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Spring has officially sprung, marked by super cheap asparagus at the grocery store. It is one of my absolute favorite vegetables of all time EVER. Asparagus is an incredible healing vegetable. Its high in essential minerals like zinc, selenium, and manganese that support a healthy immune system. Its also high in vitamins A, K, B-complex, and folate which are super important for cardiovascular health and for women trying to conceive. Asparagus contains an important amino acid that neutralizes excess amounts of ammonia in the body that can cause exhaustion, headaches, and poor digestion. The significant amounts of dietary fiber and protein in asparagus help to maintain blood sugar levels, prevent constipation, and stabilize digestion. Asparagus also acts as a natural diuretic, helpful in reducing water retention, bloating, and swelling. Furthermore, asparagus is high in the anti-oxidant powerhouse, glutathione, which is incredibly beneficial for those suffering with autoimmune conditions, liver disease, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. You'll find this meal as easy as it is fulfilling. You'll almost be able to feel that asparagus going to work in your body, I promise! Ingredients: 2 cups of wild rice, rinsed and cooked according to package directions 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds 1/4 cup of water 1 cup of frozen peas 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped Juice and zest of 1 lemon Cook the brown rice according to the package directions, or in an Instant Pot if you have one. In a large skillet, warm the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chopped shallot and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions appear translucent. Add the garlic and the sliced asparagus, and stir everything together. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the water and cover. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Uncover and stir in the peas. Cook for another 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon zest, juice, and fresh parsley. Serve warm, over a bed of wild rice. #spring #asparagus #wildrice #buddhabowl #plantbased

Leafy greens (lettuce, Swiss chard, watercress, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula) are so much more than the base of every salad. When ingested, these leaves scrub and massage the linings of your stomach, small intestine, and colon, loosening up old, trapped yeast, mold and other fungi, along with debris and pockets of waste matter, so they can be carried out, making elimination very productive. If you experience digestive discomfort when consuming raw salads, try adding butter leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce and/or spinach to your daily diet in small amounts. This discomfort is usually from the fiber of the greens doing its job to "clean house". Spinach, specifically, is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Its an excellent source of vitamin K, beta-carotene, manganese, folate, copper, vitamins B2 & B6, vitamin E, calcium, vitamin C, and potassium. Spinach is also a very good source of zinc, dietary fiber, phosphorus, and choline. It contains a unique and powerful mixture of phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, flavonoids and carotenoids. If spinach isn't a part of your current diet, get creative with adding it on the daily. Try adding a handful to your fruit smoothies in the morning to help them stick with you longer, and the best part is it doesn't make the smoothie taste 'too green'. This recipe is a great way to get your spinach in for the day. The pesto comes together while the pasta cooks, meaning dinner can be ready in less than 20 minutes. Now there's really no excuse for not eating your greens! Ingredients: 2 packed cups of fresh spinach 1 cup of raw walnuts 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt A couple grinds of black pepper 1/3 cup (scant) of extra virgin olive oil Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor. Turn the processor on, and immediately start drizzling in the olive oil slowly through the top spout. After pouring the olive oil in, let it run for a few more seconds until everything is smooth. My favorite way to serve is on some brown rice and quinoa pasta (or red lentil pasta from Trader Joe's because its pretty). Simply cook your pasta of choice according to package directions, drain completely and add back to the pot. Pour the pesto over the warm pasta, and stir until all the noodles are covered with the pesto. Parenting Tip: I call this Monster (or dinosaur) Pasta because of it's beautiful bright green color. My kids *usually* gobble it right up. Marketing is everything with kids. #spinach #pesto #eatyourgreens #plantbased #twentyminutemeal

I've started focusing on food combining lately, to cut down on some digestive discomfort I was experiencing. Food combining is a way to streamline the digestive process to help with the bloated, sluggish feeling after meals. Basically, you choose one dense food (i.e. animal protein, starchy vegetable/grain, or nuts and seeds) at every meal and fill the rest of your plate up with raw or cooked leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables. Personally, I noticed that every time I combined a fat with a meal, I would get bloated and gassy. This meant saying goodbye to my favorite tahini (sesame seed paste) salad dressing and creating a more digestive-friendly alternative. Thus, Zesty Zucchini was born. Zucchini is so magical. In addition to being packed with anti-oxidants, zucchini improves digestion, stabilizes blood sugar levels, supports the nervous system, improves eye health, reduced inflammation in the body, and improves thyroid and adrenal functions. WHEW! That's a hard-working veggie right there! Ingredients: 3 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped 1 jalapeno, roughly chopped 2 cloves of garlic Juice of 2 lemons 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro 2 green onions, ends trimmed and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon of maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon of salt Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge for up to a week for salads, dips, or sauces on Buddha bowls. #zucchini #zesty #foodcombining #sauce #saucy #plantbased #dip

Chaga is a type of mushroom, that has some pretty amazing health benefits. It's incredibly high in antioxidants, has tons of vitamins like iron, calcium, and zinc, and has powerful anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory traits. Chaga is one of the top sources of betulinic acid, which makes it one of the best anti-cancer and anti-tumor foods you can eat. Chaga's beta-glucans are great for strengthening the immune system, which can help with those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, firbomyalgia, IBS, Chron's, shingles and PCOS. Chaga mushrooms grow on birch trees in the northern regions of the United States and Appalachian Mountains, but can also be found in Europe, Canada, China, Russia and Korea. For those of you who don't like mushrooms, you're in luck. Chaga tastes nothing like mushrooms and actually has a rich, coffee-like flavor that's quite tasty when naturally sweetened with maple syrup, raw honey, dates, or coconut sugar. I borrowed this recipe from the Medical Medium, and after drinking it for several weeks, decided I needed to put my own spin on it. Ingredients: 1/3 cup coconut milk 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon chaga extract powder 3 dates (I use Deglet Noor) 6 ounces of boiling water In a teapot (or saucepan), bring the water to boil over high heat. In a high speed blender, add the coconut milk, cinnamon, chaga, and dates. Once the water is boiling, add to the blender and blend on high for about 20 seconds, or until everything is well combined. Serve immediately. Stay tuned for more chaga recipes, like Chaga Mexican Hot Chocolate Ice Cream and whatever else I can think to put chaga in! #chaga #detoxifying #liversupport #healingthroughfood #chagalatte #healingfood #medicalmedium

This jam is so easy to make. You're going to think, "I can't believe she even made that a blog post." And you wouldn't be wrong. But sometimes, we need easy wins in life. So I'm going to take this one. I've made several variations of this jam, but this one is my favorite (and my kids' favorite too). You could switch out the blueberries for cherries and add lime juice instead of lemon. Around Thanksgiving, I made a cranberry orange version that was a hit at Friendsgiving. This spring, I think I'm going to make some strawberry jam so stay tuned for that recipe! I use frozen wild blueberries because of their nutrition power. When you think of superfoods, you should think of frozen wild blueberries above all else. Wild foods, much like sprouts, have super powers. Wild blueberries are survivors. They have adapted to every climate fluctuation for millions of years. Yes, MILLIONS. They can be burned to the ground or frozen solid and they come back even stronger. They pass this survival information onto you, the eater. They also contain the highest proportion of antioxidants of any food on the planet. When ingested, these berries fight off and prevent a myriad of disease and cancers. They can also monitor stress and toxicity levels to figure out the best way to heal you. Wild blueberries are one of the most effective heavy metal detoxifiers out there, a powerful brain food, potent prebiotic, and liver cleanser. If you have been to hell and back, the wild blueberry is here to support you to rise up again. And you can find all of this in....the freezer section of your supermarket! I know! I had no idea these little rockstars were right under my nose the whole time. I like to add this to a warm bowl of oatmeal, some nice cream, or some sweet potato toast. Tomorrow is the Pagan festival of Imbolc, so I plan to make some Scottish oat cakes, light a candle, and smother some of this jam all over those oat cakes to welcome the warmth of Spring! Its going to be a good time! Ingredients: 2 cups of frozen wild blueberries, thawed 2 tablespoons of maple syrup 2 tablespoons of chia seeds Juice of 1 lemon Pinch of salt Combine blueberries, syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, gently crushing some of the blueberries with the back of a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture up to a low boil, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. After the ten minutes it up, remove from heat and add the chia seeds and lemon juice. Stir to combine and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Don't worry, it will thicken as it cools. Store in a glass jar with a lid in the fridge for up to two weeks. Although I doubt it will last that long. Happy healing, friends! #blueberries #wildblueberries #superfood #plantbased #healingthroughfood #healingfoods #chiajam

I love sprouts. They're delicious, easy to make and SUPER good for you. I had to get out my big book of Life Changing Foods by Anthony William for a little bit of help with this post. I know you're just DYING for some fun facts about sprouts so let's dive in! -Lentil sprouts are energetically dense, high in fortifying protein and carbohydrates that are easy to digest. -They're high in mineral salts. -Sprouts' amino acids and enzymes support the brain and help pull heavy metal toxins from the brain. This helps with memory loss, brain fog, and can assist those with MS. -They're great for skin! Especially if you have eczema, cystic acne, or psoriasis. -Sprouts contain over 60 trace minerals including zinc, iron, and magnesium. -Sprouts can stop infections and unwanted cell growth (like cancer cells). -They are critical in the body's production of B12 and hold THOUSANDS of phytochemicals. -Sprouts are phytoestrogenic and aid in the rebalancing and restoring of hormones. This supports the adrenal and thyroid glands. -And finally, growing your own food is not only empowering, but plants have the unique ability to adapt to the needs of the individual who grows them. They pickup on the energy and emotions of their surrounding environment, so treat your sprouts with TLC when growing them. Talk to them, pray over them. Yes...I just said that. And I really mean it. All life on this planet is connected. We are connected to the plants, the animals, the water, the air, each other, and Earth itself. Our thoughts and emotions produce powerful energies that affect everyone and everything around us. But that's a post for another time. For now, just follow the instructions below and get busy growing! Ingredients: 1/3 cup of dried red lentils, brown/french lentils, mung beans, or any other sprout-able nut/seed/bean Water Mason Jar Sealing Ring Cheesecloth Time Add lentils to your class jar, place cheesecloth over the top, and screw the metal ring on tight. Run cool water through the top, gently swirl the lentils around and dump out the water. Repeat his several times until the water runs clear. Add enough water to the jar to cover the lentils by a couple of inches. Place in a warm, dark area for 24 hours. The next day, pour out the soaking liquid and rinse the lentils again with lukewarm water. Give the lentils a gentle swirl and pour the water out again, making sure most of the water is gone. Lay the jar on its side in a warm place for 12 hours. Twelve hours later, rinse the lentils again, drain, and lay on it's side for another 12 hours. Repeat this process every 12 hours for 2 to 3 days. They'll start to sprout fairly quickly, but give it some time to grow the sprout. That's where the magical nutrients are. When you've grown a good sprout (.5 to inch in length), rinse the sprouts one last time in cool water. Dump onto a clean kitchen towel and allow them to air-dry for a few hours. Every so often, shuffle them around on the kitchen towel to maximize drying. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. They should stay good for 5-7 days. I like to eat these by themselves as a snack, or in wraps or salads. They add a nice crunch to anything and have a great earthy flavor. Each lentil/bean/seed will have their own flavor so its have fun exploring different beans and seeds! This is also a great science experiment for the kiddos and they get to eat it! So fun! #science #foodscience #healingfood #plantbased #wholefood #sprouts #kids #kidscience #playingwithfood #playwithyourfood

I don't know how to make a normal amount of smoothie. Even if someone told me that my life depended on it, I still couldn't do it. Its either the whole Vitamix pitcher or nothing at all. But there is some thought behind it. My husband and I have smoothies every. single. morning. for breakfast. And because I'm always hungry and mostly lazy, I made a full extra serving to have later in the day (most times for dinner). We've got three small children and 'the dinner rush' (as my husband and I call it) around here can be a bit nuts. I rarely get the chance to make my own dinner, let alone sit down to eat it, so a smoothie for dinner works really well for me. I also find that I get a more restful night sleep if I keep what I eat after 4 PM fairly light. Serves 2 Ingredients: 2 bananas 6 dates 2 cups of fresh pineapple 2 tangerines 1 cup frozen wild bluberries 1 cup frozen pitted cherries Handful of fresh spinach 1/4 cup hemp seeds Enough water in the blender pitcher until you just barely see it come up through the fruit. Blend, pour, store and enjoy! #smoothie #plantbased #breakfast #lunch #dinner #smoothiesallday

My husband likes to come home for lunch instead of going out, and he loves a good salad. I like to spend time making salads... caress the salad, talk to the salad, be the salad. But he's usually hungry and in a hurry. I'm working on perfecting my quick salad game, well, quick. I threw this one together today and I even impressed myself. So simple and fast, but delicious. The fats from the avocado and tahini make you feel satisfied while the lemon, ginger, and blueberries keeps it light and refreshing. And spinach just makes ya feel good on the insides. I know it does for me! Give it a try and tell me what you think (but only if you love it)! Serves 2 Ingredients Salads: 4 handfuls or so of fresh spinach (or spring mix, power greens mix, etc.) 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped 2 cups of fresh blueberries (you could also use frozen wild blueberries instead of fresh) 2 avocados, chopped 1/2 cup of pepitas or pumpkin seeds Optional: fresh mint Lemon Ginger Dressing: 1/4 cup of tahini Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 tbsp maple syrup 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root Black pepper to taste 1 tbsp or so of water to thin it out to a dressing (or sauce) consistency Split the salad ingredients between two plates and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until you reach the desired texture. You want it thin enough to pour, but not so thin that its watered down. Pour on salads and enjoy! Note: Tahini seizes when acid, like lemon juice, is added to it. Don't panic. Just gradually keep adding splashes of water until it becomes smooth.

I've been obsessed with summer rolls lately, but they take a lot of time to make. Behold, the Summer Roll Bowl. Truthfully, I can't believe it took me this long to come up with it. It takes substantially less time to make than summer rolls and you get all of your favorite ingredients in one bowl (instead of wrapped). I'm still kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. Serves 1 Ingredients: 1 handful of spinach 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup purple cabbage, chopped 1 mango, peeled and chopped 1 bundle of vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained, and rinsed in cool water 1 avocado, chopped 2 tbsp green onions, sliced 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped Prepare all ingredients before you cook the noodles, since they only take about 1-2 minutes to cook. I lay the spinach down first, then pile each ingredient on top. Once the vermicelli is ready, add it to the party, top with green onions, cilantro, and dressing of your choice. I really like using my Zesty Zucchini Sauce or a thin salsa. #summerrollinabowl #summerroll #plantbased #lunch #dinner #lazycook NOTE: To make this a grain-free detox dish, simply omit the vermicelli noodles and add in fresh zucchini noodles.

It's appropriate that this is my first blog post. When you make it, you'll understand why this was numero uno. Its also SUPER easy. You do, however, need a high-speed blender to get the best consistency. Its SO simple and straightforward, I almost don't even know what else to say about it. Except that I like to eat this as a snack or dessert with fruit, or on some nice cream, or on top of smoothie bowls, or with a spoon... Ingredients: 1 cup of dates, packed* 1/2 cup of almond milk 1/8 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional) Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender until perfectly smooth. Seriously. It's that easy. Oh, you might need to a add a few extra splashes of almond milk to get it going. *I used deglet noor dates, but feel free to use medjool. If you do, just omit the cinnamon. #wholefood #plantbased #healingfood #threesuns #fruit #datecaramel #dessert #snack