RECIPE: Broccoli Salad

BROCCOLI AND BACON SALAD

Dressing:

1 cup Best Foods Real Mayonnaise or you can make your favorite homemade mayo
3 - tablespoons raw honey
1 - tablespoon real maple syrup
1 to 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients above in a bowl add vinegar to taste starting with 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing, and adding more if your taste requires.  It should be a bit sweet and tart.

Cook 8 to 10 slices of bacon, cut into thin slices about 3/4" to 1" thick and fry until crisp. Set on paper towel to drain off all grease. Set aside

In a large mixing bowl add;
2 large or 3 medium size crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets, chop and peel stems.  (I personally, don't use that many stems, but if you like they can be used.)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 fresh blueberries
1 large Fuji apple sliced in small to medium chunks ( before adding apples to salad drizzle with fresh lemon juice to prevent the apples from browning.)  then add to the rest of the ingredients.
Add cooked bacon pieces and mix.

Combine salad dressing with all the ingredients, refrigerate for a about 2 to 3 hours and serve.
It is delicious... Enjoy!

NUTRITION: Are You Nuts About Nuts? You Should Be!

I am reposting this from  Walk with Walgreens ...

Many consider the mighty walnut to be more beneficial to your health than any other nut. According to Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, "A handful of walnuts contain almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don't eat a lot of them.” 

The quality antioxidants in Walnuts can protect the body from disease. Walnuts also provide the body with high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. And let’s not forget, they’re delicious! Drop some in your morning no-atmeal or yogurt, toss some in your salad, or bake some in a healthy fruit dessert. Walnuts make almost anything better.

Based on the popularity of our post about walnuts, we wanted to continue the nutty discussion with Brazil nuts. Act like an Amazonian and grab a handful. They’re higher in calories than other nuts because of their fats, but they are also rich in vitamins, anti-oxidants, and minerals. A cup of brazil nuts can get you toward your daily recommended value of thiamin, vitamin e, calcium, magnesium, and selenium. 

Brazil nuts are also free from gluten, which makes them a popular ingredient in the preparation of gluten-free food formulas. And we can’t forget about brazil nut oil. It can be used in cooking as well, but also as massage oil, for aromatherapy, and even to make paints. 

We’ve already highlighted the health benefits of walnuts and Brazil nuts, so we thought we’d tackle almonds too. Almonds are like miracle nuts – they’re good for your entire body! They help with brain development, so kids should munch on a few every morning. Mono-saturated fat, protein and potassium contained in almonds are good for the heart.

Got dry skin? Put some almond oil on it. Almond milk is even added to some soaps to improve complexion. Almonds can also boost energy, help with weight loss, prevent constipation, and regulate blood pressure. You have every reason to grab a handful!

RECIPE: Fruit and Nut Bars

So by now you all have figured out I really like nuts, berries, and dried fruits. I do. Guilty as charged. I absolutely LOVE the "Blonde Cave Girl" cookies I invented, but I'm still not ready to let that recipe out. I've been approached about marketing them, so I'm going to keep that recipe under wraps for a while longer ... BUT, I found a great recipe for a baked crunchy bar that has a very similar taste!
I made a few alterations to the original recipe, so here's my version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw Almonds
1 cup raw Macadamia Nuts
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup dried Cranberries
1/2 cup dried Blueberries
1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place almonds in food processor and pulse until the nuts are small chunks - not meal or butter. Place almonds in a mixing bowl. Do the same to the macadamia nuts, then walnuts. (I prefer to do them separately to make sure they get chopped evenly.)

3. Add dried fruits to the nut mixture.

4. Put eggs, honey, melted coconut oil and cinnamon in the food processor and blend well.

5. Add liquid to nut/fruit mixture and stir well.

6. Spread mixture into a greased 8X11 (or 9X13 for thinner bars) pan, spreading with a spatula to make sure mixture is evenly distributed in pan.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (In my oven it took 20 minutes)

 8. Allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting. Allowing them to be in the refrigerator for an hour or so before cutting will help them cut without tearing or crumbling.

9. Store the bars in an air-tight container or individually wrap them if you plan to eat them while on-the-go.

RECIPE: Powerhouse Fruit and Nut Snack Mix

I LOVE nuts and I LOVE dried fruit, so it's only natural that I combine the two with some seasonings. So, I measured and mixed and seasoned and tasted and came up with something pretty darned good! 

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup Walnuts
1/4 cup Pecans
1/4 cup Macadamia nuts
1/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup dried Cranberries
1/4 cup dried Blueberries
1/4 cup dried Apricots (cut into chunks)
1/4 cup Carob chips
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Powder
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt (not pictured)

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut dried apricots into quarters, then add all nuts, fruits, and chips in a bowl.
2. Add seasoning, stir and taste. Add more of whatever your tastes prefer.
3. Serve and enjoy!


*Note* 
Feel free to try different nuts or fruits, add coconut, use dark chocolate chips, etc. I'm sure the end product will be delicious!