ButterNut Mac and Cheese

This Mac and Cheese will now become a permanent staple in my house.  So completely in love.  This recipe is so warm and comforting and if I must say, addicting!  Enjoy.

For Cheese Sauce

1/2 Butternut Squash (Whole) or 1.5 cups

1/2 Yellow Onion

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup cashews (soaked overnight or in hot water for an hour)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 tsp of Trader Joes Dijon Mustard, or any other mustard

1/4 tsp of garlic powder

1/8 tsp of black pepper

1/8 tsp of paprika

1/8 tsp of tumeric

Add Butternut Squash and Onion to large saucepan and fill about 2 inches above the vegetables with water.  Boil Veggies until they are soft and ready to eat.  

Add Butternut Squash, Onion, and all other ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor.  Do not forget the 1/4 cup of water.  

Tip: Save water by using boiled water or water from cashew soak to the blender

Blend and Done.

For pasta:

Use your favorite pasta.  Macaroni noodles are usually suggested for Mac and Cheese, however my son prefers the noodles to be bigger so he can practice using his fork.

My new favorite pasta is Banzo's Chickpea Pasta.  I typically do not use gluten free pasta or any other pasta that is not the real stuff however, my life has been changed.  Banzo did it for me.  I am hooked. 

Additions:

You can feel free to add whatever additions you crave when making mac and cheese.  I wanted to make this more of a full meal rather than a side dish so I added Spinach, Diced Tomatoes, and Eggplant.  Delish! 

Get Your Health On :: Deodorant Edition

Be aware what you are putting into your body.  Your body.  The one that is different from everyone else's.  We all have a unique make up, genetically, physically, and especially mentally.  Remember that your body, individually, is important to pay attention to.

My body certainly has a need for very specific attention to what is being put onto my skin.  My family has unfortunately has been hit far too many times with the diagnosis of breast cancer and melanoma.  While I certainly love to bake myself in the sun, I know it is not okay for me.  Instead of seeing how dark I can get in the summer, I am now interested in treating my skin with respect, a respect that is needed for me to actually keep living.  So I maintain my beautiful white skin all year round and honor that my years on this earth are much more important that my vanity.

Which brings me to deodorant {somehow}.  I cannot stress the importance of choosing the right deodorant for your body.  And by right, I mean safest.  Deodorant has been proven to contain Aluminum compounds, like aluminum chlorohydrate, which mimics estrogen and promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.  It has been said that these findings are "inconclusive" due to conflicting evidence, but ask any person that has been diagnosed with breast cancer and they will tell you their doctor suggested they stop using deodorant all together or switch to a aluminum free natural deodorant.  That tells me enough.

For many years, I stopped using deodorant all together.  I am not a typically sweaty person and when I am, I actually prefer the smell of my stink.  I always have.  My husband however has asked very nicely that I consider wearing deodorant again, without directly telling me something.  So I have tried many different brands to finally settle on one.  And this is where paying attention to your body comes into play.  Natural deodorants are hard to figure out.  This is why many people give up on actually using them.  You certainly have to find the right smell, texture, and application for your own body.  I have tried powders, lotions, and have finally settled back into the comfort of a deodorant stick.  Some brands worked with me for a little while and then I noticed they would work almost irreversible for my body making me smell worse.  So please be patient, it will take time, but do not give up.  While most days I have the luxury of not needing deodorant I have committed that when I do it will be the absolute best stuff.

I have listed some great brands below, if you have any questions please let me know.

Also, my favorite article on the basics as to why deodorants are not good for you.  Dangers of Deodorant

It is now your responsibility to treat your body with respect and care it deserves.

My chosen brand is Schmidts Lavender & Sage which can be found here.  I picked mine up at Urban Outfitters, however online is cheaper.

Other suggested brands

--Unshelled Naturals Unstunk Lemongrass Deodorant **best choice in my mind but lemongrass does not work with my body composition
--Rocky Mountain Soap Company Tea Tree Deodorant
--Weleda, Citrus Deodorant
--Tom's of Maine Long Lasting Deodorant Soothing Calendula
--The Honest Company Deodorant Lavender Vanilla
--There are some great small shops in Philly, my favorite being Moon and Arrow, that carry many different options.


**Disclosure: the most important part of this post is that everyone's body is different.  Please understand these are my suggestions which are equal to my opinions.

Everyday Smoothie

People often ask me what I put into my smoothie every day.  Honestly, I am a creature of habit and I am ever so lucky to have my husband prepare my breakfast for me each morning.  So I like to keep it simple.

I have a love/hate relationship with protein powders.  I have always felt uncomfortable consuming anything that was in powder form.  As a child, I used to have panic attacks around food.  Mostly, meals that I could not see my mother preparing.  I think some of my anxiety has spilled over into my adulthood and it definitely resides around protein powders.  I have a trust issue with powdered drinks.  Like, how am I sure that what they are saying is actually in there?  Since becoming connected with food, I have always stood by the fact that I can get all of my nutrients from foods that I could actually feel and see.  My go to protein used to be hemp seeds.

Along with not being able to actually see what is in protein powders, it has been widely discussed the amount of metal, chemical additives, non GMO's, and preservatives that are hidden in them.  So I highly suggest that before you settle in on a protein powder you do your research.  My go to read on protein powders can be found here here.

After I gave birth to Jack I felt like I was really struggling as a vegetarian.  The hemp seed, veggie, and fruit shakes were no longer cutting it.  I felt like I was constantly craving meat, which I never do.  I wanted to eat eggs at almost every meal.  My body felt sluggish and I felt as if I could never consume enough food.   While breastfeeding, I never worried about how much food I was consuming, however I was also not particularly healthy all of the time either.  Convenience over health was more so my option as a new mother.  Which I have absolutely forgiven.  But after 15 months of breastfeeding, our journey came to an end and it was time to start paying more attention to my body, for me, and not my son.

I began eating clean, and still ignoring my yearning for more protein.  I tried to each as much veggie based protein as I possible could.  And by veggies, I do not mean any form of fake meat.  That is not my thing.  I could feel my body was still in need of more.  My Qi and my hormones were way out of balance and I just knew it was time to change something.  I thought about eating meat again, maybe in the form of bone broth hidden in my soups, but I just couldn't allow myself to get there yet.  I decided I would start with adding a protein powder into my regular diet and if that didn't work, I would try something else.

Well it worked.  I instantly felt more energetic, less heavy, and my cravings for meat almost suddenly went away.  I stick by a regular regimen of having my protein first thing in the morning so that otherwise I do not forget.  Like I said before, please do your research before settling on a protein powder.  I can say I have been using Nutiva's Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 and I really like it.  You can find it here.

So for that smoothie I was talking about....

Everyday Smoothie

1 Scoop of Nutiva's Organic Plant Protein Superfood 30 (Chocolate)
1 cup of almond milk or any milk choice
2 cups kale
1/2 cup organic berry blend
1/2 cup cauliflower (optional) for a creamier shake
1/2 banana
1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed
1 tsp maca

Smashed Banana Pancakes

2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cacoa powder (optional)
1/2 tablespoon ghee

Mash bananas so much to remove all lumps.  Bananas should be in liquid form.  Add almond flour, baking powder, eggs, coconut sugar, and cacoa powder (optional) to banana and mix well.

Heat 1/2 tbsp of ghee in pan then pour mixture into pancakes into pan.  Be careful not to have heat too high as they will burn.  Flip.

Drizzle with Maple Syrup and top with Banana.

                                                                         Enjoy!