A Culture Of Shame

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Body-shaming

Fat-shaming

Food-shaming

Kid-shaming

Shame-Shaming

We are living in a culture of all kinds of shame. If there is something out there, I bet there is some form of shame attached to it. I don’t want to start your Monday off on a downer, but I feel like this is something I want to address.

Social media is a great and terrible thing.

I love being able to share my life and thoughts with you through my blog, Instagram, and Facebook. It’s an amazing way to be able to connect with people I never would have been able to before. It let’s me help you with your healthy journey by sharing my own health experiences. I can also share the funny and goofy and adorable things that go on in my life, mostly involving Olaf my cat. It’s great.

But there is a dark side to social media. The thought that is always in the back of my mind before I post something. Is this good enough? Is this relevant? Is this offensive? Is this going to open me up to criticism? I see all this shaming going on and it affects what I decide to put up or not. Because of my past struggles with self-esteem and body image issues, I’m always slightly nervous when I put a piece of me out there. The minute I hit publish or send that image or thought or post is no longer mine, it’s the world. It’s terrifying.

I wish we could live in a culture of unwavering support instead of one of shame. So many amazing and strong people are constantly bashed for the way they look or the things we do. Someone posts a before and after picture of their weight loss transform and the comments start flowing in of how they’ve lost too much weight or they looked better before or they still have a long way to go to have the perfect body. Someone tweets the dessert they enjoyed on their birthday and suddenly they’re bombarded with comments from the health nazis.

I posted this video from Blogilates creator, Cassey. If you haven’t seen it, please watch it because I believe it really shows what it’s like to put yourself out there and try to help others but be brought crashing down by all the shaming and negativity out there.

I can’t fix this problem with one post. I can draw awareness to it though, and maybe cause you to think about what you are saying to people. Is the comment you’re about to post one of support or judgement? Are you encouraging the people around you who are doing their best and accomplishing amazing things? Or are you contributing to this culture of shame?

One positive comment can do a lot to help drown out the noise of negative comments. Today offer support instead of shame and help change the way we share with the world.

Lemon Pistachio Cookies

May 1, 2015May 1, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

A few weeks ago I found pistachios on sale and on a whim bought about a pound. I wanted to do something with them other than just shove them all into my mouth, which was my first instinct. Since I had access to a Vitamix at the time I of course turned those pistachios into pistachio butter. I had never had pistachio butter before and it was delicious. It had a nice light flavor to it and I thought it would be good in some baked goods.

There are a ton of recipes out there for peanut butter cookies and almond butter cookies, but not that many using pistachio butter. I decided to remedy that and made these lemon pistachio cookies. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I knocked it out of the park on these ones. They are the perfect cookie for springtime. The are light and the hit of lemon adds a nice freshness to them. I added in a little bit of coconut for some texture but it doesn’t overwhelm the cookie with a coconut flavor.

If you don’t have pistachio butter on hand, you can make these with almond butter or cashew butter. I wouldn’t use peanut butter though because I think it would overwhelm the lemon flavor. Ok enough talk more cookie.

Lemon Pistachio Cookie- Makes 12-15 cookies

1/2 cup pistachio butter (almond butter or cashew butter would also work)
3 tbsp maple syrup (if you like a sweeter cookie add in another tbsp)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1-2 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Add in the shredded coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and lemon zest. Combine everything. It will seem really wet and like it won’t stick together but don’t worry that is fine.
On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, scoop out about a tbsp of the dough. Spread it out a little with the back of a spoon as these cookies won’t rise.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges just start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

One word of caution, these cookies can go from being perfect to burnt really quick if you don’t watch them. I would suggest checking at the 10 minute mark especially if your oven runs hot. Nothing is worse than a burnt batch of cookies. Not that that stops me from eating them….

Have a great Friday and enjoy the cookies!

My Shopping Cart: Jewel Edition

April 29, 2015April 29, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

For the next three weeks I am going to share my grocery shopping with you. I think it’s important to know how to grocery shop because that’s where healthy eating starts. I also think that many people have misconceptions about how and where they have to grocery shop if they want to eat better. You don’t have to go to specialty stores and you don’t have to buy all organic all the time. If you have the ability and the means to do that, awesome! But you can have a healthy lifestyle without those things too.

I have four main places that I grocery shop for our household. Jewel, Whole Foods, Walmart, and Aldi. I go to these places at least once sometimes twice a week. I do one big shopping trip on Friday morning and then supplement throughout the week with a few other trips. This helps me save money and find the best deal on food.

I’m starting with Jewel because that is where I do the bulk of my shopping. Not only are they on my block but they also have a good selection. Before I get into what I buy here are a few quick tips on making the most of any grocery shopping trip:

MAKE A LIST! A list will keep you from just wandering the aisles and throwing whatever catches your eye into your cart. Know exactly what you need for your meals and what you need to restock and stick to your list!
Shop early. I know not everyone can go to the store first thing in the morning, but if you can do it. There aren’t that many people there, the shelves are usually fully stocked, and it’s quicker to get done when there aren’t tons of people around. Nothing makes grocery shopping worse than doing it with 500 other people all trying to get the exact same bunch of kale.
Don’t be afraid to ask. In my experience people who work in grocery stores know A LOT about groceries. They know all the deals, the best time to shop produce, and a few have even given me some great tips on preparing the food I buy. If you have a question just ask!

Onto the shopping! I buy all of my fresh produce at Jewel because they have a good selection and they also tend to have really good seasonal offerings. No matter what the season though I usually always buy:

broccoli
carrots
bananas
cabbage
fresh herbs
onions
garlic
apples
oranges/pears/plums/whatever other fruit is on sale or in season

Then depending on season I sometimes have squash, summer squash, beets, parsnips, asparagus, leafy greens, or whatever else catches my eye.

I try to stay in season and choose produce that is on sale to get the most bang for my buck. I also don’t buy the organic versions of these. At this point in time I just don’t have the financial resources to buy all organic and that is totally fine! Regular broccoli is better than no broccoli at all. I do however make sure that I wash all of my produce well before I eat it.

Jewel is also where I get canned goods, eggs, and frozen vegetables. I always make sure to have canned tomatoes and tomato paste/sauce on hand and I get the Jewel brand of these. The ingredient list is short and simple which is always important and it’s the cheapest brand, also important! I buy a lot of eggs, at least 24 perhaps more a week, but again I can’t afford to buy organic or cage free at this time so I just get the best that I can afford.

Finally frozen vegetables. Jewel has a really big and inexpensive selection of frozen vegetables that I love. Frozen vegetables sometimes get a bad rap as not being as good as fresh but that is totally wrong. They are just as nutritious and are sometimes more convenient than fresh. I keep a good variety on hand to throw into stir frys, soups, stews, salads, or as a quick side. Some of my favorites right now are:

green beans
shelled edamame
sugar snap peas
3 pepper blend (red, green, and yellow peppers)
california blend (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots)
chopped spinach or kale

That’s my Jewel shopping trip. My Jewel also has a really good natural food market, a part of the store that has food you would normally find at say Whole Foods but for less money. I’ll sometimes get tea, gluten free pasta, and chickpea flour here.

Next Wednesday I will talk about what I get at Walmart and Aldi. Yes, you can find healthy food at Walmart and Aldi and save a lot of money. Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Where do you shop? What is the hardest part of grocery shopping for you?

What Makes You Light Up?

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Before you get all sassy on me, don’t say fire or light bulbs (looking at you mom). Rather, what makes you the happiest? What makes you get all excited to get going in the morning? Are you making that your priority?

This is a question that I have been asking myself a lot lately. I spent a lot of my time in college, a place where you should be finding and doing what you love, doing things because I felt that I had to. I had to be a music major, I had to pass my music classes, I had to do well on auditions so that I could get into the ensemble that I had to be in, I had to do this or that or some other thing. Looking back, I wasted time. That’s been a hard concept for me to admit and accept and say out loud.

No one wants to say they made the wrong choice.

But those are the cold hard facts. Life isn’t about always getting it right. It’s about taking what you have and learning from it and making it better the next time. I spent a lot of time bemoaning my situation after college. Luckily I had Adam to help me from becoming a depressed shut in and I found a job I loved and allowed me to find other things that did light me up.

Food, health, and helping others.

I love those things. They make happy. They get me excited to get up in the morning. I’m trying to make those a priority career wise. I can honestly say that I light up when I work on my blog or offer advice to a reader or come up with a new recipe.

Finding your passion is all part of having a healthy and balanced life. Sure eating right and exercising are good things, but they aren’t the only things. You can’t neglect your passions for too long before you start to feel like something is missing and your health can begin to suffer.

That’s why I want to urge you to not only take care of your body but your mind and soul as well. Today, sit down and think about what you love. Things that make you smile or cheer you up when you’re down. Find ways to incorporate those things into your day. Whether that’s with your career, your hobbies, or a side project, make them happen. No excuses, fit something you love into your day no matter what.

Now, what makes you light up?

Hobo Skillet Casserole

April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Sunday is usually my big chore day. It’s the day that I do all the laundry, clean the bathroom, super clean the kitchen, clean all the floors, and any other cleaning that is needed. I also get my blog ready for the next day and finish up any other odds and ends that need to be taken care of. Sometimes when dinner rolls around, I really don’t want to put a lot of effort into my meal.

This is where a well stocked freezer and pantry come in hand. You can come up with a delicious and healthy meal in a matter of minutes with just a few staples. I made this meal last Sunday and asked you guys if you would be interested in how to make it. I got a fairly good response so here it is! Keep in mind that you can totally customize this dinner with the ingredients you have on hand.

Hobo Skillet Casserole

1 cup pasta (I used gluten free penne but you can use whatever you normally do)
1 potato, cut into cubes
1 cup butternut squash, cubed (can also use any other squash or sweet potatoes)
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed (can use any green you have like chard, collard, or kale)
1/2 cup assorted vegetables (I used a frozen mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup almond milk or any other non-dairy milk
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
gluten free breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package, drain, and set aside.
While pasta is cooking, mix tomato sauce, almond milk, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside for later.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. If you do not have a cast iron skillet you can use a regular skillet and transfer the casserole into a casserole dish.
Add a little olive oil to the pan and then saute the onions and potatoes until the potatoes are lightly browned. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a bowl with the pasta.
Add the vegetables and butternut squash to the skillet and cook until slightly brown. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Place the vegetables into the bowl with the potatoes and pasta.
Pour the tomato sauce mix into the other bowl and stir everything to combine. Add everything back into your skillet or casserole dish. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with the bread crumbs if you’re using and bake for another 5 minutes.

This is a great meal to make at the end of the week to use up any food that you have leftover in the fridge. You can use whatever you have on hand. If you don’t want to use pasta you can try brown rice, quinoa, or any beans you have. If want add ground beef or turkey, shredded chicken or pulled pork. Choose your favorite vegetables or whatever is in season. Use different seasonings to change up the flavor or try a different sauce like salsa or hummus or cashew cream.

Meals like this are awesome because they are easy to make and can taste different every time you make it depending on what you use. Get creative and get eating!

Oh and don’t forget I am still hosting a giveaway on my Facebook page. If I get to 100 likes I’ll give away two $10 gift cards of their choice to two of my followers. Make sure you go check out my page and like it!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!