RECIPES Archives • Page 23 of 68 • New Nostalgia

Drinks/ RECIPES

3 Ingredient Best Pumpkin Spice Chai

2 pumpkin spice rooibos tea bags, chai concentrate

I had one of my best girlfriends, Carma, over for lunch yesterday, and she brought along a super special treat. I had seen a photo she put on instagram telling about Pumpkin Spice Chai that she loved so much that she used the hashtag #nocoffeenoproblem. I know she is a coffee lover, so my ears, eyes and taste buds perked up! I asked her to bring the ingredients along to our lunch so I could try it out..because, you know…best girlfriends can do that. We can extend a lunch invitation but then ask them to bring a beverage so you can try it out. {smile}

Our time together was precious and almost 2 hours of chatting felt like just minutes. We have much in common. Our husbands work together, we are both mothers of middle school girls, we share our faith & have lived a lot of life together the last 6 years.

She was a rock for me when I was sick. The perfect balance of listening to me and letting me cry on the hard days but also cheering me on and not letting me get stuck in the yuckness of it all. She was the one who came to the first Oncology appointment with Todd and I. She was our stable notetaker, and boy, did I ever need stable that day! I was a mess, needing a bowl in the waiting room because I was so nauseous with fear and nerves. I couldn’t think straight so she thought for me. I still have her notes from that day. Seeing her handwriting, knowing her hand wrote hard words out of love for me, touches my heart and made me keep those notes. She also came to my first chemo and was my ride home. I will never forget her love in the battle.

pumpkin spice rooibos tea, almond milk & chai concentrate

Back to our lunch. We are both foodies and both have certain restrictions to what we will eat due to health issues. It is fun to have her for over knowing she will appreciate my weird food. I took the easy way out and got some amazing vegan soup from a local spot nearby. I made kale chips, roasted some carrots with a little oil, salt, pepper & garlic, & had some tomatoes from my garden to eat as sides.

Carma showed up with a cooler which made me smile. Not only did it have the Pumpkin Spice Chai ingredients in it, but she also brought black bean hummus with chips & 2 individual bowls of fruit. That made me happy. She knows what I will love and appreciate.

We saved the Pumpkin Spice Chai for an after- lunch drink. I’m so glad we did because I have to tell you…IT WAS SO GOOD THAT IT WAS LIKE DRINKING DESSERT!

We have had a few cool weather days here in Nebraska, and I’ve found myself wanting a comforting, fall-like drink. A pumpkin spice flavored drink that was easy to make and somewhat healthy. Well, people…I found it…or at least Carma found it for me.

Here it is:

Start with one cup of milk of your choice. We used almond milk.

Add 2 bags of Trader Joes Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Tea. If you do not have a Trader Joes near you, keep reading for good substitute ideas.

Let steep for 5-7 minutes, warming the milk gently on the stove.

When it gets to be this milky, caramel-ly color, get your head down in there and take a whiff. Deliciousness! I told Carma I want a fall candle that smells like this! Remove the tea bags.

If you don’t have a Trader Joes near you, shed a few tears, then wipe them away and order some from Amazon using this affiliate link. {I appreciate your support of this blog.}

After you remove the teabags, make sure the temperature is what you desire for warm, comfortable sipping.

Add 3/4 cup Oregan Chai concentrate. This amount is flexible. If you want less sweet, use less Chai concentrate.

Pour into your favorite mug & enjoy!

3 Ingredient Best Pumpkin Spice Chai
1 cup milk (I used almond)
2 pumpkin spice teabags
3/4 cup chai concentrate, or to taste

Put milk into a saucepan. Add teabags. Steep 5-7 minutes & warm to desired temperature. Add chai concentrate. Stir. Pour into 2 mugs and enjoy!

Don’t Forget To Pin It!

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides

Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing

kale slaw with carrots, almonds, dried apricots and sliced apples

I’m always looking for ways to get my greens in, especially kale. Kale is an amazing, nutrient rich food. On Dr. Furhman’s Nutrient Density Score, Kale gets a whopping 100%. This means Kale is an incredible “nutrients per calorie” food.

This Kale Slaw with Curried Almond Dressing was such a refreshing way to eat kale. I usually put kale in my green smoothies or make kale chips, but I wanted delicious way to eat it raw. I certainly found it!

What makes this slaw so special is the dressing. It really brings this slaw to life–DON’T SKIP IT!

The dressing recipe caught my eye because it does not use oil. Love that! It uses the natural oils in the nuts as an emulsifier. I’m getting more and more into homemade salad dressings that use nuts in place of oil, especially now that I have a Vitamix blender that can pulverize those nuts into the smoothest of dressings.

The dressing is a snap to whip up. It takes just minutes. So creamy!

Almond curried salad dressing and kale salad

I had quite a bit of dressing left over, and used it as an awesome vegetable dip.

Isn’t that that salad so pretty? I used my favorite mandolin slicer for the apples and carrots. It is one of my most used kitchen utensils because it is so fast!

I changed the original recipe up a bit, using the fruits I had on hand. The apples & dried apricots make this a nice, hearty fall salad. It would be a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

homemade dressing poured over kale salad

The dressing is luxurious. No one would ever know that the only fats are healthy ones from the nuts. It does not a strong curry taste, so even those who are not big curry fans just might like this dressing.

Something I love so much about kale is how it holds up to dressing. You can store this for days and the leaves will not get soggy. It makes a big batch, and after we had it with a pasta dinner, I ate the leftovers for lunch for several days.

Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing
via Let Them Eat Vegan

Kale Slaw

1 apple sliced & tossed in 1 tsp of lemon juice
2 1/2-3 cups julienned kale (leaves cut/torn from stems and stems discarded)
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced or grated carrot
1 apple sliced & tossed in 1 tsp of lemon juice (could use clementines instead)
1/3 cup dried apricots, cut into bite-sized pieces (could use dried cranberries instead)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Extra salt & pepper

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add Curried Almond Dressing. Toss to coat well, then let sit for 5 minutes or more to allow the kale leaves to soften slightly in the dressing. Serve, garnishing with a light sprinkling of almonds and extra salt and pepper, if desired.

Curried Almond Dressing

1/2 cup raw almonds
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar
2/3 cup water (or more to thin as needed…see note.)
1 very small clove garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1/8 teaspoon curry powder, or more to taste (see note)

Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients (starting with 1/2 cup of the water) until very smooth. (A high-powered blender such as a Vitamix works best to smooth out the dressing; using an immersion blender or regular blender will leave a little more texture and take a little longer. ) Add additional curry to taste, and additional water to thin as desired.

Note: 1/8 rounded teaspoon of curry powder in this dressing makes for a very muted flavor, but if you love curry, use more.

Note: Adjust water according to you tastes. If making this as a vegetable dip, use less water.

kale salad with almond curry dressing picture collage for Pinterest

Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sides

Favorite Cheezy Kale Chips

Kale is a leafy green that I try to get into my body at least every other day. It is the most nutrient dense leafy green and is full of all kinds of cancer fighting phytonutrients. I use baby kale in my salads & green smoothies, but my favorite way to eat kale is to make kale chips.

I have been making this recipe like crazy lately, and find myself eating the entire pan by myself! It is a great way to get a large amount of nutrients into the body, and at the same time satisfy any cravings for a salty, cheesy, crispy, crunchy snack.

I LOVE KALE CHIPS!

Here is my favorite way to prepare them:

Drizzle a little olive oil onto baking sheet. Use pastry brush to spread out evenly.

Wash kale. There are 2 types. Curly & Lacinato. I like to use lacinato, which is this large, flat type. If you use curly kale, you can use this same recipe but just toss in a bowl with tongs to coat.

De-veining kale by taking stem out of the middle.

De-vein kale by taking out the tough stem that is in the middle. It is bitter so make sure to remove it. I just tear it with my hands.

Tear kale into pieces…or not. Whatever shape and size you desire.

Trader Joe's ingredients including olive oil and soy sauce

Have ingredients ready. You will need olive oil, soy sauce (or tamari), any type of grill seasoning, pepper, & nutritional yeast (or Parmesan cheese for non-vegans).

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over washed kale. Can use a pastry brush to coat…I just use my fingers!

Then drizzle with a 1/2 tablespoon – 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Use pastry brush or fingers to coat leaves.

Sprinkle with nutritional yeast (or parm cheese) until coated to your liking. I use about 2-3 tablespoons for this batch. I just eyeball it.

Add about a teaspoon of grill seasoning –or any seasoning you like. Curry is good, Italian seasoning is good, but my fav is Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute. I used about half of what is in my palm in the pic.

After adding seasoning, use the pastry brush or your fingers to spread all together onto the leaves. Basically you are just wetting the seasonings with the oil and soy sauce. Nothing fancy, it does not need to be perfect.

Bake at 250 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Watch closely. The time between crispy and burnt is just a couple minutes. I can usually tell when it is done by my nose. It smells really yummy when it is crisped up and done. If it is crispy, it is done. Break into pieces and enjoy. Can also crumble and use on soups and to top salads.

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Cheezy Kale Chips

3-4 large kale leaves

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2-1 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)

2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese

1/2-1 tsp grill seasoning

pepper to taste

Wash kale leaves. Take large vein out of center of kale. Spread about 1 tablespoon olive oil onto pan. Lay kale leaves down on pan in single layer. Drizzle remaining olive oil onto kale, just enough to coat each leaf. Use pastry brush or fingers to spread onto leaves. Do the same with the soy sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with seasoning and pepper, then spread seasonings into the oil and sauce using your fingers or pastry brush. Bake 250 degrees or 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

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Have you ever made kale chips?

What are your favorite seasonings?

Drinks/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

6 Reasons Why You Should Drink Green Juice

mason jar of green juice surrounded by greens, parsley and broccoli

MY NAME IS TENIEL AND IM A CRAZY JUICER! ARE YOU?

Along with raw food I adore my green juice.

Juicing is part of my everyday routine. It would feel some what strange not to have my green juice in my day.

I have lots of reasons why I love to juice:

1. I find it refreshing

2. It helps me add so many extra greens into my diet

3. It easier on my digestion

4. Its very alkalising (very important)

5. Quick release of nutrients into my body

6. Recipe combinations are endless

I like too keep my juices as green as possible. By this I mean my juice is about 95% greens and the rest are spices and lemon.

This is the way I like to make my juices, as I don’t wont to overload on fruit sugars each day. (Fruit is great, but I don’t need them in my juice so why add it.)

I understand my combinations are not for everyone. So adding an apple is a great way too add a little sweetness.

Pictured below are the typical ingredients that go into my green juice most days.

Kale
Celery
dandelion
aloe leaf
cucumber
ginger
turmeric
lemon

woman drinking green juice and green juice ingredients

To make your juicers extend further and add extra nutrients I always add the following as a base for every juice I make

Lemon/lime
Celery
Cucumber

We have so many wonderful greens that are full of vitamins and minerals.

So remember to think outside the box and add some different greens to your juices

You don’t always have to be stuck with kale or chard!

Here are some of the greens I like to rotate in with my juice

greens to juice, burnweed, dandelion, stinging nettle, marshmallow

Most kids love juice. So it’s a great way too sneak in some greens with fruit if you need to.

These days I do not need to sneak greens in. The kids see what goes in and they are fine with it as long as I add some

fruit to make it palatable for them. I often include an apple or pineapple along with celery, kale, lemon, ginger, turmeric and cucumber for them.

kids drinking green juice with green mustaches

Other great greens to add include:

Beet top greens

Radish top greens

Cilantro

Basil

Parsley

Aloe leaf

So If you don’t juice I hope I have inspired you to try it. Its a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen as they

love to help use the juicer and make something themselves with some supervision.

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Raw Foods Contributor

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14 Favorite Fall Recipes

Healthy no fat pumpkin bread and other fall treats

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I’m giddy excited for fall weather & how it makes me want to bake and make comforting foods. I hope you enjoy this roundup of my favorite fall recipes!

What recipe do you love making for fall?

RECIPES

Recipes I’m Making This Week

I decided to go into New Nostalgia’s Recipe Index and choose some recipes to make this week. I made an ingredient list and bought everything I needed. Now that school is in session and life is more routine, I want to get back on track with my meal planning. Sharing a my week’s worth of recipes helps me to do just that!

Easy Homemade Freezer Salsa

I have lots and lots of tomatoes thanks to our Square Foot Garden. I’ve been looking forward to making this salsa all summer. I use Mrs. Wages Create Salsa Mix, and I LOVE IT. It is a package of dehydrated vegetables (onion, green bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, chili peppers, & garlic.) I really appreciate that there is not a bunch of added artificial ingredients.

Applesauce Bread

I love having this on hand for my girls school lunches or for an after school snack. It uses ingredients that I always have on hand. It is a great, go-to recipe.

Vegan Cream Of Broccoli Soup

I would use this recipe even if we did eat dairy, it is THAT good, and oh so good for you! I love serving it for dinner with a loaf of hearty bread to dip and a big salad on the side.

Easy Black Bean Soup

This recipe is one of my staple favorites. I would bet you have everything you need for it in your cupboard right now! Try it…you will love it. Great for a lunch thermos.

Breakfast Burritos For The Freezer

My girls get giddy excited when they know we have these in the freezer. They seem to eat them as an after school snack even more often than for breakfast!

Hungarian Paprika Chicken

I have decided to add one organic, free range chicken to our weekly grocery list. We have not been eating meat, but being nutritarians, we have the option of adding a bit of it each week. My girls liked the idea of chicken, as long as “there is sauce and served over noodles or rice.” Ha! I loved that my oldest girl got so specific. This recipe is an old fav of ours & is an authentic Hungarian recipe. I may try substituting the sour cream with almond milk yogurt to keep it dairy free…if I do and it works out I will mark it on the recipe.

Chocolate Mudballs

A family favorite healthful recipe that I have not made in awhile. I say it is always nice to have some healthful chocolate ‘something’ on hand. This recipe is the perfect dessert that uses healthful ingredients.

What are you planning on making this week? I’d love for you to share in the comments, and include links to recipes if you have them.

Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Back To School Gluten Free Recipes

As summer is coming to a close, kids are starting to go back to school and lives start to resume their normal stream of busy-ness. Instead of cramming your kids full of things they don’t love, why not try

to tempt them with these healthy gluten free treats? They are chalked full of nutrients (well, minus the pop tarts, but I couldn’t resist!) and are filling as well as energy boosting.

Chard and Peach Smoothie– This chard and peach smoothie is the perfect after school treat for the kiddos. It’s creaminess is due to the peanut butter as well as the frozen bananas that make up it’s base. Adults and kids alike will love this morning or afternoon treat!

Chia Seed Jam– We have fallen head over heels in love with this chia seed jam over at our house. It’s given us the ability to stop buying jelly, and start using fresh veggies and healthy sugars for our own jam! The chia seeds are nature’s energy kicker, and will give your kiddos the brain food they need to make it through their long school days.

Gluten Free Poptarts– I really can’t say that these guys are healthy, BUT they are gluten free!! Thanks to Pillsbury for finally coming out with a great gluten free pastry crust, you can make those pop tarts your kids have been missing. This would be a great Saturday morning treat for your family.

How is your family adjusting to the back-to-school craziness?

Do you have any go-to recipes that get you through the school year?

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Meghan Newsom

Health & Gluten Free Contributor

Meghan’s site: eat.live. make.

You can follow her here:

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