Breakfast

Susan’s Maple Walnut Granola

This granola has been a long-standing family favorite. I’ve been making it for years and often get asked for the recipe. It tastes way better than any store-bought granola, with much less added sugar. Making your own granola can really save you money as well. Why buy an expensive box when you can make your own and fill it with goodness? Oats are very good for balancing hormones; they help the body build up progesterone and testosterone, which balances out estrogen, which is much needed if you are estrogen dominant. Also, I just need to tell you what I’ve learned about chia seeds over the years.These little guys are an amazing superfood! Per ounce, they have more Omega-3s than salmon, 11 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. As if that wasn’t enough, they are loaded with antioxidants and calcium and help feed the good bacteria in your gut. Amazing! All the ingredients in this granola provide sustainable energy and won’t give you a sugar crash. Also, it’s very yummy, I call that a win. Please enjoy this family favorite and all the goodness that comes with it! Ingredients: 4 cups old-fashioned oats ½ cup unsweetened coconut ½ cup walnuts 3 TBS. hemp seed 2 TBS. chia seeds 1 stick of salted grass-fed butter ⅓ cup olive oil ⅓ cup maple syrup ⅓ cup coconut sugar ½ tsp. sea salt 3 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Combine oats, coconut, walnuts, hemp […]

Strawberry Superfood Smoothie

  Strawberry season is here! My favorite way to enjoy them is in a smoothie. I have come up with a yummy, superfood rich smoothie that anyone will love!  The weather is warming up so pull out your blender.  I’ve got lots more smoothie recipes to come. Ingredients: 6 large strawberries 2 cups ice 1 cup water/coconut milk/almond milk 2 scoops collagen powder or protein powder 1 T goji berries 1 tsp. beetroot powder ½ tsp. amla berry powder 1 tsp. barley green powder 1 tsp. bee pollen 2 pitted Medjool dates 2 tsp. chia seeds 1 tsp. maca powder   Directions: Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth adding in extra liquid for desired consistency. Makes two smoothies! Links are included for easy ordering ingredients on Amazon!           © The Sown Life LLC, 2020

Homemade Yogurt

I love making yogurt at home! Buying high-quality yogurt at the grocery store is expensive and its much more cost effective to make it myself. Plus yogurt at the store is more processed, they have to in order to make it stable for transportation and to sit on the shelves for a little while. As many of you know, I really enjoy the simplicity of making these things on my own but I encourage my friends and clients to start where you can and work from there. You’ll be surprised, like I was, that many things you buy are easier to make than you think! I invested in a yogurt maker for $35 and it has been worth every penny! I also know that the Instant Pot, which is all the rage right now, can do this function as well.  Yogurt is easier on the digestive system than other forms of dairy as it contains lactobacillus acidophilus which helps replenish healthy gut flora. Having healthy gut means you have a healthy immune system that can fight off invaders like bad bacteria. The process of making yogurt also naturally breaks down lactose and pre-digests casein, which can cause gut disturbances. If you are allergic to milk, give homemade yogurt a try as its all around much easier to digest. Many people who are lactose intolerant have no trouble with homemade yogurt. I love to have this for breakfast topped with in-season fruit, nuts and my granola. Yummm.  Here’s what you’ll need:  A half gallon of raw whole […]

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

  Rich, smooth, creamy and packed with nutrition! I have always been a big fan of the chocolate and peanut butter combination and I love finding a way to have it and also have all my superfoods! A couple of dates goes a long way to naturally sweeten this smoothie. Amazon links are included for easy online ordering!!   Ingredients:  1 C coconut milk/water/almond milk/nonfat milk 1 ½ C ice 2 scoops collagen/protein powder 3 T raw cacao powder 2 T peanut butter 1 T goji berries 3 pitted Medjool dates 1 T chia seeds 1 tsp. maca powder 2 tsp. barley green powder ½ tsp reishi mushroom powder   Directions: Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth adding any extra liquid to achieve desired consistency. Serves two!                © The Sown Life LLC, 2020

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 […]

Peaches and Cream Smoothie

    Ingredients:  1 ½ C frozen peaches 1 banana ½ C ice 1 can coconut milk or 2 C cashew or almond milk 1 ½ scoops collagen/protein powder 1 T goji berries 1 tsp maca powder 1 T flax seeds or chia seeds 2 T raw cashews 1 tsp bee pollen 1 tsp barley green powder 1 tsp reishi mushroom powder   Directions:  Place all ingredients in an upright blender and blend until smooth adding any extra liquid to get the consistency that you desire.                © The Sown Life LLC, 2020    

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. […]

Susan’s Bulletproof Coffee

  I call this bulletproof coffee but I have subbed out some of the traditional ingredients (like MCT oil) for coconut oil, collagen and reishi mushroom powder. The mushroom powder is great for many things but one thing it helps with here is to balance out caffeine’s effects on our body. The little bit of protein and healthy fat from the collagen and coconut oil make this drink filling and nourishing. It’s a great upgrade for your morning coffee!! Enjoy!   Ingredients: 1 C coffee ½ tsp. Reishi mushroom powder 1 tsp. collagen 1 tsp. coconut oil   Directions:  Using an aerolatte or an upright blender to blend it all together and enjoy!! I love this aerolatte frother! It is awesome.              © The Sown Life LLC, 2020

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!!         […]

Poppyseed Yogurt Breakfast Bread with a Lemon Drizzle

What is not to love about lemon and poppyseed?  One of my very favorite quick breads comes from and 80’s recipe that limited the fats but elevated the sugar.  This bread is made with far less sugar (and a natural sugar source), healthy fats and to top it off is made with whole grain.  I used a Monkfruit powdered sugar for the lemon glaze which keeps the sugar load even lower.  It has been a big hit over here in the Gleeson household.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!! Ingredients: 1 cup coconut sugar 2 medium lemons, zest and juice ½ cup whole milk plain yogurt 3 large eggs, at room temperature ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cup sprouted spelt flour ½ tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder ½ cup avocado oil 2 TBS. poppyseed 1/2 cup Lankanto monk fruit powdered sugar   Directions: 1.Pre-heat your oven to 350F  with a rack in the middle. 2. Grease a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil spray and line it with a strip of parchment paper.   3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the zest of the two lemons (reserve the lemon juice for the glaze). 4. Add in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine spelt flour, poppyseed, salt and baking powder. Combine into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. Finally add in oil until just incorporated. The batter should look smooth and glossy. 6. […]