Goodie Goodie Gluten-Free®

Goodie Goodie Gluten Free Has Gotten A Makeover!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Sat, 2 Jan 2021 22:06:00 -0500

Hello lovers!

I'm thrilled to announce that my blog, Goodie Goodie Gluten Free® got a well-needed makeover, turned into a dot com, and got Trademarked!

Goodie Goodie Gluten-Free has ditched white sugar, dairy, eggs, and other food allergies, food sensitivities, and intolerances. Goodie Goodie Gluten Free is now a healthy gluten-free food and wellness blog with lots of free-from, paleo, and vegan recipes. The only thing that has stayed the same? Everything is absolutely yummy, delicious, and gluten-free.

This blog has so many resources it will stay here alive so you can always access the information and stories. From now on I'll be blogging on the dot com. You can sign up for my newsletter for free recipes, wellness tips, and product recs for an amazing celiac-safe life.

Want to hang out with me on social?

Instagram: instagram.com/goodiegoodieglutenfree

Pinterest: pinterest.com/goodiegoodieglutenfree

Website: https://goodiegoodieglutenfree.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/goodiegoodieglutenfree

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Twitter: twitter.com/goodiegoodiegf

My Blog Goodie Goodie Gluten-Free Got a Makeover!!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 21:01:00 -0400

Hello loves!

Great news! goodiegoodieglutenfree.com the new site with the same name got a makeover! I have moved this site to a .com so you will no longer need the dash in between gluten and free, and you will no longer need the words "blogspot" after your links.

Hope you enjoy the revamped healthy side of gluten-free living and if you haven't already, sign up for my newsletter at http://goodiegoodieglutenfree.com to get healthy recipes and self-care tools to live a life you feel good about straight to your email inbox.

I can't wait to hang with you over on the new and improved site with more than just gluten-free recipes. Now you can receive healthy gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and free from recipes, plus nutrition tips, coaching, and more!

xx Julie

Lately Loving Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 23:14:00 -0400

Hello my loves!

I have to say it's getting very close to my new website launch! I am so excited about this I have been working on my new website for months and months and its coming along beautifully! With that said, I haven't had a lot of time to blog all of my delicious recipes, so I have been instead using instagram as my mini blog, and posting recipes and awesome pictures on there!

My latest recipes on Instagram have been

Carob Pumpkin Butter Cups with Hemp Seed Sprinkles

Pumpkin Hummus

Goddess Green Juice

Buckwheat Pancakes

Pumpkin, Quinoa Gluten-free Oatmeal

Carrot Cranberry Juice

I also post about gluten-free finds in random places like Costco!

In addition to gorgeous recipes I also post a lot of quotes, book reviews and cooking apps that inspire me.

So…

I want to invite all of you to fall in love with Goodie Goodie Gluten-free on Instagram!

xx Julie

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What are you waiting for?

Fall Blueberry Pie Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 20:07:00 -0400

I just added a new and amazing ingredient to my smoothie repertoire! So excited that I must share the treasure with you guys!

The mission behind this add? To get my smoothies thicker without using bananas or avocado.

The verdict? Totally awesome!

The add? Pumpkin puree (from a can)! No you don't have to buy the pumpkin, cut it open and puree it yourself. That's just too much work, unless you of course want to…

Make sure you read the pumpkin puree label for the gluten-free type!!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup melted blueberries plus syrup (about 1 1/2 cups non melted)

2 tsp. hemp seeds

2 T. pumpkin seeds

4 T. pumpkin puree

1 Medjool Date

1/2 scoop Sun Warrior Rice Protein Powder (non-flavored) (You can sub in vanilla flavored)

1/2 Tigernut milk (use any non-dairy milk you want)

1/2 cup water

7 ice cubes plus additional ice cubes for serving

Optional Superfood add-1 tsp. Maca Root powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt blueberries in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 1 minute intervals until the blueberries are warmed and a bit soupy. You will have about 1 tablespoon of syrup. Minimum 1 minute-Max 2.5 minutes.

2. Add 4 ice cubes and all ingredients into high speed blender and blend until smooth.

3. If you want it extra sweet now's the time to add in an additional Medjool Date

4. Add an additional 3 ice cubes and blend.

Serves 2 medium size smoothies or 1 huge Queen Smoothie.

Serve on the rocks (ice) with a fun straw and enjoy!

TIPS:
-when you melt blueberries it will require more for the smoothie.
-seeds are a great vegetarian way to get iron, minerals and protein
-protein powder added to smoothies makes you full longer.
-any non-dairy milk can be used in a smoothie either fresh or homemade such as Quinoa milk, Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Walnut Milk, Cashew Nut Milk, Oat Milk, Hemp Milk…
-Tigernuts are not a nut but a vegetable root-this is totally nut free
-choose unsweetened non dairy milks because they contain no added sugar

xx Julie

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My First Time at Daybreaker

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 21:31:00 -0400

What is DAYBREAKER?

Daybreaker is an a.m. sober dance party starting at 6a.m. - 9a.m.. These are rotating parties, never held at the same place and only held every two-three weeks. The event is rotated throughout Manhattan (amongst other hot cities), and you never know where it's going to be until you get that email. This is a word of mouth celebration of the present. These parties are exclusive and a best kept secret. You send an email asking to be invited, you wait for a confirmation that you have been invited, and about 1 week prior to the scheduled event you get the email. That special email that gives you a password so you can buy tickets and rejoice in this beautiful experience. Only at that point are you given a little more information. Tickets are not expensive, and quite reasonable.

Sometimes there is one hour of yoga prior to the event, depending on where and when the event is held. In addition to dancing, the party is sponsored by some awesome health and wellness brands that supply veggie juices, nut bars, coconut water and other awesome beverages all the while dancing to House music by some of the top D.J.'s. There are dancers, people dressed in costumes and a host that provides inspirational shout-out's throughout the event.

Daybreaker MISSION:

The mission behind Daybreaker, is to remain in the present by dancing your face off and experiencing the love. How does one stay in the present? Stay sober, hydrate, dance, feel, experience, love and be the light. You are here to witness miracles. And you certainly cannot do that under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

I was lucky because it was gorgeously warm out for a Fall day at 6 a.m. 70 degrees. No cardigan needed. The air was warm, the streets were surprisingly filled with people yet the city was quiet. It was surreal. This whole experience was surreal.

It was so weird for me to get up at 6 a.m. while it was still pitch black outside with the idea that I had to throw on night clothes yet it was only morning. I had a carrot and plum juice prepared along with my decaf iced hemp coffee and a load of water because I knew I was going to need all of that to survive. I downed all of this before I left. I was ready!

**my essentials-pre-party prep

Ready for a Bat Mitzvah meets Manhattan club scene meets Aerobics class with my flash tattoos, neon green necklaces and my groovy outfit that consisted of Kelly green bell bottoms and a Neon Pink top with dangling crystal earrings. I really didn't know what I was in store for. I wasn't given a lot of information, just a show up, and be there for an amazing morning.

I walked out of my lobby confident and excited and got so many stares as If I was doing the walk of shame home. My body was confused. I was confused. I couldn't believe I had followed through on my promise on getting up EARLY at the butt crack of dawn. But this is what I was trying to correct by attending.

And what an experience it was! We were one of the first ones there. There was no alcohol to get people comfortable, there was actually no time for that. It was all about the here, the now, the present. And it was time to groove. After 1 1/2 hours of straight dancing, my body was so exhausted I just swayed to the music with my eyes closed for the remaining last half hour.

Live, Love, Wander

And it wasn't just dancing. It was dancing with a purpose. Dance to enjoy. Dance to love. Dance to be. And all before 9 a.m. There were many other artists besides D.J.'s that blessed us with their musical presence. I don't want to ruin it for you so mums the word.

After it was over, there were a few musical guest appearances, a poet and even a dog comedian! It was so nice to see so many sober individuals yearning to have fun in their own individual ways. So many like minds. Like presences. So much bliss. I felt like I was in a space where miracles were cultivating. This wasn't about drugs and partying. This was about life and love. And everybody there was present and kind natured.

"You win some, you loose some

But I say be glad you had some

We all have demons and wet dreams and insecurities and personal issues

We are all strong and weak

We are one people with ONE mission

And that, is to live your life like your life depended on it

If people would stop judging us by the colors of our skins

and instead judging us by the color in our minds,

Life would be the greatest masterpiece on your canvas"

-Oveous

**********

I have to admit after leaving Daybreaker, I couldn't walk for days, I was so sore! I have never done such hardcore dancing at such an early hour for such a long time. It was like a fun bootcamp. It took me three days to get back on track, I felt like I was so jet lagged. But the best part? I corrected my sleeping pattern which is a gorgeous thing, since sleep is so sacred.

What I loved about this event, and what drew me to it was the idea to get exercise in and a lot of it, by doing it a very fun and embracing way. Dancing to awesome music gets you pumped no matter what time it is. It gets your adrenaline going, you get excited, your body and spirit enjoy grooving together and you get so much out of it mentally, physically and emotionally.

Would I do this experience again? Was the question I received from all of my friends.

YES, YES, YES. It was so fun and I got my workout on!

This crew put two of my favorite things together-music and dancing-how could I not do this again?

If you guys are curious, Daybreaker can be found on Instagram under the name Dybrkr-that's how I found them! Warning-Once you find them, once you do the research, you are totally going to sign up!! The moment I saw pictures, I knew I needed to be a part of this movement.

xx Julie

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What are you waiting for?

Healthy Ways To Make Your Smoothie Thicker

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:41:00 -0400

**Butternut Squash picture is from Popsugar

The whole point of a smoothie is the thickness. Am I right? or Am I right?

It's not a juice. It's a smoothie.

And further more…a Smoothie bowl is also meant to be thick so it has the consistency of ice cream or fro yo!

But what happens when you don't feel like using a frozen bananas or a chunks of avocado to thicken it up?

You are left with runny soup that tastes like fruit. So. Not. Appealing.

So I did some detective work. I went through tons of recipes. I asked around. I experimented. I shopped the market and came up with clever ideas. I went to the experts.

And then I came up with this list. I can't take all the credit! I had some help from my fellow health coach friends on their fav's too!

A smoothie is a work of art. And it takes skill to make it right. Sometimes throwing something in and seeing how it turns out can actually turn into a smoothie disaster, so it's important to do the research first. So I did the research for you. Now go and make your dream smoothie!!

So without further adieu…26 ways...

Here are some really fun, innovative and healthy ways to thicken up your awesome smoothie!

Steamed Cauliflower (You can use a lot here, because steamed Cauliflower is tasteless)
Frozen Banana (1/2, 1 or even 2)
Frozen fruit ( 1/2 cup or 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mango, pineapple, cranberries, strawberries, cherries)
Nuts (Just a handful cashews, Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, macadamias, peanuts)
Nut Butters (1-2 Tbsp. cashew butter, almond butter, walnut butter, macadamia butter, peanut butter)
Seeds (1-2 Tbsp. or a handful flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia)
Seed Butters (1-2 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter, almond butter, cashew butter, pumpkin butter, hemp butter)
Flax egg (water and flax mixed together and letting it sit till it gets gel like)
Chia egg (water and chia mixed together and letting it sit till it gets gel like)
Avocado (will only need 1/3 to 1/2 a whole avo for thickness)
Pumpkin Puree (1/2 cup or 2/3 cup)
Baked Sweet potato (couple of chunks)
cooked zucchini (1/4 or 1/2)
Protein powders ( 1 scoop rice protein, pea protein, hemp protein)
Applesauce (a few Tbsp.)
Greek yogurt (just a tablespoon or two)
Coconut yogurt (a few Tbsp.)
Soy or Almond Yogurt (a few Tbsp.)
Goat Milk Yogurt (a few Tbsp)
Oatmeal (up to 1/3 cup)
Tofu
Ice (and lots of it)
Phylum Husks
Steamed Butternut Squash (a few chunks)
Full Fat coconut milk ( up to 1 cup)
frozen Broccoli ( a couple of florets - goes best with a frozen banana)

Tips: Goats Milk/products is easily digested over Cows Milk/products. It's easier on the tummy and less inflammatory!

Love ya! Julie

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What are you waiting for?

Green Dream Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 7 Oct 2014 12:28:00 -0400

Green juices light up my life. No joke! I cannot even tell you how refreshing they are, how much energy you get, and how much you will glow. I glow. I love it!

Green juices make me feel so super present in my world. I'm more alert. I see more beauty. I exude more beauty, confidence and I smile a lot. Sometimes a green smile, but still a smile! (Juice are great to drink with a straw for the very reason of a green smile). I feel like I can conquer the world! I'm dead serious! You will too!

I used to think in order to really like a green juice it would have to be cut with tons of fruit. But that actually defeats the purpose of a green juice. And you don't need a lot of fruit, just a little will do to cut the bitterness of the greens and make it taste fantastic!

Then something weird happened…after downing my usual green juices filled with Kale, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Celery and Chard, I developed a strange sensitivity to all those things. So suddenly my green juices came to a screaming halt. No. Green. Juice. ? Catastrophe.

As many months grew on, I noticed that although the sensitivity subsided, It didn't go away. I had to become the mad scientist I am and start to experiment again so that I could enjoy something I loved so much, something my body needed to thrive.

So now I make green juices with various lettuces and dandelion greens. And I constantly rotate.

My point? The benefits for you?

Well for starters lettuces are far less bitter in taste then Kale, Chard, Mustard Greens and Spinach when it comes to juicing. So bonus for you newbies-This recipe is an easy transition.

Benefit 2-I used pineapple in this recipe, and pineapple I think is the king and queen of cutting green juices while at the same time using very little and tasting so darn good!

Benefit 3-For those of you with Thyroid health issues or Auto-immune - you can see from this recipe that you don't have to use the leafy greens that hurt your body. You can still enjoy a green juice and use other ingredients.

And

Benefit 4-Green juices are so easy to make, you can swap in whatever leafy green you want. Experimentation is always welcome.

I hope you enjoy my homemade juices, and I hope they rock your world just as much as they rock mine! xx

Green Dream Juice

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 package Tropicana Leaf Lettuce
1/2 package Butter Lettuce
3-4 medium size chunks Pineapple
1 cup water
4-5 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a high speed blender add everything except the Ice and blend. (omit the water if using a juicer)
2. Pour mixture into a nut bag over a large bowl and drain juice (discard solids)
3. Serve over ice with a fun straw in a glass or a mason jar

Love ya,

Julie

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Refreshing Honeydew Carrot, Plum Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 7 Oct 2014 11:20:00 -0400

A green juice can certainly be intimidating if you are not a "regular" in the juicing department. So today's recipe is a beautiful refreshing Honeydew Carrot Plum juice. Don't get scared it, it definitely looks like it's all carrot. But the honeydew is watery and sweet and the plums are tart, so it cuts the carrots and tastes utterly refreshing!

Carrots are LOADED with vitamin A, and Vitamin A is known for healthy skin, healthy eyesight and healthy hair! Good stuff right? Carrots are not just for bunnies!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
11 mini carrots
1 cup honeydew melon + 4 additional chunks
2 large pieces of Plum (with skin)
1 cup water
4-5 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:
Add everything (except the ice) into a high speed blender (omit water if using a juicer) and blend.
Then transfer mixture into a nut bag over a large bowl and drain
Serve in a mason jar over ice with a fun straw

TIPS:
-Add remaining leftover plum pieces into the drink like sangria. Then you get to eat those last after they soak up the juice.
-Leaving the skin on the plum is a great way to get additional nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Love ya!

Julie

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Dandelion Green Juice Elixir

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Sun, 5 Oct 2014 21:37:00 -0400

So I love green juices! But I didn't always love them. In fact up until the almost end of Nutrition school I thought they were disgusting.

Yeah, I heard about all the nutrients, and the energy and the good skin and how my insides would thrive, but I still thought drinking Kale or Mustard Green and Chard mixed together with the smallest hint of apple was utterly disgusting. I even took an instagram pic of me holding my nose while drinking a very large green drink, all to throw it out midway through because I just "couldn't". I know you are reading this and laughing. Does this sound familiar?

If you were to suggest a green smoothie? Oh, I was there. Stat! But a green Juice? No, I'll pass.

But, like most things, Green Juices are also an acquired taste. Like Caviar. Like Foie Gras. Like Sashimi. Like Expresso without sweetener. It's a game changer. But like most of these special foods and drinks, once you try, you can never go back. Your life and your palate are changed forever. For the better.

But again, I was like you. A skeptic. Unsure. Confused. Suddenly the peer pressure I was receiving was chug a green juice, chug a green juice. Say, what?

I always thought eating the salad would due just fine. But as I told a friend the other day, it's not like you wake up one morning and think "hmm. I'm hungry, maybe I'll just snack on two heads of spinach and Dandelion every single day" said no one EVER.

****

So guess what?! Dandelion is not just a pretty flower! It's actually an edible green! And it's super healthy!! Especially for your intestinal tract...aka digestion...aka IBS, Celiac...

Bonus points and benefits of drinking a green juice with Dandelion:

Power punch of greens into your bloodstream STAT! No digesting. You get the magic and the natural high immediately due to the nutrient, vitamin and mineral blast.
Vitamins A Blast-support for new cell growth, skin, hair and eyesight.
Vitamin K-for blood clotting, headache prevention, maintains healthy bones.
Calcium-makes strong bones, and prevents from bone damage.
Vitamin C-promotes a healthy immune system.
Both vitamin C and Calcium supports communication to the nervous system and supports nerve cell communication.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two nutrients super important for healthy eyesight.
Just one cup of Dandelion Greens counts as 1 cup of vegetables.
Excellent glowing skin.
Energy.
Beauty.
Reduce sick time, doctor time and medical time which means REDUCE doctors BILLS!!

Not convinced? Ok. Let's try again...

I don't know many who jump up out of bed and crave a green juice, unless...UNLESS someone has introduced them into the Green Juice world, the OTHER side of the rainbow where the grass is so much greener. Then. This would actually happen.

In fact, it has happened to me.

I get so excited at night thinking about breakfast! And what's my breakfast?

A green smoothie

and

A green juice.

It's just too hard to choose so I make BOTH! So between the hours of 7:30am and 1pm I have a delicious smoothie packed with steamed cauliflower, seed butters, avocado, superfoods, non dairy milk and fruit and I switch it up every time.

and then

or before...

I have a huge tall green juice which I also switch up. And sometimes an iced decaf coffee with non dairy milk. Swoon!

So let me tell you something about green juices...

At first you don't think you could actually drink green juices. Forget one...you can't even fathom that being your breakfast every day. And you think, nope "that's not my thing". Or maybe you will think "I'm a foodie, and therefore I eat my calories" or maybe you think green juices are utterly disgusting like I once did.

But once your "in", you will never want to leave! You will think to yourself, "how did I not drink these all my life, and look what I have been missing!" Kinda like getting into that club you waited for hours on line and finally got in. The thrill. The shiver that goes through your whole body because you got to the other side and you got to actually witness first hand that the grass really is greener on that other side. The high. The good vibes. The amazingness. But once you get into that club, then you need another high like a VIP table or alcohol to keep the buzz going. Green juice is a little different in this respect. Green juice gives you the thrill, the shiver, the high vibes the whole damn time. There is nothing else you will need, except another green juice the following day-but that's a 24 hour natural high. It's epic. It's magical. You will never turn your back against green juice. The skeptic you are will melt away into pure green happiness.

Can you feel it? The high vibe?

Now go buy some greens so you can make this! And don't let a green like Dandelion scare you! If you don't like my suggestion, get any leafy green you want.

Dandelion Green Juice Elixir

1 1/2 cups packed Dandelion Stems & leaves (mostly stems)

2 very large Romaine leaves

12 medium Romaine leaves

1 cup cherries (pitted)

6 small chunks pineapple

1 slice of nectarine

1 1/2 cups water (omit if using a juicer)

4-5 ice cubes

1. Blend all ingredients together except ice in a high speed blender

2. Using a Nutbag over a bowl pour mixture into bag and drain juice from bag into the bowl

3. Discard gunk from nutbag

4. Pour over ice into a large glass and enjoy with a straw immediately

TIPS:

-It is best to drink your juice immediately because the veggies start to decompose. If you can't drink it immediately try and drink it as soon as you can rather then waiting hours. The longer you wait the less nutrients and vitamins you consume. Get it?

-It is best to make your drink the day you plan to drink it. I do not suggest making a juice the night before because of the decomposing issue.

-If you don't like Dandelion greens sub in mustard greens, spinach, kale or even chard and even leafy lettuces.

-Strive for organic whenever possible.

-You can buy a cheap $6.00 nutbag on Amazon. I have the cotton mesh one. I never leave home without it. Best ever!

Love ya!

Julie

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What are you waiting for?

I'm Having a Love Affair with Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Mon, 8 Sep 2014 07:30:00 -0400

Let me guess…These were your thoughts Sunday night?

In that case…

Use your new week starting today for thoughts like the ones I posted below (because I love them so), and KICK ASS! After all, Monday is about getting yourself centered, so naturally you would want to start it off right (even if that means having a coffee in hand).

In the past I used to dress totally sluggish and blame it on the fact it was a Monday. I actually would justify and grant myself a fugly ugly day just because. If the old me were to fall asleep in a meeting, my excuse would be "It's Monday". And if i made mistakes, or felt groggy…I would also blame Monday. If I decided to not wear any makeup and not get sleep the night before, I would again blame Monday. Monday, Monday, Monday. Poor Monday, getting such a bad rap. The truth is, Monday can be anything you want it to be. If you want Monday to be grand…then grand it is. If you want Monday to sparkle, then sparkle it will. It is really about perspective. Dressing your best, and feeling good in your skin is a GREAT way to start a new week. Set up your week to feel amazing and watch how the cards fall in your favor. Smile. Be grateful. Have gratitude. Feel the love around you, because it surrounds you. Be present. I can even put money on the fact that you will feel so much better keeping that in mind. ...And save the fugly ugly days for when you REALLY, REALLY need them (like when you are belted over in pain from your period, or you have to have a colonoscopy-then it's totally legit).

Mostly likely your smile is going to be a shining light for someone else without you even realizing it. So make sure you are shinning bright, because we need your light.

xx Julie

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Live For Moments You Can't Put Into Words

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Fri, 5 Sep 2014 12:30:00 -0400

Happy Friday friends! Don't forget to "Live For The Moments You Can't Put Into Words"

I hope you have an inspiring weekend filled with self-care, clean healthy foods and lots of love!!

Kisses from Manhattan! xx

xx Julie

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Hello September!

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Thu, 4 Sep 2014 23:19:00 -0400

So what do you guys think of September being here already?

Time sure does fly. And while most of us, including myself are still wishing for Summer to be. It's also so exciting to see what's in store for September. Maybe some of you have been working on projects all Summer and now it's time to see what flourishes? Or maybe some of you are using September as your stepping stone to make big things happen. And maybe some of you are just riding the waves into Fall Harvest. Wherever you are, here are some inspirational pics to help you along your way.

Song of the moment, that I am so loving and getting naturally inspired by the instruments is this amazing French band called Ofenbach-Around The Fire.

xx Julie

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30 Healthier Ways to Pimp Your Popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 01:58:00 -0400

There is a new movie treat in town and it's called Pimped Popcorn. You know what that means right? Nope, not marshmallows and caramel.

Nope, not 'fake' butter or artificial sugars.

Nope, no artificial food dyes.

This type of popcorn won't rot your teeth, or cause cavities or leave you with a crazy imbalanced sugar high and crash. That kind of treat is so last year!

These top 30 ways use only natural sugars and power superfoods that will give you healthy energy and satisfy your cravings!!

Pimped popcorn is popcorn filled with decadently healthy Superfoods to give your popcorn insane pizazz and a serious nutritional boost without realizing your eating healthy.

BAM!

Whenever I mention healthy to anyone in my circle, they begin with a sign and a "ugh".

I'm not sure why healthy has such a bad rap. There is so much you can do with healthy!!

You do realize you can eat healthy and decadently at the same time right?

Yup. It can be done.

30 Ways To Pimp Your Popcorn
...and be healthy at the same time!

1. Seed Surprise MIX-Add Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Raw Cacao Nibs, Goji Berries, Hemp Seeds, Golden Berries, Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Sesame Seeds.
Healthy Fat Blast: Use a drizzle of Flax oil or melted Ghee.

2. I'm Nutty For You MIX-Add raw Cashews, raw Almonds, raw Brazil Nuts, raw Hazelnuts, raw Walnuts, raw Pistachios, raw Pecans and raw cacao nibs along with some shredded Coconut.

3. Aphrodisiac MIX-Add in raw cacao nibs, raw cacao beans, a sprinkle of Maca Root powder, Acai berries and some Goji berries. It will taste like chocolate covered berries! Yum! (This mix enhances sexual energy-FYI).
Sweet Blast: Add melted 100 percent raw or dark chocolate. Cha-ching!

4. Chocolate Covered Coconut MIX-Add coconut shreds, raw cacao nibs, raw cacao beans, carob and sprinkle melted Coconut butter or even Coconut oil!

5. Pumpkin Spice Latte MIX-Add raw Pumpkin seeds, raw flax seeds, raw cacao nibs, carob, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom. Serious sweet spice!
Easy Blast: use pumpkin pie spice from your local market in replace of the above spices.

6. Chocolate Eclair MIX-Infuse your popcorn in an air tight ziplock bag with 2 vanilla beans cut lengthwise for a minimum of 24 hours, shaking occasionally. Then remove vanilla beans and add dry vanilla powder, raw cacao nibs, raw cacao beans.
Sweet Blast: Add melted raw chocolate and/or a drizzle of Agave syrup.
**Caution: if using Agave, note this is not a low glycemic snack.

7. Tartufo MIX-Add raw cacao nibs, raw cacao beans, Greek Yogurt covered Goji berries, Acai berries, dry vanilla powder, and melt 100 percent dark raw chocolate on top.
**To make Goji Berry Yogurt Bark-simply take a handful of goji berries and spread them on a candy mold tray, fill the mold with Greek Yogurt or melted raw chocolate and freeze for a few hours. When ready, break up the bark and add to your popcorn.
Serious Cha-Ching!

8. Pancake MIX-Add raw cacao nibs, a dash of Cinnamon or Nutmeg, Cardamom, dried blueberries, melted Ghee and a drizzle pure maple syrup on top.

9. Banana Split MIX-Add in dried bananas, dried strawberries, dried pineapple, walnuts, Hemp seeds, melted 100 percent dark raw chocolate along with some raw cacao or carob nibs. Sweet Get Your Hands Dirty Blast: Add in natural sugar free melted strawberry jam.

10. Corn on the Cob MIX-Add dried dill, melted Ghee, Nutritional Yeast and a dab of Sea Salt. Healthy Fat Blast: Add a drizzle of flax oil.

11. Salted Caramel MIX-Add Himalayan Sea Salt, regular Sea Salt, raw cacao nibs, raw cacao beans and a drizzle of brown rice syrup.
Naughty Sweet Blast: Replace brown rice syrup with Agave syrup. (Note: if using Agave, this will not be a low glycemic treat).

12. Parisian MIX-Add figs, dates, Nutritional Yeast (for that cheesy taste) and Golden raisins.
Naughty Blast: Drizzle some warmed melted brie on top. Serious Swoon!

13. Sweet MIX-Add Watermelon Seeds (these come in a package and are found at health food stores), Golden, raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds, raw pistachios.
Sweet Blast: Add raw honey

14. Almond Joy MIX-Add raw shredded coconut, raw cacao nibs, raw almonds.
Sweet Blast: Add melted raw chocolate

15. Mounds MIX-Add raw cacao nibs, shredded coconut.
Sweet Blast: Add melted raw chocolate

16. Anti-Inflamatory MIX-Add Turmeric, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cayenne pepper, vanilla powder, gluten-free double thick raw oats and Tigernuts.

17. Chocoholic MIX-Cut 2 vanilla beans lengthwise and put in a closed ziplock bag with the popcorn for a minimum of 24 hours, shaking occasionally so that all popcorn gets mixed with the vanilla. Then discard the vanilla beans and add raw chocolate covered raw almonds, raw chocolate covered Tigernuts, raw chocolate covered raw hazelnuts, raw chocolate covered popcorn.
**To make chocolate covered anything, simply melt chocolate in a custard cup in the microwave for 30 second intervals and dip away. Or use a double boiler on the stove and heat the chocolate till it melts and dip away. After dipping process freeze on wax paper for a few hours.
Easy Directions: Pour melted chocolate into a chocolate mold and add nuts and tigernuts and freeze for a few hours creating a chocolate bark. Once chocolate has set, simply break it up and add it to your popcorn mix.
Sweet Blast: Melted dark chocolate 70percent or higher
Double Sweet Blast: Add a drizzle of Maple Syrup

18. Peppermint Patty MIX-Add a few fresh peppermint leaves into a ziplock bag with the popcorn and keep closed for a minimum of 24 hours. Infuse the peppermint with the popcorn. Then remove the peppermint leaves, and add raw dark 100 percent cacao nibs.
Sweet Minty Blast: Melt chocolate along with peppermint leaves in a bowl. And pour minty mixture on top of popcorn. Fresh chocolaty breath!

19. Spicy Corn on the Cob MIX-Add dried dill, melted Ghee, a dab of Sea Salt, Nutritional Yeast and Cayenne Pepper.
Healthy Fat Blast: Add a sprinkle of Flax oil

20. Healthy High Weedy MIX-Add chocolate covered Hemp seeds, regular Hemp seeds, melted Ghee and raw cacao nibs.
Adults Only THC Blast: Cook actual weed into your ghee in a saucepan and saute as directed in a weed cookbook and sprinkle on the popcorn.

21. Bacon Lovers MIX-Add crispy bacon pieces and Nutritional Yeast.

22. Chocolate Chip Pancakes n Bacon MIX-Add crispy bacon pieces, raw cacao nibs and melted dark raw chocolate. Sweet Blast: Add a drizzle of maple syrup.

23. Sesame Chocolate MIX-Add sesame seeds, raw cacao nibs and melted tahini butter on top.

24. Peanut Butter Cup MIX-Add raw peanuts, chocolate peanut bark, raw cacao nibs and peanut butter to your mix. It will be gooey delicious!
**To make peanut butter bark simply melt raw chocolate into a cup in the microwave or double boiler on the stove. Once melted pour into a chocolate mold and add peanuts. Freeze for a few hours. Once set, break up the bark and add it to the popcorn mix. You can also dip the bark in peanut butter and then add that into the popcorn mix. *Any nut butter or seed butter can be used here.

25. The Classic, The Original Coney Island MIX-Add Sea Salt and melted Ghee.

26. Apple Pie MIX-Add Green Apple shavings, Gluten-free double thick Oats, Hemp Seeds, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cardamom or Pumpkin Pie Spice and sprinkle with Agave Syrup.

27. Pie Crust MIX-Add gluten-free Oats, Hemp Seeds and drizzle Pure Maple Syrup on top.

28. Cinnamon Bun MIX-Add raisins, dates, Cinnamon, Coconut Sugar sprinkles and drizzle Maple Syrup on top.
Naughty Blast-Replace the Maple Syrup with Agave drizzle.

29. Guacamole MIX-Add dried cilantro, dill, Sea Salt, Avocado oil, Cayenne pepper, a sprinkle of lemon or lime juice and shavings of Mango, Pear, Peach or Nectarine.
Spicy Blast-Add sliced Jalapeños

30. Chocolate Garlic MIX-Put popcorn on a foiled greased baking tray at 400 degrees with both roasted garlic and peeled garlic for about 10 minutes or more depending on how toasty you want your popcorn. Keep an eye on it. Then remove from oven, let cool and transfer mixture to a ziplock bag. Shake vigorously, transfer to bowl. Then add raw cacao nibs and melted dark chocolate. Optional to take the garlic out of the mix, or keep it in.

Stay tuned for my post on why Superfoods are called Superfoods, and what the difference is between Raw Chocolate and regular chocolate!

**Hemp seeds to not contain THC.

**Carob can be subbed in for Raw Chocolate.

**Chocolate can be omitted if desired.

**Ghee is made up of Clarified Butter which is purified and organic. It is better for you then regular butter and can be found at your local supermarket in the dairy section. Ask your grocer where to spot it.

Enjoy!! xx Julie

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PIMP Your Green Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 12:11:00 -0400

Ever wonder how to add magic into your smoothie?

Ever wonder why your smoothie just doesn't come out the way they make them at the store?

It's easy to fall into the same ole recipe every day.

Why not spice it up?

Here are some of my favorite add-in's that enhance my smoothies to ultimate delicious status!

Try adding 1 or two new things to your smoothies each time. Don't add in the whole lot!

HERBS: (small and large handfuls)
Fresh Basil
Fresh Mint
Fresh Chocolate Mint
Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Parsley
Fresh Dill
Fresh Cilantro

SPICES: (a dash or two)
Dried Nutmeg
Dried Cinnamon
Dried Cloves
Dried Cardamom
Dried Vanilla Powder
Dried Tumeric

NON DAIRY MILKS and BASE LIQUIDS: (1/2 cup - 1 cup)
**Unsweetened for less sugar
**Regular for extra flavor

Almond Milk
Cashew Nut Milk
Quinoa Milk
Hemp Milk
Coconut Milk
Coconut Water
Decaf or Regular Green Tea (from a Teabag)
Camomile Tea
English Breakfast Tea
TigerNut Horchata (all flavors)
Rice Milk
Gluten-free Oat Milk
Flaxseed Milk

EXTRACTS: (1/2 tsp. - 1 tsp.)
Vanilla Extract
Cinnamon Extract
Banana Extract
Hazelnut Extract
Walnut Extract
Strawberry Extract
Orange Extract
Rose Water
Lavender Extract
Coconut Extract
Almond Extract

DO TERRA ESSENTIAL OILS (less then 1 drop)
Citrus
Lemon
Peppermint (2 drops of Peppermint Doterra Oil is equivalent to 46 cups of Peppermint Tea)
Use these sparingly!!! less then 1 drop!
(for easy use, dip a toothpick into the oil and then dip it into your smoothie-that's it)!

NUT AND SEED BUTTERS: (1 Tbsp. - 1/3 cup)
Almond butter
Cashew butter
Coconut butter
Sunflower seed butter
Tahini butter
Pumpkin seed butter
Peanut butter

COOKING OILS: (1 Tbsp.)
Coconut Oil

SEEDS: (1 - 2 Tbsp.)
Hemp seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Flax seeds
Chia seeds

**You can add in the whole seeds, or you can pulse them ahead of time into your very own protein powder!!

TO MAKE THE SMOOTHIE THICK AND CREAMY:
Steamed Cauliflower
Avocado
Bananas

TO MAKE THE SMOOTHIE NATURALLY SWEET:
Liquid Stevia
Dates
Raw Honey
Maple Syrup
Pineapple
Mango
Lemon
Lime
Bananas

COOKED GRAINS: (1/8 cup - 1/4 cup)
Cooked Quinoa
Cooked Buckwheat Porridge
Gluten-free Oatmeal

RAW GRAINS (1-2 TBSP)
Raw Steel Cut Oats (Pulse into a powder if desired)
Raw Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (Pulse into a powder if desired)
Raw Buckwheat (Pulse into a powder if desired)

SUPERFOODS:
Goji Berries
Raw Cacao nibs (chocolate at it's finest)
Raw Cacao Powder (chocolate powder at it's finest)
Carob nibs
Coconut shreds
Aloe Vera
Maca Root Powder
Ginger
Avocado
Camu Camu powder (a huge vitamin C boost-use sparingly 1/2 tsp. is all you need).
Garlic (good for those days when you are sick or have the flu, huge immune booster!)

GUT HEALERS:
Cod Liver Oil-(1 Tsp.)
Powder Super Probiotics (as directed)

SECRET AMAZING VEGGIE ADDS:
Avocado
Kale
Spinach
Romaine
Iceberg
Mache Rosettes
Butter Lettuce
Green and Red Leaf Lettuce
Mustard Greens
Watercress
Collard Greens
Sweet Potato (cooked)
Cucumbers
Carrots
Pumpkin

AWESOME FROZEN ADD INS:
Frozen Bananas
Frozen Blueberries
Frozen Raspberries
Frozen Cherries
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blackberries
Frozen Broccoli (awesome with bananas, and you don't even taste it)!!
Frozen Cucumbers
Frozen Celery
Frozen Peaches

DELICIOUS FRUIT ADDS:
Canary Melon
Honey Dew Melon
Cantaloupe Melon
Papaya
Lemons
Limes
Kiwis
Apples (green, red, colored)
Pears
Peaches
Plums
Sugar Plums
All Berries: Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries
Cherries
Grapes
Dates
Figs
Dragonfruit
Lychee
Bananas
Grapefruits
Oranges
Nectarines
Tangerines
Pineapple
Mango

LOW GLYCEMIC FRUIT ADD-INS:
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Green Apple
Honeydew Melon
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe Melon
Canary Melon
Papaya
Avocado
Lemons
Limes
Kiwi Fruit

And if you have kids and you need to add in those greens without the kids tasting them? Frozen Broccoli goes really well with Bananas. Your kids will never taste a thing! You can even power it up with spinach and cucumber all in one smoothie along with your base liquid. Your kids will never know the difference!

TIP: AGAVE IS HIGHLY PROCESSED AND LOADED WITH FRUCTOSE SUGAR. IT IS NOT IDEAL TO USE THIS IN YOUR SMOOTHIE. THIS IS NOT LOW GLYCEMIC.

TIP: ALWAYS ADD IN MORE VEGGIES THEN FRUIT.

xx Julie

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Cantaloupe Mint Gelato Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:08:00 -0400

Hey guys!

Some super exciting news! I entered another food contest! Shape Magazine, Silk Soy Milk & Go Sweet and Skinny partnered together and offered a contest on Instagram! The idea was to use Soy Milk in a recipe or picture and post it on Instagram. Since I am a creative chef over here, I decided to enter. Naturally.

These days I am feeling so positive about my path that I figure why the heck not, right? Why not try. Why not create? Why not! What have I got to loose? This positive attitude of mine is spreading amongst my friends, so I'm hoping maybe I will inspire you!

I enjoy being out there, trying new things and sharing my light. Even if I don't win, at least I created something new! And guess what?! You guys get my recipe!!

Since I consider myself the Smoothie Queen and I also love to make pancakes, I figured I would either create the ultimate soy pancake or the ultimate soy smoothie.

I ended up choosing the idea of a dessert in a smoothie! And I chose a smoothie because lately I have been able to add back a few ingredients into my smoothies like Avocado, and a few lettuces without crazy facial numbing and allergies. I am so super grateful that I decided to go with my ultimate love-green smoothies.

I woke up Sunday morning after my Saturday trip to the Farmers Market and got to work. I had the idea of a Cherry Pie Smoothie or something with Cantaloupe and avocado.

Both Cherries and Cantaloupe are madly in season! Which means they will taste even better then they ever have.

First I made a cherry pie smoothie, and I have to say…TOTAL BUST. So gross! It just wasn't sweet enough and didn't do the trick I was hoping it would. I'm not using a lot of sugar right now, so I couldn't add any dates, which really would have made it delicious. So I tossed that and went with Cantaloupe and avocado.

I should just add in here that Cantaloupe and Avocado go together like peanut butter n jelly in a smoothie. They just belong together. Total soul mates. You may be thinking Cantaloupe and Avocado? Yuck! But Yum, my friends!! YUM!! Pair those two with fresh Mint and prepare to be transported to a foodie heaven with a minty twist!

Oh it was so good!! It tasted like Cantaloupe Sorbet. When I added the Avocado and Mint leaves it tasted like Gelato. Serious creamy goodness.

Gelato-a creamy frozen dessert-known as the BEST in Paris, so I decided with my smoothie you wouldn't and shouldn't have to travel the distance to get that taste! And why not have dessert for breakfast? It starts the day off with sweetness and smiles. And that is just rad! Who doesn't want to start their day off with sweetness and smiles?!

The smoothie was delicious!! And it tasted even more like a dessert when I experimented with a Crust (around the rim of the glass). Ugh, heaven!!

Details below!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 Cantaloupe Melon (take the seeds out)
2/3 Medium Avocado
1 Cup Silk Soy Milk (any nut, seed, grain milk can be used)
3 large fresh mint leaves
1 large handful Mache Rosettes & Open Head Iceberg Lettuce
1 Tbsp. Hemp seeds (**optional) + additional hemp seeds for Crust
3-4 Ice cubes
Crust/Rim: 1/4 total hemp seeds & Double thick rolled gluten-free oats

DIRECTIONS:

In a high speed blender or Nutribullet combine all ingredients except ice and crust ingredients.
Blend until smooth.
Then add Ice and blend again.
For the Crust/Rim:
In a high speed blender or Nutribullet plus the GF oats and hemp seeds together for a few seconds.
*If using a Nutribullet use the milling blade*
Use any sticky natural sweetener like Agave or Maple Syrup to cover the rim.
Add crushed GF oats and hemp seeds to rim till it is covered.

TIPS:

-Open Head Iceberg Lettuce is very different then regular Iceberg lettuce. It is softer, greener and has a different taste and texture. This lettuce can be found at Wholefoods.
-If you cannot find Open Head Iceberg Lettuce then sub in Butter Lettuce, Green Leaf Lettuce or Tropical Green Lettuce.
-Hemp Milk and Quinoa Milk also rock in this recipe.
-If buying fresh mint is a pain in the A**, I have an idea for ya! Get your tush over to the Farmers Market and buy yourself a Mint Plant. They are small. Require sunlight, and need to be watered every other day. What's fun about this? Well, your TLC gets you fresh mint herbs daily. Shedding positive light by caring for a plant is a gorgeous thing!
-Don't have double thick rolled GF oats? That's ok, use Old fashioned oats instead!

P.S.
Don't forget to lick the crust once you have finished the smoothie! It's delicious!!

Enjoy! Julie

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PIMP Your Sunflower Seed Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 23:49:00 -0400

Did you know that Sugar is everywhere? And most sugars are not healthy for our thriving bodies. When I went Paleo, Whole 30 for six months-the beginning was so tough. No added sugar whatsoever.

It was scary to not have my artificial sugar crutch. How was I going to survive without it?

It was time to put my creative thinking cap on and get serious about the snacks I was going to put in my body. Especially since I was learning so much at my kick-ass Nutrition school on sugar and it's effects.

How could I enjoy snacks that were sugar free, and what would they be? How could they be tasty and healthy at the same time? How could I end my sugar craving and heal my body but at the same time nourish my body?

In walks Organic, Natural, Sugar-free, Sodium-free Sunflower Seed Butter by Once Again Organic.

Well, actually, the seed butter didn't just walk in, it was more like I learned a lot at school, I was following a Paleo Diet and had some serious restrictions so I went to the supermarket to the organic seed butter section and picked up a jar. So technically, it was me that walked in. Hahahaha.

Once Again is my favorite Organic brand that is naturally gluten/dairy/soy-free, vegan and Paleo approved and this seed butter has only 1 gram of natural sugar. Artificial Sugar is added into almost everything we eat including the foods we wouldn't think have any (like toothpaste), and it was my job to kick it to the curb. So I did.

Newsflash! Artificial Sugar isn't so even so great. Sure she/he lures you in looking all sparkly and good. Artificial Sugar has some serious hype, but its all a front. Because when push comes to shove and you are having medical issues? Artificial Sugar is NOT there to support you. Artificial Sugar brings you down and keeps you there.

But, Natural sugars in moderation have your back. Those are the kind in fruit, natural nut and seed butters, healthy grains…stuff like that. And once you change the way you eat, OMG your body, your brain, you psyche, your skin will shine! My only advice is that you stick with organic brands where you can actually read the 3 ingredients listed, over the processed brands where there are 14 plus wacky spelled ingredients that you never heard of.

P.S. If the last ingredient is the actual nut or seed, you can bet minimal amounts are used. Be your own ingredient detective. This is your health.

Does it taste different? Yes, of course it does but in a "does a body good" way! Those processed brands do a great job in filling theirs with chemicals, additives and sugar-all the things our bodies cannot digest properly causing illness, allergies, fatigue, poor energy, leaky gut and other health problems!! By going natural you are using pure forms of natural foods that can aid in you feeling your happiest and healthiest you! Doesn't that sound freaking amazing?

10 HEALTHY WAYS TO USE SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER

Spoonfuls are great for those moments where you crave a sweet pick me up or a very low sugar dessert treat but it actually tastes like a high sugar treat. My Sunflower Seed Butter has only 1 gram of natural sugars, and my Coconut butter only has 1.9 grams of natural sugar, and same with my unsweetened apple butter-with zero refined sugars. But they taste sooo good!

1. Spoonfuls: Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with a dollop of Organic Coconut Butter and Chia Seeds.

2. Spoonfuls: Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with a dollop of Organic Raw Cacao Nibs and Organic Coconut Butter.

3. Spoonfuls: Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with a small dollop of Organic Coconut Butter and Hemp or Pumpkin Seeds.

5. Spoonfuls: Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with Unsweetened Apple Butter and Organic Coconut Butter.

4. Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with celery.

5. Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter Cucumbers.

6. Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with 1 Medjool Date and Organic Coconut Butter. (This is the bomb!! Totally amazing). Keep in mind dates are higher in natural sugars.

7. Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter in your GREEN SMOOTHIE!! It's a great way to get that protein and healthy fat in the a.m. I use 1-2 Tablespoons, but you can add up to 1/3 of a cup depending on your recipe.

8. Sweet Balls Of Fire, I call them, or Energy Balls. In the Nutribullet blend Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter with Medjool Dates and a tad Unsweetened Coconut Milk or Water to get the Nutribullet going. On wax paper, divide into small balls and roll into Raw Cacao Nibs, Unsweetened Shredded Coconut and Raw Cacao Powder. And then Freeze. Keep frozen, and take out one at a time to enjoy. If they are too sticky for balls, then simply push them into candy molds and freeze as well.

9. Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter paired with Green Apple slices and topped with Shredded Unsweetened Coconut flakes and Pumpkin Seeds.

10. A dollop of Unsweetened Sunflower Seed Butter sandwiched by 2 slices of banana dipped into 70 percent-100 percent dark or raw chocolate and frozen.

Enjoy!! Julie
www.goodiegoodiegluten-free.blogspot.com

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How To Enjoy A Trip To The Dentist

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 22:35:00 -0400

Let's face it. Everybody hates going to the Dentist. There is always a fear of cavities, or that the teeth cleaning may hurt your sensitive teeth. Or that the Dentist will lecture you on lack of flossing and read you the riot act on your mouth care-even if you think you are the mouth health care superstar.

But most of the time our fear gets in the way and it makes everything hurt so much more. Have you ever noticed that?

I'll start out by saying I have lovely teeth. And I really take care of my mouth, but I can't tell you how nervous I get when I have to go to the Dentist. I already know when I wake up that morning that it's going to hurt. That I will most likely have cavities because that would happen to me. I psych myself up to think that the experience is going to be horrific. I usually convince myself of this. And my fears usually get the best of me.

I cringe when I think of those sharp instruments scraping my teeth. -insert thought of nails on a chalk board. eek.

So…

Naturally, I procrastinate making the call. I procrastinate making the appointment despite the few postcards I get in the mail, saying that it's "my time". Yikes.

I of course don't want cavities. I of course want my gums to be healthy. I of course want healthy mouth health. Of course.

But I don't want to go to the dentist.

You see what I just did? I created horror in my mind with my very creative imagination. I created fear that doesn't really belong there. And then I let it stay there. My fears usually stress me out, and my whole day starts off the wrong way. And it's not the Dentist's fault. It's mine. Because I brought in negativity and fear. And I let them both hang out in my house for a really long time before kicking them out.

It's just a dentist appointment.

Do any of you feel that way with an appointment that you have?

A few months ago I had my appointment. I go every six months (I will NEVER skip a Dentist appointment). But I was really dragging the 6 month marker. Now I will admit, as most of you know I have been having this weird allergy issue where half my face and throat goes numb, so me pushing back the dentist was mainly because of that reason alone, but had I not had this numbing issue, I still would have procrastinated the F out of making this appointment. The numbing gave me the perfect excuse to hold back.

Me: "I can't go to the Dentist, my face is still numb", "What if something bad happens?".

So I pushed through my fear of the Dentist and made the appointment anyways. I made the appointment knowing that I would not be able to have him use that topical numbing stuff that makes the Dentist pain free because of the current numbing problem I was experiencing. I made the appointment even though I couldn't use my usual dose of Advil prevention that helps make the Dentist pain free, because Advil is a leading cause of Leaky Gut.

I had to face the Dentist alone, in my present, drug free.

Crap.

But guess what I learned after 1 year of practicing YOGA?

That the Dentist chair is totally AWESOME! It seriously feels like a Yoga pose I do in yoga for just a longer and more awesome period of time.

Imagine me whispering this in a soft voice to you:
"Lean back, let your body relax, take a few deep breaths and let your body fall into form. Continue your deep breathing, concentrate on where your breath is going deep inhale from your lungs into your stomach, into your core. Listen to your breath and forget what is around you. Continue with your deep breathing and let your anxieties and fears exit your body. You are safe. Drop your shoulders. Unclench your fists".

I took my tools that I learned in yoga and practiced those at the dentist. I was calm as a cucumber. It was ethereal.

Yoga Tools that work at the Dentist's Office:

1. Deep breathing
2. Meditation

And what is so great-is that you are in that chair leaned back for a full hour! Which means your body, if you let it will totally relax itself. And if you allow your body to relax, and trust the Dentist, and trust yourself that it's not going to hurt, and if it does it will only hurt for a second, and if it hurts longer than that small second you will raise your left arm like they tell you to do, and the Dentist will stop.

When you allow Trust to be in your hood, you-your brain and your body can let Trust take care of everything so that YOU can relax and enjoy the lovely laid back chair and let your body feel mellow.

Whether this appointment is before work or during, this is your chance for a little relaxation. A massage if you will. A place where you can forget about all your troubles and just zone out.

It's so rare in our busy lives to allow ourselves to just zone out.

Especially in NYC. We have to be in "The Zone" at all times. Be on guard, wide awake, on more caffeine then life itself to stay on top, or stay sharp or stay in competition with everyone else around us.

The Dentist's chair is the perfect place to unwind. We don't get opportunities like this, so let's take advantage of the peace that is offered to us and remember that our time is precious.

I don't think in my wildest dreams I ever thought for a second that I would write an article about enjoying the Dentist. No way, not me. But here I am, writing this post telling you it's an enjoyable experience if you let fear take a back seat.

Scouts honor! Pinky Swear! Cross my heart.

And guess what again? It didn't even hurt! No Advil. No topical numbing. Just me. Totally relaxed.

When he pulled up the chair I actually felt like I had just completed an hour at the yoga studio.

I have never felt so relaxed. I felt like I was walking on clouds.

And I had just left the Dentist, not the spa.

This may seem like a silly story and irrelevant to my gluten-free blog, but, having Celiac can actually affect your gum and mouth health. Consistent cavities can be a symptom as well as poor gum health. I was undiagnosed for so long, and cavities were something I dealt with since childhood. Because I wasn't absorbing my nutrients my teeth weren't getting the proper nutrients they needed either. Since going gluten-free for the past almost decade, my issues at the dentist have minimized drastically, but all those years of cavity fillings and dental work scared the crap out of me, and left me with a fear of the past that I had been holding on to for far too long. Besides personal growth and development on my end that I felt through this experience…I have to say I believe you can apply this to your daily lives too.

I spent 37 years fearing the dentist like the plague, and all that wasted energy on fear of dental cleaning was wasting my positive goodness and creating unwanted stress which leads to inflammation. And if you have Celiac Disease like me or any other Auto-Immune Disease, you certainly do not need more inflammation. Am I right? Or am I right?

So, if you are feeling this way about an appointment, an interview, a meeting with whomever at whenever time, I urge you to try and trust the process. The Universe has your back. So try and relax. Shake it out. Deep breathe it out. Because once you do, your body will thank you for it. And if not-If my advice got your nowhere, at least you tried something new. At least you went on an adventure!

Life is full of little adventures.

High five!

xx Julie

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20 Unique Ways to PIMP Your Tigernut Horchata

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:31:00 -0400

Hi guys!

Have I told you about this new drink that I'm totally addicted to?

So lately I'm loving Tigernut Horchata! What is that? Well it's a drink that tastes really good! It's made from Tigernuts which may sound like nuts, but are actually a Mediterranean vegetable tuber root that is made into a drink. Sounds gross right? Actually, It's so freaking delicious! It reminds me of a light and beautiful iced coffee. This vegetable and drink is allergen free: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, Paleo, grain-free and nut-free. The actual dried veggie is sugar-free. Free of almost everything and still tastes delish. This drink is also considered a Pre-biotic which is great for gut flora. And as a plus this drink is also Organic, so you know nothing but the best is getting into these drinks. They come in a few flavors. My favorite is the unsweetened version because it is very low in natural sugars. Just 3grams. Their other flavors are Bee Pollen, Chai, Coffee and Original which all range around 13grams of natural sugars, sweetened with the delicious fruity Dates. This drink is not really mainstream quite yet! I totally wish it was, because I'm so addicted to them. You can snag them at Whole Foods and Amazon.com. It's a raw drink which means it's perishable, similar to a green juice. Translation: Don't leave it sitting out in the hot sun and then drink it.

So who is the brains behind this amazing, delicious, mouthwatering drink? Organic Gemini and Our True Roots.

Here's a crazy mind blast for ya! First, I had never heard of this drink until I saw a ton of my fellow health bloggers posting about it. Obviously curious, I decided to do some research. Not only is it totally allergen free, but you can do so much with this drink and root veggie! You can make it into a flour, a milk, a snack, an extract-how cool is that?

So why am I drinking the kool-aid? Well, I entered a content on my fellow friend The Blonde Vegan, aka The Balanced Blonde's blog to win a case of this. Let me tell you something about me, I never enter contests, and I never think I'll win! But I decided to give it a go, and I totally won! It was soooo exciting!!

Getting the case in the mail was like winning the jackpot! I was ecstatic, and guess what!? The veggie tuber didn't make my face numb! Double score, no allergies!! Woo hoo! I'm flying over here…

So here's where you guys come in. A. You so need to snag this drink! And B. I'm going to tell you a whopping 20 totally unique ways to use this drink in your daily life besides just drinking it.

Are you ready to have your mind blown? Are you running right now to get this drink at Whole Food?

20 UNIQUE WAYS TO PIMP YOUR TIGERNUT HORCHATA DRINK

besides drinking it straight from the bottle:

1. Add it to your coffee as your non dairy milk and sweetener.

2. Use it as a base in your smoothies instead of non-dairy milk or water. Or combine it with your base of choice.

3. Make Quinoa Porridge and use the Horchata drink as your base.

4. Use it in your cookie dough recipe instead of your liquid base or in addition to.

5. Make Popsicles with it! Get some Popsicle molds and fill molds with the Horchata either plain, or add fruit, grains, GF oats, pumpkin seeds and other various toppings and freeze.

6. Use it in your Pie Crust recipe.

7. Use it in your Pancakes and Waffles recipe.

8. Make ice cubes with it and use it for your coffee.

9. Use it in your marinade recipes for chicken, pork, fish or red meat.

10. Use it in your marinade for veggies.

11. Dip your cookies, pancakes, waffles, brownies and other sweet treats into the Horchata drink as a dipping alternative to milk!

12. Drink it as is, because it's just that good!

13. Add it to your frosting recipe in replace of milk/water or use it along with your base liquid.

14. Use it in your oatmeal as a liquid base.

15. Use it in your rice pudding recipe.

16. Use it in your Buckwheat porridge recipe.

17. Blend it with fresh mint leaves and make a minty cooling hydrating beverage!

18. Blend it in with cucumbers and mint and have a Summer beverage.

19. Add some raw cacao or carb and mint into the coffee flavor version and have yourself a chocolate mocha mint iced coffee.

20. Make a mean soup! Make a cauliflower or sweet potato, or potato soup and use the Tigernut drink as part of your liquid base.

xx Julie

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How To Make Easy Hemp Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:19:00 -0400

All I can say is-

This is the easiest recipe I have ever made!

I think this is the easiest recipe that anyone will ever make besides making eggs and toast.

It's effortless, nutritious, healthy and creamy.

Why Hemp Milk? Well…

It's a great alternative to dairy milk. It's tree nut and nut free and it's delicious!

There are no additives or thickeners in the homemade version.

It is lactose free and Casein free!

It is low glycemic! Only 1 gram of natural sugar.

This is a great alternative for those that are Lactose Intolerant.

It's cheaper then buying the store bought!

Did you know that this tiny seed is a Superfood? Did you know it's packed with crazy nutrients and vitamins like Iron, Vitamin A, Potassium, Magnesium?

There is 86mg of Magnesium! That is amazing. Magnesium helps with muscle spasms, regulates sleep and well…keeps you "regular".

Did you know that Hemp Seeds are a huge source of Omega-3's? And Omega-6. This seed contains all the essential amino acids to make up a complete protein. Translation? Super good for your body!

Hemp seeds are one of the best Vegetarian sources of Protein!

These little nuggets rock in my book! They taste great, and can be used in so many ways!!

And no. For all you guys out there pondering curiosity…You cannot get "high" from Hemp Seeds as there is no THC. So eating hemp seeds will not affect a drug test. I put this here, because I get so many questions about this.

All you need is hemp seeds, filtered water, a nut bag and a high speed blender!

That's it!

If you want to make it flavored the way I did, then you will need some vanilla extract, nutmeg or Cinnamon, Cardamom and optional: Liquid Stevia. You don't even have to use the spices I used. You can use whatever spices you want!

**Reminder! The milk will separate once you put it in the fridge. The trick is to shake it before use.

**If you do not soak the seeds the milk lasts for a few days and up to a week. If you soak the seeds the milk will only last 2 days.

** This is great for baking, hot coffee and iced coffee, but NOT for a cappuccino or Latte as the milk curdles.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup hemp seeds
3 cups filtered water
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2-3 dashes Nutmeg or Cinnamon
2-3 pinches Cardamom
Optional: 2-3 Liquid Stevia

KITCHEN ESSENTIALS NEEDED:
High speed blender
Nutbag
big cooking bowl

TIPS:
-Use organic whenever possible
-a cheesecloth will not work as well with this seed. I recommend the nut bag for this milk
-Liquid Stevia is an option for those who like a low glycemic sweetener. Make sure the ingredients on the package say Pure Stevia, and make sure it's not cut with additives.
-All spices and extracts are options. This can be enjoyed plain as well.
-Homemade Hemp Milk can be stored in the fridge for up to a week

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour 1 cup of Hemp Seeds (un-rinsed) into your blender along with 3 cups of filtered water. (I made mine in the Nutribullet).

2. Close lid of Blender.

3. Blend on high speed till color turns creamy white.

4. Open lid of blender and add in 1 tsp. Vanilla extract, a few shakes of Nutmeg or Cinnamon, a few pinches of Cardamom, 2-3 drops Liquid Stevia and blend again.

5. Blend again and then prepare to drain. In a separate bowl, place the Nut Bag in the middle, opened.

6. Pour a portion of the mixture into the nut bag. Grip tightly and squeeze milk into the bowl. (It looks like a little comes out, but that's because I had to take the picture. A lot squeezes through the nut bag all at once. Prepare to get your hands dirty.

7. Repeat this step until you have poured all of the hemp mixture into the bag, and squeezed out all the milk you possibly can. This may take 2-3 steps. When you are done, the waste will be left inside the bag. Simply rinse it out when finished.

8. What's left in the bowl is your creamy, delicious Homemade Hemp Milk. This recipe gives 3 1/2 cups and should be refrigerated. It lasts up to 1 week.

Enjoy! xx Julie

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How Quinoa Milk Gave Me My Confidence Back

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 01:22:00 -0400

The other day, I had a friend over for dinner that I hadn't seen in two weeks. She said I was different this week, that I had seemed so positive in comparison to the last time we hung out. She said she could hear it in my voice. I looked at her and whispered, "It was the Quinoa Milk".

My very own kitchen skills scored me homemade Quinoa milk-But I wasn't always so experimental in the homemade non dairy milk department...

My Yoga teacher from last Summer used to to tell me how much she loved making almond milk and how easy it was. She got the "alien with five heads look from me". I thought yeah right…what is she smoking.

Flash forward to now-9 years into the life of a recovering Celiac, with some serious Leaky Gut issues that started about two years ago and haven't stopped that have lead to hair loss, Anemia, malabsorption, Acne, the need for a Liver Detox, on and off the Paleo Diet for 6 months, 100 percent clean, refined sugar free and on a new detox diet by my new Integrative Functional Doctor with a new list of new limitations…oh and did i mention 30+ food sensitivities. Yeah, it's fun cooking my fruit because I can't eat it raw. It's awesome. I have been on some sort of detox diet since January 2014 to help heal and restore my gut.

So when I went to my first appointment with New Doc, I also met with the Nutritionist. We went over what is allowed which really is so much if I didn't have these darn food sensitivities (the left side of my face and throat go completely numb, and it really is a Russian roulette, we never know what is going to trigger it), and we went over the idea of making nut and seed milks homemade forever and ever instead of buying them store bought.

Forever? Forever is a really long time.

So in other words, there will be more difficulty added into my life. I should just make the kitchen my bedroom and bring my clock radio with me because that's where I'll be 24/7. And maybe instead of my answering machine saying "I'm not home right now", it should probably say "I'm cooking in the kitchen and I can't come to the phone right now". My initial thoughts? A big fat UGH and then a huge SIGH. She mentioned making my own hemp and flaxseed milk to start with. I looked at her like she had five heads.

Me: How am i supposed to do that????!!!!!
Nutritionist: You make it yourself. It's really easy.
Me: But that's so much work and prep time! I am already in the kitchen 24/7. I don't want to live there!
Nutritionist: It's easy. You take 1 cup of seeds to 3 cups of water. You don't even need a nut bag if you like it grainy.
Me: ew, grainy? No thanks.

Picture me slouched over in my chair just ready to surrender and throw in the white flag.

I left that appointment so happy to find a doctor that could help me, but so annoyed that I'd literally have to bring my bed into my kitchen and sleep there, because at the rate of my 100 percent clean cooking plan, the idea of also making my milks homemade was to say the least really, really, really annoying.

"I could tell, it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day"
From the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst.

I didn't believe her that it would be easy. It didn't sound easy.

BUT, I actually need to send that Nutritionist a huge hug in an email and thank her because if it wasn't for her, I never would have tried to make this on my own. And if it wasn't for her my world would never have opened the way it did, and if it wasn't for her pushing this easy fete, I wouldn't have gotten my confidence back!

Making these homemade milks gave me control over something that I am putting into my body that makes my body feel good, and I could have used some feel good-the last few months have been really rough. What I love about this new adventure, is that even as a newbie with fears I took the leap and made it from scratch which gave me knowledge and education. The first time was a total bust. The second was great, and the third and so on. And it gave me the ability to share it with all of you. Through this experience I learned SO MUCH. And the learning part of this process, made me realize that I need to trust "the process" more often in every aspect of my life. I will heal. But it will take time. Rome was not built in a day. And our gut health takes time to rebuild if there was or is damage. If a hurricane or a tornado comes into town, you can bet it's going to wreck havoc and take time to rebuild. Our gut health is like that especially with Celiac Disease and Leaky Gut Syndrome.

My first trial of making Gluten-free Oat milk and Flaxseed Milk was a total bust! Hahahaha!!
It started out well of course. I soaked both in water in separate bowls for two hours each. Then I added that mixture plus some more water into a high speed blender. All was good. I didn't own a nut bag or a cheese cloth and the Nutritionist said it was fine to drink as is…and hey I was desperate to have a seed or grain milk for my protein shakes…it came out thick. Like really thick. Like the wrong kind of thick. So I thought it needed more water. So I just kept adding more and more water until it was thin. And then it was too thin, so I decided to cook it on the stove. And I thought, Oh, Yes! I am so clever, look at me now…yeah look at me now, I curdled both milk batches. Hahahahah. Like I said, total bust.

The flaxseed milk custard made my face numb. So that went to the trash. Flax was out.

The gluten-free Oat Milk was doable. And it didn't make me numb, so I used it grainy in my coffee. It wasn't ideal, but it was workable. The fact that I could have an iced coffee with non dairy milk was the highlight of that day!

And that is when I got super confident. I realized that something positive was happening and it made me so happy and hopeful.

So that day I bought a cheese cloth. ( I couldn't find a nut bag)
"Make it Work as Tim Gun would say" Tim Gunn

So the next day I made Quinoa milk. I figured why not. And what's so great about Quinoa is that it is a complete protein meaning its going to give you all the nutrients and vitamins your body could wish for and it's going to give your body energy. Try drinking that in your decaf coffee in the a.m.-there will be no need for actual caffeine. I followed the same idea of 3 parts water, 1 part raw quinoa. I did not soak it. And it came out glorious! I even taught myself how to use a Cheese cloth for the first time! Granted, it splattered all over my kitchen because I didn't think to do it in the sink, but it was amazing!! I was so excited to have made a homemade non dairy milk that was not only really tasty but was something my body didn't have a problem with. Another great day! You would have thought I had won the lottery.

Quinoa milk made me excited again. Excited to create. Excited to cook. Excited to bake. Excited for energy my body hadn't had in a while. Excited that I had control over something! Excited that I could provide for my body in a very healthy way. Excited that I had something safe, a "go to". Excited that my body would eventually heal. Because before this I just wasn't sure if I would heal. Would I be the same as before? Would I be able to eat all my awesome favorite healthy foods again? Could I have smoothies, green juices or even a GF cupcake? These were doubts in my mind during my chicken/asparagus/cooked blueberry/chickpeas/scrambled egg months. And knowing that a grain filled with protein could be turned into a homemade milk that I made, and made well, that my body would love gave me my confidence back!

Are you reading this and thinking I'm nuts? How could making Quinoa milk give me my mojo back? It's really simple. You see and I'm sure any of you with Celiac or lifestyle changes due to medical issues can understand…I lost all of my confidence. I lost control of what I could eat. I lost control of how I could nourish my own body. It was no longer easy to eat. It became scary. It became hard. And it became sad. Because I couldn't even enjoy the gluten-free foods I was used too! For God's sake I have to cook the blueberries before I eat them. I can't eat kale, zucchini, bananas, cauliflower, pears, apples, green juices, certain smoothies, lemon, dairy, tree nuts, coconut anything, chia seeds, flax seeds, spinach, lentils, watermelon and so, so, so much more without having this facial numbing reaction that has been going on since April 2014. I can eat cooked carrots but raw carrots make my throat numb for hours and hours. I thought I was allergic to everything! I was living on Benadryl. Do you know what it's like to think you are allergic to all foods? It is so hard to live day by day like this and not know if what you put in your mouth is going to harm you or make you thrive.

I never ever thought of food this way. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I could develop so many food sensitivities all at once and suddenly not be able to eat any of them for months on end. I have just added back Avocado and that I am so grateful for. When you realize that your body cannot always digest food effortlessly it really makes you think about Gratitude. Being grateful for what you have, can do, can eat, can be, who you are with, your family, your life is HUGE. Food is a luxury. Nourishment is key, but isn't always easy, we have to learn to listen to our bodies-even if it sucks. My motto these days is to strive to nourish my body. If my body doesn't want apples, lentils, coconut, chocolate (haven't had any since April), Kale, Chard, Green Juices, Very Green Smoothies, bananas, zucchini, cauliflower then I will have to let my body heal and nourish myself with the foods my body will accept and trust the freaking process.

As for making non-dairy milks homemade? I have to say, I cannot believe I held out this long! I am a baker who makes intricate cakes, yet seed, nut and grain milks were daunting.

They say it's the small things in life that make us happy.

My last words to you … GRATITUDE makes all the difference. GRATITUDE changes all perspectives and changes your position in this crazy, amazing world we live in. GRATITUDE creates positivity even during our darkest hours.

xx Julie

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The Secret To Perfect Sugar-free Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 02:02:00 -0400

Sounds crazy right? Like it can't be done? Like there must be hidden sugar in here somewhere? Like there is a catch?

The way I see it-When there's a will, there's a way.

Detox diets can be restricting, but…

It can be done. And it can be done and taste delicious! Isn't that what life is all about?

Why should you deprive yourself right?

Why can't you enjoy whatever lifestyle you choose, right? Or whatever lifestyle chooses you...

Why can't your food taste good gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free yada, yada, lots of free's-why the heck not?

In this recipe I used sugar-free vanilla extract, Liquid Stevia (the real kind you get at health food stores, not the kind that is cut with additives-don't be fooled by marketing! Read ingredient labels).

I also used dessert spices like Nutmeg and Cardamom.

And I also used fruit, because fruit sweetens up everything, naturally! I played with two versions, one was with low-glycemic fruit like berries and the other with Cherries which is higher in natural sugars.

And I played with two recipe versions as well. Both blew my mind, but I wanted to give you guys the recipe options. The first few times I made this, I used 2 jumbo organic eggs. And that made these taste like fried dough! I was in heaven. Then a few times later when I had only large organic eggs in the house, I used 3 eggs, and that made them taste like Pancake Cake! Also totally divine. If I had to choose between the two I wouldn't be able to. They are both equally delicious. So the decision falls on you guys, whatever you are in the mood to have the day you make these is the way it will go…However, I do recommend you trying both recipes on separate occasions, because I wouldn't want you guys to miss out. The only difference in these two recipes is the amount and size of eggs used.

Optional usage of maple syrup, which yes, although a sweetener that has sugar, it is at least a natural sweetener which is considered a healthier sugar source. (Yes, there are good sources and not so good sources. Ex. maple syrup, honey, brown rice syrup which are considered healthy sources vs. highly processed white cane sugar, agave (yup! Agave is super processed), brown sugar-get it?) And you don't need the maple syrup at the end if you don't want it.

Just the other day I ate them cold out of the fridge with nothing on them whatsoever. Man, they were damn good!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour + 2-3 additional Tbsp.
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Quinoa Milk or favorite non-dairy Milk (Recipe HERE)
1/2 cup water
2 jumbo eggs or 3 large eggs (see tips below)
1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
3 generous shakes Nutmeg
2 generous dabs Cardamom
10-15 drops of Liquid Stevia (see tips)
2 tsp. Vanilla extract (sugar free if you can find it)
1 package blueberries or a 2-3 cups cherries
2 Tbsp. Ghee (see tips)
optional toppings: gluten-free rolled oats

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix eggs with hand mixer in a separate bowl and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl mix Sweet Rice Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Xanthan Gum, Nutmeg, Cardamom.

3. Add eggs to dry flour mix and mix at medium speed till gooey.

4. Add non dairy milk and water and mix at a low speed (because it will splatter). Eventually get it to a higher speed and mix till smooth. Your batter at first will be somewhat lumpy, and that is ok. Continue mixing till smooth.

5. Add vanilla extract and liquid stevia till well blended. Then add fruit of choice.

6. Heat pan with gluten free cooking spray and Ghee-don't use all at once, just lightly coat the pan-and keep re-coating the pan as you continue to make your pancakes.

7. Create dollops of batter in pan and spread with spoon to flatten.
8. Add gluten-free oat toppings if desired (raw gf oats).
9. Cook pancakes on each side till lightly browned-watch these like a hawk because they burn quickly. You can pat them down with your spatula if needed.
10. Remove from heat, let cool and enjoy!

I made these so many times, I snagged a few shots...

TIPS:
-2 jumbo eggs will make your pancake fluffier
-3 large eggs will make your pancake cake-like
-Fruit choices can be raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, green apples
-Ghee is another word for clarified butter. It's a healthier source of butter and can be found in specialty supermarkets and health food stores in the dairy section
-I use Flours and Xanthan gum by Bob's Red Mill because I just like his brand
-You can use any non dairy milk you want like Quinoa, Hemp, Oat, Coconut, Almond, Cashew, Flaxseed milk…
-About those non dairy milks, if you can help it, make it homemade!! There is a radical difference in taste, consistency and there are no additives added, and that is huge.
-How do you make homemade non-dairy milks? Pretty easy…Usually it's just 1 cup of seeds or nuts with 3 cups of water-blend the crap out of it and then drain it with a nut bag. Buy a nut bag here, you will have it for life! Best thing I ever bought! You can use a Cheesecloth as well, but it doesn't work as well with hemp seeds because too much passes through.
-When you can strive for organic! I always use organic eggs that are fed a vegetarian diet, without hormones and antibiotics. I also use organic blueberries and cherries.

Enjoy Lovelies! xx Julie
www.goodiegoodiegluten-free.blogspot.com

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How To Make Killer Oozy Blueberry Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 23:25:00 -0400

Hi, my name is Julie, I am 37 years old and I have an addiction to Pancakes.

Sugar-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Nut-free Pancakes.

I love Pancakes. Let me count the ways.

They say the first thing to do is to admit the problem.

This is your brain.

This is your brain on Pancakes. Any questions?

I don't know where I lost control, but I did. It started out so innocent. I was building a recipe for my blog that would fit into my detox diet from my doctor. It needed to be sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free and Soy-free. To be honest, I never thought a pancake could defeat me, for heavens sake it's not chocolate! Chocolate always defeats me…It's always 10 bars later and I'm like WTF happened?!-But that's chocolate-And chocolate is like that bad boyfriend that keeps you coming back for more, luring you in with it's sweet addiction and then leaving you by the side of the road to pick up the pieces of your caffeinated hyper-sensitive body and broken-out acne riddled face-totally understandable-as I said, It's chocolate. But a pancake? More like stacks of pancakes filled with melted oozy blueberries for 4 days straight! (It could be 5, I lost count).

I thought, It's sugar-free! It's dairy-free! It's gluten-free! It's nut-free! It's soy-free! How GOOD could they be? I knew Pancakes wouldn't knock me off track. And as a kid I never even liked pancakes! I was strong. I was convinced nothing could defeat me. I was a warrior!

I was also wrong. Things got out of hand. I didn't think it would turn into this. I feel like I'm cheating on breakfast eggs n veggies and having a love affair with Pancakes. The detox diet didn't say anything about how many pancakes were considered "too many" or "overkill". And they are healthy pancakes. The diet just said to reduce eggs. What was I going to have for breakfast if it wasn't eggs? So I innocently included pancakes. Reduce eggs, eat pancakes should be my next t-shirt. Move over "Health Is The New Black", there is a new sheriff in town and it's called admitting your addicted to pancakes on a t-shirt. Ha ha…I'm only half kidding.

You see my original thought process and the start to a beautiful relationship with dear ole pancakes was to put on some weight. After detoxing for many, many months with Leaky Gut, I seem to be loosing rather then gaining. I know, I know…most would kill to say they eat like pigs and don't gain a pound. But me? I just want to gain a few pounds! So after round one of amazing pancakes, I decided to keep the trend going in hopes of gaining some weight. I also decided to add blueberries to the pancakes too. That was the best decision I ever made (in the realm of baking pancakes, that is).

Needless to say, I haven't gained weight, but I have eaten a lot of pancakes. And I also fit into my skinny jeans! I'm wearing them right now, as I type this very post!

Yup that's me…a gluten-free warrior eating stacks of pancakes daily. DAILY!!

After the second batch, I felt the pancakes overall needed tweaking but I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down in front of the TV watching The Goldbergs eating my blueberrylicious pancakes one blissful weekend morning. I felt like a kid again, but I wasn't watching cartoons. With each bite, I decided what needed to be tweaked all the while getting hooked on the spongy pancake madness. At the end of my 6th pancake I decided I would have to make them again the following day just to be sure my feelings of ecstasy were accurate. Because after all, two rounds of pancakes were not enough.

And so the next day I made them again, along with my tweaks. I had to play around with the amount of flours I used and the Liquid Stevia. Liquid Stevia can be tricky sometimes. Either it's not sweet at all, or it's so over the top, it's disgusting. I had to find the right balance. And I added in Nutmeg and Cardamom. I do love dessert spices-they are fun to play with. But that didn't stop me from eating the third stack in front of the TV watching a repeat of last Sunday's episode of True Blood. I savored each piece, so happy I was able to eat something that didn't cause a food sensitivity. I was high! High as a kite on Pancakes! Look what the pancakes did to me! A 37 year old getting high on a work day? OMG. And so I marked my tweaks on a piece of paper to save for the next day's batch. Yup, there was a next day, and another stack. Strangely I did not gain a single pound!

Mind you, I saw nothing wrong with this. I didn't see this as a problem. They are healthy pancakes! Oh. So. Good. But I'll give you some back story here-I was on the Paleo diet (Whole 30) for about 5 months. It was so strict because Paleo is big on nuts and I have sensitivities to nuts. Since no grains are allowed it was impossible for me to make anything carby or treat-like unless it was made from coconut. So I went gung-ho on coconut everything and developed a freaking sensitivity to that! Do you see a trend here? Moderation is not my strong suit. Now anything with coconut makes my face and throat completely numb, and it's been like this since April! In addition, I haven't had a touch of sugar since the beginning of March, the end of May and before that was January. I haven't had a taste of wine or alcohol since January!! And this is not a poor me story. This is a story of strength! But a girl has GOT to have some kind of goodie! So if it's gotta be sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free pancakes so be it!

Side note to self and all others reading this-If you overindulge on anything, you can create a sensitivity or even an allergy within your body! Healthy or not, your body needs rotation.

So when I made them again, because there is always an "again", I reduced the amount of Nutmeg, Liquid Stevia and increased the amount of Cardamom and switched up the flour blend by adding more Sweet Rice Flour then All-Puprose. By golly I found the diamond in the rubble! The golden ticket! The treasure. The pot of gold! I was all ready to blog this recipe as the final end all be all! After 4 breakfasts of blueberrylicious pancakes and total turnaround tweaks I was sick to death of pancakes. Thank heavens! I would have turned into a pancake!

But…and there is always a "but". I took a day off from pancakes, made my homemade Quinoa milk yesterday, which kept me busy in the kitchen and not on the blog. And today, I found myself strangely unsick of pancakes and longing for them! My naughty healthy habit was creeping back in! And this time it was for dinner. And this time I used vanilla seeds from a vanilla pod on top of the vanilla extract and it was bombdigity! And this time was the jackpot. And this time, I used some of the Quinoa Milk and this was IT! Lucky number 5. Let's see some jazz hands! (Will and Grace reference)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1/3 cup Quinoa Milk or any non-dairy milk of choice (My homemade recipe here)
2/3 cup water
3 Tbsp. Sweet Rice Flour
3/4 cup (and then a little extra) Gluten-free All Purpose Flour (Bob's Red Mill)
(The Sweet Rice Flour and the All Purpose Gluten-free flour blend should equal 1 cup in total)
1-2 dashes of Nutmeg
2-3 dashes Cardamom
1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum
2 jumbo eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract (sugar free if you can find it)
1 fresh vanilla bean (cut lengthwise, with seeds scooped out)
Liquid Stevia
Ghee (just enough for the pan)

**Ghee is another name for clarified butter which can be found in the dairy section of your supermarket. Ghee is a great source of good fat. Yes, there is such a thing called good fat.

**Liquid Stevia is very different then packaged powder stevia. In order to make this recipe sugar-free, you will need the liquid Stevia that does not have any additives in it. This you can find at your local health store.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Beat all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2. Beat eggs along with vanilla extract in a separate bowl (not stevia yet).

3. Add eggs and vanilla to dry mixture and beat well.

4. Add in 1/3 cup Quinoa or non-dairy milk along with 2/3 cup water to mixture and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth.

5. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and add to batter.

6. Add 30 drops of Liquid Stevia to batter and beat well.

7. Heat skillet to medium-high heat with cooking spray and Ghee (amount of Ghee is whatever you desire). (butter can also be used as a substitute) (aprox 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp.)

8. Create medium size pancakes in the pan and then add desired amount of fresh blueberries to each pancake.

9. Flip when each side is slightly browned.

10. Serve cool, warm or hot and don't forget to top it with natural sweetener such as Maple Syrup.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

***Remember, not all natural sweeteners are created equal! Agave is super high in Fructose! 80 percent high! Much higher then Maple Syrup.

*You can also try Brown Rice Syrup, honey or coconut butter as they are all on the lower end of the glycemic index and are from a natural source.

*The best part about these pancakes, is that you can use whatever fruit you want like cherries, raspberries, strawberries, figs and even peaches and apples!

Song of the moment: Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners

Enjoy!

Peace and Love,

Julie

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How To Make The Best Quinoa Milk In Town

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 01:17:00 -0400

This recipe makes much more then pictured

"Six o'clock already? I was just in the middle of a dream. I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream. Well, I can't be late because I guess I just won't get paid…these are the days when you wish your bed was already made…It's just another manic Monday…Oh oh oh…Wish it were Sunday…oh ohh oh, That's my funday…oh ohh oh…My I don't have to run day...Just another manic Monday." (The Bangles, Manic Monday 1980's)

Actually it's Tuesday-9am, 2014 not 1980 something and I have overslept all to wake up to Time Warner leaving me a message on my home answering machine advising me that my Internet and television will be turned off in 24 hours if I don't pay my two months worth of overdue bills! Eek! That got me outta bed real fast! With one eye still closed, I managed to call Time Warner and pay up!

I think I'd go postal if my television and Internet were sacrificed because of my poor organizational skills! (How would I get on Facebook? Instagram?-Oh the stress! Ha ha, just kidding)

I had overslept because yet again I have been having sleepless nights. Falling asleep by 4am does not count for a restful night of beauty sleep. I figured I'd allow myself to sleep late on my day off so that I could get some restful shut eye-even if my sleep schedule was totally out of whack.

Note to self-when one has medical and health issues it is important to not let bills slide till they are two months overdue!

I'll have to assume God or my spiritual guide wanted me awake so I could make Homemade Quinoa Mylk, because that's exactly what I did!

A Nutribullet is the perfect alarm, so to speak. It's so loud, I'm bound to wake from my dreamy Bangles 1980's song stupor.

So I know what you are thinking…Why make homemade Quinoa mylk when you can buy it at the store. I know, you probably think it's easier, right? I thought that too. But what my mylk doesn't have is that nasty inflammatory thickening agent called Carrageenan or those other random additives, preservatives and thickeners. Because that's what's in the store bought brands.

What's Carrageenan? Well, its a thickener derived from red seaweed and red algae added to foods, drinks and even toothpaste! It seems harmless right? Wrong! It's so bad for us, it's used to test anti-inflammatory drugs-to make sure they are working correctly. And it has properties that contribute to Leaky Gut! When I read that…Oh boy! I decided I was quite ok with making it myself.

It's a messy endeavor. FYI, but a fun one!

Note to self and all others making this mylk-drain in sink!

And although a messy endeavor, it's easy. And who doesn't love easy?

I was a newbie. First time and it came out fantastic, amazing, better then I could have hoped for! Second time was later this evening, and I was blown away. I'm telling you, you will feel so spoiled if you make it yourself. It's creamy and delicious and it tastes nothing like the store bought version in a very good way.

Plus Quinoa is a complete protein! It's packed with nutrients! And it will give your energy a huge health boost-hello cartoon Road Runner.

First I will say out of all the non-dairy mylk's out there? This one is by far the creamiest! Creamier then soy milk, similar to almond milk with a different taste and totally awesome in coffee! Oh and smoothies! You really cannot go wrong with this mylk.

You can bake cookies with it, bake brownies and cakes with it, muffins anyone? or how bout a creamy coffee or latte?, pancakes? soup batter? smoothies anyone? This can be your go to mylk. And it's great for those with nut allergies, soy allergies and dairy allergies.

Ok, now that I'm done selling Quinoa Mylk as if I'm representing the grain, I'll tell you how to make it.

Reminders!
*The milk separates once you put it in the fridge. Just shake it up before use.
*If soaked the milk lasts 2 days before spoiling. If not soaked as recipe calls for below-then it lasts up to a week.
*Great for baking, cooking, iced coffee, hot coffee (but separates a little), not good for lattes or cappuccinos as it curdles.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 cup white Quinoa
3 cups water (If you want a thinner version, use 4 cups of water)
High Speed Blender or Nutribullet
Cheese Cloth
Nutmeg
Vanilla extract (sugar free if you can find it)
Cardamom

DIRECTIONS:
1. In your high speed blender or Nutribullet add 1 cup Quinoa and 3 cups water and blend.
2. Blend, blend, blend.
3. Add a dash or two of Nutmeg
4. Add a dash or two of Cardamom
5. Add 1/2-1tsp. Vanilla extract
6. Blend again
7. Drain milk using a cheese cloth (this is the messy part, and if you don't do it in your sink you will end up with Quinoa splatters all over your kitchen like I did-and that stuff dries fast-Remember, it's a grain.

**(If you are using a Nutribullet you may have to divide the mixture as the Nutribullet tall cup cannot hold all of that water at once).

How do you use a cheese cloth? Easy!

If I can do it, you can do it. I didn't know how either. I just decided to go with it.

Put the cloth over a cup
Drain milk into the cloth
Hold the cloth as if you are milking a cow
I'm so serious.
It's easy.
Once you are done draining your cheese cloth will have what's left of the grainy Quinoa. That part is garbage and can be washed off the cheese cloth easily after.

Then, Serve! or store in your fridge for a few days.

Peace and Love!

xx Julie

13 Ways To Get Your Spiritual Groove Back

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 02:05:00 -0400

Yes, I have fallen off the blogger planet. Yes I stopped posting.

Where do I even start? Where do I begin.

Do I write an introduction as to why I fell off the planet?

Or do I just start blogging as if I never disappeared? Though that might be weird.

I feel that I owe it to you guys to fess up. To let you know where I have been hiding.

Well, In a nutshell…

I left my 12 year fashion career as a women's fashion designer to pursue Health and Wellness. I went back to school at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition and got a Certification in Health Coaching specializing in Nutrition, Holistic Health, the Gluten-free Diet, Celiac Disease and Vitamin Deficiencies-which was by the way an awesome life changing experience! I just graduated in the beginning of July, 2014.

I am currently working with a web designer to transform and expand Goodie Goodie Gluten-free on an awesome Wordpress website. Goodie Goodie Gluten-free is getting a whole new glam look! And I am super excited. The site will launch in the Fall. I can't wait!!

I have become quite spiritual and learned all about yoga, meditation, health Podcasts, self care and my favorite: Gratitude Journals (which I'll explain a little later on).

This is Katie Dalebout's Podcast Series that can be downloaded on iTunes for Free.

Best interviews on some of my favorite health and wellness professionals.

Her show is called Wellness Wonderland.

Mmmm. Clean eating at is best and of course in style! Sauteed peppers and onions serves as a nutritional healthy snack.

I have diet hopped from a gluten-free processed diet of sugar, cupcakes and junk to gluten-free clean eating lifestyle, to the Paleo Diet and now to a Balanced Clean Eating, Gluten-free lifestyle and I have been working with a slew of medical doctors to figure out what is medically wrong with me since July 2012. It's been rough while at the same time a HUGE learning experience.

I have experienced Anemia, Vitamin deficiencies, a full body absorption problem, inflammation almost everywhere, crazy rashes, cystic acne, hair loss (which is still and was terrible), facial and throat numbing with 80 percent of what I eat causes facial, throat and tongue numbing on the left side of my face; yet the cause is not from food allergies, cat scans on my sinuses, a brain scan, leaky gut, an endoscopy, environmental allergies, Eczema, drastic weight loss (almost 15 pounds), Acid reflux, food sensitivities (to way to many foods), Adult Asthma (that I'm not sure is even asthma), chronic fatigue, long bouts of Strep Throat, swollen glands, stomach viruses, random Flu like viruses, Ankle tendonitis (twice), horrific headaches, stomach issues (to say the least), dreadfully long periods (10 days!) and so much more!

I have been under the care of Neurologist, an Immunologist, an Allergist, 2 Integrative Functional Medical Doctors, an Endocrinologist, a Specialist Gynecologist, a Gastroenterologist, 3 Dermatologists, 3 Hair Doctors, a Trichologist, a ENT doctor, a General Internist, an Orthopedist even a Homeopathic doctor and more all since August 2012. Though in August 2012 it started out slow. I had an Endocrinologist and a Specialist Gynecologist. By the time January 2013 approached my doctor roster had doubled and shit really started to hit the fan in June of 2013. After June 2013 my doctor roster along with my medical mystery symptoms and ailments had quadrupled. And my medical problems really escalated. A whopping two years of doctors. My week looks like 3-4 doctors appointments plus working and school. The blog had to take a backseat. The Anemia started back July 2012 and that is really what triggered this crazy journey. Wow, that was even a lot for me to write! I'm sweating over here. Haha, just kidding...I have been misdiagnosed, told I needed a Psychiatrist, and overall completely misunderstood since August 2012.

Just when I thought one medical issue was horrific the next one following was and is so much worse. I honestly thought I would crawl under a rock when my hair started falling out. There were days I sat and cried in my apartment. Actually pretty much all of Summer 2013 was me crying in my apartment over my hair loss. I just didn't know what was happening. And the stress that went along with these health issues was enormous! I was gluten-free 100 percent-I followed all the rules, and I couldn't understand why me, why now.

This is me in early March 2014

(My awesome and super fun Birthday Celebration),

with the hair piece colored blonde.

It started to look funny with my real genuine hair

that was actually going gray on top

So I had my stylist re-color the piece to match my natural brown roots.

As you can see below there is a mix of gray, blonde and brown.

I have the ombre thing going…

And I'm embracing it!

This picture was taken early July 2014, and as you can see

I did loose more hair

And you can see the gray

And you can kinda see the two toned look

And what is my hair and what isn't.

Like I said, I'm embracing it!

This is what a Halo looks like.

It's real hair attached to a string and colored to match my hair,
Although this was color matching when I was still blonde!
I haven't colored my hair in 1 year and 3 months!

Lucky for me I met this amazing WIG MAKER through a friend of a friend who made not only custom wigs, which I didn't need, but Halo's which is real hair sewn to an invisible elastic string and worn sort of like an invisible headband. You would never know I was wearing partially fake hair. It took me a long time to bite the Halo hair bullet. Getting diagnosed with a non-permanent form of Alopecia in June 2013 and realizing that my hair was really going to take 3 years to grow back like the hair doctors said, was a tough pill to swallow. But I am so grateful for people like Merria Dearman who create hair as an art and do it well. Because the fears that were going through my mind were stopping me from living. Well I was letting these fears stop me with tormenting thoughts like…"Who is going to want to date me, my hair is falling out." or "I can't blog now, I have so many issues" or How am I going to be a Health Coach with my hair, my acne, my _________."

My fears were getting the best of me, holding me back. You see, I have always preached that once you go gluten-free, you are set for life, never to deal with ugly Celiac Disease again and onward to the life you are meant to enjoy in sweet perfection.

But this thinking of mine was oh. so. wrong. The truth is, is that going gluten-free is not always the ONLY answer. It's only part of the equation.

So instead of blogging, I completely retreated.

I'm sure If I had blogged, all you Celiac's and Gluten-freebee's out there may have related. And perhaps I could have inspired some of you, or maybe some of you may have felt less alone. I have laughed and cried all off my blog.

So where have I been?

In all honesty,

I have been afraid.

I have been afraid to post my life, because of all my crazy health shit.

I think I had every excuse in the book to not move forward.

And that sent me backwards!

I vowed that by Summer of 2014 all of this, all of me would be healed and I would go back to normal and enjoy my Summer. And I thought…when I'm all better I'll start blogging again. I thought I'd save all my recipes, creative cooking and funny stories for when all of 'this' went away. Well. That didn't happen.

The latest medical mystery of all? 80 percent of what I eat makes the left side of my face, throat and tongue completely numb. Like scary numb. I lived on Benadryl at first because we didn't know what it was. I thought it was an allergy. Imagine that diet! It's clean eating with some serious restrictions and this is what I am currently dealing with on top of everything else, because I haven't healed yet, not even close. At first I was hysterical. I would stay up late at night trying to figure out how to fix this, try and figure out why it was happening, making game plans and to do lists to conquer this. But guess what? I'm human and I can't conquer it alone. Nope. Can't. Totally tried. For months and months and months and MONTHS. Made myself nuts. Rid myself with crazy anxiety to the point that I wasn't sleeping at all. All to realize I had no choice but to let this go, and work with what I have got. We are still trying to figure this out. Currently I work with a new amazing Integrative Functional Medical Doctor, a Homeopath and an Endocrinologist and we are taking this step by step, clean meal by clean meal.

I realize Perfection does not exist and we are all on some sort of journey. And a Journey is not a destination, nor is happiness. We have to create what we want and take action to get it and even that is part of the journey. Without our stories, our struggles, we wouldn't be who we are, or even where we are today at this very moment with the good and with the bad.

While most would keep this to themselves as I have, I have realized that by keeping this to myself, I am not only dis-servicing myself, but you guys as well. I know that I love to read other's stories and I'm sure you do too. Where they were before they got here, and how they got "here" (whatever "here" means). What sort of pain and happiness did they have to go through to make them who they are. I would look for these stories because they would inspire me, cheer me on and make me realize I'm not alone.

But my blog? My story? What I'm about and why I believe what I believe? Why I am who I am today? Where my journey has lead me? Over a year ago I took down my "About Me" section because I felt my story was just too complicated. I am now re-writing it and it will soon be posted.

My Physical Therapist tells me I am the most cheerful person she has ever met with medical problems. And she sees me twice a week! So she knows what she is talking about. Serious accuracy. Totally Legit.

I still LOVE to cook and bake. I just do it differently now. It's always a challenge, but creativity is my gift. It's what I can give to the world effortlessly. Not many people can do or say that, so I feel it is important for me to pay that forward. I also love to read about health and wellness, holistic health, remedies, recipes of all kinds, different diets especially gluten-free and clean eating. I love color, music, sequins, designing anything, vampires, music, sunshine, warm weather and so much more. And despite all of this happening, I still love all of those things. So that is what is portrayed on my social media. It's me. No holes barred. Real. Genuine. Me.

Instead of blogging, I have been using social media as an outlet to keep things going. Because even during all of this crazy stuff, I am still a health and wellness lover and warrior. Going to the best kick ass school-The Institute For Integrative Nutrition was my knight in shining armor! Had I not had the support of the most amazing school, had I not had that school to look forward too, I don't think I would have been able to deal with all of this as well as I did. And that is saying a whole lot! I graduated with straight A's and was determined to not let my health issues get in the way.

My Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook feeds have been constantly hopping.

I love posting creative concoctions and peeks of my daily life on Instagram. Curious? Follow me there! I'm @GoodiegoodieGF.

Twitter has been my outlet for awesome articles from various other bloggers and websites like Mind Body Green, Nitika Chopra, David Wolfe, Jenny Sansouci, Wellness Wonderland, Gabby Bernstein, Kris Carr, Go Sweet and Skinny, The Healthy Apple , The Balanced Blonde, formally known as The Blonde Vegan, The Bach Book and (many, many more), with my humorous sidekick tweets. Curious? Wanna see why I love health and wellnesss so much? Follow me on Twitter @GoodieGoodiegf

Pinterest is a PLETHORA of good vibes, positivity, amazing recipes, and rocking quotes. I can't get enough of Pinterest. Interested in my creative pins on cooking, baking, Paleo, Gluten-free, cakes, cookies, easy gluten-free nosh, desserts, home decor, holidays, fashion, summer BBQs and more? Follow me at Goodiegoodiegf

And Facebook for a little bit of everything. Currently just my personal page (and soon to be launching a GoodieGoodiegf page).

So here we are, another years past and it's the Summer of 2014. It's time to conquer fears and move forward. I have used a lot of skills I learned at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition and I am going to share these amazing simple secrets with you! These are the kinds of things that you wouldn't think would HOLD THE POWER that they actually hold! And Anyone can do these.

Some of my favorites are:

Gratitude Journals-These little books are the bomb! I got mine at Barnes and Noble. It's a little orange book that says Gratitude on it and inside are lined blank pages where you write 3 things per day that you are grateful for. There are no rules for this book, no one sees it but you!

Bedside Dream Journals-Never underestimate these amazing books! They unlock your subconscious and tap into places you didn't even know existed further helping you deal with your everyday life and finding solutions to problems. The trick is to immediately write down your dream in full detail the moment you wake up! Way before you grab your morning coffee. Why? Because you remember the most upon first awakening. Jot down everything from colors to places to scents and scenes.

Inspiration Boards totally rock my world, which go hand in hand with Vision Boards. An inspiration board is simply a foam board where you pin or tape all things from magazines, Pinterest, souvenirs from your life onto this board. It's something fun and pretty to look at and since you created it, it's homemade functional art. It serves a purpose. That is, to inspire.

Vision Boards are similar but instead of putting things on it that inspire, you put things on it that you want. What you want your life, love life, career, house etc to look like. You have to be really sure about what you want, because what you put on this Vision board is a way for the Universe to see what you are asking for and actually give it to you. It's very spiritual to put your life in the hands of the Universe. And trust that what you put out there you will get in return. It's a Law of Attraction kind of thinking, like what you put out into the Universe you get right back. And a vision board also serves a purpose. It's showing the world and you in case you have doubts your vision for what you want out of life.

Mediation-ah I love. It's a practice and needs to be done often to reap any benefits. But to just sit in a safe space and deeply relax is the ultimate gift. Its a place inside yourself where you can really get to know what you need. Start with classes on this activity. And you can even create a safe space in your home or apartment. A small area designated to be your meditation station. In that space you can add a comfy pillow to sit on, an array of your favorite books and magazines and anything inspirational you may want to sit with when you are having a meditation moment, some relaxation time, down time or even a bad day. Fill that area with stuff you love!

This is my space. I have my inspiration board, a few buddha's and my favorite books

There is my Buddha snow globe, a smaller Buddha,

a Ganesha and a magnet with an awesome quote that makes me happy.

Yoga is something I absolutely live for! And there are a few reasons. 1. It's relaxing. Sometimes you don't even realize all the stress you are carrying until you stretch it out. It's like the ultimate release. It's better then a massage, because you are the one working the stresses out. And often an hour of yoga solves so many problems that are going on in your world. 2. It balances stress levels. 3. Helps period cramps. 4. Is totally relaxing. 5. Builds your muscles and tones your body. 6. Gets rid of toxins by sweating. 7. It ultimately gets you so much closer to the inner you and 8. You literally leave the yoga studio like you are walking on clouds.

Exercise-this can be done in conjunction with Yoga. Has similar effects to yoga but is more energizing then zen relaxation like Yoga. Exercise is a great way to get anger out or frustrated emotions. Same with yoga, but it's a different kind of Adrenaline. Exercising feels like a rush. It also rids toxins quickly, tones your body, gets your sweat on and gives you confidence.

Clean eating-Seriously such a big one! You are what you eat. You can't have all the energy in the world if you are eating fast food, tons of sugar, bad fats as opposed to good fats, processed junk and ingredients you can't even understand.

Chia Seed Pudding with Baked Green Apples

Fresh Salmon with Snap Peas, Bok Choy, Coconut Aminos and Garlic

Elimination Diets-Seriously eliminating sugar was the best thing I ever did. Elimination diets are not forever, they are merely set in place to detox your body from toxins. And when you do a detox diet or an elimination diet, as frustrating as it is in the beginning, you learn so much about your body. You learn what you body can handle and what it can't. You learn that you only have one body so you want to treat it right. You learn that some foods are just not workable for your body despite it's "healthy" label or even it's junk food label. And what's even more amazing is that when you finally learn to eliminate what's not OK for your particular body, mystery symptoms disappear. Taking charge of your body feels amazing!

Eliminating substances and alcohol-I'm not sure I even need to preach on this topic. Just merely reducing your intake will improve your moods, your diet, your weight, your thoughts, your energy levels, your quality of sleep and your overall zest for life. Learn to party sober. It's kind of amazing!!

Listening to Music-I have always said life is better with music. I swear it makes everything so much less stressful. And it actually changes brain chemistry in a really good way.

Reading good books-Sometimes getting lost in someone else's story is a good thing. It takes you away from obsessing on your own problems and promotes better sleep. (Make sure its a real book or an old Kindle and not an iPad (that blue light will get your further into sleepless nights).

Listening to your body-When you start doing some of the things I mentioned above you will be able to be in tune with your body a lot more then before. You will hear and see signs you didn't see before that you can now read differently and more effectively. You will be able to make better decisions for your body and that is some sweet stuff!

Stay Nutritionally Awesome!!
xx Julie

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Raspberry Chia Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Julie Rosenthal) — Thu, 8 May 2014 15:11:00 -0400

I say move over Oatmeal, there is a new Sheriff in town!

Consistency of Chia (Below is with Coconut and Hemp Milk and is pictured for what Chia Seeds look like after they have expanded in liquid.

Chia Pudding Bowl of Goodness

As far as Chia seed pudding goes, I'm a HUGE fan. I love it. I can't get enough of it.

It's filling.

The creamier the better.

The more toppings the better-and you don't have to feel guilty about it!

It's like dessert for adults. And you can eat it for breakfast too!

It's so EASY to make!!

So easy, that often I make two or three of them before bed, and the prep is done in 10 minutes!

You can load it with toppings like nuts, seeds, berries, dried fruit, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, oats, granola, warmed sweet potato, mashed banana, raw cacao nibs, dark chocolate, shredded coconut, coconut butter, cocoa powder-the sky is the limit, but the trick is to stay with healthier toppings as opposed to candy, cookies and cereal.

I prefer going sugar free when it comes to Chia Pudding. Meaning, no added sugar. But if you are a sugar whore and you need your fix try maple syrup, raw honey, coconut sugar. And just a little goes a long way.

The best part is? Your brain thinks it's dessert! So you think you are eating a treat, but low and behold it's healthy!

The benefits? OMG this little seed is LOADED with goodness!

Was eaten by the Aztecs for strength. Boosts energy!
Excellent vegetarian source of Omega Fatty Acids (Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9)
Stabilizes blood sugar
Lowers Cholesterol
Aids Digestion
It contains more natural antioxidants then flaxseed
Excellent source of dietary fiber
Versatile in any recipe as an addition (in small quantities)
It's a healthy fat but low in fat!
Carries large amounts of Magnesium which is great for muscles and helps you sleep
Diabetic friendly

This version uses a water base. It's a little lighter.

Using Organic Chia seeds is best.

What is the dilly with Chia Seeds?

Well, when you add them dry they do not expand but are still delicious and packed with the nutrients above. But when you add liquid they expand, get larger and the quantity becomes doubled. It's like Jello. Jello doesn't become that gummy consistency until it sets in water in the refrigerator for a few hours. That's like Chia. When they expand you get your pudding consistency.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

3/4 cup Water

1-2 capfuls Sugar free or regular vanilla extract

1 tsp. Raw Cacao Powder or Cocoa Powder of choice

Desired toppings for later use

(I used Frozen Raspberries, Goji Berries, Sunflower Seeds, Raw Cacao Nibs)

By now you might be wondering what Goji Berries and Raw Cacao Nibs are. They are Superfoods. That means they have more nutrient packed benefits then most. Vitamins, Nutrients, Trace Minerals, Healthy Fats, Protein and healing properties. Goji Berries are known for lasting life according to Chinese Medicine and they are the most nutrient rich berry and antioxidant. Raw Cacao nibs provide lots of Magnesium, is a natural source for energy and at the same time aids in sleeping. Did you know that Chia seeds are considered a Superfood? Yup! Lucky you!!

Are Superfoods Necessary for your Chia Pudding? No they are not. Superfoods are pricey. They are best bought Organic online on Amazon or Vitacost. Buying retail will cause you to faint on sight because of the price increase. Therefore if your wallet cannot afford all Superfoods, simply choose one as a little goes a long way, and then stick with your more affordable toppings like dark chocolate (70 percent and higher, frozen fruits, mashed fruits, fresh fruits, dried fruit, oatmeal, oats, granola etc).

What I love about Chia Seed Pudding is that all you need is a good base. The rest is up to you. Create my darlings, create!

MASON JAR DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Mason Jar mix 1/2 cup of water with 2 Tbsp. Chia seeds

2. Add in 1 tsp. raw cacao powder or cocoa powder

3. Secure jar tightly and shake it like a madwoman

4. Put in refrigerator over night sealed

5. The next day open jar and mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon

6. Add in an addition 1/4 cup of water and re stir thoroughly

7. Pour into a dish and add desired toppings or put toppings into jar and eat

KITCHEN CUP DIRECTIONS:

1. In a cup mix 1/2 cup of water with 2 Tbsp. Chia seeds

2. Add in 1 tsp. raw cacao powder or cocoa powder

3. Mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon

4. Cover with saran wrap and put in refrigerator over night sealed

5. The next day remove saran wrap and mix thoroughly with a fork or spoon

6. Add in an addition 1/4 cup of water and re stir thoroughly

7. Pour into a dish and add desired toppings or put toppings into cup and eat

Serves 1

Enjoy!! xx Julie