Recently my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary as a married couple.  We've been together almost 8 years, but it took us awhile to settle down and "tie the knot".  We spent many years dating long distance after college, and through our 20's really spent time on our careers and other factors that were important to determining our success.  While majority of our friends were getting married and starting families, we were figuring out whose city we were going to finallly call home.  It was a struggle at times, but looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way.

This week, rather than focusing on food for your bodies, I'm going to focus on food for your soul.  When I started this site it was important that I focus on all aspects of life that impact the decisions we make around nutrition and health.  There are 4 main components to what IIN (where I'm going to school) refers to as our Primary Foods:  relationships, physcial activity, spirituality and career.  Each of these areas of our life lead us to make decisions around what we put into our bodies.  When things are good, we eat better.  When they aren't, or when we're too busy or overwhelmed, we binge, starve, crave, etc.

It's just as important to take care of these parts of your life as it is to put good food into your bodies.  I realized that on our anniversary trip.  Door County, WI is known for quaint little towns, fun outdoor activities and cherries!  But what most people don't realize is that there are TONS of organic and gluten-free restaurants.  I know, I scoped them all out before we went!  I didn't do this just because I'm way more analytical about what I eat nowadays, but also because I was feeling good, celebrating an important milestone and wanted clean food for my partner and I.  We ate seafood, fresh veggies and fruits, pizza, delicious breakfasts, etc., etc., etc.  All fresh, local and delish!

Fueling our bodies with good, wholesome food was just the icing on the cake.  Being away with the person I chose to share my life with, having some time to just "be" and slow down from the craziness at home was key.  It warmed my heart and calmed my soul.  I found myself falling in love all over again.

With him.
With life.
With us.

It was perfect.  I encourage you to reconnect with someone this weekend.  Maybe it's a parent or sibling that you've had an argument with, maybe a spouse or a child that you don't get enough time with, maybe an old friend that needs someone to talk with.  Whoever it is, give them 100% of yourself, asking nothing in return. 

And watch, in amazement, what it does for your soul.

XoXo,
Nicole

Summer is officially here!  What better way to celebrate than with a salad?  It's been hot, hot, hot here which means we've been eating lots of fresh, cool salads.  There is something wonderfully energizing about a clean salad filled with lots of crisp veggies.  One of my goals for my clients is to get them to understand the importance of what you put into your body.  When we fill our bodies with junk we feel like junk.  When we fill our bodies with food that truly fuels us, it's amazing the difference in our attitudes, moods and energy levels.

Sounds like common sense, right?  It should be, but for some reason people still opt for the ease of a drive thru, or the efficiency of a local sub shop.  Even the salads we tend to eat are filled with croutons, lunch meats and processed salad dressings.  These are not clean or healthy.  I know, I know....you already know these things, but just can't help yourself, huh?

I have a client that was amazed that you could make your own salad dressing.  She had no idea that dressings were as unhealthy as they were, and vowed (once she realized how easy it was) never to buy a store bought dressing again.  You'd be amazed at how much easier these do-it-yourself salads really are.  Give it a shot, I promise you won't find this at the salad bar in your grocery store.   

Wheat and grains digest best with non-starchy vegetables, so you'll get the most from this salad by eating it solo.  If you simply cannot live without protein, you could pair with a small piece of grilled fish or chicken.  You could also make extra wheatberry to keep in the refrigerator and add to other salads throughout the week. 

Still a little leary?  Try it....I promise you'll love it!

Wheatberry Salad with Simple Balsamic Dressing
serves 4-6, depending if you're eating it as a meal or side dish

Salad:
1 c dried wheatberries (could sub in quinoa if gluten-free)
3 c water (or 1 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth for more flavor)
1/2 c red pepper, diced
1/2 c yellow pepper, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of a small red onion, minced
handful of basil leaves, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:
I use this dressing as a go to all week long.  You could double or triple it.  It will keep in a sealed container for about a week in your refrigerator.

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
pinch of black pepper

Soak the wheatberries in cold water for about a half hour (you technically don't have to soak wheat berries, so if you don't have time you can skip this step - I'm just used to soaking grains).  Cook them according to the directions on the package - usually 3:1 ratio, so 3 cups cold water to the 1 cup of wheat berries.  Each package may be a little different.  Another trick I use is to do half water, half broth.  I cook almost all of my grains in broth, as I think it gives them more depth. 

While the wheatberries are cooking (they usually take about an hour on the stovetop), chop your veggies.  Place all veggies into a bowl.  Whisk your dressing - feel free to add more EVOO or balsamic to your taste.  I prefer more "zing" so I add more balsamic just about every time!  It's about what you like, so experiment to your little heart's desire.

When the wheatberries are done, add them to the veggies and dress the salad.  Let it sit and soak up the dressing before serving.  Can eat either hot, cold or at room temperature.

Wheatberries have a delicious little "pop" to them.  They are a bit chewier than most grains, so don't think you undercooked them(;  If you decide to give this little recipe a try, I would encourage you to leave me your thoughts below.

Stay cool!

XoXo,
Nicole

My husband and I are getting ready to celebrate our first anniversary.  It's been such an amazing year, but boy has it flown by quickly.  It's hard to believe that almost a year ago we were gearing up for such an amazing day.   To celebrate we're taking a relaxing weekend away, and heading to Door County, WI.  

As I've been thinking back to our wedding and honeymoon, I've begun recreating some of our favorite dishes from Italy.  Obviously, I'm not getting anywhere near as delicous as the originals, but it's fun playing around and enjoying some of our faves.  

One of the easier ones to recreate, and so very appropriate since my CSA box is FULL of greens every week, was my absolute favorite pizza.  We had this pizza while in Anacapri (the northern part of the Island of Capri, south of Naples).  It had roasted tomatoes, arugula, garlic, hunks of parmesan, and drizzled with olive oil.  A little cracked pepper topped it off.....see for yourself:
 

Literally, this is the easiest pizza ever....and so crisp and cool for summer.  Here's what I did:

Ana-caprese Pizza (my attempt at a play on words...corny, I know)

2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 handfuls of your favorite greens (tricolor or arugula work best, but you could use anything)
good parmesan cheese
olive oil
balsamic (I added this, since I love vinegar)
cracked pepper
your favorite pizza crust (I use a gluten-free mix)

Roll out or prepare the pizza crust as directed.  Layer sliced tomatoes and garlic and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Bake as indicated on packaging.  Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to shave slices of parmesan.  When the crust is done, top with greens and hunks of parm.  Drizzle with EVOO and balsamic, crack some pepper over the top. Slice and serve immediately.

Since we can't go back to Italy every year, I'll bring Italy back to us. What is your favorite pizza??

XO,
Nicole

Birthdays have always been special to me, each one has been celebrated a little bit differently.  As a child I had pool parties, as a teenager I upgraded to sleepovers, and then in my 20's...well, we usually went out to a bar.  Either way, we marked the day with something special.  My husband, on the other hand, doesn't really like his birthday.  I shouldn't say he doesn't like it, he just doesn't see the big deal.  It's just another day.

This week we "celebrated" my husband's birthday.  I tried to make it as special as I could (in my own small way) by allowing him to pick the menu for dinner, baking him treats to bring into work (and while I made them a little healthier, they were pretty sweet!), and bought him a little something...from the dog, of course!

I try not to put too many restrictions on birthday dinners.  Afterall, he eats what I make every other day of the year, which often means lots of veggies and no junk food.  Since we're good about eating healthy 90% of the time, I don't feel horrible when we indulge.  One thing I've noticed though, is that as we allow ourselves more choices, he and I both usually go the healthy route anyway.  He decided on a clam/shrimp boil, which pretty much consists of seafood, veggies and sausage.  I made sure to get wild seafood, organic sausage without nitrates or hormones and fresh organic corn and potatoes.  It turned out devine!  A good ole' southern dish - minus all of the typical southern calories. 

Clams are so easy to make, yet I think often times people are intimidated by them.   They are rich in vitamins (B12 and C) and lots of minerals (zinc, iron, niacin, potassium, etc).  They usually take about 8-10 minutes to cook and are such an elegant compliment to any dish.  Today's post will give you a two for one, as I am also going to include a recipe for Spaghetti w/ Clams as a bonus!

Clam/Shrimp Boil
adapted from Emeril's Stovetop Clam Boil and Uncle Bubba's Low Country Boil

4 quarts of water
1 can clam sauce
1 bottle of beer
1 lb organic red potatoes, cubed
3 ears organic corn, cut into thirds
1 lb shrimp, still shelled
1 lb clams, shells scrubbed to remove any dirt/sand
1 lb. organic smoked sausage
Old Bay Seasoning

Heat water, clam sauce and beer in a large 8 qt multicooker (one that has the strainer that fits inside the stockpot).  Place potatoes, corn and sausage in pot and let it come to a rolling boil.  Season with Old Bay before boiling.  After about 15 min, or until potatoes are fork tender, add in the shrimp and clams.  I had a 3 piece set, so I added the shrimp and clams to the steamer section, but you can add it all in together too.  Once the clams begin to open, it's all done, usually another 10 min or so.  Discard any clams that do not open up, as these are dead and you won't be able to eat them.  Strain all the liquid out.  Pour into a large bowl, sprinkle with more Old Bay sesaoning.  Dig in!

And just for fun, the Spaghetti with Clams!

Birthdays are made for indulging a little...celebrating LIFE!  Clams are the perfect food to let someone know how special they are to you.  They offer a decadence that other "everyday" foods don't.  If you've never tried or cooked with them before, give it a shot!  And when you do, let me know how you liked them!

Have a beautiful week!
Hugs,
Nicole