Our clients tell us that one of the best things about The Blossoming Kitchen is, healthy desserts that satisfy any sweet tooth minus the junk!

But what if you’re craving Chef Katrina’s famous (at least in Charlotte) brownies and delivery day isn’t until Sunday?  Or what if you’re on the hook to bring a dessert to a party and you don’t want the sugar-loaded ones from a grocery store?

Well, you can make your own!

This week, we’re sharing Chef Katrina’s recipe for her Paleo Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies.  They’re easy to make and is a crowd pleaser for sure!

You won’t feel guilty eating them because they’re made with no refined sugar, no refined flour (almond flour is used instead,)no unhealthy fats.

Our only requirement is that when you make them, you share with other people to spread the love 🙂

PALEO CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY BROWNIES

Courtesy of Chef Katrina Bearer

Makes 16+ brownies

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups coconut oil
• 2 ½ cups coconut sugar
• 1 ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 cup dark chocolate chunks optional

For the chocolate topping

• 2 cup fresh strawberries diced
• 2/3 cup coconut oil
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instruction

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line an 9x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang on the sides, spray with cooking spray; set pan aside.
2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine coconut oil, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Stop to stir, and heat in 10-second bursts until mixture has melted and can be stirred smooth. Whisk for about 30 seconds to help dissolve the coconut sugar into the oil.
3. Add the vanilla, eggs, and stir vigorously until batter is thick, shiny, and well blended. Add the almond flour and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
4. Bake until a toothpick in the center emerges slightly moist with batter, about 20-23 minutes. Check with a toothpick – it should come out with moist crumbs attached. Don’t over bake! Let brownies cool completely.
5. Spread the strawberries evenly over the brownies. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Pour evenly over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 1 hours before cutting into 16 squares. 8×2 or however you prefer to cut!
6. Brownies will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
7. Enjoy!

Dinner Made Easy With The Blossoming Kitchen.

So parents, we all know how difficult it is to get a well balanced delicious meal on the table every night. From menu planning, to shopping, to prep and cooking it’s time consuming. And who has time for all that?

What if we told you there’s a company making it easier than ever? Please welcome Katrina Bearer and Adrienne Wei from The Blossoming Kitchen.

Watch full segment @ http://www.wcnc.com/features/watch-dinner-made-easy-with-blossoming-kitchen/469279082

Local $12 meal service led by three female entrepreneurs takes on Blue Apron, but without the cooking.

Love to eat, hate to cook, and looking for a satisfying but good-for-you meal without turning to Blue Apron? Me too.

I love to eat and don’t HATE to cook, but I’m not great at it (nor very creative in the kitchen.)

And between all the dining out I do, I’m always grateful for a clean, healthy meal that actually tastes great.

That’s where The Blossoming Kitchen comes in.

This meal-prep business is owned and operated by three women: executive chef Katrina Bearer (previously with Nolen Kitchen), nutritionist Adrienne Wei and marketing guru Kara Markley.

“We started it to try to take the stress out of meal prepping and trying to plan for your family,” said Markley.

Read Full Article @ https://www.charlotteagenda.com/100663/the-blossoming-kitchen-charlotte-nc-meal-prep-service/

I’m referring to F-A-T.

What types of emotions come-up for you when you hear or see the word “fat?”  Is it disgust?   Self-loathing?  Joy?  Contentment?

In America, most of us grew up programmed to run as far as we can from fats because we’ve been taught to embrace the concept that fats cause diseases.   Raise your hand if you remember the days of “low-fat everything” and “fat substitutes” in the 80s and 90s.  How can we forget Fabio and “I can’t believe it’s not butter?”

As a result, we consume disproportionally large quantities of refined carbohydrates based on the assumption that because carbs are not fats, they’re healthier.  But the caveat is, Americans are more overweight than ever.

This concept of “fat is bad” is so out-dated.  In fact, it’s been proven that high dietary fats do not lead to heart disease (Source:  http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract)

Another study proved that a low-carb, high-fat diet actually helped the subjects in the study to lose weight as well as reducing the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.  (Source: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0708681)

Embrace the Fat

When we founded The Blossoming Kitchen, we decided to create meals that are based on the Paleo diet principle because we believe in eating as whole as possible.

We believe in letting the ingredients in the dishes speak for themselves which is why in addition to spices, we rarely use any additional oil or fats in any of the dishes.  When we do need to use fats, you may notice that we usually use olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, and ghee (clarified butter.)

So, you might be wondering still about the high fat content (most of time comes from the protein source) in some of the meals and whether it will derail you from accomplish your weight loss or health goals.  Or you might be curious about meal planning for yourself at home and how much fat or which type of fats to use.

I’m going to start with the three reasons below why you shouldn’t be afraid of “good fats” and then talk about the best type of fats to use for optimal health.

The three reasons to embrace good fats are:

1. Fats are essential for hormone balance, especially for women. Fats help to make the all- important hormone of estrogen, which every woman knows is responsible for reproductive health.
2. Fats keep you feeling full and prevent overeating. Carbohydrates are the quickest source of energy for your body because they’re metabolized very quickly in the body.  However, that’s also the reason why if you eat a high carb diet, you will find yourself always looking for more snacks for a “pick-me-upper.”  And most of the time, the snacks of choice are processed foods that cause more inflammation.
3. Fats actually promote the absorption of certain vitamins such as vitamins A D, E, and K. These vitamins are fat-soluble which means they’re only absorbed if surrounded by fat cells.  You can take all the supplements you want in the world but won’t receive any benefits if they’re not absorbed properly.

Three Types of Good Fats

It’s important to point out that not all fats are created equal.  There is such a thing as “good” and “bad” fats.

When you order meals from The Blossoming Kitchen, you don’t need to worry.  We only use “good fats.”  If you’re cooking at home, here are the three best types of fats to use:

1. Coconut oil – Coconut oil is a multi-functional fat. You can use it on your skin, in your hair, in your foods.  It’s a type of fat that’s easy for your body to digest instead of storing as body fat.  They’re also good for brain function, improving memory, and also lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol.
2. Real grass-fed butter or ghee – I’m talking about the “real deal” here, not imitation butter or margarine which is vegetable oil in a stick form. YUCK!  Grass-fed butter or clarified butter known as ghee contains two essential fatty acids we’re familiar with, omega-3 and omega-6.  These two fatty acids are essential because they body needs them but cannot produce on its own.  Omega oils are known for reducing inflammation in the body, which in turn helps with any type of joint pain or body ache.
3. Avocado – Let me count the number of ways we love avocado. Avocado is super rich is vitamin E which is an anti-oxidant that helps prevent radical damage, promotes skin health, and boost immune system.  Also, for those who are trying to conceive, it contains a ton of folate that can help to prevent birth defects.

Before I wrap up, here is a word of caution.  Sometimes even too much of a good thing is not good.  You still need to be careful of how much fat you’re ingesting.  There is no set amount because each person’s needs are different.  A good rule-of-thumb is just to incorporate one tablespoon of fat of your choice per dish.

For those of you who need to be precise on the exact amount of fats needed to accomplish your health goals, here is a good resource to calculate your macro nutritional needs, https://www.katyhearnfit.com/macro-calculator.html

So, don’t run away from fat because it won’t make you fat.

As long as you’re mindful of the type of fats you’re using and you’ll see major improvements in your health.

Maybe you can relate to this.

When I get home from work, I often find myself without a dinner plan. With a screaming child and a husband (whom by the way is an “OK” cook, I just don’t like anything he makes) who are “starving.”

I then roll my eyes, sift through the fridge to see what can be cooked only to realize that all the proteins are still frozen, in the freezer. We then promptly call take-out for dinners that are probably loaded with salt, unhealthy fats, and are definitely not organic.

This was my life “pre-meal prep and delivery service.” Fast forward a year, I no longer have to worry about planning meals. Every night, we have pre-made dinner that are not only delicious, but also healthy.

A company was born

Our company was founded by three women who understand first-hand the struggles of juggling work and life while trying to stay healthy.

Whatever goals you may have, whether it’s to lose weight, eat healthier or resolve a health issue, we are here to help. Our mission is to make meal-prep stress-free so that you can spend more time doing other things that are important to you.

We made a decision to prepare meals that are allergy-friendly, without gluten, dairy, soy or grains, all of which can cause chronic inflammation. We believe that health is the foundation for living life to its fullest extent.

Three ways we can help you

Here are the three ways we help you to regain the elusive work/life balance, or whatever-you-do/life balance in a healthy way.

1. All of our meals are pre-cooked and individually packaged. That means all you have to do is pop them in the microwave, reheat, and consume (Don’t worry, the containers are BPA-free, microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe.) Goodbye grocery shopping!
2. The meals are delivered right to your door. You don’t need to lift a finger. No more driving around to pick up take-out in rush hour traffic.
3. The menu changes every week. I am sure those of us who are less culinary inclined appreciate not having to think of new ways to cook something or wreck our brains for a menu. Hooray!

How to contact us

We are three women who love to be on her iphone at all times. Trust us, you can email and one of us will probably get back to you within the hour. Here is the email address: contact@theblossomingkitchen.com

We would love to hear from you!