Spice Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
2 eggs
1 cup soy or rice milk
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tbsp sunflower oil or melted butter
1 medium grated apple
1/2 cup raisins or diced dates
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup oatmeal
In large bowl combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine moist ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir until moistened. Pour into 1 greased 9x5x3 inch pan or 2-3 mini-loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F for 60 minutes (25 minutes for small pans) or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Cookies

4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup softened butter
1 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup nuts, raisins, carob chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, soda, cinnamon. Set aside. Cream butter. Add honey and molasses beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin. Mix well. Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in oats, nuts, raisins, carob chips. Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 -25 minutes or until firm. Dough may also be frozen and thawed in refrigerator.

Healthy Holiday Date Balls

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut flakes
Mix together dry ingredients. Add eggs and honey. Mix well. Stir in nuts and dates. Spread in 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Immediately take portions of the cooked dough and form into balls. Before balls cool off roll in coconut flakes. Makes 12 - 24 balls depending on size.

Healthy Holiday Snacks

It's almost Christmas and in case you haven't had your fill of holiday baking and preparations I've decided to try and put a new recipe out each day this week that is a "healthy spin" on some favorite snacks for this time of year.
Party Mix - like Chex Mix - only better!
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 - 3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 - 3/4 tsp chili powder (depending on your taste buds!)
pinch of sea salt
3 cups puffed rice cereal (health food store brand - hfsb from here on out!)
3 cups wheat squares cereal (hfsb)
3 cups puffed corn cereal (hfsb)
1 cup of your favorite nuts (raw is best)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Melt butter in large roasting pan in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels if excessively greasy to cool. Store in airtight container. makes 12 cups of snack mix.

Big Bad Bugs!

My son Colton is down with a very bad virus. I am so grateful and amazed at his immune system. Contrary to typical belief among those in the traditional medical community who work to stop the symptoms - we do our best to let them have at it. Let me put a different spin on it - instead of the virus making the throat sore, the tummy have a knot in it, the vomiting, the runs - consider instead that it is the body's response to getting rid of the bug that causes the symptoms. Oftentimes the stronger the symptoms - the faster and more aggressive the detox and removal of the bug- is occurring. Don't think for a second that we like to celebrate the misery - we do take medicine if it gets too uncomfortable or fever is too high - but for the most part it is best to let the body do what it needs to. If the body has the appropriate nutrition (fuel), rest and nurturing (for Colton that is Madden on xbox and Sports Center - when I was little I liked paper dolls and the Price is Right) then it can handle cleaning out the bug. If we interfere with the body's natural process of detox we can actually store remnants of the bug in our bodies which can lead to more chronic issues later in life or just a recurrence of the same infection.

Healthy Kid Food

Kid Food – 2 years and beyond

Breakfast

• Fresh fruit or melons
• Fresh juice
• A complex carbohydrate such as oatmeal or whole grain bread/cereal

Lunch

• Fresh fruit
• Fresh veggies – leaf lettuce, carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach
• May add steamed veggies
• Whole grain bread, pasta or rice

Bag lunch ideas:

• Whole grain pita pocket with fresh veggies cut up
• Celery sticks with nut butter
• Fresh fruit – an apple is the first and most authentic fast food!
• Veggie sticks
• Whole grain bread with nut butter and bananas sliced or a fruit spread
• Salad
• Cheese sticks or cheese with whole grain crackers
• Whole grain bread with veggies and natural turkey slices

Dinner

• Raw fruits or melons
• Raw veggies
• Steamed veggies
• Fish or fowl – broiled, baked or grilled
• Raw nuts or seeds

Snack ideas:

• apple and string cheese (remember to limit dairy)
• yogurt or kefir with fruit
• baby carrots & hummus
• Wasa bread & flavored hummus
• toasted Ezekiel bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil
• cottage cheese with fruit & flax seed oil
• rice cake with almond butter & raw honey drizzled over the top.
• almonds and apple or other fruit
• brown rice cakes with cream cheese and tomato

Gimme Five

I love my boys. They are the greatest gifts sent straight from heaven. They never fail to keep me on my toes and fill up my life with laughter and adventure. My oldest son is six and he is a health nut. He’s gone out for company lunches with my husband and the co-workers are shocked that a kid would order salad and water for lunch at Olive Garden. My youngest son who is two, on the other hand, keeps me on the phone with Poison Control as he loves to eat toothpaste, cough syrup and even Icy Hot. Recently he was banned from all refined sugar for a week when I discovered he was half way through a bag of mini-marshmallows his older brother got from a birthday party where the party favors were marshmallow guns and a bag of mini-marshmallows. I obviously have much more training to do with my two year old on what is considered healthy and nutritious.

Have you ever heard the difference between broccoli and boogers? Well, the difference (and punch-line) is that little kids will eat boogers. Gross yes – but mostly true.

It is recommended that we all get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. You may find this particularly hard when it comes to feeding your children. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean a glass of Sunny Delight for breakfast, a fruit cup from the school cafeteria at lunch (you know the diced pears in heavy syrup), and a leaf of Iceburg lettuce with extra ketchup on the burger for dinner. Ideally you should serve fresh and raw fruits and vegetables – if you go organic…even better! Serve them first at every meal for two reasons – they digest faster and you can fill them up on the good stuff from the start.

Raw fruits and vegetables are essential for vitamin, mineral, carbohydrate, protein, fatty acids, antioxidants water, and enzyme content – a complete array of nutrients every body needs. If you have trouble getting your children (or spouse) interested in raw fruits and veggies then purchase a juicer and begin making delicious and nutritious fruit and veggie combinations. We have juice mixer parties and make “special juice” every day. Getting your kids excited about eating healthy is all part of training them for a lifestyle of health, fitness and vitality.

Even if you absolutely must do a McDonalds run to get the Ninja Turtle or Idol iPod in the Happy Meal – you can still easily make sure your kids get their five or more fruits and veggies a day. Besides, the original fast food– was the apple!

Marlene has a heart for helping people reach their health, wellness and fitness goals. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of natural health and nutrition.