Not Moving and Spring Cleaning

March 23, 2015March 23, 2015 / ktbuchs87

While it might officially be spring, I am currently watching the snow fall out my window as I write this. Ah spring in Chicago: Where you’re more likely to have a white Easter than a white Christmas. Oh well, I will just pretend that it is warm and sunny out there and soon I will be sweltering in the Midwest summer.

I had the realization the other day that for the first time in about five years Adam and I are NOT looking for a new apartment and NOT moving. This might not seem that significant, but to me it’s huge. Every single year since I graduated from college I have moved to a new apartment. I have written quite a few times about our moving endeavors so if you have been with me for awhile you know how much I hate moving. It’s just the worst to sit there and pack up all your stuff, schlepp it all to a new place, and then unpack all your stuff. I am really enjoying this time that I am not searching for a new place, then visiting those new places, and then moving to a new place. It’s just the best.

I will move physically but I ain’t moving apartments

There is one good thing that came from us moving so frequently. Because I didn’t want to pack and move junk that I wasn’t using we always went through all our stuff and got rid of anything that we didn’t need or use. We would fill big black bags full of clothes to donate and load up are car with stuff that we hadn’t used in years and drive off to Goodwill to give it all away. It always made me feel lighter and happier to unburden our house with unnecessary things.

Even though we aren’t moving, this weekend I decided to go through all of our things and do some spring cleaning. It’s amazing how many things you accrue over a year and stash into closets and cabinets and then promptly forget. Even though we haven’t been in our place for a full year yet, there was still a pile of clothes and things that we no longer needed. Again it felt great to get rid of the weight of that clutter.

Get it? Clean up your food, but not with actual cleaners. Cheesy, I know

Spring is a great time to not only clear out the clutter of your life but clean up your health as well. It’s time to get tough and look critically at the food you eat. Are you eating more sugar than normal? Are you snacking on junk food rather than fresh food? Are your portions way too big? Are you eating mindlessly instead of really enjoying your food? Take a look at what you do for exercise. Are you really pushing yourself to the best of your ability? Has your routine become boring so you’re just phoning it in? Are moving in some way each day? Do you enjoy the exercise you’re doing?

Ask yourself these questions and make sure the choices you’re making are serving your goal and helping you lead a healthier life. It’s a good idea to spring clean your life every once in awhile to increase your happiness and success.

Get to cleaning out that closet as well as that fridge today! Have a great Monday!

Fusilli N’ Cheeze

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Part of my palate is still a small child and one of my favorite comfort foods is mac and cheese. I used to love eating that wonderful blue box delicacy, just like most kids in America. I can’t remember the last time that I had “regular” mac and cheese and given the recent recall on top of the fact that there isn’t any real cheese in there, I don’t think I will be indulging any time soon.

There are plenty of dairy free versions of mac and cheese out there, I actually have two of my own versions on the blog. I like those versions, but I was missing the smooth and creamy texture of the boxed variety. Many versions use cashews in the sauce and because I don’t have a fancy schmancy high powered blender, I usually end up with a slightly grainy texture. It tastes like mac and cheese but it doesn’t feel like mac and cheese. So I set out to make a “cheese” sauce that didn’t use cashews for those of us who have to suffer without a Vitamix or Blendtec.

While this does have a cheesy taste to me, don’t expect it to be an exact replica of Kraft or any other regular boxed version. It will have that nice and creamy texture though and that is enough for me!

Fusilli N’ Cheeze

1 package of brown rice fusilli (I get mine from Trader Joes. It’s awesome!)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I have used coconut and almond milk with great results)
1 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup nutritional yeast (this is your cheese flavor so if you want a cheesier taste, use up to 1 cup)
3 tbsp tapioca starch (you can also use corn starch)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini (you can also use sunflower seed butter)
1 tsp miso (I used red but you can use white or whatever you have on hand. if you don’t have miso, use extra salt)
1 tsp brown mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp turmeric

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. While that is cooking, prepare the sauce.

2. Ready for this? Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is combined. It will seem really watery but don’t worry, it’s going to thicken.

3. Put the pasta back into the pot you used to cook it in and pour the sauce over the noodles. Stir everything to coat the pasta and turn the heat on to medium high heat. Keep stirring and as the sauce heats up it will begin to thicken. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The other awesome thing about this? It takes less than 30 minutes to make. So when you have the urge for some good old comfort food you can whip it up just as fast as the box kind. This version though won’t have fake chemicals or pieces of metal in it.

Happy first day of Spring (even if it doesn’t feel like it) and have a great Friday!

Keep It Simple Series: Kitchen Tools

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 / ktbuchs87

If you have never really cooked before it can feel overwhelming when you’re deciding what tools, utensils, and appliances to buy. There are so many things out there and they all seem necessary, especially to a new cook. In today’s video I highlight 3 of my most used kitchen tools that I think are essential when you’re starting out. Of course you will need more than three things in your kitchen, but these are a great place to start!

Remember, start slow when building up your kitchen and try to stay away from the dreaded unitasker. They will just take up space and usually are a waste of money.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Motivation Isn’t Constant

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 / ktbuchs87

On the surface, motivation seems to be a simple concept. It is a drive that pushes us towards our goals. It’s good to have motivation. People want it and look for it in many places. There are motivational speakers, videos, books, podcasts, sayings, and workshops. Some blame the lack of motivation for not achieving what they want and some have such an overabundance of it that they want to spread it around to others.

I think motivation is a little more complicated than a simple drive that propels us to what we want.

There are many different kinds of motivation. There is the motivation to get started, to keep going, and even the motivation to stop when we need to. I think this is what can frustrate people when they want to become healthier. They think that all motivation is the same and they look at others who seem to have an endless supply and don’t realize that those people have to work just as hard to be motivated towards their goals.

I can tell you from personal experience that the reasons I am motivated to stay healthy today are vastly different than the reasons I was motivated to start years ago. It’s also a lot of work (and yes, even after all this time it’s still work) for me to stay motivated to keep pushing towards my goals. There are days where I don’t want to workout at all. I think about the run I have planned or the weights I have to lift, and I feel like staying in bed or watching TV instead. There are times when I just want to eat a whole cake by myself instead of the healthy meal that I have planned. I used to worry that those feelings and lack of motivation were a bad thing. I thought that I was giving up or failing and I felt guilty. I tried to shove those feelings aside and convince myself that I was constantly motivated and constantly being healthy.

Over the years I’ve learned that those feelings are just fine and in fact they’re normal.

I’m a human being and I am going to lack motivation at some points in my life. Motivation isn’t in an endless supply for anyone. Even those people who seem to have it day in and day out struggle to keep it going. There are going to be days when being healthy is the last thing on your mind, where working out is going to be at the bottom of your list, and getting whatever food you may find in your belly will be the top priority.

Don’t feel guilty like I did about that.

Motivation is meant to be renewed every day. It is meant to be strengthened as you go along. It’s normal for it to fade every once in awhile and it’s ok for you to have to work to get it back. That’s what makes you a human. I used to feel like everyone in my life would judge me if they knew how I felt on those days that I had zero motivation to do anything healthy. I was suppose to be an example of good health. I put myself on display through this blog and my actions and I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’ve learned that pretending to be perfect is a bigger let down to people than showing them I’m just like everyone else.

I have my good and bad days just like you have your good and bad days. The fact that I pick myself back up and get back at it is what defines me more than my occasional lack of motivation.

If you’re feeling like you’re a failure because you haven’t been as motivated lately, or haven’t had any motivation at all, stop. You’re a human and you are doing the best you can. You get start fresh every single day, so start today and strengthen your motivation for you and your health.

My Favorite Hummus

March 13, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Hummus has almost a cult like following. People can’t get enough of the stuff and will put it on any and everything. I am one of those people. I love the creamy texture and garlicky, smokey taste. I like dipping things into it, spreading it on anything, and adding it to any meal that I can. It’s pretty much amazing.

But there is one problem. I have had a really hard time recreating the texture at home. Store bought hummus is so smooth and creamy and that’s what makes it so addicting. I really like making my own though because it’s cheaper and I control the ingredients. It seemed every time that I made my own the taste would be just fine but I would end up with a dense and thick paste instead of smooth and creamy. Not so good.

After a lot of testing out a ton of recipes and techniques I think I finally found the best method to make the perfect hummus. It’s actually a combination of a few techniques out there to help make that perfect texture. This is a little labor intensive, but I promise it’s worth it. You can make a really big batch so it will last longer and you will always have hummus on hand. Now onto the hummus!

Perfectly Creamy Hummus

You will need at least 24 hours to soak the chickpeas. Don’t skip this step!!

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 whole cloves garlic
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 tsp cumin (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water, reserved from cooking the chickpeas

1. 24 hours before you want hummus, place chickpeas into a large bowl and cover with water. Stir in the 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Cover and place the bowl into fridge.

2. After 24 hours, drain and rinse chickpeas and place into a large pot. Cover with at least 5 to 6 cups of water. Add in the 4 whole garlic cloves and bring the water to a boil. With a slotted spoon, skim off any foam/skins that floats to the top. Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours. The chickpeas should be super soft at this point.

3. Drain the chickpeas and garlic, reserving at least 1/2 cup of the water. Now at this point you can remove some of the skins off the chickpeas if you want. I have tried it both ways and haven’t noticed a huge difference. Place chickpeas and garlic into a food processor or blender. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the water. Pulse a few times to start to combine everything.

4. Turn the processor on and slowly add in water. This will turn the hummus into that wonderfully creamy texture. You might need less water, but I have found the full 1/2 cup makes the creamiest version.

Yes, it seems like a lot to make hummus when you can just go to the store and buy some and be on your merry way. But it is really hard to find hummus that doesn’t have weird ingredients or preservatives, and it can get expensive to support a serious hummus addiction with store bought. Take the time to make this and you will be rewarded with a delicious hummus that is half the cost and ready to be used in any way you want!

Have a great Friday and wonderful weekend!