Mommy Monday - Sesame Seeds as a Bone Builder + Chocolate Melts

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I shared this recipe on allergy-free wednesdays! So love that they put this together.



My one-year-old is absolutely, darn-right, most definitely a beautiful, strong, smart toddler. She is constantly on the go. I have to make sure she is fueled properly and that has proved difficult with her dietary challenges. Dairy bothers her; we are wary of anything containing gluten since my family is mostly gluten-intolerant. I try to provide a nourishing, well-balanced diet for her and I've come upon some tips that I think are absolutely helpful.

Today's tip centers around a little seed - Sesame.

Sesame is one of the most calcium-rich foods, teaspoon for teaspoon. It's also loaded with trace minerals  such as magnesium. Eating magnesium with calcium is important as it acts as a "'glue' that binds calcium to bone’s protein matrix, creating strong, dense bones. (Spry). Eating one ounce a day of sesame seeds can help provide 28% (based on a 2,000 calories diet) of the calcium needed daily (Nutrition Data.com). When incorporated into the diet, these little wonders of joy can help provide a good base to building strong, healthy bones.

Big Blue Eyes really enjoys scrambled eggs in the morning. She will eat two whole eggs scrambled and then a small bowl of applesauce (of which I add chia seeds) or seaweed "toasts".

What you can add sesame seeds to:
Hummus (Roasted Red Pepper Hummus recipe)
Bean Dip (or any dip well blended)
On top of eggs or toast
Sprinkled on cereal with non dairy milk
Gomasio sprinkled on rice, cooked greens, and quiches
Mixed in baked goods instead of nuts
of of course, you can make these delicious chocolate melts!

These are a great little treat after lunch to boost calcium intake.



Sesame Chocolate Melts
Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 c cocoa powder or carob powder
4 T agave
4 T coconut oil
1 T nettle, powdered (optional)
Pinch of salt
1. Grind sesame seeds in food processor until creamy (at least five minutes - I added 1 T of the coconut oil at this point which seemed to help).
2. Throw in remaining ingredients and process until well-combined and smooth.
3. Lay wax paper inside an 8x8 inch pan and pour mix in. Refridgerate until set (at least an hour). Cut into 1 in. (or so) squares. Seesaw your knife through the chocolate (do not hacksaw or this will break).

I also includes raw sesame seeds in her hummus instead of buying tahini. Here is a recipe I made for red bell pepper hummus (delicious with these nutritious crackers).

Cardamom Infused Citrus Coconut Mini Cakes (vegan and GF) + Learn to Grind your own Cardamom

Have a wonderful Carda-MOM Day this sunday!

Another great recipe to share with your Mother on her special day! (These will make everyone feel special)!
I had so much fun photographing this today. I wanted to try something a little different, a dark background and I think it worked out beautifully! Can you tell I went photo happy?

Now to grind your own cardamom from cardamom pods. You must first break the dried pod with either the back of a knife or a clean garlic press. Little dark seeds will try to escape their green shell as soon as you do! Collect these in a bowl. Then once you have about two tablespoonfuls, pop into a clean coffee grinder and grind those babies! This will only take 30 seconds. Enjoy your freshly ground cardamom!

You can buy cardamom pods from Mountain Rose Herbs. Also great in this simple chai recipe!

Did you know cardamom is also called "the Queen of Spices." It works wonders for the digestion and can remedy bloated stomachs. It also helps to relieve respiratory issues such as asthma.
 
Cardamom Infused Citrus Coconut  Mini Cakes (vegan, NF, GF, DF EF)

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 c tapioca flour
1/2 c arrowroot powder
1/2 c + 2 T golden flaxseeds
1 1/4 c fresh-squeezed citrus juice (I used 2 small lemons and one large orange)
1 1/2 t cardamom, ground
1 c shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar
2 T agave nectar
1 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1/2 c coconut oil, melted

Toppings:
Shredded coconut
coconut butter
shreds of orange zest


Directions:
1. Grind flaxseeds in coffee grinder.
2. Mix flours, flaxseeds, baking soda + powder, coconut in one bowl.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in seperate bowl.
4. Slowly add in liquid to dry ingredients until incorporated. Do not overmix or they will turn out dry.
5. Distribute in a greased muffin pan.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.
7. Top and enjoy!

Savory Toad in the Hole (GF, NF, DF)

Because I've been craving it....

I love eggs. My mother has chickens and once in a while I'm blessed with those magnificent porcelain treasures. I can even tell the difference from the grocery store and farm-fresh eggs. They're so much richer and full of flavor. I do recommend them for this recipe... or any recipe.

Another great recipe for Mother's Day breakfast!

Savory Toad in the Hole with Red Bell Peppers

1 c garbanzo bean flour
1/2 c tapioca flour
4 eggs
1 cup of bell peppers, diced
1 package of Italian chicken sausages (or vegan chorizo from trader joes)
1 1/2 c water or dairy-free milk (I used 1 c unsweetened coconut milk and 1/2 c water)
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t italian seasoning

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put sausages in one layer in a casserole dish. Tuck sliced onions in between. Stick in oven for ten minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix flours, eggs, milk and seasoning.
4. Remove casserole dish from oven. Rotate the sausages. Add the bell pepper and garlic. Stick in oven for ten more minutes and turn the oven up to 425 degrees.
5. Once timer is up, remove and add the flour/egg/milk mixture. Bake for another 25 minutes or until set (and toothpick comes out clean).

Vegan Lemon Infused Pudding Cake with Cherries (GF, Nut-free)

I originally started out making a traditional cherry clafouti (and had not eggs... read this post here) ...  Whole cherries with pits with a custardy top. This turned out to be more of a pudding cake but just as delicious... so lesson learned? When life hands you a lemon, eat pudding cake (with cherries)!

I don't eat vegan but I do understand why someone would choose that lifestyle and I wanted to accomodate that. Altogether this is nut, dairy, egg, and gluten free!

I chose to use white chia seeds because I didn't want to have a grey cake however using black chia won't result in a different flavor. Works just as beautiful!

Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon-Infused Pudding Cake with Cherries

Ingredients
1 cup silken firm tofu
1 1/4 cup water (or unsweetened dairy-free milk)
2 T chia seeds
1 Large Lemon, organic (or two smaller lemons)
1/4 c arrowroot powder
3 T coconut flour
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups frozen cherries or frozen fruit of your choice
1 T coconut oil or any oil

Toppings:
Coconut Butter or coconut oil if you prefer
Powdered Sugar
Lemon Wedges

Directions
1. Add chia seeds to the water and let sit for at least 15 minutes, while you are prepping everything else.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Stick 1 T oil in a casserole dish. Then put in preheating oven.
4. Zest and juice the lemon.
5. Blend together all ingredients except frozen cherries in vita mix.
6. Remove preheated dish from oven. Swish the oil around to completely cover the bottom of the dish.
7. Add the fruit on the bottom then gently pour the blender mixture on top. Immediately stick back in the oven. Bake 40 - 60 minutes until golden on top and brown around edges (I ended up baking mine 45 but could have gone a little longer).

Rooibos Carrot Cake Smoothie for Breakfast?

Yes, that's right.

Big Blue Eyes and I mainly eat eggs for breakfast with a kale and berry smoothie to follow about an hour later.

But this morning, only two eggs were to be found. And instead of thinking why I should have stopped on my way home yesterday to pick up eggs, I thought "What can I make with what I have on hand?" My sister is really a champ at doing this and I'm trying to improve.

That is also the way I play scrabble. A lot of the time, I think, "If only I had an 'E'..." (or a T or a Z or an I or whatever). I've learned that this is a habit of mine "To think if only I had..." and I apply it to a lot of areas of my life. Well, I'm determined to stop that. I'm learning to make do with what I have. To appreciate the gifts God has given me and to use them to the fullest.

Now what does this have to do with breakfast?

It's all about making solutions. It's about thinking "Ok this is what I have, what can I do with it? What do I want to do with it?"

So on to Carrot Cake Smoothie...

If you are a parent and have toddlers, I want you to know that my little Big Blue Eyes (in all her esteemed 18 months) drank this smoothie up like it was candy. And guess what? The only sugar is from naturally occuring sweetness in apples. This smoothie has protein, antioxidants, omegas, beta carotene and fiber.

You can have this smoothie hot like soup or cold which I prefer on this beautiful sunny day. To have it cold, might take some extra preparation ahead of time. You'll need to freeze shredded carrots and refridgerate rooibos tea.

You can buy loose leaf rooibos tea from Mountain Rose Herbs or your local health food market (Pilgrims Market in CDA).

Also, this is not very sweet. Add two dates or some agave for a little sweetness.

Ingredients
Two large carrots or 1 1/2 cup shredded frozen carrots
2 small apples, one gala and one granny smith (cut up in quarters, seeds removed)
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
24 raw almonds
1 1/2 cup rooibos tea
1 T chia seeds
3 T coconut butter
2 Dates (optional)

Now just BLEND away! And enjoy. I added a little bit of shredded coconut on top of ours.

Also if you prefer less of a fibrous texture, you can gently the steam the carrots so before blending. This will result in a much more smooth texture.

Mother's Day Recipes: Lavender & Fig Muesli

The combination of fig and lavender is just so enticing. There is the chewiness from the dried fig that compliments the crackle of lavender buds. The herby smell of lavender to offset the sweet taste of the fig. All-wrapped up this makes a great gift for a special mother figure in your life (or to keep for yourself... you will be tempted).

I used dried conadria figs from Trader Joe's. You may substitute any fig (or any other dried fruit) that you have. You can also use raw almonds or another nut if you prefer. Because I didn't add salt to the mixture, I wanted to incorporate salted almonds to add that extra pizzaz.

It is optional to toast the oats if you life. I actually toasted half the oats and mixed with the other half. I prefer the two combined. If you have dried lavender on the stalk, remove the buds by gently rub the stalk down over a bowl.

Ingredients:
2 c of oats (certified GF if gluten sensitive)
1 c dried figs, chopped
1/2 c toasted and salted almonds, chopped (or seeds if nuts aren't your thing)
1/4 scant cup lavender buds

Directions
1. (Optional) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast oats, stirring every couple minutes and watching to make sure they don't brown. Remove once golden and fragrant.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir. Floury dust from the oats will naturally coat the fig pieces so they don't stick together.
3. Spoon into jars or bags and tie with ribbon! Or serve over yogurt and honey or your favorite non-dairy milk.

Enjoy!
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Polenta Fries and Hibiscus Ketchup

In the summer, I make a lot of hibiscus infusion. It's delicious and refreshing.. the only downside is all the hibiscus petals thrown away. I kept saying to myself, "What a waste!"

So I decided to reuse my hibiscus petals, blending with ginger and a little vinegar into a delicious ketchup for crunchy, golden polenta fries.

Hibiscus is naturally tart and contains copious amounts of Vitamin C. Regular infusion intake can help lower blood pressure and protect body cells. You can buy dried hibiscus flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs. Every time I order from them, I always include this delicious herb!
This is a super easy recipe. Make hibiscus infusion. Blend. Refridgerate. And serve!

You can make this raw by using raw apple cider vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar. Also if you are using leftover hibiscus from making infusions/tea, reserve at least 1 1/2 cup of the liquid.

Ingredients
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
2 T red wine vinegar
2 t fresh grated ginger (1 t dried ground ginger)
1 garlic clove (or 1/2 t dried garlic powder)
1/2 t dried onion powder
Boiling water

1. In large bowl with spout, pour boiling water over hibiscus. Let sit for one hour.
2. Drain hibiscus, reserving liquid.
3. In vita-mix (or high speed blender), mix all ingredients and add 1 1/2 cup of reserved liquid (You can drink the rest of liquid over ice for a refreshing beverage).
4. Blend until ingredients are completely incorporated (at least 2 minutes). Add more liquid and blend if thinner consistency desired.
5. Refridgerate until cool.
6. Serve with polenta fries!

Polenta Fries

I bought mine from Trader Joes. It is unflavored (other stores may carry an italian-seasoned brand so do check that only salt is added).

Ingredients:
1/2 Polenta Tube, unflavored
Garlic Powder
Grapeseed oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut the polenta tube lengthwise in half then in quarters, cutting until you have thick 1/4-1/3 inch thick sticks.
3. Toss with oil and garlic.
4. Cook on baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway.

If you prefer to make your polenta fries from scratch, here is a great recipe from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks.
Hope you are having a wonderful, lovely May Day! On a side note, I tried to take Amaressa outside to photograph some new pictures (her being 18 months and all). To say the least, it was difficult to keep her contained. She wanted to explore and I stubbornly wanted her to sit on this little stool with the big balloon. I got a few pictures and felt resigned to those so we decided to head back to change... And then what does she do when we are inside? Grabs her blue hat and sit adorably on the little stool in the front of the thin hall window. I think it was a reminder from God not to force things... And sometimes when we're already resigned, when we think it's the end, that's when the real moment comes.