RECIPES: What the Happy Nurse & I Have Been Eating: Enchiladas, Spinach & Artichoke Pie, Carrot Cashew Salad & MORE!!!

Well it been surprisingly harder than I thought to get back into the routine of blogging!  For the past few months I've been commuting 3-5 hours round trip daily to work at a special hospital and between baby preparations, work, studying and driving--well, lets just say it has been very hectic.  Blogging on a consistent routine was challenging pre-pregnancy but not nearly as complicated as it is now!  Anyways, I'll just do the best I can!  

Today, I'd like to share some of the foods the Happy Nurse and I have been eating over the last few weeks.  In early August we decided to get some help with cooking from a friend who does personal chef work. Our friend, the chef, cooked some awesome meals for us.  Her rates were really reasonable for the two weeks we got help and even though its several weeks later, we still have some yummy leftovers in the freezer from her efforts.

Having yummy vegan meals on hand was just the boost we needed for me to become energized about returning to the kitchen again!  So now I'm doing a little bit of cooking each week--nothing near the bulk cooking that my husband and I did pre-pregnancy (I just don't have 4 hours in a row to team cook--WAY too much to do turning our home into a kid-friendly space when I get a block of time off!) and I'll share some of the dishes I'm making myself in a later post.

For now, here are some of the dishes our chef friend made for us--she made her own lentil chili (amazzzing--I'll need to ask if she is willing to guest post on that recipe!) and her own Indonesian salad for us, but the rest were from vegan blogger's recipes I'd been wanting to try but never had the chance...until now.  YUM!!!!  Here is what we ate:  

HGK Enchiladas!

1)  Healthy Girl's Kitchen's Mushroom, Kale & Spinach Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Cream.  

The Healthy Librarian raved about this dish and already being a huge fan of Wendy (HGK), it was the first recipe I asked our friend to make.  OMG--SOOOOO good!  A fantastic mix of flavors and the Poblano Cream just totally made it outstanding.

2)  Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's Cashew Carrot Salad:

Ok let me just say that my husband ADORED this dish.  He picked it off Susan Voisin's site and wanted it made both weeks we got help. I loved it too!  Sweet but not too sweet.  Made without sugar--this is a seriously good carrot salad and if you have a sweet tooth (as I have this entire pregnancy) then you will LOVE it!  

3)  Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's International Quinoa Salad:  

Once again, another pick from the Happy Nurse.  SO good.  The lime juice is such a great combo with the quinoa and chickpeas.  I completely agree with Susan Voisin--you don't miss the olive oil AT ALL!  Packed with protein--definitely an awesome meal for a person growing a human being!  :-)

4)  My New Roots Winter Slaw

Ok so obviously I'm a huge fan of this salad!  I've blogged about it many many times in the past (here for example)--there is just something awesome about shredded raw kale and carrots.  Talk about dense nutrients--adding the cabbage and the sesame seeds and its a nutritional home run.  YUM!  

5)  Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's Spinach & Artichoke Pie

I've been wanting to try this for ages because Susan Voisin raves about this recipe (along with her blog readers) but was a bit intimidated with the phyllo dough part.  I didn't make it myself of course, but it didn't sound as if it was crazy complicated to make and the finished product was AMAZING!  It is incredible how it can have only 5g of fat and still pack in 11g of protein per serving while tasting SO high in fat!  I absolutely LOVE Greek food--Skanakopita is a long time favorite that I haven't had in years since I gave up cheese.  This pie is just like I remember Skanakopita tasting except it is SO much healthier!!!  Phenomenal.

I love the way I feel physically when I eat vegan--my body just feels so clean and well fueled.  Like its happy I gave it the gift of good nutrition.  

In the coming weeks I'm going to try to make one pot of soup per week to have on hand.  Do you have any soups to recommend??!!!

Thanks! :-)

MONDAY MEDITATIONS FOR HEALING: A Commitment to Self for Caregivers

Good Morning!  Here is today's meditation to inspire your spirit to self-healing this week! 

Have a WONDERFUL week!

Today's Quote

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
~Abraham Lincoln

A Commitment to Self for Caregivers 

(whether you are a healthcare provider or a family member caring for a loved one):

Life is hectic.  Its easy to dwell on what is missing or what isn't what we would like.  But every moment we have a choice.  We can choose to find joy.

This week, I will commit to sharing joy with others.  I will try to smile more.  I will try to look for the good.  

I will choose to find joy in small things. 

 I will make up my mind to be happy.