Kari’s Kitchen

recipes below

My Kitchen.

This is where I spend a large quantity of time.  Because of this, my next home will have a HUGE and I mean HUGE commercial grade kitchen to allow me some comfort as I hang out with my fridge, juicer, stove, blender, dishwasher and all those cute little appliances.  I need a place where I can let my creativity go free when it comes to food.

I laugh when I think about this part of my life because I have never been fond of cooking.  I still haven’t reached an APEX of divine delight while cooking, but I can say that I enjoy it more and I’m dedicated to sticking with it since I know the wonderful benefits it has on my and my family!  Now, BAKING is a different story.  In fact it’s more like a love story, if you want to get detailed.  I’ve always had an eye {and pallet} for real butter, dark chocolate, flaky crusts, moist cakes – and basically anything that is used in baking.  Just writing about it makes me smile.

Growing up I was always the elected one to bake something sweet for the family to enjoy and I haven’t stopped baking since!  Eighteen years ago I became interested {soon turned into passionate} about eating healthy.  I’ve tried every diet, fad and scam out there. Don’t make fun – so have you!  I finally came to a realization almost 3 years ago, that it’s not about diets or fads or magic pills – instead it is about developing a healthy eating lifestyle!  Once that revelation hit me, life changed in my kitchen.  Am I partial to a certain genre of eating?  No – in fact I think so many different eating ‘fads’ {I still think many are fads} are too restrictive to truly nourish the human body.  BUT I have found many wonderful truths in many of these eating genres and I have found completeness in combining many of these ideals to create a healthy and balanced eating lifestyle!

When you look at the state of health we, as Americans, are in, it’s clear that something isn’t working!  With all the FDA guidelines, diet and exercise books, gyms located on every corner, ‘advanced health care’ {compared to other countries}, hospitals filled with the most highly trained doctors – we are still sick, detiorating and dying! Without going into tons of detail here in this post – my passion is to educate people on feeding their bodies the foods it NEEDS in order to flourish at optimum levels!  To read more in depth about my reasoning for becoming a health coach, please visit my website LIVING STRONG HEALTH AND WELLNESS!

Below you will find links to my favorite recipes for snacks appetizers, entrees, desserts, drinks and more!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  Sometimes all it takes is a little extra time to make a truly healthy meal, but don’t let that scare you!  You and your family are worth it!

If there are any recipes you like and want to post on your blog – please don’t rewrite the recipe – just send a link back to the page URL where the recipe is posted.  If you have adapted one of my recipes and want to post it on your blog, please add a link to my blog post saying ‘recipe adapted from…’.  If you are unsure of copyright laws concerning blog content, specifically recipes, refer to Recipe Attribution over at Food Blog Alliance.

NEW POSTS ARE ADDED WEEKLY…KEEP CHECKING BACK

MISCELLANEOUS

Tips For Eating Healthy During The Holidays
What’s In My Kitchen? A Well Stocked Pantry!

 

SPICES/FLAVORINGS/SWEETENERS/

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

 

MENU PLANNING / MEAL ORGANIZATION

How Do I Organize My Menu Planning Each Week?
What We’re Eating This Week {11.7.11}

 

DESSERTS

The Taste of Autumn
Spiced Pumpkin Pie and Flaky Butter Crust
Scrump-DILLY-Umptious Cake Pops
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
The World’s Best Sugar Cookies
Nutrient Dense Breakfast Brownies
Our Favorite Breakfast Cookie
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Goodness
RAW Power Bites

 

SNACKS, SIDES AND APPETIZERS

Restaurant Style Salsa
Flaky Cheddar Biscuits
Sweet and Salty Seasoned Pepitas {aka Pumpkin Seeds}
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Goodness
RAW Power Bites

 

MAIN DISH

Savory Chicken Chili – Crock-Pot Style
Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Cheesy & Meaty Quiche {Grain Free}

 

BEVERAGES

Make Your Own Kefir {Tutorial}
True Vitamin Water
The Power Punch In Green Smoothies
What You’ll Find In My Green Smoothies
Let’s Kick It Up A Notch

 

NATURAL HEALTH

Natural Remedy for Sore Throats

 

THE GRAIN CHALLENGE 2012

The Grain Challenge Starts February 20th
The Grain Challenge – The Purpose
The Grain Challenge – The Foods You’ll Eat
The Grain Challenge – Reminders and Meal Ideas
The Grain Challenge – Day One, Here We Go!
The Grain Challenge – Let’s Kick It Up A Notch
The Grain Challenge – Week Three