Fit Villains: Selfish, Shameless, Sassy, Fitness.

Olde Thompson Spice Rack

Spices are healthy eating kitchen ESSENTIALS!  You need ‘em. Trust me.

Healthy eating takes practice, and eventually gets hella easy. But it’ll be harder to adjust your taste buds to the “clean” side if everything tastes bland. Load up on some of the spicey basics slowly: pick up a new one everytime you’re at the grocery store or get a starter kit (even walmart sells them).

Basic Spices (feel free to add more in the comments)

• Basil
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Cinnamon
• Bay Leaves
• Chili powder
• Ground cloves
• Ground cumin
• Ground ginger
• Curry powder
• Garlic & onion powder
• Tumeric
• Dill weed
• Nutmeg
• Thyme
• Vanilla extract
• Black pepper
• Sea salt

My personal top 6 would be oregano, rosemary, ginger, dill, cinnamon and curry powder, but start where you’re comfortable (or at least with the ones that don’t sound scary to you, lol).

If you’ve got a birthday coming up, it’s not a bad time to ask for a fancy spice rack! Cause that’s what grown up’s do, you know. :) 

GEFU Spirelli Spiral Cutter (a.k.a my new BFF)

Veggie noodles are the BOMB. Cooked or raw, they’re awesome in “pasta” recipes and salads.

I have a feeling this just made the top of my wish list, lol. WANT. HARD.

Cutter deets here.

How to spiralize veggies without a cutter via Oh She Glows

Someone asked the other day how to tell if your eggs have gone bad without cracking them open to find out! Here ya go!

This is particularly useful if you don’t see a best before date or you’ve just passed it (most eggs are fine up to a week past their date, sometimes longer).

Warm Bacon Spinach Salad with Feta & Poppy Seed dressing! This was my dinner last night, and it was AMAZING. It’s packed with protein & a crunchy, delicious take on a cold salad fav!

Nutritional Info: 291 calories, with a whopping 17.4 grams of protein and only about 9g of carbs. Makes a great lunch, or post workout meal.:)

Warm Bacon Spinach Salad with Feta & Poppy Seed dressing

• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 4-5 white mushrooms sliced thinly
• 1/4 medium red onion sliced thin.
• 1 medium tomato (or 5-10 cherry tomatoes) sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 2 slices turkey bacon, cooked & chopped.
• 2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
• Poppyseed dressing (or balsamic vinegar)

Directions

Cook bacon and set aside. If baking, place in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once (or until crispy). Place on paper towel to absorb extra oils.

Heat a pan over medium heat, then add onions with a drizzle of olive oil. Wait 3-4 minutes, tossing once, then add mushrooms with another few drops of olive oil. Toss together until coated, and cook until the onions become slightly transparent and the mushrooms lightly browned. Lower heat.

Separately, slice and chop tomatoes, cucumber and spinach. Add 2 cups of spinach to mushrooms and onions over low heat. Toss for 30-60 seconds then remove from heat. Chop remaining cup of spinach to add over top.

Place warm spinach salad in serving bowl. Add one cup of fresh spinach, the tomatoes and cucumbers. Top with crumbled feta, chopped bacon & 1-2 tbsp of dressing.

Quick Poppy Seed Dressing (you can choose your own, or use balsamic vinegar if you choose). This is enough dressing for 2 salads (and I omitted the extra olive oil on mine): use it sparingly! A little goes a long way.

• 1 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

This salad was yummy (to say the least), but also really simple to make. Stick to lean, low sodium cuts for the turkey bacon and don’t overcook the spinach (just drop it in to warm it and remove from heat when it turns a brighter shade of green). This salad is full of flavor, so go easy on the dressing!

Feel free to add other ingredients for a different feel: avocado, sunflower seeds, almonds, shredded carrot, watercress, arugula, and clementines can give this salad a boost (orange zest is a great dressing alternative). Play around and find your perfect salad!