Cocoa Dusted Almonds

This is for all you chocolate lovers out there!!!  Forget those chocolate bars with almonds. Most of them are filled with too much sugar and fat!  We don't want that!!  What we DO want is chocolate and I don't need to explain why!  We also want almonds because they are delicious, rich in protein, and good for us!

Here's my Cynfully Good way to have the best of both!

Cocoa Dusted Almonds!

Yes, I know you can buy these in the store. Don't be tempted!
Those little packages of  Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds sound really good and healthy but have you seen the ingredients??

First of all, the package says CHOCOLATE FLAVOR! This means, what tastes like chocolate isn't really ALL chocolate. Some of that flavor is ARTIFICIAL!
This is right off the label:

dry roasted almonds, modified food starch, natural and artifical flavors, cocoa powder (processed with alkali), salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose!!

It take less than two minutes to make up your own batch of Cocoa Dusted Almonds!! Honestly!


What you need:

 A good quality, unsweetened, organic dark cocoa powder. I love Rapunzel cocoa powder.

Order it here: Rapunzel Organic Products










You will also need a cup of roasted almonds (unsalted) -

organic whole cane sugar (this is minimally processed and better for you than white, processed sugar)

a small brown paper bag

Mix together a tablespoon or two of the cocoa powder and a teaspoon of the sugar. It's not necessary to add the sugar but if you are looking for something slightly sweet, go right ahead. Adjust the amount of sugar to your preference, just don't go crazy with it. This is supposed to be a healthy treat!!

Place the almonds in the brown bag. Add the cocoa and sugar mixture. Hold the bag closed and shake, shake, shake until the almonds are covered!!

Pour out into a bowl and snack away!!

This recipe will serve 3 to 4 people so be sure to share with others............  :)

Or be a little selfish and keep them all for yourself. Eat a small handful and store the rest in a closed, airtight container.

Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

What can be more Cynfully Good than this? My two favorite foods in the world: quinoa and portabella mushrooms- the perfect marriage of delicious taste and wholesome goodness.

I can't rave enough about quinoa. It's a miracle grain and a complete protein. Nutty and delicious, quinoa is a staple in my home. I eat it hot with fresh blueberries, a splash of almond milk and a drizzle of organic maple syrup for breakfast. I toss leftover quinoa into salads for lunch.  I use quinoa as stuffing for acorn squash and eggplant or as a simple side dish instead of rice or potatoes for dinner.

Portabella mushrooms are my salvation when I want to sink my teeth into something thick and juicy. I grill them to perfection and pile them high on whole wheat buns and serve them with all the fixing's.  They're perfect at barbeque's instead of unhealthy burgers and hot dogs. I add chopped portabella mushrooms to salads, mix them into homemade lasagna and my delicious Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana. Portabella mushrooms are luscious and satisfying.  Did you know mushrooms are the only natural source of Vitamin D besides the sun? Eat them often.

Here is a recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms from Made Just Right.  This dish is simple, healthy and impressive enough to serve to guests.

• 1 cup(s) of quinoa
• 1 1/2 cup(s) of cold water
• 6 medium-large portabella mushroom caps (save the stems)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup(s) of onion, diced
• 2/3 cup(s) of peas
• 2/3 cup(s) of tomato, diced
• 2/3 cup(s) of yellow bell pepper (or any color will do!)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. of Earth Balance natural buttery spread, original
• 1 tsp. of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
• 1 tbsp. of cooking oil to saute

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In medium sauce pan, add quinoa and water; bring to boil (add optional pinch of salt), cover with tight fitting lid and turn heat down to simmer. Cook 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in medium saute pan, heat cooking oil and saute chopped mushroom stems, garlic and onion over medium heat. Add a dash of salt and pepper with 1/2 tbsp. Earth Balance natural butter spread. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring
4. Add diced tomato, bell pepper, and onion mixture to quinoa along with salt, pepper & garlic salt. Add additional tbsp. Earth Balance natural buttery spread. Mix thoroughly and let it finish cooking with the lid on.
5. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay washed and dried mushroom caps out on sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
6. Carefully stuff each mushroom cap with quinoa mixture and bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes.

These are perfect to serve as appetizers or even as a main dish with steamed greens and crusty, whole grain bread.  

Lip Gloss Good Enough to Eat.............

I adore finding new and exciting products and here is one I think most ladies are going to LOVE!
Certified organic lip gloss made with products that are good enough to actually eat.

YUMMY!!!

And.....there are anti-oxidants thrown into the mix so these glosses are actually GOOD for your lips, too!  :)


I always wear lipstick or lip gloss but sometimes, the products taste down-right awful- even the natural types. So if I can taste it, what does my guy think when he kisses me?  If my lips taste artificial or waxy he might not want a second kiss......

I want my lips to be sweet, kissable and unforgettable........don't you?

Intelligent Nutrients Natural Lip Gloss to the rescue!!!

Here's the link:
Intelligent Nutrients Natural Lip Gloss

This is Cynfully Good stuff!!!

Cynfully Good O. J.

My dad LOVES orange juice. He drinks a glass every morning.  Many people do.  Lately, my mom has been complaining about the cost of a carton of orange juice, so I suggested she do what I do--- make it herself!

It's really easy, inexpensive, and when you squeeze your own juice from fresh oranges, you are getting all that juice and vitamin C and NOTHING else! No added sugar, no preservatives- just orange juice.

You might be rolling your eyes at me right about now. Who has the time to squeeze fresh orange juice?  Yes, it's so much easier to just open a carton and pour. But my way is so simple, you will never buy orange juice again!

Here's what you need:

2 oranges (organic are best but if you can't find them or the cost is outrageous, use conventional oranges and scrub the skins well before using)

a fork

a small juice glass

Cut each orange in half.  Hold  the orange half over the juice glass. Take your fork and insert it into the orange flesh and twist the fork so the juice begins to pour out into the glass.  Two oranges should fill your glass. If desired, scrap the orange flesh with the fork into your glass as well for O.J. with pulp. If you like your orange juice very cold, put the oranges in the fridge the night before.

This literally takes less than a minute to do and you are getting a glass of pure, natural, un-adulterated juice. All you need is a small glass. Forget those big glasses of O.J!  No one should be starting their day with THAT much sugar- natural or not!

I drink a glass of this every day. My son woke up with a little sore throat this morning, so I made him a glass, as well.

And.....here's a little beauty secret. A couple of times a week, I reserve a tiny bit of my freshly squeezed O.J., dip a cotton ball into the glass, and use it as a toner on my face! The citrus fragrance perks me right up.  I love doing this because I am feeding my skin pure, living energy!  It makes my face feel fresh and healthy.  Use caution if your skin is very sensitive, however. If stinging occurs, dip a cotton ball into some milk and wipe over your face to soothe it. And always avoid your eyes!!

Sugar Free, Vegan Carrot Cake

I very rarely eat sweets. I never really crave cookies, pie or cake.  Chocolate does absolutely nothing for me. I know!  I am not normal.................

These past few weeks, I have been looking around for a little sumthin' sumthin' to have with my evening tea.  This is highly unusual behavior for me.

There are a couple of explanations for this sudden passion and desire for something sweet.  I mean, come ON! I do this for a living, so you know I've been analyzing myself! 

Eventually, I'll get around to sharing with you the reasons why I want sweet treats right now.  In the mean time, here are my thoughts about sweet cravings: SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA GO WITH IT!

Can I satisfy my sweet cravings and still stay true to my healthy, nourishing way of eating?

ABSOLUTELY!

I stumbled upon this delicious recipe for carrot cake. YUMMY! I love carrot cake AND carrots are healthy! It's completely VEGAN and made with whole wheat flour (also good for me--I have no issues with wheat or gluten). This luscious cake is sweetened with fruit, dates and orange juice. NO SUGAR!  How wonderful is that? I can even toss a handful of chopped walnuts or almonds into the batter for a little extra protein and some good fat. Good fat from nuts will help me manage stress.  Stress is the reason I am craving sweets in the first place!

This cake smells so amazing when it's baking in the oven. My house is filled with the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg............ all warming scents that remind me how much I love the fall and everything that comes with it: apple picking, carving pumpkins, Halloween, Thanksgiving......

Making, baking and tasting this cake makes me feel so much better about everything! It's a total body, mind, spirit experience.

Here's the recipe:

Sugar Free, Vegan Carrot Cake

Enjoy................

Guiltless Eggplant Parm

If you love Eggplant Parmigiana but don't want all the fat, cheese, bread crumbs and frying-- I have the PERFECT recipe! I must tell you, however, if the only way you can tolerate eggplant is when it is completely smothered in sauce and cheese, this particular dish might not be for you. But if you are like me, and love the taste and the texture of eggplant, you will thoroughly enjoy this healthier version of Eggplant Parm!

Eggplant is the perfect food for Vegetarians and Vegans. It's meaty texture is perfect if you are looking for something to really sink your teeth into. Eggplant is so versatile. It can be fried, baked, grilled, steamed, roasted or even stuffed.  If you think you don't really like eggplant, try slicing it thinly. Sometimes when it's too thick, it can a bit overwhelming.

Eggplant Parmigiana is my favorite dish, and even though it's a meatless meal, the traditional version is far from healthy. I've tried skipping the whole frying step and just adding extra sauce and baking it. This is a hit or miss, however. Sometimes it comes out great, other times, it's down right awful! And all that cheese and sauce and breadcrumbs, who needs it?

Here's my version of Guiltless Eggplant Parm:

1 large eggplant sliced into rounds about 1/2 ")
olive oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1- 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 cup shredded Vegan mozzarella (Galaxy shredded works great)
whole wheat breadcrumbs (about a 1/4 of a cup)

Fire up your grill. I use my George Foreman grill during the cold winter months. Works perfectly. Brush each egglplant slice with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Grill about 5 minutes on each side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take a portion of the grilled eggplant rounds and place on the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon a small amount of the tomatoes on top. Don't saturate the eggplant, just kind dollop the tomatoes on top. You don't want it to be to sauce-y. You won't be using the entire can of tomatoes in this recipe, maybe about half of it. Sprinkle lightly with some of the breadcrumbs and a handful of the cheese. Again, just a light layer of each. Top with more eggplant slices and repeat.  Be sure to reserve some of the shredded mozzarella cheese for later. Sprinkle the final layer with remaining breadcrumbs and place in the oven for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining cheese to the top and return to the oven for about five minutes or until melted.

Remove from oven and allow to settle for about five more minutes. Slice and serve warm.

Delicious, guiltess, Vegan, Eggplant Parm! This is so Cynfully Good, you will not believe it!!!

Enjoy :)

Pan Fried Potatoes

When I find a recipe I really like, I do two things:

1. Race to the store and buy the ingredients (in case I don't have them on hand) and MAKE it myself.

2. Share it with you by posting it on my blog. Usually, I copy or cut and paste the recipe here.  Most of the time, I use the original photo of the dish because my version is NEVER camera ready--it just doesn't look as appetizing as theirs does. I post the recipes here because.....well.... I am in business and I want you to visit MY site. It would be wrong of me not to acknowledge the original owner of the recipe and include a link to their site, so I am always careful about giving credit where credit is due.  If I didn't, that would be sort of stealing, no?

I stumbled across this recipe today for pan fried potatoes.  I was in luck-- I had a potato right here at home, so I made it and it was delicious! But I just couldn't copy this recipe and post it here because the original was just so clever and adorable. I want you all to see it.  I am sure it will make you smile.  The whole website is really great- filled with delicious Korean recipes. 

Here's the site and the recipe:

Beyond Kimichee-Pan Fried Potatoes 

I hope you find it as Cynfully Good as I did.................