Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 min. 
Serves: 6

Ingredients: 
8 eggs, beaten
1 cup frozen spinach
2 cups cottage cheese (whole-fat)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs coconut oil or macadamia nut oil 
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 
1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish
2. Add the oil to a medium sauce pan on medium heat and saute the garlic for a min. or so. Then, add the onion and mushrooms and cook until tender. Set aside in a medium-large mixing bowl. 
3. In the same sauce pan, cook the spinach on medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Drain off any remaining liquid. 
4. Add in the spinach, eggs and cottage cheese to the onion, garlic and mushroom mixture and stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. 
6. Bake uncovered in the oven for 1 hour, or until the eggs are set. 

Chocolate

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-you-should-eat-and-drink-high-cacao-dark-chocolate/#axzz2vbjSANh1

http://journal.chemistrycentral.com/content/5/1/5

http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2014/march/the-precise-reason-for-the-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate-mystery-solved.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/18/290922850/chocolate-turns-into-heart-helpers-by-gut-bacteria

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79656224/

Beach Body Shortcuts

2011 Kaua'i: Mom & Kylie

It's that time of year again. The snow is melting, the weather is warming up and the days are longer. Spring is among us (sorry, Chicago) and by extension Summer is just around the corner. This means people are coming out of hibernation, shaking off the cobwebs and ramping up their workouts to achieve that beach body (or "poolside body", for all my fellow Texans nowhere near a decent body of water).

Social Media is buzzing more about workouts now than they were after New Year's Day. Gyms appear to be more crowded, and biking and running trails are packed with folks wanting to burn calories and enjoy the nicer climate. I'm in the same boat. I took a pseudo-hiatus and joined the hibernation of many after the Houston Marathon. But now the sun and fresh air have made me more motivated than ever to get back out there.

Some of the efforts of folks are valiant. Many I've seen have a strict diet and an even stricter workout regimen. And while I certainly applaud this effort, or any other effort to safely achieve better health, I want to bring up a few reminders.

Green Curry Chicken

Prep and Cook Time: 20 min.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, chopped
2/3 c frozen peas
1/3 onion, diced
1-2 c coconut milk
1 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 tbs thai green curry paste
1-2 tbs coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cauliflower fried rice 

Instructions: 
1. Heat oil in a heavy sauce pan, dice and add the onion.
2. Dice and add the bell pepper and peas. Stir and cook until the onion is soft and and translucent.
3. While the onion, bell pepper and peas are cooking, wash and chop the chicken breast into bite size pieces.
4. Add the chicken and thai curry paste. Stir until the chicken is almost cooked through.
5. Add the coconut milk (more or less depending on the consistency you would like - more if soupier, less if thicker). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3-5 min.
6. Serve over cauliflower fried rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Enjoy!

Weight as an Indicator of Health

Any time you read the testimonials of people who completed a diet, fitness program or some other health/lifestyle challenge, more often than not the first measurement of success cited is weight loss. Jessie and I have experienced this first-hand, as we've done several Whole30s. We often do these with a group of people, most of whom have touted their decreased weight. Almost everyone is quick to share their numbers. We're guilty, too. But "guilty" isn't even the right word here. There's nothing wrong with being happy about losing weight... 

...as long as it's in the right context.