Golden Turmeric Milk Tea {Immunity Booster}

It seems like everyone I know has had the sniffles this past month. Some how I have miraculously escaped the seasonal bug this year…knock on wood. I have been drinking lots of veggie juice and many cups of this wonderful “Golden Turmeric Milk Tea.”

Turmeric, in recent years has attracted a lot of attention for its healing properties and various health benefits. It is a well known home remedy for headaches, colds, chest pain, sore throat, toothaches and many other ailments. It has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants galore. Recent studies have even claimed it aids in preventing and treating diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. It’s undeniably a magical spice. You can drink it daily or whenever you need an added immunity boost. It sounds odd but tastes amazing -- similar to a vanilla chai.

Ingredients

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 inch of fresh ginger root chopped

2 tablespoons honey (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon grated cardamom

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 aniseed star (optional)

3 threads of saffron (optional)

Directions

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir to prevent the milk from scalding. Heat until little bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Do not boil. Strain and serve warm. *I like to grate a bit more nutmeg on top or float star anise.

Sweet and Creamy Almond Macadamia Nut Milk

Ingredients:

1 cup almond

½ cup macadamia

1 cup pitted dates

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups of water

sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon {optional}

Directions:

-Add first 5 ingredients into a blender and blend until the nuts have turned into a fine pulp.

-Slowly pour the blended mixture though a fine mesh {sieve} that has been placed over a large bowl. Use a spoon to scrape through the sieve – helping the milk drain.

-If serving right away, pour the clean nut milk into a martini shaker filled with ice. Shake, pour and serve.

-Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon

*Keep refrigerated and drink within 5 days.

Keep the leftover nut pulp for healthy "Protein Bites" in lieu of cashews. 

Creamy Banana Maca Root Ice Cream

I've been on a health kick lately...well not really, but you know how that goes. Every morning I've been trying to drink a green juice or blend up a bowl of frozen bananas and maca root for breakfast. It's super creamy and wonderful! Maca root tastes a bit like caramel to me, it's perfection when blended with bananas.

Benefits of Maca Root

Here and Here

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

1 tbsp. maca root powder

1 cup milk or almond milk

Directions:

-Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

-Top with banana slices, chia seeds, nutmeg or whatever fruit you fancy...

As you can see I had to make two -- one for me and one for Dan.

Vanilla Chai Chia Seed Pudding

It tastes just like a creamy chai tea. This is an incredibly easy recipe and convenient to take with you on the go. I like to make mine in a mason jar and screw on the lid so I can toss it in my purse when the morning gets busy. 

Healthy benefits of chia seeds …"they add fiber to your diet and are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your brain, heart and skin. Chia seeds have a high source of Calcium, Manganese and Phosphorus all of which support healthy bones and teeth. They are chock-full of protein and can fight belly fat" according to The Huffington Post. Sign me up!

Ingedients

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 cup cold milk (or almond milk is you prefer non-dairy)

2 tbsp. condensed milk (or 1 tsp stevia for a healthier option)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of allspice

pinch of glove

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or large cup. Let sit for 15 minutes to activate the natural gel that surrounds the seeds. Simple as that.

*I like to eat mine cold so I suggest placing it the the refrigerator until you want to eat it. You can also heat it up if you prefer it hot. 

Rose Infused Greek Yogurt with Dates, Oats, Berries, Walnuts & Fresh Mint

Ingredients:

1 1/5 cups Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp rosewater
2 tbsp oats
2 tbsp crushed walnuts
1 tbsp chopped dates
small handful of berries
sprig of mint

Directions:
Super simple. Mix the Greek yogurt, honey and rosewater together in a small bowl or cup. Add the oats, walnuts, dates and berries {you can add them on top or get fancy and layer them with the yogurt}. Sprinkle with mint.
*I used a big sprig of mint for the sake of a pretty picture, but I would suggest finely chopping it.

Such a fun, flavorful and healthy breakfast...

Dragon Fruit, Peach & Lime Smoothie

 Every now and then I like to try something new. I love going to our local Asian market and to pick up fruits like cherimoya, durian, mangosteen or this here dragon fruit. So I bought dragon fruit the other day and didn't know what to do with it. I embarrassingly admit that I had to google "how to eat dragon fruit". I decided to use mine in a smoothie with whatever I had around the house. It turned out amazing... I had to share it with you guys.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 dragon fruit

1 cup frozen peaches

1 lime {juice}

1/3 cup condensed milk

3 ice cubes

Directions:

Cut the dragon fruit in half and scoop the insides into a blender. You can pitch the pink skins {or use them as fun serving bowls later in the day}. Throw the rest of your ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

Simple as that. So yummy and chock-full of vitamin C!

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

We made Vietnamese spring rolls the other day. I just love how healthy and flavorful they are. The crispy veggies are so refreshing. I do believe this is may favorite way to eat greens. I love dipping them in peanut or fish sauce.

 

Ingredients:

2oz rice vermicelle noodles

8 rice wrappers

12 large shrimp

1 bag of sprouts

1 bunch of Thai basil

1 bunch of mint

1 bunch of green onions

1 cucumber

8 leaves of lettuce

cilantro

*Peanut sauce for dipping! If you can't find it at your local store, you can make it from scratch.

 

Don't forget the lettuce! ^^^

 

 And a handy husband to help cut the veggies ;) ^^^

 

Rice Vermicelle {aka Bún Quế Lâm } ^^^

 

 

Healthy Almond & Banana Coconut Paleo Muffins!

Super easy recipe. You don’t even need to use bowls or spoons! Just mix all ingredients in a blender and pour the batter into your muffin pan. These were our go-to snacks when we needed to satisfy sweet cravings during the 30day paleo challenge. They are so tasty and moist!

 

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 cup almond butter

1 tbsp. coconut oil

2 tbsp. raw honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

1 ½ cups finely shredded coconut

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour batter into muffin pan and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cashew Oat Protein Bites {Just Like Cookie Dough}

 

Ingredients:

1 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/3 cup oats

½ banana

1 tbsp. peanut butter {crunchy or smooth}
2 tbsp. agave or maple syrup {whichever you prefer}
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

-Blend the cashews and oats in a blender until they resemble a course powder

- In a large bowl, mix ½ banana {mashed}, 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 tbsp. agave, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Gradually add the cashew oat powder until everything is thoroughly combined.

-Roll into inch size balls

-Press chocolate chips into each one 

-You can eat them right away or freeze them for later {up to 2 weeks}.

They taste just like real cookie dough, but they're much healthier than the real deal. Keep them stashed in your freezer for when your sweet tooth cravings attack!

Cute Jewelry For a Good Cause {Our Sisters Of Africa}

 

After a trip to Kenya and Uganda, Kelly Rorden and Stephanie May felt a calling to help high school girls deal with the struggles they face as young women in Africa. Many girls in Kenya and Uganda "don’t have money for sanitary napkins," something that we in U.S. take for granted.  Most females living in impoverished communities miss "1/4 of their schooling" due to monthly cycles. Missed school means poor grades, higher dropout rates and some girls even resort to prostitution for money. 

 

Upon coming back to the U.S. Kelly and Stephanie were determined to help these young women stay in school. They started Our Sisters of Africa -- A beautiful Etsy Shop dedicated to raising money to support women in Africa by purchasing reusable sanitary pads. Our Sisters of Africa sells handmade jewelry and 50% OF THEIR PROCEEDS go directly towards supporting young women in Africa. With the purchase of just one ring you can provide a girl with reusable pads for an ENTIRE YEAR!

 

Check out their website or go directly to their shop. You can even like them on Facebook or contact them at oursistersofafrica@gmail.com! Spread the word!

What a wonderful idea guys! Keep up the good work!

Love, B

 

 

Salmon with Raspberry Sauce and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
1 1/2 cups pecans (toasted and chopped)
2 cups of raspberries
1/2 sugar
1/4 cup lemon

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Toast pecans on a lined baking sheet in oven for 15 minutes. Chop when pecans have cooled.
-Place salmon fillets scale side down on an foil lined and oiled baking sheet. Set aside.
-Puree raspberries, sugar and lemon in a blender until smooth. Pour sauce through a mesh strainer and into a saucepan. Simmer and stir until sugar it dissolved.
-Pour raspberry sauce over the salmon fillets and top with pecans
-Place salmon in the preheated oven and bake until the salmon is almost opaque in the center and flakes easily, about 10-15 minutes.

Blackberry, Honeydew, Guava & Strawberry Smoothie Topped with Cocoa Cashew Milk

 

Blackberry, honeydew, guava, strawberry smoothie topped with cocoa cashew milk. The best of both worlds -- fruit and chocolate!

 

Ingredients:

5 black berries

5 1-inch cubes of honeydew

4 guavas

5 strawberries

5 ice cubes

 

{Blend in a blender and pour through a mesh strainer}

 

Top with Sambazon's Cocoa Cashew Milk

or you can make your own.

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 pitted raw dates

1/4 cacao powder

4 cups of water

{Blend in a blender and strain}

 

 

 

New J.Crew Swimsuit + Countdown to Israel

I bought this cute new swimsuit for my trip to Israel in a few weeks. The family that I nanny for has invited me to come along on a work trip. I'll watch the kiddos while they lead a group of 120 people on a tour of the Holy Land. Pretty cool huh? I'm so excited to see Israel! I needed a suit that was somewhat conservative so I thought this was a perfect middle ground... not too old lady but still keeping it classy. I can't wait to go swimming in the Dead Sea and Jordan River with my nanny babies and Shan {<-- My best friend is coming along too!}.

 

{Some pictures of Israel}

 

 

{Fun Facts}

 

The Dead Sea’s salt content is four times that of most world's oceans! You can float in it without even trying, which makes swimming here a magical experience. This is the only place in the world where you can recline on the water while reading a book.

The water and mud from the Dead Sea contains more than 35 different types of minerals that are essential for the healthy skin including: Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Bromine, Sulfur, and Iodine. They are also known for relieving pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, headache and foot-ache, while nourishing and softening the skin.

-Atlas

Oh I’m going to slather that mud all over me!

 
Pictures: jcrew, sunset, floating

The Best Yogurt You'll EVER Eat {Noosa}

Oooooh my gosh. This truly is the best yogurt I've ever had. I need that super-secret Aussie recipe! For reals...check them out. NoosaYoghurt.com

Dan and I mowed through these the other day. They didn't stand a chance to last a day in our fridge. I love their fruit flavors -- passion fruit and strawberry rhubarb. So amazing.

DIY Scented Hand Sanitizer

Well, this really isn't a difficult DIY project...we aren't making hand sanitizer from scratch or anything crazy like that. I just wanted to share with you something that I like to do my hand sanitizer. I work with kids all day and deal with a lot of colds, flus etc. I always keep a hand sanitizer in my car, ready to go for when I need it (or when they need it)! I love to spray a few squirts of my favorite perfume into my hand sanitizer and give it a good shake. After the smell of the alcohol wears off, your hands will be lightly scented with your favorite perfume. It's not a big fancy trick -- just a small, simple treat to add to your day.

 

Strawberry & Pear Salad with a Raspberry Gorgonzola Vinaigrette and Sprinkled Nutmeg

 

Mmmm I could eat this all day.

Healthy Snacks {graze.com}

 

Graze.com was started by 7 friends who love food and wanted to get more out of snacking. Their taste buds (and waistlines) were suffering at the hands of average snacks, so they started inventing snacks that were tasty and healthy. You can try a box for FREE and if you like them, then sign-up for a weekly snack that is delivered to your mailbox.

Simple. Healthy. Yummy.

 

Here are a few treats from the 90something that they have available.

 

 

strawberry milkshake

mini strawberries, white chocolate buttons and banana coins

 

marvellous macaroon

amaretti drops, almond slices, coconut flakes and white chocolate buttons

 

 super berry detox               

blueberries, green raisins, goji berries and cranberries

     

 cookies and cream

mini chocolate cookies, roasted hazels, white chocolate buttons and sunflower seeds

 

 

summer pudding

yogurt coated sunflower seeds, blackcurrants, sponge pieces and cranberries

 

 

 billionaire's shortbread

fudge pieces, blanched almonds, milk chocolate drops and cranberries

 

 

natural vanilla seeds

vanilla sunflower seeds and vanilla pumpkin seeds

 

 

 

Graze.com isn't officially open to the public yet, but I can invite you to try your first box for free.

 

Go to graze.com and type in this invite code and you're in!

 

 

 

 

Pictures: All pictures are from graze.com