Tag Archives: apple

HEALTHY FRUIT SNACK KID’S LOVE

I am always looking for healthy snack alternatives for my family.  My children really love whole fruit on it’s own, but there are times when I want to send them to school with a chip alternative and these snacks serve that purpose.  My kids and husband love these.  What I love about them is their simplicity.  The apple cinnamon snacks are made with just that…apple and cinnamon.  I do wish that they offered more organic fruit crisps, but they do offer one, organic strawberry.

I just picked-up a pack of mixed freeze dried fruit snacks at Costco today.  My daughter was with me and saw them as we were doing our shopping, so we stocked-up again.

For more information about Brother’s All Natural click here.

One word of caution…I do not endorse buying their potato crisps because the sodium content is WAY too high!

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Filed under Gluten Free, Product Reviews, Vegan, Vegetarian

RAW MAPLE APPLE CINNAMON SCONES

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

 

INGREDIENTS

Makes 16 scones 

4 apples

2 cups almond pulp (from making almond milk)

2/3 cup ground flax meal

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup raisons

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 Tbs. cinnamon

~

Quarter the apples and remove the core.  Cut the apple quarters in thirds and place them in the food processor to turn it into raw applesauce.  You may need to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides.

Put the Apples in the Food Processor

Put the Apples in the Food Processor

In a small bowl combine the flax meal and water.  Allow this mixture to sit and congeal (this is what will bind the scones together).

Add Water to the Flax Meal

Add Water to the Flax Meal

Allow the Mixture to Congeal

Allow the Mixture to Congeal

In a large bowl combine the almond pulp and flax mixture.   Mix thoroughly. 

Add the Flax Meal to the Almond Pulp

Add the Flax Meal to the Almond Pulp

Add the applesauce to the above mixture and mix well.

Mix in the Applesauce

Mix in the Applesauce

Now add the cinnamon, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and raisons.  Mix thoroughly.

Add the Remaining Ingredients

Add the Remaining Ingredients

Measure out 1/3 cup of the batter and form it into a scone (I use a large ice cream scoop). 

Measure Out 1/3 Cup

Measure Out 1/3 Cup

Form the Scones

Form the Scones

Formed Scone

Formed Scone

Place the scone on the mesh sheet of your dehydrator.  Do the same with the remainder of the batter.

Formed Scones on Mesh Sheets

Formed Scones on Mesh Sheets

Dehydrate at 140° for 2 hours.  After 2 hours flip over the scones and then turn the dehydrator down to 115°.  Dehydrate for 3-4 hours more. 

Put in the Dehydrator

Put in the Dehydrator

I keep the scones in the freezer…they defrost fast.

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

Raw Maple Cinnamon Apple Scones

 

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

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Filed under Breakfast, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

CHUNKY CROCK POT APPLESAUCE

This recipe is sure to be a big hit with your family.  My kids claim that it tastes just like apple pie.  My favorite thing about this applesauce recipe is its simplicity…2 ingredients!

I use 6 pounds of apples whenever I make this recipe because I figure if I am going to make it I might as well make a bunch, but you can easily make a smaller batch.  When I make this recipe I put some of the applesauce in the refrigerator and I vacuum pack the rest of it with my Foodsaver (that I bought at Costco years ago) and put it in the freezer.

 

INGREDIENTS

6 pounds organic apples
organic cinnamon to taste
 

Peel the apples, quarter them, and remove the core.  Dice the quartered apples into 3-4 pieces each.  I make this whole process even easier by using apple peeler/corer like THIS one and then quartering the peeled and sliced apple.   Place the apple pieces into the crock pot.  Sprinkle desired amount of cinnamon onto the apples (I use about 2 Tbs.).

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for about 6.  Once the apples are tender, mash them until the applesauce reaches the texture you prefer (we like it a bit chunky).

This applesaucee is good on its own either warm or cold.  I personally love to have it for dessert with granola sprinkled on top (click HERE for one of my favorite granola recipes)!!!

For a printable version of this recipe click here

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Filed under Breakfast, Cooked Fruit, Crock Pot, Dessert, Gluten Free, Recipes, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian

FARM FRESH TO YOU – Organic Produce Delivery

The Delivery In My Courtyard Yesterday

The Delivery In My Courtyard Yesterday

About a month and a half ago I bought a Groupon for an organic produce delivery service called Farm Fresh To You.  Groupon was offering a deal that I couldn’t resist, $15 for a mixed organic produce box that usually costs $31.  I am such a fan of the service that I signed on as a regular customer.

I love getting the deliveries….I feel like I have a present waiting for me in my courtyard!   I chose to receive deliveries every two weeks, because I really like going to the Farmer Market too.  The service allows you to customize how often you receive deliveries and it is very easy to log in and cancel a delivery if need be (i.e. if you will be out of town).  I have also found their customer service to be phenomenal (they call every so often to check in and ask if you have any questions).

Top Layer of Produce

Top Layer of Produce

Bottom Layer of Produce

Bottom Layer of Produce

The oranges from our delivery yesterday were honestly the best oranges I have ever had.  The flesh was the color of grapefruit, but they were so sweet!  My kids each ate one and they both asked for more.

Part of the fun for me is figuring out what I am going to make with the fruits and veggies they deliver.  I have a feeling the kale is going to become kale chips!

Here is a description of their services in their own words:

 
We Harvest a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables from our farm and create several home delivery and office delivery service options for you to choose from. Our Regular Service is our most popular home delivery for those who have some time to cook and Mostly Fruit Service is great for those of you who are always on the run. The produce in each service changes weekly and varies seasonally, but we work with neighboring organic farms to ensure a good variety of produce year round.
 
You Choose the service you would like to receive and the frequency you would like to receive your service. The day that you receive delivery depends on your zip code, and the frequency of your delivery can be weekly, every other week, every third week or every 4th week delivery.
 
Customize your service after you sign up for your delivery by logging onto your account or contacting the office via phone or email. You let us know the item(s) you would not like to receive and we automatically change the item(s) if they come up in your standard seasonal selection. Feel free to add extra items for an event or dinner and we will deliver them with your next delivery.

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MY KID’S MORNING JUICE

Ready to Juice

Ready to Juice

As often as I can I try to start the kid’s morning off with fresh juice made from my Breville juicer.  The school week can be really busy and it isn’t always easy to cram in all of the nutrients they need to fuel their afterschool activities.  Fresh squeezed juice is a fantastic way to give their bodies what it craves.  In a perfect world my kids would drink 100% vegetable juice, but reality is different.  I can get the kids to drink their green veggies as long as I temper them with the sweetness of apples and carrots.  Little by little I have been able to add more and more greens. 

These were the ingredients in my kid’s juice this morning:

My Kid's Morning Juice Ingredients

My Kid's Morning Juice Ingredients

If your kids are new to juicing, start them off with apple juice (I have never met a kid that didn’t LOVE fresh squeezed apple juice).  Move on from there by slowly adding more and more carrots to the mix (also very sweet).  After a while you will be able to add in greens.  I find spinach, romaine, and sugar snap peas to be very mild in taste, so those are your best bets when starting to add greens to your juice.

You don’t need to own a juicer in order to make fresh juice.  If you own a blender or a Vitamix and have a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, then you can make juice.  It will be a bit more work, but well worth it.  In order to make juice with a blender you will need to add some water to the pitcher, chop in your veggies (watery veggies and fruits should go in near the bottom where the blade is), blend and then strain through the nut milk bags into another bowl.  Work in batches until you are done.

Nut Milk Bag

Nut Milk Bag

Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth

To make the juice, prepare all of your fruits and veggies by washing them and cutting them down to size if they are too big to fit through the opening of your juicer.  Once your produce is ready, set-up your juicer.  In order to minimize clean-up, I like to line my juicer’s pulp collector with one of my recycled produce bags.  Also keep some paper towel or an extra cup on hand for when you remove the juice pitcher.  I block the juice nozzle with a paper towel whenever I move the juice pitcher away…otherwise it will drip onto the counter.

When you juice, make sure you juice the softer fruits and vegetables first (i.e. romaine, cucumber, sugar snap peas, tomatoes) and then push the rest of their pulp through with the harder fruits and vegetables… this will ensure that you get as much juice out of them as you can. 

Softer Produce First

Softer Produce First

Most importantly, get your kids involved.  When children participate in making their food, they are much more likely to actually consume that food.

Get the Kids Involved

Get the Kids Involved

Some kids are very put off by the color of juice that has carrots or greens in it.  I have found a way around that by purchasing some fun cups in different colors.  When my daughter drinks out of her fun green cup with the cool straw, she has no idea what color the juice actually is.  You could also get some wacky straws to help encourage your children to drink the juice.

Using a Fun Colored Cup

Using a Fun Colored Cup

Since we are on the subject of juice, I thought I’d show you what my morning juice consisted of.  Most of you won’t start with this many veggies…work up to it with the same method as described above for the kids.

My Morning Juice Ingredients

My Morning Juice Ingredients

When my daughter saw the juice she named it “Mommy’s Rainbow Juice.”

Rainbow Juice

Rainbow Juice

Don’t forget to compost your juice pulp…your garden will thank you.

Here’s to health!

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Filed under Food Journal, Fresh Juice, Gluten Free, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian