tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67105667786350546432024-02-19T08:28:16.868-05:00It All Begins With DirtHealthy Choices LifestyleThe Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-68809174632889624322021-05-13T17:56:00.228-04:002021-09-26T13:50:01.704-04:00Back to the Basics<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>It All Begins with Dirt began as a way to explore and share things I've learned about getting back to the basics of eating whole, unprocessed, preferably organic, foods. Since I started this blog, I have learned a LOT about eating healthier. For one, I've learned that not everyone can eat every healthy food (think allergies to healthy nuts, </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">healthy grains, etc). I have been eating mostly plant-based for about 10 years now (since 2011 firmly) and lI keep learning more and more about going whole-food, plant-based (</span><span face=""Proxima Nova", system-ui, sans-serif" style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">WFPB</span><span face=""Proxima Nova", system-ui, sans-serif" style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 18px;">).</span><div><div><span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">In case you've never heard about WFPB way of eating, it focuses on:</span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Emphasizing whole, minimally processed foods.</span></li><li><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Limiting or avoiding animal products.</span></li><li><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #231f20;">Excludes refined foods, like</span><span> </span><a class="content-link css-5r4717" href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sugar-the-worst-ingredient-in-the-diet" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-color: currentcolor; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">added sugars</a><span style="color: #231f20;">, white flour and processed oils.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Pays special attention to food quality, with many proponents of the WFPB diet promoting locally sourced, organic food whenever possible. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span style="color: #231f20;">"Health and wellness communities agree that diets emphasizing fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are superior for overall wellness." </span></span><span style="color: #231f20;"> (</span><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/plant-based-diet-guide#overview">site link</a><span style="color: #231f20;">)</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Since late 2010/early 2011, I've continued to learn as much as I could about this way of eating. At points along the way, I became Vegan, Lacto-Ovo, Vegetarian, and Pescatarian...</span></div><div><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">As I tried these different variations of plant-based diets, I kept coming back to "I just want to eat as healthy as I can for my body type. (PS, Vegan is not necessarily healthy. Oreo's are "vegan". I know these things... just sayin'. )</span></div><div><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">Then 2020 hit. With a bang! I came down sick, very sick... 3 1/2 months sick, after taking a plane trip to Florida for a Real Estate conference. T</span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">he morning after I came home, I woke up with a 103 degree fever, and I coughed until I gagged. My ribs were even sore. I'm pretty sure I had "the virus". </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjediclkjnc_ThlCwDMbn0IxLXMSrOQMfehS4yb3WX9iqM0yuJpWkcPt9J6dBBuiAO8fQIX462LkojIL5e9fLeBNWRZ7KUFwz2jj2vlk1yeJN1AotmAmc3O2qdeU3derDF394-jAbECli8u/s864/cough.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="864" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjediclkjnc_ThlCwDMbn0IxLXMSrOQMfehS4yb3WX9iqM0yuJpWkcPt9J6dBBuiAO8fQIX462LkojIL5e9fLeBNWRZ7KUFwz2jj2vlk1yeJN1AotmAmc3O2qdeU3derDF394-jAbECli8u/s320/cough.webp" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><span style="color: #231f20;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: helvetica;">And up until March of 2020, when the U.S. learned about it, even the doctors didn't know what I had, so they treated my symptoms. Whatever it was, it knocked me on my ...backside! My honey wore a mask around me (before it was a "thing") and stayed away from me except to slide my meals under our guest bedroom door where I was staying while I was sick. Just kidding, he came in....and left right away, wearing a mask, and washing his hands as soon as he could. He said he didn't know what I had, he just knew he didn't want it! Anyway, he cooked all our meals as he didn't "want me anywhere near our food, or touching it"<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="color: #231f20;"><br /></span></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Once I got back into the kitchen, I realized then that although I had been eating mostly plant-based, I had allowed myself to become lax in preparing healthy foods. With starting a new career in real estate, I have been busy, ...very busy. First with attending as many classes as I could to learn the business of real estate, then as word got out, I begin to actually start helping my family, friends and new clients buy and sell their homes. I can honestly admit that we've eaten take-out food one-time too many as well as relied on plant-based 'fast foods'. I've stated more than once on my blogs that just because something says 'vegan' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean it's the best option for you. Remember, technically Oreo cookies are vegan. All-in-all, I let my focus on living a healthy life take a backslide. And because of it, I've gained weight, stopped exercising with any consistency, and I just don't feel as good as I know I can.<br /><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Therefore, I've decided it's time to get back to the basics of healthy living. I'm far from having it perfected, but I look at how far I've come, not how far I still have to go. I love this quote from</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> Maya Angelou "</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, here's to doing better. As the growing season is ending, all of our last tomatoes, basil and other herbs, and even our zucchini are struggling to continue to produce. However our Swiss Chard is loving these cooler temperatures, and I am chomping at the bit to make one of our fav recipes that I've posted here before, Warm Salad of Swiss Chard and Chickpeas (see the recipe drop down for that one). That one will be dinner soon, I promise!</span></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Anyway, I found this wonderful Dairy-Free Pesto recipe below over at </span><a href="https://toriavey.com/" style="font-family: helvetica;">Tori Avey's</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">website. Tori, (if you haven't met her, please jump over to her website) loves to explore the history of food and it's culture and bring it back to the modern day kitchens. Make this easy pesto up and keep it in the fridge for up to a few weeks. It's wonderful on pasta, but did you know there are a bunch of wonderful pasta-free pesto recipes out there too? Try this </span><a href="https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/256507/spaghetti-squash-with-roasted-tomatoes-beans-almond-pesto/" style="font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">spaghetti-squash-with-roasted-tomatoes-beans-almond-pesto/</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> on for size! or see below for a soup recipe to add pesto into.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">These pictures are of my basil in happier temperatures.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLPd47G3jmjkQwsq4goGahEi-n2FsS9d7noj9DQV_0QI92Diq4QDlwb_i_Yt4yZdQARWL9PofHJ1TqAsQa4e0iRoRzviBPl6lJiBUpjCxX02o9Ggcew27cEONY5xYKljC6udxTD05JyGt/s1600/IMG_6670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLPd47G3jmjkQwsq4goGahEi-n2FsS9d7noj9DQV_0QI92Diq4QDlwb_i_Yt4yZdQARWL9PofHJ1TqAsQa4e0iRoRzviBPl6lJiBUpjCxX02o9Ggcew27cEONY5xYKljC6udxTD05JyGt/s320/IMG_6670.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div style="text-align: center;">I made a bee bouquet when I dead-headed my basil, and the bees were quite thankful!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgKh291CsxkiAlR24l366hSY23ttuzeLP7jyiUH4ec2EufKx-7eG72HiLOb73yGrxt1O4oWgAF9O5CPYy2AxPmo40ST0JBkLvX1kXbQ1VTu75PmJxdLr9Zq0sn_7G-EIxJbwKir6FDGug/s1600/IMG_6671.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgKh291CsxkiAlR24l366hSY23ttuzeLP7jyiUH4ec2EufKx-7eG72HiLOb73yGrxt1O4oWgAF9O5CPYy2AxPmo40ST0JBkLvX1kXbQ1VTu75PmJxdLr9Zq0sn_7G-EIxJbwKir6FDGug/s320/IMG_6671.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">This was just from the stalks I removed when I dead-headed the basil!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTezdVMOOBefyCjsheZ9wKEcAaXbT9fWsmDceACLs_VzTAm3QKA4VfBmHdSe1lAKk4aSsl91kDcHntkG4oEsz0RLE_8L9MQb2zuPR_YetRMgAw_gYxcetWE12eudvrJz4CQZGYOpqGwqlJ/s1600/IMG_6672.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTezdVMOOBefyCjsheZ9wKEcAaXbT9fWsmDceACLs_VzTAm3QKA4VfBmHdSe1lAKk4aSsl91kDcHntkG4oEsz0RLE_8L9MQb2zuPR_YetRMgAw_gYxcetWE12eudvrJz4CQZGYOpqGwqlJ/s320/IMG_6672.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Grab the last of your basil, or visit your local farm store for the last of the basil and try this recipe!<br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Pareve Basil Pesto Ingredients (Dairy Free)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Makes 8 Servings</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount">2/3</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit">cup</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name">pine nuts</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount">4</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit">cups</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name">fresh basil leaves</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Extra virgin olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount">4</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit">cloves</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name">roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-unit">tsp</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name">salt, or more to taste</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-amount">1/2</span> <span class="wprm-recipe-ingredient-name">fresh lemon, juiced (or more to taste)</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To Make Pareve Basil Pesto (Dairy Free)</span></span></h4>
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<li><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the skillet. Stir them continuously until they’re toasted golden brown. Remove from heat.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Add toasted pine nuts to a food processor along with 4 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Pulse the nuts and leaves together into small pieces. Scrape the sides of the processor.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil along with the remaining ingredients.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Process again until the mixture becomes creamy, scraping the sides periodically, till you achieve the texture you desire.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you’d like a more liquid texture, add more olive oil by the tablespoon and continue to process till you get the texture you want. Add more salt to taste, if desired.<br /></span></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">See the full post:https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/fresh-basil-pesto/#wJdsBCWWPDDmHSUV.99</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Per serving </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: x-small;">Serving Size: 1 Serving (33g), Calories 60, Total Fat 5.6g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium, 118.2mg, Potassium 109.8mg, Total Carbs 2g, Dietary Fiber 0.6g, Protein 1.7g</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE SubHed-eHJCch hlNbBe kueIA-D eDWYpW" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-weight: 700; grid-column: 1 / -1; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.33333em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal; padding-top: 0.25rem;"><span style="font-size: large;">Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup with Pesto</span></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE SubHed-eHJCch hlNbBe kueIA-D eDWYpW" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-weight: 700; grid-column: 1 / -1; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.33333em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal; padding-top: 0.25rem;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">2 medium carrots, peeled, diced</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">1 6-8 ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">3 tablespoons water</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">6-8 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick or thin you want it</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, fresh or frozen</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, or to taste</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;"><br /></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 8 more minutes. Add green beans; and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannellini and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;"><br /></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;">While the soup is cooking, prepare the orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes depending on package directions.</div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE Description-dSowHq hlNbBe dZgHQP" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; font-size: 16px; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ InstructionGroupWrapper-hmambI jsBEoj" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ InstructionStepWrapper-gbypCB jsBEoj iibGml" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;"><div class="BaseWrap-sc-TwdDQ BaseText-fFHxRE InstructionBody-hvriqk hlNbBe bQQvIv csWnQr" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: normal; line-break: auto; line-height: 1.69em; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: normal;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5rem 0px;">Divide orzo into soup bowls. Ladle soup over the orzo. Top with about 2 tablespoons of pesto; swirl to blend. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5rem 0px;"><i>Optional</i>: Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5rem 0px;"><b>Note</b>: Cooking the orzo separately allows the orzo to stay al dente for any left-overs and not turn mushy. If you know all the soup will be consumed at the same time, you can add the orzo at the same time you add the broth. This soup is easily adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand. Some have even added extra beans and pureed them with some broth to make this soup creamy. Let me know what you think!</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.5rem 0px;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></span></span></div>
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</div></div></div></div>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-82584973490907328282021-02-06T17:15:00.010-05:002021-05-13T15:02:43.361-04:00Whole Food Plant-based Challenge!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;">Welcome to anyone new who has never read my blog before! HI!! For those of you who have in the past, It's been way too long, I know. Between some really rough emotional years of losing way too many loved ones, and then there was 2020...I mean..c'mon. But I am hoping that the blessings of quarantine (yes, I said blessings) have allowed my creative side to flourish once again. It certainly has gotten me back in the kitchen trying new recipes again. There has obviously been talk by the majority of the population about health. And because of the pandemic, many more folks have been in the kitchen cooking rather than eating out. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I encounter people who are looking to up their healthy food game, I am sometimes stunned at the lack of knowledge there is about healthy food and the fears of some people trying something new.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So I would like to introduce a Whole Food Plant-Based Challenge. This challenge will provide small steps to incorporating new, and maybe not new, foods to your menu.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Either way, I am back in the kitchen (never left, but...publicly back anyway) and hoping to share some yummy and good for you recipes from my own creations to those who I follow who inspire me. </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, onto the challenge. Maybe you’ve heard about plant-based foods and are confused as to what it is, and what it isn’t. Now throw in the term whole foods and you’re like….???</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPNI0kY5IbMnZACINIjJrvx62HuUVVz7Vxn_Ts2pER2eEV8MWr2bkpoT0p_02mHeGL-xuHa373CfPGiJyuN0UtXUH9sbdKUihqdEe9Ru9oTfxwSjKJsxo2Jst-kEa8ZIUMnnowLRalZ3m/s948/MrBeanConfused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="948" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPNI0kY5IbMnZACINIjJrvx62HuUVVz7Vxn_Ts2pER2eEV8MWr2bkpoT0p_02mHeGL-xuHa373CfPGiJyuN0UtXUH9sbdKUihqdEe9Ru9oTfxwSjKJsxo2Jst-kEa8ZIUMnnowLRalZ3m/s320/MrBeanConfused.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plant-based eating is growing more popular every year. “A<i> </i><a href="https://a0193a7b-04c0-45e2-b939-b1033d2f1ed3.filesusr.com/ugd/0c5d00_90935d6fda344991a8fc2452eb112c83.pdf"><span class="s1"><i>2018 report by food consultants Baum and Whiteman</i></span></a> showed that more than 30 percent of Americans have meat-free days, and “about 83 percent of U.S. consumers are adding plant-based foods to their diets to improve health and nutrition, while 62 percent do so for weight management.” <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A whole-food, plant-based diet lets you meet your nutritional needs by focusing on natural, minimally processed plant foods.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael Pollen, author of <b><i>Food Rules-An Eaters Manual</i></b>, says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: <i>“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>There are several major benefits to moving to plant-based nutrition, all supported by excellent science.</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>According to </i><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-a-plant-based-diet-right-for-you/"><span class="s1"><i>Cleveland Clinic</i></span></a><i>, If followed properly, a whole foods, plant-based diet maximizes nutrient intake and virtually eliminates foods that can lead to poor health outcomes. </i>following this type of diet will lower your risks of:</span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Heart disease</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hypertension (high blood pressure)</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Diabetes</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Digestive disease</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Colon and breast cancers</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Obesity</span></li></ul><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Studies also show that a plant-based diet can help to lower body weight and reduce your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the<i> </i><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/power-plant-based-diet-for-heart-health/art-20454743"><span class="s1"><i>Mayo Clinic</i></span></a> says <i>“ Investigators have studied the relationship between plant-based food intake and various ailments in many, many studies. Spoiler alert: Eating </i><b><i>more</i></b><i> fruits, vegetables and whole grains wins.”</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">So, let’s get ready to rummmmble!</span></b></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Winter has a host of fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes that are available and at the peak of their flavor during these cold months. Foods like Kale, leeks, avocados, Mandarin oranges, quinoa and black bean to name a few. And I hear you thinking… “Avocados don’t grow in my region during any season, let alone winter.” But wait! They grow in other regions of the country.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Here in the US, they come from the west coast. I live in the Midwest, where not much grows during the winter except the inches of snow on the ground, but thanks to the 21st century, just about anyone can get fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season ….somewhere.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>With that said, we are going to start this challenge with Kale!!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Everyone by now has heard of kale. This leafy green has a solid resume of health benefits. It has vitamins K, C and A and is full of good-for-you antioxidants. But besides all of these goodies, kale is very versatile too.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You can throw a handful into your morning smoothie, you can make a healthy snack with it in the form of crispy kale chips and of course eat it raw as a base or addition to a salad or fix it up into a side (Can you say sautéed kale and cranberries?? Yes please!). . But one of my favorite ways to use kale is to throw it in soups! The last 10-15 minutes of cooking time, toss in a few handful’s of stripped, chopped kale and voila! Instant added health benefit and added color too!</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I follow several authors, bloggers, and food sites that never disappoint, and recently I printed off a copy of Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup from Ali over at <a href="https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/"><span class="s1"><i>Gimme Some Oven</i></span></a><i>.</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Ali, gives options for Insta-Pot, Crock-Pot or Stove Top methods. Click on the <a href="https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/#tasty-recipes-60115"><span class="s1">Gimme Some Oven</span></a> link to see ways to cook the different methods, but I have provided the stovetop method below and the ingredients that I used. This was really yummy and definitely a keeper! Thanks Ali!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: medium;">And thanks to My Honey for the photo shoot! I've been trying to get him on Instagram for years to start showing off his pictures. If you're on IG, go show him some love at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dhowellphoto/">dhowellphoto</a>. Thanks!</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wphuonl_QH-jlqKI0oc4P7D413zejcgVv0j_DUqLovQuRv9s5Puah_3SIvatCwDEJP0fJSiOHyCUMlFQzrv4MK3u69fyLgcrZjPq-JGOHxCZGyMKOgjQooBV9SasiMfZm8OGOF-0-asf/s1280/Cozy+Autumn+Wild+Rice+Soup.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Wphuonl_QH-jlqKI0oc4P7D413zejcgVv0j_DUqLovQuRv9s5Puah_3SIvatCwDEJP0fJSiOHyCUMlFQzrv4MK3u69fyLgcrZjPq-JGOHxCZGyMKOgjQooBV9SasiMfZm8OGOF-0-asf/w566-h377/Cozy+Autumn+Wild+Rice+Soup.jpeg" width="566" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">COZY AUTUMN WILD RICE SOUP -</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="s2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">by Gimme Some Oven</span></span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6 cups vegetable stock </span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 cup uncooked wild rice*</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4 cloves garlic, minced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 medium carrots, diced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 ribs celery, diced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 small white onion, peeled and diced</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 bay leaf</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk </span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed</span></li><li class="li1" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="background-color: white; font-size: medium;">Fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper</span></li></ul><p class="p8" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 36px; text-indent: -36px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: medium; text-decoration-line: underline;">Get Cookin’</span></p><p class="p9" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 36px; min-height: 14px; text-indent: -36px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s1" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"></span><br /></span></p><ul class="ul1"><li class="li10" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><span class="s3" style="background-color: white;">Sauté the veggies. Heat an extra 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.</span></span></li><li class="li10" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><span class="s3" style="background-color: white;">Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.</span></span></li><li class="li10" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s4" style="color: #262626;"><b></b></span><span class="s3" style="background-color: white;">Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.</span></span></li><li class="li10" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s4" style="color: #262626;"><b></b></span><span class="s3" style="background-color: white;">Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed. We thought the original amount was just right!</span></span></li><li class="li10" style="font-family: Arial; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Serve warm and enjoy!</span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you make this, drop me a comment. Oh heck, drop me one even if you don't. Just say Hi!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Diggin' in the Dirt,</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Miss Mindy</span></span></div>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-9716628816015280702017-04-04T16:42:00.000-04:002017-05-24T16:44:31.594-04:00Natural Nutrition<div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
In our modern civilization, we tend to think of malnutrition as a third-world-country issue, where people suffer and die due to lack of food supply, clean water and the inability to grow sustainable crops. This is still a true and sad fact.</div>
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However, in the past fifty years science has come a long way to assist the current generations with living longer, by creating food-like substances to meet supply and demand. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">In doing this, they have also created generations that are malnourished due to decades of eating foods that are void of any type of real nutrition.</strong>Science and medicine have assisted us in living longer, but we are also dying longer due to sicknesses attributed to chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, Chron’s diseases, and cancer, just to name a few.</div>
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Nutrition is defined as the process of providing... </div>
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Read the full article <a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/natural-nutrition" target="_blank">here</a></div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-70975542020318187552016-07-03T16:18:00.003-04:002016-07-03T16:21:57.713-04:00Healthy on the Inside<h1 style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #363636; font-size: 38px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px auto 15px; padding: 4px 0px 0px;">
<a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/healthy-on-the-inside" style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.1s linear;" title="Healthy on the Inside">Healthy on the Inside</a></h1>
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Published June 28, 2016</div>
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<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm" style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #e81288; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.1s linear;" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="233" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4475/files/belly-2354_960_720_large.jpg?3899900828022257126" style="border: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); float: right; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="311" /></a>The statistics are staggering! The <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm" style="-webkit-transition: 0.1s linear; border: 0px; color: #e81288; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: 0.1s linear;" target="_blank">National Center for Health Statistics</a> shows almost 71% of all Americans are overweight and/or obese. Obesity is a serious major health problem increasing the risk in almost one out of every three Americans for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases.</div>
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Maybe you’re not obese but, like me, struggle with maintaining a healthy weight.</div>
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Read the entire article over at <a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/healthy-on-the-inside" target="_blank">Shazzy Fitness</a> where I'm a guest blogger.</div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-49843818139414242932016-06-23T12:05:00.000-04:002016-06-23T12:05:53.219-04:00Life-Giving Water <div style="border: 0px; color: #363636; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
This time of the year, many people over the world start to grow weary of all the rain spring brings. The saying “April showers bring May flowers”, a shortened phrase from a poem penned back in the early 1600’s, was a reminder that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness and joy. What we can all recognize is that water is a necessity for life to endure.</div>
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Did you know that water makes up roughly 70% of the Earth's surface? Did you also know that water makes up more than two-thirds of human body weight...</div>
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Read the entire article <a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/117148293-life-giving-water-part-1">here</a> and <a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/117176645-life-giving-water-part-2">here</a> where I am a guest blogger. ShazzyFitness.com published this in a 2-part series on May 10 and May 17 of 2016</div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-51895654243497527842016-06-23T11:54:00.003-04:002019-05-22T23:48:37.353-04:00Spring Cleaning<br />
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Spring is coming up fast! I, for one, am ready for it. The house has been closed up since late autumn; Christmas brought extra things to store and I am ready for Spring Cleaning. During this time of the year I always get excited to start purging clutter, organizing rooms and “stuff”, cleaning the house and detoxifying my body. My body needs to be cleared out from all the holiday yummies I allowed myself to have and that are now sitting heavy on my belly.</div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-family: , "helvetica neue light" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Detox is a hot word these days. </span><br />
<span style="caret-color: rgb(54, 54, 54); color: #363636; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(54, 54, 54); color: #363636; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">It was once known mostly for rehabilitation from drug and alcohol use, but more currently there are detox programs for weight loss and other various health and mental ailments. Detoxification is being used for our insides, outsides, and can be used to cleanse our mental state of mind too.</span><br />
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Detoxification is defined as the process of removing toxic substances or qualities. Our liver and kidneys are great partners in cleansing our body of unwanted toxins and foreign substances that could potentially destroy our health. When we decrease the amount of toxins we put into our bodies while at the same time supporting our bodies with the nutrients it needs to function properly, our body neutralizes and gets rid of toxins & other unwanted waste.</div>
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The tools we use to detox with depends on what our goals are, but generally most detox programs or diets utilize organic vegetables and fruits, plenty of water, and encourage getting good sleep. Some will go so far as to add body cleansing, as in sloughing off dead cells with loofahs, tongue cleansers, and sometimes exercise. Often beneficial side effects of a detox regimen include losing weight, sleeping better, healthier hair and glowing skin. That’s what we can see on the outside anyway.</div>
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<img alt="" height="243" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4475/files/Vegetable-and-fruits-cleanse_large.jpg?5653268090540794065" style="border: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); float: right; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="404" />The insides of us, where we can’t see, benefit from a detoxification as well. Our immune system gets a boost, as our bodies are better able to absorb the nutrients we give it. Often once the detoxing is done, our breath is fresher due to the elimination of toxins that had built up in our bodies which caused bad odors. Our brains become clearer as we reduce the sugars and fats that we bombard ourselves with that cause fogginess and cloud our abilities to think and act quickly. A big benefit that most of us don’t realize is the anti-aging benefits. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and the toxins we put on our skins all contribute to the aging process as they oxidize us, causing our bodies to decompose faster than intended. When eating a detoxing diet filled with anti-oxidant organic produce, the amount of free radical damage that has been done to our bodies is reduced, sort of a Spring Cleaning for our insides.</div>
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Spring Cleaning and Detoxification are both beneficial to our bodies and mental state of mind, as well as our home environment. But these are hardly new concepts. King David wrote: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10. He was asking God to detox his spirit.</div>
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<img alt="" height="279" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4475/files/Dollarphotoclub_99832137_large.jpg?5653268090540794065" style="border: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="372" />Paul, the apostle, encouraged God’s followers to prepare their bodies and their minds to be acceptable to God when he said, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” Romans 12:1-2. Paul was letting the members of the church know it was time to detox and get their bodies and minds healthy according to God’s laws.</div>
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You may wonder how to go about detoxing our spirits. The apostle John wrote: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.</div>
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As spring approaches, take time to reflect on what areas in your life need a good Spring Cleaning. Spring is the perfect time to slow down, reassess our lives, and make changes. Let’s start that detoxification process to remove the toxins in our lives and start with a clean body, mind and spirit.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4475/files/nana.and.grandpapa.heaven.9523.001_Custom_2_medium.jpg?12714721147852745146" style="border: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 51); float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 15px 20px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" /><br />Shazzy Fitness Guest Blogger Mindy Kaye is a Christian Holistic Health Coach, wife, mother and nana. She has 3 blogs: one dedicated to life in general; one for her journey during and after breast cancer; and one called <a href="http://itallbeginswithdirt.blogspot.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #e81288; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;" target="_blank">It All Begins with Dirt</a>, which is dedicated to getting back to the basics of growing and eating healthy, organic foods. Follow her on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HealthyChoicesLifestyles/?ref=hl" style="border: 0px; color: #e81288; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.1s linear;" target="_blank" title="Shazzy Fitness guest blogger Mindy Kaye's Facebook page">Healthy Choices Lifestyles</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Read the full article <a href="https://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/113183173-spring-cleaning#comments">here</a> This article was posted on ShazzyFitness.com on March 21, 2016, where I am a guest blogger</span><br />
<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-20315145819796764052015-12-13T14:09:00.000-05:002016-01-01T14:10:26.606-05:00Silent Night<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue Light', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Just hearing the familiar Christmas hymn makes me feel peaceful, doesn’t it you? When was the last time you had a silent night and slept well? In today’s fast-paced environment, we often forgo sleep to catch up on what we feel needs to get...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shazzy Fitness posted my article on their blog site where I am a guest blogger. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/70867397-silent-night" target="_blank">Read the entire article here</a>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-48123446055549919702015-11-25T23:00:00.002-05:002015-11-25T23:01:24.274-05:00The Power of Thanksgiving<br />
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Thank you</strong>. These two simple words are defined as: “An expression used when acknowledging a gift, service or compliment.” Such a short, simple phrase can produce immense feelings in both the giver and the receiver of this phrase.</div>
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Have you ever had those times when "Thank you" just didn't seem to be enough, yet, ... </div>
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Read the entire article over at <a href="http://www.shazzyfitness.com/blogs/dance-workout/64308421-the-power-of-thanksgiving" target="_blank">Shazzy Fitness</a> where I'm a guest blogger.</div>
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<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-66130096711031272092015-11-13T12:34:00.000-05:002018-09-11T19:09:35.722-04:00Almond Butter DIY <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I LOVE almond butter, and I go through it pretty quickly. I hated paying the outrageous price at the supermarket to feed my almond butter habit, but I did it anyway. I have always read about making almond butter from scratch but up until earlier this year, I had put it off. It was intimidating to me for some reason. I thought it was going to be difficult to make. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That is, until my friend Babs asked me if I had made my own almond butter yet. When I answered "No, not yet", she told me in 3 easy steps how simple it was to do. I thought to myself "Geesh, and I haven't tried this yet...why?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had to make sure I had <u><i>all</i></u> the ingredients on hand. Raw almonds. Sea salt. Check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then my food processor had to have the correct blade installed. Check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's it. I was ready!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Update!!! (2018) I have discovered that if you roast the almonds first, it gives the flavor a wonderful depth and makes the processing so much faster. Honey has told me that he wants me to always fix it this way now!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350*F</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Place the almonds on a sheet pan and spread out. Roast for 5 minutes, stir and roast for another 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool for about 10 minutes and continue the process below. It's totally worth the extra few steps and minutes for the wonderful flavor it gives the spread!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I measured out 2 1/2 cups of raw almonds, guessing the final product would fit into a recycled 12 oz jar. It did, with no room to spare. My friend Babs said she measured out 3 cups of almonds and the almond butter fit into her 16 oz jar.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4okBzh5Js1kKbcQTklMdVBTzYDlL-iGt1n0Ob8kJeRD6EhvwD1tQbnLOT40SLwcGxcq2U4O5on8vJ5CbseXgjJsyhCwHuD2n9ZJ2rMdpQAm9koCzwosrUFZCNVuLSR-UOywaBwWegB48j/s1600/Almond+Butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4okBzh5Js1kKbcQTklMdVBTzYDlL-iGt1n0Ob8kJeRD6EhvwD1tQbnLOT40SLwcGxcq2U4O5on8vJ5CbseXgjJsyhCwHuD2n9ZJ2rMdpQAm9koCzwosrUFZCNVuLSR-UOywaBwWegB48j/s400/Almond+Butter.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next I began processing the almonds. BE WARNED, the first several seconds are hard on the ears when the almonds hit the plastic bowl as they swirl around. But take heart, the noise settles very quickly and soon it begins to purr. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once it starts to look like crumbs, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. I added about a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt the second time I made this, and I liked it better. It really brought out a good flavor. But this is optional.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5dtpw56cmN9TTBmB7olwaUsyeKXRT11gSbP6jT2iZITaMFMbvDgaYchqmWFPKO6hemvTm8BjGWVS6ZjHsOyafEjbn1gn6avwCD5ajc2zm3TMzkztOWTWdvlIohoZ7_UX9S6IUs3Wrod6/s1600/Almond+Butter-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5dtpw56cmN9TTBmB7olwaUsyeKXRT11gSbP6jT2iZITaMFMbvDgaYchqmWFPKO6hemvTm8BjGWVS6ZjHsOyafEjbn1gn6avwCD5ajc2zm3TMzkztOWTWdvlIohoZ7_UX9S6IUs3Wrod6/s400/Almond+Butter-2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Within just a few minutes the crumbs start forming a ball. Stop the machine again and break the ball apart. This step is probably not necessary, but it allows the motor to cool just a tad.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4UlyHphzZDLtjc6sEBwFtyKoKoW7df6dZGViJOJIYzgbbdYDXiCfuMSilY1OAe-hACGibDN52FyosKKXK7CORTJrXWHydjtdIOAq9ujGva8pnv206wOodJaWr30pJGqKIqqTlAmmbDYN/s1600/Almond+Butter-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4UlyHphzZDLtjc6sEBwFtyKoKoW7df6dZGViJOJIYzgbbdYDXiCfuMSilY1OAe-hACGibDN52FyosKKXK7CORTJrXWHydjtdIOAq9ujGva8pnv206wOodJaWr30pJGqKIqqTlAmmbDYN/s400/Almond+Butter-3.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Within just a few more minutes, the ball becomes the spread! Continue processing this until you get a nice smooth consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally. Remove the blade and scrape out the butter into a clean, recycled jar or container of your choice. This entire process took maybe 15 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoy right away on a piece of bread, or however you enjoy any type of nut butter. You can also use it in the any smoothie recipe. I've provided one of my favorite smoothie recipes below. S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tore the remaining almond butter in the refrigerator.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoUowkrXxatObwPUl4Hrlq139688R1fIaGEVT_BLzDQxhDeP86v0Dqw-HURowiGA9uh9s4YKVH9ueDvjI3qO6y2DT3zNVE6i0KmlTp1ADCclZSDjSFtwXBL5GpIj7NAysezCvE9ECAdtu/s1600/Almond+Butter-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoUowkrXxatObwPUl4Hrlq139688R1fIaGEVT_BLzDQxhDeP86v0Dqw-HURowiGA9uh9s4YKVH9ueDvjI3qO6y2DT3zNVE6i0KmlTp1ADCclZSDjSFtwXBL5GpIj7NAysezCvE9ECAdtu/s400/Almond+Butter-5.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 cup of original unsweetened almond milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 - 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon ground flax seed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder,or unsweetened Dutch cocoa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tablespoon of Dandy Blend, OR 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, OR 1/4 teaspoon coffee extract. Optional, but recommended if you really like coffee flavor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3-4 ice cubes**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*I use Plant Fusion Vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">** I freeze left-over coffee into cubes, then use these in my smoothies</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My son dehydrates kale for me from his organic garden, so I will often add a tablespoon of dried kale to my smoothies. You can use fresh, or any other kind of green complex if desired. This is totally optional, but a good way to get in some greens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and process just until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!</span></div>
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The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-14119786967490473722015-03-29T02:59:00.000-04:002015-11-06T10:50:16.691-05:00From Trash to Treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hang on! Don't throw away your kitchen scraps!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This concept isn't new by any means, but I was asked by my sister-in-law to post this little treasure that comes from what you normally throw into your trash. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait, before you shake your head and move onto the next blog, hear me out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I use vegetable broth all...the...time. And it gets EXPENSIVE! At almost $4.00 for 4 cups of broth, I get all kinds of savings when I make my own! I've read recipes where they have you use whole, good produce to make broth, Sure when you are done cooking the vegetables you get some good tasting broth, but you end up throwing away all those veggies that turned into a pile of mush. It always seemed like such a waste, so I only ever did that a few times. But wait....!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know those end pieces, onion skins and peelings that you cut away from the good stuff then throw them in your trash or hopefully your compost pile? Well stop that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take a minute to wash up all your vegetables before you go cutting on them. Then peel and cut away. Just don't discard the scraps.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfTCxLftNtlApb1p0gs-zLff5W_LrRpA6s-eINZPlTGlDnO93ldKqT6lIeotS4ZNMi8aiLa8hGejNLU3IDHRwcgq9-0NLcJdSsz6abDyXfN1UHhX0Fi0fR3Wpie8P3tbGBfZeyWMwP9qW/s1600/Broth-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfTCxLftNtlApb1p0gs-zLff5W_LrRpA6s-eINZPlTGlDnO93ldKqT6lIeotS4ZNMi8aiLa8hGejNLU3IDHRwcgq9-0NLcJdSsz6abDyXfN1UHhX0Fi0fR3Wpie8P3tbGBfZeyWMwP9qW/s1600/Broth-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead, put them in a gallon sized plastic storage bag, and throw it in your freezer. Every time you fix yourself some veggies, add them to the bag. Keep doing that until your bag is full.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1qnja5q-IicKFl1q2qqr8P3rDMEo6PhBmHvxG5nOGesyrFaMumU2yvAN4tqf1bMjf1B2QtoivxDK-1ZZojwpafFrsRjxqHZZabRU-dA3NjsB1m7ezkGoD3DE4MXs9_iaqcURq3l-YFgH/s1600/Broth-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1qnja5q-IicKFl1q2qqr8P3rDMEo6PhBmHvxG5nOGesyrFaMumU2yvAN4tqf1bMjf1B2QtoivxDK-1ZZojwpafFrsRjxqHZZabRU-dA3NjsB1m7ezkGoD3DE4MXs9_iaqcURq3l-YFgH/s1600/Broth-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you get a bag or two full (depending on the size of your pot), pull out a stock pot and dump that scrap heap in and add water and whatever seasonings you like. For this batch I added several bay leaves, peppercorns, some thyme and some capers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each batch is a little different depending on what you have in it and how much of it. Your winter batch will taste different than your summer batch. (I love the addition of tomato scraps!) This batch had onions layers, celery ends, garlic ends, carrot pieces and peels, white and sweet potato peelings, kale stems, asparagus and broccoli stalks, cauliflower centers and who knows what else. Okay, ...well I do.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYskl4uGOgfkg4NIgkwHnPQojLNRhjnhWYUeqkL-JvVDDKtdEv88kJgsL9HyNItEr8iELrx1txky3PjEBfq4Vy7gMJVgzSow-QS1f8VijQ0QZZBm8xTaSqbfOUeXR22kIH5nHzx7O-YQR7/s1600/Broth-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYskl4uGOgfkg4NIgkwHnPQojLNRhjnhWYUeqkL-JvVDDKtdEv88kJgsL9HyNItEr8iELrx1txky3PjEBfq4Vy7gMJVgzSow-QS1f8VijQ0QZZBm8xTaSqbfOUeXR22kIH5nHzx7O-YQR7/s1600/Broth-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fill up your stock pot with water all the way to the top and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer, pretty much most of the day. It makes your house smell awesome! You can skimp on the time and the variety of produce, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did it once that way and the broth was very pale and the flavor was very light. Let it simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, It will reduce somewhat, but it should end up a beautiful amber color. Once you are satisfied with the taste and color take it off the heat and let it cool. Then strain it, and ladle it into containers and freeze. I always keep some out in the fridge to use right away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is the finished product. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcWNbUn6JDN8xgrA8szLd9Xg3XAD6TxWb9cskP2tp4KQhWc01wvQDy3gQbEnywUJshp0plfgBjoLy8aIVL8IxVgs7CGsNoZ-EkFIcUhMtbLGISP1iPPoYZNQEB-BQ6_bEZn4xQH8hdquH/s1600/Broth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLcWNbUn6JDN8xgrA8szLd9Xg3XAD6TxWb9cskP2tp4KQhWc01wvQDy3gQbEnywUJshp0plfgBjoLy8aIVL8IxVgs7CGsNoZ-EkFIcUhMtbLGISP1iPPoYZNQEB-BQ6_bEZn4xQH8hdquH/s1600/Broth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ended up with about 39 cups of broth out of this batch. If I bought all of that, it would have cost me about $39.00 USD, but instead it was FREE! And when I am all done, I take the strained mushy veggie scraps to the compost pile. It's a win-win for me and the dirt! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope you make up a beautiful batch of broth soon. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks to my honey for taking the photos for me! See more of what he does over at <a href="http://davidjhowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Photography Musings by Dave</a>.</span></div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-25127168956304255932015-03-21T22:55:00.001-04:002015-11-13T13:20:35.516-05:00It All Begins with Dirt<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This post will be a little
different from what I normally post on this site. Bear with me; I'm going to
attempt a homework assignment for school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started this blog after
beginning to research nutrition and the way it affects our bodies. In case you
didn't know, I am a breast cancer survivor who was totally perplexed on how it
was that I came to get cancer in the first place. I was, after all, relatively
healthy; not overweight, not a smoker, drinker or druggie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a child, I was raised mostly on home
grown food, both from the garden and our barn. I had all the “right” things
going for me, and none of the bad. The only risk factor on the list I could
check off was that I was Caucasian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So how did I get cancer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I started researching, one of
the main things I could figure out, that I could control anyway, was the food I
was eating and it's affects on my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a very short time frame I became a vegetarian, and then a vegan. Now
I eat mostly a plant-based diet, occasionally eating fish when I'm too</span>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><s>lazy
</s> busy</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to fix a complete meal. Eating plant based is more work than fixing
chicken or beef every night and throwing a potato and some peas and carrots on
the side and calling it a meal. Eating mostly plants requires a little more
planning to make sure I get in all the nutrients I need. When I don’t do it
correctly, my body lets me know about it, and then… out comes the fish for a
quick lazy fix to help pump in some of what I need. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not a perfect diet, but I try to stay balanced in both
what I eat and how I think about eating. I don’t want to be “that” fanatic whom
everyone avoids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I’ve stated before on this
blog, I’m not out to convert anyone to become a vegan or vegetarian, although
there are plenty of good reasons I could give you that might get you to consider
a plant-based diet. What I do want to accomplish is not only sharing good
tasting healthy recipes, but also give you good solid reasons for choosing the
best of what you put on your and your family’s plates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to Compassion in World
Farming, 2 out of every 3 farm animals in the world are now factory farmed 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might ask “What is factory farming?”. A factory farm is <span style="color: #1a2935;">a “farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors
in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost”</span> (Merriam-Webster Dictonary.com)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why does that matter?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I won’t go into the horrific and inhumane practices and
conditions in factory farming. That would just be cruel to you. If you’re ready
to feel disgusted and violently ill, just look up factory farming on the
Internet and click on any link. I won’t do that to you here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But turning a blind eye to this doesn’t just prevent you
from wanting to puke, it prevents you from staying healthy. It prevents you
from making the best food choices you can in order to prevent disease in your
own body in the now or near future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you choose to eat meat, then please, know where it comes from and
what it is fed. After all, you are what you eat and what they ate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pork, ‘the other white meat’ comes from pigs that are forced
to live in a space no bigger than their own bodies and lie or stand in their
own feces. “So”, you say, “I am not into animal rights.” That’s ok. I can’t
really say that I am “into” animal rights either, but you still need to be concerned.
“Why?” you ask, because this unsanitary practice actually makes the pigs sick.2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All animals are routinely shot up with
antibiotics to help control these sicknesses due to their unsanitary
surroundings, but then those same antibiotics are passed onto you. And oh,
yeah, those sick animals provided they don’t die before they are butchered, are
still slaughtered and put on your local grocers meat rack. Those that do die
before they are butchered are chopped up and put into your pets' food. Check
your pets’ food label for ‘bypass protein’, which translates to dead animal
remains, not butchered, dead first. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I won’t go on and on about all the different animals and how
they are treated and what they are treated with. But please know that factory
farming is a big bucks business where the “product” is forced to grow fast
using antibiotics and growth hormones to get on to your grocer in record
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that ‘stuff’ that goes
into that animal goes into you too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The factory farmed meat is fatter, sicker and full of drugs
which is passed onto you, causing early physical development in our children,
heart disease, cancer and other diseases that could be prevented.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So to circle back around to my title, It All Begins with
Dirt, when we grow or know where our food is grown, we are much better off. You
may not have the resources to grow your own vegetables or raise your own meat
in your back yard, but there are people around who can and do raise food that
is free of pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones. These same people work
with the seasons and allow their animals to eat the way they were meant to
eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chickens eat grass,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> seeds and
insects. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunI9sqOljTR5DPLE4qnTrwuTaLvfpa7S8t-MxF1tDIwFqaHu8I-QINrVjZTKoy2HhxtIKWb2crYqqMlms7MN_Ru1Lqo9oc7_bL6PBQj-OGF_-RsAT-6y9Zarvc7S1uvUxsMjuXA1X2ILE/s1600/chickens-tilling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunI9sqOljTR5DPLE4qnTrwuTaLvfpa7S8t-MxF1tDIwFqaHu8I-QINrVjZTKoy2HhxtIKWb2crYqqMlms7MN_Ru1Lqo9oc7_bL6PBQj-OGF_-RsAT-6y9Zarvc7S1uvUxsMjuXA1X2ILE/s1600/chickens-tilling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cows will graze on grass, love and sunshine. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXscjyAEMuh-ujfEMmZQuebjum2s8tbe3fmJOxJGdiD68lU4tOsnveUHsmTNSe9AgYIIV8UJF2Cp2nOmhLpAJXav4eM3CZS3foovl2LQEHNsVu-Uf3SzA91XiRKAtVMcxpYElKHtzBe8z/s1600/momma+and+baby+cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXscjyAEMuh-ujfEMmZQuebjum2s8tbe3fmJOxJGdiD68lU4tOsnveUHsmTNSe9AgYIIV8UJF2Cp2nOmhLpAJXav4eM3CZS3foovl2LQEHNsVu-Uf3SzA91XiRKAtVMcxpYElKHtzBe8z/s1600/momma+and+baby+cow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And pigs love to eat grass, root for bugs
and get treated with garden scraps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvdTgHKoQ6VeD8V8RFFN6L6qK9SSjkyTqJC6sFwjxqcKJ9FsmOGy1XyzCz0SSD6vOJtFP2sBKXEOGqLvEa_1WjvyEs_eZsjBcd98MWsKJ7ImIVdRIBfmQZ_RoCBlojLlQ3hqQ4sgIptgg/s1600/happy-pigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvdTgHKoQ6VeD8V8RFFN6L6qK9SSjkyTqJC6sFwjxqcKJ9FsmOGy1XyzCz0SSD6vOJtFP2sBKXEOGqLvEa_1WjvyEs_eZsjBcd98MWsKJ7ImIVdRIBfmQZ_RoCBlojLlQ3hqQ4sgIptgg/s1600/happy-pigs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These animals are growing at a normal growth rate, in the sunshine,
eating what God meant them to eat. If you choose to eat meat, eat meat that ate
what it was supposed to eat in order for your body to benefit in the best way
it can. Dirt supports grass for the animals to graze
and the crops to grow. When we do it right from the ground up, we’ll all be
much happier and healthier for it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are a just a few resources to look at if you are
interested in learning more about what and what not to put on your plate. There
is much, much more on the topic if you choose to look. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10728/5-reasons-why-you-should-never-eat-factory-farmed-meat.html" target="_blank">MindyBodyGreen.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/factsheet/food-safety-consequences-of-factory-farms/" target="_blank">Food and Water Watch.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://madcowboy.com/01_AboutPS.000.html" target="_blank">madcowboy.com</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://localharvest.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LocalHarvest.com</span></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #a6a6a6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> 1. </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #a6a6a6;">Lymbery, Philip. "Facts and Figures." Compassion in
World Farming, 2012. Web Accessed through <a href="http://www.dosomething.org/"><span style="color: #a6a6a6;">www.dosomething.org</span></a> March 21, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #a6a6a6;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> 2. </span></span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: #a6a6a6;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wing,
Steve. “University of North Carolina “Pig poop fouling North Carolina streams;
state permitting questioned.”
Environmental Health Sciences, 2013 Web accessed March 21, 2015. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-85209113189927326432015-02-22T13:09:00.001-05:002015-02-22T14:17:42.699-05:00Lunch in a Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been absent way too long. I've been so busy and pre-occupied with school and life that I confess I have lost my creative touch. I still spend plenty of time in the kitchen, but I haven't, until recently, created any new meals in a very long time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've made many "new" meals from the numerous cookbooks that I own, along with Pinterest recipes and other bloggers recipes, but I haven't had the gumption to create my own, let along post anything here. Until just recently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, I posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155034245465181&set=ms.c.eJwzNDA0NTUwNjEztQAyDC0M9QyhIkYmpiYWBugiZshqjE1NjQzMQSIA~%3BPsOJQ~-~-.bps.a.10152214813535181.932589.659925180&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pictures of a salad I made for lunch and I stacked and packed more of the same in jars for the remainder of the week. It was such a hit, I thought I would share another version (with decent photos) here on It All Begins with Dirt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These jars are simple to make and keep fresh for a week in the fridge when stacked properly. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNkuyyl7OgFoQmzDem28QDULlakJB0lCdZBNGO0pdGl9_WPokxtAbwQyGhZ0NMqATrJPTuBycwvuMgEY9SeNVkJqFd9COtDJpMJT8TtUyRKUxwBlqOL5eA70pYNSLWwKRk1JN5ARDesFR/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNkuyyl7OgFoQmzDem28QDULlakJB0lCdZBNGO0pdGl9_WPokxtAbwQyGhZ0NMqATrJPTuBycwvuMgEY9SeNVkJqFd9COtDJpMJT8TtUyRKUxwBlqOL5eA70pYNSLWwKRk1JN5ARDesFR/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0256.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start with your favorite dressing on the bottom of a quart mason jar. For this salad, I made my own Tahini Lemon dressing and used about 1 1/2 TB in the bottom of each jar. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxo_pXCalnNK2EQ4IOp3Fo138r8pu1rel6XuuDeGjbG_cuopMiH0bOFNRw6x5w-1X_I1FN7dfxPR2mI5FznnL9rI_0V9NrAXZKMsH1lDvS3y-GVprST2zAEUT7nz5do07LLkXXXfo5sOR/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxo_pXCalnNK2EQ4IOp3Fo138r8pu1rel6XuuDeGjbG_cuopMiH0bOFNRw6x5w-1X_I1FN7dfxPR2mI5FznnL9rI_0V9NrAXZKMsH1lDvS3y-GVprST2zAEUT7nz5do07LLkXXXfo5sOR/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0250.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From there you'll want to add the chunky veggies. I added about 1/3 cup of each of: broccoli, carrots, and chickpeas. Shake these down as you go so it all fits in the jar. Then I added (still about 1/3 cup each) layers of mixed red and white quinoa, chopped red bell peppers, peas, chopped dried apricot, pumpkin seeds and then topped it off with as much greens as I could stuff down. If you don't like, or don't have these veggies, use what you have or like. It's very versatile.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGdNNStXxCXkP4K93S87B5QRyJfcCjXNiSA6gNJqFCU72iv-89MXXZUz-h27qsCEiuJ0maO26YxQexbBo2mBrT36HeYN5gkg78ZWTzm0hNn-maBRjznYIyP6365CTAT-PWSrye4qJt8hX/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGdNNStXxCXkP4K93S87B5QRyJfcCjXNiSA6gNJqFCU72iv-89MXXZUz-h27qsCEiuJ0maO26YxQexbBo2mBrT36HeYN5gkg78ZWTzm0hNn-maBRjznYIyP6365CTAT-PWSrye4qJt8hX/s1600/Soup+in+a+Jar-0263.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once it's all in there, top it with a lid and store them in the refrigerator. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are so easy to grab and go by themselves, or pack in a lunch bag or box. When you're ready to eat, shake the jar really good to get all that dressing all over everything and dump into a bowl, or eat it directly out of the jar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use your favorite recipe for Lemon-Tahini Dressing or here's one that I used:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dressing</span></div>
<ul style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">½ cup <span style="font-style: inherit;">tahini</span></span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">¾ cup water</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lemon, juiced (about 2 or 3 tbsp)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large garlic cloves, minced</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tb Nutritional Yeast (optional, but recommended)</span></li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-position: 0px 50%; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: disc inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 10px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add this to a high-speed blender (like a NutriBullet) or whisk together until smooth. Keep any remaining in a glass jar in the fridge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experiment with different layers and dressings. The possibilities are endless!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taco salad with salsa on the bottom, then layers of guacamole, tomato,onion, peppers, corn, black beans, and spinach, topped with brown rice tortilla cut into pieces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asian salad with honey ginger dressing on the bottom layered with mandarin oranges, red cabbage, bean sprouts, sliced carrots, broccoli, red bell peppers, water chestnuts, snap peas and romaine lettuce, topped with sliced almonds and sesame seeds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anti pasta salad with Italian Dressing, pasta, artichokes, black/green olives, roasted red pepper, chickpeas and endive with romaine lettuce, topped with pine nuts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are just a few ideas. Have fun coming up with more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo credits to Dave Howell at<a href="http://davidjhowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Photography Musings by Dave</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6710566778635054643" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6710566778635054643" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-32654481532161061322014-06-23T22:00:00.001-04:002014-06-23T23:08:13.610-04:00Meatless Monday - Quick and Easy Fajita's!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Welcome to the 41st installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</div>
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My apologies for being absent for so long. I promise, I've been eating meatless on Monday's and pretty much every day of the week for going on one and half years now. But lately my creative juices have been almost non-existent. That, plus I have a few new cookbooks that I've been trying out and using new recipes from. </div>
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With that said, I wanted to share with you all the quickest, easiest and most tasty "recipe" I've made recently without a recipe. I was in the mood for Mexican food, had fresh colored sweet peppers from Costco (2 of each color) that I knew would need using soon AND a new hot pepper plant that I acquired from the farmers market had a pepper ready to harvest that I was anxious to try. </div>
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I sliced up some onion, half of each color of bell pepper, opened a can of black beans, rinsed and drained them and used some brown rice I had in the freezer (I'm totally digging making a big batch of rice and any type of beans, lentils lately, and freezing up 2 cup portions ready for anything). I added about 1 tsp of <a href="http://www.mywildtree.com/shop/catalog.aspx" target="_blank">Wildtree's Chipotle Lime Rub</a> in the onion/pepper mix. I heated up the bean and rice, adding the Golden Cayenne pepper I harvested from the plant I bought at the farmers market. I used low-carb tortillas to wrap all this up along with freshly chopped romaine lettuce. </div>
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Water or oil sauté the onions and peppers together. You can add green peppers if you want, but I am not a fan of the green ones. If you don't have the Wildtree blend, add chipotle pepper and about a tsp of fresh lime juice.<br />
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I heated the rice and beans with a little water and that awesome Golden Cayenne pepper. If you don't have rice made up ahead of time, just add the beans and pepper to freshly cooked brown rice at the end of the cooking cycle for the rice.</div>
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Lay out a low carb tortilla (or any tortilla of your choice), add about 1/2 cup of the rice/bean mixture to the center of the tortilla. Add a generous portion of onions and peppers, top with ribbons of romaine lettuce (any lettuce, except iceberg works here). Serve with a side of fruit and ¡es facilisimo!<br />
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<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-10801407908998747212014-04-15T22:14:00.000-04:002014-04-15T22:15:31.136-04:00Meatless Monday - Quick Savory Marinara Sauce and Quinoa Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Welcome to the 40th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if it's been the long winter or... what it is, but I have been lacking tremendously in the creativity department lately. In case you didn't notice, I haven't posted anything original in quite some time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I followed a detox diet very recently where there was a menu to follow, so all the cooking I did was solely from recipes. (I felt great, and lost weight though. See more about that <a href="http://howellblessings.blogspot.com/2014/03/detox-journey-end-of-week-one.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://howellblessings.blogspot.com/2014/03/detox-journey-end-of-week-2.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://howellblessings.blogspot.com/2014/03/end-of-detox-journey.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) Since I'm not following the detox diet anymore, (although I still fix some of those delicious recipes) I am back to trying to figure out what to fix each night. It was nice having a menu plan where someone (in this case a book) was telling me what to fix each night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night I wanted something quick and easy, and thought pasta with marinara sounded easy. However, just plain marinara isn't that nutritious, so I began pulling out vegetables from my crisper drawer and started chopping. I didn't think to write them down, but know that just about any vegetable you have would work as an addition to marinara. Once I chopped them, I then sautéed them in a little bit of olive oil, starting with the firmer veggies and adding the softer veggies at the very end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The vegetables I used were: Onion, leek, garlic, carrot, celery, tomato, zucchini, fire-roasted frozen mushrooms, and kale. I added freshly frozen basil and dried oregano once all the veggies were softened.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXlUaMvyBicurnB2Gw32WjnKE1aXweXssM7DDKvKfN8qn5BTi7fvBUmu_x1GaiHVj8mx-_yIzwDGkPAUnB86i-cBSIx5vKI6hYl7WpwwyQMtWIlbe-2oZTlYGuyA09X6LwdpeCj2UDAkZ/s1600/DAV_4171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXlUaMvyBicurnB2Gw32WjnKE1aXweXssM7DDKvKfN8qn5BTi7fvBUmu_x1GaiHVj8mx-_yIzwDGkPAUnB86i-cBSIx5vKI6hYl7WpwwyQMtWIlbe-2oZTlYGuyA09X6LwdpeCj2UDAkZ/s1600/DAV_4171.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the veggies were soft, I added the jarred marinara sauce. I used Prego, but use whatever your favorite brand is. Add some pepper and a little salt, mix well and let simmer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq_-_q6Vu6gVHPhE6vxvOl3Jf34U81bX8cpIgAFUK6i0vxK01NdXnAWBLcYJ_ViCvxSEw_GuXsgnuApE34cB8PWWJU3wSjuap3OVAr_eOW0amDNEuH-Dih7evmYZKVljUoBMNqGpgkall/s1600/DAV_4173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq_-_q6Vu6gVHPhE6vxvOl3Jf34U81bX8cpIgAFUK6i0vxK01NdXnAWBLcYJ_ViCvxSEw_GuXsgnuApE34cB8PWWJU3wSjuap3OVAr_eOW0amDNEuH-Dih7evmYZKVljUoBMNqGpgkall/s1600/DAV_4173.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the marinara sauce was simmering (which allowed that lovely vegetable medley to meld nicely into the jarred sauce), I boiled some quinoa pasta. With that going, I heated up some peas and carrots in the microwave and made garlic bread out of some "needed to be used up" ciabatta rolls. The vegetables and the quinoa pasta added the nutrients this meal would have been missing otherwise. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Did you know that kale and peas are just a few of the highest protein sources in green vegetables? Coupled with the quinoa pasta, this meal turned out to be a savory and nutritious meal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For dessert ...slices of fresh cantaloupe. Yummmm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yay for fast food!</span></div>
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<a href="http://davidjhowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Photos by Dave Howell</a>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-77394154716122681902014-04-10T22:53:00.000-04:002014-04-15T22:17:10.688-04:00Things Are Growing On Around Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Spring has finally arrived in NE Ohio and there are lot's of things growin' on around here! After a LONG hard winter, the earth is stretching and pushing up green things all around.</div>
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Japanese Iris</div>
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Lemon mint</div>
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Daffodils</div>
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Chives</div>
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Old Fashioned Iris (and other varieties)</div>
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Rose of Sharon</div>
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Magic Lilly</div>
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Strawberries</div>
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And scallions (better known as green onions)</div>
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We got our first snow in October of 2013 and our last snow (or I hope so), in March of 2014. That's a long 6 months of snow and cold temperatures that these plants have hibernated through (as well as us humans!). Now we are experiencing those famous April showers and green is popping up all around.<br />
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What's growin' on around your home?<br />
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The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-39871649926676052802014-02-25T00:28:00.000-05:002014-02-25T00:28:29.976-05:00Meatless Monday - Mushroom Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Glaze<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 39th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been reading the Virgin Diet book by JJ Virgin. In this book, she relays how there are certain "healthy" foods that trigger several physical symptoms such as fatigue and joint discomfort, among others things, that also cause us to gain weight or not be able to lose weight. She recommends cutting out 7 healthy foods that tend to lead to food sensitivities for most folks. She recommends detoxing for 21 days to allow our bodies to heal, then slowly reintroduce these foods back into our diets, one at a time to see if our bodies react negatively to them. Then, of course, if we do, we should cut these out of our diets completely. I definitely have been holding onto weight for a few years now and even though I eat meatless (not just on Monday's either!), I still can't seem to shake the weight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, you can read about my 21 day detox journey <a href="http://howellblessings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a> where I share more, but I am thrilled that for once a diet plan actually considers that there just might be people who want to try a diet that are vegetarians. JJ Virgin actually has menu plans for vegetarians, not just meat eaters! Thank you JJ!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are the meatless recipes I tried out tonight. A lentil loaf with home made, and very tasty, BBQ sauce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*Mushroom Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Glaze</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Serves 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 TB chia seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups organic dry, sprouted green lentils (such as TruRoots)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[Note: I did not have sprouted lentils, but used black lentils]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 TB olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small onion, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 celery stalks, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 garlic cloves, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp chopped fresh thyme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp ground coriander</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup gluten-free oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp coconut aminos (replaces soy sauce)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup All-Purpose Finger-Lickin-Good Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 3 inch overhang on each side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the chia seeds with the water in a small bowl and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook the lentils according to the package directions for a tender texture. (you should end up with about 4 cups)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme and coriander and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place 3 cups of the lentils in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add the pureed lentils, and the remaining whole lentils to the bowl containing the mushroom mixture. Stir in the oats, chia seed mixture, coconut aminos, salt and pepper; mix well. Firmly press the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Spread the top with the barbecue sauce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake until the loaf is firm and browned around the edges, 48-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then lift the loaf out of the pan, using the foil overhang as handles, and transfer it to a cutting board. Cool for an additional 20 minutes. Slice the loaf with a serrated knife and serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*All-Purpose Finger-Lickin'-Good Barbecue Sauce</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Makes 3 cups</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (28 oz) can organic crushed tomatoes and it's juices</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 TB chili powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 TB smoked paprika</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 TB monk fruit extract (replaces sugar)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp coconut aminos (replaces soy sauce)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp ground cumin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp garlic powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp allspice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp ground black pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is very thick, 20-22 minutes. Remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>*Recipes from The Virgin Diet Cookbook</b></span></div>
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The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-14583503158268606862014-02-17T23:08:00.000-05:002014-03-15T09:19:24.597-04:00Meatless Monday - Chickpea Cherry Salad<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 38th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been on hiatus for awhile, visiting with friends and family out of state, and doing some sewing at a lodge in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. All fun and enjoyable, but it doesn't allow for much computer time. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad. I can tell you that it's nice to not have to come up with something to eat every day, and let others cook for you. On the other hand, wow do I feel heavy! I was so appreciative of every ones good cooking and it was all good stuff, but I'm glad I don't eat like that all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still winter here in NE Ohio. We have about a foot of snow on the ground and currently we are beginning to get what is supposed to be another good snow storm. This snow will last throughout the night adding another 3-6 inches to what we have already. (sigh)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been eating cold-weather comfort food all winter, and I LOVE that. All that "stick-to-your-ribs" type food, Mmmmm, what's not to love? I've noticed though, just recently, that each day, the sun stays in the sky a few minutes longer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, technically the sun is above the horizon longer, but here in the Cleveland area we have to imagine REAL hard that it's shining on us most days during winter. But I digress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think my body is gearing up for longer, warmer days because I had an odd craving this evening. I wanted a salad. I know what you're thinking...weirdo.....right? Who wants salad in the winter time? Well, I had just bought some Napa Cabbage at the store this weekend, but was low on the traditional salad fixings we typically use during warmer weather. However, I had an email recently that had a recipe with an unusual list of ingredients, and I thought.... why not throw some of those together, mix it with my cabbage and see what we get.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so glad I did.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhEMFwJT2uwu98ZM8W4zgRKIkJ62hOj-6bYDLiKmY1wzi73i6qB11b6g-GMWCGGX-n5yHgnexVHuCM8HFbsppMWiasu8SnQVMn2hhcWlfaWpc3cPgIPusTc5hBzqIRtYItXAWVPzgBHzf/s1600/DAV_1908-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhEMFwJT2uwu98ZM8W4zgRKIkJ62hOj-6bYDLiKmY1wzi73i6qB11b6g-GMWCGGX-n5yHgnexVHuCM8HFbsppMWiasu8SnQVMn2hhcWlfaWpc3cPgIPusTc5hBzqIRtYItXAWVPzgBHzf/s1600/DAV_1908-3.jpg" height="416" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chickpea Cherry Salad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 11oz can mandarin oranges, drained </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4-5 green onion, sliced going into the green</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup dried tart cherries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup pecans, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4-6 leaves of Napa cabbage, chiffinade </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(or bok choy would work too, or kale, or....)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 TB candied or fresh ginger, minced (I used candied tonight)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional, but recommended, yum!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*******</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 TB apple-cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 TB olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 TB dried parsley</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDlDROMLeVMECZu5CfdwfNNlvrtXLQjDLzlLSREbGKQzqnZLRsKB5eR6_6drB6lf5NTvlSrOgoZ0n3uXlCGw-My4p_sf68TuYXAhbeG26fYidWbolm4rSlTpUjij_HfYHsQLm12A5WEtT/s1600/DAV_1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDlDROMLeVMECZu5CfdwfNNlvrtXLQjDLzlLSREbGKQzqnZLRsKB5eR6_6drB6lf5NTvlSrOgoZ0n3uXlCGw-My4p_sf68TuYXAhbeG26fYidWbolm4rSlTpUjij_HfYHsQLm12A5WEtT/s1600/DAV_1909.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the ingredients together from the top of the list (from the chickpeas to the jalapeño). Give it a good toss to mix it all together. Then mix the oil, vinegar, parsley, salt and pepper to taste and drizzle over the salad and toss again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll want to eat all this up in one sitting. It should feed 3-4, but with just the two of us, we had very little left over. If you need to store any left-overs, make sure to drain off the excess juices before refrigerating it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This meatless main dish salad is packed with nutrient dense carbs, plenty of fiber and protein, and the ginger can help reduce inflammation while calming your stomach. All that aside, it just plain tastes good! I hope you enjoy it. I know we did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to my honey for capturing these great shots of the salad. See more of what he does over at his <a href="http://davidjhowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">blog</span></a>.</span></div>
<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-13926190796883890042014-01-14T22:45:00.000-05:002014-02-17T22:13:24.439-05:00Meatless Monday with Mindy - Fast Food Pierogi's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the 37th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</div>
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It's hard to believe that it's already halfway through January 2014! It's been busy already this month with 2 birthday past and 2 more coming up as early as the 15th! (Happy Birthday to my Honey!).<br />
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I love to cook, but I must confess, there are days I just don't want to. Monday was one of "those" days this week. I still wanted something fresh but I didn't want to chop and cook everything from scratch. So began my search. I went to our overstock freezer and began sorting and shuffling bags of frozen goodies. I came across a partially used bag of frozen potato pierogies and thought, hmmm, what would taste good with potato pierogies? Well, duh! Onions for sure! What else do I have? I always want to add greens to any meal I make. Broccoli sounded good. As I continued to shuffle around bags of goodies, I came across a small bag of fire-roasted mushrooms. Ahhhh, that was PERFECT! Mushroom and onions go good with just about anything. There was the basis for my fast food meal.<br />
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I took all these bags of frozen goodness upstairs and begin the dumping process. Oh, but first I did thickly slice onions. I then saute'd the onions and mushrooms in about a tablespoon of Wildtree's <a href="http://shop.wildtree.com/catalog/cfProduct_Detail.cfm?p=10769" target="_blank">Smoky Bacon flavor grapeseed</a> oil (don't worry, no pigs were harmed in the making of this oil). Once the onions begin to go transparent and the mushrooms began to heat through, I added the pierogies. Although this sounded good enough, I knew I was going to need more protein as I skipped lunch and my body was needing the added nutrients. So I dug through my pantry and found some cannelli beans. Protein! (cue angels to sing here) Open, drain and dump.<br />
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While all of that was heating through, I microwaved some broccoli to serve on the side.<br />
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The moral of this story is, you don't have to create labor intensive meals to come up with a good and satisfying meatless meal.<br />
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This quick meal consisted of:</div>
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Frozen potato pierogi</div>
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Frozen fire-roasted mushrooms</div>
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1 large onion, thick sliced</div>
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1 can cannelli beans, drained and rinsed</div>
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1 Tb smoky bacon flavored grapeseed oil</div>
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Frozen broccoli</div>
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Saute' onion and mushrooms in the oil in a large skillet until the onions become translucent. Add pierogies and beans and continue to sauté until pierogies are slightly browned. Serve with broccoli and enjoy. This meal came together in about 10 minutes. It's the best fast food I've ever had!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdz2YOMZ3jdMh9PAZBNOofQEmOkks1EQUMnBRepY59xEtB_BRb6dDKmNAapWDLYwpf6XEfGw5Jr0yadE6I51C8EeEq4Zm7qeU4MZOar4A_XNxkbsTDVhfIkbemph1zzK2BuV8dUVPqTW1z/s1600/1401_untitled_031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdz2YOMZ3jdMh9PAZBNOofQEmOkks1EQUMnBRepY59xEtB_BRb6dDKmNAapWDLYwpf6XEfGw5Jr0yadE6I51C8EeEq4Zm7qeU4MZOar4A_XNxkbsTDVhfIkbemph1zzK2BuV8dUVPqTW1z/s640/1401_untitled_031.jpg" height="386" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thanks to my honey for taking this picture that made this fast food meal look as wonderful as it tasted!</div>
<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-6239048684951111092014-01-06T23:15:00.001-05:002014-01-06T23:21:59.500-05:00Meatless Monday with Mindy - No-Chicken Pot Pie<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 36th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The holiday's are behind us and the new year has me thinking about how I can do it better this year. Some of the things I'm thinking is; I am determined to add more greens to our meals and I want to try buying more organic when I can. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made tonight's meal with those concepts in mind. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This No-Chicken Pot Pie was made easier by using </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mywildtree.com/DIANEPINES/" target="_blank">Wildtree Pot Pie Skillet Meal</a> . The comfort-food style seasonings are all organic and include onion, cornstarch sea salt, carrots, Umami, garlic, pepper, basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme and sage. And the nice thing here is, this little box has enough to make this recipe 3 times!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhF-VPQRqdVeNZi1bWDwYHFP1fyAcQaVirn_WvDUWLnGRKHAj8V0g7va9wne6Rb0XYnqRUQ6Q1da83ZTPnmQMjy2oxYpWV8wSPJHFm4jX885dO5-mX7L5F2rIPfwbk21R8wrDQ5YHvgzU/s1600/D7K_6121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhF-VPQRqdVeNZi1bWDwYHFP1fyAcQaVirn_WvDUWLnGRKHAj8V0g7va9wne6Rb0XYnqRUQ6Q1da83ZTPnmQMjy2oxYpWV8wSPJHFm4jX885dO5-mX7L5F2rIPfwbk21R8wrDQ5YHvgzU/s1600/D7K_6121.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have a<a href="http://www.mywildtree.com/DIANEPINES/" target="_blank"> friend</a> who I turned onto Wildtree when the company she was working for went out of business. She was so impressed that she started selling Wildtree product. So I have easy access to all the news and new products! Check out the links if you would like to order this product, or other organic products. Just this past year Wildtree went 100% organic which makes me very happy. I already loved their products, and this just made it even better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is c-c-c-cold outside today! As I write this post it is currently -11</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center;">° F </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> (yes, that's a negative number) but with the wind chill it feels like -39</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center;">°</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> F! Can I just say …. Brrrrrrr! So this Pot Pie comes in the form of good old-fashioned comfort food!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I obviously made this traditional chicken pot pie without meat, but wanted to add more vegetables than the boxed mix called for and of course more greens!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the ingredients needed for the way I made it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped potatoes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 sliced carrot</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, your choice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped mushrooms</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cup garbanzo beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups packed, chopped kale</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 package Wildtree Pot Pie Skillet Meal</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 tsp cornstarch </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cup water</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 refrigerated pie dough or recipe for one crust</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Start by pre-heating your oven to 400<span style="text-align: center;">°F. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"> In a large skillet sauté the onion, carrot and potato until the vegetables begin to soften.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the frozen vegetables and the mushrooms to the pan. Continue to cook until the frozen vegetables are warmed through and the mushrooms begin to lose their moisture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas). Stir them in and let them warm through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While this mixture is heating through, add the Wildtree Pot Pie seasoning mix and cornstarch to 1 1/2 cups water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour this over the vegetables and bring all the ingredients in the pan to a boil to activate the cornstarch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the sauce begins to thicken, stir in the chopped kale. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transfer this mixture to a 9 inch deep dish pie plate, and cover with the pie dough. Cut a V in the top crust (or whatever letter or design makes you happy) to vent the crust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for 35- 40 minutes and the crust is a nice brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This pie hit the spot! If you want it sauce'ier, add less frozen vegetables, but we like it nice and thick with vegetables. Either way, I think you'll enjoy this hearty comfort food for Meatless Monday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep warm!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-17770503993784369652013-12-23T23:30:00.000-05:002013-12-24T00:30:39.547-05:00Meatless Monday - Whole Grain Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas was celebrated a week early this year in our house. What fun it was to have our whole family together this past Thursday morning. Our children, their spouses and the grand-babies all gathered around our living room, while all eyes were on Eliza as she was old enough this year to "get" the concept of opening gifts and playing with her new toys. Next year should be even more fun as Eliana should be old enough to have some fun and Eliza will definitely feel the excitement of all those presents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later Thursday we all met at my oldest brothers house to exchange gifts and share food with almost every one of our family members on my side. Our brother and his family, who live in Texas, and my oldest brothers two oldest children and their sweeties who live in Washington were missing, but they were all with us in our hearts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each year my sister-in-law and I take turns hosting dinner and planning the menu. This year, I was given the appetizer platter and a vegan dish for our daughter and myself. and after all our eating was over, I still had plenty of vegetables left over. So I decided to use up as much as I could tonight using the pre-cut vegetables and the rice and grains I used in another dish.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whole Grain Salad</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started out roasting a medium sweet potato, about a cup and a half of baby carrots and a medium onion for about 30 minutes. Toss these with just a little bit of olive oil (about a tablespoon) and then salt and pepper to taste. I then steamed about 2 cups of fresh broccoli just until bright green and still slightly firm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the veggies were roasting and steaming I measured out left-over cooked lentils (1 cup), brown rice (1 cup) and mixed red and white quinoa ( 2 cups)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I added 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, 4 green onions and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the grain mixture. Stir all of this together and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made up a dressing that was both nutty and slightly sweet to compliment all the flavors of the salad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup Tahini</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 TB fresh lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 TB tangerine balsamic vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 TB maple syrup (Or maple flavored agave)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 TB low-sodium soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove of garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix all that together and pour over the grain mixture. Stir well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> By now your vegetables should be roasted and steamed. Add that to your grain and dressing mixture and stir gently so as not to break up the sweet potatoes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nrU5WUoeQOttfJ_0_BqIWr5OMRMh3ZiBaAfajDFLBdf2CU0WM5wETTZu0ZAa1OAf_w7tWfUZX4epE6oWBfl9QqA4tR6sjIgYPioE4zRD_93-CX72uTCVLosox76xEt0cq-LtFKrs3bNu/s1600/D7K_6000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nrU5WUoeQOttfJ_0_BqIWr5OMRMh3ZiBaAfajDFLBdf2CU0WM5wETTZu0ZAa1OAf_w7tWfUZX4epE6oWBfl9QqA4tR6sjIgYPioE4zRD_93-CX72uTCVLosox76xEt0cq-LtFKrs3bNu/s640/D7K_6000.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dish is good served warm or at room temperature. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Spoon this main dish salad up into a bowl and enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGapMwYXuyzWyBLXqB8Q71E5NV8_sLvCYAL6AKtxmNZvk9jjWKKFPtbuA-clxuFEBoGEwtKH_Ao0TifSnBhm-ZvolGW8zaeNhyphenhyphen6ltP_iPekhw8pNfGa-Slqw1wt9gYc-BRdpL1mzCTrHgP/s1600/D7K_6005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGapMwYXuyzWyBLXqB8Q71E5NV8_sLvCYAL6AKtxmNZvk9jjWKKFPtbuA-clxuFEBoGEwtKH_Ao0TifSnBhm-ZvolGW8zaeNhyphenhyphen6ltP_iPekhw8pNfGa-Slqw1wt9gYc-BRdpL1mzCTrHgP/s640/D7K_6005.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Healthful New Year!</div>
The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-64903720030775868992013-12-02T00:09:00.000-05:002013-12-03T00:18:51.582-05:00Meatless Monday - Sweet Potato, Farro and Kale Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 34th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Holiday season is officially upon us! Happy Holidays! This season is always an exciting one with wonderful foods, visiting family and gift giving. It's easy to get caught up in eating indulgent foods and setting aside what know to be better options for us during this fattening food laden season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going meatless just one day a week during the holidays could help decrease your risk of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that the number of heart attacks increase by 5% during the holiday season. So, by all means, enjoy the seasonal foods that help make the holiday's special, but counter those rich laden meals with health boosting meatless meals in between those gatherings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is one soup that is a complete meal, easy to prepare and it brings in the seasonal flavors with the addition of sweet potatoes. I have to give a hearty nod to Lorna Sass who authored the book 'Whole Grains, Every Day, Every Way' where I got my inspiration for this soup. Farro is one of mine and my honey's favorite grains. The addition of this hearty grain makes this soup very satisfying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sweet Potato Farro and Kale Soup</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup farro, rinsed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tb olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large onion, diced ( about 2 cups)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium carrot, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 stalks celery, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 cups of vegetable stock</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ( or 1 1/2 cups)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, NOT drained</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups kale, tightly packed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp each, dried basil and parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">freshly ground pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To speed up the cooking time, add cold water to a large bowl and farro, enough to cover the farro. Set aside for about 15 minutes, while preparing your vegetables.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat 1 Tb of oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot, over medium high heat. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery and sweet potato. Cook until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4HrwwhmJi7aN_EXqIGxsVFB25FnLg5gI3NERRELx29kPk-uB6iZuQ5GtiTpWfDZT2BwI7yFk5lGP0thkTdYxm_zV-R6dXCHC9tSMTsZssG8vl2sNg-l5G65jNy1zpLi9glIAE7COEJQz/s1600/Thanksgiving+2013-0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4HrwwhmJi7aN_EXqIGxsVFB25FnLg5gI3NERRELx29kPk-uB6iZuQ5GtiTpWfDZT2BwI7yFk5lGP0thkTdYxm_zV-R6dXCHC9tSMTsZssG8vl2sNg-l5G65jNy1zpLi9glIAE7COEJQz/s640/Thanksgiving+2013-0088.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and lightly browned, about 2 more minutes or so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook vegetables just until they begin to brown, stirring often to prevent sticking.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOYAACuaJysAJM3uag54G4k_jpafjgGlhYp5mvE_eEYPgAoMOJwxOelXgx_F4y9LCpZHUPwMJq2tC4Tb_fhL1D-1bymMyiQzS5R81fcSsvdmuMLgIGWTMc6H4D95nYwj6NYtGNqat6rUj/s1600/Thanksgiving+2013-0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOYAACuaJysAJM3uag54G4k_jpafjgGlhYp5mvE_eEYPgAoMOJwxOelXgx_F4y9LCpZHUPwMJq2tC4Tb_fhL1D-1bymMyiQzS5R81fcSsvdmuMLgIGWTMc6H4D95nYwj6NYtGNqat6rUj/s640/Thanksgiving+2013-0094.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deglaze the pan with about one cup of vegetable stock, scraping pan to get any browned bits. Add remaining broth.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6lhgemj1U291KB1YYBM-e1l5BD04YElHebUeR3wpMEKIWuKC1uDZhe_r5NseSWXGiAfu8lIAulmll0TnHjr_zgos6j_YLvjDVZTfKpA3GbgDzUTv4GN-R563OiuPW1HEWF67Q3oNm430/s1600/Thanksgiving+2013-0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA6lhgemj1U291KB1YYBM-e1l5BD04YElHebUeR3wpMEKIWuKC1uDZhe_r5NseSWXGiAfu8lIAulmll0TnHjr_zgos6j_YLvjDVZTfKpA3GbgDzUTv4GN-R563OiuPW1HEWF67Q3oNm430/s640/Thanksgiving+2013-0095.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the softened farro...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GkHvMpCx9Of-pJLhcEy4bT4nbgGKG-XRXgdbjPkM1-suabBAtUpq6Zn_guvYufb9cO_bMp_GPVAbRU5c5r1rUghkPTdEC7lZerfTA8fXN7-I2_r-r_dO_L7sw71KctMjcCSkzuQXDZS1/s1600/Thanksgiving+2013-0104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GkHvMpCx9Of-pJLhcEy4bT4nbgGKG-XRXgdbjPkM1-suabBAtUpq6Zn_guvYufb9cO_bMp_GPVAbRU5c5r1rUghkPTdEC7lZerfTA8fXN7-I2_r-r_dO_L7sw71KctMjcCSkzuQXDZS1/s640/Thanksgiving+2013-0104.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and the tomatoes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjKu_7k3mWtEm7JdEasgZmjWPtcdQEnueuu00KI-oLXnyEGoDUM_Sj402Dup59S90rthmSRm0Kr8h2h0WlFigeIedUhgv6WBRgcQ1kLXQVttREimNOzMPn0IyTE-TESSqR4kksxkeClX_/s1600/Thanksgiving+2013-0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjKu_7k3mWtEm7JdEasgZmjWPtcdQEnueuu00KI-oLXnyEGoDUM_Sj402Dup59S90rthmSRm0Kr8h2h0WlFigeIedUhgv6WBRgcQ1kLXQVttREimNOzMPn0IyTE-TESSqR4kksxkeClX_/s640/Thanksgiving+2013-0114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in the basil and parsley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring this to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until the vegetables begin to soften.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the rinsed beans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the kale, stirring it in as you add it. This looks like a LOT of kale, but it cooks down dramatically. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continue to cook until the kale it softens, about 15 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Season with pepper to taste and serve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This soup is a complete meal, but the addition of garlic bread is always yummy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this soup. If you make it, I'd love to hear what you think!</span></div>
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<br />The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-51961493260864149762013-11-18T23:28:00.000-05:002013-11-18T23:40:35.358-05:00Meatless Monday - Lentil Vegetable Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the 33rd installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy.</div>
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It has been a very busy 2 weeks since I last posted a Meatless Monday article. Our daughter was going into labor on Monday November 3rd. I had begun composing my pictures as she and I began chatting via text where she was filling me in on what was taking place at her house. Needless to say I couldn't concentrate, therefore, I never posted that day. </div>
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It took our daughter 3 full days, but <i>our </i>baby girl delivered her first child to us making us grandparents for the second time.</div>
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Since then, I've been spending time at her house assisting in any way I can, including making meals.</div>
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When I get home, I'm either duplicating what I made at her house, or using recipes straight out of cook books. This recipe is a result of a tired brain. I simply opened up a book I own, chose a recipe where I had all the ingredients and went for it.</div>
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Thankfully, it was wonderful and wonderfully easy to make. </div>
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This Lentil Vegetable Soup came from the book 'Fresh From the Vegan Slow Cooker' by Robin Robertson, and although it calls to be made in a slow cooker, I made it on the stove top in a dutch oven. I tweaked it ever so slightly, by omitting the 1 cup frozen edamame or Lima bean. I didn't have Lima beans and I don't "do" edamame as it's soy based, and I can't have soy. I also used fresh kale instead of frozen spinach.</div>
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This is so easy to make. The instructions are to combine all the ingredients, except the liquid smoke if you opt to use that (and I recommend you do). Add the liquid smoke at the very end when adjusting your seasonings.</div>
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<b>Lentil-Vegetable Soup</b></div>
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(The way I made it)</div>
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Serves 4 generously</div>
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1 large yellow onion, chopped</div>
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2 celery ribs, chopped</div>
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3 carrots, peeled and chopped</div>
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3 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed</div>
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6 cups vegetable broth (or you can use water)</div>
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1 14-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained</div>
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1 cup chopped, packed fresh kale</div>
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1 TB low-sodium soy sauce</div>
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1 tsp dried basil</div>
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1/2 tsp dried thyme</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)</div>
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Combine all the ingredients (except the optional liquid smoke) to dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on medium-low heat until veggies are tender and lentils are done, about 40 minutes.</div>
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(If you want to use a slow cooker, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours)</div>
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Add the liquid smoke, if using. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot. Enjoy!</div>
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<!-- start LinkyTools script --><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=217605" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- end LinkyTools script -->The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-23451356385243073322013-10-28T21:20:00.002-04:002013-10-28T21:20:56.004-04:00Meatless Monday Roasted Butternut Quinoa Bowl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 32nd installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today was a beautiful day in NE Ohio with temperatures reaching into the mid 50's and the notoriously elusive Cleveland sun actually shining. Kidlet #1 and I took advantage of the day and took a walk. First, it was too pretty of a day to pass up a chance to get outside, but mainly because Kidlet #1 is now officially past her due date. At this point she is getting anxious to deliver and is trying anything she can to try to move things along. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our walk I invited her to stay for lunch and to help me put together tonight's Meatless Monday meal. The dish I made today was inspired by the ingredients listed on the 'specials' chalkboard at a local organic restaurant that My Honey and I went to after church on Sunday. Neither one of us ordered it, but the combination sounded so good I just had to try and create it. Although the original had meat and cheese in it, I wanted to recreate the dish eliminating both of those ingredients. (And, by the way, the dish My Honey had also tasted fantastic, so I'll be working on trying to recreate that one as well!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Roasted Butternut Quinoa Bowl</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzhtJ73zSRzxNNY3QAriqf3hGrJfXrwpPgBNCSBt6HoVzpGblgZBloLGUbnUj7tBMycbKPwrsnNA1NOhxe-YQMe5eZo81mQIgkRo8uQKGT9ZIo1pDDNSQyT5ZwI-RILYUQ9Pk3q_twgju/s1600/untitled-5822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzhtJ73zSRzxNNY3QAriqf3hGrJfXrwpPgBNCSBt6HoVzpGblgZBloLGUbnUj7tBMycbKPwrsnNA1NOhxe-YQMe5eZo81mQIgkRo8uQKGT9ZIo1pDDNSQyT5ZwI-RILYUQ9Pk3q_twgju/s640/untitled-5822.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is really simple to put together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dish is good warm or cold. Serves 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups of cooked quinoa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups roasted butternut squash</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup dried cranberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Wildtree Chive and Onion seasoning </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(OR 1 tsp dried chives and 1/2 tsp onion powder)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp dried parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried thyme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup candied walnuts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make the quinoa add 1 cup of dry quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water and a dash of salt. Simmer for about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. This will make about 3 cups of quinoa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To roast the butternut squash take a peeled and cubed squash, about 4 cups, (or you can use frozen) and bake on a baking sheet lightly oiled at 375</span><span style="font-family: Symbol;">°F until golden brown.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make the candied walnuts, add 1/4 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts and a dash of salt to a pan. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar is melted and coats the walnuts. Spread out on waxed paper to cool, then break apart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the quinoa, butternut squash, cranberries and seasonings to a bowl and mix well. Drizzle the tangerine vinegar and mix again. Top with the candied walnuts and serve warm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></div>
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<img alt="Official Meatless Monday Blogger" src="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/images/photos/2013/01/blogger_onwhite.png" /> </a>The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-79433348812241395022013-10-21T23:11:00.003-04:002013-10-21T23:25:26.929-04:00Meatless Monday with Mindy #31 Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the 31st installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am reading the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Live-Amazing-Nutrient-Rich-Sustained/dp/031612091X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382408582&sr=8-1&keywords=eat+to+live" target="_blank">Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD</a>. This book is packed full of interesting and compelling information about our health. The main principal of the book is to educate the reader that for both optimal health and weight loss, we must consume a diet with a high nutrient-per-calorie ratio. But in order to for this to work, we must understand this key concept and learn to apply it. Dr. Fuhrman goes into great detail to explain these principals in a way the average Joe (or Josephine) can understand. Dr. Fuhrman then provides several recipes as well as 2 sample 7-day menus, one for vegetarian and one for non-vegetarian eaters. I am sharing one of his favorite personal recipes tonight. After making this soup, I can see why this is a reader favorite as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Let me just pause a moment to tell you that I am not being compensated in any way for telling you about this book. However, I highly encourage anyone who is fed up with on-again, off-again dieting, or anyone who has chronic health issues to read this book. It could seriously change your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The soup that I made for this week's <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/" target="_blank">Meatless Monday</a> is rich in nutrients and fiber and is rated amongst the highest with the members of <a href="http://www.drfuhrman.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Fuhrman's website</a> . Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Golden Austrian Cauliflower Cream Soup</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 leeks, coarsely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cloves of garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons of Dr. Furhman's VegiZest or a no-salt seasoning (I used Mrs Dash)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups of water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup of raw cashews</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 cups of chopped kale or spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title to this soup is longer than making the soup itself. Once you cut all your veggies, the rest is as easy as 1, 2, 3!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Set aside the cashews and kale (or spinach) and place all the rest of the ingredients in a large pan or dutch oven. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. If you are using Kale instead of spinach, you'll need to steam the kale until tender. If you're using spinach, sit down for a few minutes and rest your feet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In a food processor or high speed blender, blend two-thirds of the soup liquid and vegetables with the cashews until smooth and creamy. Return to the pot and stir in the steamed kale or spinach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it! It really is that easy.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to my sweetie for getting these yummy looking shots for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to <a href="http://reciperenovator.com/special-diets/vegan/stroganoff-lasagne-meatless-monday-blog-hop/" target="_blank">The Recipe Renovator</a> for hosting the Meatless Monday blog hop.</span></div>
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The Howell Blessingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05025078516647293036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6710566778635054643.post-1729382286372280792013-10-14T23:59:00.002-04:002013-10-15T11:34:08.475-04:00Meatless Monday with Mindy #30 - Mashed Pea and Barley Soup<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Welcome to the 30th installment of Meatless Monday with Mindy! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">When I cook from a recipe, I always make notes in my cookbooks such as 'Good!', 'yummy' or 'needed (XYZ)' so that I know whether it's a hit, needs some tweaking or it's not worth making again. I must say though, the latter is a rarity. Sometimes though, a not so good recipe will have good bones. You know, like an old car or a house that needs major renovation, it's has the basics down pat, but just needs to re-think the rest. Those are the fun ones. Being able to be creative is part of the fun! I love smelling my seasoning mixes and herbs and imagining what combination of those might taste wonderful together or create the flavor I'm after. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Tonight was one of those nights. I came across a recipe I had made before, that per my notes, had good bones but needed...something more. This Mashed Pea and Barley soup needed a substantial flavor to match the chunky goodness going on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This soup reminds me more of a porridge it is so thick and chunky. Along with it's heartiness, it is packed full of good nutrition with split peas, barley and vegetables, and is non-fat so you don't have to worry about your waistline, unless of course, you eat the whole pot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This soup has in it dried peas.<i> </i>This<i> small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, </i>is<i> a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only can dried peas help lower cholesterol, they are also of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal</i>. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=56" target="_blank">whfoods.com</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwisd4O4BSlgY_6bZabi5IBZoszTzcwFzKhhyphenhyphenmTsTNvAflJ_ARXsIBxTcZU8dvmeSnMrrpl3h0USZ-Rn7DMkrigwgj7lzn6uMuOVNs_csb4YDQhNCqqZLvBkDzuCI8koRq9LNynFL-RtA/s1600/DAV_8783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwisd4O4BSlgY_6bZabi5IBZoszTzcwFzKhhyphenhyphenmTsTNvAflJ_ARXsIBxTcZU8dvmeSnMrrpl3h0USZ-Rn7DMkrigwgj7lzn6uMuOVNs_csb4YDQhNCqqZLvBkDzuCI8koRq9LNynFL-RtA/s640/DAV_8783.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Along with the peas, it also has whole grain barley. This<i> is a healthy high-fiber, high-protein </i></span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic;">whole grain</span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #333333;">boasting numerous health benefits. When cooked, barley has a chewy texture and nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. Although</span> </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic;">soup</span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #333333;">is the most popular way to eat barley, you can use it like any other grain such as couscous or rice. Serve a</span> </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: black;">curry</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> or </span><span style="color: black;">stir-fry</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"> over barley instead of rice or make a</span> </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic;">barley pilaf</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: italic; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/barley.htm" target="_blank">About.com </a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxjeqiiUlQyeHS7aIXX13dEGgtIh4iQCNMyPJLECTpLiZQtReqRcmW3HhQCyFgm9ihfR9YXb3_rsi4jDdL4vv5kPyB0d582i_KAV7b4YZ06Ry4W6LAn1M8SPGaV1RHCcVB_dLPnXGwGsG/s1600/DAV_8784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxjeqiiUlQyeHS7aIXX13dEGgtIh4iQCNMyPJLECTpLiZQtReqRcmW3HhQCyFgm9ihfR9YXb3_rsi4jDdL4vv5kPyB0d582i_KAV7b4YZ06Ry4W6LAn1M8SPGaV1RHCcVB_dLPnXGwGsG/s640/DAV_8784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that you've learned a little about the benefits of the main ingredients in this soup, let's get cookin'!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mashed Pea and Barley Soup</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">adapted from California Pizza Kitchen Pasta, Salads, Soups, and Sides</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pound of dried split peas, sorted and rinsed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup pearl barley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 cups of water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 bay leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tablespoon smoked paprika (make sure it's smoked, yum!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried thyme</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/16th teaspoon (large pinch), cumin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cup carrot, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup onion, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup celery, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is very simple to make.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add to a dutch oven or large pot; split peas, barley, water, bay leaves, salt, soy sauce, sage, thyme, cumin and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pan, turn down the heat and simmer for one hour. This is where you can go enjoy that magazine you've been meaning to read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in the carrots, onion and celery. Cover again and continue to simmer until the veggies are tender, another 20-30 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add more water if needed to thin out. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Discard bay leaves then </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">remove 4 cups of the soup and set aside. With an immersion blender, or in a blender, blend the remaining soup until smooth. Add the removed soup back in, stir and serve!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of these pictures were taken by <a href="http://davidjhowell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my Honey</a>. Thanks for tweaking all of these for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll be meeting other Meatless Monday bloggers over at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://reciperenovator.com/" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">The Recipe Renovator</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Check it out for more meatless recipes!</span></div>
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