A few of our favorite crockpot recipes

It's not too hot for a crockpot 
(not yet anyway)!
With warm temperatures finally approaching, take advantage of these last few weeks of cool weather to use your crockpot!

Ginger & Orange Glazed Pot Roast


One 3-4 pound beef roast
1 large red onion, sliced
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tsp hot sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Brown rice or quinoa, cooked (for serving, if desired)

Layer the onion slices in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the beef roast on top of the onions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, water, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, five spice, ginger, hot sauce, and garlic. Pour the marinade over the beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove the beef from the sauce, slice, and serve over rice or quinoa. Drizzle with leftover sauce.

Recipe adapted from and photo courtesy of 
http://www.recipegirl.com/2013/12/02/slow-cooker-ginger-and-orange-glazed-pot-roast/
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Black Bean Soup


1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 (14 oz.) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/8 cup lentils
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large red onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cups spinach
3/4 qt water
1/2 lb dried black beans (soaked overnight)
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
lime wedges and cilantro, for garnish

Add all ingredients (except for the rice and spinach) to the crockpot. Cover and cook for 3 hours. Add rice and spinach and cook for 20 more minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Recipe adapted from and photo courtesy of 
http://www.savvyfork.com/component/yoorecipe/recipe/951-vegetarian-black-bean-soup-in-a-crockpot.html
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Coconut Bananas Foster


6 bananas, cut into quarters
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 cup raw local honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1.5 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the bananas in the crockpot and top with walnuts and coconut flakes. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the bananas. Cook on low for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until bananas are tender, but not mushy. 

Recipe adapted from and photo courtesy of 
http://www.confessionsofanover-workedmom.com/2014/01/paleo-desserts.html

Do you have a favorite crockpot meal that is Nutritional Wisdom approved? Share it on one of our social media!

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Success Story of the Week:

Congrats to Alysha, who has lost 5.5 lbs of pure fat!

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When there is a will....
 
Client: "I don't have time to cook or exercise".  
Me: "Do you have time to feel like crap? Do you have time to treat disease?"
 
The story I hear most often from my clients is about lack of time.  Not enough time to cook, food shop, exercise, meditate; you name it, and there's not enough time for it!  It's not so far-fetched, I've believed the same thing about all of the above mentioned at one point or another in my life.  The real truth is that we make time for the things that are important to us.  If it's important enough, believe me I'm going to find the time (tell me about a sale at Neiman Marcus and I pop outta bed like a spring chicken).  The issue here isn't truly about time, it's about priorities.  What we value most in life is how we are going to spend our time.  The problem is that for most of us this is unconscious.  We don't realize we are spending precious hours doing things that won't contribute to our overall happiness.  If your dream is to live a life full of joy and health, then let's make this a conscious priority and not waste one more precious minute!
 
In the past, I found myself spending time watching television, hanging out with friends, going shopping, surfing the internet, while complaining that I wasn't achieving the health and weight loss goals I was so much desiring in my life.  These activities may not resonate, you might be the type of person who spends most of their time at work in order to receive a paycheck that provides you the money that you think will create happiness. I thought I valued my health, but that was not how I was spending my time.  Actually, I did spend a lot of time on my health.  I spent time thinking about all the things I "should" have been doing but wasn't (wait, that doesn't count?!?).  This doesn't mean that I couldn't have balance with all areas of my life, but I needed to get clear with myself, stop the bullshitting, and make the time for the dreams and goals I valued most.  
 
Sundays for me are usually family day and preparation for the week.  I play with my nephews, spend time with my partner, and at night we have a tradition of going to my sister's house to watch all the premium shows that I don't pay for myself (Shameless, Girls, and ahem.... Kardashians. Yes I said it, now is good time for you to practice non-judgment!). This Sunday I had slacked on the batch-cooking but I wasn't willing to sacrifice my family time for kitchen time.... SO I brought my food over to my sister's and cooked it there.  Pain in the ass?  A little.  But I was able to spend time with my family and also make healthy food for the week.  While lugging all the food back to my house I thought to myself how ridiculous this might seem, but I was very grateful on Monday when I sat down to a healthy, organic, home cooked meal.  Years ago I would have skipped the cooking, ate a sandwich on Monday, and used that sandwich as a gateway drug to eat crappy the rest of the week and validate the excuse or story that I will "start again next Monday".  
 
So the message is that you make time for what you value.  If you are finding it hard to achieve your health, spiritual, work or relationship goals, then I ask you to lovingly witness how you are spending the majority of your time.  Make a list of the top three things you value most in your life and then compare it to the top three ways you spend your time.  If it doesn't match, it's a great place to start making small changes.  Every morning that I set my alarm an hour earlier to get up and exercise, I promise myself that when I’m done I am going to crawl back in bed.  Never once have I crawled back in bed after a workout and not once have I regretted getting up early to cook, move my body, quiet my mind and create more joy and happiness in my life.  I'm wishing for all of you the time to create the life you dream of!

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Success Stories

Congrats Zoe, Katie, Jenni, and "Jane Doe" on your tremendous success!

  
  

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Recipe of the Week:

Penne a la vodka
(Because sometimes you just want some pasta!)

Ingredients:
Brown rice pasta
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup organic peas (frozen or fresh)
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 cup water
Drizzle of olive oil
1/8 cup vodka
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring water to a boil (enough to cover the pasta) and add a dash of salt to keep the pasta from sticking. Once the water is bubbling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. To make the sauce, use your favorite jarred pasta sauce as the base. Pour into a saucepan and add the garlic, peas, capers, olive oil, and vodka. In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews and 1 cup water until they are creamy. Add more of less water until desired consistency is reached. Pour the cashew cream into the sauce and blend. Cook on medium to low heat for about 15 minutes. Combine and sauce and pasta and serve.

Recipe courtesy of http://kriscarr.com/blog-video/how-to-make-vegan-penne-a-la-vodka/

What's in Carly's fridge? Part Deux!


 

A glimpse inside someone's fridge and pantry tells all. You can see from one look at Carly's fridge that she is a) extremely organized (OCD?!?), b) well-prepared (if you fail to plan, you plan to fail), and c) spends a lot of money at Whole Foods Market!

This week, Carly's fridge is packed with heaps of fresh organic produce, 365 Organic Almond Milk, pasture-raised eggs from the farmer's market, prepared meals in pyrex glass dishes for the next few days, and  a myriad of high fructose corn syrup and trans fat free condiments.

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Sundays are a great day for batch cooking to set you up for the week. Here is what is the on our menu this week:

Roasted Chicken Thighs over Spaghetti Squash & Mixed Veggies
The chicken thighs, zucchini, broccoli, grape tomatoes, garlic, and onions were seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and chili powder. The chicken and spaghetti squash both roasted in the oven, while the veggies were cooked on the stovetop over medium heat. Next, the ingredients were added together and tossed with extra virgin olive oil and capers.

 
  

Pulled Pork over Almond Tostadas topped with Pepper & Cabbage Slaw
The pork shoulder was cooked in a crockpot over low heat with barbecue sauce. For the tostada recipe, visit http://www.nutritionalwisdom.com/recipes/salmon-tostadas/. The slaw was made by combining half of a head of red cabbage, two green peppers, and half of a white onion, and then tossed with a lemon and apple cider vinaigrette (1 minced garlic clove, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup EVOO, sea salt and pepper). 

  

Leftover Pulled Pork & Veggie Saute'
 We had leftover pulled pork so we turned it into a whole new dish (the epitome of a 5 minute meal!).

Saute' chopped kale, onions, and red and yellow grape tomatoes in a large saucepan over medium heat until tender, then add the pulled pork and stir until heated through.



All of this was cooked on Sunday during a two-hour span while watching a movie. The next time we cook will be Wednesday evening!

We want to see pictures of your batch cooking! Post them to one of our social media outlets or to your own with "#nutritionalwisdom". Carly will pick her favorite picture and the winner will receive a box of Thunderbird Energetica bars and a highlight in an upcoming newsletter :)

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We are excited to announce that Carly will be featured monthly on KXAN!


Stay tuned to our social media pages to learn about upcoming segments. If you missed this past weekend's clip, check it out here! 
http://kxan.com/2014/03/08/maintaining-your-weight-during-sxsw/

What would you like to see Carly discuss? Submit your topic and/or question by replying to this email and stay tuned to our upcoming segments to see if your response was chosen (or if you just want to see a blender not turn on!). If you don't get this joke, watch one of our first segments :)
http://www.nutritionalwisdom.com/media/