Be back in 2014!

Wishing everyone a great holiday season!

Vegan Tacos

This sounds like a delicious recipe that I look forward to trying!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N6IDTBWn0I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Neat Finds

This retro lamp is so cool! We saw it at the thrift shop yesterday and had to surprise my daughter with it.
She absolutely loves it. This lamp matches perfectly with her bedroom dacor.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

VEGAN HALLOWEEN APPLES!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NNMR7l2Jc4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Italian Lentil Salad

Here's a healthy and yummy recipe to try as a side dish with any meal.
Ingredients;
1 1/2 cup of cooked green or red lentils
1 clove of minced garlic
1 large chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped basil
Red wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
toasted pine nuts
Mix all ingredients together, toss and top with toated pine nuts.
Serve.

The spiritual renewal offered by nature is always available 24/7.

A Warm October Loaded with Sunshine!!!!

This October has been the best yet in terms of weather. It has been mostly sunshine and warm,  with temeratures ranging from the 60 s to the 80s!
I have been planting my garlic and cleaning up my veggie garden in tank tops, instead of a coat and I am not complaining!
It will remain warm and sunny the rest of this weekend, so I look forward to finishing my garlic planting in the warm sun :)!

Lentil and Black Bean Chili

This meatless chili is high in protein and low in fat. To my surprise, my daughter even enjoyed this dish last night!
Ingredients;
1 cup of cooked brown lentils
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 finely chopped sereno pepper
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs or more olive oil
1/2 cup of water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 cup of cooked black beans
Chop onions, garlic and peppers.
Heat oil in large skillet, and add vegetables. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes, spices, water and salt to vegetables. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat stiring occasionally. After 15 min, reduce to simmer.
Cook for about 15 more minutes, or until tomatoes and veggies are soft.
Add lentils and beans. Cook about 5 minutes longer and serve.

Lentils

Lentils have alot going for them. Originally from the Mediterranean region, they date back  thousands of years.
Lentils have the most protein of any edible plant, and are also rich in vitamin B6, folate, fiber, thiamine, iron, copper, and zink.
Available in red, green, orange, brown, black and yellow, lentils are a healthy and hearty meat substitute.
Be sure to store dried lentils for a maximum of 6 months.
To prepare lentils;
1. Rinse dried lentils in cool water. Drain.
2. In large saucepan, combine 1 pound of lentils in 5 cups of water. bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered.
stir occasionally. Cook until tender approximately 25 to 30 minutes for brown, green, and yellow varieties.
Red lentils take 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Drain excess cooking liquid.
6. Cooked lentils will keep in a covered container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Infomation taken from;
" The Food Encyclopedia" and from "Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods on the Planet".

Happy Birthday To My Son!

9 years old now!

Spinage and Chickpea Soup

This vegan soup is perfect for for a light dinner on these chilly autumn nights and it's also full of fiber. I made this for dinner the other night and I absolutely loved it! The recipe is from Lidia Bastianich's "Commonsense Italian Cooking". 

Ingredients;
1 lb dried chickpeas,
Soaked overnight
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 large bunches of spinage
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
8 thinly sliced garlic cloves

Place to chickpeas in a large pot with leeks, celery, carrot, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cover with 8 quarts cold water and bring to a rapid simmer over medium heat.  Once simmering, partially cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until chickpeas are almost tender. Add spinach and salt, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until greens are tender.
when soup is ready heat olive oil in a skillet over medium. when oil is hot, add garlic and remaining red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is just beginning to turn golden and fragrant. Ladle in 2 to 3 cups of soup and stir to combine. Transfer oil mixture to soup pot; mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired and serve immediately.

Speghetti Squash with Greens and Beans

Ingredients;
1 medium speghetti squash
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
4 strips lemon zest
3 Tbsp chopped parsely
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch of arugula
1 cup cooked white beans
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 435.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
Place squash cut side up in a large baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and cover dish woth foil. Bake for 45 to 60 min. set aside to cool slightly for 10 minutes.
Slice lemon zest lengthwise into thin
matchsticks, then chop.
Add zest to bowl with parsely, garlic and salt and pepper.
In frying pan saute arugula until wilted, then add the lemon zest parsley and garlic with salt and pepper to the arugula with a little extra olive oil.
Scrape spaghetti squash with fork.
Mix in pan with arugula. Add beans and crushed red pepper. Serve in separate plates.

The Importance of Honeybees!!

                                                                Honeybee video                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                           

Squash Tacos with Avocado

Made these tonight for dinner and they were YUMMY!!!!
Ingredients;
1, 1 1/2 lb Acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 tsp chili powder
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 6 inch corn tortillas
1 ripe avocado peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sliced onions
1 handful of fresh baby spinage
1 lime cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425.
Spread squash on large rimmed baking pan.
In small bowl, stir together chili powder, garlic, oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste. Pour over squash and toss. Roast squash for about 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Warm a large skillet over medium high heat. Toast tortillas turning once until charred, about 2 minutes per side.
Fill tortillas with squash, avocado, cilantro, spinage and onion.
Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Treat

We all know that toated pumpkin seeds are a tasty treat, but you can also snack on the seeds from any winter squash. They're a great source of iron, zinc and fiber.
Place scrapings from the inside of squash in a large bowl and break apart membrains with your fingers.
Fill bowl with water and let stand at least 5 minutes. Transfer seeds to a paper towel with a slotted spoon. Pat dry.
Toss 1 cup squash seeds with 1/2 tsp chili  powder,  1/2 tsp peprika, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 each sea salt and black pepper.
Spread in a single layer on a parchment- lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 tossing occasionally, until fragrant, toasted and beginning to brown.
12 to 14 minutes

My Wedding Aniversery

I'm still on blog break.
I just wanted to type this post because today is mine and hubby's 16 year aniversery.
Boy where does the time go?

Taking a blog break, be back in the fall

I' m ready for another blog break, but I look forward to visiting and commenting on everyone's blog.
Have a great summer. Be back to blogging in the fall.

Summer's bursting with fresh fruits and veggies!

It's been a while since I've posted on my blog. Summer has been amazing so far!!!!!! My veggies and fruits have been growing like crazy.
My cellar is already full of fresh sugarless jams of all kinds.
My apricot trees exploded with many delicious, juicy fruits, so I've been selling them in my front yard, making jam with them, eating them fresh for breakfast in the morning, putting them in my shakes, grilling them and putting them in my salads.
Soon my peaches will be ripe and I look forward to enjoying them.
Hope everyone is enjoying  their summer.

Happy 4th of July!

I Hope Everyone Is Enjoying The Summer Solstice!

Father's day. The girls having fun in my roses.

This is an awesome pic!

I planted the rest of my veggie garden

Thank god I planted the rest of my veggie garden today! It was hard work, Since I have to pitchfork it all due to not having a tiller, but It's worth it!
I'm already enjoying fresh salads, greens and herbs I've planted.
I look forward to eating and preserving much more this summer!

Pico de Gallo and whole grain pasta

This is an awesome, healthy, yummy dish!
This is a perfect dinner to enjoy during the warmer weather.
Ingredients;
1 package  of whole grain bowtie pasta, cooked according to directions on the box
1/2 cup chopped vidalia onions
1 pint of chopped grape tomatoes
1 finely chopped and seeded
jalapeno pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of cooked pinto beans (optional)
Cook pasta according to directions. Strain and let cool, then store in fridge until later.
Meanwhile mix everything else except beans, in a separate bowl and stir well. Cover and refridgerate for 2 hours.
When ready to serve toss the "pico de gallo" with pasta and/or beans and serve cold.
This also makes for a delicious veggie, or tortila dip, instead of being mixed with pasta.

All my plants are almost in:)

It's been a busy spring planting my veggies and cleaning up the landscape.
One thing I'm very happy about is I have 100's of apricots forming on my trees, as well as peaches on my peach trees!
Can't wait to enjoy all the delicious fresh fruits and veggies this summer!

Taking a Blog Break

Time for me to take another blog break. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of there spring!!!!! Be back in the summer.

RED PEPPER DIP

I made this healthy, yummy dip tonight for dinner. My whole family loved it!
I served this dip with fresh veggies, but it would also taste great with whole grain pita wedges.
Ingredients;
1 10oz jar of roasted red peppers drained
1/4 of walnuts
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Puree everything in a blender and serve.

Silver Antique Candleholders

Today me and my daughter went into town to get our nails refilled.
After leaving the nail salon I noticed a small antique store. I have not been antiquing in a very longtime, so I decided to go in to see what they had.
To my surprise I noticed these two pretty sterling silver candleholders sitting all tarnished on a table.
The woman told me that everything in the store was 50% off.  I bought this set of candleholders for only $10..
I just finished cleaning one candle holder and it's just beautiful!
It's time to get cleaning the next.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic

Ingredients
1 lb fresh asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic loves, minced
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges, as garish

Preheat oven to 500.
Rinse asparagus and break off tough ends.
Place asparagus in a shallow roasting pan.
Coat with oil. Sprinkle with garlic and salt and pepper, to taste.
Roast uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. serve with lemon wedges.

Mexican fruit salad with honey-lime dressing

1 c chopped fresh mango
1 c fresh blueberries
1 c fresh chopped honeydew
1 c fresh chopped pineapple
1 c seedless grapes
1 Tbsp orange zest
1/2 c orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 c honey
1/4 c fresh lime juice

Combine mango, blueberries, honeydew, pineapples, and grapes in a bowl. Stir orange zest, orange juice, and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Pour on top of the fruit and toss. Right before serving, whisk honey and lime juice together. Mix with the fruit and serve.

Sometimes you have to forget what's gone, appreciate what still remains and look forward to what's coming next.

Home Composting

There are many great reasons to compost at home. First you reduce your carbon footprint by rejuvenating organic matter and recycling waste. Composing at home also improves your land and gives you a beautiful vegetable garden.
A few thongs you'll need for composing is a compost bin. There are many options available.
Place your compost bin in a shady area in your backyard.
Then fill the bin with organic waste.
There should be a little more brown organic material , than green.
Layer the browns and greens then add water. Turn over the compost regularly to entire oxygen flow. After a few months you'll have a beautiful source of soil conditioner.
Brown( carbon filled) Dead leaves and grass, Ashes, Shredded paper and cardboard, Vegetable remains, Straw and Sawdust, worships and twigs etc....
Green( nitrogen rich) Fresh green leaves and grass clippings, Garden waste, Kitchen scraps such as Fruits, Rinds, Vegetables, Eggshells, Tea bags, Coffee grounds, manure(cow, rabbit, sheep, chicken) etc.

Hearty Salad

2 sweet red peppers
2 sweet yellow peppers
12 small radish
6 cups mixed salad greens
All natural salad dressing
Remove seeds from peppers and cut into thin strips.
Slice radish carefully.
Toss everything with the mixed greens and season with salt and pepper.
Mix with your favorite salad dressing, or vinegar and olive oil.

Plant Foods for Cancer Prevention

Eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods can lower your risks for many types of cancer.
Here's some of the plant foods and the benefits they offer.

Beans are loaded with petrochemicals that protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer.

Berries are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants.

Dark greens, leafy vegetables such as leaf lettuce, spinage, and chards are rich in fiber, folate, and carotenoids.

Garlic contains many cancer fighting compounds, such as quercetin and allicin.

Grapes and grape juice are great sources of antioxidant resveratrol.

Broccoli is rich in vitamin C and K, folate, potassium, and fiber.

It's best to fill at least 2/3 of your plate up with fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Happy Easter Weekend!!!!!!!!

Lettuce, Radish and Avocado Salad with Mustard Dressing

Since I absolutely love avocado and the many health benefits that go along with eating them, I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy these delicious fruits.
Here's a great recipe I made last night for dinner and I it was a hit at the table!
Ingredients;
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of lettuce ( It calls for butter lettuce, but I used Romane instead) torn
8 radishes, halved
1 scallion, white and pale green parts only.
2 Tbsp fresh dill
1 avocado halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
1) In a large dish, whisk vinegar and mustard with a pinch of salt and pepper. While whisking, add oils in a slow, steady stream.
2) Toss dressing with lettuce, radishes, scallion and dill. Top with avocado and serve.

I'm taking blog break, since it's soon time to clean up my garden beds and get ready for all the fun planning and plantings to come!!!!!
I will continue to visit everyone's blogs while I'm on break.
Wishing everyone a nice spring equinox!

The greatest magic is transmuting of passions

PYO Certification Course

Last Sunday I attended a "PYO strength" certification course. PYO is a fusion of Yoga and Pilates. This is an amazing class for overall toning, flexibility  and fat burning.
I should be getting my certification certificate to be a PYO or pilates instructor in 4 to 6 weeks.
Needless to say my arms, abs, and lower body were dying for 4 days after the course. I don't even know how many sun salutations, planks, and lunges I did during the 8 and a half hours I was there.
All the pain and hard work was definitely worth it!
Below is a picture of everyone who attended the PYO certification class, which also includes the two women who trained and tested us.
I'm in the front row kneeling, wearing a leopard print tank top.