Holiday Gift Guide- For Him

Cell Phone Cases  Here are 2 iphone case options that will satisfy any guy you are shopping for.

Spend More  Part of Restoration Hardware's Artisan Leather Collection, this phone cover is crafted in genuine vegetable tanned leather that will only get better with age.  The heavy top stitching and rich leather color gives it a distinctly masculine feel.  This cover fits the iPhone 4 and 4S and is available in Chestnut (shown below) and Chocolate.


Restoration Hardware Artisan Leather iPhone 4 and 4S Cover $39

 Spend Less  J.Crew's rubber camo case is a great fit for the iPhone 4 and for your budget.  It's on sale now for only $20.

J.Crew Rubber Camo iPhone case $20

Spend Less Jcrew offers patterns, solid colors and even a glitter iPhone case for just $25. The only downside is that the Jcrew cases only fits the iPhone 4.

Holiday Gift Guide- For Her

iPhone Cases  You can hardly walk down the street these days without bumping into someone who is texting, "checking in", reading email or just simply talking on the phone.  That's why this gift is something that almost anyone on your list can use. 

Spend More iomoi offers 44 different artwork options for the iPhone 3, 3GS, 4 and 4S.  For $58 you can select your favorite pattern and then customize it with a name or monogram.  


iomoi custom phone case $58

Spend Less  Jcrew offers patterns, solid colors and even a glitter iPhone case for just $25.  The only downside is that the cases only fit the iPhone 4. 

J.CREW iPhone 4 Case $25



 

On the first day of Christmas...

Have no idea what to get anyone on your list? Don't like shopping? Does the thought of going to the mall today give you anxiety? Well, you're in luck! Over the next 4 weeks I'm going to share some of my favorite items with you to make your holiday gift giving easy and stress free this year.

For each gift I will have a Spend More and a Spend Less option so your loved ones can enjoy these gifts no matter what your budget.  And, the best part, all of these gifts ideas can be purchased online from the comfort of your own home... which means you will still have enough time to squeeze in your workout, go to the Farmer's Market and to make that raw vegan raspberry ganache fudge cake you've been wanting to try.

Happy Shopping!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS
6 large bell peppers (I prefer red because they are a bit sweeter than green peppers),  Remove tops, ribs and seeds
2 cups of bulgur (you may substitute any whole grain you prefer)
1 tsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced and set over a fine mesh sieve to drain
15oz black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh organic yellow corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp hot sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bulgur as per package instructions.  Set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, saute onion, carrot and sweet potato for about 10 minutes until potato and onion are soft.  Add tomatoes, beans and corn.  Cook for 5 minutes and then remove from heat.

Combine bulgur and vegetable mixture in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

Spray a small baking pan with non-stick spray.  Fill each pepper with the stuffing mixture and stand upright in the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven; sprinkle the top of each pepper with 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese.  Put the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (bake for shorter period of time for more firm peppers and longer for softer peppers).  Remove pan from oven and serve immediately.

These make a great main course or you can cut them in half and lay them pepper side down on a plate as a side dish.

*You can easily make this recipe vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy!

These are a few of my favorite (kitchen) things...

Before the holiday shopping season officially starts and we begin searching for the perfect gifts for everyone on our list, I want to share some of my favorite kitchen items that are the perfect gifts to buy for yourself now.  

1. 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set

I use these bowls ALL the time... for prep, for leftovers, for taco night and for serving.  They are made of tempered glass so they can be used for hot or cold foods and are dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe.  For those of you that don't have a lot of storage space, or should I say especially for those of you that don't have a lot of storage space, these are great because they nest inside of each other so you only need a space big enough to fit the largest bowl.  I don't know what I ever did without them!

10-Piece Glass Bowl Set $39.95

2. Juicer

This makes juicing lemons and limes for my green smoothies a cinch.  The built in strainer retains the pulp and seeds while allowing you to squeeze out every last drop of juice.  This juicer is also top-rack dishwasher safe which makes for easy clean up.

Chef'n Citrus Juicer $19.95


3. Apple Slicer
This easily and evenly slices and cores apples.  It's great to use when baking, making smoothies or even when you just want some apple slices as a quick snack.  Dishwasher safe.

OXO Steel Apple Divider $11.95

4. Titanium Kitchen Shears
These shears are the one kitchen item that I never knew I needed until I got my first pair.  Perfect for chopping herbs and leafy greens, these shears can also open bottles and crack nuts if you so desire.  Dishwasher safe.

 
 
5. Stainless Steel 3pc Colander Set
This stainless steel 3pc set includes small, medium and large colanders that can be used for everything from draining pasta to rinsing fruits and vegetables.  The wire feet allow the water to drain easily and quickly.  These colanders are sturdy and dishwasher safe yet attractive enough to leave out on the counter with some washed grapes or berries for snacking.

Stainless Steel 3pc Colander Set on sale for $50 (reg. $57)

 

Go ahead and buy something for yourself... you deserve it!

Do you crave more information about health and nutrition?

Do you want more information about how nutrition and lifestyle choices can affect your health?  Visit my website to download a FREE copy of Integrative Nutrition: Feed Your Hunger for Health & Happiness written by Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  

Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

This oatmeal breakfast bake is great because you can make it on Sunday night, keep it in the fridge and you have breakfast ready for the week.  I like to heat mine up and eat it with a little warm almond or rice milk.  If you prefer something you can grab and eat on the go, you can bake it a little longer, cut it into squares and eat it as a breakfast bar. 

BAKED OATMEAL
Adapted From:  The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, pg 20
Makes 6, one-cup servings
Ingredients
1 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup kamut flakes*
1 cup rice milk
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 large apple, grated
4 Tbsp maple syrup
Cooking Spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a casserole dish or square baking pan with cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  If you are preparing this the night before, don't add the liquid ingredients such as milk and grated apple until morning.  Place the mixture in the dish.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

*Khorasan wheat, (aka kamut), is a non-hybrid wheat that is high in protein and fiber.  I find Kamut Flakes to be a little fuller and heartier than old-fashioned oats.

Enjoy!