Category: Lifestyle

Fruit and Vegetable Halloween Costumes

September 15, 2019 by Eve | Last Modified: November 25, 2020

Scary Pumpkin Halloween Decoration – Autumnal Background

Fall is in the air, which means it is time to start thinking about what you will dress up as for this Halloween.

In the spirit of the blog and eating healthy, we think you should dress-up as a fruit or vegetable! Here are some good ones. You and/or the kids could dress-up like a green asparagus, an aubergine, a fat purple grape using balloons, or create your very own homemade scarecrow costume (of Oz) with a splash of blood painted.

There are hundreds if not thousands of halloween costume ideas to experiment. Go see for yourself at our Fruit and Vegetable Halloween costume ideas Pinterest board. We can guarantee that you’ll find some great halloween’ costumes for women, couples, kids and babies.

Before we go on..

Do you know when the first Halloween started?

Halloween began as a European Celtic festival. The old written books described that the early days of Halloween traditions originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear evil costumes to scare the ghosts off.

Fun fact: Halloween include multiple activities such as: apple bobbing, divination games (ways of foretelling one’s future) and much more.

Hallows’ Eve, it is tradition to reflect in the eating of certain plant-based foods, this would include: apples, soul cakes, potato pancakes, etc.

And then.. it’s in north America that Halloween festivity has really taken off. Hallowe’en was brought by the Irish and Scottish immigrants when they first arrived in the States early 1800s.

It’s good to know that modern day trick-or-treat didn’t really catch on in some parts of the United States until begin 1920s. And to this day it remains hugely popular.

Hope this short history moment could help you understand how it all started.

If you missed the link above, we’ve also started a Pinterest page with Fruit and Vegetable Halloween costume ideas. You’ll see the large, fun variety of costumes. From the turnip, the pumpkin to the dyi halloween costumes for women.

I particularly like the pineapple costume and the carrot baby costume is adorable.

Which is your favorite veggie/fruit adult costume? Do you have what it takes to make a fruit or a fancy vegetable costume at home?

I think that’s a yes and we believe in you!

Enjoy this board of Fruit & Vegetable costumes and let your creative juices flow!

To Peel or Not to Peel Carrots? – Pros & Cons

August 17, 2015 by Eve | Last Modified: September 24, 2020

Every time I have carrots in my kitchen I instinctively take out the peeler and peel the skins.

Why peel carrots?

Because it is what my mom and grandma did when they were in the kitchen. Do your parents and/or grandparents do the same?

Is this a necessary step? Why do some people peel them before cooking? It seems that peeling carrots takes away their goodness.

Let’s find out more.

Do you have to peel carrots?

I would say no if they’re organic, but this is a personal opinion. You don’t have to follow me. It also depends on what you are going to do with them.

But let’s first look at some carrot peeling facts …

PROS to Peeling

Removes dirt, pesticides, and possible wax coating.
It gives the carrot a “fancier” appearance.
You can use the peels to feed pet rodents, make a broth, or use them in your compost pile.
Some winter carrots have a tougher skin, which is removed when peeling.

CONS to Peeling

Reduces the intake in Vitamin A, C and niacin.
Removes some of the phytonutrients which are stored in the skin.
The more you peel, the less food you have to eat.
It takes valuable time away from dinner prep.
Peeling purple skin carrots causes it to look like every other orange carrot.
The skin makes for a rustic look and is lost when peeled.

Discover more about carrots

Whether you are going to eat your carrots peeled and/or unpeeled, you’ll most likely get the daily recommended vitamins but also a good amount in fibre.

Try to eat them raw, cooked or steamed, and why not use the edible veg in smoothies, morning or afternoon homemade juices.

Carrots also are very tasty in cakes, soup or snacks, dipped in some hummus.

Overall, I don’t see any real evidence as to why you should peel your carrots. In the future, I will not be peeling mine, but instead, I will give them a good scrub to remove excess dirt. Be sure to also remove the green leaves before storing as they will suck all the moisture out of the carrots and make them wilt faster.

Decision time

The winner?

I’d pick: Organic carrots = Not Peeled.
Some people don’t really care about it and just buy/pick the conventional carrots (maybe cheaper) and peel them.

Decide which method (of the above) is better for you.

Enjoy your carrots! 🙂

Learn to Create your own Recipes

August 11, 2015 by Eve | Last Modified: August 11, 2015

As Americans we generally eat 3 meals a day, 365 days a year. That is over 1000 meals we eat each year and at least half of those are probably made by you. Food is such a huge part of our lives, it baffles me as to why cooking class in not required in school. If you are like me, you did not grow up being passed down century year old recipes from your grandma. Nope… we usually settled for hot dogs, mac & cheese, burritos, or anything else that happened to by lying around. …

Why I decided to give up Meat

October 8, 2014 by Eve | Last Modified: August 11, 2015

I have been a meat-eater ever since I was a child, but that all changed earlier this year when I signed up for a 6 month long “professional plant-based certification cooking class”. I had no idea that it meant vegan cooking. And so my journey began! The class taught me how to prepare healthy meatless meals. I found that I didn’t really miss eating meat as long as the meal was hearty and filling.

The class also opened my eyes to the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet and how it reduced my carbon footprint. My tipping point for giving up meat is the fact that my husband and I have been struggling with unexplained infertility for the last two years. I don’t want to sit around and wait for something to change, I am stepping up to the plate and trying something new. Will it make a difference? I don’t know, but it can’t hurt either.

Benefits of being vegetarian…

Eat more Fruits and Vegetables – According to the USDA half of what you eat should be fruits and veggies. However, most Americans are eating more meat than produce. By eliminating meat, you allow more room for fruits and veggies.

Lose Weight – In an Oxford University study of approximately 38,000 Americans, researchers found that meat-eaters tended to have the highest body mass index (BMI) for their age and vegans the lowest, with vegetarians in the middle. The most likely reason is that vegetarian meals tend to be richer in antioxidants and fiber, which keeps your regular and helps to lose weight.

Live Longer – You can add approximately 13 years to your life and be healthier in your latter years if you stay on a vegetarian diet, according to Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The RealAge Diet. ”People who consume saturated, four-legged fat have a shorter life span and more disability at the end of their lives. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy and slow down your immune system.”

Reduce Hormone Intake – Ranchers inject beef cows with hormones to make them grow 20% faster and dairy cows to make them produce 15% more milk. The FDA says that these hormones do not affect us, but it still concerns me that I am ingesting these unnatural hormones.

Feel Better – After 2 weeks of eating a vegetarian diet my husband told me that he felt better than he had in years. And I have to agree. I tend to have more energy and feel motivated for the day.

Save Money – Meat is expensive compared to grains and legumes.

Less likely to get Cancer – The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) determined that there is convincing scientific evidence that red meat increased cancer risk and that processed meat, saturated/animal fat, and heavily cooked meat were also convincing of increased risk of cancer.1

Eat more Humanly – Millions of animals are subject to confinement, overcrowding, and disfigurement only to face an equally cruel demise in the slaughterhouse (which, by the way is no picnic for its human workers). In the words of Paul McCartney, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we’d all be vegetarian.”

Reduce my carbon footprint – According to the FAO, 18% of global emission result from livestock. Cutting out beef, pork, and poultry can cut your footprint in half! Reducing your carbon footprint will help reduce global warming and will help the environment.

I have decided to not become full fledge vegan due to the lack of certain nutrients such as calcium, iron, and vitamin B12. Also, I have found that my friends, family, and restaurants can create vegetarian meals, but vegan is beyond their comfort zone. To ensure that I receive enough protein and omega-3’s in my diet, I have decided to eat wild-caught fish. Which, I guess makes me a pescatarian!

Update as of August 2015: Since writing this post I have decided to incorporate white meat back into my diet, but only a very small portion size. Giving up such a huge food source for 6 months, was a challenge, but well worth it. I learned that I can have self-control and that meat does not have to be the staple ingredient at the dinner table.

1. World Cancer Research Fund. Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: A global perspective. American Institute of Cancer Research. Washington, DC:2007.