What I Eat In a Day | Healthy Meal Ideas from a Dietitian

Ever wonder what a dietitian eats? Wonder no more! Here's everything I ate on a day in January. I hope this gives you inspiration for real food meals and a better idea of what meal time looks like in my house.

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KITCHEN GADGETS USED

Global 8" Chef's knife Global paring knife OXO salad spinner Cast iron skillet (13.25 inch)

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

3 Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipes | Easy + Simple

Valentine's Day is almost here and nothing says "I love you" like a homemade gift. Here are three delicious homemade chocolate recipes that are simple and easy to make: chocolate dipped figs, chocolate almond clusters, and heart-shaped peanut butter cups.

Chocolate Dipped Figs

Ingredients

2 ounces

chocolate chips, melted

12 dried figs

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet or small cutting board with parchment paper.
2. Holding the stem, dip a fig in the melted chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip off and place the fig firmly on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining figs.
3. Refrigerate the figs until the chocolate has hardened, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the figs from the baking sheet and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Almond Clusters

Ingredients

8 ounces chocolate chips, melted

1 cup raw almonds

Sea salt

Directions

1. Add almonds to melted chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
2. Spoon dollops of chocolate almond mixture onto a lined baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle clusters with sea salt.
4. Refrigerate until clusters have hardened, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove clusters from baking sheet and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Heart-Shaped Peanut Butter Cups

Note: Quantities vary depending on the mold you use. These are the quantities for my mold.

Ingredients

10 ounces chocolate chips, melted

1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Directions

1. Fill the heart-shaped molds about halfway with the melted chocolate.
2. Place the mold in the the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has solidified.
3. Spoon about a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each heart, being careful not to let it touch the edges of the mold.
4. Cover the peanut butter with the remaining melted chocolate and tap the mold on the counter a few times to even out the chocolate's surface.
5. Place the mold in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the peanut butter hearts have solidified.
6. Take the mold out the the freezer, carefully remove the peanut butter hearts from the mold, and enjoy or store in the refrigerator.

Get the mold I used for the this recipe here.

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Chili Recipe for the Super Bowl | Smoky and Delicious

A group chili recipe is a must have! Chili is such a warm and cozy food and the perfect thing to have on a cold day or bring to a party. Plus, this chili has a secret ingredient that makes it smoky and extra yummy!

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Smoky Chili Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cooking fat (pastured lard, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, etc.)

1 medium onion, diced

2 pounds grass-fed ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

(2) 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes

1.5 cups dry kidney beans, soaked and cooked (about 3 cups cooked beans)

1.5 cups dry black beans, soaked and cooked (about 3 cups cooked beans)

1 quart water or beef broth

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat cooking fat over medium heat.
2. Add onion to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add ground beef, garlic, spices, and salt and cook until beef is browned.
4. Add chipotle in adobo sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and water/broth to pot and stir to distribute ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Serve chili, with toppings if desired.

A Dietitian's New Year's Resolution

Lots of people set New Year's Resolutions and, in 2016, I'm one of them! The beginning of a new year is a great time to make changes because there's a natural push. The fresh feeling you get with the new year plus the fact that lots of other people are making changes too can give you an advantage when working on your new goal. Here's a little bit about what I'm working on this year and how it's been going so far.

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December Favorites 2015 | Healthy Food, Jewelry, Movies and More!

 

It's hard to believe that 2015 is over, but with the end of another year also comes my December Favorites! Here are some of the things I've been loving this past month, including healthy food, jewelry, movies, and TV!

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Simple Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe!

Hot chocolate is a must in the colder months, but most of the pre-packaged mixes have some not so great ingredients. Instead, why not make hot chocolate on your own with a few simple ingredients? It's super simple and you probably already have everything you need!

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Hot Chocolate

2 servings

Ingredients

2 cups milk (I use whole, grass-fed milk)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons cocoa powder or carob powder

Directions

1. Pour milk into a small sauce pot and heat over medium heat.
2. Once milk begins to steam, add maple syrup and mix with a whisk until incorporated. Repeat with cocoa powder.
3. Taste to adjust flavor if needed, and then pour into mugs and serve.

Enjoy the Holidays without Gaining Weight

With the holiday season comes lots of delicious food, but it can also mean weight gain. The good news is, with a few simple tips, you can still enjoy your favorite foods without gaining unwanted pounds. Here's my advice for enjoying the holidays without gaining weight.

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Healthy Cookbooks | Holiday Gift Guide

Healthy cookbooks can make great gifts for the healthy cook on your list, but there are a lot of them to choose from. Here are some of my favorite real food cookbooks, with options for the beginner and the intermediate/advanced real food cook.

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PRODUCTS MENTIONED (contains affiliate links)

100 Days of Real Food Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone Local Flavors Nourished Kitchen Home Grown Paleo Fermented Vegetables

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Healthy Kitchen Tools | Holiday Gift Guide

Finding the perfect holiday gift can be tricky, so I'm here to help! If you're shopping for a healthy cook or you yourself would like some healthy kitchen gadgets, here are my favorite picks.

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Don't forget to watch the other videos in the playlist for more gift ideas!

PRODUCTS MENTIONED (contains affiliate links)

Veggetti spiralizer Popsicle mold Ice cream maker Ice cream containers OXO salad spinner Aluminum tortilla press Cast iron tortilla press

Sarah Moran is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Why Eat Seasonally?

One aspect of healthy eating that a lot of people miss is eating seasonally. Eating seasonally means eating the foods that are in season in your local area. Following a seasonal pattern with your meals has several benefits, including better nutrition and more money in your pocket. Plus, it's the best way to not get bored with your meals.

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The Best Plants for Your Garden

Growing a garden can give you the most delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables around, but deciding what you want to plant can be hard. These are some of the things I think about when choosing the plants I want to grow in my garden. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]If you want to know more about what I'm growing in my garden this year, here's a full list. I've divided the plants into categories to make it a little easier to find what you're looking for.

Beans

• Provider (bush, snap)
• Rattlesnake Snap (pole, snap)
• Calypso (bush, dry)
• Good Mother Stallard (pole, dry)
• Turkey Craw (pole, snap or dry)

Beets

• Detroit Dark Red
• Chiggia
• Burpee's Golden

Broccoli

• De Cicco

Cauliflower

• Early Snowball

Cabbage

• Prize Choy
• Early Jersey Wakefield
• I also plan to grow some fall varieties, but I haven't selected those yet. I'll add them here once I do.

Carrots

• Dragon
• Paris Market
• St. Valery

Collards

• Vates

Corn

• Smoke Signals Popcorn

Cucumber

• Parade

Ground Cherry

• Aunt Molly's

Kale

• Lacinato
• Red Russian

Lettuce

• Bronze Arrowhead
• Crisp Mint
• Forellenschluss
• Green Oakleaf
• Mantilia
• Mizuna
• Red Velvet
• Sylvetta Arugula
• Tango
• Yugoslavian Red

Melon

• Boule D'Or
• Petit Gris de Rennes

Peas

• Amish Snap
• Champion of England (shell)

Peppers

• Aji Crystal (hot)
• Bull Nose Bell (Sweet)
• Chocolate Beauty (Sweet)
• Jimmy Nardello's (Sweet)
• Martin's Carrot (hot)
• Mustard Habanero (hot)
• Thai Hot (...hot :D)

Radish

• Cincinnati Market
• Early Scarlet Globe
• Watermelon

Summer Squash

• Black Beauty Zucchini
• Summer Crookneck

Swiss Chard

• Five Color Silverbeet (Rainbow Chard)

Tomatillo

• Green
• Purple

Tomato (Cherry)

• Black Cherry
• Blondkopfchen
• Green Grape
• Mexico Midget

Tomato (Large)

• Aunt Ruby's German Green
• Gold Medal
• Italian Heirloom
• Jaune Flamme
• Kellogg's Breakfast
• Paul Robeson

Turnip

• Purple Top White

Watermelon

• Blacktail Mountain
• Orangeglo

Winter Squash

• Marina di Chioggia
• Thelma Sanders
• Winter Luxury Pumpkin

Herbs

• Basil, Genovese
• Basil, Thai
• Borage
• Catnip
• Chives
• Garlic Chives
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Feverfew
• English Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Lovage
• Greek Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Spearmint
• Thyme

Flowers

• Beary's Giant Zinnia
• Blue Boy Bachelor's Buttons
• Butterfly Weed
• Calendula mixture
• Lupine
• Globe Amaranth
• Titan Sunflower (edible seeds)

February Favorites 2015 | Real Food, Gardening, Playlist Live, & More!

February was a busy month and I've got quite a few favorites to show for it! As always, I'm sharing some exciting real food stuff, plus, this month, I'm also talking about my trip to Playlist Live/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Buying Half a Hog

Garden Planning Tips and Resources

My vlog channel with the hubs and kitties

What I Ate #1 | Healthy Dinner Ideas

Ever wonder what a dietitian eats? Here's a peak at some of my dinners from the past month. From the simple to the more complicated and the delicious to the straight up awful, it's all here. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

January Favorites 2015 | Real Food, Kitchen Gadgets, and More!

January is coming to an end and that means it's time to talk about my favorite things from the past month! This month I'm sharing a real food recipe, some kitchen tools that are making my life much easier, my favorite gardening resource, and something a little out of the ordinary for me. :D [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]Tortilla Press (not the exact one I have)

Tea Stand

Seed Savers Exchange Catalog

Walking Dead Video Game

Garden Planning: Tips and Resources

The best way to have a successful garden is to have a plan! Here are some tips for what to think about when planning your garden, as well as my favorite place to get heirloom and organic seeds and a garden planner that takes out a lot of the guesswork. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Seed Savers Exchange

SEE Garden Planner

Learn about the SEE Garden Planner

What I Got For Christmas 2014 | Food and Cooking

If you're anything like me, you probably got a few gift cards or cash gifts over the holidays. I thought, if you need ideas for what to buy, it might be helpful to see the food and cooking related gifts I got for Christmas this year. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Holiday DIY Projects + Winter Squash Guide | Real Food Round-Up

Holiday food DIYs are the best! Today we're talking citrus ornaments and herbed garlic salt. Plus, a guide on winter squash. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Dried citrus ornaments

Homemade herbed garlic salt

Winter squash guide

8 Healthier Holiday Cookies | Real Food, No Junk

Holiday cookies aren't the healthiest thing ever, but you can make them way better by simply using whole, real ingredients and skipping the processed junk. Here are 8 real food cookie recipes that have all of the yummy cookie goodness you want, without all of the chemicals.

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Unrefined Sweeteners

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes from A Couple Cooks
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies from Weed Em and Reap
• Real Food Chocolate Chip Cookies from Weed Em and Reap
• Cinnamon Molasses Cookies from Nourished Kitchen
• Almond Biscotti and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from At My Kitchen Table

White Sugar

• Whole Wheat Christmas Cookies from 100 Days of Real Food
• Whole Wheat Chocolate Peppermint Cookies from 100 Days of Real Food
• Almond Linzer Cookies from Eating Well

Coke Selling Milk?!?

Coke has announced a new product in it's lineup: milk. This new milk, called Fairlife, is filtered to have more protein, more calcium, and less sugar. But is it really necessary? [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

How to seed a pomegranate

Garden Keeper's Pie

Real Food Holiday Gift Guide

If you're buying gifts for a real food beginner or are one yourself, here are some ideas to add to your list! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Polder meat thermometer

100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

Local Flavors Cookbook