This was my smoothie before a friend’s 40th birthday celebration last weekend. The danger for me was that the festivities were at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and it requires great restraint to control my intake of chips and salsa! One of the added advantages as to why I drink green smoothies is that they [...]

(Polenta cakes served with goat cheese, roasted veggies and hot sauce.) Polenta, which originated in Europe, is similar to grits as both are made from stoneground corn. The type of corn for each varies as does the coarser texture of the cornmeal used to make polenta. I consider polenta to be a great vessel for [...]

  There was a time when I had a 2 year old that had a picky palate only pacified by store bought ranch dressing. Oh how many foods he ate with the help of this popular American condiment. I tried to find the healthiest version that I could, either organic, lower in sodium, or with [...]

Fall is just around the corner meaning the well priced bags of organic apples at Trader Joe’s are back! You can bet I snagged a few bags. I was standing in my kitchen doing my usual smoothie-for-the-next-day prep when I saw my overflowing basket of apples. Thoughts of apple pie followed. This smoothie is a bit sweeter [...]

On one hand beans have had an excellent reputation since the beginning of time being a cheap, accessible, nutritionally dense food and on the other, many claim that beans are hard to digest causing gastrointestinal distress and diets such as Paleo are against them all together. I have already said a few times on this blog [...]

I bet you never expected to see the word chicken on this blog! And yes I cringe :). Viva Chicken Peruvian Rotisserie Joint is likely no place this vegetarian would have visited if it wasn’t for another vegetarian’s recommendation. I was pleasantly surprised at the options available for my dietary preference as well as the environmentally sound [...]

(This versatile veggie contains manganese(bone and skin health), potassium, antioxidants, fiber, folate, and other B vitamins.)   I remember having a heavy dislike for eggplant when I was a child. Thankfully, it turns out that I just hadn’t had it the right way for me yet. Experiencing eggplant parmesan changed that. Because yes, what vegetable will [...]

Including fruits, veggies, nuts, and the complete protein powerhouse seed known as quinoa, this salad can be served as the main attraction, lunch box feature, or enhancing side. I made this recipe as part of my Sunday weekly meal prep. I don’t always accomplish meal prep but school starting back up tomorrow put me in the [...]

A few of my readers have asked me for a healthy oatmeal raisin cookie that they could feel good about feeding their children for breakfast. I was out of raisins when I made these but you could used any small dried fruit. Again, ease and versatility are the name of the game! These cookies are [...]

Arguably, no other food has a pull as strong as fresh popcorn. How many times in my life have I proclaimed to be full only for the aroma of an office mate’s microwave popcorn to make my mouth water and stomach rumble. I don’t even want to know how much I have spent on overpriced movie [...]