Mother’s Day Protein Bites

These are easy, quick and tasty! I threw them together, so adjust your measurements, if needed, to get the best consistency.
1/3 cup almond butter
1 Tbsp coconut nectar
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp chocolate chips
3 Tbsp hemp seeds

In a medium sized bowl, mix almond butter and coconut nectar together with a spoon. Add coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix together until a stiff dough forms. Place the hemp seeds into a small bowl. Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll in hemp seeds and repeat with all the dough. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm and chill. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator up to a week.

You can use any nut butter or liquid sweetener you choose. You can also swap out the coconut flakes, chocolate chips and walnuts for other nuts, seeds or dried fruit. If you don’t have hemp seed or prefer, you can use coconut, chia seed, or omit the hemp seed coating altogether. If you like chocolate a lot, you can melt some chocolate chips and dip the balls in chocolate. This recipe is very flexible!!

Savory Breakfast Cakes

I am interested in repurposing leftovers. It's creative and helps save money. I've made many different repurposed dishes, but decided I should start keeping track of them. I'll throw something together that turns out great and never have it again because I didn't write it down. This one I wrote down and even took pictures!

Yield: six 3 to 4" cakes
1/2 c leftover cooked steel cut oats

2 eggs                                                                                                

½ tsp garlic salt                                                                                 

½ tsp pepper

1 garlic scape or green scallion, diced

2 tbs grated parmesan, optional

2 kale leaves, deboned and diced

1/4 c arrowroot starch

In a medium bowl, stir and mash eggs and oats together.  Stir in salt, pepper, scape, parmesan and kale. Mix thoroughly. Add starch a tablespoon at a time making sure to blend well. If it isn't well blended, you will taste bits of starch in the cake. Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed or olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Spoon about ¼ cup cake mixture into the skillet smoothing and forming a patty. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side, until light brown. Serve plain or topped with sour cream, salsa or a sprinkle of parmesan.

Fruit & Squash Porridge

I made this for for breakfast today while Mom and Dad are visiting.  It is so good and really warmed us up on a cool fall day! It makes about four 2 cup servings.


2 cups rolled oats
2 cups water, extra if needed
1 cup grated winter squash or pumpkin
1 pear
1 apple
1 tbs agave nectar or honey
1 tsp to 1 tbs cinnamon, depending on how you like it
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
pinch cloves
1/3 c almond milk (can substitute regular milk)
chopped almonds, optional

In a large saucepan over medium heat, place oats, water and squash.   While oats are cooking, chop pear and apple.  Add a little water if oats become too thick.  Once the oats are cooked, about 5 minutes, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Serve with chopped almonds on top, if desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu - my version, deconstructed and updated!

This meal was not rocket science, but it tasted so good, I had to post it!



2 tbsp plus 2 tsp grapeseed oil (or other heat safe oil such as coconut)
2 chicken breasts
2 cups plain bread crumbs
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 lb lunchmeat ham
1/2 cup sliced onion
4 slices chipotle havarti, or pepper jack

In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Split chicken breasts horizontally to make 4 thin breast fillets.  Heat 2 tbs grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Press the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture to coat and flatten slightly. Fry chicken breasts on both sides until cooked, approx 5 to 7 minutes per side.  While the chicken is cooking, Separate the ham into 4 piles, flattening and shaping to fit on top of chicken breast fillets.  Heat 2 tsp grapeseed oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cut the onion slices once or twice to make slivers of onion.  Using a spatula, transfer the ham piles to the skillet, keeping the piles separate.  Place the onion on top of the ham.  Top the onion with one slice of cheese.  Cover the skillet with a lid until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.  To serve, transfer the cheesy ham pile to the top of the chicken fillet.  I served sauteed swiss chard with arugula, chives and pineapple on the side.  Enjoy!

I wish I had taken a picture.  Next time!

Serves 4 (unless you have a hungry teenager, this may only be enough for him)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

I dreamt these up when I wanted chocolate chip cookies but didn't want the butter, sugar or the fuss of baking.  These were super easy and they are pretty tasty when you crave something sweet and chocolate!

1/4 cup almond butter
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup spelt flour
1 to 2 TBSP Stevia (depending on how sweet you want it)
pinch salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Place the almond butter and coconut oil* in a small sauce pan and warm stirring until smooth and runny.  Meanwhile, stir the remaining ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Add the melted almond butter mixture and stir until combined.  If too dry, melt additional almond butter, if too wet add more spelt flour.  It should be a firm dough that is easy to handle and roll into balls without falling apart. 
Roll into small balls approximately 1/2" in size.  refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.
*If you desire a vanilla flavor to your bites, stir 1 tsp vanilla into the almond butter mixture just before adding to the dry ingredients.

Yield:  approximately 25 balls

"Creamy" Pesto Sauce

2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Pink Himalayan)
1 pound tofu, drained (I used soft)

Combine all ingredients, except tofu, in a blender or food processor that has been fitted with the metal cutting blade; blend until smooth.  Cut tofu in chunks and process until smooth.  Serve over pasta.

Notes: I tossed my pesto with spelt spaghetti noodles. It made enough to serve over 1 1/2 pounds of pasta.  If you toss it with the pasta like I did, I would suggest tossing the pasta with olive oil first since it came out a little dry.

You can also just leave the tofu out and it will be a regular pesto sauce.  I added the tofu since I needed to use it up and I wanted some extra protein.  I couldn't taste it and my family was none the wiser!

Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie

2 cups almond milk
2 cups sliced frozen bananas (1 1/2 medium bananas)
2 TBSP cacao nibs, plus extra for garnish
2 TBSP fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract

Process all ingredients in a high power blender until smooth.  garnish with cacao nibs and mint leaves.  Serves 2.

This recipe is from Judita Wignall's Going Raw cookbook, but she has the same recipe on her blog that serves one.

Cream of Celery Soup

I got this out of my Vitamix cookbook and have made it several times. I always have some in the refrigerator so I can just heat up a bowl!

2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable)
1/2 small onion, peeled
4 cups (480g) celery, chopped
1/3 cup (45g) parsnips, scrubbed and chopped
1 small potato, scrubbed, baked (I omitted)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup half&half, heavy cream or milk (I used sour cream once and greek yogurt another time)

Place all ingredients except the half&half in the vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Select Variable 1, turn the machine on , quickly increase the speed to variable 10 and then to high. Blend for 6-7 minutes until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid. reduce speed to variable 4 and remove the lid plug. Add half&half through the lid plug and blend an additional 15 seconds.

If you don't have a vitamix, you can probably use a regular blender to blend the ingredients and then cook on the stovetop to heat through. I would probably blend again at the end to make sure the soup is well blended. This is soooo good and has fantastic flavor!!

Wilted Spinach Salad

Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup Craisins
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

Melt butter in a wok over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add pine nuts and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn off heat and immediately add spinach leaves, tossing constantly until slightly wilted.  Pour immediately onto plate and top with Craisins and cheese.

This is really tasty with caramelized onions.  To caramelize onion, melt butter over medium-low heat and add sliced onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until golden.  I caramelized 2 onions and froze what I didn't need.  Then when I was ready to use them, I just tossed them in a heated pan to defrost.

I made this for my mom - she has an intolerance to dairy and nuts, so I made it with olive oil, onion, spinach and Craisins and she said it was very good!