Lazy Recipes: Raw Garlic Tomato Basil Pasta

For lack of a better name.... 

This is a super easy recipe that is definitely one of my go-tos for the summer. I love it because it requires minimum prep, almost no cooking, and only a handful of ingredients all of which I grow in my garden. Feel free to add whatever else you want to this recipe, but trust me, it is already delicious in its simplicity. The best part is that it keeps well! Just make a big batch and store in the fridge, which makes it perfect for meal prep.

Just prepare in advance and enjoy over pasta!

For this recipe (again, if you can really call it that) you will need: 

Cherry tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Olive oil

Fresh Garlic (the more the merrier) 

Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in half, dice the basil leaves and thyme, an crush the garlic together in a bowl.

Add olive oil, salt, and pepper, then mix everything together. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it overnight at room temperature. This will allow all the flavors to marry together. 

Then all you do is pour it over pasta whenever you're ready to enjoy it, and any extra can be stored in the fridge for days! 

This recipe is delicious, and I hope you try and enjoy it. 

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy

Beauty Review: Terre Mere Organic Vegan Skincare!

I love when I get these types of opportunities!

I recently was in contact with the skincare and cosmetics brand Terre Mere, who make high quality natural, organic, and vegan products. I was not sure of what products they would be sending me or even how many, so when I got their package in the mail I was overwhelmed!

From the packaging to the actual quality of the products, everything about this brand was luxurious.

I tried these products for 2 months before doing this review, and I am going to continue using them. For my full review see the video below!

I hope you try these products and love them as much as I do!

www.terremerecosmetics.com

Balanced Living: Why I love Juicing!

I love Juicing!!!

As if that wasn't obvious from the title....

I know that juices are really trendy right now, and everywhere is offering a juice option. Or you can always stop at one of the many pressed juice spots if you really want to get fancy. 

Despite the trendiness of it all, there are so many benefits to juicing, and I think that they are a great supplement to any diet. 

Juicing can be really tasty!

I decided to start with this because I feel like it might be the most attractive feature of the juice world.... well it would be to me. 

Juices can have the scariest sounding ingredients lists. The most nutrient rich ones boast of combinations of green leafy veggies, herbs, and 'super foods' that sound truly disgusting. I won't lie, some of them are as nasty as they sound, but they don't have to be that way. I have found that most of these ingredients do not have very strong flavors, and so the added fruit easily masks them.

Ingredients to look out for: 

Juices with citrus and cucumber tend to be refreshing, apples and beets are often used to add sweetness, and spices like ginger add to the complexity of the flavor. 

Juices do not have to be expensive! 

Those juice places are a rip off. There.... I said it. 

Juicing really isn't hat expensive. You don't need a fancy machine to get the job done (mine cost $40 and I've been using it for years), and the actual ingredients aren't that expensive. How do the juice companies stay in business? I believe it's because people think there's more to juicing than there actually is. 

My advice is to head to the store, pick up a juicer, hit the produce department, then go home and start juicing!

Is juicing even necessary? 

Nope. As with most things, juicing is not necessary. So why even bother?

1. They increase the nutrient density of your diet. 
2. Provide a way to eat those veggies that would otherwise not be a part of your diet.
3. Quick and easy, perfect for someone who's on the go. 
4. you get fed and hydrated at the same time, and get tons of fiber in the process. 
5. They just taste good! 

Are all the claims true?

If I see one more ad for 'Juice Detox' or 'Juice Cleanse' I'll scream!

Apart from the obvious nutritional benefits of juice, companies make several claims designed to lure you in and boost sales. As a scientist, I'm tired of companies claiming that juices do so many things without any science to back them up. 

Do you need to spend a bunch of money and drink only juice for a week to 'detox'? You have a liver, it's busy detoxing as you read this so..... no. 

Besides the obvious benefits, juices are not the answer to all. So while I will sing the praises of juices as a dietary supplement, I will not support any of the other claims. 

Enjoy. Be Healthy. Be Happy