It's Almost A to Z Time!

Image Credit: Blogging from A to Z Challenge

As I look out the window, sun beams down on quarter-size, sparkling snowflakes. But, I'm still dreaming of warmer weather. Thankfully, one of my favorite spring blogging traditions is just around the corner.

Yep, it's almost time for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.

Motivated bloggers have the opportunity to connect with writers, learn about new websites, build their email lists, make new friends and learn a little something along the way.

I'm thinking of sharing a month's worth of healthy, whole foods living snack ideas. Sounds tasty, right?

This will be my third year participating in the month-long challenge. You can learn more about the challenge and sign up with your blog on the official website HERE.

Do you plan on participating this year? Have you signed up or chosen a theme for your April posts? I have two blogs participating this year: Whole Foods Living and Web Writing Advice.

I hope to 'see' you online in April!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Learning to Love Asparagus

Fresh asparagus and tomatoes. Photo: SXC.HU

I love all vegetables. Well, almost all vegetables.

There are those few that linger at the bottom of the list, and I usually only eat them if they're covered in a creamy sauce or swimming in so much butter they're no longer considered a vegetable.

Asparagus fits in this group.  I know I'm not alone when it comes to being a little shy around this stalky vegetable.

So, to kick off the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I'm going to try to learn to love asparagus. I encourage my readers to be healthier and eat whole foods, so I need to practice what I preach!

I bought a fresh bunch of asparagus at the store and have committed to finding a way to make it tasty. After browsing my stacks of cookbooks, I decided to try preparing the veggie two ways: roasted in a hot oven and sauteed in olive oil.

The roasted asparagus had a wonderful, earthy flavor but was limp and kind of soggy. Maybe my oven wasn't hot enough or I used too much olive oil. The sauteed asparagus was much better. I lightly tossed it with fresh sliced mushrooms and onions before mixing it with pasta. The asparagus was still firm and reminded me of eating fresh green beans from the garden. Yum!

So, how do you like your asparagus? Please make my mouth water by leaving your ideas in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living


PS: This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Each day during April (excluding Sundays) my posts will relate to a specific letter of the alphabet. Stop back tomorrow, join this site with Google Friend Connect, or sign up for email reminders on the top, left side of this page to keep up with what I've got cooking! Thank you!

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Kreativ Blogger Award 2012

Since participating in the April 2012 A to Z Blogging Challenge I've "met" so many insightful, friendly and informative bloggers on the web. 

I was lucky enough to catch the eye of Francene Stanley of Stitching Words and Jolie Du Pre of Precious Monsters who recently awarded Whole Foods Living the Kreativ Blogger Award!

Thank you, ladies! I'm honored that you enjoy my little corner of the web!

Part of receiving this wonderful award is that I continue on with this kindness and nominate seven other blogs that I feel deserving of this award.  After that, I answer 10 questions about myself and 10 random facts about me that you probably didn't know! So here goes!

7 Award-Winning Blogs to Visit:
1. Amy at Freelancin' for $1000 a Week.
Motivational. Inspirational. Realistic.

2. Jen at We're Living a Full Life.
Insightful. Honest. Fun.

3. Tracy at Pull Up a Toadstool.
Creative. Alternative. Inspiration.

4. Sylvia at Plant-Based Foodie.
Delicious. Simple. Whole.

5. Amy at Coffee Lovin' Mom
Travel. Relaxing. Witty.

6. Rabbit Trails
Honest. Funny. Random.

7. The Death Writer
Scary. Important. Insightful.

10 Questions About Me:
1. What is your favorite song? Nothing Else Matters by Metallica. It was our first dance/wedding song.
2. What is your favorite dessert? Brownies
3. What ticks you off? When I'm not productive
4. What do you do when you’re upset? Cry 
5. Which is/was your favorite pet? All of them!
6. Which do you prefer, black or white? Black
7.What is your biggest fear? Dying by drowning or fire
8. What is your attitude mostly?  Positive
9. What is perfection? Cruising forest trails with my hubby and dogs on a crisp fall day followed by homemade hot chocolate.
10. What is your guilty pleasure?  Brownies topped with homemade vanilla ice cream and warm ganache. Yeah, you're drooling now!

10 Random Facts About Me:
1. My husband and I share the same three initials.
2. My first rock concert was Poison in 1989.
3. I played the Wicked Queen in my 3rd grade class play, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.
4. I design greeting cards.
5. I love reading Stephen King before bed.
6. I have a vial of faux blood from a GWAR concert.
7. I volunteer at a horse therapy organization.
8. I drink milk directly from the container.
9. I've never watched Glee, American Family, House or many of the other "popular" shows.
10. I've straddled the Tropic of Capricorn in Australia.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Reflections of The Blogging from A to Z Challenge

Whew! Maintaining a personal blog challenge is like running a marathon. 

Last week I crossed the finish line in my first ever Blogging from A to Z Challenge--and it feels great. I kept a steady pace, didn't skip any of the 26 miles, er, letters in my path and learned a lot along the journey.

1. People genuinely do care about nutrition and question what's on their plates. My passion is not falling on deaf ears!

2. Maintaining a daily blog is more than just tapping out a few paragraphs of insights. There are comments to approve, read and reply to. There are photos to snap or find. And, of course there's research (read: cook, bake, shop!) to create informative, honest posts.

3. I learned a lot from my readers and the blogs I visited during the challenge! I have a list of new blogs to peruse, books to read and recipes to try. Thank you!

4. Blogging won't make you rich. I maintain Whole Foods Living because it's my day-to-day life speaking. I write about what I encounter during my ongoing healthy eating transition. The ad revenue from this blog challenge will probably buy me a watermelon at the farmer's market or maybe another bag of organic quinoa. Yum!

5. People will blog about anything! While visiting other blogs in the challenge I met other foodies, learned about children's books, death rituals, tourist spots in Paris, how much I need a beach vacation and the antics of young children!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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A to Z Blog Challenge Week 3 Recap

Today wraps up the third week of the April 2012 A to Z Blog Challenge!

Each day in April (excluding Sundays) I'm spotlighting one letter of the alphabet. Have you been following along?

Although today is a day off from the Challenge, I thought I'd post a quick recap of the previous week, "N" through "S". If you missed any posts on Whole Foods Living, here's a list of quick links:

April 16: Why Blog About Nutrition?

April 17: My Love Affair With Olive Oil

April 18: Do You Eat Papaya?

April 19: 3 Ways to Eat Quinoa

April 20: Types of Rice

April 21: Strawberry Sauce in 5 Minutes

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Easy Triple Berry Smoothie Recipe

Sometimes I don't want a heavy breakfast before I exercise in the morning. That's when I turn to my single-serve blender and create a refreshing smoothie.

This easy berry smoothie recipe is a nutritious mix of nut-based protein, vitamin-packed fruits and healthy seeds. People with a lactose intolerance or a sensitivity to soy can indulge without worry.

Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Triple Berry Breakfast Smoothie
2 cups almond milk, regular or vanilla flavored
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/3 cup frozen raspberries
1/3 cup frozen blackberries
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tbs light agave syrup or raw honey
1 Tbs milled flax seed

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse on a high setting to chop the frozen berries and ice cubes. Blend until smooth, and enjoy your berry smoothie.

Next time try a Chocolate-Covered Banana Smoothie or a Raspberry-Banana Smoothie. Both make a great, light breakfast or a delicious afternoon snack.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: Did you miss day one of the 2012 Blogging from A to Z April challenge? Check out my "A" post about apples!

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An Apple A Day: Kicking off the 2012 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge!

Fresh Apples. Photo by Scott Bauer.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, that's the perfect way to kickstart the 2012 Blogging from A to Z April challenge! Today, we're talking about America's favorite fruit: apples!

If you're new to Whole Foods Living, you're in for a (healthy!) treat. Each day this month (excluding the last four Sundays) I'll spotlight a healthy whole food, ways to live chemical-free and helpful cooking tips to keep your meals healthy. I'm even planning a nutrition quiz or two!

So, Are Apples Healthy?
Apples are packed with phytonutrients that help regulate blood sugar and balance the good bacteria in the digestive tract, according to The World's Healthiest Foods. To get the most nutrition from an apple, eat it in it's whole foods form. Apple juice and applesauce are a result of processing, and lack the fiber and vitamins found in a fresh apple.

Healthy Apple Recipes
One of my favorite quick breakfasts is crispy apple slices dipped in nut butter. From peanuts to almonds or cashews, you really can't go wrong. The combination of protein (from the nuts) and sugar (from the apple) is the perfect post-morning workout snack.

If you're looking for a healthy alternative to apple pie, try making sweet baked apples. After halving and coring an apple, place it skin-side down in a baking pan with a little water. Fill the apple with a mixture of organic raisins, chopped walnuts, a dash of cinnamon and a big squeeze of honey or agave syrup. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This sweet treat will satisfy your dessert cravings without the calories of a fat-filled pie crust or chemically-treated refined sugar.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy fresh apples? Please share your ideas or links to recipes in the comments below! I'm always looking for a new ways to indulge in apples.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: Check back tomorrow for day two of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. I'll be sharing a yummy Berry smoothie recipe for the letter B!
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2012 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge

Each April, bloggers around the globe participate in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Since every blogger interprets the rules differently, here are my personal goals for this blog, Whole Foods Living:

• Provide valuable information about nutrition
• Share recipe ideas and menu plans
• Explain that Whole Foods Living extends beyond the kitchen
• Post at least once a day in April, excluding the last four Sundays
• Focus on one letter of the alphabet for 26 days 

Follow the blog challenge by signing up with a Google account or email address in the left margin of this page.

Are you also blogging for the A to Z April Challenge? Please share your blog's URL in the comments below so I can check out your progress!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Blog Award!

Thanks to author and foodie Amy Brantley, Whole Foods Living was honored with the Stylish Blogger Award today! If you want to share the love and send an award to your favorite blogger, play along.

The rules are as follows:

 1. Thank and link back to the person giving you the award. (Thanks to Amy at Recipes that Please with Ease! )
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 10-15 blogs that you think deserve this award.
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award.

7 things about me:
1. I love to cook and bake.
2. I'm a sucker for 1980s hair metal music.
3. I love to eat healthy.
4. I had a pet python for 16 years. His name was Poe.
5. I LOVE lentils.
6. I've read the entire Little House on the Prairie book series more than once.
7. I love to be crafty with photos and scrapbooking.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!
Angela