Why, yes.

A good rule of thumb, wouldn't you say?

Sarah

Chili Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

In true October fashion, I roasted pumpkin seeds this weekend. This was my first go at roasting seeds and it was a thrill. This was one of the easiest snacks I have ever made, and everyone loved them. The time in the kitchen was less than 10 minutes!

What you need:

• 2 cups raw pepitas (this is just the pumpkin seed after shelling)
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt

What to do:

Spread the pepitas evenly in a dry griddle over medium heat. Once the pepitas start making a popping sounds stir them around and wait for the sound again. Roast for 30 more seconds and remove from heat. Pour the seeds into bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir. Place the bowl in the fridge until the seeds have cooled. Transfer the seeds to a sealed glass jar and start snacking!

This snack recipe is vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free! Chili powder is high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. Enjoy!

Cooking Diary:

Purchased 2 cups of pepitas and a glass jar.

Spread the pepitas over griddle and started roasting. Mixing bowl ready.

Caroline got spooked by the popping seeds and took cover in Chris's arms.

Mixed the roasted seeds with chili powder, salt and oil. Cooled in fridge.


Transferred seeds to jar to store.

Enjoyed my new snack and a cup of tea on the porch!

Katie

Food Movement Friday

Image courtesy of Chris Madden Cartoons.

An interesting Friday read:

It's Time for Food Reformers to Step Down From Their Pedestals

Happy Friday!

Sarah

Sweet Potato Chili

I absolutely love chili. And all variations of it, too. All meat, no meat, with beans, without beans, it doesn't matter. Every version I've ever tried has been delicious.

At the first signs of Fall, I always plan my first pot of chili. This year, I decided to add a sweet potato to the pot... and it turned out amazing.

Sweet Potato Chili

1 lb ground turkey

1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound)

2 bell peppers (I used green, but any variation will do the trick)

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

4 stalks of celery

1 can cannellini beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can chopped green chilies

1 pack of McCormick's Low Sodium Chili Seasoning

1 bay leaf

2 cups of low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1/2 tbsp flour

s & p

cayenne pepper (optional)

hot sauce (optional)

What to do:

Slice potato into 3 equal pieces and place into a pot filled with water. Boil until potato is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove potato from pot and set aside to cool.

In a large pot, heat 3-4 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. Add ground turkey and cook until meat is cooked all the way through. If you like your chili spicy, add in a few shakes of hot sauce and 1 tsp cayenne pepper.

Drain and rinse cannellini beans and green chilies, then add to the pot. Drain tomatoes and add to mixture. Pour spice packet on top and stir to combine. Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of flour over the chili and mix to combine, then add 2 cups of chicken broth, sweet potato and bay leaf. Stir and let simmer with lid tilted over low heat for 1 hour.

Top with sour cream, green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Serve with these corn bread muffins. (Who can eat chili without cornbread anyway?)

Ah, autumn. We love you so.

Sarah

Carrots

In an earlier post, I briefly touched on the correlation between what we eat and the health of our skin. The other day, I read an interesting article on Gwyneth Paltrow's blog GOOP . She interviews Dr. Perricone, a professional on this subject, and it’s packed with great information about how foods affect our skin.

The one food I think Dr. Perricone left out is carrots. We have heard that carrots are good for our eyes, but they are also extremely beneficial to our skin. I can speak to this first hand. I was having issues with brown spots on my face for a while. I tried everything to make them go away. Laser removal, topicals, and expensive daily regimens. I was using very abrasive techniques and chemicals I couldn’t pronounce. My entire face was shedding a layer of skin when it hit me, “maybe this isn’t healthy”. Finally, I got so exhausted by my fruitless efforts that I turned to natural remedies. I threw all my expensive lotions and washes out. I turned to carrots, an organic lemon face wash, and coconut oil moisturizer. I started drinking carrot juice and consuming more green tea, both very high in antioxidants. It wasn’t overnight but my brown spots vanished and the whites of my eyes got whiter. It’s been almost a year since I turned to carrots and it is the only technique that has delivered lasting results.

Ways to start sneaking more carrots into your diet:

• Carrot juice
• Shredded carrots on salads
• Add carrots to soups and stews
• Add diced carrots to rice
• Eat more stir fry
• Always use them in steamed veggie medleys
• Baby carrots for dips (especially hummus)

Carrots are also great for improving elasticity in skin and reducing breakouts. I have read that carrot juice can be used as a topical for acne but I have not tried this myself. Read the article on GOOP for some great information on other skin healthy foods. Also, I highly recommend trying the Salmon and asparagus recipe at the bottom of the article. I have never cooked salmon before because it intimidated me. But I followed the recipe this week for friends and family and they were extremely impressed.

Katie