Simple Superfood Salad

Happy Monday, friends! Spring is here, maybe more officially on the calendar than it reflects outside, but nonetheless it is here. There is something about just knowing that it is spring that makes me much more productive. It's still like 30 degrees here in the midwest, but the birds are out and the sun is shining and that makes sitting at my computer all day far less dreadful. 

Since the new year, Josiah and I have been attempting to integrate healthy habits into our life. As most years, it started off super rough and the commitment was pretty nonexistent. We basically tried and failed at every habit we attempted. I think we lasted for 5 days on Whole 30  which, if you can't tell by the title, is 25 days less than the program call for. (I just love carbs too much.) We also tried to get into a workout routine again, but failed again. March rolled around and we still hadn't really kicked any of our old habits or committed to new, healthy ones.  

I was starting to think that Josiah and I were doomed and incapable of change. At this point we decided that instead of doing a bunch of things at once, we would just integrate one healthy habit a week and see how thing went from there. We also gave ourselves a break and only committed to the new habit Monday-Friday at first. That allowed us mentally to plow through the hard days knowing it wouldn't be forever. The first week we cut out sugar. Yeah, it sucked.  The only thing I could think about that week was the ice cream we had planned for Saturday night, but something crazy happened at the end of that week when I finally sat down to eat the so dreamed of dessert. I took a bite and it didn't taste as good as I remembered. It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't worth dreaming about all week. Sunday, when we would technically still have been allowed (by our rules) to indulge in something sweet, we didn't want to. Josiah and I were both completely shocked at how quickly we had locked into this healthy habit (even on our "off" days) and we were eager for more. The next week we added in working out in the morning and the week after that we stopped eating after dinner. It's only been three weeks since this healthy habit thing started, but I think we are onto something. Baby steps. 

More to come on our new healthy habit journey, but for now enjoy this salad that represents our journey towards both health and minimalist. Keep it simple people. 

Let's Monday!

SIMPLE SUPERFOOD SALAD

Serves: 2 

• 4 cups arugula 
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked 
• 1/2 cup blueberries  

• heaped 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• big splash of water
• salt + pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Combine the blueberries, ginger, vinegar, maple syrup, water, salt + pepper, and olive oil in a food process. Blend for 20-25 seconds. 

Divide the arugula, quinoa, and blueberries between two salad bowls. Finish by topping with the salad dressing. I told you it was simple. 

*The dressing can likely be used for more than two salads. I like to have extra on hand. 

We're Moving!

via

When Josiah and I first started dating almost five years ago, a good 80% of our conversations revolved around dreams. We dreamed about our future careers, which I think at that point for me was a Dietician, and for him a musician. We loved dreaming, it was our favorite pastime. It helped us through uncertain and seemingly directionless times in our lives. When we were dreaming, It felt like our current circumstances didn't matter because one day we would travel to Europe together (check!), get married (check!), graduate college (check!),  see the grand canyon, drive through the rocky mountains, see LA, and live near a big city (check!). My grandpa always says that life is meant for dreaming and I think he is so right. 

What makes dreams even more amazing is when you have talked about them for almost five years and you finally get to see them come true. One of the first dreams Josiah and I talked about during our early days together, was living in the mountains, specifically Denver. At the time, I had never been, but knew that if Josiah loved it, I would too. A year after this dream was first brought up, I visited for the first time and fell in love. The mountains, the sunshine, the city, everything about Denver screamed home. Flash forward three years and Josiah and I were planning out where we were going to live after we got married. Denver was still at the forefront of our mind, but other plans got in the way. Josiah got a job near Chicago and although we were ecstatic for his new position, we were incredibly saddened to see our Denver dream slipping away.  Fast forward ANOTHER year and circumstances have changed yet again. I am so excited to say that things have fallen into place and we will at last be living out our dream, our first dream. Come May, we will be taking on a whole new adventure with a Denver, CO zip code. I can't wait to share more of what is to come. 

Spinach + Leek Soup

 My husband is one of those people that will eat soup on the hottest day of the year and enjoy it just as much as he did when it was below freezing. Before meeting him I really thought of soup as a "winter food," but after spending the last five years together, he has convinced me that soup consumption should not be limited to a few short months of the year. As I'm writing this, the weather here is finally turning warm -- anything above 50 degrees when you're in the Midwest -- and just as the weather has turned warm, I have discovered this delicious soup recipe. It would be a complete shame if I was still living under the assumption that soup could not and should not be consumed unless is was cold. I would have to wait like a half of a year to continuously consume this wonderful concoction! What a waste.

If you have been living like I was, rest assured you can change! You can shamelessly enjoy soup any and every day that you wish. And don't you let anyone tell you otherwise. 

I wish I could claim fame for this recipe, but all the credit must go to one of my very favorite food blogs, A Couple Cooks. I can seriously always count on them to deliver a healthy and simple recipe that doesn't leave you feeling deprived. This one is going to be on regular rotation in our house (apartment?) and it was far too satisfying to not share. You could honestly eat it without pureeing it if you don't have a food processor or submersion blender. It's actually just as good that way! Oh and this is actually like super healthy - good thing you can make it all the time. 

SPINACH + LEEK SOUP

• 3 large leeks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 can white beans
• 6 to 8 cups spinach
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• Chives, for garnish

Chop off the dark green stems of 3 leeks and the bottom root, then slice them in half lengthwise. Place each leek half cut-side down on the cutting board, then chop it into thin slices, resulting in half-moon shapes, then rinse them thoroughly in a colander. Dice the potatoes.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and saute leeks 4 minutes until softened, then add the potatoes and saute for 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 ½ cups water, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and white beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes. In the last 2 minutes, stir in spinach, spices, and another 1 teaspoon salt. Heat until the spinach is wilted. Puree in a blender or using an immersion blender. If the soup is too thick, add a few more tablespoons of water until the desired consistency is achieved (this may also be necessary when reheating). Serve garnished with chopped chives.

via A Couple Cooks

To living without limits and eating soup whenever the heck we want!

p.s. That's an iphone photo because sometimes that is just what feels right. (...and what I had time for.) 

Roasted Broccoli + Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Simplicity. I could use a lot of words to describe my focus for this year, but I think that might be the best way to sum things up. At the start of 2016 Josiah and I decided we were tired of all of our stuff. We cleared out all the clutter in our apartment which amounted to four garbage bags full of clothes and another five garbage bags just full of things. Not everything we threw out would be considered "junk." In fact, a lot of it was good stuff. I probably would have made my thrifty grandmother shake her head. She believes in keeping everything, which for her totally works. She feels connection to the items she allows to live in her house, but for me, the things that were taking up space in our apartment were not making me happy. They honestly stressed me out. I believe 100% in William Morris' saying, " Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," and a lot of our stuff wasn't useful or pretty to us. It was just there. So we cleaned it out and oh the freedom that we have felt! 

That concept of simplifying has overflowed into nearly every facet of my life. When I go shopping now I don't feel as tempted to splurge on items unless I am truly confident they will stand the test of time. I absolutely love Target, but I had found myself falling into the cycle of buying an item, obsessing over it, getting sick of it, and then throwing it away (within like a two month time period.) There has been so much money wasted from our budget on the $1/$3 section because HELLOO IT'S ONLY $1 (....$30 later.)

I have gotten on board with the capsule wardrobe concept as well. It feels nice to feel like I am utilizing every single item I own instead of feeling guilty for holding onto that sweater that doesn't even fit anymore. Less is truly the new more. 

The blog has also seen some changes as a result of my new found love for minimalism. I've simplified the color scheme and am hoping to have future posts all be centered around this concept. First up, this insanely simple recipe to use as a side, a snack, or even a main course if you're cool with solely eating vegetables. This recipe seriously takes 15 minutes and calls for 5 ingredients. Recipes don't come much simpler than that. 

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ROASTED BROCCOLI + HONEY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE 

• Half of a head of broccoli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and then place on baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil onto the broccoli and then toss to fully coat the broccoli. Sprinkle the sea salt onto the broccoli. Place the broccoli in the oven for 10 minutes. While the broccoli is baking combine the honey and dijon mustard to form the dipping sauce. Remove the broccoli from the oven and enjoy. 

Have you ever contemplated clearing things out of your house and simplifying? Have you ever actually done it? Have any minimalist tricks/tips? Share your thoughts, I would love to hear them!