Must Have Been Something I Ate – Giveaway

Hello friends, this morning Chris and I are on our way to Mexico to start our wedding celebration. The wedding is not until Monday, May 30th, so we will have a few days of sun and relaxation before we tie the knot.

While I am enjoying my vacation south of the border, I have some guests posts in the next few days from personal friends of mine, who are also foodies.

Enjoy today’s recipe, book review and a giveaway!

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I was contacted a few weeks ago by Vega to see if I’d like a copy of the new book Must Have Been Something I Ate, by Peggy Kotsopoulous, along with some samples of Vega’s products.

I immediately replied, Yes of course! I was interested in checking it out because I have been a fan of Vega products and have attended Brendan Brazier free seminar at my local health food store.

I like that the book is easy to follow and have a casual and funny tone, yet very informative. The author is not preachy in her approach to teach you how each food can affect your mood, weight, beauty and your health in general.

I also like the fact that 90% of the food she mentioned in the book are already food I eat regularly and are pantry staples in our house. What I learned from the book is how each food can help with imbalances that we may feel with our body. Are you stressed and anxious? Do you feel tired and not sleeping well? Do you suffer from stomach issues?

I received the book a few weeks ago and I immediately read the chapter that focused on anxiety and stress. I could definitely use some help in reducing some stress and anxiety while planning the wedding.

I found sweet potato to be included in the list of “food that help you chill” and Peggy writes in the book all the reasons why. I love having coconut butter with my  roasted sweet potato and I was happy to learn that fats increase the absorption of beta-carotene. Peggy suggest eating sweet potatoes with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, hemp seed oil and my favorite, coconut butter. Yummy!

The last chapter in the book is for recipes.

Since I already had all the ingredients on hand, I was excited to try the quinoa salad recipe from the book.

I had leftover quinoa from the batch I made this week, so making this simple salad was super fast and easy to make.

Plus, you get the benefit of energizing B vitamins, muscle-relaxing magnesium and blood-sugar-balancing fibre. What’s not to love?

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups cooked white quinoa
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Pinch fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Juice of 1/4 lemon

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

I made this salad and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. I preferred it served cold and after a few hours, all the juices and flavors had a chance to mix together.

This tasted so refreshing. The flavor is subtle, just a hint of lemon juice and oregano, which makes it very simple but good. I also appreciated all the different textures that you can taste from each bite.

I have olive oil for cooking (taste is ok) and I have one bottle for fresh salad like this dish. For this dish, I used the Olive Press Master Blend kind. I got this olive oil from Napa and taste great straight out of the bottle, even better with bread or on fresh salads.

Next up, I want to try the Apple Oatmeal Anti-Muffin Tops recipe.

Now for the Vega Book Giveaway: Must Have Been Something I Ate, by Peggy Kotsopoulos.

For a chance to win your own copy of the book, do the following:

Mandatory entry:

1) Leave a comment about an instance where you said to yourself “Must Have Been Something I Ate” OR leave a comment about what you are currently doing to improve your health.

Optional entries, [just leave a comment for each entry]:

2.) Tweet about this giveaway: “Enter to win a new book “Must Have Been Something I Ate” from @Healthy_Coconut @VegaTeam http://wp.me/pZumB-1MK”

3.) Like Vega on Facebook

4.) Like Healthy Coconut on Facebook

Giveaway will end next Wednesday, June 1st at midnight. Winner will be announced the following day, on Tuesday’s post.