Healthy Creamy Mexican Kale Salad

 

 

I made this salad tonight.  It was delightful.  I forgot to get a jalapeno, so it wasn't really spicy at all.  I was thinking you could also add the jalapeno to the dressing instead of chopped in the salad.  I can't really tell you what my family thought of it as we took it to burrito night and they all opted for burritos.  I also added some chopped chicken breast to make it more of a filling meal. 

 

I'd make it again.

 

The recipe is below, or also on my Healthy habits pinterest board.

 

 

Ingredients

Salad:
• 4 cups baby or full-grown kale (stalks removed & coarsely chopped), packed
• 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used my cooked beans)
• 1 cup corn (thaw if using frozen)
• 2 large bell peppers (any colour), finely chopped
• 1 + 1/2 large avocado, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp jalapeño peppers, seeded & minced
Dressing:
• 1/2 large avocado
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 lime, juice of
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

 

Directions

1. Add Salad ingredients to a large bowl. In a food processor, blender or Magic Bullet, process Dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour over salad, toss and serve. P.S. You could prepare Salad and Dressing in advance and combine before serving. The Dressing does get brown a bit but once mixed with the Salad, it's not noticeable.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate tossed or separately for up to 24 hours.

rice crackers

I am not a brilliant food photographer.  I apologize.  I don't think I ever will be.  I just don't care that much.  If you see a photograph on this blog that looks well done, chances are I borrowed it. 

I decided I want to make rice crackers.  Right now I buy them at Costco and that's fine, but sometimes I run out and I know I won't be going to Costco for a while because one doesn't run into Costco real quick to grab something.  One spends hours and thousands of dollars on every trip to Costco.  Am I right? 

I digress, I decided to make rice crackers because....

I decided to make rice crackers, and it didn't go well.  This was my first attempt and I will try again, but I did almost break my teeth on these.  Please note that this will not stop me from eating them as they do have good flavor, it just makes them less than ideal.  I will try again. 

I would post this recipe, but I'm not going to.  I don't know what I did wrong.  I did make my own rice flour, maybe it wasn't a fine enough grain.  I used jasmine rice instead of Japanese rice, but why should that matter, they both start with "J".  Everything else I did just right.  They were beautiful, they looked so promising, then... 

My kids won't even try them, but Laila's napping.  Rest assured she will be breaking her tiny teeth on one of these as soon as she wakes up.  Try to stop her, it's not happening. 

I just wanted to share my failure and put it out there that if anyone has a great recipe or method for making rice crackers, I would love to have me some of that.

Sprouting Lentils

I've decided to give some sprouting a try.  I love sprouts but stopped buying them some time ago as they seem to have a propensity for foodborne bacteria.  I want to start adding them to my salads and wraps and sandwiches and...anything that you might like to have some sprouts in.  Alfalfa sprouts were the first thing to come to mind, and I did a little research.  It turns out you can sprout all sorts of things.  Who knew?  Many many people on the internet, but not me.   Anyway, as I didn't have any alfalfa seeds handy I decided to sprout some red lentils I bought a couple weeks ago for the lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie my family was so fond of (I jest, they hated it).  I'm also trying to sprout some yellow ones, but they seem unaware of it, as they are doing nothing.  In all my reading (20 minutes worth) everyone seemed to agree that you should soak your lentils first.  Many lentil bought specifically for the purpose of sprouting will tell you to soak your lentils in bleach water.  I plan on eating mine, so I decided a little vinegar water would do.  I soaked my lentils overnight, then drained them and put them in a jar the next morning.  Here's what they looked like.

It's got a teeny tiny little sprout on it.  Isn't it adorable?  So I soaked em, drained em and put them in a jar.  I topped the jar with a bit of old hosiery and a screwband.  In theory they can still breath because of the holes in the hosiery.  You can also use just a paper towel (I have old hosiery laying around, but no paper towels.  What are the odds?) and rubber band.  You just don't want any bugs flying in there, or other things... Place them out of direct sunlight in a not too warm place.

I put them on their side.  I was worried they would get too crowded in there. 
That was yesterday.  Here is today.
 Day 2

He's graduated from adorable to kinda creepy looking.  They are supposed to take 5-7 days to sprout to the point that you are going to want to eat them, though I'm told you can eat them at any point along the way. 

My jar of red lentils looks fuller today cause they are actually sprouting.  My jar of yellow lentils is mocking me.

Day 3

Alright, today I had to throw out my jar of yellow lentils.  It went from just mocking me to smelling funky and getting a slimy.  I think all of the yellow lentils were split and that was the problem.  I'm fine with that.  I think I was a little ambitious with 2 jars of lentil sprouts to start out.  I don't know how long they'll keep in the fridge. 

You can see the red lentils have made quite a bit of progress over the last 24 hours.  I'm hoping they will be ready to eat soon.  They look delicious.  As usual, I just rinsed them out and drained them today.  

Day 4

Today I was a little worried that my sprouts were getting slimy.  They smelled fine and they looked OK, but I thought I saw what could be a little slime in there.  I let them soak in a little vinegar water, but if the vinegar is going to inhibit the growth of bacteria will it also inhibit the growth of the sprout?  I don't know.  I only let them soak for a couple minutes then I stirred them out and rinsed them twice.  I hope I wasn't too vigorous with them.  I also ate one today.  I was surprised at just how good they were.  I'm making a creamy Mexican kale salad for dinner tonight and I think I might throw some in there.  They are really quite flavorful.  I need to start another jar. Seriously though, they are good.


Day 5

As you can see they are doing wonderfully.  I'm thinking about moving them to my fridge.  I'm not sure how long you are supposed to let them grow and I ate about 1/3 of the jar today.  So yummy.  I really want to try the alfalfa

Chipotle black bean hummus

I tried a new hummus recipe today.  I'm always trying new ones and hoping some day I will find the perfect hummus and that will be my go to from now to forever.  I have yet to find it, but that's OK because I like trying new ones.  Today's hummus was pretty good.  A word of advice, drain the chickpeas and the beans before putting them in.  Add liquid as needed. 

Chipotle Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas

1 cup Black Beans

1 Tbsp Tahini

1 clove Garlic

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 tsp Harissa

Directions:

Add all ingredients in a blender and puree together until thick and creamy. Add drops of water to thin out, if necessary. Serve with pita chips and fresh cut veggies.

Steel cut oats.

I have fairly recently discovered steel cut oats.  They are a less processed form of oatmeal and thus take forever to cook.  They are so yummy and filling.  They have a chewy texture which really appeals to me.  My kids also really like them and Kristian doesn't mind them, but finds them a little too chewy.  They take a little over half an hour to cook on the stovetop.  This morning, I decided to make up batch to keep in the fridge, for a quick grab and go snack.  These are 2 pint jars (I think.  They are regular jam jars.  Half a quart.  Is that one pint?  No matter, you know what I mean) and a fairly large serving as they are super filling, but it didn't occur to me to maybe not fill them all the way until just right now.  Also, I will totally eat a full one (or more) in a sitting anyway.  I added some berries in there because everything is better with berries.  I plan to nuke em before eating them, or just have them cold.  I like them both ways, though I do prefer warm foods in the morning. 

Steel cut oats are available in the bulk foods bin at WINCO.  Also, Bob's Red Mill makes a quick cooking variety which only takes 5 minutes on the stovetop.  I haven't been able to find these, though admittedly I haven't looked very hard.  The ratio for cooking these is 4 parts water to one part oats.  Bring the water (and a little salt ) to a boil, add the oats and simmer for half an hour.  I like to stir in brown sugar, a little cinnamon and some vanilla.  Yummm.  I didn't put vanilla in this batch cause I spaced it. 

If you don't have 35 minutes in the morning to devote to your breakfast prep, you can also make them the night before by bringing the water (and a little salt) to a boil on the stovetop, add the oats, put the lid on and just let them sit overnight.  They will be fully cooked in the morning (in theory, I haven't actually tried this method).  Another way you could do it is to add all ingredients to the crockpot the night before and just turn it on "keep warm" and leave overnight and they will be ready (and warm) when you get up (again, in theory, I haven't tried this one either). 

Anyway you make them steel cut oats are a delicious and nutritious addition to the breakfast menu. 

Chia Pudding

We tried Danielle's Vanilla Chia Pudding this morning. I made it with almond milk and honey and it was amazing! I did two jars of the thinner consistency and one thicker, just to see the difference. I gave the girls the thicker jar and ended up thinning it out with some regular milk. We topped it with blueberries and it was a hit! I ate mine, just as it came from the jar and I loved it.I could not finish the whole thing it was so filling. Zach even reluctantly tried some and enjoyed it. He did not eat his jar, but said it is because he needs something solid first. So, maybe he was lying about liking it, but I am working on him! So Vanilla Chia Pudding will be on our breakfast list for a long time to come.

Vanilla Chia Pudding

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened (vanilla)
• 2 - 3 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 - 4 tbsp chia seeds*
• Nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a Mason jar or any container with a tight lid (I prefer glass), give a good shake or stir and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. When ready to eat, stir and top with favourite toppings: nuts, berries, fruit, coconut flakes etc. Adjust the thickness of a pudding with extra milk if desired. Also the amount of sweetener is up to a personal taste.
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Lemon, Peace & Calming, Thieves Essential Oils

On tuesday I finally received my much anticipated package  of Essential Oils.   The first thing I did was difuse some lemon oil, because that was the easiest and fasted to try first, and let's face it, my house could use some good smells.  It was great.  Like fresh squeezed lemons.

The second one I tried was on Wednesday, Peace & Calming.  Mom had watched the girls (with the exception of Madeline) and Harlie was clearly having a hard time when we got there and when we got back.  At dinner time  she was all over the place.  I applied a drop of the Peace & Calming to her wrist, rubbed them together and told her to inhale.  It isn't the best spelling oil, but IT WORKED!!!  Typically, when she's having a hard time anything you say or do goes right through her, you have to make sure she's looking you in the eye, and even then...  On this occasion, not only did she listen when asked to do something (like sit down, move out of the way, take your shoes off, pick up that basket, etc.) she did it instantly while also watching TV or talking to her sisters.  What?!?!  It was like...MAGIC!  Nay, A MIRACLE!!!

That evening I also  used it with Jacee who insisted it didn't work while she had instantly calmed down (also, she requested a "pink one").

Thursday evening, Harlie REQUESTED I put some on her wrist.  Also, she was having a tough time falling asleep so I diluted one drop of Peace & Calming with one drop Olive Oil and rubbed it on the bottom of her feet and the top of her shoulders.  She was asleep  within a half hour.

This evening  Issy came to me with a headache.  I put a drop of Thieves on her thumb and told her rub it on the roof of her mouth.  It has now been about 15 minutes.  When I went to check on her she said  it helped a little bit (eh...maybe).  I asked her where it hurt and she said the front of her head and down by her nose.  I think it might be closer to a sinus thing.  I'll give it a couple more minutes and possibly try something else.

I'm still pretty skeptical.  It's easy for me to use it on the kids, not so much myself, which I know is ridiculous!

Slowly but surely I'll ease into it.  This is my update for now.  I also spend a bit of time before even applying or using a new one because I feel like I have to research and make sure I'm using and applying it correctly.

Feel free at anytime to call and say you would like to try one.  I'm always up for more experiments.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

We tried this for breakfast this morning. It smells like fall which made me instantly happy. I love fall. And Pumpkin. Instead of topping with maple syrup, I just put a dash of maple extract to cut down on sugar content. I also excluded the egg this time, but may add it next. It seemed to be a hit. http://cleaneatingrecipebox.blogspot.com/2012/06/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

One pan mexican quinoa

I made this for dinner tonight.  It's basically quinoa, tomatoes, corn, black beans, and some spices all thrown into a pan and cooked for 20 minutes with some veggie broth (I used water cause I didn't have any veggie broth).  It was super fast and easy and I'm on a quinoa kick.  After it's all done cooking you are supposed to mix in the juice of one lime a chopped avocado and some chopped cilantro.  I mixed in the lime juice, but decided to put the avocado and cilantro on top for the sake of presentation.  It tends to make a difference in terms of how my husband and children think of the food.  The kids were surprised to find they like it.  I was also surprised to find I like it, cause in the end it was just a big pan of mush and didn't look too appetizing.  The avocado and cilantro make a big difference. 

It was yummy, I will put it into my recipe box.  This is Kristian's.  It's still on the table cause he probably won't be home till 9:30ish.  I think it will be fine cold.  I never think to take a picture before I eat it, so his absence is the only reason there is a picture.  I'm trying to remember

Another reason I like this one is that I almost always have the ingredients for it laying around, so it's a good go to if I didn't plan anything. 

I was thinking this could also be a good one to make and freeze in individual portions to be thawed the night before for lunches.  Minus the avocado and cilantro of course.  You'd want to add those fresh.  it may also just turn into a pile of mush.  I don't know.

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Wonderfully light, healthy and nutritious. And it's so easy to make - even the quinoa is cooked right in the pan!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning

I am really excited that I went grocery shopping today. Note "went" and not "to go". It was horrible, but I now have all the stuff for this weeks meals and snacks. Breakfast: Vanilla Chia Pudding (newly discovered superfood) Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Lunch: Hummus with Popcorn and Veggies (Yes, I will eat this ALL week and LOVE it) Snacks: Protein Balls Chocolate Protein shake Dinners: SW Quinoa Salad BBQ Chicken with Avocado Salad Calzone (Trying veggie) Homemade Chili Eggs, bacon and hash browns Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Tomato, Basil Seashells with Grilled Chicken I am also going to shoot for 64 oz of water each day and to continue getting some form of mild exercise daily whether it be a walk or a bike ride.Happy Eating!

Chipotle chicken lettuce wraps.

I made chipotle chicken lettuce wraps for dinner tonight.  They were surprisingly quick and easy to make.  Partially because I made the chicken ahead of time, partially because they are just quick and easy to make.  They were delicious.  Kristian even loved them.  The recipe calls for 2-3 chipotle peppers and I just added once as I was planning on making the kids eat it.  It was still pretty spicy with just the one, so I ended up making something else for them, which was a good thing cause Kristian and I polished off all of it by ourselves and could have eaten more if there had been more.  It was super good.  Other than the pepper count, I didn't modify the recipe at all.  I forgot to add the green onions at the end even though I cut them up and set them out.  Oh well, it was amazing without them. 

This recipe comes highly recommended and it can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board.


Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps:
What it took for about 8 lettuce cups:
* 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 cup frozen corn
* 1 pound chicken breast
* 2 – 3 chipotle peppers (depending on your love of heat)
* 3 Tbs. adobo sauce (that comes from the jar)
* 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
* 1 lime
* 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
* 3 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 head butter lettuce, rinsed and leaves separated
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Turn on the broiler. Arrange the corn on a rimmed baking sheet with a Tbs. of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Broil the corn for about 5 minutes, or until they start to slightly char and turn crispy. You can toss them a couple of times throughout. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear for 6 minutes on each side until cooked through and browned all over. Move to a cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes. Then dice the chicken.
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, lime juice, chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce. Process until smooth.
Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the chipotle sauce, freshly diced red bell pepper and roasted corn. Toss until combined.
Serve a couple of Tbs. (or more if you’re a freak like me) of the chicken mixture in each lettuce cup and garnish with scallions!

Blackberry crumble revisited

Tonight I made a blackberry crumble for Marky's birthday (and all the other July birthdays, but I made it because he doesn't care so much for cake) party tomorrow at North Fork.  The recipe for this little lady (yes she is a lady) can be found on my sweets and treats board on pinterest.  As is, I couldn't put it in healthy habits.

I staged it a little better than my last one.  See, I'm learning.  Anyway, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep Kristian out of it unless I made something else for him.  I have learned from past experience.  There is no stopping him.  I had used all my fresh blackberries, so I opened a can of peaches, drained it (mostly) and threw in some frozen blueberries (we also ate all the fresh blueberries).  The peaches were very sweet and so were the blueberries, so I skipped the sugar.  I did cut the peaches into more bite sized chunks.  Added a little vanilla to the mixture.  Than I put 1/3  cup old fashioned oats, 1/3 cup oat flour (just old fashioned oats taken for a spin in the blender), 1/4 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt into the food processor.  Gave it a little pulse to mix then slowly added olive oil to the mix while pulsing in the food processor till the consistency looked right.  I would guess at probably 2 Tablespoons.  I have some single serving ramekins that are a miniature of the one pictured above.  I divided the fruit mix between two of those and topped with the topping, then popped it all in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.  I  would advise putting them on a cookie sheet as they got a little rambunctious there in the end and started bubbling over the sides. 

 

They were delightful.  Kristian really loved them too, though he slightly ruined the nutritiousness of his by topping it with a hearty scoop (or three) of ice cream.  I won't say I didn't look on with envy.  All in all I would say this is breakfast worthy.  I don't know what I would call it.  Breakfast berry (or fruit) cobbler.  I was thinking that next time I would substitute some of the brown sugar for honey or agave, which would also cut back on how much olive oil I would need to moisten the topping, but may make it too gooey to spread evenly.  That will take some trial and error, I'll get back to you on that one.  Give this one a go.  If your making it for your family, use the blackberry crumble recipe and make the substitutions as you like.  You may not need to substitute the flour if you don't mind it in there, I just had to make it gluten free.  If you really wanted butter you could do half butter half olive oil.  The possibilities are endless.  Next time I get a fresh batch of berries, I'm making a full size one for breakfast.  It was fast and easy. 

 

P.S.  I've come to realize that I use parenthesis a lot (definitely more than the average person) in my writing.  They are so handy.

Seriously though people, make this one.  It's good. 

Blackberry Crumble

1 quart blackberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 heaping cup oats

1/2 heaping cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mash slightly the blackberries, add the sugar and vanilla bean paste. Allow to mascerate while prepping the crumble topping.

In the bowl of a food processor (you can also do by hand), add oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in 3/4 stick of butter cut into chunks and pulse food processor until small pea size crumbles form.

Butter a shallow baking dish. Add berries to the bottom and top with crumble topping. Add the remaining butter to the top cut into small chunks.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Topping will appear to still be loose, but it will firm up when cool.

Serve warm on it's own or with a scoop of ice cream.

quinoa salad with cilantro lime dressing

Tonight I made quinoa salad with a cilantro lime dressing.  I topped it with avocado, tomato and some chicken.  This is Kristian's plate.  Most of us did not have that much chicken.  It was super good.  I really loved it.  I've made this one before and you can do all sorts of add ins.  Corn would be good in here too, though, you know, very little nutritional value.  This is a protein packed meal with the quinoa, black beans, avocado and chicken pack a punch that doesn't feel super heavy when you eat it, but stays with you a long time. 

There's a trick to quinoa, I have learned.  If it is not well rinsed before you cook it, it will have a very bitter flavor.  I put mine in a bowl, fill it with water and rub it between my hands several times, drain and repeat.  If you wash it well, it will not have any bitter flavor at all.  The kids ate this one pretty well with minimal complaints, but the only meal they don't whine about is rice bowls, so....

Anyway, I can't find my original recipe.  I deleted it for some reason, but I posted a similar one on my healthy habits pinterest board.  This one is definitely a keeper. You could also just do the beans and quinoa ahead of time and add what you want later for a fast prep lunch.  Hey, I'm totally going to do that. 

Homemade granola bars

I made granola bars today.  I have pinned countless granola bar recipes and have bought ingredients for granola bars I don't know how many times and yet I have never actually followed through and made them.  Today I made them.  This is a vegan recipe so I could eat it too.  It calls for oil, I used olive oil.  I also subbed carob chips for the chocolate chips and forgot the vanilla.  I also added a TBSP or more of chia seeds and some chopped hazelnuts and subbed regular oats for quick oats for a chewier texture.  It's funny cause I would have said I followed the recipe pretty closely till I typed out all the changes I made and realized the only part of the recipe I followed was the hot ingredients... mostly.  The girls liked these (at least Laila did) and Soren said he liked them but only ate one bite of them, so I'm not sure he actually does.  I think they are pretty good.

I made the mistake of adding the carob chips before pouring the hot ingredients in, so they all melted and maybe compromised the integrity of the entire bar, they are a little crumbly.  I added more carob chips on top after I was done. 

You can't taste the chia seeds in there, but I think the carob chips may have been overkill for the kids, I kinda wish I had just done plain old chocolate chips.  You could do so many variations with the same basic recipe.  You could add some coconut, or raisins and cinnamon.  You could do craisins and sliced almonds.  Oh, the possibilities are endless.  I will make them again with some different variations for sure. 

Oh, peanut butter and chocolate chips, you could add some peanut butter.  Or do a savory sweet one with peanuts, almonds and some dried cranberries.  You get the idea. 

sweet potatoes stuffed with chipotle black bean and corn salad

Tonight I made this for dinner.  I subbed the sweet potatoes for regular potatoes as the sweet potatoes did not go over so well for dinner the other night.  As usual I loved it and everyone else tolerated it.  The kids ate it all, but needed a lot of encouragement.  Kristian ate it, but his pace indicated he didn't like it.  He suggested it would be better served cold as a potato salad of sorts.  I think that may be true, but also like it as it was.  The recipe for this one can be found on my Healthy Habits pinterest board. 

Note: The kids may have eaten this better if I left the dressing off theirs.

Ingredients

• 4 small sweet potatoes or yams, baked
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup corn*
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
For the Vinaigrette:
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. In a bowl, add the black beans, corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir to combine. In a smaller bowl, mix together the lime zest and juice, oil, honey, adobo, salt and pepper. Pour over the black bean mixture and toss to combine. Slice open the baked sweet potatoes. Stuff potatoes with the Chipotle Black Bean & Corn Salad. Serve.

Notes

*Fresh corn is best, but when out of season, frozen (thawed and cooked) or canned is fine. If using canned, be sure to rinse and drain thoroughly.

lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie

I made this for dinner tonight (the recipe can be found on my healthy habits pinterest board).  It didn't go over well.  It's pretty much what it sounds like.  A shepherds pie made with lentils (I did a combination of red, yellow, French green and regular green lentils, I don't recommend doing that as they all cook at a slightly different rate leaving you with some mushy lentils and some crunchy ones), tomatoes, basil, chopped spinach and topped with mashed sweet potatoes and baked.  I thought it was delicious.  Seriously, I loved it.  I was also starving.  Kristian felt it necessary to make a face with every bite he took, though he ate the whole thing and the kids ate it very reluctantly.  Not even Laila liked it.  A poor endorsement indeed.  I will probably not make this again, though I might consider portioning it and freezing it for lunches for me.  Oooo, I'll put that in the labels. 

kids lunches

I'm in the market for some fast and easy, but nutritional kids lunches.  Suggestions?

vanilla chai pudding

I tried a new food today.  I have heard of chai and haven't ever tried it.  I didn't really know what it was, didn't really care.  I found this recipe that was fast and easy and could be made the night before for a grab and go breakfast or a quick snack.  The main appeal to me at the time was that it was gluten, dairy, nut, chocolate, beef, egg and soy free.  Those are few and far between and that it looked fast and easy.  I did a little research on the thing, here's some interesting tidbits I found:

Unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be grinded to reap their health benefits.
Chia seeds have a nutritional resume that includes fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and protein. They’re what you want if you’re stranded on a desert island, or hunkered down in the outback for an extended period of time.
Eaten raw or tossed into salads, yogurt, smoothies, omelets and baked goods, these tiny black and white seeds have a mild, nutty flavor.
They contain up to 25 percent omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA (alpha-linolenic acid.) Ounce for ounce, chia seeds have more of these fats than salmon. They’re one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 in any food. Chia also contains high amounts of omega-6.
These EFAs (essential fatty acids) build new cells and regulate various processes of the body. Chia seed is the ultimate brain food, giving new credibility to the “chia head.”
These little bitty seeds support heart health and feed the skin, hair and nails.
Just one ounce of seed contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (the good kind) and 11 grams of fiber. The seeds contains all 10 essential amino acids that are a must for your diet, so they're considered a top source of complete plant-based protein.
To avoid the “chia trot,” start out slowly when introducing this concentrated source of fiber.

And then there’s that weight-control bonus. When chia seeds are soaked, they can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid. When ingested, chia seeds form a gel inside your stomach, which slows down sugar and carbohydrates, keeping electrolytes in balance and your belly satiated.
Trying to build muscle or conquer a triathlon? Chia to the rescue!

Interesting right.  Genny brought up the concern that chai tea is not word of wisdom approved.  I cannot find anything (in my limited research online) that says the same for the seeds.  I think we are a go. 

I made this simple concoction last night (the recipe can be found on my pinterest board "Healthy Habits) and stuck it in the fridge.  I went to pull it out this morning planning to take it with me for an after walk snack and inadvertently grabbed the jar of almond milk I made last night and looked at it and thought "this pudding didn't set up at all."  Read the label dummy, you label things for a reason, not as a hobby.  Anyway, I found it after lunch and gave it a go.  My first impression is that it's weird.  The texture is new and the taste is new.  My kids all had a few bites.  Laila loved it (no surprise there, the girl would eat pinecones if I let her), Solveig said she liked it after the first bite then changed to I kinda like it, I kinda don't.  Soren  took a bite, said it was good but that he didn't want to eat anymore.  I relate to Solveig.  It's new and going to take some getting used to, but I think I'm going to incorporate it.  I'm told you can purchase a big box at Costco for cheap (my source is a Ukrainian women whom I've never met before who's blog I happened to stumble across), so I'm going to look for it there.  I bought it in bulk at Winco yesterday (hidden in the jars of spices in case anyone goes looking) and it's a little pricey.

Has anyone else tried chai?  What is your experience?  Any recipes?  I'm you can also just throw a handful into a smoothie and can't taste it. 

P.S.  Jess, I'm coming for you.  You have to at least taste it.

Where Oh Where to Start

After three years of questions, I finally have an answer to why my body seemingly betrayed me after having Hannah. One week ago my doctor told me she thinks I have fibromyalgia. I have been living with the idea that it was an under active thyroid since my Doc suggested it around Hannah's first birthday. Many of the symptoms were there and when you hear hoofbeats, think horses. However after three years of testing and retesting and then doing a few more tests, my blood continued to say there was nothing wrong with me. So why did I hurt all over? Why could I not lose weight? Why was I suddenly suffering from depression? Why was I exhausted even after sleeping 10 hours at night? Why was my once incredible memory now barely able to remember where I left the keys? Why did I get blinding headaches that started halfway down my back? And on and on. Answer: Fibromyalgia. So what now? Education. What I know is only what I have witnessed watching my Grandma and cousin live with this illness. I have watched my grandma pace herself and care for herself and thus, be able to do nearly anything she wants. My cousin, has let her body dictate her life. I am going to be like my grandma I am naturally blessed with strength and a fairly high pain tolerance. These things will, I hope, help me tremendously. I also have the benefits of youth and time on my side. having a diagnosis does not change anything about how I feel today. I am no less able today than I was yesterday or last week before I had a name for my symptoms. What does change, is the future. And I am hoping to be able to make a strong foundation so as my body ages and symptoms worsen, I am in a better position to fight back. So far I am learning that eating and exercise are the most important tools to managing the symptoms. Thus, Healthy Habits. Like Danielle, I am going to start cutting out the bad stuff and stocking up on the good. getting the rest of my family on board is going to be a bit of a challenge but I am hoping that in time, everyone will feel the benefits and want to continue for their own sakes. I have been reading about many foods that have anti-inflamatory properties and I am going to start trying to include these in my daily meals. I am also going to try to walk each day and get into a good routine of exercise while the weather is accommodating. Come winter I will hopefully be in a good enough routine that I am able to battle the elements and continue on. If not, I have the treadmill and can walk in the comfort of the dry shop. So this is my starting point. I am really grateful to have my family behind me and look forward to seeing the changes that come into our lives.

First post - Meal planning

OK, I sat down today and made a meal plan.  It's taken me well over an hour and I'm going to catch some grief from my husband because all the meals I planned are vegan and gluten free.  I can see how that's not appealing at all and I that won't always be the case, but I'm so tired of cooking dinner that I can't eat, then trying to find something I can eat, failing and just ending up eating more hummus.  Do you have any idea how much hummus I consume?  Too much.  Anyway, I made a mealplan.  Here's what I got for dinners:

Lettuce wraps
Stuffed sweet potatoes
Quinoa salad with black beans, avocado and cilantro
Lentil and sweet potato shepherds pie
Mexican quinoa

Breakfasts:
vanilla chai pudding (I've never tried chai, but there's so much hype about it, I'm going to give it a try)
Pan seared oatmeal
cinnamon quinoa

Snacks:
Granola bars (I'm going to try introducing nuts this week and see how it goes)
roasted artichoke lemon hummus
chipotle hummus

I still really like hummus and it makes a great filling snack so I'm just going to try a couple different varieties.  There will also be plenty of fruits and veggies. 

I've had some preemptive talks with the kids about how we are going to start eating better.  Foods that are healthier for us that will make us stronger and faster and have more power.  Soren really likes the idea of being faster and more powerful, so I'm playing on that.  They really seem onboard and so far have been very good about it.  I'm surprised and pleased with their reaction.  We'll see how they react when I slap some lentil and sweet potatoes shepherds pie in front of them at the dinner table. 

I'm going to work on incorporating more whole grains into our diet as well, I'm just not sure how to do that yet.  I'm going to switch us from white rice to red, black, wild and if all else fails and I just can't put out the cash for the others, brown rice is still better than white.  I just bough a giant bag of jasmine rice, so we'll incorporate these things slowly.  I also saw a thing on pinterest quite a while back, I pinned it somewhere.  This lady would fill up her sink with water and vinegar (i'm not sure the ratio or type of vinegar, though it seems white or even apple cider would do well) and puts all her produce in there and soaks it for who knows how long.  It removes a lot of the pesticides and what not and the produce also keeps longer.  I would like to start doing that.  I also want to start grocery shopping weekly instead of every paycheck.  That's going to be hard since I'm terrible and making the money stretch and I hate grocery shopping, but I think meal planning at first is going to be easier to do for a weeks worth of meals rather than half a months.  Plus fresh ingredients and what not and I almost always run out of all produce other than carrots and apples after the first week. 

Oh, this is going to be a challenge. 

The other thing I want to do, maybe next week sometime is the weeks worth of lunches for the freezer.  I'll see what I can find for recipes and you should too.  Report back and we'll make a plan. 

What say you?