Gluten free, sugar free chocolate chip cookies

My husband is out of town tonight. So what else would I do but play with my munchkin and experiment in my kitchen? I've created a delicious cookie that's both gluten and sugar free. 

Yes. The title says these cookies are sugar free. However, you'll notice the ingredient list called for coconut sugar. Is this still considered sugar you may ask?! Yes and no. I tend to lean more on the no side. And here is why. 

Calorie wise, (which by now, my readers know i don't track calories) they're about the same. However, honey and maple are high calorie as well and they aren't considered sugar. 

Coconut sugar is full of nutrients. Including: potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin c, iron and copper. As well as antioxidants. It's also is low on the glycemic index so it won't spike your blood sugar. 

Now, despite these benefits, coconut sugar isn't a super food. I want to make that clear. HOWEVER, when it comes to choosing a sweetener, this one is as good as it gets. Because it's not an empty calorie, I, personally, do not consider it a sugar. 

For this recipe, you will need:

1 stick grass fed butter

3/4 cup organic coconut sugar 

1/2 C organic maple syrup  

2 cage free eggs 

1 t sea salt

1 t baking powder 

3 cups gluten free oat flour 

1 C extra dark chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 375 F. 

Grease cookie sheet and set aside. 

Cream together butter, maple, coconut sugar and eggs in a stand mixer. 

Add salt and baking soda and mix until combined. 

Once thoroughly combined, start adding flour one half cup at a time until completely mixed in. Finally, mix in chocolate chips. Take note, it will not be the same consistency of regular cookies. It will be thick, but not moldable with your hands. Take two spoons, scoop up mix and drop it on greased cookie sheet 2-3 inches apart.

Bake 6-7 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove. 

Enjoy with raw milk, almond milk, coconut milk or simply by themselves. They taste good either way. ❤️

Happy healthy healing!

❤️kbs

Product review: Nature's Fusions Peppermint Oil

This stuff right here...saved my life today. 

I think it's pretty common knowledge that peppermint oil aids in nausea. I usually inhale it when I have colds. It helps open my nasal passage. ;) 

HOWEVER, I had no idea it helps with burns until I acquired some of this Nature's Fusions brand. The genius behind this put the uses right on the bottle. Duh. 

Heard of doterra? Yes? Well it's time to get over that hype. I love natures fusions and it's soooo much cheaper. I haven't noticed a difference in the quality at all. 

This morning I burnt my hand on the skillet while making pancakes...ouch. I literally ran to my oils and put some peppermint on. It makes sense...it's a very "cold" oil. Calmed it right down. 

Then, making dinner I pulled a cookie sheet out of the oven with spaghetti squash on it, didn't realize how heavy it was, wasn't prepared, and the cookie sheet tilted and hit the palm of my hand. Again, ouch. My husband ran to grab the burn cream from the first aid kit and dropped some on the burn...it only intensified. I quickly rubbed it off and then grabbed my trusty natures fusions oil and gave it a quick rub. It's been maybe 15 minutes and I can't feel a thing...

Usually burns bug me for at least a few hours after...and this was a BAD burn. 

I'm not lying. This stuff is so good. :) I barely have a mark. 

About three minutes after the burn...⬆️⬆️

Right this moment. ⬆️⬆️

*update* this⬆️⬆️ is my hand an hour after the burn...this is a must in the kitchen... 

You can find Nature's Fusion oils (for about half the price of doterra) at Good Earth (Utah) or, online, at http://www.naturesfusions.com

Forget memberships and downlines and up lines and referrals and whatever. If all you want is the quality oil to help self heal yourself and your family, I've found your gold. :) 

Happy healthy healing!! (For less!) 

❤️KBS

Juices

Yum. We've been really busy lately and have been juice slacking. :-( but, I have few pictures to post. I've come up with a simple way to share juice with you guys. :) 

And tonight, though I didn't get a picture, we juiced: pineapple, apple, grapefruit and mango! I give it an A mike gives it an A as well! 

Happy juicing and happy healthy healing!! 

Perfect pear

I get that "juice recipes" should be more of a thing on here, but incase you haven't  thought of juicing a pear, I'm pleading with you now to try it. My sister suggested it last weekend and we used all of her VERY ripe pears to do so. Let me just tell you, it's heaven. 

Pears are VERY good for you. They're high in fiber and many different vitamins and minerals and they may reduce the chance of macular degeneration. Beauty lovers rejoice for pears. Juice some!! 

You're the perfect pair for a pear! 

Just Juicin'

Remember in the early 2000's when we'd all run around pulling pranks and then say: "just Joshin' ya." we were hardcore. That's all there is to it. Anyway...the title made me think of that ridiculous catch phrase. Moving on.
August 5th I celebrated my 2nd anniversary with my husband. We sure have grown over the years. :) He's the love of my life and luckily, my biggest and sometimes ONLY cheerleader. We believe in each other and support each and every aspect of each others hopes, dreams, and hobbies. (All my support goes to his hobbies. hehehe, just JOSHIN' YA!! --And there it is.) he knows me better than anyone and I know that cause the kid bought me a freakin' juicer for our anniversary. :) And sadly for him, I have found my new love.
However. I believe that no matter how long you are married to someone, you'll constantly be learning about them. And since my beloved juicer came, I've learned that my husband is the juice whisperer...I can throw stuff in and it is juice so it tastes amazing, but he makes juices and they turn out erotic! Who knew!?

So, without further story telling, I am going to share a few of my favorite juices!

2 Oranges 
2 plums and 
2 apples
(This one was a husband wonder, and was so good! If you're just juicing for one, split those in half!)

1/2 Pineapple
2 apples and
A handful of blueberries
Again, the husband came up with this one at a juice party with my sister and we all about died!

pineapple carrot juice

1 Pineapple and 3 carrots---combo sounds weird, right? But it was actually very good! neither of us expected it!

3 carrots
1 beet
2 celery stalks
2 oranges
Prettiest juice I've ever seen, but warning...it stains your teeth for a few minutes. :) This one is a great detox!!



Well, that will be all for now! It's been a crazy month and I've been so bad at blogging. But life is slowing down so expect more juices!!

Happy, healthy healing!!

<3 KBS

colorful cilantro lime nacho's (gluten free!)

Some nights it's hit and miss around here with healthy eating. As much as I obsess over this lifestyle, I sure haven't mastered it yet.... Yet. :)
However, when your husband yells: "nailed it, Ky!" as he's finishing his dinner, it makes this wannabe foodie proud.
This recipe was inspiration from one of my FAVORITE cafe fresh delicacies; the cilantro lime quesadilla. Nothing is better than that dish.
I got home around 9:30 last night and had half a mind to simply order out.. BUT...I don't know what I'd be eating and we all know how much I love that. So I started making dinner. And I don't regret it for half a second! It was so tasty!

Cilantro Lime Nacho's

• 1 bag all natural gluten-free corn chips
• 2 free range, boneless skinless chicken breasts; chopped
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 tsp all natural sea salt
• 1/2 bag organic white sweet corn
• 2 dollops all natural grass fed gluten free sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used part Tillamook, part raw. Tillamook doesn't have artificial growth hormones. It's the only regular store brand I'd buy!)
• 1/2 TBS Bobs red mill corn starch (gluten free)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk)
• One jar sugar free salsa (if you have a local sports, opt for the Chia, flax and quinoa salsa to add a little super to your food!)
• Cilantro
• Lime

To start, heat your coconut oil over medium heat. sautee some cilantro and salt until the cilantro looks crispy and brown. At that point, remove most of it from the oil, return to heat and add your chicken. Once your chicken is in, take half your lime and squeeze the juices from it onto your cooking chicken. 

In a separate pot, boil your corn. 

In another pot (sorry, I'm not the one pot chef) add your almond milk and corn starch (mixed in) and begin to let it simmer. Once it's simmered, slowly stir in your cheese a little at a time until cheese melts. Your sauce should begin to thicken and look like a light colored cheese sauce.

Once everything is cooked through, it is time to layer those nacho's!! Chips, chicken, corn, cilantro, cheese, salsa, sour cream, juice of lime and DEVOUR! 

Skinny Horchata

 So, I have this sister....

And she has this cute little family

And more motivation to work out in a single day than I think I have ever had in my whole life!

Needless to say, my sister has always known a thing or two when it comes to being fit and creating low fat delicacies! 

She'd make these little chocolate cookie things when we lived in cedar city that were low in calories and we would just down the whole pan while watching something refreshing such as 13 going on 30. 

That’s beside the point. I just wanted to let everyone know she has a low calorie baking/cooking/mixing history. 

I absolutely love her.

I wanted to make sure you all knew I DO NOT claim this recipe as my own. This is all SHAWNI! :) Hence the introduction. :)

Gluten free/sugar free/grain free/Paleo friendly horchata! 

 If you aren't familiar with horchata, it’s a Mexican drink that has milk, loads of sugar, rice (which kind of makes me gag) and spices. Shawni has taken this popular drink and turned it into a low calorie/sugar free (allergy friendly) delight! 

Get ready!

Skinny Horchata

1 C. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tsp. Stevia (truvia)
Cinnamon to taste (Shawni recommends a lot...cinnamon also is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps lower bad cholesterol so top it off, friends!)

Mix well and drink up!

 

three simple ingredients

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE WORRIED: this only has 30 calories in an 8 ounce glass and ZERO grams of sugar. Take that traditional horchata!! And it’s so simple! 

Drink up!

Happy, Healthy, Healing!! 

<3 KBS

Nutella: Store Bought Junk Food to Beneficial Snack

A few weeks ago I got experimental and made PALEO NUTELLA. That’s big, guys. Nutella is man’s way of saying "there is good in the world" and I was missing out on that revelation. Without Nutella, I thought the world was pure BAD! ;)

The blog I based my recipe from (remember I made a few changes) mentioned in bold all cap letters: THIS IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD. Something in our brains automatically tells us: "this is an orgasm to the mouth, it must not be good for me!" because in all reality, there isn't anything harmful in this recipe. As a matter of fact, there are several things in it that are amazingly GOOD for us. 

until that husband of mine gets the camera he's been promising, you'll just have to understand that this was the best thing ever in real life! the blurryness of this photo does it no justice!

If you're still having doubts, that is why I am here...to erase those doubts and explain why this whole food treat is actually beneficial to the body. I would like to note that I am NOT saying you should go out and eat a whole tub of store bought Nutella. I am not vouching for that AT ALL. There are ingredients in that stuff that I don't know what they are and can't advocate. I am saying that the homemade version made with organic whole foods is going to be a healthy treat that tastes good and is good for you! 

Here we go!

Hazelnuts: I was actually really impressed by the health benefits of hazelnuts. Not only do they have so many good aspects and nutrients to them, but they also are high in the benefits they render...it is not a weak nut. 

• Heart Healthy: because they are high in unsaturated fats, they have been known to help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol. 1 cup of hazelnuts (what our delicious recipe calls for) contains almost half of the daily recommendations of magnesium. Magnesium is essential to our bodies because it filters through the heart, helping it beat regularly. 
• Skin Care: vitamin E has been proven to protect our skin from ultraviolet radiation caused by the sun. One cup of hazelnuts has 86% of the vitamin E our bodies need. This will also help with skin cancer risk and premature aging. 
• Digestive Health: there are so many things that are good about hazelnuts for the digestive tract, it’s unreal. However, the most important is their high fiber content. It is essential that we keep the digestive tract moving. When you are constipated or just haven't gone in a while, there is a chance things aren't regular enough and you are reabsorbing toxins and hormones that your body has already eliminated and doesn't need. Not only is it bad for the bowels, but it can wreak havoc on many other of your body’s crucial organs. Unless you are me and my best friend, Elise, (or our husbands who have no filters) people are often embarrassed by pooping. But it’s naturally and healthy and you should really pay attention to how regular you are. If you aren't regular, it may cause more problems down the road. A happy digestive tract is essential for happy overall health! Enough fiber, like the fiber in hazelnuts, can help aid to that.
• and much more: I try and keep my blog posts short so I don't bore my readers, so I won't post every healthy aspect of hazelnuts, I just posted the biggest ones. Do your own research, be informed. 

Unsweetened Cocoa: first of all, I find it ESSENTIAL to mention that cocoa and CHOCOLATE are two different things. Chocolate constitutes oils and sugars and preservatives, etc. pure, unsweetened cocoa powder is a derivative of the coco bean and has May beneficial health benefits:

• Minerals: 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder contains almost 10 percent of our essential daily intake of iron, magnesium, manganese, and zinc. Each of which have their own individual health benefits. 
• Flavonoids: although there are many different types of flavonoids, the flavonoids specific to cocoa release antioxidants and lower blood pressure. 

Evaporated Cane Sugar: many may argue that sugar is sugar. Where that may be true, those few many also not know that simple table sugar that has become the staple in American households is what is dangerous. Cane juice or cane sugar straight from sugar cane still holds all its vitamins and minerals and digests better in the body because it hasn't been refined or chemically altered. I found an excellent source stating all the health benefits of the cane plant and its sugar derivative at processedfreeamerica.org. Their benefits included: 

• It cures a sore throat, cold and flu.

• Unlike table sugar, it has no simple sugars. Diabetics can therefore enjoy it without worrying about soaring blood sugar levels (those with type 2 diabetes should still have limited sugarcane juice).

• It provides glucose to the body, burned by the muscles to provide the body natural energy. It re-hydrates the human body fatigued from heat and physical activity. It's known to boost performance in athletes and manual laborers.

• It's recommended for fevers which cause great protein loss from the body. Liberal consumption of sugarcane juice provides the body with protein during febrile disorders. It also brings down high body temperatures during fevers.

• The easily digestible sugar in sugarcane juice helps in speedy recovery from jaundice. The steep fall in glucose levels during jaundice; may be replenished by having 3 to 4 glasses of sugarcane juice daily.

• It's good for the digestive system and also helps with constipation because of its high potassium content.

• It has a wide range of compounds in addition to sucrose which bestows it with wound healing properties and strengthens the immune system.

• Regular intake of sugarcane juice strengthens the stomach, kidneys, heart, eyes, brain and sex organs.

• It lowers body cholesterol- both LDL and triglycerides.

White refined sugar not only CAN’T do any of that, but it is also a hazard to the body. Remember label readers...not all sugar is created equal. 

COCONUT OIL: if you haven't read The Coconut Oil Miracle, I suggest you snag a copy! I was an avid olive oil user but it just wasn't what I liked to bake with (I have a sensitive pallet and could taste the EVOO way too strongly in everything). I am a HUGE health literature whore and like to buy books whenever I feel like I want to spend some extra bucks. I have so many books I love to look through but The Coconut Oil Miracle has been my favorite. Organic, unrefined coconut oil is:

• heart healthy
• good for skin
• good for hair
• good for the digestive tract 
• beneficial in patients with arthritis
• And good for weight loss. 

 It is catching on as well. There is definitely a coconut frenzy going on in the beauty world. But the actual health benefits are far reaching as well. 

as you can see, there are SO many good benefits to this homemade version of the popular store bought Nutella is actually very beneficial to your body. "not a health food" lady can just do a little more research next time because if I am eating something that is going to provide as many benefits as this creamy dessert, I will classify it as a health food! 

Happy, healthy healing!!! 

<3 KBS 

Humor. :)

I always say attitude is everything. I have noticed the difference in my progress when I'm feeling sorry for myself. It isn't a good difference either. ;) I find it necessary to laugh at how difficult chronic illness is. It's the only thing you can do most of the times. 

Pinterest had me laughing tonight at some of its chronic illness memes. So, in case any of you other chronic illness readers need a laugh, I'm posting them here! Keep calm, heal with food! :) 

Fight hard, fight well, fight naturally! 

Happy, healthy, healing!

<3 KBS