How to: Sangria Blanc

SIMPLE Raw Pad Thai

 I have made this over and over! Make sure not to over cook your veggies! you just want to warm them in the skillet! I cannot believe that I never knew I could use my veggie peeler to this way! Kev loves this one! I have a recipe for the sauce, but I didn't want to take the extra time to make it! Let me know if you want the sauce recipe! :) Enjoy!

Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Bowl

 One of the easiest and filling recipes I threw together. You can substitute rice for Quinoa - as my hubby likes to do! Pretty delicious for a quick meal!

Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze

This is such a delicious side dish for any meal! Super easy and if you go light on the sodium and cheese it's very healthy! Can't wait to make these again! Another trick: if you substitute Basil for Spinach, it adds a very delicious twist! Let me know what you think!

Real Banana Crepes with Strawberry Filling

 As you can tell, with the holidays coming up, I'm straying from my usual "healthy" recipes to some rather "less healthy" ones. Hmmm.. next post I will be back to the health nut recipes! If you want a "healthier" version try this:
- Use skim milk
- Instead of softened butter use coconut oil
- Instead of white flour, use oat flour or wheat flour
- Use honey instead of maple syrup
- & instead of toppings, use only fresh strawberries and honey
Trust me, they will still taste delightful!

Hope you enjoy!

Holiday Favorites: EggNog CheeseCake (left over eggnog to drink too!)

 It's getting closer to Christmas (even though it is still in the high 80's here in Florida)! My favorite time of year! I'm usually not an eggnog type of chick, but my husband loves it so I decided to suprise him with a sweet treat! This was my first cheesecake made from scratch and I must say it turned out pretty good! My husband raves that the eggnog was even better than moms recipe (sshhh don't tell!!). Lol But really, I think whipping up those eggwhites before mixing them into the nog makes it so creamy and delicious!

Healthy and Delicious Stuffed Peppers

 Made this delicious delight for lunch a few days ago and I will surely make it again! What a healthy and yummy experiment!

Healthy Santa Fe Stuffed Peppers

( Serving Size 2) 

(OOPS forgot to finish recipe - place pepper on a bed of quinoa after cooked) 

 

This recipe is so very easy & delicious!! This is definitely going to be one of my over replicated dinners :) There are so many different ways to make this dish, but here is the recipe I threw together. Enjoy!

*picture courtesy of sugarfreemom.com

The Perfect Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

I normally am NOT a pumpkin bread fan, but this was absolutely delish!! This is definitely a dish you want to bring to your next fall party! It is super simple to make, just make sure you let your bread cool completely before adding the frosting! I don't usually like to post unless its a super healthy dish but this one isn't so bad compared to other cakes - especially if you leave off the frosting for your treat :) Let me know what you think :) Enjoy! 

11 BANNED FOOD INGREDIENTS STILL ALLOWED IN THE US

What a good read:

11 Banned Food Ingredients Still Allowed in the US

I'm sure there are many more, but I found this article particularly interesting because it is some of the most common foods that were in my life. This is one of the reasons Kevin and I are trying to eat Paleo as often as possible :)

Beautiful Skin Smoothie

I am not claiming to be a nutritionist or dermatologist. I just know that I have terrible skin and this has been my breakfast for the past few weeks and my skin has never looked so great! My husband has even noticed a dramatic difference! I have also started a new beauty regimen to ensure my skin continues to have this radiant look! I have normal to oily skin which means half of my face is dry and in the T zone I get those nasty breakouts! I have been struggling for years and I hope this success continues to work for me! Here is my regimen:

At Night: 
1. Remove make-up and cleanse face well. I use a washcloth to remove excess makeup.

2. Every other day I will use this scrub to bring that fresh new skin to the surface
 
3. Once a week I use these poor strips to help cleanse a little deeper

4. Only once a day at night because it dries out my skin

5. Once a day always after the astringent
 
6. I love the way this provides my face with the moisture it needs at night and my skin always feels so soft in the morning!
 

In the AM before I apply my makeup:

1. Cleanser

2. Moisturizer

3. Primer



Again, this is just what has been working for my problematic skin! Hope this helps!

XO  Ashley 

3 Foods to Improve Your Skin

Getting gorgeous glowing radiant skin is easier than you think.   Ditch the dull skin promoting processed foods and try these skin perfecting whole fruits and vegetables.  “You are what you eat” isn’t just a cute phrase.  Our skin cells regenerate every 7 days, and the food you eat fuels new cell production.  You could be just one week away from healthier glowing skin!

Kale:

One of the healthiest veggies around, Kale is full vitamins & minerals that promote a healthy glow.  Compared to other vegetables, this leafy green has one of the highest levels of magnesium and calcium around.  It is also rich in vitamins A, C, E & K all of which promote new cell growth.

Cucumbers:

Hydration is a key ingredient for healthy skin and cucumbers are full of a healthy enzyme containing water.  Other skin boosting vitamins and minerals in cucumbers are magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, folic acid, calcium and vitamins B & C.    This nutrient rich food is a key ingredient to smooth, glowing skin.

Avocados:

We’ve all heard the term “healthy fat”, and avocados are just that.  The healthy fat in avocados helps our skin to retain its moisture.   Avocados contain vitamins A & E as well as riboflavin & niacin and have even been show to help with conditions like eczema and psoriasis when used both internally & topically.

Remember, you literally are what you eat!  So eat well and try incorporating these green power foods every day.  Your skin will thank you!

Thank you to Amy Satterfield for these wonderful tips! 

Amy Satterfield is a Certified Natural Trainer, Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist in Troy Michigan.  She is passionate about all things health and fitness.




More Tips:

My NEW NUTRIBULLET

Blueberry Cobbler with Oat Flour

I was in the mood for something sweet, but of course I don't have anything laying around the house to satisfy my sweet tooth except some packets of hot chocolate mix.. and to be honest, that was just not going to be enough for my craving! So i began to look through my fridge and found a large bag of frozen blueberries.. I figured I should start with those! I took a pretty easy recipe and added my own touches with some extra spices. I substituted almond milk for milk, coconut oil for butter, and oat flour for white flour. I cut out some of the sugar needed and topped with truvia! 

TIP  If you don't have oat flour around the house don't worry! Grab your can of old fashioned oats and put into a food processor or blender (I use my nutribullet) and blend until it is the consistency of a fine flour!  

Healthy Eggplant Fries

Made these as a side dish one night and they were absolutely delicious! Can't wait to make again! Instead of frying them I baked them in the oven. Here's the Baking Method I used:

Baking Method:

1. You are free to make your eggplant fries bigger when cutting if using this method. If you do make them small you’ll want to monitor the baking to make sure they don’t burn.
2. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
3. Place eggplant fries on a parchment covered baking sheet evenly spaced.
4. Bake for 25 minutes (or until brown) flipping them once.
5. Serve immediately.

** You can also make them gluten-free by substituting almond meal for the oat flour. 

They are yummy plain, but a little on the dry side so I made this low-cal dipping sauce:

Enjoy! 

How to make Spaghetti Squash in 5 easy steps!

Spaghetti Squash is now my substitute for any pasta I crave! This dish is so delicious and refreshing - I don't get that bloated feeling as I would from loading up on traditional pasta! Spaghetti Squash is only 40 calories and 8 grams of carbs per cup versus traditional pasta that has 200 calories and 40 grams of carbs per cup! This is the only way I have cooked spaghetti squash so far, but this dish is so tasty I can't wait to try to bake with it! 

Here's a simple way to make your dish:

1. Slice the spaghetti squash into two even halves and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the middle is easy to poke with a fork. (I've heard that you can also microwave for 5-10 minutes until soft - but I haven't tried this method)

 2. Remove the seeds. I took a fork and raked through the middle until i pulled most of the seeds out. 

 3. Using a fork loosen the 'spaghetti' strands from the inside of the squash - into a medium sized bowl 

4. place into skillet and saute with your favorite ingredients - Here's what I added (not pictured)

My Recipe:

I added this to my pan and cooked for 5 minutes before adding the spaghetti squash:

1/2 lb cooked chicken

2-3 chopped mushrooms

1 chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1-2 diced roma tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped spinach

3 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Oregano

 5. Add to plate and top with your favorite spaghetti sauce and fresh mozzerella!

*special thanks to Dashing Dish

Baking with Coconut Oil: Apple Pie

Coconut oil is being used more often in kitchens everywhere. I use it to pan cook all of my meats and veggies, but I had never experimented with baking before. I decided to make a basic apple pie, but substitute coconut oil for butter (I don't ever have butter in the house anyway). It was a success! The crust crumbles a little easier than it would if butter were used, but it was delicious! There are so many benefits to coconut oil and so many uses! I can't wait to bake brownies! Read more for further information on Coconut Oil and its many uses.