Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup blueberry
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 egg

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with blueberries. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients until just combine (don't over stir to keep them fluffy). Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

Photo credit: http://tryityoumightlikeit.wordpress.com/

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package spinach
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 (6 ounce) package feta cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic and onions (about 7 minutes). Mix in spinach, mushrooms, feta, 1/2 cup cheddar, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a pie pan with pie crust layer out. In a separate bowl mix eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over spinach mixture. Cook for 15 minutes at 415 F. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and cook for 35-40 more minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Photo credit to http://smittenkitchen.com/

Cheers to Juicing

The idea behind the juicing fast is to cleanse the system of the many toxins that are inhaled and eaten on a daily basis. Our bodies work so hard and never get a chance to cleanse and restore itself. The juice fuels your body, boosts your immune system, and gives your system a chance to clean out the toxins that are built up in the digestive system.

For the first few days, I felt awful, because so many toxins in my body were being released in a short timeframe. Headache. Groggy. Cranky. Achy all over. Mucus drainage. Hunger. Fatigued. Dizzy.

At midday of the third day, I started to feel better. More energetic. Less achy. Less hungry. My body was getting used to using juice as a fuel and feeling better after releasing the many toxins in it.

I am now on day four of fasting, and feeling better than the last three days. But drinking so much juice all the time is tiring. It is refreshing to think just how much fruits and vegetables are consumed in such short time.

I will probably end the juicing diet tomorrow, but keep the juice as part of my regular diet.

Day 1 of Juicing

Here is our fridge filled with the fruits and veggies for our juicing diet/experience. In just the first day of juicing I ate/drank:

5 apples
Handful of grapes
2 carrots
4 cucumbers
Handful of spinach
3.5 oranges
2 handfuls of broccoli
2 celery sticks
1 tomato
2 asparagus
1 wedge of watermelon
Several chunks of pineapple

There is no way I would have even had the capacity to eat all of that without the juicer.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

I recently watched the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix. It is a growingly popular documentary, about a man who was 100 pounds overweight and suffering from an autoimmune deficiency. He had seen multiple doctors about the condition and was on quite a few prescription meds. He went on a juicing diet it for 60 days, dropped pounds, no longer suffered from the autoimmune deficiency, and stopped all medications. It is interesting how many restoring and healing nutrients are in fruits and vegetables. In an attempt to eat healthier, I purchased a juicer. While I will not go as extreme as the person in the documentary, I do wish to eat and feel healthier. Now to find juicer recipes. Any suggestions?

Crockpot Potato Soup

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet! I discovered this recipe quite a while ago, and make it once to twice a month. It is a crockpot recipe, and you can rarely go wrong with that! With the weather how it is, this recipe seemed perfect.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, diced
2 tbsp flour
2 cups water, divided
4 cups chicken broth
4 medium potatoes, chopped
1-1/2 cups potato flakes [This one you might have to mess around with. I have used different brands and the thickness changes with each brand, so add more flakes if it's too thin for your liking, and less if it's too thick. The original recipe calls for 1-1/2 cups, but I start with 1 cup and increase from there if need be.]
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil, dried
1/8 tsp thyme, dried
1 cup half-and-half

1. Saute the onions until translucent; add flour and 1 cup water; bring to a boil until sauce thickens.
2. Put onion mixture into the crockpot; add chicken broth, potatoes, flakes, pepper, salt, basil, thyme, and remaining water.
3. Cook at on low for 6-8 hours; add half-and-half in the last 30 minutes. Serve with cheese and green onions if desired.

Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

I used to hate squash. As of recently, it has now become my favorite vegetable. I crave with every meal.

Ingredients:
Acorn squash, halved
2 tbsp butter, per half
2 tbsp brown sugar, per half

Directions:
1. Put the halved acorn squash flesh side down on a baking sheet. Fill the pan with water until the bottom of the pan is covered.
2. Bake in oven for 425 degrees F for 1 hour. For the last five minutes flip the squash over, add butter and brown sugar. Bake until a fork can easily poke through to the bottom of squash.