Kris Carr is one of my cancer idols. She’s a best-selling author, wellness guru, and cancer goddess. Several years ago when a friend was in the midst of her own cancer battle, I was browsing the bookstore for some background and came across “Crazy Sexy Cancer.” I pulled it off the shelf, began flipping through it, and ended up reading the entire book right there in the aisle. Kris’ positive outlook and the proactive changes she made in her life resonated with me, and – unbeknownst at the time – would be an influencing factor in my own cancer perspective. After being diagnosed with untreatable stage IV cancer, Kris turned her life and, more importantly, her diet completely around, eschewing garbage food and embracing a plant-based diet. It’s because of her that I dove headfirst into the world of green drinks – my kale, berries, protein powder, and flaxseed smoothie is a yummy oxygen-packed blood booster – and began incorporating the heretofore dreaded veggies and grains into my diet.
After last week’s bacchanalia of small town cafĂ© food and the requisite gravies and starches, I was actually craving some good, nutrient-rich, plant-based food.
Wow – I NEVER thought I’d be saying THAT. WTH?
I had pre-ordered Kris’ latest book, “Crazy Sexy Kitchen,” and began dog-earring pages as soon as it arrived, marking recipes to try. I quickly picked out the recipe I wanted to try first: Squash Pasta with Sage Pesto. She actually makes plant-based chow interesting and TASTY.
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| My newest cooking bible. |
So today I trekked
to the local cooking store, made my contribution to “Small Business Saturday,”
and finally bought a spiralizer – a nifty gadget that turns veggies like
zucchini into raw, spaghetti-like strands – then headed to the produce store
for a cartful of veggies and other healthy shit.
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| The colors of health. |
The aroma in the
kitchen while chopping and whirring basil, sage, garlic, pine nuts, and olive
oil was uber-intoxicating. Then the fun
part: taking the spiralizer out for its
inaugural spin.
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| The Spiralizer working its magic on a yellow crookneck squash. |
Toss it all
together, add a couple of rustic corn tortillas lightly grilled over an open
flame, and voila!
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| All garlic-y and pesto-y and YUMMY! |
Yes, I’m still
addicted to sweets, and yes, I’m still a gummy-bear junkie (thank Buddha for
the 6-pound bags at Sam’s Club). But
incorporating the healthful and beneficial nutrients of fruits and veggies (as
well as grains, legumes, etc.) into my diet has been a BIG step in the right
direction for me. THANK YOU, Kris Carr,
for continuing to make it a tasty transition!
