Gluten Free Autumn Pancakes

I have been continuing on with my pancake craze with this beautiful cooler weather!
If you have been lucky enough to get to any of your local farmers markets as of late, you are hopefully enjoying the fall bounty of fruits and veggies that this fantastic season provides. 

With apples being super fresh & plentiful, I just had to try transforming a wonderful pumpkin apple pancake recipe I saw on the TV show, The Chew.
The original recipe is made with traditional gluten filled flour plus an apple sauce topping.  I traded out the flour & skipped the topping all together, and could not be happier with the results.  

(Get the original recipe here)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Apple Pancakes

Using all Organic Ingredients

The prettiest pancakes were gone too quick!

1/2 Cup Brown Rice Flour (or Sorghum, Almond flours)

1/4 Cup Arrowroot Powder

1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Real Salt

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Vanilla Bean

1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

1 Egg (room temperature)

1 TB Ghee or Coconut Oil, melted

1 Cup Almond or Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree 

1/3 Cup Apple, peeled & diced

Ghee, or organic butter as needed for pan frying

Pure Maple Syrup to taste for top

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl (flours, baking powder, salt & spices).  

Mix in all remaining ingredients except maple syrup, until no lumps are present.  Try not to over mix.  
Pour about a 1/4 cup of the batter onto a hot cast iron skillet, on medium heat, with enough ghee to coat the pan.  Flip pancake when edges become golden & top is filled with bubbles breaking the surface. Repeat until batter is gone, or can save batter in a mason jar for use the next day. 
*If you save the batter for later, just be sure to let it come to room temperature before cooking with it.

Happy Cooking & Pancake Eating!

Organic Citrus Juice with Love

For weeks every time I was in Jandi's Natural Market & Cafe, I would get intoxicated by the smell of the fresh valencia oranges being juiced at the juice bar.  I don't often buy prepped food or drink items that I can make myself, but I just had to give it a try. Boy was I happy that I did!!!  It sparked my old taste buds for fresh squeezed OJ.  So, I just had to search out an easy way to juice my own citrus at home.  

I am not one to spend a lot of money on kitchen appliances, but also don't like to get one just because it is the cheapest in price.  I ended up with a BPA-Free Cuisineart Citrus Juicer.  I toyed with the idea of the old fashioned stainless steel juicer that uses pure elbow grease to power, but decided to save my arms & my time. 

Some of you may be asking, why not just purchase a container of organic orange juice from the grocery store?  

If you don't know already listen up...ALL commercial orange juices (and most other juices), even organic ones, have been pasteurized.  The process of pasteurization depletes foods of its most vital minerals & vitamins, so the OJ you are drinking (if store bought) isn't giving your body all that it can & should. 

If you are anything like me, you want all your foods to work hard for you.  

I use food as medicine and really value ever single nutrient that they feed me.  So when in doubt about a pre-prepped food item, go straight to the source!

Purchasing citrus & juicing it yourself is neither difficult nor very time consuming. 

You can even consider making larger batches and freezing them in small jars for fresh juice anytime!

Once it hits your lips, I promise, you will never consider going back to drinking juice from any other place than straight from the fruit!

To get the very best juice from your fruits, purchase all Organic & when they are in season.

Some of my favorite citruses & their optimal seasons...

Valencia Oranges : April - December

Naval Oranges : December - April 

Blood Oranges : Mid January - Mid April

Mineola Tangelos : April - June

Grapefruits : May - September 

Myer Lemons : December - February 

Satsuma Mandarins (cousin of the Clementine) : November - February

(For the best Organic Satsuma Mandarins order from the wonderful Ann's Orchard when in season)

Happy Juicing Everyone!

Gluten Free Garden Pancakes

I don't know about anyone else, but I just LOVE a good pancake!  

Whether it be a skinny pancake, a savory one, one sprinkled with chocolate chips, or jam packed with veggies... I just can't get enough.  

Being an organic gardener I am lucky enough to have a ton of fresh herbs & vegetables just outside my doorstep, and in this the height of the summer season there is plenty to choose from.  

The beauty of these pancakes is they are great hot off the griddle, warm or even cold.  They can also be frozen between sheets of parchment paper so you can grab some and heat them up in the toaster oven in no time! Also with this veggie pancake creation I encourage you to use whatever you have fresh in your garden, or what the farmer's at the farmer's markets have a ton of.  

Get creative, and have fun with it.  I guarantee it will be delicious!

Gluten Free Garden Pancakes

(options for creating these vegan as well)

5 TB Organic Coconut Ghee, melted (OR plain ghee, organic butter, olive oil or coconut oil)

1/2 Cup Organic Brown Rice Flour

1/4 Cup Organic Sorghum Flour

1/4 Cup Organic Arrowroot Powder

1/4 Cup Organic Tapioca Flour

1 TB Organic Cane Sugar 

1 tsp Real Sea Salt

1/2 tsp GF Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 Cup Organic Coconut Milk, room temperature

1 Organic Egg, room temperature

(Egg Replacer: 1 TB ground flaxseeds, 3 TB Water - blend or food process until consistency of egg)

1 Large Organic Zucchini

4 Medium Organic Carrots, peeled

3 Organic Scallions, green & white parts

1 - 2 Organic Garlic Cloves, minced

1 TB Fresh Organic Parsley, diced OR 1 tsp Dried Parsley 

1 TB Fresh Organic Garlic Chives, diced

Ghee or Coconut Oil for Frying

- In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients: flours, sugar, salt, baking soda & baking powder.

- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup whisk together your room temperature egg (or egg replacer), coconut milk & melted coconut ghee (butter or oil). 

- Before adding the batter mix together peel your carrots and chop up all your herbs.  If you have a food processor toss it all in until you get a fine (but not mushy) mix of veggies.  If not, dice up your herbs & take your zucchini & carrots and grate them with the large grating holes.

- Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed (do NOT over mix).

- Preheat your cast iron or stainless steel skillet with your ghee or coconut oil on medium high heat.

- With a large spoon or spatula mix your herb & vegetable mix into the pancake batter until just combined. 

- When skillet is hot use a 1/3 measuring cup and pour the batter on the skillet.  When the edges begin to appear golden and you see many bubbles breaking on the surface, its time to flip the pancake (You may need to add a bit of ghee or oil if the pan becomes too dry after flipping).

Cook about a minute on the other side or until golden brown.

- Repeat until batter is done, adding ghee or oil for each batch.

- Let cool a bit, then enjoy!

*Note: the more batches you do, the hotter the pan becomes, especially if using a cast iron pan. So be sure to keep an eye and lower the flame as necessary so you do not burn the outsides of the cakes, and not get them cooked all the way through.

Happy Cooking!

Recipe Test: Coconutty Cookies

These cookies took multiple steps, more than I normally take to make cookies.  But I had some special requests to recreate the girl scouts famous cookies, the samoa.  The requirements; they are to be organic as well as gluten, lactose, casein FREE, whose taste embodies the flavor profile of the chocolate coconut samoas.  I was not sorry I took the time to make these tasty treats.

Shortbread Cookies

(using all organic ingredients)

1 cup coconut oil ghee, room temperature

1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1/2 cup tapioca powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

2 tablespoons almond milk (unsweetened)

Cream together your coconut oil ghee and sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, vanilla powder and salt.  

Slowly add this to the ghee/sugar mixture.

Lastly add in the almond milk.
Place your dough ball in glass container with lid and refrigerate until the dough is as firm as a stick of butter (about 30 or 40 minutes, time may vary).

After dough is firm from the fridge. 

Preheat your oven to 350F  and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Using plenty of flour press out dough to about 1/4 - 1/8" thick, can do this in segments and use cookie cutters for shapes or freestyle your own. 

Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes.

Let cool on wire rack for at least 5 minutes before next step.

Caramel Coconut Topping

(using all organic ingredients)

1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened 

1/4 cup homemade caramel sauce (recipe below)

Take the coconut and toast in the oven or toaster oven at 300 degrees for a total of 15 minutes, stirring up every 5 minutes.

Caramel Sauce Recipe

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

2 tablespoons coconut oil ghee

pinch of real sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

Melt coconut oil ghee in saucepan, then add in remaining ingredients.  Cook on medium heat while whisking the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until it thickens. 

Remove from heat and let cool. 

When the toasted coconut is done, mix 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce with the coconut in a small bowl. 

Melting Chocolate & Assembly of 

Coconutty Cookies

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks, organic & fair trade best

Double boil the chocolate to melt it down.

(Double Boil: Take a small pot and fill it with about a inch or two of water, place a heat safe bowl on top of pot of water.  Be sure not to let the water touch the bottom of bowl.  Place the pot on medium heat and fill your bowl with chocolate chips.  When you hear water boiling and chocolate begins to melt, remove from heat, but keep bowl on pot and stir chocolate until smooth).

Assembly of Coconutties

Have a parchment lined baking sheet ready.

Take a cookie and dip the bottom into chocolate to coat.  Place cookie on parchment lined sheet, and repeat for all cookies.

Take your coconut caramel mixture and place about a teaspoon of mixture on top of each cookie, pressing flat.

Take remaining chocolate and drizzle on top.

Place in refrigerator to set for 10 minutes.  

Take out and enjoy, or store in airtight glass container in refrigerator.

Happy Baking, Melting & Assembling Everyone!!

Recipe Test: Easy Peasy Organic Mango Coconut Milk Ice Cream

With the warming weather arriving I can't help but submit to my cravings for more fruits and colder treats.  If you think that there are no solutions for a quick delicious dairy free, gluten free & good for you frozen treat, think again!  

All you need is an immersion blender (or regular blender should work too) and a few ingredients and 5 minutes to make this scrumptious frozen treat. I just know all of you with your fancy Vitamix machines are going to try your version of this quick dairy free/gluten free ice cream treat!

Organic Mango Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2 Cups Frozen Organic Mango

1/2 Cup Organic Coconut Milk (canned full fat version)

1/4 Cup Organic Almond Milk (unsweetened)

1/4 Cup Santa Cruz Organics Mango Lemonade

1/4 Cup Raw Organic Almonds

1/3 Cup Raw Organic Pecans

3 TB Pure Organic Maple Syrup

Place all ingredients in 1 quart wide mouth mason jar and blend together with immersion blender. 
Or use regular blender or Vitamix. 

Blend until smooth, serve & enjoy! 

(Can also store in freezer for later right in mason jar)

Hope you enjoy this change of season in your lives and through your foods.

Happy Spring & Happy Blending!

Sustainable Spotlight: Live. Breathe. Grow.

Little Black Sustainable Dress by LBG

I can be quiet picky about the companies I choose to support.  

They must follow a few criteria.  

1. Only Eco-friendly products & practices 

2. Kindness towards all living beings, including fantastic customer service 

3. Support of local services and business

The women of Live. Breathe. Grow. most certainly follow these guidelines.  They are committed in every way to not only loving the earth, but also by loving each other and empowering the human spirit through clothing, yoga & education.

  

They share messages of truth, hope and inspiration right on their shirts.  

These inspirational tees say things like, 

"I am life. I am breath. I am growth. I am me."

Who couldn't use this daily reminder that we are wonderful, simply by being ourselves.

  Live. Breathe. Grow. works with yoga studios and events to custom create unique and beautiful eco-friendly tees.

 They also do special runs of unique shirts like the 

Pink Warrior Women Tee for breast cancer awareness.

  

Every shirt that was purchased had a portion of the funds go to YogaBear, a national not-for-profit organization connecting cancer patients and survivors with free yoga & support groups.  Not only that, but for every shirt they also donated a free Pink Warrior Tee to a women battling breast cancer right now.

The fabulous ladies of Live. Breathe. Grow. don't just talk about holistic health and healing, they live it everyday!


Located at 99 Wood Ave South on the 8th Floor in Iselin, NJ Yoga by Live. Breathe. Grow. at Metro Park is the corporate and commuters yoga studio! Yoga by Live. Breathe. Grow. at Metro park provides a collective of holistic health services including Yoga, Massage, Health Coaching and Workshops for the Metro Park Corporate Complex.
*This center is open to the public!

Some of the wonderful 

Upcoming workshops include:

April 5th 

The Mantra, Yoga & Dharma of Ganesh 

April 22 

LBG Method Anatomy Workshop

So whether you are able to attend a yoga class, get a massage, purchase a tee, or attend a workshop, you wont be sorry.  The love and passion are there in all that they do, and you will feel it. 

Support conscience companies like

Live. Breathe. Grow.

and make a difference in yourself and for our planet. 

Closing with a wonderful LBG affirmation.
I will live each day from the INside Out by honoring my authentic self. I will LIVE life filled with compassion, peace and gratitude. I will BREATHE compassion, peace and gratitude into everything I do. I will GROW in my community. 

I will INspire a movement to Live. Breathe. Grow.  

Live. Breathe. Grow.

Ahimsa: Practicing Kindness & Non-Violence

I am officially on my way to becoming a Certified Yoga Teacher!  This has been a long time coming to add to my healing bag of tricks. Already being a massage therapist & nutrition counselor, teaching yoga seems to fit in oh so nicely to help and heal others.

One of our (many) first assignments in teacher training was to define ahimsa and show how we use it in our daily lives and in our yoga practice.  As I was writing about this, I thought is was a great topic to discuss here with you.  Since I have spoken about the practice of mindfulness, ahimsa most certainly falls under a mindfulness practice, being mindful of your actions and thoughts and how they affect you and those around you. 

A perfect example of someone who lived their life though the practice of ahimsa was 

Mahatma Gandhi.

Ahimsa
(a - him - sa)

Meaning to do no harm or the avoidance of violence.
The practice of kindness and non-violence towards all living beings.

From a very young age my goal was always to do no harm in all aspects of life.  I was one of those kids who got upset at the ones who kicked the ant hills down, worried that the ants worked so hard for the other kids to just destroy all their efforts.  My love for animals and nature certainly helped fuel this desire to instill kindness and love in all that I do.  As an adult I continue to love our earth and all living things on her as much as possible.  

“In Gandhi’s thought, ahimsa precludes not only the act of inflicting a physical injury, but also mental states like evil thoughts and hatred, unkind behavior such as harsh words, dishonesty and lying, all of which he saw as manifestations of violence incompatible with ahimsa.”

Many daily acts are a practice of ahimsa, from caring for your children, animals and gardens, to smiling at a rude stranger instead of getting bothered by their behavior, to carefully saving spiders from the indoors and placing them back in nature.  In a way, if you have love for our planet and all earth friendly things, that can be considered to be full of ahimsa.  Striving to be non-violent towards our mother earth in all that we do.

In yoga one would hope to only find compassion and kindness towards your fellow yogis in class. But sometimes on the inside even a yogi can let their emotions and judgment get the better of them.  Even if one of your fellow yogis arrives late, or one has ‘too much stuff’ by their yoga mat, or someone that stays in child’s pose for half of the class.  Instead of possibly getting annoyed at the seemingly ‘taboo’ yogi behavior, sending them love, compassion and a smile that radiates from your heart is the right choice.

If this is something you find you need to work on yourself, practicing this same kindness towards others off the yoga mat, with family, friends, strangers and all living creatures is the path for you.  Physically the asanas (postures or poses) that open the heart (backbends) would be appropriate to focus on, or incorporate with this practice of ahimsa.

Another way to practice ahimsa through yoga, is to dedicate your practice to someone who you don’t necessarily see eye to eye with. Sending them kindness and love as we open our hearts through the  asanas (poses).  In our daily lives we can choose a path practicing ahimsa through our interactions with all living beings.  If someone steals your parking spot, be kind to them still, if you encounter a mother with a screaming child in the store, without getting irritated send love to them both, strive to speak to others in a kind and honest way in all situations in life.

Seems simple and straight forward right?  Instilling this practice in your daily life can be challenging if we are not feeling well, or just got some bad news, or when it comes to someone who we don't get along with.  But, the more we practice the easier it will get.  Identifying where you need the most practice will help you on your path.  Many sages say that the best place to start is within your family & immediate community.   Many will agree, this can be the most difficult place to really work on this practice of non-harming thoughts and actions.  But in the end, even if it is tough, practicing ahimsa with those closest to us will only help those relationships to be better and more fulfilling.

Where are you going to begin your practice of ahimsa?  What do you find most challenging?  

What do you find most gratifying?  How can you do even better?

These are questions to ask yourself, and check in every once and a while with, just to see how you are doing with this practice. 

With love, gratitude and compassion in my heart.

Namaste