Friday, November 25, 2011

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Courtesy of Paleo Comfort Foods

1.5 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed
1/2 cup thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
1 cup large pecan halves, toasted
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, cut on the bias

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place pecans on small rimmed baking sheet. Bake nuts until toasted- about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.  Drain on paper towels, save the extra bacon fat for future use.

Whisk mustard, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl, whisk in oil. Season with pepper.

Using processor fitted with 1/8 to 1/4 inch slicing disk slice Brussels sprouts ( can be sliced with a knife as well) Transfer into a large bowl.

Preheat large skillet over medium heat, and add in 1-2 TBSP of leftover bacon fat. Add in Brussels sprouts and saute until softened and slightly brown.

Pour the mustard/vinegar/lemon juice/olive oil mixture over the sprouts.

Mix in 1/2 the pecans, the bacon, and green onions. Place slaw in a serving bowl and top with the remaining pecans.


Wanna change something up?
Try chopped or shredded Granny Smith apples or walnuts instead of pecans.
Don't like bacon, use another oil of your choice!


ENJOY :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Banana Pumpkin Pudding

Happy Thanksgiving Guys :)
There are so many things I have to be thankful for today and everyday!

Have food allergies or just trying to eat a little healthier this holiday season?

I know you all love PUMPKIN so give this one a try!



BANANA PUMPKIN PUDDING

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
5 dates, pitted ( I used 3)
1 ripe banana frozen
1/2 15 -ounce can of pumpkin
2 ice cubes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender and process until smooth.
Spoon into custard cups. Chill at least two hours.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Food and Relationships




Now folks I’m not talking about your relationship with food.  I am talking about how your partner’s habits influence what you eat.  Not even necessarily your partner, the same can hold true with your family, your roommates, or even your co -workers!

Most people with “normal “ jobs have Saturday and Sunday off….correct? People still feel that cheating or splurging the entire weekend is fine. Year after year, I see my female clients start to get serious with their boyfriends…they move in together and the next thing I know, they have fallen into the eating habits of their significant other. This happens with both MALES AND FEMALES! I just happen to train a shitload of ladies.
Gaining weight, feeling tired and unmotivated is not easy on anyone’s self esteem no matter how much somebody loves you.  It’s all about you loving you :) And we know the fundamental difference between males and females hahahaahh

With the change of season I cannot tell you how many of my clients are coming to me complaining about how HORRIBLE they feel after their weekends of “falling off”.  Whether it be, too much wine, too many meals out of the house or too many shitty snacks while watching Sunday football. They come to me self loathing, unmotivated and BLOATED!

To me, poor nutrition is a deal breaker.  If you don’t care enough about what you chose to fuel your body with, you order out every night, or beer is considered an entire food group to you…
I am not the girl for you.

Some may say I am basing this on vanity.  The truth is I bust my ass training so that I can feel good mentally and physically.  I eat healthy because it makes me happy. But I also take care of myself out of respect to my partner!  You had better believe that if they’re the one I’m going to be getting naked with for the rest of my life they had better like what they see :D  They had also better be around when our kids are growing up, and not go croaking on me because they didn’t take care of themselves!!!

Now I have never lived with a guy, granted I have spent 99% of every waking day for years at their apartment, but I have NEVER lost my own kitchen.  I have never been without the luxury of “returning to my comfort zone.”
I also do not have children. 
The fact of the matter is most of us don’t have the greatest will power to not eat the things that are in our kitchen cabinets.  If we can establish better nutritional habits as a team there is no denying that we can be a happier healthier couple and family for the years to come!
I love it when I see younger couples venturing out together to support each other on the road to healthier living :)  Whether they are running together,  hitting up the gym at the same time; or taking active vacations to ski and snowboard …I dig it.
I find however that the nutritional portion of the lifestyle change is much more prevalent with people of my parents generation.  Whether it was a health scare or just aging in general many couples in their 50’s and 60’s successfully improve their nutrition TOGETHER and inadvertently they strengthen their union as well.

Don’t be afraid to sit down with your partner and have an honest conversation.  If something matters to you speak up and let your voice be heard.
And together take baby steps towards being more nutritionally responsible ;)
And if you like, next post I'll help you with some baby steps!

Domesticated Diva

As a girl who lost wheat and gluten due to allergies long before it was COOL...there are so many amazingly yummy recipes out there now!!! I LOVE IT
Running my own business has changed my schedule drastically, now I have time to come home cook and eat midday :)
A recent favorite of mine was taken from www.health-bent.com

1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 15 oz can pizza sauce
  • 1/2 c roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • couples leaves of fresh basil 
  • 1 small butternut squash
Get your oven to 400ºF. In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Don’t be anal about getting out all the strings, as you won’t even notice those when they’re cooked. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.
Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil. If you don’t a contraption that will puree (blender, food processor, immersion blender), chop up the red peppers and just whisk everything together.
Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.
Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Right out of the oven, the lasagna may by liquidy, let it set for a good half hour before cutting into it, as it will solidify.

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