Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

My husband is a cinnamon addict. There is nothing he loves more than a good cinnamon roll :)

We tried this recipe tonight... Yum Yum! You must try these cinnamon rolls!

Orange Julius Green Smoothie

Orange Julius Green Smoothie

• 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup milk (we use vanilla soy milk)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup RAW unprocessed sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8-9 ice cubes
• 2-3 large handfuls of spinach (optional)
  

1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.
2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

Breakfast Crepes

One of my favorite childhood memories is when my dad would make us crepes for breakfast or dinner. My brothers and I would sit around the kitchen table arguing over who got the next crepe. We always felt very special when our crepe came back shaped as Mickey Mouse :)

Here is our favorite Breakfast Crepe recipe:

Breakfast Crepes

• 1 ½ tbsp. flax seed
• 1 ½ cups milk (we use soy milk)
  
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I use hard white wheat)
  
• Dash of sea salt
• 1 tsp. coconut oil (for coating pan)

Whisk flax seed and soy milk in a bowl. Add vanilla, coconut oil, and whisk again to combine. In another bowl, combine flour and salt – stir. Combine wet and dry ingredients until smooth and all lumps have disappeared. (I skip all of these steps. I put everything in my Vita-mix (a blender will work) and then blend on low for a minute or two!)


Heat 1 tsp. coconut oil on skillet. Scoop ¼ cup of batter onto pan and immediately rotate pan in a circle, spreading batter across the pan.

Cook for a couple of minutes until crepe is dry on top and you can easily lift it off of the pan.

Serve with fresh fruit, jam, or peanut butter! Yum Yum!

Creamy Pasta Primavera

Okay, I have been really hungry lately! Here is another new recipe we had for lunch today.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 and 2/3 cup milk (We use soy - rice or almond will work as well)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour (I used wheat)
2 cups vegetables cut into small pieces - broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over low heat. Add onions, garlic, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Saute.
   
2. Add milk, coconut oil, salt and pepper, and flour.
   
3. Transfer everything to a blender (I used my vita-mix) and blend on low until smooth. Be sure to hold the lid down! No one likes cleaning things off of their ceiling :) Once blended, return to large saucepan.
   
4. Steam vegetables. Add to saucepan.
5. Serve over pasta. Yum!

Bread recipes will be coming in a couple of days. It is really sunny and nice outside so we have traded in our oven mits for baseballs and swings!

Operation: Feed Spencer (Banana Bread Recipe)

See that stud? That is my brother, Spencer.

Spencer is a poor college kid, who recently told me that he lives off of five dollars a week. FIVE DOLLARS A WEEK! I asked him what he could eat for five dollars a week and he said "rice and hot dogs". Ohhh my.

Spencer decided that he really wants a scholarship. Spencer wants that scholarship more than he wants food... which says a lot!

Dear BYU, please give this kid a scholarship already!


"Operation: Feed Spencer" consists of baking breads and cookies to send to the fun and crazy Uncle Spencer. Good test grades are founded on good nutrition, right?


Here is our first recipe for "Operation: Feed Spencer"

Banana Bread

1/2 cup soft coconut oil
3/4 cup sucanant
3 ripe bananas

3 tbsp. freshly ground flax seeds
9 tbsp. soy milk


1 and 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 and 2/3 cup wheat flour

1. Combine freshly ground flax seeds with soy milk. Allow this mixture to sit for a couple of minutes. The flax seeds and the milk replace the eggs in this recipe.
2. Meanwhile, combine sucanant and coconut oil in a bowl. Add bananas.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Thoroughly combine all ingredients into one bowl.
5. Pour batter into a large-greased pan - I use olive oil or coconut oil.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes

Tomorrow we are baking Chocolate Apple Bread, Pear Bread, and maybe some zucchini bread. Be sure to stop by and check out these recipes!


Hey Preston and Kyle, I am sending you some food too... stop freaking out!

Why Coconut Oil?

While at Barnes and Noble a couple months ago, I picked up a book called The Coconut Oil Miracle - I highly recommend this book.

Coconut oil is awesome. Unlike vegetable oil, butter, and shortening - coconut oil actually supports your thyroid - increasing your metabolism - helping you burn fat! I know that the fat content looks high, but it is GOOD fat. Not all fat is bad! Coconut oil is easily absorbed by the body - unlike vegetable oil, butter, and shortening.

"Coconut oil is known as a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) - it is easily absorbed without the use of bile from the gallbladder, stimulates metabolism as it can easily be burned by cellular processes, and is a saturated fat that will not oxidize significantly when heated. Less oxidation means less free-radicals - which cause damage to the cells. Vegetable oil, butter, and shortening are all capable of producing harmful free-radicals that can bombard the body with unneeded stresses. Moreover, coconut oil contains caprylic acid - nature's most powerful anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial!"

- Nathan Schilaty, DC

Because coconut oil is easily absorbed, it actually helps you to lose weight and stay skinny. Learn more about good fats.

Coconut oil is pretty easy to substitute for butter and oils. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, add 1/2 cup coconut oil! You will love the added sweetness from the coconut oil. We love coconut oil on our toast and popcorn.



Coconut oil is great for your skin! Coconut oil is an awesome anti-aging product, great for stretch marks, and helpful in any skin condition.

I put it to the test.

A couple months ago I had really bad psoriasis on both of my knees. I have tried multiple products and treatments to help eliminate psoriasis... but it always returns. This time I tried putting coconut oil on my knees a couple times a day - and it disappeared! Months later, I am still psoriasis free, which is AMAZING!

I tried coconut oil on my face, and I did notice a difference in my mommy wrinkles - and no acne! I have been applying coconut oil on my face morning and night. So, toss all of those expensive products, and go get some coconut oil!

Your skin absorbs whatever you put on it - essentially eating it. Coconut oil is easily absorbed by the skin leaving your pores open; other beauty products actually block the pores. When pores are blocked, your body can no longer release the harmful toxins through your skin - which results in acne, rashes, and many other negative side effects.

I ditched my lotion two months ago. At first, my skin went through withdrawals - it felt really dry and itchy. Now my skin LOVES it. The authors of The Coconut Oil Miracle suggested applying coconut oil to your feet each evening (cover your feet with socks to keep the oil on your feet) for smooth soft feet. A few nights later, your feet will be like new - soft and smooth! If you try it, I would love to see your before and after pictures :)

I love my coconut oil, and you should too!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are simply amazing!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies by Post Punk Kitchen... no hand blender was used in making this recipe thereby maintaining all of my punk points :)

Here is my modified recipe:

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups sucanant
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole flax seeds
1/2 cup soymilk

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grind the flax seeds on high in a blender until they become a powder. Add soymilk and blend for another 30 seconds or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl sift together wheat flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In a separate large bowl cream together coconut oil and sucanant. Add the flax seed/soy milk mixture and mix well. Add the vanilla.

Fold in the dry ingredients in batches. When it starts to get too stiff to mix with a spatula, use your hands until a nice stiff dough forms. Add the chocolate chips and mix with your hands again.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into a disc that's about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

--- Posted at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven