Crock Pot Season

weather is cooler

darkness is swallowing us earlier and earlier

it's time

soup time

crock pot time

and

it's time for me to find some of that clean eating mojo

i've had

and {somewhat} lost

haven't abandoned the basics

but the menus have gotten

lazy

boring

and

repetitive

so...

to help me with my mojo

i turned to a favorite hobby

{scrapbooking}

to help me rekindle a fire for a not so favorite necessity

{cooking}

and

VOILA!!

i'm creating a recipe book!

it stands up!

isn't it so cute?!?

i'll tell ya...

sometimes it's the little things

cause

thanks to my friends Paper, Stickers, Scissors and Tags,

i am 

smiling 

while cooking once again

This simple and delicious recipe found HERE

Recipe Keeper found HERE

{comes with paper for printing that slide into the sleeves if cutting and pasting isn't your thing!}

I'm joining Kim for

Little Things Thursday

and Kat for her

Writer's Workshop

WARMTH!!!

What can I say about this weekend??

Good GREAT weather!

Good Friends

Good Food

Good Scrapbooking

Good GREAT ball games!!

Good puppy time

And Good puppy cuddles!

The return of warmth meant grilling out

and fixing one of my favorite warm weather salads!

Brown Rice and Edamame Salad

Ingredients:

2 Tbs White Sesame Seeds

4 Cups Cooked Brown Rice

3 medium scallions, thinly sliced

2 cups shelled cooked edamame, thawed if frozen

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small

½ cup dried cranberries

3 Tbs olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup rice vinegar, plus more as needed

2 tsp local honey

Himalayan sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

To a large mixing bowl add rice, scallions, edamame, carrots, sesame seeds, and cranberries- toss to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey and a pinch of salt until well combined.  Drizzle over the rice mixture and toss to combine.  Taste and season as needed with more salt, pepper, and vinegar.  Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.

{Thanks to Anna my nutrition guru from Atlantis Wellness}

Fun came in all shapes and sizes this weekend...

Thanks to an out of town guest and this beautiful weather.

Sunday's long walk around "my" pond...

my now-completely-melted pond...

with a puppy and a camera was the proverbial icing on the weekend cake!

I hope spring has found or is finding you wherever you are!





Joining Tamar for
Good. Random. Fun.
and Tabitha for
Dream. Create. Inspire.

Yumm-a-licious

I'm always on the look out for simple, go to dinner recipes. I love this one because it's packed with veggies (could add in/substitute any that you happen to have in the fridge) and cooks up in one dish. I was able to clean up all the prep while the dish was in the oven, so the after dinner clean up was a breeze. Made plenty for one meal and lunch leftovers! I've also become a huge fan of recipes that are free from gluten, processed sugar and dairy and don't call for a lot of fussy/odd replacement type ingredients.

Simple. Clean. Delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pork tenderloin (1.5-2 lbs.)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet potato
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion
2-3 cups of cauliflower florets
1 gala apple
sea salt
pepper
dry rosemary
dry basil

Heat the coconut oil and crushed garlic in a skillet then sear the pork tenderloin on all sides. Once seared, remove from skillet and place in a baking dish.

Slice the sweet potato, red bell pepper, red onion and cauliflower into one inch pieces. Add the vegetables to the skillet with the olive oil, sea salt, pepper, dry rosemary and dry basil. Cook on high heat, searing the edges.

Add the vegetables to the baking dish and top with a chopped gala apple (skin on).

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, uncovered. (tenderloin should reach internal temperature of 145 degrees)

Joining Kim for

Little Things Thursday

and Tabitha for

Dream. Create. Inspire.

So....I'm {truly} a homebody...

De-clutter.

No more red, green and twinkle.

Clean space.

Writing desk is ready for Writing Naturally ~ Winter with Corrine.

In these weeks where the hope of good, new habits is strong,

this space, the journals, the pens are asking the words inside 

to come join the light of day.

We'll see what becomes of them!

I've enjoyed four days at home.

Four straight days!

Each and every corner has been arranged.

The address book filled in for the new year.

And a new recipe book project begun.

If I wished for a big ol' blizzard so I could be snowed in for

another four days, would that be bad?

Lazy days gave me time to clean out my kitchen, 

try some new recipes and use my fun, new mixing bowls.

This Quinoa Salad with Pears and Dried Cherries was yummy!

{and fits right in with clean eating to kick off the year}

Perhaps my favorite bit from this long weekend

was a little random project I started just for myself!

I've wanted to make this for years...

it's a book to keep track of special dates by month

and put aside cards for people.

I'll tell you more about it when it's done -

but I'm so happy to have it well under way!

As hard as it is to think of the full week of work that awaits,

I head to sleep satisfied, grateful and rested!

The beginning of 2015 has been perfect.

And my "word" has been chosen...stay tuned!

So pleased to be joining Tamar today for this year's first

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Weekend Highlights!

I love these cold winter days...and all the oh-so-good-goodness that can come from the crock pot. On Friday night I tried this recipe .... because I've been craving spaghetti. And, having no current relationship with gluten-filled pasta, I had to get creative to get my fix. I loved this recipe because it was simple, gluten free and had no processed sugar. (I was very careful to read the ingredients of the sauce I bought) The spaghetti squash cooked up so perfectly in the crock pot! (I doubled the sauce so I'd have plenty for leftovers) This is definitely a recipe I'll make again when the comfort food voices are calling out to me!

We pulled out all the Christmas stuff yesterday - and for several melancholy hours I decorated...by myself. Ho-hum. To snap myself out of the hum-bug, I decided to change things up a bit - and made some {seemingly} random choices. Like lots of little lights in my kitchen. Seemed kind of silly to me, to decorate for myself....but it made me feel so much merrier! I was almost in a good mood when my husband got home and we went to get the tree.

On Saturday night we shared our annual Christmas dinner with these three sweet kiddos, their parents and my kids. In their house I'm known as Auntie Adrienne. My husband's known to them only as Fun Brian. As you can see, he lives up to the nick-name their mama gave him many years ago!

One of my absolute favorite moments of the week was watching/listening to this munchkin belt out

 Hark the Herald Angels Sing. 

It doesn't get any more adorable than this.

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Home

"Settle down, it'll all be clear

Don't pay no mind to the demons

They fill you with fear

The trouble it might drag you down

If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you're not alone

'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home."

Phillip Phillips

As I've mentioned before, I'm not really one who loves to cook.

The kitchen and I have a love/hate relationship...

the crock pot and I, however, are best of friends!

This weekend I discovered a new crock pot recipe that

not only

cooked up one VERY tasty bird,

but filled the house with that comforting smell of

good home cooking.

Funny how certain foods and meals connect us to that

soothing sense of home.

As the holidays approach,

I am looking forward to traditional meals

and the gathering of friends and family.

My poor family

{especially my kids}

are wondering how the traditions of meals past are going to "feel"

now that gluten, dairy and processed sugar

have left the building!

So...

this month I have my work cut out for me!

The kitchen and I are going to continue to work on our

on again - off again relationship

as I try out some more new recipes.

I'm determined to 

chase the demons,

alleviate all fears

and

make these healthier holidays 

just as homey and traditional as ever!

This simple and delicious chicken recipe was a good beginning...

you really should give it a try!

{Find the Wonderful Recipe Here}

Linking up with Kathy for

Song-ography

and also with

Dream. Create. Inspire.

{ healthy } Fall Deliciousness

With a chop, a boil and a blend,

I whipped up my new absolute favorite thing.

Maybe ever.

Who knew I liked butternut squash?

Not me!

Who knew one could make a creamy, delicious soup with NO dairy, gluten or sugar?

Not me!

Fortunately for me,

I have a wonderful nutritionist...

She loves creating healthy recipes and menus

like I love photos, paper and storytelling.

As she's inspired me

and taught me to re-think most everything in my life where food is concerned,

she's also become a dear friend.

With her encouragement,

I cooked up a large pot of this yummy soup on Monday ~

Served it with a side salad of spinach, avocado and roasted pumpkin seeds ~

and had plenty left over for the week.

The soup stays fresh, well blended and re-heats really well!

I hope you enjoy Anna's Butternut Squash soup as much as I did!

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

- 32 ounces cut up butternut squash

- 16 ounces water or gluten free veggie stock

- 2 medium onions chopped

- 3/4 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 2 TBS pure maple syrup

- Sea salt to taste

- *1/2 cup coconut milk

In a large pot over high heat combine squash broth/water, and onion  Cover and bring to a boil. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup. Allow to boil with cover off for 5 minutes. Put cover back on and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Check to see that veggies are fork tender. Working in batches, add half of contents into blender. In order to vent, remove the small top of the blender cover (it is a good idea to place a dish towel over opening to avoid a mess). Blend until smooth and creamy. Salt to taste. Place back into pot and simmer over low heat to re-warm.

*If you are feeling creative, you can add 1/2 cup coconut milk to soup once all pureed and back in pot warming.

{find more of Anna's gluten-free recipes here}

Linking up with

Simple Things Sunday
and
Dream, Create, Inspire

Hunting for Magic

This weekend I made some

Chocolate Chia Pudding

and it sure was delicious!

As I take step after step towards wellness,

I'm really enjoying the discovery of all sorts of new food!

This is dairy free, gluten free and made with Super Foods, 

so it's not only good and yummy

but exceptionally nutritious!!

On my walk this Sunday,

Mr, Squirrel stopped what he was doing

and posed -

yes he just hung out there and posed -

for a photo!

"Wildlife" doesn't usually cooperate with me for photos,

so I thoroughly enjoyed this random occurrence.

The real fun of my week?

Moss!!

Yes, I know...

you're jealous of my thrill-a-moment life.

But just look at this dewy moss!

The last couple of weeks,

as I've wandered the woods,

where the fading leaves and pine needles are falling,
I can't help but notice the vibrant green moss that's catching those fallen leaves.

I've begun to wonder if there are fairies or little leprechauns

living in this new growth!

I haven't seen any yet...

...but I'm having fun searching for them!

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

A Culinary Adventure

 Adventure: a risky undertaking of unknown outcome

I've been on a new adventure lately.

Not a 'travel to distant lands' kind of adventure.

No, I've just ventured back into my kitchen and started to try new recipes.

In fact, in order to chase gluten, dairy and processed sugar from our lives,

I've had to venture into unknown territory.

New ingredients.

More time - much more time - chopping and measuring.

I've left the familiar, quick old stand-by cuisine

and am trying lots of new dishes.

When you send me into the kitchen to take cooking risks, 

you never know what will come back out of the kitchen with me.

Here's a recent success story!

This shrimp dish is one of my new favorite things!

It is zesty, cooks up in one pot and oh, so yummy...

My sister-in-law shared the recipe with me.

It's a go-to favorite of hers.

{I can't source it further than that...I got a photo of a well used magazine page when I asked her for the recipe!}

Her husband and high-school boys love it too!

My husband and I shared it on the evening of our anniversary, so it's going into my recipe book as

"Zesty Anniversary Shrimp"

SPICY CITRUS SHRIMP

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp extra light olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp horseradish

2 Tbsp 100 percent pure honey

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb. raw, peeled, deveined shrimp

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp fresh, chopped parsley

Directions:

In a medium sized frying pan, saute olive oil, garlic, horseradish, honey, lemon and lime juices and red pepper flakes for 2 minutes, stirring. Add shrimp in a flat layer cooking for 4 minutes, then flip, sprinkle with zests and parsley and continue cooking for 3 minutes without stirring. Toss the shrimp then put on a bed of your favorite veggies or quinoa or both!

ENJOY!

If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Linking up with

Little Things Thursday

and

Mama Kat's

the joys of the weekend ~

Sweets!!

I made this yummy cobbler on Saturday with fresh peaches and blueberries.

It was so good!

Recipe HERE

Learning to cook with real, non-processed ingredients doesn't have to be boring, right?!!

In the completely random category,

I've decided to try and capture some dragonflies this summer.

Aren't they beautiful!?!

I walked for three hours on Sunday.

My version of fun!

Needed the air.

Needed the space.

And was so happy to find my little swan family.

One of the "tweens" is quite the little show off, don't you think?!

Happy Monday everybody!

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.