Comfort Food Weekend (Spaghetti and ''meatballs''

After making moussaka on Friday, I got to be with my friend while she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Armed with 3 hours of sleep I decided to make spaghetti and ''meatballs'' (beanballs) for dinner on Saturday night and I have to say, they turned out really well! I found a basic recipe on the net and added and subtracted to it. Here's what I came up with. :)

2 15-0z cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, minced (I put mine in the blender along with several other ingredients)
handful of fresh parsley, minced
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1-2 Tbsp your favorite Italian seasoning
1/2 small onion, minced
crushed red pepper (optional)
fresh basil ribbons
fresh parmesan cheese

Mash beans and all ingredients together until they're about the consistency of ground beef. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turning half way through. Nestle into your favorite marinara sauce for a couple minutes to absorb the flavors. I'm still working on my homemade marinara, so that night it was compliments of Prego. :-) Cut up some fresh basil and grate some fresh parmesan cheese for the top.
Next time I think I will try to pan fry them in just a tiny bit of oil to make them a little more crunchy (they were a little too mushy but the flavor was great). Serve with a veggie and some whole grain Italian or French garlic bread. Enjoy!

What the heck is it?

Is it lasagna?? Nope, it's Eggplant-Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream. Don't worry, I don't know what moussaka is either. They tell me it's Greek. All I know is even Elijah ate it..3 helpings worth. Yay for hiding veggies!! Layers of eggplant, zucchini and potatoes make up the ''meat'' of this recipe. Add home-made marinara sauce with a hint of cinnamon and pine nut-tofu cream sauce on top and it makes an interesting and tasty dish. :-) It's a long and involved recipe, one I'm not going to write down out of pure laziness. You can find it here. Serve with a side salad and some crusty Italian bread and olive oil and you have a comfort meal that will put you in a coma for the rest of the night. Enjoy...

The way Southerners should make their greens ;)

BBQ Collard Greens with Wild Rice. So this was my big hit last night. Elijah even ate some of the collards (we were careful not to look at him, just in case we jinxed it). I know what you're thinking too. Either- what the heck are collard greens or, the only way they should be eaten is boiled with ham hocks and enough salt to preserve your insides. Trust me. Try this. :)

Stuffed BBQ Collard Greens

12 large collard leaves
1 Tbs. canola oil
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 c. chopped collard greens
15 oz. black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
3 c. BBQ sauce (I used a lot less but this is what the recipe called for)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Submerge large collard leaves, cover and steam 6 minutes or until tender. Take them out of the water and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add chopped collards. Cook 7-10 minutes or until the moisture is cooked off. Add black-eyed peas and cook through. Pour on 2 c. of BBQ sauce and cook 5 minutes. Lay out your large collard leaves and roll 2 Tbs. of the black-eyed peas mixture into the leaf. Tuck corners under. Pour remaining BBQ sauce over. Serve with steamed wild rice or your choice of carbs. Enjoy!!

From the cookbook Veganomicon

Am I really going to do this?

I never thought I would start my own blog, much less write one from a stand point of trying to be healthy-and on the verge of a hippie. But, here I am! So my first blog is just going to be about what I want the rest of my blogs to be about. A little background info, if you will.
Ryan and I started on a journey to wellness about 2 and a half years ago. It started with me getting pregnant with our son, Elijah. After meeting with a Christian childbirth instructor and doula, we started to realize that we needed to take control of our medical health. From there, it went to trying to take control of our over-all health. No more fried foods, no more empty carbs. We (when I say ''we'', I mostly mean Ryan) started working out. And now, GASP, we have become vegetarians! I know, I shouldn't swear in my blog and vegetarian is a dirty word in my circle. But that's what we are becoming. Crunchy, granola, green, vegetarians.
I don't want my entire blog to be about my ''weird'' diet though. That would bore way too many people. You will also see my adorable little boy from time to time, my walk with God, and whatever else is on my mind in the moment.
Hope you enjoy!