Healthy Mama Popcorn

Hey Healthy Mamas!

This week I thought I'd share a super simple snack that I've been really loving lately. And not only is it super easy to make but it's super healthy and perfect for the late night cravings!

I give you this:

{via}

Popcorn is high in fibre, low in calories and contains no sodium or sugar. Unfortunately, all that prettiness is masked by trans fats & popcorn lungs when you buy the microwaveable pouches! I first heard about this method from Averie at Love Veggies & Yoga. She regularly posts amazing raw & healthy recipes and is so passionate about helping others achieve a healthy balance! So, grab the following ingredients & get popping!

• 1/3 cup kernels
• whatever flavors you wish: cinnamon, choc chips, sea salt, nutritional yeast, peanuts
• spoonful of earth balance butter
• pot with a lid

Melt butter in pot on med/high heat then add kernels and cover with a lid. They will start popping after 30 seconds and will be done when you don't hear popping for 10 sec. Give pot a little shake then pour in bowl and sprinkle with toppings. I personally love shaking nutritional yeast & dark choc chips on mine! If you'd like to learn about a brown bag/microwave version - check out Averie's post here.

Healthy Mama: Magically Delicious

For this week's Healthy Mama post I thought I would share the smoothie recipe that I make every day. This is an excellent way to work in some fruit & veggies into your day...especially when chasing around after baby doesn't leave much time to prepare a proper meal. I have one of these every day after my morning workout and it is so rejuvinating! Here's what you'll need:

If you don't own a magic bullet - you really should think about getting one. This little beast is very affordable (around $30) and it is super functional! I use not only to make my smoothies, but I puree all of Chloe's foods in it, soups, crush nuts...the list goes on & on!

1. 1 cup Spinach (can be frozen or fresh)

2. 1/2 cup OJ (fresh is best)

3. 1 cup Almond Milk (or Silk Soy)

4. 1 tbsp Omega 3 oil (can be fish or flax) I use Nutra Sea but Udo's is also a good choice.

5. 1 scoop Whey Protein powder (find one without extra fillers/sugars)

6. 1 cup Frozen fruit/berries

I put the frozen items in first to make sure they blend up nicely. I like my shakes to be really thick so that I can enjoy it longer. Usually, I'll make it before going to the gym and put it in a stainless bottle so it keeps it's thickness. The great thing is you can be really creative and experiment with different fruits & flavours all while getting a great dose of nutrients!

Enjoy!

Healthy Mama: Gorgeous Green Soup

It's about this time of year, every year, that I start to really question why I live in cold & snowy Canada. But since there's not much I can do to change the weather, I might as well embrace it with a big old pot of soup. This soup packs a big nutritional punch and is like an internal spahhhh!!

This will make up about 6 servings, so you may want to freeze 1/2 of it....cause I'm pretty sure this weather will be around next week too!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive Oil 2 leeks 3 cups veggie broth 8 cloves garlic 1 bunch kale

3 tbsp fresh sage leaves 3 1/2 cups water 2 sweet potato Sea salt

Wash all your produce. Remove the stems from the Kale and roll the leaves & slice. Pop the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 3 minutes & then chop into quarters. Cut the white stem off the leek and slice.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic & pinch of sea salt to pot & simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes in a large soup pot with 4 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt & sage. Bring to a boil and then cover & simmer for 10 min. Add the kale, leeks, broth & garlic to the potatoes and cover/simmer for 20 min. Then, add in onions for last few minutes. Let cool slightly before blending. Season with lemon juice & cilantro if you like. Enjoy!!

Healthy Mama: Strawberry Soda Cupcakes

This week's recipe is equal parts fun & healthy, and perfectly pink for your Valentine. And really, can't everything in life be solved with a cupcake in hand? And if this isn't inspiration enough, check out these amazing cupcake liners

Cupcake Ingredients:

{based off a recipe by fabulous k}

- 1 box of strawberry cake mix

- 1 1/3 cups strawberry soda (this will be used instead of water)

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup organic apple sauce

Beat all ingredients and pour into mini cupcake tins 1/4" from the top. Bake as directed and let cool before applying frosting:

Frosting Ingredients:

{recipe courtesy of Tone it Up}

- 1 cup light cream cheese

- 2 tbsp plain LF Greek yogurt

- 2tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1/4 cup stevia powder

- fresh raspberries

Beat first 5 ingredients and then crush raspberries into the mix to make the frosting pink. Apply to cupcakes and have fun decorating!

Healthy Mama Mondays

Okay...here's the deal:

I never used to like cooking and would bake the odd weekend that I had some really ripe bananas on the counter. Before having Chloe, I was working long hours and didn't really have the headspace to think up healthy dinners. That and the fact that I am blessed beyond measure to be married to a beautiful boy that enjoys cooking. (Ladies - go out and find yourself a firefighter because they are a lot more than just a beautiful month on the calendar).

But now that I am living the domestically chic life, I have really enjoyed cooking up healthy meals and it has turned into a bit of a crazy passion. So, I thought I'd start sharing a healthy recipe each week. I promise it will always be super yummy & super good for you! And, I thought I'd re-mention the meal planning website I have fallen in love with called Plan to Eat . You must try this out...there's a 1 month free trial!

Enough rambling...here's this week's recipe: Tahini Oat & Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats, (not quick-cooking) 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 cup tahini 4 tbsp butter (or try Earth balance for Vegan)

2/3 cup sugar/12 Purevia 1/4 cup agave syrup 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup dark choc chips 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Directions |

Preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk oats, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat tahini and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until blended into a paste. Add brown sugar & agave; continue beating until well combined"the mixture will still be a little grainy. Beat in egg, then egg white, then vanilla. Stir in the oat mixture with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts & seeds.

With damp hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the batter into a ball, place it on a prepared baking sheet and flatten it with wet spatula. Continue with the remaining batter, spacing the flattened balls 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 16 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.