Homemade Cold Brew Coffee ~ Using Household Items UPDATE

A brief history of my interactions with coffee: the acid hurts my belly >__>

The End.

Espresso: ouch
Fresh ground coffee: ouch
Keurig Coffee: super ouch (and icky)
Wawa Coffee: super super ouchies
Cold Brew: lalala!!! *stars in eyes I love you forever you're gorgeous*

But.

Cold brew is the new fad among coffee drinkers, so obviously it's going to be quite expensive. I usually pick up a bottle or two of Stumptown Cold Brew, and it runs me approximately $3 something a 12 ounce bottle. Ouch, again.

What's so awesome about cold brew?? Well! Due to the way in which it is...brewed...the acid level is low and bloating post-consumption is zilch! It's a coffee fiends dream of dreams! The perfect drink-all-day-everyday concoction o' happiness!

So! I decided to look up some methods of brewing on the Internets and recreate my own version with instruments I have laying around the old homestead!

Instruments (NOTE: I mistakenly put 6 ounces of water in the original post instead of 6 cups water)
Large 24 ounce+ container with a lid
fine strainer - so that the coffee grounds stay, but the liquid does not :D
Coffee filter
6 ounces of rough ground coffee - like the good stuff
6 cups of filtered water
rubberband
Larger, pourable container (for after the coffee is all done and ready to sit your fridge and be consumed at your discretion)

1.  Combine water and coffee. Place in 'fridge for 12 hours (or 18 if you like it super strong like me!)

2. Take out of 'fridge and pour through fine strainer into another container (I used my blender because it was sitting around all lonely-like)

3. Using the original container with which the coffee/water concoction was first kept (though you may want to rinse it a bit), place a coffee filter over the opening and secure with a rubber band

4. Slowly pour liquid through the filter

5. Once completely strained, pour remaining liquid into serving bottle of choice. I recommend something 24 ounces or larger

6. Refrigerate and enjoy! Personally, I mix with unsweetened almond milk - but do what you will!

Low-acid goodness right tharrrr !

Other than that, my husband and I are attending the Refused and Faith No More show in Philadelphia, taking away all toys/furniture/items our toddler decides to smack out of anger, and I'm embracing permanently wearing this Cat with Glasses T forever and ever:

photo by the ever-talented and blurry Photo Booth option on Mac

Easy Spinach and Hummus Pinwheels with Feta ~ Toddler Friendly

This week I learned a few new things about my toddler daughter:

1. At her 15 mo appointment (though she is almost 16 mos now), her head has grown into the 95th percentile while her height has plummeted to the 28th percentile (from 67th in February), and her weight remains in the high-60s percentile - so my assessment of this information is that my daughter is a small, walking rectangle with a large noggin'

2. Mirabelle only acknowledges what I'm saying when it doesn't conflict with what she wishes to do

3. Standing on her chair is only of interest when mommy isn't looking

4. Mirabelle and I are both similar in regards to our easily heightened temper with minimal external influence

5. Pigs sounds like "kuh-kuh", clocks sound like "tick tock, tick tock, tick tock *infinity*", dogs sounds like "urh, urh", cows sounds like "*very dramatic pursing of lips* MOOOOOOO", and cats sounds like "keh keh"

6. Mirabelle is never too full for coconut ice cream or fruit, she is only too full to finish her vegetables

7. 16 month old babies are very strong. It takes skill and strength to extract anything from their tightly wrapped little claws

8. When asked to show you her ears, she will first poke you in the eye and then happily point at her ears. This is because first and foremost she is rude.

9. On the other hand, Mirabelle is very loving and adores giving kisses...mainly to inanimate objects, but kisses nonetheless

10. Bugs amaze her, and I'm trying to not allow my distaste for the 6-10 legged creatures to influence her child wonderment, because that lasts so briefly

So! Now on to the easy peasy weeknight recipe that can be completed in less than 45 minutes with or without a whiny baby tugging at your leg, climbing on chairs, throwing books around the room, stepping on the cat's tail, and sliding your very nice decorative pillow across the floor (sorta like how a mop would clean said floor) ~ yes, that easy.

Recipe Deets

1 sheet thawed puff pastry
3 cups spinach
2 ounces feta cheese (half of the standard 4 ounce container you find anywhere)
1/2 cup hummus of choice (I used roasted garlic)
1/2 diced white onion
1 clove of minced garlic
salt to taste
Greased muffin tin

Preheat oven to 400°

- In a small pan sautee onion, garlic, and spinach (add a pinch of sea salt) until wilted - set aside when done
- Roll out one piece of puff pastry
- Spread hummus evenly (leave a bit of space on each side)
- Transfer spinach and place on top of hummus
- Sprinkle with feta (leave a bit extra for when we top of the pinwheels)
- Semi-tightly roll the pastry and brush with a bit of oil
- Cut into 8 pieces
- Sprinkle some feta on top
- On each pinwheel take the loose piece of pastry and fold it under one side of the pinwheel (this will be the bottom for when you place it in the muffin tin)
- Place the pinwheels in the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes

Voila! A little Greek inspired, hassle-free, toddler-approved dinner!

RawTill4 ~ 2 Months + Toddler Din Successes

Happy 2 (dos, deux, zwei, liang <---thank you lady I work with...etc.) Months RawTill4!! Though...shit feels longer, just saying    >_>

Either way, I started this journey the beginning of April as a week long experiment to see how my body would adjust to a drastic change regarding how I consume food. At the time I was drinking at least two coffees a day (acid make me no happy), salads for breakfast/lunch + balsamic vinegar + steamed vegetables, salty snacks up the...up the...the you know...up and stuffs...pretty much my waking moments were composed of thinking about what I wanted to eat while simultaneously counting calories and doing crash diets in order to consume said calories. It was sort of sad actually! I was eating healthy by society's standards but my body was telling me this wasn't working, I was burying myself in a world of packaged goods in the form of salad dressing, coffee creamer, salty snacks, and well, that's about it...but that's all it took for this post-baby making metabolism!

So! After one week on RawTill4 I realized I generally felt better, my portions were back in control, and I no longer craved ridiculous amounts of salt. It just felt...good.

Buzzzzz. Beeeeeep. 2 months have passed. Hi, hey! I've finally semi-accepted my weight/physique sorta/kinda. I've lost a couple of inches and I feel great in regards to energy most of the time (B12 vitamins in use!), so summer is approaching and I dug out the 2-piece for a spin. Felt good. It's odd, how the female brain operates. My husband is my biggest supporter. He met me almost 6 years ago when I was at my heaviest (5'2; 135-140 lbs) and he loved every part of me but it didn't matter. Along  with my own self-deprication, I heard opinions from outside sources stating things like "she will become a marshmallow" or "Rick likes them big" ...haha...as I can look back and laugh, a few statements like those can really hurt, whether or not we like to admit it. And due to the fact that I had struggled with weight paranoia issues for quite some time, these opinions only fueled my general distaste in my physical form. Currently, I'm still 5'2 (yea, apparently vertical growth past 8th grade was not in the books) and remain between 115-118 lbs, but the difference can be found in the lack of bloat. While I'd love to lose another 5-10 lbs, I'm content feeling as though I'm doing everything dietary that I can possibly do. And that is a first for me.

Below are examples throughout my 2 month RawTill4 (carbs at night) food-related experiments

Besides shoving whole food items into my face, I've tried to broaden my toddler daughter's pallet with vegetarian post-work tired brain meal ideas:

What I've learned:

1. Children enjoy any vegetables that are roasted. Any.
2. Children will consume cheese regardless if dairy resides within it.
3. Children consume fruit morning, day, and night because it's sugar and sugar tastes good.
4. Make "mashed" anything and small humans will eat it.
5. Broccoli is great in soufflé form, steamed form not so much.
6. String beans are great, but toddlers with 6 teef have a hard time consuming them, so they tear, suck, and eat the garlic/butter from each piece.
7. Quinoa is awesome. Anytime.
8. Toddlers love different flavors, so add them! Paprika, curry powder, garlic, thyme, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cardamom etc. DO it.

Photo One: Baked paprika/sea salt carrots and cauliflower, baked butternut squash, sweet potato mash, and fruit

Photo Two: Quinoa sweet potato parm burger, butternut squash fries, and fruit

Photo Three: Broccoli souffle, carrot coins, butternut squash, garlic butter string beans, and fruit

Lesson to be learned: don't limit your tiny person's diet...they get it, food is great in many forms. Whole foods are great in all forms.

Now on to the summer and VegFest in 2-days! More on that next week...

Rainbow Spring Rolls and Soy Paper Sushi Rolls ~ Vegan

The husband and I lovelovelove sushi. But, unfortunately, it's a bit of an expensive habit :s We usually order it twice a month, and sometimes eat out - which can add anywhere from $100-$200 to our monthly budget (eesh!). So! We decided to whip up some unique sushi rolls with soy paper, accompanied by delish spring rolls!

Recipe Deets

Sushi
Soy paper (5 sheets)
Romaine (approximately 5-6 leaves)
1/2 avocado
1 Cucumber sliced thin
Butternut squash (approximately 8 baked finger length pieces)
1/2 Red Pepper (sliced thin)
1/4 cup diced strawberries
1 jalapeno pepper (sliced thin)
Wasabi sauce

- First lay your soy paper out on a clean surface
- Chose 3 pieces of paper and add: a drizzle of wasabi sauce width wise, cucumber, red peppers, avocado, and romaine
- Roll them and cut width wise, then top with diced strawberries
- Take the final 2 sheets of soy paper and lay them on a clean surface
- Add: wasabi sauce, cucumber, avocado, butternut squash, jalapeno, and romaine
- Roll width wise, cut, and top with extra jalapeno peps!

Yum. YUM.

Spring Rolls
4 pieces of rice paper
1/2 avocado
Red cabbage
1/2 Red Pepper
1 Carrot (sliced into small sticks)
Sweet chili sauce for dippinsssss!

- Follow this tutorial on how to use and assemble spring rolls with rice paper - because it's a tedious process and one that takes a bit of practice, but once you get it down, you will never pay for over-priced rolls again!
- Assemble your rolls using the ingredients above - slice in half
- Dip the heck outta them rolls and insert in your mouth!

Now sit down, pick out a fine ass movie, and relax!

Banana Split Nice-Cream ~ Raw/Vegan

mmm. MMM.

I have been craving banana "ice cream" allllll winter! There's a small, local place that is only open April through October and it serves this amazing ice cream alternative made exclusively of bananas! Due to this obsession of mine, a few years ago my husband bought me the exact machine the restaurant uses, and needless to say it has served our household well ~ birthdays, dessert-for-dinner, breakfasts, and et cetera !

So! Right around the beginning of May (yes, that's when I began this post and then life and *ahem* Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Veep, oh and a full-time job got in the way) the fam visited our favorite little restaurant where we ordered beautifully constructed banana ice cream concoctions made up of varying fruits and *healthy* alternative toppings (e.g., coconut, granola, non-dairy chocolate chips, sunflower seeds) - it was heaven in the mouth, but I wanted more...MORE >:D

Thus, the very next day I created this:

Recipe Deets (You will need a food processor or homogenizer ~ if you don't have these a blender will work but you will need to add milk, approximately 1/2 cup per banana)

5 frozen bananas (peeled)
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1/2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp unsweetened coconut (optional)
1/2 tbsp raw cacao nibs (optional)
2 bowls
1 large mug

- in the first bowl process or homogenize 1 1/2 bananas, transfer to a blender and add cacao powder and vanilla ~ blend well and place in freezer
- in the second bowl process or homogenize 1 1/2 bananas then transfer to a blender. Add cherries and blend until it turns a pretty pink (there will be chunks of cherry...this is cool...very cool), place in freezer
- using the mug (which will be your BASE banana portion, see photo above) process or homogenize 2 bananas
- remove cherry and chocolate portions ~ add the chocolate portion to your mug (with the plain banana base already in place), then add the cherry portion on top
- sprinkle with coconut and cacao nibs

Smash in face, dribble some down your chin, wipe your mouth on your sleeve - all without guilt!

Do it.

Overnight Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding ~ Raw/Vegan

This one is super easy, almost zero effort involved, and perfectly amazing on the belly! I'll keep the yapping brief tonight, as it's the end of my 4-day awesome weekend with my husband! We celebrated his 30-something birthday with days packed full-o-fun...so essentially I'm tired and looking to turn my brain off and relax, cocktail in hand of course ha...ha

I'm currently on my 2nd week of RawTill4. I'm beginning to consider making this a lifestyle choice for a few reasons:

1. Even though my husband and I were traveling all over the place Friday and Saturday, I managed to find places to eat that adhered to my new dietary regime.
2. I've never felt less bloated throughout the day as when I am eating clean, uncooked foods
3. I don't calorie count <--- huge deal for me
4. I've slimmed down - this is because of less daytime bloat AND continuing a strict workout regime. Eating healthy is great, but without physical activity and strengthening your body you're looking at a physique that may appear optimum but isn't. Skinny doesn't equal healthy. Strong and toned is what I shoot toward!

Anyway! On to the easiest of RawTill4 recipes yet!

Recipe Deets

1 air tight container (12 ounce or larger)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or coconut milk)
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 tbsp chia seeds (protein explosion!!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

- Place all ingredients in mason jar (or airtight container) and refrigerate overnight
- The End

So good. Like hide in a corner so your kids don't see you and ask for you to share...type of good.

Below is a little picy collage of my weekend with the husband...food and all! Now back to reality :s

Morning Wake Up Smoothie Bowl ~ Raw/Vegan

Welly-well, I've just started day 3 of RawTill4 and you know what? It's going super great! Minus the 3pm headache my-body-needs-caffeine moment, but who's keeping track? hrm. ANYWAY. This new (very new) way of eating has actually illuminated a few things for me:

1. Whatever I used to eat was actually slowly building up in my digestive track causing me intense pains due to bloat.
2. I was *always* craving salt, actually, to the point where I thought about it throughout the day.
3. Whether I was eating salads with steamed vegetables or egg whites, I always felt heavy and sluggish.
4. My brain was foggy and tired all of the time.

Over the weekend I made the drastic change to only eat raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. from the moment I wake up until 4pm. In those 2 days I've lost almost 2 pounds from water weight alone. I wake up feeling light and well rested. And best of all? I'm looking forward to coming up with new, easy recipes that may help me change this "diet" into a lifestyle! As with any life altering decision, it's all about preparation and patience (the latter I'm super not so goods with...bleh).

 Now on to the recipe! Smoothie bowls are a well known, very popular way to smash some nutrients in our faces! They're super easy and you can pretty much take a basic recipe and switch it up a gazillion different ways. So feel free to use the recipe below as a base to take your own smoothie bowl off in to new exciting frontiers!

Recipe Deets
2 cups frozen/fresh fruit - pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mango, etc.
1 banana
1 cup water
1 tbsp raw nut butter (optional)
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)

NOTE: If using fresh fruit, add 3-4 ice cubes

- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend everything until smooth
- Pour in bowl and top with lots of fruit, chia seeds, raw granola, hemp seeds, etc.!

Seriously the highlight of my morning!