Rice-Cooker-Dude is My Friend!!!

I am SO excited to see how this turns out!!! It's 5:40pm on a chilly Sunday and I have not put a single thought towards dinner. Then I realized that I have a lot of fun veggies that would be great with rice so...

In my rice cooker I put brown rice with the correct amount of water and added:

a scoop of minced ginger

a few shakes of garlic powder

a bit of salt

a bit of grape seed oil

a splash of soy sauce

After my rice is done I am going to mix it up with fresh chopped:

onions

bell peppers

spinach

baby tomatoes

Man I wish I had fresh cilantro!!!

With some sliced avocado on the side and a sprinkle of salt, this easy dinner is going to be super yummy!!!

Vegan-Dairy Free-Egg Free-Wheat Free-Gluten Free-Barely any Additives or Preservatives

What a Beautiful Day!

Well, I am sorry to all my readers for being so distant! The kids and I have been following Starrsky around Alaska all summer as he switched from one job to another with the company he works for. First Juneau, then Delta Junction. Now we are back in Anchorage as it is way too cold to stay in a camper in an R.V. park! I am SO blessed to have been able to be with him! It was a blessing in more ways than I can express...for another day :). So let me just tell you about this day. The sun is streaming into my livingroom as I sit here on the computer typing this and listening to worship music. My kids are finishing up lunch in the background and, oh! Fighting about something... Okay it's taken care of :). Many things have changed for me this summer, mainly in my heart which I will get into in another post. A huge thing that is different is in my diet. I have decided to avoid soy products (except in my coffee :) ) and incorporate fresh fish into my diet. I am very pleased with this decision! I still feel amazing, actually better! I no longer stress about vitamin deficiencies and lack of protein. I know that it is very possible to get all you need through a total-vegan diet, but that's not what it's about for me. I really don't care about being "vegan". I care about making healthy and informed choices about what I eat. For me it's about feeling good about myself and not feeling sick :). Some have criticized me for this, but you know what? It's not their body or their business! Wow, I'm really not that fanatical :). So anyways, cheers to a new chapter in my health! My hope for this blog is to provide interesting ideas for meals and food for thought. I love you all and pray that God will bless you SO much in this beautiful fall season!!!

Here is what I am having for lunch:

I chopped up some leftover baked red potatoes and sauteed them with grapeseed oil and salt. Then I added fresh chopped campari tomatoes near the end. After sauteeing them a tiny bit longer I poured it all onto my plate and added a couple scoops of canned sweet smoked salmon from this years catch. Simple, but AMAZING!!! The potatoes soaked up in the tomato juice and the smoked salmon makes this a succulent lunch!

Baked Potatoes Are Totally Back!!!

Before I became vegan topping my baked potato was a totally different story than it is today. I needed lots of ranch dressing or butter and loads of salt. Bacon bits maybe, cheese, some steamed broccoli... but definitely the ranch :). If there wasn't enough creamy sauce on top it was too bland and I didn't enjoy my food. Basically I was in it for the toppings. I never considered eating baked potatoes to be healthy. Hmmm... I wonder why. I am so excited to say this, I want to scream it from the rooftops! FOOD TASTES AMAZING! Since switching to a vegan diet food tastes like ten times more flavorful and interesting than I ever imagined it could. That said, here's what I topped my potatoes with tonight:

Olive oil
Fresh ground sea salt
Fresh sliced campari tomatoes (not refrigerated!)
Fresh chopped cilantro

How simple is this meal?! Nothing to hoot about for sure! Let me just say that I am so excited to finish this post and eat my dinner!!! Love you all! Peace out!

Brown Rice With Curry and Slightly Sauteed Veggies -Juneau, Alaska Style!

We are staying in a hotel here so the kitchen isn't quite my own... but I did bring like half of my kitchen from home with us. I have been cooking large meals every other day and then we just eat off the leftovers. It's a great plan because we have been able to play outside a lot more! We have been very active here, walking through town, along beaches, and up to glaciers :). About a five minute walk from our hotel is a great market with more natural and organic foods than Freddies! It has been very easy and convenient to eat healthy. I only wish there was a farmers market, maybe that comes later in the summer. In addition to being active and eating healthy we have been getting a lot of sun! So to sum it up, the Stubbs family feels GREAT!
I will post recipes only if the day is not totally sunny and amazing :)

Here is what I threw together for dinner about 30 minutes ago:

In my rice cooker:
-about 2 cups of brown rice with the appropriate amount of water
-1 tbsp coconut oil
-1 tbsp yellow curry powder
-a couple shakes of garlic powder
-a couple shakes of onion powder
-1 tsp salt

In my pan:
-1 tbsp coconut oil
-1 clove chopped garlic
-1/8th onion chopped
-4 baby bell peps chopped
-2 yellow zuchini chopped
-1 jalepeno chopped

I didn't sautee the pan stuff for very long at all. The less cooked your veggies are the more nutrients you will get! Then I mixed up the rice stuff with the pan stuff and added some fresh chopped cilantro. Salt to taste, salt helps bring out all the flavors!

gluten free-msg free-vegan

Trick your family into getting more vitamins!!!

I just made a blender full of the most amazing Banana-Berry Smoothie! Hidden inside this vat of creamy goodness is a secret ingredient... spinach leaves! My hubby and his brother were surprised to learn the truth, but thoroughly enjoyed their vitamin and antioxidant-rich refreshment! Pulse fresh veggies in your blender and mix into anything...spaghetti, chili, guacamole...smoothies :). No one will ever know! Unless you are like me and after the first taste ask "So, can you guess the secret ingredient?"!!!

Banana-Berry Smoothie

6 large strawberries (fresh or frozen-Costco :))
1 cup of frozen mixed berries (Costco)
1/2 cup of organic apple juice (Costco)
1 cup of organic soy milk (Costco)
1 handful of fresh spinach leaves (Costco)
3 bananas (I have no idea where I bought these :))

Blend and enjoy!

Note: I prefer to use organic when I can, but whatever you have on hand is great! Add and take away ingredients...more or less of whatever...and try blending some fresh carrots in too!!!

Curry Lentil Soup

This morning I realized that in order to get my protein requirements for the day I have to plan ahead. So at 9 am I plugged in my crockpot and filled it up with hot water. I added a few tablespoons of indian curry powder (bulk at Freddies) and a cube of veggie boullion. Then I rinsed about two cups of lentils and added them to the pot. After scrubbing and cubing a few red potatoes I threw them in as well. As an afterthough I addes some tomato paste, onion and garlic powder and salt. It cooked in four hours and then I left it on warm to keep hot for later. To go with our Curry Lentil Soup I threw a spaghetti squash in the oven which I will scoop out and toss with olive oil and salt. Now for tomorrow...maybe I should soak some pinto beans before I start the bedtime routine... Hmm...that sounds like a great idea.

Make one small change!

Please don't be intimidated by the thought of healthy eating! You don't need to go to extremes like some people choose to do! (like me haha) Start by making one small change with the groceries you buy. Make that change a habit. Research and understand why you are doing it so that it means something to you and you fully understand the benefits of your choice.

Five easy changes you can make!

1. Buy whole wheat bread instead of the enriched and unbleached options
2. Choose one new fruit and one new veggie you have never bought before and learn how to cook/eat it!
3. Try tofu! Yes it is weird and you have totally prejudged it in the past, but give it a try in a stir-fry!
4. Buy a new kind of "milk" in addition to your normal cow's milk. Rice, almond and soy have different flavors, textures and health benefits. Totally get the chocolate flavored Silk soy milk if you are too freaked out right now. It's a friendly place to start :)
5. Read the labels!!! On the back of you favorite spice mix find one word you don't know from the ingredient list and then google it! Find out how it benefits or hinders healthy function in your body!

Freddie's has a great natural food section that is full of yummy foods at cheap prices!! Catch the sales!

Like I said, just making one good change is awesome! Be in control of what you put in your mouth!
Go you!!!

Super Cheesy Shells N' Cheese!

This Shells N' Cheese is full of protein and happy-fat! And totally does it for you emotionally when all you can think about is cheesy goodness.

Pasta:

Cook your noodle of choice al dente. I used straight up semolina shells, but whatever cute little noodles you love the most will work just fine!

Pimento Cheese:

1 cup cashews

1/2 tsp salt

2 oz pimentos

1 cup water

a pinch of garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

-Blend until smooth, then add

2 tsp fresh lemon

Mixers:

Whatever you love works!!

I added very very small pieces of:

Baked Tofu

Fresh tomatoes

Green olives

Salt to taste!!!

*Dairy Free *Vegan *Can be gluten free just use the right noodles!

A little info on cooking oils

I challenge everyone to question the oil you choose to cook with and make sure it is the healthiest most beneficial option! There are many great choices, you just have to do some research on the subject!!!
 Here is just one site out of many to read!
http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=240

A Few Things I Am Excited To Do!

Make my own bread!!!

Sprout grain!!

Cake and cookies vegan style!

Dark chocolate covered strawberries!

Oooh, keep posted for vegan mac n cheese!! My wheels are turning...I have an amazing "cheese" recipe that I got from a dear friend. Yum!

Renae’s Black Bean and Corn Salsa

*The amounts for each ingredient can be more or less according to your preference

This recipe is super yummy vegan style or chicken style!!!

Shopping list:
Veggie or Chicken Bouillon (two small cubes)
Canned Tomatoes (one can with no added seasonings! If you want the salsa slightly juicy, use two cans)
Canned Black Beans (five cans)
Canned Whole Kernel Corn (four cans, frozen works too!)
Onion (one large)
Cilantro (one whole bunch)
Bell Peppers (one red and one orange)
Jalapeños (as many as you want, or none )
Garlic (one clove)

Directions:
Have a large bowl ready! Rinse the black beans and corn and dump in the bowl. Chop into small pieces the onion, cilantro, bell peppers, and jalapeños (take the seeds out first) and dump it all in the bowl. Blend the tomatoes, garlic and bouillon and pour over the salsa mixture. Mix well from the bottom up.

Ideas:
We really like the salsa just with chips, but it is also amazing on tofu, chicken or steak tacos, or scoop it onto a bed of lettuce with rotisserie chicken chunks. You can make a great southwest soup by adding the salsa to boiling veggie or chicken broth and cooked chicken! Sprinkle crushed chips on top.

The salsa will be awesome no matter how you change it up. Have fun with the ingredients, make it your own.
Enjoy!

What is in my kitchen at this moment that I can cook with??

I seriously think that with amazing whole-food ingredients on hand you can't go wrong in the kitchen!!!

I always have various whole grains and legumes in my pantry. In my fridge are always fresh veggies in bulk-costco style!! My counter is covered with fresh fruit including avacados and tomatoes, bananas, apples, lemons...also I have a ton of garlic and some sweet potatoes and squash. In the bottom of my pantry there are red potatoes and onions. My freezer has various frozen veggies along with lots of tofu (I stock up when it's on sale!) and some organic chicken. I choose to avoid added sweeteners and spices, preservatives...anything not natural. As a result I use a lot of fresh garlic, onion and cilantro to season my food. I have also found some veggie-boullion, minced ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, tamari sauce, curry powder...fresh ground sea salt that I use often. I recently discovered this D-lish Thai curry paste that makes the best Thai food ever!

So, with great ingredients on hand, healthy delicious meals are at your fingertips!

This is what I made for lunch today :)

Costco stir fry veggies are sauteeing in grapeseed oil, soy sauce, ginger, onion and garlic powder...with tiny pieces of baked tofu. In the oven are sweet potato "fries" (cut round) topped with cilantro, grapeseed oil and onion and garlic powder...and some fresh ground sea salt.

meat-free dairy-free gluten-free