Lemon Garlic Quinoa

 

 

 

Well this whole food week has gone pretty good. I have really tried to put a lot of thought into my meals. I usually start the day with  a shake, then I have a lunch with a lot of fruits and veggies and maybe like a string cheese or something.

 

I ended up making some awesome steamed asparagus and baked chicken with a lemon, garlic quinoa!  I just kind of played around with some ingredients a I had so we didn't just have plain quinoa, it turned out really great! Super easy and an awesome healthy side for an awesome dinner.

 

Whole food living can be difficult, especially when you work or are chasing kiddos everywhere. I'm a big fan of pre planning and even pre- packaging your lunches...it's easy and all ready for you. The number one tip to remember is to stay as close to nature as possible and you'll be golden!

Lemon Garlic Quinoa

 

1 cup uncooked quinoa

 

1/2 lemon

 

1 garlic clove, minced

 

2 cups of water

 

Add quinoa and water to a medium sized sauce pan. Cover and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 lemon and garlic clove. Reduce to a simmer for another 10-15 minutes until water is all absorbed. Serve warm~ Enjoy

 

 

 

 

 



Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

Oh my today was comfort food day!!! I have a weakness and it's pasta! I try to avoid pasta as much as I can although it is my achilles heel, I have a difficult time losing weight when I eat too many breads and pastas...like a lot of people. But tonight screamed comfort food! It's cold and wet and winter is creeping it's frosty head around the corner. 

I wanted to take an old recipe that I had that definetly added to the waist line and simply Lighten it up! Well I can honestly say I like...rephrase...LOVE the new version better than my heavy, fattening first version. 

I used almond milk with a can of evaporated milk in place of half a stick of butter and cow's milk. I have to say the almond milk gave it such a pleasent nutty flavor that even my picky husband was raving about it. He asked me three times tonight if he had thanked me for dinner...either he is losing his memory and I should worry....or he really liked it. 

You can make this vegetarian by leaving the ham cubes out, which also would lighten it up even more...I added them...and I liked it! The next best thing is this is soooo easy to make! It took me 25 minutes start to finish. And it can be a one dish dinner!

One of my littles has reversed her taste for broccoli...once she loved the stuff...now she turns up her nose when she smells it steaming. So what have I been serving lately...broccoli. If you have bought and read my ebook you know that I mention that kids sometimes take 20+ times to realize they like a healthy food- and even sometimes they may change their mind. The important thing is is that you keep trying, keep serving it and don't give up, so this is the reason I added broccoli, you could add any veggie you would like and I'm sure it would be delightful. I used 100% whole grain rotini. This is something you need to watch out for- make sure your pasta boxes say 100% whole grain...even though it says wheat pasta the majority of the time it will say 51% whole wheat or whole grain...tricky. 

If you are ready for comfort food, that I would consider not completely 100% healthy, but still a much lighter healthier version...then you are in for a treat with this recipe~

Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

1 Box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rotini

1 c cubed ham

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 cup Almond milk

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups of chopped broccoli crowns

In large pot cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pot heat almond milk, evaporated milk, ham, and broccoli over med heat. Stir often to avoid burning the milk. When pasta is al dente drain and place into a skillet. Pour milk mixture over the pasta and continue to heat over med-low until sauce begins to thicken, add cheese and stir into pasta. Cook for another five minutes or until the sauce is very thick and creamy! Serve with a nice salad! Enjoy!

Ham Fried Quinoa

I don't know about all of you, but I am all about fast meals that area good for you. Since our little babe joined our family I'm finding less and less free time to really sit and prepare this wonderful masterpiece that includes all the food groups in perfect quantities and delicious flavors...that is not reality.

So quick weeknight meals that have a lot of nutrition are what I'm about at this point in my life. Maybe I'll be able to do that well thought out process again in a few years, but as of right now a full of energy four year old, a mischevious two year old, and a needy newborn claim my time and hands.

I saw a recipe for chicken fried quinoa here and I decided to make my own spin on things to fit my tastes and what my family likes.

I love broccoli. I usually like to use the peas also in asian style meals, however I made this for my mom also who is deathly allergic to peas... random I know...anyways I loved how the use of broccoli as the main veggie turned out. I also used the cubed ham for speed and ease at this point, you can use any meat really or go totally meatless it's really what you like. I am obsessed with quinoa and it's many uses and nutrition that it brings. I'd take this ham fried quinoa over ham fried rice any day!!! Enjoy

P.S. I fed the baby while the rest of the family ate this, it was totally gone before I could get a picture of the final result....what does that tell you :)

Ham Fried Quinoa

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 bunch chopped broccoli

1/2 bag cubed ham

3 T low sodium soy sauce- divided

1 cup water

Add quinoa to pot with two cups of water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until most liquid is gone and quinoa is tender. Meanwhile, add water, broccoli and broccoli slaw to large skillet. Cover and let simmer and steam over med-low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add cubed ham and 1 1/2 T soy sauce. Cover and continue to simmer and steam. When quinoa is done add quinoa to the skillet with remaining soy sauce. Uncover and heat together in the skillet for another 5 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed and vegetables are tender. Serve hot! Enjoy

Other add ins

an egg scrambled

chicken

peas

carrots

onion

green onion

peppers

Skinny Banana Bread

Myth about whole foods:

Your food will never taste like the "normal" recipe does when you adapt it for whole food natural living!

NOT TRUE! I can't tell you how many awesome recipes I've been able to adapt to fit my lifestyle of whole food, healthy living! It is an amazing journey when you start, to feel your body actually love you for what you are putting into it...that feeling of happiness grows even more when you see your family love everything they are eating also! It's amazing.

So if you think you will be sacrificing taste and delicious comfort food to eat healthy, whole and natural...I'm going to prove you wrong with this revamp of my comforting banana bread! It was amazing! I made it for my husband who requested banana bread. Well the night I made it, he worked late. The kids and I slaved and slaved, then probably ate half the loaf (yes you read that right)  and then I tucked the rest away nicely for my husband to enjoy for breakfast and while he was in class!

When I got home from work the next day I asked him if he liked his banana bread, because it was all gone. He said he didn't even get ONE PIECE! I laughed so hard, between my kids and our babysitter the next morning they ate the rest of the loaf of banana bread! It lasted less than 24 hours!

So I promised I'll make it again soon for the hubs...

If you want a guiltless loaf of banana bread this is your lucky day! Originally this recipe contains 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 a cup of shortening! Yikes! This baby needed a makeover...Enjoy, I know you'll love it

Skinny Banana Bread

3/4-1 c raw stevia

2 T vegan margarine

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce

2 flax eggs- (2 T ground flax + 6 T warm water ) I also added about 1/4 tsp chia seed

3 ripened bananas, mashed

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour (or any flour you'd like)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp baking soda

2-3 T dark chocolate chips or nuts of choice

Cream together margarine and stevia, slowly add applesauce and continue to cream. Add flax eggs and mix well. Add bananas, mix well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and chocolate chips. Fold together well. Place in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden and fork comes clean (your house will smell amazing!)

Enjoy

Spaghetti Squash Vegan Alfredo

I've been thinking lately about how many people I've come in contact with that are choosing gluten free for health or because they have an allergy. My mom has Celiac disease so I'm very familiar with gluten free living, and now my sister has put my nephew on a gluten free diet. My cute little nephew is lactose intolerant as well and still having some tummy issues so the doctor suggested gluten free. 

Tonight's dinner was made with my cute nephew in mind. Dairy free and gluten free! I wasn't sure how my kids would like tonight's dinner...I kept waiting to see if they could tell that these noodles weren't quite the same. Well the end result....I think they could tell but that didn't stop them. To my surprise my son ate better than my daughter and the last few weeks it's been like pulling teeth to get him to actually eat what I put in front of him and not play with it!

This is a thick alfredo sauce...it isn't conventional alfredo sauce, but it still tasted rich and creamy even though it was vegan. I typically try and stick with a very natural whole food diet, but every once in awhile I'll add some of these mixes. We used Tofutti products, they are dairy free, but still processed so not so whole foods I'd say. But they have much less fat than regular cream cheese...pick your battles!

I want to include a step by step guide for preparing the "spaghetti" of the squash if you're unfamiliar with it...it is so simple!

1. Poke holes in the squash with large fork or knife

2. Bake in the oven for 1 hour at 375 degrees

3. Cut the squash in half lengthwise

4. take out seeds with a fork

5. With the fork shred the sides of the squash until all the noodley squash is out! 

And your done!

It is one of the easiest squash to cut and prepare in my opinion, it just takes some time to bake!

Well how about that sauce recipe then huh?

3-4 T vegan cream cheese

1-2 T vegan sour cream

1/2 c soy milk or dairy free milk

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

dash of red pepper flakes

pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium until everything has melted down. Stir over med-low for 5 minutes! Enjoy

Pretty easy right? Talk about a great way to get some veggies into your family all the while having an allergen free meal! It's a great day!

Zesty Triple Bean Salad

 

 

I have given summer a farewell. It's sad, but so exciting. I love the fall and I love all the holidays. My house was decorated for Halloween four days ago...I couldn't hold off any longer!

 

Fall brings crisp air, beautiful leaves, family, delicious treats, soup and so much more! Last night I attempted to make a chicken noodle like crock pot soup...without chicken. It smelled amazing...but it shouldn't be made it the crockpot...the noodles turned to mush...it was crazy! It needs some TLC and then it'll be ready to share with you all!

 

 

 

The side dish made up for my disappointment soup. I made a zesty triple bean salad that really took our taste buds for a ride! It was fantastic, I had it for lunch today also!

 

Beans are a key aspect to living a plant based diet. Greens, fruit and other vegetables do have protein, but most of my intense protein comes from Adam's Natural Peanut Butter and a huge variety of beans! I love beans!

 

As a budgeter as well-- beans are cheap...I like love healthy cheap! I want to write a book on 100 things to make with beans they are amazing! They are the magical fruit!!!

 

So if you are looking for a zesty, flavorful, easy, healty, budget friendly meal you are really going to want to try this! From start to finish it took me 10 minutes to serve it up. Believe it or not in this house this was kid friendly too! How great is that!

 

Zesty Triple Bean Salad

 

1 c black beans

1c red kidney beans

1 c navy beans

1/2 cucumber chopped

1 small onion chopped

1 c chopped red pepper

2 T olive or canola oil

4 T red wine vinegar

1 T parsley

 

If you are using canned beans make sure you rinse the beans well. Combine all ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Mix well. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or until you serve it. Serve over lettuce! Enjoy your taste bud happy time!

 

 

 



Better Than Chicken Salad Alternative!

How many bridal shower, baby showers, or parties have you been to with the little rolls of chicken salad or tuna salad sandwiches? I love those little things! I love the textures of good chicken salad. Since I don't eat meat in my diet as a staple I wanted to find a delicious, easy, healthy alternative to have for lunches and snacks! Well I had this recipe come into my mind, because I saw a picture of it months ago on another blog. It uses garbanzo beans in place of the tuna or chicken!

Open a can of those babies they honestly smell a little like the canned meats. I fell in love with this sandwich. The first time I made it I'm pretty sure I had a wrap, a sandwich and a slice of bread with some on it...in one sitting! Carb overload...I'd say so.

The beauty of this spread is you can add whatever you want in it and it has turned out great every time for me. The first time I added broccoli slaw and sun dried tomatoes in the mix, next I added red peppers with a dash of Annies roasted red pepper dressing, this time around I made it traditional chicken salad style with grapes and celery! Fantastic every way you do it. I'm going to do the traditional style recipe, but keep in mind you can add whatever you'd like and it will be amazing.

Step 1- drain, rinse and mash the beans with a potato masher

Step 2- add 1 1/2 T mayo or veganaise, 1/2 c cut up grapes, 1/2 cup chopped celery.

Step 3- Mix it all together

Step 4- devour it on your favorite wrap or sandwich!

My family loved this! I haven't been this obsessed with a recipe in a long time, very rarely will I make something multiple times in a week...well this one hits the spot! Enjoy...yay for easy lunches! Lettuce wraps would be great, and maybe some chopped up pickle or plain cucumber...just some extra thoughts of mine.

Living Simple and Healthy

 I feel I haven't been able to post that much lately (if I don't post everyday I feel like I'm neglecting the blog). One reason is I've been slamming with the final wrap ups of the eBook design and also my stinking computer has been having the hardest time uploading the pictures I take...it's a bummer. Well I've been trying for  few days to upload some now finally this morning it decided to be nice to me and let me get some pictures to post for you guys.

As a working mom I don't always have the energy and time to make time consuming meals. Sometimes I do, most times they taste great and I'm proud of my hard work, but there are other times when I  am so stressed out that I don't even enjoy the meal because it doesn't taste that great-then it just makes me sad.

It is awesome when I can make something nutritious and delicious without a huge mess or without a huge prep time. I wanted to share some simple food ideas that I've made that my family has loved! These meals are easy to make and the other plus...they are cheap and go a long way! Bring on the healthy and happy in these dinners!

Meal #1 Maple Baked Beans with Baked Potato

Beans:

1 can chili beans

1 can black beans

2 tsp pure maple extract

2 T honey

1 tsp cumin

1/2 onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all ingredients into and 8x8 baking dish, use the bean liquid too, don't rinse the beans. Mix well. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 10 minutes. Delicious! 

* I had the potatoes baking before hand, I added the beans about 25 minutes into the baked potatoes and took them out together! Easy.

These are called Pantry tacos since I just looked around and used anything I saw that would go well together in my fridge and pantry! It worked great! That's all I have to say...delicious. 

Meal #2 Pantry Tacos and sweet potato fries

Taco filling

 1 can beans (any kind) drained and rinsed

1 c low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 chopped onion

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 handful spinach finely chopped

3-4 canned jalapenos with juice

1 T cumin

Add all ingredient to a medium sauce pan. Heat on med-low and cover. Let simmer for 15-20 minuted until vegetables have achieved desired tenderness.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 julienne d peeled sweet potatoes

paprika, salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour olive oil over potatoes and add seasonings. Bake for 15 minutes then flip the fries over. Bake another 15 minutes until they are golden and crispy! Enjoy

It is so nice to have healthy meals that are easy and fun to eat! Does anyone have some easy fun, healthy recipes that they enjoy in their families? Leave a comment!

 

Vegan Cheezy Quesadillas

One of my greatest loves, especially during pregnancy, are cheese quesadillas! I obviously don't eat them anymore. Cheese offers tons of saturated fats and really unhealthy stuff for our bodies! I don't know why I loved them so much, but lately I've been wanting a make over of a quesadilla so I can enjoy again and my kids can have some variety for lunch!

These little quesadillas took a little bit more time to make than original ones, but they were so delicious! I loved them and my kids loved them too! It's so nice to make something that turns out even better than the original and that is better for you! As you can see from the picture of my son's cute little hand they kept coming back for more!

Cheese Quesadillas

1 c raw cashews, soaked in water for an hour

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove

1/3 c milk

4 tortillas

1 can beans (any kind)

Drain nuts. Add nuts, yeast, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, garlic and milk to a blender. Blend for two minutes until completely smooth. Add beans to two tortillas. Pour cheeze sauce over the top and top with remaining two tortillas. Microwave for 30 seconds. Garnish with your favorite salsa or avocado. Enjoy

Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal

Cold Cereal in the morning can get pretty boring, and it isn't the healthiest choice out there. I'm not perfect and you can find me many mornings placing cold cereal in front of my kids. I try to have healthier breakfasts, but I leave for work at 6 am most of the time...not a whole lot of time to make great breakfasts. 

My son has been on a picky cycle for awhile, I've been having a difficult time getting him to eat dinner, lunch, basically anything besides fruit. I'm happy with fruit, but I know he needs his vegetables, beans, and healthy fats. He's still my little guy and his brain is still busy learning and growing. So I sat and thought I need to give him something besides bananas for breakfast...that's all he eats! I wanted to either do avocado green smoothies or oatmeal...well my daughter voted oatmeal~ so here we are. I added some Adam's Natural Peanut butter, if you guys haven't tried natural peanut butter please do! The flavor is amazing and the price isn't that much different! We were sold from day one! Well anyways then I garnished the oatmeal with a few mini dark chocolate chips just to get the kids excited! And what do we have! Oatmeal that is like a peanut butter cup!

Moment of truth for me, this was not my favorite oatmeal. I prefer more fruity oatmeal flavor, but and a big but, the people I wanted to down this....DEVOURED IT! They loved it. My son actually ate his entire bowl without flinging it all over the floor! I was so excited...do you want to know what else...later that day he actually ate an entire hummus wrap from the tasty hummus I made! He was on a role yesterday...hopefully today is the same! 

Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal

2 c oats

2 1/4 c water

2 -3 T natural peanut butter

dark chocolate chips for garnish

Cook oats in a sauces pan with water until water is absorbed and the oats are tender and moist. Fold in peanut butter so it is swirled throughout oatmeal. Top with chocolate chips! Enjoy

for gluten free, make sure you use gluten free oats!

Crock Pot Italian Potatoes

MMMMM...delicious vegetable eating at it's finest. I used to make a dinner that was Italian chicken and potatoes that was a family favorite. It had tons of italian dressing drizzled over it, cheddar cheese, chicken and potatoes. It was so tasty, but I can't even imagine the fat content from the oil and cheese.

I really had been wanting to recreate that dish since we loved it so much, but I wanted to find a way to bring our healthy eating lifestyle into play.

I am happy to say that now I have created a crook pot dish full of vegetables that is vegetarian and so much healthier.

I was so excited when Derek told me last night that he liked these potatoes better than the old dish! I was very excited. We didn't eat these as a side, they were the main dish! We had salads for a side, it was a veggie night and our kids loved every bit of it! I thought they tasted almost like delicious Dutch oven potatoes!

Meals like this stand for one of my points I try to make... there are no rules that you need a piece of meat for your meal. There is no rule that you need cheese to make things taste better! There is no rule that says your kids won't eat kid-friendly healthy meals! Did I also say budget friendly! This whole meal cost approximately $5.00 for a family of four and that includes leftovers- we're able to compete with Little Ceasar's! Which one would make you feel better inside though? Ask yourself that question!

Enjoy this yummy dinner, have it ready and cooking in a matter of minutes! That calls for one happy Momma!

Crock Pot Italian Potatoes

6 Yellow potatoes (or any potato would work)

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

1 T coconut oil

1/2 onion

2 T Italian seasoning (or a mixture of basil and oregano)

1/2 T cumin

3 T water

1 T paprika

1 T Mrs. Dash seasoning (optional, but recommended)

Chop vegetables and add to the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours!

Tastes Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies

So last night was a major craving night! I really wanted a nice homemade chewy, chocolaty chocolate chip cookie! Well, I pulled out one of my old cookbooks to see how I could revamp the recipe...even though the craving was strong I couldn't actually bring myself to follow the recipe (2 sticks of butter and almost two cups of sugar...no thank you) So I had planned to use a bunch of different things like dates, applesauce- things like that. Well after a quick look at my pantry I realized it was time for a shopping trip, but I moved forward anyway. I used honey and some vegan butter I had, I used one egg and one flax egg, but you can easily use two flax eggs, I did add a few tablespoons of raw cane sugar, I used whole wheat flour and you know the end result was awesome! Seriously the cookie dough smelled and tasted like traditional chocolate chip cookies and the report Derek gave me was they were like chewy Chips Ahoy....he did say he will always love the bean cookies the best!

So some subs that origianally I had planned on using...

applesauce in place of all oils

banana or flax eggs for egg replacers

and I had planned on using date paste to use for sweeteners...but here we are and it didn't go according to plan...

...does that mean I didn't eat them...heck no I just didn't eat the three I usually eat in one sitting! These are wonderful, if you're looking to clean up your chocolate chip cookies a little here you go!!! Amazing!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 c flour

3 T vegan margarine or 3 T c applesauce

3 T sugar in the raw or 1/4 c date paste

1/4 c raw honey or pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla 

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 egg

1 flax egg or you can use only flax eggs

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 c dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees! cream butter and cane sugar (if you are using applesauce and date paste just combine all wet ingredients and mix) add egg and flax egg to creamed butter, add vanilla and almond extract. Add in dry ingredients and to the wet ingredients. Mix well....this dough is thick, I had to get in there with my hands and knead it. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes until golden on top.

Note: these didn't flatten very well so I would press the dough into a flat cookie before baking or just flatten them right out of the oven! Enjoy!

Alphabet Day's End, Zucchini Boats

Well our beloved Alphabet days has come to an end, just in time for school to start. I don't have school aged children, but my hubs is getting ready to start another fun filled semester....hahaha....not so fun actually! I guess we could look at it as one step closer to graduation! Someday it will come!

A few weeks ago my good friend described a dinner she had made out of zucchini! It sounded delightful, she put meat in hers so I wanted to find a way to make ours meatless, but have great flavor! These zucchini boats were so easy and so delicious! I was so happy with the end result. I've felt we haven't been watching as closely what we've been giving our kids the last few days since we've had some busy family get togethers or we've been on the go! So I needed, yes needed for my own guilt to pack them with something nutritious tonight! They loved these little babies, which makes mom all the more happy! These ended up reminding me of a tasty Italian meal, without all the creamy pasta sauces or carbs! So yay for us! Enjoy these easy weekend or weeknight zucchini boats! They are great!

Zucchini Boats

3-4 zucchini squash, cut lengthwise in half

1 C of canned or frozen corn

1-2 C cooked quinoa or brown rice

1 C chopped carrots

1 C peas

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 C green beans

1 T Italian Seasoning 

2 T nutritional Yeast (optional)

1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning, (optional)
1/4 C sunflower nuts, for some extra crunch

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or 1 recipe of easy marinara sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon out the inside of the zucchini squash so just the rind is left. Place the spooned squash in a large bowl. Add onion to skillet with a tsp of olive oil and saute, add garlic and finish cooking until garlic is fragrant. Add vegetables, nuts, rice or quinoa, sauce, and seasonings to bowl and stir well. Try and have the zucchini mashed up a bit so you don't have enormous chunks of it. Spoon mixture into the rind of the zucchini. Place on a large cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread, yum!!!!

Hawaiian Haystacks

As summer is kissing this year good-bye I feel the need to take full advantage of all the delicious, sweet fruit out there! Pineapple is one of the greatest gifts given to this earth! Okay, I'm sure there are a lot of other awesome things, but isn't pineapple so delicious!

I mean you throw it in some ice cream or make a tropical smoothie and you can be sitting on beach getting tan while there's a blizzard going on outside (I don't know why you'd eat ice cream during a blizzard, but in case you do...I'm sure that's how you feel)

Tonight I was missing Hawaiian haystacks. We haven't had them FOREVER! I also haven't made them with anything but cream of chicken soup before or without ham....and those two ingredients just aren't going to fly with me anymore. So I tried two sauces. The ginger vinaigrette and I made a creamy version of the dressing by using cashews. I'm still not sure which I like better. I'm also very open to another saucy idea so leave a comment if you have a tasty creation! I was satisfied with the Asian swing of these haystacks, and honestly I didn't miss the ham...yes you can do meatless and have a flavorful meal! Enjoy the last big of summer with chunky, tangy pineapple over your haystacks....you can thank me later :)

Hawaiian Haystacks

2 C uncooked Brown rice

1 C green onion

1 pineapple, chopped

1 C sweet peas

1 C corn

1 onion finely chopped

1 C shredded carrots

Rice Chow mein noodles, tortilla strips ( I used these) or nuts for some extra crunch 

* other toppings

Black Beans

Red Bell Pepper

Mango

Broccoli

Mushrooms

black olives

cashews

Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe 

Cashew Ginger Dressing

1/3 C raw cashews

1/2 T ground ginger

2 garlic cloves

1/3 C soy sauce

1/4 C almond milk

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cook rice in rice cooker until very tender. Two options: you can leave your vegetables raw or if you're like me and have an onion texture issue you can saute some together for a stir fry taste. I sauteed the onion, peas,  carrots and corn for 5 minutes in a skillet to tenderize the vegetables. For the Cashew dressing add all ingredients to blender and blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth. Add pineapple, choice of dressing, and vegetables to the rice. Top with chow mein noodles. Enjoy

Before Cravings...After Cravings

Things I used to eat before changing my lifestyle make me cringe at times. The worst part is I knew things were bad for me but I still ate them. I guess I didn't understand to the full extent why they were bad for me, which is why I'm so excited to launch our eBook...we go over the why!

This is what I used to crave before...literally! Does it look good to you? I would've eaten this whole thing

This is what I crave now! 

I am amazed at how my tastes and desires have changed! I love it, because I love my food! I rarely have guilt after I eat, and rarely when I get up for seconds! I still watch some things that I eat. I take it easy on pastas still because of the carbs, but when I do indulge in my lovely pasta it is filled with delicious vegetables like this! No grease drizzling down my chin with this!

Changing a lifestyle can be tough, but it really does change and evolve over time, I promise! And it's worth it! Keep working hard, try new recipes and take food off your list of frustrations and things to worry about!

Creamy Garden Pasta

1 package of whole grain pasta or gluten free pasta (you can also use rice instead of pasta)

1 crown chopped broccoli

1 C frozen corn

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 onion

1 large handful of spinach

2 cloves garlic

1/2 C raw cashews

1 1/2 C non-dairy milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of paprika

dash of red pepper flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions. After you strain the pasta add spinach to the bottom of the pan and place the hot pasta over the top so it wilts. Add 1-2 tsp coconut oil or olive oil to a skillet. Add broccoli, corn, onion, and pepper to the skillet and saute for about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, add remaining ingredients to the blender for the sauce. Blend on high for 2 minutes until cashews and sauce are completely smooth. Pour sauce over vegetables in skillet, heat together for another 2 minutes, then pour over pasta and spinach. Toss well so pasta is well coated! Enjoy

Have you lost cravings for certain foods? Or what do you still crave that you want to get rid of?

Vegan Strawberry Cobbler

Okay here is my promised, not forgotten "U" day! Alphabet days is coming to close. I switched up "V" day and today because I was so anxious to share the Rumbi Salad. This is also a stretch for the letter "U", I'm going to pretend to call it strawberry upside down cake, but really it's a cobbler...it's no big deal!

Have you ever sat in your quiet house, if you have kids, after the kids go to sleep and just had a craving for something sinfully delicious to enjoy while escaping into your favorite TV show? Introducing this cobbler! That is exactly what I experienced last night! I needed something sweet, but healthy so I could sit and soak up the drama of Army Wives....okay yes I love Lifetime shows, it's not a problem!!!! This was such a fast prep work I couldn't believe it, and the end result fit my need. This will not be as sweet as traditional cobblers, however the upside is you can eat two servings without so much guilt! I'm all for that. This would be delicious with some vegan ice cream snuggled right next to it, melting all over the place with the warm cobbler!

I'm going to try this cobbler in our dutch oven soon and see how the end result turns out. You can use any fruit you'd like. I was going to use peaches, but Derek requested that I didn't, he just isn't a peach fan that crazy guy! So I pulled out the strawberries. It was wonderful too. Please excuse the pictures, it was dark outside and my house lighting is just the pits, it looked amazing and tastes even better!

Vegan Strawberry Cobbler

Crust

3/4 C whole wheat flour

1/4 C coconut sugar (optional)

1/4 C agave

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

5/8 C almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

Filling

4 C chopped strawberries frozen or fresh

1/8 C  coconut sugar

1 T chia seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all the filling ingredients in a 9x9 baking dish and place them in the oven to heat while you mix the crust ingredients.

 Pull baking dish out of the oven and pour crust mixture over the top.

 You can sprinkle top with raw cane sugar if you'd like but that is optional. Bake for 30 minutes until crust is baked all the way through! Serve warm! Enjoy

Rumbi Voodoo Salad

Today I decided to throw my kids for a loop and instead of doing "U" day we'll do "V" for alphabet days!!!

Honestly....it's because I just couldn't wait to try and recreate this salad.

Island foods to me have the most amazing flavors! I adore the sauces with fruit pour over coconut rice or noodles! I feel like I'm sitting on a sandy beach sipping pineapple juice with my little umbrella every time I eat a savory bit of coconut or mango! Delicious.

Well although my husband and I don't eat out much for the mere fact that we can't find a whole lot of healthy foods when we eat out, I did fall head over heals in love with my last salad from Rumbi Island Grill. If you haven't eaten there it's awesome! Unfortunately it doesn't span the country. It's only found in a few states in the West. But no tears....that is why I've recreated the salad for you here! So you can bring this savory salad with tangy dressing to your own dinner tables. I changed a few things from the original salad. It had feta cheese crumbled over it, but I didn't put it in my own. I also added nuts and seeds to mine as well as a few mandarin oranges! So tasty

This salad does include chicken. If your are looking for vegan options or vegetarian, it's simple to just take the chicken off. It will still be amazing, I promise! If you enjoy Asian sauces or ginger you will drink this dressing by itself!  Enjoy

Rumbi Voodoo Salad (2 salads)

4 C romaine lettuce

1 C tortilla strips

1 C cooked chicken, cubed

1 C raw cashew nuts

1/2 C almonds

1/4 C sunflower nuts

1/4 C celery

1/4 C mandarin oranges 

Ginger Dressing

1 T ground fresh ginger root (if using already ground ginger use 2 T)

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 C low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 T honey

Place lettuce on plate and top with remaining ingredients in the desired amounts. 

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a high powered blender and blend for one minute until everything is very well combined and there are no chunks. 

Pour a tablespoon over salad! Enjoy

Optional toppings

Carrots

broccoli

feta cheese

rice noodles

beets

corn

beans

rice

quinoa

etc.

source: Rumbi Island Grill

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Crisp, chilled lettuce. You complete me! Summer is a beautiful time to take advantage of green salads and all the wonderful nutrients they give our bodies~

I also love lettuce wraps. I love having everything I would put on a sandwich without the bread and it really gives people with a gluten free need a list of tasty options.

These passed few days I've felt myself stretched thin and I am feeling it in my muscles today. I probably know I haven't been drinking as much water as I should be and I might have been eating too much of my mint carob fudge! When I make these silly decisions I feel it in my back. The only way to describe it is it feels almost like a charlie horse right in the center. Luckily I work in an environment where I'm surrounded by occupational therapists and physical therapists. However, I still came home really sore, but at least I've been guzzling my water like a maniac today :)

When the soreness sets in I bring out the Crock Pot! Simple, no brainer, dinners! This was totally simple and totally tasty! I savored each bite and loved the lettuce wrap addition! We used quinoa as our grain filling and it was perfect! I love flavor without a lot of ingredients that I had to think about and throw in. This meal contained basically my two favorite things, lettuce and quinoa. ~bliss! Play around with this, it's the slow cooker, you can do almost anything you want :) Enjoy

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 lb organic boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 C water

1/2 C low sodium teriyaki sauce

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 C cashews (optional)

1 head bibb or romaine lettuce

Combine all ingredients to Crock pot except the lettuce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Serve with quinoa or brown rice. Wrap chicken and grain in lettuce leaves. Use remaining juice from Crock pot as a dipping sauce! Enjoy