Have a Magnificent Mommies Cooking Birthday Party

Magnificent Mommies Birthday Parties- Offers yummy kid friendly menus that kids prepare and eat. Everything your children will make is delicious and nutritious!

If the birthday boy or girl has allergies, no worries let us know what your special needs are and we will accommodate them, from nut allergies to dairy to wheat issues.

Dawn and trained staff are keen on showing children, that eating well, not only influences the health of our bodies and minds, but can be delicious and fun too!

From homemade personal whole grain pizzas - blue corn vegetarian tacos- colorful kebabs - citrus guacamole- fresh fruit popsicles – princess pancakes- creamy smoothies - seasonal muffins and soft chewy warm cookies - fresh fruit roll ups- to homemade chocolate, the list is endless. Just pick your child’s favorite fare or choose from specialized theme menu below.


Popular party themes include but are not limited to:
· Italian Extravaganza
· Princess Pancake Party
· Mexican Fiesta Party 

· Eloise on a Health Kick Tea Party
· Japanese Cushion Party
· Create-a-Cake
· All American not your Average Fast Food Party
· Cooking theme and menu of your choice

Call for special pricing!

In addition to a goody bag filled with fun recipes to make at home, with their decorated chefs hats and aprons; kids leave with an enhanced sense of pride and appreciation for what food does to their bodies and how food fuels their bodies.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

This recipe is great to make with your kids! The treats are versatile, so they can come up with their own way to enjoy them. My daughter likes to buy sticks from craft stores and put one in each to make pops. These are also great for after school playdates and parties. The yummy combination of chocolate and peanut butter is sure to please any guest!







Ingredients:
3/4 cup peanut Butter, almond butter or sunflower butter
1/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 bag dark chocolate chips
Splash of almond, soy or coconut milk


Directions:
1. Place first four ingredients  in a bowl and mix well.
2. Take a spoon and scoop mixture  onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or if you are in a rush a microwave.
4. When the chocolate starts melting a little, add about a splash of milk of choice so the chocolate is not TOO thick. 
5. Remove from heat, stirring rapidly.
6. Take your PB balls out of the freezer and carefully dip each in the chocolate to coat. Then place them back onto the wax paper and into the refrigerator.

Princess Toast--- For the Little Girl who Loves Pink Colored Treats

Ingredients:

4 slices whole- grain bread
3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave-- or more to taste
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
4 tablespoons mascarpone/ ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Toast bread in a toaster.
2. Heat pan Add syrup, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir for about one minute.
3. Spread 1 cheese on each piece of toast. Top with the warm berries.

Chocolate Berry Brownie Squares

Ingredients:
½ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
¼ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped nuts / goji berries/ fresh strawberries
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place ½ cup chocolate chips in Food Processor and pulse until the consistency of coarse sand
3. Pulse in coconut flour, salt and baking soda until combined
4. Pulse in eggs, agave, oil and vanilla
5. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pyrex dish
6. Sprinkle walnuts and remaining chocolate chips over batter
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Cool and serve!

How to Get Rid of Headaches for Good

21 Home Remedies for Migraines and Headaches

Eliminate the cause

This is more of a long term approach, but it's by far the most effective. Food additives like aspartame and MSG can cause migraine headaches. So can food allergies like gluten intolerance. Find out if your diet is causing your headaches, and you'll be on the road to real recovery.

I learned this at age eight when i found out I had an iodine allergy. Nobody believed me but till this day anytime I eat anything with high levels of salt I get intense head aches and get extremely nauseous. Finding out, what caused me discomfort, label detecting and allergy sensitivities is the root of my practice and is my passion. What we put in our body determines the outcome of our lives.. There is no one diet for anyone. Food can make you thrive or slowly make you sick. Learn how to thrive through the proper food choices. I will be on a radio show next week talking about this very subject.

1. Peppermint oil. Rubbed on the forehead, temples or back of the neck, peppermint essential oil has a way of dissolving headaches into nothingness.

2. Willow bark. Known as the natural alternative to aspirin, willow bark is actually what aspirin was originally made from. It contains the pain-relieving compound salicin, and is one of the most common natural remedies for headaches.

3. Take a nap. Ever notice how the world seems renewed after a nap? Sometimes just a simple power nap is enough for your body to reboot and squash your headache.

4. Eat something! Headaches are often a sign that you've gone too long without eating a balanced meal. In fact, my last headache is a good example: I'd gotten caught up in working and hadn't eaten in a while. Next thing you know, I had a raging headache pounding my brain. Needless to say, I couldn't work much after that. An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure in this case! 

5. Acupuncture. This increases blood flow to tissues.

6. Water. Headaches can be a sign of dehydration. Sometimes drinking a tall glass of pure water is enough to stop a headache in its tracks. Staying hydrated is also a good way to prevent headaches from occurring in the first place.

7. Massage. A good massage improves circulation and is obviously relaxing, and it might be just what you need to melt away that headache. In any case, we all need more excuses to get a massage!

8. See a chiropractor. Being out of alignment can definitely give you head pain. Many report that regular visits to the chiropractor is highly effective for relieving headaches and migraines. 

9. Feverfew. This herb has been used since ancient times to treat pain, including headaches. 

10. Hot showers. As with a massage, I'm always up for an excuse to take a hot shower. I always feel more relaxed and rejuvenated afterward, which goes a long way in relieving headache pain. 

11. Acupressure. Not quite the same as acupuncture (no needles), one suggestion is to pinch the spot between your thumb and index finger. Gently increase pressure until there's a dull ache, then hold until your head pain subsides.

12. Magnesium. If you're deficient in magnesium, it could very well be the cause of your headaches and migraines. Correct the deficiency, end the migraines. And magnesium supplements can get rid of a headache that's already begun as well.

13. Cold packs. Whether an ice pack or a cool washcloth, cold can definitely ease headache pain.

14. Yoga. improves circulation, relaxation, healthy blood pressure, and heightened neurotransmitter levels. All of these combined make for a great headache remedy.

15. Cherries. Cherries contain the active compound Quercetin, which is a powerful antioxidant and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.Users report that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice helps tremendously with headache pain.

16. Get outside. Fresh air is vitally important for health, as is getting adequate sunlight. A few minutes outdoors can be surprisingly refreshing, even enough to relieve your head pain.

17. DLPA. This supplement (a form of the amino acid phenylalanine), naturally increases dopamine levels, which can help ease pain of all kinds.

18. A cup of tea. Not only is a warm cup of tea relaxing, but a tea that uses herbs like peppermint or willow bark can also directly help reduce your headache pain. Green tea is also especially helpful, as it contains a small amount of caffeine, which some people find helps with headaches and migraines.

Apple Squares

These are a perfect treat on cold fall and winter days!

Ingredients:

1 cup apples, chopped
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped




Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour salt and baking soda
3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry
5. Fold chopped apples and dates into batter
6. Scoop batter into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish
7. Bake for 22-30 minutes.
8. Cool and serve!

Raw Papaya Pudding

Ingredients
1 large papaya
Squeeze of lime juice
2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 dates
Lime zest and cinnamon for serving

Directions
1. Blend all ingredients until creamy in blender.
2. Pour into serving bowls and garnish with lime zest and cinnamon.
3. Can be placed in the fridge to chill for a few hours before serving. Keeps for a day sealed in the fridge.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Braggs amino acids
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, egg, quinoa, raisins, ketchup, braggs amino acids, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until well combined.
3. Using a table spoon or melon scoop make 20 bite-size meatballs.
4. Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve with tooth picks. Kids tend to eat anything that is on a stick

Tip: For the quinoa, cook 1/4 cup dry quinoa according to package directions. The yield will be 3/4 cup.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 small can pineapple juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Whisk together ingredients.
2. Place in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, about 3 minutes.
4. Serve and dip!

Chicken Parmesan Sticks

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/4 cup cheese, Parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray/ Spectrum Organic Olive Oil
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat a large baking sheet in oven for 5 minutes.
3. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish.
4. Saute garlic and oil
5. Dip chicken in garlic oil; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Coat preheated baking sheet with cooking spray, and place chicken on pan. Coat chicken with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until done and golden. Slice and serve with sauce for dipping.

Get Healthy this Year!

If you are trying to change your family's diet and eat healthier, then checking labels and asking what’s in the food on the menu is a great start. But there’s a simple, healthy habit that many Americans are forgetting about when it comes to eating better.

Food and health journalist and author of Food Matters, Mark Bittman, brings up a good point in his recent New York Times article which looks at the eating habits of Americans. It turns out that we hardly cook for ourselves at all! In his words, “Real food is cooked by real people!”. Somehow, it doesn’t seem surprising that real people are cooking less than ever before.

Cooking is becoming a skill of the past, and many Americans barely know where to begin. Not knowing the basics of cooking sets us up to perpetuate the “convenience” habit of getting take-out, eating fast food and, in general, relying on heavily processed foods.

The easiest way to eat healthfully and control your diet is to make or prepare the food you eat for yourself (and/or your family). This way you know what you are putting into your body, and you also can focus on eating combinations of whole foods (items with the least amount of processing).

The average American clocks in 35 hours of television a week -- ironically much of it spent watching cooking shows -- so it doesn’t appear that a lack of time is the real reason that people don’t cook.

If you don’t feel confident about cooking in your kitchen or living space, try to figure out how you can increase your cooking habits. You might even find that you get great satisfaction and that you actually enjoy preparing your own food. If you need support or recipes check out my website for in home cooking classes or see my blog for recipes.

2011 is the perfect time to get healthy.

Fighting a Cold-- Homemade Chicken Stock

I was feeling a little under the weather today, so I am cooking up a yummy remedy. Nothing works better then homemade Chicken Stock. Soup and a little ginger tea definitely fights the winter sniffles.

Ingredients:
1 whole free-range chicken
4 quarts cold filtered water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

Directions:
1. Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
2. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. 
3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. 
4. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.
5. Let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. 
6. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Baked Banana Frittata

Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:
6 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 ripe bananas, diced
3/4 cup nuts, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter a 10” round or 13×9” baking dish.
3. Whisk together eggs, butter and coconut milk or cream until frothy.
4. Add the sweeteners, cinnamon and vanilla and stir until well mixed.
5. Add the banana and nuts. Mix gently.

6. Pour batter into baking dish.

7. Bake until golden brown and fully cooked.

8. Enjoy!