Author: Bethany C

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

/ Bethany C / Leave a comment

If you are like me, then perhaps you know you need to eat a lot more vegetables, but maybe they’re still not your favorite food.  Maybe you find yourself enjoying the cheese and bacon on your salad a little more than you’re enjoying the salad itself. Worry not. This kale salad, after lots of tweaking and going through several iterations, has become one of my go-to lunch options, not just because it’s healthy, but because I actually like it. And it has zero cheese.  (Astonishing!)

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Honey Mustard Vinaigrette | thebahamamllama.wordpress.com

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Honey Mustard Vinaigrette | thebahamamllama.wordpress.com

Ok, so, making salad is, in my opinion, a really cumbersome chore, and I honestly believe that I would eat more salad if someone else would just freaking make it for me.  However, this salad gets bonus points from me because it stands up to the dressing long enough to last a few days in the fridge without getting too wilted or gross.  That means if I just spend a little time chopping (which, frankly, can be kind of therapeutic), then I can enjoy at least three days of salads for lunch.

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My New Favorite Blueberry Muffins

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I’ve been on a quest lately to find my “ultimate” version of every classic recipe.  There aren’t many things more classic than a warm, fresh, blueberry muffin, and I’m always looking for one that satisfies my craving for something sweet while meeting my expectations for delivering some worthwhile nutrients.

In other words, if I were going to just waste a bunch of calories with no nutritional value, I would choose a cupcake.  I have higher expectations for muffins.  Muffins need to deliver.

The Foodie Physician's Rise and Shine Blueberry Muffins | thebahamallama.wordpress.com

Today, I found a recipe for muffins that do exactly that – they delivered on their promise of being nutritionally better than cupcakes.  They’ve got blueberries!  (Obviously, but still… )  They’ve got oatmeal!  (Fiber! Complex carbohydrates!)  They’ve got wheat germ!  (Omega 3 fatty acids!)  Score.  Most importantly, they pass the taste test.  I would actually like to eat the whole dozen in one sitting, and I feel confident that I could get that done if I were brave enough to try.

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Welcome to The Bahama Llama!!

/ Bethany C / Leave a comment

Thanks for visiting The Bahama Llama!  I’m a little bit food obsessed, and I’m usually busy fantasizing about the beach.  When I’m not occupied watching DVR’ed Food Network shows, or working my “day job”, I’m usually thinking about, eating, or looking at pictures of food.  My favorite things are cooking, traveling (yes, to sample new food), my puppy dog, and going for a run, and that’s what I plan to share!

Welcome to The Bahama Llama - Hope you'll join me on my food adventures! | thebahamallama.wordpress.com

For me, food is a way to celebrate special occasions and a way to connect with friends and family. So many special events and traditions wouldn’t be the same without the special foods that go along with them! At the same time, I always try to keep in mind how important our food choices are to our health, so my food point of view is simple.  I focus on keeping it healthy (most of the time), choosing most things in moderation, and emphasizing whole foods and real ingredients.  My inspiration can be summed up in the following quote from Michael Pollan:

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

You can click on the link to see his article about conflicting evidence concerning food and our health.  And if you find that your POV sounds a little bit like mine, I hope you’ll keep coming back to check out recipes and other posts about enjoying life whether it’s on the beach or at home. (Or if you’re really lucky, maybe your home is on the beach?!  I am currently resenting you from over here in land-locked middle America…)

Welcome to The Bahama Llama - Hope you'll join me on my food adventures! | thebahamallama.wordpress.com

I hope you’ll join me on my culinary adventures!  🙂

xo – the bahama llama