Watermelon Lemonade

We had a ton of leftover watermelon from the 80th birthday party last weekend, so what could we possibly do with it?  Watermelon Lemonade of course!


Watermelon Lemonade
Makes approx. 2 glassfuls with ice


1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/2 c fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3 tsp stevia powder (or to taste)
3/4 c filtered cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice.  Instant relaxation in a glass!

Would also be great using lime instead of lemon!

Check out the Healing Cuisine store!

I've added a few more books to my Amazon.com Store.  Check everything out at the "Store" tab on the menu bar.  I'm regularly adding new items, whether it be cooking, health or "living green" related.  Everything I list are things I use every day or resources I have utilized and highly recommend to everyone!  Have questions on something, just ask!  I'll let you know why I love that item and how it helps you live a healthier life!  :)

Chicken Strawberry Spinach Salad

It's time for a classic, Chicken Strawberry Spinach Salad:

2 tsp coconut oil
2 chicken breasts, washed and dried
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Healing Cuisine Mayonnaise
Fresh juice of one lime
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp almond milk
3 cup fresh spinach, stems removed
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
3 Tbsp slivered almonds or pecans
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
Fresh pepper and sea salt to taste

1.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Place chicken in skillet, season with garlic powder and cook 10 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Set aside.  [You can of course also grill the chicken.]

2. In a bowl, mix mayo, lime juice, ginger and almond milk with a fork.

3. Arrange spinach on serving plates.  Top with sliced chicken, onion, avocado and strawberries, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with dressing. Season and serve!

Tips When Dining with Family & Friends

Hi all!  Hope you have something fun planned for the weekend.  We are heading out to Wisconsin to celebrate Dave's grandma's 80th birthday, which made me think to bring up the topic of "Dining with Family."  Our families aren't quite "there" yet.  Do you know what I mean?  Maybe you're in the same boat?  It's a step by step process introducing The Chiropractic Principle and the other 4 Essentials of Health to the ones you love.  Dave and I are often met with apprehension and have barely skimmed the surface with most of our family.

It gets tough going home for holidays and parties when the people around you don't eat or live the same way as you.  Value systems are different.  But don't be discouraged!  It helps to realize that their paradigm is different from yours.  They are still in the medical paradigm of health and can't help but feel the lifestyle choices they make and the food they choose to eat is right.  If you are IN on Maximized Living and follow the 5 Essentials, your paradigm has switched over to the chiropracTIC paradigm of health, or in other words PREVENTATIVE health.  Your mindset and value system has completely flipped.

All you can do is keep loving your family members and friends for who they are and understand where they are coming from.  But never back down from your truth and sharing the knowledge that you have.  When the time is right, they will come to you for help, just keep sharing.

Some tips for family gatherings when the food isn't ML Nutrition Plan or Healing Cuisine approved:

-  Always offer to bring a dish or two to share, this guarantees you something you can eat. (And don't be afraid to eat lots of it!)

-  Let the host know in advance that you are no-grain, no-sugar, etc.  Family especially will respect your diet sensitivities (we even tell them we are allergic to sugar and gluten) and will be sure to provide a side dish you can enjoy.  This also opens the door for you to explain the ML Nutrition Plans and your reasoning.  We remind family ever Christmas -- you never know if this year will be the year they hop on the bandwagon!

-  Eat before attending the party, something we'll be doing this weekend.  We'll often eat a hefty breakfast or have a protein shake before going to the party so that we're not as hungry and won't want to eat very much party food.

-  If the urge to have a dinner roll or spoonful of Jell-o salad arises, stick to your guns!  Have an affirmation or two prepared and repeat it over and over in your head until you are strong enough to pass up the temptation.  As long as you have told the host in advance, politely pass on the dishes you know you shouldn't eat.

-  Every so often, it's okay to have a "vacation day."  It's not going to kill you to eat a little sugar for dessert or have commercially raised grilled chicken for one meal, just keep your intake moderate and be prepared for possible detox side effects.  Your body has been healing since you've been getting adjusted and eating clean, and will now recognize chemicals, additives, grains and sugars as toxins.  Common side effects could be diarrhea, upset stomach, head ache, bloating, fatigue, cramping, heart burn, and skin rash.  As long as you're prepared for the possible side effects, enjoy a few "vacation" snacks, but get your body detoxing again by staring your Nutrition Plan tomorrow.

Raw Banana-Avocado Pudding Pie

I'm on a raw pie kick this month it seems!  Another delicious, healthy way to conquer those sweet cravings.. :)


Raw Banana-Avocado Pudding Pie

THE CRUST:
1 c almonds
1/3 c raisins, soaked for 5 minutes
1 Tbsp coconut oil

THE PUDDING:
3 bananas
1 avocado
1-2 tsp powdered stevia
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp fresh ground flax
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lemon juice

1.) THE CRUST   Grind almonds and raisins in a food processor until almost smooth.  With fork, blend in coconut oil.  Form crust into a 9" pie shell or spring form pan and refrigerate while you make the filling.

2.)  THE PUDDING  Blend all pudding ingredients in blender until smooth.

3.)  Pour the pudding into the crust and chill in freezer about 1-2 hours before serving.  I suggest topping with fresh berries for added color and texture!

Gluten FREE Strawberry Cream Pie

It's so good, it's so good!  You have to try this!  Light and fluffy, creamy, dense all at once!  This is how a Strawberry Cream Pie should be!  Raw, dairy free, sugar free, delish!

The key to a great, non-crumbly crust is grinding the nuts into a fine crumb, almost a powder (but not into a paste).  Use a fork when mixing in the coconut oil!  I used a spring-form pan, but you could easily use a regular pie dish, too.

Strawberry Cream Pie
Makes 8 servings

The Crust:

1/2 c ground raw pecans or walnuts
1/3 c ground raw almonds
1/4 c organic unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

The Filling:

2 c fresh organic strawberries
1 c raw cashews
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp stevia powder
1 pinch sea salt
1 c coconut oil, melted

1.)  Blend pecans, almonds and coconut in food processor until very fine.  Pour into bowl and blend in coconut oil.  Press very firmly into bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

2.)  Place all filling ingredients into blender and blend on High until smooth and creamy.  You may need to scrape down sides a couple times to achieve this.  Carefully pour on top of crust and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Fresh Breakfast Casserole

For the past year or more, Dave and I have stayed away from breakfast casseroles mainly because of how they made us feel.  Minutes after finishing our plates, we became sluggish and wanted to crawl back into bed.  Those casseroles were Standard American; loaded with refined starchy white potatoes, couldn't get enough of the potatoes!, not to mention the non-organic bacon, sausage, cheese, eggs...  So one Saturday morning (when we didn't feel like our usual morning smoothies) I revisited our old friend, the breakfast casserole, cleaned it up and made it Healing Cuisine!

Fresh Breakfast Casserole
Makes 8 Servings

1 lb uncured turkey bacon, diced
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 free range eggs, lightly beaten
2 c shredded red skin new potatoes (leave the skin on to preserve the fiber and potassium!)
3 c organic spinach leaves, rinsed and spun dry
2 c shredded raw cheddar cheese
1 c organic cottage cheese
1 c shredded organic (raw if you can find it) swiss cheese

1.)  Heat coconut oil in large skillet over Medium heat.  Cook turkey bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain.  In a bowl, fold together the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture.  Transfer to a coconut oil-greased 13x9" baking dish.

2.)  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.  SO GOOD!  You could also throw in some shredded zucchini or asparagus, which I would have done had we had some in the fridge, add about 1 cup shredded.