Celebrate Cinco De Mayo in style with fun decorations & traditional (and some not so traditional) food this year! Details Below…
Photo Credit: Outdoor Party - Party Food - Fish Tacos - Tacos - Fruit Cup - Guacamole - Pork & Salsa – Festive Table
You can change your life by changing your meals! Let me show you how to live and look your best. This week, I want you to throw these super food favorites into your cart and onto your plate. 
Blueberries are an absolute favorite in the Bentson house! They are an easy addition to our oatmeal, muffins, breads, pancakes and salads; plus, they pack a mighty powerful antioxidant punch. A recent study shows that eating more berries might boost your memory. Whenever you can, take a walk on the wild side. Wild blueberries have even more powerful phytochemical that fight cancer.
Pumpkin seeds make the perfect mid-morning or afternoon snack. What I love most about these little seeds is their anti-inflammatory effect. Aching joints and sore muscles, these seeds might ease the pain. Additionally, they contain phytosterols that lower cholesterol.
Oranges are a great way to start your day. Packed with awesome antioxidants, you will be an infection, cancer, diabetes, inflammation and heart disease fighting machine by lunch! Add a little zest to your salads and favorite baked goods to get more limonene which will help your body beat off skin cancer.
Although eggs are most often viewed as a breakfast staple, the frittata makes for a perfect supper! Check out our fabulous frittata recipe. Eggs are a great source of healthy fat and protein. Eat more eggs to protect your eyes (with vision boosting lutein and xeaxanthin) and your memory (lutein).
Cucumbers are such a refreshing vegetable. They are full of cancer and heart disease fighting properties. Try my cucumber sandwich recipe or add cucumber to your favorite iced tea or water.
Make fabulous food choices every day at every meal. It’s time for you to feel and look your best!
If You Love Chocolate, You Will Love These YouAnew Chocolate Coconut Sugar Cookies!
What you’ll need
Canola Oil Spray
1 Cup Melted Coconut Oil (try Spectrum Organics)
1 Cup of Coconut Sugar (try Sweet Tree Coconut Palm)
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate/Cocoa (unsweetened)
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1 tsp Salt
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
2 Cups Gluten Free Flour Mix (try Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills)
1/4 Cup GROUND Flax
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tsp Xanthan Gum (note: if you are using whole wheat flour or a gluten free mix that already contains Xanthan, omit this ingredient)
What you’ll do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray canola oil on 2 baking sheets. You’ll start by melting the coconut oil in a sauce pan over low heat. You’ll need 2 bowls. In the first bowl, combine the liquefied coconut oil, coconut sugar, chocolate, applesauce, salt, and vanilla. In the second bowl, combine the flour, flax, baking soda, and xanthan. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the into the bowl with the coconut oil. Form little cookie balls and flatten onto baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until baked through. Enjoy!
Nutritional Info: Makes about 2 dozen cookies. 2 cookies have 72 Calories, 4 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of protein. The ground flax will add heart and skin healthy Omega-3s, the coconut oil may help to boost your metabolism (burn calories, baby) and the applesauce is full of antioxidants. Fabulous!!
Stay tuned for more YouAnew Baking Favorites!
So it’s birthday time in the Bentson house, and the question on everyone’s mind is how to make fun party treats without all of the typical ingredients. YouAnewers are always asking me what to bake, make and serve for special occasions. For those of you who are not culinarily inclined, I found a few awesome bakeries that use almost all YouAnew ingredients (no refined sugar, no preservatives, no processed ingredients). I am totally in love with Babycakes NYC which has adorable and quirky bakeries in New York, Los Angeles, and Downtown Disney Orlando (we have even special ordered cakes to be sent to our favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World!!). Almost all of their products are gluten, dairy, refined sugar (some do have evaporated cane juice), soy free and vegan. The breads and cupcakes are divine! Don’t live close enough to go? They ship all of their baked goods right to your door. Plus, you can buy the cake mix and frosting online.
I created mini cupcakes using cake mix (garbanzo-fava bean flour, rice flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum) and adding Agave, Applesauce, Canola Oil and Vanilla. I then used Babycakes Frosting to adorn my cupcakes. It was a little tricky to work with (it required a lot of tender care, working and stirring), but it tasted amazing. I then topped the morsels with raspberries and blackberries.
If you live in the Philadelphia area, you might also like Sweet Freedom Bakery. Everything at this treatery is designed to suit those with the most common food allergies. They are a totally gluten, dairy, sugar, peanut, corn and egg free establishment! They too will ship their goods nationwide.
My mom is a buy it in a bakery kind of gal, but I really love to make my own. So, if you are feeling adventurous and channeling your inner Cake Boss, it’s time to get baking. For our birthday bash, I decided on cookies, cake, and banana bread. Stay Tuned…tomorrow we bake YouAnew Chocolate Coconut Sugar Cookies!!
