Heather Bursch

3 Tasty Collagen Smoothies to Mix and Match for Fall

October 17, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

In our house, we play a conversation game called, The Grossest Smoothie. The goal is to imagine the worst possible combination of ingredients you could put in a blender, and try to gross one another out (and make our youngest child giggle). She loves this game the most, of course, and fills her imaginary smoothies with anything she has ever heard of that’s green, plus ketchup—always ketchup. While we go in spurts creating smoothies as part of our daily diet, the whole family loves them. Whether we are eating a smoothie for a snack or small meal, protein is essential. According to Vital Proteins,

Collagen is the vital building block of our bodies including skin, hair, nails, bones and joints. Our bodies cannot synthesize enough collagen on their own and our diets today contain minimal collagen.

With this in mind, we started looking for more ways to make collagen a habit. Instead of causing each other to squirm, we aimed to find three tasty collagen smoothies to mix and match for fall. Here’s what we discovered.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

First up, we eyed VP’s pumpkin pie protein shake, and it gave us a great recipe from which to build. Don’t forget that banana creates the creaminess and the addition of ice can make your smoothies thick! All you need here is roasted or canned pumpkin purée, ripe banana, coconut milk, vanilla, fall spices, collagen peptides, ice and maple syrup to sweeten (if you wish).

Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana Smoothie with Collagen

Who can argue with this combination? You can take your cues from the pumpkin smoothie above and simply replace the pumpkin with peanut butter and cocoa instead. Furthermore, we added two scoops of collagen to Phoebe Lapine’s Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with Cacao Nibs, and we all loved it. For anyone who doesn’t house a blender, this one works great with a space-saving immersion hand blender. And since I didn’t have cacao nibs on hand I added 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder instead. If you want to ice it up, you’ll need to pop it all in a blender or food processor for crushing capacity.

Apple, Mango and Spinach Collagen Smoothie

Everyone has to have one green option in their smoothie bag of tricks, don’t you agree? Again, we replaced the pumpkin, this time with fruits and spinach. This recipe leaves lots of options to add, subtract, or multiply depending on seasonal fruits and choice of greens. We used a food processor this time; ice is optional! Lastly, to get a smooth straw drinking experience, take this to your high-powered blender and no need to peel those apple skins if you do!

Fruity Green Collagen Smoothie by Heather Bursch

Serves 2-3

1 apple (I used a green Granny Smith) cored and cut into chunks; peel if you do not have a high-powered blender
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup almond milk
1 banana chopped and frozen
2 handfuls of fresh spinach for a mild taste or use kale for a healthy green punch
4 scoops of collagen peptides
1-2 cups of ice (optional)

Add all ingredients except the ice in a blender and combine until smooth. Add ice and continue to blend until all is puréed and thickened.

For more smoothie recipes and ways to use collagen, visit Lively by Vital Proteins and check out our other fall favorite, apple butter chia pudding.

Apple Butter and Chia Pudding Parfaits in 2 Easy Steps

October 3, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

One week into fall and this season’s stock of apples is ready and waiting to be picked from trees or bagged from your grocery. Biting into a crisp, sweet Honey Crisp all on its own, or pairing a Granny Smith with a slice of sharp cheese are crave-worthy snacks that have earned their keep. But do you remember how simply satisfying applesauce can be? (And we mean homemade, with no sugar added!) It’s time to grab your peck of apples and turn your fall goods into delicious apple butter and chia pudding parfaits in two easy steps.

Step 1: Make Applesauce or Apple Butter

Beyond the apple-a-day adage, you’ve probably felt the nudge to eat more apples for your health and wellbeing. And rightly so for their antioxidant properties, vitamins, and fiber, to name a few benefits. With thousands of apple varieties growing all over the world, finding one you like for munching raw or the one that’s best for cooking will be effortless this time of year. First, give this cook-down method a try for applesauce or keep it cooking and you’ll have a delicious jam known as apple butter with no extra fuss and just a little bit more time.

Homemade Applesauce and Apple Butter by Heather Bursch

6 pounds of sweet apples (Honey Crisp is perfect!)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2—3/4 cup water
*Optional: No sugar is needed with sweet apples. Taste your sauce mid-cooking and add maple syrup or your favorite sweetener if needed.

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Crock-pot Method:

Peel and core apples, cut into small pieces and dump into slow-cooker with all ingredients, and stir.
Set on high and let cook for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to about 4.
Remove lid and using a potato masher mash apples to desired consistency for applesauce. If you are making apple butter, puree with immersion blender or food processor and continue to cook on low for up to another 8 hours or so. If you want it cooked down more, remove the lid (or move to a saucepan on the stove) and continue cooking for a thicker and spreadable apple butter. Up to 2 hours more uncovered in crock-pot or about 30 minutes on the stove-top.

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Stove-top Method:

Peel and core apples, cut into small pieces and place in large saucepan.
Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and turn heat to medium-high.
When the liquid starts to bubble, cover and turn heat down and keep it just above a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When apples are tender enough to mash with a potato masher, mash (or puree with blender) as desired for your preference in applesauce consistency. If making apple butter, puree using an immersion blender until smooth. If chunks are still visible, return cover to pot and continue cooking as needed.
Once you have pureed apples, continue to cook uncovered until reduced and thickened to a dark and jam-like consistency.
Remove from heat, cool and store in airtight jars in your fridge for up to a week.
This recipe makes about 3 1/2—4 cups of applesauce or apple butter and can easily be halved or doubled.

Enjoy your apple butter on buttered toast, atop pancakes or waffles, as a side with roasted meat or potatoes, eaten on its own, or head to step two for Navitas chia seed pudding recipe for a delicious snack (or dessert!) in the making.

Step 2: Make Chia Pudding

Let’s talk chia seeds. Did you know these hydrophilic black seeds hold 10 times their weight in liquid? Because of this, they expand and soften in the liquids you add to them and are often used as a vegan egg replacement or thickener in recipes. Navitas Organics, a plant-based superfood company, committed to making ancient healthful foods available through ethical farming methods, says chia’s superfood status, “is all about omega-3 fatty acids—with loads of protein, antioxidants, magnesium and fiber to boot.” You can find many more treasures and recipes at navitasorganics.com for how to incorporate their broad range of superfood products into your daily life. The following is as easy as recipes come!

Chia Pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond milk or coconut milk (we used coconut milk for our parfaits!)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix and wait for 15 minutes to thicken.

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Last, layer this creamy, delicious chia seed pudding with your homemade apple butter for a tasty and nutritious fall inspired treat!

Want more healthful recipes? View our full food coverage.

3 Recipes to Make Now With Manuka Honey

September 18, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

Nicolle first introduced us to Wedderspoon Manuka Honey this past spring when she gave us 3 DIY At-Home Manuka Honey Masks to hydrate and cleanse your skin. In addition to body care, you will find Wedderspoon’s raw and naturally preserved honey deliciously creamy to eat. While raw honey tastes sweeter than sugar, it has a lower glycemic index and therefore more slowly digests and metabolizes. It also differs in its nutritional value containing proteins, vitamins, and minerals along with naturally occurring live enzymes to keep it fresh.

With this jar of golden goodness in hand, I set out to find three recipes to make now with Manuka honey in your pantry. Plus, you might not even have to go to the store to do it!

Breakfast

With breakfast in mind, I rummaged through our cupboards and found oats, oat bran, coconut flakes, raw cashews (any nuts will do!), cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Using this recipe and method, I prepped a simple granola sweetened with apple juice and a touch of honey. However, Manuka honey is so smooth and flavorful, one swipe on buttered toast or drizzled on warm oats will make your morning just as lovely so give it a try.

Toasted Granola with Cashews and Manuka Honey by Heather Bursch

Ingredients:

3½ cups oats
⅔ cup raw cashews
½ cup oat bran
1½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup apple juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, coconut oil, or ghee melted
2 or 3 tablespoons Manuka honey

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°.
Prepare a rimmed cookie sheet by brushing with oil or ghee.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk together apple juice, honey, melted butter or oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix well.
Spread out evenly on prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes total, stirring every 15 minutes. It should be golden brown and toasted.
Store in an airtight container. This recipe makes 5 cups of granola.

Lunch

With the aroma of granola and fall spices in the air, I moved on to lunch. As the seasons start to change, you’ll find kale and squash plentiful in your gardens and markets wherever you live. Shake up this simple salad dressing for a lunch you prep ahead of time or make it the moment. Though any variety of roasted squash is the perfect match for this dressing (see Delicata Squash and Kale Salad), so are seasonal apples, pears and grapes along with eggs, avocados, chicken and whatever makes your mouth water mid-day. Take away? Make homemade dressing, the rest will follow.

White Wine Vinaigrette with Manuka Honey by Heather Bursch

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of Manuka honey
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
Optional: add 1/2 teaspoon fresh herbs like thyme

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Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a small jar to shake or bowl to whisk. Taste and add more salt & pepper as desired.
This recipe makes enough dressing for 4-6 salad servings. You can double or triple it if using all week!

Dinner

Lastly, I shifted my thoughts on what I could make for dinner. I peeked at Wedderspoon’s recipes and noticed I had almost every single item (including the world’s largest yellow zucchini still growing outside) for their Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles. It’s fast, and flavor packed! You can eat it for a lighter vegetarian lunch or side, but in this case, I doubled it and added chicken for a more substantial meal.

Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, by Heather Bursch, adapted from Wedderspoon

Ingredients:

2 organic chicken breasts, skin on and bone-in
1 tablespoon of oil or ghee
4 small zucchini washed, dried, and spiraled
1 cucumber seeded, halved lengthwise and chopped
3 whole carrots peeled and julienne sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 green onions, chopped

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Dressing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut butter
4 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons Manuka honey
1 teaspoon garlic chili paste (substitute garlic and a few pepper flakes if you don’t have paste)
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons coconut amigos
2 teaspoons curry powder

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Rub chicken breasts with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast chicken for about 35 minutes 3. until done and juices run clear when poked. Let chicken cool enough to handle. Remove skin and bones and pull apart chicken into bite-size pieces.
Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl to whisk or jar to shake and mix well.
In a large bowl mix veggies and add a few tablespoons of dressing to your liking. Stir in more chicken and dressing, or serve chicken and dressing on the side.
Top with scallion, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper. Chill or serve immediately. This recipe makes 4 generous servings.

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With the transition from summer to fall, having a well-stocked cupboard is a lifesaver when it comes to eating well. To pick up Manuka honey for your pantry and gather a few recipes to riff off of, visit Wedderspoon for store availability and more information.

Want more recipes? Read more in our full series coverage.

Make These Apple Ginger Lemon Gelatin Snacks for Healthy Skin, Hair and Joints

August 29, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

One thing I noticed when my kids were young was that store bought snacks were a regretful waste of money. The nutritional value was low, and within seconds my kids were hungry and consequently asking for another snack. While health issues were the catalyst for changes in my own life, and in turn my children’s lives, I’ve found it freeing to watch my kids learn and embrace a connection to their bodies earlier because of what we have learned together. One of my youngest daughter’s favorite things to make and eat right now are these gelatin snacks with ginger, lemon and apple juice.

It’s important to realize that our bones, ligaments, joints, tendons, muscles, skin, hair, nails and more are made up of connective tissues and a protein called collagen. Consequently, it’s been called the super glue that holds our body together. According to Great Lakes Gelatin (the brand I use most often), repetitive movements, from activities like working out or occupation, put stress on joints as well as the inevitable aging process. “Both cartilage and bone in joints are subject to continual stress and are constantly being broken down and replaced. When a person does not have enough raw materials in their diet to combat the collagen breakdown, the joints begin to wear out” (“6 Basics of Protein,” Great Lakes Gelatin).

Regardless if you are an athlete needing post workout repair, or simply looking for a way to support your body’s collagen as you grow and age, these snacks are a great way to add to the whole foods you are already eating and sipping.

Here are three things you will need:

Juice made by you (recipe below!) or store bought.
Molds to form your gelatin blocks or an 8×8 inch pan. I used these Tovolo silicone cube molds; each tray has a dozen 1.25” size cubes.
Nutritional gelatin. I started years ago with using Great Lakes Gelatin (red/orange container), and the Vital Proteins brand (green bottle for gelatin) has excellent products as well.

Gelatin Snacks With Ginger, Lemon and Apple Juice by Heather Bursch

Ingredients:

½ lb ginger root to make about 3 oz of juice
2 lemons squeezed, makes about 4 oz of lemon juice
1-1 ¼ cups Organic apple juice
Honey to taste
2-3 Tablespoons of Gelatin (GLG or VP)

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Directions:

First of all, wash and dry unpeeled ginger root. Chop into 1-inch chunks and purée in a food processor.
Next, transfer shredded ginger to a 12 x 12 inch square of cheesecloth. By pinching all four corners together, twist the cloth around the mound of ginger, squeezing pulp until all ginger juice collects in a measuring cup. You can also press through a fine-mesh sieve or use a juicer if you have one. Pour ginger juice into a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, strain again if needed. You should have about 3 oz.
Add the juice of 2 lemons strained of pulp and seeds. Add to ginger juice for about 7 oz total.
Top off your ginger and lemon juices with enough organic apple juice until you have 2 cups liquid in all. Sample and whisk in 1 tablespoon of honey if you like or more to taste.
Pour 2 cups of juice into a saucepan and whisk in 2-3 tablespoons of Gelatin. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
Lastly, heat juice and gelatin on medium-high heat, whisking until all liquids melt together, and any clumps are gone. Do not boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour into molds and refrigerate until set, about 2-3 hours or overnight.
Recipe makes 12 servings.

If you wish, you can remove blocks from molds and store in an airtight container without the pieces touching. Rather, I like to keep mine in the molds covered in my refrigerator and let us spoon them out as we go.

In this case, we used collagen in the gelatin form, but you can also use collagen hydrolysate and collagen peptides. Stir these soluble forms into your morning beverages, smoothies, and even cook with it because it won’t congeal. Both Great Lakes Gelatin and Vital Proteins offer recipes and facts worth reading, to better understand how these collagen supplements might be useful to you.

Want more healthful recipes? View our full food coverage.

4 Styles of Meal Prep to Support Your Busy Life

August 22, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

You’ve seen the show + tell ‘grams demonstrating how to make a week’s worth of beautifully portioned, colorful food in one day, leaving your week to whatever else you want to do that does not include cooking. While it sounds too good to be true, no one can argue with how it might feel to start a week prepared with meals ready to go or waiting for you when you walk in the door. Still, many of you scroll past this idyllic meal prepping scenario because it is daunting and requires time up front you cannot afford. Since we all have to eat and it takes work at one point or another, here are our 4 styles of meal prep to support your busy life.

Prep all your meals for the week.

Active time commitment: 4-6 hours depending on how many people you are preparing for

First of all, add up how many meals you want to prep. Second, pull recipes you want to eat and work to cross over ingredients when possible. Last, fill in the holes and make a cooking plan. Starting with a theme using similar ingredients like Greek Meatballs and Chop-chop Greek Salad will help you see your week come together in a way that works for you. To prep a week’s worth of eating requires a big chunk of time up-front but results in time saved later.

Prep breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or snacks.

Active time commitment: 2-3 hours

If a full-size meal prep does not fit your needs, time, or family, don’t discount how prepping one part of your day for the week could lessen stress. Prep a few day’s breakfasts and see how starting a morning with something already accomplished translates into further efficiency. Or try these lunchbox ideas to jumpstart the school year for you and your kids.

Plan your week and prep the pieces.

Active time commitment: 1-2 hours

Plan 3-4 pieces that go together in a number of mixed and matched ways. In this case, think grain bowls and big salads. Slow cook a meat or pot of beans that can work in various forms. Making a large batch of protein makes for delicious tacos, salads, grain bowls, and breakfast hash. Not to mention, it freezes well if you decide you are done with it midweek. Here are 4 easy prepping tasks to get you started:

Shredded Pork and/or slow cooked pinto or black beans
Large batch of rice, quinoa, or riced cauliflower
Wash, chop, and store kale, swiss chard, or collard greens for a quick sauté
Eggs to fry and top your bowl or salad, pass the hot sauce.

Prep one day.

Active time commitment: as little or long as it takes!

Perhaps you notice that Wednesdays are particularly hard to manage given your schedule, or you have an event that will consume you on the horizon. For this reason, consider prepping one entire day ahead of time to support the possible pressure you see coming. Preparing for a crazy week might even mean buying pre-cut veggies and planning for take-out.

Ultimately, a little prep goes a long way in supporting the life you want to live. For more ideas on efficiency, productivity and balance, check out our posts Why You Should Manage Your Energy Not Your Time and 4 Tried and True Tricks for Balance While You Work From Home.

What to Do With Your Surplus of Herbs

August 15, 2017 By Heather Bursch Leave a Comment

Did you plant or purchase too many herbs this season? Well here’s the good news, having too many is not a thing. Give you and your herbs a little time together, we’re talking no more than an hour, and you’ll end up wishing you had planted another row. And if reading this makes you feel guilty for not gardening, hush that critical voice and go find a farmer’s market. Like our tips on preserving tomatoes, corn, and peaches, you can take an excess of green goods (small to large pile) and make them into something to share or save. Make that bruschetta and Caprese salad today, and if you have extra here is what to do with your surplus of herbs.

Chop your herbs and freeze portions in oil, butter, or water.

Whether you have a few tablespoons leftover from last night’s dinner or you intentionally chop your herbs to freeze, try for 2 teaspoons of herbs for each portion you make. Use an ice cube tray or silicone baking mold. Top chopped herbs with oil, clarified butter, melted butter, or water. If using oil or butter, figure about 2 teaspoons of herbs to 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat. If you are preserving herbs in water, fill compartment halfway and tuck in the herbs as best as possible. Freeze for one hour and pour more water on top to cover all the herbs that floated to the top, return to freezer. Once herb cubes are frozen, remove from ice cube tray and freeze cubes in airtight containers until ready to use. As a result, cubes are great for roasted vegetables, sautéing meat, or added to soups and sauces.

Active prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Steep a handful of herbs in homemade simple syrup.

Making simple syrup is a quick and easy staple to have in your fridge for sweetening anything from cocktails, sparkling waters, desserts, sauces, and iced teas. In a small saucepan, pour equal amounts of sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar to equal parts water. Heat until simmering and all sugars are dissolved into a syrup. To make one of the following flavored syrups, take syrup off the heat, submerge herbs, and cover for 30 minutes to steep. Finally, let cool and strain out the wilted herbs. Syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. Might we suggest a Gimlet made with basil syrup replacing the usual simple syrup or an iced white tea and a touch of honey thyme syrup to sweeten? Yes, please! Here are the measurements we used:

Basil Simple Syrup – 1/2 cup sugar or agave to 1/2 cup water, add a small handful of basil, 5-8 leaves to steep.
Honey thyme Syrup – 1/2 cup honey to 1/2 cup water, add 3-4 sprigs of thyme to steep.
Maple Rosemary Syrup – 1/2 cup maple syrup to 1/2 cup water, add 5-inch sprig of rosemary leaves picked to steep.

Active prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Purée your large pile of basil leaves into pesto.

It’s not new, and it also doesn’t grow old. There are so many satisfying ways to use pesto and as many different ways to make it and change it as you wish. This easy flavor packed pesto uses nutrient rich Brazil nuts and is also dairy free. Much as you froze herbs above, you can also preserve pesto in any portion size. Once frozen put into an airtight container for later. In the end, you’ll be topping your roasted vegetables, meats, and pasta with this tasty green sauce or thawing a single portion to dip raw vegetables, crackers, or toasted sandwiches.

BASIL AND BRAZIL NUT PESTO by Heather Bursch

1/2 cup organic Brazil nuts
4 cups packed basil leaves
3 raw garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup olive oil, more as needed

In the bowl of a food processor, add nuts, basil leaves, garlic cloves, and salt.
Next, whiz until all the nuts and basil are puréed.
With processor running, slowing add olive oil to combine.
If adding cheese, sprinkle in at the end and pulse to combine.
Lastly, taste and add more seasoning as needed.
Whether you are freezing for later or storing in the refrigerator now, drizzle a light coating of oil on top to keep greens from browning.

Makes 1 cup. Refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Active prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Looking to preserve and celebrate this summer before it’s gone? Check out our 3 Summer Ideas for Eating Well Now and Later!

Heather Bursch

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana Smoothie with Collagen

Apple, Mango and Spinach Collagen Smoothie

Fruity Green Collagen Smoothie by Heather Bursch

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Prep all your meals for the week.

Prep breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or snacks.

Plan your week and prep the pieces.

Prep one day.

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