Pizza & Pesto

For my birthday dinner last night I went the Italian route with Bruschetta for the appetizer and for the main course, Gnocchi (which recipe I will be posting soon, it's just a particularly detailed and labor intensive recipe so I've been procrastinating). I topped my Gnocchi with sauteed zucchini, squash, onion, and most importantly a homemade vegan pesto. I made a large batch so that I would have plenty extra for the week. It worked fabulous as a spread on my veggie sandwiches this week, and the kids loved it on their whole wheat penne this week, but the outcome that I'm most excited about is the whole wheat pesto pizza! I seriously think I'll be making this at least once a week- it was that good...and my husband sure hopes I keep my word on that one.  The recipe will make 2 large pizzas, but let me warn you that after feeding 6 hungry people (2 of them being tiny children) there were zero leftovers. I always thought making pizza crust was an all day affair, but in reality you only need to start the dough about 2 hours before you're ready to eat to allow for rising time. 

So for the pesto, which is super versatile, you'll just puree in a blender or food processor:

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 c pine nuts

4 c fresh basil

juice from half a small lemon

1/3 c olive oil

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

salt & pepper

For the crust you'll need:

1 1/2 c warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tsp of honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 c whole wheat flour

1 c all-purpose flour plus 1/2 c extra for dusting work surface

Directions: 

Dissolve honey in the warm water, then sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 10 minutes (until foamy).

Stir olive oil and salt into yeast mixture, then mix in your wheat and all-purpose flour until a dough forms.

Flour a clean surface with the extra 1/2 c all purpose flour then begin kneading for about 5-10 minutes until a smooth ball of dough is formed.

Place the ball of dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover loosely with a towel. Let sit until dough doubles in size (about 1 hour).

Once doubled then split your dough in half, and form into 2 tight balls of dough. Return them to separate oiled bowls covered loosely with a towel for another 45 minutes, until balls double in size again.

Roll them out and shape them on the floured surface. You can stretch the crust further by rotating it over fists. Once you get desired size place them on pizza stone or oiled pizza pan and fold the edges to form crust.

Like my pathetic excuse for a circle?!

Now for the fun and easy part. TOP THAT PIZZA WITH ALL YOUR FAVORITES!

Make sure your oven is preheated to 425.

Spread pesto (or sauce of choice)

I then added spinach, chopped green peppers, chopped tomatoes, and sliced  red onion. The topping possibilities are endless...mushrooms, banana peppers, olives, zucchini, sprouts, whatever!

By this point I was so ready just to devour my pizza like this, raw dough and all because it looked so pretty!

BAKE FOR 15-20 MINUTES.

My work of art. 

Make your plate before everyone else gets to it. My house smelt divine after making this...the garlic and basil aroma from the pesto filled the air. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

It's easy to grow your own herbs, so if you love herbs (or just pesto) as much as I do, it might not be a bad idea to get a starter kit and put that green thumb to work. It saves a lot of money if you use them frequently in the kitchen like I do!

Okay, so about basil...it's awesome stuff! It holds Vitamin K, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A, maganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C, which makes it a great heart healthy, free-radical fighting, antioxidant. That is all wonderful, but it is the flavanoids and the volatile oils that make this herb so powerful. The flavanoids protect cell structures as well as chromosomes from radiation and oxygen based damage. Then the oils protect against unwanted bacterial growth so much that it has been tested and shown to stop the growth of pathogenic bacteria that has grown immune to antibiotics. The oils have also been know to reduce inflammation of those suffering from joint injuries, rheumatoid arthritis, and irritable bowel. Basil is pretty solid stuff, and not to mention so dang tasty. ESPECIALLY ON THIS PIZZA! 

Until next time...enjoy!

Morning Glory

Not a morning person? I would highly advise becoming one...you're missing out on such a beautiful and lively part of the day. For me, becoming a morning person involved creating a routine...oh and will power- yes, lots of will power! When my alarm rings... I, very literally, mentally battle it out between my head and my body, eventually prying my face from my pillow and heading for the kitchen as fast as I can before I have time to change my mind. I start my day with a large glass of cold water, often with a little lemon in it, to rehydrate and jump start my day. Then it's off on a run or to the gym. When I get home I enjoy making a smoothie, and sipping it on the balcony while stretching and watching the sun rise. Even though our summer days out here in the desert are miserably hot (110 degrees sucks), our mornings are still cooler and crisp... so that fresh air is invigorating especially paired with the roosters crowing, the birds chirping,  and the cows across the gorge start humming along too. It's my morning symphony! Then I get to shower and dress all before my kids get up. My kids get to wake up to a chipper Mommy that is full of life (and endorphins) instead of a groggy, half unconscious one which makes it easier to get my new kindergartener, and his ever so anxious little sister ready for their day on time. Not to mention when I wake up early specifically for my workouts, I don't make any excuses. Where as if I sleep in and say "I'll run later"...inevitably later never comes because, well, life happens and before I know it it's bed time. I know that this doesn't suit every one's schedule, for example my husband who has to leave the house by 5:30 am to be to work on time. Waking up at 3:30 am to be able to fit in a run, is not exactly realistic. So evenings work better for him, but on Saturday's he opts for morning runs too because of how effectively it kick starts his day. Find your schedule and routine, commit to it with no excuses, and make it work. It makes life, and healthy living so much easier once it's just another part of your daily routine! 

I made this fresh fruit smoothie the other morning and it was the perfect concoction to take in while inhaling the fresh, crisp morning air. Thus how it's got it's name....MORNING GLORY!

Ingredients:

1 c green grapes

1/2 banana

1/2 medium apple

1/2 mango

1 c ice cubes

Blend until smooth. 

Creamy Avocado Dressing

In our produce basket last Saturday we got 2 heads of cabbage, so the other day I made my cabbage rolls, but used ground tofu instead of ground turkey and veggie broth instead of chicken stock. It was awesome, and no one could tell it was tofu...WIN! I had left over cabbage though so I chopped it up along with some carrots for the base of a cole slaw...but I still had to decide how to dress it without using mayo or Greek yogurt. Then I remembered I had a perfectly ripe avocado I needed to use which would create the perfect base for a creamy dressing. I started blending flavors together in my head and I am ohhh sooo excited about the outcome! I had to share it with you guys ASAP. I know cole slaw isn't terribly exciting for most...but this dressing is to die for!

  I was literally licking my blender clean. I intend on adding it to EVERYTHING... other salads, vegetable pasta dishes, whatever...oh the possibilities!!!

Creamy avocado dressing:

1 avocado

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp of Dijon mustard

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 stems of green onions

about 1 packed tbsp of chopped cilantro

salt & pepper

about 3 tablespoons of water, more or less for desired thickness.

Literally toss all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, it's that simple! Pour onto salad, noodles, dip veggies in it, whatever. For cole slaw toss evenly on chopped cabbage and carrots and let sit in refrigerator a few hours.

 This dressing is loaded with goodness both in taste and in nutrients. Check out my post on avocados here to get the dish on their health benefits. And if you intend on using it as a cole slaw check out the incredible benefits of cabbage here. 

The vinegar in this dressing is fairly interchangeable, you could try red wine vinegar, or white, or even balsamic, however I am a major fan of apple cider. Apple cider vinegar is a staple in my house, I generally buy the "Braggs" raw unfiltered cider vinegar for the enzymatic benefits that I discussed in my raw-some facts post. I use apple cider vinegar in many dressings such as my Kale salad dressing paired with liquid amino's and some nutritional yeast- yumm. But it can also be added to a glass of water, or juices in small amounts to assist the body in it's detox process as well. We all consume some level of toxins, most consume quite a lot, so giving your body a little help removing these toxins has proven beneficial so that our bodies work optimally, and so we don't store those harmful agents in our tissues and fat.  Naturally detoxing is very effective for those with weight loss goals, because most people carry between 5-15 pounds of toxins in their bodies. Apple cider vinegar is also proven to help those with diabetes because of it's ability to lower glucose levels and regulate blood sugar levels, and some studies show that is slows and prevents cancer growth. I've also heard, but have not tried yet, putting a few tablespoons in a hot bath to help remove toxins exteriorly and to clear skin. My friend, fellow food enthusiast, & fan of home rememdies (that's about accurate right, Megan;)) has tried using it exteriorly. She dilutes the vinegar with water and washes her face with it regularly and vouches for it's effectiveness! Also a diluted solution can be used to kill yeast if area is rinsed at first signs of infection! Point being: it's very beneficial, versatile, and worth keeping some around! 

After I devoured this cole slaw for both lunch and dinner, my husband, my sister, and I took the kids up to the high school to play some tennis, and to do some sprint intervals on the track. Ever since the Olympics Parker has been talking non-stop about track, and how we wants to compete in the Junior Olympics. He was dying to run on a real track- so off we went. I have to admit sprinting is so not my thing, I either blame my short legs, or the tennis match and 4 mile run I did that same day. They just wouldn't push as fast as I wanted them to go, but I didn't let that deter me from continuing to try. Not to mention I had to at least keep up with my 5 year old who ran the 100 meter at least 6 times, and ran the 400 meter twice keeping an 8 minute mile pace each time. Pretty solid- he was so excited and we had so much fun watching his enthusiasm! The point of that little insert is just to motivate you to get creative and find ways to get up and get moving (and to boast about my boy)! 

Happy, Healthy, and HUMMUS!

Summer is coming to a close, and my oldest starts kindergarten next week. I have no idea what I am going to do with just one kid during the day! We will probably be spending a whole lot more time in the kitchen creating, as if I don't spend enough in there already. I love getting my kids involved in the making process. They are so much more inclined to eat it if they've participated in the process. Then when we aren't in the kitchen we are outdoors kicking a soccer ball around, playing tennis, frisbee, football, riding bikes, hiking, exploring new parks, and soaking up that vitamin D. 

Get your kids involved in living a healthy lifestyle now. It's much easier to change them now than at age 45 when they have their first heart attack and have to kick 45 years of bad habits.

 Make it fun and be the example. If they see you do it, they'll be more inclined to follow suit. 

 Before I made my lifestyle changes, I was drained all the time, we were loaded up with sugar, my kids and I watched entirely too much television, which lead to depression for me, and behavioral issues for my kids. Once I changed my lifestyle, theirs obviously changed too. Now a days most of the time my kids will pick their fruit cup over their cookie, soccer over blues clues, and the behavioral issues that I was convinced they had, vanished. This change didn't happen over night, in fact it's taken 2 years to wean them off of junk and onto whole foods. They still thoroughly enjoy and devour that occasional treat, and those rare movie and popcorn nights with mom and dad...but they recognize that it's a treat, not a lifestyle. 

This is what we made yesterday for lunch right before heading to the park to play some basketball and run through the splash pad.

Doesn't that just look scrumdiliumtious!!!! The other day in my chickpea post I mentioned sweet potato hummus and I haven't been able to get it off my mind since. I had a left over baked sweet potato from a few days ago, so that made it super easy to toss this together for lunch yesterday. 

1 large sweet potato-baked

1 can chickpeas

1/3 c tahini

Juice from 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic

salt & pepper to taste

Wrap potato in aluminum and bake at 350 for about 45 mins, then remove skin and allow to cool. Add sweet potato and remainder of ingredients into a food processor and viola! 

Pairs perfectly with veggies (celery, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc), whole wheat pita, veggie wraps or sandwiches. My kids made hummus "sandwiches" using whole wheat crackers and cucumbers. Yields quite a bit too so you can eat on it for a week or so. 

This is the perfect way to ensure you're getting enough vegetables in your diet, and the sweet savory taste with a punch of protein rocks too! 

3.14159265359...aka PI(E)!!!!

My birthday is next week (cough cough, on the 22nd, cough cough). Not that birthday's are all that important anymore... just a celebration on behalf of the fact that I'm another year closer to wrinkles and a cane. Let me just throw this out there though, if I ever need a cane, it's going to be one stylish old lady cane...I'm thinking hot pink, and BEDAZZLED ;)

 I do not look forward to aging, which is why I eat in the way that I do. I have a say in how gracefully I age, so I eat as clean as I possibly can ensure a future of longevity. 

So back to the birthday (cough cough, I'll accept donations or a new car, cough, cough)... we always do a large family gathering with a dinner chosen by the birthday girl. So everyone was wondering what on earth does a vegan want for their birthday dinner, because obviously mac-n-cheese and ice cream cake (which would've been my top choices when I was oblivious to healthy eating alternatives) are out of the question. 

I knew from the get-go that my thanksgiving whole wheat, sugar-free, pie would be my dessert of choice. The remainder of the vegan menu is still being decided however I'm leaning towards Italian- possibly a salad, bruschetta, and gnocchi...oh yeah, get excited for those possible blog posts.  

I hadn't made my pie since thanksgiving, and I didn't note the exact recipe I used, and I promised this post months ago to a few of my avid readers, so all of those things resulted in a manditory "practice run". As if I really needed a fourth excuse to make and eat pie, my friend, Niya was in town visiting her family, and the last 3 times she has come in town she has asked me to make my pie again and I haven't been able to accommodate her request. This weekend I had plenty of time, so to work I went. And I won't 'sugar' coat it (pun intended), it's a little labor intensive...it's not difficult, it just takes time. IT'S SO WORTH IT THOUGH!

Apple Raspberry Whole Wheat Pie

Crust Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 c. of softened coconut oil

approx. 1/2 c. cold water

(2 tbsp of soy or almond milk and extra stevia and cinnamon for top crust)

Filling Ingredients:

about 5 medium apples

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 heaping tbsp of honey

1/2 c stevia in the raw

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

 Directions:

Mix dry  crust ingredients and coconut oil with fork until evenly distributed and crumbs form. Then add water a little bit at a time, mixing well until you get a pliable ball of dough. Mine took exactly 1/2 cup, some might take a little less depending on the flour, so add slowly until you get desired dough. Split your ball of dough into 2 balls of dough.

Put a couple drops of water on a clean counter top then put a piece of wax paper down on top of the water, it prevents the wax paper from sliding around. Roll out dough onto wax paper using a floured rolling pin or second piece of wax paper on top until you get a large enough circle (rip and shape as necessary). Take entire wax paper off the counter and flip into greased pie pan and shape accordingly, as pictured below.

Repeat process with second ball of dough, but cut a couple slits on the top crust as pictured below. 

Set the top crust aside and begin on the filling. 

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples (I have a handy dandy spiral machine that does this for me). Toss your peeled, sliced apples in a bowl with lemon juice, then add and toss together remainder of filling ingredients (gently folding in raspberries last). 

Pour filling into your pie pan.

Place top crust on top, again by flipping entire wax paper on top, then press edges together with fork. Spread milk on top, then sprinkle a little extra stevia and cinnamon. 

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, then drop temperature down to 350 and continue cooking for about another 30 minutes. 

Remove pie, let cool several hours before eating.

Then my favorite part:

INDULGE GUILTLESSLY!

You could interchange your favorite berry in this pie...blackberry or blueberry with the apple would be delightful as well. 

Most people are aware that berries are extremely rich in antioxidants, making them super foods. It's these antioxidants that fight off the free radicals that are responsible for disease and aging. Want to stay healthy and young...eat your PIE!  

Avocado...don't mind if I do!

I generally start every day with a large glass of water and a smoothie. It's my effective wake up call. If I am doing an early morning workout I eat something small made up of carbs and protein before hand, and save my smoothie for post workout. Anyway, a few of my favorite smoothie add-in's are spinach (and other dark leafy greens), chia seeds, mangoes, and really whatever fresh or frozen fruits that I might have laying around. Out of all the varieties of successful smoothies I have made (and that's been A LOT, in fact right now my daughter and I are snacking by drinking a yummy blueberry, raspberry, & coconut milk smoothie) but this smoothie recipe I'm about to share is BY FAR my favorite! It's creamy texture goes down smooth and leaves you wanting to down the entire blender's worth! The secret ingredient: AVOCADO!

Ingredients:

1 c almond milk

1 banana

1/2 avocado

1-2 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 c spinach

5-6 ice cubes

a dash of raw honey if necessary but usually my banana is ripe enough that I omit this.

Blend & serve. Garnish with a dash o' cinnamon. Serves 2.

Now as perfect as this recipe is on it's own it's also super versatile. Again I added Chia seeds to the one above, you can add rolled oats to give it a little more substance, even add your favorite nut butter (peanut and almond are both stellar) to make a peanut butter banana combination. Whatever floats your boat! Smoothies in general are excellent way to jump start your health, promote healthy digestion, and gain clean continuous energy. The liquid broken down form makes it easy for your body to instantly put those nutrients and phytochemicals to work. Obviously, you're also getting the benefits from the raw living enzymes that I've talked about here. 

Lets get a little more specific though. If you're an avocado lover like myself you'll want to tune in! 

Avocados are actually an awesome fat burning food not a fat storing food. Some people get misinformed and think that avocados are bad due to their high level of calories and unsaturated fat, but in fact it has quite the opposite effect. It's such a perfect food loaded with so much goodness that you're body can effectively utilize it all, and the extremely high fiber content plays a big role in that fat burning process. Avocados are also sometimes called the ABC fruit because of it's high amounts of all the important vitamins (A,C,E,K, & B6). That's not all though, they are also rich in riboflavin, folate, niacin, and potassium. Consuming avocados with other foods can actually improve your nutrient absorption up to 400%. AWESOME SAUCE! The Vitamin E and folate play a large roll in a happy healthy heart and reduction in risks of diseases and cancers. Do you struggle with arthritis or aches and pains? The high antioxidant levels in this fruit significantly reduce inflammation. Lastly, eating avocados regularly can help reduce signs of aging, promote healthy eyes, and regulate blood sugar and cholesterol! So seriously, don't let the calories ward you off. Calories are not created equal, and these calories are worth every bit of it. If you're not convinced yet, just try the recipe above and you'll be sold!

Living large...in the healthiest way!

Hello again! I've been on a roll lately- be proud!

Last weekend some good friends of ours came down to good ole' Toquerville to visit us. We hit up a health and wellness festival for kids in St. George at the town square splash pad. Our kids had a great time playing in the splash pad, horse playing in bounce houses, taking pictures with spider man, running obstacle courses, jumping hurdles, getting balloons animals, and eating free fruit Popsicles! WIN! However, I think the biggest win (aside from getting to spend time with them) is the very, VERY, large present they brought us, freshly picked from her mothers garden!

Our present is as big as Miss Ry! And if you were wondering what the heck that is...it's a monster sized Summer Squash!

As excited as I was to get this I was at a loss as to what I could make with THAT MUCH SQUASH! I've made several butternut squash and sweet potato soups lately so I wasn't feeling soup. Prior to our friends visit we had planned on making eggplant "Parmesan" for dinner one night this week...well why not substitute a monster summer squash in place of the eggplant. DONE, DONE, AND DONE! I know I'm a genius! But wait... how do Vegans eat anything 'Parmesan'? I'm not really down with eating overly processed fake soy cheeses except on a rare occasion- so I left out any kind of cheese substitute all together and used nutritional yeast for that extra umphh! I was so excited that it actually worked. I didn't miss the cheese one bit- it rocked!

Ingredients:

40 oz marinara sauce (I used white linen collection all natural marinara from Costco, yumm)

1 very large summer squash, or a couple regular summer squash, or eggplant

2 Tbsp of Olive oil

2 c plain almond or soy milk

1 c wheat flour

1 c breadcrumbs

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp nutritional yeast plus more for topping

pepper to taste

Directions: 

• Cook 1 package whole wheat spaghetti according to the package. Peel and half the squash...scoop out the seeds, and slice up one half of squash about an inch thick. 
• Combine bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper into a flat bottomed bowl or Tupperware container, pour wheat flour in a separate container, pour milk into a third container.
• Put oil in pan over medium heat. Dip a slice of squash in milk, then in flour, then back in the milk, then dowse in breadcrumb mixture, and place in pan. Continue this process until all squash are breaded. Cook side 1 for about 5 minutes then flip and cook the other side for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
• Drain noodles and place them in a glass baking dish. Toss about half of your jar of marinara sauce in with the noodles. Arrange your breaded squash on top like so.

• Add remainder of the sauce on top of the squash and then top with additional nutritional yeast to taste as seen below. The rest of my family demanded cheese, so my servings were on the left. 

Seriously though, I did not miss the cheese AT ALL.

• Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

My serving!MMMM!

This recipe is not difficult but the breading part takes time. It takes about an hour from start to finish to make this dish, but oh man is it worth it. Again any vegetable can be used on top. Use your favorite sauce, add your favorite seasonings to your breadcrumbs, and you've got one flavorful gourmet meal. We got up at 5am and ran this morning so the carbs from last night sure helped fuel my run! 

Check out the health benefits of consuming squash in my previous post.

That squash is literally larger than life, I served 6 people and still only used half of that squash.
Any ideas of what to do with the other half?! I'd love to hear your favorite squash recipe!

Until next time...eat clean, train mean, live lean!

The chickpea.

Who likes chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)?!

 If you don't then we can't be friends, sorry! JUST KIDDING... kind of.

Up until a couple months ago, the only thing I knew about chickpeas was they're used in hummus. Which was totally cool because I love me some hummus! My cousin posted a recipe online one time for sweet potato hummus- OHH EMM GEEE. Bake a sweet potato, blend with chickpeas, tahini, & add seasonings and viola. I'm salivating just thinking about it, and I happen to have a leftover sweet potato in my fridge from the other night, I see that in my future....Anyways I'm getting crazy distracted...back to the point. I'm learning the true versatility of chickpeas now that I'm experimenting with new vegan recipes. If you've never roasted chickpeas...it's a must try. Toss them in a little oil, salt, & pepper, or honey and cinnamon, whatever, and munch away. Awesome snack. I roasted the chickpeas for this upcoming recipe and my 2 year old wouldn't stop eating them, so I threw some in a bowl for her and let her go to town. Then I threw the rest in my salad recipe posted below for lunch and got my delicious dose of protein. 

Peach-mango chickpea salad

Ingredients:

3-4 c Romain lettuce- chopped

1 cucumber-seeded, diced

1/4 c banana peppers

1 red pepper- chopped

1 mango- diced

2 peaches

1/2 onion-chopped

3 Tbsp cilantro- chopped

2 cups chickpeas-drained & rinsed

a touch of oil, 1 clove minced garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder

Directions:

Toss olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder evenly over chickpeas, and roast on a baking sheet for about 35-45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so.

While your chickpeas are roasting, chop up all your remaining fruits and veggies (except peaches) and toss in bowl. De-seed the peaches, throw in a blender and puree. Once chickpeas are done, toss them in with the salad and evenly coat the salad with your peach puree. THAT'S IT!!! 

I added a little salt, pepper, and chili powder on top (my chili powder is a couple months old and losing it's boldness which is why I added a little more, roasting the chickpeas in a little Cayenne pepper would do the trick too). 

This was yesterdays amazing lunch, so fresh, and sweet, with a touch of spice. MMM. Yesterday was my husbands birthday and he requested fish tacos for dinner (obviously he hasn't caught on to the vegan lifestyle, but he's a good sport and doesn't complain when I make my vegan meals for dinner- mostly because there is nothing to complain about because they're delicious). So we made him his tacos and I had leftover chickpea salad on a whole wheat tortilla for dinner. It was just as good the second time around!!

Chickpea benefits:   1 cup of chickpeas contain 29% of recommended daily value of protein. They are one of the best sources of molybdenum, fiber, manganese, and folate. And don't forget the copper, zinc, phosphorus, and iron that they carry. That all sounds good but what does that mean? Their high fiber content aids in digestion, regulates insulin secretion and blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, and keeps you satisfied longer. Molybdenum is a trace mineral that is needed in chemical processes within the body like to detoxify sulfites (a common preservative), iron utilization, etc. Manganese, folate, iron, phosphorus, copper etc all work together to help keep our bones, muscles, and brain healthy and strong. 

Taste the real rainbow!

I love colors! More specifically, I love the colors of nature! I love the pinks and oranges during a beautiful sunset, I love green grass (and seeing as I live in the desert I have that much more appreciation for it), I love multi colored tulips in the spring, and I LOVE fruits and vegetables of allll varieties and colors. They are wonderfully beautiful. Not only are they so fun but they are oh so good for you. I'm sure (or at least I hope) you've all heard the importance of eating a colorful plate. Each different color of fruits and vegetables contains unique health components (in the form of antioxidants and other nutrients) that obviously are vital to our own health. By incorporating as many colors in your every day diet as possible, you are increasing the different types of nutrients you are getting, which ensures you are getting ALL the things your body needs to stay strong and healthy. 

Examples:

*Red fruits and veggies- contain large amounts of nutrients such as lycopene and ellagic acid which reduce risks of cancers, lowers blood pressure, and eases arthritis.

*Orange & yellow- get their color from rich amounts of beta carotene, flavanoids, vitamin C and other nutrients. These work at boosting that immunity, fighting off cancers and harmful free radicals, lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure, while builds healthy bones and joints.

*Green- contain chlorophyll, fiber, calcium, beta carotene, etc. which aid in digestion, promotes healthy eyes and vision, and boosts immune system activities.

*Blue & purple- contain lutein, vitamin C, fiber, ellagic acid, and more. These help improve calcium and nutrient absorption, wards off cancer growth especially in the digestive tract, lowers cholesterol, fight inflammation, and boosts immunity.

Am I the only one fascinated by the perfectness of this? Why take daily vitamins when everything you need is all right here...together they work in perfect harmony to provide your body with everything it needs to function happily. If I catch myself eating a lot of certain colors I'll make a point to switch it up a bit on my next grocery trip so that my family has that balance!

So my new favorite super colorful meal is.....wait for it....THAI CURRY! I love the versatility of this dish...seriously, vegetable wise, ANYTHING goes. This was my first time ever making my own curry, and it was absolutely a success. 

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil

1 zucchini-sliced

1 c carrots-sliced

1/4 an onion-sliced

1 red pepper-sliced

1 green pepper- sliced

1 c thin frozen green beans-broken up

1 tbsp garlic- minced

basil (to taste)

salt & pepper (to taste)

2 c So Delicious coconut milk beverage (canned coconut milk with some water would work too)

1/3 c almond butter

2.5 Tbsp of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste (this gave it medium temperature, adjust to get the amount of spice you like)

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp ground mustard seed

2 tsp curry powder (or more to taste)

1 tsp lemon juice

2 c of cooked brown rice

Directions:

Cook your rice (I did this in the rice cooker).

 1) Toss the first set of ingredients (your coconut oil, veggies, herbs), into a pot over medium heat and cook for about 7 minutes. 

2)Add second set of ingredients and simmer for another 10 minutes until flavors are well blended- taste test to ensure you have as much or as little spice as you'd like.

3) Once your rice is done top it with your vegetable curry sauce and devour. 

Step 1
Isn't it beautiful?!

Step 2

Step 3
I garnished mine with a few green onions

Simple enough right?! 

Summer is quickly coming to a close, Parker is starting kindergarten and I'm beginning to panic.  I want to enjoy these last few moments of summer by eating healthy, and being active. WHO IS WITH ME?!?! Get outdoors, enjoy nature, and the beautiful colors that surround it. 

Simply-Healthy-Spaghetti

The other day I was driving home from the park with the kids, and as I was approaching our house, one of our neighbors had a sign up advertising free squash with large bucket filled with a variety of large squashes. Squash grows abundantly out here, so why not give away what you can't eat yourself. SO I slammed on my breaks, pulled over and grabbed two of these bad boys. 

I FELT LIKE I WON THE LOTTO! One of my all time favorite meals, that can easily be kept vegan, fresh from a local garden, for free... c'mon does it get better than that?? For those of you who might be unfamiliar with this type of squash, it is called spaghetti squash. Why is it called spaghetti squash? Well, because, once cooked it makes a very convincing (and very delicious) spaghetti replacement. 

I don't think I mentioned how simple of a meal spaghetti squash is, it's pretty hard to mess up. The hardest part comes first. So for starters you'll need the biggest baddest knife you have, and you'll need gun power as well, perhaps warm up with a few push ups ;) Take that beastly knife and your beastly biceps and carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (as pictured above). Once you finish that struggle the rest is a breeze. Scoop out seeds with spoon. Rub the inner flesh down with just a little olive oil (cooking spray works fine too), and place on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet exterior skin up. 

Then proceed to place it in a 400 degree preheated oven. Set timer for 45 minutes. While the squash is in the oven start making your favorite spaghetti sauce. Since I was cooking 2 spaghetti squashes and feeding 6, I used the following ingredients to make my home run veggie sauce (if you're only feeding 4, usually 1 large squash will be enough and you might want to half my sauce recipe).

1 24oz can of chunky vegetable pasta sauce

1 15oz can of plain all natural tomato sauce

1 small onion-chopped

1 zucchini or yellow squash-chopped

1 bell pepper-chopped

1 tomato-chopped

1-2 tbsp of garlic-minced

1 tbsp of olive oil

dried basil, oregano, parsley, salt & pepper to taste.

Directions: Chop veggies of choice (mine as listed above but feel free to add carrots or make exchanges to suit your preferences), and toss them along with your oil and garlic into a pot and saute together over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add your cans of tomato & pasta sauce along with your dried seasonings, salt, and pepper. Let cook another 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, then allow it to simmer on low and flavors to blend until your squash is ready. Don't forget to check on your sauce and stir it occasionally while it simmers. Once your squash is ready take it out of the oven, flip them over. Take a fork and scoop out the insides onto plate. It will be stringy and look a little something like this:

Top with your sauce, and this is what you'll get!

So so good...and you can eat it without feeling in the least bit guilty but still satisfied, seeing as one cup of spaghetti squash is only about 42 calories but is rich in dietary fiber and complex carbs. They are super loaded with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. It's nutritional values are very comparable to that of summer squash so you can find out specifics on the benefits of squash here in one of previous blog posts.

Feel free to try diffrent sauces as well, pesto and grilled vegetables would be a delightful spaghetti squash topping as well!

One more bonus: KIDS LOVE IT TOO...easiest way to hide veggies is in spaghetti sauce! And when you trick them into thinking they're eating really cool noodles, but in reality it's even MORE veggies...it's hard to go wrong!