Candice's Taco Salad

I enjoyed this meal so much that I decided to write it down:

1 cup frozen corn, defrosted

1 cup cooked pinto or black beans

2 ripe, but firm, tomatoes

2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbs chopped green onions, green part only

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

black pepper

juice of 1 lime

3 Tbs Oil Salad Dressing, homemade

1 pinch to 1/8 tsp chili powder

Mix all together in a medium bowl.  Serve with Salad Greens, diced fried potatoes (fresh), and corn chips.  Basic but delicious.

Quesadillas

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto or black beans

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

pinch chili powder

dash cumin 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

3 Tbs Olive oil

squeeze of lime juice

a little water for blending

6 very thin Whole wheat tortillas

Place everything except water and tortillas in a blender.  Blend, adding water a little at a time, until smooth, but thick.   Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Spread tortilla with bean spread, cover with another tortilla and heat in skillet until lightly browned.  Flip and brown.  Remove from pan and repeat with remaining tortillas.  Serve with fresh salsa or Ketchup.  If you really like garlic, brush garlic infused oil on both sides of quesadilla before toasting.   I loved these, and Sabrina liked them too, except that I only mashed the beans with a fork, instead of blending, which lended too much texture for her.

Coconut Joys

2 cups unsweetened coconut shavings (dry)

1/4 cup honey gel or plain honey (add a tablespoon at a time)

1/2 recipe Chocolate cake Frosting (use as little water as possible)

Place the coconut in a dry blade blender or food processor and grind until very fine and oily. Pour into a bowl and add the gel or honey a little at a time.  Using a fork, blend together until a very stiff dough is formed.  Break dough into small balls and place on wax paper a waxed serving tray. Press each ball down, until a pit is formed.  Put the frosting in a bag, and squeeze into the coconut pits.  Freeze until set.  Store extras in a freezer safe container.  The girls loved these.

Honey gel:

1/4 cup honey

1 cup cold water

1 Tbs Arrowroot powder

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Pour into a saucepan and heat over med until mixture thickens.  Cool completely and store in the fridge.  I use this gel as filling in cinnamon rolls and in the place of shortening or butter.  

High Fiber Chocolate Cake

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Soy Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 to 1/2 cup non-alkali Cocoa

1/2 cup Fresh Applesauce

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cider Vinegar

1 cup Fresh Apple Juice (or water)

1/2 to 1 cup Honey

Mix dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients and mix well.  Pour into greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  (Check with toothpick)

Frosting:

1 cup Pecans

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup honey

1/4 to 3/4 cups water (add a little at a time, according to blenders need)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/8 to 1/4 cup cocoa

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.   Chill cake and frosting before spreading.  We really loved this cake!

Candice

Discouragement

Well, I've decided that it's the yeast in cheese that makes it addictive.  The nacho cheese was good, but it seemed to stimulate a need to eat.  I couldn't stop.  So, I don't recommend using nutritional yeast, I'm pretty sure it's not that nutritious after all. 

Well, I got pretty discouraged this week.  I've been trying not to use any foods with preservatives or any chemicals, but I'm so stinking tired, that it gets really hard to not have any convenient foods.  When Brian came home from school the other day, I started crying, and didn't want to do it anymore,  so he bought me some all natural corn chips, and unsweetened shredded wheat to get me through the crisis.  I also used a can of prepared pizza sauce on my homemade crust. Unfortunately, there was blood in my urine the next morning, and I felt like my intestines would tear open any minute.   I guess the thing that gets frustrating is the perfection part of it: I eat one less desirable thing, and I'm in excruciating pain for hours, sometimes days, and it's very often accompanied by difficulty breathing and bleeding. So I just don't eat...sometimes...and then I throw up.   The upside is that I am learning to prepare completely natural meals for my family.  I know that will be a huge blessing to them.   Another blessing is that it seems like there's someone watching over me, whispering ideas in my ear, and helping me to not stay discouraged for too long.   I'm so grateful for that.

Anyway, those are my musings.  Good luck with healthy living.  

Merry Christmas.  

Candice

Fantastic Nacho Cheese

Here's a recipe from shmooedfood.blogspot.com:

2 cups cold water

1/4 cup raw cashews

1 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 Tbs cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder)

4 ozs roasted pimentos or red peppers (you could use hot peppers, if you like)

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice (half a lemon)

1 1/2 tsp salt (I recommend 2 tsp)

1/2 tsp onion powder 

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 garlic powder

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a sauce pan and heat on medium high until thickened, stirring constantly.  Serve as dip or use in cheese soups. It is excellent.  

Candice