Monday, August 31, 2009

Where did I forget?

Good evening bloggies. Today was a rough day. Since yesterday I have had this dull stomach ache that comes and goes... and comes more readily when I get stressed about something. And mostly it has been self-induced stress- thinking about the possibility of stressful things, rather than reactive stress. It's amazing what the mind can do to you. I've suffered from anxiety since I was very very young (pre-elementary school), and managing it has always been a challenge. I ended up coming home from work early today on account of un-welcomed...reactions. I did some progressive relaxation, napped, took a hot bath... and all the while I began thinking "where did I forget?" Forget what, you ask? To ask for healing. So, through tears streaming down my face, I asked for help from God, my Angels, and my Spirit Guide. Help, healing, and peace. As I sit here and type this to you, I eat rice and toasted pita with peanut butter. I'm able to eat, and am beginning to feel better.

Where along the way did I forget? What brought around my reminder was a comment on my facebook. A friend of mine said "I'm praying for you". When did I get so self-absorbed that I forgot that I could and should ask for help?

Here's hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. With the encouragement and peace now feel, I'm sure it will be.

Don't eat poison...

Good day everyone! This weekend, I had a frustrating conversation on Saturday about candy and Halloween. This is the first year that I refuse to buy candy to pass out to trick-or-treaters and I was looking for OTHER ideas of things to hand out (like pencils, stickers, etc). Well the conversation started out well, and then took a turn for the worse.

Take a look at some of the frankenfood (thank you Jillian) ingredients in one of the most popular Halloween candies:

(This candy will not be named, as I am calling it CRAP. It's that square, individually wrapped fruit flavor candy, very popular.)
CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, FRUIT JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE (APPLE, STRAWBERRY, LEMON, ORANGE, CHERRY), CITRIC ACID, DEXTRIN, GELATIN, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), COLORING (RED 40, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1). Product is not Kosher

Who knew that a fruit candy would have trans fat? And of course there's CORN syrup... and colorings....

Unbelievable. It's so much more than fat and calories, and SO many people just don't get it. The biggest argument there was in my conversation on Saturday was "One day of candy won't hurt anything, and it won't lead to childhood obesity". Ok, really?! REALLY?! Fine. Poison your kids. Contribute to the obesity and diabetes problem in the US. ...unbelievable.

How can parents feed this stuff to their kids and still feel good about themselves? There was another argument that they feel good giving this particular candy brand to their kids because it's made in America and not outsourced to China. PEOPLE, POISON IS POISON NO MATTER WHERE IT'S MADE.

When parents are new parents, they take SUCH CARE in what they feed to their baby, what their baby can and can't put in their mouth, locking cabinets full of cleaning supplies, etc. When is this idea forgotten? Where along the way to they think it's ok to feed them crap? Do new parents feed their 6-month-olds pureed candy bars? Of course not!

And don't tell me that they do it because they can't afford anything else. I think that's a bunch of bull. Give your kid half of an orange instead of a candy bar. Come on, people!

I guess the moral of the story is- look beyond fat and calories and READ YOUR INGREDIENTS. Don't feed your kids CRAP. And by crap, I mean things that don't grow on trees or from the ground, and didn't at one point have a mother. If it was created in a lab... it's JUNK. End of story.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Refreshing Quinoa and Orange Parfait (Breakfast)

Good evening, bloggies! I wanted to share with you a recipe that I made this morning, found HERE.

I must say, I'm used to Quinoa for DINNER, not breakfast... so it was a little strange to me, but definitely good! I cleaned my bowl!!

Here are the ingredients and directions, from the above mentioned website.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup of Greek-style yogurt
1 orange, cut into chunks
1 tbsp walnuts
2 tsp of honey

Directions

Place quinoa in a bowl and top with yogurt, oranges, and walnuts. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Serves 1.

Nutritional Analysis

Calories: 325; Total Fat: 6.8g; Saturated Fat: .3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 40mg; Carbs: 56g; Fiber: 5.6g; Sugars: 26g; Protein: 14g

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Here's my finished product, before devouring!!



The verdict? I would probably make it again... but I would add cinnamon to the recipe. And my mind has to get over the fact that I'm eating QUINOA for breakfast....

Have a fantastic evening, all! It's almost TGIF time... almost...

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

What's on your to-do list?

Good evening bloggies. I just wanted to check in before I went to bed for the evening. Each night, I think about my to-do list for the next day. I plan out (and write down) what I'm going to make for dinner, if I have to go to the store at lunch time, what chores I need to get done before work, etc. Doing this clears my mind so I can sleep peacefully. Here's an example of my list for tomorrow:

6am- get up, work out for 20 min
620am- shower (FAST!!)
630am- make lunches, then make breakfast
650am- eat breakfast while getting ready- iron, etc.
8am- leave for work
830-5pm- work

Lunch- go to the bank, TJ's- get shredded cheese, tortillas, peanut butter, pasta sauce

Dinner- tortilla pizzas

After work- go with Brenton to have his pants taken in, do/put away laundry

Planning my day out makes my head clear. If I don't get to something, I do it the next day. In college, I had to plan out my day by the minute because I was so busy. Now, I'm not quite as busy with meetings and classes and such, but with other responsibilities. The moral of the story, plan ahead, but use it just as a guideline. You'll stay organized, but not get so stressed.

Until next time, namaste.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Product Spotlight!!

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you my new favorite product. I am OBSESSED with Dr. Bronner Castile Soap. All of their Castile Soaps are made with natural ingredients... nothing fake, death, crappy...you know! I use the Tea Tree fragrance every day, and can't find it ANYWHERE but Amazon. I use it on my face, body, hair, to clean my sinks, counters, EVERYTHING!! Check out what the Skin Deep Database says about Dr. Bronner.

I love this Database. It's a great collection of safe, and not so safe products. I always consult it before buying a new lotion, shampoo, any new makeup, etc. Trust me, people, what you think is safe probably isn't. Your skin is the BIGGEST organ in the body. If you put it on your skin, you might as well be drinking it- that's how much it's absorbed. It makes me sick to think about all of the products I have used over the years... without a second thought!

Do what's good for your body, inside and out. Use SAFE products, not ones with toxic chemicals. This excerpt is taken from the Skin Deep Database FAQ's-

Are ingredients in personal care products actually harmful?

While some companies make products that are safe to eat, other companies choose to use known human carcinogens or developmental toxins. Nearly all these chemicals can penetrate the skin, and some we ingest directly from our lips or hands. More than one-third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient linked to cancer. When risky and unstudied chemicals are used in cosmetics, the stakes can be high — unlike trace contaminants in food or tap water, chemicals in cosmetics are base ingredients.

So really, take care of yourself inside and out!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Thanksgiving... another batch of thoughts

Happy Sunday to you all. With the cool weather in Columbus today, it has started my thoughts back up about Thanksgiving. I've been searching high and low for some recipes (vegetarian, of course) that make SENSE to serve for a Thanksgiving meal. Sure, we could have pasta with marinara sauce... black bean burgers... stuffed potatoes (the norm) but it's not really.... Thanksgiving-ish. One thought was 'Tofurkey'... which quickly turned to ...uh, how about another option...

So here's what I'm thinking (and of course it always depends on who's house we're going to, who we'll be serving, etc... but we'll get to that if necessary, later)-

Green Salad (also, no recipe needed)
Crock Pot Stuffing
Marinated Portabello Mushrooms ('meat' dish)
Sauteed Asparagus (no recipe needed)
Baked Sweet Potatoes (no recipe needed)
Raw Pumpkin Pie

I think it looks like a winner! What do you think?

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies!

Hi everyone! I just found my new 'splurge'... Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies! That's right- no white flour in these cookies... only good stuff.

I was lucky to find this recipe online:
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (with Honey)
Ingredients:


Dry ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
1 1/2 cups of Large Flake Rolled Oats (smaller flake is ok too)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon (I actually use about 3 Tbsp--got to love cinnamon)
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil (corn, grapeseed or olive) * you can also use some applesauce to replace some of the oil if you wish*
1 Tablespoon Molasses (I used Agave)
1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
1 tsp Vanilla

Yummy ingredients
1/2 cup raisins (1 cup for my Dad's batch)
1/2 cup walnuts (more for my Dad's)!!

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray--your honey won't stick).

Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn't binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.

COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge. (I omitted this step)

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper). Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.

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This recipe was SO good. They would be really REALLY good with chocolate chips (note for next time). It's official- if I'm wanting cookies, these are what I'm going to make. ALL REAL INGREDIENTS, and they're yummy!! In my recipe I used MOSTLY Applesauce (1/2 cup of Applesauce, 1/8 cup of Canola Oil because the mix was a little dry). They turned out pretty cake-like, but very hearty!!



YUM!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Recipe Review- Chickpea Burgers

Hello everyone! The other day I tried a new recipe I found online (this one).

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

Chickpea burgers
1 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 6 1/2-inch whole-wheat pitas, halved and warmed, if desired

Tahini sauce
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini (see Ingredient note)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. To prepare burgers: Place chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, oregano, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (The mixture will be moist.) Form into 4 patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.
3. To prepare sauce & serve: Meanwhile, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Divide the patties among the pitas and serve with the sauce.

In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.

The finished products!









I'm happy to say that everyone really enjoyed breakfast, and no one ate any DEATH ingredients.

Until next time- keep in mind what your priorities are. Don't waver from them.

Namaste.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

AMAZING GRASS!

Good evening!! Yesterday my Amazing Grass came in the mail!!! I WAS SOOOO EXCITED TO TRY IT THIS MORNING!!



This is the small container, and includes a scoop. Check out what's in it!!!!! LOTS of good stuff.



So my first reaction? When I opened it up and gave it a whiff, it smelled like those Think Green bars- or those Green Superfood bars. It tasted like those too- almost a chocolaty taste?

I added a scoop to my GM this morning-



I could taste the new addition, but it's something that'll grow on me very quickly! In this GM I had a scoop of Amazing Grass, 1 Kiwi, 4 Strawberries, 1/2 scoop Protein Powder, 1 Kale Leaf, 1/6 of a BIG zucchini. SUPER YUM!

Dinner tonight was my FAVORITE- Veggie Sushi Salad.



This is seriously my favorite dinner. And it's SO simple to make. Tonight's recipe was made out of 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 big cucumber, soy sauce, and vinegar.

LOVE IT. Ok sorry, enough of that. After my work out tonight (which was a 1 mile run), I decided to try to mix the Amazing Grass up in just a glass of water.



It was good- but it wouldn't blend up very well for some reason. I drank almost all of it, but by the end, it was almost like I was drinking sand. Not good after a work out HAHA.

All in all, I'm glad I have this neato powder! I'll only be putting it in my smoothies, but that's ok with me!

Until next time- spend $$ on your health. You'll be glad you did in the long run.

Namaste.

Brenton's Creation!

Hi everyone. I have some catching up to do!!! My husband, Brenton, decided he wanted to try to cook something new this weekend. He said...

"What if I chop up a veggie burger and put it with mac and cheese? It'll be like hamburger helper!"

....kinda...

At the store this past weekend I got Amy's Veggie Burger- and YUM-O it is! Brenton's creation didn't quite TASTE like hamburger helper, considering there was no hamburger... but it looked like it!

Brenton's creativity-- inspired by what he saw in the freezer and pantry...



Like how it's DW?! HAHA. It's the only Annies Organic Mac and Cheese that Meijer carries that's WHOLE WHEAT PASTA. So of COURSE I'm going to get that. The little pasta pieces are in the shape of DW's head. Kinda creepy, but GOOD!

Here is Brenton's meal...



Kinda hamburger helper-ish, right? I had him do a variation for mine... veggies instead of veggie burger.



I decided that I would put my 2 cents in, and cut up some mango and organic grapes:



So the verdict of the meal? I liked mine a lot, but I don't know if Brenton would do his variation again. I can tell you though, we are SO in love with MANGO!! OMG it is the best fruit ever. If you haven't gotten a mango recently, you're missing out!!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

Until next time, try a new meal. Have your kids (or your husband LOL) come up with a new idea. You could be pleasantly surprised!!

Namaste.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Farmers Market!

Oh how I love farmers markets, especially on SUNNY DAYS! It's about time we have a sunny day in Central Ohio!!! SHEESH!

Look at all of the goodies I got!!!







Tons of organic produce (I'm not sure if the peaches are organic or not), and some Cookie Cop cookies.



What?? You've never heard of the Cookie Cop?!?! Check him out!!!

I went outside to see how my OWN organic garden was going- and pleasantly surprised!!!







Cute, no?? Hehehe lots of little guys growing out there!!! And to think that I started all of these from seeds. Amazing.

Happy Saturday to you all!

Namaste.