Spring Cleaning

Hey guys,

It's been a while!  Let's catch up!  March is officially my least favorite month so far...

It was wildly chaotic, busy, stressful, and rainy (what the eff, LA?), which means my healthy habits went right out the window.  I basically ate like a stoned frat boy all month.  It was gross and my body feels gross from it.  But now it is April, and sunny (thank you, LA), and I am less chaotic, and getting back on track.

Next week, I am going to attempt to make up for all the damage I did during March.  Starting Monday, my fellow and I are doing a five-day cleanse.  No meat, dairy, gluten, wheat, or sugar.  Sounds fun, right?  No, it doesn't, but that's the thing about diet.  It's not supposed to be fun.  Food is our fuel, not our driving force in life, and putting the right things in your body is important.  That being said, here are the things I will miss most next week:

Coffee - I like my coffee light & sweet, which strangely enough is not  how I like my men.  I like them dark and snarky.  I'm joking.  I'm not joking.

Cheese - all of it.  I will miss all of it.

Bacon - I don't actually eat bacon very often, but I always want to.  Next week will not be different.

Til next time!
Melissa

Because I Love You, Here is a Dose of Self-Sabotage

Hello dear friends,

Today I am blogging to recommend a cookbook.  One that, if purchased, will give you tons of recipes, tips, and info about eating healthy and having ample time to do so in your busy schedule.  In other words, you'll have no reason to ever read this blog again.  I can only hope that you'll choose me over Williams-Sonoma, or at least think of me fondly once in a while.

Okay, enough dramatics!  Seriously, people should own this cookbook:

A wonderful friend gave me this book for Christmas and I'm a huge fan, HUGE!  Not only does it have wonderful recipes and yummy pictures, it has a list of what to stock in the kitchen, recipes you can make in advance, ideas with no cooking required, and a guide to the super foods!  Each recipe gives you the caloric value per serving and the health benefits on the main ingredients.  It is fantastic!  There are vegetarian and vegan friendly ideas, as well as carnivorous delights.  You will learn about nutrition and cooking with this glorious little book.  Go buy it and then tell me what recipes you want to stuff in your face first.

Your neighborhood Saboteur,
Melissa

P.S. Since we're talking Sabotage and all....

Confessions of an Awful Baker

I love to cook and when it comes to searing, roasting, broiling, mixing, spicing, dicing and eating, I've come a long way.  I'd say I'm even good at this point.  But baking, what an elusive temptress she is.  I'm awful at it.  Even recipes I've successfully created before are always at risk of going horribly awry.

Take the pumpkin bourbon cheesecake I made on Thanksgiving.  I've made it for other occasions and it was great.  Thankgiving? Well, it tasted okay, but it looked disgusting.  I think I may have purchased light cream cheese by mistake, but I'm not sure.  Whatever I did, the pumpkin and cream cheese were a worse mix than the Jets & Sharks during that dance scene in West Side Story - they refused to mingle and as a result, my cheesecake looked like week-old oatmeal.  Not exactly an appetizing dessert.  Luckily, two of my beautiful attendees also provided post-dinner sweets.  Baking is a bitch.  So high & mighty with her exact instructions.  Whatevs.  I don't get it, and I don't like that I don't get it.  I'm over you...

That's not true, I totally want to be awesome at everything related to a stove and/or oven. Next year, I want to bake Christmas cookies that make Santa bring me a gd Mercedes.

I write this blog for a couple of reasons: sympathy (let's be real, everyone loves sympathy), but mostly as warning.  You see, dear friends, I'm going to master the art of baking.  I will own that bitch called baking if it kills me.  As a result, I'll probably be posting about burning stuff, ruining cakes, drinking wine, and crying a bit more than usual.  If you have any tips, suggestions, or word of encouragement (see sympathy above), please send them my way.

Love and dough,
Mel

Hey Cupid....Stuff It!

Hi gang,

It's almost Valentine's Day and while some of us will be consuming our body weight in chocolate candy, others will be preparing delicious meals for loved ones.

Is anyone still looking for ideas?  Maybe wishing there was some source out there to provide inspiration?

You're in luck!  My insanely talented friends at Herbivore Productions have a video to help you!  Herbivore Productions makes awesome movies, and now, awesome cooking shows.

Watch, laugh, learn, and tell your friends.  I told my friends.  Hello, friends.

If you like the video, show them some love where it counts....on Facebook.  Like 'em here: Feed The Beast

Enjoy!

CSAs (or the sh*t we stuff in our bodies)

Word up blog readers!

Although I am neither overly strict or obsessive about it, health is of great importance to me.  Veggies, fruits, nutrients, activity, all that jazz - it's important, not because we should all strive to look like some computer generated H&M body, but because later in life, we want to look & feel twenty years younger, play baseball with our grandkids, and tell the pharmaceutical companies to kiss our still hot asses. (sorry, I'll keep the social commentary to a minimum).

Be health-conscious now, reap the benefits for years to come.  Makes sense, yes?  Good, great, badass.

Moving on....

The reason I bring up health on this beautiful Tuesday is I've decided to look into joining a CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture).  You give money to local farmers, they give you a pesticide free, fresh off the farm, box of fruit and vegetables (there are also programs for raw dairy products, grass-fed beef, bread, etc).  Most of the organizations I've researched range in cost from $25 - $50 per box, depending on size and what's included, you can sign up for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly boxes, and quite a few of them deliver.

I know it's a financial commitment, but if you make a promise to yourself to cook more, try new things, and kick start that healthier lifestyle we all talk about, I think you'll find it a good investment.  Added bonus: SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS!  Help these guys out!  They get up before the sun most days....do you know how pissed I am when I have to wake up while the sun is still sleeping?  Help your bodies, family, farmers, and communities.  Look into a CSA today!

For more info and to find programs in your area visit the USDA website today!

Plus, you might get dino broccoli...my friend got dino broccoli in her CSA box last week (that sounded kinda dirty).

Check it:



The ever elusive Broccolisaurus

 Does anyone already participate in a CSA?  Tell me about it!  Who are you? Who are they? What strange looking foods do you receive?  How do you prepare these fresh delicacies?

Peace, love, & veggies,

Mel

A Tale of Two Kales

Kale is my new BFF.  I have a long standing appreciation for the dark and leafy, but lately, Kale and I have developed a bond that is deep, real, and helping me get rid of my holiday booze gut.  Kale, I thank thee.

Now, because I've been on the lean, mean, veggie wagon of late, I've been trying a bunch of new nutritious and delicious recipes, and I would like to share two with you.  One vegetarian, one almost vegetarian, both quick, yummy, and healthy.

First up:

Kale & Fruit Salad w/ Mustard Dressing

Salad:
3 cups Kale (chopped)
1 cup Strawberries (sliced)
1 cup Pomegranate Seeds
1 cup Pink Grapefruit (sliced)

Dressing:
Juice of 2 Lemons
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper

Combine kale & fruit in one big bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients in large measuring cup and whisk until thoroughly blended.  That's it.  Some quick chopping & whisking, and you have yourself a great, light meal.  What I liked most about this salad was the combination of flavors.  Bitter, sweet, & tart all blended nicely and the seeds added some much needed texture to the dish.  The dressing could easily be adjusted to include any citrus fruit and vinegar of your choice, but this mix was great.

I don't have pictures of this, but it was pretty.  Bright red strawberries, pretty pink grapefruit, pomegranate colored...pomegranate seeds, all over a dark green bed of nutrients.  Uh-huh.  Give it a whirl, your body & taste buds will be delighted.

Next up:

Whole Grain Pasta with Kale, Tomatoes, and Shrimp

This recipe is very easy, and packed with good crap for your body.  Leave out the shrimp for a light vegetarian pasta, and it would be just as good.

1 16 oz pack Whole Grain This Spaghetti
4 cups Kale (chopped)
2 cups Grape Tomatoes (cut in halves)
1 head Garlic (chopped)
1 lb Shrimp (medium sized, pre-cooked, with tails)
2 Lemons
1/2 cup olive oil

Saute kale, tomatoes, and garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil over a low heat for 5-10 minutes - enough to soften kale & tomatoes, and allow the flavors to blend.

Preheat broiler to 450, and broil shrimp for 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them.  Since I used pre-cooked shrimp to save time, I had to watch these little guys pretty closely to keep them from drying out.

Boil & drain pasta, then return to original pot.  Add in the sauteed vegetables, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup olive oil and the juice of two lemons (approx. 1 cup).  Mix together and add shrimp.

The final product looks like this:

Total prep time for this dish was 30 minutes, and another 15-20 to cook all the separate parts.  While not the quickest pasta dish one could prepare, it's damn good for you and the lemon juice was a great addition to a common pasta dish.  I enjoyed it with a nice glass of red wine, and two beautiful women, so I give it an A+.

That concludes the story of the little kale that could....or something.

Hope you'll try these nutrient packed noshes and have some fun coming up with your own healthy dinners.

Peace & Kale Tales,

Mel

My bad

Okay, so, I know, I didn't write, I didn't call, I just posted a bunch of Thanksgiving crap and then disappeared for two months.  It was wrong, and I'm sorry.

I didn't cook much in December, and I got lazy.  My apologies.  But I'm back now, and isn't that really all that matters?  No?  Oh, well, then I'll get right to it.

I am back on the health food wagon and I've been eating lots of veggies and fruits like a good little Hollywood actress.  I've also become more enthusiastic about the Meatfree Monday campaign and as such, will be filling this blog with lots of yummy pasta, veggie, & salad ideas in the days to come, with a few carnivorous treasures thrown in.

For today, I'll simply leave you with a brief little article that I think is packed with good info on healthy and more sustainable eating habits.

Eat More Compassionately in 2012

Peace & Greens!
Melissa