Preheat oven to 350◦. In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add vanilla, oil and almond milk and combine. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread mixture evenly onto pan. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once. Let cool before storing in an air tight container. Serve with yogurt, fresh fruit (pomegranate seeds pictured) or your favorite alternative milk beverage.

What a great way to start the day and the New Year!  Making your own granola is quick and easy and a great habit to take on for your best health and well-being.  The ingredients are already in your pantry and you can create your own recipe with whatever you DO have on hand.  Change the nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to your heart’s content.  Just make sure to add those dried cranberries after you bake the granola.  Enjoy each yummy bite!

Coconut Date Bites
1 cup pitted dates
1 tablespoon warm water
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Combine dates and water in food processor and pulse until chopped.   Form date mixture into 1-inch rounds. Roll date rounds in shredded coconut to cover.  Ready to serve or store in sealed container.

Makes 12 date bites

Winter bliss does not have to include overloaded calorie content or -40 below weather.  However, we can make it look like a winter wonderland. This fun and easy recipe is great for that little bit of natural sweetness that will help you through the holidays and give you more of what you want to receive: PEACE!  Dates are nature’s way of evening the score when it comes to holiday indulgence without tempting your peace of mind or your holiday calorie counting budget.   This is the kind of treat you can have more than one but make sure to save some for your guests, for they will be impressed with the way they look before they even know how good they are!  As an alternative, you can also roll your dates in chopped nuts.  Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.    Either way, you will have a snow-filled winter scene, no matter what climate you find yourself in this holiday season.

This article can be seen in the Holiday Edition of Design Is Magazine!
http://www.designisdigital.com/designis/Holiday2011/?pg=96&pm=2&u1=friend

Check out this video to see just how easy it is to make!
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/healthy-family-choices-11/default.htm

Nutty Apple Crumble
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pecans
½ cup oat flour
2 tbsp agave nectar
¼ cup apple juice or cider
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Pulse walnuts and pecans in food processor. Add in oat flour, agave nectar, apple juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pulse until combined. Press mixture into lightly oiled pie pan, saving ¼ cup for topping. Bake for 5 minutes at 375.

6 organic apples, peeled and sliced thin
¼ cup cane sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Put apple slices into a large bowl. In medium bowl, combine cane sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss apples with sugar mixture. Fill in par baked pie crust with apple mixture and top with remaining nut mixture. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes.

Serves: 6

Vine-Ripened Tomato

Easy Breezy Caprese

Sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Arrange to desired design. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar for extra pizazz. Simple and elegant with all the freshness of your summer harvest!

Fresh Tomato & Pineapple Salsa
3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
2 scallions, diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of ½ of fresh lime
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional)

Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together.   For an added spicy flair, add jalapenos.  Serve with favorite tortilla chips or on top of your salmon filet.

Crispy Kale Chips

Baked Crispy Kale Chips
1 bunch organic kale
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pink Himalayan salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Remove stems and chop kale into 3”-4”
pieces. Wash and spin dry chopped kale. In large bowl, drizzle
kale with olive oil and toss. Place kale on baking sheet and
bake for 12-15 minutes or until desired crispness. Remove
from oven and gently sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve
immediately.

Kale is the ultimate Superfood and for good reason! It has bragging rights for being one of the top nutritional foods. Most people have only experienced kale as a garnish on their dinner plate and have not appreciated kale for the nutritional powerhouse that it is. This crispy little snack is quite addictive, easy to make AND your kids will love it!  The ingredient list is small and has a great payoff.  You will feel so good about this wholesome treat, you’ll have to work at sharing! Picture racing against your 10 year old to see who can get the last one! …I suggest organic kale in order to eliminate unnecessary pesticides and
sprinkling them with Pink Himalayan salt so you can have your kale chips as pure as Mother Nature intended. I enjoy the basic version best but feel free to experiment with different seasonings or a sprinkling of Parmesan to change it up. With easy snack recipes like this, who would want to eat any other way? Happy snacking!

Check out Design Is Magazine:

http://www.designisdigital.com/designis/spring2011?pg=80