Raw Date Butter

When I was a kid I HATED dates, and just couldn’t understand how anyone could enjoy them. My palate hadn’t grown enough to appreciate the unique carmel-like flavor or the rich, “meaty” texture. These days, I love them. They are great alone or added to sweet or savory dishes that require a touch of sweet. The complex flavor coupled with the benefits of a fruit high in fiber and phytonutrients, make dates a great sugar alternative. Date butter makes it easy to add the flavor of dates to your dishes and this recipe is delicious and simple.

Immunity Tea

Hibiscus contains high levels of vitamin c which helps fight colds and it helps strengthen the immune system. This plant also has an abundance amino acids, fruit acids, vitamins (especially vitamin c), bioflavonoids and other nutrients.

Calendula while best perhaps best known for its topical skin healing properties, is also soothing internal remedy with antimicrobial components; this healing plant gently stimulates the immune system and promotes lymphatic drainage. Calendula petals also have wound-healing properties most likely due to it’s high content of iodine, manganese and carotene, which promote cell regeneration.

Historically chamomile has been used treat many illnesses, from colds to viruses. Studies suggest that chamomile tea helps to boost the immune system by increasing levels of polyphenols (antiviral, antibacterial, anti-cancer properties) in the bloodstream. It is also anti-inflammation and a relaxant.

Ginger is antibacterial, anti-parasitic , and anti-inflammatory and is great for digestion.

The following recipe makes a potent tea that has immune building properties. A small cup a few times a day, everyday or as often as needed will help to give your body the antioxidants it needs to function exceedingly well .

Raw Vanilla-Cinnamon Cashew Milk

I’m far from being vegan, but my desire to drink cows milk is next to non-existent these days. I still enjoy cheese and butter, but I prefer my milk to come from a nut. I usually buy almond milk from the store to eat in cereal, or mix with my smoothies. And although I’ve often thought about making my own, I’d never gotten around to it, thinking it would be difficult, or costly to do.

The other day, after making my first batch of Vegan Oat Bran Milk, I decided I would try making a milk with my favorite nuts, cashews. After looking at a few recipes to determine the correct cashew to water ratio, I developed a really delicious recipe that even my milk loving nephews loved!

Tomato Kale Frittata

I found this amazing Frittata recipe on Jason’s Bites, and decided to drop what I was doing and make it! (I was hungry! Lol)

Fab Natural Cooking Staples

Learning about the hidden sources of MSG in one of my favorite cooking ingredients was very disheartening, but I was determined to find an alternative to what I thought was my alternative to regular bouillon. I scoured the Internet looking for “All Natural” or “Organic” vegetable bouillon with no hidden MSG, but to no avail. Every time I thought I’d found one, I was disappointed by an ingredient like “yeast extract” or “malt extract” which are MSG indicators. After a thorough search I decided to try to make it myself.

Hidden MSG in My Favorite Cooking Base

The day I realized my beloved Better Than Bouillon was not a “clean,” MSG free, flavor enhancer wasn’t the happiest of days in my kitchen. After deciding the taste was too good to be true I decided to take a closer look. On the surface, the ingredients look innocent enough,

5 Easy Steps to Clean up Your Diet

I found a funny and useful infographic by the fabulous natural hair obsessed, video blogging, graphic designer Chescaleigh. Leave it to her to inject a few laughs into clean eating, while showing that anyone can change their habits.

Coconut Mango Green Smoothie

Tastes WAY better than it looks.

I’m always trying to think of new and delicious ways to pack in my veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I was raised in a household where you ate your veggies; my dad is a vegetarian, and my mom, while she is a big meat eater, is definitely pro veggie as well. So I definitely don’t mind eating my vegetation the “regular” way, and I rather enjoy them, but sometimes you just don’t feel like chewing all that roughage. Here is where smoothies save the day! *insert dramatic hero sound effect*

While I really liked the first smoothie recipe I posted, it wasn’t the as simple as I would have liked. It was delicious, but it required too many ingredients, and at this point in my life, simplicity is EVERYTHING. Seriously. I decided I needed to come up with a very simple recipe that is not only delicious, but pretty darn good for you. For me, a good smoothie is not sickeningly sweet, but rather subtly so, with a smooth and creamy texture that goes down easily. But most importantly, a good smoothie is GOOD for you. With this recipe, I think I’ve captured all of the components that make a great smoothie.

5 Tips on Getting Sexy Abs, by Celebrity Trainer Jeanette Jenkins

Most of us know that great abs aren’t something that just happen, but are built through hard work and dedication; not just hard work in the gym, but, and perhaps most importantly, through discipline in the kitchen as well. Trainer Jeanette Jenkins recently shared some tips for obtaining a killer set of abs, via Frugivore Magazine:

While her clientele includes a smoking hot roster of stars, Hollywood trainer Jeanette Jenkins has no problem helping everyone get the body they dream of. Her latest DVD, Sexy Abs, features the sexy songbird Kelly Rowland who has a midsection many would die for.

“We decided do Sexy Abs together because of course Kelly has beautiful abs and a beautiful core and body parts that a lot of her fans admire and want to have,” Jenkins said.  ”We did a DVD that shows people how to improve not just your core strength but your core flexibility.”

She also gifted us tips on what and how to eat in order to slim the waistline and burn the belly fat:

7 Days of Green Smoothies

I love green smoothies because it’s a delicious way to get lots of necessary nutrients and fiber in one meal, and a great way boost your energy every day. This recipe was adapted from Dr. Oz’s Super Energy Smoothie. I loved the original recipe but it makes SO much and preparation is a lot of work. Also, with fresh produce there is a huge risk for spoilage. Another issue is the cost. Fresh fruits and veggies are costly, and this smoothie, because of the huge batch, was no exception. I decided to use what I had at home, and make a couple of changes to suit my taste as well. The changes make the recipe more cost-effective, by making it easier to make it two servings at a time.

This green machine is packed with just enough good stuff. It has hydrating coconut water, a natural energy drink. Raspberries which provide necessary vitamin C and cleansing dietary fiber as well as soluble fiber, which helps to regulate cholesterol. Delicious cantaloupe is rich in vitamin A, which promotes vision health and helps to fight aging and disease, as well as vitamin C, an essential antioxidant. With 427 mg per cup, cantaloupe is a high source of potassium, which is essential for normal cell function, muscle function, heartbeat and energy regulation.