What If…

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015 / ktbuchs87

You might have been asked the question, “What if you knew you couldn’t fail?” What would you do? What risks would you take? I’ve asked myself this but when I think about it, I think it’s a fairly easy question.

I’d do anything.

If I couldn’t fail, why not do anything? Invest all my money in one stock? Sure, I’m not going to fail. Go skydiving? Why not? I’m guaranteed to make it to the ground. Talk to a room full of thousands? You got it. I think there is a better question we need to ask ourselves.

What if we weren’t afraid to fail?

That’s the tougher question because the chance of failure is still there. This also makes it a more realistic question. I am going to fail. You are going to fail. Maybe not today or in a horrible way but the truth is that failure is going to happen. We all work so hard to avoid failure, it’s not a fun thing to go through.

I hate failure. I try to avoid it so much that sometimes I won’t even start something if I know there is a fair chance that I will fail. The thing I am starting to learn though is that each failure is making me stronger.

I have been trying to grow this blog and share my message with a wider audience. A lot of the things that I have done to try and make that happen have failed. At first, I let it get me down. I felt like a loser and thought that maybe I just wasn’t suppose to be a blogger. I kept trying but nothing was happening. While I was wallowing I realized that each failure taught me something. It made me think in a different way to find something that would work. I was growing and getting better even though it felt like I was one giant failure.

Working on your health can feel a lot like that. You try something new and it doesn’t work out. You don’t lose the weight you wanted or you can’t change your eating habits or exercise still feels like torture. Failure happens a lot when you work on your health and a lot of the time we let failure win. We quit and go back to our old habits because we obviously don’t have what it takes.

Don’t quit.

Let that failure teach you something. Maybe that strategy didn’t work but there is one that will work. Keep trying and realize that those failures are making you stronger. Each time you fail but keep going you are making yourself better and making progress toward your goals even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Don’t ask yourself what you would do if you couldn’t fail, ask yourself what you’re going to do when failure happens. If the answer is get back up and try again, you are already winning.

Lentil Taco Filled Empanadas

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 / ktbuchs87

These empanadas have been a labor of love. The first time that I made them I was basing them off another recipe and they turned out really well. I made them a few times to make sure they worked and was happy with the outcome. But I couldn’t just leave them alone.

The first version I made used eggs, which is fine because I love eggs and use them daily. I wanted to try and make a version that didn’t use eggs. That’s when the labor part of “labor of love” started. I won’t say I failed, I just found 452 ways to NOT make empanadas without eggs. Finally I had a breakthrough and came up with an eggless empanada. I might have done a little dance in my kitchen….

I included both versions of the empanada here so you can choose which version you want to make. The ingredients will be different but the process will be the same. I’m also including my recipe for taco lentils as a filling for the empanada, but you can use any filling you would like. Try shredded chicken or pork or ground turkey or beef. Whatever your little heart desires. Dream big my friends, dream big.

Empanada with Eggs- based on this recipe from Barefoot Provisions

1/2 cup brown rice flour
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

Empanada without Eggs

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup aquafaba
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

1. Whatever version you make, combine all the dry ingredients and mix together. Then add in the wet and stir to combine. For the version with eggs the batter will seem very runny but that is fine. The eggless version should be a little thicker like pancake batter.

2. Preheat oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

3. Heat a little olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Pour a little bit of the empanada batter into the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes. You want the bottom to be cooked but the top to still be a little doughy.

4. With a spatula transfer the empanada from the skillet over to the lined baking sheet. Spoon a little of your filling onto one side of the empanada. Fold over the opposite side pressing along the edges to seal. Repeat this process until you have used all the batter. I usually get about 5 empanadas out of this recipe.

5. Bake the empanadas for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. You can top with avocado cream, cashew sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.

Lentil Taco Filling

1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup cooked black beans (canned or dry)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp taco seasoning
3 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
2 tsp tapioca starch or cornstarch mixed in 1/4 cup water

1. Mix the tapioca starch/cornstarch into the water and set aside.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic and saute for another minute. Add in everything else except for the seasoning, starch, and cilantro. Cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the seasoning over the lentil mix and then pour the starch mix over everything. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Turn off the heat and stir in cilantro.

It might seem like a lot but this meal actually comes together pretty easily. You can even make your filling ahead of time and then just pull it out when you’re making the empanadas. Whichever version you try I hope you enjoy these yummy empanadas!

Have a great weekend and enjoy the last few days of May!

What’s your favorite Mexican dish?

DIY Wednesday: Spice Blends

May 20, 2015May 20, 2015 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I’m starting a new Wednesday series, a DIY series. Every Wednesday I’m going to show you how to make your own version of usually store-bought staples. Companies want you to think you can’t live without their products, but you totally can. It’s easier than you think, not to mention healthier and cheaper.

Today I’m going to show you how to make your own spice blends. I used to buy these blends at the grocery store and thought nothing of it. Then I started to read labels and noticed there were some funky ingredients in there. Things like MSG and anti-caking agents. Things that I did not want to be sprinkling over my food and ingesting. So I started to make my own and haven’t looked back. Make these when you have some free time and you will have all the seasonings you could ever want ready to go when you cook.

These are four of my favorite and most used blends.

Ranch Seasoning Blend

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp dill

2 tsp parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery seed

Onion Soup Blend

1 tbsp dried onion, minced

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Pumpkin Pie Blend

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Taco Seasoning Blend

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional (if you want a spicier mix)

Measure out all the seasonings, mix together, and then store in an airtight container like a mason or bell jar. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste or remove the salt to make each blend salt free.

Use the ranch or onion mix for dips by adding to plain greek yogurt, sour cream, or plain cashew ricotta.

Use the taco blend in place of store bought packets and add either tapioca starch or cornstarch to help thicken the sauce you pour over your taco filling.

Sprinkle the pumpkin pie spice over oatmeal or cereal for a little taste of fall.

Of course you can use these blends anywhere, on your vegetables, in your marinades and dressings, in desserts or snacks. It really just takes a few minutes to put these mixes together and the flavor and price can’t be beat. So use your DIY skills and get to blending!

Ode To My Body

May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Thank you for allowing me to run as many miles as you have. They have made me realize I can endure anything both on the trail and in life.

Thank you for allowing me to try new poses in yoga. They have made me realize I am flexible, both on the mat and in my day to day routine.

Thank you for allowing me to lift heavy weights. They have made me realize I am strong, both under the bar and under pressure.

Thank you for allowing me to walk everywhere. They have made me realize I can use my own to feet to go anywhere, both in my neighborhood and with my goals.

I’m sorry for all the harsh things I have said to you over the years. You were doing the best you could in each situation and I couldn’t see that at the time.

I’m sorry for comparing you to other bodies out there. You aren’t meant to be like any other bodies and to compare made you feel unworthy of all the unique talents you have.

I’m sorry for punishing you when you did nothing wrong. It was my insecurities and skewed views that thought I should fix things that weren’t even wrong.

I’m sorry for the years of hating you and wishing you would change just to fit what I thought was perfect. I missed so much of what was good by focusing only on the bad.

I can’t say that I will always be good to you. There will probably be some times that I struggle to be kind but know that I’m working on it. I’m trying to change my stubborn ways because you deserve that.

I promise to praise you for all that you can do, encourage you to work towards what you are trying to do, and not criticize you for what you can’t do.

You’ve carried me through a lot of tough times and I promise that I will reward you for all the hard work you’ve accomplished.

Thank you.

Butternut Spinach Gnudi

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Have you ever heard of gnudi? Don’t worry I hadn’t either until a little while ago. It’s kind of like the big brother of gnocchi (also pronounced with a silent “G”) and it’s delicious. I saw a recipe for it in the Clean Eating magazine and at first I dismissed it as too time consuming to make. Then I had a free Saturday and decided to see if I could tackle the gnudi. I changed a few things, put my own spin on it and while it does take a little bit of time to put together, it isn’t as hard to make as I thought it would be.

I love the dumpling-like texture of this dish. It’s filling but not too heavy especially topped with a fresh tomato sauce, plus it gets in all the good nutrients that come with spinach and butternut squash.

If you aren’t like me and don’t have 10 lbs of butternut squash in your freezer you can substitute canned butternut squash or pumpkin instead. Also, make sure to leave enough time for the gnudi to rest in the refrigerator before you cook them or else they will fall apart in the hot water.

Onto the gnudi!

Butternut Spinach Gnudi- adapted from Clean Eating’s Ricotta, Spinach & Sweet Potato Gnudi

1 cup pureed butternut squash (or canned pumpkin)
6 tbsp aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
1 cup cashew ricotta
2/3 cup almond meal
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh, I used frozen and just made sure it was thawed)
4 1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 batch of my tomato sauce or your favorite store bought sauce (make sure to check the label!)

In a large bowl, whisk the 6 tbsp of aquafaba until it’s frothy. Then whisk in the cashew ricotta, almond meal, and all the seasonings.
Once that is all well combined mix in the spinach and fold in the butternut squash. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup of the brown rice flour and stir to combine.
Spread out 2 cups of the brown rice flour onto a large baking sheet. Using your hands, form the butternut mix into medium sized balls, about the size of a golf ball. Place the balls onto the baking sheet and repeat until all the mixture is used up. Cover the balls with the remaining flour and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Warm up your tomato sauce in a medium saucepan. Once the balls have set, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches of 4-5 balls, gently immerse them into the boiling water and cook until they float to the top. Remove from the water and set aside until all the gnudi is cooked.
Plate a few of the gnudi and top with tomato sauce. You can also sprinkle a little parmesan cheese or my vegan version.

Yes it looks like a lot and it looks like it will take forever and you wonder if I think you’re an Italian grandmother who has nothing to do but make gnudi. Trust me you can do this and it isn’t that hard. Plus you’ll be rewarded with a delicious healthy meal that will have everyone coming back for seconds. So give it a try, you might just surprise yourself!

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have an awesome weekend!