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Archives for February 2016

Tuscan Chicken Stew Recipe {Paleo}

February 26, 2016/in: Dinner/0 /Leave a Comment

I’m now on day 5 of my Whole 30 journey towards better health. And I have to say it’s going really well. I was already about 90% gluten free. So my biggest challenges have been cutting out beans and grains like rice and oatmeal. Also cutting out my paleo pancakes and also honey took a few days to get use to as well. I feel like now at day 5 I have a good handle on what and how to eat on this Whole 30 journey. I made this Tuscan Chicken Stew on Monday and have been eating it all week. It’s so very yummy and completely satisfying for dinner.

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// Tuscan Chicken Stew //

5 chicken thighs

2 chicken breasts

3 carrots diced

2 celery stalks diced

1 small sweet onion diced

4 garlic gloves minced

1 can whole san marzano tomatoes (diced)

5 red potatoes diced

2 cups homemade bone broth

1 tbsp tomato paste

½ tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp powdered sage

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper

{{once the stew is cooked}}

2 tbsp arrowroot flour

1 tsp fresh oregano

1 tsp fresh rosemary

– additional salt and pepper to taste

To a crockpot add in all the ingredients except arrowroot flour, fresh oregano and fresh rosemary. Turn the crockpot on high. Cover and cook for 4 hours. Note: I place the chicken pieces in whole and then fish them out of the stew and cut them up after 4 hours of cooking and then I turn the crockpot to low return the diced chicken back to the pot for another hour of cooking. After that additional hour of cooking turn off the crockpot and add in the arrowroot flour and stir. Then add in the fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and stir. Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve.

I served this stew with a simple side salad of baby spinach and baby kale massages with lemon, olive oil, salt & pepper. The combo of this warm comforting stew along with the light and bright salad was lovely.

Enjoy!

Love & Light, Christina

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Spinach Oregano Pecan Pesto

February 22, 2016/in: Dinner/1 /2 Comments

I’m starting Whole 30 today. So to go out with a bang I made this bomb pesto this weekend to go over gluten free pasta. My basil plants are done for the session so instead I made the pesto utilizing my oregano from the garden along with spinach and pecans and oh my goodness was it GOOD! It was also so very simple which makes it even better.

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// Spinach Oregano Pecan Pesto //

2 Cups Fresh Spinach

1/4 Cup Fresh Oregano

1/3 Cup Pecans

3 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano (As a vegan option, you can omit the cheese and double the pecans)

Juice of half a lemon

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until combined. You can use this pesto on pasta, (which my toddler LOVED). Or you could use it as a dipping sauce for veggies, on sandwiches and so much more.

Enjoy!

Love & Light, Christina

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Caramelized Banana Oatmeal // with Sautéed Berries

February 16, 2016/in: Breakfast/0 /Leave a Comment

I’ve been feeling and hearing for a while about how bad microwaves are for our food. They heat food quickly but they also radiate all the nutrients in the process. My husband won’t be convinced to do away with the microwave. He let’s me get away with a lot but the microwave battle is not one I’ve won. Alas I’ve been doing my best to avoid using it on all of our foods. In the process I’ve had to ‘relearn’ how to reheat foods in the traditional since. In the process of this relearning I’ve discovered that taking the extra 1 minute to heat up foods on the stove or in the oven are not only good for restoring the nutrients but also produce a much tastier outcome. Like this oatmeal for example. I always cook my oatmeal on the stove but sometimes reheat it in the microwave if need be. Lately I’ve been quickly sautéing a banana with coconut oil, cinnamon and syrup. The result is a purely decadent caramelized banana mixture that I simply add the oatmeal and almond milk to. It’s simple and is such a lovely and TASTY way to start the day.

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// Caramelized Banana Oatmeal with Sautéed Berries //

1 banana

1 cup cooked oatmeal

1 tbsp coconut oil

A few dashes of cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup (more or less to taste)

Dash of almond milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 cup of berries

Cook your oatmeal on the stove according to package directions. Slice a banana and in a small pan sauté on medium heat for one minute with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and a few dashes of cinnamon. The saute will bring out the bananas natural sugars and it will caramelize it in one minutes time. Turn of the heat and add about a teaspoon of maple syrup. Then add in your 1 cup cooked oatmeal and dash of almond milk and stir to combine. Spoon the caramelized oatmeal into a bowl. Return that pan to the stove and turn it to medium heat. Add 1 tsp coconut oil and the berries. Saute berries for one minute then pour them on top of your oatmeal. Boom done! 

// Note: This oatmeal has the taste and consistently of a pudding when chilled. So make extra, refrigerate and snack on it as a dessert throughout the week. //

Enjoy!

Love & Light, Christina

 

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5 Ways to Deepen Self Love & Improve Your Life

February 12, 2016/in: Uncategorized/2 /2 Comments

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I feel like our society puts a big emphasis on the importance of ‘self care’. We are told to make time for ourselves. Time to pamper ourselves and to fill our cup. While I think self care is very important and should be practiced daily, I also feel that the focus should be shifted to the importance of a core base of self love. Self care with the absence of self love is an empty act that will never really fill our emotional and energetic cups. A practice of self love that is routed deep in integrity based self respect practices is the key to finding and sustaining a love of oneself and a love of ones life.

Being a mother of two small children I have days where I feel completely wiped at the end of the day. As mothers we are required to wear many different hats which can lead to the emptying of our energetic cups. It’s actually really an honor though to be able to show up for everyone in such a big way. Even though at times it can seem draining. Still it’s an honor. I’ve realized that there is a difference between rest and that of authentic loving self care in the form of self love. It’s possible to be vastly efficient and then also have room for daily and even moment to moment self love and self care practices. Even if at the end of the day if all there is actually time for is a shower you can still have infused your busy day with self care. The reason for this is that self care is really about practicing self love. The beauty about self love is that it doesn’t have to be a time set aside kind of a thing. Self love can and should be practiced all the time.

Having the time and space to get a massage or go to a yoga class is super fantastic. However self care in the form of self love doesn’t have to be reserved for a time at the end of the day or later in the week. Below are 5 ways to practice self care in the form of self love:

5 Ways Deepen Self Love

Fully Show Up for Every Moment: Showing up and being present is a practice of self love because you allow yourself to fully experience the moment by being THERE for it. The practice of being present is one of the biggest forms of self love. When you allow yourself to be present you are saying no to worry and anxiety and saying yes to receiving the gifts of the present moment. For example, when you are able to be present for your children you can feel a since of amplified love and bond between the two of you. With that high vibrating bond that was created from being fully present with your child then comes a sense of pride. You then can choose to FEEL into this moment and have pride that you are able to fully give yourself to your child in that moment. That’s beautiful act of self love and also soulful self care.

Positive Affirmations: What would you say to your best friend if she asked you how she looked today? You would most likely tell her something like she looks cute in that shirt or that her hair looks nice. Self love is treating yourself with that same love and respect. It’s looking in the mirror and saying “I Love You”, “You are beautiful” and then it’s FEELING those words to be true. This one is tough for many people. I personally work on this everyday. A simple way to start cultivating a habit of positive affirmations is to notice when a negative self thought comes in. Then release the thought without judgement. And replace it with an opposing positive thought. This practice will begin to rewire the way you think about yourself and will have the power to shift your life as you know it. If you believe you are a loving person, you will be loving person and magically your life will be filled with love. Like attracts like and it all starts with you.

Nourish Your Body: Making the simple choice to drink lots of water is a form of self love that shows your body love. When you eat nourishing foods you are choosing to feed your body love in the form of food. You are saying yes to your personal health and wellness. That is self care in the form of self love.

Practice Positive Thoughts: Choosing to have positive thoughts is a form of self love because you are choosing to see the beauty of your life and can therefore tap into a deeper sense of joy. You can be in the midst of a challenging moment and choose to either amplify your stress by focussing on that which you perceive as negative, frustrating what have you. Or you can choose self love in that moment and find the lesson, find the grace, find the humor, the beauty, the goodness. Practicing self love in the form of positive thoughts about the world within and around you leads to a greater awareness of that which is good. This practice will leave you feeling content and at peace with all that is.

Feel Gratitude: Gratitude is self love at it’s finest. Feeling gratitude is so important because it allows you to fully RECEIVE and EXPERIENCE the GIFTS you’ve been given. By choosing to be grateful you are choosing self love. Being grateful sends the energy that you acknowledge a blessing and even more importantly that you receive the blessing. I’ve noticed that when people feel of low self worth they will not allow themselves to feel grateful. The reason for this is that subconsciously they don’t feel worthy of receiving the blessing. Allowing yourself to really feel and embody the gratitude of a blessing sends a message that you are worthy of that blessing. That is self love. As a happy byproduct of allowing yourself to receive your blessings through gratitude you will attract even more blessings and goodness into your life. 

Showing yourself self love is a practice that is woven into every breath of every day. It’s choosing love every time. Love in the form of food/drink. Love in the form of your thoughts. Love in the form of words. Love in the form of gratitude and thereby fully receiving your many blessings. Love in the form of showing up to your life in a real way. It’s choosing to see the love and positivity in and around you always. Self care and self love don’t need to be things that are put on a pedestal or reserved for certain times. It’s not an out of reach sort of a thing. It’s an every breath, every moment choice to choose that which is beautiful, that which is love.

Love & Light, Christina

 

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3 Easy Dinners // With Roasted Vegetables

February 3, 2016/in: Uncategorized/0 /Leave a Comment

I love preparing nourishing meals for myself and my family. There is a beauty in cooking in the kitchen with a baby and toddler at your feet. However it can be a challenge to make labor involved meals when watching after the young ones. So I’ve been doing my best to come up with ways to make my life easier in the kitchen while still getting in our home cooked meals. A big batch of roasted vegetables is an easy way to set yourself up for a super low involved 3 or more dinners. I love roasting vegetables because all you have to do is place the cut veggies on a pan, coat them with olive oil, salt, pepper and a squirt of balsamic vinegar. You toss it all together. Then cook them on 450 for about 30 minutes. Stirring once half way through the cooking process. Then boom, they’re done! It’s really that simple. Below are three meals I made from one batch of roasted vegetables. r.veg.1Toss vegetables together with olive oil, salt, paper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven on 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Tossing once about 15 minutes into cooking. Easy peasy! roast.tacoRoasted veggie tacos. So Good! I am loving the Must B Nutty Almond Flour Tortillas. r.veg.4Roasted vegetable salad on a bed of spinach. Topped with goat cheese, cashews and a honey lemon vinaigrette. roast.eggsRoasted vegetable eggs. Topped with feta cheese and a side of baked sweet potato slices. A quiche or frittata would be nice too.

The beauty of this is that you can get as creative with it as you like. Use whats local and in session and play with combinations of vegetables. The best thing about these big batch roasted vegetables is that they are simple, easy and delicious. Enjoy! xo

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