I love food! Always have and always will, but how and what I eat has evolved over the years. I grew up eating pretty healthy almost too healthy, I have nightmares of my mom forcing us to eat brussels, the slimy green ones not the baked, sea salt encrusted ones with a dash of balsamic and parmesan they make now. I went through a faze of eating all fat free, no taste or nutrient filled foods and at least 2 Diet Cokes a day, to eating no red meat and all veggies. And who could forget the Atkins Diet, I was so excited that I could eat a Big Mac every day (just the meat and cheese of course). After having children we decided to go GREEN! I mean all organic, if it didn't come from Whole Foods, we didn't eat it. I made baby food and spinach muffins and used raw ingredients in everything, until we didn't have $1,500 a month to spend in groceries!
So where am I now... BALANCED! Trying to eat as much fresh, natural produce as possible and doing the research on the protein we eat and where it comes from has been very educational. We are now a mix between organic and all natural. I feel very challenged by the fact that we are given one life and one body. It is truly our responsibility to take care of ourselves as much as possible and what happens after that is out of our control. And I feel even more challenged now that I have children to take care of and teach how to eat and make healthy choices. Believe me, we get in our treats here and there and have pizza night on Fridays, but our "foundational foods" are things that will help our bodies keep up with a long week of school, and sports and homework etc!
I believe you can take any recipe and make it healthy or change out a few of the ingredients and throw in something green. Luckily for me, I have lots of friends who know how to cook and make some fantastic dishes. The best day for me to get some ideas is Monday! What to make for dinner? My friend Lisa Leeman who lives in California with her hubby and 3 littles, makes some of my all time favorite food! She makes a chicken spinach lasagna to die for and a chicken dish with apples and sweet onions and these easy tortilla wraps with a chili powder, cilantro mayo! I asked her, and other lovers of food, to start sending me some easy recipes to share with all of you on Mondays!
I love Chili and here is a delicious version ... Merlot Chili
1 yellow onion, chopped2 T evoo
1 t chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 bay leaves
3 cups Merlot
2 27 oz kidney beans, undrained
1 27 oz can pinto beans, undrained
3 21 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs ground turkey, cooked
1 pkg kielbasa sausage, sauteed
Saute onions and olive oil until tender. Add spices. Stir. Add wine and bring to a boil. Turn to simmer and add all other ingredients. Simmer 1 hr.
1 comments:
Age has brought more balance with how I view food, too. There are some perks from getting older. We get wiser :)
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