Adventures in self-medicating: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcakes (recipe within)

Well Ronin's party went wonderfully and I can't thank our friends and family enough. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as Ronin and I did. One-year-old parties are a strange creature. We went with a Samurai theme to play off Ronin's name. Really, I just wanted an excuse to wear my kimono dress and eat Japanese treats all day. My mom brought a great cucumber salad and I made sushi, veggie rice balls, sweet glazed chicken, and Edith made the fruit kabobs. We served sesame candies, almond cookies, coconut butter cookies, fortune cookies, wasabi peas, Oriental snack mix, and edamame.

 

I thought a lot about how I'd make Ronin's first birthday cake. Should it be sugar-free? Should it have dairy? Should he get just a small cupcake? Turns out he didn't eat any of it anyway so it didn't really matter. Instead, he dropped handfuls of it on my legs and the floor. I sprayed the cake with edible gold so maybe it was for the best. Our guests had ninja cupcakes and assorted fruit sorbets.

Then a few weeks went by. We recuperated from the sugar rush and are back on track. 

In other health-related news....

We met with my oncology/gynecology doctor for what we thought was an appointment to discuss a hysterectomy, but another doctor was in that day and we took advantage of the second opinion. Turns out his opinion was the exact opposite. Rather than hearing out a third opinion, I called Dr. #1 to inform her of Dr. #2's recommendation. "Honestly, that doctor does not know your medical history like I do," she said. It's true. She did diagnose me and treat me these last few years. We rescheduled the hysterectomy/biopsy discussion for this summer. Can't wait! :/ Good news is the exam I did with Dr. #2 was negative. Been negative going on two years! Which is er...well...positive! :)

With all this talk about my lady parts (specifically, removing my lady parts), I have been considering my relationship with my hormones more than ever before.

I call it a relationship because there are so many dynamics between how I can influence my hormones and how my hormones influence me. Sometimes we love each other. Sometimes we hate. Either way, I have always disregarded PMS symptoms as a part of womanhood. My sporadic bouts of anxiety, irritability, food cravings, self-depreciation, forgetfulness, sleeplessness, and pain became predictable (lasting about ten days before my period's onset) and excusable as I thought they were "natural symptoms". Reluctant, if not completely unwilling, to try medication, I chose to endure the struggles and thank my husband relentlessly for putting up with my roller coaster of emotions. He claims he hasn't been too affected (perhaps because he grew up with two sisters!) though it's not unreasonable that my perception is skewed; when I am experiencing PMS, everything seems exaggerated. 

I recently started discussing these symptoms with my doctor and have been reading more on the topic. Many suggestions include eating a diet quite similar to the one we've already adopted. Plenty of fruits and vegetables, low salt, low sugar, and lots of water. 

It's disappointing to still experience these symptoms despite my overall good health and nutrition. Other recommendations include supplements and medications. I am hesitant to try either option because of my fear of side effects, but perhaps it's worth exploring. There are pills to treat the symptoms and pills to treat the hormonal imbalance. While treating the imbalance seems logical, I fear it's not simple. My plan of attack at this point is to tune into the symptoms by tracking their occurrence and learning more about them. I'll keep ya updated. In the meantime, any experiences you'd like to share or wisdom with which to enlighten me? All is appreciated :)

Okay now I want to go back to food talk. I love food so, so much...

On lazy Sundays or days when we are too busy to cook lunch, I like having a plate or two of vegetables out with hummus and maybe another dip from which we can graze leisurely or grab-n-go in a hurry. Yesterday, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen prepping food for the week so this low effort meal was perfect. Alongside the hummus is a simple dip: a tofu/olive oil/herb blend that doubles as a salad dressing by adding just a little water, vinegar, or lemon juice.

One of my favorite thrifting spots had a mini juicer that was priced too low to not give it a shot. I have been saving the scraps of fruits and vegetables from the day to juice in the evening. I drink the tastiest ones and freeze the more vegetable-y tasting juices for later use in recipes. Freezing the juice in ice cube trays makes it easy to thaw as needed.

Last night's dinner date was perfect. Our meal included shrimp in eggplant and herb tomato sauce with orange braised asparagus and olives. Another super quick and easy, but delicious and healthful dinner.

Chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes were inspired by aforementioned hormones and a desire to show appreciation to a very sweet husband who seems to have very good timing. I received a sample of NuStevia baking blend with fiber from this beautiful woman so I gave it a try. I also used oil which is unusual for me as I normally use fruit puree such as I've done in my recipe for awesome muffins. As you can see, it's not TOO much different from my beloved muffin recipe in it's basics. 

Cupcake. (Recipe makes 12)

-dry-
2 cups flour
1 cup NuStevia baking blend with fiber
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt


-liquid-
2/3 cup tofu
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
red food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup strawberries

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray oil. 

2 Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine the liquid ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Use this method for easy clean up! Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just enough to combine; do not overmix. Stir in the strawberries. 

3 Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out dry. (I baked em for close to 40 mins, I think! But start checking at 20 mins to be sure) Let cool for 10 minutes before releasing the muffins from the cups. 

Frosting. 

the remainder of the tofu package from the cupcake recipe
1 - 85% cocoa bar from Lindt, melted and sweetened to my liking with agave syrup


Blend the tofu and melted agave n' chocolate until creamy and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Frost the cupcakes and experience heaven. 

Sushi tutorial written by a white girl adopted by a Mexican.

Are there any established trends in which kids refer to sushi as simply "soosh"? If not, it's comin', I assure you.

I tried my hand at sushi making last night. The foreign tools and methods intimidated me, but I finally gave it a shot. My goal is to be able to make enough for all the guests attending our son's first birthday; his samurai themed birthday. It's in two weeks so I just dove right in. I made two kinds to start...A roll and...uh, whatever they call it when you just pile food on top of little rice bites. Both tasted fantastic. My husband said it was the best he ever had. He loves me enough not to lie, so pay no mind to the poor quality of my crappy cell phone pic...This soosh was good.

 

(Forgive all these pictures. I left my camera at my friend's house.)

To make, find some short or medium grain rice. I'm going to try brown rice this weekend and I'll let you know how that goes. For this easy recipe, I used short grain white rice which is referred to as "sushi rice" in some grocery stores.

Rinse the rice 5-7 times 'til the water runs almost clear.  If you try to get the rinse to run fully clear, you'll be there all day. Maybe longer. Strive for "almost clear" and you'll be fine. 5-7 rinses is pretty good.

I made one cup of rice for the two rolls above...plus one or two bites that I sneaked in the production process.  With one cup of rice, add one cup of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Normally, you think "double the liquid", but not this time. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to a low simma' and cover with a lid. Let it cook 'til the water's gone. About 15 mins. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered for about another 15 mins. While it's doin' it's thing, mix 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp agave (or sugar), and a pinch of salt. I heated this mixture in the frying pan that I had out to saute some veggies for my sushi filling. Heat it until the salt and/or sugar has dissolved. It only takes a few seconds.

After the rice has rested, drizzle the salty sweet vinegar mixture over the rice and fluff it out into a bowl. Fluff, don't smoosh. The rice will start to look like shiny little pearls! This is where I snuck my first bite. It was sticky and delicious. By this time, it was about room temperature and I was ready to form it into my sushi. If you need more time, cover the rice with a damp towel so it doesn't dry out.

I purchased a cheap little bamboo sushi mat from Target. With my resourcefulness, I had hoped I could "MacGyver" something sufficient from junk I had laying about my house, but for just a few bucks I got this mat and quickly learned that I'd have made a big fat mess without it.

The mat came with a wooden rice paddle and I used that to smooth a thin layer of my sticky sweet rice on a sheet of dried seaweed that I got at my local grocery store's Asian aisle. The bamboo mat and wooden rice paddle also came with a little mold to make the rice cubes. That, I definitely could have done with my hands and I think next time, I will.

Anyway, next I added some julienned carrot, shredded cabbaged sauteed with sesame seeds, and avocado. I formed it into a line across the rice and used the mat to roll it all up! The bamboo mat was essential in making a nice tight uniform roll. Next, I cut it up, drenched it in soy sauce and ate it. Then I made some for my husband.

For the rice cube ones...I know there's a name for 'em somewhere...I julienned some zucchini and ginger then added a dab of chili oil on top for a nice spicy sweet bite. It was super easy and I've got about a million ideas of what I want to do next...

While my rice was cooking, I made these sweet potato chips. Why are they so good?!?!

And today is Valentine's day. Seen many a folk bashing the commercialism and make-believed-ness of the holiday, but dude...Haven't you ever celebrated a holiday ever. They are ALL subject to commercialism and make-believed-ness. Embrace it. We did.

For lunch we went to this creole cafe where we had a first date! Valentine's Day is actually the anniversary of that first date. How cute/gross is that? I had a French Quarter omelet with a buttery, honey-y, biscuit. For dinner, I made this:

Moroccan seasoned salmon, steamed broccoli with garlic, and lover's salad...served to be shared. In other words...salad served to conserve dishes. It had romaine, slivered almond, avocado, red onion, tomato, and fresh basil with blueberry vinaigrette. Our 1-yr-old son and dog even shared this salad with us. It was that good. 

OUR ONE YEAR OLD SON ATE RED ONIONS AND LIKED THEM. Isn't that weird? And our dog ate broccoli but I'm pretty sure he'd eat anything he saw us sharing with the baby. He's like that.

I also made a cute personal label for a bottle of cheap wine and crafted a lovey-dovey gift. Happy Valentine's Day!

Bloggin' fail and Shirataki

I had my camera near by at all times while preparing our Superbowl feast. I was sure to capture everything. Edith and I making fruit and vegetable kabobs. Enrique preparing his grill for the chicken he had marinated over night. The beautiful transformation of our stuffed garlic and basil stuffed mushrooms in the oven. Edith stirring melted chocolate and agave with a big plate of naked strawberries waiting beside her. She looked so adorable. She even smiled for the camera which you'd know is rare if you ever tried to photograph her. The sweets must have had her entranced...


I had a memory card full of these goodies. A shot of the full spread showed various mustards, hot sauces, salsas, and pickled goods with which we dressed our turkey burgers. We also had chili that my mother-in-law made and some fried yellow peppers that I first fell in  love with at Hole Mole in Long Beach, CA four years ago. So good!

But then something came over me. Maybe those same sweets that entranced Edith sent me into a frenzied photo-deleting madness. I deleted the whole lot of them in a few quick clicks of a button. And so all we have are the memories...and a few leftovers.

We had some of those leftovers for dinner tonight, in fact. I made grilled tofu and tofu shirataki noodles with the vegetables leftover from our kabobs. Since they'd already been grilled, dinner took just about 10 minutes to make. Our kabobs had pineapple which went surprisingly well with this meal, as well.

No baby fingers were Srirached (not a real word) in the making of this photograph.

Cube and saute extra firm tofu in sesame oil. Add par-boiled tofu shirataki pasta, vegetables, garlic, and soy sauce. Toss in some sesame seeds and serve it up!

Have you tried Tofu Shirataki pasta before? Have you even seen it at your market? 

Linkie

Butternut squashed, Superbowl, and radioactive moms!

About this time last year, I was quite large with just two weeks 'til my son was due to be born. I was 80 lbs heavier than I am now and as one would imagine, it was quite uncomfortable. The heart burn was gone after Ronin was born, but much of the weight remained. Things like putting on my seat belt or simply walking were uncomfortable. Looking in the mirror, I didn't recognize myself. My features had sunk into my fatty flesh like it was made of quicksand. Clothing didn't fit well even when they were in my size. Things would bunch and bind and sag and pull. I felt sloppy and I couldn't wear clothing that let me express my personality. My back and knees hurt constantly so I wasn't able do a lot of the physical activities I enjoy doing. And despite my husband's constant reassurance, I didn't feel sexy when we were intimate. Boooo...

Anyway...I'm far from that now, thank goodness. Or thank good food, I should say. Numbers on a scale are nothing I wish to dwell on, but for the sake of providing quantitative measurement, I must mention that my mom and I each lost about 15 pounds since the 1st of the year with our dietary changes alone. Bringing me now to a much healthier and much more comfortable state. (I lost a majority of my pregnancy weight at a steady rate over the last year with healthy nutrition, light exercise, and breastfeeding.)

For my husband and I, the changes were small but important ones. For my parents, it was, as my mom described, "a whole new lifestyle." But just a month in and the new way of eating has become our normal way of eating. I think we're ready to incorporate fitness into our wellness routine. I have already been doing light/medium-intensity cardio for 20 mins a day, four days a week since Ronin was born just to get myself moving again after all the bed rest. But c'mon...that was a year ago. It's high time I kick it into gear.

I will still take advantage of the 20 mins a day, four days a week routine I have set up with my schedule. It's a convenient time for me with my commute, work, and the baby. I will push harder than I have been and add extra fitness activities in the evening. Tomorrow we are taking the kids walking and exploring around Santa Margarita Lake. I love it so much out there. We'll take a picnic and I'll make a wonderful whole wheat pasta salad with kidney beans, broccoli, yellow bell pepper, red onion, olive oil and vinegar. 

My fitness goals are not to lose more weight necessarily, although I expect that to happen, at least somewhat, since I have a few pounds to spare. My goal is also not to become a super fitness babe or to impress looky-loos with my svelte physique. I really just want to improve my health and comfort in life. I want to be able to hike with my husband, have sexy time and actually feel sexy, teach my son sports by showing him, do all that stuff. I don't want to huff and puff or have a heart attack. I want to feel comfortable in my skin and get enjoyment out of my clothing options. Speaking of clothing options...

What jersey will you be wearing on Sunday for the Superbowl?

The game doesn't mean much to me really, but I have a special love for that day since it's significant in my relationship with my husband. He basically rescued me after the Superbowl a few years ago. We've been inseparable ever since and he will forever be my hero. His parents will be joining us and our kids to watch the game so I've been thinking of a few healthy Superbowl foods I'd like to prepare. Basil and garlic stuffed mushrooms? Spicy shrimp cocktail? Grilled fruit and vegetable kabobs? Gotta use the grill and my step-daughter will love the food-on-a-stick aspect. Maybe some skinless chicken marinated in Frank's hot wing sauce? Frank's is a Superbowl must-have.

And while we're talking about food, I recently made a simple blueberry vinaigrette with a little blueberry syrup, rice vinegar, water, and olive oil. On the left is a lettuce and cabbage salad with sunflower seeds. It was minimalistic compared to other salads I've posted, but it was just perfect. The light sweet dressing, salty seeds, and crunchy cabbage were perfect together. On the right is a quinoa and red bean salad with celery, tomato, red onion, avocado, and Tapatio. People who think they could never be full from a plate of vegetables are silly.

Speaking of Frank's, we had some recently with chicken strips. This meal was simple, but my goal for the night was to cook without any added oil. It was a total success. I used broth and Frank's to keep the chicken moist while it cooked, another splash of broth on the wilted lemon pepper kale, and just a bit of broth in my new favorite alternative to mashed potatoes: butternut squashed! So easy to make. Just cut the butternut squash into large chunks, take out the seeds (we roasted these like pumpkin seeds and they were awesome!), and steam the squash until the flesh is...squashable. Scrape the flesh from the rind and squash it! Add some broth if needed for texture then season with garlic. Forgive the lighting.

Last night was fish tacos with cabbage leaves instead of tortillas and roasted zucchini, red bell pepper, and garlic.

Now your caught up on everything we've been eating. Exciting stuff, huh. I suppose it is pretty exciting when you keep in mind how great my mom and I are feeling and looking lately. Time for a new progress picture? Even our hair is growing thicker! And my mom's coworker told her she is "glowing" which I am really hoping is related to her new dietary habits and not the fact that they work in radiology...eep!

Chocolate, wine, and handcuffs.

Two days ago, I had what may have been the worst day of my entire life. I don't often exaggerate and this certainly isn't a topic about which I'd like to stretch the truth. I'd exaggerate about good stuff if I was gonna do it at all, yknow?

I didn't lock the keys in my car and my 1-yr old didn't puke on my clothes. I didn't fall or pee my pants in public. I didn't even lose my job or have to put down my dog. I'd have gladly done any of those in exchange for what I had to do two days ago.

Now that I've really amped you up, I hate to say that I can't share the details because of the innocent people involved. But I'll tell ya this...Someone left in cuffs!

As the sun set and the tears dried, I felt the need to indulge. I knew just what I wanted. It's been my go-to treat for stressful days since I was old enough to buy it.

I told my husband of my craving and he confirmed: I deserved chocolate and wine. 

There's plenty to be said about why using food as a reward can lead to poor health, but I learned something else from this experience. As I walked toward the wine aisle with my 85% cocoa (only 5gms of sugar per serving!) and Reece's peanut butter cups for my husband, it began to occur to me that the craving had already passed. I was now just going through the motions. This epiphany didn't stop me from checking out with the goods, but I drove all the way home feeling as if I had been duped.

Fortunately, the low-sugar dark chocolate and red wine didn't ruin my health or the progress I'd made with my eating habits earlier that day, but I learned something about emotional eating. Next time, I'll save myself the cash and just go for a walk.

Though it's been days since the event, I still seem to be combating stress. Best way to beat fatigue and stress, however, is to eat well and exercise! So I've been maintaining my fitness routine and even added some new work outs. I've been eating well, too. Very well. Check out what we've been enjoying below!



Recipe Ideas! Here's what we've done lately...

Breakfast: Still having fun making different combinations of fruit salad. So colorful and refreshing!

Lunch: Quinoa, black bean, and green bean warm salad. Comforting on the chilly afternoons. Loved it with salsa. I pretty much love everything with salsa.

Dinner: This is where we have the most time to get creative.

A large bed of wilted kale and basil topped with garlicy peppered shrimp. Took five minutes to make and tasted so five star!

Sunny-side-up eggs, spinach, and vegetarian breakfast "sausage" (to dip in the runny yolk!!). 

Coconut fried fish with warm beet and bell pepper salad. LOVE beets!

Snack attack

That'd be me attacking snacks. New slogan: "Snacks are whack." What do you think? Your first thought is probably that I am an idiot followed by a thought-montage of delicious snacks. Hear me out.


Why do people snack? Here are a few reasons: They are mistaking thirst for hunger, they are actually hungry, they are bored, and/or snacks are often delicious.

Mistaking thirst for hunger is super common. It is especially common if you are sitting in front of both a glass of water and a box of snacks. Put the snacks away. Better yet, don't buy them. Have something to drink! If you dread the thought of a glass of water, have some tea. Black tea specifically, even when sipped after a high-carb meal, works with your blood sugar levels to keep you fuller longer. Real science!!

If you are legitimately hungry, maybe it's because you skipped breakfast. A lot of people think they are too busy for breakfast, but c'mon. Eat some fruit. It comes in it's own convenient biodegradable wrapper so there's no reason you can't take it with you. I eat three fruits for breakfast after my morning workout. It's fresh and light, while still surprisingly filling. I throw it in my bag and cut it up at work.  Quickest, best breakfast ever. It also works to prevent those shifts in blood sugar that contribute to the dreaded mid morning snack attack. If you don't want three fruits all at once, split 'em up throughout the morning. Then you've really got no excuse for another snack.

Breakfast isn't the only meal people skip. Busy schedules also cause people to skip out on lunch. The answer to this is preparation, not fast food and snacking. The lunches I've suggested for people using my wellness meal plan include vegetarian sources of protein and hefty servings of vegetables that 1) can be prepared before the start of a hectic week and 2) will keep them satisfied for the whole afternoon. No excuses and no need for an afternoon snack.

Midnight munchies are also not likely due to you actually needing more calories. You are not likely starving. What is more likely is that you are eating foods that work against your body. High-fructose corn syrup is often the culprit. There's been all kinds of debate about it, but the answer is that the stuff is bad and the stuff is in almost every processed food you pick up off the shelf at your grocer. "Fructose can trick our brains into craving more food, even when we’re full. It works by impeding the body’s ability to use leptin, the 'satiation hormone' that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat." I didn't make that up. I've experienced it first hand and I found out that some real scientists researched it in a lab and came up with the details of what I experienced. The wellness meal plan suggests a lean protein and generous portions of fresh or frozen vegetables for dinner. No high-fructose corn syrup.

Eat fresh and frozen vegetables because, as the above referenced article goes on to report, "Many canned foods are high in the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, " which also causes leptin surges. Leafy greens are especially great if your chronically snack-attack afflicted. They are loaded with the essential B-vitamin folate which  helps protect against depression, fatigue, and weight gain.

What you eat is very important. I'm going to say it two times. What you eat is very important. It's a main contributor to weight gain and consequently, weight loss. It is what will save you from snack attacks. It will save you from many of your ailments.

Oh! I didn't chime in on boredom and how delicious snacks can be. Here it is: If you're bored, there are tons of healthy things you could be doing rather than snacking. If you were reading the first part of this blog post and identified with the idea of being too busy to eat breakfast or lunch, you better not be trying to claim that you're ever bored. You're busted. Lastly, I can't fix how tasty a donut is, but I can tell you that they will be much less tempting if you are taking care of your body and fillin' it up with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.

Say it with me! Snacks are whack! Snacks are whack!

Children are the exception to every rule. They will often ask for snacks and won't shut up until you plug their hole with something sweet, salty, crunchy, or chewy. I have a few tried and true suggestions. Keep a few healthy snacks on hand. If their growing bodies are truly demanding that they acquire more sustenance, they will eat them. If they are asking for a snack because they are obnoxious kids and they do that, then perhaps they will stop after realizing their options are strictly limited to crisp celery sticks, lightly salted mixed nuts, fresh sweet fruit, or a nice comforting cup of tea. Granola bars are often just as bad as candy as far as sugar content. Stick with whole foods. Prepare some veggies and have them where kids can access them easily. Carrots and celery are two that people are generally familiar with, but many kids will also nosh on broccoli, tomato slices, sugar snap peas...ask your kids what they like. Not many kids will turn down fruit as a snack. If you buy what's in season, it won't cost ya too much to have fresh fruit around.

Note: More fun facts...

"People act as if snacking is this natural thing that would be cruel to deprive themselves of. But the truth is, historically speaking, snacking is a very recent eating behavior. No one did it to any degree worth mentioning until very recently - when we promptly started getting fat. According to an analysis of USDA food consumption data by David Cutler at Harvard University, 90 percent of the increase in calorie consumption in men in the United States since 1977 has come from between-meal eating. For women, it's 112 percent -- calories from meals have actually gone down. (Journal of Economic Perspectives "Why have Americans Become More Obese?" Page 101) So with this one rule, just two words (NO SNACKS), you've got a 90-plus percent solution to the problem of over-consumption." -Reinhard Engels

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For those who read my blog to keep up with recipe ideas....

Breakfast yesterday was fruit. We all woke up at different times so this was convenient for us to eat at our own paces. For lunch, we had mini peppers stuffed with beans, rice, and salsa. We baked em and served with roasted broccoli and carrots. This idea came from my step-daughter's love of cheese-stuffed peppers. She seemed to enjoy these just as much! Dinner was a giant bowl of stir fry with lots of veggies and chicken. Also enjoyed by all.

Today we had fruit smoothies for breakfast. We used frozen peaches, frozen pineapple, banana, and water with the ol' jar method. Lunch was soup. I made it up in minutes with broth, beans, rice, and spinach. I added a tablespoon of salsa and it was perfectly comforting for our overcast afternoon. For dinner tonight, I cooked eggplant, mushrooms, and chicken in tomato sauce. Simple and awesome.

Mom's Sketti

Tonight, we went to my parent's house to celebrate my husband's birthday. They made us an amazing dinner and I'm bummed that I forgot to photograph dessert! I just ate it as soon as I saw it. It was bowl of beautiful mixed berries and two chocolate macadamia nut wafers. Mmmmm...

My mom made spaghetti squash by baking it in a dish of shallow water then scraping the flesh into a bowl with a fork. She drizzled olive oil over the top and added sauteed bell pepper and mushrooms. The aroma was delicious and I couldn't wait to taste it!

My handsome family watched gramma at work. Check out that 700-page book my step-daughter is reading. Freakin' brain.

The spaghetti sauce was homemade with my parent's own homegrown tomatoes! She mixed ground turkey into the sauce along with the perfect blend of spices. My huge contribution tonight was the salad dressing to top the mix of greens. I also helped them drink the champagne. 

Beautiful! My step-daugher loved the spaghetti squash. She isn't a pasta fan and we've already talked about making this alternative again soon.

This doesn't compare to my mom's dinner, but it's a quick and easy lunch that I wanted to share with ya, bloggie. It's just brown rice, pinto beans, and spinach with garlic but, MAN!! It's so delicious and filling. A warm bowl is perfect for a cold afternoon.