Traveling

Plane Food Sux
That is IF they feed you
Then it sux
I suppose this is an opinion
Maybe there are some that love plane food and look forward to this as they adventure
On the other hand I am one that packs Food
A BIG ass bag of food onto the plane with me for my family to munch on
Pretty much the only thing you have to be weary of is that you can't pack liquid or Jell like stuff
YOU CAN pack a small container of Homemade Hummus as long as it meets the rules !!!

Carry-on baggage:

Liquids gels and aerosols are permitted in carry-on baggage on the following conditions:

• They are in containers of 100 ml/100 g (3.4 oz.) or less.
  • Containers over 100mL/100g (3.4oz) will be confiscated from carry-on baggage at the security checkpoint.
• The containers are placed in one (1) clear, closed and resealable plastic bag no larger than 1 litre (1 quart).
  • One resealable plastic bag per passenger is permitted.

I pack Protein Bars, Nuts, Fruit, Rice, Crackers, Rice Cakes, and Layered Salads
YUM
We buy Big waters after we go through security
and we are happy campers

White Bean Hummus 

Sprouted Mung Beans

LOTS of Veggies for munching

Adventure is Beautiful

Make Gluten Free Bread in your blender..Super easy LOVE!

Rice Flour Bread

2 Cups Rice Flour
2 tsp baking Powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP Honey
1 Cup Egg Whites
3/4 Cup Plain Yogurt + 1/4 Cup water
1 TBSP Olive Oil

Place Rice Flour, Baking powder, baking soda, and honey into blender container and secure lid.
Blend until mixed.  Pour into a med sized bowl.
Add Egg Whites, Yogurt,  oil, and one Cup of the Flour mixture.  Blend until ingredients are moistened.  Add the remaining Rice flour mixture.  Blend again until processed.
Use a spatula to scrape down sides if needed.
Do Not over blend.

Spread batter into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Remove from pan and cool on wire rack

Enjoy!
Xoxo
Aishie Girl

Chard Wraps Fuel For Fabulousness

These are the prettiest!
They are fabulous! 
And so are you! 
Spring Time Mission:
Eat pretty things...feel fabulous 

Just getting back from a wonderful visit to the north to visit our family.
The landscape was white with snow most days the sun gleamed and made everything sparkle. Needless to say the experience was very cold and breathtakingly beautiful.
I spent a week sleeping, reading, laughing, squeezing babies, training in the original Young Gun Gym, and connecting with the most beautiful people....feeling super blessed that I can call them my family.
My Boden spent a week loving his Nan and Pop, cousins, uncles and Aunts who shower him with love.  Teaching him all about the north.  He built snow forts, snow tunnels, and went snowmobiling making snow angels on untouched white snow surrounded by foreverness of ice.  
Being a BC kid who panics to play in the inches of soggy slushy wet snow we might get on very few days of our Vancouver Island winter..... He was in absolute 9 year old heaven to say the least.

Upon our return we battled with a bit of jet lag and some dangerous flatulence from traveling food and time changes.  Traveling can be hard on the body that is for certain!
I was very happy to get to our regular routine and full access to farmers market greens and fruit.
(Sorry family ...if I could email you fresh greens and beautiful fresh Berries today I would!!!)

So back to the kitchen and back to creating beautiful live food for my family.
The Carrot sauce you build for these wraps is SO incredible 
If you never EVER make anything you read on my blog please try this 
you will not be sorry

These are inspired from a beautiful blog called sprouted kitchen
Enjoy

Chard Wraps:
(makes 4 wraps)

8 Large Chard or Collard leaves- washed and dried
2 Cups Brown Rice or sprouted or cooked Quinoa
1 TBSP Sesame Seeds, soaked
Juice from 1 Lemon freshly squeezed
1 Cup Carrots, roughly chopped
1 TBSP Fresh Ginger
1 TBSP Miso Paste (I used chickpea miso :) )
1/2 Small Shallot
3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Sesame Oil 
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Cups Raw grated beets (I used Golden Beets Omigosh Sooo pretty!)
1 Avocado - pitted and sliced 
1 Cups Sprouts or Micro Greens 
1 Avocado 

Cut the end stems off each collard leaf and shave down the stalk, making it the same thickness as the rest of the leaf.
Combine Lemon Juice, Carrots, ginger, shallot, miso paste, honey, and vinegar in a food processor until smooth, adding sesame oil and salt at the end.  
Using Two leaves at a time, overlap them halfway to create a bigger wrapping surface.
Place and even about of Carrot spread on.  Top with Rice, followed by beets, avocado, and sprouts.  Fold sides over and roll tightly like a burrito. 
Serve immediately or wrap in wax paper and store for your lunches for about two days.

ENJOY!!! 
xoxo
Ashie Girl

Carrot Walnut Cookies

In my opinion there are two definitions to
'I want a Cookie'

Definition #1:  Give me a cookie loaded with butter, sugar, chocolate chips, chewy on the inside, crisp on the edges, as big as my head cause this day really sucked

Definition #2: I am craving something sweet to have with my afternoon tea...but if I eat a cookie and trash my clean eating I am going to punch myself in the face cause I work SO hard in the gym I want to eat in a way that supports my training efforts :)

#2 is ...well..not as fun.  Sometimes #1 is just the only option.  Everyone deserves a cookie.  Nuff Said.

I for one really like cookies.
Especially with tea (yay tea)
But sugar cookies always make me feel yuck
I am always searching for a cookie that makes me feel good and fills my cookie cravings
I think this is a good example of this type of cookie
THIS is cookie you could eat for BREAKFAST!
THIS in my opinion is a clean cookie!
THIS is a cookie you could feed your tiny kids without loading them with sugar which might often result in high pitched screeching noises and bouncing off the walls...which can often lead to you wanting to punch yourself in the face.....
See this common theme of how I am trying to discourage you from beating yourself up
*helping*
Without further adieu....the recipe

Carrot Walnut Cookies:

1 Cup Raw Unsalted Walnuts
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Rice Flour (you can sub Whole wheat flour, or Spelt or any flour you like)
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 Carrots, grated
1 Apple, grated
1/2 Very ripe Banana, mashed
1/4 Cup liquid Egg white (you can sub juice or even water if you want)

Making Cookie time:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

1.  Combine Walnuts, Oats, and Raisins in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.
2.  Stir in flour, Baking powder, Cinnamon, and Ginger.  Whisk to combine.
3.  Next add the grated Carrots, grated Apple, mashed Banana, and liquid egg whites.  Stir with large wooden spoon till totally combined.
4.  Drop by rounded Tablespoon full's onto parchment lined cookie sheet (or silicone mat).
5.  Press down on each cookie with the back of a fork or spoon to slightly squish.

Bake 20-25 minutes till Browned.

Your house will now smell like carrot cake yummy cookies
your welcome!

Enjoy!
xoxo
Ashie Girl

Stinging Nettle Soup & Quinoa Breakfast Bites

Growing up I think my sisters and I lived a pretty charmed life
We grew on a little Island off of Vancouver Island
My parents chose a very basic lifestyle
They worked hard *understatement* and did some pretty crazy stuff to make it all work at times
When I say basic I mean ....No running water, electricity ...My parents worked hard to live off the land and to this day still grow a crazy summer garden that they harvest and store and reap the benefits of all year.  Aside from their garden they taught us to harvest things that grew naturally around us.  Things like Berries, mushrooms, and in the spring time Nettles.
Nettles are high in vitamins and minerals Super Super good for you
Wild food!
You can pick your own Nettles easily.  You will definitely want to wear gloves!  Just from working with my nettles last night my fingers are still pins and needles...If you have ever used nettles or picked them you will know what I mean.  It feels like your fingers have fallen asleep.
HOW TO PICK NETTLES???  You only want to pick the young nettle leaves, so springtime is the best time for nettle foraging.  Be sure to wear gloves to avoid stings!!!  Only pick nettles that are below knee-hight, and then just take the flowering tops, with the smallest leaves.  Just cut off the top of the nettle, stem and all.  Take home and you are ready to dry them to make tea, or just cook them up in any dish you want treating them just like spinach.
My Mom went out and picked nettles the other day and was awesome enough to bring me a big bag.
I decided I wanted to make a nice spring soup
Of course I want to share the pic's and recipe!!!
I also made some quinoa breakfast bites from a quick recipe I found on the net.

Nettle Soup:

2 Handfulls young Nettle Tops & Leaves
2 medium Onions, Chopped
1 medium Potato, peeled and chopped
2 Cloves Garlic
6 Cups veggie Stock
1 Pinch pf Nutmeg

1.  First Blanch your nettles and drain
2.  Saute Onions and garlic till translucent in a large pot or dutch oven
3.  Add Potato, stock, and nettles.  Bring to a boil, reduce and cover to simmer for 15 mins or so until potato's are soft .
4.  Process in a blender till smooth.  Add more stock if you desire a thinner soup.


Quinoa Breakfast Bites:

1 Banana
2 Squeezes of Liquid stevia
1 tsp flax meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup of pre cooked Quinoa
3 TBSP Rice Flour
Pecans or almonds to finish

-Mash your banana in a large bowl.  mix in all other ingredients adding quinoa and rice flour last.  Scoop using a Tablespoon form into balls lining them up on a lined cookie sheet.  Squish into patties adding a nut to the top of each one.  Bake at 350 for 10 mins until golden around the edges
Enjoy!

Beet Tahini

BEETS!!!!
Reasons to eat beets....
ehheemm

1.  They are yummy
2.  They are the prettiest colour arent they?!
3.  No seriously though....Beets are super nutritious.  Both Beets and Beet greens are low in calories while being rich in nutrients and fibre :)
Nutrients like......

Folate

Beets and beet greens are both good sources of folate.

Folate is said to pay a major role in cancer prevention :)

Potassium

Potassium is an important mineral for heart function, nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction research suggests that higher dietary potassium intake may decrease the risk for stroke and help prevent osteoporosis.

Magnesium

Beets and beet greens also provide magnesium, a vital mineral for bone health and deriving energy from the food you eat.

Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene functions as a potent antioxidant. 

ANNNNNDDD they are yummy and a very pretty colour

Here is a recipe for Beet Tahini

I highly recommend roasting up a couple of beets

whipping this yummy dip up

chop some colourful veggies

set on your kitchen counter in plain sight or dinner table pre dinner hour

and just watch those veggies disappear!!!

kid and meat and potato man have eaten their veggies before dinner has even happened 

Aren't you clever ;) 

......SSSSuper mom 

Yeah you are!!! 

Beet Tahini

Ingredients:

2 beets

Juice of 2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup tahini

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

1. Wash and trim, but don’t peel, the beets, then wrap each one in tin foil and toss it in the oven for 45-60 minutes, until a knife can easily pierce each beet.  Once the beets have cooled enough to handle, rub them with your thumbs and the skins should come off easily.

2.  Roughly chop the beets and the garlic and put both in the bowl of a food processor.  Give them a quick pulse to start breaking down the beets.

3.  Add the tahini and lemon juice and puree until smooth.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.  Serve cold or room temperature with crackers or raw vegetables.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Asia Girl

Post Workout Pancakes

Post Workout Pancakes 

THese are Too Good!!!

Nutritional Info per one Pancake:

(Recipe makes 2 Pancakes)

79 Calories, 1 gram Fat, 3 grams Fiber, 16 Carbs, 9 grams Protein

Ingredients: 

1 Medium sized Banana, mashed

3 Egg Whites 

1/2 Cup Blueberries

1. In a small Bowl mash Banana

2. Add Egg and combine

3. Heat Frying pan med heat

4. Add 1/2 of the mixture and top with 1/2 of blueberries COVER with a lid :)

5. Cook each side until golden..

The hardest part of this recipe is flipping the thing 

You gotta do it fast 

6. Top each pancake with a bit of greek yogurt or maybe some nut butter :) mmmmmmm

You gotta try this!