Tasty Tuesdays–Banana Berry Smoothie from Gina Briganti

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dairy-free recipe, Gina Briganti, Gluten-free recipe, healthy food, Recipes, smoothies, Tasty Tuesdays

from Gina Briganti, B.S., Certified Nutrition Consultant

After trying every protein powder in the health food store and in my Urthbox delivery for the last three years, I know this is the best. Why? It’s organic. It’s hemp, which is a known superfood for its complete protein profile. It’s 100% hemp protein, no sugars or flavors added. I love the grind they use, which isn’t too fine, the way you often see with rice protein powder, which means that it blends well and has a nice texture. More bonuses – widely available, gluten-free, dairy-free, and there’s no bitter taste like you see with rice protein powder or pea protein powder.

Here’s an easy recipe to try out. Once you know the basics, you can take your smoothies as far as your imagination will go.

Freeze the strawberries if you want a chilled smoothie and freeze the banana, too, if you want an icy smoothie.

Banana Berry Smoothie
1 banana
1 cup strawberries
1½ cups milk of your choice, but one with protein*
¼ cup Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Powder

Put the fruit into the blender cup. Add protein powder. Then add milk. If you like a thinner smoothie, you may want to add more milk at this point.

Blend for 45 seconds. Enjoy!

*We use Trader Joe’s Simply Almond and Good Karma + Protein. Both are unsweetened. If you use animal-derived milk, buy organic, grass-fed, and raw, if the laws where you live allow for it. If not, get as close to that standard as you can.

One handy reason why smoothies became and stayed popular is how versatile they are. You can put supplements in and never taste them. I use MSM powder (known for its bitter taste and for its effectiveness) for inherited arthritis. It helps me use my hands all day long without painful, forced rest breaks. Another supplement I put in my smoothie is liquid iodine, which I personally have a high need for to keep my thyroid happy.

Smoothies are fast, easy, and delicious. Pro tip: use only the best ingredients. The fewer toxins you take in, the fewer you have to detox. This way all the good stuff works extra well to give you longevity, happy taste buds, and the freedom to satisfy your cravings.

I have a delicious mocha smoothie recipe. If you want to see it, comment and I will share.

Do you have a favorite smoothie combination?

Nutrition is one of my greatest passions and it’s important for every living being. That’s why I love sharing easy, tasty ways to nourish yourself.

You know what else is important? Having lots of organized tools to turn to when you’re figuring out new parts of your life. Like the ones in this workbook.

One reviewer called it “A personal blueprint for happiness.” You can get your copy here.

I include a monthly workbook exercise in my newsletter, which you can sign up for here. You’ll get 6 Fast Vitality Boosters delivered to your inbox immediately.

In closing I have two questions for you.

What are your dreams?

How can I help you live them?

Thanks for the time we spent together today!
Gina

About the Author:

Gina Briganti is a Holistic Health Consultant, Reiki Teacher, graphic designer and author. You can find her in Dallas, TX enjoying life, following my passion, and helping others do the same.

But it’s called The Reiki Cafe. Where’s the food? Gina is writing a book with fabulous healthy recipes in it. She will share all the good food in her newsletter, which you can sign up for here.

 

Reiki class retreats are forming now in north Texas, where the food is done for you, and you receive a copy of all the recipes you ate during the retreat. Get on the list for the next retreat by signing up for the newsletter.

Connect with Gina through e-mail, on Facebook, her Amazon Author Page, YouTube channel, Instagram, Twitter, Bookbub, and Goodreads.  There are exclusives and announcements that she shares only in her newsletter, which you can sign up for right here.

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Tasty Tuesdays–Gluten-free German Pancake from T. H. Hernandez

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geman pancake, Gluten-free recipe, Recipes, T.H. Hernandez, Tasty Tuesdays, YA novel Prom Wrecked

I inherited a community cookbook, Get Smakelijk, from my grandmother when she passed away This blue and white comb-bound book with stained cover and yellowing pages, published in 1964, includes a collection of recipes by members and friends of the Junior Welfare League of Holland, Michigan. I have no idea where she got it, because from what I knew, she was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio.

Page 52 includes a recipe for German pancakes, one of my favorite dishes from The Original Pancake House. I made these more than a few times until I calculated the caloric content when they were reserved for special occasions. On Christmas morning, 2000, the year our first child was born, they became a Hernandez family tradition.

Fast forward to the fall of 2007, when our four-year-old twins were diagnosed with celiac disease, meaning wheat flour was forever banned from our home, along with rye and barley. It was the end of German pancakes as we knew them. Over the years, I experimented with various gluten-free flours, but I could never get the recipe quite right. They turned into mounded, air-filled pancakes that flattened as soon as I took them out of the oven, instead of the bowl-shaped beauties they’re meant to be. Plus, they never tasted quite right.

Those four-year-old scrawny boys, weighing just 25 pounds each, with no muscle mass and large protruding bellies, have thrived on a gluten-free diet and are now approaching six-feet in height. They’ve been determined to figure out this gluten-free German pancake thing that they somehow remember from more than a decade ago. They finally hit the jackpot last year. As neither my husband nor I have celiac, we can taste test against the original, and if I did a blind taste test, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you which one was gluten-free. I’m pleased to share the Hernandez Twins version of the gluten-free German pancake:

RECIPE

Ingredients:

3 eggs

½ stick of butter (not margarine)

½ cup Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour

½ cup nonfat milk

1 teaspoon sugar

Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar and fresh lemons

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. While the oven preheats, put the butter in a 9” oven-safe skillet or 9” glass pie pan and place in the oven to melt.
2. Meanwhile, beat together eggs, flour, milk, sugar and salt.
3. When oven is ready, remove the pan. Butter should be fully melted and brown on the edges. This will make a nice crispy bottom to your pancake.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes undisturbed (i.e. don’t open the door to check on it!)
5. Serve with powdered sugar and fresh lemons. My family argues over what goes on first, but take it from me, the only one with ¾ German ancestry in our family, that the lemon goes on first, THEN the powdered sugar.

Each pancake can serve two adults or one growing teen boy.

While the pancake is baking, check out

T. H. hernandez’s YA book

Prom-Wrecked

 

Their prom night ended in a jail cell with forty of their closest friends. But that’s hardly the worst thing that happened to them…

When the principal announces prom is canceled this year, senior Riley Hart is determined to save it. Armed with little more than her own enthusiasm, she ends up working closely with Owen Locklear, who is more than completely off-limits. Because he’s the boyfriend of her ex-BFF, Catherine Reed. Still, Owen knows Riley better than almost anyone, and his charming ideas for turning the prom upside-down and backward win Riley over.

Catherine is willing to join Owen and Riley on the prom committee, but only because her legacy as prom queen is at stake. She’s already suffocating under the weight of her parents’ expectations for after senior year, and compared to that, ensuring prom happens should be easy. At least until everything starts to go wrong.

First they lose their deposit. Then they book a band full of octogenarians. And lose their venue… Twice.

Riley will have an unforgettable teenage experience, damn it, if it’s the last thing she does…

BUY LINK

 

About the Author:

T.H. Hernandez is a published author of young adult novels. THE UNION, a post-climate change dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category. SUPERHERO HIGH, an urban scifi teenage romance, set in San Diego. Her first young adult contemporary co-written with Jennifer DiGiovanni, PROM-WRECKED, is published through Entangled Teen.

She thrives on coffee, pumpkin-flavored anything, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home. When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, you can find her in usually sunny San Diego with her husband, three teenage spawns, a bearded dragon, a couple of cats, and Artemis, a neurotic rescue mutt.

SOCIAL MEDIA  Twitter: Website: Instagram:

 

 

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Katie O’Boyle

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Catherine Castle Holiday Blog, Finger Lakes book settings, Gluten-free recipe, Home for the Holidays, Katie O'Boyle, Mushroom-Garden Stuffing, Waking Up to Love

Can you say, YUMM? This delicious recipe, from author Katie O’Boyle, has me ready to run to the store, get the ingredients, and make it tonight. Who cares about the turkey!

 

Family-favorite Stuffing for Christmas Dinner

 

For author Katie O’Boyle, the family Christmas dinner is a simple and joyful celebration. Four people gather in Seneca Falls—Katie’s sister, her brother-in-law (the cook!), their ninety-three-year-old friend John, and Katie. John brings wine, Katie brings Mushroom Garden Stuffing, and the cook does the rest: golden-roasted turkey breast, two kinds of potatoes, green beans, peas, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Healthy and delicious! Dessert features a pie and may include a few help-yourself treats like cashews, chocolates, and cookies from a holiday Cookie Walk.

Mushroom Garden Stuffing is a long-time favorite. The two main ingredients, apples and celery, please every palate. This recipe works just as well with margarine instead of butter and with any kind of bread.

Katie bakes it at home in a 3-quart oval baking dish, then warms it 15-20 minutes before serving.

 

Mushroom Garden Stuffing

(gluten-free)

4-6 Tbsp. butter

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

3 cups celery, chopped

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups crisp apple (such as McIntosh), chopped

4 cups gluten-free cornbread, cubed in 1-inch pieces

1/4 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. black pepper

 

Bake the cornbread ahead and allow to cool completely (may be baked a day ahead).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet. Clean and chop the onion and celery. Add to skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is transparent and mixture begins to brown. Then transfer to a large bowl.

Clean and slice the mushrooms and remove moisture with paper towels. Add more butter to the skillet as needed. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with the sage, thyme, and pepper. Stir occasionally to incorporate the seasonings and insure the mushrooms brown evenly.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the apple. Add to bowl with celery and onion. When the mushrooms have browned, transfer to bowl with onion, celery, and apple. Mix to combine.

“Toast” the bread cubes in the skillet, in batches, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon so the bread picks up any leftover butter and herbs. Add to bowl. Toss gently to combine.

Butter or grease the casserole dish. Add contents of bowl. Bake covered 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes more or until top begins to brown.

Tips from Katie: to accommodate my arthritis, I sometimes buy pre-chopped onion and celery and pre-sliced mushrooms, or I prepare the vegetables the night before. If I’m not up to baking cornbread from scratch, I use Glutino Gluten-free Pantry Yankee Cornbread mix and follows package directions.

 

About the Author

Katie O’Boyle is the author of the Lakeside Porches series of contemporary romances from Soul Mate Publishing. She grew up in Seneca Falls in the heart of the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York. Her books are set in the fictitious Finger Lakes town of Tompkins Falls.

Katie’s latest release, Waking Up To Love, features a Christmas wedding in Cornwall. Traditional chestnut stuffing is on the buffet, along with a golden-roasted bird, carvery roasts, gravy, fruit sauces, abundant vegetables, and figgy pudding.

For more information about Katie and her books: http://www.katieoboyle.com

To read more about Katie on this blog check out her latest posts Planning A Cornish Wedding