Technically, Labor Day dates back to 1882 and its purpose was to serve as a tribute to those men and women whose “labor” had helped to build our country. Click here to read on.

With that said we need to relax and take time to celebrate this time!  How about celebrating with a day of fun and food!

Let’s start off with:

Grilled Eggplant Panini

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 1/2-inch slices eggplant,  (about 1 small)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 8 slices whole-grain country bread
• 8 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
• 4 thin slices red onion

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Combine mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl. Using 1 tablespoon oil, lightly brush both sides of eggplant and sprinkle each slice with garlic salt. With the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brush one side of each slice of bread.
3. Grill the eggplant for 6 minutes, turn with a spatula, top with cheese, and continue grilling until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender, about 4 minutes more. Toast the bread on the grill, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
4. To assemble sandwiches: Spread basil mayonnaise on four slices of bread. Top with the cheesy eggplant, red peppers, onion and the remaining slices of bread. Cut in half and serve warm.

Check out some more recipe ideas for the Labor Day weekend here!

You can find all your fixin’s at your local Rollin’ Oats Market in St. Pete or Tampa!

See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

Yummy Kale Chips!!

Just because it is kale, doesn’t mean your kids won’t enjoy them!  Call them chips or anything but Kale and see their reactions!

KALE CHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Curry Kale Chips

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Organic, Curly Kale
• Spectrum Organic Grapeseed Spray Oil or (our Rollin’ Oats Organic Olive Oil)
• 1-2 tsp Frontier Organic Curry Powder (substitute Nutritional yeast and a bit of braggs)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with Grapeseed Spray Oil or Olive oil
3. Tear washed and dried Kale into “chip-size” pieces.
4. Place Kale onto prepared baking sheets and lightly mist with Grapeseed Spray Oil.
5. Sprinkle Kale with Curry Powder and gently toss until evenly coated.
6. Place baking sheets in the oven and roast kale about 10 minutes.
7. Kale Chips are done when the edges are crispy.
8. Store in an air-tight container.

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

Though remarkably healthy, a vegetarian or vegan diet can lack some important nutrients.

By carefully planning meals and adding the proper supplements, you can avoid the pitfalls of many “veg-heads”!

So what nutrients might be lacking on your veggie laden plate? Let’s take a look and see how your diet measures up!

• Calcium- Essential for building strong teeth and bones, calcium is most readily found in dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese. For those who avoid dairy, be sure to eat plenty of dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and collard greens. They are good sources of calcium with the added bonus of being great for your complexion! Try this recipe for Curry Kale Chips and enjoy your greens! Additionally, many juices, cereals, and soy products are enriched with calcium to aid in maintaining strong bones.
• Iodine- Necessary for regulating the thyroid gland and for healthy brain, heart, and kidney function, the necessary amount of Iodine can be easily attained. About 1/4 teaspoon of Iodized Salt each day will give you all the Iodine you need!
• Iron- Though readily available in beans, legumes, whole grains, and dark, leafy greens, the form of iron in vegetables is not as easily absorbed as the form found in meat. Try pairing your iron rich vegetarian foods with vitamin C rich foods. This will help your body better absorb the vegetable based iron.

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

Quick, Simple, and Delicious!

 Roasted Chickpeas….

These high protein, high fiber bite size snacks are a nutritional and filling way to power through your afternoon slump. Plus, they are fun! You can switch up the seasonings with each batch! Start off traditional with a little salt and pepper. Next time, how about something spicy, like Cayenne. Then, get really crazy with a little Cinnamon!

You can even enjoy Roasted Chickpeas on top of a salad. They provide an awesome crunch and are a much healthier option than croutons!

Roasted Chickpeas

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can Tree of Life Organic Garbanzo Beans, drained, rinsed & patted dry
• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss together Garbanzo Beans, Oil, Sea Salt, & Pepper, and place on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Roast in preheated oven 30-40 minutes, until lightly toasted & crunchy.

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

Granola bars are a lunch box staple, even on Wheatless

Wednesday.

There are positives about this popular snack. For one, whole grains, and whole greains mean fiber. Granola bars are also convenient and filling.

BUT….. there is always a but… most commercially made granola bars are packed with excess sugar. To avoid a spiral into “sugar shock”, make your own granola bars! It is a great way to save money, cut sugar, and is not nearly as difficult as you may think.

Here is our favorite recipe. Feel free to switch up the dried fruits to create something uniquely your own!

Homemade Granola Bars

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 cup sliced Almonds
• 1 cup unsweetened, shredded Coconut
• 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Flax Seed Meal
• 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2/3 cup Madhava Light Agave Nectar
• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup chopped, pitted Dates
• 1/2 cup chopped, dried Apricots
• 1/2 cup dried Cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×12 baking dish with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.
2. Toss the oats, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flax seed meal.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
4. Place the coconut oil, agave nectar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared 8×12 baking dish. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, until light, golden brown. Cool in pan at least 2-3 hours before cutting.

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

It is never too late to boost your kids immune systems, but since back to school is almost here it might be a great time to stock your kids up with some healthy foods to protect them before school starts!

9 Power Foods That Boost Immunity 

1. Organic Yogurt – Dairy or Non-Dairy

2. Oganic Oats and Organic Barley

3. Organic Garlic – You can also get garlic in odorless Softgels

4. Sustainable Fish

5. Organic Chicken Soup 

6. Organic Tea 

7. Organic grass fed Beef

 There are always alternatives to get your dose of zinc such as organic pumpkin seeds, organic  chocolate and you can find more zinc filled foods here.

8. Sweet Potato

9. Mushrooms

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/food-remedies/9-power-foods-boost-immunity#ixzz23Wr5iKCT

We carry all of these Immune boosting foods here at Rollin’ Oats!

See you soon at Rollin’ Oats Market and Cafe!

Read Full Post »

The kids are almost back in

school, and boy are they

going to be hungry!

It is our job to fight the pressure of the sugary snack cakes and preservative filled frozen pizza bagels clamoring for your child’s snack time attention.

But how? How are we to compete with their loud voices and vibrant, colorful packaging? By being undeniably delicious! That’s how!

This week, let’s review a few of our all time favorite school day snacks. Admittedly, we still enjoy them, only this time, it’s after work not arithmetic!

Our first Back to School Snack Attack recipe is s naturally sweet, tart, & creamy treat. Whether used as a spread or a dip, you will enjoy feeding this treat to your kids as much as they will enjoy devouring it!

Strawberry Fruit Dip

(Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Organic Valley Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Strawberries, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp grated Lemon Peel
• 2 tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl & stir until well combined.
2. Serve with a whole wheat bagel, more fruit, or even pretzels for dipping!

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

For the weekend, we turn to fellow bloggers for inspiration!

Today’s Link Lovin’ recipe is direct from 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson. With a focus on “whole, natural vegetarian foods with the occasional sweet treat,” 101 Cookbooks is easily one of our favorite recipe blogs. Click on the recipe title to view today’s delicious Summer recipe, perfect for your next picnic!

Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

(Gluten-Free)

Have a great weekend! 

See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

We Got Berries!

Do you know what a cup of

fresh rasberries can do for you?

Raspberries contain good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.

• They are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K. Contain very good amounts of vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid. These vitamins are function as co-factors and help body in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fats.
• Raspberry contains anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin A, and vitamin E. In addition to the above mentioned antioxidants, is also rich in many other health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin,and beta carotene in small amounts. Altogether, these compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »

Studies are bursting on the scene announcing something that has been known in India and parts of Asia for centuries. Turmeric, a potent bright yellow spice commonly found in curry dishes is one of nature’s strongest anti-inflammatories and antioxidants!

Naturopaths and Herbalists claim it may help treat conditions ranging from cancer to digestive disorders. Containing curcumin and curcuminoids, which prohibit the production of inflammation and swelling causing prostaglandins, Turmeric has been used in India and China to treat inflammation, arthritis, and liver disorders for centuries.

Turmeric is a natural antioxidant, detoxifier, and anti-inflammatory. Researchers suggest ingesting 1 teaspoon a day for maximum benefits. However, Turmeric is best absorbed when mixed with Black Pepper and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A quick and delicious method of mixing these 3 things is to create Turmeric Hummus!

Turmeric Hummus

(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 package Sultan Original Hummus
• 1 Tbsp Turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.

There you have it! You can have your Turmeric and eat it too! This dip is particularly delicious with RW Garcia Yellow Corn Chips with Flax Seeds!

Have a great day! See you at Rollin’ Oats!

Read Full Post »