Zuppa Toscana (Dairy Free)

We love this soup at our house! This is one of the few soups my kids like--they always seem to like soups with potatoes best. To be honest I've never eaten Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana so I can't compare it to the original but I really don't feel the need to because I am completely in love with my homemade version. I've tweaked it over the years and feel like it's finally to the point of perfection.  I initially heard about this soup from my sister because it's her husbands favorite. I always love trying other peoples favorites and something new. The Italian sausage has just the right amount of heat to it so you feel like your eating Italian sausage but mild enough that even my two year old likes it. My version doesn't have kale because I actually want my kids to eat dinner and I knew they would revolt at cooked leafy greens. Cooked kale is actually the best way to eat it since cooking reduces all those pesky oxalates. Someday I'll have to try a kale version but for now I'm just glad they'll eat this soup.  I also use my favorite Aroy-D coconut milk to make this version dairy free. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

This photo is a little lacking since it was taken from the scant leftovers from the night before. I was happy to have something warm and delicious to eat for lunch on this cold winter day but it doesn't make for the prettiest picture. I've learned that a recipe doesn't have to be picture perfect to taste incredible but a little eye candy never hurts.

Zuppa Toscana
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Ingredients:

Italian Sausage:
1 pound ground pork
1 onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika

8 ounces smoked bacon, chopped
4 pounds yukon potatoes
4 cups homemade chicken broth
8 ounces coconut milk, (I like Aroy-D)
Salt to taste


Directions:

1. Place ingredients for Italian sausage in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft and translucent and pork is cooked through.

2. Place cut up bacon in large soup pot and cook until brown and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place in bowl for later. Leave bacon drippings in pot for added flavor.

3. Peel undesirable spots from potatoes but leave the remaining peel. Cut into bite size pieces. Add to soup pot along with chicken broth and cook until potatoes fall apart very easily with a fork. Stir in coconut milk, Italian sausage, and bacon. Serve.

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-Amy

Healthy No-Bake Cookies

No-bake cookies were a favorite of mine as a girl. I wanted to share this childhood favorite with my kids but most no-bake cookie recipes call for a whopping two cups of sugar! This grown up healthier version tweaks the ingredients a tad to make them better for you. Instead of all that sugar these cookies are sweetened with only 1/3 cup honey. I think this recipe tastes just as good as the original except that I feel better feeding it to my family.

We have a peanut allergy in our house so instead of the the traditional peanut butter I use sunflower seed butter and we like them just as much that way. I also like to use a combination of old fashioned oats and quick oats to add some variety to the texture. If you only have one or the other on hand just use what you have and they will still be delicious.

Healthy No-Bake Cookies

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Ingredients:

1 cup sunflower seed butter or other nut butter

1/3 cup raw honey

1/4 cup grass fed butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup quick oats

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Over medium heat combine sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter), honey, butter, and coconut oil in a medium size sauce pan. Sir until warm and well combined. 

2. Remove from heat and immediately stir in chocolate chips, allowing them to melt. Add the oats and cocoa powder and stir until well combined. 

3. On a parchment lined sheet drop heaping spoonfuls into a cookie shape or alternatively add the cookie mixture into mini parchment lined muffin cups. Place in refrigerator until set. Store leftover cookies in fridge.

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-Amy

Lemon Chia Seed Pudding (Dairy free)

While walking through Costco one day I spied a large bag of organic chia seeds at a great price so I added it to my cart. When I got home and put them away in the cupboard I began to have a little bit of buyers remorse. Why on earth did I buy such a big bag of chia seeds? I only occasionaly used them. Could I really get through that whole bag? I began to worry that they would end up going to waste. Then . . . enter chia seed pudding! I love this delicious creamy pudding in all its varieties, and I especially love how easy it is to whip up. Thanks to chia seed puddings I am happy to say I made it through my entire bag of chia seeds and am now well into my second bag. My go-to chia seed pudding recipe is my (dairy free) One Minute Chia Seed Pudding since I'm always oh-so-busy and it's oh-so fast to make. But my second favorite is this Lemon Chia Seed Pudding. The flavor is so light and fresh and summery. When I have an extra lemon on hand and an extra minute or two I love to make this easy snack.

But why eat chia seeds? Because they are a super food! These little seeds are packed full of fiber, protein, and my very favorite mineral, magnesium! But there is so much more to these super seeds than that. Read more about their health benefits here.

I highly recommend using Aroy-d coconut milk when making this pudding. It's free of added synthetic vitamins, gums, thickeners, and fillers. It's just pure coconut milk with the most incredible taste.

If the lemon you're using is a bit larger be sure to add the 6 tablespoons of chia seeds to make it a bit thicker--otherwise 5 tablespoons should be enough. If you don't have any turmeric feel free to leave it out. It's mostly added to give your lemon pudding that pretty yellow color. It still tastes amazingly good without it.

Lemon Chia Seed Pudding
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Ingredients:

1 cup Aroy-d coconut milk

5-6 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Zest of one lemon 

Juice from one medium/small lemon
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional for color)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in glass bowl and whisk together. Cover and chill in refrigerator 6-8 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

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-Amy

Pumpkin Banana Muffins (Gluten free, Egg free, Dairy free, Vegan)

If you're looking for a clean eatin', gluten free, egg free, dairy free, vegan muffin you've come to the right place. These muffins have conquered the impossible. They are so moist and flavorful despite being gluten and egg free.

This is pretty much the only muffin I make these days. This recipe is a great way to use up all my ripe bananas, they're a hit with all my kids, and they're very versatile. To keep things from getting too boring I rotate between adding chopped up apple, mini wild blueberries, and mini chocolate chips to the batter. Even though I use the same base recipe each time my kids feel like they're always getting something new. I do have to note that I am quite opposed to chocolate chips in muffins. The flavor is just wrong to me and I don't think chocolate chips belong in breakfast food. So why I add them to these muffins on occasion is beside me. I guess I love to see the joy on my kids faces when they see chocolate chips in their muffins. I don't know. My favorite way to eat them is without any mix-ins but with pecan pieces sprinkled on top. I'm smart enough to know to only make a few of those per batch though since they aren't very popular with anyone else.

This recipe is quite large, yielding two dozen muffins, so feel free to half it if a smaller batch works better for your family. I like doing a large batch so I can use a whole can of pumpkin without any leftover and I like having some muffins to freeze for a later day.

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

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Ingredients:

6 overripe bananas

15 ounce can pumpkin (I like this kind)

2/3 cup coconut oil, softened or melted

1 cup honey or pure maple syrup

3 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups oat flour (I like this kind)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice

Mix-ins of choice (optional): Pecans, peeled and diced apple, wild blueberries, mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Using a stand mixer, potato masher, or fork mash bananas until smooth. Add pumpkin and coconut oil and stir until well combined. Stir in honey or maple syrup and vanilla. 

2. Combine dry ingredients. Add them to banana-pumpkin mixture and stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Stir in mix-ins if adding.

3. Add batter to parchment lined muffin cups.  Makes 2 dozen muffins.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 27-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container. Eat within two days. Freezes well.

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-Amy

Quick and Easy Honey Mustard Dressing

This is my very favorite salad dressing. I love the simple ingredients in it, that I can whip it up in under two minutes, and that it makes any salad taste incredible. When making a homemade salad dressing I choose this recipe probably 80% of the time. I've made this dressing so many times that I've memorized the recipe--which makes it all the easier to whip up.  The key to not creating too many dirty dishes with this recipe is to use a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Fill it 1.5 times for the oil, once for both the honey and mustard, and fill it half way up for the vinegar. If you measure the oil first followed by the honey the honey will just slip right out of the cup without leaving a sticky mess behind. It's like magic!

Besides the fact that this dressing is simple to make and super tasty, it is also full of good for you ingredients. Apple cider vinegar (always buy the kind with the "mother" in it) boosts gut heath, regulates blood sugar, and wards off seasonal allergies--to name just a few things. Raw honey boosts the immune system, is a natural energy source, and also provides natural allergy relief. Extra virgin olive oil protects heart health, supports brain health, and helps fight cancer. I love using olive oil in my cooking but after doing a lot of research realized it's best to not heat it so using it in salad dressings has become one of my favorite ways to consume it.

Quick and Easy Honey Mustard Dressing
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Ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive/avocado oil
1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup mustard

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

dash salt

dash garlic powder

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a medium size bowl and whisk until oil is fully incorporated. Alternatively add all ingredients into a small jar with lid. Screw lid on tight and shake until oil is fully incorporated. Drizzle over your favorite salad.


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-Amy

Nourishing Hot Chocolate (Dairy free, GAPS, Paleo)

Nothing feels better when you're chilled to the bone on a cold winter day than to drink a nice hot cup of cocoa.  It's amazing how a hot drink can warm you up and make you feel so much better. There are a lot of things I like about this recipe but what I love the most is that it isn't full of sugar. When my kids come in from playing in the snow I hate to hand them mugs of hot chocolate filled with sugar day after day. That's definitely not what their little bodies need to keep them healthy over the long winter. This recipe is sweetened with a little bit of honey so you can fill good about letting your kids drink it all season long.

I also love how rich and creamy this cocoa is and that it keeps me feeling full for hours thanks to a spoonful of grass-fed butter and coconut oil I throw in there. (And in case you've heard the rumors that coconut oil isn't healthy you just *might* have been hoodwinked. I love what this cardiologist says about coconut oil and what this researcher shares about who funded the studies that the American Heart Association based their claims on. Hmmm...)

This recipe is also incredibly flexible. Allergic to eggs? Leave it out. Not a huge fan of dark chocolate? Add less cocoa powder. Don't have any coconut oil on hand? Just double the butter. Do what works for you. Chances are you won't go wrong.

Nourishing Hot Chocolate

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Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter
1 tablespoon gelatin (I like Vital Proteins)
1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
1 egg (preferably pastured)
small pinch of sea salt (I like Real Salt)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into blender pouring boiling water in last. Blend until smooth. Poor into mugs and enjoy. Serves 2.


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-Amy

One Minute Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding (Dairy free)

OK. So maybe that recipe title is a little misleading. While this chia seed pudding won't be ready to eat in one minute you will be done measuring and mixing the ingredients and already have it chilling in the fridge by the time a minute's up. And if you're as busy as I am (which I'm sure you are) six hours will fly right by and you'll soon be licking your bowl of chia seed pudding clean.

Besides the fact that this pudding is so creamy and delicious I love the fact that it is so, SO easy to whip up. This busy mama of five can easily hold a baby while stirring together these four simple ingredients, pop it in the fridge, and by early afternoon have a healthy, energizing, nutrient dense snack to pull out of the fridge to reward myself for all the hard work I've done that day. You can't beat that!

My favorite coconut milk to use in this recipe (and almost any recipe calling for coconut milk) is Aroy-d. I love the flavor and that there are no additives or gums. One box of Aroy-d milk equals one cup which makes it perfect for this recipe--no measuring required--just open up the box and pour.

One Minute Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding
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Ingredients:

1 cup full fat coconut milk (I love the Aroy-d brand)
4 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Fresh or frozen fruit to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Whisk together first four ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate six hours or overnight. Serve with fresh or frozen fruit if desired.


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-Amy