the cauliflower bandwagon

Remember that month when Ryan and I went super clean and healthy with eating? Yah, it only lasted a month but to our defense it was extremely intense. It was CLEAN to the EXTREME. You can read about it HERE.

Anyhoo, some of the recipes were surprisingly delicious...others, not so much. But this one? Delicious, incredibly easy, super healthy, AND!!! DRUMROLL PLEASE............... Lincoln approved!!! 

I know what you're thinking. I'm part psychic (not psycho). 

You're thinking, this is SOOO last year. I've seen this on Pinterest forever. Well, you're right. But I finally made it last October and have made it several times since then and just want to say "make it already!"

You can find several variations, but HERE is the recipe I used.

And to make it even easier, just throw the cauliflower in a steamer to soften instead of boiling in water and broth. And to make it even easier, I may be guilty of using garlic powder instead of sauteing them. 

chickpea curry

I've been meaning to do an update with Ryan's cleanse /healthy eating/ doctor's appointments etc. If you missed that post you can read it HERE. Anyway, the month was definitely a challenge. I felt like I was always in the kitchen, which was to be expected. When you're eating healthier at home, there's more preparation involved.

There are some dishes we really loved that will become regular dishes in this home. I'm planning on going back and making some freezer dinners with those recipes to cut back on time in the kitchen. I'd rather have one hectic crazy busy day in the kitchen cooking with a few easy weeks of meals, than preparing something new every other day. EVENTUALLY.... and I mean..... eventually..... I will have a big list of these freezer meals I'll share with you all. :)

This was a recipe we scarfed down...literally. Maybe it was the change in spices that added major variety to our dinners. We both love Indian food... who doesn't?... so this dish really hit the spot. And it scored a huge bonus with me because it was easy, fast, and not too many ingredients. This will be on my list for freezer dinners.

Chickpea Curry
vegan, gf

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbs oil ( i used coconut oil)
2 cups white mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 -15ozcan chopped tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
2 -15oz cans cooked chickpeas

2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium. Add the garlic, onion, sprinkle a little salt to help onions soften faster. Once onions are translucent, add chopped mushrooms and spices and cook for a few minutes until mushrooms soften and release juices. Then, throw in the tomatoes with it's juice, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Cover and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over rice! I would have really loved some naan with it as well. NEXT TIME!

Ryan is in the process of having blood work, tests, and an ultrasound done. There wasn't any improvement with his joints after a month, although we're both aware months could pass before we see any changes.....or no changes. We are carrying on with healthier eating but not as extreme. We are not vegan. We like meat, we like dairy. To cut those out permanently is not realistic and, in moderation, we feel just fine having them in our diet. :) But we are aware of how much we were eating and are cutting back on them. Ryan has committed to cutting back on soda, especially diet soda with the aspartame. He told me numerous times how he had more energy without the soda this past month. I was crossing my fingers he would eliminate it entirely, but unfortunately that was a big fat no. But a soda or two a week is a huge improvement from where we were before this change. I'll still have a bunch of recipes to share from that month so I'll keep them coming for anyone who cares to try them. :)

solution for all the veggies starting to go bad in your fridge.

Since we've started this month with Ryan's cleanse, I've really looked forward to dinner time. It's like the stars have aligned to make our evenings so enjoyable. I'm having the best time trying out new recipes (some great, some not so great). When I start preparing for dinner, I put Lincoln in his chair with some toys at the kitchen counter, I turn on Pandora to either Motown or Mana (Spanish station) and I'll start preparing food while singing and dancing for Lincoln. :He's too young to be embarrassed by his mother. :)

Before this month, we weren't the best at sitting down together and eating as a family at the table. But now, since the stars have aligned, we've been eating out on the patio every night. Dinner time is right at sunset, so we have beautiful skies and cool evening weather. We drag Lincoln's high chair outside and he'll jump in on conversation and steal the spotlight every night. Last night our food went practically cold because we were too busy laughing at Lincoln gnawing on an orange and making his puckered faces. :)

Dinner wasn't a planned meal. It was more like, we have a lot of stuff going bad, let's just grill it all and eat it all tonight. It was a double bonus, no food was wasted AND it tasted great!

Grilled Veggie Sandwich
Green Peppers
Red Peppers
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Avocado
Tomato
Salt & Pepper
Cooking oil
Toasted bread (gluten free optional)
And another other veggies your heart desires

I used a mandolin slicer to make long thin strips of zucchini and squash. Then just hand cut the peppers into large chunks that would lay on the grill. I drizzled oil, sprinkled salt & pepper on top, and put them on a med/high heat. Grilled until tender. 

While the veggies are grilling, I smashed up some avocado, chopped some tomatoes, and mixed them together with a dash of garlic salt. Toast some bread, spread the guacamole mixture on it, and throw on some veggies. I threw some leftover cooked potatoes and broccoli on the grill to reheat for a side. I put them on tin foil with oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bam. Delish. 

no need to fear, supermom is here!

well it's 620am and Lincoln is still sleeping. I know I should be joining him too, but I just got up to check on him as Ryan was leaving for work and now I'm wide awake. Last night was a rough one, poor guy might be getting sick. Not sure if it's just allergies, or a full on cold. But when your baby, who usually sleeps soundly, is waking up every 2 hours having a runny/congested nose and is having trouble breathing, your heart just breaks. He was so tired and wanted to sleep but that cute little button nose of his was not cooperating.

I had this vision of me as "Supermom" last night. Opening his bedroom door with my Supermom stance and my bulb syringe secured in some cool Supermom tool belt. Lincoln would only see my silhouette from the nightlight and my night-robe acting as my cape, but he would know it's me when I say, "No need to fear, your Supermom is here!"  And since every superhero has their sidekicks, the humidifier and bulb syringe will be mine for the next few days.

Yesterday was day 3 and for here's a small update on Ryan and our extremely wonderfully tasty healthy menu this month. Ryan has had a little headache and said he was really craving a soda yesterday. A headache was an expected side effect, but nothing this guy can't overcome.

We cut up one flat of our wheatgrass last night, juiced it all, and froze it in Lincoln's food trays. :) I've been reading a lot about wheatgrass and the best way to prepare and drink it. As always, drinking right after juicing is optimal. But let's be real here, juicing wheatgrass every day can get old real fast. Especially after 3 days. Some sites say you can juice, freeze, store in airtight containers, and when ready, place cube in cup and let warm water run on outside of cup to thaw, then drink right away. Did you catch all that? Yeah, I know. Anyway, that's what we've decided to do. We know we lose some nutritional benefits, but it's more than what he would be getting anyhow.

Yesterday was a repeat dinner of day 2 because I'm all about the leftovers. And when I'm getting food out of the fridge to serve up, Ryan tells me (out of nowhere) that he really likes the Almond Coconut milk in his breakfast. Those words were music to my ears. :)

Day 2
PB Banana Overnight Oats
Honey Apple Sandwich
Sweet Potato Burrito, Kale Cranberry-Seed Salad

Day 3
Blueberry Coconut Overnight Oats
Chickpea Mash Sandwich
LEFTOVERS!

Sweet Potato Burrito
Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Brown Rice
2 cups Black Bean
Cooked sweet potato- 2 large potatoes, chopped ( I used leftovers from Sunday nights Sweet Potato fries)
Cilantro- handful
Lime
Chili powder- dash
Lettuce-Chopped
Wheat tortillas

I cooked a bunch of brown rice on Sunday to have throughout the week. I also soaked and cooked black beans and chickpeas for the week. Which makes these recipes so much easier to throw together. I threw the rice, beans, and leftover sweet potato fries from Sunday in pan to reheat. I sprinkled some chili powder on top and chopped up some lettuce and cilantro while that concoction was heating up. Guess what I did next.....Threw everything in a wheat tortilla and squeezed some lime on top! BAM!

Kale Cranberry-Seed Salad
Ingredients:
Kale 8-10 leaves, chopped
Broccoli florets, 1.5 cup chopped (i also grated the stems and threw them in too)
Small Cabbage, 1.5 cup chopped
Dried Cranberries 1/2 cup
Sunflower Seeds 1/4 cup
Pumpkin Seeds 1/4 cup

Dressing:
Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4cup
Coconut oil 1/4 cup
Agave 2 tbs
Poppy Seeds (optional) 2 tsp
Lemon 1/2 squeezed

I need to do better with measuring every item to give you... but until I pick up that habit you'll have to use your best guess. All those measurements were me thinking about how much I actually used, but the dressing is exact. Everything else is give-n-take. I'll make it again and repost correct and actual amounts. Place all salad ingredients in bowl. Mix dressing items together and pour over salad and toss all together.