Almond Flour

My friend Meagan asked me a question on this post that I thought I'd address over a few posts.

We'll start with Almond Flour.

Almond Flour is simply raw almonds ground up fine like a flour.

Food Processor works great for this.

FYI: If you were to keep the food processor running it would turn the almond flour into almond butter. It only takes about a minute or two to make the almonds fine enough for the flour.

That's it! If you don't have a food processor or you'd like to buy the flour, then Bob's Red Mill has an almond flour that I've used before. Find almond flour in the flour aisle of your local grocery store. Look where they have the unique flours.

I use almond flour in many of my breakfast recipes.

Why to love almonds:

+reduce heart disease risk

+tons of magnesium-improve the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients through the body

+potassium-essential to maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function

+almonds will lower the rise of blood sugar and insulin seen after eating

For more information:

The World's Healthiest Foods: Almonds

vacation jane

I'm not teaching, which means I am doing whatever I wanna for 2 weeks. I actually have a lot of things to do, and projects to work on, and people to have lunch with, and shows to catch up on, and things to be cleaned, and spaces to be organized. But one thing vacation Jane takes very seriously is breakfast. Never ever is it thought-less. Here is a green smoothie made of kale, spinach, almond milk, banana, berries, and honey with a main course of egg whites and a yolk, tomatoes, and mushrooms heated with ghee*.

*Remember when I talked about butter here. Well my Mom brought me some ghee to try out and this was my first usage. I put a dab on a skillet and cooked my eggs and then added the vegetables in with it and let them sit for a few minutes. I really liked the taste and it served it's purpose. I'm very interested in learning more about ghee and how to use it.
If you want really knowledgeable information about ghee you should read this post from one of my favorite blogs. It fascinates.

Now...what should I have for breakfast tomorrow...

Honey

I love using honey in my granola. It might just be my favorite ingredient. Here are a few reasons you should love honey too:

+it soothes sore throats
+it's great for athletes and gives an energy boost
+anti-allergenic
+natural antiseptic
+natural sweetener
+helps the body rehydrate

Recently I've been curious about using raw honey in my granola, but I wanted to do some research first. I learned that what makes raw honey actually "raw" is not too far off from regular honey anyways. But...like all raw food the goal is for it to be close to it's original condition---what it was in when it left the beehive. When buying raw honey you can bet it's unheated, unpasteurized, nothing added, and nothing removed. As much as possible I'd like to get more unprocessed foods in my diet so I can get the maximum in vitamins and enzymes.

In my research I found some local honey companies that I'd love to support.
Here are a few:
The Honey Jar which was started by a 17 year old and is located North of Salt Lake City
Miller's Honey Company located in downtown Salt Lake City
Neighborhood Bee Keeping which can be ordered online

Currently in the dehydrator...my first batch of granola using raw honey. I have a feeling it won't disappoint.

set it and forget it

This is by far my best and favorite batch of granola. After 12 hours in a dehydrator I was able to obtain the most ideal cluster and crunch. I love how evenly toasted it is and not flash cooked like in an oven. The low temperatures save the nutritional value and importantly the enzymes. Another plus of dehydrated foods is that it inhibits the growth of bacteria by removing the water content at a suitable temperature. What that means? Dehydrated food lasts longer.

Raisins

Raisins are adult food to me. I have gradually grown to like and now love them. Gimme Gimme. Like really...I could eat Raisin Bran for all three meals every day.
That's why I include them in some of my granola mixes. They've got some nice nutrients in their little wrinkly bod. Calcium (healthy bones and teeth), Magnesium (healthy heart, healthy muscles), Phosphorus (healthy kidney, healthy mind), Potassium (healthy body fluids, healthy blood), a few grams of Fiber and some Antioxidant power.
Raisins are a win.

Coconut Oil

Supernova Granola is pretty heavy on the coconut.
I like to use unsweetened coconut flakes, coconut flour, and coconut oil.
I'm not sure how I got started on coconut oil, but I'm really glad I did. I've learned what an amazing and actually important part it can play in our health.

"It supports our overall immune functions; prevents bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, and digestive disorders; and increases the metabolic rate."-Oz Garcia, Ph.D. on coconut oil

The saturated fat in coconut is commonly used as a negative towards this healthy food. The fatty acids in coconut oil are powerful antibiotics and the they are easier to metabolize.
It's one of the top oils recommended by health experts.

another tip: I love using coconut oil when making popcorn on the stove.

Apples

Apples are an amazing fruit. Although it is one of the most common in the produce aisle I find myself overwhelmed at which brand to pick from. Pink Lady, McIntosh, Gala, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, Braeburn on and on.

One thing I've tried to do is, when possible, buy organic apples. Apples are on the list of 12 foods most contaminated with pesticides. I seem to think that a quick rinse won't wash those pesticides away. Don't let that steer you away from eating these wonderful fruits. They are 2nd place in antioxidant power!!! 1st place being cranberries. Which really means apples are very helpful at keeping you healthy and fighting off disease.

Apples are easy to take on-the-go and have many more great qualities:
+Sodium free
+Fat free
+Cholesterol free
+Packed with soluble fiber-meaning it can lower bad cholesterol and steady blood sugar levels
+Budget-friendly

Lucky for us it's fall and that means they are in season! Go forth and consume!

Greek Yogurt

When it comes to eating yogurt, I like mine topped with granola. It is the complementary crunch to the creamy thickness of Greek yogurt. For almost a year I've chosen Greek yogurt over standard yogurts for a few key reasons.

+Greek yogurt has almost double the protein as standard yogurts
+It's creamier and thicker
+Lower in carbohydrates
+Low sodium content
+No added sweeteners, thickeners, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup

Look for Greek yogurt at your local market:
Chobani
Fage
Oikos
Voskos
Greek Gods

I'd love to try making my own and I've found a recipe here that looks worth trying. (via the little red house)

Do you eat Greek yogurt? Have you tried any interesting flavor or brands you'd like to share?