The Better Vegetarian Chili

Over a year ago my creative writing teacher from high school asked me to post a vegetarian recipe. It has taken me quite some time to get around to it, but better late than never. Here you go, Ms. Hamilton! 

 

{Veggies during step 1}

 

{Dutch oven that my mom has had for over 20 years}

{Served with a dollop of 0% Fage Greek yogurt instead of sour cream}

The Better Way to Roast Corn (aka I'm Too Lazy To Use a Grill)

I'm a big fan of grilled anything. Fish, meat, veggies, whatever it is if it has been on a grill chances are I'll happily eat it. It's only natural since I live in a state where everyday is grilling weather. I'm just not a fan of the clean up that comes with cooking outdoors. Lazy  Crafty me figured out a way to charr my vegetables on my stovetop. The corn was great but even greater was not having to do any scrubbing.

 

The Better Green Smoothie

 

Right now green shakes are my favorite way to load up on fruits and veggies. Especially since my mom purchased the NutriBullet blender, (I'll do a review in an upcoming post) smoothie making is quick and simple. 

 

A green smoothie is basically a huge salad with no dressing, the only difference is that it actually tastes good and it's in a cup. 

 

{All of this went into one shake}

 

{To cover up the veggie taste I add a small bowl of frozen and fresh fruit; I also like to add some chia seeds}

 

Step 1: Pour a liquid into the blender. Here I used almond milk, but you can also use regular milk, coconut water, or filtered water.

Step 2: Add leafy greens

Step 3: Blend leafy greens until smooth. If you have a lot of greens like I did, blend as much as you can fit in your blender, then add some more and blend agin.

Step 4: Add your fruits and chia seeds

The Better Martha Eats Clean

{Yesterday's lunch: brown rice with kidney beans, tomatoes, avocado and asparagus}

Let me just start off by saying that I love chicken fingers and ice cream just as much as the next person. But that being said, I can't continue on this way forever. This year I learned that the freshman fifteen is no myth. It does indeed exist. Also, I'm starting to have a end-of-teenage-years life crisis; I can't believe I'll be turning 20 at the end of the year (um excuse me how did that happen?!). All of this has culminated into me wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle, and maybe eat a carrot or two between mouthfuls of cake.

My sister, Breanna has been a shinning example of health and fitness. While I have no intention of waking up early to go for a six mile runs like her, eating my veggies; drinking water; going to bed early; and working out daily are all habits I should aim for. Join me as I start this journey! If you are reluctant just think of it this way: if you are healthy, you will live longer and have more time to eat dessert. There ya go! 

Veggies are so pretty! Without them the rice and beans looked like a plate of peasant food, not going to lie. 

The Better Way to Store Memories

Because of Facebook and computers in general, the notion of keeping printed photos seems so outdated. I miss the days of well taken pictures (rather than blurry ones taken with a cell phone) that would be carefully selected for photo albums. When I went to college last year, I realized that all pictures of my friends and family were poorly taken and thrown on the FB only to be forgotten. This fall I would like to have a book of photos capturing my best memories to take with me to school. 

{I changed my favorite pictures to black and white then added a vignette  for extra sophistication}

{An unused whim purchase made EONS ago from Border's Book Store}

The Better Granola and Summer Resolution

In attempts to lower my sugar intake, I chose to make my own granola. Apparently store bought granola is riddled with sugar and all sorts of stuff I shouldn't be putting into my body. Making it from scratch not only allows me to know every ingredient that goes in, but it also gives me control over how much sugar is used. It's so yummy and simple; I can't believe I haven't done this earlier. 

 

{main ingredients}

This summer I promised myself I would try to live a healthier lifestyle overall. I'm no longer bogged down with papers and endless pages of reading, so there really is no excuse for late night chicken fingers. The first step was a major shopping trip to Costco for a fridge (and freezer) full of fruits and vegetables. 

The Better Martha Is Back with Big News

This past week has been utterly exhausting. Between studying for finals, packing up my dorm, and traveling, I've barely been able to sit down and catch my breath. Although I have a busy summer planned, I'm so glad to be going back to sunny California; the long east coast winter has been too much for me to handle. But on a separate note I have some crazy exciting news to share with you all! 

 

Image via Google Images

This coming fall I'm not returning to Connecticut for school. I have decided to change things up and am headed to New York City! I'm officially a Barnard woman! The big city is defiantly a huge change. There is so much for me to learn, and I have never been so excited! But before it's time for me to fly to NYC in the fall, I have a summer of great posts planned. Happy summer everyone!

The Better Martha Needs to Study!