When You're in the Mood For a Different Kind of Salad...

I eat a lot of salad. I know, you're not surprised, right? But I didn't want some ordinary side salad today, or my go-to healthy Chef Salad. I wanted something different, amazing. I wanted something that would hit all my containers on the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan, but also be a little unusual. As you may have noticed, I love trying new foods- and this one is a doozy: it has jicama.

Jicama is a root vegetable, but it is sweet, and tastes a little like an asian pear. There are many benefits to this starchy tuber, the first being that it is very low in calories. It is extremely rich in vitamin C, and super high in fiber. Its a great way to add a little sweet to your salad (great for diabetics due to the fact that it doesn't spike blood sugar) while adding texture as well. Its also has minerals like iron and magnesium, and B-Complex vitamins like folates, which are great for your body's metabolism. Ok, enough about jicama.

So making this salad was pretty easy. First, I started with prepping all my ingredients. After all, it is a chopped salad. Wash and chop. I used: 

• 2 heads Romaine lettuce
•  Orange and red bell peppers (2 each)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 large jicama
• 2 ears corn (see an easy way to cook fresh corn here)
• 29 ounces washed black beans
• One bunch cilantro, fresh
• Other add-in options are tomato and zucchini

Next, the dressing. I mixed in a glass:

• Juice of 2 limes, or approx. 1/4 cup
• 2 T local raw honey
• Himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• Option: fresh minced garlic if desired

I hope you'll give this great salad a try. To up the protein, you can add a choice of seafood such as shrimp, or grilled chicken. I ate it for "work food" (I love things I can spread over multiple days in a row), and haven't gotten sick of it. In fact, I think I'll make more today!

What Do You Do When You Just Don't Want to Press Play?

Its so hard some days. Some days, rainy, bleak days like today, I just want to curl up on the couch, veg out, and eat something ridiculous, like Ramen.  I know that you may find this hard to believe, but I DON'T WAKE UP EVERY DAY IN BEAST MODE. Most mornings, I wake up nice and comfy in some snuggly yoga pants, a tank top, and a zip up hoodie. I brew a pot of coffee (yes, I drink coffee!), and get ready to start my day.

First, there are children. I know there are only two but some days I think I'm seeing double. They are everywhere! And if, heaven forbid, I manage to get them down for a nap then I might just want to sit and enjoy the silence. Smell the rain. Listen to... well, nothing.  It doesn't happen often, but I dream of it often! Haha! The true reality is that there is screaming, tugging, loud shrieks and giggles, all while I try and complete some other task- much like right now, even as I write this blog. Then there are the million other tasks- all of which I need to accomplish before I go to work and start the second half of my day.

There are two ways I combat this. One is to listen to some personal development on audio while I knock out a few household chores, such as dishes or folding laundry. Another is to just do it.

I know, I know. That sounds lame. But its the truth. If you are going to take accountability for your own actions and be responsible for yourself and where you are in this life, you have to be able to own your own actions. It is not necessarily the easiest thing in the world to complete a workout with children walking all over you, with chores waiting to be done. I'm afraid of stepping on little feet. I'm afraid of taking that time away from myself when I should be paying attention to them, right? WRONG.

What better way to show them, each day, that even if its rainy, even if its ugly, I get it done. Even if I don't feel like it. Even if they crab at me. Even if life gets in the way, things pop up, I will do my best. Because I said I would. And I am the only one who can be responsible for my actions.

Easy, Clean, Quick Corn on the Cob

Good morning gorgeous people! This morning I am working on creating a Mexican Chopped Salad for dinner at work, and for my family to eat at home. I love being able to shorten time in the kitchen- one of my favorite ways to do this is by learning new tips and tricks that make it easier to do small tasks-- like cooking fresh corn on the cob.

So this morning, I tried out something new. I used the microwave to cook the ear of corn, instead of the traditional boiling or roasting on the grill, both of which take a little more time.  I made a short video to show you how that you can watch here.  What a quick, easy way to have clean, silkless corn without having to take time away out on the grill or watching a boiling pot. I hope you find this as helpful as I did, and check back often for more tips and recipes!