Creamy black bean soup.

Everyone in the house loved this soup. I quote my husband " This is like, gourmet". My daughter even ate quite a bit. It is filling and easy to make!!

Serves 4


Garnish this thick, velvety soup with an extra dollop of sour cream and pinch of chopped fresh thyme, if you like. I also used tomato, cheese and garlic salt.



Ingredients

2 tablespoons vinaigrette (any kind will do)

3 carrots, chopped

2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced, divided

2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 3/4 cup per can)

1/3 cup lowfat sour cream

Salt and ground black pepper to taste




Heat vinaigrette in a medium pot over medium high heat. Add carrots and two-thirds of the green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Add beans, 3 cups water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots are tender, 12 to 14 minutes more. Working in batches, carefully transfer contents of pot to a blender and puree until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat over medium low heat until hot throughout. Stir in sour cream, salt and pepper and serve, garnished with remaining green onions. And Enjoy!!!

Gotta have it...

I just had asparagus spaghetti, and it was simply wonderful. I never knew spaghetti could taste so good.

Feb menu:

This is my more organic menu, the estimated cost is $150, which may be less than that after I do my bulk shopping. I plan to make my bulk products last at least 6 months.

The first two weeks:
Menu for Feb 8- 14 Organic eating




Tuesday:

Breakfast: Smoothie with hemp seeds

Lunch: Tuna in a pita with veggies

Dinner: Black bean taco’s



Wednesday:

Breakfast: Whole grain bagel with egg and cheese

Lunch: Salad with lots of nuts/ organic dressing

Dinner: Crock pot sweet and sour chicken



Thursday:

Breakfast: Granola, yogurt and fruit

Lunch: Organic macaroni

Dinner: Stuffed peppers



Friday:

Breakfast: Organic oatmeal

Lunch: Baked potato

Dinner: Egg drop soup at whole foods



Saturday:

Breakfast: organic cereal

Lunch: Avocado pesto pita

Dinner: Leftovers



Sunday:

Breakfast: Bagel egg sandwich

Lunch: Almond butter and Jelly in a pita/ leftovers

Dinner: Fettuccini shrimp alfredo w/ broccoli and carrots



Monday:

Breakfast: Banana honey Almond butter sand.

Lunch: Leftover soup

Dinner: Fondue



Snack Menu



Trail mix Popcorn

Fruit / smoothie Lara bars

Granola Dried fruit

Nuts/seeds

Avocado/guacamole

Carrots and celery

Fruit leather

Yogurt

Apple sauce

Granola bars

Black bean brownies



Menu for Feb 15- 21 Organic eating



Tuesday:

Breakfast: Smoothie with hemp seeds

Lunch: Tuna in a pita with veggies

Dinner: Sweetish meatballs



Wednesday:

Breakfast: Whole grain bagel with egg and cheese

Lunch: Salad with lots of nuts/ organic dressing

Dinner: Foil wrapped chicken



Thursday:

Breakfast: Granola, yogurt and fruit

Lunch: Organic macaroni

Dinner: veggie soup



Friday:

Breakfast: Organic oatmeal

Lunch: Baked potato

Dinner: Leftovers



Saturday:

Breakfast: organic cereal

Lunch: Avocado pesto pita

Dinner: Shrimp stir fry



Sunday:

Breakfast: Bagel egg sandwich

Lunch: Almond butter and Jelly in a pita

Dinner: Breakfast



Monday:

Breakfast: Banana honey Almond butter sand.

Lunch: Leftover soup

Dinner: Philly cheese steaks



Snack Menu



Trail mix Popcorn

Fruit / smoothie Lara bars

Granola

Nuts/seeds Dried fruit

Avocado/guacamole

Carrots and celery

Fruit leather

Yogurt

Apple sauce

Granola bars Black bean brownies

Buying in bulk:

I have decided that it is time to head off whole foods and buy in bulk. The things I am seeking out are, oatmeal, rice, different beans, different nuts/seeds, coffee, dried fruit. This is just a starter list. It is far cheaper to buy bulk, no name brands that are organic. A lot of these things can keep in the freezer for up to a year. I know that bulking up on items like the staples saves us a lot of money and leaves us able to buy fresher foods with our monthly allotment. Not to mention this will be very helpful with a newborn around!

Life without tv..

Has been amazing. My daughters behavior has improved, she uses her imagination, and helps me out! Sure my husband and I watch a show or two before bed, but the days without the drone of the tv has certainly made me feel enlightened!

Granola bars!

Dark chocolate chip Granola bars

Ingredients

4 cups of quick cooking oats

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips (dark chocolate)

1 cup chopped organic nuts (optional) I used pistachio's and a few dried cherries.



Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread oats on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Allow oats to cool to room temperature. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled oats. Spread mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed or oiled, pressing down hard to compact it.



Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Pita chicken sandwich.

Just had one for lunch, that took me all of 5 min to make!

I usually have cooked chiken hanging out in the fridge because we like to make wraps and such.

Small chopped chicken
Chopped lettuce into bite size
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
Minced white onion, just a sprinkle
Chopped tomato
Chopped avocado
Enough dressing to coat all of the above: Ranch

Stuff into a pita and enjoy! My daughter loved it!

Slow cooker minestrone soup!

Ok so this was huge hit!  I would reccomend less noodles, it soaked up all the juice! But everyone swears it was amazing! Also, if you like your onion a little more cooked I would saute them first, they came out a bit crunchy.




Slow cooker Minestrone soup:



4 cups of veggie broth

4 cups of tomato juice (i used sauce and added water)

1 tbls of basil

1/4 teas. pepper

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

1 cup mushrooms ( i did potato and added it a little bit later)

2 garlic cloves minced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta I used the mini shells

I added a can of beans as well



Chop and add all ingredients (except noodles, and beans add those about 30 min before eating) set crock pot on low for 7- 8 hours, or on high for 4-5. Enjoy :)

Soon to come:

I am posting to you all what I plan on posting as far as my next step to going green. I am in the process of making an organic monthly food menu, that has to be within a budget: ways you can eat healthy without spending to much money. And to be truthful with you people eat too much as it is. I always make sure we have enough food for everyone but keeping in mind we don't need to gorge ourselves.

I will be posting my organic pancake, granola bar, and black bean brownie recipes. These are healthy treats that everyone has loved so far. These are also snacks you can make at home, without all the extra packaging and preservatives!

I also want to do a post about the baby gear I plan to use, and why.

Looking forward to it all. See you all soon!!

Valentines, and how I plan to keep it green!

First, I plan to have our own fondue night, with fruit for dessert, maybe some chocolate fondue too.
Second, all I want for valentines is a poem written written by favorite writer, my husband.
Third, this might be personal, but we'll take a bubbly bath.
Fourth, we will enjoy some hot cocoa and cuddle together.

Who could ask for more? I certainly don't enjoy the traffic or the dining out on actual valentines day. While I would love to have a babysitter, everyone I know is busy that day, so we'll put the kiddo to bed then have our time. I don't need any expensive give just the gift of time.

Black bean taco's

Two thumbs up! My husband loves them too!

Reasons why this works for us:

1. Meat is more expesnsive, although sometimes it's ok.
2. It's healthier.
3. It tastes good.
4. It's better for you.


Recipe:

Canned black beans
taco seasoning (I made my own)
taco shells
avocado
onion
tomato
sour cream
romaine lettuce
Shredded cheese


Just drain most of the liquid off the beans, leaving a little. Mix in taco seasoning and heat until warm/hot.
Make avocado salsa using onion and tomato with a splash of lime.

Layer into taco and chow down!

Nature is amazing.

Last night we got to watch a fox in our backyard. He had buried his food there, so he dug it up and ate some, then buried it in a different place. My daughter loved watching him, and it was a great learning experince for her. She asked me all kinds of questions this morning about him and how he lives.

I love that my daughter is curious, I hope that someday she will be as passionate as I am about saving our planet. The animals deserve to keep their home too.

Todays post is a rant..

Just a warning!

This morning while on our drive to my doctors appt. I asked my husband why the road appeared to be wet, we hadn't had any percipitation, and I couldn't imagine why the roads would be cleaned on a cold morning. My husband informed me that they laid a layer of chemicals over the road that are supposed to be slip resistant and not able to freeze as easy.

First of all WTF????

Why? So that crazy people can drive crazy?

How about this. Those chemicals get washed away into our water, yes your water, which yes we do supply. I live in the mountains where a lot of people and farmers benefit from our water sources. So not only our water, but your also adding another natsy chemical to our food.

Did they ever think about what a waste of money this is? This is your tax money at work. It pays for the chemical, but as well as the employees to take time to lay it down. Plus your car gets covered in nasty crap. Who wants that? Ok I think I am done for now...

Homemade BBQ sauce

Ok so I don't have all the measurements, but here's what I did!

Ketchup
worchester sauce
soy sauce
sprinkle of brown sugar
sprinkle cumin
sprinkle onion powder

YUM!

Meal planning cont....

Week 2 of the month:  This monthy meal planning is based off of $300 a month for food. I'll admist the end of the month gets tough, but when I plan ahead, we can usually make it. My months start on the 8th, and go until the 7th of every month.

Menu for Jan 15- 21




Saturday:

Breakfast: Fruit bowl

Snack: Pistachios

Lunch: Sandwich wrap chicken ranch

Snack: Guacamole

Dinner: Boca burgers, sweet potato fries



Sunday:

Breakfast: homemade pancakes

Snack: Fruit

Lunch: egg salad sand.

Snack: Chips and pico de gallo

Dinner: Black bean taco’s



Monday:

Breakfast: Fruit, yogurt, granola

Snack: Toast

Lunch: Macaroni and cheese

Snack: chips and dip

Dinner: Spaghetti



Tuesday:

Breakfast: French toast leftovers

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Leftover spaghetti

Snack: Pistachio’s

Dinner: Steak, Baked potatoes



Wednesday:

Breakfast: Eggs and toast

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Tuna sand.

Snack: pistachios

Dinner: Chicken alfredo pizza



Thursday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Snack: yogurt

Lunch: Leftover pizza

Snack: pudding

Dinner: Meatloaf



Friday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Grilled cheese

Snack: Veggies

Dinner: Minestrone soup slow cooker



Estimated total including what I already have $64
 
Previous week was $125, My esitimated total was right on, with $1 to spare!

I think I finally figured it out...

All my life I knew that I wanted to do something meaningful with it. It has been many years of wondering what would be just right for me. I have explored many ideas, and while I love being a mother, I feel there is more for me out there. I always wanted a profession that I could love, I also knew that even if it was something I love, it may not pay a lot, but to me it's worth it. Money never mattered to me and when it did, I was very unhappy with my life, and "thought" that money could fix it.

The past few years I have been trying to find a profession that I loved but also one that was kind to the earth, and helped people see life for what it really is, a beautiful miracle. I know it's asking a lot. So after letting my thoughts off into the universe, I finally recieved my answer.

I want to be a yoga teacher. It doesn't require a lot of things, which is kind to the earth, and it teaches people about themselves, and the more you know yourself, the easier it is to open up to the world around you, and see beyond the commercialism, to see life, the way it really is.

Now that I am sure of what I want to to do with my life I can begin down that path.

I thank all the people who have supported me, and let me be who I am so that I could find the right path for me. All those people, are every single person in the world who has accepted me for me, and let me make my own decisions, with lots of love and support.

Reduce waste tip #1

Buy the frozen 100%  juices instead of the big plastic ones, it saves a lot of waste!!

Meal planning

A few years ago, when money got tight after having our sweet little girl, I started to meal plan. I wrote out a weeks worth of meals and snacks, and wrote a grocery list according to it. We only bought what went on the list.

A few perks about this.
1. You will have everything you need for each meal
2. You can plan healthy meals, like buying fresher ingredients which is actually cheaper than all the canned stuff.
3. You eat healthier!!
4. You don't end up buying a bunch of junk
5. It saves a lot of money to plan ahead
6. You can make a list based off of stuff you already have on hand.

I am sure there are more good perks to this, like not having to decide what to make for dinner last min. when your all tired, it will just be there for you.

Here is an example of our next weeks menu, which I figured the cost without minusing what I might already have at $125 That may be a lot to some people, but I use a lot of the other ingredients for the following week, which will cut my cost down by a ton!!

Menu for Jan 8 - 14




Saturday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Salad

Snack: veggies

Dinner: Split pea soup



Sunday:

Breakfast: Muffins

Snack: Banana

Lunch: Pesto wrap

Snack: spinach dip

Dinner: Eggs benedict with avocado



Monday:

Breakfast: Cereal w/ pb toast

Snack: Fruit

Lunch: Tuna

Snack: Guacamole

Dinner: Beef stir fry



Tuesday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Leftover soup

Snack: Leftover spinach dip

Dinner: Salad, Tom soup/ grilled cheese



Wednesday:

Breakfast: Eggs and toast

Snack: Pb and apples

Lunch: Leftover stir fry

Snack: pico de gallo

Dinner: Enchilada bake



Thursday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Snack: Bread

Lunch: Baked potato

Snack: Pistachio’s

Dinner: Crock pot bbq chicken



Friday:

Breakfast: French toast

Snack: Smoothie

Lunch: Enchilada bake

Snack: Avocado’s

Dinner: BBq chicken sand (leftovers)