Since I’m unable to eat gluten, soy, and a miriad of other things, I haven’t been able to have too many treats. So when I saw a recipe for Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bites, I knew I had to try it out! It’s gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and as far as desserts go, pretty healthy!!
Gluten Free Cookie Dough Bites
1 Cup Creamy Almond Butter
1/2 Cup, plus 2 tbsp Raw Honey
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 Cup, plus 2 tbsp Coconut Flour
6 tbsp Ground Flax Seed
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1/2 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life Mini Chips)
In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, honey and vanilla until creamy and well blended. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flour, flax seed and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well to combine. Mix in the chocolate chips. Use your hands to knead the dough a few times to combine. If it’s too dry and doesn’t hold together well, knead in one teaspoon of water. Then, scoop out tablespoon-size portions and roll into one-inch balls using your hands. Refrigerate – Makes about 36 cookie bites.
Nashville has long been known as the country music capital of the world, but Rolling Stone’s latest issue has declared it the home of Rock, among other things. In a review that highlights the city’s unique personality, the magazine interviewed local rock celebs and got their feedback on music venues, restaurants, and bars that showcase what Nashville is really about – western hats and belt buckles aside.Hidden spot Pattern House was one of the bars that made the list. It’s Prohibition-esque persona showcases handcrafted, artisanal cocktails that are well-worth the $12 price tag. A menu of gourmet finger foods such as tater tots, deviled eggs, and goat cheese balls all help level out the potent beverages.
King’s of Leon band members love the burgers and truffle fries at local eatery Burger Up, especially the bison version. The quinoa burger is fantastic for vegetarians, and they even have gluten free buns available. With most items made from local, organic ingredients, the establishment has found their niche in the 12th South neighborhood.
Jack White and his wife, model Karen Elson, frequent Marche, the East Nashville brunch and lunch spot owned by the neighboring French restaurant Margot. Here is another local restaurant that does a fantastic job of providing “farm to table” food to their patrons.
Fido, a restaurant in my own neck of the woods, is also a favorite of Taylor Swift. We also share a love of the Blue Chair granola parfait, which includes local honey, cranberries, and plenty of crunchy granola in a huge bowl. Vegan pastries are in abundance, and a few gluten free muffins can be found amid the piles of homemade treats, as well. Like the other restaurants listed, Fido loves to support local farmers, and lists their suppliers on a blackboard for all to see.
Take a more in-depth look at the Rolling Stone write-up in the attached PDF. Do you think Nashville got the praise it deserves?
You know the argument. “I would eat healthier, but it’s just too expensive.” I’ve heard it countless times myself, usually when touting the benefits of a “Real Food” diet. Perhaps the person you’re speaking to doesn’t go to the extreme of defending the McDonald’s Value Menu, but they will most likely talk about the price of grass-fed meats and organic vegetables compared with mass-grocery items.
Here’s where I can win the debate, at least in one area. When shopping at my local Whole Foods Market, I reached the dairy aisle and sighed wistfully as I gazed at the rows upon rows of pasteurized/homogenized milk that lined the shelves – countless versions of skim, low fat, and diet products that claimed to be healthy. In the state of Tennessee, raw milk is illegal, meaning that unless I own a cow, I can’t obtain truly healthy milk products. That is, until I spotted a local dairy manufacturer that had made its way to the shelves amidst the large scale producers.
The iconic glass bottle only adds to the value of this delicious milk!
JD Country Milk is low-pasteurized and non-homogenized, making it the healthiest alternative to raw, grass-fed milk that I can get my hands on. JD only pasteurizes his milk at 145 degrees for 30 minutes, which kills the “bad” bacteria and makes it legal to distribute. It’s also not homogenized, allowing the milk to retain some of the beneficial enzymes that make it a naturally perfect food. Even though some of the beneficial bacteria is killed in the process, it retains many of the great vitamins and minerals that mass-market milk lacks.
In fact, most store-bought dairy products contain nothing of benefit at all. Because the cows were not pasture-raised on grass, the milk would HAVE to be sterilized in order to be consumed. But once they sterilize it, they kill everything good that was in it, meaning the producers then have to add everything back in. This may sound like an ideal solution, but most of the minerals and vitamins that are added can’t be absorbed by the human body. Calcium for instance, is added in the form of deposits from rock, which is useless to the human body and not absorbed at all!
I’ve waxed poetic to all who will listen about JD’s Milk. It’s amazingly tasty and comes in nostalgic glass bottles. The budget-friendly aspect of this milk is that once you’ve finished your bottle, you can bring it back to the store for a $2 refund. Our half gallon of milk, which was $2.99 when purchased, ended up with an out of pocket cost of only $.99. I could be mistaken, but I believe that’s cheaper than even private-label, generic brands.
And so my love affair with JD continues. In my home we currently have Whole Milk, Chocolate Milk (my husband’s breakfast accompaniment), and Half and Half. The buttermilk was superb for Thanksgiving biscuits, as well!
This blog is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday 12/3/10. Check out the other Real Food blogs, as well!
As if my life didn’t revolve around food enough as it is, I am currently 181 days out from a Disney vacation. For those of you not quite as obsessed with all things Walt, that countdown means that beginning tomorrow, I can start making dining reservations for my trip in June. As crazy or OCD as it may sound, finding yourself without reservations during this busy time of year could mean waiting in a 30 minute line for a fast food hamburger in the parks. Other vacation planners are just as obsessed as I am, which equates to crashes on the Disney Website as we all try to make our reservations at the same time. Disney is a money-making machine, and I’m just the type of person that helps them oil the gears.
Like Alice with nothing to drink at a Tea Party
My plan is pretty simple, actually. I’m going to spend the next 12 hours or so with my eyes glued to the computer screen. Since my husband and I have committed to eating organic/nourishing foods, the stakes are higher and the challenge much bigger. More than likely we will be participating in Disney’s Deluxe Dining plan, so we’ll try to eat at numerous Signature restaurants. As mentioned in a previous post, eating organic at Disney is much easier when dining at the more exclusive restaurants, and even some of the regular table service restaurants are beginning to have items such as a Sustainable Fish of the Day on the menu. Read more
I used to wonder how my 99-year-old Great-Grandmother could eat only the “white meat” of steak (aka the fat), every single day, with biscuits and sausage gravy rinsed down with glasses of whole milk, and still maintain a very slim figure throughout her very long life. Now I realize, it’s because the food she existed on is now in danger of extinction.
Channeling my inner Julia Child, I began a foray into yet another food adventure yesterday. Adventure is the key word, as it always involves a certain amount of risk. Ultimately, I’ve set a goal for myself that the Maker’s Diet will be more than just the standard 40 day plan indicated in Jordan Rubin’s book of organic, sustainable, and mostly local foods. The risk in this adventure is not to make it a “diet,” but a lifestyle change. Calling it an adventure is an understatement, however – trekking through Farmer’s Markets, weeding through dubious information online, and delving into the world of raw milk and grass-fed meat has been nothing less than mind-boggling.
But, hopefully I will be able to make things simpler for those of you that either a) simply don’t have the time, b) are skeptical about making this work in today’s world, or c) would just rather have someone else give you the information. 🙂
Meryl Streep, playing the convincing role of Julia Child as she shops for fish at a French Market
The availability of organic food seems to be more accessible, and generally more affordable, than ever before. Combine that with the fact that tidal waves of information keep sweeping in about the FDA and the truth about products we once considered healthy and nutritious, and you have an equation for restaurants going green – right? Surely restaurant owners see a niche and want to fill that with sustainable, organic foods that consumers are now expecting – after all, there are many diners that would be willing to invest a bit more if the food served could be trusted to nourish (take note, restaurants everywhere).
Like a poisoned apple, food that isn't organic could contain more than meets the eye
After finding a handful of restaurants in my area that were latching onto the idea and riding that wave, I started looking elsewhere to see if it was merely a trend, or if it could be the beginnings of a new way of dining out. Apart from traveling to locations that are known for healthy, sustainable living, what about vacation destinations where food and entertainment enthusiasts converge? What about Disney World? Read more
A Taste of Wonderland 