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Hosting a Buddha Bowl Party!

3/16/2020

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What could be more exciting than hosting a party for your favorite people to share all your favorite foods in one big delicious dish? I can't think of anything! In this month's blog, we are going to be talking about one of the biggest and most delicious trends that has hit social media, restaurants, and kitchens by storm, the Buddha Bowl!

Happy March everyone! My family and I have been loving the beautiful spring weather here in Charleston! We can't wait to spend more days at the beach and to just be outside together. There is nothing like fresh air and sunshine to keep a smile on your face. The beautiful green leaves and flowers popping up everywhere has inspired me to share one of my favorite meals with you, the ever-popular Buddha bowl! This dish is one of the most beautiful things to look at before digging into an amazing meal. Are you familiar with them? A Buddha bowl is a single serving meal for any diet that is delicious, extremely healthy, and can be a true piece of gastronomical art. Buddha bowls are most commonly served in one big bowl full of delicious items that hit every food group needed for a complete and delicious meal. From that description, I'm sure you've seen something like it filling your Instagram feeds, your Pinterest account, and favorite recipe websites!

But, where did the name come from? There are many different theories, but some think the dish was inspired by Buddha's big round belly. Other's come from a more classic approach. Buddha was known to walk through whatever village he would find himself in and carry a big empty bowl with him. Villagers would fill the bowl with what every food offerings they could give him, and he would eat what he was given.

One of the greatest things about a Buddha bowl is that there is no right or wrong way of creating one. There are no directions you have to follow or any specific guidelines you have to stay in. You can create and fill them with whatever ingredients you and your family prefer. You can even make a batch of delicious fillings and have a Buddha Bowl bar, and let your family build their own. It's a wonderful way to introduce so many delicious and healthy options to your children at a young age while allowing them to experiment with different flavors, texture combinations, and being bold in making their own choices in their diet.

Now, where do you start? The best way to begin is to think in terms of layers. Begin by filling the bottom of your bowl with either a grain, a leafy green vegetable, or broth. Secondly, add your veggies. These veggies can be either roasted, cooked to your preference, or raw. Be bold! Try mixing vegetables you might not have thought of mixing before! Next, add your protein. This can be a great meatless meal, and you can use tofu or chickpeas as your protein, but meat can also be used if you wish. Then, you can add all kinds of toppings. This is a great opportunity to use nuts, seeds, or sprouts. You finish your bowl off (if you like) with a small drizzle of sauce or dressing. Ta-dah! You have just made your first delicious  Buddha bowl! If you need a little guidance or inspiration for your first Buddha Bowl, you can find them on all your favorite social media platforms. There are so many options out there waiting for you and don't be afraid to shake up a recipe that you find.

Buddha bowls are incredibly diverse, and you can create a bowl to fit any cuisine you like. It's a diverse way to enjoy your favorite foods in an extremely healthy way. They can be served with a mixture of hot or cold items, you have the freedom to make that choice. They are not only so good for you, but they're also beautiful to look at, create, and present to others. They can also be a wonderful inspiration for a party! How can you host the best Buddha Bowl Party? It's easy! Invite your guests over for a party inspired by sharing delicious and healthy foods. Have each guest bring a grain, a leafy green, veggie or protein to share with the party. Provide your guests with a bowl for them to fill with their favorite ingredients, and have everyone set up their contribution like a salad bar. I always love to start with greens. Top those delicious leafy greens with a grain like rice or quinoa, then add on as many veggies as your heart desires! Top those veggies with your favorite dressings, hummus, nuts, seeds, and a protein if you wish. You can even customize your party and give it a theme. Host a Thai, Mediterranean, or Mexican Buddha bowl party! Inspire your guests to customize, improvise, and find inspiration from one another. Challenge one another to try new things and new combinations. They will LOOK beautiful too. Make sure you take pictures, you will want to share your masterpieces!

I cannot wait to hear what you think about your own Buddha bowls. Please share pictures with me, and I would love to hear about your ingredients choices and what inspired you. They're wonderful for every age, so dive into this fun, delicious, and interactive meal with the whole family!

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The Magic in Mushrooms

2/13/2020

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If you are looking for a natural and easy plant-based substitute for meat, then I have just the thing for you. Mushrooms! 

Happy February! What an exciting year this has been! If you have been following my Social Media accounts (which if you don't yet, please do!), you've seen the excitement that 2020 has brought to my friends and family already, and I am so excited to see this journey continue through the rest of this year. One of my most recent posts was dedicated to removing meat out of your diet, and one of the more easy and natural ways to replace it. That is by using one of my favorite types of fungus, mushrooms! 

Mushrooms have a great meaty texture, and their flavor, known as "umami" is very satisfying in your traditional meat-heavy dishes. It's easy to add mushrooms into your stews, pasta sauces, casseroles, chili, and other dishes that combine meats with other bases. If you are wanting to cut out large amounts of meat or cut meat out of your diet totally, mushrooms are a wonderful option as I have mentioned above! For dishes that contain a lot of meat, simply replace a quarter or half of the called for amount of meat with mushrooms to start the transition for your family. Or, if you want to be brave, replace the meat in any recipe completely with mushrooms! Mushrooms help keep your dishes healthy, rich and give them a wonderful texture. There are so many different types of mushrooms out there, that you can experiment and pick what kind of mushroom you enjoy the most! Mushrooms are very easy to mix in with a huge list of other ingredients. They can be utilized in so many dishes, it's simply amazing! 

A very delicious option for the whole family is using a giant portabello cap and cook it like a classic hamburger or steak! They are so delicious on the grill with your classic burger toppings, or you can even stuff them with some of your favorite veggies and mix in your favorite dairy-free cheese. Pop the stuffed portabello caps into the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, and you will have a delicious dinner ready to go in no time! 

Next to being an incredible meat substitute and delicious addition to every diet, they are also so rich in nutrients and so good for you! Mushrooms are incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals, and you will find some pretty incredible things inside of them including: 
  • Selenium
  • Zinc 
  • Vitamine B1, B2, B5, B6, and B12
  • Fiber
  • Protein 
  • Copper 
  • Potassium 
  • Much MORE! 

Outside of their nutritional benefits and the incredible things they can give back to your body, they can do so much more for your body than you might think! 
  • The nutrients found inside of a mushroom help support your immune system to help fight colds, shorten them, and prevent them.
  • They are full of antioxidants.  
  • They can help prevent damage to cells and tissues. 
  • Some mushrooms have shown potential in preventing cancer. 
  • Mushrooms have shown evidence in helping with the treatment and management of Alzheimer's. 
  • They can help lower cholesterol. 
  • They help prevent plaque build-up in your arteries. 
  • Mushrooms help protect your heart and help to maintain blood pressure and circulation. 
  • They add delicious flavor and texture to your dishes without adding fat or sodium. 
  • Mushrooms can help regulate blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes. 
  • Mushrooms help with the nervous system and help with the production of important hormones. 
  • They help maintain healthy bones and nerves. 

Who knew fungus could be such an incredible thing to add to your diet? Not only can you take meat out of your diet and replace it with something so delicious, but you can also help reach your optimum health goals by eating more of them! Try adding them into some of your favorite recipes, and let me know what you think! I can't wait to hear about them all, and how your family enjoyed them!

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Gifts of Garlic

1/16/2020

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This month I will be sharing a perfect recipe for the Super Bowl and why garlic is so incredible for you. Who knew that you could cheer on your favorite team while keeping your body happy and healthy? 

Happy New Year Friends! Here we are in 2020! Have you started the new year by jumping into your New Year's Resolutions? New eating habits? New workout classes that you've been meaning to try? It's always fun to start a new year and hit the ground running with your resolutions. Don't overwhelm yourself with these changes, take it slowly and purposely. Create the perfect infrastructure in January to build on top of so that come December of this year, you will have reached all of your goals and then some. 

For this blog, I wanted to celebrate a few different things. Comfort food, Trader Joe's, The Superbowl, and Garlic. Not a list you would see together, right? Well, this year we are shaking it up. Even though this weather has been rather mild, there have been a few rainy and chilly days thrown in that call for delicious and warm comfort foods. This doesn't mean you reach for the processed foods filled with all kinds of unhealthy things for your body! Oh no, you can still find delicious and healthy things to not only warm you up but keep your body healthy and happy. Since the Superbowl is right around the corner, I thought a good old fashioned chili recipe would be perfect to share. This recipe was also inspired by Trader Joe's new organic chili seasoning blend, and I can't wait to share it with you! 

What You Will Need: 
  • 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Whole Kernel Corn 
  • 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Kidney Beans
  • 1 Tablespoon of Trader Joe's Organic Chili Seasoning Blend (test the blend out first, if you like it a little hotter ad more, if you like it a little cooler start with half a tablespoon!) 
  • 1 Cup of Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Broth
  • 1 8oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Black Beans 
  • 1 28oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 6oz can of Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Paste 
  • 1 pack of Trader Joe's beef-less ground beef
  • Minced Garlic (to taste) 
  • 1 Whole White Onion 
  • 1 Whole Red Bell pepper
  • 1 Whole Avocado (For Garnish) 


Directions: 
  • Everyone has their way of making chili. Some like it thicker than others, some like it more on the watery side. That will determine how much Vegetable broth and Diced Tomatoes you use. Experiment with these measurements according to what you prefer. 
  • Chop your whole white onion and bell pepper, and mince your garlic. 
  • Cook your Trader Joe's beef-less ground beef. Set aside. 
  • In a crockpot OR large soup pot pour in your corn, kidney beans, chili seasoning, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir together and bring to a boil or let sit in the crockpot on low until it starts to bubble. 
  • Add in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Let cook until soft and stirred in. 
  • Add in ground beef. Turn stove down to low and let it simmer for a while, or let it cook in the crockpot on low for a few hours. The longer you let it sit the better. 
  • When you're ready to serve your chili, chop your avocado and serve on top as a delicious and creamy garnish! 
  • Enjoy! 


Minced garlic was one of the many delicious and nutritious ingredients for our chili recipe. Do you know all the incredible things garlic can do for you? The list is staggering, and I love sharing it when I use garlic in my recipes. 
  • Before garlic was used as a staple in many recipes, it was primarily used for its medicinal purposes and dates back to ancient Egypt. 
  • It is very nutritious with very few calories. 
  • It containes manganese, Vitamine B6, Vitamine C, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, iron, phosporhous, and bitamine B1. 
  • It is known to shorten the length of colds and boost your immune system. 
  • It can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and improve bone health. 
  • It works as an anti-inflammatory 
  • It helps treat athlete's foot 
  • It is good for your liver
  • It may help with cancer prevention 
  • Much Much more!

Not only is this such a delicious recipe, but you'll also be giving your body some easy and important nutrients. It's the perfect recipe for every member of the family for a rainy afternoon or while cheering on your favorite team during the playoffs! Enjoy everyone, I look forward to sharing more with you next month! 
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • HEALTHY LIVING
    • PLANT-BASED LIVING FOR BEGINNERS
  • FAMILY LIFE
  • CONTACT