Chia Chia!

Chia Seeds = Yep! 
The same seed used to sprout the infamous "Chia Pets"
into ridiculous looking lush green shelf ornaments!

These microscopic powerhouses, finally re-surfacing into the food & health world, are only 2 mm long! 

2 Tb. of Chia seeds contain approximately 11 grams of fiber & 5 grams of protein!  They're a beneficial healthy fat (just like other nuts & seeds), & they are rich in several minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, & manganese.  They're high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help ward off illness, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, etc...  They're also known to aid in digestion & lowering cholesterol.

Unlike flax seeds, Chia seeds do NOT need to be ground up before using to benefit from their nutrients.  (Most people don't realize that whole flax seeds do not digest.  They go right through you. - Which makes me get a little confused when I see them incorporated 'whole' into granolas & cereals at the grocery store.)

When Chia seeds are soaked, they absorb the water & form a gelatinous coating that's kinda fun to play with in your mouth!  (see photo below).  Soaking chia seeds for about 10 minutes before consuming prevents them from absorbing water from your body during digestion and causing dehydration.  But if you're sprinkling just a bit on a salad or into a smoothie, don't worry about it too much  :)  You can always drink a little extra water...

These little guys are making their way into ice cream, smoothie, & yogurt shops.  My first experience was when I sprinkled them on top of my frozen yogurt at Kiwi Loco in Idaho.  I was instantly addicted to playing with the gelatin that formed around them after soaking up the moisture from the yogurt.  I've heard several others say the same thing...  They're fun to play with in your mouth! :)

I'm a little bit addicted to Chia seeds. I put them in & on breads, smoothies, sauces, ice-cream, salads, pasta dishes, soups, dips, fruits & veges, casseroles, you name it! They're AWESOME!

You can even grind them up into Chia flour with a coffee grinder!  :o)  Take a minute to google Chia recipes, & you'll find loads of them!

Here are a couple of fun healthy(er) dessert ideas for getting started:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding:

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2012/04/chocolate-peanut-butter-chia-pudding.html

Chia  Brownies:
http://www.healthyandgoodcooking.com/?p=728

Fruity Yogurt

Did you know that (dare I say this...) MOST yogurt you buy at the store is very misleading in its nutrition content?   Unfortunately It's become more of an artificially sweetened confectionary treat & is hardly healthy.  Real nutritious yogurt is naturally fermented/soured milk full of nutrients, enzymes, & beneficial bacteria, better known as probiotics.  (That would be those funny words you see such as Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidus Regularis, etc...)

Not long ago, I picked up a beautifully decorated tub of "all natural" yogurt that said "Sweetened With Stevia" on the front, so I thought 'how awesome is that!?'  But when I double checked the ingredients, I found that it was FULL of aspartame, sucralose, & sugar near the top of the list, & stevia was THE VERY LAST INGREDIENT (If you weren't already aware, ingredients are listed from greatest amount to least amount).  Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper.

This is just one simple example of 'conspiring men in the last days'.  Seriously, most people don't look at the ingredients list, so they think they're  getting a good thing, when in fact, they're getting artificial & processed ingredients that are literally poisoning their precious body.  And our kids eat TONS of it!

Yogurt - - - Who would'a thunk!  :(

Instead of purchasing flavored yogurt with unhealthy, unnatural, processed, artificial, & unpronounceable ingredients, why not make your own!  It's simple, it's fast, & it's tasty!

You can kick it up a little by making your own plain yogurt, which doesn't take very long at all & is THE HEALTHIEST option, or at least get yourself some good quality plain organic yogurt made of very few simple ingredients.  Then, here's what you need to make this simple healthy & yummy food:

(Play around with ingredients & amounts for your own preferred taste!)

-Plain yogurt
-Vanilla (optional)
-Stevia, xylitol, raw honey, or agave nectar (to sweeten)
-Fresh or frozen berries / fruit
-Nuts or seeds
-Oatmeal

 *OPTIONAL:
-Lemon essential oil (sometimes I add a drop or 2, because I personally love lemon yogurt!)

*Frozen fruit works GREAT, if you're 'on the go'.  By the time you eat it, the frozen fruit defrosts & the colored juices mix with the yogurt perfectly.

Kick it up even further & add nuts or homemade granola to the top!  YUMMY :)

RAW Chocolate Cocout Almond Truffles!

If you can't find these items locally, go for Amazon.com - They have GREAT prices on normally more expensive health foods.  Most stores now carry Organic Agave, Costco carries some, & stores that sell bulk foods often have a health foods section with these items. 

1 c. raw almonds, ground (super fine texture like almond flour, if possible)
1/2 c. agave nectar or maple syrup (opt: can add a few drops of stevia extract for sweeter taste)
1/2 c. coconut oil (raw, un-filtered, cold pressed - the solid white kind)
1/2 c. cacao powder (raw cacao, if possible... but if not, AT LEAST a good quality Dutch processed cocoa powder)

In a food processor, grind almonds into a flour (unless it's already ground).  Add agave & coconut oil (not melted), & mix till smooth.  SLOWLY add the cacao powder.  Don't over process, because it can seize if mixed too much.  (((You could also try doing this in your Blendtec or Vitamix.  Just pulse it until it's the right consistency)))

Batter will be thick.  Pour into a pan, sprinkle top with unsweetened coconut flakes, & freeze or refrigerate.  They'll set fast.  (Technically, I guess they're not truffles, since these are cut like brownies.  But that's not the point...  Right?)

***You can also add a few drops of mint or orange essential oil (100% therapeutic grade), if you like chocolate mint or chocolate orange.  YUMMY!

Store in the fridge or freezer.

These taste a lot like Almond Joy candy bars!  (Just much - much - MUCH healthier!)