The Picnic Basket

Hey BooBoo, what's in the pic-a-nic basket? 

Ummm...uh....??? Out of ideas? That's ok, here is a list of goodies to choose from when you are in a hurry...

ROMANTIC PICNIC FOR 2: 

(These can all be vegan, gluten free, dairy free)

• Wine/grape juice and cheeses (these can be vegan) with a cracker or other gluten free toasted tid bit to spread cheese on.
• Roasted cherry tomatoes, can tuna/salmon and your favorite bread or tiny roll or hollowed out cucumber or avocado
• Wraps made from lettuce or other veggies filled with chicken salad or slaw
• Fruit and Nuts with a bubbly flavored water
• Beans & More Beans with a spritz of olive oil & red wine vinegar or flavored vinegars ( Good way to end a date if it lasts too long...tee hee)
• Melon or asparagus wrapped with prosciutto

3's COMPANY PICNIC:

(People you know well? if not bring more choices)

• salads are a hit- fresh peas, chick peas, peppers & onions
• cubed tomatoes, onions, cucumber and parsley, sea salt, lemon juice olive oil
• tabouli salad, quinoa salad
• 3-5 bean with a dash of lemon and olive oil
• mushrooms, fresh red peppers cubed, olive oil & vinegar
• cucumbers sliced with chives and sour cream (organic)
• water melon, grapes, strawberries
• applesauce with cinnamon & honey 
• orange slices
• chicken/turkey cubes, walnuts and mayo salad on fresh leaf lettuce

4 AND MORE PICNIC:

• A whole cold chicken, sliced grass fed beef, hard boiled eggs, turkey breast sliced, veggie/bean burgers already cooked
• rolls, wraps or lettuce leaves
• olives, pickles, raw veggies cut up
• kale chips in a mason jar
• dried fruits like figs or dates, banana chips
• several beverage choices- teas, sparkling waters, lemon or lime slices frozen in ice cubes, stored in a zip bag
• finger sandwiches (Nutbutter & honey) for little kids
• fresh fruit centered desserts
• apples diced with raisins, walnuts and a touch of mayo (waldorf)
• dressing assortment
• slaws, relishes, condiments

Always remember you will need zip bags to divide up the food to take home and put it back in the cooler right after you eat if it requires refrigeration. (Mayo, dairy, eggs, meats) Happy pic-nic-ing!! No fires in the forest saves the trees:)

Happy is Healthy!

Apple and Kale Salad

What is all the fuss about eating raw anyway?

Well, here is what I know for sure...foods that come the way they are grown in nature like  in the produce department of your local store, has it's own set of enzymes built right in. That way our body can use the enzymes to help us digest the food. (Enzymes are NOT in the processed foods like bread, canned veggies and cooked noodles that we may be eating.) So if you don't get enough raw foods in your diet, do this... take your enzymes . Let's start eating the way nature intended. Here is a fun recipe!!

Let's go RAW!!

Yum...maple syrup, cranberries and apples. Pecans are the perfect topping and add a great crunch. I am going to be serving this as one soon! 

Maple Pepper Pecans

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• pinch Himalayan salt

1. Toss pecans in maple syrup, mustard powder, pepper and salt. Spread the nuts on a non-stick sheet and dehydrate at 115 until dry and crispy. 5 to 8 hours. Roughly chop pecans.

2. Alternatively you can spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once while baking (not raw).

*If you are not going to use these right away, put in an air-tight container.

Dressing

• 1 cup cashews, soaked until soft, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juice from
• 2 tablespoons diced shallots

1. Place all ingredients except shallots in high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

2. Stir in shallots.

This salad will hold well for a couple of days. If you have a little dressing left over, it will freeze well while it waits for the next salad! 

Salad

• 3 medium bunches of kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 lemon, juice from
• sprinkle of salt
• 4 apples, cored and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Place kale in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt. Massage the lemon juice and salt into the kale for about 4 minutes.Make sure you don’t skip the first step of massaging the kale with lemon juice and salt. It softens the kale but most importantly, it removes the bitter edge.

2. Add chopped apples and dried cranberries. Toss.

3. Add dressing (start with half and then add to your taste) and toss well.

4. Top with pecans and serve.

 Until we meet again....mmmmm....this is so good....let me know what you love to eat!!

Make it healthy!!