hello from sunny FLA + healthy food inspiration

May 15, 2013 by natasha

Good morning gorgeous friends.

I awoke to the sweetness of sunshine, sand and surf. Check out my morning view…

vacay

How incredible is that!?!

My husband and I are taking a couple days for rest and relaxation sans baby in sunny Florida. This is our first time away from Miss S and although my heart already misses her immensely, I know that this is a very healthy thing to reconnect with myself and my husband.  I’m also pretty sure that Sloane is loving being spoiled by her Granny and Grandpa ;)

There is something to be said for being surrounded by Mother Nature and really taking the time to slow down and listen to what your head and heart have to say.

I have had lots of time to reflect and I am dreaming up some new offerings for my amazing clients. During this process I can’t help but feel so grateful for all of the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of working with. Just last week this little present arrived in the mail from one amazing mama I am currently working with.

present

I am so looking forward to trying some of these amazing recipes.

This recipe comes from one of my clients who is making some incredible changes in her life as she transitions to healthier living for her and her family. It doesn’t hurt that she has some sick culinary skills as well! I thought this recipe inspiration was fabulous and want to share with all of you.

Chantale
Holy moly, gorgeous and healthy sushi!

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Halibut (marinated with ginger, yellow curry, garlic, sea salt & pepper)
  • Brown organic rice
  • Quebec asparagus {cooked in the oven with fresh lemon juice}
  • Homemade salsa {fresh dill, diced mango, tomato, cucumber, EVOO, sea salt & pepper}
  • Homemade guacamole {avocados, lemon juice, fresh cilantro}
  • Nori wraps
  • Chia & flax seed for the little crunch!

I think the lesson here is to be creative and have fun in the kitchen. Your health journey is uniquely yours. As long as you commit to making mindful and wise food choices you are moving forward and making progress!

Well, I am off to the beach {YEAHHHHH!}. I hope you have a fabulous day too!

PS. If you aren’t already signed up for my newsletter, make sure to do so as I will be sending your new monthly challenge out tomorrow.

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zucchini avocado tartare + monday motivation

May 6, 2013 by natasha

Good Monday morning!

I spent this past weekend surrounded by friends and family outdoors in the sunshine. Yeah! Spending time outside with Miss S soaking in some Vitamin D was long overdue thanks to a longer than usual winter but the warm weather is here and we are ready for lots of fun in the sun!

sun

Here is an amazingly fresh, healthy and raw appetizer that was a hit with some friends we hosted this weekend.

tartare

This fabulous  Zucchini and Avocado Tartare recipe inspiration came from Summer over at Radiantly Raw. I will be making these again very soon!

I also want to give you a little Monday Motivation as you being a new week.

I want you to know how absolutely beautiful and perfect you are. You radiate love and beauty through the words that you speak, the thoughts that you think, your actions and how others feel when they are in your presence. Believe in your god given talents and gifts. You are the ONLY you, and that makes YOU perfect.

love

photo via

I hope you are greeting today with a gracious heart and a mind that is open to all the amazing awesome possibilities that is available to you this week. Go and show the world just how amazing you are this week friends!

Sending so much love + gratitude your way,

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happy friday + sweet treat {quinoa muffins}

May 3, 2013 by natasha

Good Friday morning lovelies. I hope you have had a fabulous week so far and are gearing up for a weekend full of play!

The sun and spring has finally arrived in Southwestern Ontario – YEAH! We are hosting a couple BBQ’s at our home this weekend and I can hardly wait to indulge in some delicious eats with some fabulous company.

Before I get busy in the kitchen, I wanted to share my little quinoa muffin adventure with you. I was batch cooking some quinoa the other day and ended up with more than I needed. So what’s a girl to do when she has an abundance of quinoa, make quinoa muffins! Thanks to good ole’ Google, I typed in “quinoa muffins” and voila, Miss Martha had a recipe inspiration for me.

muffins

I prefer to freestyle my cooking but baking is a task that I’m not quite as confident with {as I am sure I have mentioned before}. I tried to beef these baby’s up with more nutrition by opting to make some healthier substitutions and I am happy to report that they turned out very well.

Warning: These are more dense than your typical “fluffy”, gluten and sugar filled muffin. I used almond flour instead of the all-purpose flour suggested in the recipe so feel free to use the all-purpose suggested in the original recipe or play around with some other gluten free varieties. I adore the heartiness of these and they make for a perfect mid-day pick me up.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa {dried} or 2 cups cooked
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 2 cups flour {I used almond flour but the recipe calls for all-purpose or sub in another flour of your choice}
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ Tsp. baking powder {aluminum free}
  • 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1 Tsp. sea salt
  • ½ cup organic raisins
  • ¾ cup whole milk {or dairy alternative such as almond milk}
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • Pumpkin spice OR cinnamon {optional – to sprinkle on before baking}

You can follow the directions HERE.

muffin close up

These were divine slathered with a bit of butter right out of the oven.

Have an amazing weekend friends!

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