This blog has been a long time coming – a fresh start of sorts. Thank you for stopping by!
Earlier today as I was contemplating dinner plans for the evening (as I always do right after cleaning up the breakfast dishes), I remembered that tasty pot of spaghetti that I had made for dinner the night before. There was enough for leftovers in the fridge… Yes! I didn’t have to think too hard about my dinner options. As the morning wore on and I continued to plan my day, I pondered the weekend’s happenings to identify anything that I needed to follow up on. A brief interaction at the mall quickly took up residence in my head.
Long story short, I had the nerve to walk into a swimsuit shop, hoping to find something cute… something that does not scream “MOM!” I must make clear that I absolutely L-O-V-E being a mom and take my role extremely seriously. But, associating Kitaray with mom-jeans or mom-swimwear is a NO! So, as I perused the racks, looking at super cute, but strategically camouflaging, high-waist bottoms and full coverage tops, a woman who worked there asked me if I needed help. Appreciating her attentiveness, I let her know what I was looking for. She must not have heard me and began to show me swim dresses. Looking at the disdain on my face, she quickly said, “Oh… you’re not ready for those yet, right?”
My face read, “No, lady, I am not!” But instead of becoming cross with my words, I simply reminded her that I was looking for a maximum coverage two-piece. Now, obviously, something about my body composition screams “MOM-SUIT” but, again, that is so not Kitaray! This brings me back to dinner. I thought twice about having a second-day-in-a-row pasta dish for dinner. Mind you, I made my spaghetti with lean ground turkey and whole wheat pasta. But, I am figuring that I need to step my nutrition and exercise game up. As the name of this blog suggests, I live my life as naturally as possible. This means that I do what comes naturally to me, and that means knowing when I have stepped beyond my natural limits. My current health and fitness situation is beyond the limit. SO, with that… I am making a fresh start with this meal: Veggie “Pasta” Primavera. Carrots will act as the backdrop to a mix of spring veggies. I used tri-color carrots to keep things interesting.
Adapted from Oh She Glows
Veggie “Pasta” Primavera
4 medium carrots, peeled & sliced into ribbons
½ T coconut oil (or EVOO)
1 medium leek, thinly sliced and washed
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, snapped & cut into 1 inch pieces
1 C fresh or frozen sweet peas
3-4 T prepared pesto sauce (or homemade pesto sauce for even better flavor)
sea salt or pink Himalayan salt + pepper to taste
- With a vegetable peeler, slice carrots into long ribbons. Set aside and cover with a damp paper towel or tea towel.
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add sliced leek and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Season with salt & pepper.
- Add asparagus, sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add peas. Cook until heated through.
- Stir in pesto sauce. Remove from heat. Season to taste.
- Serve over a bed of carrot ribbons.
Cheers to fresh starts!
Kitaray 