• 2 1/4 cups almond meal
  
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal 
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt

• 2 tsp FRESH thyme and rosemary
  

Thoroughly mix dry ingredients together.

• 5 small eggs (or 4 large)
  
• 1.5 Tbsp honey
  
• 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
  
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl, then combine the two together. 

Next, add in 2 tsp. of fresh thyme and rosemary finely chopped. Mix that in until well combined. You can add or replace those herbs if you have other ones you'd like to try as well, these two are just super fragrant and strong!

 And bake 25-30min @ 350. Make sure a toothpick comes out clean!! 

This Happy Hemp savory salad blends two of my favorite ingredients: brussel sprouts and kale, and turns them into healthy blend of amazing, melt in your mouth rich fresh goodness. Here is some nutritional info on hemp, which adds a punch of protein, omegas and good fatty acids to the mix. 

Nutritional Benefits of Hemp Seeds

• Hemp has more protein than meat, fish or tofu.
• Hemp has the perfect ratio of omega’s 3, 6 & 9. Great for women and hormone regulation.
• Hemp is packed with essential fatty acids, amino acids as well as all of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need on a daily basis.
• Hemp is in the same category as flax seeds or chia seeds, but because of it’s nutritional balance it is actually superior to the others. 
• Hemp Seeds Support: Immune Deficiency Disorders - Digestion - Maintaining a healthy level of cholesterol - Hormone fluctuation - Circulation - Weight Management - Insomnia- Healthy Hair, Skin, Nails
• Commonly known medicinal uses: nausea & vomiting; multiple sclerosis/muscle spasm disorders; spinal cord injuries; Chron's disease; Alzheimer's disease; Tourette's syndrome; digestive disorders; glaucoma; asthma; neurodegenerative disorders
• Not to mention they taste delicious!.. And no you will not fail a drug test after eating hemp seeds. They have less than .01% THC and are perfectly legal :)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt (plus more for seasoning)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of kale (1 1/2 lbs. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced/shredded
• 12 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated/shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely
• 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Hemp Seeds

Instructions 
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Lightly drizzle coconut oil over chopped brussels sprouts and bake for 20 mins.
3. Take brussels sprouts out of the oven 
4. Combine chopped mushrooms, lemon juice. Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, cheese, hemp seeds, salt & pepper in a small bowl - Stir to blend & set aside to let flavors meld.
5. Mix thinly sliced kale & shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
6. In a small skillet, heat coconut oil on medium & add macadamia nuts/hemp seeds, stirring frequently  until golden brown in spots (about 2 mins).
7. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate & lightly sprinkle with salt.
8. Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in a cup into lemon juice mixture.
9. Season dressing to taste with salt & pepper.
10. Add dressing & cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt & pepper.
11. Garnish with macadamia nuts. Enjoy!!

I love making my own dressings and marinades. It is so easy, fast and fun. Plus it reduces packaged processed foods stacking up in your home and increases fresh real food ingredients in your diet. Here is a simple super healthy recipe from Bold Vegan to add to your repertoire.  Play with it and make it your own! 
Ingredients (Makes 1 cup)

• 1/2 avocado, skin removed and pitted
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
• 2 scallions (use the entire onion except for the root)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 2 medjool dates, soaked in hot water for 2 minutes
• 1/2 tsp. ginger, peeled and grated or ground ginger powder
• 3/4 cup water 

Directions:
Place all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Over the past two years I have made more or less the same green smoothie for breakfast on average about 350 days a year. That's a lot of smoothies! My smoothie kick started because before I wasn't really eating more than a granola bar or yogurt for breakfast. This lack of protein in the morning resulted in afternoon and late night hunger pains and binging. A nutrient and protein packed shake is the easiest and most delicious way to jump start the day. I pretty much never have time to make a hot meal in the morning, but I always have enough time to throw a few ingredients in the blender and run out the door with my cup flowing over with green goodness. Which is what happens when I have to be anywhere before 9 A.M. I am also that girl who when I come to visit you for the weekend I bring my smoothie mixins. And I'll make you one too! In fact I love making smoothie converts. My family scoffed at my green breakfast concoction for months. I think they even gagged watching me enjoy every last sip of my kale and spinach blended to perfection. A few months later, guess what they are having for breakfast now! 

This year winter rolled in to Jerusalem with a huge snow storm. Our meager space heaters in only the bedrooms and living room where not doing the trick. The thought of an ice laden cold smoothie sounded more like torture than bliss. During this time Scott and I were still doing a detoxifying cleanse and had to have a "liquid breakfast." 

So instead I created this little beauty... Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Shake-Meal. I made mine with the meal instead of the protein powder because I really wanted it to thicken almost to the consistency of oatmeal. But if you just want to drink it like a shake you should use the protein powder and DO NOT blend the chia. I blended the chia for extra thickening power to replicate that oatmeal texture, without the oats of course. Try it out! Make it yours. 

This smoothie and I have made it through many a long day and hard workouts together. It's an oldie but a goodie and definitely deserves it's place here amongst these new fancy hot shakes. So here it is, my Tried and True Green Smoothie Recipe.

• 1 Handful of Ice
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
• 1 Handful of frozen mixed berries: Strawberries & blueberries are my fav bc the seeds don't get lodged in your teeth
• 1 Handful of Spinach
• 1 Handful of Kale 
• 1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Chia Seeds  
• 2 Scoops Hemp Force Protein Powder 
• 1 Tbs Coconut or MCT oil
• Optional additions: Earth Grown Nutrients, Spirulina, Trilogy nut butter, hemp seeds, maca powder, cinnamon, other frozen fruit, avocado

Directions:

1. Add to Blend Tech Blender in this order: ice, milk, berries, spinach, kale, flax seeds, and other additions. 
2. Blend until smooth
3. Add protein powder and slowly blend just until mixed (The chia sends to get thick and slimy if you blend it too much and some protein powders get foamy, so add them at the end.)
4. Enjoy!

Shortly after I moved to Israel Scott and I decided we needed to do a cleanse. We were both super healthy while living in Austin, however maintaining our clean diet and lifestyle in Israel was proving to be a bit more difficult. Whole Foods and organic farmers markets were out the window and replaced with weekly "Taco Night" family dinners, both of our July birthday celebrations, plus the 4th of July and an apartment infested with mold and bugs. All of this had us spraying chemicals, eating loads of sugar and grazing on processed foods that we wanted to eliminate from our diet. 
We needed to hit the reset button. 

The Standard American Diet, processed foods, GMO's, pesticides, toxins, chemicals, antibiotics and our fast-paced, stress-filled lives have (unfortunately) all become a normal and accepted part of modern life. All these things have the potential to interrupt and damage the body's natural functions and ultimately cause it to suffer in many ways small and large. Your detoxification system, comprised of your organs and psychological processes working together, is designed to keep you healthy, youthful and happy. With a little help from YOU this amazing system can become a super power center for healing, regeneration, restoration and rejuvenation. Doing a detoxifying cleanse helps to reactivate its potential and reset the whole mental and physical body. It delivers an all access pass to boundless reserves of energy and healing you didn't even know you had. 

Scott suffered from respiratory congestion, mild asthma and low energy, and I was dealing with IBS symptoms related to gluten, sweets and the stress of moving to a new and totally foreign place. Not to mention, we both have an insatiable sweet tooth that was self perpetuating monster. Rrrawr!  

On the hunt for a cleanse that we felt we could commit to and benefit from, I read the book Clean by Alejandro Junger and was totally sold. I liked several things about the program including:

• LONG ENOUGH: It is a 21-day cleanse which would give us enough time to heal, break bad habits and form new better ones.
• FOOD BASED: We wouldn't have to go vegan and totally starve ourselves on juice! We have a protein smoothie for breakfast, a healthy protein+veggie lunch, and a light veggie soup or fresh juice for dinner.
• MIND-BODY-SPIRIT INCORPORATED: It's not just a dietary cleanse. You are encouraged to meditate to cleanse the mind and change negative thought patterns that don't serve you. Online mediation resources: Mediation Experience and Living In Love Free Apps by Deepak Chopra; Mindful Meditation App; Check out other mediation apps HERE. 
• MOVE YOUR BODY: Exercise is also encouraged and since you are still eating real super healthy food you have the energy and strength to stay active, go for a run, or do yoga. 
• ADIOS CHEMICALS: All environmental toxins and chemicals including cleaning & beauty products are eliminated and replaced with safe natural products. This includes traditional toothpaste, antiperspirant, deodorant, all soaps & detergents, makeup, air fresheners, etc. 

This process was only slightly complicated by the fact that we live in Jerusalem and in the organic health food and nutrition department they about 20 years behind the curve. Fortunately, we are able to order most everything from Amazon. We also found an awesome CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program which delivers us two large boxes of local organic veggies once a week. As for meat... Well, we have to eat a lot of chicken as it is the only meat we can get organic. For best produce shop your local organic farmers markets or sign up for a CSA! 

OUR CLEAN PROGRAM

• Liquid Breakfast: Smoothie with greens, spinach, kale, blueberries & raspberries, cucumber, almond milk, vegan protein powder, chia seeds, super greens, coconut butter, maca powder, bee pollen, etc. 
• Solid Lunch: Healthy lunch with animal protein and veggies from the approved foods below. My lentil recipe is a great lunch option. Just switch the sausage for ground turkey, chicken or lamb.
  
• Liquid Dinner: Fresh veggie juice OR blended veggie soup
• 2 Tablespoons of Organic Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil before bed

Olive Oil taken at night lubricates your intestines, improve bowel elimination, provide anti-inflammatory fats, kill germs and enhance fat burning, stimulate the gallbladder and liver to move bile clearing the liver system, promote bone formation, inhibit blood clot formation, and promote hormonal balance. 

• Fast for 12 HOURS between breakfast and dinner. If dinner was at 7 pm breakfast is at 7 am. 
• Drink at least 1 liter of pure filtered water a day not including tea.
• Snack, only if needed, on RAW veggies, fruit or nuts
• Supplement List Fiber, Probiotics, Liver Support, Antimicrobial, Digestive Enzymes, Natural Calm Magnesium 
• Printable Shopping List 
• PDF Cleanse Manual 

Since Scott and I were already pretty healthy and knew what we need to do to get back to baseline the results have not been super dramatic. We have felt hunger but never weakness. It has been hard not to eat solid foods after lunch. I am craving chocolate like crazy. More than anything I am still trying to break the habit of wanting something sweet after lunch and/or dinner. But it's not over yet and I am hopeful! 14 days into it here is what we have to report...

• Loads of energy, especially in the A.M. after fasting for 12 hours every night
• Feeling of lightness and ease
• My stomach pains and IBS symptoms are gone
• Scott's asthmatic symptoms and congestion is gone
• Skin is clear and radiant
• PMS symptoms (cramps, irritability, bloating) are lessened, if not gone
• Regular digestion and elimination (Sorry, but it's a good thing I had to mention!)
• We both have lost some weight, Scott much more than me. I don't weigh myself, but I can say my jeans slip on pretty easy right out of the dryer. 

We feel so good that we have actually decided to continue with the cleanse all the way to New Years just to end the year strong. We will be taking a three day break December 23-25th to celebrate a little and bake THESE gluten-free beauties. Check back here January 1st for the final report! 

Since I just wrote a blog about the super powers of chocolate I have to add this delicious recipe for gluten free scones using Chocolates El Rey Gran Saman Discos. 

I first had the immense pleasure of tasting these scones on a road trip from New Orleans back to Austin. If you have ever made that 8 hour trek across I10 you know there is nowhere to stop for a good meal. So my boyfriend's super talented (and prepared!) sister had baked these for the drive. Needless to say all 8 scones were gone by the time we got back to Austin. Probably not the best "meal" but I felt a lot better about it than stopping at a fast food joint for a heart attach in a bag.

Post Script: I use chocolate and cherries here but you can really throw anything in that suits your fancy. I also like to use blueberries, strawberries, coconut, orange or lemon zest, ginger.. you get the point. 

Preheat Oven to 350 F
INGREDIENTS:

• 2. 5 Cups Almond Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1/4 tsp Salt
  
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  
• 1 Egg
  
• 1/4 Raw Honey or Maple Syrup
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla
  
• 1 Cup El Rey Gran Saman Discos, chopped
  
• 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Cherries, pitted and thawed

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Combine the almond flour, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
  
• In a separate small bowl mix the ACV, egg, honey and vanilla. 
  
• Pour the liquid mixture into the big mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and combine. 
  
• Once thoroughly mixed, add the chocolate and cherries. I like to gently mix them in evenly with my hands. (They're gonna get dirty anyways!) Combine everything into one big dough ball.
  
• Place the entire dough ball on a lined cookie sheet and use your fingers to pat in out into a circle about 1 inch thick. (Wash your hands now :)
  
• With a large knife, cut the circle into eighths and put in the oven to bake. 
  

BAKE at 350 F for 15 minutes

I can not tell you how many times I have tried to give up chocolate in order to reach my health goals. As a teenager I was told cutting chocolate from my diet would make my acne go away. So I tried... mostly without success. It's just too tasty! So the day I read scientific studies calling chocolate a super food with actual real life health properties I could not have been happier. I probably ran to the nearest vending machine to buy a candy bar packed full of more sugar and toxic mystery ingredients than actual real cacao. There was problem NUMERO UNO! 

The secret to eating chocolate guilt free and reaping all of its awesome health benefits is all in WHAT KIND & QUALITY OF CHOCOLATE you choose to eat. 

• First rule of thumb is to choose DARK CHOCOLATE with a minimum 70% cacao and real food ingredients you know and recognize. True dark chocolate is made from a combination of four simple ingredients: cacao beans separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter, sugar and vanilla. Milk chocolate has added powdered milk which is a highly processed substance you should avoid. 

• Secondly, check the source of the chocolate, more specifically the cocoa bean's country of origin. Just as fine wines are made from specific grapes, and specialty coffee comes from superior coffee growing regions, chocolate is made from cacao which is the bean of the cacao tree. Experts will tell you the world's most aromatic and flavorful beans come from South America. Most companies mix lower quality beans from Africa or other growing regions but the finest chocolate is made from beans from South America. 
• Last but not least, look out for sneaky ingredients like loads of sugar, emulsifiers, soy lecithin, artificial flavors and colors. Stick to natural flavors, spices and additions like nuts and coconut flakes. My absolute favorite sweet snack is dipping pure dark chocolate into almond butter or coconut butter. Heaven! No wonder they call it the "FOOD OF THE GODS!"

While you're enjoying rich dark chocolate you can ponder these amazing health facts:

• Dark chocolate is an antioxidant POWERHOUSE even more than blueberries and acai
• Dark chocolate contains theobromine shown to harden tooth enamel
• Quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese  
• Dark chocolate helps suppress your appetite
• The bioactive compounds in cocoa can improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a statistically significant decrease in blood pressure
• Dark chocolate lowers the susceptibility of LDL to oxidative damage while increasing HDL and improving insulin sensitivity
• Dark chocolate may also improve brain function
• Dark chocolate is protective against cardiovascular disease

HOLY CACAO that's a lot of awesome! 

Check out this video on how chocolate is made...

I love soup. But I really love soup when it is a full meal loaded with veggies and protein. I learned to make lentils when I was living and working as an au pair in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain.  My madre, Susana, was a phenomenal cook - she also loved to use the word fenomenal - and I tried to learn as much as I could from her. The recipe I give you here comes straight from Susana's kitchen and has been made over dozens of times and perfected in my kitchen. 
You're going to get a lot of "perfection" in this recipe. Spaniards make great lentils, but aren't too good at giving specific measurements or cooking times... just go with it. They will be delicious, especially if you're cooking with a glass of Rioja wine in hand. Ole! 

Combine chicken/veggie stock, lentils & spices and bring to a boil

• 2 Quarts chicken/veggie stock (See recipe here for a homemade version). No time to make your own? Better Than Boullion Organic Veggie or Chicken Broth Concentrate is super simple. Follow instructions on the jar. 
• 1 lb. lentils (I combine French green, red and brown)
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika 
• 2 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste (Beware: If you use boullion you will not need any additional salt)
• red chili flakes to taste 

Chop veggies. Add veggies to broth after lentils have simmered for about 10 minutes *

• 1 sweet or white potato, chopped  
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped1 cup diced tomatoes or canned
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• Kale / spinach / swiss chard (Add at the very end!) 
• 1/2 lb. Spanish chorizo / Italian Sausage / Ground turkey (cook separately)

Meanwhile saute meat in a skillet and then add to the lentils and veggies once cooked. Taste test the green lentils and sweet potato after they have simmered for 20 minutes. They should be cooked but still firm. They will continue to cook even after you've turned off the heat. 

Finally, throw in a bunch of fresh spinach / chopped Swiss chard / kale towards the very end. It cooks super fast so no need to do it until the end.  It will cook down so you can add a lot more than you might think. Go overboard! I have also made a vegetarian version and honestly didn't even miss the meat. I just cut the meat and use veggie broth instead of chicken. This recipe is super versatile so just play with it and find what you like.  Buen Provecho!

* If you have trouble cooking the veggies while not over cooking the lentils to mush or vice versa. You might try cooking them separately! Cook veggies to your desired density in a separate skillet and then combine with lentils and meat.

Sometimes I just want a piece of warm homemade (gluten & grain free) banana bread but I know if I bake a  whole loaf it will mysteriously disappear... into my belly within a day or two. Thus, this single serving Banana Mug Cake is the perfect solution. This is one of those recipes that I get asked for over and over again by friends because it is so tasty, easy, healthy and fast. It only takes about 3 minutes to make from start to finish! 




1/2 Banana, mashed up
1 tsp Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Raw Honey or Pure Organic Maple Syrup
1 Egg
Chopped Walnuts, Pecans or Dark Chocolate to taste
Splash of Vanilla
Dash of Cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients with a fork in a mug and microwave for 1:30-2 minutes