Saturday morning pancakes are a tradition in our household, and there's nothing better than finding creative ways to serve them. This weekend we topped it off with a tropical fruit blend. I think the only thing that would've made it even better is if we would've had coconut butter to melt between the stacks. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-1 cup organic sprouted oats (gluten-free if necessary)
-2 organic omega-3 eggs (substitute 2 tsp ground sprouted flax seeds and 2 Tbsp water for vegan egg substitution).
-1/2 cup organic 100% grass fed whole milk (or almond or oat milk for dairy free version)
-1 tsp organic vanilla
-2 tsp baking powder
-pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
-organic maple syrup

Fruit Topping:
-1 organic banana
-1 organic kiwi
-1/2 cup organic blueberries


Directions:

1. Cut all fruit and set aside.
2. Take the oats and turn them into a fine ground flour using a blender, NutriBullet, or food processor.
3. Mix salt and baking powder into the dry mix.
4. In a separate bowl, mix eggs (or flax mixture), milk of choice, and vanilla together; then, slowly add in the dry mixture and let sit for about 5 minutes.
5. Cook on medium heat, top with fruit and syrup, and enjoy!

Serves 2


Tips:
-If you substitute a dairy-free milk, add a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to the wet mix; the fat content will help them turn golden brown.
​-Make a double batch and save some for the next day for a quick and easy breakfast.
-If making vegan with the egg substitute, be sure to mix together and set aside for a few minutes until water and flax gel together).

This recipe can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut free. It is suitable for people on a whole food, plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan diet.

This is a go-to winter recipe for our household. Anymore, it seems like it's so expensive to choose healthy/quality foods. I added up the total cost of ingredients used to make this soup, and to my surprise, it was just about $20 (for 10 servings!!!). Plus, I get to save the bones to make bone broth, which isn't cheap to buy. I don't know where else you can find a $2.00 meal that's 100% organic and packed with protein and vegetables other than in your own kitchen. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-1 organic whole chicken (I buy mine at Costco, they have 2 packs for 19.99).
-1 bunch of organic celery
-8 large organic carrots
-2 organic yellow onions
-1 package of organic broccoli slaw (or use your own leftover broccoli stems and slaw it yourself, for a no waste option)
-1 large bunch of fresh organic parsley
-1 tablespoon of organic thyme
-1.5 tablespoons of pink Himalayan salt
-water to desired consistency (I made mine pretty hearty, so it was about half water, half everything else in the pot).

Directions:

1. Bring a large stock pot to boil with the organic whole chicken inside, and cook for 2 hours (mine is 8 quarts; leave room for the water to boil).
2. Dice the celery, carrots, onions, and parsley. Set aside in a large bowl with the broccoli slaw, thyme, and salt.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the stock pot and let cool. Remove the chicken skin, and pick the meat free of the bones. Skim through the leftover chicken stock in the pot and make sure all small bones, pieces of skin, etc. are removed.
4. Put the picked chicken back into the stock pot with the celery, carrots, onions, parsley, broccoli slaw, and seasonings. Add water to the stock if necessary.
5. Simmer for another 1-2 hours and enjoy! 

Serves 10

Tips:
Make ahead of time for a quick and easy dinner that can be pulled out of the fridge and reheated.
Create a double batch in a really large stock pot and freeze half for when life gets crazy and you don't have time to cook.
Save the bones each time you make soup with a bone-in meat, and make your own bone broth instead of buying it.
It's okay to substitute dried parsley for fresh- you'd probably need at least 4  tablespoons. The fresh parsley was about 1 cup.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free, and soy-free. It's suitable for Paleo, Keto, and other low-carb diets.

I don't know about you, but there aren't many chocolate chip cookies I've met that I don't like. That being said, I do have have a favorite way that I prefer my chocolate chip cookies... a tad chewy, the cookie dough part isn't too sweet, and LOADED with chocolate... These cookies are just that. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-2 organic omega-3 eggs
-1 stick of organic salted butter
-1/4 cup grape seed oil
-3/4 cup organic brown sugar
-1/4 cup organic cane sugar
-1 teaspoon organic vanilla
-1 cup ground organic quick oats
-1 cup Bob's Red Mill Cup 4 Cup flour
-1/4 cup organic almond flour
-1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-10 oz of Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks (use 5oz of each)
-Parchment paper (I used unbleached)

Directions:

1. Take the quick oats and turn them into a fine grain flour using a blender, NutriBullet, or food processor.
2. Mix eggs, butter, grape seed oil, brown sugar, cane sugar, and vanilla together in a mixer.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the oat flour, Bob's Red Mill Cup 4 Cup flour, almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixer.
5. Add 10 oz of chocolate chips
6. Place dough in the refrigerator or freezer to stiffen, until it becomes tacky, and is easy to roll into small dough balls with your hands.
7. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
8. Make dough balls about one and a half inches thick and place on parchment paper.
9. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until cookies turn golden brown around the edges.
10. Cool and enjoy!

Makes about 20 large cookies


Tips:
-This recipe can be made dairy-free by substituting grape seed oil for the butter in equal proportions.
​-Add nuts, seeds, dried fruit or rolled oats for fun variations!

This recipe can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.

There was a season last year when my husband and I probably ate this at least 2 times a week... it's a delicious protein oriented meal complimented by a variety of vegetables. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-8-12 oz organic chicken breast or thighs
-2 organic tomatoes
-1 organic red bell pepper
-1 organic onion
-2 cups organic spinach
-1 organic lemon
-1 clove organic garlic, minced
-2 tablespoons of organic olive oil
-organic oregano and pink Himalayan salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cut up the onion, pepper, and tomatoes (I usually go for thin slices of peppers and onions, and small chunks of tomatoes).
2. Place two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet with minced garlic, chicken (seasoned in salt & oregano), two handfuls of spinach, and the cut vegetables.
3. Cut the lemon into halves, and squeeze over all the ingredients in the skillet.
4. Cover the skillet with a lid, and cook on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until vegetables have cooked down, and chicken is cooked through (this will depend on how thick your chicken cut is).
5. Remove from heat, and enjoy!

Serves 2-3

Tips:
-This can be served over spaghetti squash, rice, gold potatoes (pictured in the last photo above), or noodles.
-Can also be topped with feta or parmesan for a little extra kick of flavor.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and grain-free. It is suitable for a paleo, keto, and other low-carb diets.

The rich, dark color of this smoothie is a dead give-away that it's loaded with antioxidants. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-1 small-medium organic banana (ripe)
-1/2 cup frozen organic dark cherries
-1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
-1-2 teaspoons of acai berry powder (I use this one)
-water to desired consistency

Directions:

1. Combine banana, dark cherries, blueberries, acai and water together in a blender, NutriBullet, Ninja, etc.
2. Blend until very smooth, and enjoy!

Serves 1

Tips:
-Using frozen fruit instead of ice creates a very smooth texture, however, if you only have fresh fruit, just add 1 cup of ice to this recipe.
-You can store and freeze all of the fruit ingredients together ahead of time to have a quick and easy, "just add water," meal or snack for on-the-go.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free, vegetarian, & vegan.

This sauce is perfect for tacos, taco salad,  Mexican-style omelets or frittatas, you name it! Here's what you need:

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup organic sour cream
-2-4 tablespoons organic mayonnaise (to taste)
-1/2 teaspoon organic chipotle powder

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small dish, mix thoroughly.
2. Place in a plastic bag, remove the excess air, and twist the top of the bag until it looks like a piping bag for icing (all the sauce should be sitting in one corner). Cut a VERY small whole in the corner of the bag and squeeze onto whatever dish you've prepared.

Serves about 4

Tips:
-Make this ahead of time and store it in your fridge for a quick and easy addition to any appropriate recipe.

​XX Des

This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and grain-free. It's suitable for Paleo, Keto, and other low-carb diets.

This is my favorite twist on tacos so far. While on vacation last summer, I had these amazing steak tacos, and I was determined to figure out a way to make a taco that was similar at home. You'll definitely want to make the Chipotle Cremoli (which is basically a word I made up, because it's like a cross between a Crema and an Aioli) sauce for on top of them. You can find that recipe here. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-1lb organic grass fed steak (your preference, I'm using sirloin)
-1 organic zucchini
-1 organic yellow squash
-1 organic yellow onion
-1 organic red pepper
-1 organic green pepper
-2 tablespoons organic olive oil
-organic seasonings (pink Himalayan salt, garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder)
-package of organic Mexican cheese
-taco shell of choice (it was served originally with soft corn taco shells (which add a nice, complementary, sweet flavor, but any will do. I like to use butter lettuce as my taco shells).

Directions:

1. Dice all vegetables into small cubes.
2. In a saute pan, combine olive oil, zucchini, squash, onion, and peppers. Lightly season them with 1 teaspoon of salt, garlic, and chili powder. Cook on medium heat until veggies are slightly tender, but still retain their shape.
3. Season steak with 3/4 teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt, 2 tsp of chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder. Tenderize steak, and then grill or pan sear (to your liking, we usually cook ours to medium). Once done, cut into small cubes or strips.
4. Load your taco shells up with meat, veggies, cheese, and Chipotle Cremoli. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Tips:
-Season and tenderize your meat the night before for the best flavor.
-Veggies can be made ahead of time and reheated for a quick meal on another day.
-Play around with the spice ratios on the meat- everyone has slightly different tastes. (But I do suggest keeping the veggies seasoned mildly, or it can become way too overpowering, especially if you prepare the Chipotle Cremoli).
-Double the recipe for leftovers!

​XX Des

This recipe is gluten-free, sugar-free, and nut-free. It's suitable for Paleo, Keto, and other low-carb diets, as well as grain-free diets, if made with butter lettuce instead of taco shells.

This smoothie is one of my favorites because it's a powerhouse of nutrients and anti-inflammatory ingredients, plus it has a unique sweet & spicy flavor.. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelian which helps fight inflammation and aids in digestion, and ginger is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant food source. Here's what you need:

Ingredients:
-1 cup frozen pineapple
-1 small/medium organic banana
-2 cups of organic spinach (or kale, or both)
-hunk of fresh ginger (to taste)
-water to desired consistency

Directions:

1. Combine pineapple, banana, spinach, and ginger together in a blender, NutriBullet, Ninja, etc.
2. Blend until very smooth, and enjoy!

Serves 1

Tips:
-Using frozen pineapple instead of ice creates a very smooth texture, however, if you only have fresh pineapple, just add 1 cup of ice to this recipe.
-You can store and freeze all the ingredients together ahead of time to have a quick and easy, "just add water," meal or snack for on-the-go.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian, & vegan.

This recipe has become a favorite in our household. One of the foods I missed most after I began "clean eating" was Panera Mac 'n Cheese. Pair that with the fact that I also went gluten-free, and it seemed impossible that I'd ever taste anything similar again. Turns out I was wrong- yay! My roommate from college and I used to make a copycat recipe of Panera Mac 'n Cheese in college, but it just wasn't the same. I kept experimenting with it until I came up with the recipe below- here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
-2 cups of organic shell macaroni (for gluten-free, use tinkyada brown rice pasta shells*)
-2 cups raw, organic, 100% grass-fed whole milk
-4 to 6 oz organic sharp cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it)
-1 tablespoon raw, organic, 100% grass-fed butter
-1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-1/8 teaspoon organic dijon mustard
*if using gluten-free pasta, add 1 cup of water

Directions:

1. Combine milk, butter, salt, mustard (and water if using gluten-free pasta) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once at a boil, add in pasta and reduce to medium, stirring continuously for 20 minutes.
3. Add the cheese into the pasta and stir for 5 more minutes.
4. Set aside and cover with a lid, let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Serve & enjoy!

Serves 2 as a meal, or 4 as a side.

​This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and egg-free.