Hair and Face Mask

To make: Combine ½ avocado, 1 medium banana, 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil, 1 tablespoon honey, ¼ cup almond milk. Mash together in a bowl or blend in a blender until well-combined/smooth.
I like using a blender because of the smooth consistency that results — it’s especially good when using on your hair, as you may otherwise be left with chunks of banana or avocado that are hard to remove from hair. Feel free to adjust the ingredient proportions to your liking!

Source: 2-In-1 Homemade Moisturizing Mask For Hair & Face | Free People Blog http://blog.freepeople.com/2013/11/2in1-homemade-moisturizing-mask-hair-face/#ixzz2mTuxWSAT

One-Pot Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Stew)

Not my favorite Pasta e Fagioli, but its darn good.

For the beans:
8 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons salt, divided
1 pound dried cannellini beans

For the soup:
1/2 pound (5 to 6 pieces) thick-cut bacon , diced (or substitute 1 tablespoon olive oil for vegetarian version)
2 large yellow onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine or water
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound pasta
5 thyme sprigs
10 ounces baby spinach
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper to taste

Combine the water and 1 1/2 tablespoons salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the beans, cover the bowl, and let stand at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon. Once all the fat has rendered, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all put one tablespoon of bacon fat. Cook the onions slowly with 1/2 teaspoon of salt start to caramelize and turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the celery and cook just until the celery is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Remove half of the onion mixture and reserve with the bacon. Deglaze the pan with one cup of wine or water, scraping up any brown residue that has formed on the bottom of the pan.

Drain and rinse the beans and pour them into the pot with the remaining onions. Add the bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt, and enough water to cover the beans and onions by 1 inch. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour, then begin checking the beans for doneness. Check the beans every 15 minutes until they are completely soft and creamy. (This can take up to 2 1/2 hours depending on the age and exact variety of your beans.)

→ Make-Ahead Tip: At this point, the soup can be chilled and refrigerated for a day or two before serving. The soup (or a portion of it) can also be frozen for up to three months.

Set the pot of cooked beans over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add the bacon, reserved onions, thyme, pasta, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Add more water if necessary so the pasta is submerged.

Add the spinach to the pot and stir until it is wilted. Remove the bay leaf and the thyme stems. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.

This stew will keep for one week refrigerated.

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Cold(ish) Peanut Sesame Noodles

1/2 Package of Firm Tofu chopped into very small cubes  (or 2 chicken breasts)
4 teaspoons peanut or canola oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 pound soba noodles
1 English (seedless) cucumber
5 scallions (white and light green parts) chopped
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (toasted white ones would be fine, too)

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter*
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes, then remove and set aside. (skip this if its for the kids)

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, increase the heat slightly, and add the tofu. Cook until golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove tofu from the pan and set aside to cool.

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and cook nooedles according to the package directions - about 4 minutes. While it cooks, peel the cucumber and slice into thin strips about 4 inches long. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce, plus the garlic and ginger. When the soba is finished cooking, drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Add to the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat. Add the cucumber, scallions, and sesame seeds.
Slice the cooled tofuinto thin, diagonal strips and place on top of the noodles on each plate.

Plum and Blackberry Crumble Sundae

1 cup flour
1 cup oats
10 TBS butter
2/3 light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint blackberries
1 TBS Granulated Sugar
2 plums -pitted and sliced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 pint vanilla ice cream

heat oven to 350
mix together flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and using your hands, form mixture into large clumps
Freeze until hard (15 minutes)
Bake the crumble until golden brown 20-25 minutes - and let it slightly cool (i like when its hot and melts the fruit and ice cream)
Meanwhile, mash the blackberries and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Add plums, lemon juice and remaining pinch of salt and mix to combine.
Divide Ice Cream, fruit and juices and crumble among 4 glasses of bowls. Serve immediately.

Heidi's Oatcakes

These RULE for kids - great for breakfast on the go, camping, weekends to make together with them.
3 Cups Oats
2 Cups Flour (whole wheat or spelt)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoon salt (i like course sea salt)
1/4 cups flax seeds
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pumpkin or sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cane sugar (i use less, or none)
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 and butter a muffin tin (or use muffin papers)
Combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and walnuts (pumpkin/sunflower) in a large mixing bowl.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine the coconut oil, butter, maple syrup, and sugar and slowly melt together. Stir until the butter melts and sugar has dissolved (but no longer).
Pour coconut mixture over oat mix. Stir a bit and add eggs and stir again until everything comes together in a wet dough.
Spoon them into muffin cups -they wont rise, so make them as big as you want them to be.
Bake for 25 minutes until the edges are deeply golden. I like to cook them a little less, so they are more gooey - longer will make them crispier (messier with kids).
Give them to kids in the car on the way to school and everyone is happy.

Honey Spice Bread - NYT

175 grams (1/2 cup) honey

20 grams (2 tablespoons) brown sugar

62 grams (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour

62 grams (1/2 cup) rye flour

5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking powder

1 teaspoon ground anise

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 grams (1/4 teaspoon) salt

55 grams (1 extra large) egg

50 grams (3 tablespoons) milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a small (8 x 4-inch or smaller) bread pan and dust lightly with flour. Line with parchment if desired. Alternatively, use buttered and floured mini-muffin molds or silicone mini muffin molds.

2. Place the honey and sugar in a small saucepan, insert a thermometer and heat to 158 degrees while stirring with a rubber spatula.

3. Sift together the whole wheat flour, rye flour, baking powder, spices and salt and transfer them to the bowl of your mixer.

4. In a small bowl whisk together the milk and whole eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the milk and egg mixture. Stop the mixer and, using a rubber spatula or a plastic bowl scraper, scrape up any flour sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Add the warm honey mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape into the bread pan or spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons into each mini-mold, filling them 3/4 full.

5. Bake mini-cakes for 15 to 20 minutes, loaves for 40 to 45 minutes, until deep brown and a tester comes out clean. Remove from the heat, unmold and cool on a rack. If making a loaf, for best results, once cool wrap tightly in plastic and allow the cake to rest for a day.

Yield: About 40 mini-cakes or 1 small loaf, serving 12.

Quinoa Muffins

These are great to make if you have leftover Quinoa. The kids love them too!

What you need:
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Cup Quinoa Flour (or Rye, Buckwheat flours, etc)
1/4 TSP Salt
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Apple Sauce
1 1/4 Cup Yogurt (full fat)
1 TSP Vanilla Extract

What to do:
1. Heat the oven to 375
2. Combine Flours, Salt, Soda, Sugar, Quinoa
3. Beat Egg with applesauce, yogurt and vanilla
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients
5. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins
6. Bake for 25 minutes!

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Great way to enjoy Mac and Cheese!

What you need:

    1 pound elbow macaroni - try to get quinoa elbows if you can
    3 cups whole milk
    2 cups packed fresh spinach
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons flour
    4 cups grated white cheddar cheese
    2 cups chopped broccoli florets
    1 cup peas

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Cook pasta in salted water for about 3 minutes less than package directions call for, until al dente. Reserve half a cup of the pasta water and strain.
3. While the pasta is cooking. Place the milk and spinach in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.(you can also blend in the broccoli and peas if your kids are picky)
4. In a large pot melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking continuously over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until sauce is gently bubbling and starting to thicken.
6. Add reserved pasta water and cheese and whisk until melted. Stir in the pasta, broccoli and peas.
7. Transfer to a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish, cover with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the pasta is set.

Heaven!

Fruit and Seed Bars

Another Great Recipe for kids. These bars are super healthy and filling. And I love them - although its hard not to eat too many. This one is from www.weelicious.com too - but I altered it for what I had in my kitchen.

What you  need:

    1 cup old fashioned oats
    1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas)
    1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
    1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
    2 tablespoons flax seeds
    1 cup dried fruit (blueberries, raisins, currants, cranberries and/or cherries)
    1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
    1/3 cup honey
    1/2 cup sunflower oil (or coconut oil)

What you do:

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    2. In a food processor, pulse the first 6 ingredients until finely chopped (it’s ok if there are few coarsely chopped pieces).
    3. Add the honey and sunflower and pulse until starting to combine.
    4. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch pan, greased then line with parchment (or tin foil) and press down into the pan until    completely even.
    4. Bake for 25 minutes.
    5. Let the bars completely cool before cutting with a serrated knife into bars.
    6. Serve.

Black Bean Soup

This is a super easy soup recipe that its shockingly good. I got it from www.weelicious.com

What you need:

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 onion, diced
    3 garlic cloves, chopped
    2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
    1 32 oz chicken broth or vegetable stock, low sodium
    1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
    2 bay leaves
    2 teaspoons kosher salt
    1 cup water

What you do:
    1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes.
    2. Add chopped garlic and sauté an additional minute.
    3. Place the onion garlic mixture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
    4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 6).
    5. Using either a hand blender or traditional blender, puree the ingredients to your desired texture (I like to get it so a few pieces of beans are still visible so the soup is thick and still has a bit of texture).
    6. Top with a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.
    7. EAT!