Keeping it Fresh

Loaded with antioxidants, flavonoids, and fiber. We love to pair them with honey almond butter for a sweet snack, mix into a smoothie, or serve on top of Greek yogurt.

Filled with polyphenols, vitamin C and antioxidants. Locally we have access to dried heirloom blueberries, and fresh blueberry juice in concentrated forms so we are really able to ramp up our polyphenol intake, which for two busy parents is very important. We love to mix them into a smoothie, drizzle them on our blueberry almond yogurt cheesecake and of course our crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt. 

Packed full of potassium and pectin (a type of fiber) they offer a huge energy boost. From smoothies to crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt, you can never go wrong.  

High in manganese, vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber. They are typically a seasonal fruit however, we are in Washington state, so we have ample farmers who grow these year-round.  These go great in a smoothie or on top of crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt.

A great source of both vitamin B and C and packed full of important minerals like amino acids and potassium. If we add onion, then we probably will add celery when it comes to cooking. Everything from southwest chicken enchilada chili to pho.  

We cheat on butter with coconut oil. All. The. Time. And honestly, we like it better. Our main dishes come out less greasy and slimy and our baked goods are lighter and have immensely less fat. We could go on for hours about the amazing health, wellness benefits and about a thousand different uses for it but instead we made a post for that in our blog! It is rich in amino acids, has zero calories and is a killer anti-bacterial. From chest rub, to sautéing vegetables, as well as sweetened shaved coconut on top of yogurt, it is an incredible vegetable. Something to keep in mind when using this in baked goods as a substitute for butter, is to be conscious of the other wet ingredients because there are times when you don’t need as much coconut oil. We typically start with 1/3 less coconut oil than the recipe calls for and add additional as needed.  

An excellent anti-inflammatory and something that we eat 2-3 raw cloves of every single day to help both Chad and I’s conditions, as well as putting it in just about all our food. From our honey lemon ginger tea, to southwest chicken enchilada chili, pho, and almost out of time spaghetti (all of these are in our recipes section) there are countless other things we cook this in. Keep in mind if you do decide to start eating raw garlic, it is suggested that you take it after you have eaten and with at least 8 ounces of water to avoid stomach cramps.

They are known for helping to eliminate harmful free radicals throughout the body as well as providing a boost to the immune system. We typically buy 2lb fresh in the beginning of the month and use Ziploc bags to break them up into servings (4 servings per bag) and freeze them. Green beans are great for a classic green bean casserole or dusted with almonds and butter and paired with a hot sandwich.  

Great for ocular health as they are high in vitamin A. They are excellent in a scramble, as a topping on pho, or honey salmon (paired with cumin carrots in our recipes), or on a green salad. This vegetable is one of the easiest to slip into any recipe or use as a garnish. 

Containing capsaicin, which has been known to help with cholesterol, diabetes, as well as easing pain and inflammation. Breakfast burritos, scrambles, soups, chili, spaghetti sauce, there are so many recipes we use peppers in! I do not like spicy food, and Chad will even joke that bread is too hot for me, so I chose sweet peppers and sauté them in coconut oil, so we can all enjoy that incredible flavor without mom feeling like she got a kick in the backside.  

Packed full of vitamin C and known for helping to balance your body’s ph. as well as being a great bacteria fighter. We use lemon in every room of our house to keep things sanitized and smelling fresh! Squeeze and use for your own lemon juice (1 lemon will fill a 6oz. glass bottle), I also use the peel in our all-purpose spray, or put it in a recipe like pineapple upside down cake, honey salmon, or honey lemon ginger tea. 

An amazing healing root that we have been happy to see in more and more grocers. We grate this on top of fried rice, in pho when we are feeling extra crummy, as well as our famous lemon honey ginger tea. We also take Ginger Root supplements to help ourselves gain even more benefit from this incredible root.  

They contain two important flavonoids, lycopene and lutein, both works together help prevent cancer and heart disease. Another flavonoid, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin, are excellent at helping to protect the body from free radicals. They can be a little bit pricey but besides being in our crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt it is also great to just snack on. 

Packed full of phytonutrients and starch and a staple in our house. Great in a roast, a breakfast burrito, mashed for a perfect complimentary side, or sliced thin and baked in oil for French fries (one of mommies personal favorite foods).

They are known to have excellent antioxidant properties and have many beneficial minerals, and vitamins. They are seasonal and honestly a little pricey, so these are something we don’t get all time but a great addition to smoothies, or in crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt.

Filled with antioxidants, vitamin C, minerals, and are also an amazing aphrodisiac for mommy and daddy because they have been known to help with circulation. Another seasonal fruit but so delicious and at least in our area readily available almost the entire year (some months are better than others). Blended in a smoothie or in our crunchy chocolate banana berry yogurt recipe.  

Some say this is the most effective nutritional supplement on the planet, this root contains curcumin which has been known to not only have immune boosting properties, but it also is an excellent anti-inflammatory. Another amazing healing root vegetable that we have only been working with for about 3 years, but we are again amazed at how underestimated and underused it is. It’s in our honey lemon ginger tea and we also like to grate a little bit on top of butter chicken or curry. 

A powerful super food with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory as well as anti-carcinogenic properties, they are known to not only help prevent a multitude of health complications, but they help to improve overall health and wellness. This is another vegetable that we find ourselves putting in a multitude of dishes, actually I would have to say nearly all of our dishes, including southwest chicken enchilada chili, honey salmon, pho, not so cheesy lasagna, almost out of time spaghetti, breakfast burritos, and so many more.