OATMEAL with the WORKS

 

I made oatmeal with EVERYTHING this morning:
- Rolled Oats
-Unsweetened Hemp Milk
-Coconut Oil
-Chia Seeds
-Flaxseeds 
-Raw Pumpkin Seeds
-Cinnamon
-Maple Syrup
-Strawberries
-Banana

This meal is super nutrient dense full of Omega 3's, 6's, Protein, vitamins B and D, Calcium, Zinc and Fiber. 

-Happy Sunday!

superfood on a log

I made myself a quick lunch before work. Organic Celery sticks, Sunflower Seed Butter, Flax and Chia Seeds. It wasn't the prettiest meal but it tasted great.

 

Dessert: Last Spicy Macaroon

 

 Yesterday I spent the day running errands with Dan. We traveled to Worcester where I was thrilled to visit a health food store. I decided to try out Sunflower Seed Butter rich in vitamin E, fiber and protein. I also found Emmy's Macaroons! We picked "Chai" and "Choco Chili" flavors. The "Chai" tasted great but the "Choco Chili" variety was a little too spicy... the combination of cayenne, cinnamon and ground chili flakes was too overpowering. These Macaroons are super dense so 1 cookie satiated my hunger for a chunk of the afternoon.

 

Yesterday's Chai Macaroons

Chopped Salad

Chopped salad with a twist...avocado and black beans for additional fat and protein. It's a fresh, nutritious, high RAW meal that's so simple to prepare.
-Celery, 4 stalks, diced
-Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pt, halved
-Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 ea, diced
-English Cucumber, 1 ea, diced
-Red Onion, 1/4 ea, diced
-Fresh Dill, 1/2 bu, chopped
-Avocado, 1 ea, diced
-Black beans, 1 cup, rinsed
-Meyer Lemons, 2 ea, juiced
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp
-Sea Salt to taste

I prepared the salad before heading to work for a closing shift. When I returned home I was thrilled to have dinner waiting for me.

Spring Stew

Tonight I made a quick 4 quart soup for myself, (Dan's at work). It took 10 minutes to prep and an hour to simmer on the stove. I sauteed 1/4 cup of diced white onion and 1 portabella mushroom with olive oil and thyme leaves. I then added about a cup of dried lentils and 3+1/2 cups of water. I tossed in a diced tomato, yukon potato, collard greens and a cup of tomato sauce. I seasoned the soup with sea salt, cumin and lemon juice...

 

The tomato sauce is in a recycled pickle jar... and yes the pickles were THAT spicy. I can't tell if Dan got me the pickles to be considerate or just plain evil.... I know he enjoyed watching my ears smoke and face turn red hot. I still ate the whole jar in 2 sittings. 

                I ate the entire soup for dinner...comfortably full.

Lunch before WORK

 

I needed lunch to tide me over for a few hours until my break at work. I made a quick and substantial salad like yesterday with additional portabella mushrooms and lightly steamed zucchini.

 

            I simply add the mushroom cap to a medium heated pan with salt and a fresh sprig of thyme.

I placed sliced zucchini in the same pan with salt and cayenne pepper. I added a small amount of water to coat the bottom of the pan to lightly steam the zucchini.

I added tomatoes, avocado, baby kale, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and cayenne pepper.

This meal only took me 10 minutes to make and should hold me over for a few hours... all I'm craving now is a kombucha!

Cobb Salad

 I made myself a protein rich salad for brunch. I had random RIPE produce in the fridge and needed to use it! I have recently been eating lots of beans in salads and stews (I finally got tired of lentils and needed to increase my variety). I've taken the convenience route and opted for canned beans. Eating home soaked then cooked dried beans are superior to canned beans because they have not been subjected to high heat in the canning process. However, I am still getting key nutrients from the canned goods. I like Eden's brand because they are organic and salt free. In my vegan Cobb salad I included: Organic Arugula, Organic Baby Kale (so good), Vine ripe Tomato, Avocado, Organic Radishes, Organic Red Onion, Organic fresh Dill, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Flax seeds and Lemon Juice with Sea Salt and ground Cumin. 

 

I have been fighting a cold for a week now...sad since I am never sick. I decided to increase my intake of the immune enhancing mineral ZINC by eating Pumpkin Seeds. I ate the whole bag in one sitting. According to my trusty book Prescription for Nutritional Healing zinc deficiency can cause fingernails to develop white spots... the horror! I have a couple of white spots on my thumb nails which may explain why I have recently been craving zinc rich foods such as legumes and pumpkin seeds.

 

  

I haven't had coffee in over a month. I managed to avoid painful withdrawal symptoms by drinking my side kick cure all Kombucha. I now average 2 kombuchas a day instead of the crazy expensive 4. Also,  I am not a huge fan of the Botanic varieties because they are never effervescent but this one had the immune boosting herb Elderberry = smart choice.