Einkorn Blender Pancakes

Have your been to the grocery store and found some new occupants in the bulk-bin aisle? Farro. Freekah. Einkorn. These ancient grains are enjoying a comeback (like heirloom tomatoes) as we rediscover their benefits and goodness. Read Get Your Freekah On for a treatise on the grains and seeds making a resurgence.

What is Einkorn?
Just happens to be man's first form of cultivated wheat, grown by farmers for thousands of years.

Why Einkorn?
Here's a quote from an article about the recently released study on wheat and weight gain:

"Wheat is not the same today. It has been agriculturally hybridized (not genetically engineered) over some decades to resist fungus, grow more quickly, and be more pliable for industrial bread baking. As a consequence, 50-60 years ago wheat containing only five percent gluten has become 50 percent gluten today." NaturalNews.com~Wednesday, January 16, 2013 by PF Louis

Gluten has been found to be the chief offender in gut and psychology syndrome (GAPS) and even autism as more studies show the gut strongly influences physical and mental health.

So the trend to find gut healthy grains led us back in history.

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Edamame, Millet & Cabbage Salad

Here's a nice salad with a hearty mix of ingredients. It's easy to throw together and you can substitute for ingredients you may not have on hand. For example, use maple syrup if you don't have coconut palm sugar, quinoa if you don't have millet and even garbanzo beans (chickpeas) if you don't have edamame.

If you use edamame, remember to get organic otherwise it will surely be genetically modified (GM) soy. And you do not want to eat GM anything.

A little word of caution about chili powder. Use an amount that fits with how much kick you'd like in the dressing. Remember that 1 teaspoon of chili powder of one brand may have a totally different heat level than another. So portion your measurement of chili powder accordingly. I alway suggest you measure sparingly, taste and then add more if necessary.

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Last Day for GiveAway

Today at midnight PST the GiveAway ends for Five Promo Codes for The Prisoner of Carrot Castle storybook iPad app. Go to the Facebook page for Purple Carrot Books and click the blue Rafflecopter tab above the comment section. Your chances are high of winning!

The Prisoner of Carrot Castle is book one in the Veggie Chronicles series. Children discover that eating vegetables is what heroes do, that is, if they want to eat their way out of a wicked King's clutches. Vivid colors, colorful music, and fun interactive spots draw in the reader who quickly becomes invested in Aiden's dilemma and help him along (tapping, sliding, tilting) in his adventure.

If you don't yet have a tablet, don't despair. The Prisoner of Carrot Castle will soon be released in print with teacher/parent curriculum.

If you have an iPhone, The wildly popular game, Dress a Knight, from the app, is available FREE. Download here from your iPhone.

Where do you think Aiden will go next in his veggie adventures?

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Should I get a Flu Shot?

Headlines read...

Flu More Widespread in US

Flu Season Hits Early and Hard

Flu Cases on Rise at Hospitals

It seems that every year the media hype over the flu and the need to get a flu shot reaches a higher high. "The worst flu season ever... " "Infection rates have officially reached epidemic levels... "

Really?

With drug stores sprouting up on every corner in even the smallest towns, you can't avoid seeing banners that promote getting a flu shot. Cold weather setting in typically signals the start of the flu season. Should you run down to your local pharmacy and get a flu shot?

Flus are not fun. Fever, chills, runny nose, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, vomiting, fatigue and decreased appetite. With some rest they typically run their course in two to three days, with some symptoms hanging on for a week. The fact is dying from the flu is rare. The vast majority of so-called “flu deaths” are due to bacterial pneumonia—a potential complication of the flu if your immune system is weak.

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Whole Grain Rice Krispy Treats

I can hear you now, "Oh, no! Not more sweets! I've had too much at the holidays and now I'm crackin' down and on my New Year's diet."

Well, not to worry. This is a healthy dessert—even alkalizing in the body.

I've been looking for a healthy recipe to replace the old marshmallow rice krispy treats we all remember as kids and some still make. Got one in my inbox as a video from a website I follow and wanted to pass it on to you.

You can make up the batter in 15 minutes. Than you'll spend some time... forming it into balls and rolling them in coconut. Of course that makes them very different looking than the original rice krispy treats so if you're in a hurry, you can press the batter into a pan and cut them into squares instead. With or without the coconut. However, the coconut serves the purpose of making them less sticky.

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Christmas Crash ~ A Cautionary Medical Tale

My torso is scattered with small red spots. It may look like chicken pox, but it's far more sinister.

It all started the day of my writers' group Christmas brunch on December 11 at a local cafe. The telltale sign of something not perfectly right. A trip to the restroom before everyone arrived and the urge to go again before leaving.

As evening approached, the issue, an obvious urinary tract infection (UTI), roared it's ugly head. It became so painful I thought I'd have to go to the hospital emergency. The pain felt like an intense burning in my lower abdomen. It miraculously settled down enough for me to sleep, but not without numerous painful trips to the toilet during the night.

Mistake #1

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Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
Bleach your teeth and kill the bugs———two health tips in one:

Make a 3% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) solution from 35% food-grade H₂O₂ purchased from the health food store. Mix 11 oz. of distilled water with 1 oz. of the H₂O₂ to make a solution safe for your mouth. Take about 1/2 tsp. in your mouth and hold it there for about 5 - 10 minutes. It will foam and grow. After you spit it out, your mouth will be clean and your teeth white.

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Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

For the holidays, I wanted to make a healthy, no-bake pumpkin pie, but instead came across some recipes for pumpkin cheesecake that inspired me. Heather at Sweetly Raw inspired the pumpkin filling and crust. Jen at Jen's Natural Kitchen inspired the coconut cream topping. This is a very easy recipe to put together and the finished product is delicious and beautiful. I made some adjustments and changes to the recipes to make it all work.

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

For some Christmas holiday cheer, replace your pumpkin spice latte with this yummy smoothie and you'll never go back.

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