Dear to my Hemp Heart

June 21, 2016December 8, 2016 / livelycravings / Leave a comment

Hemp hearts are like one of the Healthiest food on the planet! A complete protein, it has omega 6-3, iron, thiamine, magnesium, zinc and lots of other healthy stuff. Basically, if you look at the nutrition facts on a bag of hemp hearts and fortified milk or bread they are similar so what would you rather eat? Real food or fortified foods? I really notice the difference in my hunger levels when I eat Hemp hearts. The same way an avocado does for me.

I sneak Hemp hearts into my family’s breakfast nearly every morning. I’ve always been a morning person and liked to plan my breakfast before bed. I love waking up before anyone else and having quiet time. I make apple oatmeal 5 days a week, I love it so much but not as much as peach oatmeal. I try not to cook the hemp hearts because the fat breaks down easy so its better to add hemp hearts after the oatmeal is ready. Raw is best!

Favorite foods that I add hemp hearts to:

Yogurt – Add to plain yogurt with fruit
Oatmeal – Add after oatmeal is cooked

Smoothie – My usual is half of a banana or avocado, strawberries, mango, hemp hearts, coconut milk, water and maybe kale.

Pesto

Energy balls

Salads and salad dressing – Blend oil, acid, dijon mustard, herbs, salt and pepper

Popsicles – I ask the kids what fruit flavor they want (lately it’s been orange) and blend it with lemon, honey, coconut milk or water and hemp hearts and freeze.

Raw cookie dough – roll balls in it but seriously you must try these! No measure raw cookie dough

Soup – Add after soup is cooked. Super good with Butternut squash soup

Chocolate bark

Hummus

Oven Beets – Oven Beets

The list goes on and on. When you need a protein boast look no further because Hemp is what you need.

People ask me a lot how I eat hemp hearts and I thought this post might inspire your love for hemp hearts too.

Three tablespoons a day keeps the doctor away.

Summer Quinoa Salad

June 7, 2016June 8, 2016 / livelycravings / Leave a comment

You can eat this salad anytime of the year but for me it’s a summer thing. I bring this salad with us on our adventures. It’s perfect for a picnic and it sustains us for our activities. I hope this summer we will have lots of amazing memories. The best activity for me is camping with my kids. We usually have no cell reception so that means no distractions. I can focus on what really matters and that is to have fun with my kids.

Follow your cravings with quinoa salad because it can be made so many ways. I make it with the ingredients below most of the time because the kids eat it with no complaints. I make the quinoa earlier and it’s there for me when I need it. Those crazy days when I can’t keep up; I just add some ingredients that I have on hand and boom I have a meal. I leave out the beans if I’m serving it as a side dish. One batch makes a lot so just half the recipe if you are not serving a lot of people. Ingredients for Quinoa Salad

Salad Ingredients:

Quinoa (cooked according to the instructions on the package and cooled in fridge)

Half a Red or yellow Pepper

Half an Orange Pepper

Cucumbers

Avocado

Cherry tomatoes

Green Onion

Beans such as Black beans, Bean Mixed or Chickpeas. 1 small can, drain and rinse.

Fresh herbs, optional

Dressing:

Olive Oil, 2 TB

Half a Lemon or Lime juice, 2 TB

soy sauce or soy sauce alternative like tamari, 2 tsp.

Chili Powder, 1 tsp.

Garlic Powder, 1 tsp.

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Make quinoa earlier in the day or previous evening and cool in the fridge. Dice up vegetables using more of what you like or ingredients you have on hand. In a large bowl mix the dressing, add olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce or Tamari, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add half of the quinoa, all the vegetables and mix well. Add remaining quinoa and beans if using. Stir until combined and store the salad in a container and refrigerate. Serve cold.

Peace, Love and Eat!