Roasting Vegetables Chart
So how do you use up all the produce from your fridge before it all goes bad if you work during the week and are almost never home?
It’s simple! Roast your veggies in the oven! It’s easy, quick and hassle-free!
Just wash the veggies, cut them up, drizzle them with olive oil (I use an olive oil spray) and throw some spices on for extra flavor (like salt, garlic powder, oregano, basil, rosemary, etc.)
And that’s pretty much it! Don’t you love it?
Ever since I discovered how easy this is, we’ve been roasting veggies almost every day!
Here is a very useful chart that I’ve been using. I found it on the internet on the Good Housekeeping website.
Roast away! 
Marinated Vegetable Platter
Lunch today was chilled, pickled, full of flavor and totally random 
Three beans salad, Beets, Manzanilla olives, Pickles, Artichokes, Red Cabbage, Salsa, Sour Cream & Whole grain chips. Total deliciousness!
Healthy Avocado Cole Slaw Recipe
What you’ll need:
•½ head of cabbage, finely shredded
•2 carrots, grated
•1 avocado, mashed (OR use 2 Tbsp of Earth Balance light mayo instead)
•2 celery ribs, chopped well
•4 green onions, thinly sliced
•3 radishes
•2 Tbsp ground mustard
•one pack of Stevia
•1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lime juice)
Seasonings:
•1 tsp sea salt
•1/4 teaspoon pepper
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1 tsp paprika
•1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
•3 Tbsp water
•Fresh herbs (cilantro/parsley for garnish)
What you’ll do:
1 Shred/grate/chop up all the veggies by hand (or in a food processor).
2 Add the mashed avocado (this adds a really creamy texture and nutty flavor to it) and whisk in the rest of the ingredients. If you’d like a creamier and smoother texture, use your blender.
3 Toss in the seasonings and garnish with some fresh herbs. It’s great on top of salads, or eat as a side dish.
Avocados are really healthy, but usually pretty expensive. So try to stock up when they are on sale! Mash them with some lime juice to prevent discoloring and freeze them in little zip lock bags for later. I do it all the time and it works! 
Breakfast Egg Burrito and a new job for me!!!
No preschool today. We’re off for a few days. But life still races at the same speed. Busy-busy day ahead again!!
And the best way to start it? Yep. You got it! The morning breakfast-ritual with TS. He does the drinks (juice + coffee) , and I do the bites (fruits/veggies + grains/eggs). What a teamwork! You should see us. So funny I think! It really does look like a memorized ritual. 
But how else could you whip up a beautiful breakfast like this in such a short time?
Sharing responsibilities is a key factor of a blissful marriage! We even do the dishes together! I do the washing and he does the drying. Yep. My Buddy and I get along pretty well when it comes to house chores 
We do have different preferences though when it comes to food. We learned to work around that too over the years! I usually make 2 different versions of the same meal. That way everyone is happy
So, this morning…
For mine: I just scrambled 2 egg whites & mixed in some Greek spice for taste. I grilled it on medium for about 3-4 minutes until it got firm enough to shape it. I added some pre-cooked veggies (onion, mushroom & carrots) + goat cheese, rolled it up, and grilled it an additional 5 minutes (I like it a little crispy).
For him: I used the egg yolks too and added some pepperonis w/ smoked cheddar and some cayenne. He loved it! 
And if you want a perfect duet in texture, eat these wonderful spongy burritos with some fresh crispy pears, flat-leaf spinach & tomatoes.
What a feast for the senses! 
Then some smoochies and sad goodbyes: homework for me and office work for him. Fascinating, huh?
Lunch was leftovers today. TVP spaghetti sauce (on thin whole grain noodles and goat cheese), sided with a pretty pile of curly leaf spinach ( I love spinach!!), bell peppers, white cabbage and sliced peaches. 
And I saved the good news for last. OK. Here we go. Ready to hear? (….drumrolls….)
I haven’t told you this yet but …. I got a new job!!!!!!!!
Why did I need a new one? Good question! Well, since I will be doing my student teaching practicum in the fall, very soon I will have to say bye to my little preschool friends and co-workers at my current job. So my last day of employment there will be the 27th of May. Sad, I know. I don’t even want to think about it yet. 
Anyways. After months and moooooonths of: job searching, prayers, filling out heaps of job applications, job interviews and turning down a couple of job offers….I’m happy to announce that a few weeks ago I said yes to a position that will 100 % satisfy my passion and love for healthy eating and living. I am SO excited!!!!!!
I obviously can’t reveal the company’s name here (for security reasons), but what I can tell you is that I will be making fresh, local, all-natural, organic breakfasts and lunches at an awesome healthy eatery, using only natural , healthy ingredients of the highest quality!!!
What a great opportunity to learn more about healthy eating/cooking while promoting healthy living in the community!!! I’m SO thrilled!
I went in a few times already for trainings (there’s sooo much to know!!) and I will be there today again. So wish me luck that I don’t make huuuge booboos.
Here is my outfit for the day. You can tell when a girl is excited about going somewhere if her clothes are picked out the night before.
I love my new athletic medical shoes!! I’m glad they are comfy, because I will be doing a lot of standing from now on. Supposedly they help tone muscles and improve posture too. That’s what I’m talking about. Triple bonus!!! Plus, they were on sale, so I got 2 pairs!!
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, off to work I go. 
See ya!
Quick & Delish Spaghetti Dinner Recipe
“A very wise man (my husband) said this once: “The point of good experimentation is good documentation.” I’m pretty sure he was referring to his nerdy scientific experiments, but I right away applied it to my own little “adventures” in the kitchen. Why not? The guy is a genius, so he’s probably right! What’s the point of creating an awesome recipe, if you can’t make it the 2nd time? People often ask for my recipes when we go to brunches and I’m always so embarrassed when I’m not able to recall more than 3-4 of them. Well, this has got to change! So here is to new beginnings! Cheers!
Last night I ended up whipping up a really quick, but delicious spaghetti dinner. And guess what I had in my hands the whole time? That’s right! Paper & pen!!!! It will take some getting used to, but it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility
To make it, this is what I used (in this order) :
▶ Whole grain thin spaghetti pasta
▶ a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
▶ 1 medium size onion, chopped
▶ 2 pounds lean ground beef/turkey/soaked TVP (whichever you prefer)
▶ 1 1/2 cup warm water (until meat is covered) 
And some condiments/spices:
▶ 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (mine was already salted a little)
▶ 2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
▶ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
▶ 1 teaspoon salt
▶ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (a mix of Marjoram, Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary)
▶ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
▶ 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper 
For toppings and decorating you can use:
▶ Fresh oregano, cilantro or basil leaves
▶ Sliced, pitted black olives
▶ Shredded cheese of your choice
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Set aside and cover to keep warm. 
2. In a separate pan sauté the onions with a little olive oil and add your choice of meat. Cook until meat is brown.
3. Add warm water and cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. 
4. Stir in the can of crushed tomatoes into meat mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients as well. Bring to a boil while stirring it occasionally.
5. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. 
6. Serve hot over noodles, with sour cream and/or cheese.
It tastes even better with a side of fresh strawberry-spinach salad! TS would def. agree with that statement. I mean, just look at the guy! You would think that the poor fella is never ever fed!!
Served with my cute little hand-painted Hungarian spatulas. Aww. A little piece of home 
7. Garnish with olives and fresh herbs if you’d like.
Or just wear it on your back. It’s entirely up to you how you choose to serve it.
Productive and rewarding!!
Hello ‘y’all!! (No, I don’t live in the south but I think southern people are pretty awesome!)
Today I had a very productive day (!!!) and the day is not even over yet! So yeah. I kinda feel pretty cool about that!
Made breakfast √
Went to work √
Did some grocery shopping √
Made some important phone calls and was able to set up a few crucial appointments √
Cleaned some and did the dishes √
Had an awesome lunch √
Did some homework and quizzing for my online Business class that are due tonight √
Got my 50 minutes of weight session in (in my living room while listening to this and this √
Cooked a delish, healthy dinner for tonight √
Had a little snacky to hold me over until dinner √
And I even had time to do my nails!!! √
Breakfast: raspberry ice tea with whole wheat hot cereal, cooked in vanilla soy milk and topped with low-fat cottage cheese, apricot fruit spread and chia seeds.
And French toast for my dear Squarehead hubby: 
Lunch for one: a whole wheat tortilla, piled with raw veggies (lettuce, spinach, green pepper, mushrooms, celery and tomatoes), topped with a teaspoon of horseradish, shredded carrots and cayenne seasoning. 
Crunchy snacky: vanilla coffee with air popped corn kernels, sprinkled with sea salt and nutritional yeast (for a cheesy flavor). 
Dinner on the menu: baked tofu with slow-cooked navy beans, raw celery & tomato, and grilled, spicy veggies.
And now I’m off to classes, in this yuck-yuck weather! 
Q: Are you doing anything interesting or productive on this cheerless, clouded day?
See ya later!
<º))))>< Reka
It’s another “Funday”!
Well hi there! Hope your weekend is/was a fabulous one!
Mine was pretty busy actually. Since I have school on Saturdays, the weekends fly bye SO quickly. But TS and I always make sure that we squeeze in as much fun as we can on Sundays. We usually refer to Sundays as “Fundays”, because they are def. by far the funest days of the week!! By the way, check out this wrestling match! Before, I didn’t even have the slightest chance, but lifting weights finally started to pay off! YEAAAH!!
Church was awesome this morning (as always)! I get so excited about the worship and about refueling my “spiritual tank” for the week! 
Even Nora baba was excited to go! 
Today is the LAAAAAST (!!!) day of my one-week, “spring cleaning” detox diet. At least for a while. (That deserves a big Halleluia!!) I usually try to do a week of detox every 3-4 months (Sometimes a little more often if I’ve been sick or having low energy levels).
During the detox week I drink lots of liquids (water, tea, pureed soups, smoothies, freshly squeezed 100% fruit and veggie juices, etc.), eliminate anything heavy to digest from my diet (dairy, pasta, nuts, etc.) and replace them with loads of liver-friendly, raw foods (veggies, fruits, etc.).
Although my detox diet is more of a “raw-food” diet than a restricting one, I try to NEVER exceed 10 days at a time. Not only that it’s not healthy to go for longer than that, (at least that’s what I read), but I just don’t think I could exist without my my super-duper nut butters for that long! 
So for breakfast today I had an awesome, green VitaDrink! A handful of celery (with the leaves on), some spinach, 5 big strawberries, a few carrots, a ripe banana, vanilla flavored almond milk and some pumpkin spice for taste.
Blend it well….and breakfast is served! It’s not just easy, but very healthy and cleansing too! Love it!! Perfect choice for grab-and-go meals! 
Some particularly good detoxifiers are the following: carrots, celery, apples, beets, broccoli, grapefruits, wheatgrass, lemons, and TONS of other ones too. I also take different kinds of natural, herbal supplements all year round, like Psyllium Husk, Licorice, Dandelion, Nettle leaf, Lemon balm, Ginger, Chamomile, Cayenne, Echinacea, Goldenseal root, Green tea, Milk thistle and Açaí. These digestive herbs help break nutrients down and eliminate waste and toxins from the digestive system. You can take them as supplements or just drink them as tea if you don’t mind that some of them taste pretty bitter.
I’m happy to announce that this week I met my goal of 300 minutes of exercise!!! I keep a little chart during the week, which helps me stay on track.
Here is a little break-down of the week:
| Monday |
Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 65 min. | 60 min. | 50 min. | 66 min. | 56 min. | REST | 45 min. |
That is a total of 342 minutes!! So that would be an average of 57 min/day for this week, right? Hmm. That’s not bad at all, considering the schedule I’ve been having lately. So, I guess I’m happy with that. Maybe next week I should make my goal 400 minutes? We’ll see.
OK, time to plan and pre-cook the meals for the week now! I usually do that on Sundays to save time on eats during weekdays. It helps to write a list of ideas ahead (I’m such a “list person!”) and brainstorm, based on: what’s in the fridge/pantry, what we feel like eating and what really needs to be cooked soon. 
Then, since it’s SO pretty out there (I think winter might be finally over!!), we might go to the park later. I SO love the park on Sundays! Cute, old couples holding hands, kids feeding the birds with their dads, teenager girls jogging and mommies pushing baby strollers. I feel like I’m part of one, big happy family! 
Also, TS really wants to see the movie ‘Unknown’ tonight. It’s supposed to be a suspense movie about a guy whose identity was stolen. Have you seen it? Would you recommend it? I’m not a big fan of suspense movies, but the boy came with me to soooo many chick flicks already that I feel it’s def. my turn today.
I guess it’s called sacrificial love, right? For better or for worse. And in this case: “for worse”! Hahah! (Don’t tell him I said that).
Enjoy your evening and stay healthy!
<º))))>< Reka
What did you learn in school today?
There is a show on the Fish radio every afternoon, called “What did you learn in school today”.
Sometimes I listen to it on my way home from work, because I love hearing the cute little voices of the children who call in.
So, what did I learn in school today? I’m so glad you asked!!!
1st class was the Emotional and Behavioral Disorders one. We did vocab and definitions for more than an hour!!…which-to be honest, wasn’t that exciting—as you can see from my class notes
2nd class, Educational Psychology was a little better. I love psychology classes! We learned about some of the important stages and principles of children’s cognitive development.
3rd class was Family and Community Services. We watched a part of the documentary 30 days with Morgan Spurlock (the guy who did the Supersize Me )
The movie was about minimum wage living, and it triggered a lot of thoughts in my head. Reminded me a lot of the living conditions in Romania. Fabulous movie! I highly recommend it!!
Gymgym was really fun today. I burned 700 Calories in less than an hour! Yaaay! I was pretty excited about that because lately I’ve been having difficulties raising my heart rate. It used to sadden me, but now, as long as I do some kind of exercise for at least 40 minutes per day, I’m a happy camper
I think the calorie counter watch and the scale are not always accurate. Just because I’m not lighter on the scale, it doesn’t mean I’m not getting skinnier. My skinny jeans def. fit me much nicer now. Olala!
I really don’t like eating this late, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are always like this. TS is in school ‘till 9. And I don’t like to eat without him.
So, for a late dinner I made homemade pepperoni pizza for him (his favorite) and I just had a little veggie combo. Both were a success if I may say so myself.
OK! Better go. Time to attack the humongous tower of dirty dishes in the sink.
How can 2 people go through so many dishes in such a short amount of time?? It’s a mystery yet to be solved.
Did you know that the internet celebrates its birthday today, September 2?? 40 years have passed exactly since the first successful transfer of data between 2 computers. Just imagine, without the internet you would not be reading about my exciting school day. Now, wouldn’t that be sad?
So, happy birthday Mr. Internet. And thank you for being born. Cheers!
See you tomorrow! Jo ejt!
Ѽ HefiA
