Vita-Mix

I've been very busy bumming around, letting all of my free summer time slip by. I had such high hopes at the start of the summer. Now that we are rolling into August, I think it is pretty safe to say that my long list of summer projects is ready to be tossed. The less I have to do - the less I get done. I'll be starting the core of the Dietetics program on the 23rd. I know I'm going to be really busy for the remainder of the year so I'm looking for ways to save time in the kitchen. I decided to order a VitaMix. I use my blender now almost every day. I really think the VitaMix is going to end up saving me a lot of time. I can't wait to have a blender that can handle solid veggies. It takes me almost 10 minutes to blend even a basic green smoothie now. The VitaMix is scheduled to arrive Monday so recipe experiments are on their way.

How to NOT Gain 10 lbs during 7 days of Vacation

You would think it would be pretty easy to avoid gaining 10 pounds in a week, but when you are staying at an all inclusive and you are me - these things take planning.  The first time I visited a RIU resort was in Aruba and I managed to gain 10 in just 6 days.  All I can say is, the Pina Coladas were really, really good.  Each Pina Colada probably had more than enough macronutrients (calories) to get me through the day but since alcohol is essentially an anti-vitamin - I was still craving real food after each and every Colada.  Anyway - on this trip to Los Cabos I decided to do a little bit of planning before leaving.

Things went incredibly well.  I decided to eat just three times a day.  That was satisfying for me.  I started breakfast with heaping plates of fruit.  I ate whatever looked appealing at lunch and dinner.  I made a point of eating fresh veggies and cooked vegetables at every sitting.  I ate more dessert this week than I probably have all year but I still don't feel like my eating was out of control at any point this week.  By making  a point of saving dessert for last, I naturally didn't have the room or the desire for excess.  I don't typically eat dessert at home, but the dessert options looked particularly appealing and on vacation I make a point of eating whatever tickles my pickle.

I participated in the water aerobics class twice, got lots of walks in at the beach, and did a lot of swimming.  All in all - it was a wonderful healthy holiday.  
What strategies do you have in place for keeping your head on straight during events that disrupt your regular eating patterns? 

No matter where you go for vacation this summer you can chose not to motor past the good stuff, to take control of your food choices, focus on getting your veggies, and on enjoying healthy whole foods.  Do not deprive yourself.  Do not poison yourself.  Eating well is not about deprivation, but finding pleasure in healthy choices and keeping the highly processed poison to a minimum.  There is so much yummy real food out there.  You don't need a vacation from eating clean. 

Reconnect With Your Food and Grow Your Own

by Mike Lieberman

Growing our own food is something that people have done for hundreds and thousands of years. It hasn't been until the past 100-200 years that we've put that responsibility in the hands of others.

I think this is one of the reasons for the disease and health issues that are currently plaguing our country. We have come to accept processed "foods" and produce are stripped of nutrition and contaminated with chemical sprays.

In the past few years, I've become more conscious and aware as to my food choices and why they matter, not only to my own personal health, but to the health of the environment as well.

We have become disconnected from our food source and pick our food off of store shelves.

This is why I started urban gardening and growing my own food. I wanted to re-establish that connection with my food and you can too.

When I first started in the spring in 2009, I didn't have any experience and was able to grow on the fire escape on the fourth floor of my New York City apartment. I've since moved to Cali where I've started a balcony garden.

In these small spaces, I've been able to supply myself with fresh organically grown produce. Now that I've been growing my own, I feel much more connected to my food since it is the result of my work. Plus it's much fresher as it gets eaten within minutes of being picked.

In growing my own food, I've also gained more of an appreciation for food because growing your own isn't always easy. Luckily we live in times where if we can't grow our own or our crop doesn't survive, we can hit up a supermarket.

I don't think that everyone should go out and start growing all of their own food, but definitely think that growing at least one veggie or herb will start to make a difference in your relationship with food.

What are you going to start growing?

Mike Lieberman prides himself as a living, breathing demonstration of how one can live sustainably, anywhere. On his sites he documents what he is doing through urban gardening, creating raw vegan recipes and demonstrating simple ways to go green. Lieberman thinks that most people believe that living sustainably and making eco-friendly decisions is difficult and cannot be done — that it’s an all-or-nothing-type game. Through his writing, he wants to show you that it’s simple to make these decisions. Some or all of these steps can easily be done in your daily lives without any disruption, and he would like to show you how to do them. Follow him on Twitter @CanarsieBK and check out his online portfolio on CanarsieBK.com.

Guest Blogger CanarsieBK

If you haven't already checked out CanarsieBK - you need too.   Here are a few post samples

Start Growing Your Own Organic Vegetable Garden

How You Can Make Gardening Cheap

How to Plant Kale In A Self-Watering Container


If this isn't enough to spark your interest - something is amiss with your veggie loving soul. 

Nutritarian Lecture Part I

A few weeks ago I attended a lecture given by Dr. Fuhrman the author of Eat to Live. After reviewing my notes I thought I would share the points the resonated with me the most.

• Doctors are not your saviors - the healthcare crisis can be solved/improved through self care

• The SAD (Standard American Diet) is disease promoting

• Fat is an inflammatory substance that promotes cancer

• Excess protein is carcinogenic

• Cancer rates have increased since the start of isolating vitamins and adding them to manufactured food

• Processed foods build up metabolic waste in the tissues that damage cells and lead to mutation/cancer

• Low micronutrient intake leads to uncontrolled eating and binges

• Sugar and Caffeine have been found to be more addictive than cocaine

• Refined oil is not a health food - in any form - oil begins to be stored by the body within minutes

• The best protection available against cancer is leafy green vegetables

• High nutrient consumption can repair the damage that poor diet did in your youth

• The US Food Pyramid is not based on science - it is a socio-political construct

New Stroller for the Babies

The girls and I are getting a lot of fresh air these days thanks to the new stroller.

Salsa Time

My potted garden is coming along nicely.  Aside from watering them on the days that it hasn't rained, I haven't had to do much.  Haven't had any bug issues yet, so I haven't had to look for any organic pesticide alternatives.  I think I'll wait one more week before I try my hand at this salsa recipe.  All the fresh ingredients are going to be fantabulous.  I can't wait. 

4 tomatoes

1/2 red onion

1/2 white onion

1 bellpepper

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Toss into food processor

Enjoy

Crockpot Eggplant Stew

A crock-pot/slow cooker is a great tool for a busy cook.  Invest as little as 15 minutes into completing this recipe right before bed. 

2 large chopped tomatoes

5 chopped carrots

1 peeled and cubed eggplant

1 can drained garbanzo beans

1 can drained red kidney beans

1 cup chopped onion

3 stalks chopped celery

3 cloves minced garlic

3 cups vegetable broth

1 can tomato paste

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf
 
Combine all ingredients. Cook overnight. 
Enjoy

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Garbanzos are a personal favorite.  This soup is really filling. 

1 chopped garlic clove

3 cups veggie broth

1 can peeled and diced tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

2 cans garbanzo beans

1/2 chopped onion

1 tsp rosemary

salt and pepper to taste


Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion, sauté along with the garlic and rosemary. Add tomatoes, cook 10 minutes. Add broth and beans - simmer 5 minutes. Puree soup in blender or food processor.

Enjoy

Delicious Kale Stir Fry

1 can garbanzo beans

1 bunch Kale

1/4 cup onion

3 cloves sliced garlic

1 tbs olive oil

Red pepper

Curry

Lemon juice

Drain and rinse beans. Remove the stems in the kale and chop. Sauté garlic, onion, and beans in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until kale wilts.

Veggie Balls

As you have probably figured out by now - this is a "Easy Recipe Only - Complexity Strictly Forbidden" zone. I'm not a numbers or measurement oriented person so tackling involved recipes always feels like a chore to me. If you like to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible so you can get down to eating - you are in the right place. Eating well does require more effort than grabbing something from the drive-thru but it doesn't have to be backbreaking.  You can knock this Veggie Ball recipe out in less than 30 minutes. 

1 C walnuts
1 garlic clove
1 chopped onion
1/2 celery stick
2 tbs parsley
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbs ground flaxseed
1/4 C water

Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop ingredients in a food processor or blender. Roll into 2 inch balls. Bake10-12 minutes.

Simple Summer Recipes

It's already heating up; so, I'm trying to spend as little time hovering over a hot stove as possible.  Summer is a great time for raw veggies and simple recipes that don't require any heat.  Here is a salad idea adapated from a Taste of Home recipe. Can't get any more simple

3 chopped tomatoes

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp salt

2 drained cans of corn

1 garlic clove finely chopped

2 tbs olive oil

1/3 C balsamic vinegar


Mix and Enjoy

Black Bean Brownies

I have been craving sweets this week but I haven't had time to make anything. This is top of my to list this weekend, along with visiting the Green Market at Piedmont Park Saturday morning.


This will be my second time attempting black bean brownies. The first time I made a few ill conceived substitutions - this time I'm going to stick to the script.

½ cup cocoa powder
2 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 T. ground flaxseed
1 ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups chopped dates
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

Blend the first six ingredients in a food processor. Add the flour and dates incrementally.  Stir in the nuts. Spread into a 13” x 9” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Success!

May Giveaway

This month I am giving away a new copy of –"The Warmest Room in the House"

How to Win

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 Rules 

• Use a valid email address in the comments below so I can contact you if you win.
• Remember to check back here on June 1st.

Congratulations Elise! You are this month's winner.