Homemade Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal - Nate's favorite!

This makes quiet a bit, but it doesn't last too long around here with all these mouths to feed, but feel free to cut in half or thirds.

Ingredients:
6 c. of rolled oats
1 c. almond meal
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 c. unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 c. coconut palm sugar or other unrefined sugar (I think it would also be good to do molasses, but haven't tried it yet).
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. maple syrup

Directions:

1. Grind oats in food processor.
2. Add ground oats and all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk together applesauce and maple syrup. 
4. Mix all together well. It will be sticky.
5. Spoon onto lined baking pans and flatten out until smooth.  May need to wet spatula to keep from sticking.  I use 2 large pans for this. It should be 1/4"-1/2" thick.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes.  Check every few minutes after 25 to be sure it isn't burning, but you want it to cook long enough to get a good crunch.  It crunches up more after it cools.
7. Cool completely and cut into squares with pizza cutter or just break into small pieces.  
8. It is wonderful with almond milk and banana. :)

Cabbage, Pear & Walnut Salad with Creamy French Dressing (Vegan!)

I was skeptical! In the past I have been known to not like things that crunch or are raw or include onions or ... well you get the idea! You guys all know I was a super picky eater, but this was one that I had not overcome yet, but we started doing Raw Wednesdays around our house and so of course I had to try some more new stuff.  This one was a hit!! In fact, Nate's comment was "I think we could actually go 80% raw foods!"  I of course told him I wasn't quite ready for that, but either way we have this one often now on Wednesdays. :)

In a large bowl, combine:
1 Cabbage, thinly sliced & shredded ( I buy it from Trader Joe's already shredded in a bag!)
1/2 Onion, very thinly sliced
5 Celery stalks, cut very thin or chopped
2 Pears, ripe and thinly sliced

In a smaller bowl, combine:
1/2 c. Raw walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast
1 tsp Onion powder
dash of salt & pepper
Add this bowl to the large bowl and mix.

For the dressing, in a mini blender, combine:
1/2 c. EVOO
1/3 c. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp Tarragon (or substitute 1 pinch cinnamon, 1 pinch parsley)
1/4 tsp Mustard powder
2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
sea salt to taste
1/4 tsp Lemon pepper
2 tsp Maple syrup
1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

Mix it all together and ENJOY!

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Body Beast With Shakeology Challenge Pack

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Check out my progress video here!  My Body Beast Progress


 

What is Body Beast?
 The Body Beast^® Challenge Pack includes 12 body-bulking workouts that'll have you grunting, cursing, and begging for mercy. Also included is an in-depth nutrition plan that'll teach you how to eat right to get big and incorporate the supplements you need to get massive. Trainer Sagi Kalev combines cutting-edge muscle growth science with years of personal trial and error to create a system that delivers results beyond what you ever imagined possible.




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• Bulk: Legs. Progressive Sets, Force Sets, and Super Sets to help you transform chicken legs into tree trunks. (40 minutes)
• Beast: Abs. Ab work is here for more than looks. A strong core helps you lift heavier weight safely and helps you improve your posture. (11 minutes)
• Beast: Cardio. You didn’t see this workout in Pumping Iron. A highly new-school performance-oriented cardio workout to not only help cut you up but to increase your ability to get bigger. (30 minutes)
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Sun-Dried Tomato, Sweet Potato, Kale and White Bean Soup

This is a power packed super dinner!! And delicious!

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, ground if you can find them that way
1 medium onion chopped,
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
16-20 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced or 2 cans
6 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped oregano or 1 tsp if dried
3-4 cups of kale leaves, chopped
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
sea salt
ground pepper

Note:  I chopped the onion, the tomatoes, the carrots, and the kale (separately) in my Ninja. Saved me a ton of time!!!

Heat a few tablespoons of stock in a pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and fennel seeds.  Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Add onion, potato and carrot, stirring for 5 minutes more. 

Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaves and oregano.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so that it continues at a simmer.

Add the kale, beans and sun-dried tomatoes.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes or however long you want to leave it on low.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This is also a great crock-pot soup, if you would prefer to do it that way!

Serves 8.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories-153
Fat-0.9g
Carbs-30g
Fiber-6g
Sugars-10g
Protein-6g

Expeirmenting with a Whole Food, Plant Based Diet (Meatless March)

 Last month Nate and I went on a 30 day experiment.   We had been doing some research and really started seeing the value of a Whole Food, Plant Based (WFPB) diet.  So, we decided to go for it hard core for 30 days and see what we thought.  So, that was our Meatless March that you may have seen so many posts about.  I sat down and planned out the monthly menu as I normally did, except it did not include meat, eggs, or dairy and very little soy.  Initially, we did try some of the "vegan" products on the market, most had soy in them and we quickly discovered that we did not digest them well at all!  To the point that I bought 2 packages of tofu at the beginning of March and one is still in the fridge, simply because I don't like to throw things away.  Technically they are not whole foods either, since we bought some of them already made, like the night we tried pizza with daiya cheese and tofurky pepperoni, no thanks!!  Not all of the recipes were stellar but boy most of them have been absolutely delicious!!!

So, what do we consider a WFPB diet?
Plant based foods with less than 5 ingredients is my rule of thumb.  No meat. No dairy. No eggs. My 5 year old breaks it down pretty simple with a question of "was it made or grown?"

Is it hard to follow?
It was challenging, but to me that is the fun part.  It has been a good educational process and a great way to push us to try new things and new recipes. The key has been planning ahead!!

What is the best part about WFPB diet?
The cooking and clean up is so CLEAN!  I absolutely love that I don't have to worry about raw anything!  The dishes are not greasy! I can lick my fingers or taste test when cooking without worrying about salmonella poisoning!

What benefits did we see?
We feel better overall, cleaner and healthier.  Way better digestion, after the first two weeks, which were kind of a crazy detox I guess.  I am noticing improvements in my skin!  It is easy to lose weight whenever you clean up your diet but especially when switching to WFPB, but we learned to still watch our portion sizes and the nuts.  We came into this from a pretty clean eating life style already, so didn't really expect to see the dramatic weight lose that most people see.  I actually gained 2 lbs. during the 30 days because I had increased my portion sizes so much, thinking that was okay and the food was SO good!  And nuts are such an easy snack.  But, after seeing that it has been pretty easy for me to dial it back and so now I am 2 lbs. below where I started. 

What was the biggest challenge?
Easter was probably the biggest challenge mainly because it involved eating at someone else's house and running the risk of offending them.  It was my mom and I don't think we offended her but I did feel as though we were being a bit rude by not eating the meat she had prepared.  We did have a small portion of the potatoes and corn that had prepared with a small amount of butter in them (we could certainly tell we had eaten it too! Our bodies did not react favorably to the butter). We brought several dishes that I made and knew would be okay for us to eat and appreciated by them, so as to hopefully counteract the not eating her meat part. This will be difficult for me going forward, because I do not ever want to seem ungrateful for what someone has prepared for us. :/

Do we miss meat & cheese?
Sometimes Nate does, but not on a daily basis, more on a "it would be good to indulge every now and then in one of my favorites" kind of way. I do NOT at all!

Is it worth it?
It was definitely worth it!  It was an eye opening challenge and we felt great afterward!

Did we get the nutrition we needed?
Yes! You do have to be sure you are eating a variety of foods, but that was no issue because I love that part!  The good thing is that when you are WFPB, not just vegan, you aren't eating ANY junk! There really isn't any junk that is WFPB, that I have found and if you are eating enough to be satisfied and a variety then you are getting the nutrition you need. Of course the addition of Shakeology was also beneficial for a nutrient and protein rich lunch.

Will we continue?
We have decided to continue on about a 97% basis.  When I do the monthly menu, we are picking 3 meals per month that will not be WFPB.  This is simply because we feel like that will help us maintain this lifestyle without feeling like we are missing out on something or denying ourselves something that we really want.  And even those meals aren't going to be crazy, because we know how physically bad we will feel afterward and it just isn't worth it!

Did Nate lose muscle or have a hard time building?
Nate did not lose any muscle mass and is still seeing gains!

So, what were we eating?
Of course we had our Shakeology everyday for lunch!  Our favorite is the Chocolate Vegan. About half of the recipes we tried are under the recipes tab but I am also going to put together an E-book full of recipes for you guys! :)

Feel free to comment with questions, suggestions, opinions or whatever!
-Nicole

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Vanilla Almond Granola with Chia seeds and Flax

All mixed together and ready to bake!

In the process of starting our Whole Food, Plant Based diet, I zeroed in on everything and cereal was one of the last things I changed because I figured it would be a pain and I didn't eat it much anyway, just Nate (some days) and the kids.  Umm...hello they are pretty important people too and they don't need to be eating anything with a mile long list of ingredients either.  Anyway this is fabulous and we all eat it nearly everyday!  We love to add blueberries and banana to it too and serve with almond milk.

This is a double batch

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond meal
1/3 cup chia seeds and flax seed meal (I do about half and half)
1 cup sliced or chopped almonds
1 tsp salt
4 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup pure maple syrup

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix it all together. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Spread the mixture on the wax paper and bake 20 minutes.  Stir, mix, shake around and bake for another 15-25 minutes. Allow to cool (this is the tricky part because while it is sitting out to cool all the hands start grabbing at it!).  We like it pretty crispy, so typically cook it the 25 minutes, especially if layered thick.

This makes about 10 cups of cereal and I set the serving size at 1/2 cup.

I will typically have 1/2 cup granola, 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, 1/3 banana, 1/2 cup almond milk.  Now that is a powerhouse breakfast! If you are on a low-cal diet, you really have to watch it with this one. They are good calories but still calories.  I like a solid breakfast to start my day!

So for 1/2 cup of granola, here are the numbers:
252 Calories
34g Carbs
9g Fat
8g Protein
134mg Sodium
14g Sugar

Shaun T's Insanity Workout with Shakeology - April Sale Special

I can't believe that Insanity has gone on special, I really can't believe that it is this much of a deal! Now you can save over $90 from what we paid for Insanity and Shakeology combined in this awesome challenge pack. If you have been wanting to do this program, or think it would be a great fit for you, now is the time!
And it's just in time for you to join our April Challenge group! Let me know if you are interested! Email me at Nate.Evans79@gmail.com today!


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SHAKEOLOGY ® is the most delicious, nutrient - dense superfood - packed protein shake on the planet. It contains more than 70 natural ingredients derived from rich, nutrient - dense whole - food sources from around the world. The Healthiest Meal of the Day comes in 4 flavors: Chocolate Vegan, Tropical Strawberry ( Vegan), Greenberry, or regular Chocolate.

Meatless March Day #20: Taco Salad (Vegan style!)

Taco Salad is one of our favorites! and the favorite meal of our 11 year old too! So, I was a little nervous about doing a meatless version of it, but it turned out very good!  This has a very fresh taste to it from the cilantro, which I love!

I forgot to take a picture, but this is what it looked like!!

 Ingredients 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed
4 large tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
1 15 ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish

1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (optional-we did without)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with cooked rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese if using. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.




ENJOY!!


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original recipe from EatingWell

Meatless March Day #19: Raisin Nut Balls

DAY 19!

We have been talking a bit more about the difficulty of handling the expectations from others with this way of eating and that is what I may struggle with a bit. I never want anyone to feel like I don't appreciate food they have prepared for us and in my southern upbringing, that is kind of what I have been taught.  My lovely mother asked me today if we would be eating ham and pork on Sunday(Easter) or if we still "can't do that".  I told her that no and that we were choosing not to eat meat still. I am bringing lots of food to Easter dinner, so there will be lots to eat, but from the sounds of it, we may only be eating the foods we bring, and that seems so rude to me!  So anyway, that is a bit of a struggle.

I can't wait to write our 30 day review, by the way!! :)

Anyway, on Friday, day 19.  We ate leftovers for dinner!  But, I did make some Raisin Nut Balls for snacks, so here is that recipe.

Raisin Nut Balls

3/4 cup oats
2 cups raisins
2 cups walnuts
3/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Pulse the oats in the food processor until ground. Add all other ingredients and blend until a batter forms. Roll into 1" balls and refrigerate.  They will firm up a little more in the fridge.

These are a favorite in our house too!!  I used to flatten them out to make bars, but really like the balls better I think.  :)  Enjoy!

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Meatless March Day #18: Black Bean Veggie Burgers

These turned out really good! We topped with salsa and ate with a salad for the side, but anything would be good really.



Black Bean Veggie Burgers 

4 cups black beans (we use dried, but if you canned, it would be about 2 cans)
1 sweet onion diced (we used a food processor)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 and 1/4 cup frozen organic corn
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
1/4 cup whole wheat
1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Dice or food process the onion.  Saute the onions in the oil on medium heat until they are caramelized.  In a food processor, mix the beans and milk until the beans are mostly smooth.  Put the bean mixture, the onions and the remaining ingredients in a bowl to combine.

To finish lightly oil a baking pan, grab a quarter cup of the mixture at a time, flatten in a nice round patty and place on the pan.  Continue until the mixture is gone.  Bake in oven for about 45-60 minutes turning over once about half way through.  They go well with avocado or salsa!

Original recipe from: www.mywholefoodlife.com

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