Ingredients:

1/4 onion

1/2 cup green beans

1 carrot

5 florets of broccoli

1/4 cup cauliflower

1/2 yellow squash

2 cups cabbage

2 cups pasta

1/4 cup cashews

1 citrus fruit

All measurements are approximations and do not need to be followed exactly.

1. First things first, heat up your pan to medium heat and add some oil. Chop your onion and green beans. Toss the onion into the pan. Wait until it cooks a bit then drop in the green beans until both begin to brown.

2. Slice your broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower and yellow squash. Chuck them all in the pan on medium heat, stir and cover it up. Let the veggies cook for about 15 minutes. Since there's a large amount of vegetables, it needs time to thoroughly get warmed up.




4. Mix in some spices with your veggies. Mine includes basil, black peppercorns, coriander, garlic, mustard seed, oregano, paprika, parsley, red chili pepper, rosemary, sea salt and thyme.  But you can use whatever you have in your pantry.

6. Now for the final touches! Top off the dish with cashews, citrus and Thai peanut sauce. My peanut sauce is from Sprout's and it's completely vegan. But I've found a vegan version at Target too. That's all, friends. Enjoy!


When it comes to my meals, I like to keep them tasty but easy. Try out my healthy vegetarian recipe out tonight! Everyone, especially you, will be impressed by your culinary skills.

A day like this

by Carmen Varner

It's a day like this

 that makes me want to stay inside. 

The rain pours 

and the skies are grey.

I wouldn't want to leave the house anyway.

I wish I could stay in bed, 

under the covers, 

warm and sheltered from the tears of the atmosphere.

It's a day like this

I feel more confused about my existence than ever.

It's so perplexing how the weather

and our moods

can be so easily swayed.

It's a day like this

I'm reminded of how small I am.

Nothing revolves around me;

I revolve around the sun.

And when I feel down,

I realize the skies don't lie.

They're up there,

up so high.

It's a day like this

I understand I must journey on,

even if heaven cries.

The world won't stop for me,

so I must continue my adventure regardless.

"I choose you," she repeated. 

Spaghetti Squash Salmagundi

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

any vegetables in your fridge

seasoning

In case you were wondering, salmagundi is a medley, hodgepodge, mixture, jumble. This healthy vegetarian recipe is simply a general guide to making a delicious spaghetti squash dish, not anything exact. You can include a mishmash of veggies. You may add any and every vegetable you have at your place.

Spaghetti squash is an excellent substitute for pasta, hence the name.  This is a low carb healthy vegetarian recipe/ According to Better Nutrition, spaghetti squash is a watermelon-shaped squash that's low in calories and carbohydrates and high in beta-carotene, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Dang, this squash has got it all! 

Alright, let's get started!

1. The first thing you need to do is cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. This can be tough because they're pretty thick. Then take a spoon and scrape the goopy insides and seeds. You can save the seeds and bake them if you want. 

3. Now chop up your veggies. Veggies are a huge part of any healthy vegetarian recipe. I cut onion and green beans and added them to a pan on medium heat. After those cooked and browned a little bit I tossed in asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. Cover the pan and stir occasionally. It takes a while to cook since there's quite a mass of vegetables in there.

4. Your spaghetti squash ought to be ready by now. Take a fork and poke it. If it's soft and goes through easily, it's ready. If not, keep baking it. Once you remove the squash from the oven, get a large bowl and a fork. Start scraping! It's super easy to do. It breaks apart into spaghetti-like pieces. Rad, right? Add more spices and seasoning. I included a no salt seasoning, which included garlic, onion, basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley.

5. Everything should be ready to go. Mix cooked veggies and the squash together. Now's the time to add more spices, if necessary. I'm a taste-as-I-cook kind of gal. I added pepper, thyme and an everyday seasoning which included sea salt, mustard seeds, coriander, onion, garlic, paprika and chili pepper. 

Okay, so that's the easy cheap vegetarian recipe for ya. This makes quite a lot of food. Serve for friends and family or save for leftovers. Plus, this dish is extremely versatile. One day I added tomato sauce for a yummy pasta dish. The next day I put a dash of teryaki sauce for an Asian-inspired meal. 

Please let me know if you decide to try this healthy vegetarian recipe out!

Bon Appétit!

It was a Monday evening. The night air was cool, yet it was stuffy in the small living room where four twenty-somethings gathered together for a chill evening. The group consisted of two men and two women. Some had been friends for years, while some had met only a week prior. However, at this exact moment in time, they were close.

The four reclined in various parts of the room. The apartment belonged to Charles 'Kirby' Tierney and his two roommates. Kirby's roommates didn't respond well to company and remained hidden in their rooms. Kirby sat on the dirty brown couch in his living room next to Olivia Burlingame. Olivia browsed the television, constantly clicking the remote. She smacked her gum loudly and sighed as she went from channel to channel.

Jamaal Amoros sat on a small black beanbag near Kirby's feet and slowly sipped on a beer. Flora Franco leaned against the white wall with a tie dye pillow behind her back. Kirby met Flora his freshman year in philosophy class. Olivia was Flora's roommate and Jamaal was a friend of a friend who happened to be was crashing on Kirby's couch for the time being.

 "So what'd you do this weekend?," Flora asked Kirby and Jamaal. "Any girls this time?," she inquired.

"Yeah, we were hanging out with girls," Kirby said.

"I know, but you're "hanging out" with me and Olivia," she said, adding air quotes to emphasize her point.

"You're always like 'did you get it in?'" Kirby joked, imitating Flora. The four of them laughed.

"Sorry I'm intrigued," Flora said, kicking Kirby's shin. "You always have the coolest stories. If I had a cool story, I would tell you too."

Kirby seemed amused and thought about his weekend.

"We went to a warehouse party in LA on Friday," Kirby responded. "We skated all day. There was all the beer you could drink. Everyone was sipping beers and cruising on their boards. I drank so many I couldn't even skate, which is saying something," he said. "So I went to my buddy's car to chill, but ended up passing out in his car. I woke up like three hours later back home. Then, get this," he paused.

Olivia stopped flipping through the channels at this point and left it on Hey Arnold! Jamaal got up from his seat and went to the fridge to get another beer.

"Want one?," Jamaal asked nobody in particular.

"Yeah," Flora and Kirby said in unison. Jamaal returned with four beers in hand, two for himself.

"So what happened?," Flora probed.

"I hung out with my ex. She gave me like a 30-rack of beer for my birthday," he said.

"Seriously?" Olivia asked. "I'd never buy a gift for an ex."

Kirby gave Olivia a weird look.

"Even for someone as magnificent as yourself," she added hastily. She wasn't trying to be mean.

"The same girlfriend that you all of a sudden stopped talking to you? Let me get this straight. She wasn't pissed at you, but instead buys you beer? Interesting," Flora said, squinting her eyes in a train of thought.

"Anyway," Kirby began. "So I took it, told her thanks and bounced the hell out of there. We drank it all that night," he said pointing to Jamaal. "So pretty much, I had a ton of beer that day, beginning at the skate park. It resulted in a massive two-day hangover. It hurt my head to breathe. I swear it was like blasting a foghorn in my ear. My brain was pounding. Me and Jamaal just vegged out on the couch all weekend. Worst hangover of the year," he said.

"But it's only March!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Friday was totally worth it," Kirby said. And with that it was evident he was done retelling his story.

16. Just do it - If there's something you've been putting off, right now is the time to do it. Seriously, there's no time to waste. If your credit bills are piling up, do something about it. If you've been madly in love with your best friend for the last year, just tell her. If you feel like you've put on a few pounds, go to the gym.

17. Things take time - You can't rush life. Some things require much time and effort. But don't give up simply because it seems arduous or unpleasant. Take it one step at a time. A day may seem long, but it'll seem short in a week.

18. Get out of the house - Seriously. Get out of the house. If you find yourself feeling cooped up and anxious, get out of there as fast as you can.

19. Dine with friends - Got nothing better to do? Buy some groceries and cook dinner with a buddy at your place. Or you two could go to a cafe for a cappuccino and scone. Regardless of where or what you eat, nothing bonds friends more than food. Take the time out of your busy schedule to retain the friendships that you presently have.

20. Productive days are the best - Remember that feeling of accomplishment that rolls over you when you did everything you needed? You did the laundry, the dishes, washed the car, took the dog for a walk, cleaned your entire bedroom and finished all your school work. When you use your time wisely, the day flies by, memories are made, things get done.