Settling into 2017

It was great having yesterday off work, we stayed home most of the day in the rainy and windy weather working on projects, hubby fixed our fence with our neighbor, I cleaned and sorted out the closet and made some other minor repairs I’ve been meaning to get to – so nice. Today was back to reality driving to work in even worse weather and heading to the gym after which was pretty packed with the New Year’s resolution crowds. I’m just thankful I got a treadmill! I’m trying to embrace the crowd having fun picking out the newbies and trying new machines when others aren’t available. Wish me luck!

We’re supposed to get chilly rain and strong winds all this week which isn’t a bad thing, lots of snow in Tahoe is great and it’s a great excuse to get to indoor projects. I got in a 5 mile run Sunday before the rain started and it was peaceful and gorgeous.

Chilly and windy, but great to start the new year getting some fresh air.

It’s been a bit of a challenge to get back to healthy eating after the holidays, raw salads aren’t always appealing when it’s cold outside. But this spinach salad with pinto beans worked because I created a decadent comfort dressing by blending avocado, miso paste, ginger, garlic, and apple cider vinegar with a smokey seasoning blend.

And I had lots of leftover black eyed pea stew from New Year’s and served some over steamed spaghetti squash topped with spicy tahini sauce.

And had another serving simmered with chopped zucchini, veggie broth to create a stew, and more spicy tahini sauce.

Easy leftovers are great for lazy winter days!

Lately I’ve been having too much fun making thick smoothies, so thick we need a spoon to eat them. This one has Chocolate Vega Protein and Greens, cacao powder, banana, kale, and carrots for a hearty blend.

Like having a sweet, frozen treat for breakfast.

This interesting dish was a homework assignment for the Rouxbe Forks Over Knives program to master the skill of dry sauteing onions and garlic without oil. I had to saute shallots and garlic with mushrooms to caramelize them without burning them by adding a seasoned liquid towards the end.

I served the mushrooms over simple steamed potatoes and broccoli and enjoyed this dish even though I’m not a huge mushroom fan. I can only eat so many before the texture gets to me, but I’m learning to appreciate them more working with different varieties and cooking techniques.

Finally tonight’s dinner was a simple one pot meal after the gym, I sauteed chopped tempeh and veggies in Trader Joe’s organic mushroom pasta sauce for a lazy, but healthy meal.

So far 2017 has been full of vibrant eats that I hope to continue!