Archives for May 2016

REM-Fit 300 Foam Mattress Review.

May 23, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Life., Product Review., Sponsored, Vegan 4 Comments

Pillars to successful athletic performance are fairly simple, right? Train hard. Fuel your body with the best food available. And get enough sleep to restore and rebuild. We all know how important sleep is but the fact remains that 40% of Americans get less than the suggestion 8 solid hours per night. Many getting less than 7 hours. That isn’t taking into consideration the quality of sleep either. Do you remember how old your mattress is? The average life of a mattress is 7-10 years. Sadly, if you’re like me… that timeframe has slipped through the cracks of a busy life.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the new REM-Fit 300 with the Motivate Collection system, which tracks all of your sleeping data. Now I will say that this product arrives in a different manner than your typical, old school mattress…
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— Knead to Cook

Sugar-free banana bread. Vegan. GF.

May 18, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 4 Comments

I’ve been bound and determined to revamp recipes removing sugar lately. The more I study the effects of sugar, I am really focused on removing it as much as possible in my recipes especially where fruit can be used as a natural sweetener. This sugar free banana bread turned out great and my family didn’t even miss the sugary sweetness. The key, when using bananas, is to use them when they are very ripe state so that the natural sugars take over and sweeten your recipe. This banana bread is fairly easy to make. I did add the sliced bananas on the top but next time I will opt for slicing them. Some reserved liquids came out post baking that can add a mushy texture to the bread – just my observation. I’ve made this bread in traditional bread pan, mini loaf pans and muffin tins. You just need to adjust your baking time and keep a watchful eye out.

This sugar free banana bread is great to freeze and pull out when you need it. I always have about 30 bananas on my counter and invariably some are very VERY ripe. I made several loaves to freeze while I’m on bed rest post meniscus repair surgery last week. It makes life a bit easier for my family not to worry about one more dish to make or bake. I love having healthy baked goods ready for snacks after school or swim practice. Plus breakfasts on the go are a bit easier too.

As for me, I’m on day 7 of bed rest. I’ve gotten through the rough patch post surgery crazy pain. I have to admit, I did opt for a nerve block in my leg post op and it didn’t help. Wednesday evening was really hard – REALLY and I handle pain well. I didn’t sleep and cried a bunch. I did rebound and had my first PT on Friday. I was able to bend my knee/leg to 90 degrees – which is expected around 2-3 weeks post op. I’ve been doing 500 quad lifts per day. Today is my 3rd PT visit and I look forward to weighted leg lifts and regaining mobility again. And to be honest… I’m excited to get out of the house. Okay enough of an update… let’s get on to the recipe.
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— Knead to Cook

Raw Asian Chopped Napa Salad. Vegan. Gluten Free.

May 16, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Asian inspired, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Raw, Salads, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free 2 Comments

I remember the very first time I had a similar salad and started my obsessive love for it. My oldest was in grade school and I was chairing a teacher appreciation luncheon. My friend Kelly brought a similar salad in and after lunch, we all sat down and ate some leftovers before cleaning up. This salad was crunchy, packed with Asian flavors and filled with peanuts. Everything that I love. I’ve obviously adapted this salad over the years removing the chicken as my protein and just focusing on the veggies. I make this salad on the weekends and we have it all week for lunches or sides with dinner. It’s great atop tacos for a crunchy element. It has such depth of flavor and I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love it. Think of all the summer parties you’ll host or attend… this recipe is perfect!

You can easily chop all veggies prior to making this dish. I make a big batch of the dressing and keep it in a lidded glass jar in my fridge. The dressing works well to marinade tofu or tempeh. It’s obviously great for other salads as well. Super easy to make and the prep is in the chopping. I hope you find this recipe as captivating as I do. Ha.
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— Knead to Cook

Lucy Let’s Go Seed and Nut Brittle. V. GF.

May 12, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Lucy Let's Go Post, Nuts, Party Foods, Snacks, Sponsored, Travel & eating, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Planes, trains and automobiles. Travel season will shortly be upon us and planning not only locations and friends/family to visit, clothes your going to wear but food/snacking is critical. Never thought of packing snacks? Smart snacking will keep your journey fueled and help keep you on track avoiding the pitfalls of fast food stops and convenient store goodies. Nuts & seeds are rich in energy, protein, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much discussed omega-3 fatty acids. Chia is packed with protein, fats, potassium, fiber and magnesium just to name a few. This snack is sweet, salty, crunchy and is totally portable.

Click here for the full recipe and post.
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— Knead to Cook

Turmeric Roasted Nuts. V. GF.

May 10, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Appetizers, Breakfast, Gift ideas, Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Nuts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

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I’ve been cooking up a storm lately trying to finish up food jobs and some recipes for my family. My knee surgery is tomorrow and I’ll be on bed rest for 2 weeks so the more food I can prep the better. Plus I promise to be sharing recipes I created during my healing.

So let’s get into the recipe. I love turmeric. I add it to my breakfast smoothies and decided to roast some of my favorite nuts with it. Turmeric is know for its anti-inflammatory properties as well as being known for fighting cancer. I’m doing anything to aid in my healing. Plus when your body is recovering from workouts and surgery – your body needs protein-rich foods. These have a lovely flavor that is very addictive. You can use any nut that you love in this recipe – suggestions for baking in the recipe. I used pistachios, cashews and almonds. Okay so time is ticking away and I need to get into my herb box to plant before the rain comes back.

Perfect snacking option for your summer travels or to keep in your car or purse for snacking ideas. These nuts also ship well and package up nicely for a homemade teacher/special gift idea. Enjoy!
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— Knead to Cook

Sugar-free Banana Cookies. V. GF.

May 5, 2016 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Cookies, Fitness., Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts, Party Foods, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 6 Comments

Happy May! Wow I officially feel like summer is here… well at least on the calendar despite our cool temps here in PA.

I know many cities had some snow this past weekend. We had a lot of rain and chilly temps. Our grass is a glorious green and all of our flowers are blooming. I just have been hesitant to do my planters due to the temperature drops. Hoping by this weekend we get into a nicer weather pattern soon.

So cookies. Who doesn’t love them? My kids always feel like they’re a special treat, and they are however these cookies are sugar free and healthy (gasp). They are perfect breakfast cookies or post workout. Grab and go. So moist and delicious and no need for sugar when using super ripe bananas. You can also add some walnuts for extra protein or some dark chocolate for a sweeter kick. I hope you whip these up and please let me know what you think 🙂 I’ve been eating these all week pre-workout running out the door, which I love. Fast food that’s healthy… simple solutions for a busy world.

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— Knead to Cook