Scarlet Quinoa Salad

Last week, I got beets, radishes, cilantro and an onion from my CSA.  I really didn't think about using them all together until I found a recipe for quinoa salad that did just that.  As you know, I'm not so great at following recipes exactly as they're written but I used it as a guideline and made a few adjustments to suit my taste.

Scarlet Quinoa Salad

(Adapted from Eden Organic Red Quinoa recipe)

1 cup organic red quinoa, washed and rinsed

1 1/4 cups water (to cook quinoa)

2 medium beets, cooked, peeled and diced

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP fresh lime juice

6 red radishes, sliced into half-moons

1/2 minced red onion

1/4 cup organic dried cranberries

1/8 cup crushed almonds

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (adjust to taste)

sprinkle with pepper & sea salt to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions.  Boil or roast beets until tender (approx 45 minutes).  Once beets are cool, peel and dice.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve and enjoy!  Makes approximately 6 1-cup servings.

Tip: This is great to make in advance and keep in the fridge as an easy option for lunches and dinners during the week.

~Have a Healthy Day~



New York City Wedding

My sister, Bryn, recently coordinated a wedding in NYC.  She posted the pictures on her blog today...  check it out!  If you need help styling your big day or with day of coordination, keep her in mind. ♥

http://byrd-ie.blogspot.com/

4 easy and delicious dinners

People often think they can't afford to buy organic.  Although it's true that organic produce can be more expensive than its conventional counterpart, if you shop smart, I believe it's still possible to create inexpensive yet delicious meals using fresh ingredients.

My sister Meg took on this challenge and created 4 simple meals using food she purchased at her local Farmers Market and supplemented them with some items from Trader Joes.  The best part... each meal cost $9 or less!

Meg's Farmers Market Goodies

Green Beans, Zucchini, Whole Wheat Pasta, Organic Tomato Sauce, Onion, Cucumber, Green Pepper



Monday
Quinoa with sauteed  green beans, yellow and green zucchini, walnuts, parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice
Farmers Market Cost: $3 (beans, zucchini)
Trader Joes Cost: $3 (quinoa, walnuts, cheese, lemon)
Total Cost of Meal 1= $6.00

Tuesday
Fresh whole wheat pasta, organic tomato sauce, sauteed zucchini w/onions, garlic and parmesan cheese
Farmers Market Cost: $5.50 (pasta, tomato sauce, zucchini, onion)
Trader Joes Cost: $1 (garlic, cheese)
Total Cost of Meal 2= $6.50

Wednesday
Chickpea and zucchini frittatas, sauteed green beans with garlic, broiled eggplant with organic tomato sauce and parmesan cheese
Farmers Market Cost: $4.50 (green beans, zucchini, onion, tomato sauce)
Trader Joes Cost: $4.50 (chickpeas, bread crumbs, garlic, cheese, eggplant)
Total Cost of Meal 3= $9

Thursday
Salad with chopped spinach, carrot, cucumber, green pepper, black beans, feta cheese, avocado and olive oil and vinegar.
Farmers Market Cost: $1.50 (cucumber, green pepper)
Trader Joes Cost: $5 (spinach, carrots, beans, feta cheese, avocado, olive oil & vinegar)
Total Cost of Meal 4= $6.50

 

~Have a Healthy Day~





a FREE gift for my blog followers!

As you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting as often lately and I feel that I owe you an explanation as to why. 

Recently, Joshua, the founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition said something in one of our classes that really resonated with me.  He said that one of his students came up to him and told him that she was going to start a blog to share with everyone all of the interesting and meaningful information that she is learning in school.  Of course, when I heard this, I expected that he was going to praise her and tell her what a wonderful idea it was... which made me feel pretty proud of myself, because I had already thought of it and already started doing it. 

However, what he said next surprised me.  Joshua told her that he didn't think it was a very good idea.  (Huh?  He didn't think a blog was a good idea?)  He explained that we are only in school for 1 year and that we really need to be present and focused on our studies during this time.  He said that we have the rest of our lives to share the wealth of information we are learning in school whether it is through our blogs, websites, classes, counseling, etc.... 

I didn't want to have to choose between school and my blog but, after I really thought about, what he said did make sense.  So, my posts may be less frequent while I am in school, but know that it's not because I don't want to post more often, it's because I am heeding Joshua's advice and focusing all of my extra attention on my studies and my Health Coaching practice.

While my classes will continue through May 2012, I am now officially able to start seeing clients.  With the full support of the school and the staff behind me, I am looking forward to beginning my journey as a Holistic Health Coach.  With that said, I would like to offer my blog followers (and your friends and family) something in return for your loyalty.  FREE Health History Consultations!

This is an initial consultation where we will review and talk about your health goals and how we can work together to achieve them.  Your initial FREE Consultation will take about an hour and can be done in person or over the phone.  Do something good for yourself and book one now!  Take the first step towards a happier, healthier, more balanced life.

You can contact me directly at freshequation@gmail.com to schedule an appointment or you can complete your health history form at http://www.thefreshequation.com/ and contact me through my website to schedule an appointment.  Either way, I look forward to hearing from you!

~Have a healthy day~

You have to try this...

I know this is going to sound like a cheesy product commerical but this really happened...

For Labor Day, I was in Maryland at the house of a good friend of mine.  We spent the weekend running, boating, swimming, and sitting in the sun.  After all of that, my friend still commented on how soft my skin was.  I told her that I had just started using a new skin cream, Lubdriderm Advanced Therapy Mositurizing Cream.  It absorbs quickly and is super moisturizing without being greasy.  It's not all natural but it doesn't have parabens in it which, in my opinion, makes it safer than a lot of other products on the shelves. 

I highly recommend it but, unfortunately, it's pretty hard to track down.  I first discovered it at a local drugstore but haven't seen it there since.  I found it online at a few stores but it was sold out.  I finally had some luck and found it in stock at http://www.amazon.com/.  Get some while you can because this cream, as Giuliana Rancic would say, is amaze-balls! 

Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Cream

~Have a Healthy Day~