Roasted Squash Seeds

September 26, 2014November 10, 2016 / ktbuchs87

I have another fall snack for you today, because fall food is awesome. Last week at the farmer’s market, I got a kabocha squash to try for the first time. The squash was delicious but the seeds were almost better. When I was little we would carve pumpkins and my mom would save the seeds to roast for snacks. Roasted seeds are easy to make and are a healthy snack. The kabocha squash seeds were a lot like pumpkin seeds so they roasted really well. Use whatever squash seeds you have on hand and enjoy this easy snack food!

Roasted Squash Seeds

Seeds from a squash (pumpkin, butternut, kabocha, or acorn are good)
olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Scoop all the seeds out of the squash and clean them off as best as possible. You can rinse them off in a strainer to get the rest of the squash pulp off. Lay the seeds out on a towel in a single layer and let them dry completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Place your seeds in a bowl and pour a little olive oil over them and toss to coat. Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

3. Roast the seeds for about 10 minutes or until you hear the seeds popping. Remove from the oven and let the seeds cool before you start eating them.

That’s it! You can play with the seasonings and try different flavors like garlic and italian seasonings or even go sweet and try cinnamon and nutmeg. Either way, start getting all the squash you can so you can enjoy this tasty snack!

How To Eat Well, Quickly

September 24, 2014 / ktbuchs87

There seems to be this notion that in order to eat well you have spend a lot of time in the kitchen. People associate healthy food with an elaborately planned and executed meal, but I am here to tell you that doesn’t have to be the case. Sure, you can spend a lot of time preparing a wonderfully delicious and healthy meal and on the weekends I myself like to spend some extra time in the kitchen. But 90% of the time, I want to get a meal on the table in under an hour. Most of you probably have busy lives with jobs, kids, spouses, and a million other activities going on. You don’t really have time to be spending over an hour getting dinner ready every night. Meal prepping can be a huge help in this area and I have talked about it many times before. But sometimes you are left trying to get healthy food on the table in a hurry with no planned or prepped meals at hand. Rather than reach for the take out menu or head to your nearest fast food joint, I have some items that you can keep on hand to whip up a healthy meal in no time.

Pasta

Keep a box of your favorite pasta in your pantry and you will always have a quick meal at hand. I like to keep brown rice pasta or corn pasta well stocked at all times (sidenote: I get my pasta from Aldi. It is under $2, gluten free, and has an ingredient list of one. It’s awesome). You can keep it simple and make your traditional pasta and tomato sauce or you can get creative and try making your own sauce out of pesto or avocado or even salsa. Pasta is a great canvas for adding things like roasted vegetables, beans, or eat and it’s a great thing to help tie together a meal of odds and ends you may have hanging out in the fridge. Make sure to read the label of your pasta and know what’s in it. There are a ton of different kinds out there, so whether you’re gluten free or looking for a heart healthy version you’re bound to find pasta that works for you.

Beans

Beans are just as versatile as pasta and can be even cheaper. I have a variety of dried beans like chickpeas, black beans, and cannellini beans that I keep on hand at all times. You do have to think a little bit ahead with dried beans because they need to be soaked and then cooked. If you don’t have the time for that though, you can stock your shelves with canned beans. Make sure that the only ingredients are beans and water and that you drain and rinse the beans before you use them. Beans can pretty much be added to any dish. Try them in soups or stews, in stir frys, on top of salads or pasta. You can saute them with some leafy greens like collard or kale. Or mash them up and puree them for a dip or spread for breads and crackers. Beans add protein and fiber to any meal and are quick and cheap. All wins in my book.

Eggs

I always have eggs in my fridge because they are delicious and cheap. There are so many different meals that you can make with eggs and they aren’t just for breakfast, although breakfast for dinner is awesome as well as quick. Try a frittata or an omelette for dinner and add in your favorite vegetables and seasonings. Poached eggs are simple and go pretty much on top of anything from pasta to vegetables to salad to soup. Seriously, put eggs on anything and it is an awesome meal.

Frozen Fruit & Vegetables

At any given time I have at least 4 bags of frozen vegetables in my freezer along with a bag of frozen bananas. The bananas get turned into tasty desserts, but the vegetables are great when I need a quick side dish or need to up the vegetable intake of any dish. Some people think that frozen isn’t as healthy as fresh but that just isn’t true and frozen vegetables can save you a lot of time at dinner. They work great in stir fry or added to grains and pasta. I know at my grocery store you can buy big 5 pound bags of vegetables. This saves money and you can just portion out what you need for that meal and put the rest back in the fridge. It’s also a nice way to get a variety of vegetables no matter what season you’re in.

Potatoes

Ah the humble potato. Most of the time people only think of potatoes in the form of french fries, but they are a really versatile food. You can bake them, roast them, boil them, mash them, put them in a stew (Lord of the Rings reference anyone? Yup, I’m a nerd). Try making a baked potato and then loading it up with things like beans or vegetables or salsa or leftover meat. Now you have a quick and delicious dinner in less than 30 minutes. And don’t just limit yourself to russet potatoes, try sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or red potatoes. There are so many different kinds and you can put them in anything.

Soup and Salad

Olive Garden has it right with making a meal out of soup and salad (and breadsticks, but we won’t go there). Yes, there are a few good brands of canned soup out there, but most of the time they are loaded with sodium and unpronounceable ingredients. It’s really easy to make your own soup and a lot healthier too. Start with sauteing whatever vegetables you have on hand (onions, garlic, carrots, celery, parsnips, leeks are all good), then add in water or vegetable/chicken broth and seasonings, next try adding things like beans, cooked meat, brown rice/quinoa/millet, or potatoes. Simmer everything for about 15 minutes and if you want stir in some leafy greens, like kale, at the very end. Simple soup and all in one pot. Salads are another great meal, all you need is some cut and washed greens and toppings. Again, beans, meat, more vegetables, nuts/seeds, dried fruit, hard boiled eggs, are all great things to add to your salad. And if you really don’t have time to cut up your own lettuce, just grab a bag of pre-cut lettuce at the store. Just don’t pour a huge amount of store bought dressing all over your delicious, healthy salad. Try making your own with any of these recipes.

Good food doesn’t have to take a long time or a lot of brain power. All the things I listed here are things that I usually have on hand and can be thrown together quickly. So don’t panic if it’s dinner time and you realize you have no idea what to put on the table. If you keep a few of these items in your kitchen, you’re never far away from a tasty and wholesome meal.

When Routine Becomes Too Routine

September 22, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Ask any member of my family and they will tell you that I am a big fan of routine. I like knowing exactly what I should be doing at each moment in the day. I like having tasks to do and then being able to check them off my list as I complete them. Having a routine helps me to feel in control and it also keeps me on track. It helps me accomplish my goals and gives purpose to my day. Some people might find having a routine too boring and rigid and like to face the day with no plan in mind and let what may come, come. That is totally fine, but I am not those people. In my mind, routine is a good thing. Until it isn’t.

When you make a choice to be healthier, I would say that establishing some type of routine will be crucial to your success. It’s good to have a plan set for what you are going to eat for the week, what workout you’re going to do for the day, and what goals you have in mind for your health. In this sense, a routine will help keep you on track and moving towards what you want. But we have to be careful to not become so addicted to our routine that it starts to hinder our health.

I began to notice that I was becoming so used to doing the same thing over and over again that my progress had actually stalled. While I wasn’t losing ground, I definitely wasn’t gaining any either. I also started to notice that any sort of change to my routine would throw me for a huge loop and cause me a lot of anxiety. I wasn’t flexible to the little wrenches that might be thrown into my day and it stressed me out. Stress and anxiety are the opposite of helpful when you are trying to be healthier. I started to worry about straying from my ideal routine or plan and that was all I could focus on. What would I do if this happened? How could I avoid any possible challenge to my routine? What can I do to make sure that I never have to stray from MY plan? Those aren’t healthy or helpful questions.

In case you hadn’t noticed, life doesn’t really care too much about your plan or your routine. It is going to do whatever it wants and you can play along or fall by the wayside. No matter how much I plan out my day or week, there are going to be things that have to change and I am going to have to adapt. That is a good thing! I realized I was missing out on so many fun things because they didn’t fit into what I thought I needed to be doing that day. I can’t go to the movie at that time, that’s when I’m suppose to be doing yoga. You want to eat that meal instead? Sorry I already planned this one out three days ago. I was trapped in a box that I had made myself and ironically it was causing me to stray from my healthy goals.

I will never be a person that can just fly by the seat of my pants. I will always have to have some type of schedule or routine because that’s who I am. But I am working on going with the flow more often. I am learning to say yes to things that weren’t originally in my plan and letting go of the anxiety that creeps up when I can’t cross something off of my list when I think I should. It’s ok to have some wiggle room in your life, in fact I would say that it’s necessary. Say yes to an impromptu meal with a friend from out of town. Surprise yourself and your significant other by doing something out of the blue. Don’t worry about not getting in a full hour workout or eating the exact meal you prepped. Adapt to the situation and make the healthiest choice possible at that time. You’ll be a more well-rounded person and you’ll get to experience amazing opportunities along the way. You don’t have to throw all caution to the wind and forgo routines or plans all together. Instead of a rigid schedule you HAVE to stick to, set a general map for your day or week and make decisions as they pop up. As long as those decisions are propelling you toward your ultimate goal, don’t stress about the ride!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

September 19, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Even though it’s not officially fall, let’s face it, it’s time for all things fall. I love everything about fall. The weather, the leaves, the football, but most of all, the pumpkins. Yes, everyone goes gaga over all things pumpkin and pumpkin flavored this time of year, but my love for pumpkin is year round. I have a stock of canned pumpkin in my closet and all my pumpkins on display all year long. Most of the candles I own are pumpkin scented and I may have 3 things of pumpkin hand wash stocked up. With this adoration of pumpkins, I thought it was time to put up a pumpkin cookie recipe. These are easy to put together and taste like fall in cookie form. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown rice flour (could also use coconut flour)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp coconut oil
heaping 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Mix together all the dry ingredients ad set aside. In a separate bowl. mix all the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the wet to the dry and use a spatula to combine.

3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, drop a teaspoon of dough on the sheet and flatten lightly with your fingertips. The dough will be sticky so be gentle.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are brown around the edges. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack.

You’re about twenty minutes away from a delicious fall dessert! Feel free to add in raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, or even chocolate chips if you wanted. Just mix them in after the dough comes together. These could even constitute as a healthy breakfast cookie and who can say no to cookies for breakfast?

You thought I was kidding about the pumpkins

How To Start Cooking

September 17, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I am a big supporter of making your own meals. There is no better way to know exactly what you put into your body than to make a meal yourself. The home cook is starting to make a slow comeback. Things like food network and celebrity chefs, have helped make it “cool” to get back in the kitchen. I’m all for this, no matter what your reasoning to cook might be. Some of you though still avoid the kitchen like the plague because you just can’t cook. No matter how many times you try, you just can’t get a meal together. You never learned how to cook or you just never had any interest. But I am here to tell you, if you have decided to eat healthier, you’re going to have to learn how to cook. The good news is that it really isn’t that difficult. I’m going to give you a few tips on how to feel confident in the kitchen and put together some simple, tasty, and healthy meals all on your own.

Start Simple

You don’t have to be able to make elaborate dishes. You don’t have to spend hours performing complicated cooking techniques to put a meal on the table. Start with very basic meals. Things like dried pasta, grains, salads, and baked chicken are all very easy to make and very healthy. Try spaghetti and tomato sauce. All you have to do is boil some water and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. For the sauce, all you need is a can of tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, and some simple seasonings like oregano, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper. Heat that in a small saucepan until it bubbles and voila, you have a super easy meal that even a beginner cook can handle. The slow cooker is also the new cook’s best friend. It is easy to add the right ingredients and then let your slow cooker do the rest. It’s hard to mess up and you usually end up with a delicious meal. By choosing meals like this, you can start to build your recipe repertoire and start to feel more at ease in the kitchen. Once you get a handle on these simple meals you can start to expand to more complicated ones or start to play with different flavors and ingredients.

Watch Food Network

Watch any cooking show really. Many of the things I have learned how to cook, I have watched on cooking shows. One of my favorite shows is Alton Brown’s Good Eats. Each episode focuses on one ingredient or technique and then goes into simple ways on how to prepare that food. Alton really does a great job teaching the average Joe how to master some really simple dishes. If you don’t have cable, you can find a lot of cooking shows on YouTube or Netflix or Hulu. Find a show that you can watch and take some notes from the pros on how to cook some really delicious food.

Talk To Other Cooks

You don’t have to start going around to restaurants and bugging the chefs for their secret recipes, but start talking to other people who cook a lot. Start with people in your family who tend to be the ones preparing the meals, whether it’s your mom, grandma, uncle, or cousin. Ask them what they like to cook and how they do it. Watch them prepare a meal and ask to give them a hand. Not only will they most likely appreciate the help, you can learn a TON from watching others cook this way. Almost all of the basic cooking skills I have are from watching my mom make dinner for our family. She wasn’t a 5-star restaurant chef, just a mom who wanted to feed her family well. She stuck with simple ingredients and meals that she knew we would like and to this day her food gives me comfort. Being around other people who cook can help you with your own kitchen adventures, so start talking!

Don’t Be Afraid To Mess Up

If you have never really cooked before, chances are you’re going to have a few mishaps in the kitchen. That is totally fine and most home cooks will tell you they have had their fair share of whoops moments. But it’s good to have those mistakes because then you know next time what not to do. Sometimes, you’re just going to make a meal that is totally inedible. That’s ok! Don’t give up after one bad meal. Keep trying and soon you will be able to avoid most of those missteps. Although, every once and awhile you will do something silly like try to steam vegetables without any water and wonder why your pot of broccoli is smoking. I swear I have never done THAT before….

Read Recipes

I know that I am probably a little bit of a weirdo, but I read cookbooks like they are novels. Sometimes there are tips and tricks written in the description of the dish that most of us skim over. By reading the whole thing, you might learn how to better prepare the meal. Take the time to read everything that goes along with the recipe and get everything you can out of it.

Don’t be intimidated by the kitchen, no one is expecting you to be the next Iron Chef. Getting some basic techniques down like cooking grains & meat, or roasting vegetables can be enough to get you started cooking your own healthy meals. Many of the recipes that I post here on the blog are simple enough for a beginner to handle and offer a lot of wiggle room for learning. Give any one of them a try and start getting more confident with your cooking!