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Blueberry Protein Smoothie-RESTART-approved

Blueberry Protein Smoothie-RESTART-approved

This is a refreshing RESTART-approved beverage to cut the sweet cravings and boost your protein intake! Plus if you opt for full fat coconut milk from a can, it will increase your nutrient dense fats and give you so much energy for your day. Ingredients 1/2-1 Cup Frozen berries (Limit to half cup if on RESTART or need to manage blood sugar) 3/4 Cup Milk (Coconut, Almond, or Raw Milk) 1/2-1 Cup Ice 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Dash of Salt (Himalayan or Sea Salt 1 Scoop Collagen Pepties* (Awesome sources of protein!) Directions Add all ingredients to the blender. Blend well. Sip and enjoy! +Great Lakes is a good brand available at Wegmans for collagen! For other brands you can set up a FREE account with my supplement dispensery. I will send you recommendations. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thriving-health/store-start

Chocolate Smoothie-RESTART Approved

Chocolate Smoothie-RESTART Approved

This is my original recipe I shared when I first started teaching RESTART in Alfred in 2018! I shared it with the Terra Cotta Coffee shop where it was enjoyed by many! Ingredients 3/4 Cup Milk (Almond, Coconut, Raw Milk) 1 Green Tipped Banana 2 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2 Tbsp. avocado (this makes the smoothie extra smooth!) Dash of Salt (Sea Salt or Himalayan Optional: 1 Scoop Collagen Peptides 1 Cup of Ice Directions Add all ingredients to a blend. Blend until smooth. Add additional ice if desired. Sip and enjoy! +Great Lakes is a good brand available at Wegmans for collagen! For other brands you can set up a FREE account with my supplement dispensery. I will send you recommendations. https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/thriving-health/store-start

Thriving Recipe: Golden Refresher

Thriving Recipe: Golden Refresher

Juice from 2 lemons 1 tsp. Turmeric powder Dash of black pepper 2 pinches of Mineral salt 2-4 drop liquid stevia (or honey or monk fruit to taste) Optional: 1 scoop collagen ⅛ tsp cream of tartar ¼ tsp magnesium powder Combine all ingredients in a quart mason jar. Add water and stir well. Top off jar with ice. Enjoy! Adapted from the THM original recipe, Singing Canary

Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream

Homemade Raw Milk Ice Cream

We get our milk fresh Sunny Cove Organic Farm
Their cows are certified organic, grass-fed. AND produce gorgeous cream perfect homemade ice cream! All you need is an ice cream maker-electric or hand churn. We have made SO many variations of this recipe-chocolate, peach, strawberry banana, vanilla, etc. But our classic is Maple Ice Cream w/toppings. Here is the recipe we enjoyed last night: Ingredients:
2 Cups Cream
2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
Optional Toppings-fresh strawberries, bananas, and homemade granola. Directions:
Combine cream and maple syrup. Add to ice cream maker. Churn until frozen! Add desired toppings. Enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt Ranch

Homemade Yogurt Ranch

This simple ranch is delicious and light! I always have yogurt on hand so it has been my go-to creamy recipe. Ingredients 1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Greek or Regular) 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Himalayan Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper 1-2 Tbsp. Fresh Dill Stevia or Honey to Taste Combine all ingredients and serve!

Braised Short Ribs

Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients
▢3 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter ▢1 yellow onion , diced ▢3 carrots , chopped ▢8 whole beef short ribs ▢salt and pepper to taste ▢1/8 cup arrowroot starch for thickening ▢1 cup red wine vinegar ▢2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth ▢2 Tablespoons tomato paste ▢2 sprigs fresh thyme ▢2 sprigs fresh rosemary Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large dutch oven or oven safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with arrowroot startch. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate. Add the vinegar to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Add beef broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed. Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot. Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone. Remove the pan from oven and allow rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid, before serving. Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of gravy from the pot. I also added a green salad with veggies from my garden and homemade ranch dressing. Store leftover short ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass

INGREDIENTS
3 medium beets 2 TBSP sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 2 Tbsp fresh ginger filtered water INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the beets and peel if not organic or leave skin on if organic Chop the beets in to small cubes, but don't grate. Place the beets in the bottom of a half gallon glass jar. Add salt. Fill the jar the rest of the way with filtered water. Cover with a lid and place on a plate or container to catch any drips. Burp every 2-3 days by opening the jar and allowing bubbles to surface. Allow to ferment 4-10 days, depending on how warm your temperature is and how strong you like your kvass. I usually aim for 8 days but just give your kvass a taste test around day 4 to see. Transfer to refrigerator and consume as desired. I love to drink 2-3 ounces with breakfast!

Super Iced Tea

Super Iced Tea

Super Iced Tea This is one of my favorite beverages right now! Red raspberry leaf and stinging nettle are packed with vitamins and minerals that make them super foods for our health. So nourishing for the prenatal and postpartum season and a superfood for everyone’s health! Here are some of the benefits of these two herbs:
Red Raspberry leaf tea: - Helps shorten labor and results in fewer medical interventions, including cesarean. -Additionally, the uterus needs a lot of vitamins and minerals to function properly and red raspberry leaf tea offers a great profile of them. Red raspberry leaf is rich in vitamins and minerals, containing vitamins C, and certain antioxidants. One of those antioxidants is called "rutin" which helps to reduce inflammation. -Red raspberry leaf tea is not exclusively for women! It is great for men's prostate health and has been shown to lower unhealthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as to treat acne, adrenal fatigue, sore throat, canker sores, and colds, and fevers.
Stinging Nettle tea: -Highly nutritious, rich in many minerals, like iron, magnesium, Vitamin A, C, K and B Vitamins . -Anti-histamine properties effective in treating asthma, eczema, and joint pain. -Also studies are showing nettles help to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and reduce enlarged prostate. [1]

Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea 2 Tbsp. Stinging Nettle Tea *I love to source my teas in bulk from Frontier Coop 1 Quart Boiling Water 4 Tbsp. Lemon juice Organic Stevia or Raw Honey to taste
Directions: Add teas to mason jar or French press. Allow to steep for minimum of 15-20. (I often let mine go for around an hour. The longer it steeps the more I dilute it and the further this batch of tea goes!) Pour tea into open container (I use a large measuring cup) and cool in the fridge. Once tea is cooled, pour it into a gallon jar and dilute it about 50% with cold water and ice cubes. Add lemon juice and sweetener. Serve and enjoy!

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21806658/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12020933/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24273930/

Hydration for Pregnancy and Postpartum

Hydration for Pregnancy and Postpartum

Hydration is so important for mama’s! Whether you are pregnant and still building baby inside of you OR in the postpartum season, healing your body and breastfeeding your little one. Why IS HYDRATION IMPORTANT? In general, water plays many roles in the body: regulates body temperature, transports nutrients, cushions bones and joints, maintains normal electrical properties of cells, removes wastes and flushes toxins. In pregnancy, our fluid intake needs to go up to support our bodies production of amniotic fluid and increased blood volume. And the role of water to transport nutrients becomes so important to nourish your baby! Staying hydrated can also prevent the all so common pregnancy constipation, hemorrhoids, muscle cramps, headaches, bladder infections and more. In the postpartum and breastfeeding season, hydration will be essential to support your energy levels, tissue healing, hormone rebalancing, and maintain breast milk production. HOW MUCH? If pregnant, aim for about 100 ounces a day If postpartum, aim for a minimum of ½ your body weight in ounces. TIPS. #1 Add a pinch of Himalayan salt to maintain proper electrolyte balance. (Studies show this can actually help improve blood pressure AND prevent preeclampsia.) #2 A good way to gauge if you are getting enough fluids is the color of your urine. IT should be a clear or very pale yellow when you are well hydrated. BEVERAGES My favorite hydrating beverages for mamas include water w/ lemon and ginger, herbal teas like nettles and red raspberry tea, veggie and meat broths, and coconut water! ELECTROLYTES While drinking MORE water is needed, we can actually DEPLETE our bodies of vitamins and minerals if we don't have proper electrolytes in our water and food. Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry an electric charge once dissolved in fluid. Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium all act as electrolytes. Along with the pink salt mentioned in Tip #1, check out Lily's Nichol's fantastic article on Electrolytes in Pregnancy where she shares more food sources for these essential minerals.

Thriving Health Recipe: Creamy Ranch Dressing

Thriving Health Recipe: Creamy Ranch Dressing

It is definitely salad season with fresh greens in our garden or local farms. Do you know what this means? We need some healthy salad dressing to top these nutritious veggies! Yes, you can definitely buy a healthy dressing. Primal Kitchen is a brand found in Wegmans with some delicious and nutritious salad dressings. However, if you want to whip up your own, stay tuned for a classic ranch! First, you need to start with a homemade mayo. This may seem intimidating but only take a couple minutes to whip up! Homemade Mayo Ingredients: 1 egg 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt ½ tsp ground mustard 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (substitute lemon juice or vinegar) 3/4-1 cup olive oil (substitute ghee or avocado oil)
Directions: Beat egg in a blender or kitchen aid (about 20 seconds) Add salt, ground mustard, lime juice. Blend well. With blender on low speed, slowly add the olive oil until mayo thickens. This is the emulsification process! If you add your olive oil all at once, the oil will not blend with the other ingredients. (Note: often the mayo will thicken before you add the entire cup of olive oil.) Now you are ready to transform your mayo into ranch! Homemade Ranch Ingredients: 1 Cup homemade mayo 2–4 Tbsp yogurt, sour cream or coconut milk 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 Tbsp fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 1/4–1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. Pepper
Directions: Simply combine all the following ingredients together and enjoy!

Thriving Recipe: Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Thriving Recipe: Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Thriving Recipe: Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Single Serve
This easy ice cream recipe is a classic that I have served many times for my RESTART students, as well as friends, family, and lots of kiddos!
Ingredients 1 frozen banana (chunked) 1Tbs raw cocoa powder 1 Tbsp nut butter (I prefer an organic peanut butter or almond butter, sugar free) 1-2 Tbs milk (Coconut or raw cows milk. Add just enough to blend bananas.) 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Pinch of Himalayan or sea salt.
Directions Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend. Depending on the power of your food processor you may need to allow bananas to slightly soften at room temperature. Add milk as needed for desired thickness.

Thriving Recipe: Postpartum Tea

Thriving Recipe: Postpartum Tea

This healing tea is perfect for this time of year to boost our immune systems, warm our body. It’s properties are amazing for digestion and can I tell you a little secret?! It is traditionally used as a postpartum healing tea that also supports breastmilk supply! So whether you are breastfeeding or just want to enjoy some nourishing goodness, this tea is for you! Ingredients: 1 - 2” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced 1 cinnamon stick (3-4” long) 2 tsp fennel seeds 4 cloves 8 black peppercorns 20 - 25 cardamom pods, cracked and crushed ½ tsp turmeric powder 2 cups raw milk (sub almond milk or coconut milk if dairy free) Sweetener: 1-2 drops organic liquid stevia or 1 Tbsp. maple syrup 2 ½ cups water Directions: Pour 2.5 cups of filtered water into a medium saucepan. Crush the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle and add to the water. Peel and slice (or grate) the ginger. Add to the water. Add the remaining spices to the water. Bring spices to a boil. Turn the heat down to med-low and simmer the spices for 15-30 minutes, until the water is reduced to ½-1 cup in quantity. This is your tea concentrate. Pour into two mugs (I serve this to Pavel and I. Or you can store the extra serving in the fridge.) Warm up the milk and add to your mugs. Add the sweetener to taste. Optional: froth milk and sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg on top. NOTES: Sunny Cove Farm in Alfred, NY is a great source for organic raw milk, maple syrup and organic ginger (may need to pre-order ginger)! Check out their website for more info: https://www.sunnycovefarm.com/ For breastfeeding mom’s needing to increase milk supply, add 1⁄2-1 tsp fenugreek seeds to the recipe. Continue taking fenugreek regularly and talk to your midwife before stopping fenugreek as a sudden decrease in fenugreek can decrease milk supply. Check out New Mother Caregiving for the original recipe and more postpartum resources!
https://newmothercaregiving.com/turmeric-lactation-tea/

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