Adding Colour to Your Plate with Cauliflower - Recipe

On a recent grocery shopping trip to Pusateri's, one of my favourite food markets in Toronto,
I came across some interesting colourful, mini veggies ...

 Mini multi-coloured cauliflower ... how amazing is this? Since I had NEVER heard of or seen these, I only picked up a few to try - after all these petite heads were $2.99 each ...

Originally I was going to steam them and at the last minute decided to roast them.

Here is how I cooked them:

4 petite multi-coloured cauliflower heads

4 Tbsp. of Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. of minced garlic

pinch of Himalayan sea salt

1/2 lemon juiced

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, sea salt and pepper in a ziploc bag. Add the cauliflower and shake bag to coat cauliflower. Place coated cauliflower in a shallow roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil , sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes.

And Voila! ...

The multi-coloured cauliflower was a perfect veggie side for the salmon teriyaki on a bed of basmati rice.

It tasted fabulous!!! I will definitely buy these little delights again ...
they added such interesting texture and colour to my plate.

You may be wondering is this genetically modified? I was too and found some info that it is not, and it may actually have more nutritional value than the plain white. You can read more about these beauties in an article in the Daily Mail - UK ..click here ; the blog The Food Scientist click here ;

Have you tried multi-coloured cauliflower? 
Share your thoughts in the comments.



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Sexy Lady Smoothie for Balanced Hormones

My sister recently shared this smoothie recipe with me and after trying it, I just had to share it with you! This is tres yummy and if it helps to balance my hormones - what a fabulous bonus.

What surprises me is the simple ingredients ... spinach, parsley, strawberries, apples (or apple juice), frozen mango, ice-cubes, and ground flax seed.

and in less than a minute in blender .... I'm enjoying a nutritious yummy smoothie.
Great as a snack or on the go breakfast.

Enjoy!


Stay in Step with High Heeled Life ...

sharing this post with:   Full Plate Thursday ~  Home and Garden Thursday ~ 

Grilled Chicken Breast, Salad and Pasta ~

One of the things I'll miss from summer ... eating from our garden.

Living in the country with 13 plus acres of land makes for a busy summer, especially if you want to benefit from all that Mother Nature offers. Here the Vegetable Gardener (otherwise know as Mr. G.), tends to the garden's daily needs. Tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, zucchini, egg plate, herbs,  are just some of the wonderful treats this garden provides.

 Today we are going to add some of the red leaf lettuce to our lunch plate.

The tomatoes are not quite ready, but are promising to be bountiful.

For our salad we will use market fresh tomatoes

We will be grilling portion size skinless and boneless chicken breasts (protein), seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil; sprinkling of paprika, turmeric, and Himalayan sea salt. 

Our garden fresh red leaf lettuce and market fresh tomatoes (vegetable) will be seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, just a tap of Himalayan sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (without salt), and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (you can substitute apple cider vinegar).

Our other side will be a vegetable infused whole grain pasta, cooked - drained and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

To grill our chicken breast an indoor grill pan is used... to avoid adding additional oil.

Lunch is served...

(don't worry that the plate looks extra full ~ we use  small dinner plates. More in line to the size used in the 60's, to see the difference and how much the size of  dinner plates have  increased click here.)

So glad you came by for lunch today!!

Sharing this post with:
On the Menu Monday *  Mouth Watering Monday  * Melt in your mouth Monday *  Tempted My Tummy Tuesday  *  Tasty Tuesday * What’s Cooking Wednesday *  Full Plate Thursday  * Home and Garden Thursday *  Feasting in Fellowship Friday 

Size DOES Matter ...!The Other Side of Thin ~ Part Four

... and this is especially true when we are on track to creating a healthier eating lifestyle. Given the choice between the 4 plates below, most people would chose Plate 1 ~ assuming they were getting more for their money. What plate would you choose?

Actually all the plates contain the same amount of food - it's the size of plate that is visually making  it seem as one plate has more food than the other.

A standard dinner plate size has increased by 3.5 inches since the 1960s, not a huge amount. But the amount of food which it is able to hold has increased more than 50%. And of course many of us take full advantage of this new found plate Real Estate.

Lets look at this in terms of calories.... we are now able to pile on 1900 calories VS. 800 calories of food onto our plates. Below is an example of how easily it is done.

The more white space we see on the plate the more food we add. It's no wonder we are struggling with getting our weight under control, even if we have turned to a healthy eating lifestyle. 

At the High Heeled Life home, we have started to look at the size of plates, glasses and bowls we use on a regular basis and are slowly changing to smaller sizes that do not make a portion size look small. Do you use large plates, bowls, glasses or do you use smaller ones to help you stay on track with REAL portion size?

Of course it's important to choose healthy foods over processed and filler filled foods. But it is equally important to do a reality check on what an actual portion really is, you'll be surprised!

Here is a chart to help get you started...

If you you really want to be surprised try this : after pouring your "healthy" whole grain cereal into a bowl, pull out the measuring cup and pour the cereal in. Chances are you are regularly consuming 1.5 to 2  portion sizes instead of the single portion size of 1/2 cup. Now look and see how many extra calories your are innocently consuming each morning.

Let's do all we can to help each other achieve our healthy eating lifestyle - so we can heap the side effect , of  healthier weight and waist line.

In the next installment of The Other Side of Thin , I will be sharing more portion distortion. Please share your discoveries. We are in this together folks! 

Other Side of Thin Series ~   Part One

                                                Part Two

                                                Part Three

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image credit Google images

Spring into Healthy Habits ...Part One

Spring to me symbolizes beginnings; gardens come to life after a long winter's nap and nature's little and large creatures begin to give birth to their young. So, why not take this season to (re) introduce healthy habits into our lives.

Healthy lifestyle habits are important for everyone, but especially important for people who are facing Life Transitions (LT). During LT, our moods are a rainbow of shades - from bright and sunny one minute to dark and gloomy the next. This affects our immune system, our physical self, our emotional and mental state. Add the various medications prescribed to help you cope with pain, emotions of our LT  and you have the recipe for an explosive brew waiting to take you down. 

Below are some things that I'm re-introducing to my daily routine to help me with the effects of my LT and the affects medication, physical pain and brain injury have taken on my mind, body and spirit. 

I have been starting my day (again..lol..) with warm water, the juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon of fresh grated ginger and a drop or two (optional) of pure honey. WHAT I HAVE NOTICED: my belly does not bloat as often; I do relieve my kidneys more regular.

Additional Benefits:

Balances pH ~ Though lemons have citric acid, once metabolized they do not create acidity in the body. Lemons are one of the most alkaline foods. Starting your each day with lemon water will help reduce the overall acidity in your body.
Aids Digestion ~ Lemon juice helps flush out toxins in the body, it encourages the liver to produce bile - an acid which is required for digestion. Heartburn and  constipation may be reduced with properly functioning digestion.
Boosts Immune System ~ High in vitamin C, lemons are great for fighting colds. Lemons also contain high levels of potassium which stimulates brain and nerve function and helps control blood pressure.
Assists with Weight Loss ~ Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps to reduce hunger cravings.

Meditation, is perhaps one the best alternative therapies for someone facing LT ~ ironically it is also something that requires focusing, being in the moment, and stilling the mind from thoughts of living in the  past or worrying about the future.

For me guided meditation is helpful in staying focused, as there is quiet, gentle, constant reminder to let go of thought and just be. I'm not going to say it's easy - IT IS NOT-! WHAT I HAVE NOTICED: I'm learning to breathe better and improve flow of air to my lungs, my attitude towards my situation and life is changing (in a more positive out look).

The amazing things about meditation is that you can do it anywhere and it only takes 15-20 minutes a day. If you are meditating on your own, set a gentle alarm with vibration mode for the duration of time you would like to meditate. Ease yourself into it... start with a couple of minutes and increase by a couple minutes each time until you are able to do it for 15-20 minutes.

Additional Benefits:

Reduced Stress and Anxiety ~ by learning to switch off from the worries that fill our days and mind with all the various things that relate to the LT we are facing, we are better able to make more effective decisions in our life.
Creativity ~ by achieving the ability to live in the present, we are able to discover our creative potential, as things from the past that we can not change or the future which we have no control over are set aside.
Ability to Stay in the Moment ~ learning to stay focused in meditation will also help with keeping our thoughts on everyday tasks at hand, limiting disruption from our immediate surrounding.


Healthy eating is one of the first things to go when we are feeling down, sad, loss of energy. It is so much easier to grab a bucket of ice-cream; bag of chips; any fast food; you know what I'm saying - we have ALL been there. Then the weight starts to pile on ... you begin to lose confidence, you get angry with yourself for letting yourself go and what happens next -- "I know there is a half pizza , in this fridge!!" the poor eating choices turn to habit and you find yourself an the vicious cycle of the D words = Diet, Depression, Diet, Depression etc....

Consulting with a professional nutritionist was the best money I have ever spent. Together we went through my goals for healthy eating (feeling better, increase energy, lose weight), to develop healthy habits that will become part of my LIFESTYLE not a temporary diet plan. We started with the Mediterranean lifestyle way of eating, and adjusted some things to better reflect my life. WHAT I HAVE NOTICED: there really were no TABOO foods, moderation in consumption is very important. The foods are prepared using fresh wholesome ingredients and limiting sugars, and processed foods. Eating balanced meals - helps to reduce the amount of between meal snacking, North American lifestyle has made so accessible and easy for us to grab on the go.

Additional Benefits: 

Weight Loss ~ by eating healthy foods you will lose weight over a period of time, but more important since the weight is loss by eating healthy you will be able to maintain it.
Reduce Supplements ~ eating balanced healthy meals will give you all the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
Stop Looking for the Fountain of Youth ~ healthy foods promote good cell growth and eliminate harmful free radicals and toxins in your body. your skin regains its healthy glow and suppleness.

You can start adjusting your eating habits, by just cutting back on the quantity of a specific item. For me bread - fresh baguette from the bakery, with smooth creamy butter - was my food drug! I didn't give up bread, but instead of having it everyday (sometimes multiple times throughout the day) I have a slice with breakfast one or two times during the week and if I indulge in a baguette I only have a small portion and the remainder is frozen or Mr. G is instructed to make sandwiches for himself ASAP (he can eat anything and because he is very active, it gets burned off!! ... Yes, I remember those days and wish my body still worked like that).

What's your food drug of choice?

These are 3 easy things that you can start incorporating into your everyday life, and get on with developing a healthy eating habit for your lifestyle. So, what are you waiting for? get going, start today!!

Creating a New Me ~ A weighty feeling...

As the year of 2011 inches closer to completing it's chapter and the 2012 chapter is all but a few pages away from starting to be written; it is the perfect time to start thinking about things that may be weighing us down.

As someone whose weight had been a steady 112-117 lbs for years, watching the scale continuously raise over the past 5 years has been most unsettling. Not because of the number flashing at me in neon lights (139lbs) but, because of how uncomfortable I feel and the way clothes now fit or better worded do not fit.

I will can accept that I may never see 112lbs again, but I will not accept feeling uncomfortable for the rest of my life. So, after giving serious consideration to some options like:

Stop eating ~ this would certainly result in further challenges

Go off my Meds (yes, Meds can be contributors to weight gain), ~ 

I'd see quick results I'm certain , but then not being able to 

leave the house would present a whole new set of challenges.

Diet ~ possibly a short term quick fix ... but long term its impossible.

SOLUTION:

Having a French friend who is always eating (yummy stuff- bread, cheese, chocolate etc.) and enjoys her wine, whilst she remains petite started me thinking. Hmm... maybe there is something to "French Women Don't Get Fat". Recalling my 2 visits to Paris, would confirm the majority of French women really are slim and toned. A search of my book case, quickly revealed a forgotten copy of the book "French Women Don't Get Fat", read years back.

Aside from the well written pages and recipes, the important things that I took away from the book were: the French (and I think this can be said of most Europeans) go for quality not quantity in their food choices; also they will only eat/indulge in foods that they truly like; and no idle snacking.

So one of my personal goals for 2012 ... is to change my eating habits to those of Europeans, after all I was born in Europe, so it will not be a foreign thing to me.

Basically it's about eating healthy 3 meals a day; with  very little to no snacking, between meals.

This is an intro to the Creating a New Me series, that I will be sharing in 2012. I thought with the indulging festive season upon us, it would be a good time to start thinking about what we are putting into our bodies.

For long term results eating habits must be part of our Life Style and not constantly being on a Diet Plan, depriving us of nutrients our bodies require to function properly.

Are your eating habits Diet driven or Life Style driven? What have you found works for you on a daily basis to maintain healthy weight and life balance?

Eating for a Heathy Glow...

Part Three of  Three

Putting Your Best Face Forward....



If you want to have young and supple looking skin with a healthy natural glow it is important to take inventory of what you are putting into your body. Here are some foods that I am trying to incorporate into my eating habits to help get my body back on track and to get healthy glowing skin.

WATER: The more water we drink, the more we help our system to flush all toxins out of our body and the healthier our skin is going to look.

Green Tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes. It is important to remember to get the most benefit - do not add sugar or milk to green tea.

Berries:  Are rich in antioxidants ... strawberries, blue berries, black berries and raspberries add to yogurt or eat on their own.

Salmon: This yummy food is high in healthy fatty acids that are key for achieving healthy skin... Omega 3s. Flaxseeds are alos great way to get the healthy fatty acids.

Spinach: A fav food of mine is great for clearing up acne and promoting skin repair. Vitamin rich foods such as carrots and broccoli are also part of my veggie increase.


To help achieve and maintain healthy skin I am working on eliminating: sugar, white flour, saturated fats and fried foods from my "LifeStyle" eating.
Please share what food changes you have done to help improve your health and skin!


You can read part one Putting your best face forward here and part two Everyone wants great skin ~ facials and masks here


Don't forget to enter my Giveaway for your chance to win an autographed copy of Ask your Guides, by Sonia Choquette... Click here to enter.
For some great linking parties click on the Blog Hops tab under blog header.

Hair, Teeth, and Skin ~ Looking Great!

Healthy Hair ~ 

Shell fish such as lobster,oysters,clams and mussels are a low-fat source of protein (hair growth) and contain pantothenic acid , a B vitamin that helps hair to look shinier.

Whiter Teeth ~

Among the many antioxidant benefits this wonderful berry offers for skin,

it also contains a natural astringent that can aid in removing discoloration from teeth.

Catherine Zeta-Jones has often claimed in articles, that strawberries help keep her pearlies white.

Hydrated Skin ~

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, an antioxdant that aids in keeping skin fresh,smooth and clear.

These are 3 of my all time favourite foods and to learn that they are also helping to keep me looking good, what more can a gal ask for? ...

What foods do you eat to help keep you looking great?