Bran Muffins With Coconut Oil & Flax

We don't get the sickies often, but when we do...its ROUGH

This one hit all of us at once, and its been a whirlwind trying to keep the house germ free, get the munchkins to eat nutritious food and have a good nights sleep and keep up with all the daily "to-dos"

With what little energy I had at 9am this morning I decided to whip up something I knew the kids would eat- a muffin!

Coconut oil is such an amazing super food and contains  powerful medicinal properties. Did you know that the Lauric acid in coconut oil can kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, while keeping infections at bay? Coconut oil also helps moisturize the skin from the inside out. Living in a very dry climate, moisture is so helpful, especially when you are under the weather!

You need:

• 2 cups wheat bran
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 tablespoon vinegar works too)
• 1/2 cup orange juice + 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar ( I would usually use 1/2 cup turbinado sugar blended with 1 tablespoon molasses, this time I went the easy route!)
• 1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil
• 1 large egg + 1 Egg white
• 3/4 cup AP flour or Whole Wheat 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• tiny pinch of salt
• 
• Mix all the ingredients together and pour into recycled kraft cupcake liners- I like these unbleached liners
• bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes and enjoy :)
• 

Orange Creamsicle Greens & Protein Smoothie

Green smoothies... All the rage right now.

While I try not to follow "new miracle" food trends. There are a few trends that have really improved my over-all health and wellness. I try to drink a green smoothie every single day.

My energy level skyrockets and theyreally lift me out of that tired early morning grogginess. When do babies and preschoolers sleep through the night again? Never? Oh right...so I guess I'll be drinking green smoothies forever.

 I've learned what my body needs to function and what my cravings really mean. Since the addition of RAW Fit protein powder to my daily green smoothie my cravings have almost 100% diminished. Now, I am a woman after all so chocolate cravings will never disappear but they aren't controlling my diet any more.

 Green smoothies on their own shouldn't be a full meal replacement but adding RAW fit makes them more satisfying and adds even more kicked up nutrients.

 My Cacao Berry Blend Protein Shake uses RAW Protein in Cacao flavor. All protein powders are not created equal, in that post I show you all the junk found in your average protein powder.
Finding an organic and GMO free verified dietary brand was a life saver!


RAW Fit is a USDA Certified organic, RAW, plant-based vegan high-protein powder that is an easy way to increase your protein intake.

One of the "trendy" ingredients in RAW Fit, is Green Coffee Bean Extract- It helps you maintain healthy blood sugar, boosts energy and naturally increase fat burning capabilities.

Between the duties of being a stay at home mommy, my business and all of the other things life throws your way, I missed going to my Barre Fitness classes for 2 whole weeks! I still managed to lose 2lbs in those 2 weeks and I'd like to think its with the help of my smoothies!

One thing to always remember is to keep trying new ways to make your smoothies so you don't lose momentum . I always buy different kinds of fruits, greens flavor and yogurts to keep it interesting.

This smoothie recipe is my favorite and most used! It reminds me of an orange Julius but greener, healthier and without the sugar.

You need:

8oz Organic 100% Orange Juice
4oz Organic Kefir  (I buy all different flavors but I've heard some amazing things about adding small amounts of pomegranate to your diet so I'd been buying the pom/acai blend
1 ripe medium banana(frozen) I let my bananas ripen and then freeze for smoothies. You can use a non frozen banana and add ice as needed instead.
1 scoop RAW Fit- Garden Of Life
1 individual packet/ 1 scoop Orange Blend Greens- Amazing Grass

Always add your wet ingredients first when blending with powders- otherwise it will taste grainy
add in fruit next and then RAW Fit & Greens

Blend on high until desired consistency. I prefer more of a juice beverage consistency but if you like more yogurty add more kefir, or Ice for a "granita" style =)

Drink up with a cute paper straw for added pizzazz :P

This Post was featured on Small Footprint Fridays

Oktoberfest German Style Soft Pretzels

Pretzels...

Filled with flour and gluten and salt... NOT the healthiest treat in the world but delicious and great with a big stein of Oktoberfest beer.

Its an easy process but there is a lot of rising time. So be prepared to wait a few hours to eat your delicious pretzels. Real Authentic pretzels are actually made with food grade lye. But I rather not cook with things that you need to wear goggles and rubber gloves!

You need:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour 1:1
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup warm water plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided 3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
• Coarse sea salt 

* try using all organic ingredients if possible and full fat butter

Add yeast to the warm water. In the bowl of your electric mixer, add in flour and sugar and make a little well in the middle.

Pour your yeast/water mixture into the well and leave it alone for 15-20 minutes.

When you return to your bowl the flour will be risen a bit and the water will be very bubbly, mix with a slotted spoon or silicone spatula. 

Add in 3tblspoons butter and mix on low speed until dough comes together, you might need to add in 2 additional tablespoons of water. The dough should be just sticky enough to hold together.

Let the dough rest for 40 minutes to an hour.

Beat the dough down and cut into 12 equal strips... I am not Auntie Anne so please excuse my uneven pretzel dough!

roll dough strips on the counter top to desired thickness. The skinnier bigger pretzels are more crisp and the smaller fatter pretzels have softer insides.

Once all your pretzels are shaped, lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for another hour...I KNOW you are desperate to eat them already, but I promise this step is important!

After your last rise, bring a large pot of water to a boil (fill up a little more than half way full) And SLOWLY pour in 1/2 cup of baking soda.

Quickly, 1 pretzel at a time let pretzel soak in the water bath for 5 seconds per side, a wide spatula is the easiest way to flip!

After you dip the pretzel line them back on the parchment lined baking sheets, sprinke desired amount of salt and bake at 400 degrees for 12-17 minutes depending on your level of crisp desired, these were baked for 15 minutes. Use remaining butter (microwave for 20-30 seconds) and lightly brush your warm pretzels with butter, using a pastry brush or basting brush.

Eat with mustard or with House Of J Raw Milk Queso 

Real Food: Organic Raw Cacao Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding...It's delicious, it's my hubbies favorite sweet and if you make it from a box. You are pretty much eating chemicals.

Sugar, Cornstarch, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Food Starch Modified, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Natural & Artificial Flavor, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil, Calcium Carrageenan (Texturizer), Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1

Sugar, cornstarch, cottonseed oil and soybean oil is pretty much guaranteed to be GMO. Chemical colorants that are actually listed on FDA website to cause hyperactivity in children.

Carrageenan has no nutritional value and linked to inflammatory illnesses and ups the chances of developing diabetes.

Homemade real food chocolate pudding?
Cacao powder
Tapioca starch
Raw cane sugar
Egg Yolks
Milk
Cream
a little organic semi-sweet chocolate
a pat of butter
DONE

Ingredients you can pronounce. With healthy fats and protein. Oh and by the way...
Done in 10 minutes time. You can totally eat it right away (it's delicious) Or you can wait 45 minutes to let it harden a little.

I even made it 2 ways, regular refrigerated chocolate pudding (which is for the hubs) and pudding pops for me and the kiddos =)

For 8 servings...you need:
2 tablespoons raw Cacao Powder*
2 tablespoons Tapioca Starch*
5 tablespoons raw pure cane sugar*
2 egg yolks*
2 cups whole milk*
4 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips*
.5 tablespoons butter*

* organic ingredients

Whisk together all dry ingredients. in a medium sauce pan. Slowly pour in milk and yolks.

After all ingredients are fully incorporated, add in cream and bring to a slow rolling boil. About 8 minutes with continuous whisking.

Once pudding has thickened add in chocolate and butter and whisk to combine.

Pour into 8 ramekins or pudding molds.. Let set 45 minutes and up until over night and enjoy =)

PS:
If you are tracking calories this recipe is uploaded under "House of J: Real Food Chocolate Pudding" on Myfitnesspal.com

117 calories, 13.5g carbohydrates, 6.4g fat, 3.4g proteins,9.6g sugar, 38g sodium

xo-J

Real Food: Tropical Greens Breakfast Smoothie

I am not really a breakfast person. I LOVE breakfast food, but I am just not good at eating in the morning.

I rather drink 3 cups of coffee...

One thing that's easier for me is making smoothies. I posted the yummy chocolate one here.  Now its time for a yummy tropical fruit version. Except this one has GREENS instead of protein! Feel free to switch them out or use both! Breakfast is SO important to a healthy, active lifestyle, but for me it is one of the hardest meals to eat. Mornings with a 14 month old and a 3 year old are HECTIC and taking care of mama just takes a backseat sometimes! 

Smoothies are so easy, and PORTABLE! 

I have a love for Amazing Grass Goji Greens because they are so fruity and tangy I don't even taste the "greens" part!

In a blender goes 8oz preferred juice. I LOVE the orange, peach mango combination*. Very "tropical" =)

1 Kiwi Fruit*

5 Large Strawberries*

I sachet Greens*

1 cup of ice.

Blend on high for 1 minute and enjoy =)

* organic 

Real Food: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I promise that House Of J will not turn into a diet food only recipe blog. There are plenty of those. But what I will promise is to keep it at least on the "spectrum" of healthy eating.

My families choice to eat organic is based on lots of research and some health factors that play a part in our specific journey.

For me... Finding alternatives to food I love that pack more punch when it comes to vegetables, nutritional benefit and dietary benefit is absolutely essential.

Low and behold... The cauliflower pizza craze.

When I decided I'd like to try it, I had heard it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. So I called in reinforcement! A friend and I decided to tackle cauliflower pizza head on and we are so glad we did because it was out of this world amazing!!

You need:

1 head of cauliflower "riced" (grated in a food processor until very fine)
lots of spices and flavorings like oregano basil and yummy garlic
1.5 cups shredded asiago cheese
olive oil
1 egg
tomato sauce of your choice ( homemade is always better )
mozzarella & pecorino romano cheese

Take your grated cauliflower and boil it on medium heat for 3 minutes. Use a strainer to to catch it and then wrap in a dishtowel or cheese cloth. We used a few paper towels in a strainer and it worked great :)

Squeeze ALL liquid from the cauliflower and return it to the food processor with your egg, asiago, garlic, basil and oregano.

line a baking sheet with parchment and shape "dough" into a Sicilian pie( rectangle ). Brush a little EVOO on top and bake at 450 for 20-30 minutes

Add your toppings and return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until all your cheese has melted.

Be sure to put more seasoning on top as well! You can never have enough basil, garlic and oregano!

Cut into 8 slices and share with your friends :)

xo-J

Real Food: Organic whole wheat chicken enchiladas with raw milk queso & green chiles

Mexican food is my weakness. It's also probably the most GM(genetically modified) restaurant food there is.

Lots of canola oils, corn meals, etc etc etc. But making your own at home is never as satisfying as grabbing a burrito at your favorite spot with a big frothy margarita along side it.

Until now...

This recipe is the real deal. It incorporates slow cooked chicken, delicious queso and organic whole wheat tortillas. Serve it with some organic chips and guac and you are good to go. Even hubby was impressed!

There are a few steps so it is definitely a plan in advance meal. The first step, is the longest. You need organic boneless skinless chicken breast and organic chicken broth. I'd like to say I am brand loyal but with organic food being so costly I buy what is on sale.

You can even use frozen chicken breasts, for this recipe I made 3 breasts and had enough for leftovers.

In your crockpot or slow cooker goes 1 box of organic chicken broth and your chicken breasts, cook on low for 5-6 hours or until chicken shreds with a fork.

Put shredded chicken back into crock pot for 30 minutes to let those shreds soak up all of that yummy chicken flavor.

I buy the 365 store baked whole wheat organic tortillas, as I haven't yet mastered the art of tortilla making.

As for your queso, you need:

2 tablespoons butter(organic)
half of a green pepper (minced)
1.5 tablespoons organic flour
2.5 oz raw milk sharp cheddar (cut into tiny bits)
1 cup cream on top, not ultra pasteurized whole milk (or raw if you can get it)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon season salt.

In a pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and your green pepper and saute until peppers are soft.
Add in your other tablespoon butter and flour and whisk until smooth and pastey (a rue)
Add in milk and cheese and simmer on low until all ingredients have incorporated.

Add in spices and simmer on lowest setting.

Meanwhile, grab your tortillas and start piling on the chicken and to each one add in about 1 tablespoon of your queso. Fold  like a burrito and place in a pyrex or oven safe dish.

I made 5 enchiladas with chicken to spare. Once you've completed building your enchiladas, pour remaining queso over top and then your green chile sauce.  I found a really great local to Colorado brand with NO chemicals!! Or you can make your own =)

For those of you that use MYFITNESSPAL.com to track your calories, I've added the Raw Milk Queso to the HOUSE OF J food list =)