Making It Your Own

It can be overwhelming to take a recipe and make it healthier. Sometimes you don't know how much to change, what to keep the same, and what to expect when it turns out!

Well, last week my family got a Papa Murphy's pizza. I have to commend Papa Murphy's - I think it is fabulous that they offer lots of choices (like thin crust and loaded with veggies), and it is always fresh!

So my mom brought home a pepperoni pizza. One thing they could work on is cut down on the pepperoni coverage...seriously!

So I took it upon myself to make it my own - a bit healthier version! First I cleared off all the pepperoni and threw away over half. Yes, I threw them away. The ones left over I popped into the microwave to cook the pepperoni a bit. This makes it so when you cook the pizza, there is much less grease!

After cooking the pepperoni, I placed them back on half the pizza. Then on the other half I made a spinach and chicken mix on the stove in a bit of olive oil. Then I covered the other half with that mix and the cheese. Check it out!

When it was time to eat I put it in the oven and cooked it just like normal. It was great! And a really simple swap.

See, making healthy changes doesn't have to be hard!

~What changes do you make when cooking or baking to make it a little healthier?

Ch-Ch-Ch Chia!

Nope. We aren’t talking about those chia pets that grow green hair. Although, those are pretty cool.

Back in July I was given $25 to spend at Swanson Vitamins. I bought some delicious coconut oil as well as some chia seeds! On their website it says:

Nutiva Chia Seeds deliver fiber, protein and omega-3s. This mighty seed is the ancient superfood of the Aztecs and Inca empires who consumed chia seeds for their vital nourishment. These gluten-free seeds can be enjoyed in yogurt, oatmeal, baked goods and smoothies.

Dr. Oz has spent quite a bit of time talking about chia seeds on his show and their importance in our diet. Here are some quick facts about these super seeds!

• LOADED with Omega-3 fatty acids. Why do we need omega-3s?Omega-3 fatty acids are the brain-boosting, cholesterol-clearing good fats (monounsaturated). They help reduce inflammation, lubricate joints, and nourish the brain by helping communication between brain cells.
• They also have antioxidants, calcium, protein, fiber, and many other vitamins & minerals.
• They help keep you full longer! Because chia seeds absorb so much water and have high soluble fiber levels, they help release natural, unrefined carbohydrate energy slowly into the bloodstream.
• Conveniently they are also quite easy to digest. Unlike flax seed, chia seeds do not have to be ground up before you ingest them. The human body can easily digest chia seeds, and with about 7 grams of fiber per serving, they actually help.
• Trying to bake with less fat? You can substitute chia gel for any butter or oil in a recipe. That way you still get the fat…but the GOOD kind. The anti-oxidants in chia can even help keep the food tasting fresh longer.

What can you add these super seeds to? Pretty much anything. The most popular foods to add them to are smoothies, oatmeal, cookies, muffins, cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese, soup and salads.

Give them a try! They are so worth it!

~Ever tried chia seeds?

~What’s your favorite way to eat them?

Bake On: 1st Stop

After almost 7 weeks of working as a Sports Camp Counselor, I returned home and emptied my bag I had been living out of each week….just to turn around and pack another bag to head on vacation with my family!

Before heading out, though, I was ready to get my bake on. It had been a while since I had been in the kitchen!
First stop, Eat Live Run’s Carrot Cake Muffin Bars.
I did what any girl would do and scouted out her recipe, and tweaked it to make it my own.

1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. white flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. honey
1/2 stick (1/4 c.) of butter
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 egg
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. milk

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, oats)
Combine the butter, oil, brown sugar and honey. Then beat in the egg. After it is mixed well, slowly steam in the milk.
Then put the dry and wet ingredients together. At the end, gently fold in those carrots!

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.


I , of course, added a bit of melted chocolate chips on top. If there is chocolate on it, people are more willing to try it. Seriously.


Enjoy!

P.S. Stay tuned for the second stop. Even though I did them one right after the other!

Substitution, Please!

Health-ifying (I’m sure it’s a word) recipes can be a bit intimidating. Which I think can then lead to people just not even trying. But really, there are simple and easy switches you can make to recipes to increase their nutrients and decrease their not so good stuff. Here are some tips!

Cooking:

~In making main dishes like pastas, lasagna or stir-fry, add extra veggies! That will always bump up the health factor
~swap the regular pasta for whole wheat

~in a recipe that calls for mayonnaise, half what is says and stick with that, or add in a little plain greek yogurt
~full fat cream cheese? nah…opt for some pureed cottage cheese mixed with a little ricotta cheese
~opt for baking, broiling or grilling instead of frying

~instead of a load of mild flavored cheese, half what is needed and use sharp cheddar!
~if you are making a high fat gravy or sauce, make it and then chill it for a while until some of the fat rises to the top. Skim off some of the fat and then add to your dish
~Nix the top half of a chicken pot pie, and increase the veggies!
~replace iceberg lettuce with romaine, spinach or another leafy green

Baking:

~replace butter with unsweetened applesauce
~instead of frosting a whole cake with thick frosting, melt the frosting a bit and drizzle over the top
~Use honey in place of sugar…it is almost twice as sweet so you might not even need as much!

~instead of syrup on waffles or pancakes, try some pureed fruit, almond butter or applesauce
~fruit flavored yogurt has too much added stuff, so try some plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices in it
~replace chocolate chips in muffins or breads with berries or other sliced fruit
~try using some rolled oats instead of bread crumbs

~Substitute 3/4 of a cup of fruit juice concentrate for each cup of refined white sugar in the recipe. Also reduce the total liquid in the recipe by 1/8 of a cup (per cup of sugar replaced.)

These are just some suggestions. If you are new to trying to substitute things, try just doing half and half. Then, if you were happy with the outcome, try a little more. Don’t be afraid to mess up sometimes…and know it is worth it when you get it just right! Have fun!

~What are some of your favorite substitutions to use in baking or cooking?

~What’s the best “health-ified” treat you make or have tasted?