Buy a bottle- Save a bee!

I met this company at the Natural Products Expo that I attended last weekend and they had me from "save a bee". As you remember I posted a blog a while back about the vanishing bee population and it is a scary thing as bees pollinate over 1/3 of the foods that we eat! One of my absolute favorite things about this product is that its tea with a tablespoon of honey, thats it, there are no refined or artifical sweeteners! I tried the lemon ginger and its fantastic!!! For every bottle you buy, Honey Drop donates proceeds to local beekeepers across the country to help build new hives, increase awareness, and fight against CCD.

Look for this product in your local health food stores.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients
•1 1/2c (or 1 can) pumpkin puree

•1c organic milk* (can substitute almond, soy, coconut or silken tofu)
•1c crushed ice
•1 tsp pure vanilla extract
•1 tsp pumpkin spice
•agave nectar to taste

Preparation
Blend ingredients together. Enjoy!

Optional alterations
•throw a handful of toasted pecans into the blender
•use vanilla yogurt, ice-cream, or a frozen banana for added creaminess
•top with your favorite organic whipped cream
•replace the agave nectar with ginger jam or maple syrup
•serve with a sprinkle of homemade granola, a graham cracker, or a ginger snap cookie

Source: Phenomenal Woman

Cake Batter Cashew Butter

I just made this recipe from edible perspective and its great! Not too mention such a cute hostess gift!
• 2c raw cashews
• 1/4-1/3t fine grain sea salt
• 1/2T vanilla extract
• 1/2t almond extract
• 1T sucanat
• 2T sprinkles

1. Preheat your oven to 250*.
2. Roast cashews on a pan for about 30min, turning 1-2x until lightly golden brown.
3. Let cool 5-10min and pour into your food processor.
4. Turn on + let process until butter smooth. You will need to scrape down the bowl numerous times before it butterizes. It takes about 8-12min to smooth out.
5. Once smooth, add in salt, vanilla, almond, and sucanat.
6. Process again until smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary. ~2-4min.
7. Empty into a bowl and place in the fridge for 15-30min, until room temp or slightly cool.
8. Stir in sprinkles + pour into a jar.

Nu Val

Nu Val is coming to a grocery store new you! This new nutrition ranking system helps shoppers easily determine how much nutrition they are getting or are not getting from their food/drink choices. We all know we need to eat better but that's easier said than done. We are bombarded by "nutrition claims", "health claims", marketing tactics etc, so Nu Val has arrived to help us sort through the clutter. This scientific system is objective, reliable and simple guidance to nutritious foods. The food is scored on 1-100 which allows us to compare products and enjoy our food choices while shifting towards higher scored items = more nutritious. (FINALLY a simple way to choose the healthiest food for ourselves and our loved ones)

Check out their website to see the values of your favorite foods.... http://www.nuval.com  

Raw Revolution

Many of us don't have time to make a homemade granola bars all the time, so here is a great on the go substitute. Raw Revolution organic live food bars are wonderful and can be found in many chain grocery store chains. Eating raw food can increase energy and prevent fatigue. They are also rich in enzymes, vitamins and minerals that allows your body to easily digest the food. Since the raw foods have their own enzymes it allows your internal digestive enzymes to focus on other bodily functions, including metabolism and energy production.


Here is also a quick easy raw granola bar recipe that will be a sure hit with friends and family! 2 cups of raw cashews crushed in a food processor. Then add 2 cups of pitted dates, 2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/3 cup of dried apples to the food processor and mix for a few mins. Press into an 8x12 cookie sheet lined with foil & place in frig for 45 mins. Cut into 12 bars & wrap individually with saran wrap & place back in the frig or freezer until you are ready to eat. **Feel free to subsitute the apples with fruit of your choice

10 Rules to Eating Healthy for Life- Dr. Mark Hyman

10 Rules to Eating Healthy for Life

1. Eat foods without labels (ex: Apples, Carrots, Spinach etc)
2. Choose foods that have less than 5 ingredients and make sure you recognize each of them
3. Avoid white powders (flour, sugar, salt )
4. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Avoid shortening and refined oils
6. Avoid food additives
7. Avoid artificial sweeteners (splenda, sweet and low, equal)
8. Eat food grown on a farm not in a manufacturing plant (1000 calories of Kale is very different than 1000 calories of Coke)
9. Don't drink your calories
10. Start your day with protein

Adding Flowers to your meal

Flowers are such a beautiful way to garnish a plate! You can even add some to salads or freeze them in an ice cube to add a touch of elegance to your next glass of water.

Here is a great article from Dr. Weil about which flowers are safe to eat http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400990/What-Flowers-Are-Safe-to-Eat.html