French Toast with a Zesty Twist

Lazy Sundays have always been my favorite. They're the "calm after the storm" of Saturdays. Although my Saturdays are no longer as crazy as they used to be, I still love waking up, making a cup of hot tea, grabbing the Sunday paper and snuggling between the covers while cutting my coupons and reading the comics. 

Sundays are also the days I make a nice, big breakfast (or brunch for those very lazy days). I typically stick to a vegetable-filled omelet, soy chorizo and cilantro egg scramble or a typical Polish-style breakfast with a selection of breads, cheeses and fresh vegetables.

This morning, however, I broke out the Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook Joe and I received from his mother as a engagement gift. This is where I discovered the best French Toast i have ever had. The secret ingredient? Orange zest mixed with the batter. It added a unique, fresh taste to it. Of course, I had to make a few small adjustments, including substituting regular milk for almond milk and decreasing the sugar amount. Give it a shot, it makes all the difference! 

Serving Size: 4

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 baguette (one-day old so it absorbs the mix better)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups almond milk (or any other milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter (preferably from grass-fed cows)

Instructions

1. Slice the baguette so that it is about 2 centimeters thick.
2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice, sugar and salt. Mix well. 
3. Submerge the slices of baguette for at least 15 minutes, turning once. This ensures  a custard-like interior when the bread is cooked.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, melt some butter on a frying pan over medium heat. Place the slices of bread, in batches, on the hot frying pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook each slice until it is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes on each side). 
5. Keep the slices of cooked baguette in a single layer in the oven to keep warm before serving.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Anyone who has dogs understands how much extra laundry you go through in a week. Towels, towels, towels. Every time it rains, we need one for their paws, another by the door because they still find a way to get the floor wet, and of course, one for drying them because that's their favorite part. I swear they go out in the rain sometimes just to be dried later. I can appreciate that; I would love being snuggled with a towel too. I digress. On top of all the towels, the blankets on the couch need a little bit of extra love because my pups are spoiled and therefore pretty much own the couch. Forget me wanting to ever sit on it! And wait for it.. my dogs have their own special pillows that they sleep on and since drooling happens, the pillowcases need washing a bit too often. Oh, and don't forget the fiance! Yeah.. we do laundry fairly often around here.

I have always been a liquid detergent kind of girl, but hated all the money I spent on it. And don't even get me started on all the packaging polluting this planet. Oh man! You can imagine what a relief it's been when I learned I can make my own, with only 5 simple and inexpensive ingredients that can be found in the laundry isle in most stores. It's also reassuring to know exactly what's in my detergent.

Since most of the ingredients are powder, I just combine them together in a bin that can be sealed tightly to prevent clumping and mix together with my hands. I use a grater to shred the soap bars, which surprisingly, doesn't take too much effort. However, I once asked my fiance to help and being a man, he needed a quicker and easier solution. So that's when the food processor came into the picture. It actually worked grate! (see what I did there?) I also added Downy Unstoppables to this batch for some extra fragrance, but I usually leave it out because i found it does great on it's own. It's really a preference thing.

Depending on the size of your load, use about 2 tablespoons of the mix. Oxiclean comes with a measuring scoop which I've been using, but if you prefer, you can buy a stainless steel coffee scoop. My clothes (and dog towels) come out squeaky clean and smell fantastic! Not to mention all the money I saved. All of the ingredients cost me less than $30 (only about $20 if you skip the scent booster) and lasted much much longer than the 3 containers of liquid detergent I could have bought with this money. 

Ingredients

• 55 Ounces Super Washing Soda
• 4 Pounds Pure Baking Soda
• 4 Pounds Borax
• 3 Pounds OxiClean
• 3 Bars of Laundry Soap
• 19.5 Ounces of Scent Booster Laundry Beads (Optional)

Also need

• An air-tight container
• Measuring scoop
• Grater (or food processor)

Instructions

1. Combine all powdered ingredients in the bin and mix with your hands.
2. Grate the soap bars, or use a food processor for quicker shredding.
3. Add a scent booster, if you like. And that's it!

Blue Cheese Sauce Pasta

Most of my cooking days consist of "what can I do with what I have". I know, I try to plan for the week, but the BOGO sales at Publix always get me and I end up with more food than I need. So, I usually end up with the first half of the week planned and the second a mix of everything. I must say, I can get pretty creative!

Since Joe and I were leaving for Orlando this past weekend, I wanted to use up what I had on Friday since wasting food is a sin in my book. I needed to use the produce, therefore the spinach and mushrooms had to be used. 

And of course, the blue cheese crumbles wouldn't survive another week and I figured making it into a sauce was the way to go. I used almond milk, which I always have on hand, to give the sauce a creamier, more saucy, texture. I also added some lemon juice for oomph and Voila! 

The end result was heavenly! The pungent blue cheese along with the delicate spinach was the perfect combination and the lemon zest gave it a nice finish. This recipe would also work great with Gorgonzola cheese and pretty much any other vegetables

Serving Size: 2
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 ounces of whole wheat Fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup of mushrooms
• 1 cup of fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add your pasta. Cook according to directions on the box.
2. While pasta is cooking, mix the almond milk and blue cheese in a bowl. Next, zest the lemon and add the juice to the bowl. Save the zest for garnish for the end.
3. In a small frying pan, drizzle about half a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the mushrooms for a few minutes, until it's to your liking.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
4. Once pasta is done, drain the water and move the pasta back into the pot. Add  a little bit of olive oil and stir in the spinach so that it starts to wilt. Pour in the blue cheese sauce and mushrooms and stir. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.

Keep Your Cilantro Fresh for Longer

There are two types of people in this world. Those who love cilantro and those who think it tastes like soap. Since I'm on the side that loves it, I go through it like crazy. It adds a nice and fresh flavor to almost any dish, from salads to rice to scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

Joe is Colombian so he grew up with it and therefore loves it just as much. However, sometimes I get a little too excited, end up buying too much and it goes bad before I can use it all. I wanted to buy one of those fancy herb keepers, but I couldn't justify spending $20+ on one so I made my own. 

To start, snip the rubber band or tie and rinse your cilantro or parsley (this method works on both) so that you can use throughout the week without worrying about washing every time. Trust me, it's much easier to wash all at once. However, make sure that it is completely dry before storing as this may promote rotting. Next, fill a glass with enough water so that the ends are submerged, but not the leaves. It's important to not submerge the leaves as they will also rot and get slimy and smelly. I usually place a small plastic bag on top without closing it to prevent air from damaging the herb. This method keeps my cilantro fresh for weeks, but who knows, it might be longer! I just never keep mine long enough to know :)

Soy Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I have always wanted to try cooking with Poblano peppers. I should mention that I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food so the thought of a pepper that I could handle (aside from bell peppers) was intriguing. I tried them once in a Mexican restaurant with Joe and it was love at first sight. Now, how can I prepare them at home? Since I had them stuffed with rice at the restaurant, I figured stuffing was the way to go.

However, I wanted to place them over rice rather than filling them with it so I had to find a different substance, preferably rich in protein to keep me full for longer. Then it hit me, I had some organic soy chorizo that I bought at Trader Joe's the week before.  As a side note, if you haven't tried soy chorizo yet, you're missing out.  It's just as flavorful and versatile as the real stuff, minus all the fat.

Since I love veggies, I wanted to add some carrots and celery that I had to use before they went bad. Lastly.. black beans. I almost always add beans to a Spanish type dish. Since I wanted to melt some cheese on top, I wanted to place the stuffed peppers in the oven, but didn't want them to burn which gave me the idea to use some diced tomatoes on the bottom as a base.  

The aroma in the kitchen was overwhelmingly delicious! I was probably checking on them every 10 minutes because I couldn't wait for them to be done. Finally they were! And the result? Success! They came out looking beautiful and they tasted just as great. The zesty chorizo along with the mild pepper make the perfect combination.  Please comment below to let me know how you cook with poblano peppers!

Ingredients

·         6 poblano peppers

·         1chopped onion

·         1 chopped carrot

·         2 stalks of chopped celery

·         2 cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 12 oz. package of soy chorizo

·         1 15 oz. can of black beans

·         1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

·         Coconut oil (or any other oil for sautéing)

·         1 tsp paprika (because I'm Polish)

·         1 tsp chili powder

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1/4 cup chopped cilantro

·         Shredded cheese (Any kind you like and however much your heart desires. I only had sliced cheese on hand so that is what I used)

Instructions

1. Add some oil to the pan* on high heat. After it's hot, add chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes.

2. Add chopped carrots, celery and garlic** and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once tender, add the soy chorizo, black beans and seasoning.

3. While the mixture is cooking on low heat, cut the top off the poblano peppers , then core and seed the peppers.

4. Move the mixture to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Once the mixture has cooled, begin stuffing peppers, along with some shredded cheese. I used toothpicks to secure the top and body of pepper together.

6. Once the peppers are stuffed, add diced tomatoes to the pan and place stuffed peppers on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and shredded cheese. Move the pan to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

7. Serve over rice.

*Use an oven-safe pan. If you don't have one, you can always use two different pots/dishes, one for sautéing on the stovetop and one for baking in the oven.

**Let your garlic sit for a few minutes after smashing and mincing so that flavors are released. This also helps enhance the health-promoting properties of garlic.

Save Your Ginger

I love ginger. Love it. However, just the thought of peeling it makes me grab the powdered version. Or, ..mincing it -eek! No thank you. Too much work for even me. I often cook Asian dishes and most of them call for fresh ginger so I always try to keep some on hand. Then, of course, I get a bit lazy and don't end up using it and it goes bad. I hate to waste. But as frustrating as this endless cycle seemed, I could never think of a solution. 

A few weeks ago, my sister was visiting and we decided to make a veggie teriyaki bowl so I pulled out my ginger from my fridge drawer along with the other ingredients we were planning on using. Engulfed in conversations and with a glass of wine, I didn't pay much attention as my sister grabbed my grater and proceeded to grate the piece of ginger, with skin and all! I almost chocked on my wine. Where did this idea come from and where has it been my whole life? 

Yes, grating ginger is a thing. And, wait for it, it gets better, you can freeze it too! Say good-bye to old and stale ginger. In fact, freezing it helps make grating easier. Now I always keep my piece in a freezer bag and simply grate an inch or so whenever I need it for cooking. 

Does anyone else know about this easy trick? Please comment to share your tips! :)

Spaghetti & Bean Balls

I'm pretty sure we all have those "I'm craving spaghetti" moments. You boil your pasta, make your tomato sauce (or open a jar of it) and ...yum? Something is missing.. Ah yes, the meatballs! But since I rather skip the meat, I decided to take to Pinterest for some other ideas. There had to be some alternatives. And of course, there were! Some posts used quinoa and others used beans and since I had some cans of beans on hand, I figured I'd try that recipe. So although bean "meat"balls are a genius idea, I am not the genius behind them. This recipe is adapted from Cookin' Canuck's blog.

The final test was having my meat-loving fiance take a bite. Success! His exact words were "wow, they're actually really good".  Not only were they delicious, but they also had the same fulfilling qualities of meat that left me satisfied for hours.

I made sure to use whole-wheat organic pasta from Trader Joe's, which unlike white pasta that is full of empty calories, has plenty of fiber and protein. Also, my general rule of thumb is that if you can't pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn't be eating them.

Ingredients of Trader Joe's whole-wheat spaghetti: Organic Durum Whole Wheat

Ingredients of generic white spaghetti: Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron), Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid,

Ingredients

·         2 cans of white kidney beans (also known as cannellini beans)

·         One whole roasted red bell pepper

·         1 onion (I used sweet since I didn't have yellow on hand)

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         1/4 cup fresh parsley

·         2 tsp Sicilian dry seasoning (or any Italian)  

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

·         1 egg

·         3/4 cups dried breadcrumbs

·         A jar of your favorite sauce (I usually like to make my own, but I also keep a jar on hand for those lazy days)

·         Cooked Spaghetti

·         Fresh Parmesan cheese for grating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine beans and roasted red peppers in a food processor and blend until pureed.

3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add in chopped onion, garlic, parsley (leave some for garnish at the end), seasoning, salt, pepper, egg and breadcrumbs. Stir till the mixture is evenly combined.

4. Depending on the size of bean ball that you want, roll some of the mixture in between your palms and place on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave some space in between the bean balls so that they don't stick together.

5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the bean balls are firm and golden. While the bean balls are baking, heat your sauce according to instructions.

6. Serve spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley!

To Add To The Hummus Post...

My boyfriend and I went to visit his parents this Memorial Day weekend and that's where I discovered this secret little ingredient! His parents know I make my own hummus and read somewhere to add Sesame Tahini to make it taste more authentic so they got a can for me to try.  And of course I did as soon as I got home!  

It's a puree of roasted sesame seeds and basically acts like the healthy peanut butter jars.  The oil separates since it doesn't contain any emulsifiers or thickeners so you have to stir it for a while before using.  I added a spoonful to a can of chickpeas, but you'll have to play around with the amount depending how much of a creamy nutty flavor you like.  I also cheated and added some olive oil instead of water this time to make it even smoother.  I added it to my vegetable sandwich today for lunch and it definitely made it more creamy instead of a dry taste like before.  I encourage you to play around with all the ingredients until you find what you really like.  

Save Money, Make Your Own Hummus

I looove hummus! But...it can be a bit expensive.  So I looked up the recipe and was surprised how easy and inexpensive it is to make.  

You'll need a food processor and the following ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine all ingredients and process for about 2 minutes or until finely ground.  Now just serve!  You can cover and refrigerate leftovers for about a week.

Tip: Use as a spread with your veggie sandwiches or wraps for extra protein and flavor!

7 Poses To Help You Sleep

Some people have trouble falling asleep while others can lay their head on their pillow and be out in seconds, like me.  Either way, doing some yoga poses can help you get a better night's rest so you can wake up feeling rested and fabulous!

Below are the poses I do every night before going to bed.  They only take about a minute and a half total.  These exercises help me relax and release some stress to help me fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.  I started doing them about 2 months ago and have noticed a difference right away.  Now, I look forward to them before going to bed every night!  I even got my boyfriend to do them with me from time to time. 

1. Rag Doll

Stand with your legs slightly apart, right hand over left elbow, and bend over hips so that your head and arms hang down.  Stand for about 8 seconds while taking in slow, but deep breaths.  This pose helps ease tension in my back, neck, and shoulders.

2.  Seated Side Bend

Sit with your legs crossed, place right hand on the floor, and lean to the right with your left arm extending over your head.  Hold for about 8 seconds while breathing in deeply and switch to the other side.  This pose feels good on my neck, shoulders, and obliques.

3. Pigeon
Go down on all fours, place your left leg so that the knee is between your hands, and extend the right leg back.  Hold for about 8 seconds and switch legs.  Don't forget to breathe!  This pose stretches my hips, buttocks, and legs.

4.   Cobra

Lie down on your stomach, place your palms down on the floor by your chest, and lift yourself up while keeping your hips  on the floor.  Again, hold for about 8 seconds while taking in slow deep breaths.  This pose, more than anything, works on relaxing my ab muscles.

5. Bridge

Lie on your back with knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your arms by your side.  Lift up your hips while keeping your shoulders on your floor so that you make a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees.  Rest for 8 seconds while taking deep breaths.  This pose really opens up my spine, chest and shoulders. 

6. Plow

Lie on your back with your hands beside you and lift your legs up over your head while keeping your shoulders on the floor.  Hold for 8 seconds and breathe.  This pose also helps relax my spine and helps with my backaches.  It also feels good on my abs.

7. Legs-Up-The-Wall

Lie on your back against the wall so that your legs are perpendicular to your body.  Try to keep your legs as straight against the wall as you possibly can.  Hold for 8 seconds and take deep relaxing breaths.  This pose is great to do last because it's very relaxing.  It helps flow blood to the parts of the body that need it and also helps with arthritis.  Ancient Hindu scriptures also claim it helps banish wrinkles and old age!  

Enjoy!

But Where Do I Get My Protein?

It doesn't matter who I tell I'm switching to a mostly plant-based diet, they always ask the same question: "but how will you get protein?"  Um...plants...  I'm not sure why everyone seems to think that protein only comes from animal products.  Plus, people don't need as much protein as they think.  Just read some of the facts below:

• "Forks Over Knives" shows a study done on mice and the ones that received 20%+ animal protein were actually more likely to get cancer.  The ones who got 5% or less turned off tumor growth.
• According to the World Health Organization's Food and Agricultural Organization, we only need about 5% of protein from our daily calories.
• If you're still not convinced, think about this: humans grow at the fastest rate when they're infants and infants hardly get any protein. Breast milk contains only about 5% of protein.  

I know what you're thinking now: "but only animal protein is complete because of the essential amino acids it contains." Wrong! Protein combining is actually a myth that started in the 70s but has been proven wrong since.  Your body can make proteins out of pooled amino acids as long as you eat a variety of plant foods, so you don't need animal protein to have complete protein.

This chart shows what plant-based foods have protein. (Source: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php)

FOOD	AMOUNT	PROTEIN	PROTEIN
		(gm)	(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh	1 cup	31	9.6
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	29	9.6
Seitan	3 ounces	21	17.5
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18	7.8
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.7
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	15	5.4
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.3
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	13	6.7
Veggie burger	1 patty	13	18.6
Veggie baked beans	1 cup	12	5.0
Tofu, firm	4 ounces	11	10.6
Tofu, regular	4 ounces	10	10.7
Bagel	1 med. (3.5 oz)	10	3.9
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Peas, cooked	1 cup	8	6.6
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked	1/2 cup	8	15.0
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	8	4.1
Veggie dog	1 link	8	13.3
Spaghetti, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Almonds	1/4 cup	8	3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain	1 cup	7	7.0
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	7	5.2
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	7	3.4
Soy yogurt, plain	8 ounces	6	4.0
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	6	3.7
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	6	3.3
Cashews	1/4 cup	5	2.7
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	5	13.0
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4	6.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011 and manufacturers’ information. The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 63 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 52 grams per day.

This is great too! (Source: http://myjuicecleanse.com/juicing-for-health/calculating-vegetable-proteins/)

Plant-Based Diet: Getting Started

After watching all the documentaries about switching to a mostly plant-based diet, I was convinced to change my diet.  I'm not ready to go completely vegetarian or vegan, but I definitely want to make healthier choices.  After all, you are what you eat!  I started out by having meatless Mondays, but I didn't know what else to do to make the transition easier. My sister, who convinced me to watch the documentaries in the first place, made it a little easier for me by sending me some helpful books.

I love the "Skinny Bitch" series.  If you haven't heard of them, look them up!  These books go over everything: from where to shop, to nutrition, to recipes.  If you're thinking of starting a healthier lifestyle, definitely go on Amazon and get these!  They made the process less intimidating by showing how easy it really is.  You can still eat lasagna, "meat"loaf, and "meat"balls made completely vegetarian and you'll never know the difference.  There are some great swaps out there, you just need to find out about them.  

5 Documentaries That Will Change Your Life

I'm pretty sure I know how you feel about wanting to be healthy: "it sounds like a great idea...but I'll get around to it later." Yeah, trust me, I've been there too, but here's a list of 5 documentaries on Netflix that will make you want to change now!  After watching just one I couldn't wait to include more veggies in my diet, after the second, I knew I wanted a healthier, plant-based diet.  I watched the others just because I craved more information. These made the transition to a healthier lifestyle so seamless and pain free that even my steak-loving boyfriend couldn't resist.

1. Forks Over Knives
This is probably the most interesting and my favorite!  It focuses on the studies of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.  They show through studies how degenerative diseases can be controlled and reversed in some cases, all by just switching to a healthier plant-based diet.  Definitely a good documentary to start your journey with. 

2. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

This one is about Joe Cross and his efforts to regain his health by juicing for 60 days straight.  It's amazing how quickly the human body can heal with a healthy diet, but it's still a little extreme for  me to try.  However, it still inspired me to get a juicer to include in my diet.

 3. Hungry For Change
This documentary gives you more information about the benefits of eating healthy, such as weight loss, younger looking skin, and energy.  It also discussed the ethical and political implications of our current food system.

4. Food Matters

Again, this is a documentary that talks about food being our medicine.  It focuses on raw food, which isn't something I'm willing to dive into completely, but still gives you great information.  It also touches on topics like organic food and food safety.

5. Ted Talks: Chew On This

These are series of talks from scientists, chefs, farmers and foodies about the truth of food.  It touches on pretty much all topics, like obesity in children, famine, sustainability and cooking. Very very entertaining.

Trust me, you're not going to regret watching any of these! 

They'll literally save your life.