Weeknight Cooking

During the week, I often find it challenging to think up dinner ideas. The trouble is I want to eat healthy, but I don’t always have a lot of time to dedicate to cooking. The other challenge is making enough for dinner, plus lunch the following day. 

One dinner idea that I continue to come back to is stuffed bell peppers. The beauty of stuffed bell peppers is that you can use almost anything as the filling, and it’s a great lunch item the next day. Below is a slightly altered recipe I plucked from Vegetarian Times, a magazine that offers fantastic recipe ideas for vegetarian cooking. The changes I made to the recipe include substituting pumpkin seeds for walnuts, adding onion for a little extra flavor and finishing the cooked stuffed peppers with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Paired with a glass of wine and these make a slow Wednesday evening just a bit more exciting! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Natalie

Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers

(Serves 4)

4 large bell peppers (preferably yellow, red or orange)

¾ c. cranberry juice

½ small onion, diced

½ c. dried figs, stemmed and chopped

1 c. cooked wild rice

1 c. diced yellow squash

½ feta cheese, crumbled

¼ c. pumpkin seeds

Parmesan cheese, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400F. 
• Cut tops off peppers, chop and set aside. Scrape out seeds and ribs with a knife. 
• Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large fry pan. Saute onion and chopped pepper tops over medium heat. 
• Lower heat and add figs and juice. Cook over medium-low heat 7 to 10 minutes, or until figs soften and juice reduces and becomes syrupy. Remove from heat, and stir in rice, squash, and feta cheese and pumpkin seeds. 
• Fill peppers with mixture, and set in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Add ½ inch water to pan. 
• Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until peppers are tender with slightly wrinkled skins and filling is hot. 

A Little Downward Dog Anyone?

Have you ever found that there are moments in your life or experiences that are more sobering than others? Sobering in the sense that that moment not only grabs your attention but makes you feel alive, alert, and on top of the world? A natural high, if you will. I feel this way every time I go for a run outdoors and every time I travel. These are experiences that stick out in my mind so vividly that I can recall them as if they happened yesterday.

I also feel this way when I practice yoga. What I love most about yoga is how it is both physically challenging and spiritually rejuvenating. I feel like I get a workout and therapy session all in one. I wouldn’t call myself an avid yogi, however, I do try to practice any chance I get.

Recently, I saw this video that reaffirmed my appreciation for yoga and why I find it so inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loszrEZvS_k

"The quality of life does not depend on happiness alone, but also on what one does to be happy." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Spinach Smoothie

I’ve never been one to snack after dinner, but I admit in the evenings I often find myself thinking of what I’ll eat for breakfast the following morning – not because I'm hungry, but because it's my favorite meal. And, why shouldn’t it be? It can potentially set the tone for the remainder of the day.

A few weeks back, I’d been perusing a recipe site online and came across a smoothie recipe that called for spinach. While not my favorite green, I know it is a super food  - packed with vitamin K and A - and I should eat it. 

Hesitantly, I bought all the ingredients I'd need for my morning experiment - bananas, yogurt, frozen berries, milk and spinach. The next morning, I packed all the ingredients into the blender and hit blend - making sure to mix the soon-to-be smoothie long enough that all evidence of spinach bits were fully ground up. 


The result was pleasantly surprising - the drink was green, but I couldn't actually taste the spinach. It's been about two months since I first tried making a spinach smoothie and I'm hooked! I've tried various fruits, milk and yogurt, but the following recipe is my favorite of the combos. 


Spinach Smoothie
(Makes 1 serving)


1/2 c.  1% milk
2 heaping spoonfuls plain Greek yogurt
1 banana
1/3 c. fresh organic strawberries, washed
1 c. fresh organic baby spinach, washed
Dash of vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Enjoy!

Oregon Wine Country

Appreciating Local

Photos courtesy of: http://www.easternmarket-dc.org/

For the first time this past Sunday, I visited the Eastern Market located in Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The Eastern Market is composed of local vendors, crafters, artists, and foodies. You can find anything from hand-crafted jewelry, soap, and chocolate to homemade empanadas and exotic cheeses. I love exploring markets like the Eastern Market because they are full of interesting people with creative and inspiring ideas. And perhaps more importantly, people who have put their ideas into action.

The other thing I loved about visiting the market is all the great people watching. It's a place where people from all different backgrounds and walks of life come together - which makes for great entertainment.

In a place like northern Virginia, where life is a little faster and everyone is trying to keep up with the Jones', it's refreshing to see there are people who still find a way to follow their own path and try something new. Their ability to create something with their own hands along with the passion and excitement they have for what they do, is inspiring. Wherever you go and wherever you live, there are some truly spectacular things to be discovered in each community. This is the beauty of local - celebrating the goodness and people that surround you.

Here is an artist who caught my eye.

Artist: Andrea Haffner Studio

About: Andrea Haffner collects, dissects, and rebuilds natural materials found during her wanderings both in California where she currently resides and other parts of the world. She then casts her compositions into sterling silver cases using clear and pigmented resins. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Web Address: www.andreahaffner.com

Thank you for reading this week's A Life Inspired!

Sincerely,

Lauren

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then, go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman

Sewing on a Budget

It was May 2009 and we were in the midst of a recession – a terrible time to be a recent college graduate, and looking for work.  Five months earlier, I’d graduated from the University of Oregon, hopeful that I’d find a full time job. Instead I found myself without said job and with lots of spare time. To fill the excess free time I had, I learned to sew. But, because I did not have a steady income, I had to learn to sew on a budget.

My first sewing project was a collection of mixed-matched pillows that I hoped would add some life to an uninspiring tan sofa. After much consideration, I decided I would make four standard square pillows – this would eliminate the need to buy a pattern. And, to keep the cost of fabric down, I selected fabrics from the discounted aisle. Most fabric stores, including Jo-Ann’s Fabrics have a discounted section, which is a great place to find fun designs at bargain prices. The lower priced fabrics are the way to go, especially if you’re a beginner sewer – if you make any mistakes, you won’t feel nearly as bad if you’ve spent only $2 a yard for your fabric opposed to say $16 a yard.

While I enjoy sewing for the home, my real passion is sewing clothing – particularly skirts and dresses. My second sewing project was an orange vintage-looking dress that dipped low in the back, finished with a brown sash. 

The pattern I chose was Butterick Fashion Express 1 Hour Pattern (B5100) – although it took me more than an hour. The pattern came with six variations of a tunic, dress and belt. And, after I made a dress, I reused the pattern and made a long tunic with an over-sized cowl neck. But back to the dress. 

The pattern for the dress was an easy start, no pockets, no zippers, nothing fancy. Choosing a simple, yet stylish, pattern also helped keep the cost of the dress down, because I didn’t need to purchase any notions (zippers, buttons, etc.). But because the dress was simple, I added a little extra detail of my own. I sewed two brown circles on the lower left front and used the same brown fabric for a sash. Because the dress is so loose, the sash helps accent the figure. After sewing the very last stitches of my hem, I tried on the dress – it fit! 

Three months later I got a job. And although I now have a more steady income, I still like a good deal when I visit the fabric store. I hope you’ll stay tuned for more tips on how to sew on a budget!

Thank you for visiting A Life Inspired.

Natalie

“The most creative spaces are those which hurl us together. It is the human friction that makes us spark” – Anonymous on collaborating with others. 

Leafy Green Goodness

Have you ever been intrigued by a certain food but found it a bit intimidating to cook with? I think of cooking with these types of foods as challenges to be overcome. These foods are challenging because their usually very healthy and even though I like to think I eat a healthy diet, it doesn't mean I always like the taste of healthy food. For example, eating tofu plain...woof, no thanks. But at the same time, because these foods are healthy I'm determined to like them...it's just a matter of knowing how to cook them. This is how I feel about kale. I know the tough, leafy green plant is good for me, but besides a few soup recipes, I've never really found another way to cook with it...until now. :)

I'm always looking for a delicious recipe that is healthy and quick to prepare. This recipe fits these qualifications. The other nice thing about this recipe is that it will last in the fridge for a few days. Unlike lettuce, the kale will not start to wilt right away, even with dressing on it. I hope you find this recipe as delicious and easy as I did.

Lentil & Kale Salad
(Recipe courtesy of The Neelys)

Ingredients:1 bunch kaled, washed, stemmed and sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked French lentils
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Add the kale and shallots to a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, and mustard. I find it's easier to mix in the honey if it is warmed up a bit before pouring in with the other ingredients. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the kale and shallots and toss and stire roughly with tongs, about 3 minutes. You want to gently bruise the leaves of the kale. Once the kale looks soft, toss in the lentils, feta, and cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and marinate 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Thank you for joining us this week!

Sincerely,
Lauren

"We loose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there too."
   -Kristin Martz