Guest Post: Gardening// Ellie

 I've asked a few gardeners to guest post about their experiences with gardening and what they've learned. Being interested and passionate about natural foods and self-sufficient living has me looking forward to a garden of my own someday. 

Guest: Ellie, as she says below, recently got married and moved away from me. Our other cooking girl, Brooke, got married this week. So our cooking meet ups have taken a break, but we still keep in touch and wish we were in the kitchen together. I love Ellie and she has a passion for health and eating wholesome foods. I can't believe this garden!

With our recent marriage came relocation to a small town, and one of the first things we did upon arriving was plant a garden. We were lucky to find a landlord who would let us experiment with a large piece of their land, and experiment we did. We now have quite the jungle in our backyard.

We purchased our starts from a local nursery, our landlord (who grows her plants from seeds she harvests!) and from Home Depot. Home Depot has a great selection of Bonnie Plants, a brand of heirloom and traditional hybrid plants (non-GMO) that are sold in biodegradable pots.

What we planted:

A variety of peppers, a variety of tomatoes, zucchini, crookneck squash, butternut squash, eggplant, lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beans (bush and pole), beets, corn, carrots, strawberries, cilantro and basil.

What grew well:

Peppers (Anaheim, green, banana), zucchini (grew like a weed!), crookneck squash, corn, carrots, basil and cilantro.

Our tomatoes are growing rapidly but have yet to ripen, the butternut squash is just starting to come in and our beets and beans are growing nicely.

Advice from novice gardeners:

Jon:

• Find a local gardener who can help with pointers on what to plant and typical frost dates.
• Make sure that your garden is protected from animals, especially deer in our case.  In the end, we put up deer netting around the entire garden.  
• Invest in a cheap water timer for your hose.  Saves time.  Also helps to avoid accidentally leaving a sprinkler on all night.  
• Pay attention to planting instructions on plant spacing and thin if necessary.  It hurts to pull up a healthy, growing plant, but it helps with overall plant growth and makes harvesting a much smoother process.  

Ellie:

• Use Nutri-mulch (organic fertilizer locally produced here in Sanpete County).
• NEVER plant more than one zucchini plant.
• Freeze any excess produce, it’ll come in handy during soup season. I’ve been slicing/shredding produce and bagging it in 2 cup portions.
• Don’t be afraid to try something new. I’m absolutely lost when it comes to cooking with tomatillos (I didn’t even know that they were a relative of the tomato), but after looking up a few recipes I’m excited to make some salsa verde.

Speaking of recipes, I’ve been experimenting with zucchini bread a bit. I’m teaching a health class and I’m on a kick where I’m trying to make unhealthy foods as healthy as possible. Call me crazy.

Healthy(ish) Zucchini Bread

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅓ cup honey
1 egg
½ cup applesauce
2 cups shredded zucchini

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix together dry ingredients
3. In a separate bowl whisk together honey, egg, applesauce and zucchini
4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
5. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan, spread evenly
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until top is firm
7. Let cool, slice and enjoy!

Warning: This bread will be moist because of the moisture in the applesauce and zucchini, but it’s delicious!

 Thank you Ellie! I would love to come to your classes and learn all your healthy tips. And I can't wait to try that bread with the large zucchini on my counter.

Guest Post: Gardening// Annie

I've asked a few gardeners to guest post about their experiences with gardening and what they've learned. Being interested and passionate about natural foods and self-sufficient living has me looking forward to a garden of my own someday. 

Guest: My sister Annie lives pretty close to me so I'm lucky enough to eat her meals often. She is so good at using her garden and trying new things. I love how she excites her kids with garden fresh food and they really appreciate the taste of something straight from the backyard. 

I love my garden. So far this year zucchini and rhubarb have been very successful. But one of the things I have been reminded of this year is that one family doesn't need much more than one zucchini plant. I have way too much but we do love to share.

This year I tried something new...and it really stinks. :) I added a lot of buffalo manure to my garden boxes besides my yearly fertilizer mix. I think it has actually worked. So far I am getting a much better crop.

To learn to garden I recommend taking a class or getting a book written by someone who gardens in your area. Your garden will be more successful if you are learning from someone who understands your soil and zone. If you are in Utah, I recommend this book by Gordon Wells. He is a successful Utah gardener with years of experience. You will learn everything from prepping soil, watering systems and how much to water, pest control and varieties of crops that do well in Utah.

This year my zucchini has been out of control. So we have honestly had zucchini in some form every single night that I have cooked. One common mistake is letting the zucchini grow too big. Just because they can become humongous, does not mean you should let it. It tastes much better if you pick them smaller. Unless you plan to shred it and then it is fine to let them get a little bigger. One of my favorite ways to eat zucchini is just sliced in long sticks (maybe 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick), toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and grill. I have basket that I use but you can just lay them right on the grill. They only need a few minutes.

Here are some links to a few of our favorite zucchini dishes.

Zucchini Fries - comes from the blog Our Best Bites. They are oven baked and easy. And we could eat a ton of them.

Lemon Herb Zucchini Fettucine (but I use whole wheat rotini)

And from Martha Stewart - Zucchini Quesadillas (I often add black beans, as well).

And we always have some zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate cake too. You really can't go wrong with zucchini. And if you have too much like I do or it grows to big, shred it and freeze it. It is great in soups, spaghetti sauce or breads in the winter.

To learn why you should eat zucchini - read this article here.

Another thing OUT OF CONTROL but so so easy to grow - Rhubarb. And once you plant it...you don't do anything. It just keeps coming back year after year. I got my rhubarb starts from my grandma and I will gladly pass on my starts. I like how it looks in my garden but it is even better in dessert. This week I have made rhubarb snacking cake from Smitten Kitchen and strawberry rhubarb pie. Yum. Don't be afraid of rhubarb because it looks like celery. It is delicious.

Rhubarb Recipes we LOVE

Rhubarb Snacking Cake

Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 

Rhubarb hand pies

To learn why you should eat rhubarb - read this article here.  Although while it has nutritional value, it is only used at our house as dessert so beware. :)

Thanks Annie. I want to go through and try all these recipes. They look so good. You're really good at using your garden. (and thanks for the zucchini on Sunday)

Guest Post: Gardening// Egan

 I've asked a few gardeners to guest post about their experiences with gardening and what they've learned. Being interested and passionate about natural foods and self-sufficient living has me looking forward to a garden of my own someday. 

Guest: My sister Egan lives about 10 minutes away from me and I love making food with her especially in the summer when we can use her garden. She does such a good job and she is a testament to having a successful garden and being the busiest person I know. (traveler, busy job, social, church, and every sport you can think of)

I asked her a few questions:

how long have you been gardening?

I started my first tomato plant (I LOVE garden tomatoes!) at a house I was renting with friends in Sugarhouse 6 years ago. Now that I have my own place I have had a garden every year I have lived here. Some years I have been more ambitious with what I plant than others. 

what made you want to start a garden?

My Mom and sister, Annie-- nothing compares to homegrown vegetables and we were raised working in the yard and ate fresh and healthy food. Plus I have this awesome little area for a garden and it would be a real shame if i didn't!

what gardening tip can you share?

I always have my 'go-to' vegetables that I love-- zucchini, tomatoes, basil because they are so easy and I love to eat them.. but I also think it's good to try something new every year instead of getting overwhelmed with trying them all at once. Then you learn what you like, learn what worked etc. Read up on your area and prep your soil! This year I tried peppers, cucumbers and strawberries. So far they have been pretty awesome! I also have learned to plant what you can manage. I am busy, especially in the summer and dont have time to spend in the garden everyday... or every week (oops). But I try to plant things that aren't too needy. Also my older sister Annie also gardens and so I  just do what she tells me. :) 

what was the biggest thing you learned from gardening?

Water management! It's different for each plant and makes a huge difference.  

what advice do you have to beginning gardeners?

Start with 1-2 things you love to eat and that do well in your area. Give your plants plenty of space to grow and good soil. And I have so much to learn so I cant give much more advice here except it's worth it!






Thank you Egan! You're everything I want to be.

Guest Post: Gardening// My mom

I've asked a few gardeners to guest post about their experiences with gardening and what they've learned. Being interested and passionate about natural foods and self-sufficient living has me looking forward to a garden of my own someday.

Guest: My mom. Lives in Seattle, WA. I first blogged about my parent's beautiful garden HERE. Oooooh how I love that place.

There are a lot of poems about gardening.  There are two I think of--and both kind of have a morbid touch to them (Robert Frost’s “A Girl’s Garden” and this one below, lyrics from the musical “A Secret Garden”).  Here is a sample: 

A bit of earth,

She wants a little bit of earth,

She'll plant some seeds.

The seeds will grow,

The flowers bloom,

Their beauty just the thing she needs.

She'll grow to love the tender roses,

Lilies fair, the iris tall.

And then in fall, her bit of earth

Will freeze and kill them all.

Gardening is like that--there are delightful and delicious rewards, but there is also the cycle of life--things get hurt, get sick, and even die.  There are things out of our most diligent control. But next thing you know it is spring and stuff starts growing again.  So, it is worth it.

I grow a few flowers but I really focus on berries and vegetables--edible things.  That is because I like to eat more than I like to have a vase of flowers in my house.  I like the idea of being a bit more self-sufficient (there must be a better word) and I also like the idea of having really fresh vegetables and fruit.  I can go out in the yard at 5:30 and find something to make for dinner or breakfast from early May to mid-October.  Then I can go to my storage shelves or my freezer the rest of the year and get a bottle of tomatoes  (there is nothing canned that compares to the taste of home-bottled tomatoes) or zucchini relish, rhubarb for a crisp, or a bag of blueberries to smother my oatmeal.  It is a lot of work, but it is satisfying to me.

During my semi-Hippie days when I was 16 years old I began to long for a garden--to get back to nature. So when we bought our first home a few years later I planted a vegetable garden--that was in SLC which has great weather for gardening.  Then we moved to Seattle and gardening there is a different kind of thing altogether.  The sun is spotty,, the moss is pervasive, the slugs are ferocious eaters, and the nights are cold.  But I can usually get a really good crop of tomatoes and zucchini, some beets and carrots, early lettuce and peas, lately I’ve had great results with kale, and then there are the berries.   Berries love the Seattle climate and the acidic soil.  

Last night I made a delicious soup from a few zucchini and 2 bunches of kale.  Instead of the vermicelli it called for I used some angel hair spinach pasta.  I only used 3 cloves of garlic instead of 4 and was judicious with the red pepper flakes--but really, the flakes are an important part of the flavor of this soup so I was glad I added some.

Some of you readers probably haven’t gardened much yet, but I hope you won’t be afraid to try.  I was a city girl and had to learn through doing.  You can to--your plants might die, but next time they’ll grow and you’ll be so excited when you pluck a tomato off your very own vine!

Thanks for the post mom! I have so much to learn from you. Every single summer I am so sad I'm not in Seattle feasting on your garden.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Annie

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Annie (She's my oldest sister and married to a tops husband and raising 4 kids--I'm so lucky to live close to them. She's an avid reader and excellent in the kitchen. I had to have her guest post cause she loves to cook and bake and she's really good at trying new things and making things healthier.)

Recently my niece, Dayna, challenged her blog readers to a 30 day veggie/fruit smoothie. Well, that got me thinking. I have been making smoothies every morning for a little over a year now. And I have improved them nutritionally over the past year.

So first - let me tell you why I do it. I believe in eating as a family and it is really important to me that we all eat breakfast together. I really do believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There may come a day that this routine won't work, but for the past 6 years it has worked great. I usually cook a hot breakfast (oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, breakfast burritos) but there is always a smoothie with it (or almost always).

4 reasons I make smoothies:

1 - Increase the number of veggies and fruits we consume a day

2 - Start the day off with protein

3 - Get some Omega -3 in our system

I have found that it is the perfect way for me to guarantee a serving of fruit and vegetables in the morning. We know that we should be consuming a lot more servings of veggies and fruits a day and that they should come in a variety of colors. Well, I knew that it wasn't very likely that I could start serving spinach and kale for dinner and be very successful. (Someday that will happen, right?) But for now, if I could get that in our breakfast then that would work. I know some people believe in not drinking calories (and I really try not to), but I think smoothies count more as food than drink (that is just my opinion). You can add spinach, kale, carrots, cucumber, etc. The kids don't have to know. My don't care anymore though.

I think it is crucial to start the day out with more protein. So my smoothies always have a scoop of vanilla protein powder and/or some plain greek yogurt (very high in protein).

I always add several tablespoons of ground flaxmeal. It is high in Omega -3 and a good source of fiber. Omega-3 is so important for a number of reasons - including focus and brain development (besides as an anti-inflammatory and maybe even attention/behavior).

Here is this morning's smoothie.

A couple handful of grapes

Water

Couple spears of pineapple (with core)

banana

big handful of spinach

carrot

yogurt

scoop of vanilla protein powder

flaxmeal

ice

Just play around till you get a consistency you like.

I really don't use recipes anymore. I just kind of guess. You can't really mess up too badly. And if your kids can't deal with green smoothies - add dark fruits - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and even strawberries. I almost always throw in a cup of frozen berries from Costco. Those will usually cover up the green.

Another trick is having a good blender which can be kind of pricey. Or chopping or shredding food before you put in the blender. One thing I found helpful, is to blend the water with the spinach until it is well chopped and then add the rest.

>Thanks Annie! I broke my blender some months ago and this only reminds me of just how badly I need to replace it. Such an ideal way to start the morning! I've never put grapes in my smoothies before. Can't wait to give that a go.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Kylie

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Kylie (She lives in Los Angeles, California as a freelance photographer and videographer. Her and her husband, Spencer, are world travelers. They go on totally rad adventures all the time and I'll also include that they are good looking, cause they're good at that too. Other mentionable...She's a triplet! Hooray for multiples!)

. . . . .

I love to be creative, to use my hands, to be outside and especially to fill my belly with food! If you know me well enough, you also know I absolutely love to be outside. Camping is one of my favorite pass times and thus, foil dinners are my fave!

I grew up camping and eating out of tin foil in the woods. It just feels right. Not only do I have a sentimental connection to the food, but I also enjoy the whole experience. In and of itself, it’s an activity that takes time to prepare, time to cook, and gives YOU time to enjoy company of friends and loved ones over a campfire. What’s better than that?

The best part is, it’s easy peesy! I’m no chef in the kitchen but I like to dabble with things I feel capable of. Foil dinners aren’t much of a challenge but they’re like second nature. Here’s how I make mine.

1. Grab the foil. Easy enough.

2. Spread foil and create your lil patty. I use ground turkey, and it tastes great. If you’re a more white meat type of gal, go for chicken. If you only eat vegetables, try asparagus or something green.

3. Wash and chop potatoes, carrots, and onions to your belly’s desire. No need for measurements here – it’s all about eye balling it. If you’re like me with eyes bigger than your tum, you may have extras for your pals. People who like corn can add corn. I am not a corn person (thank you tummy flu in elementary school… ick). But this is the fun part! Add whatever you like! Creation station!

4. Marinate the meat with worchestire sauce, Franks Red Hot sauce, and some cayenne pepper, garlic salt and black pepper. It’s even tasty to add a squirt or two of ketchup, if you’re into that kind of thing. Dump whatever else you want all over the veggies.

5. Wrap in lettuce and cook. Easy as 1, 2, 3. You’re ready to put that baby on the campfire. Cook side 1 for approximately 10 minutes, and side 2 for the same. They cook fast in a hot fire, so listen closely for the boiling inside! If you’re camping indoors and making a home camp out retreat, go ahead and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about thirty minutes or until vegetables are soft.

If you’re like me and need to satisfy your sweet tooth after a tasty meal, just go for that s’more and add a Reeses to it. Nobody will stop you.

> Thanks Kylie! Why does food always taste better when you're camping? I love tin foil dinner and s'mores so much. I'm so glad you shared. Now, must plan a camping trip soon!

Guest Post: Food I Love//Brittany

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Brittany (I met Brittany through the world wide web but we have some mutual friends and both attended college at BYU-I. Her blog is a site to behold. She does amazing charcoal portraits and is a professional photographer. I love her posts and her hair. I feel lucky to have her here sharing a food she loves.)

When my body is craving something healthy, yet tasty I always turn to collard wraps and sweet potato fries!
This meal allows you to be creative and can easily work for vegetarian diets!

Preparation for the Collard greens:
1. Rinse off the greens and then soak them in warm water with a dash of white vinegar for 10 minutes.
(This helps them to be more 'foldable' when it comes time to wrap!)
2. Once they are done soaking, dry them off, and trim down the stem as shown in the top left photo.
I like a good crunch but sometimes the stems could be overly hard and not appetizing.

Now that the Collard greens are prepared, we are ready to fill:

1. Lay out 2 Collard leaves overlapping them.

2. First spread down your "glue", roasted garlic hummus in my case.

3. Top with your favorite veggies! I used cucumbers, carrots, red bell pepper, turkey, and sprouts.

4. Finally it's time to wrap! Wrap it like a burrito, take in the sides and roll.

5. Cut in half and enjoy!

Now for the yummy fries...

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large unpeeled sweet potatoes

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. cumin

dash coriander

1/4 tsp. pepper

Kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 425° and put the cookie sheet in the oven to get hot, giving them that extra crisp.

2. Wash the potatoes and cut them into 1/4" slices.

3. Coat potato slices with spice mixture and place on greased pan.

4. Sprinkle with Kosher salt.

5. Bake for 15 minutes and turn them over for a remaining 10 minutes, then enjoy!

I also just learned that adding an egg white to your potatoes before you cook them makes them

extra crispy... I haven't tried it out yet but will definitely give it a try next time.

>Thanks Brittany! I can't wait to give these a try! I've never done collard wraps before and they look easy and fresh. Beautiful.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Katelyn

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Katelyn (I'll let her introduce herself below...but I must add how much I love and admire Katelyn; she's a hard working wife and mother, super talented, creative, and fun. )

I met Jane back in college. I was roomies with her sister Kristine. We were instant friends and have been since. Thanks to the blogging world for keeping us together! I am a wife and mother to 3 beautiful little girls. I am also a professional photographer. I am an extremely busy working mom. I wake up at 5am each morning to get my exercise on and keep running till bed time.

The girls and I make sure to find time for yummy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

In the morning we love:

green smoothies

steel cut oats

breakfast burrito

Lunch time we love:

sandwiches

soup

salad

When dad gets home we love:

Jaime's Meatballs

One pot Chicken and Brown Rice

Meatless Taco Salad

When it’s party time we have fun and go all out. Check out their birthday cake from last year.

That's just a few things we love. The girls already love being in the kitchen helping. Back when my youngest was still eating baby food, we found a fun way to reuse the jars.

See some of my recipes here: http://foutchcoutch.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes

Family blog: foutchcoutch.blogspot.com

Photography blog: katejenningsphotogarphy.com

>Thanks for being a guest on Nova Katelyn! I love your photography and seeing what beautiful things are in your home, tasty things you are doing in the kitchen, and what your cute girls are up to. Feeding a young family takes a lot of work. You're good at it.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Jane

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Jane (Jane and I met when I moved to Salt Lake City and we became instant friends. She was married a couple of years ago and soon after moved to Singapore!!! I love seeing her adventures in a foreign country. Jane is she an amazing cook* and a Pilates instructor, there is so much I'd love to learn from her. okay and she has a great name too)

I was completely shocked after my first grocery run here in Singapore. Hummus at $11.00 a tub! Are you kidding me?

I had no choice but to make my own.

This homemade delight has become a staple in our fridge. Every Sunday night, I 'religiously' whip out the ingredients and my food processor and Voila -- a fresh batch for the week.

My favorite part about this recipe -- SO HEALTHY. You really can't find a better snack...especially paired with carrots, bell peppers, crackers or pita bread.

Homemade Hummus

2 (15.5 oz) Cans of Garbanzo Beans or Chick Peas

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

3-4 Cloves of Garlic

1/4 tsp. Salt

Mix in food processor for 5-7 minutes on high.

Why So Healthy?

-rich in fiber

-folic acid
-zinc

-dense in protein

-healthy mono-unsaturated fat

-low calorie and filling

Next time, switch things up and add:

-pine nuts

-rosemary

-sun-dried tomatoes

-parsley

-olives

-garlic

-rosemary

-basil

-jalapeno

>Thanks Jane! Hummus is so versatile and I love the idea of switching things up. Makes eating raw veggies a little more exciting.

*Jane and her sister's have a food blog called Boyer Try This which is full of delicious foods and I want to try everything.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Egan

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Egan (my sister! things you should know about her: industrial designer, salt lake city liver, volleyball player (I could name 10 more active things she does), has an amazing house and garden, and is my favorite person to cook/bake with besides my mom)

Lets talk about prunes baby, lets talk about you and me, lets talk about all the good things and the bad things. (if you don't know the musical reference forgive me...) Growing up my parents ate prunes quite often. "...to stay regular" they'd say. They never appealed to me until years later my mom came up with this tasty treat. Since then, I have learned more about prunes and the benefits of eating them. Most of us know of their ability relieve constipation but little known benefits include, provide antioxidant protection, prevent pre-mature aging, promote cardiovascular health, and reduce the risk of cancer and osteoporosis! (insert trendy blogger overly-excited-word that isn't really a word here:) These cookies don't need a pump up-- but there you have it. Like I said, my mom made this up years ago and although it had a brown sugar in her original recipe, I wanted to see if I could make these without refined sugar. They are not super sweet but you are rewarded with a chocolate chunk in almost every bite. I like to make these and then put them in bags to freeze. I eat one before I workout in the morning for the perfect amount of energy buzz. They are soft right out of the freezer too.

Girlfriend tip: Good to bring to book club but not to a superbowl party.

Preheat oven to 375

In a medium bowl combine the following:

1/4 cup cocoa

1 3/4 cups oats

1 1/2 cups flour (i used whole wheat)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

in large bowl combine to form a grainy paste:

1/2 cup succanat

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or any oil)

1/2 cup honey

Add the flour mixture to above. Then add:

1 cup high quality chocolate chips

1 cup ground or finely chopped prunes

1/3 cup ground or finely dates

1 cup chopped almonds

>Thanks Egan! I love these cookies and love that you've made them even healthier. Pre-workout or Post-dinner. I like them all the time.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Brooke

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Brooke (Brooke and I (along with Ellie) have been cooking together for a year and we share a passion for cooking wholesome natural foods and trying new things in the kitchen. It's been the best to learn new recipes with these girls.)

image

Sometimes it seems like the highlights of my life are a series of food memories: the best sandwich I ever ate, the best apple I ever ate, the best brownie I ever ate (have you seen The Food Network's The Best Thing I ever Ate??)

One of my best food memories is the discovery of almond milk. All my life I hated milk, and all my life I loved almonds. What could this collaboration of something I love and something I hate ever be like? It could be the best thing to ever happen to me, that's what!

Nowadays I go through a carton of almond milk every 5-6 days or so. Can't even keep it in the fridge for a week. But I feel guilt-free about it, because I buy Silk's PureAlmond Unsweetened almond milk. At 35 calories and 0 grams of sugar per cup, I can't think of a better way to eat my bran cereal, jazz up my oatmeal, whiz up a banana smoothie, or concoct my own healthy horchata. Anything you would make with cow's milk can be made with almond milk too!

I have to admit the unsweetened, unflavored almond milk does take some warming up to — it's not for the almond milk rookies. The flavor is pure, nutty goodness, but if it's your first time trying out the non-dairy drink I would suggest sweetening it with your own natural sweetener (I like Stevia), a dash of sea salt and a few drops of vanilla extract. But the next thing you know you'll be swigging down cartons of unsweetened almond milk with the best of us!

Here is one of my favorite guilt-free almond milk indulgences this winter. It's vegan and low-cal. You should probably try it now:

-1 1/2 cups of ice
-1 cup of almond milk
-1/4 cup of canned pumpkin
-a dash of pure maple syrup
-nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves to taste
-a pinch of sea salt

Blend everything up and enjoy a tasty after-dinner smoothie treat!

> Thanks Brooke! I love almond milk too! I am eager to try this drink.

Guest Post: Food I Love//Kristine

During the month of February you'll see some guests on Nova Granola talking about a food they love.

Guest: Kristine (my twin!)

I love eggs. I'll take them any way too. Poached, scrambled, on toast, in a breakfast burrito, or hardboiled. Eggs, as you know, are easy to prepare and quick to cook. They're tasty alone or made into an omelette packed with veggies or poached and served over sauteed spinach.

How do you like your eggs?

poached

frittata

skinny omlette



>Thanks Kristine! I love eggs too! Go over to Kristine's party blog: Attend! She got talent.