Got the sniffles? Sore throat got you down?

Check out my post on the Spark! blog for the top three supplements you can take to prevent illness this flu season.

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You guys, it’s finally fall! I’ve been crazy busy for the past two months, so it seems like only yesterday that it was hot and humid out! My diet is still in the summer too, so I’ve been doing a fall revamp so the foods I eat align with the colder weather (so not craving salads anymore!). I’m starting with breakfast — on a cold winter day, I definitely want something hearty to keep me going!

Below are two new additions to my cold weather line up:

• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal - I love oatmeal, but it aggravates my gluten sensitivity and, honestly, I find it to be very heavy. Enter Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal! It’s filling but doesn’t weigh me down in the morning and it’s full of whole grains (specifically, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, and sorghum). The texture is sort of like cream of wheat, but a bit thicker. I make mine with some flaxseed, agave nectar and–on those days I know lunch may be postponed for a while–a dollop of peanut butter.

• Purely Elizabeth Pancake Mix — I needed to slow down, so last weekend I decided to take Saturday and Sunday off.  After leisurely laying in bed for most of the morning, the only thing that got me up was the prospect of trying this whole grain (and gluten-free) pancake mix that Elizabeth kindly sent me back in September. They were so good! They reminded me of buckwheat pancakes that I’ve had in the Midwest–a little thinner than traditional pancakes with a pleasant, nutty taste. I had them with organic, local butter and agave nectar. The perfect way to treat myself on a cold winter morning.

…and, even though I’ve been busy, I’ve still been cooking! I’ve recently made Cashew Chicken (substituted agave for honey and added broccoli and snow peas) and my all-time favorite Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup. Both were excellent and perfect for lunchtime leftovers. I froze a few portions of the soup for those winter days ahead…

Need to bliss out but can’t afford a visit to the spa? Check out the Spark! blog for tips from Veronica on how to get a genuine spa experience all in the comfort of your own home.

Are you stressed out all day but can’t seem to get enough sleep? Are you more tired in the morning than when you went to bed the night before?

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Who’s excited for fall?! It’s my favorite season, especially in New York City with its brightly coloured trees and crisp air.

Last night was day light savings — time to fall back. I use the time change every year as a reminder to myself to change the way I eat to match the seasons. It’s so easy to get into a food rut towards the end of a season, so always good to have a trigger to change it up. I was still living on salads and light proteins, so decided to transition into a more hearty, rooted diet.

Enter my stuff squash project.

I ordered a dumpling squash from Fresh Direct. I had originally wanted an acorn squash, but they were out so I decided to experiment. I then created a mushroom-tempeh stuffing reminiscent of Thanksgiving and sprinked it all with a bit of Roquefort cheese. Served with braised collard greens, it was the perfect mid-fall meal. Winter squashes are sweet vegetables–which make them good for sweet cravings (which I’ve been having)–and they’re also very grounding, which we all need this time of year.

I totally improvised this recipe as I went along, so feel free to experiment!

STUFFED WINTER SQUASH

1 winter squash of your choice
2 c mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
6 oz tempeh (half a block), cut into 1/4-1/2 in cubes
olive oil
salt and pepper
dried rosemary
1/4 c white wine (optional
1/8 c Roquefort cheese (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 345 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove any seeds. Rub lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake cut side down for 40-45 minutes. (This will vary on the size and type of your squash–Keep checking it to see when the flesh is very tender).

While this is baking, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, if desired, and cook down for approx. 3 more minutes. Add a bit of salt, pepper, and dried rosemary and cook 1 more minute. Put into bowl and set aside.

Add more olive oil to pan and saute tempeh until crispy and browned. (The smaller the pieces, the crispier they’ll get).

Once squash is very tender, remove from oven, add stuffing to the middle and serve immediately. Sprinkle the roquefort cheese if desired.

Serves at least 2, depending on the type of squash. This stuffing will be a generous serving for 2 people.

Check out my post on the Spark! blog about all the benefits of tahini… yum!

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It’s my first week of a new job, so I decided to make some muffins for my new colleagues. Since I had such a good experience with Pure Elizabeth’s Ultimate Cacao Muffin mix last week, I decided to give their Apple Spice Muffin mix a try.

Recap: Purely Elizabeth is a new company created by fellow holistic health counselor Elizabeth Stein. Their mixes are gluten, wheat, dairy, and sugar-free—which is like heaven for me. Instead of all that bad stuff, instead it’s chock full of whole grains, fiber, and superfoods like chia and hemp seeds. To seal the deal, they donate 2% of their profits to one of three non-profits dedicated to creating a healthy global population and planet. They kindly sent me three of their mixes to try out.

I’m a lazy, but also discriminating, baker. I don’t keep a lot of baking ingredients around the house, so it’s perfect for me to use a mix when the baking bug bites me. For the Apple Spice muffins, I added to add one egg, vanilla, olive oil, and maple syrup. (Which I actually didn’t have on hand, so I swapped in agave nectar). I also added one apple, dieced, which is SO much better than using dehydrated fruit like other mixes. 20 minutes later, I had a dozen beautiful muffins ready to be enjoyed!

I could tell these muffins would be delicious as soon as I opened the bag. Instantly the smell of cinnamon and spices hit me. As previously noted, I’m a major fan of eating uncooked batter. (I often prefer it to the final result, in fact). But gluten-free batters are usually AWFUL. Surpsisingly, this batter was actually _good_. Actually, I wish it hadn’t been _so_ delicious because I ate about a muffin’s worth while waiting for the oven to pre-heat! The muffins themselves were also good, full of soft bits of apple and definitely appropriate for the cold weather we’re having.

So, once again, I was pleasantly surprised by this mix. These muffins were more moist than the Ultimate Cacao muffins, perhaps because of the apples The only complaint I have is that they were a tad bit crumbly—I’m not sure if they’ll actually make it into work intact

I can’t wait to try the pancake mix, but am definitely saving that for a special occasion.

Check out the Spark! Wellness blog to find out the one supplement you really need!