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healthier apple crisp

{health·i·er - adj - 1 enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit : well 2 evincing health <a healthy complexion> 3 conducive to health <walk three miles every day … a beastly bore, but healthy — G. S. Patton>}

Who doesn't love a good apple crisp? Okay, some people. But it's delish to me and when I saw Jen Chapin's Instagram pic of her apple crisp... I had to make some! (*side note: mostly because I was suppose to be studying and my damn neighbor kids had friends over and they were screaming and yelling and it sounds like they are IN our house. That gets our dogs barking which all of that = MASSIVE DISTRACTION OF CONCENTRATION) you can hear what I'm talking about here ---> Download Loudneighborkids  Anywho... here's my take on an apple crisp recipe I found, what ingredients I swapped and why they are healthier.  Ps... it turned out AMAZING! (***NOTE: you can click on images to see them larger.)

Ingredients:

• 10 apples (about 8 cups sliced) I peeled 7 and left the skins on 3 and used Gala Apples
• 1/3 cup pure maple sugar granules
• 1 cup whole wheat flour & 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 1/4 oats (you can use quick cooking if you like or that's what you have. I like my food with substance so I went with regular oats.)
• 1 cup Earth Balance spread
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray your baking casserole dish with a olive oil spray (healthier than smearing the dish with butter).

Peel, quarter, core and slice your apples

Mix apples and 'pure maple sugar granules'. Toss to completely coat apples!

(***NOTE: Why did I use 'Pure Maple Sugar granules'? It's pure crystallized maple syrup.  Highly less processed than white sugar and leaves you with no headache, no sugar crash, no sugar cravings.  Plus it tastes AMAZING! It is expensive, but worth it to me.)

In a bowl add the flours and Earth Balance spread. Using a pastry blender, a fork or your fingers combine until the spread is in little pieces. Add the oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda & baking powder.

(*** NOTE: Earth Balance is a vegan spread, no dairy and no hydrogenated oils.  My reason for choosing that.  :) The whole wheat flour and oat flour was chosen for taste, texture and health. White flour is highly processed and no good for you. I think everyone knows that. Whole wheat flour is a step ahead and oat flour is purely ground oats and is my favorite choice.)

Using your hands spread the topping all over your apples. Don't pack it down (I did, hee hee), gaps are okay.

Bake at 375 degrees until the apples are tender. (poke with a fork or knife to check) (mine took an hour to bake) Keep a watch on it as you may need to lay a piece of foil over the top to keep it from burning. AND.... VOILA...

You can easily print the recipe by clicking below.

Healthier Apple Crisp

juicing

{juicing - verb - (used with object) to extract juice from.}

I first started juicing probably 2 1/2 years ago.  I decided I wanted something better for my body.  I was already vegetarian and I love that life of food! I purchased this Breville Juice Fountain Compact along with lots of organic veggies and fruits.  In my search for a more healthy eating lifestyle I came across this book... 

While it's been a while since I've actually read through it I can tell you it'san eye opener! Tons of great info and I even completed the "7-Day Rejuvenation Cleanse".  I'm not gonna lie, that was some hard shit!  I like food... I just do and while you do eat food during it, it's raw and there's no dairy and I simply love cheese!  Penni takes you through a short quiz on 'The Cause & Effect our Toxic World' and what your toxic load is.  I faired well on the test to no surprise as I've been living quite a healthy lifestyle for about 5 years now (vegetarian for 4 years and 2 months).  It did open my eyes to some way I could be healthier and hell, why wouldn't anyone want to be!

Benefits of juicing?

• Easily assimilated instant nutrients into your system
• Even the most health compromised, sickly nutrient deficient people greatly benefit
• Allows you to consume an optimal amount of vegetables and fruits in an efficient manner
• Can increase your metabolic rate
• Fight/prevent disease
• Anti-aging benefits
• Alleviate symptoms of depression
• Improve your cardiovascular system and heart health
• Among MANY MANY others

You've heard the saying... You ARE what you EAT.  Well, you're also what YOU DRINK!  Given that our bodies are approximately 65% water means that we are around 11 gallons of water.  I actually haven't juiced in a while so I dug in the cabinet, pulled this puppy out and headed to the store for my fruits and vegetables.  I love the taste of raw green veggies... I tend to crave the taste of let's say... dirt.  LOL  I know, gross!  But I love healthy raw organic type foods.  Carrots... I don't peel.

Today this is what I juiced...

• Kale - Seriously the most nutritional leafy green EVER!  Plus I love the texture.  The nutritional value of kale is OFF the charts ridiculous so here's a link to read about it:  Nutritional Value of Kale
• Celery - Celery leaves has high content of vitamin A, whilst the stems are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids and can with aid with bowel movements.  :)
• Apples - They are high in vitamin A and C and a good source of potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus. Can help with Asthma, digestion, fibromyalgia, diabetes, etc.
• Strawberries -  Packed with a variety of anti-oxidant substances, including the flavonoid anthocyanidins (which gives the fruit its characteristic red color), vitamins C, E and beta-carotene.They are also rich in dietary fiber, flavonoids, potassium, folic acid, vitamins of the B complex (B2, B5, B6), biotin, manganese, iodine and zinc;  and very low in protein, sugar and calories, and virtually devoid of fat and cholesterol.
• Lemon - Excellent sources of vitamin C, B6, potassium, folic acid, flavonoids and the outstanding phytochemical, limonene. Limonene have anti-cancer effects and help increase the level of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens. Also great for digestion!

Some notes to remember about juicing:

• You should drink your juice immediately! The second fruits and vegetables are without their skin they begin to oxidize.  If you can't drink it right away the best storage is a glass canning jar.  Fill it all the way to the top (the less air it's exposed to the better) and put the lid on tightly and store it in the fridge.  You do however need to drink it within 24 hours. (Note... if you don't have enough juice to fill it to the top you can add water)
• Lemons and limes I prefer to peel before I juice them.  The rind has a bitter taste and tends to make your juice not taste so good.
• Experiment! Play around with different fruits and vegetables. Find YOUR combination! A good leafy green to start out with is spinach. It doesn't have a whole lot of flavor and you'll get some great nutritional value out of it.
• Buy organic!!!  If you can't buy ALL your fruits and veggies organic then at least buy these ones (these have the highest levels of pesticides):

1. Celery
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Collard Greens
5. Lettuce
6. Carrots
7. Cucumber (not as bad if you peel the skin)
8. Apples

I'll leave you with a recipe for my favorite combo:

• 3 giant handfuls of kale or spinach
• 1/2 a lemon (peeled)
• 2 apples
• 5" of cucumber (peeled)
• 6 stalks of celery
• 2 pineapple speers (peeled)
• 2 carrots

Enjoy, happy juicing and to cheers to a healthier you!