Celebrating Black History Month

Happy Monday!

It's a cold one here in Nashville today. Our city is shut down due to an ongoing ice storm that has been taking place over the last few days. All I have been doing is cooking, eating, and eating some more.

As I've been storing up for winter and preparing for hibernation, I can't help but crave warm, comforting meals. As much as I love to cook and eat at home, there are just some items I can not replicate, no matter how hard I try. 

Every now and then, I get an extreme craving for collard greens, black-eyed peas, and classic cornbread, aka soul food. Trust me, I've tried to recreate these marvelous masterpieces, but I just can't get it right. With it being Black History month, I feel it is incredibly important to support black-owned businesses. Some of my favorite spots in Nashville are Gojo, The Southern V, and Vege-Licious. 

What are some of your favorite comfort foods you just can't live without? What are some of your favorite black-owned restaurants in your area? If you're not sure and like to learn a little bit more, check out the link below to see what black-owned restaurants are near you.

Black-Owned Businesses Near You

Soup-er Bowl Monday

 Happy Monday, everyone!

I don't know about all of you, but I'm feeling exhausted this week. Last week was my birthday, so I felt like I've been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off... who also happened to drink too much. Not to mention, this weekend was the Super Bowl, which always tends to leave us all struggling on Monday. 

Here in Nashville, it's been gloomy almost every single day. As much as I love the sunshine, I'm not hating that it's the perfect excuse to lay around the house and consume my favorite food of all time- SOUP.

If you know me, you know about my love for soup. I grew up eating soup on a regular basis, and have carried that habit into my adult life. On any given day of the week, you can probably find me curled up on the couch, consuming a giant bowl of soup in my pajamas whilst watching Schitt's Creek. 

With it being my birthday last week, I happened to eat a disgusting amount of takeout for pretty much every single meal for several days in a row. What can I say? Everyone knows food is my love language, so it's usually the best gift for me to receive.

However, behind the large gluten-free cake in my fridge and multiple to-go boxes, there are a vast amount of sad fruits and veggies begging to me used before they take their last breath. If you know anything about me, YOU KNOW I LOATHE WASTE ENTIRELY. So today, I decided to detox from my birthday meals and make a "Lentil Quinoa Vegetable Soup." Not only is this soup packed with protein from the beans, quinoa, and lentils, but it is filled with anti-inflammatory ingredients. One specific ingredient in this soup is turmeric, a spice that helps with digestion and boosts the immune system (Fox 2 Now). If you are anything like me and start to feel a bit yucky when you over-indulge, this is the perfect recipe for you.

One important tip for making soup is to utilize what you have. Normally, I'm not a big bell-pepper in soup kinda gal, but I am a no-waste lady. With that being said, chop that shizz up and throw it in there.

Lentil Quinoa Vegetable Soup

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

2 stalks celery, sliced 

1 bell pepper (optional)

1 parsnip (optional)

3 cloves garlic, minced (I tend to add additional garlic because who doesn't love garlic?)

1 medium zucchini or summer squash, chopped into 1/2" pieces 

1 tomato (I use roma, beefsteak, or vine-ripe)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinse

1 tbsp. tomato paste

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 lemon, juiced (no seeds)

Handfuls of spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Red pepper flakes (optional)

_______________________________________________________________________________

1. Heat up large pot with olive oil. Add diced onion and garlic, sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until translucent.

2. Add celery, carrots, parsnips, bell pepper, zucchini, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add tomato, quinoa, lentils, spices. Cook another 2 minutes.

4. Pour in broth, water, and half of the juice from the lemon. Stir and let cook over low-medium heat for about 25 minutes.

5. Add in spinach, beans, and remainder of juice from lemon. Let cook for 5 more minutes.

6. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional) and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

https://fox2now.com/news/turmeric-for-good-health-this-spice-may-be-more-than-an-ingredient/

How to Make Some (Realistic) Changes Without Beating Yourself Up

 Happy Monday, everyone!

There is nothing like the start of a new month, especially when that month starts in a year that is not 2020. I've always loved the start of new years, months, and days because I feel as if it is an opportunity to start fresh and consider how I can be better in some way, shape, or form. Every day, I try to think about what more I could be doing for myself and others, even if I'm taking baby steps.

With so many self-help blogs, books, tips, it's hard to know what we actually need to do in order to better ourselves. Sometimes we are so bombarded with information that any advice seems daunting and overwhelming. I've found that at times, I'm pulled in so many different directions as far as what I should do with my life that I don't even know where to begin, which then leads me to not begin at all.

Although this is predominately a food blog, I firmly believe that all elements of health are crucial, whether that be physical, mental, or emotional health. I feel that all of the subcategories of health tie in together, and that we should slowly focus on building all avenues of our health up in order to become the best versions of ourselves. With so much to concentrate on, it's hard to know where or when to begin. The short answer is, there is always a new time or opportunity to start. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that we can always begin again. If we fail, we get up and try again. Every day is a new chance to be gentle, yet encouraging to ourselves and others. I've discovered that starting with simple, attainable goals has helped me to not feel overstimulated and discouraged by advice. Although I am not an expert in the field of health, I do find these steps have worked well for me. 

1) Listen. To. Yourself. There are truly a million-and-one people out there giving you advice (myself included) on what to do for yourself, but ultimately, no one knows yourself like you do. You know deep-down where you need to start and how. Sit with yourself for a moment and concentrate on an area that you'd like to seek improvement, and usually the answer will come to you if you're not already sure.

2) Start small. One problem that I have with today's world is the message to "grind." Nowadays, you hear expressions such as, "Rise and Grind," or "I grind while you're sleeping." I despise these messages with a deep, fiery passion. Although I obviously feel it is important to work hard to obtain your goals in life, I hate this "I'll-sleep-when-I'm-dead" mentality. I personally think it's dangerous and belittles the importance of self-care and rest. The pressure to achieve immediately through blood, sweat, and tears discourages people before they even begin. Start with small, attainable goals for yourself and go from there.

3) Hold yourself accountable. I've found it to be very helpful to do daily/weekly check-ins with myself and my friends. Usually, I'll tell my closest friends about my goals in order to have an accountability partner. I've specifically asked some of my friends to check in with me to confirm that I've been doing my best to achieve my goals. Physically writing stuff down is also a helpful way to check-in with yourself and track your progress. Make sure that you're scheduling time to work on your goals during your free time and not during your busiest hours. If you work a 9-5 job, consider whether you should take time before or after work to concentrate on your goal. If you're prone to distractions post-work and find yourself to be a morning person like myself, start your day off right and knock out your goal first thing in the A.M. If you're a night owl, use that to your advantage and plan to focus on your goal during the later hours.

4) Don't be discouraged if you have an off-day. In the past, I would kick myself whenever I would take a day off from working on my goal. I thought that whenever I took a day off it meant that I would lose my routine and get off track. More recently, I'm finding the balance between taking time to rest and recharge and work at my goal. I've discovered that in order to perform at your best, you also have to take time to heal and take care of your mind and body. I've become much more productive when I allow myself to have a day to "turn off" and watch trash tv. Find a good balance for yourself and stick to it.

Personally, I've found these tips to be the most helpful for me. Giving myself grace while also celebrating my small victories has really been the most beneficial way for me to accomplish my goals. 

What are some of your goals this year? What do you feel like is most helpful when achieving goals? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Just remember, this is a new year, a new month, and a new time to continue (or start) to work on yourself.

Eat Your Colors

Happiest Monday!

Just a reminder that every day is a new opportunity to change your life, whether that be your diet, your habits, or your mindset. One of my goals for this new year is to generate less waste. As someone that considers going to the grocery store a fun outing, I regularly over-purchase. I will admit that I tend to go overboard on my produce, forgetting about some fruits and vegetables tucked away that are left to perish. I've made it a priority of mine to raid my fridge on a daily basis and make recipes out of items that are almost at the end of their life. 

Pictured here is the start to a vegetable soup that I'm making. You may not believe it, but almost every part of a vegetable is useful when making a soup. About to throw out the chopped ends of a carrot? No way! Freeze ends and scraps of a vegetable to use for a vegetable broth. My freezer is stocked with bags of frozen scraps that I use weekly to make broth.

Get creative, save some money, and eat your colors, people. 

A little bit about "The Girl Who Loves Her Greens"

 Hi everyone!

 

This is my first official blog post and I could not be more excited! Secretly, I've always wanted to have a blog but felt intimidated by the trillion other more grammatically- correct bloggers than myself. Being in a course that encourages (and requires) me to blog will really give me a taste of the blogger lifestyle that I've always admired.

To give you a little info on myself, I am a 25-year old girl from Detroit who has lived in Nashville for the past six years. Nashville is one of my favorite places on Earth, as it has the feel of a small town, yet has so much to offer within every neighborhood. I love the greenery that is met by the charming "hustle-bustle" of a big city. To live in Nashville is truly a dream.

For several years, I had worked in my lovely city as an Assistant Manager of Retail and Marketing for a local hospitality group. I loved my role, but found it to be a bit too much to keep up with when I decided to return back to school to finish my degree. Over that time, I had learned a plethora of knowledge on social media, consumerism, and how to appeal to the masses. Although I am eternally grateful for that opportunity, I realized that was not my calling. 

Fast forward to 2021, I am wrapping up my final semester in order to obtain my degree in Community Development. Although I am extremely passionate about being a part of a community and building a setting to its upmost potential, I have always cared deeper for another facet of my life- my health and the health of others. 

I've realized that over the years, I've become an evangelist of fruits and vegetables. I believe that a healthy diet is the answer to so many physical and mental issues that many people face. Eating well-balanced meals can have such a drastic impact on one's life and can lead to longevity.

For years, I had migraines, issues with bloating and acne, and reoccurring rashes on my skin. After years of doctors appointments, MRI's and lots of tears, I discovered the magic of changing my diet. Once I gave up gluten and became vegetarian, my life immediately changed for the better. All of my discomfort was gone within a month, and my skin cleared up rapidly. 

Nutrition and cooking are some of my favorite things, and I want to share how making simple changes can truly alter your life. As someone who still loves their (gluten-free) bread, I know how hard it can be to change your diet. However, I am someone who fully believes in the importance of a healthy relationship with food. 

Follow along to get weekly knowledge on a healthy lifestyle. I will post tips and healthy recipes for those who are interested!

Thanks for tuning in,

Mary