How I Won the Battle with Depression and Got off Antidepressants – and a Sunny Mila (Chia) Dreamsicle Smoothie with 3000 mg of Omega 3′s

Articles and Reading, Beverage, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Food Find, Gluten Free, Gratitude, Kid Friendly, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 9 Responses »

Apr 222013

I felt like a three ton weight was pressing on my shoulders and wanted to just lie in my darkened closet and not come out.

One of the hardest parts was that I looked normal.

Sunny Mila (Chia) Dreamsicle Smoothie

It is not easy to share the details of my life in a public forum like this, in fact I’ve had this post written for a while and continued to put off posting it because I just wasn’t sure I wanted to put it out there, but I’m going to do so in the hopes that I might be able to help someone else.

My life was (and is) seemingly perfect. I have a supporting and loving family, husband and daughter, a wonderful home, a job, I have figured out my passion, I have all my limbs and hey, I live in Florida, how bad can things actually be?

I was suffering from major depression. What made it worse was that I should NOT be depressed, right? I should have felt only happiness and gratitude. And I DID, but I also had a cloud that hung over my head and no matter how much I tried to talk myself out of it, read positive books, think positive thoughts, it would still be there. It was so bad that I would cry almost every day on the way on the drive to work and many days on the way home. When I got to work I would blow my nose, put some cover-up around my eyes, slap on some powder and put my glasses on to cover it up. I was exhausted all the time, so much so that it felt like physical pain. I would tell my mom this almost daily. Mom I’m so tired it hurts.

I had an aging (and very noisy) Labrador, Madison, that would wake me at night and afterwards I wouldn’t fall back to sleep which made the exhaustion worse. One particular weekend stands out in my memory. Some friends, Matt and Stephanie, came in town and several couples were going out for dinner. My hubby was busy doing something that I can’t recall so I was going to go myself. I put on a beautiful new dress that had the colors of the ocean, blues and greens, and drove to my friend Justine’s house 45 minutes away from mine to see them. Everyone was chatting and gathering their things to head to dinner. I tried to put on my game face but I was so worn down that I was wrestling with myself. Just suck it up and go, you’ll be fine. And the next thought, I’m so tired it hurts. I just want to sit at home and wallow. The exhaustion won. I said I’m so sorry, I can’t do it. I have to go home. I’m exhausted. I envisioned everyone mentally rolling their eyes at me. Of course they weren’t, but I was so embarrassed. I’m still embarrassed about that day and sad that I missed seeing Matt and Steph. I was too young to be that tired. Anyone is too young to be that tired.

That memory always fades into another; my husband and I were staying in St Augustine to celebrate the “February Birthdays” with about five other couples, and I was so worried about even making it to dinner, never mind out afterwards for drinks and music. I was so tired that I wanted to forgo dinner at the Floridian and just stay in my hotel room at the Edgewater by myself. I drank two red energy drinks and one and a half of those little energy bottles and was still exhausted. I was so embarrassed that I would resort to drinking such chemicals when I have a food blog about eating a healthy, plant based diet.

Sunny Mila (Chia) Dreamsicle Smoothie

I was on the highest dosage of Bupropion I could be on and I had tried many of the other antidepressants. Nothing seemed to work. My poor mom is a saint for listening to me through all the crying.

On a particularly dark day I said enough was enough and called my physician to see if she would increase my dosage again. I told her I just want to be a zombie. Get through the day. Go home. I don’t want to feel this weight any more. She said no. You are on the highest dosage. It can not be increased any more, Dawn. I cried about that.

My hair was falling out so I fired my hair dresser thinking that he had over-processed my hair.

Then one day I got an email from my mom’s neurology nurse practitioner, Megan. (My mom has Multiple Sclerosis.) Megan, asked me if I would do a talk on food, nutrition, recipes and my CSA (KyV Farm) for her MS group she runs and I told her of course, I would love to. She said my mom had been telling her about my food blog and she got very excited because she is vegetarian.

Things would come up and I didn’t get around to it, but we continued to talk and become friends. She became a regular follower of my blog and we would occasionally discuss recipes offline.

A while later I did a few posts about flax and chia seed. Once again she contacted me and said she saw I was eating chia seeds. I said yes, and told her how I was eating lots of organic chia and freshly ground flax daily. She asked if I had tried Mila, a raw seed blend. I said no and asked if it is organically grown and non GMO. She said yes to organic and no to GMO. She said I’d be happy to share some with you. I said as long as it’s one ingredient and is a whole, raw food, send it on over. I’d try it.

A few days later I got a large bag of seeds. Being the health nut that I am I cracked it open and began eating it. About three weeks into it I noticed better digestion, more energy and I was falling back to sleep after Madison woke me up at night. Hmm…well that was nice. The seeds I was eating before hadn’t had the same effects. I started getting low and asked her for more. About three months into eating it I noticed something about my depression. Not that I wasn’t getting upset, but that I wasn’t crying all the time. I seemed to be able to get over the hump easier.

Eager to get off any pharmaceuticals, I decided to cut out one day a week of taking them, after a week or two I cut out two days. And so on and so forth.

After a few months I was completely off pharmaceutical antidepressants, and for some reason I didn’t put two and two together. But I finally thought about it and the ONLY thing I had changed was this food.

I did some research. I found many studies about high amounts of Omega 3’s helping the symptoms of depression. The blend I was eating has 3000mg per serving, I know other brands do as well, but for some reason the organic kind I was eating before didn’t touch the depression.

The fact that I had no idea this was one of the “side effects” of eating this whole, raw food until after I was off the meds was what really moved me.

My hair started growing back in. I didn’t realize that many people experience hair loss on high dosages of antidepressants, so now that I was off them, my hair started growing back. Now, over a year later, I don’t even take one medication, my weight is lower and I have more energy. I can’t remember the last time I drank a disgusting red energy drink or took those little energy bottles. I have a cup or two of coffee in the morning because I enjoy it, and that’s all I need. I get up between 4:15 and 4:40 am and typically get to bed around 9 or 10 pm.

I’m so thankful that Megan sent me that purple bag of seeds that was so different than everything I had tried before that I think of her daily with gratitude.

The best part is that the three ton weight is gone. And I’m happy to say I finally did do that talk for the MS group and had a great time.

This is my story. I’m not embellishing or exaggerating. I still absolutely do get upset about things but am able to deal with them a bit better and find my moods much more even. I did join the business with Megan in order to share information about my story and the food that helped me so much and I’m so proud to represent it. I tell people about it like a good movie or good restaurant. If they want to try some, great and if not, that is fine too. I am NOT by any means saying that what I found will cure anything whatsoever, and I’m NOT giving any advice on how to get off antidepressants, all I know is my own experience and how it helped me. Everyone’s bodies are different and react differently to foods. Please also notice that I said it took THREE months. If I had been expecting the effects of this food I probably would have gotten impatient. Because I didn’t know this was a benefit of this food, it was like an added bonus. And what a bonus!

All I ask is that you treat yourself with love and consider the side effects of taking any sort of pharmaceutical BEFORE you start. Your doctor will most likely NOT try to treat any ailment through food and nutrition before going to pharmaceuticals. There are a very few like Megan and if you have found one, hold on to them like gold.

I have no idea what other ailments my body was suffering from those high dosages of antidepressants, not to mention the energy drinks but I am so thankful, every day, that I found this food.

If you have questions about my experience please contact me at chefdawn (at) hotmail.com.

“If you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.”
― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Sunny Mila (Chia) Dreamsicle Smoothie

Sunny Mila Dreamsicle Smoothie

Serves 1
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla almond milk
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and sectioned
1/2 frozen banana, chopped
1 scoop (2 Tbsp) Mila
**If using unsweet vanilla almond milk, you can add a bit of agave, honey or sweetener of choice

Directions

1. Blend everything together and enjoy!

“While it is true that many people simply can’t afford to pay more for food, either in money or time or both, many more of us can. After all, just in the last decade or two we’ve somehow found the time in the day to spend several hours on the internet and the money in the budget not only to pay for broadband service, but to cover a second phone bill and a new monthly bill for television, formerly free. For the majority of Americans, spending more for better food is less a matter of ability than priority. p.187”

― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Nutrition Facts
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving

Calories 252.4
Total Fat 6.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 184.5 mg
Potassium 460.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 43.9 g
Dietary Fiber 11.2 g
Sugars 28.2 g
Protein 6.5 g

Vitamin A 10.8 %
Vitamin B-6 14.6 %
Vitamin C 7.7 %
Vitamin D 25.0 %
Vitamin E 50.7 %
Calcium 53.3 %
Copper 4.6 %
Folate 2.4 %
Iron 10.9 %
Magnesium 7.7 %
Manganese 20.9 %
Niacin 1.4 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.3 %
Phosphorus 14.0 %
Riboflavin 5.0 %
Selenium 0.8 %
Thiamin 1.5 %
Zinc 0.6 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

A Fresh Take on Old Favorites – Two Bagel Toppings! Curried Cashew Hummus and Curried Cashew Cream Cheese

Appetizer, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Gluten Free, High Protein, Kid Friendly, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Feb 282013

Two Bagel Toppings! Curried Cashew Hummus and Curried Cashew Cream Cheese

Remember some of the diets of the past? Go fat free, they said. Peanut butter was the devil, nuts were off limits and you couldn’t even LOOK at an avocado. (Be still my heart.)

Curried Cashew Hummus and Cream Cheese

(Don’t even get me started on the Atkins craze. That’s a whole post in itself.)

Fat free cheese, fat free cream cheese, fat free yogurt, fat free cookies – Snackwell’s anyone? We were swimming in processed, fat free but sugar filled foods as the obesity epidemic skyrocketed.

Curried Cashew Hummus

Thankfully, times are changing and people are beginning to learn that balance is the way to go and that we do need some fat, some carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and protein in the form of whole foods.

Cashew Cream Cheese

Meet the cashew. Cashews can be turned into alternatives to almost any dairy you like – milk, sour cream, cheese, cream cheese, but have NO cholesterol and some of that healthy fat we used to miss. Typically I use raw cashews, but in this case the curry ones were on sale at Native Sun Natural Foods Market, so I decided to give them a try. I soaked them first so they would blend easier and voila! Delish!

As for the hummus – this was a little sub I learned from my friend Suzanne. A co-worker had brought bagels into the office and instead of eating it dry, since she had also cut out dairy, she topped it with some hummus. I tried it and LOVED it, so now it’s my favorite way to enjoy a bagel or baked bread and as the usual dip for crunchy, fresh veggies.

A dash of curry gives these two toppings a little hmm factor without being overpowering. If you don’t like curry, simply leave out the curry powder, use olive oil instead of the curry coconut oil and use raw cashews instead of curry.

Curried Cashew Hummus

Serves 4 (Hummus serves 4-6)
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 GF bagels, such as Udi’s
2 Tbsp chopped curried cashews, soaked for 1 hour or overnight
1 can chickpeas, Tree of Life, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp melted curry coconut oil, Ziggy Marley (you can sub olive oil here)**
Dash of curry powder
1 Tbsp tahini
¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Blend cashews through salt in a small food processor or blender, adding 1/2 Tbsp water at a time until creamy consistency is reached. Spread ¼ mixture over each of four toasted bagels.

Curried Cashew Cream Cheese

Inspired by this recipe
Serves 4 (Cream Cheese serves 4-6)
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 GF bagels, Udi’s
1/2 cup chopped curried cashews, soaked for 1 hour or overnight
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar, Bragg
Dash of curry powder
¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Blend cashews through salt in a small food processor or blender, adding 1/2 Tbsp water at a time until creamy consistency is reached.

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Nutrition Facts Hummus (without bagel)
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 231.5
Total Fat 8.9 g
Saturated Fat 3.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 510.3 mg
Potassium 302.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 31.4 g
Dietary Fiber 6.4 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 8.5 g

Vitamin A 0.7 %
Vitamin B-12 16.6 %
Vitamin B-6 90.8 %
Vitamin C 11.1 %
Vitamin E 0.6 %
Calcium 6.3 %
Copper 19.5 %
Folate 29.5 %
Iron 13.4 %
Magnesium 13.4 %
Manganese 43.8 %
Niacin 37.3 %
Pantothenic Acid 5.8 %
Phosphorus 18.2 %
Riboflavin 74.7 %
Selenium 10.1 %
Thiamin 86.3 %
Zinc 14.1 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition Facts Cream Cheese
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 99.6
Total Fat 7.9 g
Saturated Fat 1.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 255.0 mg
Potassium 104.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.1 g
Dietary Fiber 0.5 g
Sugars 1.1 g
Protein 2.6 g

Vitamin B-6 2.3 %
Vitamin C 2.3 %
Vitamin E 0.5 %
Calcium 0.8 %
Copper 19.1 %
Folate 3.0 %
Iron 5.8 %
Magnesium 11.4 %
Manganese 7.6 %
Niacin 1.2 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.1 %
Phosphorus 8.4 %
Riboflavin 2.0 %
Selenium 2.9 %
Thiamin 2.3 %
Zinc 6.4 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy These A Fresh Takes on Old Favorites – Two Bagel Toppings! Curried Cashew Hummus and Curried Cashew Cream Cheese!

Blissful Blueberry Bake and Six Disney Food Survival Tips

Articles and Reading, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Native Sun Recipe, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Tips, Travel, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Feb 212013

Six Disney Food Survival Tips

Blissful Blueberry Bake

Disney World.

Is it one of your life’s dreams to get there? Or are you not into the lines and crowds?

I would definitely put myself into the latter category. Camping is one of my favorite pastimes. Nature. Solitude. Calm. My life is crazy enough as it is, so going into an environment of man-made chaos is not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, I just returned from a three day Disney adventure because we had family that flew in from Massachusetts that my daughter had never met and she very much enjoyed meeting her cousins…and Mary Poppins.

One of the first and most obvious things to me, of course, was the food choices of many Disney-goers. At the “resort” we stayed at there was a cafeteria where my family and I ate. During one particular breakfast I noticed a sadly obese child that had skittles, some sort of cinnamon bun, a chocolate chip cookie, bacon and a chocolate chip pancake on his plate and was washing that down with his ($17) mug of Coke. The more I looked around, the more I realized it was the same with many of the parents and other children’s plates. Some of the “healthy” choices were Light and Fit yogurt, flavored milks and frosted flakes. If you know anything about the commercial dairy industry and GMO corn, you know this is not actually a healthy choice.

So what is a food conscious person to do? With a little planning you can both save money and stay healthy!

1) Spend a little time to plan ahead. Choose a few recipes to make beforehand, such as this five ingredient black bean burger. **(For those flying in see below.)
2) Find out if you can get a refrigerator in your room or if you will need to get ice each morning.
3) Bring a canvas bag for non-refrigeration items, a large cooler for anything that must stay cold and smaller lunch bag for the day trips.
4) Each morning separate breakfast items out and then pack enough food items for lunch and snacks in the smaller bag. (You will have a much easier time of this with a plant based diet since you won’t need to worry as much about refrigeration.) If you are not going back to the room for dinner, you will need to pack that too.
5) Bring paper plates, napkins and utensils. (If you are flying in you can get these on the park grounds, but taking them along allows you to forgo having to stand in line to obtain only a plate.)
6) Bring some reusable storage containers that you can portion your lunch into and rinse out each night.

Note: For lunch items such as a bean burger, there are a few restaurants that are happy to allow you to use their condiments such as salsa, lettuce, tomato and onion when you tell them you or your child has food allergies – especially if you do purchase something from them such as a side salad or small iced coffee (I packed my own coconut creamer).

**If you are flying in, prior to leaving home, purchase and pack a soft sided cooler. Upon arriving in Orlando find a grocery store such as Publix and stock up on some ice and essentials. You can still make these five ingredient black bean burgers - all you need is a can of beans, mustard, ketchup, some instant oats, salt and pepper and a microwave.

The outcome? With just this little bit of preparation: 1) I saved enough money to cover my daughter’s three day ticket into the park as a Florida resident and 2) we had some really delicious food compared to some of the generic items available. There would have been almost nothing either of us could eat between my plant based diet and my daughter’s food allergies. I found almost no meat/dairy free choices, unless we wanted to get a iceberg lettuce salad or a plastic packaged $7 bowl of melon.

Some of the items I packed included refillable water bottles with filters, fresh fruit, dried fruit, sun butter/peanut butter, whole grain bagel thins, rice cakes, home made bean burgers, an avocado, onion and tomato, carrots and hummus, salsa and organic corn chips, oatmeal, coconut milk creamer, rice milk for my daughter and a few splurge items such as a container of Blissful Blueberry Bake, gluten free fig newtons and GF pretzels.

Looking at the population of people that was in the parks was disheartening. There were so many people that were so overweight they actually had to have motorized wheelchairs to get around. It made me so sad and wishful that I could help them. But as with all things in life we can only Live and Let Live and lead by example. The more of us that band together in these situations and show people that eating and living healthy is possible the better. My hope is that even ONE person saw what we were doing and said you know what, I’m going to do that next time!

Blissful Blueberry Bake

This blueberry bake is a simple and satisfying warm dessert. For those folks where fresh blueberries are not available, frozen would work great too. Whatever you choose, be sure to get a variety that does not contain added sugars or salt -this way you can control the amount that is added to the recipe.

I encourage you to dress this base recipe up in different ways – some ginger or cinnamon would be lovely or the addition of some extra pecans or other nuts. Don’t like agave? Try subbing some 100% maple syrup. Any which way, you can’t go wrong with baked blueberries!

Blissful Blueberry Bake

Serves 4
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Items on sale now at Native Sun Natural Foods Market, Feb 7 through Mar 6, 2013

Ingredients

1 pint fresh blueberries**
¼ cup agave nectar, (Madhava)**
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup gluten free granola, (Natures Path)**
1 tsp coconut oil, melted (Nutiva) **

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F; mix blueberries, agave, lemon and salt in a small baking dish; mix granola and coconut oil in a small dish and then spoon over blueberries evenly; cover and bake 60 minutes, until warm and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 213.6
Total Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 166.4 mg
Potassium 94.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.9 g
Dietary Fiber 4.4 g
Sugars 29.8 g
Protein 2.7 g

Vitamin A 2.0 %
Vitamin B-6 1.9 %
Vitamin C 24.7 %
Vitamin E 5.0 %
Calcium 1.3 %
Copper 3.1 %
Folate 1.6 %
Iron 4.3 %
Magnesium 1.3 %
Manganese 14.2 %
Niacin 1.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.9 %
Phosphorus 1.1 %
Riboflavin 3.0 %
Selenium 0.8 %
Thiamin 3.3 %
Zinc 0.8 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy my Blissful Blueberry Bake and Six Disney Food Survival Tips!

Six Sweet Recipes for Your Valentine

Breakfast, Dessert, Favorites, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Feb 142013

Happy Valentines Day

Just a few sweet recipes for your Valentine!

Coconut Banana Ice Cake with Chocolate Pecan Crust

Chocolate with Sea Salt Toast

Baked Monkey Oats

Peanut Butter Cup Toast

Sunday Morning Banana Lovecakes

Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars

Happy Valentines Day!

Love, Dawn

Layer it up! Recipes in a jar, 2 Ways – Kale Maple Blueberry Smoothie Parfait and Kale and Quinoa Salad in a Jar

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Raw, Salad, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegan, Vegetarian 9 Responses »

Jan 282013

Breakfast and Lunch in a Jar!

“Leaving the tiny Bed and Breakfast in the English countryside we looked at our bill and it listed charges for water and electricity. We walked to our tiny car, hopped in and wound our way through the narrow streets, lined with 10 foot hedgerows and finally managed to find a grocery store – where they charged us extra for the cart and bags. When we glanced around, everyone was simply carrying what they needed in re-usable sacks.”

Those were my mother’s words when she and my father returned from a wedding in England. The stories of their trip made me even more aware that the US is a throw away society. If we had to do the same as they do in England, imagine how much more we could conserve. Have you ever had an experience like this in another country?

Off the top of my head I can think of some of the areas we Americans could improve – kid juices boxes, straws and wrappers, plastic bags and utensils, lights being left on in office buildings and enormous amounts of water to fill pools and water lush, grassy yards. We are so used to this in our society that we don’t even stop to think about it before we open the lid to the trash can to put an item in. Where is this going?

Here is one great way for us to reduce, re-use and recycle some old jars – Layer it up!

Utilizing pre-made foods such as this raw nut and fruit mix and some quinoa and white beans that I had pre-cooked and froze from the bulk bins at Native Sun makes it quick and easy to throw these recipes together.

(These recipes are also being submitted to Thank Goodness it’s Quinoa! TGIQ)

Tierra Raw Nut Mix

Everyone is drinking green smoothies now so this parfait/smoothie hybrid is a great way to get your veggies in and take along in the car. I love this layered one because it looks so pretty and the nuts and raisins give it some texture and sweetness. I don’t know how many people I talk to that say they could never give up dairy – yogurt, cheese or milk. I promise, not only will you get a serving of kale, you won’t miss the dairy this parfait!

Kale Maple Blueberry Smoothie Parfait

Serves 1
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 banana, chopped into chunks
2/3 cup blueberries + 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 cup unsweet vanilla almond milk
1 large leaf kale, chopped
2 Tbsp raw nut, seed, dried fruit mix, Tierra Raw Mix, Tierra Farms, chopped**

Directions

1. Freeze bananas and 2/3 cup blueberries; blend frozen bananas, blueberries, maple syrup, almond milk in a Magic Bullet or blender. Layer half this mixture in a Mason jar. Top with half chopped nut mixture and 2 Tbsp blueberries.

2. Add kale to remaining blueberry mixture and blend. Spoon into the Mason jar; top with remaining dried fruit mix.

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Take lunch on the go with this kale and quinoa salad in a jar.

Hearty kale can stand up to being pre-dressed, and once the jar is covered you can simply shake and eat. This recipe offers a lot of protein – 10.6 grams – so it will keep you fuller longer and the slow burning carbs won’t cause that after lunch crash like you get from eating empty fried carbohydrates.

Kale and Quinoa Salad in a Jar

Serves 1
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2/3 chopped kale
1 Tbsp any light Annie’s Natural Salad Dressing of choice
1/4 tomato
1/4 cup cooked quinoa (dry quinoa on sale now – cooking instructions)
Dash coarse ground sea salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder
2 Tbsp pre-made hummus (I used black bean hummus)
1/4 cup cooked beans

Directions

1. Layer kale, dressing, tomato, quinoa, salt, pepper, garlic powder, hummus and beans in a mason jar. Enjoy immediately or screw on jar lid to take along for later.

__________________________________________

Kale Maple Blueberry Smoothie Parfait
Estimated Nutrition Info
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving

Calories 324.2
Total Fat 13.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 212.1 mg
Potassium 856.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 51.4 g
Dietary Fiber 8.2 g
Sugars 29.4 g
Protein 7.0 g
Vitamin A 278.3 %
Vitamin B-6 27.9 %
Vitamin C 94.5 %
Vitamin D 25.0 %
Vitamin E 64.4 %
Calcium 55.4 %
Copper 29.0 %
Folate 9.4 %
Iron 15.6 %
Magnesium 24.1 %
Manganese 92.6 %
Niacin 9.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.9 %
Phosphorus 14.3 %
Riboflavin 14.2 %
Selenium 3.0 %
Thiamin 10.3 %
Zinc 14.8 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Kale and Quinoa Salad in a Jar
Estimated Nutrition Info
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving

Calories 225.3
Total Fat 5.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 367.5 mg
Potassium 530.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 35.8 g
Dietary Fiber 8.7 g
Sugars 3.9 g
Protein 10.6 g
Vitamin A 268.3 %
Vitamin B-6 13.6 %
Vitamin C 71.5 %
Vitamin E 4.5 %
Calcium 10.2 %
Copper 21.2 %
Folate 28.1 %
Iron 23.5 %
Magnesium 15.8 %
Manganese 44.0 %
Niacin 4.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.6 %
Phosphorus 30.6 %
Riboflavin 41.9 %
Selenium 6.7 %
Thiamin 12.9 %
Zinc 8.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Enjoy my Recipes in a jar, 2 Ways – Kale Maple Blueberry Smoothie Parfait and Kale and Quinoa Salad in a Jar!

Creamy Choco-Minty Oatmeal

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Dec 242012

Mint and chocolate are one of my most favorite flavor combinations. I love that aromatic freshness with the rich chocolate. When I noticed that the chocolate mint coconut milk was on sale at Native Sun I just had to give it a try…..but what to do with it other than put it in coffee or drink it straight….somehow the oatmeal idea popped into my head and I thought that sounded like a fun option. If you like chocolate and mint I think you’ll like this too!

Creamy Choco-Minty Oatmeal

If you are looking to save calories you can simply make the oatmeal with water and then pour a bit of the chocolate mint milk on top – but if you can splurge on this creamy version it is well worth it.

This recipe is not overly sweet so feel free to add some additional agave or honey if desired and for Mila lovers – this is a perfect recipe to stir a Tbsp into.

I know what I’ll be making for breakfast on Christmas morning!

Creamy Choco-Minty Oatmeal

Creamy Choco-Minty Oatmeal

Serves 1
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Items on sale now at Native Sun Natural Food Market, Dec 7 through Jan 6 2013

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats** (for gluten free diet be sure to use gluten free oats)
1/2 cup vanilla un-sweet non-dairy milk
1/2 cup chocolate mint coconut milk (plus extra for topping at finish)**
1/2 tbsp agave (or local honey for non-vegan)
Dash of coarse sea salt
Dash of cinnamon
5 vegan chocolate chips (or regular semi-sweet for non vegan**)

Directions

1. Mix oats through cinnamon in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat – reduce heat and cook about 5 to 6 minutes or until desired thickness.

2. Spoon into a bowl and top with extra chocolate mint coconut milk and chocolate chips.

Nutrition Facts
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving

Calories 286.9
Total Fat 9.5 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 328.0 mg
Potassium 100.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 48.2 g
Dietary Fiber 6.0 g

Sugars 19.1 g
Protein 5.5 g
Vitamin D 12.5 %
Vitamin E 25.0 %
Calcium 15.1 %
Iron 12.3 %
Magnesium 2.1 %
Riboflavin 2.2 %
Thiamin 10.0 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Savory Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Main Meal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Dec 182012

If you are looking for an easy, light and super flavorful casserole you have found your recipe.
This unexpected, savory sauce can be made the night before, and the casserole then thrown together in about five minutes if you are tight on time.
Garlic, tamari, agave and tahini are what make this casserole interesting and unique – an aromatic, salty and sweet medley. Who would expect some Asian flair in a dish like this?

I love this rustic fork for my Savory Broccoli Hash

Because this is not an overly saucy casserole, this works GREAT for breakfast with some fresh, organic tomatoes and if you eat eggs, it would be the perfect accompaniment to a scramble. What a perfect way to get veggies into your diet!

My 4 year old daughter LOVED this recipe. She ate every bite and said her favorite part was the hash brown potatoes. Score!

Savory Broccoli Hash

Savory Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole

Serves 4-6 (How hungry are you?)
Vegan, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe
**Ingredients on sale now at Native Sun Natural Food Stores

Ingredients

Sauce
2 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp each garlic, onion powder, dried ground mustard
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste or any nut butter will do)
1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp raw agave (or local honey for non-vegan)
1 Tbsp organic tamari (wheat free)
¼ tsp salt

Casserole
1 head broccoli, chopped**
1 pkg Cascadian farms frozen hash browns**
1/2 block organic tofu, pressed and cubed (or any cooked protein of choice)
Organic cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Mix the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in chopped broccoli and tofu. Spray a 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon broccoli/tofu mixture into baking dish; top with hash browns. Sprinkle with additional salt and garlic powder if desired; spray with cooking spray and cover with foil.

2. Place in oven for 30 minutes; remove cover and set broiler to high; broil about 5 minutes or until the top is brown and crispy.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 161.3
Total Fat 8.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 301.7 mg
Potassium 619.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15.7 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Sugars 1.7 g
Protein 8.7 g

Vitamin A 31.4 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 14.2 %
Vitamin C 173.8 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 11.5 %
Calcium 10.7 %
Copper 11.3 %
Folate 23.5 %
Iron 12.4 %
Magnesium 16.8 %
Manganese 36.5 %
Niacin 7.9 %
Pantothenic Acid 7.3 %
Phosphorus 18.2 %
Riboflavin 9.9 %
Selenium 11.1 %
Thiamin 10.5 %
Zinc 7.6 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Sweet Citrus Barley with Pistachios

Appetizer, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Snack, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 4 Responses »

Dec 032012

Living in Florida is such a blessing. Not only was I able to take my cream colored Labrador, Tally for a walk yesterday without a jacket on (a fact I can really appreciate from growing up in Massachusetts), but the citrus trees are all heavy with fruit – including my Meyer lemon tree.

When you think of barley or grains you probably thing of savory dishes – so I wanted to change things up and bring sort of a sweet, salty, tangy dish. Your tastebuds will be dancing!

This makes a great side dish, snack, breakfast or even dessert!

Take a bite and you’ll get the crunch of pistachios but the creaminess of the barley slowly cooked over 40 minutes.

And talk about easy! I threw this dish together in under ten minutes – shelling and all.

Tell me what is your favorite thing to do with fresh citrus?

Sweet Citrus Barley with Pistachios

Sweet Citrus Barley and Pistachios

Serves 4, 1/2 cup serving
Vegan Option
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup barley
2 cups water
1 orange or Satsuma
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
2 to 3 Tbsp honey or agave for vegan
1/4 cup shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Rinse barley well in running water; add to small pot with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover; cook 40 minutes; remove from heat cook an additional 10 minutes.

2. Peel orange and blend in Magic Bullet or blender with juice of lemon, salt and honey or agave; mix well and pour over 2 cups of the cooked barley, reserve the remaining barley for another use; spoon barley mixture into large bowl. Chop pistachios and top barley mixture.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 184.0
Total Fat 3.8 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 148.2 mg
Potassium 211.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.3 g

Dietary Fiber 4.4 g
Sugars 11.8 g
Protein 3.6 g
Vitamin A 2.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 12.3 %
Vitamin C 26.5 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 2.3 %
Calcium 2.8 %
Copper 10.2 %
Folate 6.2 %
Iron 8.0 %
Magnesium 7.5 %
Manganese 15.7 %
Niacin 9.0 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.2 %
Phosphorus 8.6 %
Riboflavin 4.4 %
Selenium 10.7 %
Thiamin 10.5 %
Zinc 5.7 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Oct 212012

Are you a Mila lover and need some recipes? This post is for you!

For those of you that are asking – what is Mila? I am 1000% passionate about this food and the company. Scroll down below this delicious gallery of recipes to find out….

Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes

Country Apples & Walnuts

Nutrient Packed Mila Cereal

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal with Mila

All Natural Zucchini Muffins with Mila

Mila Almond No-Blender Smoothie

Peanut Butter, Apple, Barley and Raisin Salad

Rustic Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup

Falafel-Stuffed Eggplant withTahini Sauce

Vegan Seven Layer Dip with Mila

Eggplant Leek Soup

Easy Mexican Tortilla Bake with Mila

Garlicky Bean Dip

Pear Apple Salad

Tropical Mila Crumble

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those that want to treat their ailments with pills and pharmaceuticals that are ineffective or have serious side effects, and those that want to eat real, whole FOODS.

If you, a friend or family member is struggling with any of these issues, I have found something that may be able to help!

sleep problems
lack of energy
constipation and digestion problems
depression
excess weight
joint problems
skin issues
neurological disorders and a host of other ailments…

Even better, it’s not a mix of herbs, pill or potion, shake or powder. It’s simply a whole, raw food like apples, sweet potatoes or quinoa. It works with vegan, raw and gluten free diets.

[Tip: Go to google, type in the issue you are struggling with and Omega3's and Medical Studies - see what you can find!]

Please, please, please don’t be fooled by those folks that are representing supplements and calling them food. When have you ever pulled a leafy plant out of nutrient dense soil and seen a bunch of pills hanging off the roots?

Mila

How did I come across it? My mom has Multiple Sclerosis and it was her nurse practitioner, Megan, at her neurologist that sent me a sample – she loves to treat disease through whole foods instead of pills. After a few questions and some research, I became so impressed with the nutrition of this food that I agreed to try it out and fell in love. My mom is now eating Mila daily and the difference has been phenomenal. She can go for walks when she used to have to lay down and her energy lasts much longer throughout the day. This is the BIGGEST reason I’m now personally backing it and have even started a business that revolves around it. As for me – the first things I noticed were increased energy, even better digestion and, after three months, I was able to get off my antidepressants. Little did I know that the high dosages of these pharmaceuticals was causing my hair to fall out, so it is now growing back in crazy amounts.

Ok great, so what is Mila?

It’s a special blend of raw seeds that are cleaned and sliced to make them super easy for your body to suck up all the nutrients.

Gram per gram comparison.

This seed blend has 2x the potassium of bananas
6x more calcium than milk
More antioxidants then blueberries
2x the fiber of bran flakes
15x more magnesium than broccoli
4x more selenium than flax seed
6x more protein than kidney beans
9x more phosphorous than whole milk
8x more omega 3s than salmon
3x more iron than spinach

The FIBER in Mila is what helps with weight loss. AND, it absorbs tons of water to help you feel full and regulate blood sugar. As for the other ailments – it has 3000 mg of plant based Omega3′s and that is the key!

Talk about a PERFECT food to get tons of nutrition into our kids. Especially for busy moms like myself.

It is the best fuel for workouts. Do me a favor, next time you go to eat a protein bar, mix up a shake, eat something with a name like “goo”, read the ingredients. How many ingredients are there? Do you know what each ingredient is? No? Then why are you putting that in your body?!

Ask my fellow yogi, ultra-runner and friend Jen Vogel who just finished a 508 mile bike race a few weekends ago! No that is not a typo. Yes 508 miles. She rocks. You go Jen!

Mila is also amazing for pets!

According to Dr Guy Arad, Veterinarian “I am a passionate Veterinary Practitioner with special interest in orthopedic surgery, critical care and cardiology who nurtures the human-pet bond. I love using Mila in my patients, as I see a dramatic improvement in cases of arthritis, recovery from orthopedic surgery, weight loss, skin diseases, diabetes, GI diseases and more. Mila is the healthiest whole raw food and best vehicle of Omega 3s. It is easy to introduce to our companions’ diets, as it has no taste or odor.”

It’s got lots of backing from the medical world.

Dr. Bob Arnot, Dr. Gutierrez, Dr. Clement, Dr. Ford, Dr. Lamm are all behind this little seed.

In comparison to standard organic bulk bin chia, Mila wins out, hands down, every time. See this new research showing that this open blend is better than whole seed. I did a bunch of research to convince me of this but the reason I’m so confident is that I used myself as the guinea pig. In fact, I had been eating both flax and bulk bin chia daily and never noticed a difference until I began eating this seed blend.

Want to try some for yourself? Click here.

Supporting the small farmer is what it’s all about. REAL FOOD is what it’s all about. As you may already know, I’m all about promoting health and nutrition – hence all the CSA/farm share events I do. I volunteer to do that because I LOVE it and I want to make not only my family, but your family healthier too. This company gives back to the farmers that grow this seed along the equator. “The long-term World Vision consists of a program, called Farmer In A Box™, that will educate families and villages to sustain themselves by teaching them to grow the healthiest whole, raw food for themselves. Our access to this extraordinary seed gives us the opportunity to affect the well-being of those all around the world. Our goal is to not only change their health but also create an economical infrastructure for the benefit of their future generations.”

Find out even more reasons I have fallen in LOVE <3 with the company. Click here to watch a short movie.

I’ll admit, at first I was skeptical, but from what I’ve learned since I started this business in May, never have I met a more genuine and supportive leadership group and corporate support/customer service group. This movie was actually filmed to be part of another video and the emotional parts were to be edited out – but when the owners watched all the footage they changed their mind. The stories are what it’s all about, so they decided to bear their hearts and just let it all hang out.
My own experience. I have had to call in to customer service several times – once for an event I had WAY overpaid on accidentally. A real person answered the phone and they refunded my money on the spot – no questions asked. Why can’t all companies be like that?

For so many years I have wanted to start my own business so I can eventually work for myself. Should I open a food truck? Have a farmers market store front? You name it, I thought of it. When I found this food and the business behind it, I jumped at the chance. It may not be for you, but it could be huge. Do you want the next three years to look like the last three?

I am 1000% passionate about this food and the company. Questions? Contact me at chefdawn@hotmail.com

Confetti Breakfast Quinoa with Coconut Peanut Butter and Honey

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Native Sun Recipe, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian 2 Responses »

Aug 302012

Quinoa, (pronounced “KEEN-wah”) is quite the impostor. It looks and acts like a grain but it is actually a tiny little seed – and is therefore an awesome source of protein.

Sneaky.

Confetti Breakfast Quinoa with Coconut Peanut Butter and Honey

For vegetarians and meat eaters alike, quinoa makes a great alternative to rice, oatmeal or any grain and is super quick cooking; rice will typically take 45 to 50 minutes, but the mighty quinoa only cooks for fifteen minutes and rests for five.

Most people think of it as a savory food, but I’m here to tell you that it’s perfect for breakfast! Try it with some natural peanut butter or this Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter Spread – filling and satisfying for breakfast and the flavor of coconut and peanut butter together is unexpectedly delectable.

Confetti Breakfast Quinoa with Coconut Peanut Butter and Honey

Serves 4
Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup rice milk
¾ cup water
1 cup dry mixed color quinoa (I used red and white)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp sea salt
4 Tbsp Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread

Directions

1. Bring rice milk and water to a boil over medium high heat; add quinoa, salt, honey and cinnamon; stir, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes.

2. Divide quinoa over four bowls; add 1 Tbsp coconut peanut butter to each serving.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 299.5
Total Fat 11.6 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 132.8 mg
Potassium 90.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.4 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Sugars 8.3 g
Protein 9.2 g

Vitamin A 0.0 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 0.2 %
Vitamin C 0.3 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 0.5 %
Calcium 1.0 %
Copper 0.2 %
Folate 0.1 %
Iron 23.7 %
Magnesium 0.1 %
Manganese 5.0 %
Niacin 0.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.0 %
Phosphorus 39.2 %
Riboflavin 85.2 %
Selenium 0.1 %
Thiamin 0.0 %
Zinc 0.2 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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