Healthy vegetarian Rueben, tomato/goat cheese salad, and juices galore...

Hey babes!!

Miss you guys!  I've been so bleh the past few days.  Allergies are the worst; I don't know about you, but they really drain me.  Stay tuned for allergy blogs as I am going to soon embark on a journey to relieve allergy symptoms holistically.

Since I got my juicer last week, I've been a human juicing machine.  3 people asked me if I was pregnant on Sunday!!!  (it's the glow from the juices!)  I just told Natalie - I've never bought so many veggies and fruits as I have in the last few weeks, mostly in the past week.  It's incredible.  And I can see my skin clearing rapidly.  And my eyes are getting whiter.  Though allergies will prevent them from being Kardashian-white.  *rolls eyes*

On to the food!!

Tomato/Goat cheese salad:
Anyway, Little Miss Hailey: for you - chop a bunch of tomatoes (Roma or cherry), add cubed goat cheese (we have a good local brand here in Vermont), do a swirling round of balsamic vinegar, and a few short drips of EVOO.  Add a little sea salt and pepper and even some diced fresh organic basil.

The benefits of tomatoes are high: they are anti-inflammatory, they are high in potassium (keeps your electrolytes balanced and promotes good circulation), they have lycopene (great against UV damage), and they contain Vitamin E which helps maintain healthy, moisturized skin and scalp.  Goat cheese, compared to something like Cheddar, has less calories and half the sodium.

Vegetarian Rueben's with an added kick:
Okay, this is my new fave meal.  I don't always have much of an appetite for solid food and this is one that I can almost always eat.  What you'll need:

-Veggie burgers (my fave is Morningstar Garden Veggie)
-Mayo, ketchup, relish, tumeric, and pepper (for the 1,000 island dressing)
-rye bread or gluten free bread (Vermont Bread Company or Udi's)
-swiss cheese
-kimchi (we have a good local brand here in VT)

First, pre-bake your patties, but not all the way.  Usually takes about 5-7 minutes.

Second, make your 1,000 Island dressing.  In a small mason jar (or whatever) mix up your desired amounts of mayo and ketchup (2/3 mayo, 1/3 ketchup maybe).  Then add a tablespoon or more of relish, a few rounds of pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric.  Shake it like a money maker.  (Try to get ketchup that is free of high fructose corn syrup.)

Third, mayo one side of each slice of bread, then put the mayo side down on a cutting board or plate.  Put the veggie patty on one side, then add two thin layers of 1,000 Island in between your swiss cheese and a healthy dose of kimchi.  Load on your second slice, mayo side out, and cook it as you would a grilled cheese.  THIS IS AMAZING.  I also like to dip into extra 1,000 Island.

This sandwich is a great balance of good grains, protein, and fat (from the dressing).  The added benefit of Kimchi is remarkable (vs. sauerkraut).  Kimchi is loaded with Vitamins A and C.  It also, is an excellent source of probiotics which help support healthy gut flora (boosts immunity and helps assimilate nutrients that nourish skin, hair, and nails).  Kimchi aids in digestive function, which relieves gas and bloating (phew!).  And it encourages better elimination, taking a significant burden off of your skin.  Tumeric adds pretty color is is anti-inflammatory.

Okay, that's all the time I have now.  Stay tuned for the juice recipes and their benefits... you'll love them!!  I love you guys!  And let me leave you with a little bit of advice.

Before you worry too much about Secondary Foods (foods that you eat), take a look at your Primary Foods (relationships, career, love, spirituality, exercise, etc.).  You can be the healthiest eater in the world, but if your Primary Food count is in disarray or is being neglected, well no amount of vitamins will be able to feed your soul the way human connection, spirituality, and exercise can.  

Wellness, my loves, is not about just food.  It's about feeding ALL OF YOU.  Feed your soul.  Then nourish your body.  You'll be amazed at the results.  

XOXOXO
Laurie

The best spaghetti squash yet!

OMG, you guys.  I can't even.

So, I'm at home for a few hours to cook up some veggies that I bought recently and to get some school work done.  And as I learn more about wellness and eating, I'm starting to play a little more with different add-ins.  And today's experiment is RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS.

Take your cooked spaghetti squash, scoop out the insides, and spoon or fork out the spaghetti part.  Put in an old, retro 70's bowl (okay, that's interchangeable).  Add maybe 1 tbsp of butter (cubed), 2 spoonfuls of creme fraiche (my roommates BF came home with some and I *had* to find use for it), and a sprinkle or two of pecorino romano. If avaialable, chop up some fresh, organic basil and throw that in there too (just 2-3 leaves).

Mix around and VOILA! Pure bliss.  This stuff is good, even for a veggie-nay-sayer!!!

More recipes will be coming.  My schedule is opening up now....  YAY!!!

Love you guys!!

And remember, EVERYONE benefits from more water, more sleep, more human connection, and more fruits & veggies.

Spaghetti Squash and a word or two

Hey all!  Sorry for the delay - without any further ado...!

Spaghetti squash is fairly easy to make.  You can look up instructions.  The other night I used a particularly big SS so my cooking time was longer.  For a medium sized one, you will want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Using a pairing knife, prick the squash all over.  Then place in a baking dish and bake for 60 or so minutes - until soft.  I like to put a little water in the bottom of the pan personally.  I don't remember where I picked that up but I do it.  When it's done cooking, take out and cut in half, long way.  Scoop out and toss the seeds and junk, then, using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash - top of each half to the bottom.  You'll see that what comes out, via the fork, is spaghetti looking!!  Just keep doing it, you'll get lots of spaghetti!

While the squash is baking, grab yourself two organic zucchinis (zucchini season is wrapping up so use it while you can!).  In a frying pan, over medium heat, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and a tablespoon of butter to the pan - let it heat.  Cut the ends off the zucchinis, then cut long way.  Then cut long way again.  Then dice.  You're essentially cubing the zucchinis.  Add to pan along with a teaspoon or tablespoon of organic minced garlic.  Saute till soft and lightly browned (maybe 15ish minutes).

When you have the spaghetti squash carved out, add the zucchinis, some salt and pepper, and a few fun dashes of parmigiano reggiano.  Enjoy! For the meatless meatballs, follow directions on bag, cooking them in vegetable pasta sauce, serving them on the side of the spaghetti. 

FUN FACTS-
Coconut oil: supports metabolism and helps burn stored fat.  It's main component, lauric acid, is a powerful anti-microbial fat that kills bacteria, viruses and yeast.
Zucchini: calms nervous function, has anti-aging vitamins C and A, and has nutrients B6 and folate which is good for healthy hair.
Spaghetti squash: low cal, filling fiber, and vitamin A (cell renewal and protective to computer strained eyes) and potassium (supports healthy muscle and nerve function, balances electrolytes, and helps maintain PH balance in the body)

HAPPY EATING! 



So wellness is certainly about eating for nutrition and exercising for mental and physical health, but its also about having a spiritual type of path.  This can be found through things like yoga and meditation, for me, it's reaching a calmness... but its also about a self awareness: my role in the world, but also my role in the events that take place around me.  I have long since functioned from a place of needed perfection and so any criticism at all was crippling.  But now I've reached a place in my development in which I can identify my role in situations, hear the words of those around me, and alter my reactions and/or what I bring into similar situations.  It's a relief to learn to not take life personally.  Life and people don't have to dictate my mood and my happiness.  That's MY job.  I choose to feel serene over stress.  What's YOUR choice?

Love you and Happy Friday!! XOXOXOX

Beauty Elixer (that green juice)

Hey guys!!

Okay here are the recipes from yesterday.  So given my Italian nature, I don't typically measure things, its more of a SOUL feeling.  Funny, when I used to cook with my mommom, I was always like "Mommom, but how MUCH am I putting in?!"  Her answer was always, like, a dash, or a pinch.

Now I get it.

So first up, that green juice.  This was actually something I found in a magazine, long ago.  It is allegedly Kerry Washington's Beauty Elixer.  And, well, she's gorgeous, so I was game.

BEAUTY ELIXER:

In a blender or a NutriBullet...

-1/4 cupish of purified water
-few leaves of organic romaine (protects computer stressed eyes)
-few stalks of organic celery (good for skin hydration and elasticity)
-healthy handful of organic spinach (cell turnover, regulates sleep, mood, appetite and calms nervous function among many other things!)
-healthy handful of organic parsley (flushes excess water retention)

Mix together then add...

-organic banana (regulates sleep, mood and appetite and important for electrolyte balance)
-organic apple (see below)
-organic pear (great fiber and anti-inflammatory)
-half organic lemon (helps maintain a flat belly and natural detoxifier)

Congratulations!!  You now have a beauty elixer!! :)

*Apples really do keep the doctor away.  They reduce allergies, they detox the body, they are loaded with antioxidants and they areanti-inflammatory.  They balance bacteria in the large intestine which aids digestion and is good for the skin.  They are anti-cancerous, and they help fight wrinkles!

Spaghetti squash meal recipe shall follow!!! Happy nutrition! :)

It's time for a wellness revolution

Hey all.

My goodness, I can't believe it was 3 years ago that I started this blog.  It was such a great tool, then, but it wasn't enough.  You see, I was going through some serious shit, as I have for the past 4 years.  And the blog as a tool was great, but what I didn't know then, was that my toolbox needed to be overflowing.  I have been blessed with a lot of great characteristics, but coping skills is historically not one of those.  And through several years of pain, lessons, and shifts, I now begin (or pick back up) what I like to refer to as THE WELLNESS MOVEMENT.

What I never realized is that everybody has their shit.  I always assumed I was the only one born without directions; the world was happening to ME.  *shakes head*  Well, that is definitely not the case.  The world is happening alright, but it's not to me.  I am but a factor.  I can choose to be a great factor, or I can choose to live as a victim.  For my own serenety, peace and happiness, I whole-heartedly choose to be a factor - a brick in the wall of greatness and strength - a tide in a beautiful, blue ocean - a beam in the warming sunshine (you get the idea).

And what does it take to play such a role in today's world?  A firm foundation in wellness and health.  You see, to me, wellness isn't nutrition or eating vegetarian.  It's an approach to relationships, to fitness, to nutrition, to spirituality, and to love and happiness.  It embodies so many things that are at our fingertips if we choose to explore and learn.

So what's this new blog about?  It's going to be my take on all the aforementioned branches of wellness, coupled with the new information I will be soaking up through my education via IIN.  And what does this mean to you?  FREE ADVICE!!

LOL.

So read the blogs or not.  Heed the suggestions or not.  Identify and laugh or not.  It's totally up to you.  I have no desire to change anyone but myself.  Though if my experiences can help any of you, then that will satisfy my soul.  Ultimately, I want to make a difference in this world.  So, I'll start with myself.  Happy blogging.  I love you guys.  (And soon, hopefully a video blog!!)

Stay tuned for yesterday's recipes....  XOXO