Picking the perfect Watermelon

Have you ever seen people walking around knocking on watermelons? Have you ever BEEN that person? 

When my boyfriend and I went to Colorado last year, we went into a Walmart where we saw a gentleman standing and trying to pick out a watermelon. On our way to the register some 15-20 minutes later, we noticed the same man STILL standing there (now with a small child) - I wasn't sure if the child was amused and he kept at it OR if he was hopelessly lost in trying to find the best melon for his family. 

In any case, I thought it would be beneficial to post a guide on buying the best watermelon. 

First, I normally would recommend going to a local farm over your local Walmart. The local farmers carefully select their fruits where a chain buys from a supplier who may or may not truly care about picking these beauties when they are truly ready. This is why there are so many disappointing melons out there as is. 

Once you found a stand or store heres what to look for: 

1. Look for a prominent yellow spot on one side -- this is where it sat on the ground ripening 

2. Look for 'webbing' - it is normally brown, course looking material. This is caused when bees pollinate the flower and scar the membranes that later form the fruit. The more pollen, the more webbing, the sweeter your melon! 

3. Look for black hard gobs - this is actually not insects or rotting it is actually sugar 

Basically, if your melon looks like its been through heck and back --- you may have a good melon on your hands. Do not confuse bruising or massive indents to be good damage though, stick to the tips above 

So why, you may ask do so many people bang on their melon? One common piece of advice passed around is that the more hollow a melon sounds, the more ripe it is. Personally, I'd rather inspect than beat up my fruit. But, whatever floats your boat ;) 

Happy Melon Hunting! 

Signed,

Tiesha

Defeat the sweets! - 3 Healthier treats to curb your sweet tooth & stay on track

Double Chocolate PB Muffins

::Ingredients::

• 2 large beaten eggs (room temp)
• 2 cups PB or Almond Butter (creamy smooth-room temp works best)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1.5 cups pure pumpkin, or sweet potato puree 
• 6 Tbsp unsweetend cacao powder 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups cacao, or dark chocolate chips

::Directions::

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray muffin tray or line with parchment liners.
3. Combine all ingredients, just until smooth; adding chocolate chips last. 
4. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. I use a large ice cream scoop, so they are each even portions.
   
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. 

Carrot Cake energy bites 

(made with shakeology)

::Ingredients::

• 1½ scoops vanilla shakeology
• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ⅓ cup all-natural smooth almond butter
• 4 Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup raw walnut pieces
• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground ginger

::Directions::

1. Combine shakeology, oats, almond butter, and dates in food processor; pulse until dates are incorporated.
2. Add walnuts, carrots, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; pulse until just blended.
3. Roll into fifteen balls, about 1-inch in diameter each.

Each serving contains only 90 calories!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Home made Ice Cream

::Ingredients::

• 3 frozen bananas (sliced before freezing)

•  2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons cocoa

::Directions::

1.  Slice the bananas prior to freezing
2. Blend frozen bananas in a food processor or quality blender until smooth. 

Tip: If the mixture is too thick or you have difficulty blending, then add a few tablespoons of cashew milk or water. 

Happy Sweet Eats

Signed

Tiesha

Garlic Asparagus & Pasta with Lemon Cream

Garlic Asparagus & Pasta with Lemon Cream

::Ingredients::

• 8 ounces dried mafalda or rotini pasta
• 2 cups asparagus spears cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 baby sunburst squash and/or pattypan squash, halved (4 ounces)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

::Directions::

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook asparagus, squash, and garlic in hot margarine for 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to pasta.
3. Combine whipping cream and lemon peel in skillet. Bring to boiling. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. To serve, pour cream mixture over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.

Nutrition Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4

PER SERVING: 370 cal., 15 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 41 mg chol., 49 mg sodium, 49 g carb. (4 g fiber), 10 g pro.

Happy Eating!

Signed,

Tiesha

Crispy Grainless Halibut Fillet

One aspect of being healthy that I enjoy is that there are always ways to push yourself. This week I wanted to cut out grains through the weekend. This meant no pasta, bread, granola, rice, or beloved beer through Friday.  As a way of reducing grains in my overall diet, I decided to look up some recipes that do not require grains (or a ton a work) so I can incorporate them into my diet beyond this week. In my search I stumbled upon a grainless 'crispy' halibut fillet recipe and wanted to share it.

Crispy Grainless Halibut Fillet

::Ingredients::

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups coconut flour

• zest of 2 fresh lemons

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 sea teaspoon salt

• 4 (5-ounce) halibut fillets (about 3/4 inch thick)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

::Directions::

1. Whisk eggs in a shallow dish; stir well. 
2. Combine coconut flour, lemon zest, garlic powder, and sea salt in another shallow dish.
3. Pat fish fillets very well with paper towels to remove any moisture. Dip fillets in egg, and dredge fillets in flour mixture, pressing firmly to coat.
4. Heat 1/2 oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Repeat with remaining 1/2 oil and fillets.
6. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Happy Eating!

Signed,

Tiesha

27 Foods - Organic necessity versus waste of money

Cost is often the first thing discussed when talking about eating healthier. In a world of "this not that" it can be really hard to see past the gimmicks and know where to spend your hard earned money. Something I found myself wondering is whether or not I am buying the "right" organic foods. I certainly cannot afford to buy EVERYTHING organic or locally sourced - so my desire then becomes to use my money where it is most valuable. While browsing online I found the following lists of foods which I found to be very helpful and want to pass along. 

Organic Shopping Guide 

27 Foods - Find out which foods are worth spending the extra money for organic produce and which ones are just wasting your money

15 foods you can avoid buying organic - save your cash for the next group!

• Avocados
• Corn
• Pineapples
• Cabbage
• Sweet peas
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Honeydew melon
• Grapefruit
• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower

12 foods you should consider buying organic ASAP

• Strawberries
• Apples
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Celery
• Grapes
• Cherries
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumbers

I hope that you have also found some value in this entry.

Thanks for reading & as always,

Happy Eating!

-Tiesha

Clean Eats: One day Menu (with recipes!)

Developing new eating habits can be extremely overwhelming. So to help out I decided to compile one day of meals in this post. I recommend drinking 16 ounces of water before any and all meals/snacks. This will keep you feeling fuller for longer!

On the menu

• Breakfast: 5 minute egg scramble
• A.M. Snack: Berry Parfait
• Lunch: Chicken & Spinach Strawberry Salad
• P.M. Snack: Hummus & Crudite
• Dinner: Turkey meatloaf & green beans

• Breakfast: 5 minute egg scramble
• ::Ingredients::
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 6 egg whites 
• 1 whole egg
• 3 tbsp salsa
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• ::Directions::
• heat & scramble first 3 ingredients (you can also cook this in the microwave)
• top the cooked egg with the salsa and avocado
• A.M. Snack: Berry Parfait
• ::Ingredients::
• 3/4 c organic non-fat greek yogurt
• 1 tsp sliced almonds
• 1/c cup fresh raspberries
• ::Directions::
• combine all ingredients & enjoy
• Lunch: Chicken & Spinach Strawberry Salad
• ::Ingredients::
• Dressing- makes 5 servings
• 3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp raw honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• Salad
• 4 oz chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 tbsp sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup quartered strawberries
• 1 tbsp fat free feta cheese
• 2 cups organic spinach
• ::Directions::
• Dressing:
• combine all ingredients
• store in sealed container
• Salad
• combine all ingredients 
• top with lemon vinaigrette (use only 2tbsp)
• P.M. Snack: Hummus & Crudite
• ::Ingredients::
• 2 tbsp classic or red pepper hummus
• 1 cup raw veggies (suggestion: broccoli, snap peas, baby carrots)
• ::Directions::
• dip veggies in hummus & enjoy
• Dinner: Turkey meatloaf (serve with steamed green beans)
• ::Ingredients::
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• dash black ground pepper
• ::Directions::
• preheat oven to 375
• place dry oats in blender until fine
• combine all other ingredients in a bowl until mixed well
• cook for 40-60 minutes (or until no longer pink) in a 9x5 load pan 

Walah, one day of zero guess work and ALL clean eats  :D

Happy Eating

Signed,

Tiesha

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore

::Ingredients::

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium celery stalk, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes
• 1½ tsp. dried basil, crushed
• Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish, optional)

::Directions::

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Add onion, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.
4. Add tomatoes, basil, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Add zucchini and eggplant; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and juices run clear.
6. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Tip: Chicken Cacciatore can be served over brown rice or whole wheat pasta

Total Time: 31 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 21 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Happy Eating!
Signed,
Tiesha