Green Goddess Dressing

Salads are a healthy, great way to get greens and veggies, right?

Right.

But often salad dressings are hidden traps!

My old favorite, Ken's honey mustard, lists canola oil and high fructose corn syrup as the top two ingredients. Yikes!!!

There's a better way to do salad.

I do like the punchy vinaigrettes that are often featured with healthier salads, but sometimes I need something thick and creamy!

Enter green goddess dressing.

I must warn that many storebought and even homemade varieties feature mayo as a main ingredient! No thanks. There's nothing green or goddess-y about that.

But here's my recipe, adapted from one I found at Oh She Glows.

It's absolutely delicious, and perfectly healthy! It's also a tasty veggie dip and sandwich spread!

 

 Green Goddess Dressing

 -The flesh of 2 small avocados

-1 garlic clove

-1/2 cup basil (packed)

-1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley (packed)

-1/4 cup olive oil

-7 Tbsp water

-1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

-The juice of 1 lemon

-1/2 tsp sea salt

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender and give it a whir! Lasts a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices! I think that cilantro would be delicious. Or dill! Green onions! Pretty much anything green and flavorful. It might also be fun to try adding a little honey, or some dried chiles for kick!

I ate a small mixing bowl full of salad in one sitting. This is definitely a keeper.

A Change for the Better!

I'm on a mission to get my rear in gear.

I've always been a fairly slender person, but I've not always been the healthiest. In high school I was in good shape due to a strenuous marching band program, but once I got to Bryan College, my exercise was limited to the short walks to class. Then I got married, and I started to pack on a few pounds due to constantly cooking delicious treats and maintaining a fairly stagnant lifestyle, with the exception of the occasional ski trip.

My husband, Colton,  has been gone for a few weeks to screen his short film at film festivals in the East, and so I've been thinking up ways to occupy myself. I have three major projects going:

1) The Kickstarter for my jewelry business
2) The redecoration of the living room
3) The diet and fitness overhaul

I guess I'm just on an improvement kick!

But seriously guys, I feel SO GOOD. After reading about clean eating on a few websites, I decided to try cutting out added sugars and refined grains. (No white flour, rice, etc.) After eating this way for a little over a week, I already feel such an improvement. I had no idea how much sugar and refined flours I was eating until I cut them out, and I didn't even know that I felt bad! I've also been doing exercise daily. Nothing too crazy, and I switch it up alot so I don't get bored. I've been taking alot of long walks and long swims. My friend is teaching me to play racquetball! (I'm not very good, but I still have fun!) I also like dancing, so I made a little dance workout playlist on youtube which you can try out yourself!

It's been so good for me. I've finally started realizing that exercise can be fun, and that cooking more healthily doesn't mean cooking with less passion or skill. Healthy food can taste good! In fact, here's a picture of my beautiful lunch.

Brown rice bowl with black beans, sweet peppers, cilantro, cumin, sea salt, cayenne, and a dollop of sour cream and fresh hummus.

I've also been experimenting with whole wheat pastry flour. It seems like many bread recipes using 100% whole wheat flour call for dough conditioners and other additives to make the bread less dense, but I had great success with this recipe last night without having to buy these extras from the health food store!

I don't think I've ever felt so confident and in control of my body. I'm giving it what it needs, instead of feeding it with empty calories but starving it of nutrients! I feel like I already look better (I'm not totally sure, though, because I didn't take photos, measurements, or my weight at the start. I don't want my focus to be weight loss), and I can definitely jump higher and run faster. I think alot of this also has to do with my water intake - I've never liked water too much, but I've been drinking two glassfuls with every meal and a few in between.

I'll make sure to update on my progress as time goes on. I feel really excited to see how my thoughts and body adapt to a healthier lifestyle :)

Kickstarter Campaign

Hey guys!

As you may or may not know, I started a jewelry business called Whisperwill.

Right now there is a Kickstarter campaign underway to help me transition to a wholesale supplier and finish my line. 

You can see it here!

Winter Salad with Seared Sirloin

This is the best salad I've ever made. Delicious, Healthy, Beautiful!

Here's a simple recipe if you want to try it:

Salad:

Greens of your choice (I just used a spring mix)

3 Mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced thinly

1 Honeycrisp or Fugi apple, cored and sliced thinly

1/2 Fennel Bulb, cored and sliced thinly (you could the whole bulb if you're a fennel lover!)

2 Shallots, sliced and sauteed

Sirloin or other steak, seasoned with salt and pepper and seared to medium, sliced thinly

Lemon Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh Lemon juice

1/2 cup Olive oil

1-2 Tbsp Dijon or Spicy mustard

Honey to taste

Check out the sneak peek of my new Python Cuff over at my business blog!

Guest Post!

You can read my short guest post on contentment over at Scout's blog here!

Easy Fried Egg Sandwiches with Radicchio

Sometimes dinnertime sneaks up on me.

Especially when we have a late lunch, like today!

(We went to Umami Burgur in Studio City. I wish I had taken a picture! I dug both my truffle burger and the swan taxidermy on the wall.)

So here's one of my favorite meals to fix on the quick!

You'll need:

-Eggs

-Bacon

-Radicchio, or another bitter lettuce

-French or sourdough bread

-Grainy or Dijon mustard

-Red wine Vinegar

-Olive Oil

-Butter

Begin by slapping a few slabs of bacon in a pan over medium. Being a bacon lover, I wish I had made a few more slices!

Begin to prep your Radicchio - slice it and remove to a bowl.

 Make a simple vinaigrette by whisking together equal parts of olive oil and red wine vinager with about a tablespoon of grainy mustard (or dijon). Season with pepper.

 Pour over the radicchio and toss to coat. The bitter lettuce and bright vinaigrette really cut through the salty bacony eggy part in a beautiful way.

Butter the tops of the bread slices and toast under the broiler until golden.

 Once the bacon is crisp, remove to a paper towel and crack your eggs into the grease, seasoning with salt and pepper.

 Don't forget to take your bread out! I've burnt alot of bread this way...

 When the eggs are done, layer them on the non-toasted side of the bread with the bacon and radicchio.

Yum! Cheese is also an option. I meant to put a slice of aged swiss on top of the bacon, but I forgot until the sandwiches were already built. Whoops!