Fall-spiced Water in My Eco-Jarz

Once it gets colder we forget that we need to keep drinking water to stay hydrated. Love my ecojarz lid - enjoying my fall-spiced water today.  Filtered water with sliced apple, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Spiced Hot Chocolate

Homemade spiced hot chocolate to end the day with.

About 2 cups almond or coconut milk

1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

Cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom

Heat milk and chocolate on low heat over the stove until hot. Stir in maple syrup and spices and enjoy.

We're Homeowners!

Life has been a rollercoaster the past 2 years...but I've been LOVING the ride! Lammer and I closed on our NEW home today and I couldn't be more excited to start this new chapter of our lives. Even though this has been an uber-stressful few months getting this to fall into place, it's all really great stress to have. I'm ever-so grateful and because of that, I'm able to really enjoy all that's happening. 

Contrast Shower

In the colder months I love taking contrast showers to improve circulation.  My showers are super hot then I'll turn the dial to freezing cold for at least 20 seconds! It's sooo invigorating and such a silly way to start the day.  I always giggle and squeal from how crazy it feels!! It can help reduce muscle soreness by moving lactic acid out of the muscles so I love it for my sore neck and shoulders or after a hard workout. Some people also think this type of shower can help detoxify the body and improve the immune system. Either way it's energizing and gets my blood flowing, let me know if you give it a try!   

Cereal, jacked up.

 Every so often I like to treat myself to a bowl of cereal but when I do I love doctoring it up! 

I blend half a banana, a tablespoon of maple syrup, chia seeds, maca powder & raw cacao powder with almond (or coconut) milk. I love gluten free Puffins so I pour the sweet, frothy milk-mixture on top of them. My fav!

Simplest Butternut Squash Soup

Homemade Granola

One of my favorite things to throw in the oven is a fresh batch of granola. It warms the house up with such a delicious scent and leaves you with handfuls of sweet treats for days to come.  It's best to use raw, organic ingredients whenever possible.  These measurements are flexible; don't worry too much about being exact. Get creative and use any combination of healthy ingredients to make your own flavor. *If you're grain-free, feel free to follow this recipe without the rolled oats but load up on more nuts/seeds & dried fruits!

Ingredients: 

2 cups rolled oats, aka old fashion oats (gluten free oats if GF)

1 cup raw nuts, chopped (I love sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.)

1/2 cup raw seeds (I love sunflower, pumpkin, chia, etc.)

1/4 cup unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (optional, I love dried apple during the fall!)

3 tablespoons grade-B maple syrup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1-2 egg whites (optional, but if you want a chunkier granola go for it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large pinch sea salt

sprinkle of cinnamon

handful of raisins

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients (except raisins) into a mixing bowl, using your hands to toss and coat.  The coconut oil may be solid, but your hands should warm it up so that there aren't any chunks left in the mixture.  Things will get sticky and messy, but that's the fun part about it!  Spread mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until lightly toasted.  Give the mixture a stir and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes, stirring another time.  When the granola starts to brown a bit, it's ready.  Toss raisins into the granola and let cool before serving or storing.  This will keep in an airtight container in a dry place for up to 2 weeks.  I keep mine in a mason jar in the refrigerator.   ENJOY!

I'm psyched to have recently added goat and sheep milk's yogurt into my diet (with NO negative dairy side effects!), so I treated myself to a lovely parfait with the granola I made, as you can see above!