Gluten Free Brownies: The Ultimate Indulgence and Energy Boost

Wow.  I just tasted the gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free brownies I made for a fund raiser bake same and I’m blown away.  They’re moist, flaky, dense, chocolate-y and delicious.  And they are made from all living foods.  I just took them out of the dehydrator so they’re still warm!  What a treat.

I intend to put the recipe in the updated version, edition 2, of my e-book Feast Your Way to Health: 

A complete guide to healthfully decadent recipes for holidays and special occasions. I wrote the book last year as a holiday book, and decided to expand it to cover all the holidays and celebrations throughout the year.  After all, it’s those celebration times that you may decide to abandon your healthy eating regime so you can indulge.

The book is chock full of recipes, mostly living foods recipes with the exception of a few very nutritious baked and steamed recipes that use all whole, nutritious, plant based ingredients.

Would you like the recipe?  Ok.  Since it’s gettting close to Christmas, I’m going to share it.

Dr. Ritamarie’s Decadently Delicious Brownies

• 1 cup raw almonds, soaked, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup raw hazelnuts, soaked, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup raw Brazil nuts, soaked, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup raw cacao powder (can substitute carob for all or part)
• 1 cup raw pecans, dry
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
• 5 drops pure essential oil of orange

Put all ingredients except pecans in food processor and run it until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Remove mixture from food processor and place in a large mixing bowl.  Pulse chop 1/2 cup pecans to a fine meal.  Fold pecan meal into dough and mix well.  Spread mixture onto Teflex sheet of a dehydrator and dehydrate at 110 degrees for about 8 hours.  Remove teflex and place brownie mixture on the mesh dehydrator tray.  To do this, I put the mesh and the tray on top of the brownie and flip then peel away the teflex.   Press whole pecans onto the top of the brownie, so that when it’s cut, each brownie has a pecan on top.  Cut into squares and dehydrate a few hours longer, until chewy and moist.

Optional extras:

I made these pure since they are for a fund raiser.  Often I will finely mince kale and carrots and fold into dough.  I’ve also put goji berries, hemp seeds and coconut in for variety.

These are pure heaven.

There are lots of other decadently healthy recipes in my Indulge Without the Bulge DVD. to keep you slim, trim and happy this holiday season.

Please comment below and let me know what you think of the recipe.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

• http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com
• http://www.IndulgeWithoutBulge.com
• http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Thanksgiving

Giving Thanks

I love that we have a day that’s all about giving thanks.  Gratitude is an important part of my life.   I start each day by finding three things to appreciate before I even get out of bed in the morning.  If you’ve been in any of my coaching programs, you know that I emphasize giving gratitude as an important part of the healing process.   It’s a great way to start each day. Thanksgiving was just a few days ago.  Here are some of the things I appreciate .

• I appreciate the weather in Austin where I live.  I especially appreciated Austin last week, as I bundled up against the cold in Chicago, where I was visiting my in-laws.

• I’m thankful that I got sick when I was in my mid 20′s and started questioning the status quo medical advice.  That experience launched me into a mission to educate and empower as many people as I can to awaken the healer within and end needless suffering by making conscious dietary and lifestyle choices.

• I appreciate that I get to make a living doing what I love most…empowering people like you, who want to live life to its fullest, to access the amazing healer within,  and mentoring  other health practitioners and future health crusaders in deeply touching lives.

• I appreciate my husband, Scott and my kids Eric and Kevin.  Living with a crusader mom and wife isn’t always easy.

• I appreciate the amazing health and vitality I get to experience day after day, year after year, and the joy that brings to me and others around me.

• I appreciate the amazing fresh foods I get to eat every day and the fun I get to have in preparing them.

I could write pages and pages about what I appreciate, but I’ll stop there.

I extend a very special thanks to you for receiving my message and taking action towards achieving your health goals.  If you didn’t care about your health, you wouldn’t be reading this.  It’s obvious that health is a core value for you.  You may not be perfect in your actions.  No one is.  Regardless of where you are on your health path, I applaud you for even beginning the journey.  Billions of people worldwide are still clueless about how to get and stay healthy. Be sure to give thanks for all you have, especially the little things you may often take for granted, like hot running water and flush toilets, warm beds and fresh food.

Here’s the recipe, my gift to you to say thanks. I’m so grateful that our paths have crossed.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Love and Health,

Dr. Ritamarie

P.S. Here’s the recipe

Cranberry Relish

2 cups fresh cranberries
2 pears
2 oranges, peeled
1 cup raisins or ½ cup raisins and ½ cup pitted dates

Put all ingredients into food processor and process until almost smooth.  Adjust for desired sweetness with additional dried fruit or agave nectar.

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com
http://www.EatYourWayOutofPain.com
http://www.IndulgeWithoutBulge.com
http:// www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com
http://www.GreenFoodmagic.com

E-Mail:  DrRitamarie@DrRitamarie.com

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com/Thanksgiving

Creating Magic with Simple Fresh, Whole Foods Right From your Produce Draw

I’m so looking forward to December 14.  That’s the day I get to  use simple ingredients to create delicious, nutritious dishes, right before your eyes. And the good news is, you can learn to do it too. I have a passion for teaching simple techniques that turn plain old fruits and veggies into magnificent, delicious and beautiful dishes that make healthy eating FUN.

My classes are lively and empowering and you learn that eating healthy foods can be as easy as turning on If you live close enough to Austin Texas, plan on coming and spending the afternoon with me.

I’m so excited! This class will be different than anything I’ve done before. It will be empowering, informative and lots of fun. I’ll be doing things I’ve never done before in front of a live audience.

Clean out the Fridge Recipes: I’ll be teaching you how to make delicious, healthy meals on the fly, by using ingredients on hand. Bring in some fresh, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts or seeds and I’ll work with them.

Recipe Re-do:Send me your favorite holiday recipes in advance and I’ll pick a couple and demonstrate how to create amazingly healthy versions.

Recipe Request:Let me know in advance what you’d like to learn to make and I’ll do as many as I can.

Open Question and Answer session:Ask me any health or diet related question and if I can’t answer it on the spot, I’ll get an answer and respond on an FAQ page.

Bring a Friend Program:Your friend can attend with you for half price.

Raffles and Prizes: You’ll have a chance to win .
*Sign up by noon Wednesday December 3, and your name will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a one month coaching program with me valued at $497.
* Sign up by noon Thursday December 4, and your name will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a Break Through Strategy Session with me, valued at $197.
* Everyone who registers will be entered into a drawing to win e-books, programs, memberships and services.
* Everyone who attends will receive a special gift.

Call me crazy, but I’m ponly charging $37 for this 3 hour class.  That’s less than half what I normally charge for a 3 hour class.  Why?  It’s simple. It’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and Solstice, all right around the same time. It’s the season of gift giving and showing appreciation to those we care about. It’s my way of giving back to you.

In addition, I’ll donate $10 for each full price student and $5 for each half price student to a family in need this holiday season.

Bonuses

- The first 5 students to sign up and pre-pay will receive a copy of my home-study course “Eat Your Way – Out of Pain” , priced at $37, absolutely FREE
- The first 10 students to sign up and pre-pay will receive a coupon for $10 off any programs, classes or coaching sessions between January 1 and March 31, 2009.
- Sign-up by midnight Friday December 5, 2008 and receive a collection of 7 never before published smoothie recipes, taken from a book I’ll be publishing next year.

To register for the class, go to http://drritamarie.com/HolidayClass2008.htm

Love and Health,
Dr. Ritamarie

http://www.FreshnFunLiving.com

http://www.EatYourWayOutofPain.com

http://www.HolidayThrival.com

http://www.GreenSmoothieCleanse.com

http://www.GreenFoodMagic.com

E-Mail: DrRitamarie@DrRitamarie.com