Apple Walnut Oatmeal

29 Thursday Dec 2011

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Apple Walnut Oatmeal
(Makes 2 Servings)

1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 small Apple
1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
1 cup filtered Water
Splenda or Honey to taste

Place oats in bowl, add chopped apple, walnuts and water.
Let soak overnight for an enzyme-rich raw breakfast.
Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes if you don’t like the raw.
(watch carefully and microwave in increments for best results)

Note: This recipe is for two servings.

This Apple Walnut Oatmeal is high in fiber, omegas, and will give you energy.
Omit the walnuts if you are concerned about fat content or need to budget less calories.

Winter Almond Cheese and Pear Salad

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Salads

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My newest discovery is spinach salad with almond cheese and pear.
I have a habit of throwing together whatever I have in the refrigerator
so this was a keeper recipe that most anyone would love.

8 cups chopped spinach
4 stalks celery chopped
1 Package Almond Cheese- Garlic Herb
1-2 medium pears cut into bite size pieces
20 baby carrots (optional)
Cranberries or Goji berries optional

Simply toss salad together or layer for a pleasant presentation.
If almond cheese is not available use feta or garlic herb cheese.

We use my Fresh Basil Dressing on this and it’s perfect!

Fresh Basil Dressing

1/2 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing or Veganaise
1 tblsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tblsp Pesto (we buy the Kirkland brand)
Splenda 5 packets or 5 tblsp
Wisk together in bowl until smooth.
Add enough water to make it the consistency you like.

(Pictures coming soon)

Food is Simple

30 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in Simple Food

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As time goes by we have made food more complicated. There are more gourmet cooking shows on cable than ever before. Yet we have an urge to want things simple and go back to the basics. Some of our fondest memories are family gatherings with a simple home cooked meal on the table. Take it one step further and remember that juicy peach that you enjoyed on a hot summer day in the swing on the porch or the excitement of harvesting the family garden. The delights of fresh tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and sweet corn still come to mind.

Food is meant to be a simple delight if you let it. We have transitioned to more raw food at our house. Simple green smoothies take me through breakfast and lunch. At the evening meal we have come to enjoy more salads. It’s been fun finding new combinations for each meal of the day. Clean up is simple too. Rinse the blender and wash the cutting board. One cup. Two bowls. Two forks. We make individual salads in large shallow bowls that we used to use for pasta. I’ve given away much of what used to be necessities in the kitchen and have embraced using the cutting board, a knife, and the blender. When I need breakfast to be even more simple I grab a piece of fruit.

Just because food is simple doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Check out my Blue-Green Smoothie:

Blue-Green Smoothie

In blender add in this order:

Two Bananas
Two cups filtered water
Two handfuls greens (raw spinach, romaine, kale etc)

Put the lid on and use the “ice crusher” speed to blend this mixture well.

Add two cups frozen blueberries and blend well again.
Pour into a cup and enjoy.
Put remainder in refrigerator for later if you aren’t sharing it. :-)

What’s in the Cupboard?

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Romantic Minimalism, Simple Food

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When the fall starts to come around again I begin to nest. I clean shelves and organize my home as well as see what I can find to give away. Today found me in my kitchen looking at the cupboard and what I kept there. My husband and I have spent the past year adapting to his Diabetes and wondering if my autoimmune disease will come back. In looking at the cupboard I found an array of indecision and irony. We had bags of flour of different types that we don’t use since my husband only eats bread on occasion and I have found it intolerable. We also had many baking items such as baking powder, vanilla, cream of tartar, and unflavored gelatin. It all found a new home with the neighbor. My quest continued with bags of different teas everywhere. I opened the silverware drawer and took out the various tools like the melon baller and the extra attachments to my blender that I don’t use. I also donated the decorating tips that we will never use. Someone will love them. My extra serving/baking dishes fit nicely in the new space provided and I gathered up my little bags of tea to keep in them. It was user-friendly and I used what I already had. I poured my husband’s sweetener packets in the space that was left and went on to the next thing. The spices were mixed up with our supplements and medications. I moved the medications to the top shelf and got rid of the medications and supplements that we didn’t use or were outdated. Spices moved to the bottom shelf where they were easy to see and use. I put the tall containers in the back, mid-size, then small bottles. Wow! I could see what I had. Amazing! Supplements went in the space left beside the spices. Cereal, oatmeal, and protein for my husband’s breakfast went on the middle shelf where he could reach them easily. I had to think what we use the most and put it within easy reach. It made sense. We didn’t clutter up the cupboard with “just in case” things anymore. Medications such as cold medicine and things we only take when we get sick went in a basket on the top shelf of the linen closet. We kept in mind safety as well as the fact that we rarely needed to use them, so we could put it all in an out-of-the-way place. Back to the cupboard. We kept what we use. As much as I like the concept of whole foods and making things from scratch, it’s not always realistic in our lives. After thinking about how I characteristically cook, I gleaned what we needed and the rest went to a better place. All of the baking items went. Realistically I pick up a sugar-free brownie or cake mix once in a while and bake it for my husband. Beyond that, we are never going to bake for the Holidays again or sprout seeds, or make fruity beverages. Our lives have changed. It was time to admit that and move on with just what we needed. It feels good. As I cleared shelves the old me came back momentarily and thought, “what am I going to fill these shelves with?” . I think I’ll make a sign: “Love”.

Simple Food

12 Friday Aug 2011

Posted by in Romantic Minimalism

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Since the decision to transition to raw food I have noticed an instant simplification of the kitchen. I’ve enjoyed keeping my raw diet simple in it’s own right. Although I enjoy seeing the creativity of others in the raw food world using dehydrators, juicers, food processors, and intricate recipes that would make anyone drool, I prefer to remain true in my minimal life and keep it simple. The advantages of raw food meals made with minimal preparation appear endless to me.

* Tools: Cutting board, knife, salad bowls, and flatware.
* Fruit for breakfast: grab and go
* Salad with raw nuts for lunch: endless combinations
* Chopped vegetables for supper: colorful crunch
* Fruit salads for celebrations
* Mashed avocado, olive oil, and lemon juice for dressing
* Sprouts and herbs for energy
* Raw nuts for protein
* Raw honey for added sweetness in cold-infused tea
* Filtered water for hydration
* Slices of pepper, celery, apple, pear, cucumber, carrots, etc for snacks
* Frozen grapes, melon, and bananas for summer cool treats

Most days I eat a piece of fruit or two for breakfast with the only effort being to pick it up and put it to my mouth. At lunch I put a handful of spinach or lettuce in a small bowl, add grape tomatoes, baby carrots, sprouts, and cucumber with olive oil dressing along with some nuts. Supper finds me cutting up a few vegetables that are in season with a piece of fruit before bed. I have learned to appreciate the wonder of the colors and simple natural tastes of raw food.
What do you enjoy about the simplicity of your food?

Going Vegan on a Budget

16 Thursday Jun 2011

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I wanted to go vegan but I didn’t have all the money in the world to spend on food. I wanted to simplify rather than cause myself more stress. What I came up with is something that not everyone will agree with. I wasn’t out to please everyone. I was out to please myself and it has made my life easier. When in doubt eat whole foods that have more than just one thing to offer. If you have minimized to organize and become a Romantic Minimalist like me you will have the time to make homemade bread, jams and jellies, your favorite raw dishes, and many other things that come from simple food.

1) Eat Oatmeal for breakfast
Oatmeal lowers cholesterol as well as provides fiber that your body needs. You can buy oatmeal in bulk for an even less expensive option. Buy the whole oats or steel cut for the best nutrition advantages. This food made my GREAT FOODS LIST.
Stir in a chopped up apple or some raisins and you have a complete breakfast.

2) Brown Rice
There is just no other food as versatile as brown rice. You can go from breakfast cereal, to lunch salad topping, to dinner casserole and still have room for dessert. Mix it with beans for a complete protein. This food is cheap as organic as well and may also be used as a flour if you grind it up in your coffee grinder or food processor.

3) Whole Grain FLour
The possibilities are endless for what you can make to sustain you with whole grain flour. Make your own bread, biscuits, or pasta. Add to beans for vegan burgers or soups to thicken them. Be careful not to use too much as grains can be acidic in nature.

4) Fruit
Buy fruit in season to get the best deal and take the opportunity to have the freshest produce. Check out the local farmer’s market as well as the clearance spots in your local grocery. One of the most versatile fruits is an apple. Bake, fry or simply eat them raw.

5) Dried Beans
Beans are high in antioxidants as well as fiber. There are so many different kinds that you will never tire of them. Make bean soup, chili, casseroles, beans and rice, and numerous other dishes. Add vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, or any of your choice to change things up a bit.

6) Nuts and nut butters
Eat a handful of any nut for essential oils that your body needs or make a nut butter by putting them in a blender with some water. Spread the butter on crackers, bread, or an apple. Add raisins or fruit to the blender for a different taste and sweetness factor.

7) Vegetables in season
Shop for vegetables in season and common vegetables for the best prices. Once again the possibilities are endless. Don’t be afraid to shop the sales and then come home to create something new for you. Add vegetables to beans or rice for different flavor combinations. Eating them raw keeps things simple and they come with their own enzymes that turn up the volume on health.

Going vegan on a budget is the ultimate in simple living. Don’t be afraid to experiment and create your own version of something that tastes great. To keep things simple and cheap eat raw and buy in bulk whenever possible. Mmmmmmmmmmm

See How Happy You Are?

29 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Romantic Minimalism

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See how happy you are? In the everyday struggle of challenges and frustrations do you see how good life really is? The roof over your head and the food on your table make you comfortable. Despite rough spots your family has endured the best they can. Our blessings in this world are sometimes overlooked. They sit quietly while our challenges take center stage. We forget how good we have it. We have lost people and things that were important to us. They slipped away by various circumstances and yet we have a good life and we are loved. We each have others that support us in some way. We take up our time worrying about the hardships to come when we could be saying a silent prayer of thanks for what we have. It may not be much. You may not think it’s enough. Here in the present moment it is enough. The future will find its own way with faith in your spirit. For now, embrace this moment and all that you have in your life. It’s amazing how simple life can be.

How Simple Life Can Be

29 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Romantic Minimalism

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There are those events in life that make us sit back and realize how simple life can be. Illness of our own or a loved one many times jolts us away from the unimportant things. The things that really matter in life are those that deal more with the heart and spirit than with the everyday workday world that we infuse our lives with. The signs of our physical decline bring us closer to our spirit as we are reminded of our impermanence and the flow of life itself. We are but visitors here on this planet and we should not take it for granted or believe that it lasts forever. When we recognize this the petty things that frustrated us seem to slip away and a new outlook shows us that the simple things are good.
We should ask ourselves:” If I had a year to live what would matter?”

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