Cashews and Coconut

Hey ladies!  I loved hearing from Karen!  And thank you Lindy for the ice cream and bar finds.  It's so nice to have pictures so I can find them in the store.

The cashews and coconut came!  The cashew pieces are really small.  I hope that's okay.  :o{  The coconut is finely shredded too.  I hope you guys like it.  We have been using both and like them.

I have a few cashew recipes for ya.  I haven't tried the dreamcake yet.  I was just going to save it for Stephen's birthday, but he thinks we need a trial run.  :o)

Cilantro Lime Sauce

1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt

I put it all in a blender and it came out kinda chunky.  Next time I'll use our magic bullet and do the nuts and water first, then add the rest of the ingredients.

We ate it over roasted veggies that had been tossed in oil, salt and cumin powder.  Have you tried cumin on sweet potato?  Yum!


I'm not a food photographer.

We also made these:




                                 

Coconut Lemon Bombs

• 1 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup buckwheat
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, optional
• zest of 2 lemons, medium sized
• juice of one lemon
• 6 - 7 medjool dates, softened and pitted
• 1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes for rolling

Place cashews and buckwheat in food processor and blend until a medium to fine grind (doesn't have to be perfect). Add rest of ingredients and blend until combined and you have a doughy consistency. If you find your dough is a bit too dry try adding fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. Chill dough for about 20-30 minutes. Roll into 1 inch balls then roll in coconut flakes. Makes apprx. 12 - 14. Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

These were okay.  Still a bit tart, even with the maple syrup.  But I kinda liked that.


Also, I plan on trying:

 

Cashew Milk from Cosmo Hippie Chef



 

Cashew Sour Cream from The Simple Veganista

First Try

Yeah!  I got it figured out.  So I'm going to see if it works.
Thought I'd share a couple of things I've run across lately.  They come from the Whole30 program.

"The food you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy.  Those are your options."



Lindy and I were talking about how to explain how we eat to others--simply and briefly.  Thought I'd share it:

Nutrition in 60 Seconds

I eat real food – fresh, natural food like meat, vegetables and fruit.  I choose foods that are nutrient-dense, with lots of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, over foods that have more calories but less nutrition.  And food quality is important – I’m careful about where my meat, seafood and eggs come from, and buy organic local produce as often as possible.

This is not a “diet” – I eat as much as I need to maintain strength, energy, activity levels and a healthy body weight.  I aim for well-balanced nutrition, so I eat both animals and a significant amount of plants.  I’m not lacking carbohydrates – I just get them from vegetables and fruits instead of bread, cereal or pasta.  And my meals are probably higher in fat than you’d imagine, but fat is a healthy source of energy when it comes from high-quality foods like avocado, coconut and grass-fed beef.
 Eating like this is ideal for maintaining a healthy metabolism and reducing inflammation within the body.  It’s good for body composition, energy levels, sleep quality, mental attitude and quality of life.  It helps eliminate sugar cravings and reestablishes a healthy relationship with food.  It also works to minimize your risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases and conditions, like diabetes, heart attack, stroke and autoimmune.

Happy eating this week!
k