FRIED GREEN TOMATOES!

Most people think of the movie when they hear Fried Green Tomatoes.  They are actually quite tasty and make for a delicious breakfast or anytime snack!  Since I use coconut flour in this recipe it's great for anyone who follows Whole 30, eats Paleo, Gluten Free or Clean. They are also easy and quick to make!

 


Ingredients:
3 Strips of Bacon
2 Large Green Tomatoes
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper






Prep:
1. Mix the coconut flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
2. In another bowl whip together your eggs.
3. You will want to slice your green tomatoes into slices about 1/8 of an inch thick.

Cook:
1. In a large skillet cook the bacon over medium heat.  Once the bacon is cooked put it aside to cool and keep the grease for cooking your tomatoes.
2. Dip your tomato in egg then dredge in coconut flour.
3. Over medium heat saute the tomatoes in your bacon grease for about two minutes on each side.
4. Crumble the bacon over the tomatoes and serve.

To add extra flavor to your Fried Green Tomatoes, sprinkle some cracked pepper before serving.

Have you ever tried Fried Green Tomatoes? 

TRANSFORM YOUR BODY+REVITALIZE YOUR LIFE IN JUST 5 WEEKS!

BIG NEWS!! I have partnered with a wonderful company called Revita5! A 5 week lifestyle challenge created and designed just for women like us! The brain child of two awesome women, who for 5 weeks coach you through a mind + body transformation using real food, smart exercise & No Dieting! The new FALL CHALLENGE starts on September 13!  If you want to join the Rivita5 Tribe and transform your mind and body with us make sure to use my promo code HUNGRY10 for 10% off!!

Join the Fall Challenge HERE When you join you get:

✓ Weekly Eating Guides
✓ Weekly Shopping Lists
✓ Detailed Recipes
✓ Daily Workouts
✓ iPhone App
✓ Heart Rate Monitor
✓ Audio Meditations
✓ 24/7 Coaching + Support
✓ The REVITA5 Manifesto
✓ LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

You can follow along with me as I complete the fall challenge on here as well as on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!  To join or learn more about the challenge visit www.Revita5.com. 

Don't forget to use the code "HUNGRY10" at checkout for 10% off!

Homemade Hummus Recipe!

For the longest time I have believed I didn't like hummus, as it turns out I don't like store bought hummus!  After I tasted my stepmother's hummus one day I couldn't get enough.  Ever since then I have been experimenting with crafting the best hummus recipe.  Here is my delicious recipe for  hummus that's flavorful with a tang!

Here is what you need:
2 13.5oz cans of Organic Garbanzo Beans (liquid from one)
1-1.5 Fresh Squeezed Lemons
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp Liquid Aminos (you can substitute Tamari or Soy Sauce)
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Fresh Cracked Pepper
(for a less zesty flavor you can use regular black pepper)


Place all of your ingredients including the liquid from one can of Garbanzo beans into a food processor or blander until smooth.  You can enjoy the hummus right away or refrigerate for a few hours for a richer flavor.

Enjoy!

Why your girlfriends can be your best ally in health!

August is a great month! Aside from my birthday being in August, we also get to celebrate National Girlfriends Day!  There is nothing like a strong female bond.  Every woman has that one special friend or group of friends that she can confide in, share with, grow from, celebrate with, learn from, mourn with and have fun with! 

“Friendship between women is different than friendship between men. We talk about different things. We delve deep. We go under, even if we haven’t seen each other for years." — Jane Fonda

Why your girlfriends can be your best ally in health!

Girlfriends can offer great support:

Whatever the issue, your girlfriends are always there to support you.  It's no different when it comes to your health.  We have all experienced going out or going to a gathering when trying to eat healthy, where everyone is indulging and you try your best to satisfy yourself off that one tray of veggies and dip, order a salad and watch everyone else eat a mouth-watering meal in front of you - or avoid the situation entirely and stay home because you feel uncomfortable.  Great friends should support your efforts and encourage you.  What better way then to all support one another in bettering your health!  

We all know we need to take care of our bodies and a big way is by what we put into it.

  Instead of making get-togethers about going out and indulging, instead use it as a time to enjoy a nice healthy meal and catch up with one another.  It is always easier to stay focused and on track when you have another's support, or you do something together. Encouraging each other to eat healthier will make it easier to avoid temptation and motivate you to take care of yourself.  

 Another great way to do that is to shop together. When you shop alone, it's easier to load the cart with items you know you shouldn't.  Making a point to stock up on healthier food with friends helps you stick to getting what it is you really want and not being tempted. Besides, she can always put that platter of cheesecake back on the display when you are not looking.  Another reason I love shopping with friends is that you learn new things.  There are many things I know about food that my friends don't and vice-versa.  While I can help my friend understand the difference between cooking oils, she can inform me on an ingredient in one of my packaged foods I didn't know about.  It's also a great way to learn about new foods, products or meals. I love finding new things or ways to prepare different foods from my friends.

Girlfriends can motivate you:We all know how hard it is to maintain an active lifestyle.  You join a gym, you go for a few months, never to be heard from again.  You buy that workout DVD and use it once.  For many reasons, it's hard for women to stay motivated, find the time, or have the energy to work out.  Making it a priority to be active together will make it easier and more fun.  It's a lot more enjoyable to go for a walk and talk with friends than trying to force yourself off the couch to take a walk.  Make dates to do fun activities.  You don't have to join a gym together to "work-out".  Doing a dance workout in front of the TV becomes more of a party and less of a work out when you can laugh and have fun with your friend. This will also help hold you accountable, since it's easier to break plans with yourself. Even if you can't get together all the time to work out, encouraging one another is great as well.  My best friend lives three states away right now, so we don't have the option to take a bike ride together or go on a hike, but we encourage each other to keep up with our efforts.  We also participate in fun activities when we can - getting together to tackle 5k's with obstacles is one of our favorites.  

Taking on something like that is a lot less of a workout and more fun when you do it with friends.  Though I couldn't be with her a few years ago as she trained for a physical exam, I sent weekly encouragement cards to help keep her motivated. I love that she still displays them on her fridge today!

My cousin Nikki is a great inspiration and a wonderful example.  She is a teacher, wife and mother to two young girls (three and one), yet still finds time to be active and stay in shape.  

She is always posting photos of her activities with her friends.  They get together to work out, run, train and support one another.  What's even more amazing is that they do it with their children!   

Girlfriends can endure with you: 

We all know that there are certain things you only tell your best girlfriends!  We are sometimes most comfortable talking about 

 personal health issues with them.  I know I'm more likely to talk to my friend about female issues rather than my husband.  Every year that passes, it becomes more and more important to be on top of your health and preventative care.  Unfortunately, many woman don't pay enough attention to their own health until it's too late.  Whether you can't find the time or would just rather avoid a trip to the doctor, this is a great opportunity to do something together that could potentially save your life.  Going together can take the stress out of it and make it more relaxing.  Especially as it comes time for things like the dreaded mammogram, turn it into a yearly routine and go with your best friend.  I have gone and supported my friend at the dentist because she is particularly not fond of going there. Your friends are usually the ones you can rely on to be brutally honest with you as well! They can be great at calling your attention to matters you may be ignoring. 

It's always nice to not go it alone, especially when you are trying to break bad habits.  Quitting smoking can be a rather hard experience, but doing it alongside a friend can make the process much easier.  Maybe you want to cut down one your drinking? Having that support and ally can help you more easily make lifestyle changes that affect your health. 

When you come together and support one another you can accomplish great things! I am lucky and grateful to have wonderful friends in my life! Check out the infographic below from Oscar Health Insurance Company. They're a new insurance company looking to help their members be proactive of their health. I hope their checklist will help inspire you to make healthy choices with your girlfriends! If you're in their area, check out their health insurance plans in New York and New Jersey.

How can you be an ally to your friends?

How To Naturally Dye Easter Eggs!

It's that time of year again and why not try some natural methods for dying Easter eggs this year. Forget using harsh synthetic colors and dyes, natural coloring derived from food can produce sweet, subtle hues that are sure to please anyone.

There are three easy methods to dye eggs naturally.

1) Hot Dying Method (use uncooked eggs)

Using a saucepan, add 1 quart water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye material. Using cold (uncooked) eggs, make sure the liquid covers the eggs. Simmer slowly for 15 minutes before removing eggs to cool.

2) Cold Dying Method (Use cooked eggs)

In a saucepan add 1 quart of water, 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and dye ingredient.  Bring the contents of your sauce pan to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Strain out your dye ingredient and cool.  Submerge hard boiled eggs into the cooled dye until the color strength you want is achieved.  Turn eggs occasionally to ensure even coverage.  Remove from dye and dry.

3) Silk-tie method: (Use uncooked eggs)

Textile fabrics like silk will release their dye when vinegar is added to the cooking water.

• Cut silk (like from a tie) into a square large enough to wrap around a raw egg.
• Place the printed side facing the egg, wrap the the silk around your egg and secure using twist ties.
• Cut a piece of white fabric larger than the silk piece to go around your egg, then lay the silk-covered egg on the white fabric, bring up the sides and secure again using a twist tie.
• Place eggs in a glass or enamel pan, cover with water and add 1/4 cup of white vinegar.
• Bring water to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove eggs from water using tongs and allow to cool.
• Remove fabrics from eggs and let them continue to cool on a rack.

For each color, use one of the suggested dye materials per 1 quart of water.  For amounts not provided below, use enough dye material to create the desired color.  Keep in mind that color of the egg will be lighter than the color of the dye bath.

Yellow:

• Orange or lemon peels, boiled
• 2 Tbsp ground tumeric
• Chamomile tea or Green tea
• 4 cups yellow onion skin (makes a yellow/orange color)

Orange:

• 4 Tbsp paprika
• Grated carrots
• 3 Tbsp chili powder (makes a red/orange color)

Pink:

• 1 cup chopped fresh beets
• Cranberries or cranberry juice
• 4 cups red onion skin
• Red grape juice or Red wine

Lavender:

• Purple grape juice
• Red tea

Violet Blue:

• Red wine
• Violet blossoms
• Red onion skins

Blue:

• 1&1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or canned
• 4 cups red shredded cabbage

Green:

• 1 cup blueberries (add grape juice for more intensity)

Gold/Brown:

• Dill seeds

Mocha:

• 1 quart strongly brewed coffee or strong black tea

TIPS:

You can make a drying rack by cutting up a paper towel tube into rings and allowing your eggs stand on rings to dry.

Give your eggs a glossy finish by rubbing a little vegetable oil on them using a paper towel once they are dry.

* Refrigerate your cooked eggs! You do not want to keep your eggs out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.  Throw away eggs that have been out too long, better safe than sorry!

What do you think?  Have you ever colored your Easter eggs naturally? Would you ever consider using natural ingredients to make dyes verse synthetic dyes you buy in stores?

Simple Paleo Pesto!

It's no secret I love pesto! As I try to avoid dairy these days I needed to re configure my pesto recipe to make it dairy free! Going into this I wasn't sure how it would taste or if I would even like pesto without my beloved fresh romano or parmesan cheese!!  I was delighted to realize I don't even miss it!! I absolutely love this new take on my pesto recipe, not only is it Paleo, it's also Vegan and Vegetarian as well, plus it tastes amazing!

1 cup fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

2-4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons EVOO

As always I like recipes that are simple, quick and easy! 

 

To make the pesto you want to toast the pine nuts over low to medium heat for a few minutes to bring out their flavor. 

 

 

Put everything (except oil) in your food processor.

 

 

As it begins to mix slowly add in the oil 

 

 

Thats it! Now enjoy!

 

 

There are so many great uses for Pesto, for example, pesto linguini and shrimp, but tonight I used it to top off my dinner of organic red quinoa and chicken. Yum!

 

 

What is your favorite way to eat Pesto?

Delicious Husband Approved Paleo Banana Bread!

My husband loves banana bread, and I try to avoid wheat and processed sugar!  So when it came to creating something out of a batch of bananas that had gone bad I decided to try something we both could enjoy.  That is how we ended up with a delicious grain free, sugar free, super moist banana bread. 

Bonus, it's totally easy to make!

3 brown bananas
⅓ cup palm shortening (can use coconut oil)
½ cup coconut flour
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt

(Feel free to add some of your favorite nuts or even some dark chocolate chips)

To make, mix all your ingredients in a bowl and transfer the batter in to your bread pan. (you can grease your pan with coconut oil but I didn't)  Then just bake in an oven that has been preheated to 350' for about an hour.  You want your bread to be set in the center and have a warm golden color!

Would you try this recipe?

This is a great inspirational video! Happy Monday everyone!

Post by Upworthy.