How to Sneak in Flax Seeds and a Smoothie Recipe

Hi there!  Oh man, surprise surprise! Now I can freely use my computer and get back on my regular blogging schedule!  Well, I don’t know if I ever actually had a schedule…but, you know what I mean.   And the reason for that is the fact that we both had to give up an arm and a leg [and our heads] for this beauty.

After getting an estimate on my old and beloved HP Pavilion laptop that my dad gave me 4 years ago, we decided that $300 to repair a device that was close to its demise is probably not the wisest way to go.  It also needed new batteries and a few other fix-ups, so we knew that it was time to move on.

*sniff*  You have served me well, HP.

But!  I seriously feel so spoiled, blessed, and over the clouds over the amazingness that Sony VAIO is!  I mean, not only is the design pretty slick looking (which isn’t important in the end but I’m not complaining), but the material it’s made of is very sturdy, and after countless of reviews, it seems as though the hardware and software system are top notch.  The laptop on its own cost approximately $680 since it was on sale.  Seriously, thank you Jesus! I was trying to compare it to MAC laptops because I was willing to inherit Greg’s MAC and let him get a MAC Pro since his job requires him to be on the computer constantly.  In the end we felt that it was too much of a splurge for us at the moment and went with the Sony VAIO instead.  Anyway, I’ve always been a PC girl so I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to learn the Apple ways!

And because we are back to a somewhat regular blogging schedule, let’s get back into the groove of a What I Ate Wednesday post, shall we?   Thank you Jen for always connecting us through your WIAWs!

Breakfast

 For Greg I cooked up a batch of pancakes made out of white flour, whole wheat pastry flour, flax seeds (shhhh don’t tell), coconut oil, and greek yogurt.  The rest of the ingredients are the normal pancake ingredients you’d find in any recipe.  I’ve found out that in order to incorporate very nutritional ingredients like flax seeds in the diet of picky eaters, a few great ways to do that are the following:

• Stir it into pancake batter.  But not too much!  About 1/2~1 tsp should be plenty.
• Sprinkle them on top of french toast while it’s cooking on the pan.  They caramelize nicely once you flip them.
• Include just a sprinkle in their favorite smoothies or yogurt mixes, but make sure to blend it all together if it’s in a smoothie!

I know that these are pretty basic tips, but for people like Greg who just really make an effort to include Omega-3’s in their diet but don’t like the taste of certain seeds, “hiding” them in recipes is a great way to go about it.

This morning I was craving hot oats, so I made a bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal with the addition of Amaranth.  I really love the texture of cooked Amaranth because it makes everything heartier and incredibly chewy.  Even 1 TBSP of it goes a long way, so let me know if you give that a try!  I topped everything with granola, coconut flakes, sunflower seeds and Sunbutter that’s hiding underneath the pile.

Lunch

Greg and I have a favorite Indian restaurant just about 10 minutes away from home.  We absolutely love their food and it’s probably the best Indian cuisine we’ve ever had outside of India.  Last night we ate there and I used up the leftovers for lunch today.  I put some cheddar and feta cheese on the garlic naan and had the cashew chicken and bell peppers on the side.  Hey, I told you that I eat a mishmash of things for lunch!

Last week I got a huge young Thai coconut at Whole Foods and finally broke into it today.  The water is so tasty and refreshing that I couldn’t stop sipping it.  There’s so much water in this thing that it would make a great post-workout hydration drink.  I can’t wait to make some healthy treats with this as I’ve been inspired by this gal’s amazing recipes.  Yum!

I also have a recipe that the G-man loves.  It’s filling, healthy, and best of all—the pickiest drinker might like it.

Strawberries ‘n Coconut Cream Smoothie

This smoothie is filled with healthy fats that derive from coconut milk.  I prefer to use full fat milk for this drink, but it would still be good with low fat if preferred.  The almond butter gives it a boost of protein and creaminess, so make sure to include it!  ; )

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 4 strawberries
• 3 TBSP coconut milk
• 3 TBSP soy or almond milk
• 1/4 C water
• 3 ice cubes
• 5 drops of Stevia
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 TBSP almond butter
• coconut flakes for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Grab your blender or Magic Bullet and blend together the banana and ice.  Blend until the ice is roughly crushed.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until well incorporated.
2. Garnish with coconut flakes.

 Well, I hope you’re having a blessed week and see you soon!  Woop woop!

Are you a PC or MAC person? 

Have you tried young Thai coconut before?  Or have you drank natural coconut water?

What’s your most favorite recently discovered restaurant?

Love,

Ellie <33

Tagged as: breakfast, coconut recipes, food, healthy eating, Lunch, oatmeal, protein, WIAW