Organic Surfer Girl

Whoops, I apologize to everyone for the month and half gap in postings. Things have been a little crazy over here in my corner of the world. I got a physical which I will discuss below the results and I sprained my ankle pretty badly. I was on crutches and I still technically should be. It hurts after walking around or if I move around too much. :( So my mobility is a bit limited at this point. So I finally got a physical which was completed with blood work. Everything came back beautiful. My cholesterol and blood pressure were wonderful. The only thing that was low was my vitamin D. I didn't realize until I researched side effects of low vitamin D, just how important it is. Here are some side effects: 1. achy muscles/bone pain 2. fatigue 3. low immune system 4. depression 5. poor cognitive memory 6. increased weight gain (it regulates a hormone that controls how you gain fat) 7. at risk...

This is a recipe that I found from the "Food and Wine Magazine 2004" Edition. It's very tasty and different from my regular pasta with my sauces. If you find the ingredients that are considered clean and good for you, this meal is quick and easy to make. My boyfriend and I weren't quite sure what to have for dinner. We tossed around some ideas. I knew I had the sausage in the freeze. He started thinking peppers and onions to go with the sausage. I love that meal as well but I knew I didn't have all of the ingredients. (Peppers are not in season!) However, I did have spinach and pasta around. I pulled the sausage out, defrosted it and made dinner. It's a bit spicy but you don't have to put the red pepper flakes in it if you don't want to. Gemelli with Sweet Sausage and Spinach 3/4 lb of gemelli or penne (this particular night, I used penne, as always 100% whole wheat) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, quarted length wise and thin...

When I first started cleaning up my diet, I started with my breakfast. I used to eat Cascadian Farms Granola Cereal. Needless to say, the ingredients were not so good. It included food that was not considered clean eating. I was definitely misled by the cover of the box which said it was organic and natural. I found a recipe from 100daysofrealfood.com for homemade granola. I tweaked the recipe to make it my own. I used some ingredients from the cereal I liked previously and then added flavors that I liked. Homemade granola does not last very long in my apartment. I love adding fresh fruit and milk with it. When I first started dating my boyfriend, I made it for him to take with him to work. He loved it. He requested that I make it this weekend for him. He now has a whole batch for breakfast at work. It's really simple to make and very satisfying. Granola Cereal 3 cups rolled oats 3 cups of whole wheat puffed rice 1 cup nuts (I use whatever is on hand. I like almonds. ...

Before I even start with the recipe, let me tell you, it was delicious!!! You do have to like mushrooms in order to like this meal. Once you prepare all the ingredients, its one two three done. :) It's definitely going on my rotation of meals to cook. It's made from all real food and it's perfect for the season. The recipe is from Cooking Light Cooking Through the Seasons Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce 1 lb uncooked farfalle (whole wheat) 1 tablespoon butter 12 oz presliced exotic mushroom blend (or any presliced mushroom blend) 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. divided 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup dry white wine 2/3 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup (2oz grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley minced fresh parsley (optional) 1. Cook pasta according to package directions omitting salt and fat. drain 2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over m...

I am a huge breakfast person these days. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am home for breakfast. I have the time to make it. If you have a waffle pan, I highly recommend this recipe. The following recipe for whole wheat waffles is great to make on the weekends if you don't have time during the week. It freezes well so you can always make double the batch. You can pop it in the microwave anytime and it tastes just as good as the first day it was made. When I first suggested to my boyfriend that I make whole wheat waffles one morning, he made a face. He said he would try them. He did and he loved it! He also said it was better then the instant mix, Bisquick!! I also made this as part of my Christmas Eve brunch for my sister, brother in law and mother. They all loved it!!! Success!! They were all surprised that whole wheat waffles could taste this good. My sister even stated that it tasted like "french toast". I adapted my recipe fr...

2012. The new year has begun and people pledge to change their behaviors during this month. Whether, it's eating healthier, going to the gym, quitting smoking, losing weight, whatever it is. This is the most popular month for changes. I am not one of those people. :) Then why am I writing a post labeled 2012? Well, because I'm going to continue implanting the changes I made in September. I will however be a lot more aware about what I'm eating then I have been the past month or so. I figure next holiday, I should be feeling much more comfortable with converting my holidays with "whole foods and clean eating". I wasn't entirely too comfortable this holiday season with converting everything I ate. When I did host a meal in my house though, I did make my food clean, healthy and yummy. I got many compliments. :) For Christmas, I did get the Omivore's Dilemnia by Michael Pollen. If I wasn't already converted before, this book further co...

I'll be honest. The past couple of months I haven't exactly been 100% clean eating. I've ran into some obstacles. I identified them and I plan to deal with it after the holidays. I figured it would be too much stress to try to change my behavior during the holidays. I had missed some things and other times, well, it was just plain difficult. Mind you, I am still a "new foodie" if you want to call me that. :) I only started in September. A lot of changes I was able to keep. I even had a all "clean eating brunch" for Christmas Eve with the exception of one ingredient. (Go me) Obstacles/Things I missed 1. Preparation time - Being busy on the weekends left me no time to cook. We would get hungry for dinner and have no time to make something. Often, we got a pizza or had sushi. I wasn't thrilled with this and I plan on correcting this issue in the future. 2. Flavored Coffee- Honestly, pumpkin spice coffee only comes out at a certain time...