baking, bread, brown rice, clean eating, cooking, delicious, easy, ezekiel bread, fast, flax, health, nutrition, paleo, recipe

Brown Rice & Flax Bread Recipe

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Good Morning!

I hope your week is starting off well. I have a new recipe to share. Last night during my Sunday prep I decided to make my own version of the popular Ezekiel bread.

 

First, I don’t have an actual bread pan so I had to use this dish. I would recommend you use an actual bread loaf baking pan for best results. Ideally an 8 x 4 inch pan works best.  I’m going to buy one soon so I can make this again properly.

Ingredients:

Small batch 6-8 slices
1 1/2 cup of brown rice flour
1/3 cup of flax meal
3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of cashew milk (almond or dairy could be used)
2 eggs

Large batch 8-12 slices
3 cups of brown rice flour
3/4 cup of flax meal
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups of cashew milk (almond or dairy could be used)
3 eggs

Optional ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp of agave nectar for a sweeter bread
1-2 Tbsp whole flax or chia seeds.

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients so they are mixed thoroughly.
3, In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together with large kitchen spoon.
5. Oil your bread pan.
6. Bake for 60 minutes.
*Optional: Sprinkle flax seeds on top before baking.
7. Let the bread cool for 20 minutes and then slice.
8. Store bread in a zip lock bag in the fridge for up to a week.

Let me know if you make this and how it turns out. Have a great week!

Places to connect:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

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agave, banana, blueberry, chia, cinnamon, cleaneating, easy, health, healthy, mason jar, nutrition, oatmeal, oats, preparation, quick, recipes, stevia, strawberry, Tone It Up

5 Overnight Oats Recipes To Try This Week

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Yesterday I posted a picture on my Instagram (follow here) of some Sunday prepartions I did for my busy work week. I am trying to get into the habit of preparing meals, setting out clothes, and planning activites each Sunday to make life much easier during the week. One of the things I always do is prepare breakfasts for the week. Last week I made the health muffins and this week I prepped Overnight Oats.

If you are a Tone It Up girl then you will be very familiar with this recipe. It is so easy to make and personalize with the ingredients you like. The base is 1/4-1/2 cup of quick oats and unsweetend almond milk (you can use any milk you like). To prepare you just add your ingredients to a mason jar or small container and then cover everything with your milk,sti, and leave it in the fridge while you sleep. I would add a generous amount of milk because the oats will soak it up overnight. Hence, Overnight Oats. Some people like to eat them cold straight out of the jar but I like to heat mine up in the morning. It’s all up to you.

Here are 5 of my favorite Overnight Oats recipes:

Double Almond
1/4 cup of  oats
1 scoop protein powder
Dash of cinnamon
1 pkt of stevia
1 Tbsp of almond butter
Almond milk to cover oats

Chocolate Covered Coconut
1/4 cup of oats
1 scoop PB2 chocolate OR any chocolate nut butter
1 pkt stevia
Coconut flakes
Coconut milk to cover oats

Blueberry Muffin
1/4 cup oats
1 Tbsp protien powder
Dash of cinnamon
2 tsbp of agave nectar
Handful of blueberries
Almond milk to cover

Chia Strawberry
1/4 cup of oats
3 strawberries, sliced
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 pkt of stevia
Almond milk to cover

Banana Nut 
1/4 cup of oats
1 pkt of stevia
1/2 banana, sliced
1 handful of walnuts
Almond milk to cover

These are just 5 of my favorite recipes but the possibilites are endless! Let me know your favorite quick morning recipes.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!


Places to connect:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com


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all natural, almond milk, baking, banana, breakfast, easy, gluten free, health, healthy recipe, low carb, meal prep, muffins, nutrition, paleo, protein, raisins, sunflower seeds, Tone It Up

Healthy Breakfast Muffin Recipe

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Good Morning!

I hope everyone’s week is starting off great. Today I want to share a recipe I made while doing my weekly meal prep yesterday. I am really trying to get into the habbit of prepping all of my meals for the week each Sunday. These muffins are a combination of a few different recipes I have seen, including the amazing Tone It Up protein pancake recipe. (find it here) I also got inspiration from Sarah fit (find her recipe here). Below is the final recipe I created. These are paleo, gluten-free, low carb, high protein, and low fat. Yippee!

This makes 4 big muffins or 8 small muffins.

Ingredients:
~2 medium bananas, mashed.
~2 Scoops protein powder of your choosing (I use a plant based one)
~4 tbsp flax seed meal
~4 tsp of cinnamon
~4 egg whites or 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
~2 tsp of baking powder
~1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
~Pinch of salt
~1 Tbsp of almond milk (you could use any milk you prefer)
~1-2 Tbsp of agave nectar or honey. This depends on how sweet you want them.
~Add in your favorite fruits, nuts, or seeds. In the ones above I used golden raisins and sunflower seeds.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (176 Celcius)
2. Combine all ingreidents except the agave nectar and fruit/nuts.
3. Mix well.
4. Fold in nuts/fruit.
5. Add agave nectar and mix again.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking them every 20 or so minutes. When a tooth pick comes out clean you are good to go.

These can be stored for 2-5 days in the fridge. When you are ready to eat them just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Enjoy!

Other places to connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

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30, 30 before 30, adventure, advice, all natural, and green, clean, cure, headaches, health, lean, migraines, nutrition, oil pulling, raw food, self care, sleep, Tone It Up, veggies, wellness

NEW! 30 Before 30 Challenge: Raw Food & Lifestyle Challenge

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Happy Sunday!

I hope you all are getting ready to rock another week. Tomorrow I will be starting a very exciting journey into being the healthiest person I can be. One of my “30 Before 30” challenges is to get myself into the best health possible. So, I created a detailed nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle challenge.

I made a whole video about it which you can see HERE.

Over the past 5 or so years I have overcome a multitude of food and health issues but there are still a few health related things I want to focus on. Specifically, I want to figure out why I continue to get daily headaches/migraines. My doctor has found a prescription that I can take to alleviate my migraines but I just don’t feel that is completely sustainable. What if someday I can’t afford the medicine? What if I start to feel negative side effects? I really want to look closer at my lifestyle and listen to my body to see if there is something I can do without taking medicine to cure my headaches.

I have also been having some outward symptoms that I think point to a need to change my nutrition. I haven’t had acne in years and all of the sudden my face thinks it is 18 again. My hair and nails have also become very dry and brittle. As far as my body and “being in shape” goes I do hope that my challenge will help me create a body I feel good in. I am not trying to lose weight but I think if I treat my body well it will shape itself into a healthy form.

Besides those physical things I want to develop a healthy lifestyle that makes me feel emotional good. I used to suffer from severe depression and I have come such a long way. I feel so much more alive that I ever did but I want to keep moving up and working towards feeling the best I possibly can. A few years ago I wasn’t completely sure I deserved to ever be insanely happy but now I KNOW that I deserve true emotional happiness so I will do whatever I can to achieve that.

One of my favorite personal mottos is “Feel good, preform well.”

Goals for my challenge:

  • Eat fully raw foods until 4pm. I will eat raw fruits and veggies for breakfast and lunch. After 4pm I will have a cooked dinner. 
  • Eat a lean, clean, and green dinner. If you are a Tone It Up girl then you will know this means getting in lean proteins, non-processed foods, and lots of greens. 
  • Drink 2 liters minimum of water/ day. 
  • Limit processed foods and strive to stay away from them completely. 
  • Keep daily journal of foods, how I feel after eating, and recipes/meal ideas.
  • Keep section in journal to document headaches & migraines. Look for triggers. 
  • Set sleep schedule and stick to it. I am aiming for 8-9 hours of sleep each night per a recommendation from my doctor. 
  • Limit or eliminate alcohol intake. I don’t drink much but alcohol can trigger headaches. 
  • Exercise regularly. I want to train for a 1/2 marathon so running will have to become a new friend. I am also focusing on improving my yoga skills. 
  • Oil pulling. I did a whole video about oil pulling which you can see HERE. I found when I did oil pulling my headaches were greatly reduced. I just fell off the wagon so it’s time to hop back on.
  • Start meditation practice. My dad has encouraged me to do this and I want to give it a shot. He says it helps builder a stronger, more focused mind. My goal is start with just 5 minutes. 
I will be documenting this challenge on my Instagram account (courtney.val), on this blog, and also on my YouTube channel. Subscribe or follow at the links below. If you are doing a similar challenge I would love to know and we can support each other! 
Thank you for being here and I hope you have an amazing week!
Courtney

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all natural, antioxidant, apple cider vinegar, benefits, beverages, blender, breakfast, clean eating, coconut, coconut oil, coconut water, cooking, digestion, drinks, hair care, hemp seeds, mango, metabolism, nutrition, skincare

One Minute Smoothie: Healthy Hair and Skin

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Hola!

This morning I made a delicious smoothie so I thought I would share the recipe with you. I also filmed it and posted the video on my YouTube channel. You can watch the video here:

Recipe:
2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
2 Tsp of hemp seeds
3-4 Frozen mango chunks or slices
A handful of frozen or fresh spinach
10 oz of  coconut water (you could use almond milk, coconut milk, or regular milk if you like)

Blend it up and enjoy!

Health Benefits Breakdown:

Apple Cider Vinegar: It helps balance your body’s pH levels, promotes a healthy metabolism, and stabilizes blood sugar.

Coconut Oil: It produces lauric acid which can kill bacteria (Acne!) and fight off viruses. It promotes shiny and strong hair. It can even reduce or prevent hair loss.

Coconut Water: This juice is naturally very hydrating and being properly hydrated keeps your hair shiny and skin plump. Staying hydrated is also the number 1 way to prevent premature aging.

Mango: Eating mango can actually unclog your pores and clear up pimples.

Spinach: Greens=glow. It’s that simple. The more greens you eat the more your hair will grow and your skin will glow.

Hemp Hearts: These seeds are high in Omega 3’s and Vitamin E which treat hair and skin conditions.

Thanks for joining me and leave any comments or questions down below.

Also feel free to follow me here:
Instagram: courtney.val
Twitter: @courtneywval

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all natural, clean eating, coconut, coconut flakes, dates, delicious, diy, easy, food chopper, fully raw, health, how to, medjool dates, nutrition, quick, raw, recipe, snack, treats, Vegan

Date & Coconut Treats

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Aloha!

Today I have a quick treat recipe to share. I was inspired to make these after I saw some delicious looking coconut macaroons in the bakery case of a local coffee shop. These are my version of those macaroons.

What You Need:

  • A food chopper or processor
  • 3 Dates with the seed removed
  • 2 Tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 Tsp of sweetened coconut. Alternatively you could add in 1tsp more of unsweetened coconut along with a little sugar or stevia.
  • Spoon

Directions:

  • Add in ingredients 
  • Pulse the food chopper in slow bursts at first to break up the dates and then let it blend until you reach a consistency that looks like this:
  •   Then spoon out a little of the mixture and roll it into a ball or form into a cookie shape, depending on what you prefer. 
  •  Place the finished treats into cupcake liners and enjoy immediately or place in the fridge to enjoy later. 
Here are what my finished treats look like:



Close up:

These are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it. They are vegan, gluten-free, and all natural. You can’t get much better than that!

Have a date day…I mean great day! 🙂

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affordable, all natural, beauty, budget, cold season, gingko biloba, hair care, health, immune, nutrition, skincare, travel, vitamin, vitamin C, Vitamin Shoppe, youtube

New Health Video!

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Good Morning!

I just posted a new health related video on my YouTube channel. It’s about the current vitamins I take. I have been really good lately about consistently taking all my vitamins and I am noticing a positive difference inside and out. Check it out and let me know which vitamins you recommend.

Have a great day!

Courtney

You can check out my other videos on my channel HERE

You can also follow me on twitter HERE

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accident, chick pea, cooking, fried rice, nutrition, quinoa

Quinoa & Chick Pea Stir Fry

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So earlier today I discovered a delicious alternative to fried rice…by accident. 
I was in the kitchen preparing a bunch of meals for the next few days when my stomach started grumbling for lunch. I had some quinoa leftover so I decided to heat it up with some veggies in a pan. I sprayed a little of my favorite Trader Joe’s Coconut Oil cooking spray in the pan along with the quinoa and set the heat on medium-high. Then I heard the distinctive gnawing sound of a bunny rabbit and ran over to find my pet rabbit, Luna chewing on a baseboard. I chased her down, picked her up, and secured her back in her cage with a chew toy. That whole time my quinoa was sizzling away on the stove.  When I came back I stirred it around to find that the bottom layer was now darker brown and a little crunchy. At first I thought I had completely ruined it but after a quick taste test I decided to let the whole mixture “burn” a little. I kept stirring it periodically and added in some chick peas with a little garlic salt. After about 8 more minutes I determined it was sufficiently crispy. I was pleasantly surprised by my little accident and it ended up tasting just like fried rice.  As for the veggies…they ended up being eaten with hummus. 🙂 

Sorry this photo is a little blurry. It wasn’t well planned.

Hope you all have a great day!

Courtney

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all natural, blender, cauliflower, dinner, health, healthy, howto, mashed, mashed potatoes, nutrition, nutritional yeast, pepper, recipe, Vegan, vitamin

Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” Recipe

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Good Evening! Or Morning, or afternoon….depending on where you live. 

I just got done eating dinner and taste testing a new recipe I tried out today. Like always I cant’t just keep these things to my self. Oh no. They must be shared! 🙂
This is a recipe where you take a head of cauliflower and make a substitute for mashed potatoes. This recipe is 100% gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. 
 It still has the same texture as mashed potatoes and basically the same taste but with more nutritional value. Cauliflower is a great source of protein, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, K, and B6.   
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic salt or just plain salt depending on what you prefer
A pinch of black pepper
2 Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk. You could also use unsweetened soy milk. 
Directions:
1. Chop up your head of cauliflower and add all pieces to a large pot of slow boiling water. You can use every bit of the cauliflower except for the leaves so don’t be afraid to add both the florets and stems. 
2. Once your cauliflower bits are tender drain the water and add the cauliflower to your blender along with the almond milk. 
3. Blend on lowest setting until the mixture is well blended but a few lumps remain. If your blender has a pulse setting, use that. 
4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place it on low heat. 
5. Slowly mix in the salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast one at a time. 
6. Remove the pot from the stove and serve!
While the recipe itself is vegan I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top and it was quite tasty. 😉
This was my first time making this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. It really does taste just like mashed potatoes! 
I hope you enjoy this dish and have a great day!
Courtney
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all natural, almond butter, baking, chocolate, creamer, health, howto, Nutribiotic, nutrition, protein powder, soy, stevia, Vegan, Vitamin Shoppe

Protein Brownie Bites

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Nom, nom, nom….

Here is my recipe for some delicious little brownie bite treats.
What You Need:
  •  3/4-1 cup of chocolate protein powder. Mix in 3/4 cup first and if the mixture is too water add in the rest.  I use the Nutribiotic Brown Rice Protein Powder.
  •  1/4- cup of stevia or 1/3 cup of regular sugar.
  •  1/4 cup of  soy milk creamer.
  •  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
  •  1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • 1/2 cup of egg replacer or 1/2 cup of egg whites.
  •  1/2 teaspoon of raw cacao powder.
  • 1/4-1/2 cup of nut butter (I used almond but you can use whatever kind you like)

To Prepare:

  • Mix the egg/egg substitute, soy milk creamer, and protein powder together first.
  • Then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended.
  • Bake on 350 for 20-26 degrees, keeping an eye on them until a toothpick comes out clean.
NOTE: You could substitute the soy milk creamer for any type you like (coconut milk, almond milk,etc)

I think these treats are best served warm. They are also delicious with a little nut butter spread on top.

Buen Provecho!

Courtney

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