A BIT OF FUNCTION

A BIT OF FUNCTION: Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies : Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies These are delicious, and a must try! Lately I have been abstaining from my nightly glass of wine with di...

Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies These are delicious, and a must try! Lately I have been abstaining from my nightly glass of wine with dinner. Thus I have been noticing a sweet tooth for chocolate, and have been scouring the internet for delectable recipes. This recipe comes from 101 cookbooks. She recommends using organic powdered sugar, and dutch processed cocoa powder. I used both along with organic eggs and vanilla.  The toasted walnuts make them special. Toast the walnut halves in a heavy bottom pan, watching them closely. Once they are starting to turn slightly darker, and you can smell them remove from pan and let cool. The cooking time can be tricky you don't want to over or under bake these cookies - under bake, and they are too floppy and crumbly, over bake and your cookies will cool to a crisp. I experimented and with 2 Tablespoons of batter per cookie 13 minutes was perfect. No mixer needed just a bowl and wooden spoon. * 3 cups walnut halves, toasted and coo

A BIT OF FUNCTION: Kale Chips : Homemade Kale Chips Try these @ home they are a fun finger food, that is a healthy snack for the entire family. INGREDIENTS 1 bunch o...

Homemade Kale Chips Try these @ home they are a fun finger food, that is a healthy snack for the entire family. INGREDIENTS 1 bunch of kale, washed and dried thoroughly olive oil, for drizzling sea salt, for sprinkling DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into chip size pieces. Lay on a baking sheet, make sure to not crowd, I used 2 rimmed baking sheets.  Toss the kale with the olive oil and salt, I found this easier to use your hands to toss the kale to make sure each leaf was coated evenly. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food. Let me know how your family likes this one!!

A BIT OF FUNCTION: Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin : Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin This is a delicious dish that can be eaten hot or cold. In my previous post on turmeric I ci...

Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin This is a delicious dish that can be eaten hot or cold. In my previous post on turmeric I cited that when combined with cauliflower turmeric has health benefits for prostrate cancer. Check my previous post for all the other health benefits of consuming turmeric. 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tablespoon of ground cumin 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper sea salt 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro 2 teaspoons of chopped mint 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl combine the oil, cumin, turmeric, crushed red pepper and salt. 2. On a large rimmed baking sheet drizzle the cut cauliflower with the spiced oil mixture. Use your hands to coat all pieces. Spread the cauliflower in an even layer and roast until caramelized and brown. Approximately 45 minutes, tossing once  or twice so all sides brown evenly. 3. Meanwhile roast the pine nuts in a cast ir

TURMERIC SPICED POPCORN Try this spiced popcorn recipe, or modify the idea to suit your tastes. Any combination of spices could be used. I cooked half a cup of popcorn in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. I used a popcorn maker, but you could easily use a heavy pot on the stove. After it popped I sprinkled turmeric, cayenne pepper, and powdered ginger on it. The medicinal properties of turmeric have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from Cancer to Alzheimer's disease. 14 reasons to add turmeric to your diet: 1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns. 2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostrate cancer. (Check in later for  my recipe for roasted cauliflower with turmeric) 3. Prevented breast cancer fro

Gluten-Free Fudgy Brownies I love dark chocolate, and I have passed the love of chocolate on to my daughter Makenna. Together we made these brownies for the first time. I am trying to incorporate more gluten-free cooking, so I can cut down on the refined white flour I consume. These brownies  are delicious! After tasting them Makenna put them out for her brother and Dad, who are on their way home from a baseball tournament. After reading lots of recipes on line I adapted this one. *2/3 cup almond flour *1/3 brown rice flour *1 cup of 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips *6 tablespoons unsalted butter *1/2 teaspoon sea salt *3/4 cup sugar *1 teaspoon vanilla *2 eggs *1 cup walnuts Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with foil, then grease the foil with butter. 2 .Mix the rice flour to the almond flour and set aside. 3. Place the chocolate, butter and salt in a double boiler to melt. Stir constantly until fully

Here is a pretty picture of my favorite garden rose. It is going to be a Beautiful weekend here in sunny San Diego. Tonight I am making salmon cakes, and roasted cauliflower with turmeric. I will post recipes. What are your plans this weekend?

How many times have you been making cookies and wanted to eat the cookie dough? It is one of my favorite things to do, however it is something I have never allowed my kids to do because of the raw eggs. This recipe is great for the kids to make because they can eat it raw, in fact the finished product is raw. When I saw this on Pinterest I  knew I had to try it. An afternoon snack, or pre baseball or gymnastics. They are super Yummy and so easy. I will be storing them in the freezer. Enjoy... Let me know how your family likes them. First just dump all ingredients into the mixer. 1 cup of oatmeal , 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1/3 cup of honey, 1 cup of coconut flakes, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, 1 tsp of vanilla. Mix until blended. Chill dough for 30 minutes. Then roll into balls. Couldn't be easier! Hope you like them as much as we do.

Olive Oil for Breakfast... I have started eating my morning oatmeal with extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top with a touch of sea salt. It is very satisfying and you avoid a sugary start to your day. Make your oatmeal by cooking it in water, when it is done drizzle olive oil and salt on top. YUM! Benefits of olive oil *Reduce Blood Pressure...Heart Healthy *Inhibit the growth of some cancers *Benefit people at risk for or with Diabetes...Blood Sugar Controller *Lessen the severity of asthma and arthritis...Anti-Inflammatory Properties *Actually help your body maintain a lower weight...A Fat That Helps You Lose Fat Benefits of oatmeal *Low calorie food; stops cravings *Provides high levels of fiber, low levels of fat, and high levels of protein. *Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes *Removes your bad cholesterol *Contains lignans which protect against heart disease and cancer... lignans protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers

Spring is here and a beautiful spring it is. It is time to get outside and enjoy our bodies and the weather. I have been absent from blogging for a few months, I will be posting new blogs on a regular basis. I would love to hear from you about things you are doing in your own lives to feel and be healthy. As far as myself goes I am on a constant quest for new and exciting recipes. I will be sharing these with you as well as some new exercises we are working on at FunctionetiKs.com to keep our posture anatomically correct. Good posture allows the body to look and feel it's BEST!