Soaked Peeled Almonds

Fresh Almonds with Shell

WOW!!! It's been a great but exhausting few weeks. Steve had 10 days off from work so we drove for two days to Pittsburgh and then were in Becket for another few days before driving back to Texas. It was such a great vacation and was so nice to see our friends and family! 

In honor of road trips I'm going to share one of my favorite snacks today; soaked and peeled almonds! As you probably know by know nuts are a good snack option because they are filled with oil, protein, calcium, and magnesium. I never ate a lot of nuts until I learned about soaking. Soaking nuts makes them one hundred times better!!

Food Combining Rules for Better Digestion

One of the biggest things I've learned from Ayurveda is about food combining. Until last year it never even occurred to me that there were some foods I shouldn't eat with other food, but it's changed so much for me.  

Eat Taste Heal Cookbook Review

At the beginning of April I shared a recipe for Red Lentil Dhal from the cookbook Eat Taste Heal by Thomas Yarema, Daniel Rhoda, and Chef Johnny Brannigan. I love Eat Taste Heal so much that I want to give you a better idea of what the book covers and the types of recipes that are included. 

21 Days Of No Sugar

Well, I've made it! I have successfully not had sugar or added sweeteners for 21 days. I have to admit it was much easier than I expected it to be. I kept fruit in my diet because I wanted to get the nutrients and the natural sugar isn't bad for me. It also helped me in a few moments where I needed the taste of something sweet in my mouth. 

Food Rules: Part Three

In Food Rules: Part One Michael Pollan answers the question "What should I eat?" In Food Rules: Part Two he shares rules to answer "What kind of food should I eat?" The third part of his book focuses on answering the "How should I eat?" His simple answer is "Not too much" which he supports with a number of food rules.  

I've picked three of my favorite rules from the last part of Food Rules to share with you. 

Food Rules: Part Two

A few weeks ago I shared a few of my favorite Food Rules from the first part of Michael Pollan's book. The rules in the second part of his book are answers to the question "what kind of food should I eat?"

Spring Cleaning for 21 Days

When spring rolls around do you find yourself throwing out things in your pantry or closet that you haven't used in a while? Does the warmer weather make you want to scrub down the kitchen counters, dust the living room, and clean up your yard? I know some of you back east just got a few inches of snow but it's never too early to start dreaming of warmer weather. 

Food Rules: Part One

I just finished reading Michael Pollan's Food Rules. A lot of the rules are ones that I already incorporate in my life but it always nice hearing them again just to reiterate their importance. The first part of the book is titled "What should I eat?" where Pollan talks about how to decide what foods are best to eat.

New Mexico Tea Company

Lucky Summer Tea

I am a BIG fan of tea! I try to stay away from caffeinated tea because I usually have tea in the afternoon or evening. I used to drink a cup of tea every morning but I switched it to lemon water and save my tea as an afternoon or after dinner drink. When I lived in New Mexico I found the New Mexico Tea Company. They are a cute little shop located near Old Town with a great selection of loose teas. 

Side Effects of Soda

I've never been a big fan of soda, I don't like the carbonation. When I was growing up we never had soda in the house but were allowed to get it as a special treat when we went out to restaurants.  As a kid I convinced myself that I liked soda because so many other people couldn't live without it. But when I got older I was finally able to admit to myself that I just didn't like it and there wasn't a reason to convince myself to. 

All About Avocados

I love avocados!!! Until recently I didn't realize they were a fruit! In my mind avocados are in their own food group because it's hard for me to think of them as a fruit but I also know they aren't a vegetable. Whatever they are classified as I still love them unconditionally.

One of the main things I love so much about avocados is that they can be both savory and sweet. The creaminess makes it a great alternative to dairy products. But the creaminess isn't for everyone; two of the most important men in my life don't like avocados because of the texture.  

Nutritional Yeast

Last week I posted a Pasta Bake that uses nutritional yeast for flavor in the place of cheese. I didn't know about nutritional yeast until a few months ago. Someone recommended I start using it to make sure I was getting enough vitamins and nutrients. I've used it in a few recipes I've posted on here and I also sprinkle it on top of buttered toast for a savory breakfast. 

Quinoa Fun Facts

As you know I'm obsessed with quinoa! It's yummy, easy to make, and goes with just about everything.

I found this infographic and thought I would share it for people who don't know a lot about the grain.

One thing that isn't mentioned that I believe is very important is that you need to make sure to rinse off quinoa before you cook it. There is a build up of residue that makes the quinoa difficult to digest but water washes it away easily. 

The Dirty Dozen

Growing up my parents would regularly switch back and forth between buying organic and conventional produce.  When I went to college I bought conventional produce because of the cheaper price and also the lack of understanding the differences.  I've started to come up with a system (that is always evolving) as to what produce to buy in the organic form and which to buy in the conventional form.  If I could I would always get everything in organic but that isn't always possible because of availability and/or price. Our grocery store has a decent Organic Produce section but sometimes I can't convince myself to pay over $4 for a single red pepper. From what I've seen there isn't as much interest in organic produce as there is in other parts of the country.

So to get back to the system I use...The EWG, Environmental Working Group, has the mission of using the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.  Every year they publish a list called The Dirty Dozen, which is accompanied by The Clean Fifteen.