I used to be a total hippie. Grateful Dead listening, Birkenstock wearing, bells around my ankles, bonfire dancing, boy friend drove a VW Bug, peace loving, granola munching, barefoot, joyful little school skipping hippie. Eric Clapton was my dream man and the first concert I went to, I spent a couple summers camping under the stars, and clean living, well....do mushrooms count? It was four crazy years of high school that I thankful actually remember. In the end, I didn't make the most loyal hippie. I loved to shower too much and when Eddie Vedder came along dropped The Dead like the bad habit it was. On to Grunge, moved to Seattle, but never lost my love for the crunchy stuff :) Until that is, I actually started caring about what went into my body.
I believe most of your favorite recipes can be cleaned up, even lasagna if that's what makes your taste buds happy. It's all about getting creative and finding alternatives to the gluten packed, carb loaded, sugar laden foods we grew up on. While this isn't the most complicated clean up, I hope it might inspire you to just take a minute to think about what you can do to make your favorites better for you and your family.
Alternatives:::
pasta noodles:::zucchini ribbons---breadcrumbs:::oatmeal--- sour cream:::greek yogurt
mayonnaise:::avocado--- cauliflower:::rice and grains---butter:::coconut oil
sugar:: real maple syrup--- cream:::evaporated milk---oil:::applesauce---flour:::almond flour
salt:::spices--- ground beef:::ground turkey--- 1egg:::2egg whites---white wine:::chicken broth
Sarah's "I used to be a hippie and now I'm just super fit" granola:
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 TBSP Brown Sugar Splenda
1/4 cup honey
1 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
3 Cups Rolled Oats
1 Cup coarsely chopped Pecans and Almonds
1/2 Cup Unsweetened shredded coconut
The original recipe called for....Vegetable Oil{substitute coconut oil}, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar{substitute: 2 TBSP Splenda}, 1/2 Cup Honey{substitute: 1/4 cup less}, 1/2 tsp Salt{substitute: 1/4 tsp less sea salt}, sweetened shredded coconut{substitute: unsweetened}, and dried fruit{none}.
Mix all ingredients{except shredded coconut} in a large bowl and spread onto a lightly coated, rimmed cookie sheet{or two}
Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, Add shredded coconut and bake an additional 15 minutes{give or take a few minutes}
En{joy}!