ITs Spring! While the Hubby is Away, I will play....with food that is.

With the warm weather starting about a month early in my area, it feels great to get a jump on my spring projects. Spring is such an inspiring time of year and a great time to begin new journeys and goals. I also tend to find time alone very productive.The whole house, and my mood, feel so much fresher and more vibrant.  My husband has gone out of town for work for a few days and they also happen to be my days off, so I am in a project frenzy. I miss him already, (and he's only been gone a few hours), but I have to admit I get twice as much done around the homestead when he is not here. I am updating my resume and putting the finishing touches on the website for my coaching business.  I look forward to contemplative time working in my garden, sowing seeds for my summer veggies and even spring cleaning.  Note: If you want to clean without the chemicals, checkout a post I did a few years back on Homemade household cleaners.

My husband also tends to be a rather picky eater. He will not eat a number of my favorite veggies. Unfortunately, my remedy has become to only make the foods I crave (that he won't eat), when he is not around. His latest seasonal veggie victim is peas. No sense in denying myself the pleasure of some amazing veg, so I am using his time away to make all kinds of wonderful spring dishes. 

Here are a few spring recipes and yummy snacks that I will be treating myself to:

• pea & mint bruschetta, a yummy appetizer and I get to use mint form my garden, yay!
• Protein Power Goddess Bowl,  from the Oh She Glows blog
• Baked Kale chips, yummy & easy snack recipe by the gluten free girl
• Greek Quinoa salad, from Kath Eats Real Food

For dinner I'll be making pasta, since its something else I don't get often that Charley doesn't enjoy too much.
I'll be using whole grain pasta with homemade oven roasted tomato sauce.

Michelle's Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
For the sauce take a couple of organic tomatoes and cut them in half. Drizzle with olive oil  and minced garlic and place in a baking dish. Slow roast them for about 2 hours at 250 degrees. The roasting will concentrate all the wonderful sweetness of the tomatoes & you won't need to add any sugar, like all the bottled sauces are full of. When the tomatoes are done roasting puree them in a blender or food processor. Then toss with your favorite cooked pasta. I'll be adding some zucchini and spinach to mine.


 I hope you get to enjoy all the beauty of the spring renewal season that is all around us and get some good quality time to relax and ground yourself like I am over the next few days. Happy Spring.