I am starting off with a few beautiful pics from my most recent nature walk. I can’t believe the lilacs are in full bloom and almost at their end!
If you look hard enough in the third picture you will see a cute little something. They are the first I have seen all year. They were so tiny, they looked like little bugs!
Food Things That Make Me Happy Right Now
- This product! Ok so at first I thought these citrus squeezers were a total gimmick, you know, a kitchen unitasker. I was so wrong! This kitchen tool is a must have! It has made my life much easier. I used to get really frustrated trying to juice citrus for marinades or dressings until this friend came along… They are relatively inexpensive too. Definitely a must have.
- Trader Joe’s organic plain yogurt. I have sort of been on a yogurt kick lately, and this seems to be my favorite brand. I doesn’t have too much of the acidy taste that other plain yogurts have. I also like how it includes a variety of probiotics. This brand has a nice texture too, not too thick, not to runny. I love plain yogurt because it is so versatile. You can use it for sweet stuff or salty stuff. Great to have around.
- Fresh strawberries! In Illinois, strawberry season begins in May and goes through June. There is nothing quite like a fresh, seasonal s-berry. Trader Joe’s had some nice looking organic ones that I picked up earlier this week. They were so good! Want to know what’s in season in your region? Field to Plate has a great resource for checking seasonal produce here.
Seasonal Food Tastes SO much better! Here is a list of some other Foods in Season Right now (Illinois):
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Greens
- Leeks
- Peas
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
Yoga
I think I have mentioned this company before, but I love Yoga Today. It is a web-based yoga studio and they offer a free class every week. It allows you the opportunity to enjoy a good yoga class from the freedom of your own home. I really enjoy the instructors on the program. Each brings many different talents to the table. Highly recommend!
A Few Things I Cooked This Week
- Tuscan Kale Pinto Bean Soup. I really enjoyed this soup. It was very easy to prepare and used an entire pound of fresh kale!
- Quinoa Cakes. These were just ok. I would definitely make them again, but I feel like they were missing something. Plus, they did not hold together well at all. Next time, I think I may try adding rolled oats or something to help them bind.
- Cocoa Oat Truffles. If you receive my monthly newsletter, you already know how I feel about these! They are spectacular and contain no refined sugars. I cannot wait to make these again. The only things I did different was add 3 tablespoons of water, and used my raw cacao powder. These aren’t just “healthy people food”, anyone would like them. I brought them to a dinner party and they were well received.
A Few Things I Want to Cook
- I have been wanting to try this chia breakfast “pudding” forever. I have dates and cashews on hand so I think it is time.
- This raw cashew cake. It looks absolutely amazing! I am thinking of making it for mother’s day brunch. There are a bunch of other recipes I want to make from this blog as well.
Things I want to Do
I have had the itch to travel lately and it’s getting stronger! I recently came across this article from Food and Wine magazine about the Maldives. Looks like a really neat place to experience. Unfortunately, the article explains that scientists predict most of the islands will be flooded in the next 20 to 50 years due to global warming… I don’t know if I will ever be able to get to this amazing place but it is definitely on my life list.
All for now! What healthy happenings have been going on in your life? Feel free to leave a comment below.
