Category Archives: Food

Natural Air Freshener (Margaritas First!)

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In the heat of the San Diego summer (is that a thing?) I’ve been making healthier margaritas with fresh citrus. Since I’m not composting (yet) I always have extra rinds from lemons/oranges/limes. This is one of my favorite uses for the rinds, because it doesn’t saturate your home with perfumes, thus less allergen-provoking.

Simply boil water in a medium to small-sized sauce pan, once boiling, add citrus rinds, 1-2 cinnamon sticks, and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Let boil for 10-15 minutes, and then reduce to simmer. You can leave it on for as long as you’d like, just make sure you continue adding water as it evaporates. Your home will smell amazing 🙂 AND you’ll be having margaritas.photo 1 (3)photo 2 (3)photo 3

Dirty 12 and Clean 15

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It’s that time of year again, when the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes their list of dirtiest and cleanest fruits and vegetables with regard to pesticide residue. I’m no fan of pesticides but sometimes they can’t be avoided (as hard as I try), even with proper washing procedures; still, in my mind an apple is healthier than a Special K Bar (40 ingredients, 40! Including chemicals, soy, corn, milk, wheat, rice, and four different low quality oils-and in the Strawberry Bar, there are no strawberries, but artificially flavored cranberries!). Healthy snacking, Special K diet MY ASS.

See the updated list below:dirty-dozen-and-clean-15-2013-411x540

You can find more information at the EWG’s website about methodology and even more detailed lists here!

Thanks to Ingredients of Wellness for the photo.

Sprout me! Maybe?

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I love brussels sprouts as much as anyone. I could literally eat them everyday, in a multitude of ways. Roasted, tossed with different things, as a side, as a meal, shredded, baked, whatever. However, they take so long to properly wash and clean. Wash, cut, clean, dissect, etc. I’ve mentioned this to a few friends and they’re like, “oh, just eat them whole,” or, “it doesn’t take me long…?”

Sprouts, as much as I love them, are wormy. They have a lot of little crevices for worms to hide. This is why I insist on pulling them apart and cleaning them well. The same friends that I mentioned above I’ve shared this knowledge with, and so they too have started pulling them apart (some for the first time), and they came back to me and said, “omg, so gross, we had no idea!” Almost every single batch of sprouts I make, I find worms or little gray spider-like bugs inside. Last night was no exception-I found 4 worms, 2 of which were alive and well.

Clean your sprouts, peeps!DSC_0684DSC_0686

Elimination Station, right here!

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Phew! Things have been so busy that I’ve rarely been on the computer at all, and sometimes I just want to go home and hibernate (am I the only one that wants to do this? Go home and escape the rest of the world? I can’t be.). In addition to busy, I’m still really struggling with digestive issues, so I’m trying to work through those the best I can and still remain positive.

This last Monday I decided to get more strict for 30 days and see if it helps, so here’s what I’m doing:

  • No coffee
  • No alcohol
  • No dairy
  • No nuts
  • No eggs (SAD)
  • No artificial sweeteners (read: gum)

Coffee has been no big deal (much to my surprise). I think I like the idea of coffee more than the actual coffee itself. Alcohol, I miss my glass of wine, but it’s fine. Dairy, I’d already eliminated most anyway (except for occasional cheese or grass-fed butter), so not a big change there. No nuts has been fine. I miss a little almond butter in the morning with my banana, and I occasionally used nuts as an easy go-to snack or fat/protein, so maybe I miss the convenience more? Eggs. I miss them. I really do. I was eating a lot of them, and they’re my go-to protein on a late dinner night, for breakfast, etc. They go with everything and are fabulous. I miss chewing gum too…but I think that’s just a habit.

In addition to the eliminations, I’m eating less fruit (fructose can be hard to digest for some), more veggies and protein. I’m drinking my home-brewed kombucha regularly (I still can’t believe I’m continuously brewing my own kombucha!) and making a batch of bone broth weekly that I drink daily (it’s so good and comforting and warm). I’m also getting a lot more sleep, which is wonderful.

So far, my stomach has been better, but it’s only been 3 days. I remain cautiously optimistic 🙂

Taking all this into consideration, I still cook something everyday! I’ve been cooking pretty simple (but yummy!) things. Last night I sauteed onion, broccoli and cauliflower in some coconut oil with garlic, and then drizzled a little balsamic vinegar on it. I paired it with a turkey burger and some bacon.DSC_0674DSC_0678

Grilling Time!

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It’s grilling time in San Diego 🙂 Well, technically it could be year-round, but the air is warming up and being outdoors in the evenings isn’t as chilly. Last Friday we picked up some fresh meat and veggies, and enjoyed an awesome grilled dinner.

I wanted to share one of my favorite ways of grilling veggies, that’s super easy and convenient.

Slice zucchini in long spears, toss in a bag, drizzle with a little oil, salt, pepper, garlic (or whatever you prefer). Shake around/massage, dump on grill, move around for about 8 minutes so they don’t burn but get the good sear marks, remove and serve. I love grilled veggies, but not when they’re mushy 🙂

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