Hello! I know it's been awhile since I've written anything. I've been a little preoccupied since my mother's back surgery. I went home to Oregon to be with her and the family at the time of the operation. There were some minor complications that prolonged her hospital stay and made my reluctant return to New York especially difficult. It seems to have stopped my creative flow for a bit. I did however, discover a few new gluten-free related things in the Portland area, so I'll be sure to share them with you soon.
I've been keeping up with what's been going on within the gluten-free world and I've decided to jump back into the swing of things by heeding Gluten Free By The Bay's super sweet suggestion that we all contribute recipes for Karina's new diet. (aka Gluten-free Goddess).
I made a list of what she can't have and then compared it to what she still can have. There are still some pretty amazing foods for her to celebrate, such as chocolate! I've also been wanting to introduce everyone to the probiotic superfood kefir. It made Dr. Perricone's top ten superfoods list which was featured on the Oprah show. Basically, probiotics are friendly bacteria that help your intestines out. Since most celiacs have whacked out intestinal health due to years of being undiagnosed, it makes sense to me for us all to help our tummies out as much as we can. Thus, my adventure into buying, making and "breeding" kefir grains, or as I jokingly call them, "my kefir babies". I make my own kefir out of coconut milk. It's not as delicious on it's own as dairy yogurt is, but blended into things it adds a creaminess and flavor that rivals regular yogurt. Besides, it is so very good for you! I'll write about it more in depth later. I'm going to send Karina one of my kefir "babies" asap so she can make her own coconut kefir. If you have dairy allergies, just use plain coconut milk in the following recipe. If you'd like to try making your own coconut kefir, drop me a line and maybe I'll send you some "babies" too!
Chocolate Kefir Power Smoothie
Here is my super easy, healthy, delicious and perfect for summertime heat treat. This is so versatile it can be a meal replacement, snack or dessert.
In a blender add:
1/2 cup coconut kefir or plain coconut milk (You can buy dairy based kefir now at most grocery stores. It will be near the yogurt.)
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder. (More and more studies are showing the health benefits of unadulturated cocoa. I found this one online that is made from only 100% cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. honey
2 heaping Tbsp. vanilla rice protein powder
1 frozen banana
Blend until smooth. Add more liquid or ice if necessary or desired.
Enjoy!
*written by Kelly
