Cranberry Pistachio Bark | Real Food Recipe

One of the fun things about the holiday season is all of the delicious food! With that in mind, here's a recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Bark that's easy to make and tastes amazing! Choclate, cranberries, and pistachios make a great combination as far as flavor goes, plus the red and green look makes this recipe perfect for Christmas. You can make this real food dessert for a party, give it as a gift, or just keep it for yourself. 

Cranberry Pistachio Bark

Ingredients

• 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped (from about 1 cup in shell)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
2. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler until smooth.
3. Pour melted chocolate onto the parchment lined baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer with a spatula.
4. Sprinkle chopped pistachios onto chocolate in an even layer. Repeat with dried cranberries.
5. Gently pat the pistachios and cranberries into the chocolate with your hand to make sure they adhere well to the chocolate.
6. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator until the bark is set up, at least 30 minutes.
7. Once the bark has hardened, remove baking sheet from the refrigerator and break the bark into smaller pieces.
8. Store bark in a container in the refrigerator and enjoy!

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
Layered Peppermint Bark

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Dealing with Food Pushers without Drama

Food pushers are around all year long, but they are escpecially active during holidays, family events, parties, and birthdays. With all this can come feelings of guilt or obligation to eat whatever food is offered, even if you don't want it or aren't hungry. The good news is, it doesn't have to be that way! Here are my tips for dealing with food pushers without ruining your relationship.

November Favorites 2016 | Healthy Food, Tea, Natural Beauty, and More!

November favorites time is here! This month, I have a couple newish food favorites and an always favorite that really stood out this month. Plus, I have a fun natural beauty favorite that's getting me really excited to paint my nails again.

PRODUCTS MENTIONED
Counter Culture Coffee
Numi Rooibos Chai
Zoya Evvie

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

What I Eat In a Day | Healthy Meal Ideas from a Dietitian

I want to make eating healthy easy for you so today I'm sharing some healthy meal ideas and inspiration in the form of a What I Eat in a Day video! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack are all included. This is a look at a day in November, so you'll get to see what my food looks like once the farmers' markets are closed and the garden is frozen over. It's all real food and it's all delicious!

PRODUCTS MENTIONED
Maple Hill Creamery yogurt
Wild Planet Sardines
Kasandrino's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Divina

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Daysy Unboxing + First Impressions | Natural Birth Control

As a user of the Lady Comp, I was curious to see what the sister device, Daysy, was like. I've also heard from several people that they're interested in knowing more about alternatives to the Lady Comp for non-hormonal birth control. With all this in mind, I reached out to the people at Daysy and they were nice enough to send me a device to test. I've been using it for a little while now and I thought this would be the perfect time share the unboxing and my first impressions with you! I'll have a more thorough review once I've spent more time using the device, but here's a peek at the Daysy and what I'm thinking so far.

More info on Daysy
My current device, the Lady Comp
Lady Comp video
Lady Comp update video

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

The Shocking Secret About Superfoods

It seems like there is always some new superfood out there that's going to change everything. It's really high is "x" or low in "y." It has some property that's going to radically improve your health or prevent some disease. There's just one problem: superfoods aren't real. As much as we hear about superfoods, you'd think the word actually means something, but really it's all about marketing.

Brussels Sprouts That AREN'T Gross | Easy Recipe

If you're trying to healthier, you need to know how to cook healthier food that tastes great. That's where this recipe comes in! I thought it would be fun to share a basic recipe that you can add to your repertoire and what better basic recipe to share than the one for roasted Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts have a bad reputation for being gross, but they really can taste good as long as you know how to cook them. I think roasting is one of the best ways to make almost any vegetable taste better and that's especially true for Brussles sprouts.

Himalayan Pink Salt
Kasandrinos

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

What's the Deal with Bleached Flour?

If you've ever gone shopping for flour you know there are a lot of different types to choose from. Looking at white flour specifically, you might have seen that some are labeled as "bleached" and others as "unbleached." But what does "bleached" actually mean when it comes to flour and how is bleached flour different from unbleached flour? Today we're going to talk about all of that, plus I'm sharing what kind of flour I use for my baking.

Holiday Gift Guide for Health Conscious Women

The holiday season is here and that means you probably have some shopping to do! You might also be looking for some things to put on your own list. :) Either way, this video will give you lots of ideas for any woman who is interested in healthy eating or healthy lifestyle. I'm including some fun foods gifts, healthy home ideas, and personal care products, so you'll have lots of options to choose from. Also, make sure to watch the other gift guides I'm sharing so you can get lots of ideas for all kinds of people on your list!

Gift Guide playlist

Gift Guide for Cat Lovers
Baking Gift Guide
Healthy Cookbook Gift Guide
Healthy Kitchen Gadget Gift Guide

GIFT IDEAS
Kasandrinos Olive Oil (bottle, the tin is currently out of stock)
Spice blends
Flowering tea
Ello Tumbler
Ello Travel Mug
Ello Travel Mug (another one)
Big Dipper Wax Works candles
LaVanilla perfume bottle or rollerball
Deep Steep foot creme
Massage

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

What I Eat in a Day | Healthy Meal Ideas from a Dietitian

October is the time of year that we're finally starting to get lots of fall produce, but there are still a few summery foods hanging around too. That means for this What I Eat in a Day video I have a nice mix of summer and fall foods. I love the transition period between seasons for this reason. The mixing of foods from the previous season and the next one is the best! I hope you get some real food meal ideas and inspiration by seeing what I eat in a day in October.

Skillet potato recipe

October Favorites 2016 | Natural Living, Books, Music

October is almost over and that means it's time to talk about my October Favorites! This month I don't have much in the way of healthy food favorites, but I still have some fun stuff to share with you! I have a couple books that I'm loving, some natural lifestyle stuff, and some music that has taken over my life (in a good way).

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Baby-Led Weaning book
Primal Pit Paste
Buffering
Hamilton

Watch the baby-led weaning video: Feeding Your Baby WITHOUT Purees

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Feeding Your Baby WITHOUT Purees (Registered Dietitian)

Baby led weaning (BLW) is becoming more and more popular. With baby led weaning, instead of spoon feeding your baby purees, the baby gets to explore whole foods at their own pace. At first, it might sound a little scary to give a 6 month old child large pieces of whole food to chew and gnaw on their own, but it's a method that many families are enjoying. So what is baby led weaning and what is the idea behind it? Also, how do you know if you child is getting enough food and what about the risk of choking? I'm talking about all of that, plus my review of the Baby-Led Weaning book.

Baby-Led Weaning book

Watch the homemade baby food video: Making Your Own Baby Food? What You Need to Know

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Tips to Eat Healthy at Restaurants

Eating out is fun, but it can be tricky to eat healthy at restaurants, especially if you're just getting started with healthy eating. The goods news is that with a few simple tips you can find the healthy options at restaurants and it doesn't involve counting calories. 

Watch the calorie counting video: The Biggest Weight Loss Myth

Watch the hunger video: You Might THINK You're Hungry, But Are You?

Is Organic Candy a Scam?

Over the past few years we've seen more and more organic and natural candy popping up on store shelves. Something that used to be a specialty product is becoming more accessible all the time, but it comes with a higher price most of the time. So are organic candy and natural candy actually better for you and are they worth the extra money?

The BEST Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! Easy + Delicious!

With fall comes pumpkins and with pumpkins come pumpkin seeds! Whether you have seeds left over from making pumpkin puree or carving Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween, you can use those seeds to make a yummy snack. In fact, seeds from other kinds of winter squash like butternut squash or acorn squash will work too! To make roasted pumpkin seeds, all you need are some seeds that have been rinsed and dried, salt, oil, and any other spices you like!

My favorite olive oil in a bottle or tin

Watch the pumpkin puree video: The BEST Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! Easy + Delicious!

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Lady Comp 3.5 Year Update + FAQ (Natural Birth Control)

I've had so many requests to do a Lady Comp update video and I'm so excited that it's finally here! I've been using my Lady Comp for over 3.5 years now, and I'm happy to be able to share my experience with using the device as a natural alternative to other forms of birth control. If you're wondering if the Lady Comp works or if it is effective, I think you'll enjoy that part. Along with my general update, I'm also answering some frequently asked questions about the Lady Comp and making an exciting announcement!

Get your own Lady Comp (affiliate link)

Watch my full Lady Comp overview

Lady Comp FAQ

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Homemade Pumpkin Puree | Easy + Simple

Fall is here and with the season comes a high demand for pumpkin everything! Everyone is making pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, and much more. You can get canned pumpkin puree at the store, but I think it's much more fun to make it yourself. It only takes one ingredient and a few simple steps to make this easy recipe and then you can have homemade pumpkin puree ready to go whenever you need it.

The jars I'm using

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

What I Eat in a Day | Healthy Meal Ideas from a Dietitian

This September What I Eat in a Day might not be quite what you would expect. As a dietitian and nutritionist I try to eat seasonally and locally and even though September is a time when everyone is getting into fall mode, in Virginia we still have a lot of summer foods. Tomatoes and melons are still coming in and I'm eating lots of them! Here's what a day of healthy, real food meals looks like for me in September.

COOKBOOKS MENTIONED

Local Flavors
The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

September Favorites 2016 | Natural Beauty, Lifestyle, and More!

With the end of September quickly approaching, it's time to talk monthly favorites! This month I have one yummy food favorite, some natural beauty and self care products (including a great line of natural hair products), something awesome that I got for my cats to keep them healthy, and more!

PRODUCTS MENTIONED

Primal Pit Paste
Shea Moisture shampoo
Shea Moisture conditioner
Shea Moisture leave in conditioner
Cat water fountain
Wireless mouse

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Fitness Bands Make it HARDER to Lose Weight?!

Lots of people use fitness bands and trackers to help them move more, be healthier, and even lose weight. Whether you're using a FitBit, Jawbone, Garmin, Apple Watch, or some other tracking device, you probably have the same general goals in mind. But do they work? And could they actually make it harder to lose weight? A new study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) took a look at long term use of these types of devices and whether or not they help people lose more weight over time. The results are pretty interesting.

Read the full study in JAMA