I wasn’t sure what to call this. If you use crushed ice, you could call it a slushy. If you’re jonesin’ for a margarita, you could call it a mocktail. Whatever you call it, try it!
Coconut-lime cooler… slush… mocktail?
Quick, easy lunch: Gyro wraps (video)
If you’ve got some leftover cooked hamburger or leftover cooked sausage on hand, here’s an easy 10-minute lunch idea!
Other ingredients needed:
- flatbread, wrap, pita bread (grain-recipe link below), OR large lettuce leaves
- yogurt or sour cream (if you don’t eat dairy, sub mayo or other non-dairy products)
- dill – either dried or fresh is fine
- garlic powder or salt
- tomatoes, chopped
- onion, any kind, chopped
- optional – cucumber, chopped
- optional – oregano and/or zaatar seasoning mix
Don’t miss the notes and links below the video.
Tips:
I always keep chopped onion on hand in the fridge to make things easier when I cook. And cooked, crumbled hamburger in the freezer. (For more tips, see the 30 things I always keep stocked in my kitchen.)
If you’re using sausage, you won’t need the seasonings I add to the cooking oil before the meat.
Recipe links:
The recipe for the tzatziki-inspired sauce can be found here: gyro sauce (tzatziki-ish) recipe
The recipe for the grain-free gluten-free flatbread (or pita) is here: grain-free pita/flatbread recipe
And if you want to make your own sausage (it’s SO easy!), there are a few options here: make your own sausage
Life change success story: Jo got rid of psoriasis and IBS
Today, I’m sharing another story from one of my Instagram friends: Jo Romero from the UK. We’ve never met in real life, but I loved her story when she shared it on IG, so I asked to share it with you.
I love that her story includes healing from so many things, and that she continues to listen to her body and tweak her diet as needed. And of course, that she’s discovered how great it feels when you eat real food!
Here’s her story in her own words:
Sriracha cream sauce or dip
A couple weeks ago, we had a delicious dinner at Lemongrass: Taste of Vietnam in Old Town. We ordered a couple appetizers, one of which was “Crabocado” – a perfect avocado stuffed with lump crab and drizzled with a Sriracha cream sauce. All four of us — two of us spice wimps, two not — devoured it! Later, my husband’s side dish of green beans came drizzled with what looked to be the same sauce. This man is not a fan of green beans: he sort of likes them when I add carmelized onions and plenty of bacon. But drizzled with that sauce? He ate ’em all up!
So I’ve been trying to recreate that sauce. I doubt my ingredients are the same, but I think I got close in flavor.
What can you do with this stuff?
Making real food a part of your real life
People often ask me how/what I eat. And when they hear the words “real food,” a typical response is, “Oh, I don’t have time for that.”
But the thing is, they probably do.
Oh, there’s a bit of a learning curve, where you have to figure out how to tweak your shopping and your meal prep, but I’m about to give you a shortcut. And once you put some key pieces together, it’s really easy to throw a meal together in 20 minutes or less.
Every. Single. Day.
I’ve got it down to a system. I’ve scattered bits and pieces of my system through several posts on this blog, but I’ve never put them together in one place, in a systematic way that flows logically.
Until now! 🙂
I pulled several blog posts, updated them, added some new content, and organized it into a short e-book.
I worked hard at boiling everything down to easy-to-understand and easy-to-do. And I think I got it, because my first reader said, “This book not only gave me a better understanding of nutrition, but encouraged me as well. As I read it I thought, ‘I could do this!’ Which for me is huge…. If you’re looking to make a change and need a place to start, this book is it!”
I share the what, why, and how of my real-food approach that’s helped me keep 30 pounds off for three years, and feel better than I have since my 20’s! (Which was — cough – 30 years ago – cough.)
Just shortened that learning curve for ya!
You’ll learn:
- why real food matters
- what to eat and what to avoid
- a simple real-food meal template
- how to make it easy forever:
– the flexible meal plan approach
– how I stock my kitchen
– how I stock my freezer - tips for healthier snacks & eating out
This captures my most important tips and info. It includes lots of links to real-food recipes on this blog, and to other resources. Just putting in the links rather than the whole recipe keeps the book short and simple — and affordable.
How affordable? How does five bucks sound? (Psst — you can get it for even less if you share it on Facebook or Twitter. Look for the button that says “Share and get 40% off.”)
I’m keeping it cheap ’cause I really just want you to experience how great it feels to get really healthy, have more energy, shed the brain fog, and make it doable for your real life — forever!
Check it out here: Real Food for Real Life: what to eat and how to make it easy
Citrus avocado salad with orange vinaigrette
This salad is beautiful, and scrumptious, but it’s also super easy to throw together. You can use whatever sweet citrus you have available. I used Cara Cara oranges this time, but you could use regular oranges, blood oranges, or any kind of orange cousin: tangerine, clementine, mandarin, satsuma.
The hardest parts are slicing the avocado and citrus, but that’s not really difficult, once you see a demonstration…
The small shift that makes big changes
If you’re like me, as you begin to make changes in your diet and other health habits, you’re bound to encounter some thoughts like these (thoughts I may or may not have had at some point):
Boy, some {favorite junk food} would taste really good right now! Why can’t I just eat whatever I want? This sucks!
I do NOT want to work out today! I hate taking the time, I hate feeling inept, I hate feeling out of breath.
These complaints may seem harmless, and we think we’re just “letting off steam,” but you might be surprised at just how destructive these kinds of thoughts are.
No candy, please! Valentine’s food for your sugar-free peeps.
If you love someone who’s living gluten-free, sugar-free, Paleo, and/or doing Whole30, here are some beautiful and creative alternatives to the usual sweets.
I list the sources, but in most cases, these were just posted on Instagram; recipes are usually not given. So consider this inspiration, and do a little googling if you want to know more.