I realized something the other day.
It was actually one of those realizations that took a few weeks to sink in, but when it did, I realized what I’ve been missing out on all these years.
Or rather, it made me wonder how I was able to live without getting a goods night’s sleep for about, oh seven years or so.
Sure, we’ve had a fairly steady stream of babies come our way which has contributed in part to fragmented sleep.
But the real culprit hasn’t been the night-time feedings.
It’s been our crappy $40 mattress we bought 8 years ago, second hand.
I didn’t realize what I was missing out on until we bought our new Sealy mattress a few weeks ago. We’d been putting it off for sooo long (what with our goals to put all discretionary money towards our debt snowball), but this year’s tax refund was extra generous & I realized I couldn’t take our mattress any longer which is just a slight step above sleeping on the ground.
We plunked down $600.
In retrospect, $600 seems like such a small price to pay for the amazing sleep I’ve been getting since we got the thing.
Since we’ve had the new mattress I wake up every morning spry as a spring chicken. I am in this unbelievably good mood–all. the. time.
I just feel sooo good. I had no idea what a truly good night’s sleep can do for a person.
I’m beginning to think that all the burnout feelings had more to do with chronic-crappy-sleep syndrome than with anything else.
So after discovering the joys of good night’s sleep, I’ve wondered how I ever lived without a decent mattress.
Which is also exactly how I feel about my new spiffy spiralizer.
I bought this one (affiliate link) just a few weeks ago.
The first time I put the zucchini through I couldn’t believe how gorgeous & firm the noodles were! It’s like magic. Add some delicious sauce, & you’ve got an amazing, filling, highly raw dish.
Now in full disclosure, this isn’t my first stint with raw noodles.
I bought a spiralizer about 8 years ago. It wasn’t nearly as good as the one that I have now, which is why I think I never latched onto the whole raw pasta thing. My kids broke the said spiralizer & I didn’t bother to replace it.
Which means for years I’ve been missing out on this:
Yes, that’s Tyndale trying to get his chubby little hands into my food.
(Reminds me of this post.) You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to take shots of my food with a 13 month old toddling about!
I LOVE this dish because I can make it in about 20 minutes (which is the max I have when I have a 1 year old & 4 year old underfoot!).
Fresh, highly-raw, protein rich.
I also love the Asian-inspired flavors, & can I tell you, I’m TOTALLY addicted to the sauce. (Said sauce first appeared in this post.) I love it on noodles & could drink the stuff.
I also should say I feel like a nerd because I realized I’d been mispelling sriracha. It’s sriracha, not sirancha, or siracha as I had been spelling it. Oops.
Also, for my vegan friends, a side note about the yummy red stuff.
Not all sriracha sauces are vegan as I recently discovered.
I bought a different brand because it was on sale (I usually buy the bottles with the rooster on it). Took it home, enthusiastically doused my next meal of rice & veggies with it, took one bite, & immediately spit it out.
The food tasted…fishy.
On further inspection, I realized this particular brand included anchovie paste AND fish sauce. I threw it away–not just because I’m vegan, but more importantly because I despise anything that tastes like fish.
Takeaway: check labels before buying!! You never know when they’re going to sneak in a little fish sauce on you. (Which is probably a good lesson to learn before we move to our new location!!)
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 medium/large carrots
- 1 c. shelled edamame OR cooked/sprouted chickpeas OR peas
- 2 TBS. peanuts or raw almonds, chopped
- handful chopped cilantro (optional)
- 3-4 TBS. peanut butter OR 7 TBS. PB2 peanut butter powder OR almond butter
- ¼ c. water
- 1 TBS. rice vinegar
- ½ TBS. sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. agave or other sweetener
- dash of red pepper flakes (optional--adds heat)
- A few notes first. Because raw noodles don't make good leftovers, don't toss noodles with sauce until *just* before serving, You can make the noodles & sauce the day before, & then toss noodles before serving. SOY-FREE OPTION: Substitute with chickpeas or frozen peas. PEANUT-FREE OPTION: Use almond butter & almonds, instead of peanut butter & peanuts. Almond butter doesn't have the exact same feel & taste of peanut butter, but I think it works. HIGHLY RAW OPTION: Use raw almond butter, raw almonds, & sprouted chickpeas.
- Wash zucchini. Peel skin off carrots.
- Using a sprializer, process zucchini using thin noodle blade. Put zucchini into a medium bowl.
- Using a julienne peeler, julienne carrots. Add carrots to zucchini.
- If using frozen edamame, place in small saucepan, add water & bring to boil. Turn down to medium high heat & cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, place in a colander, & rinse under cold water for 15 seconds or so. Do the same if using frozen peas. If you're using cooked or
- For the dressing, mix all ingredients in a blender (or use a wire whisk if doing manually). If you want a creamier, more rich dressing, use 4 tablespoons of nut butter instead of 3.
- Toss zucchini, carrots, edamame, & sauce until noodles are well-coated. Top with chopped peanuts (or almonds) & if desired, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
For more sriracha goodness, check out my low-cal peanut sesame shiritaki noodles, or my cheesy cauliflower sriracha bowl.
Looking for more inspiration in the kitchen?
→ Check out my 28 day meal plan!
(100% vegan & gluten-free.)
♥
Other bring joy posts you might want to check out:
- Is a vegan diet healthy long-term?
- Thai quinoa coleslaw {RECIPE}
- 5 minute raw apple crumble {RECIPE}
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