A Heath Fair and Caramel Apples

I'm having a hard time knowing how to start and what to write today...........I have a lot on my mind. I lost a friend yesterday from a terrible car accident. It really makes you think about your life and how you are living it. My life at home is wonderful. I have the greatest husband a girl could ask for, and 2 beautiful children.

Work, however, is a different story altogether! I hate my job - I work at a retail store in the bakery. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the actual work that I do, but I hate the people that I work for. They think nothing of treating you with as little respect as possible because, to them, all you are is a disposable number.
This is me, trying to talk to managment..........

I have had people in the past ask me if I'm going to try to move up in the company....I refer to this quote........."I honestly believe that it is better to be a failure at something you love rather than a success at something you hate." George Burns. I do not want to spend a minute more of my life doing something that I hate! You never know how short your life will be!

So that being said, I did something that I love the other day :) I cooked up some delicious, healthy food for the Health Fair at the retirement community where my hubby works. I used the fresh veggies from the farmer's market that set up a stand outside the building and had the recipe printed out for everybody to take so they can make it at home. This was the recipe that I cooked up - Ratatouille Pasta. It was a hit! I had many compliments and questions about my cooking and healthy eating. (I even had some people ask me if I'm a chef :)

 A picture of me that I actually like...........

You can't read it but my apron says "Come to the dark side, we have cookies. -V"  :)

Cutting up the garlic cloves..........my hands still smell like garlic.....I did make spaghetti yesterday though....

The finished product :) smelled so good!

The bowls are almost gone!

It was a great day! Afterwards, I went grocery shopping at a new store that my good friend Jake told me about. Its a marketplace that sells probably 70-80% organic/Michigan made food! It's AMAZING! Their veggies and fruit were all Michigan grown and great looking, they had a lot of different fruits and veggies that I've never been able to find anywhere else (I bought Anise.....soooo excited to cook it up!) They also have fresh meats (including fresh ground turkey YAY!), fresh salads (including hummus), Amish made butter, organic canned foods, like crushed tomatoes :), and what I was the most excited over, fresh local milk in a glass bottle! It was, admittedly a little bit more pricey than the conventional milk - but it's worth it. It was delicious and much healthier! 

Our grocery bill has gone up a little bit, but it's just a matter of prioritizing what you spend your money on. I, personally, would rather spend a little bit more money on food that is healthy and good for you, rather than spend less money on food that is laden with chemicals and hormones that are not meant to be in our bodies. My whole family is healthier, for instance, my hubby has lost 50lbs just by eating healthy and his mild IBS is virtually non-existent now. So, actually, we are probably saving money on health bills that we would have gotten later on in life! 

So the perfect ending to this day goes like this............

1. Take a can of sweetened condensed milk

2. Peel the label off and put in a pot filled with water

3. Simmer for about 3 hours - DON'T forget to keep adding water! (I forgot about it once.......it wasn't pretty....) While you are waiting, light a few pumpkin spice candles......hmmmmm soooo good! I'm sooo in the mood for fall!! And if you aren't now, you will be with the candles and apples with caramel :)

4. After about 3 hours take it out of pot and let it cool down. I usually put it in the fridge and leave it overnight. DO NOT open it right away! It will be pressurized and it will hurt you!

5. After it is cooled down, open and this is what you will see.........

6. Slice up some apples and enjoy! (If you want to go overboard a little bit, heat up some apple cider to go along with it......that's what I did :) It also wouldn't hurt to cuddle up with your sweetie on the couch with a blanket and a good movie :)

And here is a thought to leave you with...........

Personally, I would open up a healthy, organic bakery/cafe

My First Post!

Ok, so here it goes! I'm so excited to do my first blog post! I have been wanting to do a blog for quite a while now and I always had a variety of things stopping me, like I needed a good camera (which I got for my birthday! I LOVE it!), also I am just plain scared that people will look at me and think that it is ridiculous that I am doing my very own blog. I have decided to step past that and not care what everybody else thinks - it simply doesn't matter! I am doing this for myself, for accountability, and for anyone else who is interested along the way.

So, I went to the farmer's market the other day to pick up our veggies and fruit for the next couple of weeks. I love going grocery shopping! I go by myself - it's so much fun seeing what veggies and fruits they have for the day - there is always something different! I used to plan my meals then go grocery shopping with a big list - but now I go shopping first (at least at the farmer's market) then plan my meals around the fresh veggies and fruits. I will be so sad when winter comes and they are closed :( no more fresh produce! It's amazing what the difference in taste and texture is compared to supermarket produce! I used a melody of the fresh veggies for the pasta below - it is sooo customizable! You can use pretty much any fresh veggie you have on-hand and it will be just as good! You can also add meat to it if that's your thing - chicken, sausage, steak strips - are a few that would be great in it.


So here is my first recipe!  It is very easy and fresh - not to mention delicious!

Fresh Veggie Ratatouille Pasta

*you can substitute any of these veggies for what you have on hand or for your favorite - this is very adaptable!!!

1/2 box whole grain wheat noodles - whatever kind you like the best - i used spaghetti but would be great with penne, spiral, or linguine
1 red bell pepper - sliced lengthwise
1 yellow onion - roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves - minced (can use less if you want - i like garlic so I'm a bit heavy handed with it)
1 small zucchini - thinly sliced
1 small yellow summer squash - thinly sliced
6-7 stalks of asparagus - chopped into ~1 in pieces
1 small eggplant - thinly sliced
1 tomato - roughly chopped
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (either from store or homemade - i use the recipe from Carciofi Sott'Olio on the Food Network - recipe posted at the end - very easy!)
olive oil - either spray can of cooking olive oil or 2 tbsp
5-6 fresh basil leaves
1/3 c parmigiano-reggiano

heat olive oil in large-ish pan - i used my cast iron skillet - and add onion
saute onion until soft - about 3-4 minutes
add garlic and red bell pepper to pan and saute ~2 minutes
add the rest of veggies except tomatoes and include the marinade juice with the artichokes and simmer about 5 minutes
add cooked veggies and tomatoes to cooked spaghetti sauce including sauce from the pan
add freshly sliced basil
add freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
enjoy :)


Carciofi Sott'Olio's Marinated Artichoke Hearts

• 10 globe artichokes, outer leaves and chokes removed
• 2 lemons, cut in half
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon red chile flakes, plus 2 tablespoons, for layering
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 1 quart extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 quart

Directions
Trim the artichokes and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges and rub with a cut lemon. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the artichokes, garlic, chile flakes, and mint leaves and cover with the olive oil. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the center is boiling, remove from heat, cover, and allow to cool in the oil. Transfer the cooled artichokes to a clean jar, adding a pinch of chiles every cup of artichoke pieces, cover with the new oil and seal. To serve, drain the oil and serve at room temperature or re-heated in a saute pan, seasoned with salt and pepper.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/carciofi-sottolio-marinated-artichokes-recipe/index.html