Walnut and avocado fettuccine

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. When a friend told me she was doing a fast through her church that calls for avoiding meat, poultry, fish, dairy, caffeine, yeast, sugar and things with preservatives, I was very interested in whatever recipes she tried. She shared this very simple Avocado and Walnut Fettucini that was so delicious that I had it for lunch and dinner last night.

The original recipe calls for:

12 oz. whole wheat pasta

4 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 c lemon juice

10 sun dried tomatoes

1 cup chopped green peppers

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 diced avocados

Boil pasta according to directions. I found a great brand at Meijer that cooks up in just four minutes called Al Dente Pasta Co.'s Whole Wheat Blend Plus Flax Roasted Garlic Fettuccine.

While pasta is boiling, whisk oil, lemon and garlic together and add to a large serving bowl. Add remaining ingredients, then add pasta and toss well. That's it!

For the bowl pictured above, I omitted the green peppers because I didn't have any.

Caramel apple wrap recipe

My kids were famished after helping me clean the house, so I pulled something together I call the Caramel Apple Wrap. All of the ingredients (except for one) are healthy and combined make a very yummy snack for kids.

Take a whole grain wrap and spread with 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter (make your own, learn how to here!). Add 1/2 of a sliced apple and sprinkle with 10 or so chocolate chips. Then wrap and sprinkle with cinnamon.

My kids downed these within 15 minutes, and said that they were "Deee-licious!

How a raw food diet changed my eating habits in 14 days

On Jan. 16 I began a 14-Day Raw Food Challenge that was created by a husband/wife team that I freelance for. Week 1 consisted of blended soups and smoothies and week 2 consisted of adding a raw chewable meal for dinner. I didn't make it through all the recipes and I did cheat here and there, but I learned a lot about hunger and mindless eating. I used to think I was hungry all the time, so I'd find myself mindlessly eating all the time, mostly on processed foods (from the health food store, of course!). Once I started fueling my body with the nutrients it needed, I noticed that my hunger regulated itself and I didn't mindlessly eat. I lost a couple of pounds (that are still gone!) and I feel healthy and light.

I look at food in a different light now, including what I feed my kids. They need to eat more vegetables, so I try and make meals appealing with a lot of variety. For dinner the other night, I wanted them to have a spinach salad, so I pulled one together using organic croutons, strawberries and blueberries, some shredded cabbage and some parmesan cheese. I used a bit of ranch dressing and the kids ate it up! No, it wasn't raw, but both kids happily gobbled up a cup of spinach and a half a cup of cabbage in one sitting. That is success to me!