Have you ever wondered what a “Parsnip” is like? I’m sure you’ve seen parsnips as you meander through the produce deparment. I”m even more sure, you always quickly think to yourself: What recipes would I use parsnips in? What are the health benefits of them? What are they like? Well, wonder no more! I think that a lot of people are intimidated by the way parsnips look and therefore, shy away from them - which makes me very sad for them. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

Parsnips have a nutty, peppery, sweet flavor that you just won’t find in any other veggie. They are good pretty much any way that you want to make them: roasted, baked, fried, sautéed, mashed, and they are awesome in deserts (a lot like it’s cousin the carrot).

Parsnips have historically been the favored vegetable for Europeans over carrots and potatoes. They were introduced to America in the late 16th century but sadly come in a dismal third to carrots and potatoes to the American taste buds. Parsnips are a root vegetable, resembling a creamy white carrot but are considered far more nutritionally superior. They are beneficial for lowering cholesterol and loosing and maintaining a healthy weight. They are low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. They are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Manganese, and Potassium.

Parsnips are at their best in the winter after the first frost - the cold turns their starch into sugar which gives them their sweet flavor. They are available at your grocer from late fall through early spring - so, for many of you out there, it’s prime time for parsnips in your area! When you get your parsnips home from the store, it’s best to wrap them in a moist paper towel and store in a dark location in your fridge. They will keep for two weeks or longer, making them an ideal vegetable to buy in bulk!

I have 3 Parsnip Side Dishes and 1 Parsnip Dessert that I absolutely LOVE and I’m going to share them here with you today. Of course, I cook all my food on stainless steel bake ware and waterless cookware, if you need any adaptations to these recipes, feel free to email me anytime: ksnyder@simplicitygourmet.com. I hope you enjoy these special Parsnip recipes as much as my friends, family, and I do.

So…we’ve finally made it. Noon last Saturday was go time! Of course, we both had a whole slew of things on our minds that we wanted to partake in but we just weren’t really willing to risk any stomach issues to do it. But…there was one thing that we both just had to have…one thing that our love never waned from…can anyone guess what that would be? You’ve got it…Cheez-Its! J

Check out our veteran advice on how to break an extended fast today!

As I write this, I am both saddened and exited to say that we only have four days, three hours, and 44 minutes left on our juice fast. This week, Jenna and I both are taking a deep look into the inner workings of our fast and making our lists and checking them twice of everything, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, that we have learned and are taking with us for the rest of this weight loss journey.

 Find out our fasting insights and weight loss total now!

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So…a lot of you are asking how we’ve done it - what’s the plan. Since we’ve got four weeks under our belts now, we’ve got everything nailed down to a science. Including how to save money while buying organic produce in bulk - which can get quite pricey with the volume of fruit you need to buy on a juice fast!

Find out how our week went, our weekly weight loss, and “the juice fast plan.” 

Over the last year I have really started focusing in on my health. I’ve been eating organic food and watching my fat intake. I was recently introduced to coconut oil. Before a few weeks ago I didn’t even know it existed, and now it something I find myself talking about all of the time.

Coconut oil is manufactured primarily in the Philippines. It has numerous health benefits and cooks great. Coconut oil is a fat, which consists of about 90% saturated fat.  The oil is made up of predominantly medium chain triglycerides, which basically means your body converts it to energy more easily than fat.

You can cook with coconut as long as you remember that you shouldn’t cook over medium heat. It tastes great; you can just drizzle it over your food if you like. Studies have shown that it lowers the chance for heart disease and works great as a moisturizer. It helps heal skin rashes and burns. It also helps by maintaining thyroid levels, blood sugar levels, and digestive health.

So what are you waiting for? Try some . . . you’ll love it!

So…we have been baptized by fire this week…

Scene from a confession…

It was early evening on a Friday night. Jenna and Katie were exhausted from a long day of work and still needed to stop by the grocery store to pick up a few groceries to make their special treat dinner. They wandered silently through the grocery store, letting an awkwardness quietly build between them. The two roommates were rarely apart and were quick to share every detail of their lives with each other. There was something hidden in the silence, something both of them feared to say to the other.

They checked out and walked to the car. They silently bundled their groceries into the back seat and Jenna responsibly returned their cart to its home. They paused at the doors, Katie at the driver, Jenna at the passenger and their eyes locked - the unsaid still hanging like a tightrope between them. Jenna timidly caved first, “I have to confess, I ate a cheez-it!” Katie breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly, never breaking her gaze from Jenna’s, “I have to confess, I ate a cheez-it too.” They both smiled and shared a silent moment only the very deepest friendships understand; a moment that said their covenant for these forty days was not broken and the other was forgiven.

The scene above is the event as it actually happened. Remember the treat I mentioned giving my dogs when they come inside from the back yard? Well, Jenna and I both absentmindedly popped a Cheez-It in our mouths, at different points in the week, after administering the treat to our pups. It wasn’t conscience, something we both do out of habit. After the cheez-it incident, oh, what a sad story! The sweet Cheez-It lullaby sung to me and called after me all week long - along with many others - this was my food craving week, for sure! To top it all off - I taught a cooking school Saturday and Jenna and I worked a bridal show on Sunday (right next to a caterer with yummy pork crostini and gorgonzola & walnut bruschetta, a cake company, and the famous Doubletree Hotel cookies - my fav!). Almost too much for the juice fast girls to endure…almost…

Read the rest of our week, how we battled the food cravings, our weekly weight loss update, and yummy homemade liquid fast soup.

So…the news you are all here for…my second week’s update. First of all, I feel amazing! I am full of strength, joy, and confidence. I am sleeping really, really well and I wake up feeling completely rested and ready for the day. I battled at the first part of the week with some hunger pains, but they only lasted about 24 hours. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know what they were at first - I mean, I’ve never had a hunger pain in my life…not even close! I miss food - I miss cooking it just as much as eating it and even more, I miss sharing it. I love to spend time with all my friends and usually lure them to my house by home cooked meals 2 to 3 times a week - it’s awfully quiet around the house with just me and the animals - tick, tock, tick, tock goes the fasting clock.

Read the full story, my weekly weight loss update, and all my information on juicing for your complexion.

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So…last Tuesday, I started a 40 day juice fast. It’s something I’ve toyed with for many months and researched and finally just said, “Hey, stop thinking about it and just do it!” Among other reasons (detoxing, body cleansing, health etc.), this decision was primarily spiritual for me. I work with food – I write about food, I research food, I talk about food, I cook food - there’s just no way around it! In recent years, it’s kind of become an obsession and while I eat a lot healthier than I ever have before and I have made significant strides in weight loss and nutrition education while being at Simplicity (in large part to my cookware, I must admit), I have yet to have a sense of real victory and freedom from the battle of the bulge. So…as one of my wise chums put it…I’ve decided to kick down the door and start taking names! Read about the Who, What, Why, When and Where’s of Juice Fasting, see how my first week went, and my first week’s weight loss.

I am not a big cooker. I work a full-time 8-5 job and am a children and wedding photographer, so cooking a big dinner every night is pretty low on my priority list. I am always on the lookout for recipes with 6 ingredients or less, 30 minutes or less to cook and it still taste good. That is why I love Simplicity Gourmet cookware. I can cook a steak and fresh vegetables in 20 minutes tops! Everything tastes so good and I feel better knowing it is healthy for my family. I tell friends all the time about it and I know I sound like an infomercial, but when you find something that you love and are genuinely excited about, you just have to share it.

Juicing can have powerful healing benefits and rejuvenating properties that can give you a skin care makeover for your wedding day.  As women we want to know simple things we can do to promote good health and beauty…especially on our wedding day when we want to look our absolute best and of course our honeymoon. Evidence has shown that juicing helps the organs and the body cleanse itself, which results in a softer and healthier looking complexion. We also know that berries are one of the best natural sources of antioxidents for our skin. These are a few juicing ideas.

If you have a lot of breakouts, you may want to cleanse your blood. For this, you’ll need:

3 sweet apples
8 strawberries

To enhance your complexion, you’ll want to use:

8 strawberries
2 bunches of grapes

And, to improve your skin overall try mixing:

6 carrots
½ green bell pepper

For all these juicing options simply wash and cut fruits and veggies so they’ll fit into the top of your juicer. Remove any moldy and bruised portions. Here’s to a more beautiful you!

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