Living Chocolate - No Guilt!

Hello and happy Friday!! I wanted to share a Raw Food potluck Dave and I checked out. They were advertising it as Cookies and Milk! ...or, Raw cookies, Raw Chocolate, and home-made Almond milk. So good, so fun!

Check out this pretty pan!

That is the tray of fresh made, enzyme-rich, antioxidant-packed chocolate that they made for us! It used unheated cacao powder, cold-pressed cocoa butter, agave (which, ok, has a lot of controversy about it's health benefits), and topped with cashews, gogi berries, and coconut! SO HEALTHY! (In moderation, of course!) Yes, higher calories, but with as rich and luscious as this treat is, you don't need much! It was so melt-in-your-mouth AMAZING! I have the recipe somewhere from the handouts, and I'll have to share it later :)

We got free samples of fresh, unpasteurized cashew butter and almond butter. They added more salt that I liked, but it was still tasty!

Here they are processing the cocoa butter, making it small shavings to allow it to melt faster for making chocolate!

Tasty Toppings!

Stirring the cacao powder into the melted cocoa butter. Look how rich and dark!

Pouring out the chocolate.

And decorating!

Other fun chocolate foods - little fudgey chocolate balls, wrapped around almonds, and rolled in coconut. It's so nice being able to eat natural foods that are dessert-like foods! Healthy, happy, and satisfied, we took a few samples and headed home :)

When you use the right ingredients, they add such benefit to your life! It's how I can enjoy "ice cream" for breakfast! Make it out of nothing but bananas and berries - or bananas, almonds, and cacao - and know that you're putting nutrition in your body while you put taste on your tongue!

I hope you'll try something new, too! One of these days, I'm going to make a chocolate turtle cheesecake that is made from all natural fruits, nuts, and seeds, and enjoy a decadent breakfast in bed! ;-)

Have a good one, my friends!

~Katie

Lovely Veggie Chili and Onion Bread

Good Wednesday lunch break, my friends! How is your week? Hopefully going by quickly and happily!

It has turned cold again - yuck! It was actually SNOWING this morning when I left for work - and I see it falling now! So, that's always a good time to figure out warmer comfort foods - but still healthy! While I sometimes crave the cheesy pizza or fat-and-cream-laden soups, I have been having fun trying to find healthier ways to cope!

A few days ago, I posed the tropical salad - and as wonderful as that is, I know it's not warming! (But sure makes me smile and think back to Saipan.)

Over the weekend, I tried my hand at making a "raw" Onion Bread and Chili. And I was very happy with the results!

So first, the onion bread, which I found on at GoneRaw.com posted by Kandace here. (It's the first recipe posted on the site, over 4 years ago! I figure I'll just start there, and work my way forward to the present!) ;-)

Recipe:

Based on a recipe by Matt Amsden in RAWVolution.

Ingredients:

3 yellow onions, large

1 cup flax seeds (golden, brown or a combo), ground

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, ground in a food processor

½ cup Braggs Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu

¼ cup cold pressed olive oil

Preparation:

1.Peel and half the onions. Slice in a food processor (with slicing disc) or by hand

2.Place onions in large bowl and mix with rest of ingredients until thoroughly combined.

3.Spread mix over a Teflex sheet and repeat until all of mixture is used (I usually end up using 2 sheets).

4.Dehydrate at 100°F for 24 hours. Flip and return to dehydrator for 12 hours.

5.Cut into 9 equal pieces (2 cuts horizontally, 2 cuts vertically). Usually makes 18 pieces

I'm not sure if I did the recipe correctly, because I only used half the onion amount - I just couldn't get more onion to mix in! I also decreased the Braggs Aminos to 1/4 cup because that stuff is salty! Then I added a little more water to make up the fluid difference. I think I over-processed the seeds, because it was more a paste than a grainy texture. But the flavor was still good!

So that big bowl was then spread out on my dehydrator sheet, on parchment paper. Again, not sure if I did something wrong, because I only got 1 sheet out of it instead of 2. Maybe she makes hers thinner? Or perhaps that extra onion would carry it further.

And after quite a long dry time, it comes out a deep caramel brown!

The benefits of this bread: (I hope you're sitting! This is a doozie!)

Onion is not often the first food that comes to mind when I picture healthy foods. I often think of it simply as a condiment to other foods - and it does go great with many items! But it also carries many health benefits of its own. (And I loooooove the taste!) Onions can help reduce the risk of various cancers, such as colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer if eaten regularly (study showed 1-7 times weekly reduced risk). Onions also help increase bone density - something good for all of us, especially for menopausal-aged women who often have some density loss! They also have a good dose of chromium, which helps maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Flaxseeds are one of my favorite forms for getting my Omegas (I also love chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts! And of course, pretty much all leafy greens have some omega fats in them - just in small amounts.) But these lovely little seeds are also a rich source of fiber and manganese. They are also anti-inflammatory, help keep bones healthy, protect against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension! And one small study found that it helped reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.

Sunflower seeds are a rich source of magnesium, which can help calm nerves and muscles, and sometimes even help with migraines! They also contain selenium - one of thsoe beautifying minerals! But it is also is a helpful component of the powerful enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which your liver uses to detoxify a range of potentially harmful molecules.

Braggs Liquid Aminos (what I used) is similar to soy sauce. It's got that same salty, savory flavor, but it contains 16 different amino acids (that make up proteins.) Plus it's organic, non-GMO. (Which I am a BIG fan of avoiding!! I try not to buy anything with non-organic soy or corn. But that topic is best left for a different post some day.)

Olive oil has been all over the news as being healthy. And it is! But it is liquid fat, so keep that in mind if you're a calorie counter! Usually 14g of fat per Tablespoon - but at least it's mostly monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) which are some of the healthier types! In limited amounts, olive oil will provide some wonderful things! When used INSTEAD OF (not IN ADDITION TO) animal fats and butters or other bad fats, olive oil has been found to help protect against degenerative diseases like atherosclerosis, diabetes, asthma, colon cancer, and arthritis, as well as protecting against heart disease. And more? It's got some good antioxidants phenolic compounds to help with other protective effects! When picking out an oilive oi, try to get Cold Pressed Virgin, as this will help maintain the flavor and health value of the oils better than the more refined forms.

* * * * * * * * * *

So back to the meal... Once the bread is done, I put in on the side with some chili from my Live Food Cuisine book. The base is a delectable blend of sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, spices - and avocado to make it nice and creamy! Then it's got some good chunky veggie bits in it for good hardy noms! Then I let it sit in the dehydrator for a little to warm it up some (but not so hot as to cook out all my lovely nutrients and enzymes!)

The "sour cream" is a blend of macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, and some lemon and salt. I wouldn't say it tasted much like sour cream (and I should have added extra water to get the consistency different) but it was good! And it helped complement and tame the extra cayenne I'd accidentally put in the chili!

So with the spicy chili and the zesty onion bread crackers, a nice side of cool cucumber was the perfect companion to this dinner!

My new dishes!! I had to buy this set because it was so colorful and just made me happy!

I am sad that my chili is now gone, since I can look outside and see snow still falling. Plus, even Dave liked this one! (Ok, so, the first time he tried it, he was actually spreading it on a slice of cheese pizza... but I suppose that's better than nothing!) Now he wants to learn how to make this on his own, so he can have it more often!

I hope you all have a warm and hearty day! Stay warm, stay dry, stay smiley ^.^

Warm Wishes!

~Katie

That is one hearty bread I think I'll be making in bigger batches in the future! They also made good crackers when I cut them smaller and let them dehydrate a little longer :) (Plus, onions, flax, and sunflower seeds are all pretty cheap! It's just the Braggs that gets a little pricier - but perhaps I can find some substitute of just using water and my Celtic sea salt.)

Christmas Salad!

Kalloo-kallay! It's Saturday!!!

And I got to go spend the day with loving family-in-laws :)

I was very excited to go over and share some nutritional tidbits with my sister-in-law, as she is the predominant cooker for the home. She's been trying to learn nutrition, and navigate the chaotic, conflicting waves that health information runs.

We wanted to try a green smoothie, but time got away from us. We started with a new salad, and just never made it to the smoothie! But that's okay, because the salad was a new experience for me, as well! And so good!

A Borders Bookstore near us recently began its Going Out Of Business sale (sadness!), and so I snagged this lovely book at a discount:

It is filled to overflowing with recipes packed with vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, spices, herbs, and some fruits. All natural goodness! I had picked it up at the library, and when I began looking through the recipes, there were just too many that sounded sooo good! So, I knew I had to buy it. Hooray!!

And, with no real plan to sort through the many recipes, I just figured - start at the beginning and work my way through! (With some modifications for available ingredients and some personal preferences, of course.)

The first recipe to try was Bok Choy Paneer, which had a sauce that was flavored with Garam Masala, a blend of spices commonly used in Indian dishes. I found a lovely blend at Whole Foods, and am in love! While it seems the exact ingredient list varies, it looks like they all tend to be a blend of savory and spicy items. Some of the common spices (according to Wikipedia) are black and white peppers, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, star anise, coriander, and other exotic flavors I hadn't heard of, like malabar leaves and pappali. And I think the blend I bought must have had a little cayenne or chili powder or something, because there was just a slight heat kick to it!

I wasn't sure about sharing the recipe, but since it can also be found online here, I'll post what they have since it's public access.

Bok Choy Paneer

3 C Bok Choy, Shredded

1/2 C Red Bell Pepper

2 T fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2 C pine nuts

1 C walnuts, soaked (1-2 hrs)

1 1/2 T lemon juice

1 T Ginger juice (I just used a chunk of ginger)

1 T Garam Masala

1/2 T Celtic sea salt

1/2 T garlic, minced

1/4 T fresh ground pepper

Combine bok choy, bell pepper, and basil. Set aside. In food processor or blender, blend the rest until smooth (add water if needed, to desired consistency) Combine with bok choy mix, and marinate 1-2 hours. Serves 4-6.

(Or two to three when we just keep picking at it!!)

Bok Choy is part of the cabbage family, so shares the wonderful health benefits, including a high concentration of beta-carotene and vitamin A. It also has amazing amounts of bone-strengthening, cancer-fighting Vitamin K! Bok is also an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant rich fiber food.

The dish has an interesting flavor, as I have always associated spices like cinnamon and clove with sweet dishes like pumpkin pie and cookies! But there is no sweetener in the sauce, so it was a savory cinnamon! Very unique, and my sister-in-law made the comment that she felt like she was tasting Christmas!

And with those pretty colors, it even looks like a good holiday dish! I shall have to save this one to share with family around the holidays (and enjoy on occasion before then, too!)

Even Dave, who had just indulged in several pieces of pizza, grabbed my salad plate out of my hand and kept eating it, commenting that it was such a unique flavor.

So, good reviews all around tonight! And I'll have to see what else I can do with the sauce. The recipe calls for marinating the salad for an hour with the sauce, but I also made extra and kept some separate to use it like a dressing whenever I had another salad. I also think it could make a good spread on a sandwich or lettuce wrap. I wonder if it could be dehydrated into a cracker of some sort... hmmm.... I'll have to experiment and let you know!

Have a wonderful day, and don't let the relaxation of the weekend let you falter too badly from healthy lifestyles!! Go for a walk, have some lemon water, have a salad, but mostly - have a huge smile and enjoy! Take care!

xoxox

~Katie

Michigan Day Two!

Alright, my friends! Here it is!! Day TWO of my Michigan Raw Trip! The festival was only that Saturday, but Dave and I got to spend that Sunday in the wonderful company of Carla and mark!

And what better way to get all pumped and ready for church than...

a green smoothie, of course!

This had to be one of the most fun smoothies to make - getting to dance around the kitchen with Carla as we soaked, chopped, washed, and pitted. And then got a smiling nod from BOTH men! They agreed it was one of the best tasting smoothies they had tried! (Mark and Dave said Carla and I just need to hang out more so we can continue making these lovely creations.)

And what, you may ask, was in this smoothie that our men enjoyed?

We called this our Apple Pie Smoothie

3 honeycrips apples
1 banana

2 plums

1 pear

about 1 cup almonds (that we soaked over night)

1 stick of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

a small piece of fresh ginger

as much fresh kale as we could put in without the guys groaning! (probably about 2-3 cups?)

water as needed

We first blended up the almonds and some water, as that was going to be the toughest part to make into a smooth consistencey. But her heavy duty blender had no fear! And we soon added the remaining ingredients to our breakfast drink.

Almonds are a common nut used to make crusts of raw pies, so mixing that with the apples and spices turned this into a holiday decadence! (Though it's not quite holiday season... so I imagine this baby will be making a comeback over the next few months!)

We poured the lovely smoothie into travel mugs and bolted for church. And what a beautiful place that was! Sadly, it didn't cross my mind to take my camera into the church, so I have no photos. But it was so bright and cheery, and Carla sang with the choir, making it just such a meaningful day!

Afterwards, we wanted to grab some lunch... and of course, by this time - after more than 24 hours of NOTHING BUT RAW - poor Dave was caving! My man wanted MEAT!



Dave enjoying his big ol' grease burger!

And the waiter was so flexible for us! I wish I remembered his name and could send out a giant THANK YOU to him!! I wanted to try to stick to the raw deal, as I was feeling amazingly energetic! So, looking through the recipe, there weren't too many options other than salads. So, how to spice up a salad? Just ask!

I asked him if I got the "Chicken Salad" without the chicken, could they instead add some extra vegetables to it? He said, "Sure! We have zucchini, beats, cucumbers... what would you like?"

To which I simply responded with an emphatic, "umm... YES!"

He got the idea, and in came my salad loaded with extra veggies!

I just drizzled it with a little of the honey-mushroom sauce which would have been topping the chicken. (Ok, that may not have been raw, but I didn't use much!)

We finished our meal with good food, good chats, and headed to the Apple Cider Press of the area! Ahhh, fresh apple cider... there's nothing like it!

You can see the two men standing at the apple shoot here. Somewhere else, apples are loaded into a blender of sorts, and the apple bits come tumbling down the shoot onto these cloth-covered trays. Tray after tray is stacked, then a huge machine compresses them all, squeezing out all that lucious juice! Sad to say, I asked what happened with all the left over pulp, and they said it just gets pitched. How sad!! Apparently they used to try to compost it, or do some other things with it, and it just wasn't working for them. So it became easier to trash it. (Hmmm.... perhaps there's an opportunity for some Michigan resident to get free apple pulp.....)

The juice then runs through tubes to various dispensing machines, and right there, they'll fill a half gallon jug for you to take! It doesn't get much fresher!

So we bought a half gallon, and (*gasp*) just HAD to try the fresh cinnamon-batter donuts that they sold, to go with the cider. Oh, so worth it! Soft, warm, and spicey - perfect pair for the cider!

As we enjoyed our treat, we wandered through the isles of fresh apples - so many types! It was amazing!



Dave picking out a bag of apples for us to take home

You better believe some of those apples went into a smoothie that next week! In fact, my dad had come to visit, and so I thought that the Apple Pie Smoothie had been such a hit in Michigan, that he just may like it! And he did! He had his entire 12 ounce glass! Go dad!!

And so ended our trip. It was getting on towards evening, and so it was time for us to buckle up and make the drive south to home.

What a wonderful time, wonderful memories, and new friends! Again, I cannot thank Carla and Mark enough for their loving hospitality! What beautiful people!

Have a great week, everyone :) See you back here with more doses of natural goodness soon!

~Katie

***EDIT: Thanks, Carla!!  She's got the better memory ;-)  The restaurant was Hogans.  Yum yum doodle dum!

Michigan's Raw EcoFest!

Hello, hello, my health-conscious friends!

Over the weekend, I did something out of my norm, and out of my comfort zone: drove 5 hours north to Michigan, to join our friends Mark and Carla in attending a Raw Food EcoFest! And boy am I glad I did! It was such a delight to expand my horizons, hear what other people do for health, hear stories about people changing their lives through diet, and finding many more topics for me to research! (Always the student!)

So I wanted to share a little about what I saw and did that day with Dave! (The poor man! At first, he thought he may opt to just hang out for the day at the hotel while I went all by my lonesome! But he decided to let me drag him along, and actually said he liked a lot of it!)

First, we stopped at Adya Water, where we met Matt, who shared his theories on how mineralizing water makes it cleaner, makes nutrients more readily absorbed, and makes your body healthier and less prone to disease and other maladies. He even gave us a "super shot" of his treated water, and Dave said he noticed a tingling on the back of his tongue - presumably as the water was killing off some bacteria!

Then we got to wander through the various tents selling all sorts of fun products - we saw all sorts of fun things!! Aromatherapy and natural lotions, Fair Trade crafts, Worm composts, mushroom-growing kits, solar energy information, raw foods to try... and here's a picture of my man actually getting interested in some of these things! He's checking out a spiral slicer - same idea as the one I already have (and have posted about) but I guess it makes the noodles even thinner! More like angel-hair pasta than the spaghetti-size mine makes.

Checking out fun kitchen tools!

Then we thought about food... They had several vendors lined up where various raw foods were sold for lunch! They had "natso" meats and "raw-tacos", raw pumpkin pie and carrot cake, many different wraps and sandwiches that used various green leafies as wraps, juices and smoothies, and more! Dave thought about it.... aaaand decided he wasn't that hungry ;-) Then he kept asking if I thought we'd be able to find an Oktoberfest-style brat-and-kraut vendor somewhere close! No such luck, my dear!

Row of Raw!

So we instead made our way to the main tent where some little mini-lectures were going on. We listened in on a woman talking about how she views samples of a person's blood, and can get a general read on what may be making them less healthy than they would like. She was offering testing at the festival, but we passed on that.

Finally, I decided I was hungry and I wanted to try some new foods! So as we walked down the row of food, the "raw taco" just sounded interesting to me! I picked one up, and asked Dave what he wanted. He gave a slight curl of the lip and said he'd pass on it all. Alright! Not to let his spirit dampen me, I bought my taco and salsa, and we headed to a table!

The taco was SO GOOD! They used processed soaked walnuts to emulate the meat, and then had it all seasoned up with organic taco seasonings (chili pepper, cumin, coriander... who knows what else!) and then had a bell pepper and avocado spread on it, and a yummy salsa on the side! Then they used a big ol' collard leaf to wrap it all up! Yum, yum, and YUM! I was shocked!



Walnuts, spice, onions, oh my!



As I nibbled... Dave got curious. "Welll, ok, maybe one bite. I'm kind of hungry..."

The next thing I know, I'm heading back to the food line to buy a second, because Dave wouldn't give it back!

Defending his food with a growl!

Just as we were finishing our meal, it started to rain and the temperature dropped! Brrr!! We were getting ready to walk back to the car for extra layers and umbrellas, when I was drawn in by a bizarre site... people looking like baked potatoes! And I just had to check it out!

Far InfraRed Saunas: the claim is that they help stimulate circulation, boost metabolism, relieve pain, help bolster your body's natural detox process, and many other things. Pretty big claims for me to study further, but what I DO know is that it was super warm and toasty!

Getting myself zipped into my space pod!

Phil was the man selling these contraptions. It was a clever trick, I'll admit! Offer a free 10 minute personal sauna system, and you're trapped in there while he give you the sales pitch!!

But it was SOOO worth it! I actually had a lot of fun chatting with Phil, and the girl zipped in the pod next to me. So we just kept talking, and Phil kept cranking my timer. My ten minute session turned into over a half an hour!! I was so warm and toasty by the end, that I was ready to get back out and face the cold :)



Peace, Love, and Smoothies!

And then finally we got a call from our friends Carla and Mark, and there they were!!!  With chairs for us!  YAY!!!!

So all four of us went back over to the main tent where they were giving away raffle prizes. I guess life was smiling on us! Of the 10 tickets we purchased, 3 were winners!! So we got a free DVD from Matt and Angela Monarch (two people respected within the Raw community), a big bottle of some "super food" supplement (yet another thing for me to research!) and a one-day workshop with Joyce Oliveto, one of the chefs there! Woo!! So I guess we'll be making a trip back to Michigan in the future for the class!



Dave bringing back the first raffle win!

Then Matt and Angela got up and gave their story, talked of the dangers of processed starches and refined sugars, and talked about the benefits of (uhh...) colon cleansing! Eep! I keep hearing about that stuff, but I am not ready to commit to someone poking around my bum voluntarily!

Matt Monarch and his wife, Angela Stokes-Monarch

Our next stop was a dehydrator demo with Joyce, where we got to sample "natso cheese" crackers (no dairy! Just seasonings and such made these little guys taste like Cheez-Itz!) I will definitely want to give them a try some time! Then she gave us facon-bacon - made from seasoned egg plant! I was shocked again! It didn't quite taste like bacon to me, but it was still interesting and I never would have guessed I was eating eggplant!!



Carla passing out samples. Such a sweet giving soul!!

And then around 7:00pm, things began winding down. They had planned to do a bonfire, but for some reason, they cancelled. Sad :(

But on the up-side, the mostly-local produce stand was trying to get rid of a lot of it's left overs! Woot!!

Dave and I went over, and I realized, "wow! This is pretty much all the stuff I'd get from Kroger - Romaine, red-leaf lettuce, lemons, limes, apples, avocado, onions... and more fun stuff like plums and leeks!" Well, why not just do my shopping now, when it's mostly local and cheaper?! I asked Tony, the guy running the booth, if he had a few bags because I was ready to load up! He shook his head and said, "But I have a big box!" I'll take it!

So Dave and I started to load up. I tried to remain somewhat conservative - organics can be pricey, and I didn't want to embarrass myself by picking out more than I could afford, then having to put items back once he gave me the price... so I did just a handful of things. As we were loading up the box, he kept saying, "you sure you don't want this? Or how about more of that?" Dave and I laughed, asking if he was desperate to get rid of stuff. Apparently, a lot of the stuff was still good, but not necessarily good enough that it would be sellable for long enough - that it was easier for him to sell it now, than to risk it going bad too quickly and not selling at all. So, yes, some of it did have to go within the next few days!

I looked in my box, and asked how much he wanted. He said $10. Rifling through my wallet, I pulled out a $20. "All I have is this," I said, expecting change. He decided to do a $20 box, I guess! He said, "just start loading things in! The full box for $20!" More unexpected blessings raining down on us!

I felt bad about taking advantage of that, so just slowly added a few more things. So he came over and started loading me up himself! I don't even know all that ended up in there! But I know there were 2 heads of romaine, 2 heads of lettuce, a giant sweet onion, 2 sweet potatoes, about 5 lemons, maybe a dozen limes, 5 or more plums, 3 pears, 3 leeks, 2 kiwi, a tub of green and red grapes, a head of broccoli, a head of cauliflower, a bundle of celery... and I can't remember what else! But half of it is at home, cozy in my fridge, ready to be eaten and help fight for my health! ;-) The other half made its home with Carla and Mark, who housed us the second night, as part of our thanks to them!

So many thanks to Tony of the Simply Fresh Market
for the treasure trove of produce!! It will all go to good use! :)

And after all that, we drove to our friends' place for a good night's sleep! The next day held its own fun!

So that's Day One of my Michigan trip! So many new things to read about: raw taco recipes, mineralizing waters, Biomats, sprouting, FIR Saunas... and dare I look into the ghastly topic of colon cleansing?!!? All in good time, I suppose!

Have a lovely week, and hopefully I'll see you back here soon for apple-pie green smoothies, restaurant raw style, and fresh pressed cider from Day Two!

Happy Honeydew Hugs!

~Katie

You can see the peaceful pond behind me.  And that pile of rocks?
That's where the bonfire SHOULD have been!!

Raw Sister!

Happy weekend!!!

My dear sister came to visit for a day, and we agreed to go all raw for our meal! Salads are a wonderful healthy way to bulk up any meal: nutrient-packed antioxidant leafy green explosion! Yes!

But what would a meal be with just a salad?

So we decided to have some fun experimenting in the kitchen! We pulled out my Ani Phyo raw recipe book, and decided to try a Brazil-nut portabello bisque soup! Soup and salad. Quite the classic!

The soup turned out to be okay - I guess I'm not a huge mushroom fan ;-) But the base was a yummy Brazil-garlic blend, which was oddly hearty! So, we figured out a few ways we would tweak in for the future, then enjoyed what we had for the day!

Love my sister! <3

And what is a meal without dessert?? So we finished off our visit with a good ol' heaping bowl of banana-whipped ice "kreme." Frozen bananas and mixed berries processed into soft-serve goodness! Yumm!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, too! Share some fun and food with family, and keep that motivation rolling!

xoxox

~Katie

Dave says we look far too happy for salads.... ;-)

My Spiral Slicer!

So a while back, I'd read about this cool kitchen gadget called a spiral slicer... and I HAD to have one! It may seem like a goofy novelty, and most likely, it is. But I love it!

It can serve many functions, but they all basically boil down to slicing food into rings or strands. But what I mainly use it for is cutting zucchini into spaghetti-like noodles. It's such a great replacement for pasta! Fresh, healthy produce with no processing! (I am not saying pasta is evil, per se, but just offering a fresh alternative!)

So Dave and I spiral-sliced a whole plate of zucchini, and threw in a little carrot for fun! The texture is a little crisper than pasta, but Dave has admitted that - despite his history of full-on cringing every time I mention zucchini! - he loves this raw pasta version :)

(shhhh! Processed sauce AND cheese! Don't tell! We're getting there!)

Admittedly, our sauce is not home-made... yet! We've experimented with several tomato sauce recipes, and just haven't found one we like. But I'm sure we'll find one some day!

You don't have to have a fancy spiral slicer to make this - really, just take a potato peeler and make some fettuccine-like noodles! Easy and fresh! A fun way to mix things up with your pasta! Or, heck, just throw your standard pasta on a bed of fresh spinach greens and you'll be getting an extra dose of health that way! Any step to add some health power to a meal is good :)

Have a wonderful weekend!! See you back here soon!

Spiral Smiles!

~Katie