Spaghetti Squash

Hello readers!

First off, I apologize for not having written in FOREVER. I am having major internet issues so the videos of how to make certain foods is not happening until the internet problems get sorted out, which might not be until October, so be patient.

Now onto the point of this blog:
Spaghetti Squash. Don't worry, I didn't know what it was either until this weekend. Basically, it is a big yellow squash (about the size of a football), and its pretty heavy. After you cook it and cut it open, the insides looks like angel hair pasta. When i bought mine, it was $1.29 a pound, so was much cheaper than buying pasta and made much more.
Here is how you cook it:
1) Use a large knife and poke a hole into the squash making sure to get at least to the center of it.
2) Place in the microwave, hole facing up, and cook for 15 minutes.
3) Take it out of the microwave (be careful, it is VERY hot) and cut it in half length-wise.
4) Use a fork to scrape out the seeds and the stringy meat the seeds are attached to. (there is a noticeable difference to the meat with seeds, and the good stuff on the inside. There shouldn't be many seeds but make sure you get them all) Again, be careful because it is VERY hot.
5) After disposing of the seeds, use the fork to scrape out the rest of the squash. Scrape it all into a bowl. The only part now that you wont eat is the thick skin.
6) Enjoy! When my friend and I cooked it, we mixed it with veggies we had grilled with garlic and sun-dried tomato pesto. You can find a similar recipe here: http://collegecookingfordummies.blogspot.com/2010/06/pesto-pasta.html

This is an extremely healthy and delicious alternative to pastas. If you don't add chicken into your pesto, this can also be vegetarian as well as gluten free.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Lucy

Pesto Pasta

So my dad and I made dinner the other day and it was simple, healthy, and delicious. Here it is!!

Ingredients:

Bow-tie or shell pasta (I used gluten-free pasta, but regular pasta is just fine)
Pesto (I used Sun Dried Tomato Pesto. Use whatever kind of pesto you prefer)
Vegetables (We used onion, broccoli, red and yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. you can use any vegetables you want.)
Chicken


Start the pasta cooking.
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and cook. Sprinkle garlic salt on it while it cooks.
After the chicken cooks, drain the liquid and put it aside.
You can use the same pan for the vegetables.
Cut the vegetables unto strips or whatever size you want. Put olive oil in the pan and grill the vegetables. When they are just about cooked, add the vegetables and the DRAINED pasta.
Add the pesto to taste along with salt if you want it.

Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Videos!

Hey Readers!!

So starting in June, I am going to be doing videos of different recipes.
Keep an eye out for them and send me requests if there is some recipe I have put on my blog that you want to see done.

Thanks for reading!

~~Lucy

Keep Off the Freshman 15

Although diet is a large part of avoiding putting on the dreaded Freshman 15, exercise is also a key component.
I am not the person to tell you to go for a run everyday, because I have a lot of trouble motivating MYSELF to go for a run, let along other people. Luckily, I have found some exercises that everyone can do daily and burn a few unwanted calories. These exercises are so easy to do, even I am able to do these easily everyday.

1) Heels up and down.
   - What: Stand with your feet in a comfortable position (parallel and somewhere between together and hip-width apart). Raise your heels so you are standing on your toes, then lower your heels. Repeat as many times as wanted.
   - When: This is easy to do while waiting in line, waiting for an elevator, while in an elevator, while waiting to cross the street, while cooking, and watching TV.

2) High knees
   - What: While standing, raise your knees as high as you can and replace back on the floor. Trade legs. Repeat.
   - When: This is easy to do while waiting in line, waiting for an elevator, while in an elevator, while waiting to cross the street, while cooking, and watching TV.

3) Jog in place
   - What: If you don't know what this means, then I don't know what to say.
   - When: Brushing your teeth, waiting for toast, waiting for an elevator, jog up stairs.

4) Park your car far away.
   - This is one that I do often. Instead of searching for the closest space to the store, I simply park in the first spot I come to, no matter how far away it is. While leaving the store with bags of stuff, it is another extra weight to help you burn more calories. (It also gives you a longer journey if you like to pretend your shopping cart is a race-car and make sound effects all the way from the store...)

5) Take the stairs instead of the elevator
   - I used this technique for one week. I never once used the stairs and I lost 5 pounds in a week. I didn't change my diet, I simply was more active for a week. Amazing.

More to come!

Smoothies Galore!

In my last blog, I promised to write more. Well, I didn't exactly uphold that promise. But I REALLY am back now! Midterms just passed so my work load is not quite as heavy as it was. During my hiatus, I didn't just sit on my butt and forget about my readers! I was researching about RAW foods and VEGETARIAN eating. So here is the beginning of a new way of living for you and me!

Below are recipes for different smoothies. All of these are ones that I found on a raw food website. None of these have dairy in them (like milk or ice cream or yogurt) because my stomach has trouble digesting dairy and I know many people who are in the same boat as me. Let's face it, people, milk just isnt good for us anymore! Commercial milk is produced by cows that have been pumped full of hormones to get them producing an unnatural amount of milk in a short period of time. Most dairy farms do not give them adequate space to move and the cows are fed grains and corn. Since when are cows meant to be eating corn?? OK, thats enough of that rant. ONTO THE SMOOTHIES!!

This first one is very gentle on the stomach and contains a LOT of vitamins needed to keep you going throughout the day. My favorite part is the bananas because of their potassium.


Healing Smoothie:

1 firm kiwi fruit, peeled
1/4 cantaloupe, with skin
1 ripe banana

1. Push kiwi fruit and cantaloupe through the hopper.
2. Place juice and banana in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a tall glass, drink immediately and enjoy!!

This next one contains a lot of Vitamin B and antioxidants to keep you energized all day long

1/2 Cup Filtered Water
1/4 of a Whole Pineapple, peeled and cut into pieces
10 Strawberries
1 Mango, peeled and cut into pieces
1 Banana
3 Ice Cubes

Process in a blender until creamy. 

This next one is a little bit more complicated because it evolves a coconut: an ingredient that might not be available to everyone all year long. 

You'll need:
2 large or three small bananas (no yellow ones! nice and ripe & spotted)
-one "young" or green coconut
-a blender & glass!

What to do:
1) crack open the coconut (find a good method that works for you- I haven't found mine yet! I just cut like hell till I finally get a hole in the top..)
2) our all the liquid right from the coco into the blender
3) add the bananas
4) liquify




Keep checking back for more vegetarian recipes!


Until next time!


~~Lucy

Apologies

Hey everyone!

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately! I have had a VERY hectic few weeks at school and some things had to be pushed to the side. I also moved into a new apartment with a friend of mine and we don't have very good internet connection (luckily, our neighbors do and they don't have a password. shhhhhhh!).
I know some of you found me through the Twitter account I have (CollegeCooker). I have been getting a lot of feedback about the vegetarian and raw cooking links I posted so I am going to be accommodating your needs and putting more posts about eating raw and eating vegetarian.
Keep reading!

Until next time,
~~Lucy

The Diet Diaries: Entry #5

So my diet is almost over. And I feel great! I have lost some weight, my immune system is back up and running, and I am finally able to digest food properly. Because of this great triumph, I have let myself slip a little bit on the diet. Which I know I shouldnt do, but I couldnt help it! I miss sanwhiches and cheese and butter and chocolate! (Note: I only had these things ONCE and in very small amounts).
I think the hardest thing about this diet was the wheat aspect. In my daily life I avoid dairy because my stomach does not like milk very much. But wheat is in practically everything that I eat! I never realized how much toast and sandwhiches and pasta I ate before I couldnt have it anymore! I would open my cuppord and my roommates English muffins would be begging me to eat them! I love english muffins, but I was able to say no and keep strict to the diet. The one time I ate bread was because for lunch I had a lot of fruit and sometimes my stomach gets upset with just fruit in it. So to counteract that, I got a slice of dry toast to go with it. I only ate half of it and it kept my stomach at bay.
I am hoping once I am released from the rules of this diet, I will not be so tempted to eat cookies instead of bell peppers. I want to be a healthy person and I want to be at a healthy weight and feel like the best I can feel. Right now I dont. I do not have a lot of extra fat. I do not have enough fat that my health is in the slightest affected, but I have enough that I sometimes do not feel good about myself. I know I can get to a weight that I love my eating healthy and exercising. I hope you will join me. This blog is not for me, its for my readers. (Going back to my High School Musical reference...) we are all in this together! So lets keep it that way.

Until next time
~~Lucy