Re: Oil Pulling

This morning I got this email from my friend (and hilarious stand-up comic) Shelley:

Hey Jen!

Was wondering if you've heard of this.  I was researching things for my inflamed throat and after seeing a forum about how coconut oil works, I saw this video!  Hope you're well.  

xx

Shell

Good question, Shelley!!  I first heard about oil pulling from this post on The Wellness Warrior.  Since then, I've  been curious about it but never tried it.  Seeing as I'm trying to switch myself back into detox mode, I think now might be a good time to give it a whirl.  I'll let you know how it goes!

-♥ J :)

P.S.  Enjoy laughing??  Check out Shelley's YouTube channel.  For show dates and other musings, follow her on Twitter.

Vegan Gluten-free Mac and Cheese. Yep...you heard me.

photos via Cara's Kitchen

This recipe comes from my uber talented sister-in-law Cara.  When food allergies forced her to avoid one of her favorite comfort foods, Cara decided to take matters into her own hands.  A little tinkering in the kitchen and…Voila!!  Vegan Gluten-free Mac and Cheese was born!!  Oh, Cara...I and the world thank you.

-♥ J :)

P.S. Cara makes soup, too.

Cara's Vegan Gluten-free Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:

• 1 box gluten-free pasta spirals

• 1 package Daiya Mozzarella shreds

• 1 package Daiya Cheddar shreds

• 1/4 cup vegan parm (Parma brand is best, but if that isn't available, Rice Parm is good)
• 
1 1/2 cup Earth Balance mayo (soy, egg, and dairy free)
• 
1/2 cup coconut milk plain yogurt
• 
1/2 cup brown mustard

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 2 tbsp. Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks

• 1/2 cup crumbs from Mary's Gone Crackers Sticks 'n' Twigs (You will have to buy a whole bag of these and crumble some of them in a grinder or smash by hand.  But, that's okay because they are a great snack to dip in Almond butter. You won't be sad you have extra on hand.)

• 1 tsp. salt
 pepper

Directions:

1. Cook pasta and set aside.  In a big bowl combine cheeses, mayo, yogurt, mustard, onion and garlic powder.  (Reserve 1 tbsp. of vegan parm for later use.)
2. Mix in pasta until well coated.  Dot the top with "butter." 
3. Cover with crumbs and additional 1 tbsp. of vegan parm. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Eat and enjoy!!!

Fun, Sun and Vodka Smoothies

This weekend John and I stopped by Charli and Steve's for a little summer kick off barbecue.  I was in charge of the fruity drinks.  I had planned to try out this recipe, but at the last minute decided to make one of my old standbys: The Pineapple Mint Lemonade Vodka Smoothie.

For this recipe I used:

• vodka
• frozen pineapple
• Trader Joe's French Market Sparkling Lemonade
• champagne (you can also use prosecco or sparkling wine)
• fresh mint

Put all ingredients, except for the champagne, in a blender.  I used my new favorite gadget: the NutriBullet.  Be sure to reserve a bit of mint for garnish.

Blend.  Be careful when taking off the lid.  The carbonation from the sparking lemonade can make things a little bubbly.

Pour mixture into a fancy glass and top with champagne.

Garnish with mint.  Drink and enjoy!!!  

To change this smoothie from naughty to nice, leave out the alcohol and TJ's lemonade.  Instead, add the juice of 2 lemons, a touch of stevia, water and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds.  Same great taste and it's actually good for you!  Either version pairs nicely with a vegetable feast.  

Thanks for the fun, sun and massive amount of veggies Charli and Steve!!!

-♥ J :)

P.S.  Later in the afternoon, Charli decided to whip up a batch of amazing dark chocolate cupcakes...from scratch.  I was so busy inhaling them I forgot to snap a picture.  Maybe I can convince Charli to make them again...you know... just for blogging purposes. ;)

P.P.S.  Way, way later in the afternoon, we also made the drinks sans mint and lemonade.  Instead, we subbed in ginger beer.  So. Good. 

Summer Lovin'

Ooooh, Veggies.  I have such a case of summer fever!!  I am so happy Memorial Day weekend is finally here!!  The next couple of days are filled with fun, mellow holiday weekend activities like brunch, barbecues and meet ups with friends.  (I might even sneak a couple of these in this weekend.)  I'm also going to use the extra day off to catch up on some busy work.  I'll be filming another video for Happy Healthy Belly TV, donating some things to Goodwill and getting a jump on the last leg of the (never-ending) detox I started.  Next week I'll cover Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet.  Truth be told I am WAY over this detox, but I wanted to be sure I gave Kris's book its due since I think it's fantastic!!!  Whatever your plans, I hope your weekend is happy and healthy!!

-♥ J :)

P.S.  A little weekend reading...

• Mmmmm….gorp.
• Smog comes from cows.
• Good info on Celiac Disease.
• How to be content.
• Gretchen's (incomplete) path to happy and healthy.
• Changing life one habit at a time.
• Oooh…might be time to make this again.
• Be kind to each other.

Picture of Procrastination

I'm supposed to be doing this:

photos via Whole Living Pinterest 

But instead I've been hanging out on the Whole Living Pinterest page.  Not one to procrastinate alone, I thought I'd share my new obsession with you.  The Whole Living page has SO many fun, pretty, inspirational healthy living pictures!  SO many!  Why, I do believe a girl could waste quite a chunk of time pouring over all the yumminess.  Umm...I do believe this girl did waste quite a chunk of time.  

-♥ J :)

P.S.  FYI...be sure to check out the Crazy for Quinoa and Healthy Smoothies boards.  You won't be sorry.  Well...I mean...you might be if you had planned on accomplishing something this afternoon. ;)

Cappuccino Pops??? Yes, please.

photos via cupcakes and cashmere

I don't know which is more upsetting:  the fact that I don't live near a Dunkin' Donuts and therefore can't participate in today's $1 Iced Coffee Day OR the fact that these scrumptious looking cappuccino pops don't live in my kitchen.  Fortunately, the pops (posted this morning by Cupcakes and Cashmere) look really easy to make.  It looks like Emily used heavy cream in her recipe, but I bet I can make the pops vegan with a bit of finagling.  I'm adding these pops to my summer wish list...along with grilled romaine and kale margaritas.

-♥ J

The Weight of the Nation

Has anyone seen The Weight of a Nation, HBO's four part documentary exploring America's obesity epidemic???  Things have been a little hectic lately, so I haven't had a chance to watch it yet.  Even if you don't have HBO you can watch all four episodes right HERE on HBO's website.  How cool is that??

-♥ J :)

P.S. Thomas Jefferson liked vegetables.