I'M NAAAAAAAAAAAKED!

My hair that is ;-)   It's been since October 2009 that I've colored my hair and it's finally the color that it is supposed to be! I think colored hair looks fantastic on a lot of men and women.. I've just been feeling very disconnected from myself in terms of how I look the past few years because of my colored hair (which by the way had not been my natural color since I was eleven), painted nails and the occasional tans. The point is that I was feeling like I was trying to look like someone I wasn't and there was nothing wrong with myself in the first place. Now, my hair is naked, my nails are naked and my skin has not seen artificial sunlight since 2009! And you know what? I'm feeling more beautiful and confident with my appearance than I ever have before!!

I haven’t yet let go of my make up entirely but that is next! or at least perhaps i can tone it down.... I’m slowly becoming human again and I love it!

Nothing wrong with fast food....

       but there is something seriously wrong with restaurants that serve up artery clogging foods that really have no nutritional value! What is worse is our conscious and frequent choices of eating this stuff! I completely understand the need and demand for fast meals on the go for families and individuals with jam packed lives (I've fallen weakness to the occasional McDonalds meals...), however, I feel like everyone needs at least a little bit of breathing room… If you are able to have some breathing room cooking in advance and freezing portion sized meals is the perfect solution to avoiding fast food restaurants altogether! My goal for this year is to keep my stock pile up so I'm well prepared to face any potential lazy cooking nights :-)

           Although I usually have plenty of time to cook there are nights where I am very busy and don’t have the time to make anything decently healthy. This week I’ve battled the need for fast food and pre-packaged meals by making a batch of mini quiches in wonton wrappers so I don’t have to cook up breakfast for myself when running out the door at 6:50 to babysit.

I cooked them fully so that they only have to be taken out of the freezer and nuked until warm. I only made 22 this time but because they turned out so nicely i plan on making about 100 in my next batch. These wontons have shallots, spinach and mushrooms. I put my filling in and then top it up with an egg cream mixture flavored with pepper, salt, parsley and a bit of paprika. I put just a few pieces of grated mozza on top.  I usually have these with a yogurt and granola and a piece of fruit. It makes for a whole breakfast with very little preparation time in the morning which is perfect for me at 6:00am or earlier!

I also made some mini meatloaf’s... also made in a muffin tins... I froze them on a tray and then bagged them for the freezer. We usually have them with frozen potato balls that I make from left over mashed potatoes... rolled in milk and then rolled in herb bread crumbs. I just pop both in the oven at 350 for an hour and heat up some veggies. It is the most effortless meal in the world and i make them in such large batches that we have it about once a week for a few months before replenishing our stash! Currently looking for more ways to use my muffin tins ;-)             

mmmmmm

I find winter can make my food selection quite boring. I find myself making way too many chicken or roast dinners and homemade soups. Not that I don't love my winter food choices...i just feel like the selection is bleak compared to what we would normally choose to make in the warmer months. This week I purchased avocados, asparagus, star fruit, steaks, and lots of summery fruits to make smoothies to temporarily beat my winter cooking blues!

I very much missed my Guacamole. Now I need to find some new things to do with avocados!