Natural – melissa hennessey

Delicious Sweet Potato Power Bowl

I love oatmeal but it doesn’t love me. At 2:30pm, I’m doubled over in pain. Oatmeal is also really great with brown sugar and butter. Which as we all know, isn’t that great for you. However half a baked sweet potato topped with warm blueberries, coconut and banana is heavenly.

Here’s how you make it:

Heat up an already baked sweet potato in a bowl.

Toss 1/2 cup of blueberries into a microwave safe glass or into a sauce pan – heat them up until they turn into a sauce. Feel free to squeeze a lemon wedge in them.

Top the potato with the blueberries, a teaspoon of coconut oil, tablespoon of almond butter, sliced banana, pecans, coconut, cinnamon and enjoy!

This is vegan, free of refined sugars, it’s grain free and is very satisfying and easy to make.

Aloe Matcha Face Mask

I love staying in on Friday nights, getting take out and listening to podcasts and maybe baking something.

I was on the ‘gram recently and saw that @Bucknakedpaleo posted a face mask using all natural products. I wanted to try it and have to say, I liked it so much I made the mask 2 days in a row. My skin is so sensitive and I usually end up in breakouts or hives so I generally stay away from masks. This face mask doesn’t look gorgeous but it’s so simple to make, leaving my face feeling alive, skin incredibly soft and fresh. Take 1 tablespoon of raw aloe vera – I used aloe vera gel, a tablespoon of matcha powder and a 1/2 teaspoon of Manuka honey (regular honey works too, Manuka honey is $$$$). Mix together and apply all over your face. I used a combination of a brush and my fingers. It gets a little messy but that’s half the fun. Wait 15 minutes, rinse with cool water and finish with a few sprays of rose water and aura glow oil.

Here’s me with the face mask on….wondering if what’s going to happen. 🙂

Banana Matcha Waffles

I’m shamelessly obsessed with waffles. It all started one day in college when I had breakfast in Ocean Beach at a little cafe where they sold bumper stickers saying: “The weather is here, wish you were beautiful.” Yes I know. So bad it’s good. Well, waffles might be delicious, crispy, sweet, and buttery — they are certainly not very good for you. I can’t be eating the OG waffles on the reg, I’d like to but let’s be serious here, that’s a ticket to Type 2 Diabetes and a host of other health issues. What’s a girl to do? Well I decided to seek out recipes that do not skimp on flavor but leave out the refined sugar and processed carbs.

So — the latest and greatest are my Banana Matcha Waffles. Using Wedo Banana flour, which is made from green bananas. Not every one has a waffle maker and these make a great pancake too. Clearly I need one in mine and if you’re going to buy one, don’t buy a cheap one, they suck and waffles come out steamed. Been there done that. Gross.

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I’m not really sure if Whole30 would consider this compliant or SWYPO; I don’t think this is SWYPO. When I eat them I’m not like, that was just okay, meh – I eat them and think, I’m never going back to the flour version. This recipe is an adaption of the recipe on the Wedo Banana Flour container, I’ve omitted the sweetner and added the matcha.

This is what you need, serves 4:

1/2 cup Wedo Banana flour

2 tablespoons of Matcha powder

1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup Nut Milk (Almond or cashew – I’m sure you can use dairy milk)

3 eggs (we prefer pasture eggs, more spend but those yolks!)

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon (I’ve done both)

2 bananas – sliced.

Ghee, coconut oil, or non-stick spray (I use olive oil) for your frying pan and waffle maker

Time to cook:

Pre-heat you waffle iron or frying pan.

Option 1 – put everything excluding the sliced bananas into a blender and blend until smooth.

Option 2 – put everything excluding the sliced bananas into a bowl and stir until smooth.

Once the mixture is smooth and silky (this is a little thinner than you’re used to) stir the sliced bananas into the mixture, I like to mash them a little bit.

Cook, the pancakes, 60 minutes each side and waffles until ready as indicated on your waffle iron.

Serve with sliced almonds, shredded coconut, cinnamon and ghee or go traditional with maple syrup.

Obviously it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t have matcha, you can omit it.

Enjoy!!!!

Have You Hopped on the Turmeric Train?

If not, I suggest hopping on it and making a cup of Golden Milk, you will love it. It’s tasty, comforting and filled with all sorts of amazing benefits. This drink tastes similar to chai tea and can be enjoyed in the morning or before bed to help with sleep.

Serves Two:

2 Cups of Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk or Cows Milk
1 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
2 Tbsp of Honey (local if possible)

Optional, add one, all or none.

6-10 Peppercorns
6 -10 Cardamom Pods
2 Tsp Coconut Oil
Dash of Cinnamon

Add milk, turmeric and/or optional peppercorns and/or cardamom pods to a small saucepan and allow it to simmer until all the ingredients are combined.
Either, pour into a tea pot and stir in honey & coconut oil or pour into separate cups and add 1 tablespoon of honey & 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to each cup.
Enjoy warm!

The benefits of turmeric are endless – turmeric is a spice that has been used over 4,000 years in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Most commonly known to help with inflammation, according to WebMd turmeric is used with digestion, arthritis, headaches, and cancer. It can also help with symptoms of depression. I’ve been told in India, people use it to treat small wounds and bites. In an article written by the Mercola Institute, curcumin is one of active ingredients in turmeric that has been studied the most; and is what contributes to the healing properties found in turmeric. It is said when you add peppercorn to the milk it enhances the properties of curcumin by 1000%!

I like to add cardamom pods into the milk – they have a great flavor and reminds me of chai tea, plus, you’re getting the natural benefits found in cardamom. Cardamom is a natural detoxifier and is used to aid in digestive problems, such as indigestion and heartburn. Cardamom also relives nausea. In a posting on Organic Facts, cardamom is the Queen of Spices as it’s one of the top three most expensive spices. Saffron and vanilla are numbers one and two.

I’m a purist and know there are a lot of sugar substitutes out there. I’ve been slowly cutting out refined sugar from my diet and always have honey on hand. I try to have local honey, as it helps combat seasonal allergies, but I’m human and sometimes don’t have a chance to buy local honey. Honey has all sorts of natural benefits – Medical Daily wrote a great article called, “Liquid Gold” detailing the benefits found in honey. As I mentioned before, honey alleviates allergies, it can also boost your energy, boost memory, ease coughing, helps with sleep (Golden Milk is great before bed), and it treats wounds.

I like to add a little coconut oil to the mix because it thickens it up and adds richness to the flavor. Not to mention Organic Facts explains that coconut oil is great for the immune system. Studies have shown it helps with heart disease, it aides in digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar.

Enjoy a cup and let me know what you added to it.