March Favorites!

I wanted to share some of the great little things that I’ve been kind of obsessed with over the past month 🙂

 

1. Angry Orchard Hard Cider. I finished up a Whole30 halfway through this month and did a little celebrating with Angry Orchard. The hard ciders are gluten free, completely delicious, and they didn’t make me feel gross whatsoever. Definitely a treat to enjoy every now and then!

2. Indoor cycling – AT HOME! Since sitting is the new smoking and all, I wanted to have something that was easily accessible for me to use when I want to read or watch tv or listen to a podcast, without just plopping down on the couch. A treadmill desk is out of my price range, so I found this Sunny SF-B1001 indoor cycling bike on Amazon. It’s been great for anything from a light bike ride in the morning to get my legs moving, to a hardcore at home spin class (which there are actually handy little iPhone apps for!). It’s great quality, quiet, and I’ve really gotten a lot of use out of it.

 

3. Plow Pose. Besides feeling just plain amazing, this Yoga posture is really nurturing for your digestive system and endocrine system. It helps abdominal organs, including the kidneys and liver, work more efficiently (guess I need that after my hard ciders ;)). It is also a unique posture for women because of the compression in the pelvic area, it helps to strengthen reproductive organs and can minimize symptoms of menopause. Since it also compresses the throat, Plow pose helps stimulate and regulate the thyroid and parathyroid glands. As if thats not enough, its a counter stretch for bad posture, and can really help lengthen the spine and stretch the shoulders. This posture is probably my favorite yoga posture of all.

 

4. Traditional Medicinals Tea. I absolutely love tea, hot or iced, and I love strong tea. Traditional Medicinals does not disappoint. My favorites are their Cran-aid and Hibiscus, especially iced with some fruit added in for flavor and sweetness. Their teas are loaded with flavor, have good ingredients (no artificial weird stuff), and are really good quality.

 

5. Shakshuka. If you’ve never heard of it before your life is probably about to change. Every recipe or article about Shakshuka that I’ve discovered  has been written by someone that is completely obsessed with it as well. A traditional Israeli dish, it consists of eggs poached in diced tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, cumin, and spices. It’s so versatile that you can have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and so easy that you can begin cooking it and walk away until it’s done. It’s my go to for when I’m feeling like cooking is just too much work. I have probably eaten Shakshuka at least twice a week for the past month, and somehow all I want is more.

Here’s my recipe, but I play around with it and make it a little different each time. You can also add hot sauce, spinach, kale, sausage, beef, or any other meat to it if you’re feeling extra motivated.

1 Tbsp oil of choice (typically olive oil is used for this)

1 small onion finely chopped

3 jalapeños stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (this is completely optional, I rarely use them)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp paprika

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

6-8 eggs

salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet on medium heat. Add in onions, jalapeños, and spices and sauté for about 5 minutes until onions start to look clear. Add the diced tomatoes, mix well, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Create little wells in the tomato sauce and crack an egg into each one. Sprinkle pepper over the top of the eggs, cover, and cook until your eggs are cooked to your preference, usually about 15 minutes for me. Once finished, you can drizzle olive oil on top or garnish with parsley.

I’m looking forward to April and SPRING! Do you have any “favorites” from this past month? What are they?