Roasted Ginger Balsamic Glazed Beets

I know not everyone is a fan of beets but once again I ask you to give them a try. I have a track record of converting several people into "beet lovers" and as you all know I am a self-proclaimed fan of beets. If you do not try them for the taste alone, give them a try as a natural, digestive aid. Beets are great liver and blood detoxifiers. This is one of the prime reasons that I have incorporated them into my diet in any way possible. I am a huge believer that all the nutrients and health that our body needs can be found in nature. I believe that the body has the ability to heal itself if you feed it with the best nutrients possible. Beets are one of those ingredients, especially if you have digestive issues. Why take in some foreign substance produced in a lab with 200 possible side effects when right in your grocery store you have the answer that all that ails you??

Since it has rained almost every weekend here in SC, last Sunday, while I was doing all my regular household chores (laundry, vacuuming, and cleaning the kitchen) I decided to throw some beets in the oven for a slow roast. Not sure what I would make with them when they were done, I knew that I could whip up something that I would enjoy all week long. After the beets were finished, I made this recipe up with a few ingredients I had around the kitchen. These were great. I ate them warm that first night but then ate them as a cold side dish for several nights after; even serving them to a friend.

Click here for more of my favorite beet recipes.

Rose Scented Rice Pudding

 

Rain, rain go away! Or I will be forced to keep making delicious things in my kitchen!! Last weekend, it rained- no it poured and I was BORED. After cleaning my house, doing all my laundry, grocery shopping, making dinner, cleaning my closet and even venturing out to the gym, I was still bored. As I was taught by so many generations of women in my family, it is not possible to  rest when you are bored you must DO SOMETHING!!! Yes, we are incessantly busy. Why?? I am not sure. This is a conversation my Mom and I have had many times. Her suggestion is just sit down and rest; read a book or watch TV.  This advice comes from someone who does not sit down for one minute and neither does her mother my Gram. I was raised by a group of continually moving, active women and the sad thing is when we are not in action we are thinking about what we can do next, or tomorrow or planning next Christmas dinner- in July! It is exhausting!

So..... I sat down for approximately 5 min (hope Moms not reading) and felt guilty. What can I do?? I began looking through my recipe cache on my iPad and quickly came across this recipe that I have made before and absolutely love. Since I was bored..... up I sprang and began searching for ingredients. WhooHooo! I had a task and I was happy..... in my strange obsessive, genetically predisposed way....

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

 

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

What is better summer eatin' than a pasta salad?  I woke up this morning to make a fab pasta salad for a friend and I to snack on while we were downtown at the Fidelity Moonlight Movie in Falls Park. I love this event. Every Wednesday night in May and September here in Greenville, SC they transform the park downtown into an outdoor movie theater. It is a BYOP (bring your own picnic) and BYOB event and it is tons of fun. A few friends introduced me to this event last year and this year my goal was to go as often as possible. Unfortunately, due to the gloomy, cold weather we have been having here in SC we never made it to the movie but we did eat some awesome salad!   I was so excited with the results that I had to share them with you. I plan to go next week though so if you are there, let me know and we can share some good eats.



Lemon Balm in my backyard

When I got my issue of  Eating Well Magazine this week, I was so happy to see a whole section on healthy pasta salads. I grew up eating pasta salad at every summer cook out or picnic and while they were tasty, they were laden with pepperoni and tons of cheese. The concept in this magazine is: 1. Pick a Pasta, 2. Load Up with Veggies, 3. Add Lean Protein, 4. Boost Flavor and 5. Dress It. It is really so simple and can be as healthy as you want. In this recipe, I chose to use quinoa pasta which was a personal choice since I am trying to limit my wheat intake but you can choose any pasta that you might love. I chose fresh herbs that I have on my back porch and chicken that I had grilled the night before. This recipe really was so easy and quick. I look forward to using this concept to make many pasta salads this summer. Tune back in for my latest creations!