Healthy, Vegetarian Recipe: Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash. Spasta. Squashta. 

Whatever you want to call it, it's amazing and guilt free!  I make the "spaghetti" for this dish on Sunday and put it in the fridge to use all week. It is super easy to prepare and use to make quick, healthy dinners. Here is a guide to preparing the squash and a few recipes I like to make.

To Make Spaghetti Squash

You need:

• Spaghetti Squash
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• Large knife to cut through the squash
• Spoon, Fork
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cover one baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise. Scoop out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. Drizzle olive oil on the inside halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the halves on the sheet with the inside facing down. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
Once baked, let it sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Then flip over the halves and use your fork to rake the squash. The squash will start to come apart and resemble spaghetti.
Store in a container in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Recipe #1 
Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Onion, Mushroom, Spinach & Goat Cheese
 In a pan heat some oil (I like to use coconut or olive oil) and saute some mushrooms and onions. You can even add a little chopped garlic. When the onion and mushrooms are soft, add your desired amount of spinach. I like to add 2-3 large handfuls. Then add in your spaghetti squash and stir until heated. Remove from heat and add crumbled goat cheese. Stir. In a sauce pan, heat marinara sauce, or any other sauce you'd like and add it on top.

Recipe # 2
Spaghetti Squash Primavera
  In a pan heat some oil (I like to use coconut or olive oil) and saute fresh, chopped garlic. Add to the pan several grape tomatoes, whole or halved width wise. Add a few handfuls of spinach. Once the tomatoes and spinach have wilted a bit add the spaghetti squash and heat until warm. Finish with grated Parmesan.

Use This, Not That: Current Natural Skincare Routine

This year I finally decided replace all of my skincare, haircare, makeup and body products to ones that are natural and/or organic. I have always preferred natural products, especially for skincare but let's be honest, they are a lot more expensive than a bottle of Neutrogena face wash. Since the beginning of the year I had begun to phase out all of my old products containing sulfates, parabens, chemicals and any products with ingredients I could not identify. I have officially replaced everything with natural alternatives and let me tell you, it was not so easy, especially when I realized I will most likely not be shopping at Sephora anymore.

This will be my first "Use This, Not That" post to outline which products I am now using. I will also be posting some DIY skincare "recipes" and even keep an eye out for some vegetarian recipes, as I have been experimenting with cooking quite a bit lately.

Here is a breakdown of what products I used to use and what natural products have replaced them.

Face Wash

What I was using before: Cetaphil Cleanser
What I have replaced it with: Michael Todd True Organics Honey & Oat Cleanser , Full Size $22

 The Honey & oat cleanser is really a favorite of mine. I have a full size and travel size so I can have it at all times. It is extremely gentle on sensitive skin, foams and removes makeup easily. What I love most about it is the fresh, orange scent.

Toner/Facial Spray

What I was using before : Burt's Bees Rose Water Toner- Which is natural and I still love! But since I ran out I wanted to try something new
What I have replaced it with: Heritage Store Lavender Water & Glycerin , 8 oz $8.99 (but you can get it on Vitacost at a discount! This is my referral link to get $10 off your first Vitacost order!
The lavender facial spray is calming and relaxing. I like to use it in the morning before I leave the house, as well as before and after yoga class. Oh, and take a look at their ingredients and tell me you're not intrigued!
Ingredients: Vor-mag Water (water that has been vortexed and magnetized to raise the energy to a higher vibration that we believe to be more beneficial), Vegetable Glycerin (USP Kosher) and Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

Face Serum

What I was using before: Origins Mega Bright
What I have replaced it with: Shea Terra Organics Rose Hips & Carrot Perfecting Serum, $32
This is a serum and moisturizer for me. It's perfect for cold or warm weather and repairs damaged skin and improves acne.

Face Mask

What I was using before: Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask
What I have replaced it with: Shea Terra Organics Baobob & Coconut Water Dull Skin Face Masque, $24
I have to be honest, I bought this because of the packaging and how unusual it sounded. The product is in a glass bottle with a cork stopper (although now that I look at the website it seems they have changed the packaging recently). The product is in powder form and you mix with a little bit of water to form a liquid paste. It really does work and makes your face look glowy.


Are there any natural skincare products you love or think I should try? Share with me in the comments :)

Burts Bees Rosewater Toner Review

We all have heard that we should cleanse, tone and moisturize in our daily skincare routine.  But to be honest, toners never seemed to be a necessity for me mostly because I never found one that I truly loved.  That is, until now. I have been using the Burts Bees Rosewater Toner for the past month and a half and I don't know that I could live without it.

What it is:

The rosewater toner is a 100% natural toner to "remove lingering traces of dirt, oil and  make-up"

What's in it:

 rosa damascena (rose) flower water, alcohol denat., glycerin, centaurea cyanus (cornflower) flower extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) leaf extract, yucca schidigera leaf extract
 
 The rosewater and other natural ingredients are a gentle way to remove dirt and makeup after cleansing.  The toner doesn't sting or irritate the skin.  It smells great and I can see that it removes dirt and makeup that my cleanser did not remove.

How I use it:

Morning: In the morning i skip cleansing and just use the toner on a cotton pad as a cleanser to remove dirt, then follow with moisturizer.

Night: I use this after cleansing the skin to get a really good clean and then follow with moisturizer.

Who do I recommend this for?
 Everyone! This toner is so gentle and non-irritating so it would be great for any skin type.  Since the products are natural, they are gentle as opposed to other harsh toners with chemicals.

The toner is $11 for 8 fl. oz


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eos ultra moisturizing shave cream

In the spirit of Earth Day, why don't you make a pledge to conserve water by taking shorter showers? I know you're probably thinking "That's impossible!" but eos ultra moisturizing shave cream makes it possible.  How is this? The shave cream can be used wet or dry so you don't need any water to get a super smooth shave. 
This shave cream is amazing and nothing like any other you've probably tried. The consistency is that of a body cream.  Just smooth on and shave off-it's that simple.  If there's any product left on your legs when you're done shaving there's no need to rinse it off in the shower, you just rub it in like a lotion.
The cream is made with natural aloe and Shea butter for moisturizing benefits and its paraben-free and pthalate-free. Four scents are available: lavender jasmine, pomegranate raspberry, vanilla bliss and fragrance-free sensitive. I bought mine at Duane Reade for around $3-4.