Things I Learned This Weekend

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Good Monday morning my friends! I hope that you had a great weekend and are ready for this week. I don’t know where you are in the world right now, but the weather here in Chicago today is AMAZING!! Fall is definitely in the air and while I am still clinging to my last few days of summer, I am just about ready for my absolute favorite season. And the food that comes with it. Mmmmm food….

Moving on. This past weekend was my sister’s bachelorette party and despite some less than favorable circumstances, I think that everyone had a fairly good time. I’m not a great party planner, and as the MOH I’ve put together her shower and this party. I was really worried that I would throw the worst shower and bachelorette party ever and Jodie would fire me as her sister and MOH. I promise I’m not dramatic at all. But with the help of my mom, sister, and tons of other people, both parties have gone fairly smoothly.

So this weekend was spent with friends and bridesmaids doing things to honor and celebrate the bride-to-be and her upcoming wedding! Here are a few things that I learned this weekend:

Plans can and will change

I mentioned before that we had a few bumps in the road with planning and executing this party. Without going into extreme detail, my sister wasn’t feeling 100% this weekend but didn’t want to totally cancel her party because it was one of the only weekends before the wedding that we could do things. So in about the span of a few hours we worked to totally restructure the weekend to work a little better for her. While we might not have done what she originally wanted/planned, we still managed to have a good time. I was very surprised at my ability to remain fairly calm and collected while all this plan changing was going on because I am a big control freak. Maybe I’m finally maturing. Hahaha yeah right.

Chickens and how they reproduce

Bet you didn’t think that this would come up at a bachelorette party! But hey, we didn’t have a stripper so why not talk about chicken sex. We were playing a game and how chicken’s reproduce came up, don’t ask how. One of my sister’s bridesmaids explained it to the group and we were both intrigued and disgusted. There are some things that might be left to the imagination. If you really want to know, you can check out these charts, but I warn you. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Also, there is a dark and seedy underworld of black market chicken porn…. you had to be there.

I can do art…. sort of

Things I Learned This Weekend | Life Healthfully Lived

I made this!

One of the things that we did this weekend was a wine and art event. You’ve probably heard/seen of these things. Basically, you go to this art studio, bring along some wine, and then an art teacher will teach you how to paint a picture. We went to Bottle & Bottega in Evanston and it was really fun. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun activity to check it out. Some of the girls (me included) were a little worried because we aren’t the strongest artists. I regularly mess up stick figures, but we were assured that the instructor really helps you make a good painting. It was fun to do something different and we walked away with some pretty art that we had made with our own little hands… and a few glasses of wine.

P.S. There might have been a pterodactyl in one of the paintings….

There is a lot of love for my sister and her fiance

I have to say that my sister has some amazing friends. People never thought twice about having to change plans at the last second and were always putting my sister and her needs first this weekend. As her big sister, it really touched my heart to see these girls surround her with love and support. Not only do they love her, they really love Andy her fiance and can’t wait to see them get married and start their life together. Plus these ladies can make me laugh until my sides hurt and tears are streaming down my face. I can’t thank them enough for coming and celebrating with Jodie and making this the best bachelorette party I have ever put together (ok, ok it’s the only one I’ve put together!)

We love you Jodie and Andy and can’t wait for your wedding in October!!

Friday Recipe Round-Up

August 21, 2015August 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Yay Friday! This week has been a doozy for me. A ton of projects were suddenly due all at once and I have been working to get all of those done. On top of that, this weekend is my sister’s bachelorette party so I have been getting things ready for that! Seriously, how is it possible that my baby sister is getting married?! We were literally just playing with our Barbies and Polly Pockets. Like yesterday. For reals.

Anyway! Because it’s been a crazy week in the Dawson house I don’t have a new recipe for you today BUT do not start sobbing yet! I do have a round-up of all the delicious recipes I have found on all the blogs I follow.

I will have new stuff for you next week, but in the meantime enjoy these recipes as well as all the ones I have over on my recipe page!

Key Lime Pistachio Truffles from The Clean Dish

I am really having a thing with key lime lately. It is the perfect summer treat and there are so many ways to make it. These truffles look amazing!

Grain-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Predominantly Paleo

About this time of year, we’re pretty much drowning in zucchini. It’s delicious but the same old zucchini bread can get a little tiresome. I love this chocolate twist!

Avocado Lemon Basil Pesto from Kathy Hester

Along with key lime, I have been having a love affair with pesto this summer. My fridge has not been without a jar of the stuff for more than 2 hours. The lemon basil in this is amazing, but if you can’t find any regular basil still makes a tasty pesto!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Magic Shell from The Lemon Bowl

Be prepared for me to cover everything in this delectable concoction. If you’re smart you should do the same.

Have an awesome weekend and make one of these glorious dishes!

DIY Wednesday: Simple Salsa

August 19, 2015August 19, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Ok, so Monday and Tuesday this week I was wracking my brain trying to think of a DIY post for you guys. I could not come up with one single thing. I was starting to worry that I was out of ideas and trying to scramble for something to post today. I even went as far as to ask Adam for some help.

Luckily, he pulled through like a champ. Actually his friend, Eric, came through like a champ but Adam was the middle man so we’ll give him a little credit. I asked Adam and he asked Eric if there was something that he usually bought at the store that he wanted to make at home to save money or make healthier. He came back with salsa.

Salsa! So simple yet I had completely overlooked it! I even thought I already had a recipe up on my blog but quickly found out I didn’t. So thank you ET for saving the day!

I haven’t bought salsa in a very long time because it is so easy to whip up your own. Plus my mother in law makes a mean salsa and always makes sure we have a jar or two. This is the very simple salsa I make whenever we have a Mexican feast, which is like every other weekend. What can I say? I like tacos!

This salsa isn’t fancy or have any exotic ingredients, it is something you can make quickly when you are in a pinch for salsa. It tastes awesome and because it is so simple you can always have some on hand. If you want to make it fancy you can add extra things like corn or black beans. You can control how spicy or mild it is as well as the consistency. Pretty much this salsa can be everything you want and nothing you don’t. Let’s make some salsa!

Simple Salsa

one 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes or 3-4 fresh tomatoes
2/3 cup diced onions
3 cloves garlic
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped and seeds removed (you can leave the seeds in for a spicier salsa. You can also omit completely)
juice and zest of one lime
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 to 2 tsp salt
small handful of cilantro (more if you really like cilantro like me)

Roughly chop tomatoes and onion and add everything but the cilantro into a blender.
Blend until you reach your desired consistency. I like it fairly chopped but blend less for a more chunky salsa.
Taste and adjust any seasonings. Add in the cilantro and pulse a few times to mix it in.
Serve with homemade tortilla chips and enjoy!

5 Reasons I Don’t Miss Processed Food

August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 / ktbuchs87

When people hear the way I eat, they usually ask, “But don’t you miss such and such food?” Such and such food most often being some type of processed/junk/convenience food.

In the beginning, I would say yes. I did miss the ease of ready to go foods. I missed the taste of the sugar and salt and fat of those foods. I missed what I thought was the cheaper option of food at the grocery store. Overall, I missed the comfort of what had been my eating habits for the majority of my life.

Now, I don’t miss it at all. I don’t even think about the food I’m not eating because I’m too busy enjoying all the food I am eating. Here are the reasons that I don’t miss processed food anymore.

1. Real food tastes better

“But Katie, have you tasted a Reeses/Twinkie/Doritos/whatever lately? They are delicious!” To be honest I haven’t tasted any one of those things in a very long time, but that is a good thing. It has allowed my tastes buds to realize how good real food tastes. Processed food is chemically altered to make it tastes as appealing as possible, real food just grows that way. It doesn’t need anything added to make it better. I like that. It does take some time for your tastes to adjust, so if you have been living primarily on processed food you’re probably raising an eyebrow right now. There is no way that a piece of broccoli tastes better than a candy bar. Give your taste buds and your brain a chance to adjust and you’ll realize real food is pretty delicious!

2. I’ve learned to cook

I’ve known how to cook for awhile, but I really grew confident and adventurous in the kitchen when I stopped using processed food. Rather than boiling some pasta and throwing a store-bought jar of sauce on top, I now had all these ingredients that had to turn into a meal. There was a learning curve, but I got the hang of it and now I come up with my own meals and recipes and enjoy the whole cooking experience. I wonder how certain foods would taste together, or if one technique would work better in a certain dish, and I can test all those things out. I never did that with boxed or packaged food. I like the creativity real food lets me have.

3. I’ve become more aware

I never used to wonder what happened to create the package of food I bought in the store. It tasted fine and I didn’t need to worry about that. Now I am a firm believer in reading all labels and really understanding what is in the food you eat. There are certain ingredients that we don’t need to put in our bodies and the more we are aware of these things, the better off we’ll be.

4. I feel better

After I’m done eating, I don’t feel the need to take a nap (fact: I’m always ready for a nap). But seriously, food doesn’t make me feel like I need to slip into a coma after I’ve eaten it. I don’t feel sluggish, my stomach doesn’t hurt as much, my skin has gotten clearer, and I have more energy to do the things that I like doing. Now some of that is the result of living a healthier lifestyle overall, but a lot of it is the food I choose to eat. Food plays such an important part of your daily functioning and you should choose it with care.

5. I have never felt restricted

When I first started, I worried that there would be nothing left for me to eat but salads and celery. I would never really enjoy food again, it would just be something to fuel my body and move on. Nothing could be farther from the truth! I love food and savor every bite. I never feel like I’m missing out on something and I love finding a healthier way to enjoy old favorites. So much of our culture is centered around food and we forget to enjoy the experiences going on away from the table. It’s nice to place the emphasis on people and making memories rather than worrying about what I’m going to eat.

Do I think that all packaged and processed food is the devil? No. There are many things that I still buy myself and use in my kitchen. I’m just more conscious of my decisions and do my best to choose things that are as close to their natural state as possible. If you’re trying to step away from a highly processed diet, do it slowly. Take baby steps towards eliminating old foods and introducing new ones. You’ll start to see the positive effects in your life and you’ll wonder why you haven’t switched sooner!

Tahini BBQ Summer Vegetable Bake

August 14, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I have been all about the tahini lately. I have been finding ways to put it on everything and I have not been disappointed. Most of us only know tahini as an ingredient in hummus. It helps give it that nice creamy, earthy flavor. While hummus is delicious, tahini deserves to be more than just an ingredient in a popular dip.

It is awesome in baked goods, drizzled over pancakes or roasted plantains, and it turns any homemade dressing into creamy delicious lick the bottom of the bowl good. The fact that it turns things creamy is one of my favorite things.

I like creamy, creamy is good, but sadly people only associate creamy with cheese or other dairy products. I’m going to change your mind one tahini filled recipe at a time.

This one is really easy to make and is a great way to use up the surplus of zucchini and other summer vegetables I’m sure are crowding your fridge. I also like this one because it can be made the night before and then just popped into the oven and it’s done. That’s actually what I did when I made this last weekend and it worked beautifully.

The sauce I made for this vegetable bake would also be awesome as a dip or slathered on wings or ribs or burgers or a spoon…. You get the idea. Go grab all the summer vegetables you have, whip up this sauce, and throw together this yummy dish!

Tahini BBQ Summer Vegetable Bake

Tahini BBQ Sauce-

1/4 cup tahini
2 tbsp homemade ketchup (or the best you can find/afford at the store)
1 tsp molasses
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked paprika (make sure it’s smoked)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and well combined

Vegetable Bake-

1 batch of tahini BBQ sauce
1 zucchini, sliced and diced
1 summer squash, sliced and diced
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 cup red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or whatever bean you have on hand)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

If you want/have the time, roast the zucchini and summer squash. You don’t have to, but it adds a nice flavor to the dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 15 minutes.
Remove the zucchini and squash, turn the oven to 375 and place the roasted vegetables into a large bowl.
Add the corn, onion, garbanzo beans, and stir everything to combine. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper and stir again.
Add in all the tahini BBQ sauce and stir everything making sure the sauce is coating all of the vegetables and beans.
Transfer everything to a large casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Take off the aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.