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Jon and I are headed up to Portland after work today for a concert. Here is a website to keep you occupied until tomorrow!

What's On My Food?

Basic Tomato Curry

This weeks set up is going to be a little different. Today I'm going to show you a basic tomato curry sauce and then on Wednesday and Friday I will show you two different dishes you can make with the sauce. Hope you enjoy!

Up until about two years ago I always said that I didn't like curry. I remember going to a restraurant in Boise called Mai Tai and I would always ask the waiter tons of questions because I didn't want a dish with curry in it. Now if I had to guess, I would probably estimate that I make at least one Indian dish a week that has curry spices incorporated.

I think prior to starting to cook dishes with Asian/Indian influences I would always equate curry with hot spices. In fact, curry can be interpreted many different ways. Typically curried dishes are really just heavily spiced dishes. I hardly ever use actual curry powder in my cooking because all of the other seasonings that I add to my dish make up the "curry".

Typical spices used in a standard curry can vary but usually include: cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, coriander and chili powder. It can be a wide range of these spices (it can also eliminate some of these spices) and may also include other spices. It all depends on the curry recipe you are referring to.

This tomato curry recipe is so very good. It's a great standard dish because it's a little bit spicy but you can easily mellow it out with the items you pair it with and the amount of coconut milk that you add in at the end. I imagine this sauce freezes pretty well.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, separated
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Medium onion, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used some from Trader Joe's with the green chilies)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup lite coconut milk

In a large sauce pan heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of the cumin and stir into the olive oil. Once the cumin starts to smell, add in the onion and garlic and cook until they become fragrant. Then add in the two cans of diced tomatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the tomatoes until the soften and add in the remaining cumin and the chili powder. Stir to combine. After the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce has simmered down, turn the heat to medium low and add in the coconut milk. Bring to a slight simmer and then turn off the heat.

If you want to serve your tomato curry without any add ins it's great over rice. On Wednesday I will show you a very quick alternative that provides lots of protein and on Friday I'll show you a green twist.

Meal Planning 6/28 - 7/9

Sunday 6/28
Gnocchi with Spinach and Beans

Monday 6/29
Ahi Tuna

Tuesday 6/30
Portland for a concert

Wednesday 7/1
Spaghetti

Thursday 7/2
Falafels with Tzatziki

Friday 7/3
Pizza

Saturday 7/4
Happy Independence Day! BBQ with friends

Sunday 7/5
Baba Ganoush and Hummus with cucumbers and pitas

Monday 7/6
Palak Paneer Kofta Curry

Tuesday 7/7
Pesto Pasta

Wednesday 7/8
Salmon with pesto

Thursday 7/9
Tuna Melts

Homemade Pretzels

It's been a rough week. Today I found the solution to the depression that has been with me all this last week. It comes in the form of homemade pretzels.Actually I think it's an entire day worth of enjoyable activities. First was the farmers market, then it was cleaning kitchen while listening to Mr. Ben Folds and then a couple of episodes of Weeds. The pretzels were just the largest climax of the day.These pretzels are so good and easy. They would be great to make with kids, at least the rolling part. You can top then with a wide variety of toppings and you could have many different dipping sauces for them too.

Ingredients
2 cups flour (I used about 1 1/3 cups all purpose white and 2/3 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Salt or other toppings for sprinkling

In your mixer bowl, add the warm water, yeast and honey. Stir until the honey has dissolved and let proof for 10 minutes or until the yeast has become activated (you can tell because the water/yeast will be foamy). In a separate bowl, combine the flours and salt. Slowly add it to the water and yeast mixture and mix with the paddle attachment on your mixer.

When the dough has pulled away from the sides of the mixer and is all mixed in, switch to the hook attachment and knead for 4 minutes. Once it is kneaded, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a hot damp wash cloth or towel. Let stand and rise for 90 minutes, punching the dough down once after 45 minutes.

After the second rise comes the rolling. Place the dough on a well floured surface. Using either a sharp kitchen knife, cut off a small chunk of dough and start rolling into a snake like shape until it's about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Then form them into pretzels. Jon did this part and he made them about the size of a fifty cent piece and they didn't have holes. I made one that was much larger and it wasn't nearly as good. The smaller ones were the best.

Fill a large stock pot with water and the baking soda and bring to a rapid bowl. Add the shaped pretzels and boil for 30 seconds each. When they are finished boiling, place on an oiled cookie sheet or Pyrex baker. Sprinkle with whatever topping you want. We used sea salt on half and cinnamon and sugar on the other half.

Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 425* for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Homemade Falafel

A couple of days ago Jon and I were sitting in the living room watching Sandra Lee on the cooking network. She was making falafels and Jon said that I should really try making them at some point in time. I think I look at him like he was crazy. I had never even tasted falafels before, how the heck did he think I was going to be able to make them?

This is the strange thing about Jon though, he has this unquivering faith in my cooking. Such a strong faith, that I'm always almost tempted to make something horrible and feed it to him just to mix things up a little bit. With Jon's urging I decided to give falafels a go. I found a recipe online and did some adjusting according to my taste.

I'll be honest with you all, half way through this recipe I said to myself, I'm sure as hell not making these things again. They can't be that good. Oh but I was wrong. After the first bite I was trying to decide if it would be uncool to have them for dinner again the next night. They are that good. I would definately try to make these a weekend recipe or on a night when you know that you are going to have some extra time.


Ingredients
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon Cheyenne pepper (adjust to heat)
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
6-8 tablespoons flour
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying

Add the cooked chickpeas*, onion, parsley, salt, Cheyenne pepper, garlic, cumin and baking powder to either a blender or a food processor. If you are using a blender you will probably have to blend in batches (this is probably what frusterated me so much about this recipe, about the same time I was swearing I was never going to make falafels again, I told Jon I needed a food processor). Blend or process until it is about the consistancy of hamburger. If you are using a blender you will probably need to add a little bit of water to each batch to help the processing.

Once everything is blended, mix in the flour. I used whole wheat flour. You will need enough flour to keep the dough from falling apart. The first ball I attempted didn't have enough flour so I added more. The original recipe called for 4-6 tablespoons and I easily added 8 to mine. After stirring in the flour, form the dough into golf ball sized balls and mush to resemble a patty.

In either a skillet with high sides or a wok, heat your oil to medium high for frying. You want about a half an inch of oil. Gently lower your first falafel into the oil and fry for about 1.5 minutes and flip to the other side and do the same. After each side is cooked to a nice golden brown remove from the oil and drain on either paper towels or paper bags.

Serve on a pita with tzatziki sauce and your choice of veggies.

*I cook up a large amount of chickpeas in advance and then freezing them in two cup servings. I actually do this will black beans too.

Product Review: Nike + Sport Kit

I've been having a really hard time trying to find the motivation to work out lately. Jon and I have a gym membership and bikes and the weather has been beautiful lately, but it's just so difficult once I get home to get moving again. Last week I read a couple of reviews of the Nike + Sport Kit and decided to check it out.

This product retails for $29 (at the Nike store) and is compatible with iPod Nanos and iPod Touches. Make sure to check with the retailer to make sure you are getting the one that is compatible with your equipment. Nike sells special shoes that have an insert for the sensor, but I just tuck it securely into my shoelaces and swing my leg around a couple of times to make sure it's nice and snug. There are also devices available to attach to your shoelaces to hold the sensor in place. Since I'm not a runner and use the device to track my walking, I think tucking it into my shoelaces is adequate.

Once you have it in place and have the transmitter plugged into your iPod you are good to go. You can do a timed work out, distance based work out, calorie burner or just basic work out. If you plug in your weight it will calculate the amount of calories that you burn (this doesn't take into consideration hill climbing, etc.). You are able to listen to music or you can set it to give you reminders throughout your workout.

After your walk and/or run, you can upload all your information to Nike's website and it will track all your workouts for you. You can see over on the right I have added a widget to show how much I've been walking.

I think this is a great motivational tool. I originally set a goal to walk 10 additional miles a week (separate from what I walk everyday) and quickly realized that I would be able to clear that goal too easily so I have upped it to 15 additional miles per week. This little product makes tracking and goal making much easier!

Quicky: Tzatziki Sauce

I don't know why I procrastinated making homemade tzatziki and falafels for so long. This was one of the best dinners Jon and I have had in a long time. I'll show you the falafel ball recipe on Wednesday, but here is a quick and yummy tzatziki sauce. This goes great with toasted pitas too if you don't have time to make the falafel balls.

Ingrediants
Lowfat Greek Style Yogurt
Lemon Juice
Garlic
Mint
Dill (some people use one or the other, I have both in my garden so I used both)
Finely Diced Cucumber
Salt and Pepper

Place about two cups of Greek yogurt into a small bowl. Add the juice of half a large lemon, 2 garlic cloves (less if you don't love garlic) that have been either finely minced or ran through a garlic press, one small bunch of mint sliced into ribbons and one small bunch of dill chopped. Peel and finely slice a cucumber, you can also seed and grate if you don't want the chunky texture. Add to the yogurt and stir to combine. Taste from here and salt and pepper to your preferences. Sauce is best after about an hour in the refridgerator.

Cooking with the Senses: Thai Inspired Pasta

This is a super easy and customizable dish. Perfect for a weeknight meal when you are craving something different then regular spaghetti.
Heat water in a large pan for fettuccine noodles and cook those until they are barely cooked. They will finish cooking in the sauce.

In a large saute pan, heat a good drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in a chopped up onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. The amounts of these items are to taste. I used one small spring onion, two large garlic cloves (next time I will use more garlic) and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (next time I will use more). Heat until these items become fragrant.

Once heated through, add in a large can of diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes that have been slightly pureed. After the tomatoes add your herbs. I used fresh basil and oregano. Remember when using fresh herbs you will want to use more then if you are using dried herbs.

When the sauce starts to simmer, add in a can of lite coconut milk and stir to combine. Add in the very al dante noodles and coat with the sauce. Allow the noodles to finish cooking in the sauce and serve.

I'll be honest, this recipe was a little bland, but the flavors were good. I think that next time once I add more garlic and red pepper in the beginning it will be really good.

Garden Update 6/18

Did I mention I will have a ton of tomatoes?? You can also see our currently empty 4x4 bed. This will have cantelope, onions and probably some more basil in it.
Here is our new 18"x6' bed. It is home to cucumbers, nasturtiums and dill.
I love baby tomatoes! I'm hoping for a couple of hot days in a row because I know they are just so ready to turn!
Squash.Peppers.A view from the back.

Cherry Dark Chocolate Breakfast Bars

This recipe is loosely adapted from here.


Because of the soy protein isolate in Luna bars I have really felt guilty about eating them in the mornings for breakfast. I'm so happy I tried this recipe for healthy and natural granola bars. They are fantastic and very easy to customize the ingredients for your family.These are also relatively inexpensive to make and I doubled the recipe so that I would have enough to eat for breakfast throughout the week. Check at health food stores to see if you can get the majority of the ingredients in the bulk section.

Wet Ingredients
4 tablespoons natural chunky peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
3 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups puffed wheat/rice/kamut cereal
1/2 cup bran buds/grape nuts
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325*. If you aren't doubling the recipe, use a 8x8 or 9x9 pan and spray it with cooking spray. I lined the bottom and sides with wax paper, but it stuck to the bars really bad, so next time I will just spray it all really good. If you are doubling the recipe, use a large jelly roll pan.

Bring a medium sauce pan to heat over medium high. Add the wet ingredients and cook until they are all melted.

In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir together. Once all the wet ingredients have melted and combined pour them over the dry ingredients and mix, trying to incorporate all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Once everything is combined, dump it into the pan and press down using wax paper so that it doesn't stick to your hands. Place it into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top starts to brown.

These really are great homemade all natural granola bars. I think they will be perfect for breakfast with a banana every morning.

Treating the Problems

Since the diagnoses of PCOS and dealing with irregular menstral cycles as well as PMDD, I have done quite a bit of research concerning ways to treat these problems without the use of synthetic hormones like birth control. With the help of two different nurse practioners I have learned so much and I'm finally excited to be taking control of my health in as natural of a way as possible.

I have decided to share the treatment plan that I have taken in hopes that maybe it will help someone else in their search for homeopathic treatment of both PCOS and PMDD. Please know that I'm not a health care professional, I just know what I have done and that I feel so much better when I am actively taking these steps. Also, natural medicine works better for me, I know that it's not for everyone.

Diet

I try and eat lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as healthy proteins. Also, I have chosen to stop eating meat because of the hormones found in beef, poultry and pork. I made this decision at the same time that I got my lab results and was also reading The Omnivore's Dilemma. I haven't eaten meat since the beginning of March, and frankly, I don't miss it (well except bacon, sometimes I miss bacon). I eat fish about 2-3 times a week. I also avoid soy products because research has shown that soy products increase the levels of estrogen. This includes synthetic meats since most of them have soy products. I try to drink lots of water everyday as well.

Jon and I both make a strong effort to try to eat as organically as possible. It's not always easy (or cheap) but by attempting to shop local and in season, we have been able to eat approximently 70% organically.

Changing my eating habits has been the most drastic change in my health treatment plan. I think it is also the most challenged by the general public (friends and family) as well. Fortunately, I live in a town that is really progressive in the food revolution.

Excersize

To be honest, I'm not very good at this one. I have been making an effort to take walks at work during my breaks and at lunch. I also try and go bike riding or on walks with Jon in the evenings too. I know that this is important, but it's just so hard sometimes! My goal on my health plan is to excersize for 30 minutes a day.

Mindfulness

Yoga as much as possible. Again, this is another one that I'm not the greatest at. I try and do yoga every night, but haven't been maintaining that lately. What is silly is that I absolutely love yoga so it shouldn't be a chore to do it.

Deep breathing daily before and after bed and anytime I catch myself holding my breath.

I also do a 30 second sensory check in where I take a brief break and check in with all my senses.

Supplements

This one is long! I bought a multi pack from Costco and add in a couple of vitamins to that multipack. These are the vitamins that I make a point to take every night.

Vitamin D3 5000 IU's- There has been an abundance of research in the last couple of months about the benefits of vitamin D. Since I live in the pacific northwest the sun isn't always shinning and my last bloodwork indicated a vitamin D deficiancy. Vitamin D is an accumulative vitamin so it's important to have your levels checked often.

Calcium 1000 mg

Magnesium 500 mg

Complex B Vitamin- Vitamins B6 and B12 have been shown to increase energy levels and help in weight loss.

Daily Multi Vitamin

Omega 3 Complex (fish oil)- Has been shown to help elevate mood levels and maintain a healthy heart.

Vitamin E

Primrose Oil- I take Primrose oil three times a day, starting two days before my menstral cycle and I use it up to two days after starting my menstral cycle. Of all the supplements that I take, this is the one that I physically think helps the most. It has really helped both my phsyical and mental health during my period.

Hormone Balance

Used to specifically balence my hormones, I use a prescription ointment called Procheive that is a bio-identical form of progestrone. I also drink 2-4 cups of spearmint tea, which has been shown to significantly reduce testostrone levels (Google it, the studies are actually really interesting!!).

I try and avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, drugs and convenience foods.

I hope this helps someone in the future and I also hope that it has explained some of my unconventional decisions that I have made regarding my health. If you have questions please feel free to e-mail me or post a comment here!

Meal Planning 101

Quite a few of my friends have been commenting on my love for meal planning. I always tell them that it really is easy, and just a little work on the weekends (or whenever you have time) will save you so much heartache and headache during the week. Also, meal planning will ensure that you are saving money by not taking last minute trips to the grocery store and your family will also be eating healthier because having a plan will eliminate and/or reduce your trips out to eat.

Jon and I have a very comfortable routine. We always do one big grocery trip on pay day weekends. Both of us have also made a commitment to only eat out once a pay period (we do make some exceptions) so we usually eat out someplace nice on pay day. By doing this, it really makes us look forward to eating out, and it's treated like a special occasion and gives us something to really look forward to. Because we only really grocery shop once every two weeks, I meal plan two weeks at a time. This way, I can purchase all the non perishable items in one big grocery trip. We usually do a "booster" trip to the store on our off weekends and I also go to the farmers market pretty much every week.

Now that I have explained our routine, I'll give you some beginner meal planning tips.

Meal Planning For Beginners

• Make a list of recipes that you know that your family enjoys that you know how to cook. Think of as many of them as you can and then rate them 1 - 3. 1 being difficult and 3 being easy. Keep in mind these don't all have to be full on meals that you cook from scratch. You can incorporate easy meals that you know your family will eat. Here are some examples: Poor Mans Spaghetti (bottled sauce, hamburger meat and pasta) 3, Tuna Melts 3, Fajitas 2, Tacos 2, Enchiladas 1.
  
• Make a list of recipes that you don't know how to cook, but that your family enjoys eating at restaurants or other people's homes. Find recipes for these items online using Google. Check the reviews of the recipes to see if they are good. That's a really good way to see if the recipe is good. Rate these recipes the same way you did above.
• Map out your week. Write down days Sunday through Saturday (or however long you want to meal plan at once). If you have anything going on during these days, make sure you note it on your meal planning calendar.
• Now plot out your meals. When planning out the meals I try to keep two things in mind. I want easier meals on nights when I know that I don't feel like cooking. I also plot out meals that Jon can cook on these nights. My I don't feel like cooking nights are typically Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I'm sure everyone is different. You will see on my meal plans that I usually have easier meals on these nights. Next, and this one is kinda dorky, I try and make my meal plan "flow." So I try and make sure that we don't have pasta two nights in a row. I also try to incorporate recipes we don't eat very often with recipes we do. It's always tempting to make the first week really good and then leave all my go to recipes for the next week. Even though I say that I try and do this, you will probably notice in my meal planning that spaghetti and tuna melts are always somewhere on the second week.
• Once you have all your meals planned out make your grocery list according to your meal plan. If you are meal planning for two weeks at a time, make sure you remember that most perishable items are not going to last for a week and a half.

Here are a couple suggestions regarding cooking and meal planning throughout the week:

• Make more! If you are making something you know your family likes, make extra and freeze it for later. Also, if you make a big pan of something and know that your family isnt' going to eat it all, freeze it! Since it's just me and Jon, I will divide something like lasagna up into a couple days of lunches worth and then portion and freeze the rest. This works well with pizza dough, spaghetti sauce, pesto, lasagna, pasta sauce, enchiladas and soups. Most things freeze well and that way everything is done for the next time you want to have it. This will cut down on prep time significantly. When freezing just make sure that everything is clearly labeled with what it is and when you put it in the freezer. To save on space I use small ziploc sandwich bags for liquid items and lay them down flat in the freezer.
• If you have energy one night, use it to prep items for the next night. I always find one night during the week that I can make pizza dough. It stays good in the fridge for three days, so as long as I get it done sometime during the week I'm good to go. Anytime you can do this, it will make it easier the next night when you might be tired.
• Don't get down on yourself if you don't follow your meal plan exactly. Sometimes I get cravings for something else, so I just switch around the days. Other times I'm lazy and will just eat leftovers or something from the freezer. The meal plan is a guideline, not a law to follow.
• Schedule leftover nights. If you are cooking on a regular basis, you will have leftovers for lunchs and dinners. The other option is don't schedule leftover nights and then you know that you have leftovers to fall back on if you don't feel like cooking.

I know that I have mentioned to quite a few of my friends that meal planning has seriously elliminated so much stress from my life. Before, Jon and I would never know what to eat, and I would get frusterated with him and he with me, and we would end up eating something not great for you. I can not imagine not meal planning if I had kids. I post our hand written meal plan on the fridge so we always know what we are having for dinner that night.

I hope this post has helped some of you "get" meal planning. If you have any questions post them in the comments section and I will try to get them answered.

Meal Planning 6/14-6/25

Sunday 6/12
Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

Monday 6/13
Seared Ahi Tuna

Tuesday 6/14
Salad

Wednesday 6/15
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Thursday 6/18
Shrimp Fajitas

Friday 6/19
Homemade Pizza

Saturday 6/20
Dal Makhani

Sunday 6/21
Stuffed Peppers

Monday 6/22
Tuna Melts

Tuesday 6/23
Spaghetti

Wednesday 6/24
Pesto Pasta

Thursday 6/25
Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes

Cooking With The Senses: Red Pepper and Garlic Hummus

Cooking With The Senses is a Friday feature that encourages you to make a dish yours by adjusting the ingrediants and amounts to meet your tastes. These recipes are more like guidlines to whatever it is that you are making. By changing and/or adding different things that you think taste good or would compliment the basic recipe you are making it yours. I try to encourage people to do this, because by cooking with your senses you get a strong understanding of what sort of flavors compliment eachother and what kind of spices and ingrediants your family enjoys. If you use any of these recipes, please share them in the comments. I'm still learning right along with you!
There is absolutely nothing like homemade hummus fresh from the blender. This recipe is loosely adapted from this recipe from Food Network. Throughout the recipe I will suggest areas where adjustments to the recipe can be changed to better suit your tastes.


The night before you want to make the hummus, soak dried garbanzo beans over night in a large pot. Fill the pan with water until the beans are covered with 2 inches of water. The next day, drain the beans and rinse them, removing any odd looking beans or little pebbles you might find. Place them back in the pot and cover with about 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a rapid boil on the stove and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook the beans for approximately 45 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender. Drain any remaining water from the beans.

In a medium saute pan, heat a swirl of olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add in coarsely chopped red peppers. I used 1 medium size red pepper, feel free to adjust by adding more or less red pepper. Also add in garlic to the saute pan. I used six large garlic cloves because I really like garlic. If you like less garlic or more garlic, adjust to taste. Remember make this your hummus. Saute the red pepper and the garlic until they both become fragrant.

In a food processor or blender, add the red peppers and garlic. From there add 1/4 a cup of tahini (ground sesame found in the peanut butter isle of the store) and lemon juice. I used the juice from two small lemons, adjust to taste. Blend together thoroughly. Begin adding in the cooked garbanzo beans 1/2 cup at a time while the blender is going. Keep adding garbanzo beans until the hummus reaches the desired consistancy. At the very end, salt to taste.

This was a really easy and protein rich dish to make. Before blending, add in any sort of additions you think you would like. Think of different combinations that you can create. Spinach feta hummus and roasted garlic hummus are both on my list of things to try.

Ricotta Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil Al Forno

This is such a fantastic and really easy dish. It can be made in advance and cooked the day of serving. It can also be cooked and frozen for easy lunches. It keeps well in the fridge and reheats beautifully! This dish is also a great alternative to lasagna and is much easier then the traditional recipe. I really hope that you try it.

Ingredients
1 pound whole wheat penne, spiral or ziti pasta
1 cup ricotta cheese (Tip: check calories between regular and low fat, many times they are nearly the same and the fat in milk products helps greatly with vitamin absorption)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
5 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 14-ounce can of stewed tomatoes with basil
1/4 cup fresh basil (more if the tomatoes do not have basil)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (if you are using dried herbs adjust amounts)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella
Olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until barely tender and drain.

While cooking the pasta, heat a large skillet over a high heat and two swirls of olive oil around the bottom of the pan. After the oil has heated, turn the heat to medium high and add the shallot finely diced and garlic cloves that have been ran through a garlic press. Saute until the shallots are translucent. Add the stewed tomatoes. Cook tomatoes and break up with the tip of a wooden spoon. Add in the oregano and thyme. If your stewed tomatoes don't have basil, add basil to the sauce as well. Cook until the moisture from the tomatoes has significantly reduced and the tomatoes have been broken into small pieces.

In the empty pot that was used to cook the pasta, add in the butter, half the Parmesan cheese, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella cheese, stir to combine. Add in the cooked pasta and toss with the cheese.

Coat a 10x12 glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Add in the pasta coated with the cheese, then the tomato sauce. Place basil that has been coarsely chopped on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top, and add the balls of mozzarella.

Place into a 375* oven and cook until the cheese has melted and slightly browned (25-30 minutes).

Diagnosis: PCOS

When I went to Boise to visit my family and see my little sister graduate from high school, I heard lots of comments about my lifestyle that I have been eating. After I started this blog, I really wanted to get my "health" story out there and the comments from my family questioning my diet presented the perfect reason to explain my decisions. Since I don't want to seem like I'm on a high horse, I feel that my blog is the perfect sound board for these explanations. Here is my story.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Overy Syndrome). At that point in time I was treated with Advandament, which is a prescription drug meant to level out your insulin levels. I wasn't given that much information concerning PCOS when I was first diagnosed, and eventually I got bored with dealing with it and stopped taking the medication.

Fast forward over two years later. I started seeing a Nurse Practioner for some psychiatric issues. I had been diagnosed with a variety of problems prior to meeting with Tayna. We worked on my problems and tried a couple of different routes when Tayna decided to have me start tracking my moods in accordance with my menstral cycles. It was almost immediately apparent that my depression were completely in sync with my menstral cycles. What had once been diagnosed as bi-polar disorder is now diagnosed as Premenstral Disphoric Disorder.

From this diagnosis, Tayna encouraged me to further explore the physical problems that I had in relation to a possible hormone embalance. Through testing, it was once again determined that I have PCOS and also have increased levels of Testostrone.

Because of these diagnoses' I have made small steps and some large steps to change my lifestyle. I will talk about those next week.

Quicky: Roasted Cauliflower

Mondays will be for quick and easy recipes. Typically there won't be an exact recipe with measurements and everything, but more of easy guidelines to follow.


Have I mentioned that I will eat pretty much any veggie that has been roasted? I've always been a fan of cauliflower, but this is the best way I've had it so far! Crisp and tasty!!

Ingredients
Cauliflower
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Chop up or snap the cauliflower into tiny pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and toss with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown in a 425* oven.

Technacalities

While Jon and I were on vacation I did some thinking about how to better organize this little blog of mine. So far I've really enjoyed having it but I want to create a better focus and also write a little about why I make the health decisions that I do.

I've decided to run the blog on a loose schedule. Some of the information will be irrelevant to many readers, but I feel that the things that I want to share might help people with the same problems that I have had. Here is the schedule.

Mondays: Quicky Recipe
Tuesdays: Book Review and/or Health Check/Information
Wednesdays: Traditional Recipe
Thursdays: Garden Update
Fridays: Cooking With the Senses
Every other Sunday: Meal Planning

This week I will be going further into each category on the corresponding days. I'm really excited to start sharing some of these features and I hope that if you have any questions you post them in the comments!! Here's to a new week!

Garden Update 6/4/09

I was so stressed out on our trip to Boise that I was going to come home to dead plants. Luckily my neighbor totally rocks. We came home to HUGE plants. Here are the most recent pictures.
Yes I still don't have my cucumbers in the ground. Hopefully they will get their this weekend after we are back from the coast.

Funny story, I kinda started panicking last night when I was out hanging with the tomatoes. I thought to myself, holy shit, we are going to have a ton of tomatoes. I'm really trying to plan ahead so that I'm not overwhelmed by the volume that I know we are going to get.

Our tomatillos really took off in the hot weather we had while we were gone. I need to go through and thin them out, but they all look pretty healthy right now.
And this, this was just wonderful. Our first harvest of broccoli and it was SO extremely good. I just barely steamed it and added some pepper and it was seriously the most tender broccoli I have ever had. So yummy.