Homemade Larabars

Larabars are a delicious and healthy snack or "dessert" to top off lunch.  You can find Larabars at most grocery stores.  If you eat them as often as we do, then you probably want to start making your own to save money.  There are so many wonderful homemade Larabar recipes and I have included several of them below.

Most (if not all) of these recipes call for dates.  I buy dried pitted whole dates.  Even though they are pitted, I still slice each one open and make sure the pit (or part of the pit) isn't still left in there.  Pits are very hard and would really hurt if you bit down on it.  I have found one or two dates that still had part of the pit in it, so I am glad I always check.  Also, you can buy dates that are already chopped into pieces.  Don't buy these, as the ones I've seen has Dextrose added to the dates, where as the whole pitted dates are JUST DATES.

Another helpful hint....once I get all the ingredients combined in the food processor and shaped into a large rectangle (on parchment paper, which is on a baking sheet), I stick it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  I have found that they are easier to cut into bars if they have had a little time to freeze.

I haven't tried all the recipes listed below, but they all sound delicious and I wanted to share them all with my readers.  So far, we've tried (and constantly keep on hand) the Apple Pie Larabar recipe from Rawified and the amended Cashew Cookie Larabar recipe from 100 Days of Real Food.  I hope you get a chance to make some soon and make sure you get back with me and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

~Davis

100 Days of Real Food has four recipes on their site: Cashew Cookie Larabar, Granola Larabar, Peanut Butter Larabar, and Nut-Free Larabar (click here for these four recipes).  I really like the Cashew Cookie Larbar recipe, but adjusted the recipe a little (see below).  My husband and I think these taste like Nutter Butters.  We make these all the time.  

Here are the ingredients I use: 

-1 cup dates

-1 cup raw mixed unsalted nuts (instead of cashews).  I found raw cashews at The Fresh Market and they are fairly pricey, but Target sells a 30 oz. container of these mixed nut for much cheaper.  The mixed nuts consist of: cashews, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and walnuts. 

-1/4 cup peanut butter

-1 Tablespoon water

-1/2 - 1 tsp. vanilla (not in original recipe)

Rawified offers recipes for 20 different flavors of larabars: Apple Pie**, Banana Bread, Blueberry Muffin, Cappuccino, Carrot Cake, Cashew Cookie, Cherry Pie, Chocolate Chip Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Coconut Chew, Coconut Cream Pie, Ginger Snap, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Bar, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Cookie, Pecan Pie and Tropical Fruit Tart.  This site also offers a guide to make your own flavor Larabars.  We obviously haven't tried all of these flavors yet, but have tried the Apple Pie recipe and love it!  It's definitely another one of our favorites!   click here for all the RAWIFIED LARABAR recipes



click here for the APPLE PIE LARABAR recipe (different than the one that I've tried and that's mentioned above)
(from: Real Food. Real Deals.)
Ingredients:
-raw walnuts
-dried apples**
-dates
-cinnamon
-ginger
-salt

Real Food. Real Deals. has several other Larabar recipes that look yummy:  Chocolate, Banana, & Mango Lime Coconut (click here for these three Larabar recipes).


**Dried Apples: I was never able to find Apple Chips at Kroger or Publix, but did find them at The Fresh Market.  The Ingredients for these Apple Chips from TFM are: Apple Chips, Canola Oil and Dextrin.  I wanted to find Apple Chips that were just dried apples, but couldn't.  I remembered a recipe I had cut out of Whole Living Magazine a while back for Apple Chips.  I used this method for making my own Apple Chips to go into the Apple Pie Larabars we make and it worked perfect.  I love knowing that just my dried organic apples are going into these bars and not canola oil and Dextrin!  click here for the APPLE CHIPS recipe



click here for the CASHEW COOKIE LARABAR recipe
(from: Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth)
Ingredients:
-dates
-raw unsalted cashews
-water



click here for the GINGERSNAP LARABAR recipe
(from: So I Married A Chef)
Ingredients:
-dates
-fresh ginger
-cinnamon
-cloves
-raw almonds
-raw pecans

All the ingredients for the Apple Pie Larabars in the food processor. 

All mixed together.

About to put this in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

All done!  YUMMY!

My sliced apples are about to go into the oven.

Homemade Apple Chips for the Apple Pie Larabars. 

Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins & Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

I love to sneak vegetables into breakfast!  The zucchini muffins and sweet potato muffins were delicious and I would definitely make then again! If you've been following my blog, I am sure you've noticed that I like to make muffins.  One of the reason I do is because you can make them on the weekend and then just pop them in the microwave each morning during the week, which makes for an easy and fast breakfast!  Hope you try one of these recipes soon!

Enjoy!
~Davis  


click here for the WHOLE WHEAT ZUCCHINI MUFFINS recipe
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-whole wheat flour
-cinnamon
-baking soda
-baking powder
-salt
-eggs
-oil (I used half coconut oil and half olive oil)
-honey*
-vanilla
-grated zucchini
-chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
*The recipe calls for 1/2 cup honey.  I used only 1/4 cup honey and added a mashed banana.



click here for the WHOLE WHEAT SWEET POTATO MUFFINS recipe
(from: All Recipes)

Ingredients:
-cooked sweet potato
-whole wheat flour
-baking soda
-salt
-ground cinnamon
-ground nutmeg
-ground ginger
-ground cloves
-oil (the recipe calls for vegetable oil, but I used olive oil instead)
-eggs
-vanilla
-honey (The recipe calls for 1 cup honey.  I used only 1/3 cup honey and added a mashed banana)
-yogurt*
-1-2 Tbsp. Flax seed meal (not in original recipe)
-almonds (see note below)

*The recipe calls for vanilla yogurt, but instead I bought plain Greek yogurt and sweetened it with 100% pure maple syrup and then flavored it with vanilla extract.

Notes:
The recipe calls for an oatmeal/brown sugar/almond/cinnamon topping.  I didn't add a topping to my muffins, therefore, I left out the oatmeal, brown sugar and additional tsp. of cinnamon for this recipe.  I did, however, use the 1/2 cup almonds IN the muffins.  I simple put the almonds in my food processor until they were chopped up and then just added it to the muffin mix.

Zucchini Muffins

Spaghetti with Chicken Basil Meatballs

This was a meal we enjoyed for several nights!  The meatballs were easy to make and the fresh basil used in the meatballs gave them a wonderful flavor.  Also, the marinara recipe was very tasty!  We had some sauce leftover, and used it as pizza sauce on our homemade pizza we had for dinner the other night.  We always keep 100%  whole wheat pasta (one ingredient) on hand.   Publix will put some of their boxed pasta on sale (B1G1), so I always stock up when  it's on sale.  We ate this delicious spaghetti meal with a side of steamed broccoli and for dessert strawberries, blueberries and cantaloupe. 

Enjoy!
~Davis  

P.S. Just for comparison sake, we used to use the McCormick Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix packet, which has 15 ingredients listed...and the first ingredient is sugar!!!


click here for CHICKEN BASIL MEATBALLS recipe ***
(from: Cahaba Fitness)

Ingredients:
-ground chicken
-eggs
-almond flour/meal
-fresh basil
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-dried parsley
-salt
-pepper
***Instead of making this recipe into a meatloaf, I simply made the mixture into meatballs.  I placed the meatballs on a baking sheet and cooked them in the oven, just like the original recipe.


click here for MARINARA SAUCE recipe 
(from: All Recipes)

Ingredients:
-olive oil
-garlic cloves
-crushed tomatoes (preferably organic)
-tomato puree (preferably organic)
-dried oregano
-dried parsley
-grated cheese (I used mozzarella)
-bay leaves
-onion powder
-1 tsp. sea salt (not in the original recipe)


click here for HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE recipe *
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-fresh, organic, ripe tomatoes
-chopped carrots
-chopped celery
-chopped onion
-olive oil
-salt
*I wanted to use this recipe for the sauce, but I had some tomato puree that I needed to use up.  I hope to try this one sometime soon.  If you use this recipe, I'd love to get some feedback on it.

Spaghetti with Chicken Basil Meatballs. 

Burritos

We love Mexican food at our house, but the seasoning packets are full of unwanted preservatives and additives (and lots of sodium).  So, let's get REAL....what do you really need to properly season your Mexican dishes?  The taco seasoning recipe I use calls for chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and red pepper....that's all (and it's super yummy!)!!  If you look at the Old El Paso's Taco Seasoning Mix (25% less sodium), it has 13 ingredients listed.  The first ingredient is Maltodextrin and only five of the thirteen  ingredients are things that you would find in my kitchen (and I keep a fairly stocked kitchen)!

This taco seasoning recipe can be used in a variety of Mexican dishes, but the other night we made burritos and they were SO tasty!  I basically followed  a taco salad recipe from 100 Days of Real Food, but made it in burrito form (click here for TACO SALAD recipe).  

Hope you can enjoy a healthy, REAL food Mexican meal soon!

~Davis 



click here fore TACO SEASONING recipe
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-chili powder
-cumin
-oregano
-salt
-red pepper

Burritos using homemade taco seasoning.

Ranch Dip

Have you ever been snacking on some raw vegetables and ranch dip/dressing and said to yourself, "I'm so proud of this healthy snack I am eating!"?  Well, it's possible that only half of that snack was REAL food healthy.  Have you ever considered what ingredients are in ranch dips and dressings?

When I was at the grocery store recently, I thought I would take a look at the ingredients listed in some popular ranch dips/dressings:

-Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing:  Has over 21 ingredients.  The first ingredient is vegetable oil, the  forth ingredient is sugar and at least one-forth of the ingredients are long words that I am not sure what they are!

-Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix: Has ten ingredients.  Of these ten ingredients, the first three ingredients are: maltodextrin (a food additive), salt, and monosodium glutamate (a flavor enhancer).

-Publix Ranch Style Sour Cream Dip: This item has 19 ingredients listed.  Again, lots of preservatives and additives.

I don't know about you, but I don't want all of that STUFF in my body!  I'd rather have dip with minimal and recognizable ingredients!  A delicious and easy alternative is to make your own Ranch Dip.  I keep a container of this mixture in my spice cabinet.  Also, I have found that once the ranch dip is prepared, it tastes best if it sits overnight in the refrigerator.

Next time you are wanting a REAL food snack, whip this up and eat it with lots of colorful raw vegetables!

Enjoy!
~Davis


click here for RANCH DIP recipe
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-dried parsley
-dried dill
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-dried basil
-pepper
-Plain Greek Yogurt*

*The original recipe calls for sour cream, not Greek Yogurt.  There's nothing wrong with sour cream, but I just prefer plain Greek Yogurt, as it's higher in protein.

Ranch Dip

Banana Pancakes

This is one of the neatest and easiest recipes, EVER!  It's very basic, as it only has two ingredients (one banana and two eggs!!!).  I put the two eggs and chopped banana in my mini food processor and it mixes the batter perfectly!  There's really not much else to say about this recipe, other than my toddler and I enjoy having this for breakfast!  

~Davis


click here for the BANANA PANCAKES recipe that I've tried*
(from: blogilates.com)
*A friend told me that she's made these, but replaced the banana with mashed cooked sweet potato.... sounds equally yummy to me!!


click here for BANANA CINNAMON VANILLA PANCAKES recipe**
(from: Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth)
**I haven't tried this version, but it sounds like it would be equally as good as the original recipe!


Here's another Banana Pancake recipe (from Homemade Mommy) that sounds good too.  It's seems to be more involved, as it has nine ingredients (eggs, banana, almond butter, milk, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and coconut oil), but definitely a recipe I would like to try.  click here for the GRAIN FREE BANANA PANCAKES recipe

Banana Pancakes

A yummy, clean, REAL food breakfast!

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Crock-Pot Chicken

Does this make you start singing the Simon and Garfunkel song "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" ?  It does me!  Such great musicians!  

Anyway, back to food....so, I usually make The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot, but we were in the mood for a change.  Also, we attended a party recently and my friend made this amazing  turkey in the crock pot that was seasoned with sage and thyme, so it got me in the mood for a similar recipe.  I actually had planned on cooking a turkey in the crock pot, but to my surprise a whole turkey was twice as much as a whole chicken (that shows you how often I buy a whole turkey)!  I made several changes to the recipe I found online, but here's the original recipe from Tablespoon.com if you want to check it out too: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Turkey Breast.  

We've been enjoying this chicken on sandwiches and by itself.  Hope you like it too!  

~Davis 



PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY & THYME CROCK-POT CHICKEN

Ingredients
-4 tsp. dried parsley
-1 tsp. dried sage leaves
-1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
-1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1 onion
-1-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs.)- skin cut off the entire chicken and giblet packet removed from cavity

Slice onion.  Put the onion slices in the bottom of the crock pot and some inside the cavity of the chicken.  Put the minced garlic in the cavity too.  In a small bowl, mix the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken.  place the chicken in the crock pot (on top of the slices of onion).  Cook chicken on low over night (8-10 hours).    Enjoy!

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.

Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup

I am super busy, just like the rest of you, so I love EASY recipes!  Along with being fast and easy to throw together, this soup was also very good.  Since changing our diet to REAL food eating, I have branched out a lot with my cooking.  This was the first time I've ever cooked with coconut milk and it gave the soup a really nice flavor.  
Enjoy!
~Davis



click here for CROCKPOT CREAMY CHICKEN TOMATO SOUP recipe
(From: Cahaba Fitness)

Ingredients:
-frozen chicken breasts
-dried basil
-fresh garlic
-coconut milk
-petite diced tomatoes
-chicken broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
-tomato sauce
-sea salt and pepper

Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup

Curry Skillet Chicken

Some curry recipes can be a lot of work, but this recipe is easy and  it's definitely something we will make again.  This recipe came from The Fresh Market.  I added steamed broccoli and mixed in some organic quinoa.  Broccoli is so good for you, especially because it is so high in vitamin C.  Also, quinoa, which is gluten free, is full of protein and a good source of iron and fiber.  The broccoli and quinoa were the perfect additions to this dish!  

~Davis



CURRY SKILLET CHICKEN
(a Fresh Market recipe)

Ingredients:
-6 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-4 chicken breasts, cut into two-inch dice
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. of ground coriander
-2 tsp. of organic tomato puree
-2 Tbsp. yellow curry powder
-2 cups chicken broth (I used homemade chicken stock)
-1/2 cup heavy cream (I used whole milk)*
-1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I used dried cilantro)
-I added steamed broccoli and cooked quinoa

*Some readers suggested using coconut milk instead of heavy cream or whole milk.  I think this would be a tasty substitution.  If you make this adjustment, I'd love to know how it turns out. 


Preparation:
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions, cook over medium heat until onions are slightly soft.  Add chicken pieces, cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, so that the chicken is cooked through.  Add garlic and stir for one minute until fragrant.  Add salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, tomato puree, curry powder and chicken broth; stir until combined.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add heavy cream and continue to stir over low heat until well-combined.  Garnish with lots of fresh cilantro.  

Curry Skillet Chicken

Maple Nut Snack Mix

I love to keep healthy, REAL food snacks at the house and if you are looking for a sweet & salty snack, then you will enjoy this!  Also, it was very easy to throw together.  

I originally thought I would use some raw cashew in this, but they are a little more pricey than some of the other nuts, so I decided to try raw peanuts in this recipe.  Also, when looking for pretzels, it's very important to read the labels.  I had a difficult time finding pretzels with minimal, quality ingredients.  Some pretzel packages listed over 10 ingredients!  I finally found some UNIQUE pretzels at Fresh Market.  These pretzels have six ingredients and they are ingredients that I could find in my kitchen (Unbleached Wheat Flour, Water, Canola Oil, Salt, Yeast and Soda).  These pretzels are large, so I broke them up to go in the snack mix.  Lastly, as mentioned below, I didn't put apricots in my mixture, due to the sulphur (or sulfur) dioxide that was in all the dried apricots I found.  

This snack didn't last long in our house....hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

~Davis


click here for MAPLE NUT SNACK MIX recipe
(from: Real Food. Real Deals.)

Ingredients:
-raw nuts (I used peanuts, almonds, walnuts)
-100% pure maple syrup
-salt
-coconut oil
-water
-vanilla extract
-whole wheat pretzels
-raisins
-chopped apricots - I omitted this ingredient*

NOTE: The recipe suggests cooking the nuts in a slow cooker, but I roasted them in the oven at 300 degrees.  Combine mixture and nuts.  Put some parchment paper on a cookie sheet and dumped the nuts on the parchment paper.  After 15 minutes of cooking, stir the nuts.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes and then they are done. 

*The only dried apricots I could find had a preservative added, so I decided to leave the apricots out.  

Maple Nut Snack Mix

What's In My Kitchen...

So I had a friend suggest that I blog about my pantry staples, which I thought was a great idea!  I love it when I get suggestions, questions, and comments from my readers!  

So, here's what all you would find in my kitchen  (not just my pantry) on any given day...


-raw almonds
-raw walnuts
-raw pumpkin seeds
-raw sunflower seeds
-peanut butter (only two ingredients: peanuts and less than 1% salt)
-almond butter (I love almond butter, but because it's more expensive than peanut butter, I don't use it as regularly as I do peanut butter)
-organic virgin unrefined coconut oil
-olive oil
-100% whole wheat flour
-whole dried pitted dates
-honey
-100% pure maple syrup
-raisins
-organic quinoa 
-dried beans
-100% whole grain pasta (one ingredient)
-tahini (pureed roasted sesame seeds)
-yeast 
-plain Triscuits
-old fashion rolled oats
-popcorn kernels
-homemade granola
-kosher salt and sea salt
-lots of fruits and vegetables, but I always have bananas, red grapes, fresh garlic, avocado and carrots on hand
-flaxseed meal (right now, I have a bag of chia seeds, which I am enjoying too!)
-homemade whole wheat bread
-homemade coffee creamer
-milk
-Simply Apple juice (one ingredient)-this is what my husband now drinks in place of his soft drinks
-Simply Orange juice-high pulp (one ingredient)
-eggs
-organic pure lemon juice (one ingredient)
-organic pure lime juice (one ingredient)
-blocks of cheese
-butter
-plain Greek yogurt


What we always keep stocked up on in the freezer:
-homemade pesto
-homemade chicken stock
-homemade hummus
-homemade jam
-frozen vegetables (single ingredient)
-frozen fruit (single ingredient)


I would love to hear what some of your favorite food items are in your kitchen!

~Davis 

Pumpkin Muffins & Protein Packed Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

As you may know, pumpkin (a winter squash), is an excellent source of vitamin A (good for those eyes!).  It's also high in fiber, vitamin C and iron.  

The pumpkin muffins were great and made for a fast and easy breakfast.  I added flax seed meal to these muffins for extra fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.  Also, I cut the amount of honey in half and added a mashed banana.  (Bananas make a wonderful sweetener!)

The pumpkin yogurt is delicious and I love the texture that the Chia seeds give to the yogurt.  Chia seeds not only add texture, but also add fiber, protein and Omega-3 to this dish.  

Both recipes are tasty and very healthy.  I hope you give the muffins and yogurt and try!

Enjoy!
~Davis 


click here for WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN BREAD/MUFFINS recipe
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-whole-wheat flour
-cinnamon
-ground ginger
-nutmeg
-cloves
-baking soda
-baking powder
-salt
-eggs
-oil (I prefer coconut oil)
-honey (and a banana-see below*)
-vanilla
-pumpkin puree
-nuts (I used walnuts)
-flax seed (not in original recipe, but I added 1/4 cup flax seed meal)

*The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of honey, but I used 1/4 cup honey and one mashed banana.  
**I made these in muffin form. 


click here for the original PROTEIN PACKED PUMPKIN PIE YOGURT recipe
(adapted from: Eating Bird Food)

Ingredients:
-plain Greek yogurt
-100% Pure Maple Syrup, to taste
-pure vanilla extract, to taste (make sure it doesn't have corn syrup listed in the ingredients)
-canned pumpkin, to taste (should only have one ingredient: pumpkin!)
-ground cinnamon, to taste
-ground allspice, to taste *
-Chia seeds, to taste (preferably organic)

*The original recipe calls for Pumpkin Pie Spice, but in looking at the ingredients of this spice, I saw that sulfiting agents (food preservatives) was listed.....um, no thank you! 

Directions:
Combine the yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Then add some pumpkin.  Next, stir in the spices, and last mix in the Chia seeds. 

Pumpkin Muffins

Protein Packed Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

Check your ingredient label on your pure vanilla extract and make sure there's no corn syrup added.  Here are the ingredients for this particular brand: Bourbon Vanilla Bean Extractives in Water, Alcohol (35%).

Greek Pitas with Tzatziki sauce

This Tzatziki sauce is delicious and easy to make.  I used Greek yogurt, which is high in protein and a great source of calcium.  Also, I have never been a big fan of cucumbers, but after eating this Tzatziki sauce, I think I may in fact like cucumbers!  I think this sauce tastes best after it sits in the refrigerator several hours or  over night, so plan ahead and let it have time to "marinade" before serving.  

I enjoyed scooping this sauce up on some plain reduced fat Triscuits, but it was also a great topper for the Greek Pitas I made.  Here's what I threw together for my pitas: raw spinach, slices of tomatoes, sauteed onions (I used just olive oil), feta cheese (I bought the block of feta, not the already crumbled kind), chicken from the crock pot, Tzatziki sauce and sprouted grain tortillas (click here for a picture and list of ingredients for the tortillas I use).  Very simple dinner paired with strawberries and grapes for dessert, equals another REAL food meal!

~Davis 


click here for TZATZIKI SAUCE recipe
(from: 100 Days of Real Food)

Ingredients:
-plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
-cucumber
-minced garlic
-dill (I used dried dill)
-olive oil
-red wine vinegar

Greek Pita

Tzatziki Sauce

Strawberries and Grapes

Avocado & Spinach Salad with Warm Citrus Vinaigrette

OK, so this salad is amazingly tasty and so good for you!  As I am sure you know, spinach is rich in antioxidants and full of lots of wonderful vitamins and minerals.  As for avocados ...I love them!  They grow on a tree and are actually a fruit (not a vegetable).  I had always thought of avocados as a vegetable, but after doing some reading not too long ago, I learned that they are a part of the fruit family.  Like spinach, avocados have lots of vitamins and minerals.  Avocados are well known for their high level of monounsaturated fat (a good fat).  This salad is full of other healthy REAL food ingredients, so plan on enjoying this soon!

~Davis


click here for AVOCADO & SPINACH SALAD WITH WARM CITRUS VINAIGRETTE recipe

Ingredients:
-spinach
-avocados
-feta*
-olive oil
-orange juice (I used Simply Orange juice - high pulp)
-lemon juice (I used organic, fresh pressed, Pure Lemon juice that I had in my refrigerator)
-white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
-sugar (I used 1 tsp. honey  instead)
-kosher salt
-pepper
-pine nuts (I used walnuts)
-blackberries (I used blueberries)
-chicken (not in the original recipe, just something I added)**

*I bought a block of feta (not crumbled feta) and crumbled it myself.  It only takes a few seconds to crumble it and the block of feta doesn't have the anti-caking additives that the crumbled feta has. 
**I used some chicken I had cooked in the crock pot earlier in the week.  

Avocado & Spinach Salad with Warm Citrus Vinaigrette

Jamaican Black Bean Stew

I am SO excited that REAL Food on a REAL Budget is back up and running!  Thank you for your patience this past week, while I had to tweak some things on my blog...who knew there were so many ins and outs to food blogging!  Anyway, I am back posting new recipes and super excited what all I have to share!

Below is a wonderful recipe that a friend shared with me.  This Jamaican Black Bean Stew is not only delicious, but makes your house smell so good while it's cooking!  I love that it's full of nutrition and color.  The sweet potato and butternut squash combination is awesome!  Hope you get a chance to cook this soon and make sure you let me know what you think!

Also, I started blogging on January 1st of this year and started a Facebook page on January 13th.  I am amazed how many readers have subscribed to the blog and overwhelmed with all the people who have "liked" the Facebook page!  This tells me that people want to clean up their diet and feel better than ever!  So exciting!!!  Please continue to spread the word!  Tell friends and family about REAL Food on a REAL Budget......forward my e-mails to others....share my Facebook posts.....the more people who are passionate about REAL food eating, the more changes we should see in the food industry.  I posted this quote on my Facebook page the other day from Anna Lappe, "Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want."  I find this so powerful and I hope it fires you up too! 

Have a great evening and remember to continue to READ THOSE LABELS!

~Davis


click here for JAMAICAN BLACK BEAN STEW recipe

Ingredients:
-brown rice (or quinoa, one of my favorite grains, would be a good substitution)
-sweet potatoes
-butternut squash
-onion
-vegetable broth (I used homemade chicken stock)*
-fresh garlic
-curry powder
-ground allspice
-ground red pepper
-salt
-black beans (I used dried beans.)**
-raisins
-fresh lime juice (I used pure lime juice that I had in the refrigerator)
-diced tomatoes
-cucumber (I omitted this ingredient)


*I used enough stock to cover the vegetables (around 6 cups).
**I prefer to use dried beans because they are cheaper and don't have the added sodium.  I soaked the beans overnight and cooked them the following morning.  Then prepared the soup later that day.  

Jamaican Black Bean Stew

Homemade Coffee Creamers

I do not drink coffee, but my husband does.  My husband used to use this white powdery flavored coffee creamer in his coffee....that was until I looked at the ingredient label on it!  Of the TWELVE ingredients listed....the first three are: refined sugar, hydrogenated oils, and corn syrup!!!!  Those three ingredients are followed by nine other ingredients that have long names that I can hardly pronounce, much less know what they are (red flags!!!).  

When I discovered this, I told my husband we needed to clean up his coffee and it was time for me to do my research.  As always he said, "let's do it" and that he was willing to make another change.  On a side note, my super sweet husband has been so supportive of all the changes we've been making, which has made the transitions so much easier.  It probably helps that he feels better than ever since making these changes and is a stronger runner than he has been in years (which he claims is partly due to these dietary changes we've made!).  

Fortunately, days after realizing we needed to change the coffee creamer my husband uses, I came across some homemade coffee creamer recipes on Deliciously Organic .  All twelve coffee creamer recipes sound delicious, but my husband is a French Vanilla fan, so that's the only one he was interested in trying, therefore, it's the only one we've been making.  Like I said, I don't drink coffee, but I did taste test the creamer and it is yummy!  My husband is enjoying this change in creamer and of course I am loving the fact that we've cut out yet another highly processed food that's loaded with preservatives and additives.  

The French Vanilla creamer we've been making  takes only minutes to throw together.  Also, we double the recipe, so it lasts longer.  Carrie Vitt (from Deliciously Organic) makes the suggestion that her creamers can be poured over hot oatmeal, which I haven't tried yet, but need to....I bet it would be scrumptious!  Also, let me mention that these creamer recipes call for whole milk and heavy cream.  I replaced the heavy cream with whole milk, therefore using only whole milk.  The reason I did this is because the heavy cream I found at the grocery store had additives where as the whole milk that we buy doesn't.  One additive that I noticed in many heavy creamers is Carrageenan.  I actually found this in many brands of soy and almond milks too.  It is used as a thickener in many products, so be on the lookout for this additive and I would suggest avoiding it.  From the research I have done, Carrageenan can be harmful to a person's health.  For now, using only whole milk works just fine, so we will stick with that.  

Just a reminder, when looking at ingredient labels, you wants a minimal number of ingredients (preferable 5 or less...not 12!).  Also, ask yourself if the ingredients listed are items you have in your kitchen.  I would guess most of us don't have dipotassium phosphate, or sodium aluminosilicate, or monosodium glutamate (I could go on and on) just sitting around in our kitchen!  

I've heard this many times and believe it to be true......you can spend a little extra money now getting better quality, clean, REAL food and you will save money over a lifetime in medical expenses.  Wow, that's powerful!!!  Do you know what's is your coffee and what you are putting in your body?  Are you willing to put in the effort NOW to clean up your diet?  

I saw this today and I think it's so appropriate for today's post, so I'll close with this thought...TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, SO IT CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU!

~Davis 


click here for HOMEMADE COFFEE CREAMER recipes:
(from: Deliciously Organic) 
-Cinnamon Strudel Creamer
-Chocolate Almond
-Pumpkin Spice
-French Vanilla
-Peppermint Mocha

click here for TWO MORE RECIPES from Deliciously Organic:
-Caramel Coffee Creamer
-Honey Vanilla Coffee Creamer

click here for DAIRY FREE, NO SUGAR ADDED, PALEO CREAMER recipes:
-Almond Joy Coffee Creamer
-Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Creamer
-French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
-Hazelnut Coffee Creamer
-Pumpkin Spice

The final product.