Orzo Salad with Spinach Pesto, Olives & Feta

I believe food is an art. I love everything about it-from making it to eating it. I'm a major food lover, plain and simple. I just find such beauty in taking random ingredients and turning them into something beautiful and delicious!

As a child I was never a picky eater but I loved my candy and fats and hated my fruits and vegetables. As an adult, I know longer eat meat but I still have a craving for fatty foods. I strive each day to find healthier alternatives to yummy foods... and for a food lover like myself, it's A LOT of fun. When I find a new recipe I get so excited!! Naturally, I have to share it with you so everyone can partake in the scrumptiousness of healthy eating.

I've recently started cooking with Orzo which is Italian pasta that resembles rice only easier to cook and it doesn’t burn. Can't get much better than that! Tonight I made, Orzo Salad with Spinach Pesto, Olives & Feta! It was a healthy alternative to rich pasta! Recipe follows.




Orzo Salad with Spinach Pesto, Olives & Feta

For the pesto:
6-8 ounces baby spinach
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan, lightly packed
1-2 garlic cloves, depending on your love of raw garlic
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons good olive oil
For the salad:
1 pound orzo pasta
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 clove shallot, diced small
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper


Because olives and feta are both high in sodium I would recomond not adding any additional salt as the recipe calls for. It's plenty salty with out it!

Enjoy!

Courtesy of www.thekitchn.com/ for sharing this recipe!



The power of giving

My mother is one of the most incredible woman I've met for many reasons but one in particular is her big heart and desire to give. My mother is an insurance agent in a rural area. Each day she sees clients with heart-breaking stories who are unable to pay their insurance. Instead of turning them away, she pays it for them expecting nothing in return. Now my mother is in no position to pay for these people's insurance.. Our family counts our pennies and relies on miracles for the rest. But time and time again my mother is paying insurance for other people when they can't afford it. Today, kindness was bestowed upon her for a change.

A few weeks ago my mother's phone had broken. She managed to get by until this evening when it had it's last straw. We went into the Verizon store and unfortunately she wasn't due for an upgrade, she had no insurance on her phone and was going to have to shovel out a couple hundred dollars for a new phone.. With a tight budget, that wasn't something my mother was jumping for joy over. The sales associate went in the back room and came out with a much nicer phone that my mother had had before and said to us, " This is my old phone.. I was planning on giving it to my sister but you need it more. I'll sell it to you for 40$" Unfortunately, my mother only had credit card and the woman needed cash. I happened to have a twenty on me so I gave it to her and she said, " forget the rest. I've had a food day and want to give back"  My mouth dropped when I heard this. A woman that barely knew us was making an under the table sale at a corporate store and sold us her used cell phone for more than half of what she could have gotten for it. After this happened I was reminded of the good deeds my mother does for people each and every day and how she gets nothing out of it other than happiness of knowing she helped someone. It was a nice change to see someone giving back to my mom...to see someone helping her and expecting nothing out it.

It's a good reminder to all of us that no good deed goes unnoticed. Good things happen to those who walk in faith and give with out expecting anything in return.

Being vegetarian.

Cabbage rolls

Growing up my mother was vegetarian and my father was a meat eater.. I grew up eating tofu steak for lunch and real steak for lunch.. It was very balanced. As I grew up, I clinged more to eating vegetarian than meat and I LOVE it. There is something so fresh and cleansing about eating healthy! The best part is, you don't have to compromise any of the flavor. Eating vegetarian is just as good if not better than meat. You just have to know what to use. For many of us, that can be a challenge so let me show you how easy and delicious it is to remove meat!

Veggie Crumbles

This evening I made cabbage rolls for dinner. The filling called for rice, sausage and ground beef! To put a healthier twist on it I removed the sausage, doubled the rice, used brown rice, and used imitation meat for the ground beef! I know what you're thinking.. that sounds disgusting! But believe me, it's much more scrumptious than it sounds! Our family uses Morning Star veggie crumbles which can be found at your local grocery store or online. Costco also sells their own brand found in specialty section.  All you have to do is add beef flavoring ( typically bullion cubes) and voila! A healthier substitution for meat.

For the next few posts, I'll be sharing with you healthier variations to your average meal!  Below are links to these two items

1. Cabbage Rolls: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Classic-Cabbage-Rolls
2. Morning Star: http://www.morningstarfarms.com/morningstar-farms-meal-starters-grillers-recipe-crumbles.html


Brighter Minds

This man is changing my life.

For as long as I can remember, I knew I was different. In school, I didn't understand things most children did. I had the drive to get far but my brain didn't have the mental capacity to do the same. I struggled. I was constantly living in the shadows of my two sister who in mind were and are genius. As I got older, I stood out because I was different people realized that. Things didn't get easier especially when my sisters announced one was going to law school and the other going to get her masters. I was torn up inside because they were smart and I dumb. I didn't meet the expectations of the family. I wasn't adequate.  Today, I received hope!

I was referred to Kirk Holt who's the founder of Brighter Minds-a company that changes lives. I sat  down with him as he documented every detail of my life. I did a test which entailed simple things like reading a sentence and drawing a picture. After one simple test this man could see how my brain functions, he told me things about myself that I even know. He pin pointed my life to the T and came up with solutions to fix my problem. He explained why my brain wasn't functioning they way it should and gave me hope that I've longed for. After 17 inadequate and dumb, this man has given me hope and is changing my life.- He's purely genius and should recognized for his incredible work.

Tonight's food endeavor

Pesto Shrimp & Avocado Crostini

Mac & Cheese Bites with Truffle Dip

I am a HUGE food lover. I love creating new recipes, cooking, trying to foods, but most importantly, I LOVE to eat. Tonight, the ladies and I went out to Macaroni Grill for a birthday celebration. I wasn't extremely hungry so I ordered two toppas( Half the price,just as good and I got left overs) They were delicious. A perfect balance of fresh and summery with the Crostini and warm and comforting with the mac and cheese bites.  My next adventure will be to create these recipes! 

My mother's stories

    As I child growing up, I was always told stories from my mother about how different times use to be. She would reminisce on the days where cell phones didn't exist, children found joy in playing out side, and a family was a united. As a child in the 2000's I couldn't grasp living with out Internet, TV, parties, and microwavable meals. I never understood why my mother missed those days. I couldn't grasp why according to her, " they were so much better." Until now..

As I'm growing older I remember the stories my mother told me and compare them to way society is today. We live in a society that finds humor in vulgarity on Tv, relies on microwaves cook our meals, find it a rare occasion when families are still together. We live in society where teenagers spend their days doing drugs, have no sense of what things are worth, and are getting pregnant at such young ages.  It's sad to see our society deteriorate in this way. What happened to the wholesome values people once found pride in.  It's now that I understand my mother stories.