It’s almost spring, a good time to think about detoxing. As the weather becomes warmer we can begin to eat lighter and add more fresh fruits, veggies, lighter grains and seeds into your diet.

One of our favorites is buckwheat. Not a wheat at all but an Asian seed that you have probably eaten as flour in pancakes. It can be enjoyed raw and it has many health benefits if you bring it back to life by sprouting. This starchy seed is a rich source of protein and high in dietary fiber. It contains four B vitamins and several dietary minerals. It is especially high in niacin,  magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.

When I think of my buckwheat recipes I always think of our black Labrador Retriever, Cody and Cody’s Cookies! I have fond memories of Cody (who is no longer with us) and his love of food.  I’m told all labs love food and Cody was no exception! He would eat everything! One day as we were making big batches of buckwheat cookies to prepare for an upcoming party and he was with us in the kitchen as usual.  He was there watching as we sprouted the buckwheat, mixed the sprouted buckwheat with almond butter, chopped almonds and added agave to sweeten it. He stood by patiently, waiting and hoping  that we would drop a crumb or two as we rolled the dough into bite size balls and put them in the dehydrator, filling our house with the sweet smell of buckwheat.

The cookies were beautiful. We had about 180, all wrapped in plastic and ready to go for the party. From past experience we knew to keep the cookies way back on the counter where Cody could not get them. We did that and went shopping for the rest of our party food.

I am sure you know what’s coming… when we returned somehow Cody had gotten into the packages and eaten them all… plastic and all!! There was no trace of any cookies, not even a crumb or two left  for us…!

Click here for Cody’s Buckwheat Cookie Recipe

Cody seemed fine, like nothing had happened but we were very concerned and didn’t know what to do. My girls were crying thinking he would die! It was the weekend and the vet’s clinic was closed. The dog seemed fine though, so we decided to take him to the beach and let him run it off. That was the most amazing beach walk we  had ever had with that dog. We let him off leash and he ran… he ran like the wind. He ran so far down the beach that he was just a speck in the sand. He ran back and forth. He was in and out of the water, he jumped and played like he did when he was a puppy! He was in seventh heaven. Other beach goers were commenting on his athletic abilities and we had several conversations about the wonders of buckwheat! We were amazed and impressed with the power of those cookies. Cody actually seemed better than ever.

We were anxious to make another batch for the party and couldn’t wait to feel the wonders of buckwheat for ourselves. We found them to be really tasty and healthy! I never had the beach run that Cody had but maybe if you eat enough of them, you too may run faster and jump higher! Here’s the recipe but we suggest not consuming the plastic. Also, if you have a dog, keep the cookies on top of the fridge – unless you have a Jack Russell Terrier! I hear they can jump that high!