Kat's Kitchen

This morning has been all about the cookie!!! I hope you enjoy this healthier alternative! They are gluten free, sugar free, and egg free.

Kat's Completely Healthy Cookies

3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 cups gluten free oats (I like Bob's Red Mill gluten free rolled Oats)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup white chocolate
(for both the white and dark chocolate I like Lily's Brand, they are sugar free and sweetened with stevia)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas and apple sauce. Stir them together until they are well mixed.
Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon to the banana mixture. Mix thoroughly to distribute the flavors evenly.
Stir oats into the mixture until they are fully mixed.
Pour the almond milk into the mixture to help moisten the oats. Then, add walnuts, and dark and white chocolate chips and coconut. Stir the mixture well to ensure that they are evenly distributed throughout.
To keep the cookies from sticking either line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with a cooking spray Spoon portions of the cookie mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. Shape with a spoon as the do not flatten themselves.
Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are firm and lightly golden.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
TIP: Do not use steel cut oats! They will not cook completely. I know this from experience. LOL!

Turkey and Sweet Potato Nachos with Black Beans

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into thin slices
3 T olive oil
1 pinch salt and pepper
2 t garlic powder
2 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 pound Ground Turkey Browned
3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed from the can
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large green onion, finely chopped
Optional ingredients:
one small can sliced black olives
Cilantro
green onions
avocado
Greek yogurt
1 small can of corn
Jalapenos
Tomatoes
Lime wedges
Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash, peel, and slice sweet potatoes into very thin round slices.
Place sweet potato slices in a large bowl and toss with HALF of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange sweet potatoes on a sprayed baking sheet and place in the preheated oven.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven to flip sweet potato slices, and then roast for another 15 minutes until browned and crispy.

While potatoes are roasting, brown ground turkey in the remaining olive oil and add all spices. Drain/rinse beans, prep veggies and cheese.
When potatoes are done, arrange roasted potato slices in the middle of one baking sheet and top with turkey, beans, veggies, and cheese and place back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove nachos from oven and top with optional toppings of your choice Serve with salsa and plain greek yogurt for dipping. Enjoy!

People have been eating and cooking food since the beginning of time. What makes food complex is the food industry’s never-ending quest to improve profits – often at the expense of our health.

In the same way you don’t need to be a doctor to know smoking causes cancer, you don’t need to have any credentials to read an ingredient label, recognize real food, and teach yourself what to eat or how to take care of your health.

That is where the comes in – we let people know what is really in their food so they can decide for themselves.

Join the Food Babe Army here: FoodBabe.com

Problems with SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Take a look at this shopping list of healing foods:

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So today I received my first Green Chef box and tonight I made the first meal with it.
My box came with 4 dinners precisely measured for two servings with ALL ingredients including spices (except salt and pepper). We chose the Southwestern Spicy Turkey Soup. I took pictures along the way.
The vegetables were all fresh and had a PLU code indicating they were all organic. A 5 digit number starting with a 9.
It was easy to put together and no having to run to the store. We got the gluten free, time saving recipes.
All in all I was highly impressed. There was no waste. It was simple and absolutely delicious.
I am looking forward to trying the next meal!

Watching the videos of parents breaking eggs on toddlers and young children's heads has me disturbed. If it isn't enough to know that a hit too hard to the front of the head can cause serious injury but also the emotional damage that can result from this.
The scenario is asking the child to help cook and then without warning breaking an egg on the child's head. the reactions are supposed to be funny, but I see so many other things going on. Confusion and betrayal and the question 'why?'
I in no way think these parents are trying to abuse their kids but I just don't think this is a good idea on many levels, including their relationship with food and cooking.
What will happen the next time these parents ask their kids to bake cookies with them? Will they think 'yay fun' or will it be high alert the whole time?
Teach your kids to cook. Teach them to like it. Teach them that it should be a relaxing experience filled with vitamin L (love) not vitamin S (smack). The energy we have in our hearts when we cook transfers to the food.
My humble opinion only.

With all the macaroni and tomato stuff on FB I got a hankering for it.
Tonight, a little spin on the classic recipe.
Made with gluten free pasta, fire roasted tomatoes, fresh thyme, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes.
It was amazing! I also added olive oil and garlic to the pasta while it boiled.

Working with children is one of the greatest pleasures of my career. It is nice to see kids, flipping, spinning, jumping, balancing etc., instead of being on a device.
In our workshops and trainings we not only want to help the kids learn about proper body movement but also how to properly fuel the body.
Our Circus Camp brunch consisted of gluten free muffins, a variety of fruits, boiled eggs, trail mix, yogurt and juice. The kids love it!!!! It gives them a lesson in nutrition but they just think it is good food.

I've always grown medicinal herbs in my garden (you know, being a witch and all). Lavender, oregano, lemon balm, mint, etc., are all staples. This year Candi gave me a tiny sprig of St. John's Wort. Though it is a slow growing herb it has really taken off and is doing beautifully. I will have enough for a small harvest to make St. John's Wort/Lemon Balm tincture. These two herbs together create a synergistic formula that is powerful for battling depression and anxiety.
So exciting working with a new herb!!!!

Parmesan cheese lids make a great lid for a mason jar. They can be used in numerous ways including taking your smoothie with you.
Plus, this helps to keep them out of our landfills.

Knowledge is power!
Did you know that the three arrows shaped into a triangle does NOT mean the container is recyclable?
It is merely a symbol from the plastic manufacturer to remind you to recycle. The number in the center is only there to identify what kind of plastic is being used. The fact is, most plastic CANNOT be recycled. Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together.
I am not saying to stop recycling, it all helps, so please keep doing it. I just want you to know when you see the recycling symbol, this is the plastic manufacturers way of clearing their conscience saying it should be recycled but not that it necessarily can be.

I love growing and cooking with culinary herbs. One way to store your harvest is to use a popsicle mold. Fill the mold with water and place your fresh herbs in each water filled opening. Easy to store in the frig and your herbs will stay fresh for much longer! :)
Plus they smell amazing!!!!

Mango Sorbet with Coconut Lime Sauce
4 cups frozen mangos
2/3 cup cream off of the top of a can of full fat coconut milk
1 t Lemon juice
1 t vanilla
Stevia or Monk Fruit to taste.
Place frozen mangos in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add all other ingredients and mix on high until creamy, about 5 minutes. You may have to scrape the sides a few times. Enjoy!
Place any left over in a covered freezer proof dish on parchment paper. Soften to renew the creamy texture.
Coconut Lime Sauce
Whisk together remaining coconut milk/cream, lime and stevia to taste. Drizzle over the sorbet.
Note* you can also use strawberries, peaches, raspberries or make a blend.

I LOVE corndogs but gluten free ones are expensive and hard to find. I also have a problem with beef and pork due to Alpha-Gal, so even if I found gluten free they would most likely contain beef and pork.
Today I made these, corndog muffins and they are great!!!!
I used "Live G Free" cornbread mix from Aldi and cut up turkey dogs.
They aren't on a stick but they stick to your ribs!!!!

We all know that New Year's Day is a day of looking forward to the new year with anticipation. One of the way's we do this is through superstition and tradition. Black eyed peas have long been a symbol of good luck for the coming year and when we add greens to it we are inviting wealth for the new year. Many people add bacon or hog jowl but being a vegetarian I will be omitting the pork.
This is my favorite way of making my "Hoppin' Johns" and since Brett, who is a devout black eyed pea hater likes this recipe maybe you will too.
Good luck and good wealth in the coming year!!!!

Kat's Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas

2 cups water

¾ cup uncooked regular brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red, yellow or green (or all three) bell pepper chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 cup chopped tomatoes

1 16 ounce black-eyed peas, rinsed and cleaned

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil. Add onion, carrots and bell pepper, tomatoes, corn garlic, thyme, and salt cook until onions are clear, add two cups of water and rice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
In a large pot cook the black eyed peas according to package directions. Add the vegetable rice mixture to cooked black eyed peas. Cook stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Serve with your favorite greens!

Yoga trains your counter-stress response system called the parasympathetic nervous system. With regular yoga practice, your chronic daytime stress hormone levels drop.

Ready to learn more? Join me for my Flow for Stress Relief webinar at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

When was the last time you checked in with your body? With yoga, every time you practice, you’re learning to communicate better with each muscle, tendon, and bone.

Learn how to speak your body language through yoga practice, join me for Flow for Stress Relief at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

We all know that exercise is good for us, but what if you could touch base with your mind and spirit WHILE giving yourself a good workout?

No matter your fitness level or physical ability, yoga has a place in your life.

Learn more, join me for my Flow for Stress Relief at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

If so, you don’t want to miss out on my special Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST.

Together, we’ll be exploring the scientifically-backed effects that yoga has on stress. If you or anyone you know might benefit from joining in on this resource, visit https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

We’ve all heard about the benefits of meditation, but for many of us, the idea of sitting still can seem impossible.

Yoga offers the same mental benefits of meditation while also stretching and toning your muscles.

Are you ready to get started?

Join me for my Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST, learn more at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

Students of yoga learn quickly that the effects of yoga can quickly be helpful off the mat, too. If you’ve been curious about yoga but haven’t been sure where to start, join me for my Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST!

RSVP today at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

How often do you judge yourself?

If you want to practice being more compassionate, practicing yoga is a great place to start. Join me for my Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST, details at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

Spin class and weight lifting are fantastic, but yoga is different in that it combines physical fitness with an underlying philosophy of self-compassion and awareness.

This, in turn, creates a more positive overall outlook, which can do wonders for calming stress.

Ready to learn more? Join me for my Flow for Stress Relief webinar, visit https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

Those who practice yoga learn to connect with their body in a way that allows them to better control emotions when stressful issues arise.

If you’re ready to learn more about how yoga could transform your life, don’t miss out on my Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST!

RSVP today at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

If you’re ready to see what yoga could offer you, don’t miss out on my Flow for Stress Relief webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12:00 pm CST!

Get all the details at https://drkat.iinhealthcoaching.co/FSRW0001

The PLU codes (Product Look Up) on fresh fruits and vegetables tells us a lot about how the food was grown. From organic to GMO, it gets a label. The truth is most fresh produce sections will not have GMO's, you will most likely find the GMO foods in your pre-processed foods.
Try to get the freshest, most locally grown available in your area.

Long time client, Nicki, shared this delicious and healthy way to enjoy our favorite drink, COFFEE!
First start with a good organic coffee (if you can fresh grind all the better)
Add to your grounds, 1 t, organic cacao, 1/4 t cinnamon and 1/4 t baking soda, brew as usual.
In addition to the antioxidant properties of the coffee, you are also getting another healthy dose from the cacao and the cinnamon, plus cinnamon is very potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders. The baking soda helps neutralize the acid in the coffee to make is more easily digestible and to give a smoother taste.
Plus, this is absolutely delicious! Sweeten with stevia and add your favorite plant based milk as desired.
So, turn your coffee into a superfood!!! Thanks for sharing Nicki!