Corn and Tomato Saute Salad

Oh how I love summer, not only for its warm, sunny and lazy days but for its fresh produce.  These days having 2 wonderful and busy boys, easy, fresh and simple dishes are key.  This side salad is perfect and so yummy, who would of thought corn and tomato would go together?!  Just remember too seek out not GMO corn, it can be very toxic to our health.

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SWEEEET Potato Casserole

Oh I how I love this recipe, I have been serving it for awhile now, it is almost like a side dish/dessert rolled into one.  My sweet son loves it and all the adults go back for seconds.  You can do it two ways with dairy butter or coconut butter or with a gluten free flour (I used sorghum) or a spelt flour.  Either way the taste is still sweet and yummy...did I mention super easy to make as well?

Sorghum flour is the closest in texture and taste to traditional wheat flour of any of the gluten-free flours

Coconut butter is made from whole coconut flesh (not just the oil) and puree'd into a fiberous, densely nutritious spread.  It melts in your mouth with full coconut taste and aroma, while giving you the whole coconut nutrition: oil, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.  

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Roasted Tomato Soup.

As most of us know here in Ontario it is getting cooler and the AMAZING fall season has started which means warm soups.....oh how I love.  This recipe is a take on my friend and fellow nutritionist Jamie Langlois' tomato soup. 

I met Jamie when I was 5 months pregnant with my son in hypnobirthing.  I felt like I knew her from our past and immediately wanted to make her my friend.  Through the remainder of my pregnancy and since our babies were born she has been a true holistic mama friend I can lean on.  Like our kids 1st cold, 1st diarrhea episode to teething and feeding our wee ones.  It helps to have a like minded mama to share thoughts and ideas with.  The 1 year of my sons life was a sleep deprived "mess" and she was there, also sleepy to help me through.  We have many play dates and I try to go to her house more often so she can cook me and my son some yummy food...giggle.  She never disappointments.  She loves good healthy food as much as me and I feel I have really learnt a lot from her.  Jamie has manyhealthy creations, fantastic programs and one on one consultations to suit everyone, you can find her here. 

For this recipe I have added onions and I didn't actually use garlic.  Either way it is delectable.

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              This top picture is my 2 year olds meal, the soup, roasted organic chicken thighs and a stuffed pepper.

13 Roma Tomatoes

1 head garlic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup chicken broth

12 large fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

- See more at: http://www.thestayathomechef.com/2013/08/roasted-tomato-basil-soup.html#sthash.Lvo2R2lh.dpuf

13 Roma Tomatoes

1 head garlic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup chicken broth

12 large fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

- See more at: http://www.thestayathomechef.com/2013/08/roasted-tomato-basil-soup.html#sthash.Lvo2R2lh.dpuf

13 Roma Tomatoes

1 head garlic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup chicken broth

12 large fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

- See more at: http://www.thestayathomechef.com/2013/08/roasted-tomato-basil-soup.html#sthash.Lvo2R2lh.dpuf

Farmer's Market Cold Soup.

Who doesn't love soup and who likes to take a break from cooking, raise your hands?  This soup is packed with nutrient dense foods with active enzymes.  This is the time of year you can go to your garden or farmer's market and get ALL of these ingredients fresh, local and organic if possible (well not the lemons).  Both my son (22 months) & my husband love this soup.  Plus you have easy left overs for days, its a vegetable smoothie in a bowl.  Some fun health facts about why raw foods are great to have in your diet.

1. Live foods. It’s common sense right? A cooked seed won’t grow, but a raw seed will. Heating food over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys much of the nutrients in your food. Cooking food also diminishes the natural life energy.
2. Enzymes. Cooking food destroys much of the natural enzymes (your body can also create enzymes, but can only do so much) in your food that are needed to break down nutrients. Eating raw eliminates this problem.
3. Energy. You won’t know this unless you try it for yourself, but eating raw gives you an amazing boost in energy. Get tired around 2 or 3pm try eating soaked nuts, a orange or apple this will recharge you within a few minutes.  (I worked overnights/shift work for 12 years, this worked like a charm)
4. Better sleep. I’ve slept better than ever while eating raw, especially during my juice cleanse. But most importantly, you don’t wake up feeling tired or groggy.
5. Increased mental clarity. Eating raw can helped you focus on the things that are important and made me more emotionally in tune with others.
6. Eat as much as you want.  I never get that uncomfortable full feeling eating raw. You know where you have to unbutton the top button on your pants and take a nap? I don’t get that. I can eat as much as I want, and while I will feel full, I don’t feel weighed down or tired.
7. No packaging. Eating raw means less packaging all around. This means less trash in a landfill and more room in your cupboards. Win/win for everyone.
8. More regularity. You should naturally have around two to three bowel movements a day. If you’re going less than that, it probably means your intestines are unhealthily clogged. A raw diet gives you more than enough fiber to keep you regular.
9. Connection with the earth. Eating food that’s been freshly picked just feels different. You feel more connected to the earth and more grounded. Eating lots of processed foods — frozen or from a box — makes creates more of a gap and leaves you feeling disconnected from the earth that sustains you. (1)

This alllll being said, I am not a raw vegan by any means, my constitution just doesn't jive well with that 100% of the time.  Cold fall and winter days I need warm grounding foods.  I like muffins, cooked pies and burgers (from my father in laws farm) or a chicken stir fry.  But I have learnt and felt the amazing effects of a raw diet and it is amazing.  I eat less meat, I love the farmer market and all things farmers and of course processed food has no place in our lives. 

[yumprint-recipe id='23']1. http://zenhabits.net