Why is it Important to be Healthy to Me?

click here to watch

Christmas Pasta Salad

Today is a great day for it is the day we celebrate the birth of our atoning Savior, Jesus Christ. I love this holiday every year, but this year it especially meant a little more to me as I have just gained a better understanding and relationship with my graceful Redeemer. Today I had to travel back and forth between my two families in order to spend Christmas with both. I had to wake up early in order to spend the first half of the day with my mom. When I did so, I woke up to a nice chunk of snow covering the ground. I became nervous knowing that I had to drive thirty minutes on snow packed roads. But nevertheless, I embarked on an oh-so-treacherous journey to the great lands of "opening presents". I turned on some Mormon Tabernacle Holiday music in my car and enjoyed the beautiful choral music. A huge sense of serenity came over me as I drove slowly in the white wonderlands of Colorado through the countryside. It was early so the sky had a subtle greyish, pinkish color and I just enjoyed that moment to myself in the car on a beautiful Christmas day. My Savior and King, Jesus Christ has been my stability in this life full of craziness and this morning, I was grateful to have a moment to think about Him and realize the beauty of His world. I plan on traveling back to my mom's family's to have dinner so I better cut to the chase and share my recipe for Christmas. Surprisingly its not a baked good. This is my Christmas pasta salad!  







Ingredients:

• one container of whole wheat noodles
• 5 oz. plain greek yogurt (I use Voskos' 5.3 oz. yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoon mustard
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 cup cooked corn kernels (or raw if you are weird like me)
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl or Tupper-ware container. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. If you are extra weird, like me, add some deliciousness with some spicy cayenne pepper.



Well au revoir my friends! ENJOY your Christmas holiday and the New Year to come!

 

 

 

Columbian Wheatberries Dish

OK so this has got to be one of my most prized recipes. I love this dish! I could eat it every night if only it wasn't gone the second I make it. And the creation of this recipe is kind of a funny story. In my US History class at the beginning of first term, we were asked to do a project inorder to understand the Columbian Exchange more. The point of the project was to show how different our lives would be without the Columbian Exchange, which intermingled all of the different foods because of the migration of settlers. The idea was that without the Columbian Exchange, we wouldn't have European/Asian/African foods such as wheat, carrots, garlic, olives, grapes, onions, poultry, etc. My teacher gave us a list of foods that originated in the Americas, and a list of foods that came from the other side of the world, Europe/Asia/Africa. We were to pick one list and make a dish with ONLY foods from that list. While everyone else in my class moaned and groaned, I snickered to myself and decided that this had to be the best project that I had ever been asked to do. Somehow, through it all I came up with this delicious meal. Oh! And please don't be confused. When I name this dish Columbian Wheatberries, it is not because it has any ties to the South American country of Columbia. :) Well, now that I have that cleared up, let's continue with the food. (How 'bout that?! You even got a miniture History lesson for the day!)





*Plan ahead to soak your wheatberries overnight. Also, plan on putting your chicken in a slow-cooker the morning of the day you plan on making this dish*
Ingredients:

• two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (i usually check the ingredients on whatever package of chicken I am getting to insure that the only ingredient is chicken and there are no additives such as corn syrup solids or maltodextrin)
• 3 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2-1/2 cups cooked soft wheatberries (wheat kernels)
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped carrots (depending on how carrot rich you want it)
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese (again check the ingredients for things like powdered cellulose and other preservatives/anti-caking agents. I usually just get a block of cheese and shred it myself. It usually contains natural ingredients that way)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground clove
• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme
• ground pepper to taste

The morning that you plan on making this dish, pull out your crock pot and set it on high. Fill it with either your water or low-sodium broth. Place your thawed out chicken breasts in along with thyme and pepper. An hour before you want to eat, place your soaked wheatberries in a boiling pan of water. Cook the wheatberries for one hour. Fifteen minutes before you want to eat, heat up your olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and sautee your onions and carrots together until both are tender. Once your berries are done, combine the berries in the frying pan. Drain your slow-cooked chicken of any excess water/broth and place the chicken in the pan with the wheatberry mixture. Stir in the ground cloves and top with cheese. Cover with lid for 5-10 minutes over very low heat. Then you are done my friend. Oh and one more thing! Serve with a smile on your face! Enjoy your day. :D

Prayers for Newtown, Connecticut

I know that it is Christmas day as I post this and I do have a few recipes to post inorder to catch-up, however, I just wanted to take minute and express my condolences to the victims and families in Newton, Conncecticut. 20 little angels along with their 6 teachers, were welcomed into the kingdom of Heaven only two weeks ago today. How different this holiday might be without those souls for their loved ones. I can't even imagine. I hope and have prayed for those families that on this Christmas day, they may atleast have the comfort knowing that their little angels are in Heavenly Father's care and they have escaped the corruption and evil of this world. I hope we can all call for (if we haven't already) a moment of silence for those souls killed two week ago in the shooting in Connecticut. And may we give thanks for the family and/or friends that surround us today.

Silent Night Bread

It is officially December. Therefore, no one can stop you from putting up your tree, singing Christmas songs, and/or putting up lights outside. (But let's face it, most the world did it weeks ago). It is such a great time of the year and everybody knows it. It is not only a time for generosity and for love but a beautiful spirit comes when we focus on the true reason of this holiday. Commemorating our Savior, Jesus Christ's birth. Our Savior who came into this world to willingly give His life in the most excruciating way in order to fulfill God's plan. According to the nature of all things in our universe, if someone sins, their spirit is cut off from the presence of God. Yet, our Savior, Jesus Christ, offered a sacrifice unto God that He would come to this Earth and die and take that consequence of sin for all the repentant souls. Thus keeping the order of the world, while allowing us to repent and come unto God no matter how many times we mess up.  He saved us from spiritual death and gave us the opportunity for everlasting life. Someone I know once said something very profound. He said, "I know that Christ died for me because even if He were to do it again in order to only save me, He would have." I have thought about this a lot since, and I believe it will help me truly appreciate this holiday season more than I ever have. So in this beautiful season of Christmas, may we all pray to keep Christ in our hearts and remember His coming into this world. Today I played Silent Night on the piano and the spirit of Christmas gently filled my house as the lights from the Christmas tree illuminated the music sheet. The bread recipe that I created today was the first of many soon-to-come Holiday recipes. So to start of this month long baking marathon, I announce the recipe of my newest creation: Silent Night Bread. <3

 

*MAKES ONE LOAF*

I warn you before hand. Like most other breads, this one does take a long to make but I PROMISE it is worth it. SO YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 Cups warm water
• 1 Tb. sugar (I used palm coconut sugar. other unrefined sugars work too such as sucanat, honey, turbinado sugar, etc.)
• 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 4-3/4 to 5 Cups whole wheat flour
• 2/3 Cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp. sea salt

1. Mix together water, sugar, shredded coconut, then yeast. Stir it slightly and let it foam for ten minutes.
2. In a larger bowl, mix together the 4-3/4 Cup flour, oats, and salt.
3. Pour oil into the middle of the flour mixture.
4. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and mix together with a spoon.
5. Once ingredients are well combined, knead with hands for five minutes. (If the mixture is super sticky add the remaining flour)
6. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise for  1 hour.
7. Once the hour is up, take out the risen mixture and knead it on a well floured surface.
8. Make sure to knead out all possible air bubbles.
9. Place the bread dough into a greased bread pan and let it rise for one more hour. (Excruciating! I know. Especially if you're hungry)
10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
11. Place the pan in the oven and let cook unto a knife can be inserted and removed clean. Approximately 35-40 minutes.
12. Let it cool and slice.
13. Eat, enjoy, and don't forget about Christ. <3