Celebrate Spring with Desert and Garden Flowers

I salute you with a Special Spring Desert and Garden Flowers, Colorful Leaves,and Flowering Tree Blog Post. I just noticed 500 people put this blog in their Google+ circles. Yahoo. I'm delighted and appreciative. This inspires me to visualize 500 more who will add me to their Google+ Circles or become Followers in the Coming Months. 

Now on to the show!

See more here Wordless-Wednesday-at-Tohono-Chul-Park

See this Spring Collection at Colors 4 Health Spring-Colors-Delight-and-Entice.

Before you go take a moment to comment. 

What kind of spring flowers grow in your area?

Which flowers do you like the best? 

Which desert color or plant attracts your interest?

Sharing is caring and I'd love 💗 to hear from you. 

Scroll down to the bottom of this post and enter your comment in the comment area, then click publish. Happy Spring!

The quote for today follows:

"For man, as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive."  D. H. Lawrence Quote Found on Brainy Quotes


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Gluten free Vegetarian Chili that's Fast, Flavorful, and Protein Rich

The multilayered flavor of this vegetarian chili comes from basic pantry ingredients including vegetables and spices. This dish is simple and inexpensive to make, gluten free, vegan, and loaded with plant-based taste, protein, and fiber. Feel free to leave out or add additional vegetables or seasonings, and know any beans you like fit in well. The recipe is adaptable and forgiving so relax and have fun in the kitchen. 

The way this dish is set up now, it yields 4 large or 6 moderate servings. It contains approximately 10 g of protein in every portion, and makes great leftovers too. 

Ingredients

·       1 medium organic red onion, chopped

·       1 large organic red bell pepper, chopped

·       2 medium organic carrots, chopped

·       1 4 oz. can organic mushrooms chopped

·       1 ½ cups organic frozen corn kernels (defrost in refrigerator for a few hours)

·       4 squirts Braggs Liquid Aminos (or 2 tablespoons gluten free low sodium soy sauce)

·       2 large or 4 small cloves garlic chopped

·      3 tablespoons chili powder

·       2 teaspoons ground cumin

·        a few sprigs fresh oregano

·       1 small can (15 ounces) organic diced tomatoes with juice (I used fire roasted tomatoes)

·       1 can (15 oz.) organic black beans, drained

·       1 can (15 oz.) organic mixed beans, drained (the mixed beans I selected contained kidney, black, and pinto beans)

·       1 can (15 oz.) organic kidney beans, drained

·       ½  to 1 jalapeño pepper (use gloves to take out the seeds and cut in half, then chop fine) Omit this ingredient, if you like a milder chili or increase the amount if you like it hot)

·       1 cup water

·       1 bay leaf

·       1 to 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice (use the juice you like best)

·       Garnishes can include: sliced avocado, guacamole, corn chips, scallions, radish, red onion, gluten free vegan cheese, nutritional yeast. 

What to Do:

      1.  In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, put in chopped red onion and sauté dry over medium heat until soft (about 2 minutes). Add chopped garlic, red bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, and stir. Continue to sauté  without oil by  adding a drop of water to fry pan. See more by clicking this link and going to step 2 (directions for browning onion and garlic without oil).

2.   Add chili powder, cumin, and a half to a whole (depending on how hot you like it) jalapeño pepper finely chopped. Stir until fragrant, which should take approximately 1 minute.

3.    Add three cans of beans, water, and bay leaf. If you'd prefer to use cooked dried beans, see how to prepare dried beans.

4.  Stir in canned or cooked dried beans to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer (covered). Add the diced tomatoes and juice. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. Add corn kernels and lemon or lime juice and cook 5 minutes more. Correct seasoning by adding salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Remove chili from the heat.

Gluten Free Mixed Bean Chili (Topped with Radish and Onion), Salad with White Bean Dressing, and Quinoa/Corn Chips

Serving Suggestion: This dish is hearty, filling, and tastes great. Place chili in colorful dishes and serve with sides of guacamole, salsa, and steamed brown rice. If you want to keep it real simple, mix cooked brown rice, salsa, and guacamole into chili for a flavorful meal!

Spicy Mixed Bean Chili and Brown Rice, Topped with Guacamole

Why not try this recipe too? Colorful-Tasty-Tucson-Tacos.

Please Note: I write and publish topics of interest for those who want to create and maintain a healthier lifestyle. My Website is www.nancyandreswriter.com. To see information about my writing services, details about the interactive self-care journal, Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss, and health tips and ideas visit often.

The quote for today follows:

Margaret Cousins, novelist. "Chili is not so much food as a state of mind. Addictions to it are formed early in life and the victims never recover. On blue days in October, I get this passionate yearning for a bowl of chili, and I nearly lose my mind."

Do you eat beans often? What are your favorites? Do you have a go-to chili recipe you'd like to share? Please let me know by commenting in the space provided below.

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Create a Colorful Red, White, and Blue Dessert 1,2,3

Nowadays, many of us make plans to get together with family and friends during the Memorial Day Weekend for picnics, cookouts, or other gatherings. Want the perfect dessert to serve at your party? It uses fruits that are at the peak of ripeness and flavor right now. 

You're sure to see smiles on the faces of family and guests as you serve this colorful red, white, and blue dessert at your dining or patio table. A three ingredient recipe that's relatively inexpensive, a snap to assemble, and packed with 3 healthful ingredients. What more could you ask? Just follow the 3 steps below.

Ingredients:

1 Quart Organic Strawberries or about 16 oz. of berries that are lightly washed in cool water and hulled (see links below)

1 Quart Organic Blueberries or about 16 oz. that are washed in cool water

1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut (either fine or coarsely shredded)

Read what Molly Watson shares about washing and hulling strawberries.

How to wash strawberries

How to hull strawberries

4 hulled strawberries

What to Do:

1. Wash and hull strawberries and wash blueberries as described above. Place them in a medium-sized glass bowl and mix them together.

2. Sprinkle the berries with coconut flakes.

3. Insert serving spoons into bowl and place on your holiday table or portion out into individual dessert dishes for a more formal touch.

This is a Berry Good Dessert

Strawberries and blueberries contain many healthful elements. They're high in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and contain no cholesterol. Shredded coconut provides fiber, iron, and healthy fat to satisfy and stave off hunger. 

Look at the links below for additional nutrition facts from Driscolls.com

Nutrition facts about strawberries

Nutrition facts about blueberries

Take some time this Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor those Americans who are our war dead. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Serve this color rich dessert to honor the red, white, and blue. In fact, serve it anytime you want to top off your meal with a delicious and healthful finale.

For a More Formal Look, Serve in Goblets

Before you go, ask yourself how often you serve summer berries. Do you purchase them at a farmer's market, pick them from your home garden, or purchase at a local shop? Berries lose nutrients and spoil, the longer you keep them it. Serve within a day or two of purchase. What are your favorite ways to serve strawberries and blueberries? Have you made plans for this weekend or is your plan to relax and kick back? Leave questions, comments, and/or share this berry recipe. Sharing is caring and I care about you. Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone.

Here's the quotation for today from Jordin Sparks:

"I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, anything with an 'errie' in it!"

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Vividly Colored Plant-Based Dish Has Eye and Taste Appeal

Vividly Colored Plant-Based Dish Has Eye 

and 

Taste Appeal

Bring the vibrant colors of the fields and farmer’s markets to your table. Learn how easy it is to create a main course dish that looks and tastes great, smells delicious, and is healthful too. 

Before I share my recipe, I'd like to introduce the colorful components of this dish to you.

Asparagus─Fresh Green

Asparagus is a sweet tasting vegetable, and one of the first to be harvested in the spring. Lucky for us; it's available in markets during most of the rest of the year too. The tender stalks are rich in vitamins K, C, and A as well as folate, which is a B vitamin. These vitamins are good for blood, eyes, and the immune system to help you ward off illness and stress. Asparagus contains the amino acid asparagine, one that cleans out toxins from your body. That is the reason, after you eat them and urinate, you may notice that your urine may smell strange. Asparagus info

Red Bell Pepper─Bright Red

Red bell pepper is a fruit not a vegetable. It's a good source of fiber, folate, vitamin K, and the minerals molybdenum and manganese. Red peppers are mature green peppers and have more carotenoids and vitamin C than the green variety. See more about red pepper benefits from Annie Stuart at WebMD. Red Pepper Benefits

Carrots-Vibrant Orange

Almost everyone knows that carrots are rich in beta carotene, an organic compound that is good for your vision, immune system, and general well-being. Perhaps you don’t realize carrots are the root portion of the carrot plant. When the taproot reaches about 1 inch in diameter, it is harvested. This is the time when the root is most juicy and tender.  Carrot Facts

Quinoa-Ivory, Brown, Red, and Tricolor

Quinoa is high in protein and comes from the seed of a plant. It isn’t a grain or cereal grass, but is a member of the same food family as spinach, Swiss chard, and beets. Many researchers refer to quinoa as a "pseudo cereal." This term is typically used to describe foods that are not grasses, but can still be easily ground into flour. In any case, this product is a powerful plant-based building block for health and comes in several hues. Pick the color that calls to you. They're all nutritious. Here's more information for you. Quinoa info from USDA

Here’s my recipe. It takes only 15-20 minutes to prepare.

Steamed Asparagus, Red Pepper, and Carrots with Quinoa

Note: Make an effort to buy and serve organic produce, as conventionally grown fruits and veggies often are heavily sprayed with harmful pesticides and may be genetically modified. Organic, non-GMO products are better for you and the health of our planet. 

Ingredients:

1 Cup organic quinoa of any color

2 Cups Water (for quinoa)
Optional- 2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or 2 teaspoons of Coconut Aminos

1 lb. slender asparagus stalks. They require no peeling and taste sweeter than the chunkier kind.

2 Cups carrots scrubbed and sliced into 1 in. x 1 in. strips

1 Cup red bell pepper, cut into 1 in. x 1 in. strips

¼ teaspoon salt (leave this out if you use Bragg Liquid Aminos)

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped dill and 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

2 Cups water (for steaming asparagus, red pepper, and carrots)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Part 1

Wash asparagus, red pepper, dill, and parsley. Cut off dry or tough ends of the asparagus and cut asparagus into 1 in. pieces. Core and slice the pepper into 1 in. strips. Scrub the carrots (leave the skin on) and slice into 1 in. strips.

Pour 2 cups water in the bottom of a 3-4 qt. saucepan and insert a steamer basket above. The amount of water you need depends on what size pot you have on hand. Add enough water to allow it to boil, but not rise above the steamer basket. The idea of steaming veggies is to cook them, but not let the produce soak in water and boil away nutrients. Place asparagus, red pepper, and carrots into the steamer and cover. Steam (simmer) for 5-8 minutes or until produce is tender, yet still brightly colored.

 Part 2

Rinse quinoa well and cook according to package directions. An option is to add 2 teaspoons of one of the following to water for an extra dimension of flavor: Bragg Liquid Aminos, Coconut Aminos, low sodium soy sauce, or vegetable broth. You'll know the quinoa is cooked, when all the water is absorbed. It takes about 15-20 minutes for it to expand and look like each circle has a circle within a circle.

Fluff the cooked quinoa lightly with a large serving fork or spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Top with freshly steamed produce. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle on the chopped dill and parsley, add salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. That's when you'll know you’re good to go.

This simple yet flavorful dish is fabulous when served hot, accompanied by a tossed salad to feed four. It tastes great, served chilled, on a bed of romaine as an entree salad. Get creative. Add additional veggies like kale, squash, and red cabbage, and steam them as well. If you prefer, garnish with raw veggies like celery, cucumbers, turnips, or jicama for added crunch. Your family and guests are bound to cheer, when you serve this whole food plant-based dish at brunch, lunch, or dinner. It's also a colorful way to pack nutrition and taste into a Meatless Monday meal.

I'd love to get feedback. Send comments and question to me by clicking on the white envelope. If you become a follower, you'll get automatic updates whenever I post. My email is obloggernewbie@gmail.com. If you can, talk up this blog on the social media outlets you use. 

Nancy Andres, Health and Lifestyle Writer, Author, Blogger lives in Tucson, where she appreciates the high desert colors of a city surrounded by mountains. For a peek at the 12 week interactive self-care journal program, Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Self-Discovery Balance and Bliss check Colors of Joy on Amazon Books.  Colors of Joy provides unique activities that help women get in touch with their feelings, thoughts, and aspirations and experience more joy in daily living. See Colors of Joy on Nancy's Website.

The quote for today is from Cesar Chavez

"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart."

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/cesarchave393564.html#RtFvtVaCLtOB1FEP.99

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