food – Superhero Living

September 1, 2018August 29, 2018

10 things to help you rock September

Can you BELIEVE it’s September already? Seems like just yesterday it was February (sorry… bad inactivity joke)

In any case, it’s a great time of year for new beginnings! If you’re a student, you’re fresh back to school. If you’re out of school, you might be wrangling tiny humans and getting them into a classroom. But even if you aren’t at all connected with the school schedule during this chapter, it’s still a great time to assess where you are and what you need moving forward.

I’ve had a lot of time to come up with ten new products, but these are all things I’m using currently that I love.

Once again… no money involved here, just my honest opinions!

Instant Pot– I bought this for myself on Amazon Prime Day, and although I’m still learning the mysteries of the Instant Pot, I am obsessed already. It’s so easy. The food is so good! It’s so quick! Expect to see more about it soon!!
Goal Digger podcast– I won’t lie, finding this podcast is a big part of my new found motivation! I listen to Jenna every morning, and if nothing else, she makes me believe these dreams of mine are possible. If you have any dreams of having a side hustle or owning your own business, you should be listening to this!
Panera Souffles I KNOW these are not necessarily a healthy breakfast option, but oh my gosh are they delicious!! If you’re looking for something a little different for breakfast, you have to try one.
OPI Iceland collection I picked up a bottle of “Icelanded a bottle of OPI” recently at TJ Maxx, and I’m loving the color. It’s super neutral, which isn’t my go to, but I’m feeling it right now! It’s kind of a purple-y greige, and it makes me feel very polished and put together.
Dia Box I started getting a Dia Style Box this Summer, and I must admit, it’s been fun. If you don’t know, Dia boxes are curated personally styled boxes of clothes that get delivered once a month. Dia caters exclusively to plus size women. I really enjoy getting my boxes every month, although I have to be honest- I send most of the clothes back. Often I like the pieces, but they’re just too expensive for me. Still, it’s fun to see the things they pick out, the quality is generally very good, and I like keeping track of what’s stylish.
Kroger Clicklist Wherever you buy your groceries, I imagine there’s some kind of a pick up option- or there will be soon. Y’all. This is a game changer. If you’re busy like I am, this will save you SO MUCH TIME. It’s totally worth the nominal ($5) charge. I can pick out exactly what I want in my Kroger app, then they gather it all up, bring it to me at my car, and I drive off. I can schedule when I want to go and get them within a one hour window. Seriously, it’s so easy, I feel silly when I actually go inside the grocery now. BIG time saver.
P3 protein packs These are such a great on the go snack or light meal! They come in a lot of different varieties, so I don’t get bored, and it’s so nice to be able to throw one in my bag in the morning and snack on it on my way to the gym after work, or if I get low energy during the day.
Aerial Silks I expect I’ll do a full post on this sometime soon, because people always have a bunch of questions about it, and frankly I’m kind of obsessed. Here’s the quick rundown though: there’s probably a fitness studio near(ish) you that teaches it. I do NOT have great upperbody strength, but this is totally helping! YES, it’s super fun and exciting. But also, YES, it hurts. I routinely get weird bruises. However, I’m absolutely LOVING it. It’s a totally different type of challenge, unlike anything I’ve ever tried before, and seriously, it is so fun! It’s all women at my studio, and it is such a warm and supportive group. The biggest issue (other than the physical strength) is the mental game- it takes courage to flip yourself upside down holding a piece of fabric! However, it’s helping me trust myself, and that’s beautiful too.
storyworth Story worth is a serveice that sends a question to the recipient every week, and after a year, it prints the answers, binds them, and sends them to you in a book! I bought a subscription for my grandmother this spring for Mother’s Day, and yes, it was a very thoughtful gift, but also, it has been unexpectedly great to get her answers in my inbox. I can really hear her voice in the answers and I know that will be precious to me forever. If you’re looking for a meaningful gift for a loved one (it’s definitely aimed at older people) it’s a perfect fit.
Mint Who among us doesn’t need a better way to manage money? I know I do!! I like Mint because it’s by quicken, so if you already have a Quicken account, it will share some info. Also, they make it pretty easy to add all your bills, accounts and assets, and then they remind you how you’re doing. I’m definitely still a beginner, but it’s working for me so far! I think I’ve shared about this one before- but it’s so good, it’s definitely worth re-mentioning!

August 29, 2018

The Relaunch

Hey Supers!

It’s been a minute, right? I know- I started this thing, and then I really, really dropped the ball. I have a thousand excuses, but it boils down to this, at the heart of it:

I wasn’t sure I had anything relevant to say. I was in a serious season of self doubt and hardship- I tried to share some of that with you, but then I felt like this space was getting really negative, which isn’t really what I’m about. So instead of figuring it out… I stopped writing. I took this off my plate. I took some time to figure myself and this brand out.

I know that that probably hurt my growth potential and followers. I know a lot of you have been asking for more posts. (And I SO appreciate that!) But you know what? I think it was probably good for me. It was good for Charis, the human behind the words here. IT was good for my Superhero Persona, who needed to spend some time on a digital mountaintop thinking and doing some mental training. I get it, it was risky if I want this little space to take off (which, who knows, I’m still just thrilled when one person reads this, so maybe it doesn’t matter AT ALL) but I just felt like, if I don’t have anything positive to write about it, then what’s the point??

Now I hear you asking “What have you been doing since February?”

Here’s the round up: I designed three shows, one for Chaminade Julienne High School, and two for the University of Dayton. I went on vacation to Logan, Utah to see two of my absolute favorite humans. (Adventure post soon!!) I went back to work as the costume shop manager for Kings Island, which has occupied the vast majority of my time in the last 5 months. I started doing some volunteering at America’s Packard Museum once-ish a week. That’s been kind of a weird off shoot for me, but I actually really look forward to it every weekend. I moved into a house, and I’ve just been so busy getting the house the way I want it. I started taking some classes in Aerial Silks and Lyra (aerial hoop), which is a journey in physical and mental strength unlike anything I’ve worked on before. I went back to the boxing gym- you can find me there 2-3 times a week right now, and I can see the progress so clearly. I walked a long hard road with a friend who needs me. I made new friends. And I spent a LOT of time thinking about the kind of person I am, and want to be. I spent a lot of time examining the smoke screens I’ve been throwing across my personality: things like overly formal, careful writing (and living). Not truly trusting the process, not truly living full out. Not forcing myself to live up to my potential.

The Relaunch: www.superheroliving.blog — The cast of Kings Island’s Gravity, costumes by Genevieve Beauchamp

And then I got inspired again to be here, in this space. To chronicle the journey, but also to try and help other people figure things out for themselves.

I won’t pretend to have it all figured out. I don’t. None of us do. I am afraid, and frustrated, too busy, and stressed. But I’m also so grateful for this life that I get to live.

And here’s what I know, deep down in the pit of my soul, where I always find the truth: when I live in that abundance, life is so good. When I trust that the Universe (which is the same as the Force, Spirit, God, and the Creator) wants what’s best for me, and that all I have to do is trust, the Universe comes through. Every time. And it comes through in ways that blow me away. I have gotten such concrete examples of the Universe taking care of me, that I don’t have any other choice than to have faith that it will be there for me.

With that knowledge, I’m free. I’m free to create and explore. I’m free to take off on any adventure I want. I’m free to live in a way that honors myself and that incredible guiding force, the Universe. I’m free to pursue the things I find passion and joy in. I’m free to be my most true self, regardless of who she is, because the Creator of the Universe does not make mistakes. And so as long as I live in a way that honors self and It, I’ll win, every time.

I hope that doesn’t sound too hippy-dippy or woo-woo to you, because I truly believe that it’s the foundation of superhero-dom. This is what gives us our superpowers. Because I AM a superhero, and so are you. All you have to do is plug in to that energy and watch yourself take off.

So! Here’s what you can expect from me, moving forward. I’m not going to promise you that I will post every day- I won’t. I’m not going to promise you that it will be all rainbows from here, and you’ll never see a post that examines the darker parts of life- you will. But I’ll be here regularly- I’m going to shoot for 2-3 times a week. The blog will focus where it has always focused: improving life and superhero skills. But very generally, I’ll stick to the following topics:

Work (including some new ventures I can’t WAIT to tell you about!)
Relationship with self and others
Making and creating
Fitness/nutrition
Adventures

Or, to put it in superhero jargon (because WHY NOT):

Missions
How Not To Be A Martyr (they all do it. it’s dumb. Let’s not.)
Invention and Genius
Training
Adventures (because that’s exciting enough on it’s own)

I don’t mind telling you, I’m a little nervous about this. I’m scared I’ll let you down again. I have TONS of fun ideas for posts, and my most earnest intention and prayer is to write like crazy so that we can continue to connect through this space. But one of the things I’ve been learning this year is that I don’t have to know what the next year will look like- I know what today looks like, and the Universe has the rest of it figured out. I’ll know when it’s time. I trust that this little blog is a part of that plan. And so, I’ll continue to trust that this will work out, that I’ll have the ideas, the space, the words, and the time.

So if you’re happy to see this new post, could you let me know? Could you like it, leave me a comment here, or on facebook (@SuperheroLiving) or on Instagram (@charisweible)? Could you share this space with a friend? I could use some support from my team as I jump back in here, and I KNOW you all have my back.

In the meantime, I’ll see you soon.

xoxo,

Charis

Superhero Action of the day: Give me thumbs up somewhere if you’re happy to see this place grooving again! I’m excited to be back with you- and I hope you’re excited about it too!

August 2, 2017August 2, 2017

10 products I’m loving for August

Hi, my superheroes!

I’m sorry to have gone radio silent on you. To be honest, I felt like a fraud posting about being a superhero… because I just don’t feel like on recently.

But it’s August first, so let’s talk about some products for the end of our summer!

You know the drill- I’m not getting any money from anyone for this! Enjoy!

Rhinegeist bubbles. Y’all Rose beer. In a can. Ned I say more?
This ELF BB cream: Super lightweight, natural coverage, and a little bit of SPF. It’s excellent. It’s also about $4. Pretty hard to beat that.
On that note, I’m also loving this Burt’s Bees balm in Plum: It’s actually a pretty good match for my cover girl almost lipstick that I was loving last month…. but it’s WAY cheaper at about $6.
Sharpie Pens. Seriously, I got hooked on these in college and will hardly use anything else. Perfect for back to school! Bold lines, writes like a marker, doesn’t bleed through, works if you have to label clothes (like me!) How can you go wrong?
my Foam roller! I’m working my way back into weight lifting (post soon!) and I’ve had some pretty sore days! If you don’t have one, I got mine for about $3 at a store called Five Below, but also check secondhand sports stores if you’re trying to find one for cheap!
Panera’s Chai Tea Latte. If you know me, you know I don’t do much caffeine anymore. I just can’t! But when I need something, I grab a chai tea latte. Whether hot or cold, it’s creamy and comforting like coffee, but without the mega caffeine burst that makes me a little unstable. Panera’s are good- but one of my goals is to make my own this month- look for a post soon!
Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo. Y’all. If you are not dry shampooing, you should be. I was an every day shampoo girl. Well, apparently that’s super bad for your hair. So I got some of this and I’m not going back. Honestly, sometimes I’m on day 4 before I wash with this stuff. It’s amazing. My hair is also pretty fine, so this works great if I need to add some texture to my hair.
Secret Outlast deodorant. This stuff is legit. I’m not kidding I can work out hard for an hour and not stink afterwards. The completely clean scent is what I get and it has a very light but pleasant perfume, it doesn’t get white stuff on my clothes, and it doesn’t feel weird in my armpits.
Santa Cruz Organics Lemonade: I love juice. It’s the only calorie filled drink I keep in the house anymore (ok, barring alcohol!) But so much of it has a ton of sugar and other weird stuff in it. So when I can, I stock up on these juices and lemonades. They’re great on their own, but I especially love to put a little in with my seltzer water to make a delicious Summer mocktail. I love the lemonade, strawberry lemonade and mango lemonades.
Quantico: If you love suspense filled TV, this one is for you. First, Alex Parrish trained to become FBI. Then someone framed her. This excellent ABC show will definitely keep you pressing “Still Watching” on Netflix!

So there you have it! 10 products I’m loving for August! And I promise I’ll try to post more this month- this is harder than I thought it would be!

Superhero Action of the Day: it’s a new month! What are you going to do with it?

July 18, 2017July 18, 2017

How to Grocery Shop like Supergirl

Hi Superheroes! Happy Tuesday!

Today, we’re going to take a spin around my favorite grocery stores and see how we can make this regular task a little less… boring and awful.

To be fair, I don’t mind the grocery store. But I have a system (surprise!) that makes it pretty painless.

So let’s dig in!

First of all, make a plan. We’ve already talked about meal planning. That’s definitely how I make my grocery list. If I’m really on top of my game, I even organize my list by type of item, if not by department of the store. Once you’ve got your list, you can feel confident in what you need to get, and it’s easier to keep interlopers out of your cart!

Choose a time that doesn’t suck. There are times when the grocery store is more crowded. My recommendation is to avoid the store at those times. For me, that means I avoid the store like the plague from 5-7 pm on weekdays and completely on Saturdays. It just isn’t worth it. My favorite times are mid afternoon weekdays, evenings or Sunday afternoons. Really, the less people in the store, the happier you’ll be. That also means you avoid upcoming holidays if at all possible, in case that wasn’t obvious.

Eat a snack before you go. You ever go to the grocery store hungry? And then you get to the checkout and you’ve spent $50 more than you intended and you get home and you just can’t understand how those donuts, cheetos or beer ended up in your kitchen. This is solved by eating before you go! Grab a kind bar or some beef jerky and get your shop on. On that same note, take a drink with you! I usually have water or club soda, but I’ve been known to pick up a drink at that super handy Starbucks kiosk in the front of my store when I need a pick me up.

Use headphones. My distraction of choice is almost always audiobooks, but good upbeat music works well too! Not so loud that people can’t get your attention if they need it- but enough to put you in a good mood!

Shop the outside of the store. This is an oldie but a goodie: nothing good happens in the inner aisles of the Grocery Store. Stick to the outer edges and avoid the treacherous ice cream and cookie aisles.

And as a bonus tip, find a grocery store you really like, but also one that is convenient for you. For example, I love Trader Joe’s… but the nearest one is a full 20 minute drive in the opposite direction of anything else I do. So I mostly shop at Kroger, which I like better than Meijer, and is more in my price range than Whole Foods.

And there you have it! 6 tips to make grocery store trips less painful! I hope this helps you out there!

Superhero Action of the Day: What’s your favorite Grocery Store? Why?Leave me a comment or let me know by using #Superheroliving on social media!

July 17, 2017July 17, 2017

OMP: Super food Tacos

Hi Superheroes! I took the weekend off to unplug a little bit- thank you for that luxury!

But it’s Monday… and YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS: Tomorrow is Taco Tuesday. So, in honor of everyone’s favorite midweek party, here’s a recipe for 5 minute tacos that are even pretty good for you.

No, it is not too good to be true. Fair, you have to either prep the ingredients or have them on hand.

But full disclosure, I bought all of these ingredients at the grocery store. And all I had to do tonight was assemble my tacos and chow down.

The crux of this recipe is my favorite deli find: Superfood salad. I get it by the pound at my local Kroger store, but just in case you can’t find it, I have a couple of links to recipes so you can make your own.

If you just don’t want to make your own, any kind of slaw will taste great on this. Trust me, though, it’s worth it.

Superfood salad options: one two (this second one is Pin, but the recipe is in the caption!

If you’re stuck between those two recipes, my personal preference would be the dressings from the first and the ingredients from the second. I think.

Ok, now that you’ve got your superfoods, we can make some tacos.

Superfood Tacos:

flour tortillas

carnitas (I got some in the meat department at the store, but I’ve made my own in the crockpot, too)

queso cheese

guacamole

your favorite salsa (I’m really into fruit salsas, but savory would be good too!)

and of course, Superfood Salad!

Instructions:

Arrange flour tortillas on a plate or platter. Add a couple of Tablespoons of carnitas, a couple Tablespoons of Superfood Salad, a spoonful of guacamole, a spoonful of salsa, and a sprinkle of cheese to each tortilla. Fold or roll. Eat and live long and healthy.

Superhero Action of the Day: I want to hear about your weekend! What superhero adventures did you get into? Share them to my page on Facebook or #Superheroliving on Instagram!

July 9, 2017

OMP: 4 ingredient pineapple smoothie

Happy Sunday, superheroes! I hope you’ve had amazing, refreshing, restful, adventurous, SUPER weekends.

And now it’s Sunday! If you’re back to the grind tomorrow, YOU CAN DO IT! If you’re less scheduled right now, like me, let’s try to do some productive, healthy stuff this week! Ok? OK! Go team!

This afternoon, Penelope and I went for a long walk. It’s a route we do fairly regularly, but usually first thing in the morning, not at 5 pm. Anyway, when we got about 2/3 of the way home, I started dreaming of something cool and refreshing to drink when I got home. Milkshake…nah. Ice cream run? I really don’t need to do that… Water? Let’s be real, only as a last resort. (I’m not a good water drinker, unfortunately!)

But! I had frozen pineapple, and I just new I could do something with that. And sure enough, it worked out exactly right for a cold refreshing drink. I started with a cup of water in my blender, and added about 2 cups of frozen pineapple. I started blending that together and then added about 1/2 cup of milk. I’m out of almond milk currently, but I think if I were going to recreate it, I would use 1 1/2 cups of almond milk instead of water and dairy milk. Once I got it all blended together, I added about 2 tsp. of honey, and about a TB of lemon juice. I blended that in a little bit, poured it in a glass and drank up.

It’s sweet, a little tangy, bursting with pineapple flavor, and best of all, really pretty healthy and low calorie! Enjoy!

4 ingredient pineapple smoothie:

1 1/2 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice!)

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

2 tsp. honey

1 TB lemon juice (to taste)

Blend together all ingredients until smooth. Pour into tall glass and enjoy! Makes about 24 ounces.

Superhero Action of the Day: What’s your favorite summer beverage? Let me know so I can try it out!

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017

Balance

There are so many different kinds of balance, aren’t there?

There’s physical balance, of course. The kind that allows us to walk, stand on one foot, or, with practice and focus, pull off some crazy cool yoga poses.

There’s mental balance- the kind that comes with clear, logical, sound thinking.

There’s emotional balance. The kind that keeps us from getting too involved in situations that are beyond our control. From diving too deep off the rabbit hole of emotions, good or bad, honestly.

There’s spiritual balance. This one comes deep within ourselves, from knowing that we’re living lives that are good, that are on track with our life’s purpose.

They’re all important. Balance of all kinds is so important.

Tonight, I’m struggling with balance of the food and exercise kind.

I am finally to the place in my journey where I love my body. I do. I’m proud of it. It works so hard. It is so strong. It is capable of some truly amazing things.

But I also… I want to improve it. I still have areas that I look in the mirror and wish were different. I long for a slimmer stomach, and more toned arms. A perky behind. Some days, it is hard to, well, balance, those two things. They are such opposite ideals.

One of my major hobbies is exercise. I love the endorphin rush. I love the feeling of doing something I couldn’t have done two weeks ago. I love the sweat and, yes, even the pain of it. I workout hard. My favorite form of exercise right now is boxing. In the winter, I like hot yoga, in the summer, I lean more towards weight training. I like to hike, and I am looking for ways to get more involved in water sports- paddle boarding and kayaking, specifically.

But you know what my other major hobby is? Food. You guys, I love, love, love to eat food. And my tastes are very broad. Sometimes, like when I’m on a Whole30, I eat great. And I really do like it! I love finding new recipes, cooking and eating healthy food, the pride of eating clean. And then there are days where I make a special trip to the store just to buy ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Balance, right?

But how do we rectify that? The truth is, I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out. One day at a time, right? Sometimes, it feels like an endless cycle. Workout, eat good food, have an ice cream or pizza attack… workout again.

Does the ice cream contribute to my emotional and spiritual balance? Sometimes. Do I sometimes self medicate with it? Absolutely.

I’m not sure there is an answer. If there is, I don’t know it. What I know is that both working out and eating ice cream make me happy. And sometimes, that’s enough.

Superhero action of the day: how do you keep your life in balance? Where are the places you can improve that balance?

June 13, 2017June 13, 2017

Paleo (ish)

In 2015, I did my first Whole30. I was trying to really reset my nutrition, jump start some weight loss and in general, feel more in control without being unhealthy about it (You can read more about my journey with food and fitness here

The Whole30, if you aren’t familiar, is a nutritional reset. For 30 days, participants eat no grains, no sugar, no dairy, and no beans or legumes, as well as some food additives and stuff. There is a ton of information about how and why to do a whole30, so I won’t get into all of that here. Check the website if you want to, and I would encourage you to do so.

I have had very solid, steady results with my whole30s. I now do one every spring. I sleep better, I have more energy, I’m less bloated, my menstrual cycle is less annoying, my skin clears up like magic, I usually lose a little weight (8-11 pounds over the month), and overall, I just feel… better. It’s difficult, sure. But that’s another point in its favor, for me. I tend to be a very easy going person. I’m an astoundingly unpicky eater, so I very rarely express firm opinions when people ask me where we should go for dinner. If my food isn’t exactly what I ordered, I’ll eat it anyway. Even when I’m cooking for myself, I find that I will eat something even if I don’t love it. So it is very, very good for me, one month of the year, to say “I can’t eat this and I need you to accommodate me.” It isn’t easy, but it’s a good exercise for me.

The hardest thing, then, is the period following my annual whole30. All of a sudden, I can eat all these foods I love, and so I often overdo it, and end up at the beginning of June, frustrated and off balance nutritionally.

Here’s what I do to help with that: I eat paleo at home, and then, when I’m out, I make a decision that works for me in the moment.

What do I mean I “eat paleo”?

I avoid grains: no sandwiches, pastas, rice, etc.

I avoid added sugars: this one is pretty obvious, but also really hard! I try to limit and avoid adding sugar to recipes but I also try to avoid eating things with a lot of sugar in them.

I avoid dairy: I use almond milk, I tend to cook without cheese, etc.

So what do I eat?

I eat lots of vegetables. Leafy greens, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peppers, carrots, you name it, I eat it, when it comes to veggies.

I eat lots of meat. Almost all of my meals have at least one serving of animal based protein, from eggs to seafood to steaks. When I can afford it, I try to eat meat that has fewer chemicals, and that was raised and slaughtered humanely. Someday, when I win the lottery, I’ll eat all local meat. But for now, I have to make due sometimes.

I eat lots of fruit! A lot of people think I don’t eat fruit, but I LOVE fruit. Yes, fruit has sugar in it, but you know, a banana is better for us than a snickers bar. And fruit is PACKED with vitamins and nutrients. So too bad, I love it.

I eat nuts and seeds. Almonds, cashews, walnuts- and anything made from them- are fair game! Almond milk and almond butter are staples in my fridge.

So, why do I eat this way? Well, eating paleo acts as a road map for me. It helps me avoid foods that i know don’t help me feel my best. I have a lot of trouble counting calories without it turning unhealthy, and so eating paleo is a way for me to eat without counting and still feel like I’m on top of my nutrition.

But I’m far from perfect about it, and that’s ok. I love ice cream. I love ice cream so much I’ve been known to eat it for meals, eat it twice a day, eat my own and then finish someone else’s. And I refuse to live in a world where I deprive myself of something I love- and for what reason? So it isn’t “good” for my body. Ice cream is good for the soul. The same is true of pizza. Pizza is a wonderful invention.

But I know I can’t eat like that all the time. It’s all about balance. And for me, I try to find that balance by eating paleo (ish)

Superhero action of the day: where do you need to add balance in your life? Is there something you can make into a “not all the time” food without feeling miserable about it all the time?

June 8, 2017June 8, 2017

OMP: Baked sweet potato chips

Hey superheroes!

It’s Summer time! And you know what I love about Summer? Yes, other than the long days of sunlight, endless sundresses, perfect outdoor weather (especially early Summer), and a respite from the school year? Summer food. There’s something so… lovely about grilling out, corn on the cob, watermelon, and lemonade. Maybe it’s my inner midwesterner coming out, but cookout food is the best food.

At my apartment, I don’t have any outdoor space, so I don’t have a grill, which is a bummer. So if I’m craving cookout food on a random Thursday evening, I have to get a little more creative than that. Thankfully, it has been very cool here this week (60-70 f) so it isn’t too hot to cook (I also don’t have AC, so I often eat cold food all Summer!). Anyway, gotta take advantage when I can to turn the oven on.

The other day, I bought 3 pork chops on sale at my grocery so I could make one of my go to week night meals: oven baked paleo BBQ pork chops. It’s the easiest entree ever- dry rub some of Popular Paleo’s BBQ spice rub recipe (I got it in her EXCELLENT book, The Frugal Paleo Cookbook.) Seriously, I make this recipe all the time. It’s excellent, takes a half hour, including prep and goes with a lot of things.

But that brings me to my next point: what to eat as a side dish? I quickly settled on sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes. I can eat them prepared a thousand ways, for any meal or snack, and never get tired of them. They’re one of my pantry staples.

So, that was easy. But how did I want them fixed? Let’s try something new.

I’ve made sweet potato fries before, and i know the drill. Cut them, add oil, pop them in the oven and they turn out soggy. Cut them thinner, it helps, but… hm.

So I decided on a kind of sweet potato kettle chip. A couple of notes, and we’ll get on to the recipe

-The more uniformly you cut your potato, the more evenly it will cook. If you have a mandolin slicer, use it! If not, do your best, but don’t be surprised if you’ve got a few that are burnt and a few that are soggy.

-DO NOT skip the parchment paper. It makes a LOT of difference.

Ok? Cool. Here we go.

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 1, maybe 2

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

2 TB olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

-dash of red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut sweet potato in thin disks. The thinner the better, but no blood, ok? Blood doesn’t go well with potatoes. Again, the more uniformly thick the slices, the better. The thinner they are, the less cook time you’ll have.
In a ziploc, mix together oil and spices. Add sweet potato slices to bag, seal, and shake, squish or wiggle to coat each disk in the oil mixture.
Lay the disks out on the parchment paper covered baking sheet. Lay them out in one layer, not touching. The more space you can leave, the shorter the cook time! (I never leave much space, but I also like them a little soft)
Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check regularly after 15 minutes to judge your chips according to preferred level of crunch and thickness.

Remove from oven, serve immediately! Enjoy!

Superhero action of the day: what’s your favorite cookout food? Is there a way to make it a little more healthy for yourself?

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017

On my plate: spaghetti squash and meat sauce

About three years ago, I pretty much gave up wheat based foods. Not always, I love pizza beyond any reasonable person’s reaction. However, I feel better when I don’t eat very much of it. So, I try not to cook it, and I limit it when I go out.

However, that left me trying to find other ways of eating some foods that I really love and find comforting.

Especially pasta.

Enter the spaghetti squash.

Vegetable noodles are becoming more common. You can make them out of lots of different things- zucchini, sweet potatoes, even carrots. That is, if you have a zoodler. If you don’t have the fancy tool, you can still try vegetable noodles. In the form of spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti squash are the bright yellow oblong shaped ones. They’re pretty inexpensive, but they’re a little intimidating. They look like this:

Here’s how you cook them:

cut in half long ways. This is a little tricky- they’re super hard skinned, but you can do it, Superhero!
. Place cut side down in a baking dish, and add water to cover the bottom of the plan.
Cook for 30-45 minutes at 400.
When the meat of the squash is nice and soft, use a fork and gently scrape the strands out of the skin and serve immediately. Be careful of those fingers- the halves are hot.

While that’s happening, make you some sauce!

For the sauce, you’ll need:

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

32 ounces of crushed tomatoes (canned)

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 TB pepper

1 TB oregano

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

Brown ground beef. When it is just a little pink, add onion and garlic and cook together until onion pieces stat to turn translucent.
Add seasonings, and stir to combine well.
Drain at least some of the grease from the meat off, or use a slotted spoon and start on a new pan.
Add crushed tomatoes to beef mixture, and stir together.
Let simmer together for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, and place over cooked spaghetti squash strands. Top with cheese, if you like! Enjoy!