Yummy Thai Soup

I am always experimenting and trying new recipes, or trying to make recipes a little more healthy. I got this basic recipe from a friend, and just adapted it a little by adding more veggies, and making it a bit more substantial with quinoa.

When I serve soup for dinner at my house, it needs to be hearty so my husband feels satisfied. This one did just the trick while still tasting light and fresh!

I am not a master recipe maker... a lot of my cooking is adding a little of this and that, gaining inspiration from 3-4 recipes and combining bits and pieces from each of them. I also don't always measure perfectly either, so you'll notice ingredients will call for "roughly", and "about" on some things.... that is just the way I roll.
Please forgive me for not having it perfect, but I think you should find that the info below should make you a yummy, healthy thai soup!

BONUS: it was cleanse friendly

Ingredients:
Olive oil/ Coconut oil -about 2 tbsp
Sesame oil - roughly -1 tbsp
Onion - 1 med sized, sliced
Garlic- 2-3 cloves
Sea Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Ginger - 2 tbsp grated
Crushed red pepper - 1 tsp
Coriander - 1 tsp ground
Cumin - 1 tsp ground
Chicken/ Shrimp (or none) - about 1/2 lbs- I prefer small Maine shrimp, chicken should be cut into strips
Water - 2-3 cups
Coconut milk - about 1.5 cans
Fish Sauce - 3 tbsp
Bok Choy - 3-4 stems chopped thin
Cilantro - about 1/2 cup chopped
Kale - 1 cup chopped thin
Sprouted mung beans - 1/2 cup
Snap Peas- about a cup
Carrot - 1 -2 sliced thin
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Red curry paste - 1 tsp
Quinoa- 1/2 cup


Could also add lemongrass, and chopped tomatoes, and if you don't have all the above veggies, it still would taste great.

Directions:
Heat olive or coconut oil in soup pot, add sliced onion, garlic, carrot and salt; saute until translucent. Add ginger, red pepper, coriander, cumin- cook for a few minutes then add chicken strips (if adding meat) and cook until the outside turns white.

Rinse quinoa in mesh strainer.

Add water & coconut milk, and bring to a boil then add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 min. Next add  bok choy, kale, snap peas, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, shrimp (if using), and red curry paste. Continue to simmer for another 5-10 min. Before serving add chopped cilantro and mung bean sprouts (save some for garnish if you like and serve on top of each bowl).

This make about 6 servings at my house.

If you make it comment below and let me know how you enjoyed it!

Holiday Chocolate Bark

I am not usually the type of gal that likes nuts and other things in my chocolate, but this boy oh boy is this good, and it makes a perfect gift, or easy fun treat to bring to your next holiday party.

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate chips

Chopped pistachios

Dried cranberries

Coconut flakes

Sea salt (optional)

Directions:

• Shuck pistachios from shells, and chop nuts (lightly) in a food processor. If you don't have a food chopper... try sticking them in a sealed Ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin, or mash with mallet until crushed.
• Chop or cut cranberries into smaller pieces too.
• Melt chocolate chips ( I added a little coconut oil to the pan to prevent burning the chocolate) - you can also use a double boiler.
• Cover cookie sheets with wax paper.
• Pour melted chocolate onto wax paper, and spread it evenly and thinly - about 1/8 inch thick.
• OPTIONAL : Grind a little Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt on top. (salt and chocolate is actually really good)
• Sprinkle pistachios, cranberries, and coconut over the chocolate.
• Place cookie sheet in refrigerator to harden.
• Once the chocolate has hardened you can cut or break into pieces.

Enjoy!!!!

Being Thankful

I am now 38 weeks pregnant and starting to feel a bit like a stuffed turkey with all the fixings.... how apporpriate as Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

My back aches, my feet hurt, I am not sleeping well, my pants are tight, I have to pee every 5 seconds, and I can't seem to ever get comfortable. It easy to focus on all the things that I don't like right now, but in the spirit of THANKSgiving I have been trying to remind myself all I have to be thankful for instead of focusing on the negative.

Once you start having an attitude of gratitude, it is amazing how you can be happier and healthier.

Gratitude is the simple act of being grateful/ thankful, is more than just a feeling, and only works when you are actually truly feeling grateful for something.

When we express and feel gratitude, we can actually change our vibration and that is when we start attracting more of what we want in our lives.

Like attracts like, so what ever your feeling.... joy, anger, love, distress, or gratitude, we create an energetic force that will always attract circumstances that parallel how we are feeling.

It is not always easy to get to a place of feeling grateful, but in a world where the only thing we actually have control over is our thoughts... it is important that we try to chose the best possible thoughts at all times, and being grateful helps us be in the flow of accepting all the love and gifts the universe has to offer.

Sound Deep? It is, but it doesn't have to be complicated, or mean that you have to be in denial when things don't go the right way! Stop for a minute and think of some simple things you are grateful/ thankful for and notice how your mood, energy and vibration changes.

Even though I am feeling a bit uncomfortable, I am grateful for a healthy growing baby, and a big belly that provided a fun evening of painting and bonding with my 4 yr old son, Evan!

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

Chia Seed Kombucha

A few weeks ago I was shopping at my local health food store when I noticed a new version of GT's Kombucha for sale in the cooler. I love GT's Gingerade and Multi-Green Kombucha, so when I saw the chia seed version, I knew I had to give this nutritionally power packed drink a try.

Chia Seeds are filled with fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins, omega's and antioxidants, and I use them frequently in my smoothies. Kombucha is a fermented "tea" that aids in digestion, boots immunity, is filled with healthy probiotics, cleansing, and energy boosting!

Combine these two super ingredients you have a super nutritious elixir, but I was still a bit skeptical, not because of my doubt of the health benefits... but because.... it looked a little gross to be honest. My curiosity outweighed my hesitation and I bought the raspberry version and gave it a whirl.

My thoughts?
Well, at first there was that slight fizz (as to be expected with kombucha) but not as much as usual. As I took my first sip I closed my eyes, held my breath, and prepared for the worst. It was a little fizzy, a tiny bit tart, kinda chewy, and a bit of a slippery texture.

Sounds disgusting right?

I wasn't sure what to think at first - it was all new, and my senses where a little thrown, but after my 3rd or 4th sip I was kind of digging it, and the tapioca like texture.

Unlike the other bottles of kombucha, which I can finish soon after opening, I had to stop about halfway though the chia seed version because it is quite filling.

Although I will probably stick to the non-chia versions for the most part when I purchase kombucha, I encourage you to try this elixir and see what you think for yourself.

When I first tried the regular kombucha I wasn't an instant fan.... yet I kept drinking it, acquired a taste, and actually ended up loving it.  I am certainly going to give the chia seed kombucha a few more tries, and I just may end up hooked on this new drink too!

Have you already tried it? What did you think?

Quinoa stuffed squash

Fall has so many great foods to offer, and if you haven't already.... stuff a squash! It is easy, tasty, and good for you if you stuff it with the right stuff.

I stumbled across a recipe for quinoa stuffed acorn squash, and adapted it to make it a bit easier as I don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen.

Here is the recipe:

Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

1 tbsp coconut oil (olive oil works too)

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup sliced almonds 

Sea salt & pepper to taste

1 cup quinoa

Optional extras for flavor:

chopped onion, garlic, mushrooms

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Cut acorn squash in half, and scoop out seeds

Coat squash halves with oil, maple syrup drizzle, salt & pepper, and fill with almonds and raisins. Bake for about 1 hour or until soft when pierced by a fork.

Cook quinoa 

If you are adding extra veggies... saute them in a little oil until tender, add them to cooked quinoa, and mix thoroughly. 

When squash is cooked, remove from oven and carefully, and add a scoop of quinoa. Use fork to scrape some of the squash from the edges, and mix with the quinoa until you have a nice mixture of squash, almonds, raisins and quinoa!

Enjoy!