Many of you may have a family apple-picking adventure on your fall calendar. We plan to visit our favorite apple orchard The Historic Orchard at Altapass this weekend. We have so much fun hiking through the orchard, picking apples, and eating them as we go!
If you find that you have more apples then you know what to do with after your orchard trip, you can make simple, dried apple slices. These treats are perfect for the school lunchbox. Read on to learn how to make these simple treats in a couple of short steps.
What you will need:
– organic apples
– cinnamon
Directions:
Dehydrating: Line your food-dehydrator shelf with parchment paper. Cut your apples into super-thin slices and arrange the slices on the shelves of your food-dehydrator. Sprinkle with cinnamon and either dehydrate at 135° until crisp.
Baking: Line a baking sheet with a reusable mat or parchment paper. Cut your apples into super-thin slices and arrange the slices on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake in the oven at 225° for about 1.5 hours.
Do you make apple slices during the autumn season?
Looking for the perfect drink for your pool party! The mister whipped up a batch of his famous Gin Lemonade recently and I was reminded how much I love it this time of year! Be careful though, they are strong – one is all you need. Ha!
What you will need:
juice from 5 organic lemons
1 1/2 cups of organic sugar
1 1/2 cup organic gin (you can also use vodka)
8 cups ice
Directions:
Whisk the lemon juice and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the gin and whisk again. Then, add the 8 cups of ice to a blender with the gin-lemon-sugar mixture and blend until smooth. Add lemon slices for garnish and enjoy.
Magnesium is one of those minerals that people are generally aware of but don’t really know what it is or what it can do for your body. Magnesium is a nutrient that the body requires in order to stay healthy. It plays a critical role in regulating muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and making protein, bone, and DNA.
Oftentimes, people don’t get enough magnesium in their diets. While it takes a while to start noticing the effects of a magnesium deficiency, symptoms can include loss of appetite, nausea, weakness, muscle cramps, and an abnormal heartbeat. Since magnesium is critical for over 300 enzyme processes in the human body, it’s important to get a good dose of the mineral every day. Below are a few healthy recipes rich in magnesium for you to try!
Salmon Salad Bowl
This power veggie bowl features fresh salmon and a raspberry balsamic glaze. It’s rich in flavor and antioxidants, and organic too!
Ingredients:
4-oz organic grilled or baked salmon
3-4 cup organic seasonal greens
1/2 cup organic slices zucchini and squash
1/2 cup organic raspberries
1 tbsp organic balsamic glaze
2 tbsp cinnamon avocado or olive oil
dash of organic sea salt
dash of organic pepper
2 organic thyme sprigs
organic parmesan crumbles
organic lemon juice
Luckily, salads are super easy to throw together. After slicing the veggies, sautee in a skillet with oil, salt, and pepper. Once the vegetables and salmon are cooked, begin to build your bowl. Greens first, then veggies, then salmon. Top off with the balsamic glaze, thyme, and the remaining oil. After tossing, throw in some raspberries with a touch of lemon juice and parmesan.
Cinnamon Spice Plantain Bites
These heavy-packed protein bites are full of spices, are grain-free, and require no baking!
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut or almond flour
1/2 cup plantain flour or ground plantain chips
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup nut butter of choice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves (ground)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground anise
1/2 tsp butter or vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp molasses
Begin by grinding up the plantain chips. Then, after mixing up the dry ingredients, add in nut butter extract, molasses, and honey. After mixing, roll into bite-sized balls. Freeze right away and use coconut or almond flour to roll the bites in after they’re frozen. To maintain freshness, store in fridge or freezer.
Eben and I are a little obsessed with pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It’s only September 9th and we have already baked a huge batch. They are delicious. We have been baking these together since he was a toddler and now that he is a teenager, we have the recipe memorized. They make our house spell like pumpkin heaven. You should definitely make a batch – here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups organic flour
1 tsp organic baking powder
1 tsp organic baking soda
1 tsp organic cinnamon
1/2 tsp organic nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup organic butter
1 1/2 cups organic sugar
1 tsp organic vanilla
1 egg or egg replacer
1 cup organic pumpkin
2 cups organic chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips
Preparation: 1. Combine organic whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and mix together.
2. Add butter and sugar in a stand mixer, mix well. Add vanilla, egg and pumpkin and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix well on medium speed. Add organic chocolate chips and stir together.
3. Bake in traditional oven at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.
4. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and enjoy.
Have you checked out the price of organic apple cider at your local grocer? Wow! $7.99 a gallon. Instead, of breaking the bank, make your own! It’s perfect for filling up reusable mugs and snuggling up with your family this fall!
Ingredients:
2 quarts organic apple juice
1/2 cup organic brown sugar
Place all whole spices in a tea infuser, these will be removed before serving
1 tsp organic whole allspice
1 tsp organic whole cloves
3 organic cinnamon sticks (broken up)
1/8 tsp organic ground nutmeg
Preparation:
Stir everything together in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Let it steep for 20 minutes. Remove the tea infuser and serve in mugs.
Serves: 8
Enjoy a hot cup of apple cider by the fire with a good book or your family. You could also enjoy a yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie to go with it.