Healthy Homemade Ice Cream

I am going to be honest here...I have seen this recipe a few times and never thought that 1) it would actually work and 2) that my kids would accept it as an ice cream replacement. Great news for me....both actually happened.

There are a few reasons that this recipe is now a favorite in my house. The first...it's super inexpensive to make! I am easily able to grab clearance bananas to use which are always marked down at my grocery store to like 19 cents a pound! The second...the health factor is so amped up here. No added sugar, no preservatives, no artificial flavorings...just FRUIT. The third is pretty simple....It tastes great! It has a creamy texture and you can easily add other fruits for different flavors: strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter, blackberries, chocolate chips, etc! As you can see by the photo, my kids opted for chocolate chip. I really didn't feel bad adding them since it was just bananas and chocolate chips!

The steps are SOOOO EASY to do and your kids will love helping!

1) Slice bananas into small discs and freeze in containers or baggies.
2) Load frozen bananas into food processor.
3) BLEND!

Those 3 steps will produce a super creamy "ice cream" that is packed with nutrients and low in calories. It also makes organic ice cream an affordable treat (that crap is expensive at the store!)

I hope you enjoy this recipe and try it at home.

Super Easy ORGANIC General Tso's Sauce Recipe

When my family and I began our healthy eating journey, we easily gave up having "junk food" around the house", eating fast food, and had no problems choosing organic vs. traditional. We made a pretty smooth transition but after time found that we missed some of our favorite dishes like General Tso's from our neighborhood Chinese restaurant.

This was one dish that I was VERY afraid to try making at home. I have mastered pizza, tortillas, desserts...BUT I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to match the General's Tofu we were used to. I still had to try because the cheat nights at the Chinese restaurant were filled with processed ingredients and sugar. If I could make it myself....we could have it more often without having a cheat day :)

I saw many recipes online and to be honest...some were pretty intimidating. May recipes called for a number of ingredients and most were items that I simply don't keep around the house. The recipe that I ended up with may NOT be a traditional General Tso's BUT it was one that I can make with ingredients that I keep around the house and it was extremely kid friendly!

TIPS:

• If you are looking for a spicy alternative, you can add fresh jalapenos, sriracha, or dried red pepper flakes. You can also add 1 teaspoon of ginger for extra zing :)
• Also note that this recipe calls for cornstarch...if you don't have any on hand - simply make a basic roux with butter and flour then add your sauce to it and bring to a simmer!
• I used all organic ingredients BUT you can use whatever you want
• If you want to reduce the sugar, try adding more orange juice or stevia!
• Try blending in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter!

This recipe was just enough for two people..I had to make a triple batch!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 squeezed orange
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons rice wine (any cooking wine works)
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients minus cornstarch and bring to boil to allow the sugar to dissolve.
2. Wisk in cornstarch and reduce heat.
3. Your sauce will quickly thicken and be ready to serve over veggies, chicken, beef, or tofu!

I hope you enjoy this version of General Tso's sauce and that it helps to keep you on track with your healthy living goals!

Organic Coffee's for My Keurig Exist!!! Even Decaf!

I was so happy when I received the email saying that I was chosen to receive a free Keurig 2.0 from Influenster. No joke, I felt like I won the lottery! This thing is AMAZING! Huge beautiful screen, can brew coffee at any set time, and best of all has a large CARAFE so when I am having friends over, there is no need to brew one cup at a time! I plan to go over more features in another post because there is so much to say!

I want to focus on some organic options for any Keurig!

I remember buying my husband our first Keurig a few years ago. We were just starting our organic journey and were excited to see what was out there in the way of organic options...we were kinda sad to see that our local grocery store had NONE! Everything we saw had artificial ingredients and flavors. I was starting to think that I had finally broken down and spent the money on a great machine that would either sit useless or cause us o abandon our new lifestyle. Happily for us...we found some great organic options just a few clicks away!

Keurig - man's Own Organics K-Cup Portion Pack for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Newman's Own Special Blend, 24 Count

This one is a pretty great value! $.71 per cup :)
Keurig - man's Own Organics K-Cup Portion Pack for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Newman's Own Special Blend, 24 Count - $16.90, 4.99 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Keurig - WICKED JO: 12 Single Serve Cups, SingleCup Jo is for Keurig K-Cup Type Brewers, Bold, Dark, Organic French Roast Coffee, Pure 100% Arabica Coffee, No Additives, USDA Certified Organic, Gourmet Coffee from the Jo Coffee Collection

AMAZING COFFEE and TONS OF FLAVOR!
Keurig - WICKED JO: 12 Single Serve Cups, SingleCup Jo is for Keurig K-Cup Type Brewers, Bold, Dark, Organic French Roast Coffee, Pure 100% Arabica Coffee, No Additives, USDA Certified Organic, Gourmet Coffee from the Jo Coffee Collection - $10.99, 5.33 shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Keurig - Van Houtte Cafe Swiss Water Decaf, Fair Trade & Organic Light Roast Coffee for Keurig Brewers, 24-Count K-Cups (Pack of 2)

This one is a little pricier BUT is going to give you tons of decaf flavor and a real coffee house feel. They use a special process to decaffinate the coffee using only water!
Keurig - Van Houtte Cafe Swiss Water Decaf, Fair Trade & Organic Light Roast Coffee for Keurig Brewers, 24-Count K-Cups (Pack of 2) - $44.98, Free shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Keurig - "Zaire" Congo Kivu Organic Coffee, 48 ct. FRC Cups for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC

This one is from Africa and boasts some great flavors!
Keurig - "Zaire" Congo Kivu Organic Coffee, 48 ct. FRC Cups for Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC - $29.95, Free shipping - Available at Amazon.com Marketplace

Keurig - Nicaraguan Fair Trade Organic - K-Cups

Another great deal and Fair Trade!
Keurig - Nicaraguan Fair Trade Organic - K-Cups - $17.45, 8.95 shipping - Available at Keurig Canada

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links provided by Postpresso.

Healthy Toasted Curried Chickpeas

As you all know, the easiest way to stick to any healthy eating plan, is to have the right foods and snacks readily available. This is especially true for those who are trying to stick to an AFFORDABLE diet. It seems like their is a premium on all products with any type of "healthy" label. After eating "clean" for 2 years, my family has found certain snack and foods that SIMPLY have to be in the cupboard.

At first, while I was a work from home mom, there were no convenience foods in the house at all. Everything was made by me including all of our breads, snacks, even cereals! Clearly, as I returned to full time work out of the home....some convenience foods eventually made their way into the house - BUT NOT INTO THE BUDGET. We had done such a good job getting our "frugal life" into check while being organic....now, it was not so in check.

My husband became ADDICTED to these curried cashews that he found at local health food store. They were organic and tasted great but they were $8 a bag! He would easily devour a bag in one sitting! So, to keep his "go-to" snack in our budget, I had to come up with a way to get the flavor without getting the huge price tag....enter- chickpeas!

Over the years, I have found that there are so many things that you can do with chick peas (also called garbanzo beans). I have made "mock" chicken salad, toasted them, turned them into chicken nuggets, and of course made the usual batch of hummus. They are so versatile and lend themselves well to flavors so I though...why not?

This snack is SOOO easy to make and a batch costs way less than the $8 bag of cashews. It is packed with wholesome goodness, can be made organically for no extra cost , and is budget friendly. I use organic seasonings BUT anything will do and they are still a very healthy way to do snack time  :)

You will need:

Plain now...but in a few seconds - AMAZING!

• 1 can of chick peas
• olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon. curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Additional seasonings - I like to put some jalapeno slivers in with them for extra spice...coconut is great to add as well! Add whatever you like!
• 400 degree Oven

Directions:

1. Drain the chickpeas and allow to dry. You can also pat dry with a paper towel if you wish.
2. Toss the chickpeas in the seasonings and just a drizzle of the olive oil.
3. Coat a pan with olive oil.
4. Put the chickpeas in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy
5. Allow to cool and enjoy!

For more easy and healthy chick pea (garbanzo bean) recipes, check these out...

Try my SOY FREE Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Even the kids LOVE this

recipe and eat it  - usually before I get to! :(

 

You can also whip up some Vegetarian "Chicken" Nuggets in no time!

 

Vegan Chickpea Chicken Salad ROCKS!

 

More info on toasted chick peas

 

Easy 5 minute hummus

 

Also please remember to follow me on social media for updates. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and my other various outlets! I am always sharing great tips on living organically, vegetarian, and FRUGALLY!