Natural Chow

Menu Plan // July 2014

July 1, 2014 by Margaret Anne Leave a Comment

Having a menu plan makes life so much simpler. There’s no more “oh my goodness it’s 1:30 and I haven’t fed you lunch yet.” I’ve got to admit, that used to happen to me. I would lose track of time or forget altogether that there was such a thing as lunch and end up missing a much-needed meal.

Another great thing about having a menu plan is that it saves loads of time! When you have all of the ingredients you need for a recipe,you don’t have to waste time searching the internet for a substitution for an ingredient you don’t have.

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Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad

June 30, 2014 by Margaret Anne 6 Comments

We have been so busy lately between working on the garden, visiting family, and doing activities as a family, such as going to the park, watching movies, cleaning off the back porch, etc. But no matter how busy our lives get, we must stay focused on what is important: maintaining a healthy diet. No matter how late you get home from the beach or the lake, don’t grab the phone and order pizza or Chinese takeout. Get in the kitchen and start cooking. And when dinner is as easy as this recipe—a savory and delightful gluten free Italian pasta salad—you’ll realize that just because it’s 6:30 and you haven’t started dinner yet doesn’t mean that you can’t get a delicious dinner on the table by 7:00.

Maintaining a healthy diet doesn’t mean compromising on taste or resorting to repetitive salad options. If you’re craving a flavorful and satisfying pasta dish, consider venturing beyond the traditional and trying something exciting like rasta pasta. This vibrant and delicious recipe combines the richness of Italian pasta with the bold flavors of Jamaica, creating a culinary masterpiece that will tantalize your taste buds. So, the next time you find yourself pressed for time but still yearning for a mouthwatering dinner, explore the world of Rasta Pasta and discover a whole new level of taste and enjoyment. However, if you’re still interested in enjoying pasta salad, you can try out the following recipe.

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Iced Mint-Raspberry Tea with Chia Seeds

June 25, 2014 by Margaret Anne 4 Comments

I don’t drink tea all that often, except my favorite ginger-turmeric tea, but a friend shared with me a delicious-sounding recipe yesterday and I was determined to try it. After all, it looked amazing and seemed like it would be pretty simple to make, and it was. This iced min-raspberry tea is a burst of summer flavor and includes a touch of my favorite super-food chia seeds. Wanna know why chia seeds are so wonderful? They contain loads of omega-3s, protein, antioxidants, and fiber. So 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds can add so much nutritional value to this easy and inexpensive iced tea.

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All-Natural Sweet Lavender Air Freshener

June 23, 2014 by Margaret Anne Leave a Comment

If you’re looking for an all-natural, amazing smelling air freshener, look no further. This sweet lavender air freshener is made from three pure ingredients: water, lavender essential oil, and vanilla extract. It smells so amazing and is safe to use all over the house! I like to spray it on linens after they come out of the dryer, on my couch before bedtime to calm everyone down, and on the bath mats in the bathroom. Once you try this sweet smelling air freshener, you’ll never go back to buying artificial air fresheners that contain awful chemicals and ingredients that literally no one can pronounce!

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Hearty Beef and Barley Stew

June 21, 2014 by Margaret Anne 4 Comments

For whatever reason, my family and I don’t eat soup very much. We eat it maybe once a month, but we used to have soup almost once a week, so as you can see, there’s a major difference in our soup consumption. But when I bought a pack of cubed stew beef last week (for 20% off!), the beef stew my mother used to make for me as a child sprung to my mind and I had to ask her what recipe she used. Luckily she still had it in one of her recipe binders—score! I have such good memories of that eating that stew with my family.

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