zucchini, artichoke & tomato salad.

This is a great salad that is filling and light.
Ingredients:
1 zucchini
handful of cherry tomatoes
artichoke hearts {canned or in a jar, rinsed of all liquid from container with water}
spinach
2-3 gloves of garlic
2 avocados
ground flax seed

Instructions:
Dice zucchini, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach and avocado.  I prefer them chopped about the same size.  I use a garlic press to mince the garlic, you can also finely chop it. Mix together in a bowl.  Add ground flax seed {flax seed can only be digested if it is ground} I add about 2 large spoonfuls.
Enjoy!
You can prepare this ahead of time and put it in the fridge.  It’s a great lunch salad or side dish for you omnivores.  It would also be great on a chicken or turkey wrap/sandwich if you so choose.

Be well,

B

Spaghetti Squash

 

I have a new love.  It is spaghetti squash.  Yup, you read that right.

It has a great consistency that is a little more tender than a noodle, a great taste, and is gluten free.

It is de-lic-ous and ridiculously easier to make than it was good to eat.

Preheat oven to about 375 degrees

Recipe:

Slice off the ends of spaghettis squash.

Halve the squash.

Scoop out the seeds and discard.

Place the spaghetti squash on a cookie sheet skin side down, so the hollow part you just scooped is open.

Sprinkle a little olive oil or coconut oil on top. 

Place in oven and bake about 30-45 mins depending on how big it is.  I waited until I could smell the squash and it was tender on the inside.

Remove from oven and scrape at the squash with a fork, it will come apart stringy and look like spaghetti {thus the name ;) }

Add some pasta sauce {I use whole foods brand marinara} and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast if you like and enjoy.  It’s delicious and kid approved.

    

I also also sautéed asparagus with fresh garlic on a pan sprayed with organic olive oil non stick spray.

 

Here is to a new style to a comfort food, and a sure staple for myself and M.

Be well,
B

Valentine’s Day Note

 

Dear family and friends,

Thank you.

Thank you for always supporting me.  Thank you for allowing me to be myself, no matter how crazy/anxious/fasttalking/upset/happy/overprotective/calm/blackandwhite/everythingthatisme.

The past 15 months have been an incredible challenge and time of growth for me emotionally.  I isolated myself, cried alone and with you, yelled at nothing and everything, laughed, smiled, stayed in a lot {physically and emotionally}, and took time to just heal myself.

Not once did you judge me.  Not once did you mock me.  You were there for me.  Physically.  Emotionally. Spiritually.  Each of you have helped me to become a much better person and mother. 

I know that I have not taken much time to cultivate our relationships.  Please know that this self immersion was necessary to heal {which you probably already gathered}  The generosity and kindness that you have presented to me were immeasurable to the well being of my spirit. I am grateful to know that I have surrounded myself with such extraordinary people who know when to calm, push, and support me with the greatest compassion.

This Valentine’s Day I want to say thank you.

So, thank you.

thank you.

thank you.

xoxoxo

B

Going Gluten Free

 

If you read my post from the beginning of January you will see that I was debating going gluten free.  It has been difficult for me.  I am definitely addicted to wheat.  Now, addicted to wheat? You are probably thinking, B…you ARE crazy. I have been looking into gluten intolerance as I don’t think that I have celiac’s disease where your body actually attacks itself {eroding the lining of your intestines..ouch…among other things to your body} I feel that my body shows the symptoms of glucose intolerance which can be found here. {there is even a glucose intolerance test you can take if you are interested}

I tried to eliminate wheat {the protein in wheat that is usually problem some for people is gluten} twice already, on the first day I felt great, the 2nd day was eh.., and then I felt like a mack truck ran me over.  I was incredibly fatigued, running a low grade fever and I was done.  I gave up.  Then my friend, who I have not seen since December {remember how I quarantined myself from the world with my plague like illnesses this winter…?!?} and she has lost 20+ pounds going gluten free.  I am incredibly proud of her.  She introduced me to the book Wheat Belly.  It is a great ready.  A MD wrote it, and it is full of research about how wheat has drastically changed over the past 50 or so years and how that effects our {humans} bodies.  It’s a great read and I recommend it.

It gave me the motivation to try this again. So, here I am at the end of day 2 of eliminating gluten from my diet.  {you will be reading this on my 3rd day gluten free}.  I am feeling better than before.  I am running a slight fever and am slightly fatigued, but so far it’s been ok. 

So get ready for some dairy free, meat free, gluten free recipes!

{and please share the ones that you have!}

Be well,

B

Arizona Trip

Madaelyn and I went to Arizona!! {a month ago} 
 
That is how we fly with a toddler! {I also recommend stickers!!}
Yup, its been a month since I posted, and I am working on tons of things to post… but, back to Arizona!!
We loved being in the warm, sunny temperature {80 degrees the day we left and came home to 15 degree weather….my body was in shock!} We visited with family, went to Sedona one day, and I ran my first half marathon!! My fist half marathon will be post for itself as it is a story of its own!
Sedona:
We went to Sedona for a day, and loved it!  The environment was a bit cooler than Phoenix, but the red rocks and city were ah-mazing! 
   

We even went on a pink jeep tour.



I promise she liked it.

 



 

Where the rugged terrain rocked my baby to sleep!  It was also the first time she faced forward in a vehicle!!

   

We also had a great time with family, and I absolutely loved having M hang out with my cousin who is close to her age! She just kept hugging her.
   
That’s just a snap shot of our trip, it was amazing.
The desert has a tendency to heal me and I’m so glad we went!

Be Well,

B

Easing off wheat and snacking on guacamole

Lately I have stumbled upon plantain chips.  Plantains are from the banana family, found mainly in tropical islands.  I remember having them with this amazing “green dip” {forgive me that I have no idea what the green dip is…and in fact this was eaten at the airport in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico….} but it was amazing! 

I have been trying to decrease my wheat intake, as I have forgone dairy and feel so much better, but my allergies {read running nose, itchy eyes, and fatigue} are still ridiculous even with taken allergy medicine daily, all year round.  I would like to ditch the medicine, but want to find the cause of the reaction.  Why put band aid over a stab wound…you need to find the origin of the bleeding to make it stop!  So I need to find what is making my body have an allergic reaction in order to make it feel better!

I also feel bloated and unable to loose some weight that I would like.. I am wondering if I have a gluten sensitivity, and with becoming vegan I eat tons of fruits, veggies, and wheat.  I’m hoping if I slowly ease off of the wheat products, even though it is whole wheat, that I will find my body working more efficiently.  I am sadly tired all the time, even though I am more physically fit than I have ever been.  I attribute this to eating something that is not agreeing with my body. 

After having Madaelyn and becoming vegan I feel as though I have become more aware of my body. Being tired all the time is not acceptable and I am not willing to live a life where I am struggling to stay awake.  So the best way to discover an allergy is to completely remove a food from your diet for about 3 weeks then re-introduce it to your diet to see how you react.  I can tell you that if I accidently have a food with dairy, my stomach and skin will let me know. My stomach gets so upset and painful, and my face breaks out!  I am wondering how going off wheat will effect me.

For now I am going to finish using the whole wheat products that I have, because I am not going to throw out food.  I plan on buying quinoa pasta, eating spaghetti squash, rice, and rice noodles as a substitute.  I am going to research breads made with other flours besides wheat, and I have a feeling that Whole Foods has a gluten free loaf. {note: I always buy bread from the bakery and freeze it.  I hate buying processed bread with preservatives.}

I have done pretty well not eating processed foods, and when I do buy prepared foods already it is usually from Trader Joes or Whole Foods, and I can pronounce all of the ingredients, and it is of the refrigerated or frozen kind to decrease preservatives being added.

So back to the plantain chips…I have substituted them for tortilla chips, and dip them in guacamole, it is de-lic-ious!!! My new snack obsession if you will.  I recommend you try it!  Plus avocado is soooo good for you and your brain!



I will keep you posted on my journey to becoming wheat free {aka gluten free} and how it affects my body.
What foods to you steer clear from? What ones do you love?  Any go to snacks?

Be well,
B

Eggplant Parmesan {vegan style}

Eggplant has become a staple in this vegan house.  Both M and I have discovered a love for squash and eggplant. 

{among the other foods we love include hummus, sweet potatoes, and vegan dahl balls}

A vegan twist that I have put on eggplant parmesan, {you could also substitute for a chicken parmesan} has quickly become a weekly meal for M and I with whole wheat pasta.  {I am interested in trying pasta made from quinoa next}  Since chicken and parmesan cheeses are not a vegan option I use eggplant {all of it} with some delicious substitutes.



I place it on a cookie sheet sprayed with organic olive oil. I then spray the tops of the eggplants with the organic olive oil.  Next I sprinkle nutritional yeast {which is a nutty/cheesy topping to use instead of parmesan cheese.  It is loaded with nutritional value and has a high amount of B12 which as a vegan I need to supplement and it tastes great!}  After that I sprinkle some garlic powder and dried oregano on top of the eggplant with the nutritional yeast.  Back for approx 15 to 20 mins at 350 degrees, depending on how think the slices of eggplant are done (tender and warm).

Prepare the pasta you prefer and if you are vegan make sure that the sauce does not have cheese or any milk products {casein and whey proteins included}. 

Plate the pasta with sauce and add the eggplant on top with a little more tomato sauce on top.
It is so delicious!  For more nutrition I also puree spinach and add it to my pasta sauce.
{puree-ing ensures that M eats it.  She is not a fan of the texture of cooked spinach, but pureed in tomato sauce is a hit!}

Let me know if you try it!

Be well,

B