Brown rice and lentil tacos

I love recipes with memories. Then whenever I cook or eat a particular dinner I can look back fondly on the days of yesteryear.

This recipe has a simple story, my friend posted a similar recipe on her blog. When I wanted to make it I couldn't find the link, so I made my own version. However, thinking of this friend reminds me of Freshman year and horrible Freddy Prinze Jr. movies. I love thinking of those memories.

As you will quickly learn I am a huge fan of vegetables. I add vegetables to any recipe I can, sometimes to the point of going overboard. But not really because they always taste so yummy!

Brown Rice and Lentil tacos

adapted from here

Combine the following into a crock pot

• 1 diced onion
• 5 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 diced pepper

• 2 Tbsp flour

• 1 cup of lentils
• 1/2 cup of brown rice
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp of onion powder
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours (this will look like a soup to start with, it thickens up). 

About 15-20 minutes before dinner time throw in 1/2 c. corn and about 1 c. chopped spinach

Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite taco toppings!

If you don't want to cook in the crock pot, cook veggies in olive oil then add rest of the ingredients. Cook for about 50 mins on a low simmer (like you would with brown rice).

I usually half this meal and have plenty! It is so delicious, even picky Caleb will eat it.

smoothie smackdown

A couple of weeks ago my crazy friend decided to redo her kitchen, starting on Christmas day. I went over and helped her one day and we started talking about green smoothies. I am pretty healthy but I just couldn't get on board with that. Blending fruit and veggies together and then drinking it? No thank you. A couple of days later I was FaceTiming with my sister and she was drinking something, a green smoothie. She also assured me that they are delicious. After two trusted friends told me to try them I did. And I am hooked. I drink them every morning for breakfast. Caleb even drinks them! For a boy who won't eat vegetables this makes me super duper happy. 

My sister gave me this recipe:

2 T Bob Mills flaxseed (not the powder)

1 carrot-not peeled 

1 apple (cored and sliced to whatever your blender can handle)

1/2 c blueberries

1 c. cranberry juice

handful of spinach and kale

1 c. ice

Place the flaxseed, carrot, apple, blueberries and cranberry juice in blender and mix until smooth. Add the spinach and kale-blend. Last add ice and blend until smooth.

I admit I haven't tried this recipe yet. I love my smoothie recipe so much because it is quick, easy and has a lot random yet important ingredients (like cinnamon and honey both of which doctors say to eat every day. The big thing is the greek yogurt. I love my extra protein because I also have a boy who won't eat meat).  This one is so easy to make because nothing has to be chopped beforehand. 

1/4-1/3 c. plain greek yogurt
1 banana

1 t. honey

two dashes cinnamon

a handful of baby carrots

two handfuls of spinach

a little milk

two cupfuls (like drinking cups it would probably equate to just over an actual cup) frozen fruit (I use the mix from Sam's Club)

Blend the yogurt, honey, cinnamon, carrots, spinach and milk until smooth (sometimes I don't add the milk it depends how think I want it. Caleb only drinks smoothies through a straw so if he wants one it needs to be thinner). Add fruit and mix until smooth.

I really need to get some flaxseed and add it to this recipe for that added boast of awesomeness.

Try one or both of these outs. One day Stephanie and I will have to have a smoothie smackdown for real!

honey

One of the other things I am going to do with is blog is share lists people have asked me to give them. The first one is long overdue from a woman in my ward. I did a honey order of the amazing local honey company. She asked me how I use honey-here is the list!

My own uses for honey:

Great energy booster-pre or post workout, or in the middle of the afternoon. I just eat it with a spoon.

Mix with Greek Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is so healthy and wonderful but tastes awful in my opinion. Mixing plain greek yogurt with honey and cinnamon makes it edible for me. I use that combo with fresh fruit or in smoothies most mornings for breakfast.

Granola-melt honey and natural peanut butter together in a saucepan. Mix with toasted oats, coconut, dried fruit-whatever you feel like for yummy granola or granola bars.

FHE lesson-we were really struggling with Caleb saying "stupid" and "poopy" so we did a lesson about language. We had a cup of muddy water and a spoon of honey and asked which one he wanted-he picked the honey of course. For a couple of weeks we kept the muddy water next to the honey on the counter, when he would go a morning without bad words he got some honey and when he said bad words we would show him the muddy water. It worked really well! (there is a scripture in Psalms about using sweet words, we read that with the lesson). 

Mix with hot water when one of us has a sore throat. 

My favorite pizza dough

http://afmadsen.blogspot.com/2012/01/pizza-pizza.html

I use to have this in recipe form but can't find it. To make great peanut butter brownies mix honey and peanut butter together (I believe 1/4 c. honey to 1/2 c. p.b. I am really bad at measuring) spread over brownies and then top with chocolate frosting of some sort. Not healthy but very yummy. 

Other uses and websites I use:

As I tell my cycling class I trust EVERYTHING Lance Armstrong says :) But really good tips on adapting recipes

http://www.livestrong.com/article/231843-how-to-substitute-honey-for-sugar-in-bread-baking/

http://www.pickyourown.org/SubstitutingHoneyForSugar.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2110342_substitute-honey-sugar-recipe.html

These brownies are AMAZING! John couldn't tell they were as healthy as they are.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/01/recipe-real-whole-wheat-brownies/

http://adelightfulhome.com/10-ways-to-use-honey-in-your-food-and-on-your-skin/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/273425-how-to-use-honey-for-weight-loss/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-brones/20-unusual-uses-for-honey_b_949475.html

http://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/honey-recipes-00417000068876/

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-recipes.html

I usually steam the carrots instead of roasting them, either way is very yummy!

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/side-honey-soy-oven-glazed-carrots/

There is a basic list, I am sure one day I will think of more and have to add to this, but it is a pretty good start. If all else fails just eat it with a spoon-that's what I do. 

A little about this blog...

I am not a chef, or even an amazing cook. I completely get that and this blog is in no way to claim that I am. But I am asked often for recipes or healthy cooking ideas, and a couple of people of mentioned a blog. I plan on sharing what people are asking me for with all the world.

 A little bit about our eating habits. I struggle with infertility issues. I have endometriosis and 

PCOS. Those issues greatly impact our eating habits. I try to avoid a lot of animal protein because research shows is can affect egg quality and increase endometriosis pain. We eat a lot of organic food because the lack of hormones and pesticides boasts fertility. 

I am also a very active person, I have done a lot of research and am not afraid of carbs. You need carbs based on your activity level. I also like protein, but again not a lot of meat. I try to make vegetables and whole grains the center of all our meals. 

I also love to eat. I love flavor. I know a woman who says she eats to stay alive so she doesn't really care what she eats as long as it is healthy. I really cannot relate to that attitude at all. I love eating, even if I didn't have to eat I still would. I want to enjoy everything I eat! I want to not feel guilty about eating seconds because it is healthy food.

We really try to limit our refined sugar intake because it sends my son over the edge (more so than most kids, I think). But again, I love flavor. I like to experiment with low sugar/low fat desserts.

I hope you can find something that you enjoy on this blog-happy eating.