Food: Cinnamon Strawberry Coconut Quinoa

Hello again! It is Lori and Michelle again from pure2raw. We have a super easy breakfast idea for you today! It is made from one of our favorite ingredients to use - quinoa. Do you remember our quinoa bake that we shared awhile back? 

Quinoa is one of our go to ingredients to use to make some really fun and super easy meals. We love quinoa for so many reasons like, it is naturally gluten-free and full of protein. 
 

But we also love it mainly because it is so easy to create sweet and savory dishes with. If you have not tried quinoa yet, you must go out and get yourself some. Promise you will love it.

   

 Quinoa cooks up in just 15-20 minutes, making it doable for people with busy schedules and who still want a hearty healthy meal. Since strawberries are coming into season now we thought about jazzing up a breakfast idea with a mix of quinoa and strawberries. 

We made this recipe feed just 1-2 people, so we cooked the quinoa a little differently then you normally would. Instead of doing the original ratio of 2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa, we just halved that. We did 1 cup water to 1/2 cup quinoa and let cook for about 13-15 minutes. You could double this recipe to feed more or make enough for leftovers!

Another great thing about this quinoa breakfast is that you really can add in any flavorings or toppings of your liking. If you do not have strawberries, any berry or fruit would work. Even throwing in some chocolate chips for a little sweet chocolaty breakfast would be tasty. The sky is the limit! Have a little fun in the kitchen.

   

Recipe: Strawberry quinoa coconut breakfast bowl serves- 1-2 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• about 1/3 cup coconut milk (or almond milk)
• 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons coconut flakes *optional topping
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Directions: In a pot over high heat place your 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling add in your dry quinoa. Return to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. At the 15 minutes pour in your 1/3 cup milk of choice and add in your remaining ingredients and flavorings. And stir together for about another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into your bowl and enjoy. Other great flavor ideas: 
 

• adding in some fresh lemon zest or orange would be great too
• adding in some chocolate chips (chocolate and strawberries yes please)
• add in more berries or more fruit
• drizzle with honey or maple syrup for a more sweeter breakfast
• or a few drops of stevia would be wonderful for more of a sugar free option

This quinoa strawberry coconut breakfast bowl is easy to make the night before and just re-heat in the 
morning!

   
Now that is one heart healthy breakfast bowl made in 20 minutes. Who else loves quinoa? Do you like your quinoa sweet or savory? 




-post by The pure2raw twins

Food: Almond butter banana chocolate chip muffins

Hey everyone it is the twins from pure2raw. Are you ever in need of a healthy recipe that is full of protein and fiber all while being a little sweet? And anything with chocolate makes it all better, right? Our recipe for your today is one that accomplishes it all.

 Growing up, banana chocolate chip combo has always been a favorite. And muffins are easy and portable that are great for people on the go, like we are. But we wanted more from our muffin. So we jazzed it up some by adding flax and almond butter for fiber and protein. 

 

Pure2raw recipe: Almond butter filled banana chocolate chip muffins prep time - 5 minutes bake time - about 30 minutes servings - 8 large muffins or 12-15 small muffins 

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (we used a gluten free blend)
• 1/4 cup flaxmeal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp guar gum (only if using gluten free flours - helps hold it together)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups bananas (about 3-4)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (or your favorite baking oil)
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup water or milk
• almond butter - about 1/2 -3/4 cup, will vary on how much you scoop on top of your muffins.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  

Mash up bananas. Place sugar, oil, vanilla and mashed bananas into mixing bowl. Then stir in your chocolate chips and dry ingredients. End with your water, milk, or non dairy milk of choice. Stir till combined, batter will be thick. Scoop muffin batter into muffin liners. We used a large muffin pan, but can use a regular 12 muffin pan. *note it will make a few extra

  

Once muffin batter in liners, use a spoon to form a little dip on top. Then spoon in almond butter. 

  

Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

 

A great recipe for a healthy on-the-go snack or breakfast! Whip up this muffin next time you need a healthy on-the-go breakfast. This muffins is moist, dense and full of nutrition and does not lack in flavor.

  

Enjoy!  

-post and images by pure2raw

Food: Bison soup

Soup. S-O-U-P. Say it with me... SOUP! Hi friends. It's Heather from The Lovely Cupboard back to share another healthy soup with you today. It's a simple vegetable bison soup that's sure to warm you up on a winter day. If you've never tried bison meat before, here's a little run down on why it deserves a shot in your kitchen. First of all, it has less fat, more protein and more iron than ground beef. (Actually it has almost 1/4 the fat that ground beef does.) 


If you can find organically raised bison,  you'll get the added benefit of hormone and steroid free meat. (Don't even get me started on my love for organics!) As far as taste goes, it has a richer flavor than beef, and some might say it almost has a hint of sweetness to it. I Personally can hardly tell the difference. When you put it in a soup, I would bet most people would never even know it wasn't beef. 


So, if you're convinced and want to try it, here's the shopping list. (Oh, and if you're still a little leery, you can just substitute ground beef in this recipe. No worries!)

              Now That You're Ready to Cook...

1. Start by browning one pound of ground bison in a pan. Drain whatever fat might be left (it won't be much) and set aside.
2. Dice one small yellow onion and mince three cloves of garlic. Saute in your stock pot with olive oil on med heat.
3. While the onions and garlic are heating up, chop carrots, green beans, and potatoes.
4. Add 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of your favorite herb blend. If you don't use a blend, try thyme or winter savory. to the garlic and onion mixture.
5. Bring to a boil. Next add 3 bullion cubes. (You could also use 4 cups of beef stock; I just didn't have any at the time I made this.)
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add the bison and your chopped veggies.
6. Simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
6. Add 1 cup of frozen corn (thawed) and 1 can of stewed tomatoes. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes cooked through.

This is such a healthy soup that truly is a staple "comfort food". Has anyone ever used bison in their cooking before? How did it work for you?
 

 
-Post & images by Heather Freeman

Please Meet My Nespresso...

I don't normally BRAG but a good friend of mine sent me this Nespresso CitiZ D120 automatic espresso maker & milk frother as a gift.

I fell in LOVE with this machine when I first walked into the Nespresso cafe here in Soho. Ever been there? Anyhow, I knew their cappuccinos were pretty good, but I never thought their machines would actually give me the same coffee taste I had at the cafe.  So, the gift arrived a few weeks ago & I've been using it almost every other day.

In my opinion this machine creates crema like a professional barista would & the best part is you can use soy milk! Finally. Another cool feature is the milk frother, this little side gadget will froth milk super fast & like magic! Nespresso also has a TON of different coffees to try out, from decaf lungo (my fave) to super dark strong ones! There's still a few flavors I'd love to try....

The machine rocks so much I had to post about it. So, this is basically how you get a cool, frothy cappuccino from this bad boy, so check it out!

pretty sleek & shiny no?

placing the coffee pod into the easy flip up & down top.

Aaaaaah soy dream. I'd say this is the best soy milk to use, really creates a thick froth.

You can fill the milk frother according to how many cups you'll be drinking!

remember to close that lid...easy stuff.

press the button on the frother to start up the milk frother! This is the magic button, I swear. Froth ready in about 15 seconds...

select your cup. lungo or espresso? For my cappuccino,I selected lungo.
 

There it comes. Nice color right? Oh & the smell of coffee...ahhh!

The hot steam is clouding things up here, but still smells great!

If you want a bit more, just press the green button at the top again..Red light on frother means it's not done yet, when it turns off, we have froth.

Red light off....ta da! FROTH.

just pour it into your coffee and don't be shy, use a small spoon to scoop that froth out if it's too thick.
 

 Add sugar, I use splenda and then add a little something sweet like a Jovial chocolate cream filled cookie on the side! Gluten free & delicious! 

There you have it! I tried to make a HEART with the cocoa...what do you think?? A bit crazy looking?!

Frothy & pretty no matter what angle I shoot it from...

Speaking of cocoa powder, I use one called Barefoot Contessa, which is actually a hot chocolate mix. I believe I got it at Sur La Table.

If you're looking to have a top notch machine right in you're home that's fast & easy to clean, I'd definitely recommend the Nespresso. This machine totally delivers, I love it!

P.S. and NO, I did not get paid to write this. In fact I've NEVER been paid to write anything on my blog. If you know me, you'll know I LOVE coffee.

-images by  jen ramos

Food: White Bean Kale Soup

Hello again! Heather Freeman here from The Lovely Cupboard. I've got one of my favorite soup recipes to share with you today. I think that I could eat soup everyday in the winter and be totally content. There are so many reasons to love soup. In case you haven't entered this love affair, let me try to entice on soup's behalf:

-Warm soup in cold weather fights the chill.
-Hundreds of varieties=endless dinner possibilities
-Most soups taste better the second day. PLUS they freeze well if you make a large batch
-You can dip all sorts of lovely carbs into your soup (Bread sticks, rolls, crackers, pretzels...Need I go on?)

Today's soup employs buttery white beans, kale, and Italian sausage. It's a creamy and hearty soup that can stand alone as a main dish. Here's what you'll need to pick up at the store:
 

1. Brown 1 pound of Italian pork sausage over medium heat. Drain excess fat and set the meat aside for later.

2. Mince one shallot and finely chop three carrots. Saute both in olive or grape seed oil over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of dried winter savory (or your favorite herb). Rough chop one bunch of kale and set aside.

3. Add 1 cup of cream and 3 cups of water to the carrot and onion mixture in a large pot.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and add three chicken or vegetable bullion cubes. Stir until dissolved.

4. Add meat and  simmer on low, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.

5. Add the kale and one can of cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). Continue to simmer on low for 10 minutes. Serve with a salad (and maybe your carb of choice.)

One of the best things about this recipe? It is husband tested and approved. Score! 
 

-All images by Heather Freeman

Contributors Wanted....

These days I'm blogging on Made By Girl blog, managing my MBG Shop, painting for my Cocoa & Hearts site, marketing, answering lots of email everyday & maintaining my home life. It's a lot of work, and I've come to the conclusion that I may need a little help.

So, with all that said, I'd love to recruit 8 contributors to blog here on Made By Girl!  It's not going to be an easy task - but I'll choose 2 bloggers for each category. Categories are:

• Decor/Interior Design
• Fashion
• DIY
• Food

Below I've outlined more details & what I'm looking for.

HOW OFTEN WILL YOU POST:
1-2x per month.

WILL THERE BE PAYMENT:
Not at this time, but it's a great chance to gain more exposure through MBG blog.

BIO PAGES:
We'll be adding a page with photos & short bios of all the current contributors .

EXPERIENCE:
Yes - it's required.


RESOURCES:
It's very important to credit all images.

PRETTY POST PLS:
I love pretty & interesting posts. So pls put some LOVE into it!

I'm looking for bloggers who have some knowledge of programs like Photoshop & have a similar sense of style as Made By Girl.  The posts you write for MBG cannot be posted on your own blog, but you can link to it from your blog. 

So, if you think you want to give this a try, email me. Write 'Contributors' in the email subject pls. ALSO, pls email me your blog so I can see your style! We'll try to get back to everyone whether you're selected or not. Thanks!!