Eating Healthy for CHEAP!

Article that I just wrote for OC register! 

Eating healthy can save your family money! This past Saturday I took a money saving stroll around the Laguna Beach Farmers' market! I took my allotted $15- For the week and my reusable canvas tote bag along with me. I filled my bag to the brim with enough organic sustainably grown produce to last my family for the entire week. Heads of romaine lettuce($1.50ea), Maui sweet onions ($1), 3 stalks of leaks($2), A big head of versatile cabbage ($1), crisp farm fresh carrots($1), cucumbers ($1), a 3 pack of strawberries ($5), asparagus for only $1-!

I always pick up delicious beets($1) and a big bunch of radishes for 50 cents...both beets and radishes come still attached to their greens! You can roast the beets in the oven with fresh rosemary, olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper and then separately you can either eat the beet greens raw in a salad or saute them lightly in some balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic and olive oil. I like to use the crunchy radishes in my "Chips" and Dip recipe. And I use the peppery radish tops in a fresh salad with home made vinaigrette. Eating healthy, sustainable, locally grown produce is not only delicious but it can save your family money!





"Chips" And Dip!



This is an easy snack that I created because I wanted the satisfaction of crunchy chips and yummy dip...without the guilt! This snack helps me maintain my current weight-loss of over 60 pounds and

and I feel my skin benefits from the raw veggies as well! This is sure to become a staple in your home...your really going to LOVE it!



CHIPS (serves 2)



Ingredients:

1/2 large carrot

1/2 cucumber

A few radishes



Directions:

Thinly slice vegetables into chips. They should make little circular chips, perfect for dipping!


DIP

Parsley Parmesan Dip

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped parsley

3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup vinegar

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

handful of grated Parmesan cheese



Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and gently mix to incorporate. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days sealed in a glass jar.



Hearty Vegetable Soup

1 large onion chopped up

2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil

3 or 4 carrots rustically cut

2 or 3 celery ribs thinly sliced

chopped potatoes any type about 2 cups

8 cups water or what ever fills your pot 3/4th of the way to the top

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 mild to spicy chili pepper depending on desired spice level

8 fresh basil leaves

To this soup you can add 1 or 2 cups of chopped seasonal vegetables such as cabbages, zucchinis, parsnips squash, beans etc.



1) In your dutch oven or soup pot saute onion and celery in the olive oil for about 12-15 minutes.

2) Add potatoes stirring them a bit. Add water let cook for 5-10 minutes.

3) Add all additional vegetables at this time. And cook soup until potatoes are tender.

4) Add the chili pepper. Add the basil chopped or whole leaves.

5) Season with sea salt and pepper



This is a budget friendly versatile satisfying soup! It is even yummier the next day, it makes great leftovers!

My Book Signing June 19th in Laguna Beach.

Gabrielle Sunheart is a Laguna Beach resident and Author of the book; "Feed A Family On $25- A Week! (no coupons)" Her book teaches the average person how to shop for bargain bulk foods at Costco, affordable seasonal produce at Farmer's Markets and how to create a "Mini Chef's Garden" in planters on a balcony or porch! It includes recipes and a menu planner.

Check out some of the local press she has gotten for her book at www.GabySunheart.com Contact Gabrielle at GabrielleSunheart@Gmail.com

Feel free to attend my book signing!

WHERE: Latitude 33 Bookshop in Laguna Beach

WHEN: June 19th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

ADDRESS: 311 Ocean Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651



This will be an all ages event with food, drinks and music.

Article I wrote for OC Family!

(This is an article I wrote for OC Family! )


Feed your family Easy Seasonal meals on just $25- A week!
You may be one of the many with the misconception that healthy foods are expensive...

Think again. If you know where to shop, what to buy and how to prepare it you can turn seasonal produce into budget friendly mouth watering meals. Is this a difficult thing to do? Not really. Shopping for seasonal produce can be done at.... ta-dah your local Farmers' Market! In California a vast range of produce grows year long! So we OC locals are sitting on a wealth of potential savings! A weekly trip to the farmers' Market will prove to save you huge amounts of money each week. Not to mention could also save you money in health care costs down the road.
In mid 2008 I had to change my entire life around to accommodate the fact that I no longer had the income I was used to...I went from "Having it all" To nothing at all! No longer did I have the money to eat out all of the time. And I had to quit buying pricey processed frozen meals from the supermarket. I started to develop easy recipes. Simple preparation AND easy clean up. By using only fresh Farmers' Market produce and bargain bulk ingredients from Costco, my health really thanked me! I lost weight. My nails grow long and strong! And my skin is clear and seems to glow! Most importantly I'm a lot happier and have learned how to be frugal and healthy at the same time!



Pan roasted caramelized onions and veggie stir fry
1 onion finely sliced or rustically chopped

2 cups of chopped seasonal vegetables

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste



1) In a skillet add the olive oil and caramelize the onion over medium heat. About 15 minutes.

2) Add the vegetables cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

3) Season with sea-salt to taste. Serve with brown rice.



EASY! Turn stir fry into yummy lettuce cups.
Gaby Sunheart is the Author of "Feed A Family On $25- A Week!" $20. It can be ordered at; www.GabySunheart.com
Article Written By Gabrielle Sunheart
GabrielleSunheart@gmail.com