Vanilla & Cinnamon Kissed Banana Pudding

Vanilla & Cinnamon Kissed Banana Pudding

1 cup brown rice, cooked and chilled

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 banana, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4-6 drops of SweetLeaf Vanilla Creme Sweet Drops 

or 1 tsp vanilla extract, plus stevia to taste

Mix all ingredients together and adjust stevia sweetener to taste. 

You can also eat this pudding warm if you prefer a warm, sweet treat. 

This recipe makes two servings and each serving is about 220 calories. 

Shelly's 10th birthday

My dog Shelly celebrated her 10th birthday today :-) I made a little doggie cake for her out of canned food, veggies, blueberries and apple & pumpkin doggie biscuits. She loved it! Abbey, her feline "sister" wanted a piece of her cake, but Shelly did not want to share. Bear, Shelly's kitty "brother" just sat in the living room and watched Shelly eat her cake and play with her new pink toy. I took Shelly to a store earlier so she could pick out her own toy, but all she was interested was a cute puppy at the store, so I had to pick a toy for her. 

Shelly says: "Is there more cake, mommy?" 

She had so much fun playing with her new toy, I could not believe she just turned 10! 

Raw Risotto

Raw Risotto 

1/2 head cauliflower (leaves and bottom stem removed)

1 medium red bell pepper,  finely chopped

2 cups fresh green peas

1 clove garlic, minced

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1/2 Tbs unrefined sesame oil

2 Tbs low-sodium wheat-free tamari sauce 

salt to taste 

Finely chop cauliflower in a food processor until it looks like small rice or couscous. If you don't have a for processor, use a handheld cheese shredder and shred the cauliflower instead. 

Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Season with salt to taste. 

You can add raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, or spices. You can also add some shredded carrots and green bell pepper. 

This recipe makes two large servings (around 180 calories per serving) 

Kaia Foods (Alive & Radiant Foods) raw snacks review

Just when I thought that raw sunflower seeds and raw pumpkin seeds  would bore me to death, Kaia Foods sent me some samples of their organic, raw sprouted seeds that woke up my taste buds. 

Kaia Foods takes raw snacking to a whole new level of awesomeness :-) They sprout, season, and dehydrate their seeds at  low temperatures instead of roasting them. This protects the nutrients so they stay intact and aren't processed away. 

I tried these rawesome snacks: 

"Sea Salt & Vinegar Pumpkin Seeds"

The sprouting process makes these seeds easier to chew and digest. They have just enough vinegar (raw apple cider vinegar) and a nice touch of salt which makes them salty and tangy without being overly sour. I love salt & vinegar potato chips but they usually leave my tongue sore and raw from the vinegar and excess salt. (Not to mention, fried potato chips are just plain bad for you). These sea salt & vinegar pumpkin seeds do not make my tongue sore or raw. 

"Sweet Curry Sunflower Seeds"

I am not that crazy about Indian food, but these curry sunflower seeds are pretty good. They are sweet and spicy with a hint of garlic and cumin. The sweetness comes from raw agave nectar instead of plain sugar. Sprinkle some of top of roasted chickpeas and brown rice and you get a nice dinner. 

"Teriyaki Sunflower Seeds"

WOW! WOW! WOW! I am in love with these! The sweet, salty, pungent and spicy seeds make my taste buds dance and scream for more. It has a full flavor, nothing missing in this mix. And it smells great, too! I am ordering more of these because I cannot imagine not having these at my house at all times, when I need a healthy, flavorful raw snack. They are heavenly alone, or sprinkled on almost any vegetable, grain, or bean dish. I added them to stir fries, too.

"Cocoa Molé Sunflower Seeds" 

Did anyone say raw chocolate cookies? Well, these are kind of like sunflower seeds chocolate cookies with a nice cayenne pepper kick. These crunchy clusters of spicy chocolate treats have a delightful vanilla touch. They make a great topping for frozen banana ice cream, or soy yogurt. 

They also make Party mix pumpkin seeds, Orange & Spice pumpkin seeds, and Garlic & Sea Salt sunflower seeds. 

I also received a bag of raw kale chips along with the raw sprouted seeds :-) Yay! 
These kale chips are the original kale chips that inspired a kale chip revolution. This healthy and tasty green snack is a perfect blend of nutrient-rich vegetables, superfoods and organic spices. I enjoyed these big clusters of crunchy, cheesy kale chips very much! The strong cheesy aroma and flavor are nicely tangled with the distinctive red bell pepper aroma and flavor. The red bell pepper gives the green kale a lovely orange hue and delightful sweetness. These kale chips are a great choice for the days when you want amazing flavor without the heat. 

My favorite teriyaki sunflower seeds on top of steamed veggies and beans. 

My readers can use a special 25% off coupon to buy these raw goodies online. 

The coupon code is "LOVEKALE" 

It is good for 25% off an order from their webstore: http://shop.kaiafoods.com/. Simply enter the coupon code upon checkout to receive the discount! The coupon is good for 6 month. 

I will be using the coupon for my favorite Teriyaki Sunflower seeds and to try Orange & Spice pumpkin seeds, and Garlic & Sea Salt sunflower seeds. 

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