Breakfast

Sourdough Bread

I enjoy making homemade bread from time to time. It’s not something I do every week but I probably make it about once a month. I’ve been tweaking this sourdough bread recipe for many years. Sourdough bread is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. A little note, you will need a sourdough bread starter, which I also have a recipe for and will post later this week. The starter recipe is not complicated but makes more sense if you already have a bread recipe to refer back to. I like sourdough bread because it’s much easier to digest than other forms of homemade bread. Sourdough has higher quantities of lactobacillus than other bread, which, you may remember, is the same type of probiotic found in yogurt. This is in the raw dough and doesn’t actually make it through the baking process, however, it does leave behind lactic acid. Lactic acid helps balance out phytic acid, which is found in lots of bread and inhibits the absorption of other nutrients. The lactic acid helps to make sure that the phytic acid is in balance and your body can digest the bread more effectively. Another note on lactic acid, it makes this bread naturally lower on the glycemic index. Overall, if you feel bloated after eating bread, then you may feel much better with a little homemade sourdough. I also like to add flax seed to this recipe. You all know how I feel about flax! Its such a […]

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Cinnamon Rolls

  Breakfast treats are the best, and since pop-tarts have zero nutritional value we have had to find yummy warm treats we can enjoy with coffee. These are a house favorite and staple, and guests have enjoyed them as well. Making your own dough can seem overwhelming but this recipe is pretty easy and foolproof.  These cinnamon rolls are definitely not gluten-free but they are made of whole-grain flour so have plenty of nutritional value.     Ingredients for the dough: 1 ½ cups of hot water ⅓  cup oil ⅓  cup raw honey 2 tsp. salt 1 egg 2 T lecithin 1 tsp. gluten 4 to 4 ½ cups whole wheat flour (I use all freshly ground hard white wheat. You can use sprouted spelt flour as well. The cinnamon rolls will just be a bit denser) 1 T yeast     Filling: 1 ½ cups of coconut sugar 1 stick of butter, melted 1 T of cinnamon (I use the Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey’s spices. It was chosen by Cook’s Magazine as the best cinnamon on the market)     Frosting: 2 ounces of mascarpone cheese or cream cheese 1 tsp. vanilla 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar (or more depending on what texture you like your frosting…I used this Monkfruit powdered sugar) 2 T of milk or nut milk of choice     Directions: 1. Combine water, oil, honey, salt, and egg. Add lecithin, gluten, and then slowly add in the flour and then the yeast. 2. […]

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Homemade Greek Yogurt

I wanted to do this as a separate post especially because this is such a popular style of yogurt!  I love the flavor of my homemade so much better than the store bought and besides, it is remarkably cheaper. First of all, if you haven’t read the post on homemade yogurt, that is the perfect place to start. Greek yogurt is a secondary process once you have made a batch of your own regular yogurt. This process produces a thicker, creamier yogurt which I personally use to replace sour cream or cream cheese.  The longer you allow it to strain, the thicker it will be. Directions: 1. Set a strainer over a bowl lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth or a greek yogurt strainer.  They carry this brand at Kitchen and Company and can also be used to make yogurt cheese. 2.  Empty your homemade yogurt into the strainer and cover 3. Let sit until it is as thick as you want it. I usually let mine sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  It comes out thick and creamy.  4. What you will have left in the bottom is the whey. When strained, it will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator and can be added to your smoothies, used to make sauerkraut and sourdough bread. Eat up and enjoy your greek yogurt! I use it as a sour cream replacement and also on its own as a filling breakfast or snack. I top with my homemade granola, fresh fruit and raw honey!    Enjoy!!         […]

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Favorite Balancing Hormone Smoothie

This is my favorite balancing hormone smoothie recipe! I cannot stress enough the benefits of each ingredient. There are no “fillers” in this smoothie and it is very nutrient dense.  Everything I chose serves a purpose. Whenever I teach a balancing hormones class this is the recipe I share and make for everyone to try. It’s packed full of superfoods, healthy fats and protein. I talk about the benefits of chia seeds and goji berries all the time and they are some of my absolute favorites that give this smoothie extra fiber, calcium and antioxidants. Maca powder is also a rockstar when it comes to balancing out hormones in the body.     There is a lot more I can say about these ingredients but suffice it to say that this recipe is the product of a lot of testing and research on my part. This smoothie really helps my body stay healthy, alert and energized. I get into much more detail about this smoothie in my classes so next time you see me announce one, consider coming!!!   I love being able to connect and tell people in person about these principals. I hope this one becomes a staple in your kitchen. You won’t be disappointed! (I’m pretty sure I’m laughing in this picture because most of my smoothies turn out this brownish color. Oh well, never judge a book by its cover!) Ingredients: 2 Scoops Love n’ Peas Protein powder. (Available to order on Amazon via my affiliate link) 1/2 can coconut […]

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Grain-free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It’s Pumpkin Season!!!! These muffins are delicious and turned out perfectly the first time which is great for me because I am not a baker!! My husband loves them as well so that’s a win for me:) I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and modified it just a tad. The first batch I made I added half a teaspoon baking powder for extra plumpness but that’s all I changed. The second batch, I tried coconut oil instead of olive oil and also added half a teaspoon of cinnamon. They were perfection! Enjoy one on a crisp morning with your best cup of coffee. Happy Fall!!!   Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree 3 eggs ½ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup olive oil or coconut oil, warmed 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice ½ tsp. sea salt ¼ cup coconut flour 1 ½ cups almond meal (blanched preferably) ½ tsp. baking soda ½ cup chocolate chips or a 3.5oz. dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped raw pepitas/pumpkin seeds for garnish, optional   Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 360′ and grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or use liners. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple, oil, pumpkin pie spice and salt and whisk really well to combine. You want to get some air up in there. 3. Add the coconut flour and mix. Let that sit a minute to absorb some moisture. Add the almond meal, baking soda and stir again to mix. Add the chocolate […]

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Tim’s Grits Recipe

This is a very old and simple recipe that is rustic and delicious. It also happens to be our traditional Gleeson Family Christmas morning breakfast! This German, hearty man’s breakfast is originally called “goetta” but my husband’s Grandma Rena called them “Grits”. Tim has carried on the tradition and makes them for us every Christmas morning.   It is a mixture of onions, pork, and steel cut oatmeal which we then form into patties and fry them up in a cast iron skillet until crispy.  It is topped with a fried egg and is absolutely amazing. This complete breakfast is filled with protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.  Don’t judge this recipe until you have tried it… I promise that you will not be disappointed!!! Ingredients: 3 lb. pork shoulder 2¼ C steel cut oats (about 3/4 C dry oats per lb. of meat) 2 medium onions salt and pepper to taste Note: This recipe makes approximately 15 servings, most people will want more than one!     Directions:  1. Cook meat in salted water (about 1 TBS. of salt in the water) for about 2-2 ½ hours until meat is done and shreddable. The water should cover the meat.  2. Take meat out of the water and let cool. 3. Bring the leftover water from the meat to a boil and add the steel cut oatmeal.  Cook very slowly for about an hour. While that is cooking, grind the meat in a food processor with the onions.    4. When the oatmeal is fully cooked, mix […]

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French Omelette

I am going to be completely honest here, I am not the best omelette maker in my household…my husband is!!  He has the patience to make sure the omelette is silky smooth and melts in your mouth. This is one of my favorite style of omelettes to eat because it is literally like silk going down.  I love some added cheese, chives or sliced avocado. Perfection!! This recipe also is a great source of protein, read my blog on protein here.    Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 T butter 1 T chopped chives salt and pepper to taste Makes one omelette Optional: shredded cheese, sliced avocado       Directions: 1. For an evenly cooked omelette, you need smooth eggs. Whisk to incorporate the whites and yolks for an even mixture with no white strands or pieces of yolk floating around.   Use a ceramic nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet pan. Nothing is more important to achieving the perfect roll than using a nonstick pan. 3. Start your pan on medium to medium-low heat.  Lower heat is key here because when you add butter to the pan, it shouldn’t make a sound, (that means no immediate sizzling or foaming.) Instead, you want the butter to gently melt into the skillet. When you start to see a few little butter bubbles, add the eggs. You should not hear a sizzle when the eggs hit the pan. Make sure to season the eggs once they are in the skillet. A little sea salt […]

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Cranberry Butternut Muffins

This recipe is from Kate O’Donnell’s book “The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook”.  I have loved cooking and baking from this cookbook especially when the seasons are shifting and I feel a bit off kilter.  These muffins have been a weekly go to and I am surprised how much I like the fresh cranberries. They add a bit of tang to counterbalance the sweet and just really give these muffins a “zing”. Of course, I have tweaked the recipe a bit mainly for texture.  I also like to double this recipe because it only makes 6 muffins.   Ingredients: 2 eggs ½ C cooked butternut squash (I have used both fresh and canned and haven’t noticed a difference) ¼ C maple syrup 2 T avocado oil 1 C almond meal ½ C blanched almond flour ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp baking powder (use aluminum-free) 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ ginger powder ¼ tsp cardamom ¼ C fresh cranberries, chopped (I purchased these around Thanksgiving and store them in a ball jar in the freezer.  I have been using them directly from the freezer and they have worked perfectly) 2 T shredded unsweetened coconut (gluten-free)     Directions:  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with baking cups. 2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk eggs for 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in butternut squash followed by maple syrup and avocado oil. 3. In a separate small bowl, blend together dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix […]

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Cheesy Egg, Kale and Sweet Potato Muffins

While I am a big fan of a frittata, these egg muffins are great for weekly batch cooking and super easy for a grab and go breakfast. They also pack a punch nutritionally as well. The original recipe came from Danielle Walker’s cookbook, “Eat What You Love”, but of course I have tweaked it using ingredients that I love. I hope you enjoy this one!   Ingredients: 12 Eggs ½ C milk (you can use almond milk here) 1 C sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese ½ C chopped green onion 1 C destemmed and chopped kale ½ C grated sweet potato 5 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon 2 T chopped fresh chives 3 T chopped fresh parsley 2 tsp minced fresh thyme ¾ tsp. Salt ¼ tsp. Pepper     Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350. Place greased muffin tin on rimmed cookie sheet. (I find the silicone muffin cups work best. If you don’t have any of those you can use paper muffin cups). 2. In a large bowl beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper. 3. In a separate bowl, combine green onion, cheese, kale, sweet potato, bacon, chives, parsley and thyme. 4. Fill muffin cups with bacon mixture and push down to leave plenty of room for the egg mixture. 5. Pour egg mixture over the top of bacon mixture, filling the cups ⅔ full.     6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. 7. Allow muffins […]

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Mango Hormone Balancing Smoothie

  This new recipe is light and fruity and still fits the bill for Hormone Balance!  It’s packed with my favorite superfoods and has a delicious summery taste! Make yourself one and then go have a seat in the sunshine and enjoy!! Ingredients:  ½ C coconut milk 1 tsp dried Coconut 1 scoop Love N’ Peas protein powder ½ C frozen mango 1 tsp goji berries ½ tsp maca powder 1 tsp chia seeds ½ tsp bee pollen ¼ C oats   Directions:  Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth! You can add a little water if the smoothie is too thick. Enjoy.           © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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