Asian noodles and spicy oranges

This has been a very cold winter, and it’s only January.  Last weekend, Atlanta had many inches of snowfall (like 3-8 inches depending on your exact location), and there is still snow on the ground!  Being from Georgia, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced snow staying on the ground for more than a day or two.  Needless to say everything shut down for days because we are not equipped to handle such icy conditions.  I actually had the entire week off from work!

Working makes me tired and stressed.   When I’m tired and stressed I eat.  And I eat a lot.  I really have an embarrassing lack of self-control especially when it comes to sweets.  However, this past week I got plenty of sleep, relaxed, and just enjoyed being with my husband.  Leaving the house was difficult, so there wasn’t much to do but lounge.  I enjoyed every minute of this extra time home and feel fabulous.

When I feel good, I eat better.  When I eat well, I feel great.  It’s a cycle that I know I should extend to my busy work weeks, but that is easier said than done.

I enjoyed lots of simple raw meals this week: many green smoothies, salads, and fruits with almond butter.

I also tried a few new recipes this week:

Asian Noodles
from http://www.sweetlyraw.com/2009/08/summer-eclectic.html

Noodles:
1 bag kelp noodles
generous splash of tamari or nama shoyu
squeeze of lime juice
drizzle of raw sesame oil
Mix the noodles with tamari or nama shoyu and oil. Marinate for 4-8 hours.

(Marinating your kelp noodles really does make them softer and better.  I had always eaten mine crunchy up until I tried this recipe.)

Veggies (thinly sliced):
bell pepper
cucumber
carrot
sugar snap peas
bok choy

Sauce:
2 T lime juice
2 T tamari or nama shoyu
2 T apple cider vinegar
1-2 T chopped cilantro
1 1/2 T minced ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp agave or honey

Whisk all sauce ingredients together. Pour over the noodles and veggies. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Spicy Chocolate Oranges

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2 T coconut oil, melted
2 T raw cacoa powder
2 T agave
1 t cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes

Put the orange slice in the refrigerator to chill.  Stir together coconut oil, cacoa powder, agave, and cinnamon.  Then dip each orange section into the chocolate mixture.  Lay on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt and red pepper flakes.  The chocolate will harden on the chilled orange.  Eat immediately or refrigerate.  Freeze if you want an even colder treat.