel free to have a look at their fabulous new products. I am exited about the new salad meal kits and for my Vegan family/friends - DIY MAYO no eggs needed!  And for my new fridge just I might have to check out the new space saver storage containers 😍 

Seriously take a peek and if you want to order and don’t yet have your own “spicy crack dealer” aka Epicure consultant please consider supporting  my lovely friend Lisa! 

You can order direct from the link here and have it shipped right to  your front door. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

Also here is the link to the full digital catalogue for your viewing pleasure.  

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Do you love bok choy?

 Do you 💕 bok choy 🥬?

If so how do you cook with it? Always looking for new ideas on ways to try it!!

Seriously I can’t believe I used to just walk by it all the time in grocery store and had no clue what I was missing until a couple of years ago my friend Lisa told me that it’s great in the Thai dishes from Epicure ... and she didn’t do me wrong! I am now a bok choy lover! 

How can you not love it - look at all the nutrition packed int it!

It is such a great texture of crunch and it adds a nice pair to the flavour our favourite Green Thai Curry ... nom nom nom! 

If your looking to add new healthy veggies to your palette this year Bok Choy is a must! It is now a staple for stir fry’s and soups for sure!

Bon Appetite 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

*this post contains affiliate links

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I will admit that for the most part I tend to just purchase 'store bought' pasta sauce because the cost of fresh tomatoes often makes making my own seem less cost effective. However sometimes when tomatoes are on sale or I luck into a friend who has loads extra from their garden I will whip up a batch of homemade pasta sauces. It really is so easy and makes me long for a green thumb and the space for a garden so I could grow my own tomatoes and make enough of this to freeze through the winter season ... no added salt or sugar just fresh natural ingredients!

 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Makes approximately 4-5 cups

What You Need

• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut oil 
• 1 cup onions, chopped extra-fine
• 1 cup celery, chopped extra-fine
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4-6 large fresh tomatoes or 1 jar of Tomato Sauce
• Handful of fresh Italian parsley and basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp each Italian seasoning or Epicure's Marinara Seasoning
• 1 tsp each black pepper, roasted red pepper flakes, paprika

What You Do

• In a saute pan add a drizzle of oil of choice and saute onions, celery and carrots with garlic.
• While sauteing wash tomatoes and purred in food processor and strain to remove as much of seeds as possible or 1 jar of tomato sauce
• Once veggies are tender add in the pureed tomatoes or prepared tomato sauce. Add herbs and seasonings. 
• Simmer over low heat or in a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours until all flavors have combined.
• If you do not like 'chunks' use an immersion blender to puree smooth consistency or of making ahead for freezing can let cool and add to your food processor for a final puree.
• Use as is or add meat and combine with your favorite pasta dish! 
• Freeze unused portions for up to 3 months. 

Cooks Tip
To aid with meal planning ~ I like to measure out in 1 cup servings into Ziploc baggies and than I can grab as needed to use for my lunches or in other recipes.
  
Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Paleo Inspired Pad Thai

We were in the mood for some Pad Thai ~ so playing with our old favorite and how to make it Paleo Inspired this week ... I have to say the stepson had two helpings so that was a sign that it turned out tasty. Myself I had to add some extra 'hot chilies' to mine at the table mostly because I am fighting a cold this week and think my taste buds were just shrouded by that so I needed the extra heat to clear my sinuses so I could actually taste the creamy delight that this actually was!

 Pad Thai Pork in the Crockpot

 Serves 6

What You Need

• 1 lb. boneless pork loin
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup prepared grain free Teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - more of less to taste depending on how spicy you like
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4 tablespoon nut butter (peanut, almonds, cashew)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion

What You Do

• Place pork, Teriyaki sauce garlic, and red pepper flakes in crockpot.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Stir nut butter into the liquid until evenly distributed.
• Shred meat with two forks right in the sauce of the crockpot.
• Add sliced peppers, and return meat to crockpot.
• Cook approximately 30 minutes until peppers are slightly cooked, but still crisp.
• Just before serving, stir in green onion and cilantro.
• Can be served over spaghetti squash pad thai below, or with rice, in lettuce wraps, or on top of salad.

 Nutritional Breakdown 

So if you are fixing it would be 1 red for pork, 1/2 green for peppers/onions and 1 tsp for peanut butter ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai 

serves 4

 What You Need

• 4  cups of Cooked Spaghetti Squash
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 cup Green Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves ~ minsed
• 1 tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup  Bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons of prepared grain free Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter
•  Cilantro and Almonds or Peanuts (optional for garnish)

What You Do

• Melt coconut oil in a pan and saute onions, garlic, ginger and carrots for about 2 minutes.
• Add egg scramble until cooked through. Then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
• Mix together teriyaki sauce and peanut butter ingredients in a small bowl.
• Warm spaghetti squash in the pan over low heat and stir in the peanut sauce. Then add in the onion/carrot mixture and bean sprouts.
• Serve your “noodles” on a plate with pulled pork from above over top or as a 'solo lunch dish' or omit the egg add tofu to it to make it 'vegan'.
•  Top with cilantro and nuts.

 Nutritional Breakdown  

So if you are fixing it would be 2 green for squash, carrots, onions and 2 tsp for peanut butter and coconut oil and 1/2 blue if you top with the nuts I personally would not count the egg cause its such a small amount mixed in ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Over all this was six thumbs up around the dinner table last night ~ I found mine so filling I did not even finish so have leftovers to have with my lunch today!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

Totallyawake4-life

 

Chocolate Chai Energy Bars

Looking for a little pick me up in the morning or afternoon? These nutrition packed perfect petite sized Chocolate Chai Energy Bars from Epicure pack a nice flavor and a lot of punch!

 Chocolate Chai Energy Bars

Serves 24

What You Need

• 6.5 ounces of blanched almonds
• 1/2 Cup  Pure Cocoa
• 1/2 Cup Madjol dates- pits removed
• 1/2 Cup  raisins
• 1/4 Cup  chia seeds
• 1/4 Cup  flax seeds
• 2 tsp Chai Spice
• 1/4 Cup  nut butter~ we use almond butter
• 2 Tbsp raw honey 

What You Do

1. Blend first seven ingredients in a food processor.
2. Melt nut butter and honey in microwave, drizzle over mixture in food processor.
3. Pulse mixture until all ingredients are blended.
4. Divide mixture evenly between sections in an Perfect Petites mold. Press in lightly.
5. Refrigerate until firm.
6. Flip petites onto an Baking Sheet or parchment paper and twist to pop out energy bars.

 Nutritional Breakdown

Chia seeds are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and Calcium which are awesome alternative for someone like me who is not a big fish lover and is limiting dairy.

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love much

Totallyawake4-life

Yummy Mummies with a warm bowl of Blood Soup

The older boys have finally started to notice 'Halloween' out in the community so we've been getting in the Halloween spirit the last few days with arts and games and well including having some fun with Halloween inspired FOOD! 

Today's lunch was a huge hit ~ it got a resounding 10 thumbs up around the table with everyone having seconds and one little muncher had fourths!

Mummies to Munch

What You Need

• Pizza Dough ... you can use Pillsbury if you're ok with the processed as that is where I got the initial idea from was using their dough or you can make your own homemade from scratch. This time I compromised between the two because I still have a few left in the cupboard from before I went 'grain free' so I used the Glutino Pizza Crust mix 
• Hot Dogs ... again your choice I sourced a All Natural Gluten Free option

What You Do

• Prepare your dough as per instructions and roll out thin and slice in strips
• Get the children to help you 'wrap' their mummies with the dough strips
• Some samples online show using black olives slipped in for the 'eyes' but we just put a dollop of ketchup on ours cause we do not eat black olives normally so did not have any on hand.
• Place on a parchment paper or greased cookie sheet and bake in a 375F oven for 15-20 minutes until your mummies are golden brown and the wieners are sizzling.
• We served with the Blood Soup below ... aka Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash

Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash

What You Need

• 2 cups of Roasted Red Peppers ~ approximately 3 red peppers. 
• 5 roasted cloves of garlic 
• 1 cup of leftover roasted butternut squash
• 1/2 cup of diced sweet onions
• 2 cups of stock ... vegetable or chicken your choice, homemade or store bought, we make our own.
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste typically about 1 tsp
• Pinch of Crushed Red Chili ~ specially if serving to children I add more to my own to taste afterward.

What You Do

• For the roasted red peppers. We cut our peppers into 4 large pieces and roast ours on the BBQ rubbed with some coconut oil and pepper sear them on both sides and than move them off the direct heat and let the roast in the BBQ until soft but you could also use 'store bought' roasted red peppers in a pinch just be warned that it will add sodium and sugar to your recipe count.
• Roast your garlic when you are doing the peppers ~ we just put them in a oil sprayed tinfoil on the BBQ or you could use a garlic roaster. 
• In a large pot saute your onions in 1 tsp of coconut oil until caramelized
• Put all the ingredients into your blender and hit the 'soup' button or puree button OR if you have a hand held immersion blender you could put them directly into your pot on the stove with the onions. Puree until smooth.
• If using a blender ttransfer puree to a pot
• Heat soup over medium heat until starts boiling and remove from heat.
• Serve ~ I opted for a bit of shredded mozzarella on top of mine cause unlike the kids I was not having a 'mummy' to munch with mine so wanted some added protein.

Roasted Red Pepper & Butternut Squash Soup

 And for those who like a 'break down' of what this means nutritionally this is without the 'cheese' topping ... I think it was a BANG ON cause it was nice and filling but low calories and packed high with vitamins! They say it is high in 'sugar' but there is no ADDED sugar that is because with the low calorie compared to the naturally occurring sugar in the squash and peppers! 

 Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

YUM ~ I love Pumpkin seeds

Great thing about October is all the pumpkin ... pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving, carving for Jack O Lanterns with the kids and the guts make a great sensory experience to play in ... but best part is don’t throw away pumpkin seeds after making your jack-o-lanterns. 

Simply roast them in the oven with salt, extra virgin olive oil, and 1-2 drops of Cassia essential oil for a delicious treat. 

Or another option below is give them a boost of immunity and flavor with the On Guard oil blend!

Please note that not ALL essential oils are meant for 'ingesting' and that even those that are approved for ingestion you need to watch your DOSE to ensure that it is safe ... less is more with doTERRA a little goes a long way for both aroma and flavor!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

Totallyawake4-life

The Beauty of the Beet!

Totallyawake4-life Balsamic Roasted Beets

Ok so this week in the interest of stretching my palette we are working on developing a love for Beets ... as a child the most memorable way of these being served was 'pickled' and as a totally visual eating the 'running red juice' that would infect everything on the plate totally turned me off even wanting to TRY bringing a beet anywhere near my mouth so needless to say I never did 'try' one until much later and well the pickled flavor of them is not my cup of tea so never tried again until recently when while dining at the Keg they served 'roasted beets' as the vegetable side and I was like 'these are lovely what are they?' and someone at the table laughed at me and said 'you've never eaten a beet?' ... oh these are not beets beets are cold and bloody and pickle tasting? Well jokes on me and my little view of the great big world ~ just shows you are never too old to learn something new! They were so tasty I had to try to recreate them at home! 

Think that I NAILED IT! Give them a try and let me know!

ROASTED BALSAMIC BEETS

What You Need:

• Fresh beets - roughly 2 pounds or 8 medium beets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tsp raw honey
• Zest of one orange
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• Tinfiol

What You Do:

• In a bowl mix 1/2 the tablespoon of melted oil, vinegar, honey, zest and pepper in a bowl and set aside.   
• Let the mixture marinade for at least 15 minutes to get the flavors into the oil and vinegar.
• Wash your beets really well to remove all dirt~ I love our Enjo Veggie cloth shown below. It is amazing at removing all the dirt and bacteria on the surface of the skin so you can eat the skin with confidence and retain all its nutritional benefits! 
• Cut the ends off and discard and than chop your beet into bit size pieces.
•  Add beets to the bowl above and toss to coat.
• Use the remaining oil to 'grease' your tinfoil to help prevent sticking.
• Make a 'boat' with the tinfoil and pour in the beets and all the fluid from the marinade mixture. Close up the top of the boat to seal it tight.
• Roast on the BBQ or in the Oven on 350F for an hour or until the beets are 'soft to a fork'.
• Serve with your favorite meat and alternative side ... for me the Beets where my 'potato' replacement and so I served these with steak and a side of angry onions and peppers. (angry onions and peppers are sauteed in Red Hots Original Tabasco Sauce)

Cooks Tip:

If you do not have one already I highly recommend getting on of these they really are a must have ... I use to loose so much of the great nutritional value of fruits and veggies because I felt I need to 'peel' them to remove either the visible dirt in the crevices OR out of fear of 'residue' being left from wax and other manufacturer 'add ons' to make selling them more profitable! 

Seriously just look at the difference between them the brown looking is not washed at all the two on top are 'washed' the way I use to with a brush and that shiny one THAT is ENJO CLEAN not a fleck of dirt or debris left behind! 

 

Why ENJO Veggie Cloth's ROCK!

 Why does one need beets in their diet?

That is an awesome percentage of daily vitamins and minerals being met by just one cup and 59 calories of one's daily allotment ~ so that only is enough to sell me!

And if that chart is not enough to sell you on at least TRYING them than here is a handly little list of the benefits that those vitamins and mineral have in your life!

Image Source Fain N Fitness

• Beets are an excellent source of folate
• Beets contain a significant amount of fiber, manganese and potassium
• Beet greens are an excellent for of calcium, iron and vitamins A and C
• Stimulate liver function
• Reduce Cholesterol
• Natural Colon Cleanser
• Contains beteicyaninis which counter act cancer
• Immune Booster
• Nicknamed Nature's Viagra
• Contains polysaccharhides for digestive tract health

When I read that list I could not help but think someone in the family is definitely getting TWO SERVINGS .... I will leave the who up to your imagination!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Totallyawake4-life

Whipped Coconut Cream

Whipped Coconut Cream

What You Need

• 1 14-ounce can coconut cream or full fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen is best)
• 1 tablespoon of sweetener of choice ~ we use either honey or coconut palm sugar or stevia depending on the age of the kids sharing it with or if personal use
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

What You Do

• Chill your coconut cream or coconut milk UPRIGHT in the refrigerator overnight along with the bowl you want to prep the whipped cream in~ handle with care as you remove it because you want to keep the contents 'separated'.
• Carefully open the container of coconut cream or full fat coconut milk and scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid that settles at the bottom behind (do not throw it out you can bake with this or add it to smoothies for extra flavor and healthy benefits of the coconut water)
• Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until creamy and smooth - about 1 minute. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
• Use immediately or refrigerate - it will continue to set in the fridge the longer it's chilled. Admittedly ours never stays around long but I have read that it will keep for up to 1 - 2 weeks you just need to whisk it up with a fork again before serving!

 Baker's Note

 If your coconut milk didn't harden and separate it is likely made without the the right fat content. Rather than throwing it out you can try to salvage it with a bit of tapioca flour - 1 to 4 Tbsp - during the whipping process.

Whipped Coconut Cream is awesome on your sweet treats like hot chocolate, pies, ice-cream and sometimes we have it as a 'dairy free pudding' alternative with a side of fruit on top!  

Have an amazing day!  

Caribbean Spicy Mango Sauce ~ lower carb style

OK my other half just LOVES store this bought Pineapple Coconut Mango Tequila sauce from Costco ... and  do not get me wrong when he brought it home the first time I thought this is some TASTY stuff with lots of flavor and a nice kick of spice however it is not really 'fix approved'  for my needs specially to be using it on a regular enough basis in our cooking in order to go through that big honking bottle from Costco before the expiry date or to justify the real estate it takes up in my fridge once it is open ~ and I need all the real estate for fruits and veggies and so forth! 

So my mission this week was to figure out a way to take the main ingredients in the above and find a way to create a recipe where the nutritonal facts are better ... aka lower the carbs and increase the fiber and so forth.
  

Margaret's Spicy Caribbean 

Pineapple Mango Sauce

Yields: just shy of 2 cups of sauce ~ my apologizes I did not think to take a photo last night in my rush to get dinner on the table however next time I make this I will upload a new photo so you can see what it looks like!

What You Need

• 1 ripe mango - diced. If they are not in season 1/2 cup flash frozen thawed
• 1/2 cup of diced pineapple. If fresh is not in season flash frozen thawed
• 1 medium size lime
• 4 tablespoons Coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1-2 splashes of Sriracha sauce
• 1 ounce tequila
• 1 tablespoon raw Honey  

 What You Do:

• Juice the lime directly into your blender - make sure no seeds drop in. If you do not have fresh lime you could use lime juice follow the amounts suggested for '1 lime' replacement.
• Add all remaining ingredients into your blender 
• Pulse together until you get a creamy pureed sauce consistency for a true sauce OR you can leave it chunkier for a 'chutney' depending on your desire.
• Allow flavors to marinate together in the fridge for a couple of hours before adding to your recipe. 
• Freeze any unused sauce in an air tight container for the next time its needed or store in the fridge for a few days if going to use up for leftovers or what not. I would not keep it more than 3-4 days myself cause without an preservatives you just do not know how long it will stay safe.

 Suggested uses

Spicy Caribbean Turkey Stir Fry

This sauce pairs nicely cold as a 'dip' for homemade chicken nuggets or tossed in with stir fry veggies and poultry, pork or beef (shown above) as well as we love it in the crockpot over mini meatballs or tossed with chicken wings and baked. I also love it as a ketchup alternative with my Butternut squash french fries. 

And for the nutritional comparison used the Calorie Count Recipe Converter   ...  and as you can see compared to the store bought facts above we have lowered the calories by over 50% and lowered the carbs by over 75% and added some dietary fibre and the taste and consistency is still pretty close. 

 Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life