Oranges just do not get the credit that they deserve. We all know that they're the Vitamin C champions and I'm sure many of us grew up drinking a glass of orange juice the moment that we felt the onset of a cold. Not only do they pack a lot of great vitamins and nutrients but their wonderfully clean citrus scent can freshen a room in a heartbeat and just so happens to be one of my favorite smells! This delicious citrus fruit is great paired with so many flavors and can be both sweet and savory. I mean, clearly this fruit deserve more credit that it typically receives, right?

I don't know about you all, but my Holidays started in July. Lakeside. With cocktails. And I have basically been battling the healthy eating, weight maintenance, keeping-in-good-shape since then. It's been a long Holiday season...In my efforts to lose the Holiday weight I have decided that healthy soups are going to be a prominent feature in my day-to-day life in addition to eating healthy, working out daily, and sticking to my Arbonne healthy-eating cleanse. Here's hoping it works out!

Whenever I host a gathering I like to make sure that I provide a variety of food that appeals to most dietary restrictions and allergies. As a host it is important to me to ensure that all guests feel like they have a selection of food to choose from, too. Everyone has seen the standard crudite platters that are bland or boring with standard vegetables and a runny ranch dip to accompany it; that just isn't my style! I like platters that have multiple components, that are colorful, and that can combine a couple of dishes in one cohesive and beautiful offering. 

I've previously posted about my love for my Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad and this one is a little similar in the base and the minimal dressing that I use. I am one of those weird people who prefers very light dressing - if you can even call my go-to a dressing... This salad is great because I use 3 salad bases interchangeably depending on which one I have readily available or which one sounds good at the time I am grocery shopping. I use Lacinato Kale, Swiss Chard (any variety), or shaved Brussels Sprouts. What I love about all 3 of these superfoods is how rich and flavorful they are and also their great hearty texture which really makes it feel so filling. It also stands up to just about everything you pair with it, which I love.

At one of our weekly Costco trips a few weeks ago I saw a big bag of delicious Coconut & Cashew Butter granola and had to have it! Weeks later and I ate maybe 1/2 cup of the 42 cup bag. I guess I thought I would eat it far more than I really did… Granola is tricky like that! It seems like a healthy choice; I swear I will snack on that instead of Cheeze - it’s but in reality – I don’t. I am not a cereal eater so it wouldn’t serve as a replacement for that in the mornings and I don’t eat yogurt so using it as a healthy crunchy topping didn’t happen, either.
Enter – COOKIES. I do love cookies. I especially love oatmeal cookies. So with the left-over bag of granola I figured granola is made out of oats, oatmeal cookies are made out of oats, and that seemed to make sense as a delicious cookie option. They turned out really yummy and had a subtle coconut taste to them. They were soft, though not chewy like a standard oatmeal cookie.

I love salads. And I love vegetables. So naturally, this salad is perfect for me! What’s so great about it (besides everything!) is that if you tend to eat a lot of salads this is a great option for something a bit unconventional to break up the monotony of lettuce or spinach salads.

Another great thing about this salad is that you can really change it up to suit your taste buds or dietary needs/restrictions. You treat the shaved brussel sprouts like any other salad base so you can add just about anything to it and it tastes great! And, obviously it is a very healthy base, too!

Summer brings the best of things; sun, outdoors, trips to Lake Tahoe, and light healthy dishes. I especially love summer dishes that require minimal cooking – or can be barbecued – and can be served at room temperature.

​My favorite summer dish is a Corn, Jalapeno, and Avocado salad with lime and extra virgin olive oil. This combination is to-die-for! There are many variations of this salad that can be made depending on what sounds good and what you have on hand, but, I always use this recipe as the base.