Fries.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook know that I have had a lot of extra time on my hands over the past Week.
I sprained my ankle while at the park with the children I care for. I went down a slide (cue laughter) and landed really....wrong. So an ER trip, crutches, ice, and some motrin later- I'm still on "bed rest".

While I wish it were for other reasons, resting has been good. I am able to spend more time on my devotions and I've been able to put more thought into what I want to implement into my lifestyle to make it healthier. Food is hard for me (and right now, so is working out!)- I love flavor and I love to eat good food. Up until the last few Months I haven't really considered food..."fuel"- as ridiculous as that sounds. It was all about taste and how it fulfilled wants and cravings. So, slowly but surely (emphasis on slowly) I'm rearranging my thoughts and habits when it comes to eating. I don't want to deprive myself, but instead teach my body to crave other, healthier, things.
So below I have a recipe for "Carrot Fries"- it was a great addition to my lunch today and would also be a great, family-approved side. So much flavor!

I originally found the recipe for "Carrot Fries" on this youtube channel. I added my own little twist to the ingredients and made a scrumptious side to my lunch.
I was pretty apprehensive about the taste- but they were soft, a bit sweet and slightly savory with the addition of the pepper and garlic. Delish!

You Need:

Full-size Carrots
Oil of Choice
Seasons of Choice

To Make:

Cut ends off the carrots- and then continue to cut the carrots in halves until they're "fry size".
Toss them in oil and seasonings.
Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 450' for 20 minutes.

* I used one large carrot, small amount of olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, and sesame seeds for crunch.




Hope you give these a try and enjoy them!

Crave

Have you seen the movie Julie & Julia?

I have to say I've watched it 5 or 6 times in the past several Months. And I have to confess that- A) I have yet to watch it start to finish and B) I generally watch it for the sole "bruschetta" scene, as I've dubbed it.

Julie is discussing with her Husband what she could blog about, should she begin one. And as she's talking about it- she's mindlessly frying bread and cutting tomatoes.  Next scene, they're sitting down to dinner enjoying this divine display of tomato fruit :)
Crunch.
"This is reallllyyyy good." He says.
She agrees.
I agree.

So, without having a particular recipe, I decide to try my hand at bruschetta.  Because well, what's a craving worth if you don't give into it, right? :)

I used:  

*A Loaf of Italian Bread

*Fresh Basil

*A Variety of Tomatoes

*Olive Oil

*Parmesan Cheese

*Balsamic Vinegar

First, I sliced all of the tomatoes.  I made it rather chunky- it's all about preference.  Then I chopped the basil, adding it to the tomato mix. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.

Then, I coated each piece of bread with a small amount of olive oil and fried them over medium heat until I thought they were crisp enough.

Put the tomato mixture over the fried bread, sprinkle each piece with some Parm....and done!

*My Husband rating was an 8 out of 10.  He said, "Less tomatoes, more cheese."

              Until next time, try your hand at a new recipe.

Grass is green...and so is Asparagus.

If you're at all like me, you like to serve (and try to eat) vegetables that look incredibly delectable. They make the perfect side both visually and taste-wise.

The first time I had ever tried asparagus was on a warm Summer night in California- I was probably 8.  My Aunt had served them soft with creamy cheese sauce. They were delicious! 
My Dad has never been a veggie kind of guy- so growing up our meals didn't include any kind of "ordinary" looking or tasting vegetable side dishes.

So holding onto that Asparagus memory for 15 years- I can proudly say I now purchase, prepare, and enjoy Asparagus in my own home. :)

I wanted to share a quick, easy recipe with all of you out there- in case you want to try your hand at this new, tasty veggie.

You'll need:

Olive oil (PAM or butter)
Asparagus
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese, if you'd like

First, preheat oven to 375*-450*. 
(On this particular occasion I roasted the asparagus at 375* because I was using the oven for two different meals. The lower the temp is, the longer the asparagus will need to roast.)

Place parchment paper or foil down on a baking sheet for easy clean up.

Clean and cut off thick, hard ends of asparagus. Toss in the oil so that every piece is well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Spread asparagus in a line across the baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake anywhere from 15-30 minutes or until brown and fork tender.

Enjoy!

There are lots of ways to incorporate Asparagus into meals. Cut them up into pasta, add to a cold or warm salad. Dip them in cheese sauce! So good!


Until next time, eat some veggies!!