Valentine's Day Breakfast for HIM {pesto eggs on sourdough}

 

So, it's the battle of the sexes at our house this week. I had Wes make his dream breakfast this morning. You know, the perfect romantic breakfast in bed: Green Eggs and Ham {hold the ham}?

Wes certainly isn't a chef by any means. {Sorry Wes!} But he just recently learned to fry and poach eggs. He has come a long way though since baby #1, let me tell you. Let's just say my lavish dinner would have been garlic bread and by garlic bread I mean whole wheat toast topped with butter and garlic powder. YES. That was the first meal he ever made for me. Don't get me wrong, he definitely knows how to eat. He loves nice restaurants and used to come to my house with bags full of the BEST premade food when we were dating. 

So his "heart" is there on this holiday. Just not the skills. He just doesn't know how to use a cook book, let alone a pan or a dehydrator {wink}. 

Anyways, so, as you can imagine it was a total shock when I walked into the kitchen this morning to see him reading Mens Journal, with a spatula in his hand, the vegan pesto out on the counter and a HUGE baguette ready to be sliced. 

The best part of it all is that he made the Men's Journal recipe his own. He didn't follow it to a T, he just made his own version. That is a true artist right there. 

So, if you're looking for the perfect breakfast to serve your partner this holiday, look no further than Wes' amazing Pesto Eggs on Sourdough!RECIPE

4 slices sourdough bread or english muffin
4 poached eggs
1/4c vegan pesto {or any pesto}
1/4c greek yogurt
4 slices cheese {optional}
4 handfuls arugula
sea salt
pepper

To poach eggs, boil water for poached eggs. Drop eggs into boiling water. Let go until whites are solid and yolk is still semi-soft. 

Meanwhile toast the sourdough bread. While it's toasting mix pesto and greek yogurt. 

When toast is ready {you can butter it or add olive oil or add nothing} lay the slice of cheese on top. Then layer on the eggs, yogurt pesto sauce and finally, the arugula. Top with salt and pepper to taste. 

Very easy. Very delish!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post: V Day Dinner Ideas For HER! 

Thanks Wes & GREAT work.

A GREENER VALENTINE'S DAY

happy HEALTHY holidays

Wow, it's been quite the holiday season so far. I mentioned it before but I feel like I've been drowning in festive parties, gatherings, meetings, gift buying, crowded malls, santa sightings, tree lightings and the list goes on. 

Sometimes I just want to sit at home, turn on Thomas the Train, sit with my youngest son, make a healthy dinner and just veg out! Wait, that's exactly what we're doing RIGHT now. It's quiet in here and I am in peace. HAAALLLEEELLLUUUYAAAHHHH! {now all I need is a good game of words with friends...oh, and I have that going on too}! My night couldn't be better.

I do have a semi-annoying story. I had a great recipe to post last week but somehow it got thrown out or lost. I was so sad and just decided to not post a darn thing all week. I ran out of extra time to do it all over again. The candied and spiced nuts turned out great though and made great gifts. {see photos below}

More specifically, I soaked the nuts and seeds overnight, dried them out and added sauces. Then I dehydrated them for about 12 hours until they were crunchy again. 

For the pecans I used maple sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, water, a touch of sea salt and vanilla. For the sunflower seeds I did sea salt, cumin and paprika? I think. Something like that.

Anyways, they make great snacks if you feel like playing around with this idea and doing your own special candied nuts.

I thought I'd share some fun photos from the past week with you for now. I just love this time of year, despite the madness, the money wasted/spent and the gluttony! It's all sort of worth it in the end, even though when it's over you are sometimes left with a strange quiet, disappointed, empty feeling. {and you want to throw up because your kids were just totally spoiled by "Santa" on top of the fact that you totally LIED to them about it}. But it's only, thankfully, once a year.

I'm finally starting to build our family ornament collection as well. This year I found these beet and carrot ornaments quite fitting for my 2011 tree. And I spent the day today, while my boys were in school, wrapping and wrapping all my gifts for family, friends and my kids, too {yep, I'm officially done!}

I just had to buy this beautiful gold glitter paper. It was $10 {yeah, I know, what a joke} and not very eco friendly so I also bought recyclable kraft paper to wrap the rest. I often use old tissue paper and newspaper as well. 

I just use lots of pretty bows and ribbon {some of which are also compostable and recyclable}. 

Have a lovey week and good luck with all your gift shopping and wrapping.

Everyday Eats :: A Challenge For You

I think most of us, men and women alike, need guidance, contstant reminders, motivation and goal setting on an everyday basis to keep us on track. Whether it be spiritually, mentally, or physically, we tend to lack the inner endurance to keep our will power and strength working to its potential. 

It's not easy to work out everday, be kind, smile more, stay motivated at work, be artistically driven, not drink too much, remember to take deep breaths, say no to the fast food or packaged goods and so on. 

Note: as most of you parents know, one good thing about children is they test and exercise your patience on a daily, momentary {uh um} basis. 

I took this picture today for you to look at, maybe print out, and put on your fridge. This image is of the things you should be consuming on a daily basis. Maybe not the eggs for some of us, but most of the time we grab boxed crackers and cheese instead of quickly whipping up a green smoothie when we are hungry. 

It's only noon and I've already eaten all that you see above in that pic {oh, minus the potatoes}.

Honestly, it's almost as time consuming to get out the cutting board, open a box, find a bowl, get the knife, cut the cheese into slices, package the cheese back up, the box of crackers back up, clean the mess and the dishes as it is to throw fruit and veggies into a blender. So, you can forget about using that excuse. 

Don't do it for anybody but YOURSELF. Maybe for the planet, too. Your kids future? 

Whether you eat this stuff raw {preferably} or slightly steam or stir fry, you should be consuming this much green and colored plant-based foods on a daily basis. 

Don't be too hard on yourself, just make it a goal. Somedays you can choose garbanzo beans instead of nut butter, or make nut milk instead of nut butter. You can add mushrooms and onions and garlic or grapefruits instead of oranges. Or maybe fresh mango instead of berries. Coconut meat and olive oil can be added as well. And of course, I'm missing avocados in that picture. 

This is especially important during this holiday season. Right???

I challenge you to do THIS much fresh plant-based food for a whole week {in addition to whatever else you eat or, better yet, in PLACE of}, if not MORE. Please, keep your fridge stocked. You might have a take an extra trip to the store or go to the farmer's market this week. But it will be worth it. 

MENU IDEAS

 

 

If you do this, please email {or comment} me and tell me how feel. I can keep you motivated with emails and facebook messages to keep you going. 

HAPPY MONDAY!

p.s. It's only 12 noon and I have eaten most of what you see in the picture above. I feel great. 

Beautiful Bountiful Beet Juice

Getting ready for the holidays? I suggest you keep it CLEAN for the next few days. By clean, I mean, cleaning out the system. 

A few tips on how to stay clean:

  • ORGANIC dairy, produce, meat and juice.
  • Lay off the crackers and snacks in a box.
  • Lay off the soft, processed cheese. Choose raw goudas {Whole Foods has them}
  • NO NO NO soda please. Don't use the "it's DIET excuse". 
  • Eat Soup for dinner. 
  • Fruit for breakfast. 
  • Salads for snacks. 
  • Organic poached eggs instead of meat. Add avocado. 
  • Consume lots of fat and LESS carbohydrates or sugar. 
  • Goats yogurt or milk instead of regular. 
  • No cereal. Instead maybe oats. 
  • Make green smoothies or protein-rich smoothies. 
  • Sorbet or Homemade Ice cream for dessert. 
  • Avoid any fast food. 
  • Throw out your sugar. Yes, throw it out. Use organic local honey instead. 
  • Eat home cooked. 
  • Instead of rice, eat vegetables. 
  • No pizza. 
  • No cookies. Except for these, of course.  
  • No cake or pie. I don't care whose birthday it is. 
  • EAT LESS. Be hungry this week. 
  • Fill yourself up at home before going out to a restaurant. 
  • Lay off the booze. Have one glass of wine, instead of a margarita or two or three. 
  • Have meat only 3 times this week. Make broth from the leftovers. 
  • Focus on contributing a healthy side dish this year at Thanksgiving. Check out my ideas. 
  • JUICE IT UP!!!!!!! JUICE everything you have left over - beet greens, beets, carrots, garlic, ginger, lemons, limes, you name it. 

Enjoy the Holidays. 

Beet Juice Recipe 

yields 1 large juice or 2 small ones

1 bunch parsley {I used a lot of the parsley for a recipe, but had tons left over, use the STEMS}
2 lemons
1 large chunk ginger
2 apples
1 cucumber {i like to shave off some of the waxy skin}
1 large beet

In a juicer, NOT a blender, combine the above ingredients. If you have extra apples, juice them for your kids and store in fridge. I always add a cucumber, it's tasteless and really hydrating for them. Add a lemon to that mixture and you have natural LEMONADE! 

Kids love this stuff, I'm tell you. So, store it in an airtight container for the week. 

Sorry about the mess & the icky clean-up, but it's worth it. 

note: I just HAD to share this juice with you because it was ELECTRIC pink and reminded me how insanely healthy it is for you. 

Happy Halloween :: The Candy Dilemma

Whether your concern is cavities, no vegan options, hyper activity, throwing up, stomach upset, lying, or not sleeping well, CANDY at Halloween is a concern for many parents, HEALTH CONSCIOUS or not.

My kids are only 2 and 3 years old, so I am not the expert on this subject and I can't "brag" right now that my children say NO to candy like good little healthy munchins. In fact, with my oldest, it's quite the opposite. He LOVES candy, gum, lollipops, chocolate, etc. Probably because it wasn't even in his vocabulary until just this year. 

My kids go to school a couple days a week and most likely they will attend public schools in a few years. Halloween tradition, as much as it bothers me {I'm sort of counter-culture, in case you haven't yet noticed} it will forever be UNAVOIDABLE. So, my theory is to let them

1) learn from their own mistakes. let them see how candy makes them feel.

2) while also teaching them and pointing out things about candy, too much of it, that it's a holiday, etc.

3) take them to only a few houses for trick-or-treating and instead focus more on costumes and socializing {music, events, crafts, etc.}. maybe have a party or focus on handing out healthy candy and GIVING as opposed to greedily collecting candy.  

4) give your kids choices. One great idea my naturopath gave me was to tell them that they could choose a few favorite pieces and then trade the rest of it in for TOYS at Target. YUP, you heard me. I know, might seem a bit materialistic, but again, I was faced with choices as a health conscious parent and chose the latter. Others might choose to keep the candy and let kids have just one or two a day for a few weeks? That's an idea as well. 

They might also choose to donate their old candy for money. It's called candy buy-back and a lot of cities are doing this right now. 

5) bribery. tell your kids they need a super healthy meal before they leave the house or else no candy. and each time they want a piece of candy, tell them they need to eat a few veggies first {wink}. 

When my kids were 1 and 2 years old, I let them knock on a few doors with friends just to experience it and see the houses and dressed up families and then I swapped out the candy for healthier options. They had no idea and could care less because they got to have special treats that they didn't normally get. 

Make sense?

Now, if you asked me what I will do in 2 years. I wouldn't know how to answer that. But I would probably still do similar things. 

Hope that helps!

Happy belated Halloween and I hope you all had a great time!