Halloween "Treats"

Am I the only one who walks through the grocery store cringing at the amount of candy lining ENTIRE AISLES for Halloween? Am I the only one who looks at the price and says, "No way am I paying that much      for pure junk!"? Some of these bags of candy top the $10 mark. For a bag of candy!!

I am not going to tell my kids they can't have any candy for Halloween. It's a special occasion. I get it.

I will, however, try to make this night fun for them in some additional ways that don't focus completely on candy. I also want to hand out some alternative treats to the little people who ring my doorbell. We've actually done this quite a bit in the past few years, and the kids really enjoyed getting something different.

If you haven't already gone out and bought your candy stash, here are some alternative "treats" that won't break the bank:

* Glow bracelets.
* Mini tubs of Play Doh.
* Cheap trinkets, like plastic/rubber animals, spider rings, etc.
* Stickers or tattoos
* Pencils
*Check out the party aisles for individual sized bottles of bubbles, cheap toys, etc.

You might also want to check out the book, Redeeming Halloween. It gives some great alternative (and super fun!) ways to celebrate without participating in all the creepiness.

Free Burst Training Class!

Now that cooler weather is here, it's so easy and tempting to fill up on comfort foods, snuggle up inside, and forget about exercise, but keeping your body strong and healthy is super important, especially during the time of year when people tend to get down and sick more.

Burst training is so fast, it doesn't take much time out of your schedule at all. I just do it in my garage first thing in the morning, and then I'm set for my day. If you want to learn more about burst training, or maybe even just get some new tips, check out the free burst training class TONIGHT!

WHAT: Free Burst Training Class
WHERE: 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, 4091 Mallory Lane, Suite 114, Franklin, TN
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

Pumpkin Bars (and Cream Cheese Frosting!)

Yesterday, I made one of my favorite fall desserts. Make no mistake, while this recipe is less refined and healthier than a lot of desserts, it is still dessert. It is by no means low on the glycemic index. The sugars in it are not the anti nutrient that white sugar is, but they are still natural sugars. So, enjoy this dessert, but in moderation!

Pumpkin Bars
adapted from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sucanant, rapadura, or other less refined sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, blend together the pumpkin, sugar, honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, to the wet mixture. Pour batter into a greased 10x15 baking pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. After cooling, spread some cream cheese frosting over the bars. You can also shave some dark chocolate onto the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
from the Bread Beckers, Inc.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla. Spread on the pumpkin bars. This will make a thin layer. If you like an extra thick layer of frosting, double this recipe.

Homemade "Ramen Noodles"

There is nothing fancy about this post, or this recipe. It's literally one of the simplest things I have ever thrown together, but with the weather cooling off, and colds and other lovely illnesses bound to strike, I thought someone might find it helpful.

In the past, ramen noodles were the dish of choice in our home whenever someone was recovering from a stomach bug, had a cold, or for any other excuse. I can't, in good conscience, give them to my family anymore when they're under the weather (which, thankfully, is a lot less nowadays!). I want to give them something that's really easy on their stomach, but not filled with a lot of junk, especially when the goal is to get them well!

So, last summer, when one of my kids had a nasty virus and wanted something soft and bland to eat, I simply pulled some homemade chicken broth out of my freezer, warmed it up on the stove, and added some 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I let them cook until they were soft, and that's it!

I brought her the bowl, not sure what to expect her reaction to be, and she loved it! Of course, homemade chicken noodle soup would've been a fantastic thing to give her, but truthfully, she still wasn't feeling very well and just wanted some noodles. I was thrilled to have found such an easy substitute for ramen noodles.

What comfort foods do you like to feed your kids when they are under the weather? Have you found any healthy alternatives? I'd love to hear about them! Please include your ideas in the comments below!

Taco Seasoning

I posted a recipe on Wednesday for wheat-free tortillas. If you're going to go to the trouble of making your own tortillas, which is totally worth it, don't wreck a delicious, healthy supper by using a processed packet of taco seasoning! Most of the time, these packets contain white sugar and/or bleached flour, along with other processed ingredients we're trying to avoid.

Making your own taco seasoning is a piece of cake. Instead of ripping open the packet, you simply pop open the top on a few spices and toss them in. My family has never been able to tell the difference, and I feel a lot better about what I'm serving them. I have a friend who likes to pull out all of her spices and make lots of little baggies of seasoning at one time so that when she's cooking, she just needs to dump the baggies of pre-mixed spices into her pan.

Homemade Taco Seasoningadapted from Maximized Living Nutrition Plans

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2-3/4 cup water

Directions:
Brown the ground beef over medium heat, then add the spices and water, and mix together. If there is a lot of fat after browning the beef, drain some of it first. Turn the heat to high until the water boils (this should happen very quickly), then turn down to medium and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

www.flickr.com, photo by ~

Have you ever checked the ingredients label on a can of refried beans? Most of them contain a lot more than you bargained for. You can certainly find refried beans that contain only beans and water, but not at every store, and you're going to pay a lot more for them. Since finding this recipe for homemade refried beans, I have not bought a single can of refried beans at the store.

www.flickr.com, photo by goodiesfirst

This is one of those fail-proof recipes. Let me list some reasons why I love these refried beans in comparison to canned:

1. They are so much cheaper. I even buy the organic  pinto beans (in bulk at Whole Foods) and still spend less.
2. They taste better. These refried beans remind me of the ones I used to eat at a little family-run Mexican place in Fort Worth.
3. They are better for you. You know exactly what's going in your mashed up beans and can avoid hydrogenated oils, sugars, and other ingredients you just plain don't need in refried beans.
4. My kids get to experience the process of making real food in their home. They're making the connection between hard pinto beans and the delicious, creamy refried beans they spread on their tortillas.

I have a giant slow cooker, and I often double this recipe and then freeze the refried beans in small and medium containers. I just pull them out and reheat them when we want burritos. Note: The amounts on the spices are approximations. Feel free to adjust according to your taste. I usually just shake them in without even measuring, and they still taste fabulous, every time. The only exception is that sometimes I need to add a little more salt after mixing them together.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans
adapted from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
Approx. 6 cups of water

Directions:
Dump the beans into your slow cooker, then add the spices and water. Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight (your kitchen will smell fabulous!). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a food processor (using the "S" blade). Add a little of the water as well. Mix for a few seconds, and then add additional water until the beans get to your desired consistency.

Join 180 Chiro for Dinner!

DATE: Monday, October 15th

TIME: 6:00 pmWHERE:

 

 3021 Mallory Lane, Franklin, TN 37067

Check out Dr. Sweeney's Personal Invitation!

Join our sponsor, 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, for dinner, while learning new ways to maximize your implementation of the 5 Essentials into your life! This is an exciting opportunity to bring friends and family who need to hear the truth about health. The care we deliver in our clinics changes lives, and we want to reach as many people as possible.

Help us make a difference in the lives of the people who matter most to you.

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Tortillas with No Wheat

I regularly make my own whole wheat tortillas, but since we try to limit how much wheat we eat, sometimes I also make tortillas without any wheat. Instead of just using gluten-free flour, these tortillas have a completely different recipe. They don't taste the same as the tortillas we're all used to, but they're very good. They're actually a welcome change and add a lot of fun to taco night. They're not super strong, so you may want to consider eating them with a fork.

Wheat-Free Tortillas
adapted from Mark Sisson's Mark's Daily Apple

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Directions:
If you've ever made your own whole wheat tortillas, these are a breeze in comparison! Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to a hot skillet coated with olive oil (keep it just below medium to avoid the oil overheating and smoking). Tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out. Cook the tortilla uncovered for 1 minute, then cover the pan for 1 minute. Flip the tortilla and cook uncovered for 2 more minutes. That's it!

Muffin Monday: Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

www.flickr.com, photo by rox sm

When I was in college, I spent about 8 months in Ketchikan, Alaska, living with Pam and Harry Gibson. They are such a sweet family, and I still miss them. Harry regularly made banana bread and pumpkin bread, and it was delicious! We would come home from church and gorge ourselves on it (or at least, I did. Perhaps the bread disappeared faster when I was living there!).

I still love making and eating pumpkin flavored goodies this time of year! There's just something invigorating about dropping temperatures, crisp mornings, colorful trees, and the smell of pumpkin baking. My recipe isn't Harry's, but it brings back fond memories of time spent at the Gibson's, and of Harry's amazing pumpkin bread!
There's nothing like cooking up your own pumpkin and using its puree for your pumpkin goodies, but sometimes we buy the canned pumpkin as well. If you do this, just check the ingredients. There should be nothing added--just pumpkin.


Pumpkin Breadadapted from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside. Mix all of the wet ingredients together in another bowl. Gradually, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine. Do not overmix. Pour into a greased loaf pan (I grease mine with olive oil) and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. If you'd rather make muffins, pour the batter into 12 muffin cups and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.