If you have taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s questions on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com so others can see your FMM questions and answers. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers by posting your own FMM post and commenting on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Cooking Habits

1. What is your favorite meal to prepare at home?  I love preparing anything that be made in one pot or pan like a stir fry or big hearty salads. 

2. Do you like to experiment in the kitchen, or do you prefer to stick to the basics? I prefer to stick to a recipe though once I have the hang of the flavors and consistency of something I might get a little experimental. 

3. What is your favorite cookbook? The only cookbook I own is Sarah Matheny’s (aka Mama Pea) cookbook Peas and Thank You which features vegan recipes for the family. It’s fantastic. Everything I have made so far has received rave reviews especially the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls. 

4. Do you have any tricks to share that help you reach your fruits and veggies goal for the day?  I jam my smoothies chock full of spinach. I buy a huge bag of spinach at Costco and freeze half of it in a ziplock bag. I throw spinach in everything from pizza and pasta to wraps and soups. 

I keep fruits washed, cut up and accessible for all of us. I try to prepare salad fixings whenever possible to make it easy to put a salad together quickly. 

My son eats fruit but it’s like pulling teeth to get him to eat vegetables. I put a bit of spinach in his smoothies. I also chop it really small and put it on tortilla pizzas under the cheese or in a grilled cheese. I add Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood berry flavored powder to his smoothies as well. 

5. What’s the most interesting thing you made last week?  I made an arugula salad with Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn (thawed obviously!!), cherry tomatoes halved, black beans and avocado dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple I know, but the flavors were incredible. My husband and I dominated that salad and he licked the bowl clean.

6. How often do you watch cooking shows on TV?  I used to watch them pre-Carlos, now I don’t ever get a chance to watch TV. However, I do enjoy Roni’s Green Lite Bites videos.

7. When you’re hungry, where are you most likely to look first? The refrigerator, or the pantry? The refrigerator. I know that the healthier options are in the fridge.

8. List a few healthy staples that can always be found in your kitchen. I always have on hand nondairy milk, all natural peanut butter, rice, almonds, dates, oats, quinoa, spinach, whole grain pasta, granola bars, dry beans and canned beans.

9. Are you motivated to cook at home even when you’re eating alone? Yes definitely. This wasn’t always the case, but now I enjoy making food at home even just for myself.

10.  How often do you try new recipes? I probably try new recipes 2-3 times a week thanks to all the amazingly generous bloggers who share their recipes and gorgeous food photos. It changed my world. I went from not cooking at all to making really delicious, interesting and healthy meals. My husband was extremely receptive to the changes in our diets and he absolutely raves about my cooking. 

I use Evernote to clip recipes that interest me and I organize them in a recipes folder. Once I make a recipe in my folder it gets transferred to a new folder for taste tested recipes with any thoughts on the dish. Honestly if I didn’t work nights I would probably make something new almost every night of the week.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday. It’s a gorgeous day here. I actually enjoyed a pain free run this morning and I’m looking forward to a little game of catch with Carlos in a few minutes. On the dinner menu tonight is Tilapia, mango salsa, coconut black rice and sautéed green beans. What’s on your menu tonight?