Cucumber and lemon Green tea

So refreshing! Take your favorite green tea baggies (about 5), thinly sliced cucumber (about half of 1 medium cucumber) and half of a lemon (thinly sliced). That is about it. Brew the green tea and plop the cucumber and lemon in a plastic bottle and pour the green tea in. Shake, shake, shake. So good. And then if you like it sweeter just add 1-3 tablespoons of agave sweetener.

Baked Salmon

Baked Salmon

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Simply top a slab of Salmon with minced garlic, thinly sliced lemon, fresh parsley and small amount of butter or drizzle of olive oil.
Easy. Enjoy!

Presto Pesto

Your life is not complete without homemade pesto. Pesto can be used for almost everything. Pesto on your favorite slice of pizza, bread for dipping or make it into a simple yet elegant vinaigrette.

                                                                                                                 Presto PESTO!

                                                                                                    Pesto on Pizza!

Pesto on a baguette with a drizzle of aged balsamic 

Ingredients:

1 full bunch of fresh organic basil

1/2 of a bunch of fresh organic parsley 

3-4 cloves of garlic

about a dozen sun dried tomato halves 

pinch of salt and pepper

Couple rounds of the food processor with olive oil (probably 5 ish tablespoons depending on the desired consistency)

Optional: 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan (I omitted the cheese because I was making this batch vegan friendly). Another option is adding 1/4 cup of walnuts or almonds or pine nuts to give the pesto more texture (however, beware of nut allergies) 

Directions:

Put all ingredients into the food processor and blend. Be aware of added olive oil to make the consistency you prefer. YUM Yum and yum.

 

Power Protein Palls...Balls, I mean

Protein Power balls!

• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 tbls wheat grem
• 1 tbls ground flax seed
• Optional: 1 tsp of Hemp Hearts or Chia Seeds
• Options: Small handful of mini chocolate chips Or coconut flakes
• 2-3 tbls of organic local honey (too help with my allergies)
• 1 cup of no stir Adams peanut butter

I tried to mix this with a spoon at first but shortly realized ... "Ain't nobody got time for that". Just squish the mixture with your hands until it forms something solid. Then I rolled the mixture into about 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Perfect light snack before a workout or a highly energized day.Then I just put them in a zip lock contanier and throw them in he fridge to firm up. Makes about 16-18 balls.

Apple cider mango coconut water

What a delight... And healthy too. I was trying to find a way to integrate Organic Apple Cider vinegar into my diet. This is what I came up with...

• 1/2 part favorite coconut water
• 1/2 part Organic Mango Lemonade Or Peach Lemonade
• 1-2 tsp of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar

Hydration+Potassium+Maintaining a healthy body pH+Detox+Yummy Lemonade= DELISH Detox!

Mama Lou's Strawberry Shortcake

It is glorious how you can take whip cream, angel food cake and strawberries and make this holy concoction!

Now most of my recipes are one's I just eyeball.

So, if I say "Eyeball" just wing it until you think it looks super good. Hopefully, I will do my best at measuring said ingredients. No promises. It's your food, do what you want.

Confession: I never follow a recipe to the T, it's just not in me but if you can all the power to you.

Here's what cookin' good lookin'...

For the strawberries: Cut up the lil strawberry guys, mix with about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, half a tablespoon cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla and a smidgen of sugar in the raw just to give the strawberries the extra crunch and sparkle. Stick the strawberries in the fridge for about half an hour so the flavors merry into something wonderful and it creates this sugary juice at the bottom of the bowl.
Prepare any type angel food cake or pastries to cover with the strawberries. I tried angel food cake in little silicon cupcake molds that worked beautifully. Or take the easy road and find the strawberry shortcake cakes usually right next to the strawberries.
For the whip cream: Get heavy whipping cream. It is always worth it to make your own! I add a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla.
The assembly: Take the "cake" and cover with mounds of strawberries, ladle on a little bit of sugary juice and top with delicious whip cream. If you wanna get nutty put some nuts on top of the whip cream. And it may sound fruity but put a little more strawberries on top.
You got it! Go for it!
Love Lil Miss Lou.