New Amazing Website!

One of my goals through my blog is to connect mom's with quick, easy, and healthy recipes that their kids WILL eat!  So, I see myself as the one to take the time to find the websites/recipes, try them out on my kiddos and their friends and then give them to you tried and true!  This week I have been playing with recipes from my new favorite website, Detoxinista (detoxinista.com).  The recipes are amazing, whole foods, grain free, naturally sweetened and delicious!  My kids had the week off of school so we were playing in the kitchen a lot.  Below I have our three favorites so far!  (Make sure to keep an eye on facebook as in the upcoming week I will be posting more of our favorites!--Like Kingdom Kids Nutrition to get updates...they are more frequent than the blog.)

The above photo is the Peanut Butter Cocoa Smoothie....yummo.  My daughter, Hannah made this smoothie for snack the other day.  She brought it to me and I was in heaven.  I told her not only was she speaking my love language (acts of service) by making snack and serving everyone, but she also made my two favorite foods peanut butter and chocolate!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake

Made of frozen bananas, natural peanut butter, cocoa and a splash of pure maple syrup, this rich, creamy treat is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth, without the sluggish after-effects of a traditional milkshake.

Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas
• ¾ cup almond milk (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 ice cubes (about 2 handfuls)

Instructions

1. Throw all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. (I like to freeze my bananas whole, for easy measuring, then I break them in half when adding them to the blender.)
2. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately!

Notes

For best results, use a high-speed blender like the Vitamix, which breaks down ice effortlessly. A traditional blender should also work– though, you may need to add a bit more almond milk to facilitate blending. 

The second recipe I would like to highlight from Detoxinista is the cauliflower pizza crust.  I topped our pizza with pizza sauce, onions, red pepper, olives, tomatoes, and sheep feta cheese!  Needless to say I will need to make two of these next time!  It was gone in a flash and everyone was asking for more!

The Secret To Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients

• 4 cups steamed cauliflower rice (about one medium head)
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
3. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it steam for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
4. THIS IS THE SECRET: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
5. In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
6. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓” thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
8. Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
9. Slice and serve immediately!

Notes

Time-Saving Tip: I recommend making a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts–> make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick “frozen pizza” to enjoy another night! All you need to do is add toppings and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.   

Below is the photo of the full lunch I served with the pizza.  We had a side salad of lettuce, oil, and balsalmic, topped with carrots and little fruit salad of strawberries and kiwi!  Everyone was a clean plater!

The last recipe I would like to highlight is the amazing grain free chocolate chip cookies!  My boys had friends over...and they ate the WHOLE batch of cookies.  And the boys that were here do not eat a "whole foods" type diet at home.  So, these are a hit for even the beginners in the whole foods world!  Packed with good oil for the body and brain (coconut oil), sweetened with only a bit of maple syrup, and the use of almond flour packs them full of protein, these are a cookie you feel good about serving your kids!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies (grain-free)

Made with almond flour and rich maple syrup, these soft and chewy cookies pack a nutty, complex flavor in each bite. Served with an ice-cold glass of almond milk, they are sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups of Blanched Almond Flour (store-bought or homemade)
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 whole egg, or flax egg
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and egg, and mix well.
3. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and mix well until a uniform batter is achieved, then stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Using a tablespoon, or cookie scoop, drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper.
5. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until golden around the edges, turning the pan half-way through baking time.
6. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Notes

These cookies should last a few days at room temperature, but I prefer to store them in the freezer for an indefinite shelf life–> that way I always have cookies on hand when I sweet craving hits. They taste amazing straight out of the freezer, too!

The only recipe I have tried so far that was not a totally success was the mac n' cheese.  Four out of seven of us loved us....the others did not like it.  However, I think the error came in when I told them we were having mac n' cheese, they thought "real" mac n' cheese.  I should have said we were having a new "pasta" dish and I think they would have liked it as well.  I just think they were expecting a different taste than what they got.  Kind of like when you reach for your coffee and get juice or water instead...ick....I was expecting my morning coffee!

Some other recipes we tried and loved were the avocado mint chocolate chip ice cream and carmel apple dip!  I encourage you to check out the detoxinista.com website and play on your own as well.  You will LOVE this website!