We're moving!

Just an fyi...we're moving. And it's going to be...awhile before I can post again. When I finally have a functional kitchen again, I'll be sure to get back on here!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Ok. This is so cool. I just discovered a few weeks ago that apparently Mason jars used to be included in the box when you bought a blender...and most blenders are still compatible with most Mason jars. So, basically, you can screw your blender blade right onto a Mason jar, blend up your smoothie, unscrew the blade, screw on your lid and presto! Smoothie to go. So. Cool. Also, if you have some leftover, just stick it in the freezer and when you're ready for a smoothie, let it thaw out just enough to stir it up again.

 

So now that you have that handy little tidbit, you should try it out with this a-mazing Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie recipe! My friends, it is so good. My favorite smoothie recipe so far. It's naturally sweet, with all the sweetness coming solely from the fruit and the dark chocolate. It's packed with antioxidants and vitamins and so much flavor! The coconut oil adds in healthy fats and the frozen yogurt and milk lend a kick of calcium and a lovely bit of frosty creaminess...and have I mentioned the flavor? Sometimes I feel like smoothies are a bit on the bland side, but it's not a problem with one!

Just the other day I finally summoned up the nerve to try a "green smoothie." Meaning, a smoothie made with spinach (or other greens.) I was quite skeptical, but everyone says you can't taste it, so we decided to give it a go- since it's so healthy. Anyway, much to my surprise, you really couldn't taste it much at all! Perhaps a hint now and then, but really, not bad. I think the recipe would be a great candidate for a green smoothie. All you'd have to do is throw in a couple handfuls of spinach. Super health snack!

Berries- These flavor packed fruits are also packed with heart-healthy benefits! Folate, fiber, and phytochemicals all may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Bursting with antioxidents and vitamin C, they help reduce free radicals as well as boost your immune system. Ellagic acid and kaempferol help inactivate carcinogens, and quercetin helps protect the heart against disease.

Cherries- High in heart helpful phytochemicals and carcinogenic fighting chlorogenic acid, cherries also contain anthocyanins which may reduce bad cholesterol oxidation. Rutin helps maintain healthy blood vessels, and may enhance vitamin C. Cherries have especially high levels of quercetin, which may help reduce the risk for coronary disease.

Coconut oil- Although a saturated fat, it is composed mostly of medium chain fatty acids, which actually increase good cholesterol and help protect the heart. In some studies, coconut oil was also found to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as prevent the oxidation of cholesterol (which leads to atherosclerosis- the depositing of fats on the artery wall) (http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/latest-studies-on-coconut-oil  http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10132.htm)

Dark Chocolate – studies show that small amounts of dark chocolate each day may help lower the levels of C-reactive proteins in your blood, helping to reduce the inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20080925/dark-chocolate-prevents-heart-disease

 

Yogurt- While dairy isn't specifically targeted as a heart healthy food, poor dental health is thought to be linked to heart disease. The high calcium and phosphorus contents of dairy foods are helpful in the forming of strong bones and teeth. Dairy also has numerous other health benefits, which may have some bearing on heart health. Potassium may help lower blood pressure and stroke risk, riboflavin maintains healthy red blood cells, and vitamin B12  is important for red blood cell production. Probiotics, specifically found in yogurts (although only those with "live and active cultures") are especially beneficial for the immune system.

Source: Fight Back with Food: Use Nutrition to Heal What Ails You,  The Reader's Digest Association

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

makes 3-4 servings

2/3 cup frozen bing/dark/sweet cherries

2/3 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen yogurt cubes (I freeze mine in ice cube trays and keep them in a bag just for smoothies)

1/4 milk (as needed)

2-3 Tbs coconut oil

3-4 Tbs dark chocolate, chopped (or chips)

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave, 15 seconds at a time to avoid burning. Add oil/chocolate and milk to the blender and blend until completely smooth. This step is important to emulsify the chocolate/oil and keep it from clumping when you add the cold stuff. Now toss in the fruit and yogurt and blend until smooth. Add milk as needed to thin. Now sip, sigh, and smile. :)

The winner!

The winner of her very own jar of Tropical Traditions coconut oil is...

Fiddlin' Dandi!

Please contact me at crustsandcrumbs@gmail.com with your mailing information.

If I don't hear from you in three days, I will unfortunately have to pick another winner.

Thanks so much to all who participated in my first giveaway! : )

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Review...and Giveaway!

Well, this is the very exciting blog post I promised you...I was granted the opportunity to do a review for Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil! But that's not the best part. There's a surprise at the end of the post. So keep reading!

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

I was very excited to try another brand of coconut oil, especially one that seems to have such a loyal following. I decided that the best way to get an instant feel for the oil was to eat it as simply as possible- slathered generously on a slab of banana bread.

 

 Mmm, tasty. I was very pleased with the flavor and texture. It was very smooth and delicious, without any particles or bits interrupting the creamy texture. The flavor was good as well, slightly coconutty, but not overpowering. Surprisingly, I didn't find the aroma to be quite as nice with this brand. I've really enjoyed the light coconut scent of coconut oil, and this one didn't seem to have quite the same pleasing scent. So far, so good. 

Next I used it to stir fry some chicken. Again, I was quite happy with the results. The flavor was not overwhelming and it cooked very nicely. My husband did comment on not liking the smell as it cooked however. I'm not sure why this is, perhaps a variation in the method they use to extract it? 

I have yet to use it to bake with, but that's next on my agenda. Overall, I have to say that it's a lovely, good quality coconut oil that I would be happy to use every day. I didn't notice anything about it that would necessarily cause me to buy it over a more economical brand. But, I will be buying this brand whenever I can do it within budget!

If you're interested in purchasing Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil to try for yourself, you can order by clicking on the following link. If you have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past and you order through my link, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you!

Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label - 1 pint

Check out more info on Tropical Traditions Coconut oil here:

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil page

Tropical Traditions Home Page

Now for the fun part. We get to do a giveaway! One reader will win a free quart of fabulous coconut oil. To enter, simply watch the video below and comment on this blog post. For additional entries, you can also:

•  Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals
• Follow Tropical Traditions on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/tropicaltraditions/http://pinterest.com/tropicaltraditions/

 Simply come back and leave another comment for each additional entry. Share this post with your friends, so they can have a chance too! This giveaway will be open for one week, until midnight Friday, May 4th. Next Saturday (May 5th) I will choose a winner using a random number system. I will post announcing the winner, and ask the winner to email me. : )

Win 1 quart of  Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America's source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil? You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the  advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Homemade yogurt? Isn't that kind of weird? That's definitely what I thought when my husband started talking about making yogurt. During college one of his roommates introduced him to the method and he loved it, so he thought we should give it a shot. After some googling, I finally agreed to try it if I could make greek yogurt. I enjoy the texture of a nice, thick yogurt so much better. So, I did it! And the results were surprisingly delicious! Generally, I'm not a fan of plain yogurt. It's so sour, and not very pleasant. But homemade yogurt is different. It's smoother and much more mild. The texture was lovely and creamy, and it makes a great addition to smoothies and oatmeal. I've also been using it in place of sour cream, since I have it on hand. You can't even tell the difference. Most importantly, I love the fact that all it costs is the price of a gallon of milk and a little bit of time.  Suffice it say, I'm sold on the concept. It's simple, healthy, frugal, and tasty. Those are my buzzwords. :) 

 

 I also made yogurt cheese. Let me tell you, that is some good stuff. It's just one extra step in the yogurt making process, and it's so worth it. You simply have to strain the yogurt for an extra day or so, letting much more of the whey drain out. The result is a thick, creamy, spreadable cheese that is sweeter than yogurt and so very rich. And I don't know why, but it seems like the longer it sits in the fridge, the sweeter it gets. We like to eat it on a spoon drizzled with honey. It's makes an excellent dessert. I've also spread it in homemade poptarts and on crepes. Yum, yum, yum.

While dairy isn't specifically targeted as a heart healthy food, poor dental health is thought to be linked to heart disease. The high calcium and phosphorus contents of dairy foods are helpful in the forming of strong bones and teeth. Dairy also has numerous other health benefits, which may have some bearing on heart health. Potassium may help lower blood pressure and stroke risk, riboflavin maintains healthy red blood cells, and vitamin B12  is important for red blood cell production. Probiotics, specifically found in yogurts (although only those with "live and active cultures") are especially beneficial for the immune system.

Source: Fight Back with Food: Use Nutrition to Heal What Ails You,  The Reader's Digest Association

Homemade Greek Yogurt

1 Gallon Whole Milk (other fat contents will probably work as well, but I haven't tried them)

4-6 Tbs of yogurt (Really, that's all you need, but this MUST contain "live and active cultures")

Cooking thermometer

Cheesecloth (or thin dishtowel)

Heat the milk (all but a couple Tbs, to use later) over medium heat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, stirring frequently. Heat until the temperature reads 180 degrees (it will take awhile.) Once this temperature is reached, remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl. Allow to cool, uncovered on the counter top, to 105-110 degrees.  While this is cooling, heat your oven to warm. Once the milk is cool, turn the oven off and the oven light on. This will create the  perfect temperature for your yogurt to culture in. Mix the 4-6 Tbs of yogurt with the couple of Tbs of cold milk you saved, then add to the warm milk. Now cover your milk with a dishtowel, put it in the warm oven, and let it sit overnight. You can try this after 7-8 hours, but I've had the best results with overnight. In the morning, you should have a nice, thick yogurt! Put it in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours, and then proceed to straining it for greek yogurt.

For regular yogurt- Simply whisk until the yogurt is smooth.

For greek yogurt- Line a wire mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a thin dishtowel and allow the yogurt to drain over a bowl for several hours (depending on how thick you like it.) Spoon into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

 

This was how much whey I got out of one of my small batches...a lot!

For yogurt cheese- Continue straining for an extra day or two until the yogurt is quite thick and retains it's shape (although still very soft.) Press into a container and refrigerate. 

I've used this yogurt and cheese up to 2-3 weeks, but just make sure you keep an eye on it. I'm not sure when it will go bad.