I love kitchen gadgets but since I already own so many I really have to stop and contemplate acquiring anything that is going to take up space in an already full kitchen. The spiralizer was on my mind for months before I finally decided to take the plunge. I am so happy that I did. Pasta has never figured heavily in my food plan but who doesn’t enjoy the flavor of pasta sauces? Since I am trying to include more vegetables in my diet it seemed like the spiralizer was the perfect gift for myself!
Sprializer
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Amazon is my go to source these days when I want to purchase something new. I love the convenience of having things just show up on my door step. I chose this one because it had so many good reviews on Amazon.
Padreno Spiralizer
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This is pretty fun to play with! I love how curly and long the spirals get. Oh yes you do get some short ones too. I did use kitchen shears to cut some of the really long strands. You can use all kinds of veggies for this. I want to try potatoes and sweet potatoes – wouldn’t that be fun? This spiralizer comes with three different size blades and the extra blades store underneath the gadget which doesn’t take up any more room. It’s very easy to use, it has suction cups to hold it down on the counter while you turn the crank. It’s easy to wash and put back together.
Zoodles
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I see these all over the internet labeled as “zoodles” which is truly fun to say. Once I had what I thought looked like two hearty servings they were tossed in a hot non stick skillet with just a splash of low sodium vegetable broth to keep them from sticking and gently heated up for just a couple of minutes. Zucchini will get all watery if you cook it too long so just a little heating up is all it needed.
Millet Balls
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I found a recipe for Millet Balls in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook. I upped the seasonings in them and also added some red pepper flakes to make them a bit spicy. They were very tasty. It makes a huge batch so I froze half of them.
Zoodles with Millet Balls
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My intentions were to make my own marinara but I was getting hungry so I defaulted to a jar of Engine 2 Marinara that I had picked up at Whole Foods. It was pretty tasty and only needed a little extra Italian Seasoning to brighten it up. Hubby Tom and both gave this meal a big Two Thumbs up! It was surprisingly filling and oh so satisfying. The zoodles are a huge hit at my house! They are super low calorie, healthy and gluten free.
Nutmeg Notes
I know it’s been a long time since I have checked in with you all! Life has just been super busy and a little crazy around here. Hubby Tom hurt his back and has been down for weeks. He is in physical therapy and is starting to get a little better but it’s a very slow process and he is in terrible pain. That means no hiking adventures for us! We had been planning an anniversary trip and hiking adventure for early April but that has now been put on hold. The physical therapist said there will be no hiking until she says he is ready. Patience is a virtue which we need more of!
I am plugging along and keeping everything going here at home. Spring is probably my favorite time of year and I relish going for my morning walks. The birds are singing in the morning, the ducks are everywhere in the neighborhood these days. It’s mating season and soon the pond next to our house will be filled with baby ducks. A pair of ducks had made a nest in our back yard but the blue jay got into their eggs and that was the end of that.
Ducks on the nature trail
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I have company on the nature trail – this pair was ahead of me for quite a while before they decided to move into the grass.
Pheasant
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This is by far my favorite part of walking on the nature trail – seeing the big pheasant roosters! This one was perched on top of a big rock and posing for the picture. I took this photo yesterday. One morning this past week I saw 5 roosters! It makes my day. Morning walks help me stay calm, burn calories, relieve stress and make me happy.
Happy Spring!
Tami
Add Your Thoughts – What do you do to relieve stress?
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Very nice blog, thanks for this post..it’s been good reading this..