I Love Bountiful Baskets!

John and I have been buying Bountiful Baskets the last few weeks, and we couldn't be happier! It's perfect for our vegan type diet. I love it for so many reasons:

#1: We eat a lot healthier when we have all these delicious fruits and veggies.
#2: We eat more exotic/creative meals. We look up recipes more often which means we are always trying new things.
#3: It's usually more local than what you will find at the grocery store.
#4: It saves money! All that food for only 15 dollars!
#5: It's such an exciting adventure not knowing exactly what we'll get each week.

The photo/design above features todays goods. Delicious! I loved it so much, I designed this cute "I Love Bountiful Baskets" design.

You like it?

Getting in Touch with Our Italian Roots

Okay, maybe John and I don't have Italian roots, but we sure love Italian food!

We made broccoli bacon pasta today for lunch. The cool thing is, this was one of the very first meals I ever cooked for John. It was probably the third or fourth month we'd been dating. It was college, I didn't usually have time to cook really good food, but we made the time one evening.

He was impressed with the deliciousness!

I got this recipe from my momma, and now I'm going to share it with you. Because it's really good. And semi healthy... sort of...

Broccoli Bacon Pasta

• 3 slices bacon [we used turkey bacon because it is a LOT healthier]
• However much broccoli you want
• Pasta for two [we used whole grain rotini]
• 2 garlic cloves, pealed & sliced
• However many pitted black olives you want, sliced in half
• A few shakes of crushed red pepper
• Some sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Cool and crumble bacon. Rinse broccoli cut in 2 inch pieces. Put broccoli in pot of lightly salted boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Scoop out 1/8th cup of the water.

Return remaining water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute garlic, olives, crushed red pepper, and mushrooms in a little tiny bit of oil. Cook 3 minutes or until garlic is softened. Add reserved water, broccoli, and bacon. Cook 2 minutes. Toss with pasta, oil, and parmesan.

Also, we got a bountiful basket this morning, and I am loving it! $16.50 for heaven in a basket! The broccoli we used in the recipe was from the basket.

P.s. John is getting in touch with his house husband skills today. He just sewed up a hole in one of his pockets and now he's doing laundry.  I don't mind!

P.p.s. We are still on the vegan-ish diet. We only eat meat once or twice a week. And we love rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk! We are still feeling good!

Homemade Pasta + Veggies + Family = :)

I mentioned in my last post that my sisters came down to visit this past weekend. The deal was this: I help Vanessa design an amazing resumé, and she'll teach me to create a culinary master piece. See she is attending culinary school, and she's a pretty awesome cook.

So after our hike on Saturday, we came home and began the long and arduous process of making homemade fettucini. We received a pasta maker as a wedding present, but had never attempted to use it. With Vanessa's help, we brought it out to play.

It started out like this:

Eggs are surprisingly sticky!

After a short drying period, we moved on to the next step. We used the pasta maker to flatten and cut the pasta:

Above is a photo of our state of the art pasta drying facility.

We also made four cheese tortellini with mushrooms:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

We cooked the pasta and created delicious garlic bread [made out of the kind of bread Aladdin eats] with tomatoes and basil:

We also sautéed fresh zuccini, squash, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. And we made alfredo sauce to go on the pasta.

The Final product:

Can you say AMAZING!?

I wasn't sure if homemade pasta was going to be worth all the work, but oh ma gosh it totally was! The texture was perfect. The taste was delectable, and it was fresh as fresh can be. Next time we are going to try and make it whole grain!

Healthier Already

It's been three weeks since John and I cut most dairy and meat from out diets. We now buy soy milk, or almond milk. We eat cheese. We have eggs occasionally. But for the most part that is it. We avoid all processed foods. We buy a lot of things organic, and we eat whole grain bread and whole grain pasta. Oh and lots of fresh fruits and veggies! The thing that surprises me most is that avoiding meat and dairy is not that hard!

I remember when my brother Mark was vegetarian, so he still ate all sorts of dairy. I use to think he was crazy! I couldn't understand how he could live without eating meat. When I tell people about our diet now, they say things like, "Wow, I wish I had the motivation to do that," or "I couldn't ever go without meat AND dairy!" But I'm telling you, if I can do it, you can to!

Part of the reason it's not so hard is that we haven't cut the stuff completely. We still have meat maybe once a week. And if I feel like going out for ice cream, I'm not going to have any guilt afterwards. Because I feel like a little bit isn't all that bad.

Plus, we've been cooking everything from scratch, and making up our own recipes that are actually quite amazing:

Whole grain pasta with garlic, zucchini, red peppers, spinach, and tomatoes.
Topped with a little parmesan cheese!

Lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, sliced almonds, mushrooms, tomatoes, and carrots.
Topped with feta cheese. Avocado on the side.

I'm not trying to force any of you to try this diet. But I am going to tell you what has happened to us in only three weeks:

• John has lost 10 pounds.
• We feel healthier.
• I'm not as tired.
• I'm getting enough fiber!
• Yesterday I went to the doctor to get blood work done for my thyroid. I also had them do tests to test my overall health. I haven't found out the results but I'm pretty sure that they'll be good.
• Perhaps the most exciting of all: Before I went on the diet, I was taking pills to slow down my heart rate. My resting heart rate has been in the high 90's for the last 4  or 5 years. I took the medicine to try and bring it down. Around the time I started this new diet I stopped taking them. And guess what my heart rate was when I had it checked yesterday!?!? 72 beats per minute! I couldn't believe it! I got so excited, and I made the nurse check again just to be sure. Her second check was 80 beats per minute [probably because I got so excited].

Food is the cure! It makes me angry that the FDA recommends so much more meat and dairy then what is actually necessary. I can get my protein and calcium from other foods that are healthier for me.

Ok. I've ranted long enough. But seriously, try eating less meat and dairy. It will do wonders.

Snow Day!

It's about time!

This has been the warmest winter that I have ever experienced. I always thought that my life would be perfect if winter was warmer, but honestly I've missed the snow. So I didn't mind when a storm rolled in today.

It rained before it snowed:

Also, we've been eating lots of fruits and veggies lately:

Vegan!?

Don't you just LOVE documentaries? John and I have been obsessed with them lately. I really enjoy them because I get to sit down, relax, and watch something. After I'm done I feel educated and empowered.

The most recent documentary we watched is on instant view on Netflix. It's called "Forks Over Knives" [to see website, click here]. It basically explores the idea that a plant based/whole grain diet is the best treatment for people with diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. They showed all sorts of proof that animal meat and milk are actually bad for us. I definitely recommend you all watch it! The documentary followed people who decided to try the diet, and they all lost weight, felt better, and often stopped taking chemical medicines to treat their problems.

After thinking it over, John and I have decided to cut most meat and dairy from our diets. We def. aren't just quitting cold turkey, because I'm pretty sure we would never last! On our last trip to the store, we didn't buy any cow milk or meat. We got mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread/pasta, rice, beans, etc. I'm excited to see how it will effect my body, and I'm hoping it will give me more energy!

Lately I've just been really disappointed with the doctors I've seen. They haven't really been able to help me. So I'm going to let nature have a go at fixing me. Wish me luck!

More Photos of the day:

Above: Just cookin' some rice!

In other news, I took a day trip up to Utah Valley. I saw one of my very best friends just before she entered the missionary training center. She's headed to California in a few weeks! I also surprised my family, because only my mom knew I was coming. :)

Here is a random photo I took of Val:

Winter Biking?

Today, after a little web design, John and I took a break to go on a bike ride. The exercise was good, and the temperature was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold.

The beauty of nature always amazes me! See proof below:

Todays photos:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Who doesn't love tomato soup with grilled cheese and a tall glass of milk!? That was todays lunch.

Home For the Holiday

John and I went to Utah for Thanksgiving, and boy was it great. We had a lot of fun with my family, and we ate some deliciously amazing food. My sister Vanessa is going to culinary school, so a lot of the deliciousness was thanks to her.

Isn't she just soo cute!?

She cooked the yummiest turkey I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. Also some awesome fresh cranberry sauce.

During our trip, we went out to the movies, played board games, ate food, went shooting, at more food, visited good friends, made homemade pies, and played with my new favorite puppy Ace. It was a much needed break. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get myself back into school mode before the semester is over!

Here are some photos from our day of thanks:

I hope you are all having a relaxing weekend. :]

Oh How I Love the French!

France has always fascinated me. I've always been a fan of the country. To tell the truth, I don't know much about the place. Except that it has the Eiffel Tower... Oh, and one of my favorite foreign films is from there [Amelie].

The biggest reason I love France is because of their love for cooking things that are delicious. The dish featured above is my favorite dessert of all time. And guess where it was invented......? Yep, France.

Creme Brulee is so good it deserves to be capitalized. It's creamy with the perfect amount of crunch. It's like heaven in my mouth and belly. I'm not even kidding.

So John and I had our two year anniversary on the 7th, and my mother gave us a gift. It was a kit for making my favorite of all desserts! So naturally we had to try it out. It was sooooooo delicious. And of course Jaunito loved the part where he got to use the torch to caramelize the sugar :)

You know it's good when John licks his ramekin [I would have too, but I was really full]:

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Link to recipe here.

Oh the Deliciousness of Bacon

Okay, this meal was soooo delicious. You know you want some. I mean seriously. Just look at it.

This is one of our favorite meals, because the chicken always has sooo much flavor, none of that dry stuff.

I made it last night (John cut and steamed the potatoes), and we were in food heaven as we ate.

Oh you want the recipe? Okay, here it is:

Bacon & Rosemary Chicken (Courtesy of Simple & Delicious)

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 bacon strips, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced/minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken breasts, one at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings. cook chicken in butter and reserved drippings for 4-6 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 170. Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes to the skillet; cook for 1 minute. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Return chicken and bacon to skillet, heat through.

My Red Potatoes Recipe (courtesy of yours truly)

• Red Potatoes halved or in fourths
• A Scoop of Sour Cream
• A dash of Garlic Powder
• A few dashes of parsley
• Some butter

Boil or steam the potatoes, when they are nice and soft, drain them and put them in a bowl. Add butter, sour cream, garlic powder, and parsley. Mix ingredients around and then enjoy!

Sorry, I don't have specific measurements, just put in however much you think you'll like.

And don't forget to enjoy it with an IBC Cream Soda! :)

Hey readers, I have a quick question for you: have any of you actually tried any of the recipes I've put up? If so, which one? Was it good??

Strawberries!

This afternoon I enjoyed one of my most very favorite snacks.

I also enjoyed capturing the beauty of the strawberries involved in said snack.

I believe that, eventually, this treat will be the death of me.

Directions:

Rinse Strawberries. Admire the bright colors & sweet seeds.

Let them dry on a paper towel.

Admire the designs on the insides of the strawberries.

Slice them and place them in a bowl.

Melt chocolate chips on low heat.

Don't forget to squish the chocolate chips as they start to melt. 

It helps to relieve stress. :]

Poor some heavy cream on the strawberries!

Drizzle with chocolate & take a picture. Send the picture via text or web to your friends.

Then add more chocolate & cream (nobody has to know) and consider sprinkling with sugar.

If you are trying to get fat, this will help you out in your quest.

If you are trying to get skinny, it's totally worth it. I give you permission to pamper yourself. Just this once!

:)

Also, there is an adventure going on in your mouth with every single bite!