Avocados are super healthy, in fact it can help aid in losing weight and it makes an excellent first foods for baby. Here are some other great facts about avocados:

1. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas.
   
2. They have the highest fiber content of any fruit  (almost 7g!) including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber
3. Avocados can protect your vision as they are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants found in the retina that keep eyes healthy.
4. A study done from The Ohio State University found people absorbed 4.5 more times lycopene, which has been linked to protection against prostate cancer, and 2.5 times more beta-carotene, which, along with alpha-carotene, helps protect against cancer and heart disease. Hello guacamole!
5. Historically avocados had a long-standing stigma as a sexual stimulant and is known by the Aztecs as the “fertility fruit.”  Due to their high monounsaturated fat content and vitamin B6, both are needed to keep energy and libido up.

Well that last fact is surely a fun one, because combined with chocolate it is a win-win.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cupcake

Yes, you can have your cupcake and eat it too!

1 1/4 cup of flour

3/4 cup of unprocessed unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp of guar gum (I like this better than Xanthan Gum and it is cheaper!)

1/2 cup of non-dairy milk combined with 3/4 tsp of apple cider vinegar set aside

1 avocado pitted

1 cup of Grade B Maple Syrup

1/3 cup coconut oil

Add dry ingredients together and set aside

1. Puree the avocado, maple syrup and coconut oil together
2. Add half of dry ingredients into the avocado mixture and blend
3. While blending, ddd the milk with apple cider vinegar
4. Finish off with the dry mixture

Scoop mixture into muffin pans and bake for approximately 22 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about one dozen cupcakes

I also do not like canned frosting. They actually put food dyes in it and I don’t understand why, even for white frosting there is still red and blue dyes in it. I make my own, always. Here is my favorite Whipped Chocolate Frosting that takes 5-minutes to make, literally!

Whipped Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup of organic powder sugar

1/4 cup of raw cocoa powder

1/2 cup of Spectrum Shortening

2 tsp of coconut milk

In order for me to get truly whipped frosting that feels like it comes from the can (ick!). I like to blend it in my food processor. It adds air to the powders that make it fluff up.  I like using the coconut milk because of its consistency. Here is the quick recipe!

1. Whip the shortening up until nice and soft.
2. Add the powders and blend with the shortening
3. While blending add the milk or for a mocha flavor add coffee

That is it!  Total Time for making your own frosting 5-minutes and you can’t beat that!

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What is a champagne mango? Well not much different than most regular mangos except they have about 5 times the vitamin C content as most other popular mango varieties available in the United States. Their orange color makes it rich in Vitamin A as well.

Champagne mangos start off with green skin and fully ripen and are very sweet when they are a deep golden yellow. Check out this chart here. The one thing I teach folks when we go on grocery shopping tours is to smell your produce, especially your fruits. When it smells just as it should, that means it is ripe and ready to be eaten.

Now you can use regular mangos easily, champagne mangos were on sale a few weeks ago so I bought a few and used one. (oops). But I was not worried, the skin had just begun to wrinkle and that is when mangos are at their sweetest. Using a champagne mango just sounds more rich and  I like the sound of that and the recipe came to mind. I took a quick pic just in case it was good..and it was! This is a fun twist on your traditional guac and a way to impress your guests.

Champagne Mango Guacamole

4 avocados

1 ripe champagne mango

1/2 lime juiced

1 shallot

2-3 green onions

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of Celtic Salt

1. Scoop avocados out and into a bowl
2. Peel mango and dice it into squares while still on the pit, then scrape it off into your bowl.
3. Juice 1/2 lime
4. Dice shallots and green onions
5. Add garlic powder (yes you can use one clove of garlic, I was pressed for time)
6. Salt to taste

Scoop and enjoy!

For the ultimate Cinco de Mayo feast, start your day with the Strawberry Colada Smoothie

This would be an excellent appetizer to go with the Rainbow Mango Salsa with Coconut Cilantro Lime Chicken for dinner

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I hated brussels sprouts for a long, long time. I decided to try and get over my hatred for them when I bought a package of halved brussels sprouts from Trader Joe’s that had salt, pepper and chunks of garlic on it. I roasted them with coconut oil, then drizzled olive oil on them.  Oh my gosh, were they fantastic. One time while I was entertaining, I put them on a vegetable kabob and put them on the grill…yes you must try that this summer. Be sure to use that coconut oil when grilling for its high heat content.

What I love about this recipe is that all these ingredients can be found at Trader Joe’s and it takes less than 10-minutes to make…well once the bacon has been baked.

This slaw is made with good fats to give it that rich and creamy texture

Bacon Brussels Sprout Slaw

4-6 pieces of Apple Smoked Bacon baked in oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

1 bag of shredded brussels sprouts

1/2 cup of shredded carrots

1 avocado

2 cloves of garlic

2T of coconut oil

1/2 cup of cilantro

1/2 fresh lemon squeezed

1/2 tsp of smoked paprika

salt to taste I used about 1/2 tsp of Celtic Salt (which is higher in trace minerals and good for you!)

1. Cook bacon until crispy. Crumble real good
2. Blend avocado, melted coconut oil, cilantro, garlic, and paprika in a food processor.
3. Add bacon, carrots and shredded brussels sprouts together
4. Mix avocado mixture in with the brussels sprout mixture
5. Squeeze lemon juice and mix
6. Add salt to taste

This makes an excellent pot luck side dish. What I love is that you can make it completely vegan by omitting the bacon and you will still have that smokey flavor using the paprika.  The other great thing, you won’t have to worry about any mayo going bad..well if the slaw lasts that long!

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Local company Mighty Nest is just that, yay! They have done that research and sell items that are well healthy and some things I already have in my home, so I know it is research well done.

They are offering a fantastic fun way to win many of their items and I have joined in on the fun. First take a look at my Healthy Home Makeover Pinterest Board to see what I may have or would like to incorporate more into my home.

Now you can enter to win a Healthy Home Makeover too! Simply enter here for their Pin It To Win It Campaign.

Yes you can win money to shop directly at their store. If you are not sure about what to buy, create your own board and see what I like and what I may already have in my home!  The fruit paint is so fun as their non-toxic play-dough and my kids have personally loved. I would love to get my hands on that cast-iron griddle to make our gluten free pancakes and have been researching for a shower head that eliminates the use of chlorine and other harmful chemicals to help ease my son’s psoriasis (great for eczema and other skin conditions too). These two items is something I have been searching for quite some time, especially the shower-head.

And of course, my wooden spoons are looking a little rough an it is time to renew them and who can’t use more dish towels? I can go on and on, so what are you waiting for?  Hurry up and enter now!

Please share with me what your healthy home will look like!

Disclosure: I am being compensated by MightyNest for your participation in this campaign.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Yummy goodness, that’s all!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix salt, garlic powder and one tablespoon of oil in the butternut squash. Roast in the oven for approximately 30-minutes. While that is baking, place one tablespoon of oil in a pan, slice onions and crushed garlic. Cook until nice and brown. Shred your cheese while onions are cooking. Place 5 slices of bacon in a pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked crispy, but not black. Cool and pat dry when done. Crumble and put it in the onion mixture and add a little bacon grease to the onion mixture if you desire.

When the squash is done, let it cool and puree in the food processor. Spread on your pizza crust, top with the onion mixture and sprinkle fresh rosemary all over the pizza and don’t forget the cheese.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is looking brown on top. Cool and enjoy!

I was thinking a nice Reisling would have gone well with this dish too. Definitely a light white wine.

Did my kids eat this? No, they are not fan of onions and neither was I at this age. I made them a zucchini, carrot pizza, all shredded so it blended well together.

If you decide to by Breads From Anna’s pizza crust mix. I made the crust in the afternoon before picking up my daughter and also shredded the cheese to save a little on time. With a little planning ahead you can save some time in the afternoon when the kids come home from school.

If you make this, please let me know what you think!

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Join B96, KHITS, Bath & Body Works for this fantastic Girls Night Out Event

Objective: To raise awareness for the American Heart Association Go Red initiatives. Heart attacks and its symptoms are not always obvious to women. In fact what be perceived as “heartburn” or just some back pain may be an early symptom of a heart attack.

Other possible signs of a heart attack?

1. Extreme Fatigue in the days or weeks leading up to a heart attack.
2. Shortness of breath during normal daily activities.
3. Inability to sleep at night again in the days or weeks leading up to the heart attack.

What can you do to prevent heart disease?

1. Get your Vitamin D levels checked
2. Take a good quality Omega 3 supplement
3. Eat a diet rich in produce eating the rainbow daily
4. Know your numbers: Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Weight
5. Eat good fats such as raw nuts and seeds, coconut oil, extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, avocados
6. Get 30-minutes of exercise at least 4 days per week
7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night and aim to BE to sleep by 10:30pm
8. Reduce stress or finding tools to help reduce it such as yoga, tai chi, prayer, aromatherapy, meditation, whatever method works best for you.

So, Be Bold. Go Red and join B96, 104.3 K-HITS and Bath & Body Works to celebrate the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement on:

When: Thursday, February 28, from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Where: Alhambra Palace Restaurant, located at 1240 West Randolph Street in the West Loop of Chicago

Purchase VIP Ticket for $35 which includes (1) raffle ticket, swag bag, signature cocktail, light hors d’ oeuvres, complimentary beauty treatments, fashion show, red carpet photos and more! Ticket proceeds benefit the AHA Go Red for Women initiatives.

To enter, like my page, HealthyJasmine and leave a comment below in one thing you learned about signs of a heart attack or how to prevent one. Winner will be chosen on February 26, so hurry!

Disclaimer: Be Bold. Go Red and join B96, 104.3 K-HITS and Bath & Body Works for a fun and charitable event on Thursday, February 28th, at the “Girls Night Out Benefiting Go Red for Women” at Alhambra Palace Restaurant. I was selected to host this giveaway by Sassy Moms in the City and provided complimentary tickets.

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Using a lot of veggies, this is a win-win with kids.

Cajun Spice Mix:

2 tsp of Celtic salt (sea salt is fine, this is better for you)
1 tsp of white pepper
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 ½ tsp each of oregano and thyme
1 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of paprika
½ tsp of cayenne pepper
¼ tsp of crushed red pepper
The last two can be increased to desired heatness or avoid one. This is meant to be kid friendly.

Place soaked red beans in a dutch oven and cover with water adding about a ½ inch of water above the beans. Cook for 2 hours do not add salt.

While beans cooking cook chop turkey kielbasa and peppered turkey bacon in a pan (both purchased from Trader Joe’s). Once they are done, take out the meats preserving whatever oils is left and sauté onion, pepper and celery until onions are clear, add garlic once completed. You may add about 1 tsp of olive oil if needed for more moisture. Add the meats back into the veggies. Set aside.

While veggies are sautéing place 1 cup of basamati rice and 1 cup of shredded carrots in 2 cups of water with 1 tsp of grapeseed oil (or coconut oil-my son cannot tolerate coconut oil so we use grapeseed oil because of its high heat content) and cook for 20-25 minutes. I like the basamati rice from Trader Joe’s because it has dehydrated veggies in it and it cooks fast. Set aside when done. You may open it up to fluff up the rice and see if the water is gone.

After the beans are done, discard most of the water preserving about ½ c of the bean liquid. I took about one cup of beans to freeze and use at a later time. (I cook beans in batches and freeze what I don’t use, but do have some Eden’s Organic canned beans on hand).

Add the veggie/meat mixture with the beans adding the can of diced tomatoes, ketchup, tomato paste, Cajun spice mix and continue to cook on low/simmer for 2 – 4 hrs.

Omit the meat if you are looking for a plain vegetarian dish. I also mixed in some “cauliflower” rice in this mixture as we are slowly transitioning to eat less grains.

Serve and enjoy!

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What I like about this recipe is that without the goat cheese, it was vegan, I even made the crust without eggs. My favorite pre-packaged gluten free pizza crust mix is by Breads By Anna. It is also nut, corn, rice, peanut free. And she is super sweet too. Just follow the directions to make the crust. If you need it to be egg free, here you go:

Add 3 tsp of corn-free baking powder to the oil
Pour 1/2 cup of carbonated water to the oil and baking powder, watch it foam and bubble
Add half of the mixture and mix, then add another 1/2 cup of carbonated water until mixed and add the rest of the pizza crust mixture
Don’t forget to add the yeast packet, I almost did!

The pesto is nut and peanut free too. I use raw and soaked pumpkin seeds and replaced the cheese with Nutritional Yeast for the added boost and protein. It also has a cheesy flavor, which we all like.

Omit the goat cheese for a gluten-free and vegan pizza!

I used my vegan pesto recipe and omitted the shredded zucchini and mixed the pesto with frozen spinach
Topped with goat cheese

Bake until the cheese is melted and enjoy!

This pizza crust makes enough you can bake it all and enjoy for lunch the next day or freeze the other half of the dough for next week.

I can’t wait to share what I have in mind for this Friday night.

Here is how I make Breads From Anna’s Yeast Free Bread Mix Egg-Free too!

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