Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Easter is wonderful time of year to celebrate spring and new beginnings. One of the most popular Easter traditions is dying eggs, but most store bought kits use dyes full of artificial colors and chemicals. These are neither good for the earth or good for our bodies!

Artificial colors are known carcinogens and can trigger both allergies and hyperactivity. By using ingredients from our own kitchens/gardens, we can create beautifully dyed eggs with colors that are safe to handle and consume! (Eggs are like GOLD in my area of the world right now…expensive and hard to come by, so we definitely don’t want to just toss them!)

How to Create Natural Dyes

  1. Choose your natural dye ingredients. Some common ingredients include: red cabbage (for blue dye), beets (for pink or red dye), turmeric (for yellow dye), onion skins (for orange, brown or lavender dye), and spinach (for green dye).
  2. Hard boil your eggs and let them cool.
  3. Prepare your natural dyes by simmering your chosen ingredients in water for 15-30 minutes until the desired color is achieved. The color of the dye should be a few shades darker than you want the finished egg to be. Strain out any solids.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each cup of dye to help the color adhere to the eggs.
  5. Dip your eggs into the dye and let them sit until the desired color is achieved. You can leave them in for a few minutes to a few hours. If you going to be leaving the eggs in the dye for a long period of time, be sure to let them soak in the fridge.
  6. Remove the eggs from the dye and let them dry. You can place them on a wire rack or use a paper towel to blot away any excess moisture.
  7. Display your beautiful, naturally dyed Easter eggs and enjoy! (Be sure to refrigerate eggs if you are planning to consume them!)

Common Natural Dye Ingredients

Here are some common natural ingredients for dyeing Easter eggs and the colors they produce:

  1. Red/pink: beets, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate juice
  2. Orange: yellow onion skins, paprika
  3. Yellow: turmeric, saffron, carrot tops, chamomile tea
  4. Green: spinach, parsley, cilantro, nettle tea
  5. Blue: blueberries, red cabbage leaves, blackberries, purple grape juice
  6. Purple: red onion skins, hibiscus tea, blackberries
  7. Brown: coffee, tea, walnut shells

The final color is dependent on whether you use white or brown eggs. Use a mix of both to achieve more color variety!

Get Creative!

If you want to create designs or patterns, you can use stickers, tape and rubber bands to create patterns. Try using natural elements, like leaves, to create a pretty springtime flair. Then, dye the eggs , allow to dry, remove the material you used to create the pattern and reveal your design.

When dyeing eggs with natural materials, keep in mind that the colors may not be as vibrant or consistent as they are with store-bought dye kits. However, the unique and natural colors that you can create are worth the effort. Experiment with different natural materials and techniques to find the perfect colors for your Easter eggs. Happy dyeing!

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23026007/

Pumpkin Spice Latte (gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free)

Pumpkin Spice Latte" data-pin-description"A healthier version of everyone's fall favorite! Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Refined Sugar Free #pumpkinspice #latte #glutenfree #dairyfree #homemade #refinedsugarfree #cashew #spices #realfood #healthyswaps #peaknutritionandwellness #nutrition #functionalnutrition

Happy Fall! I love the beginning of the autumn months, with the chilly mornings and lovely warm afternoons. By September, I’m usually ready to put the grill aside in favor of some slow braised stews or comforting soups.

For many, the arrival of fall means just one thing…PUMPKIN SPICE SEASON!

Pumpkin spice seems to dominate everything nowadays…from lattes to candles to snack mixes (just walk into a Trader Joe’s in fall and take a gander at their pumpkin spice offerings!)

But the OG, the latte, is what we are here for! If you’ve been avoiding those Pumpkin Spice Lattes from your favorite barista…well, first of all, good for you! 👏👏👏

At 39g of sugar in just a Tall PSL, you are definitely doing yourself a favor! (That’s roughly 10 teaspoonsful of sugar in that little cup!)

Although the sugar gives the ol’ PSL a bad rap, the spices that make up the warming pumpkin spice blend are pretty darn good for us! Check out the benefits below!

Luckily, we can still keep a little spice in our life and avoid the sugar shock by recreating a healthier version of our favorite fall beverage at home. For my healthier PSL, I use maple syrup (which yes, is still sugar, but it is unrefined. This means it still contains other nutrients). It’s also really easy to adjust the quantity, so we can enjoy a little sweetness without the sugar crash.

I also use Cashew Butter (specifically, I use addJoi’s Cashew Base) which gives the creaminess. I have no affiliation with them, I just really like their products, as they have no additives! Many dairy free milk products contain thickeners or emulsifiers which irritate the gut, affect gut health by increasing intestinal permeability and/or contribute to an overgrowth of the intestinal bacteria. I encourage you to check addJoi out!

You can choose to sub in your favorite dairy free milk alternative, but may have to adjust the strength of the coffee to get the right mix, as the extra liquid will water down the latte a bit. If you enjoy a weaker cup, it might work great for you!

Are you like me and prefer your latte iced? I think my love of iced coffee comes from my pharmacist days where I would sip from the same cold cup of coffee all shift long! To make it frosty, simply blend and pour into a glass over ice!

Let me know what you think! Enjoy! 🍂

Pumpkin Spice Latte

A healthier alternative to the Fall favorite!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup strongly brewed coffee
  • 1 tbsp organic cashew base (I use the one from addJoi)(https://addjoi.com) can substitute cashew butter
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin puree
  • 1-3 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice blend (see notes for recipe)

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a blender. Whir it up until frothy and enjoy!
    Note: Start with 1 tsp of maple syrup, you can add more if desired or omit if you prefer a sugar free version.
  • Pour into mug and top with an extra sprinkle of Pumpkin Spice Blend

Notes

 
You can try substituting other nut butters, but I find cashew is the creamiest (less grainy) and works the best.
 
Pumpkin Spice Blend
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8th tsp ground clove
 
 
 
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, healthy fats, refined sugar free

Summer Quinoa Salad with Herbs

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Hot summer days are the perfect time to break out those refreshing salad recipes. This quinoa salad has been a go-to of mine for years! With it’s balance of crisp veg, a tangy umami filled dressing and refreshing herbs, it’s SO crave-able. Downright addictive!

I’ve been making this salad for so long, that I don’t recall where the original inspiration came from! I do know that I swapped in coconut sugar and avocado oil as healthier alternatives in the dressing. Coconut sugar is less refined that white or brown sugar and does not have as quick an impact on blood sugar levels. Avocado oil (or olive oil) is a more stable fat than vegetable oils, like canola oil. Vegetable or seed oils are fragile fats that are damaged during processing and highly inflammatory.

Quinoa is a seed that is naturally gluten free and provides a fairly good punch of protein for a plant food. Unlike most plant based foods, it contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. I tend to cook a whole bunch of quinoa at one time and freeze it in “salad” size portions (3 to 4 cups of cooked quinoa), so when the urge for this salad or my Curry Quinoa Salad hits, I’m one step closer to digging in!

Quinoa also is coated in saponins, a bitter tasting compound that acts as an insecticide for the plant. Rinsing your quinoa with cold water prior to cooking it will remove the saponin and prevent that bitterness from transferring to you finished product!

Feel free to mix up the veggies in this salad or omit herbs you may not be fond of (for you cilantro haters out there!). It makes a great addition to summer picnics or BBQs, as it can sit at warmer temps without spoiling.

Eat it on its own or add your favorite protein (shrimp is delicious with this) and enjoy!

Summer Quinoa Salad with Herbs

A refreshing, flavor packed salad that's great as a side or on its own!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Saucepan
  • 1 Strainer (fine mesh) for rinsing quinoa prior to cooking
  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Whisk
  • Small bowl for mixing the dressing
  • Large Salad Bowl
  • Tongs or utensils for mixing salad ingredients

Ingredients
  

  • 1 & 1/3 cup Quinoa
  • 2 & 1/3 cups Water
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
  • 1 English Cucumber diced
  • 1 cup Grated and Shedded Carrot
  • 2 Scallions finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Mint finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Thai Basil (or sub regular basil) finely chopped

Dressing

  • 1.5 tbsp Avocado oil or Olive Oil
  • 2.5 tsp Red Boat Fish Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions
 

Quinoa

  • Rinse quinoa throughly under cold water.
  • Add quinoa and water to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with lid, until water has been completely absorbed (15 to 20 minutes).
  • Remove from heat and allow to sit with lid on for 5 minutes.
  • Remove quinoa from pot. If making the salad immediately, place quinoa in fridge to cool for 20-30 minutes before assembling salad.

Dressing

  • Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes and oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine and dissolve sugar. Set aside.

Salad

  • Combine cooled quinoa, red pepper, cucumber, carrots, scallion and herbs in bowl.
  • Pour dressing over contents of bowl.
  • Toss well to combine.
  • Chill in refrigerator prior to serving.
  • Keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

Notes

Add a protein, such as grilled chicken or shrimp, to make this a main course salad.
There are a number of recommended quinoa to water ranges out there. Many recommend 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. I’ve found that 1.75 cups of water for every cup of quinoa works well for me and provides fluffy, not soggy, quinoa. Start with the directions on your bag of quinoa and adjust from there. Experiment with what ratio works best in your kitchen!
 
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, healthy fats

Elementor #1281

Healthy Shamrock Shake

‘Tis the season of all things GREEN! 

I’ll be honest, I’ve never had the OG Shamrock Shake from the (in)famous fast food place. Not that I don’t love mint and ice cream, but the vivid, fake green color (and of course the loads of sugar) just wasn’t for me!

To honour my Irish roots and celebrate my nephew Mason and his dog “Lucky”, who both have birthdays on March 17th, I thought I’d try to recreate a healthier version of this March treat.

Sweet "Lucky"

This shake comes together in a flash! I opted to make mine “Super Powered” by adding in some baby spinach. Spinach is a great choice, as its flavor won’t overpower the mint. Feel free to experiment with other leafy greens.

You could also add some protein in the form of an unsweetened protein powder or collagen peptides.

The ingredients...plus my optional add-in of baby spinach

Simply dump all the ingredients into your blender and mix until smooth and creamy! 

Dump and blend! Doesn't get any easier!

 

Once it’s all blended, taste and adjust for sweetness and “minty-ness”. Pour into serving glasses or bowls and garnish. With a full avocado and the coconut milk, this is very filling! The recipe says 2 servings, but I think you could stretch it to 3 or 4 easily!

I experimented with and without spinach. You can see the difference in color below.

Without spinach...garnished with grated dark chocolate
With spinach...garnished with raw cacao nibs

You’ll notice that I serve my smoothie with a SPOON.  Even with smoothies, it’s important to chew your food! When we chew, and move food around our mouths, our brains get important information about what type of nutrients are in the food we are eating. It is then able to trigger the release of the digestive juices and enzymes we need to properly digest and absorb the nutrients.

There are also enzymes in our saliva and, as we chew, we are allowing these enzymes to start to work on the food and lessens the work that needs to be done further down the digestive line.

Enjoy! Sláinte!

 

May your troubles be less and your blessings more and nothing but happiness come through your door.
Irish Blessing

Shamrock Shake

shannon.flood
A much healthier version of the St Paddy's Day favourite, this shake is free of refined sugar and loaded with healthy fats!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Snack
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 High Speed Blender
  • Measuring Cup
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Knife

Ingredients
  

  • 1 avocado ripe
  • 1 cup coconut milk may sub with other dairy or non dairy milk alternative
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • ~20 leaves fresh mint adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tsp maple syrup adjust to taste
  • Dark Chocolate or Cacao Nibs for garnish
  • See Recipe Notes for optional add ins!!!

Instructions
 

  • Remove pit and peel from avocado.
  • Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into serving glasses/bowls.
  • Garnish with grated/shaved dark chocolate or cocoa nibs and enjoy!

Notes

Optional Add-ins
  1. Make it a Super Powered Shamrock Shake by adding in 1 packed cup of baby spinach (it really ups the green quotient too!)
  2. Add in your favourite unsweetened protein powder or collagen peptides for an added Protein Kick!
  3. Swap out the maple syrup for 1/2 to 1  banana (frozen would work great here too!)
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, healthy fats, refined sugar free

How to Shop with Health in Mind

5 Tips for a Healthy Grocery Shop

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The holiday season is winding up for most of us and I head back to the PNW tomorrow after a wonderful, soul rejuvenating, extended visit with family in the Motherland. 6 weeks away from my regular routine is a long time and I know the first thing I need to do (after an extended snuggle-fest with my fur baby), is to stock the fridge with food!! 

I mean…you just gotta snuggle this guy!

For many, the New Year is a time to reset and recommit to those healthy habits that may have fallen by the wayside during all the holiday fun. Gyms will be popular again, google searches for cleanses will go through the roof, but the best way to support a healthy lifestyle and get back on track is to make sure you have healthy food on hand!

I’m a weirdo. I enjoy grocery shopping, but I know for many it is a CHORE! You find it hard enough carving out time to shop, let alone figuring out what you should and shouldn’t be filling your cart with!

So here’s my TOP 5 TIPS for grocery shopping with your health in mind.

1.  Is it a WHOLE food?

Most of the food we eat should whole, single ingredient foods – foods that are unprocessed, unrefined, and still recognizable as something you would find in nature! Processing can damage or strip nutrients from the food; chemical additives, like colours, flavours or preservatives, and other ingredients, such as sugar and vegetable oils, contribute to the damaging effects of processed foods as well.

2. Think Variety

Don’t get stuck in a rut! We want to be eating a wide range of foods. Mix up the selection in your fruit and veggie selections. Be daring and try something new! In our Standard American Diets, approximately 60% of the calories come from soy, wheat and corn. That’s means we are leaving A LOT of good nutrition on the table by missing out on all the phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals in colourful fruits and vegetables. 

Try to “Eat The Rainbow”. Can you get at least one fruit or vegetable from each colour in the rainbow on your plate daily?

Eating a wide variety of plant foods is also great for supporting your microbiome (the beneficial bacteria in our guts that support overall health). The more varieties of plants consumed, the more robust and diverse the microbiome.

3. Think Seasonally

Eating with the seasons is one way to increase the diversity in your diet and allow us to consume a wide range of nutrients that changes often. Choosing seasonal produce can often mean getting more nutrient dense produce. It hasn’t been stored in a warehouse for months, slowing losing its nutrient potency. A quick google search can give you an idea of what is in season in your region, so you can add some seasonal goodies to your cart!

5 Tips for a Healthy Grocery Shop
There’s some YUMMY choices on this list!

4. Think Locally

Depending on where you live, this is easier said than done. If you live in a temperate climate with long growing seasons, you are going to have an easier time sourcing local food than someone who lives under 4 feet of snow for 6 months of the year!

Farmers Markets, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) memberships, your own garden are all great places to get fresh, local produce. Because it is freshly harvested, the nutrient density is going to be much higher than the same thing that was harvested, stored and transported many miles to reach your local grocery store.

Some extra bonuses of eating local are that you are supporting local farmers, eating what is in season on the farms and, because it hasn’t travelled long distances, it is better environmentally!

5. Think Quality

I know organic produce is expensive and, for the most part, looks exactly like its cheaper, conventional cousin.  So what’s the difference? 

Different countries have different regulations around the term “organic”. In the U.S., certified organic means annual audits are conducted to ensure the following standards are met: 

– No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides

– No antibiotics or hormones 

– No GMOs

In today’s world, we are exposed to a multitude of toxins on a daily basis. On top of just adding to our toxic load and stressing our detoxification system, many of these toxins are potential carcinogens and/or endocrine disruptors (meaning they affect our hormone balance). We don’t always have control over what we are exposed to, so it’s important to focus on areas where we CAN lessen our exposure. Eating organic is one way to do that. 

For more information about Organic Vs Conventional check out THIS post I wrote.

So how do you go about fitting organic into your budget? Do what you can with what you have.  I’d rather see someone chomping through a bunch of conventionally grown carrots than diving headfirst into a box of Oreos!  Follow the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Lists and choose your organic produce from those that may have the highest pesticide residue.  

5 Tips for a Healthy Grocery Shop

One last tip? Whenever possible, get to know your local farmers/producers!  Many smaller farms follow all the organic standards, but simply do not have the money to get “certified”.  Ask questions about their product. If they are proud of their processes, they will be happy to share!