So I got diagnosed with celiac disease, and I'm not surprised, not after reading about the symptoms of celiac disease (there are a ton) and its connection with type 1. I'm fine - no gluten, no biggie.
Then I start reading "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, and I'm now thinking "wheat is the devil for you and me regardless of autoimmune diseases present" and "this sucks." I mean he even suggests I eat dinner food FOR BREAKFAST. What kind of world does this guy live in; it's supposed to be the other way around! Salad for breakfast? Gross. I don't even remember the last time I had a bowl of cereal, but I do like peanut butter toast now and again. OK, I'm allowed to continue eating my eggs or plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey, so I suppose I've got that going for me. In all seriousness though, gluten might be the toxin causing any one of your ailments from joint pain, gas, migraines, exhaustion, irritability, fat belly, or any other unpleasant body problem. You might want to check it out.
Now I'm at this mild panic-confusion stage. Do I throw out all of my gluten contaminated foods like peanut butter and condiments, perfect wood cutting board, and wooden kitchen utensils in one fell swoop? Or do I slowly eliminate gluten contamination bits at a time? Do I insist Anna and Bryan go gluten free in order to keep the evil that is gluten out of their bodies and our home? How many new recipes will I have to try to find things that make us all happy? What will I do when I go to our families' houses where every kitchen surface is potentially dusted in gluten? So many questions. This post from Gluten-Free Girl is beautifully written and helpful, but I still feel lost.
I suppose in the spirit of gratitude that is important to my every day well being, I'm thankful to know about my celiac disease so I can improve my overall health. I can be thankful that there are blogs and books a-plenty to help me figure out this new normal. I can be thankful we started on a real food diet about a year ago so many changes won't be too drastic. Just don't expect me to have dinner on the table at 6:00 AM next week.
Friday, December 6, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
You Can Call Me Autoimmune Girl
I collect autoimmune diseases. I don't want to collect autoimmune diseases, but my genes dictate it to be so. As of today at 3:30 I'm up to my 4th autoimmune disease. Lucky me.
What is an autoimmune disease, you ask? Look here for an easy to understand definition. Autoimmune diseases can be triggered after such things as illness, stress, and pregnancy among other bodily changes. Having one autoimmune disease increases the chances of having another.
So what are my big four?
1. Type 1/ juvenile diabetes. I was a freshman in college and almost 19. I was eating like a horse and losing weight. My skin was dry. I was sick to my stomach every morning, and I threw up several times. If I wasn't drinking, I was dying of thirst. I woke up several times a night to pee. Since my mom is a nurse she told me to check my blood sugar on a diabetic boy in the dorm's BG (blood glucose) monitor. It was 526. Normal BG is 80-120; I'm lucky I wasn't in a coma. I went to the hospital, got diagnosed, cried, and learned more about my body and the food I eat than I really wanted to know.
My pancreas no longer makes insulin so I have to give it to myself through my insulin pump. . I change my pump injection site every three days, count carbohydrates, and eat a diet with heathy foods. I also check my BG at least 4 times a day.
2. Hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed about 6 months after the diabetes because the two often go hand-in-hand. I didn't have any symptoms that I remember. Typical symptoms often include chronic fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. I take a pill to give my body the hormone my thyroid no longer makes.
3. Meniere's Disease. I think I was around 24 when I got a diagnosis. I have extreme vertigo -usually after eating foods on my "no" list. My symptoms changed over the years. It started with the room spinning in all directions during the middle of the night and then puking. I would then lie by the toilet for the next day because any movement would cause more vomiting. Recently the attacks have been very minor, but still scary. The room just spins or tilts for about 5 seconds. I tried a few in-office procedures to help with the vertigo, but they didn't cure it. Vertigo is very unpleasant and very scary so I try to avoid it at all costs. I found that eliminating Splenda and chocolate from my diet and reducing my salt intake made the biggest changes in the frequency of attacks. I also refrain from caffeine, nutra-sweet, and alcohol.
4. Celiac Disease. My newest diagnosis, and one more disease that makes me eliminate my most favorite foods. Apparently gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) is damaging the lining of my small intestine. I don't have any intestinal issues like many people with celiac disease. My biggest symptoms are inability to lose weight despite diet and exercise changes and frequent tiredness. Having type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism made my chances of having celiac disease go up.
I'm not happy about this diagnosis, but I am happy to have a possible reason as to why I can't lose weight. I will be eliminating gluten from my diet, but not until I have one last Magee's caramel doughnut or maybe a Spalding doughnut or maybe Pazzo's pizza...the list goes on. I hope my dietary changes help me to get down to a better weight for my body and the dark circles under my eyes lighten up a little.
I have four good reasons to keep working on a real food diet, that's for sure.
What is an autoimmune disease, you ask? Look here for an easy to understand definition. Autoimmune diseases can be triggered after such things as illness, stress, and pregnancy among other bodily changes. Having one autoimmune disease increases the chances of having another.
So what are my big four?
1. Type 1/ juvenile diabetes. I was a freshman in college and almost 19. I was eating like a horse and losing weight. My skin was dry. I was sick to my stomach every morning, and I threw up several times. If I wasn't drinking, I was dying of thirst. I woke up several times a night to pee. Since my mom is a nurse she told me to check my blood sugar on a diabetic boy in the dorm's BG (blood glucose) monitor. It was 526. Normal BG is 80-120; I'm lucky I wasn't in a coma. I went to the hospital, got diagnosed, cried, and learned more about my body and the food I eat than I really wanted to know.
My pancreas no longer makes insulin so I have to give it to myself through my insulin pump. . I change my pump injection site every three days, count carbohydrates, and eat a diet with heathy foods. I also check my BG at least 4 times a day.
2. Hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed about 6 months after the diabetes because the two often go hand-in-hand. I didn't have any symptoms that I remember. Typical symptoms often include chronic fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. I take a pill to give my body the hormone my thyroid no longer makes.
3. Meniere's Disease. I think I was around 24 when I got a diagnosis. I have extreme vertigo -usually after eating foods on my "no" list. My symptoms changed over the years. It started with the room spinning in all directions during the middle of the night and then puking. I would then lie by the toilet for the next day because any movement would cause more vomiting. Recently the attacks have been very minor, but still scary. The room just spins or tilts for about 5 seconds. I tried a few in-office procedures to help with the vertigo, but they didn't cure it. Vertigo is very unpleasant and very scary so I try to avoid it at all costs. I found that eliminating Splenda and chocolate from my diet and reducing my salt intake made the biggest changes in the frequency of attacks. I also refrain from caffeine, nutra-sweet, and alcohol.
4. Celiac Disease. My newest diagnosis, and one more disease that makes me eliminate my most favorite foods. Apparently gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) is damaging the lining of my small intestine. I don't have any intestinal issues like many people with celiac disease. My biggest symptoms are inability to lose weight despite diet and exercise changes and frequent tiredness. Having type 1 diabetes and hypothyroidism made my chances of having celiac disease go up.
I'm not happy about this diagnosis, but I am happy to have a possible reason as to why I can't lose weight. I will be eliminating gluten from my diet, but not until I have one last Magee's caramel doughnut or maybe a Spalding doughnut or maybe Pazzo's pizza...the list goes on. I hope my dietary changes help me to get down to a better weight for my body and the dark circles under my eyes lighten up a little.
I have four good reasons to keep working on a real food diet, that's for sure.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Summer Favorites
Now that summer's coming to an end (waaaaaa) and I've been a blog slacker, I'll catch up on sharing some of my favorite recipes we've tried. Our favorite tried and true recipes are always Tex-Mex it seems so read on Tex-Mex fans.
Through the awesomeness that is Pinterest, I accidentally stumbled upon this blog, Eighty-Twenty. It's written with the belief that 80% of the food we eat should be real, nutritious, and good for you and the other 20% of what we eat should be the fun stuff that tastes yummy. I think this is a realistic way to eat real food so you don't feel deprived. However I would stay away from all things highly processed which means if you want the cookies - you should make them from scratch in your very own kitchen. She's got a lot of recipes I'm interested in trying, but we started with these Mexican Stuffed Peppers, and they were really good. In the future, I would cut the brown sugar down by at least 1 Tbl and maybe add a few dashes of Sriracha to give a little sweet and spicy flavor (the recipe as is is on the sweet side).
A Couple Cooks is another favorite blog. We are a breakfast-for-dinner kind of family, so mix eggs with salsa and tortillas and we've got a winner with Scrambled Egg Tacos With Heirloom Tomato Salsa! This was a really easy and quick dinner plus I was able to use some tomatoes from my CSA box to make the salsa.
I made the granola recipe on 100 Days of Real Food and it was good, but I really wanted something that was a bar instead of crumbles. So back to my good friend, Pinterest. I pinned several bars to try that had real food ingredients and used some of the ingredients from the 1st batch of granola (oats, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, sliced raw almonds). I've only made one recipe so far, but I really like it because it uses natural peanut butter (mmmmmm). Grab-and-Go Granola Bars were easy to make and make a perfect healthy snack. I used whole wheat flour instead of wheat germ and grape seed oil instead of flax oil because that's what I had on hand.
A few things I have on my list to try in the coming months: pastured eggs (from free roaming chickens), grass-fed beef, and PB2 (my sister-in-law's recommendation).
Here's to mindful eating!
Through the awesomeness that is Pinterest, I accidentally stumbled upon this blog, Eighty-Twenty. It's written with the belief that 80% of the food we eat should be real, nutritious, and good for you and the other 20% of what we eat should be the fun stuff that tastes yummy. I think this is a realistic way to eat real food so you don't feel deprived. However I would stay away from all things highly processed which means if you want the cookies - you should make them from scratch in your very own kitchen. She's got a lot of recipes I'm interested in trying, but we started with these Mexican Stuffed Peppers, and they were really good. In the future, I would cut the brown sugar down by at least 1 Tbl and maybe add a few dashes of Sriracha to give a little sweet and spicy flavor (the recipe as is is on the sweet side).
A Couple Cooks is another favorite blog. We are a breakfast-for-dinner kind of family, so mix eggs with salsa and tortillas and we've got a winner with Scrambled Egg Tacos With Heirloom Tomato Salsa! This was a really easy and quick dinner plus I was able to use some tomatoes from my CSA box to make the salsa.
I made the granola recipe on 100 Days of Real Food and it was good, but I really wanted something that was a bar instead of crumbles. So back to my good friend, Pinterest. I pinned several bars to try that had real food ingredients and used some of the ingredients from the 1st batch of granola (oats, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, sliced raw almonds). I've only made one recipe so far, but I really like it because it uses natural peanut butter (mmmmmm). Grab-and-Go Granola Bars were easy to make and make a perfect healthy snack. I used whole wheat flour instead of wheat germ and grape seed oil instead of flax oil because that's what I had on hand.
A few things I have on my list to try in the coming months: pastured eggs (from free roaming chickens), grass-fed beef, and PB2 (my sister-in-law's recommendation).
Here's to mindful eating!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
I'm Still Here
What have I been up to?
Well, I have...
Well, I have...
- finished up the school year and all of the things that go with moving grades and classrooms
- been reading, reading, and more reading
- done fun summer stuff with Anna (swimming, playing, watching too much TV)
- started watching HBO series (Girls and Game of Thrones) because we changed to Direct TV and get all the movie channels for free for 3 months
- gone shopping
- kept up with my exercise
- picked paint colors and looked at countertops for our kitchen (our house needs an update)
- learned to sew (kind of)
- tried some new recipes!
Because this blog is about the food we are eating I'll fill you in on some of the things we've tried recently. I feel as though I've eaten my weight in salad this past month. The CSA box is filled with all things green. Anna changes her mind about salad weekly, Bryan isn't a fan of salad (he hates dressing), and I don't like wasting, so the lettuce all falls on my plate, literally. I've had some really good-for-you and tastes delicious salads this month that you may enjoy.
This Strawberry, Quinoa, and Chopped Spinach Salad from Cookie and Kate is my FAVORITE salad with a few changes (in red). I ate this almost everyday for lunch during the month of May. It's pretty to look at, is fresh and healthy, and filling to get you through the day.
Dressing ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon real maple syrup (I know $16 for syrup feels extravagant, but it is really light and sweet and so much better for you.)
- 1 teaspoon shallot, finely chopped (I left this out)
Salad ingredients:
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, warmed (I never warmed the quinoa) I made the quinoa on Sunday, and used it all week.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled (I am not a fan of goat cheese, so I used feta)
- black pepper and sea salt, to taste (I left these out)
- 2/3 cup strawberries, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons pecan pieces (I used walnuts, and I did not toast them)
Instructions:
- Cook the quinoa: Note that 1 cup of dry quinoa yields over 3 cups cooked quinoa. Rinse the quinoa well in a mesh colander, then combine the rinsed quinoa with twice as much water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed, remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- Make the dressing: In a small jar, combine the ingredients listed below. Either use a fork to whisk the ingredients well or screw a lid on the jar and give it a few good shakes. Taste the dressing and adjust the flavors if necessary (add vinegar for a more tart dressing, or maple syrup for a sweeter dressing). Set the dressing aside.
- Toast the pecans: In a small pan over medium heat, toast your pecan pieces until they are fragrant and golden (stir often). This should take around five minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together 3/4 cup or more of warm quinoa with the goat cheese, salt and pepper. Mix in the strawberries and spinach, drizzle with as much dressing as desired, and mix well. Top with pecan pieces. Enjoy!
Note: Quinoa is gluten free, so this is a gluten-free dish!
The second salad is just a mix of things I have in the refrigerator using the same dressing as above (it is really yummy). I just use what I need for one person. Since the asparagus and sweet potatoes taste best when warm, I usually save this for a night that we have to fend for ourselves.
Salad ingredients:
- mix of salad greens and spinach
- asparagus
- sweet potatoes
- quinoa
- feta cheese
- walnuts
Instructions:
- Roast asparagus and sweet potatoes. I chop the sweet potatoes into bite size pieces first. Then toss the asparagus and sweet potatoes with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet. Roast the asparagus for 10 minutes and the sweet potatoes for 20-25 minutes at 400 on the upper 1/3 rack of the oven.
- Cook the quinoa according to the package.
- Mix the salad greens and other ingredients, top with dressing, and enjoy.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Satisfying Vegetable Dinner
Several years ago I heard of CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, but when I looked into it we were already half through the summer so it was kind of pointless. I guess it just sat in my brain until I started this whole food stuff. Eating real food means most of your plate should be vegetables with a little whole grains, legumes, or even a small portion of meat alongside if you want. Basically it's the very opposite of what your plate probably looks like. The best way to get your vegetables so they are fresh, organic, and grown close to home (besides growing them yourself) is to get them from farmers' market or from a CSA. I like the farmers' market for the food and the people, but I have to make sure I go and bring cash so it's not certain that I always get my fresh veggies for the week. With the CSA, I bought a regular share in March to be delivered to my pick up spot once a week May - October (depending on the growing season). The box has whatever is fresh on the farm that week and forces us to be more adventurous with our food.
We got our second CSA box on Wednesday which included: the sweetest little strawberries, kale, salad greens, asparagus, sweet potatoes, bok choy, and radishes. Since I've never eaten kale or bok choy I got out the cook books and blogs looking for the best recipes. The library has tons of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks to borrow so that's where I go for cookbooks. My first stop for blogs are the ones listed on the right. I found a perfect recipe for the kale, asparagus, and radishes on A Couple Cooks so I made it for dinner tonight. Even though there are a lot of components, it was very easy to make. I especially liked her preparation of the quinoa. I liked mine with all of the ingredients (minus the radishes) mixed together in a bowl. It was good for healthy food, you know it wasn't amazing like a piece of cheesecake or a piece of pizza, but I know my body was a whole lot happier processing it. Bryan ate it (minus the radishes and dressing) and thought it was edible but not great; he would have preferred a cheeseburger. Anna ate a little of everything which was good because she's not always interested in things that are green; I think that's a 5 year old thing. She especially liked the dressing. The other benefit of healthy, vegetable heavy, real food is you easily follow one of The Food Rules: eat so you're satisfied, but not stuffed. I felt satisfied after eating Our Daily Bowl. So for those reasons, I would make this dish again. This was the first time we've ever had kale, so I'm open to trying other preparations.
We got our second CSA box on Wednesday which included: the sweetest little strawberries, kale, salad greens, asparagus, sweet potatoes, bok choy, and radishes. Since I've never eaten kale or bok choy I got out the cook books and blogs looking for the best recipes. The library has tons of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks to borrow so that's where I go for cookbooks. My first stop for blogs are the ones listed on the right. I found a perfect recipe for the kale, asparagus, and radishes on A Couple Cooks so I made it for dinner tonight. Even though there are a lot of components, it was very easy to make. I especially liked her preparation of the quinoa. I liked mine with all of the ingredients (minus the radishes) mixed together in a bowl. It was good for healthy food, you know it wasn't amazing like a piece of cheesecake or a piece of pizza, but I know my body was a whole lot happier processing it. Bryan ate it (minus the radishes and dressing) and thought it was edible but not great; he would have preferred a cheeseburger. Anna ate a little of everything which was good because she's not always interested in things that are green; I think that's a 5 year old thing. She especially liked the dressing. The other benefit of healthy, vegetable heavy, real food is you easily follow one of The Food Rules: eat so you're satisfied, but not stuffed. I felt satisfied after eating Our Daily Bowl. So for those reasons, I would make this dish again. This was the first time we've ever had kale, so I'm open to trying other preparations.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Good Reads and a Few Rules
Sorting through all of the real food/plant based diet/green living information I find on blogs, in books, and in food documentaries is very overwhelming. I just try to go with what is common sense and with what I can do to change things little by little. It's hard to know where to start; personally I suggest starting with 100 Days of Real Food online, Michael Pollan's books, and Food Inc. in movie documentaries.
100 Days of Real Food
- Real food recipes
- tips on living a real food life
- eye opening info on the bad stuff we routinely put in our bodies
- lunch ideas
I've read two of Michael Pollan's books, In Defense of Food and Food Rules, and I would recommend both - but for different reasons.
In Defense of Food
- scientific at times
- journalist writing about why our food culture is the way it is
- why we should reject a Western Diet
- why we should reject a Western Diet
- good info, but very dense
- basic rules to live by when choosing food: eat food, not too much, mostly plants
Food Rules ***I suggest reading this first***
- breaks the three rules down into simple wise sayings from different cultures
- easy to read
- easy to commit favorite ideas to memory
- it's kind of funny, but then sad but true
- quick and easy read to get you in the real food mindset
My favorite rules:
1. If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you're not hungry.
2. Don't eat anything with ingredients a third grader can't pronounce.
3. It's not food if it comes through your car window (ha ha)
4. Stop when you are satisfied, not stuffed.
And about 60 more.
Food Inc.
This documentary is all about the business of food. It will gross you out and make you think twice about what types of meat you choose to eat. It didn't make me a vegan, but it does make me think about my meat and the poor fat chickens that are so super sized they can't even stand up. Bryan fights me on how much and what types of meat we should buy (same old stuff or paying extra for pastured meat, and I give in to buying the same old stuff) so I'm trying to watch more documentaries with him so we have it in our heads and make the leafy green choice over the once living choice.
For encouragemnt: Make the changes step-by-step (oh baby). Stay away from the teachers' lounge during Teacher Appreciation Week (ok, that one is really for me). Keep exercising even if it seems fruitless (that one is for me too).
For encouragemnt: Make the changes step-by-step (oh baby). Stay away from the teachers' lounge during Teacher Appreciation Week (ok, that one is really for me). Keep exercising even if it seems fruitless (that one is for me too).
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Taco Night!
Everyone loves Taco Night, right? I've mentioned that Tex-Mex is my favorite type of food so I usually make tacos once every month or so. Our tacos have evolved over the years, and thanks to Simply Scratch I've made one more real food change!
Here's our latest and greatest taco recipe:
Taco ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 can black beans - drained (I use Meijer organic back beans)
- 1/2 small onion - diced
- 1 recipe for homemade taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- tortillas (I use Old El Paso Stand n' Stuff corn shells)
Toppings:
- Mexican shredded cheese blend
- homemade salsa/pico de gallo
- 10 Roma tomatoes diced (with seeds and filling discarded)
- 1/2 small onion diced
- handful of cilantro chopped
- juice from half a lime
- salt as needed
- mix together and refrigerate
- may need to be drained before using
Steps:
- brown turkey in a large skillet
- add onions and black beans once turkey is cooked
- add taco seasoning and water
- cook on med-high for about 5 minutes (or as desired)
- cook shells as directed
- top as you like
- enjoy your "beef smilies" (Friends, anyone?)
Even if you have your taco night just the way you like it, but you are still using the taco seasoning from the package you might want to try the seasoning link above. It was really delicious and we couldn't tell a difference between that and the package which was our problem with other homemade taco seasongs. Give it a try and Happy Taco Night!
Here's our latest and greatest taco recipe:
Taco ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 can black beans - drained (I use Meijer organic back beans)
- 1/2 small onion - diced
- 1 recipe for homemade taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- tortillas (I use Old El Paso Stand n' Stuff corn shells)
Toppings:
- Mexican shredded cheese blend
- homemade salsa/pico de gallo
- 10 Roma tomatoes diced (with seeds and filling discarded)
- 1/2 small onion diced
- handful of cilantro chopped
- juice from half a lime
- salt as needed
- mix together and refrigerate
- may need to be drained before using
Steps:
- brown turkey in a large skillet
- add onions and black beans once turkey is cooked
- add taco seasoning and water
- cook on med-high for about 5 minutes (or as desired)
- cook shells as directed
- top as you like
- enjoy your "beef smilies" (Friends, anyone?)
Even if you have your taco night just the way you like it, but you are still using the taco seasoning from the package you might want to try the seasoning link above. It was really delicious and we couldn't tell a difference between that and the package which was our problem with other homemade taco seasongs. Give it a try and Happy Taco Night!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Earth Day (a week later)
I suppose there is a spectrum for how much or how little effort you put into taking care of the Earth. Six months ago I probably fell in the low-middle; I did the easy stuff, but I didn't go out of my way. By nature I'm a rule follower so I did the basics: recycle, don't litter, drink out of reusable water bottles, turn the water off while brushing my teeth, and turn lights off when I leave a room (Bryan might disagree on this one). I've found that since I've started reading more real food blogs and changing the way we eat I've made some little changes that have bumped me up a few notches on the spectrum.
Here are some of my new green ways:
I use these and these divided containers to pack Anna's lunch. I like them because it's one container that keeps everything separate. I usually have to use one of these little reusable cupcake liners for one more space. I also pack my lunch using reusable containers (usually for salad). I've drastically cut down on the number of plastic baggies I use in a week. Anna's lunch has recently been half a PB (natural) and J (all fruit spread) on 100% whole wheat bread (Aunt Millie's 100% natural), sliced apple, cucumber with hummus, and a treat. Right now she likes these fruit snacks. These do not have any artificial dyes, but the 2nd ingredient is corn syrup and the 3rd is sugar so they aren't exactly healthy but just slightly less terrible than original fruit snacks. It's really hard to stop giving her a treat even though she doesn't need it. I'll work on healthier treats over the summer.
I also bought these popsicle molds for smoothie pops and popsicles. If you are a fan of 100 Days of Real Food you might have discovered that many yogurt products are touted as healthy and low-fat, but they are actually just one more processed food that is full of sugar, artificial dyes, and unreadable questionable ingredients. The exception to this rule is plain yogurt sweetened with a natural sweetener like honey. I'm not going to lie - I think it's really gross and bitter even when mixed with fruit, so I'm not there yet. I make my smoothies in the blender with organic vanilla yogurt (contains sugar which is why it tastes better) and frozen fruit (strawberries and peaches is my fav). I pour the leftovers into the molds and make yogurt pops. The Weelicious cookbook and website have recipes for yummy natural popscicles to try this summer.
I was able to use my newest Target dollar bin find today at the grocery. Several weeks ago I was at Target looking for summer clothes for our Disney trip and other things I just couldn't live without when I found reusable mesh produce bags; I was super excited because I didn't have to put in any effort to search for them and possibly pay for shipping. They held up well with our heavy produce (apples and cucumbers) today. I suppose I will continue to use less plastic produce bags throughout the summer when I start receiving my CSA box!
The experts, or at least people on Today/Oprah/whatever, say making small changes like some of the ones I've been able to make go a long way. So, like making the changes to eat real food, making changes to be kinder to our Earth can be made with baby steps.
Here are some of my new green ways:
I use these and these divided containers to pack Anna's lunch. I like them because it's one container that keeps everything separate. I usually have to use one of these little reusable cupcake liners for one more space. I also pack my lunch using reusable containers (usually for salad). I've drastically cut down on the number of plastic baggies I use in a week. Anna's lunch has recently been half a PB (natural) and J (all fruit spread) on 100% whole wheat bread (Aunt Millie's 100% natural), sliced apple, cucumber with hummus, and a treat. Right now she likes these fruit snacks. These do not have any artificial dyes, but the 2nd ingredient is corn syrup and the 3rd is sugar so they aren't exactly healthy but just slightly less terrible than original fruit snacks. It's really hard to stop giving her a treat even though she doesn't need it. I'll work on healthier treats over the summer.
I also bought these popsicle molds for smoothie pops and popsicles. If you are a fan of 100 Days of Real Food you might have discovered that many yogurt products are touted as healthy and low-fat, but they are actually just one more processed food that is full of sugar, artificial dyes, and unreadable questionable ingredients. The exception to this rule is plain yogurt sweetened with a natural sweetener like honey. I'm not going to lie - I think it's really gross and bitter even when mixed with fruit, so I'm not there yet. I make my smoothies in the blender with organic vanilla yogurt (contains sugar which is why it tastes better) and frozen fruit (strawberries and peaches is my fav). I pour the leftovers into the molds and make yogurt pops. The Weelicious cookbook and website have recipes for yummy natural popscicles to try this summer.
I was able to use my newest Target dollar bin find today at the grocery. Several weeks ago I was at Target looking for summer clothes for our Disney trip and other things I just couldn't live without when I found reusable mesh produce bags; I was super excited because I didn't have to put in any effort to search for them and possibly pay for shipping. They held up well with our heavy produce (apples and cucumbers) today. I suppose I will continue to use less plastic produce bags throughout the summer when I start receiving my CSA box!
The experts, or at least people on Today/Oprah/whatever, say making small changes like some of the ones I've been able to make go a long way. So, like making the changes to eat real food, making changes to be kinder to our Earth can be made with baby steps.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Rules Are Meant to Be Broken
Anna turned 5 on Friday; I can hardly believe it. Bryan and I wanted to do something special for her. Five is a big year and last year's birthday wasn't what I ever thought it would be. Lucy was in the hospital on Anna's birthday last year, and our lives were in constant limbo. I spent my days at the hospital being a mom to Lucy and my evenings being a mom to Anna. I tried my best to keep things normal and balanced for Anna, but planning a birthday party and big birthday celebration wasn't going to happen. So we kept things low key; Anna chose Harry's for dinner, and we gave her some gifts (a bike and some clothes I think). Anna was amazing through it all, and even though she doesn't remember all of the stress, emotions, and commotion those 2 1/2 months we decided to go to Disney for her birthday this year (for all of us). It was one of the best decisions we've made for our family. We all had a blast. Anna loved meeting the characters (especially Rapunzel) and riding the rides (especially Space Mountain). We loved seeing her joy and excitement. It was nice to get away from work stress and spend the week together as a family.
I don't know if you've been to Disney, but there is food (mostly delicious) everywhere. You can't walk 20 feet without being bombarded with a restaurant or food stand. We had a food plan (1 quick service meal, 1 sit down meal, and 1 snack each day), and I think we overrate the whole week. I tried making healthy choices, but the dessert always got me. It's OK though - it was a celebration!
We went to this restaurant, The Wave, which offered fresh, organic, sustainable food, and I have to tell you it was the best food I've had in a really long time - maybe ever. I had the chicken breast with mushroom risotto. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory and I think Gordon Ramsay would approve (you have to watch Hell's Kitchen). I had my first experience with creme brûlée, and I might be a changed person :). If you find yourself in Disney World be sure to head to the Contemporary and eat at The Wave for dinner (or breakfast or lunch). I advise being on a dinning plan so it doesn't seem like you are actually paying for the food (it was way more than anything I would ever normally pay for).
Even though I broke lots of rules I'd been careful to follow the past few months. I did try to be conscientious of my choices. These are a few things I did to try to keep real food in the picture while on vacation:
1. We went grocery shopping for healthy snacks when we got to Orlando: apples, peanut butter to go cups, carrots, and 100% fruit strips
2. Choose fruit for snacks: Disney offers whole and cut fruit at many stands
3. Choose vegetarian options: I had a yummy veggie pizza at Epcot (roasted red peppers, mushrooms, squash, and zucchini), a delicious black bean and veggie burrito as well as hummus with chopped veggies several times.
4. We went to several breakfast buffets so I tried to fill half my plate with fruit then add 1/4 eggs and 1-2 pieces of bacon and a treat (or 3 - I'm a sucker for sweets).
Now I'm trying to get back on track after our week long sugar binge!
I don't know if you've been to Disney, but there is food (mostly delicious) everywhere. You can't walk 20 feet without being bombarded with a restaurant or food stand. We had a food plan (1 quick service meal, 1 sit down meal, and 1 snack each day), and I think we overrate the whole week. I tried making healthy choices, but the dessert always got me. It's OK though - it was a celebration!
We went to this restaurant, The Wave, which offered fresh, organic, sustainable food, and I have to tell you it was the best food I've had in a really long time - maybe ever. I had the chicken breast with mushroom risotto. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory and I think Gordon Ramsay would approve (you have to watch Hell's Kitchen). I had my first experience with creme brûlée, and I might be a changed person :). If you find yourself in Disney World be sure to head to the Contemporary and eat at The Wave for dinner (or breakfast or lunch). I advise being on a dinning plan so it doesn't seem like you are actually paying for the food (it was way more than anything I would ever normally pay for).
Even though I broke lots of rules I'd been careful to follow the past few months. I did try to be conscientious of my choices. These are a few things I did to try to keep real food in the picture while on vacation:
1. We went grocery shopping for healthy snacks when we got to Orlando: apples, peanut butter to go cups, carrots, and 100% fruit strips
2. Choose fruit for snacks: Disney offers whole and cut fruit at many stands
3. Choose vegetarian options: I had a yummy veggie pizza at Epcot (roasted red peppers, mushrooms, squash, and zucchini), a delicious black bean and veggie burrito as well as hummus with chopped veggies several times.
4. We went to several breakfast buffets so I tried to fill half my plate with fruit then add 1/4 eggs and 1-2 pieces of bacon and a treat (or 3 - I'm a sucker for sweets).
Now I'm trying to get back on track after our week long sugar binge!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Looking Pretty without Parabens
In my last post I referenced how overwhelming making healthy changes is because it's not just the food. I don't want to be a crazy "that's going to kill you" person, but reading different blogs makes me wonder what's ok and what's not ok to be putting into our bodies, using in our homes, putting onto our clothes, and storing our food in.
I'm not a scientist, and I feel like there are so many contradictions as to what's safe and what's not safe. I don't feel like the government has our back on labeling foods processed with GMOs and artificial dyes, so I don't think they have our backs on any household products either. Don't take my word on it - read up and make your own choices about what's being used in your house. 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe have some interesting articles to read on these topics.
These are some products I've started using with great results. Click each product to link to their website for more information on the product. The cleansers I've switched to have no parabens.
I'm not a scientist, and I feel like there are so many contradictions as to what's safe and what's not safe. I don't feel like the government has our back on labeling foods processed with GMOs and artificial dyes, so I don't think they have our backs on any household products either. Don't take my word on it - read up and make your own choices about what's being used in your house. 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe have some interesting articles to read on these topics.
These are some products I've started using with great results. Click each product to link to their website for more information on the product. The cleansers I've switched to have no parabens.
- Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleanser - my face is clean and feels moisturized. I haven't had any breakouts since using the product for about 3 months.
- J Beverly Hills Shampoo and Conditioner - I like the Addbody from their Blue Line Botanically Infused Hair Care. I buy it from a local salon. I don't have to use any product in my hair and it stays looking nice (I'm not really a hair person, so it's good enough for me), and it smells AMAZING!
- Molly's Suds - this is an all natural laundry powder that leaves your clothes smelling like NOTHING! Apparently clean smells like nothing. This idea is hard to get used to; I know. I tried this for the first time last weekend and I am very pleased with the results. Bryan's undershirts were clean and without stinky pits so that's something to brag about :). I also bought 3 sets of dryer balls for a total of nine balls. These were a little expensive up front, but they should last about 3 years so that's not too bad. (Look for a coupon code on 100 Days Of Real Food.) The dryer balls are a little annoying to hear bumping around, but there were way less wrinkles in the clothes. I like what this little company stands for, so be sure to read their story.
- Nourish - if you are looking for natural bath products without the chemicals and parabens, I highly recommend their soaps (I haven't tried any other products). I found these a few years ago while on vacation in Hilton Head. These soaps do smell, but the fragrance is from natural sources like lavender, lemon, coffee, and other earth products - you know, the stuff you can pronounce and know exactly what it is (a full list of ingredients is on their web site). You can order online or shop in one of their 3 stores while on vacation.
I feel like I'm on the path to a natural household but I still have some changes to make - the biggest one is an all natural cleaner. I think I'm going to try this one from 100 Days of Real Food. I've been buying a lot lately, so I just want to give my credit card a little break. Don't worry about us breathing in toxic chemicals from traditional cleaners - I don't really clean enough for it to be a problem :). I read in the comments that vinegar and water should be used on wood floors and furniture rather than the cleaner. I'll let you know how it works.
Share your favorite all natural product in the comments!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner and Some Enchiladas
As the primary grocery shopper and cook in our family, I get to make the choices about the foods we eat for the most part (yay me). I've taken on the responsibility of educating myself about real food and why it's important to eat this way and finding recipes that will work for our family. I often feel overwhelmed by all the information about chemicals, GMOs, and artificial additives in our foods and other personal and household products; I read and digest what I can and improve things little by little in our home. I really enjoy the recipe search and the satisfaction it gives when we find a winner. I started the blog to record the winners, warn you of the losers, and encourage other families to take the plunge into real food even though it's not the easiest way (but probably a healthier way).
This was all my idea; Bryan didn't encourage it, but he's going along for the ride (he's a keeper). There are a few things that I'm not willing to demand he stop eating/drinking: diet soda and cereal. Neither is a beneficial food to his diet, but he will choose to stop when he wants. Many of my experimental dinners come with a questioning look upon his face, but he's a trooper and tries everything. There have even been a few dinners that make me feel like Super Wife; he eats seconds and tells me how delish the food is - except he doesn't say delish. I think Bryan knew I was a keeper when I made him cookies. It's easy to love cookies, it's easy to praise sugar. It's something special to love and praise real food.
Bryan's new favorites:
Open on Sunday Chicken Sandwich
from: Food Babe
Food Babe is hardcore about real food. I feel like I don't even have a drop in the bucket on my real food journey when I start reading her posts, but I know I do - some change is better than no change. Don't be discouraged if you realize you are breaking a lot (all) of her rules; keep pressing on making the changes you can, and then make her sandwich.
Read this blog post for information on the badness of the yummiest fast food chicken. It's sad; it's one of our favorites too. Does it mean that I'm not going to eat fast food anymore? No, but maybe it will be less frequently. The bottom of the post has a recipe for Open on Sunday Sandwich. It takes a little time to prepare, but it was worth it! I would only cook the chicken for 20 minutes next time because I thought it was a little dry, but Bryan loved this sandwich.
Black Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
from: Cookie and Kate
Kate's site is one of my favorites! I've found a bunch of recipes to try; some are better than others. This enchilada recipe is one of the best we've had. These were easy to make, and Bryan couldn't get enough; he even loved the chopped avocado on top (cheer for small new food victory). These were a little on the sweet side, so don't be afraid to add a spicy pepper, hot sauce, or other spices to jazz it up a little. We said we would probably add some cumin and a little chipotle pepper spice next time. We had leftover enchiladas and left over bean mixture, so I will just plan on freezing half of the sauce and half of the bean mixture next time.
Cook on Super Wives or Husbands - whatever.
Monday, April 1, 2013
My Perfect Eggs
I love perfectly cooked eggs; don't you? Eggs are packed with protein and vitamin D (Incredible Edible Eggs), so I think eggs are the perfect addition to a salad, a quick and healthy snack, or served as the main dish. Right now I'm just eating large eggs from the grocery, but I'm interested in trying fresh pastured eggs from chickens that are allowed to roam rather than caged birds. I'll let you know how it goes when we get a chance to try them.
Hard-boiled Eggs
I've been experimenting with different ways to cook hard boiled eggs so they taste and look just right AND the shell peels easily. I used to cook my eggs The Better Homes and Gardens way, but I couldn't get the shells to peel easily so I tried a few different methods and this is the one I like best.
- boil water in a saucepan
- add eggs once water is boiling
- boil for 15 minutes
- remove eggs right away and place into ICE water (key to easy peeling)
Tips:
- use eggs that are 1-2 weeks old
- eggs will keep for about 1 week
- crack and roll gently to peel
- other recipes suggest putting the eggs in the water and bringing to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and set for 15 minutes.
Scrambled Eggs
I watched Alton Brown make scrambled eggs this way several years ago, and I think they are the best. His recipe is more detailed so I've adapted it to my needs and likes. This is a method rather than a recipe, so use the egg/cheese/milk mix that you like best. I like to use 1 egg and 1 egg white with a little shredded cheese for breakfast many mornings. Pre-shredded cheese is not real food approved, but I haven't made that switch either. I'll get there.
- spray or butter your pan
- add eggs (cheese, milk, etc) to pan
- scramble with a silicone SPATULA LIKE THIS - this is the key
- add cheese
- let set for a minute
- scramble
- remove from pan right when the eggs are fully cooked and no liquid is in the pan. Let's ban dry brown scrambled eggs, shall we?
Hard-boiled Eggs
I've been experimenting with different ways to cook hard boiled eggs so they taste and look just right AND the shell peels easily. I used to cook my eggs The Better Homes and Gardens way, but I couldn't get the shells to peel easily so I tried a few different methods and this is the one I like best.
- boil water in a saucepan
- add eggs once water is boiling
- boil for 15 minutes
- remove eggs right away and place into ICE water (key to easy peeling)
Tips:
- use eggs that are 1-2 weeks old
- eggs will keep for about 1 week
- crack and roll gently to peel
- other recipes suggest putting the eggs in the water and bringing to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, cover, and set for 15 minutes.
Scrambled Eggs
I watched Alton Brown make scrambled eggs this way several years ago, and I think they are the best. His recipe is more detailed so I've adapted it to my needs and likes. This is a method rather than a recipe, so use the egg/cheese/milk mix that you like best. I like to use 1 egg and 1 egg white with a little shredded cheese for breakfast many mornings. Pre-shredded cheese is not real food approved, but I haven't made that switch either. I'll get there.
- spray or butter your pan
- add eggs (cheese, milk, etc) to pan
- scramble with a silicone SPATULA LIKE THIS - this is the key
- add cheese
- let set for a minute
- scramble
- remove from pan right when the eggs are fully cooked and no liquid is in the pan. Let's ban dry brown scrambled eggs, shall we?
Monday, March 25, 2013
Quinoa Two Ways
Do you watch Top Chef? Bryan and I love it. We don't even know what half the stuff they make is/tastes like, but it's a great show. For a while the chefs were all making ______ two ways, so it became one of those jokes between us. Well, I have recipes for "quinoa two ways" that are perfect to make on the weekend and eat for lunch during the week. Quinoa (keen-wa) is a good source of protein and fiber so it's a great new food to add to your lineup.
Thanks to my coworkers I was introduced to Annie's Eats several years ago. She is a regular Midwesterner with an amazing baking and cooking talent. Her recipes range from easy to complex with a wide variety of sweet and savory. When I saw this quinoa recipe I had two thoughts: 1. Yum, a tex-mex recipe and 2. I think quinoa looks a little nasty. So I wasn't ready to try it right away. After seeing quinoa in recipe after recipe on Pinterest I decided to give it a try, and Annie's version was my first experiment. I like this dish hot, so when I pack it for lunch I just give it a quick reheat in the microwave.
From Annie's Eats
Thanks to my coworkers I was introduced to Annie's Eats several years ago. She is a regular Midwesterner with an amazing baking and cooking talent. Her recipes range from easy to complex with a wide variety of sweet and savory. When I saw this quinoa recipe I had two thoughts: 1. Yum, a tex-mex recipe and 2. I think quinoa looks a little nasty. So I wasn't ready to try it right away. After seeing quinoa in recipe after recipe on Pinterest I decided to give it a try, and Annie's version was my first experiment. I like this dish hot, so when I pack it for lunch I just give it a quick reheat in the microwave.
From Sprouted Kitchen
With my new-found love of sweet potatoes I thought this would be an easy recipe to try from Sprouted Kitchen. This is a blog I found on my search for whole food blogs. The author's husband takes beautiful pictures of her healthy veggie rich foods. I want to love vegetables as much as the author seems to love vegetables (I'll get there one day). This salad is really simple and yummy. The method she uses to cook the sweet potatoes makes them so delicious they almost didn't make the salad; I couldn't stop eating them. In order to bring this salad for lunch I left the dressing off until I was ready to eat it. The sweet potatoes don't taste as delicious after being refrigerated, but they're still good in the salad. I will try a balsamic dressing next time since the apple cider is a little on the sour side.
Don't let the look or the strange name stop you from trying this healthy food; give quinoa a try. The texture is between rice and lentils, and by itself has very little flavor so it mixes well with savory and sweet foods. It seems like quinoa is the new "it" food so there are endless recipes to fit your tastes. Happy experimenting!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Let's Get Physical
All of this real food stuff started because I wasn't loosing weight the old fashioned way: reducing calories and exercising. That's why I signed on to this way of thinking - it's not how many calories (necessarily), but rather the quality of the calories (food in its original form vs. food processed beyond all recognition). I'm still probably eating too much to lose weight consistently each week, but as with all things in life - it's a work in progress.
I'm not just being thoughtful about what I eat, but I'm also exercising 5-6 times a week. I always take Friday off (since I'm usually asleep by 8:30), but I try to put my health first and get the 30 minutes in before all other wants every other night of the week. I'm not going to lie; I don't enjoy exercising, but I know it's the best thing for good blood sugar control, bone health, core strength and posture, heart health, and weight loss. For those reasons alone I'm determined to continue to exercise even if I don't lose all the weight I want to lose.
My advice is to find something you love (besides cookies), and find a way to turn it into exercise. I love to read, so I get to read my book while doing a weight-loss training program on the treadmill. I also know the importance of strength exercises so I alternate walking on the treadmill with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred each night. I have some of her other videos, but this one is 30 minutes so it's perfect (I told you I don't like to exercise).
A few ideas to get started:
- Buy a treadmill. We bought one at Sears for under $400. You can also look on Craig's List, just bring a big scary guy with you so you don't get sucked into some creep's sick fantasy.
- Do you like talking to your friend? Go for a walk together. It's a double bonus because you get healthy, and your kids can't bug the crap out of you while you're on the phone. I do realize it needs to stop raining, but at least plan for a walk on the one nice day we have each week.
- Join a cheap gym. There are several gyms around town with monthly payments around $10 and no contracts. The hardest part is leaving the house. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put your pajamas on until you are home from your exercise.
- Ride bikes with your kids at one of the trails around town. I know, I know the weather needs to turn around.
- Target, Meijer, and Wal-Mart all have an exercise DVD section with lots of $10 DVDs, light weights, and yoga mats. Stay away from the Easter candy. Who wants a creepy giant bunny coming in their house at night anyway?
- Try something new. Maybe you'd like Zumba, yoga, Pilates, or Purre Barre. They mostly cost money, but ask for a birthday or Mother's Day gift card.
- Just go ahead and buy one of the infomercial DVDs sets. You know you could have 20-pack abs and have so much fun sweating through your shirt that you will only be able to wear a sports bra and bike shorts whenever you exercise. I know you want to, so just do it, and be sure to let me know how it goes.
Just think - starting an exercise routine means you can buy a new outfit or two. So it's totally worth it. Find something you love and get physical...physical.
I'm not just being thoughtful about what I eat, but I'm also exercising 5-6 times a week. I always take Friday off (since I'm usually asleep by 8:30), but I try to put my health first and get the 30 minutes in before all other wants every other night of the week. I'm not going to lie; I don't enjoy exercising, but I know it's the best thing for good blood sugar control, bone health, core strength and posture, heart health, and weight loss. For those reasons alone I'm determined to continue to exercise even if I don't lose all the weight I want to lose.
My advice is to find something you love (besides cookies), and find a way to turn it into exercise. I love to read, so I get to read my book while doing a weight-loss training program on the treadmill. I also know the importance of strength exercises so I alternate walking on the treadmill with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred each night. I have some of her other videos, but this one is 30 minutes so it's perfect (I told you I don't like to exercise).
A few ideas to get started:
- Buy a treadmill. We bought one at Sears for under $400. You can also look on Craig's List, just bring a big scary guy with you so you don't get sucked into some creep's sick fantasy.
- Do you like talking to your friend? Go for a walk together. It's a double bonus because you get healthy, and your kids can't bug the crap out of you while you're on the phone. I do realize it needs to stop raining, but at least plan for a walk on the one nice day we have each week.
- Join a cheap gym. There are several gyms around town with monthly payments around $10 and no contracts. The hardest part is leaving the house. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put your pajamas on until you are home from your exercise.
- Ride bikes with your kids at one of the trails around town. I know, I know the weather needs to turn around.
- Target, Meijer, and Wal-Mart all have an exercise DVD section with lots of $10 DVDs, light weights, and yoga mats. Stay away from the Easter candy. Who wants a creepy giant bunny coming in their house at night anyway?
- Try something new. Maybe you'd like Zumba, yoga, Pilates, or Purre Barre. They mostly cost money, but ask for a birthday or Mother's Day gift card.
- Just go ahead and buy one of the infomercial DVDs sets. You know you could have 20-pack abs and have so much fun sweating through your shirt that you will only be able to wear a sports bra and bike shorts whenever you exercise. I know you want to, so just do it, and be sure to let me know how it goes.
Just think - starting an exercise routine means you can buy a new outfit or two. So it's totally worth it. Find something you love and get physical...physical.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Quick and Easy Dinners
If you are like me you don't feel like taking a long time to prepare food after a long day at work and driving home in traffic. I have two quick, easy, delicious, and healthy meals you can add into your dinner rotation with very little effort.
The first is one of my new favorites, and it goes to show how taste buds change over time. When I was a kid I think I could smell fish cooking from a mile away, and there wasn't a thing you could do to get me to open my mouth to taste it. I can still remember the gagging noises, holding my nose, and all other obnoxious behaviors I showed when there was fish for dinner. At some point during my 20s I started trying fish when I was at the beach, and realized it was pretty tasty. I was still a little hesitant to start cooking it at home - you know, in case I started gagging from the smell. Well, it doesn't smell at all, and it is delicious!
Quick and Easy Tilapia
Ingredients:
- 2 tilapia fillets defrosted (We like the frozen tilapia from Trader Joe's)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 lemon
Steps:
I use the baking directions on the Trader Joe's fish.
- preheat the oven to 425 F
- line a baking sheet with foil
- brush both sides of the fish with olive oil
- sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper
- bake for 6 minutes
- flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes
- top with lemon juice if desired
We like the fish with green beans, asparagus, or edamame beans (sold in the frozen section at Trader Joe's). I'm sure there are fancy sauces and things you could add to this, but it really is delicious with just the basics. Anna loves it too, so your kids might like it.
The second recipe, Black Bean Tostadas, is from A Couple Cooks. I LOVE black beans, and along with breakfast foods Tex-Mex is my favorite type of food. This recipe was really easy to make, and it didn't have any weird ingredients. I copied the recipe from their site, and my adaptations are in red. Anna and Bryan both liked it so it will go into the rotation!
The first is one of my new favorites, and it goes to show how taste buds change over time. When I was a kid I think I could smell fish cooking from a mile away, and there wasn't a thing you could do to get me to open my mouth to taste it. I can still remember the gagging noises, holding my nose, and all other obnoxious behaviors I showed when there was fish for dinner. At some point during my 20s I started trying fish when I was at the beach, and realized it was pretty tasty. I was still a little hesitant to start cooking it at home - you know, in case I started gagging from the smell. Well, it doesn't smell at all, and it is delicious!
Quick and Easy Tilapia
Ingredients:
- 2 tilapia fillets defrosted (We like the frozen tilapia from Trader Joe's)
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 lemon
Steps:
I use the baking directions on the Trader Joe's fish.
- preheat the oven to 425 F
- line a baking sheet with foil
- brush both sides of the fish with olive oil
- sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper
- bake for 6 minutes
- flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes
- top with lemon juice if desired
We like the fish with green beans, asparagus, or edamame beans (sold in the frozen section at Trader Joe's). I'm sure there are fancy sauces and things you could add to this, but it really is delicious with just the basics. Anna loves it too, so your kids might like it.
The second recipe, Black Bean Tostadas, is from A Couple Cooks. I LOVE black beans, and along with breakfast foods Tex-Mex is my favorite type of food. This recipe was really easy to make, and it didn't have any weird ingredients. I copied the recipe from their site, and my adaptations are in red. Anna and Bryan both liked it so it will go into the rotation!
Black Bean TostadasAdapted from the Food Channel
Makes 4 tostadas
What You Need1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used Olive Oil)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce (we like Cholula) (I used about 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce (we like Cholula) (I used about 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha)
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
2 cups black beans (I used 2 cans of Meijer Organic Black Beans, drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lime, zested
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lime, zested
4 corn tortillas
3 ounces queso fresco (or a mild feta cheese)
Roasted tomato salsa (I used Frontera Red Tomato Salsa Mexicana found at Meijer)
3 ounces queso fresco (or a mild feta cheese)
Roasted tomato salsa (I used Frontera Red Tomato Salsa Mexicana found at Meijer)
I also added diced avocado.
What To Do
1 Preheat the grill.
2 Mince 2 cloves of garlic. In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 45 seconds until lightly browned. Add 2 cups of black beans, 1/4 teaspoonkosher salt, 2 teaspoons hot sauce (to taste), and 1 teaspoon chili powder. Heat until the beans are hot and then cover and keep warm.
3 In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 1/2 of the zest of 1 lime.
4 Brush 4 tortillas with a bit of vegetable oil and grill each side for about 3 to 4 minutes, until just blackened.If you're not into grilling the corn tortillas, this would taste great on some all natural tortilla chips as nachos.
5 Create your tostada! On top of each tortilla place a pile of the black beans, some roasted tomato salsa, a dollop of the cumin sour cream, and some crumbles of queso fresco. Garnish with the extra lime zest and a wedge of lime.
I hope you enjoy these quick, week-night meals as much as we do! Remember, it's about making small changes so it's a manageable change that you can stick to.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Snack On
I love snacks. I probably love them too much - which is what eventually lead me to this real food path. I don't advise hunger based diets. You know how there are mean drunks? Well I'm a mean hungry person so I always have snacks in my purse. On work days I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, a morning snack around 9:30, and an afternoon snack around 3:00. I'll share some of my favorite real food snacks. I haven't made a big switch to organic food, but I do try to buy some organic food if the price is comparable to regular food and if it looks fresh.
Mixed Nuts
One or two handfuls of one or more of the following:
- almonds (raw - no salt, sugar, or other flavoring)
- walnuts (raw)
- pistachios
Natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
- on a spoon
- on apple slices (Anna and I really like apple sandwiches with peanut butter b/w two apples slices cut the round way with the center/seeds cut out)
- on celery
- on plain or lightly salted rice cake
Berries
Perfect for a sweet craving
- strawberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
- raspberries
Store Bought
- LARABAR
- hummus (I'm probably supposed to make this, but I don't want to right now) and veggies
- Mini Babybel light cheese
Special Treat
- Toaster Treats
Ok, so these do not taste like Pop-Tarts at all. I think they taste more like buttery jelly biscuits. They are very addictive - I think because of all the butter. I made a few with peanut butter and jelly, and those were my favorite. I will not make these very often because I end up eating all of them. On another note I had a regular Pop-Tart the other day, and it wasn't even good. Maybe my taste buds are changing.
Happy snacking!
Mixed Nuts
One or two handfuls of one or more of the following:
- almonds (raw - no salt, sugar, or other flavoring)
- walnuts (raw)
- pistachios
Natural Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
- on a spoon
- on apple slices (Anna and I really like apple sandwiches with peanut butter b/w two apples slices cut the round way with the center/seeds cut out)
- on celery
- on plain or lightly salted rice cake
Berries
Perfect for a sweet craving
- strawberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
- raspberries
Store Bought
- LARABAR
- hummus (I'm probably supposed to make this, but I don't want to right now) and veggies
- Mini Babybel light cheese
Special Treat
- Toaster Treats
Ok, so these do not taste like Pop-Tarts at all. I think they taste more like buttery jelly biscuits. They are very addictive - I think because of all the butter. I made a few with peanut butter and jelly, and those were my favorite. I will not make these very often because I end up eating all of them. On another note I had a regular Pop-Tart the other day, and it wasn't even good. Maybe my taste buds are changing.
Happy snacking!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Healthy Cure for a Sweet Tooth?
You know the Alanis Morissette song, "Ironic"? I know you do because now it's probably stuck in your head (sorry). This is the part I'm going to add:
A diabetic who loves sweets
Isn't it ironic...don't you think
That's me, the sweet-loving diabetic. I have type 1, or juvenile diabetes, in very simple terms that means that my pancreas stopped producing insulin so I have to use injections, or in my case an insulin pump, to give my body the insulin it needs to break down the food I eat and bring the glucose to my cells. I'm stuck with this for life unless a cure is developed and widely available. The type of diabetes causing so many health problems in our country is type 2 diabetes which, from my reading and understanding, can be reversed with a healthier diet full of plant foods and less of refined grain and refined sugar foods.
Anyway, I have always had a sweet tooth. You could usually find me with my hand stuck in the candy jar at parties or asking for the richest, most decadent desert at a restaurant. My favorite ice cream choice was double chocolate chip from Graeter's - only true chocolate lovers know the joy in their double chocolate chip with extra large dark chocolate chips. It "was" my favorite because I gave up chocolate about 3 years ago. I know, it sounds crazy, but I think it was one of the foods (along with Splenda and too much salt) that was causing my vertigo spells. There are times when I can still taste (and maybe drool a little over) the deliciousness of my favorite ice cream or my mom's most amazing extra chocolaty brownies, but giving up chocolate didn't kill me. I know making the changes in our family's diet is not easy, but over time we will become used to it.
Eliminating (or greatly reducing) refined sugar is one of the best changes we can make for our overall health. I really do love sugar, so one of the ways I've been able to get a sweet fix is with sweet potatoes. Currently I'm the only one that's found the joy of the sweet potato at our house, but I will not give up serving this super food each week. Here are some of my favorite sweet potato recipes so far.
1) Sweet Potato Quesadillas from Food Loves Writing
These were really easy to make, and as promised, they were the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. I made them with the whole-wheat tortillas and these refried beans. I will make the refried beans again too, but I will add the whole pepper and some extra salt and spices; they were a little too bland. I also made quesadillas with the beans and some cheese.
2) Sweet Potato Flatbread from The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter
I adapted this recipe with what I had on hand; I used diced red peppers and all shredded mozzarella cheese in place of the picuante peppers and feta cheese. I burned the flatbread cooking it the way she suggests, so I would not pre-cook it next time.
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1 large piece of flatbread
1/2 cup sliced red onions
olive oil
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumpled feta cheese
handful chopped sweet piquante peppers
pinch of dried oregano
Steps:
Peel sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Put chunks in a steamer over simmering water and steam until softened, about 12 minutes. Transfer steamed pieces to a blender and puree (I just mashed the potatoes instead of dirtying another gadget). This is how I make the mashed sweet potatoes to eat as a side dish.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
On a pizza stone or a cookie sheet, place flatbread in the oven without any of the toppings, for 5 minutes. (This is the step I would skip next time).
Meanwhile, saute onions in a skillet with a little olive oil (I sautéed the red peppers too) over medium heat until caramelized and softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove flatbread from oven and spread sweet potato puree over the top. Sprinkle with both cheeses, onions, peppers, and oregano, then drizzle all over with a touch of olive oil.
Bake flat bread for 10-12 minutes, until cheeses are melted and slightly browned. Serve hot.
I borrowed this cookbook from the library. It has really beautiful pictures for each recipe. There are a few more recipes I might try, so I'll let you know how they go.
My experimenting with sweet potatoes has just begun. I hope Bryan and Anna realize that they are as delicious as I think they are. It might take a little time, but I can wait.
A diabetic who loves sweets
Isn't it ironic...don't you think
That's me, the sweet-loving diabetic. I have type 1, or juvenile diabetes, in very simple terms that means that my pancreas stopped producing insulin so I have to use injections, or in my case an insulin pump, to give my body the insulin it needs to break down the food I eat and bring the glucose to my cells. I'm stuck with this for life unless a cure is developed and widely available. The type of diabetes causing so many health problems in our country is type 2 diabetes which, from my reading and understanding, can be reversed with a healthier diet full of plant foods and less of refined grain and refined sugar foods.
Anyway, I have always had a sweet tooth. You could usually find me with my hand stuck in the candy jar at parties or asking for the richest, most decadent desert at a restaurant. My favorite ice cream choice was double chocolate chip from Graeter's - only true chocolate lovers know the joy in their double chocolate chip with extra large dark chocolate chips. It "was" my favorite because I gave up chocolate about 3 years ago. I know, it sounds crazy, but I think it was one of the foods (along with Splenda and too much salt) that was causing my vertigo spells. There are times when I can still taste (and maybe drool a little over) the deliciousness of my favorite ice cream or my mom's most amazing extra chocolaty brownies, but giving up chocolate didn't kill me. I know making the changes in our family's diet is not easy, but over time we will become used to it.
Eliminating (or greatly reducing) refined sugar is one of the best changes we can make for our overall health. I really do love sugar, so one of the ways I've been able to get a sweet fix is with sweet potatoes. Currently I'm the only one that's found the joy of the sweet potato at our house, but I will not give up serving this super food each week. Here are some of my favorite sweet potato recipes so far.
1) Sweet Potato Quesadillas from Food Loves Writing
These were really easy to make, and as promised, they were the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. I made them with the whole-wheat tortillas and these refried beans. I will make the refried beans again too, but I will add the whole pepper and some extra salt and spices; they were a little too bland. I also made quesadillas with the beans and some cheese.
2) Sweet Potato Flatbread from The Organic Family Cookbook by Anni Daulter
I adapted this recipe with what I had on hand; I used diced red peppers and all shredded mozzarella cheese in place of the picuante peppers and feta cheese. I burned the flatbread cooking it the way she suggests, so I would not pre-cook it next time.
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1 large piece of flatbread
1/2 cup sliced red onions
olive oil
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumpled feta cheese
handful chopped sweet piquante peppers
pinch of dried oregano
Steps:
Peel sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Put chunks in a steamer over simmering water and steam until softened, about 12 minutes. Transfer steamed pieces to a blender and puree (I just mashed the potatoes instead of dirtying another gadget). This is how I make the mashed sweet potatoes to eat as a side dish.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
On a pizza stone or a cookie sheet, place flatbread in the oven without any of the toppings, for 5 minutes. (This is the step I would skip next time).
Meanwhile, saute onions in a skillet with a little olive oil (I sautéed the red peppers too) over medium heat until caramelized and softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove flatbread from oven and spread sweet potato puree over the top. Sprinkle with both cheeses, onions, peppers, and oregano, then drizzle all over with a touch of olive oil.
Bake flat bread for 10-12 minutes, until cheeses are melted and slightly browned. Serve hot.
I borrowed this cookbook from the library. It has really beautiful pictures for each recipe. There are a few more recipes I might try, so I'll let you know how they go.
My experimenting with sweet potatoes has just begun. I hope Bryan and Anna realize that they are as delicious as I think they are. It might take a little time, but I can wait.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
I try to do my experimental cooking on the weekends when I have the most time. On today's menu was this black bean chili recipe that I had been looking really forward to cooking. I soaked the beans last night and quickly put everything in the crock pot before heading to a birthday party with Anna. When I came home I knew it was going to be awful - the smell, the initial taste - so bad. I decided to dump it down the disposal. Well, this is where the ugly comes in... our disposal is notoriously unreliable. We've lived in this house for almost 4 years, and we've had to have the disposal unclogged twice for backing up into one of the bathrooms (usually after hours for an additional charge, of course). Bryan wasn't home when the disposal quit working, and the sink was full of stinky black water that couldn't drain so I just worked around it the best I could. Once home, he started checking it, and realized the disposal was working fine, but something else was clogged. That's when black bean disposal water started spewing all over the floor from the cabinet under the sink! So gross!!!! Luckily my favorite handyman was able to locate the clog with no call to the plumber, and after washing my vases and cleaning off the cleaning products I got on with my experimenting.
So here's the good: I love steamed and mashed sweet potato and homemade whole wheat tortillas are amazing! I made the steamed sweet potato for a flat bread pizza (another ugly: flat bread got burned, so I just ate the toppings on the tortilla instead), and now I can't wait to make it again for an easy and quick side dish. I made the tortillas today for tomorrow's dinner, and would highly recommend trying them. It takes time to mix, roll out, and cook, but it's so worth it.
To make the mashed sweet potatoes: Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Steam the chunks until softened, about 12 minutes. Then mash the potatoes and enjoy. See, it's so easy!
I made the tortillas as written except I used olive oil (what is avocado oil anyway???). Whole-wheat flour has a really nice grainy texture. I look forward to using it again for some homemade goodies. I'm doing another experiment tomorrow, so let's hope for the best!
Whole Wheat Tortilla recipe from 100 Days of Real Food:
So here's the good: I love steamed and mashed sweet potato and homemade whole wheat tortillas are amazing! I made the steamed sweet potato for a flat bread pizza (another ugly: flat bread got burned, so I just ate the toppings on the tortilla instead), and now I can't wait to make it again for an easy and quick side dish. I made the tortillas today for tomorrow's dinner, and would highly recommend trying them. It takes time to mix, roll out, and cook, but it's so worth it.
To make the mashed sweet potatoes: Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Steam the chunks until softened, about 12 minutes. Then mash the potatoes and enjoy. See, it's so easy!
I made the tortillas as written except I used olive oil (what is avocado oil anyway???). Whole-wheat flour has a really nice grainy texture. I look forward to using it again for some homemade goodies. I'm doing another experiment tomorrow, so let's hope for the best!
Whole Wheat Tortilla recipe from 100 Days of Real Food:
Whole-Wheat Tortillas
Serves: 12 Tortillas
Adapted from Anson Mills
Ingredients
- 2½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
- ½ cup oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water (heat in the microwave for 1 min)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with dough hooks those can be used as well.
- With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. I do this by making the dough into a big log shape that is about 8 – 10 inches long. Then I cut it in the middle. Then I cut each of those pieces in the middle and so on until you have 12 pieces.
- Using the palms of your hand roll each piece into a round ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.
- Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.
- On a lightly floured board or counter top, use a rolling pin to turn each ball into a 8 to 10 inch flat circle (measure against your recipe if printed on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper). Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball into a tortilla because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.
- Grease the pan with a touch of oil (or ghee) and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.
- See more at: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/26/recipe-whole-wheat-tortillas/#sthash.nBG0HJL4.dpuf
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." (Dr. Seuss)
This is a new path for our family, and who knows more about adventure, fun, and being true to yourself than Dr. Seuss? Today is his birthday after all, so celebrate - with food, real food! Why real food? I'm joining the growing number of moms, dads, and experts out there that believe there is a real problem with the food we are eating in this country. I want the best for my family and myself, and I feel that cutting out the processed food is one step towards a healthier life. Exercise is the other big step, but more on that another day.
I'm not an expert, but I like to be informed. I read Dr. Agatston's South Beach Diet Wake-Up Call last month in an effort to remind myself of the South Beach Diet so I could loose some weight, something I tried about 10 years ago with great success. While reading, I definitely got that "wake-up call" - my family is eating too much processed food! It's not about the calories, it's about the food. I started digging a little more and found a blog I had read, but hadn't followed in several years, 100 Days of Real Food. This is the best blog around for tips on cutting out the processed foods and gives alternatives to our favorite "tastes so good, but so very bad for us" foods. I'm also in the process of reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which further proves that over processed foods are slowly killing us and our children. That sounds really dire, I know, but I think with small steps we can let go of our processed food (chemicals, altered food, growth added hormones, sugar, sugar, and more sugar) dependency for a diet rich in vegetables and fruit with a little meat and whole grains on the side.
I'm not a jump right in person; anyone that really knows me knows that I do not like to be overwhelmed. I like balance (that might be one of my favorite words); I strive for balance in all things: family, work, fun, and now food. So this is a one-step-at-a-time journey. For one thing, I have a real job as a kindergarten teacher that keeps me very busy; I don't have loads of time to restructure our whole way of life in one weekend. I also have to convince my amazing husband, B, and our loving, energetic, fashionista daughter that they want to eat what I'm preparing. This is no easy task; everyone knows that a sugar coated, enriched white flour Little Debbie treat is far more enticing than a 100% whole wheat pumpkin muffin. If it were easy then Americans wouldn't be so fat. So baby steps towards a healthier life.
Want to join me? I'll be posting about recipes, products, and food plans I find on other blogs with real food recipes and what we think about them. I'd love to hear your comments and questions. Remember, I'm not an expert. I'm just a regular girl trying to get her family to eat more veggies and less crap.
This is a new path for our family, and who knows more about adventure, fun, and being true to yourself than Dr. Seuss? Today is his birthday after all, so celebrate - with food, real food! Why real food? I'm joining the growing number of moms, dads, and experts out there that believe there is a real problem with the food we are eating in this country. I want the best for my family and myself, and I feel that cutting out the processed food is one step towards a healthier life. Exercise is the other big step, but more on that another day.
I'm not an expert, but I like to be informed. I read Dr. Agatston's South Beach Diet Wake-Up Call last month in an effort to remind myself of the South Beach Diet so I could loose some weight, something I tried about 10 years ago with great success. While reading, I definitely got that "wake-up call" - my family is eating too much processed food! It's not about the calories, it's about the food. I started digging a little more and found a blog I had read, but hadn't followed in several years, 100 Days of Real Food. This is the best blog around for tips on cutting out the processed foods and gives alternatives to our favorite "tastes so good, but so very bad for us" foods. I'm also in the process of reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which further proves that over processed foods are slowly killing us and our children. That sounds really dire, I know, but I think with small steps we can let go of our processed food (chemicals, altered food, growth added hormones, sugar, sugar, and more sugar) dependency for a diet rich in vegetables and fruit with a little meat and whole grains on the side.
I'm not a jump right in person; anyone that really knows me knows that I do not like to be overwhelmed. I like balance (that might be one of my favorite words); I strive for balance in all things: family, work, fun, and now food. So this is a one-step-at-a-time journey. For one thing, I have a real job as a kindergarten teacher that keeps me very busy; I don't have loads of time to restructure our whole way of life in one weekend. I also have to convince my amazing husband, B, and our loving, energetic, fashionista daughter that they want to eat what I'm preparing. This is no easy task; everyone knows that a sugar coated, enriched white flour Little Debbie treat is far more enticing than a 100% whole wheat pumpkin muffin. If it were easy then Americans wouldn't be so fat. So baby steps towards a healthier life.
Want to join me? I'll be posting about recipes, products, and food plans I find on other blogs with real food recipes and what we think about them. I'd love to hear your comments and questions. Remember, I'm not an expert. I'm just a regular girl trying to get her family to eat more veggies and less crap.
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