Preheat over to 350 degrees. Oil a 9×13 inch pan.

Place millet and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer until tender (15 to 20 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.

Melt butter or heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, mushrooms, pepper, salt, and basil. Sauté about 5 minutes or until the onions soften.

Add cauliflower and garlic. Sauté about 10 minutes more, until the cauliflower is tender. Add lemon juice.

Stir the sauted vegetables into the millet, along with the optional cheese, and mix well. Spread into the prepared pan, dust with paprika, and bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Did you receive these coupons in the mail last week?
Great! And now we want to see the pictures from your party!

Throw a party, take pictures and tag Earth Fare in the picture on Facebook by Wednesday, June 6th. (Not on Facebook? No problem! Send your picture and name to contests@EarthFare.com.)

Let the party planning begin! The one that makes us say, “Now THAT’S a party!” will receive the ultimate host/hostess gift – an Le Creuset 8-Quart Dutch Oven!* (HINT: We like dancing, moustaches and yummy food.)

* You must be able to pick up your prize from an Earth Fare location.

I have struggled with food issues since before even my foggiest childhood memories were formed. As a five-year-old, I was routinely snacking on fast food as an after-dinner treat. By the age of 12, I was a women’s size 16. And in my senior year of high school, I hit my all-time high of 285 pounds and wore a size 24 dress to prom.

When I went off to college in the summer of 2006, a lot of things changed, but mainly my eating habits and my activity level. My diet now consisted of creative alternatives to what was available in the cafeteria, and I was for the first time in my life without a car. When I came home for Thanksgiving break in my freshman year, I stepped on a scale and learned that I had lost 10 pounds without even trying. I made a concentrated effort to keep that trend going, and by the end of my first year of school, I had lost 60 pounds!

A move to Chicago in my sophomore year made me lose another 40 pounds. And in the summer after my junior year, I was down to a healthy 160 pounds! I had a tummy tuck in June of 2009 and wore a bikini for the first time in my whole life. To this day, I can’t look at pictures from that vacation and not smile when I think of what it took to get to that point.

After that summer, I went back to college to finish up my degree. Pretty immediately I started having digestive issues that sent me to the bathroom in a panic every time I ate. By my 21st birthday, I was convinced that I should be seeing a doctor about my problems. I made the appointment, and in October 2009 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

My doctor put me on corticosteroids to control the extreme inflammation in my GI tract, and when it was no longer safe to take those, he switched me over to a long-term immunosuppressant that he described as “a cancer drug that you will be on for the rest of your life.”

“But I didn’t have cancer!” I thought to myself.

Things just didn’t add up for me. Regardless, I took the drugs he prescribed for a full 15 months, gained 30 pounds back in the process, and vowed that I would find another way to treat this problem. That’s when my love affair with kale began. As 2010 came to a close, I researched foods that help to boost the immune system, since that’s essentially what I was up against. I tailored my diet to include a rotation of these amazing foods, and once I was committed to this new lifestyle, I got off the drugs!

December 31, 2010 was the last day that a so-called cancer drug entered my body, and I’ve felt healthier every day since. You know, it’s amazing when you really think about a story like mine; food was once going to kill me, and now it’s saving my life.

You can share YOUR story with Earth Fare’s readers (and win a $50 gift card for yourself) by clicking here.
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More stories like this one:

Overcoming Pain with Tricia
Worldwide Health with Jennifer
Boosting Her Immune System: Allison’s Story

To make:

1. Fill a wide, shallow pan about 2/3rd of the way with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 – 2 tsp. of white vinegar.
2. Prepare your egg by cracking it into a small bowl—a soup ladle will do in a pinch. The fresher the egg, the easier to poach – and only try and poach one egg at a time. Any more than that and you’re flirting with disaster!
3. Bring the water to a simmer and stir with a spoon to cool.
4. Gently pour the egg into the water – if possible, gently stir the water in a circular motion to keep the shape of your egg.
5. Cook 3-5 minutes until the white is opaque and the yolk begins to thicken.
6. Remove egg with a slotted spoon and serve immediately.

Poached eggs are great for Eggs Benedict or come up with your own signature breakfast sandwich!

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So what will your Mother’s Day breakfast be?

Here’s our fool-proof method for a simple omelet:

1. Sauté your veggies before you put them in the omelet. Put a little butter, salt and pepper on the veggies and heat until they are soft (but still hold their shape.) Set them aside.
2. Break three eggs into a bowl and whisk them together – a fork or a beater will work for this.
3. Butter the entire surface of your small skillet.
4. Place the skillet on the burner and heat to medium to medium-high heat. Let the butter come to temperature. WARNING: Don’t let the butter burn!
5. Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet, so that a thin layer coats the entire surface. Leave it alone for 30-seconds! The omelet won’t be cooked through, but it will begin to set.
6. Using a GOOD spatula, loosen the edges from the sides of the skillet.
7. Add cheese and then the filling to half of the omelet.
8. Using a GOOD spatula, fold the plain half of the omelet over the filling.
9. When the eggs reach your desired consistency, slide the omelet onto the plate and
   serve!
   TIP: If your omelet doesn’t want to slide, put the plate up-side down on top of the skillet. Hold your hand on the bottom of the plate, and hold the skillet handle. Flip the skillet and plate together, setting the plate on to the counter — the plate is now right-side up, and the omelet will land directly onto the plate!

If you want to go the extra mile for Mom this Mother’s Day, add flowers to her breakfast tray!

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Come back tomorrow, for an advanced breakfast in bed option!

Breakfast for Beginners: Scrambled Eggs!

Scrambling up a few eggs is a simple, straight-forward breakfast option for Mom. For perfect scrambled eggs every time, you’ll need a small saucepan, a GOOD spatula and a little muscle – you’ll want to keep stirring until those eggs are done!

Here’s our fool-proof method:

1. Put butter, eggs, salt and pepper in a small saucepan on the stove top.
2. Turn on the stove top to medium heat.
3. Break the yolks with the spatula and beginning stirring gently, making sure the spatula is always touching the bottom of the saucepan.
4. The eggs will begin to thicken and become opaque – keep stirring gently.
5. When the eggs reach your desired consistency, remove them from the stove immediately and serve!

Want to make sure your Mom has a hot breakfast? Have your toast in the toaster and fruit on the plate before you start making these eggs.

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Come back tomorrow, for an intermediate breakfast in bed option!

* Johnson City, TN and Knoxville, TN (Bearden location ONLY) will host Natural Beauty events on Sunday, May 6th.

The ribbon is cut, the doors are open, and the Earth Fare Team is ready to greet the Ohio state capital with open arms! We are so excited to say “Hello!” to Columbus, our 26th store. We’ll be updating Facebook throughout the day, so click here to stay tuned for photos and more.

Thanks to everyone who entered our contest, and congratulations to our winners:
Juliette A., Don G., Devin M., Amy W. and Karen T.

We particularly loved Juliette’s poem (see below):
A fifty dollar gift certificate will help me to buy
Organic produce without pesticides
Products that are High Fructose Corn Syrup free
And other healthy products that are just for me!
Thank You Earth Fare for opening your store
In Columbus, a community I hope you adore!

Earth Fare, the healthy supermarket is opening our 26th store in Columbus, OH on April 25, 2012!

We are excited to be opening in the Columbus area, and want to share that excitement with YOU! That’s why we’re giving away FIVE $50 Earth Fare gift cards to FIVE lucky community members.

Come on, who couldn’t use the extra $50 to help with groceries? Plus, it’s your chance to try all of Earth Fare’s healthy and delicious offerings for FREE!

Entering is simple:

Tell us why you want to win a $50 gift card to Earth Fare, and how you would use the gift card to make your family healthier!

Leave your answer below in our Comments Section, and you might just be one of the five lucky winners. Please note that special consideration will be given to scrumptiously creative entries (or should we say “entrees?”). Only those who are able to pick up their gift cards at Earth Fare Columbus on April 25th-28th are eligible.

Good luck!

Contest Details:
- Submit your entry by commenting on this blog post.
- Enter submissions from today until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
- Eligibility: Winners must reside in the Columbus, Ohio area and be available to pick up the gift card in our new store in person between April 25th-28th, 2012.

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Congratulations to our winners: Juliette A., Don G., Devin M., Amy W., and Karen T. – see you soon!
Thanks to all who commented!

What do you think our next text coupon will be?