Clean Eating: Zucchini Pasta

First things first: Hallelujah Friday!! I'm so thankful it's the weekend it's not even funny. Unfortunately, Daniel and I are moving next Saturday, so I doubt I'm going to get much down time for the next few days (seeing as we haven't packed one single box yet...cue my inevitable #panicattack).

That being said, I'm going to need to keep my energy up this next week between working and packing up my entire life (and everything in between that), which is where this post comes in! I don't know about the rest of you, but my go-to meal usually involves all the carbs ever. Because, donuts? Anyway, what's great about this Zucchini pasta is that it's like eating pasta but much better for you for two reasons: 1. Less carbs than actual pasta, and 2. You get your daily dose of veggies! Oh yeah, and the added bonus is that it's actually quite tasty!

So, let's get down to it...here's what you need:

• 2-3 large zucchinis
• spiralizer (to make the "pasta")
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup of raw minced almonds
• freshly grated parmesan
• 1 Tbsp of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

I'm not exactly a super precise chef seeing as I usually just throw things together, so those measurements are definitely approximate and can be modified to taste. Start off by getting your ingredients ready; spiralize all of your zucchinis until you have a mound of zucchini "pasta," slice your tomatoes and grate your parmesan. Next put your garlic and olive oil in a pan and let it simmer (but don't let the garlic brown). Once the pan is hot, add in your zucchini pasta, and make sure it gets stirred around so it will all heat equally and get coated in the olive oil. The point is to let the zucchini cook and get a little bit seared, but mostly to heat it up. Once it's been heated sufficiently, add in the tomatoes and almonds (mix them around to make sure they get cooked as well). Remove the "pasta" from heat once it's been thoroughly cooked, and add in any extra olive oil, salt, or pepper in to taste. Sprinkle some parmesan on top & serve while hot...that's it!

Isn't that the easiest recipe in the world? Totally doable. The hardest part about it is probably spiralizing the zucchini, and that doesn't even take that long. Guys, I'm a big fan of this meal; I really like it, and was surprised at the fact that it actually filled me up! I'm normally always hungry like 5 seconds after I eat, and I've never been a big believer on things like vegetables replacing my carbs, but in all honesty: it's pretty damn good.

That being said, I hope you all take my word for it and give it a try! Trust me, you'll be doing YOURSELF a favor more than me.

Alright guys, well that's about it for me. Is anyone doing anything spectacular this weekend?! Or does anyone have any good packing tips for me? We're only moving about 10 minutes away from where we are now, but I'm at the point that I just don't want to acknowledge that it's happening because I can't possibly fathom getting this place packed up in time. SOS...we need help!!

xo, grace

P.S.- On a completely unrelated sidenote, I just finished watching Dirty Dancing for the first time in my life. It literally took me 24 years of being on this earth to finally witness the glory that is Patrick Swayze and his back muscles. And omg guys. All I can say is, Nobody puts baby in the corner!!!

Broiled Grapefruit

Hello friends! My schedule/life has been so all over the place lately that I've unfortunately made myself the victim of some pretty terrible eating habits. That being said, I found this yummy citrus recipe over at Offbeat+Inspired and decided to give it a try...and you should too! Super simple, really delicious, and the best of all, health conscious! :)
Here's what you'll need:

-A grapefruit
-Plain or vanilla yogurt (The original calls for Greek yogurt, but I used vanilla Activia...yummmm)
-Sugar in the raw
-Cinnamon

1. ) Start off by setting your oven to the broiler setting. Slice your grapefruit in half, and then use a knife to slice between the peel and the fruit to make it easier to eat afterwards.

2.) Sprinkle each grapefruit half with Sugar in the Raw (it gives it a nice little crunch!).

3.) Put the grapefruit halves in the oven and allow them to broil anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure the sugar doesn't burn; when the edges of the grapefruit starts to brown, they're ready.

4.) Spoon your yogurt on top of each grapefruit half, and then add cinnamon to taste.

5.) Eat, and repeat...with the second half of course!

There you have it! A quick and easy recipe that can get you a healthy sugar fix in a pinch. I know it seems like a bit of an unlikely combination, but it's actually a really nice balance of flavors. The creaminess of the yogurt is offset by the tart juice of the grapefruit, and the cinnamon & sugar add the perfect amount of sweetness! Perfect for breakfast, a quick snack, or even a healthy dessert for those who are trying to behave! ;)

Try it out for yourself and let me know what you think, or if you would make any changes to this recipe! Do you think it would be good with any other fruits? I'd love to hear!

xo,

grace

Pineapple Mint Julep

In honor of the recent Kentucky Derby (and my dear friend, Col. Trent Stephens, a real live Kentucky Colonel), I decided to make myself a little cocktail. Obviously I chose to go with the signature "Derby drink," a mint julep, but with a girly little twist (of course). So let's get drinking already....here's what you'll need:

- 2 oz of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky (1.5 if you're a wimp like me)

- 5 or 6 tablespoons of Simple Syrup

- 2 tablespoons of ginger ale

- 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice

- 1/4 cup of fresh diced pineapple

- about 8 or 9 fresh mint leaves

- about 3/4 cup of crushed ice

Alright. So in order to make this refreshingly delicious and Southern cocktail, you start off by combining your mint leaves, fresh pineapple, and simple syrup (make sure you let it cool for a bit before using it) in the bottom of your glass. Muddle it together (use a wooden spoon if you don't have a muddler), and be sure not to just crush your mint leaves into little bits. The point of muddling is to release all of the flavorful goodness in the ingredients, not to create a leafy pulp. :)

Next pour your crushed ice into the glass-make sure it's enough to fill it up to the top. Then add in your whisky, pineapple juice, and ginger ale, and stir them all together. Do a little taste test-if it's not strong enough for ya, add some more Bourbon in there (that'll put some hair on your chest!). If you're satisfied with the mixture, add in a mint sprig and a pineapple slice for garnish, and you're all finished! Drink that baby up.

I wouldn't normally think that I would like a cocktail made with Bourbon so much since it just seems so strong, but I thought that the flavors in this drink balanced out perfectly. I also didn't actually watch the Derby this year, but the nice thing about it is that the actual race is so short, you don't have to be bored to tears for numerous hours (ahem, every televised sports event...ever). Besides, drink a couple of these and any boring event becomes interesting. Not that I'm advocating alcoholism as a solution for boredom (haha), but we all need a little pick-me-up every now and again...am I right?!

So how about all of you...did anyone actually watch the Derby this year? Drink copious amounts of mint juleps and eat Derby pie? Did you bet on a horse and WIN?! Or maybe just celebrate with a fabulously oversized hat? All of these would be acceptable means of celebration-and I can't wait to hear about them!

xo,

grace