Being a grammar and punctuation sleuth, I am troubled as to whether it is New Year's Resolutions or New Years' Resolutions. Since it is plural, do you go plural possessive or just possessive with the
"Year"? I really have no idea and right now I'd rather just create my post than worry about such trivial things.
Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution; not to sweat the small stuff. Really, though, what do you think about resolving to make a change just because the calendar has run out? (and hopefully you've bought a new one by now -- you have one more day!)
I have my own opinions about resolutions, change, the calendar and promises, but you don't necessarily want to hear my thoughts, so I took it to the family. My husband's family was over Sunday afternoon for our Christmas gathering. Oh, how fun it was! Truly, it was a good time. You see, my husband is one of four siblings and there are five offspring of those four. Each one of the four has a spouse or significant other. And if a train leaves Boston... oh, sorry...
I am always impressed when the entire family gets together because there is so much energy in the room, so much brain power that it almost hurts to listen to them. There usually ends up being one random query that makes everyone scratch their head. The topic is usually discussed for an inordinate amount of time and then makes an occasional re-appearance again throughout the gathering. I figured who else to take the subject of New Year's Resolutions to, but a group of highly intelligent, analytical folks? So I asked them (okay, some of them -- I missed an entire table of people because I was distracted) to share their thoughts.
One young man -- oh, that was our son -- said "someday" isn't on the calendar, so the new year is a good time to make a change. It's a definitive date, so mentally it prepares you.
Someone else shared his promise to make healthier eating choices.
A smart young 'en of just 12 said she thought they were stupid because nobody ever sticks to their resolutions. (I'm with her).
Another couple of lads thought it was a good idea but it is hard to make anything stick, especially related to fitness and diet because of the length of time that it takes to either break a habit or create a new one. B-I-N-G-O! Though one guy did say that a few years ago his dad's giving up soda has stuck and he hasn't had any since. Man, these kids were very insightful.
So if sticking to a resolution is so difficult, why do we make them year after year after year? I'm sure someone out there has some statistic as to how much money is poured into fitness clubs in the first week of a new year only to become wasted dollars. I have noticed in my years of regular attendance at a gym that this week, historically, makes for a crowded workout. By Valentine's Day, we'll be back to where we were in November!
Here I am a day before the new year contemplating my resolution. Should I or shouldn't I? I've thought about it. I really could be a more attentive wife. I should spend more time in prayer and devotion each day. Maybe I could work on not sweating the small stuff so much. Hmmm... or maybe I should give up worrying. Or maybe I'll just wait until February 13th when Lent begins and make a change then. It's a much shorter time that I'd have to sacrifice if I only do it / give it up / change for the 40 days of lent rather than an ENTIRE YEAR!
I guess while you're out tracking down that 2013 calendar I will decide on a New Year's Resolution. Will you resolve to make a change for the new year? If so, please share.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
When the Going Gets Tough...
Happy Friday! I'm saying that sort of tongue-in-cheek as I can't believe my week off is quickly coming to a close. I haven't done anything I thought I would do this week. My goal was to open the textbooks used for the Nutrition Education Trainer certification that I'm working on and really, really want to take the first test for just after the first of the year. No studying was done. It is something that has to happen when I don't have a million other things on my to-do list and when I'm not feeling under the weather. Yep! That's right. This girl with the superior immune system caught a cold!
It's not really the cold I'm bummed about, it's the fact that I had to cancel a dinner date with friends yesterday. I was so excited to share with them my lentil taco recipe. They are a couple who are trying out the nutritarian way of life and have already made huge changes in their diet. So we will reschedule to after the first of the year.
About this illness thing... Normally, when I get a cold I know it! It starts with a sore throat and usually by the end of the day I feel like I've been whopped good. This time, I started coughing on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning I just felt "off," not really so sick that I couldn't do anything. I even went to the gym and had a killer workout. I let my friend know first thing in the morning I thought I was getting sick and she was the one who decided to reschedule. I wouldn't want to share my "fun" with anyone else.
After a hearty breakfast of steel cut oats with fruit and nuts, Hubby and I ran some errands. It wasn't until about lunchtime that I decided that I was actually getting sick. I made some miso ginger soup with other veggies and made my way to the bed to hunker down. I spent most of the day there, just watching TV, reading and sleeping. Part of my reading was the book Super Immunity. It is there that I learned nothing but rest and eating lightly (especially vegetables and veggie juice) will help you recover from the common cold virus. Of course, I knew that no forms of medication can help you get better. But I didn't know that they can actually make you more sick. I'm talking about damage to your liver and other organs. The fever that you get is actually good for you and is best left untreated unless it goes very high or is so uncomfortable that you can't sleep at night. So I let it go; no ibuprofen or acetaminophen, NOTHING! I was a little uncomfortable with a killer sore throat that two years ago I would have been sucking on throat lozenges to relieve, but not this time. I rode it out with the aches and pains. I even made dinner last night! We had a wonderful spaghetti squash with a very tasty rich and thick pasta sauce with a fresh, crunchy salad.
I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the food, but sometimes it's all you can do to get dinner on the table. I can tell you that all I did was bake the squash for an hour and then made Mom's famous lasagna sauce (sans the meat) and topped off the spaghetti squash strands with the sauce. No parmesan cheese needed!
Today I feel great compared to yesterday! My head feels just a little achy and my back hurts a bit, but I'm wondering how much of that is from laying in bed most of the day! I missed the gym this morning so after a shower and trip to the grocery store, I'll hit my to-do list. After all, I do have 17 people coming for dinner on Sunday -- something has got to get done!
I really do believe that creating a good immune system by eating fruits and vegetables over the last 18 months helped in my quick recovery! I can't believe in just 36 hours how much better I feel!
I will be back here Monday to share my thoughts on New Year's Resolutions! Have a great weekend!
 |
| photo courtesy of Doug Glaze Photography |
About this illness thing... Normally, when I get a cold I know it! It starts with a sore throat and usually by the end of the day I feel like I've been whopped good. This time, I started coughing on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning I just felt "off," not really so sick that I couldn't do anything. I even went to the gym and had a killer workout. I let my friend know first thing in the morning I thought I was getting sick and she was the one who decided to reschedule. I wouldn't want to share my "fun" with anyone else.
After a hearty breakfast of steel cut oats with fruit and nuts, Hubby and I ran some errands. It wasn't until about lunchtime that I decided that I was actually getting sick. I made some miso ginger soup with other veggies and made my way to the bed to hunker down. I spent most of the day there, just watching TV, reading and sleeping. Part of my reading was the book Super Immunity. It is there that I learned nothing but rest and eating lightly (especially vegetables and veggie juice) will help you recover from the common cold virus. Of course, I knew that no forms of medication can help you get better. But I didn't know that they can actually make you more sick. I'm talking about damage to your liver and other organs. The fever that you get is actually good for you and is best left untreated unless it goes very high or is so uncomfortable that you can't sleep at night. So I let it go; no ibuprofen or acetaminophen, NOTHING! I was a little uncomfortable with a killer sore throat that two years ago I would have been sucking on throat lozenges to relieve, but not this time. I rode it out with the aches and pains. I even made dinner last night! We had a wonderful spaghetti squash with a very tasty rich and thick pasta sauce with a fresh, crunchy salad.
 |
| photo courtesy of Doug Glaze Photography |
I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the food, but sometimes it's all you can do to get dinner on the table. I can tell you that all I did was bake the squash for an hour and then made Mom's famous lasagna sauce (sans the meat) and topped off the spaghetti squash strands with the sauce. No parmesan cheese needed!
Today I feel great compared to yesterday! My head feels just a little achy and my back hurts a bit, but I'm wondering how much of that is from laying in bed most of the day! I missed the gym this morning so after a shower and trip to the grocery store, I'll hit my to-do list. After all, I do have 17 people coming for dinner on Sunday -- something has got to get done!
 |
| photo courtesy of Doug Glaze Photography |
I really do believe that creating a good immune system by eating fruits and vegetables over the last 18 months helped in my quick recovery! I can't believe in just 36 hours how much better I feel!
I will be back here Monday to share my thoughts on New Year's Resolutions! Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
What I Ate for Christmas & My New Hot Beverage
I hope you all had a peaceful and healthy Christmas. I missed blogging on Monday as I just plain ol' ran out of time. I met a good friend for coffee in the morning and we chatted for a couple of hours before I had to run off to do some last-minute shopping. (Actually, what happened was I was counting on the Mayans to be correct and didn't want to spend money on gifts that would go unused, so I held out until the bitter end.) Then it got too late in the day and I figured there wasn't any point to posting anything because nobody would read it Monday or on the holiday anyway.
I am off work all week and have already started my to-do lists, one for each day until Sunday when we have Hubby's family over for the final celebration of the season. I will be cooking a pot of chili, a pan of cornbread and a huge salad -- all vegan. I've caved to the pleading for a traditional Christmas dinner and will also be preparing a bone-in ham and mac-n-cheese. I'm thinking broccoli would be a nice side dish for either menu option.
The topic of my blog is What I Ate for Christmas so I figure I'd better hit there. I had this all planned and Alex knew what we were having and he still showed upon time early for breakfast. On the menu was veggie scramble, tropical fruit salad and black rice breakfast pudding.
After breakfast we hit the presents. A wonderful day was had just hanging out and talking. Very quiet, just the three of us this year. It looks like I will be making a few trips to the Korean Spa in 2013, thanks to my wonderful husband. I just love to spend the day in heated rooms and pools, then finishing off the experience with a full body scrub and moisturizing treatment.
For dinner we had the "traditional" enchilada dinner. Well, it's not really a tradition, but it was the easiest thing that I could make that would satisfy the culinary desires of a 19-year-old, ever-hungry man! It was completely vegan, right down to the cheese. It was accompanied with a great salad of greens, arugula and tomatoes. I forgot to take pictures of the dinner, so you'll have to trust me it was good. Only one piece of enchilada casserole was left. I think that is a good sign. Dessert is always fun! I made a whole-food gingerbread cake. It's really more like a spice cake. It's chock-full of healthy ingredients like carrots, beets, applesauce, pineapple, dates, currents. Oh, yum!
Topped with a dallop of cashew frosting, this was DELISH! I indulged a little too much and had two pieces. Oops! Oh, well. We finished off the night with a cup of tea and more chatting. I was wiped out so was in bed before 9 p.m.! That made it easier to get up and get to the gym this morning.
So my New Hot Beverage is something else I want to share with you. If you know me well, you know I have gone through many addictions to hot, creamy beverages. First, it was chai tea lattes. That went on for years. Then I converted to green tea (matcha) lattes. Starbucks and I had perfected the best cup last week, even after I discovered that their matcha doesn't contain just straight-up green tea, it also has <gasp!> sugar in it. I talked with my personal consultant, aka Hubby, about physical addiction, emotional addiction and why I drink a latte every day. We decided it was more a habit than an addiction, kind of like a comfort. I need something in the car/bus with me to keep me company. He said, "So starting January 1st, give it up." Instead of just giving up all things warm and creamy, I've decided to make it easier on myself. There will be no more green tea lattes, I will guarantee you that. What will substitute, you ask? A decaf soy latte with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Oh, my goodness! It is so good. So gone is the caffeine from the green tea and gone is the added sugar. The only sugar is what is in the soy milk. Making it at home, I can use unsweetened milk, but in the coffee shops, you don't get that choice. I feel much better now. I can still be comforted by my drink, enjoy the flavor AND feel better about my sugar intake.
Well, it is December 26th, so I think that means we are supposed to go shopping, right? Today will find me doing those things that you can't do when you work all week... like getting your oil changed. Now, doesn't that sound like such a wonderful holiday activity?
Until Friday...
I am off work all week and have already started my to-do lists, one for each day until Sunday when we have Hubby's family over for the final celebration of the season. I will be cooking a pot of chili, a pan of cornbread and a huge salad -- all vegan. I've caved to the pleading for a traditional Christmas dinner and will also be preparing a bone-in ham and mac-n-cheese. I'm thinking broccoli would be a nice side dish for either menu option.
The topic of my blog is What I Ate for Christmas so I figure I'd better hit there. I had this all planned and Alex knew what we were having and he still showed up
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| Tropic Fruit Salad - banana, kiwi, pineapple, orange, pomegranate seeds |
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| Veggie Scramble with Tofu. The guys chose eggs for theirs. |
 | |||
| Black Rice Breakfast Pudding with spinach, currants, almonds, vanilla & soy milk. |
For dinner we had the "traditional" enchilada dinner. Well, it's not really a tradition, but it was the easiest thing that I could make that would satisfy the culinary desires of a 19-year-old, ever-hungry man! It was completely vegan, right down to the cheese. It was accompanied with a great salad of greens, arugula and tomatoes. I forgot to take pictures of the dinner, so you'll have to trust me it was good. Only one piece of enchilada casserole was left. I think that is a good sign. Dessert is always fun! I made a whole-food gingerbread cake. It's really more like a spice cake. It's chock-full of healthy ingredients like carrots, beets, applesauce, pineapple, dates, currents. Oh, yum!
 |
So my New Hot Beverage is something else I want to share with you. If you know me well, you know I have gone through many addictions to hot, creamy beverages. First, it was chai tea lattes. That went on for years. Then I converted to green tea (matcha) lattes. Starbucks and I had perfected the best cup last week, even after I discovered that their matcha doesn't contain just straight-up green tea, it also has <gasp!> sugar in it. I talked with my personal consultant, aka Hubby, about physical addiction, emotional addiction and why I drink a latte every day. We decided it was more a habit than an addiction, kind of like a comfort. I need something in the car/bus with me to keep me company. He said, "So starting January 1st, give it up." Instead of just giving up all things warm and creamy, I've decided to make it easier on myself. There will be no more green tea lattes, I will guarantee you that. What will substitute, you ask? A decaf soy latte with nutmeg sprinkled on top. Oh, my goodness! It is so good. So gone is the caffeine from the green tea and gone is the added sugar. The only sugar is what is in the soy milk. Making it at home, I can use unsweetened milk, but in the coffee shops, you don't get that choice. I feel much better now. I can still be comforted by my drink, enjoy the flavor AND feel better about my sugar intake.
Well, it is December 26th, so I think that means we are supposed to go shopping, right? Today will find me doing those things that you can't do when you work all week... like getting your oil changed. Now, doesn't that sound like such a wonderful holiday activity?
Until Friday...
Friday, December 21, 2012
Massaged Kale & Happy Friday
Let me just say that I. LOVE. KALE. I didn't used to like it, but a friend introduced me to the massaging technique. Thank you, Carrie! There's something special about the texture, the slight bitterness when you eat it raw and the little glow it gives your skin after eating it day after day. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit about how often I eat it, but dark leafy greens definitely do help give you "the glow." It also aids in digestion, is full of nutrients -- micro and macro -- and contains a decent amount of protein at 2.2 g / 1 cup of chopped.
Kale is a great anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the Number One cause of arthritis, heart disease and many autoimmune diseases. Animal products contribute to inflammation, so why not eat kale and potentially reverse some of these diseases.
Kale has more iron than beef! Now there's one reason to make a huge massaged kale salad tonight!
Calcium is an important nutrient for good bone health. Kale has more calcium per calorie than milk and is better absorbed by your body.
A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.
Kale is rich in Vitamins A & C, which help boost your immune system.
I prepare my massaged kale salad a day before I intend to eat it because I think it tastes better the longer it sits. You can use a variety of recipes, but I really like Carrie's peanut dressing that I posted Wednesday, so that's what I used. Another option is Chef AJ's Hail to the Kale dressing
REDUCED FAT HAIL TO THE KALE DRESSING
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup raw almond butter (unsweetened/unsalted)
1 x 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2) and zest
2 cloves garlic
Fresh, peeled ginger (1" or 1/2 oz.)
2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari
4 pitted dates (soaked in water if not soft)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
METHOD:
In a high-powered blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
Kale is a great anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is the Number One cause of arthritis, heart disease and many autoimmune diseases. Animal products contribute to inflammation, so why not eat kale and potentially reverse some of these diseases.
Kale has more iron than beef! Now there's one reason to make a huge massaged kale salad tonight!
Calcium is an important nutrient for good bone health. Kale has more calcium per calorie than milk and is better absorbed by your body.
A serving of kale contains 121 mg of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 mg of omega-6 fatty acids.
Kale is rich in Vitamins A & C, which help boost your immune system.
I prepare my massaged kale salad a day before I intend to eat it because I think it tastes better the longer it sits. You can use a variety of recipes, but I really like Carrie's peanut dressing that I posted Wednesday, so that's what I used. Another option is Chef AJ's Hail to the Kale dressing
REDUCED FAT HAIL TO THE KALE DRESSING
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup raw almond butter (unsweetened/unsalted)
1 x 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2) and zest
2 cloves garlic
Fresh, peeled ginger (1" or 1/2 oz.)
2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari
4 pitted dates (soaked in water if not soft)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
METHOD:
In a high-powered blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
After you remove the kale from the thick stems and have washed it really well (for some reason it's always really dirty) spin it dry and chop into small pieces. Put it in a large bowl and top it with enough dressing to cover the greens quite nicely. Here's a photo of the peanut dressing -- sorry it's sorta blurry.
And now here's the dirty part... take off your jewelry and dig in just like you were mixing a meatloaf (remember those days of meatloaf?). Moosh it around for a few minutes and it should look like this:
Then all you have to do is put it in a bowl for tomorrow's lunch! I top mine with hemp seeds, some raisins and pecans, and a few slices of mini tomatoes to give it a little extra somethin'. Yumm!
What's not to love?
I hope your Friday is good, you're all ready for the holidays and you will have time to relax over the weekend before the chaos begins. I know I plan on doing some last-minute shopping, getting groceries for the week, doing my usual Sunday food prep and one of the things I'm looking forward to the most... seeing my son perform at a local coffee shop.
Have a great weekend and I'll be back here on Monday to share what I did in the kitchen over the weekend.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
First Food Foray
As my first attempt at a blog post, I'm going to share with you my dinner from last night. I have to say that cooking and photography don't really mix well. There were a few times that I forgot to take a picture before the ingredients were mixed and who wants to see a picture of a blender full of blended ingredients?
Maybe I will have to talk to my photographer husband and we can team together.
So last night we had what I call fajita salads. It's easy-peasy. I make Chef AJ's lentil tacos in the pressure cooker. While that is cooking (it takes only 12 minutes) I slice up a couple of peppers and add in some mushrooms. I didn't have any green peppers, so I just used some sweet ones. Normal restaurant fajita salads would have onions but since Hubby has a sever onion allergy, they are forbidden in our house. I used a half of a zucchini that I threw in at the last minute. With the addition of a clove of garlic and a bit of cumin, this was a great topper to the salad. Finish off with an avocado and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro & you've got a better-than-restaurant salad. We like to top ours with salsa and I add a bit of cashew cream cuz I kinda miss sour cream. Notice there is no cheese on this. That's okay. You can get by without it. There's plenty of flavor!
Lentil Tacos
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
14 ounces water
1 cup salt-free salsa
Salt-free seasoning, to taste
Method:
Put everything in a crock pot and cook on high for 8 - 12 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. This taco filling can be used anywhere you would normally use a meat taco filling, such as in taco shells and on salads.
Jan's note: I used the pressure cooker and decreased the amount of water to 10 oz. Chef AJ uses the crockpot. If you follow the directions for the sprouted lentils (pictured below) on the stovetop, I'm sure you'd have the same results.
Here is my attempt at a photo-journal of my meal prep. It actually adds a bit of time to take the pictures and it was kind of a distraction. Nevertheless, the salad was huge, filling and very tasty!
Peanut Butter Curry Dressing
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsalted peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted tahini
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
Jan's note: I added vinegar for the dressing. To use as a stirfry sauce, I added a little bit of Bragg's Aminos and crushed red pepper flakes.
Maybe I will have to talk to my photographer husband and we can team together.
So last night we had what I call fajita salads. It's easy-peasy. I make Chef AJ's lentil tacos in the pressure cooker. While that is cooking (it takes only 12 minutes) I slice up a couple of peppers and add in some mushrooms. I didn't have any green peppers, so I just used some sweet ones. Normal restaurant fajita salads would have onions but since Hubby has a sever onion allergy, they are forbidden in our house. I used a half of a zucchini that I threw in at the last minute. With the addition of a clove of garlic and a bit of cumin, this was a great topper to the salad. Finish off with an avocado and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro & you've got a better-than-restaurant salad. We like to top ours with salsa and I add a bit of cashew cream cuz I kinda miss sour cream. Notice there is no cheese on this. That's okay. You can get by without it. There's plenty of flavor!
Lentil Tacos
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
14 ounces water
1 cup salt-free salsa
Salt-free seasoning, to taste
Method:
Put everything in a crock pot and cook on high for 8 - 12 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. This taco filling can be used anywhere you would normally use a meat taco filling, such as in taco shells and on salads.
Jan's note: I used the pressure cooker and decreased the amount of water to 10 oz. Chef AJ uses the crockpot. If you follow the directions for the sprouted lentils (pictured below) on the stovetop, I'm sure you'd have the same results.
Here is my attempt at a photo-journal of my meal prep. It actually adds a bit of time to take the pictures and it was kind of a distraction. Nevertheless, the salad was huge, filling and very tasty!
 |
| This is one of the best purchases I think I have made (with the exception of my VitaMix). It's a six-in-one pressure cooker. I love it and use it at least once a week. It cooks beans to perfection and hard vegetables such as beets and potatoes are quick easy. |
 |
| The lentils and the ingredients went in the pressure cooker. Timer was set for 12 minutes and away she goes! |
 |
| I picked this lentil mix up at Costco. They are sprouted so they cook quicker and give you less... ya know... gas! |
I found these tortillas in the fresh pasta section (near the cheese) at the local Winco. I have to say that they were very good. You cook them up on the stove to your desired cooked-ness. Their only ingedients are corn, water, lime, salt and guar gum. They fall into a category which I find acceptable for sodium content, so I went with them. What a treat!
Water sauteeing is the best way to cook your veggies. No oil and you taste the vegetables and the seasonings you add, not a slimy film of oil in your mouth. Plus, it's less messy and cleanup is simple!
You can see that this was a large meal. I was fully satisfied. Satiety is important when you eat this way as it keeps cravings at bay and allows you to receive optimum benefits from the nutrients.
For dessert I had a healthy chocolate cupcake, complete with chocolate cashew frosting.
I am still trying to gain permission to re-post recipes that I have gotten from others because of copyright laws. Please be patient with me as I go through that process. If I can Google it and find it, I will post it, otherwise, until I hear from the major contributor, we will be on hold.
I apologize for the odd format in which the pictures and their captions came through. I really wanted to get this out by 9 a.m. today, so I'm rushed. I'm still learning, so hopefully future posts will be put together a little better.
I did get permission from fellow blogger and Nutritarian, Carrie, to share her recipes, so as promised, I am going to share a dressing recipe that is useful for Asian salads and stirfry.
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup unsalted peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted tahini
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 large Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
Jan's note: I added vinegar for the dressing. To use as a stirfry sauce, I added a little bit of Bragg's Aminos and crushed red pepper flakes.
Monday, December 17, 2012
New Heights
I know, I know, I know. It's been five months since I've blogged. Does that mean my life has been boring and uneventful? Probably not. It just means that nothing that has happened has been worthy of sharing with my friends and people who might now know me too well. Things that maybe others in my family don't necessarily want all of creation reading about.
So things are about to change.
I've decided to take my blog to new heights. What with my passion for a healthy eating lifestyle and time spent in the kitchen, maybe other people would appreciate reading about it, maybe trying some of the recipes and perhaps if I'm lucky, I might pique someone else's interest in trying this lifestyle that has brought me into what I consider optimum health.
This will be new and different for me. Feel free to tell me how to make my posts better, more interesting. I think I will have to put new batteries in the camera and have it handy in the kitchen to capture my creations. I will need to come up with a blogging schedule so I'm not driving myself crazy. I have a friend who posts on her blog Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That makes a lot of sense to me. So since today is Monday, consider this the first of more to come!
So walk with me... out of "my midlife mumblings" into something new. I figured I would find something to distract myself from the deep hole of midlife and I have now come to the realization that the kitchen is that distraction. I think keep the name of my blog the same as I'm sure I will fall back into mumbling (go figure, Jan mumbling? Say it isn't so) but I hope to share with you ways to enhance your life through the world of nutrition.
For those of you who don't know of that which I speak, for about 18 months I have been eating a plant-based diet. Yes, nothing from an animal (except once in a while when it's completely unavoidable). Definitely a vegetarian diet, and 99% vegan. In the last couple of months it's been easier to go completely vegan as I don't stray as much from the plant-based concept. In that 18 months I have lost 47 pounds and created for myself an amazing feeling of health and wellness. I have learned a lot about the nutritional benefits of food, what causes our bodies to work in the best way possible and what hurts us the most. I've become so passionate about this way of life, I've enrolled in a self-paced certificate program through the Nutrition Education Institute presented by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I attended a three-day Immersion in San Francisco at the beginning of this month and learned even more. I was on track to take my first exam at the end of December, but since it's self-paced, I being the queen of procrastination have not been as diligent as of late to read and study. One thing about goals, you just erase them and move them on the calendar! I'm aiming for the end of January now. Hopefully when I am completely finished with the program I will have the knowledge and tools to coach people through this lifestyle. I currently have a few people that I mentor, but to have more experience working with clients will enable me to perhaps move into a new realm of
consulting and coaching. This blog is just one step on my journey there.
I will wrap up today's post with a bit of healthy eating advice. Replace one meal a day with a huge salad of mixed greens and vegetables... add 1/2 cup of your favorite beans, 1 tablespoon of unsalted, raw nuts and some raw sunflower seeds with an oil-free dressing and you will be miles ahead of most people and well on your way to a healthy lifestyle.
I will post a dressing recipe on Wednesday.
So things are about to change.
I've decided to take my blog to new heights. What with my passion for a healthy eating lifestyle and time spent in the kitchen, maybe other people would appreciate reading about it, maybe trying some of the recipes and perhaps if I'm lucky, I might pique someone else's interest in trying this lifestyle that has brought me into what I consider optimum health.
This will be new and different for me. Feel free to tell me how to make my posts better, more interesting. I think I will have to put new batteries in the camera and have it handy in the kitchen to capture my creations. I will need to come up with a blogging schedule so I'm not driving myself crazy. I have a friend who posts on her blog Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That makes a lot of sense to me. So since today is Monday, consider this the first of more to come!
So walk with me... out of "my midlife mumblings" into something new. I figured I would find something to distract myself from the deep hole of midlife and I have now come to the realization that the kitchen is that distraction. I think keep the name of my blog the same as I'm sure I will fall back into mumbling (go figure, Jan mumbling? Say it isn't so) but I hope to share with you ways to enhance your life through the world of nutrition.
For those of you who don't know of that which I speak, for about 18 months I have been eating a plant-based diet. Yes, nothing from an animal (except once in a while when it's completely unavoidable). Definitely a vegetarian diet, and 99% vegan. In the last couple of months it's been easier to go completely vegan as I don't stray as much from the plant-based concept. In that 18 months I have lost 47 pounds and created for myself an amazing feeling of health and wellness. I have learned a lot about the nutritional benefits of food, what causes our bodies to work in the best way possible and what hurts us the most. I've become so passionate about this way of life, I've enrolled in a self-paced certificate program through the Nutrition Education Institute presented by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I attended a three-day Immersion in San Francisco at the beginning of this month and learned even more. I was on track to take my first exam at the end of December, but since it's self-paced, I being the queen of procrastination have not been as diligent as of late to read and study. One thing about goals, you just erase them and move them on the calendar! I'm aiming for the end of January now. Hopefully when I am completely finished with the program I will have the knowledge and tools to coach people through this lifestyle. I currently have a few people that I mentor, but to have more experience working with clients will enable me to perhaps move into a new realm of
consulting and coaching. This blog is just one step on my journey there.
I will wrap up today's post with a bit of healthy eating advice. Replace one meal a day with a huge salad of mixed greens and vegetables... add 1/2 cup of your favorite beans, 1 tablespoon of unsalted, raw nuts and some raw sunflower seeds with an oil-free dressing and you will be miles ahead of most people and well on your way to a healthy lifestyle.
I will post a dressing recipe on Wednesday.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Crazy Cooking
I like alliterations, can't you tell? Anyway, earlier this week I saw an ad at a local store that sells mostly restaurant quantity stuff. You can get a keg o' ketchup, a case of crackers, a shitload of shiitakes or every flavor of latte syrups you can think of. But what I saw that caught my eye was the 25 pound box of red peppers. Yep! 25 lbs! Ahhh, roasted red peppers. I love them. We use a jar or so every couple of weeks, so I figured how many could 25 pounds be? Well, duh! 25 pounds, dummy. We also eat a lot of fresh peppers -- sliced on a sandwich, in stir fry, they are great roasted with other veggies, and they go well in a curry dish that I really like (sorry, honey, but I do).
So it only took five hours to roast 42 red peppers on the grill. We saved three out to eat fresh, mainly because I was tired of the every-15-minute trip to the barbecue to flip and rotate.
Here is the timeline of my morning:
I really enjoy the weekends for they are great times to be in the kitchen for long periods. While most people are out working in the yard, going for a bike ride or drinking beer on the golf course, I'm in the kitchen concocting the next weird thing.
Let's see, in the last month, in addition to my regular fare, I have made oil-free basil pesto stuffed mushrooms (twice), no-tuna salad, roasted red pepper hummus, my own sunflower seed butter (a desperate attempt to replicate the store-bought stuff), Thai coconut curry, Aztec stuffed pitas, mushroom oat burgers and "fries," homemade muesli (that one got shipped off to our son who longs for normal food -- notice I said "normal" and not "Mom's cookin'"), a couple of different salad dressings, creamy zucchini bisque, and a bunch of other things that I can't think of right now.
A friend of mine told me the recently that I spend more time in the kitchen in one day than she does in an entire week! I love this way of eating. We try so many new things -- some we don't like & I'll never make them again.
People often ask us "what do you eat?" It's like they have the idea we only nosh on heads of lettuce for dinner and nibble on carrot sticks for lunch. Au contraire, my friend. We eat incredible food, including green smoothies that taste like chocolate milkshakes, veggies stuffed in a pita topped with dijon/date dressing, and oh, wow, we even eat lasagna or "spaghetti" squash topped with our favorite sauce. Don't forget the black bean lettuce wraps that are so fresh & tasty you won't even know they're healthy! And for dessert, you say? We've had banana "ice cream," black bean brownies and chocolate truffles. And there's always the old standby dessert, FRUIT! One of my favorites is an apple sliced up, dipped in almond butter and then dipped for the second time in currants.
I really do think we have greater variety now that we've been "Eating to Live." Maybe it's because I work hard to plan our meals. I don't remember putting nearly this much thought into meal planning when we ate meat and had a processed food at almost every meal. Now our meals are full of things from the refrigerator. Very few items come out of the pantry anymore unless it's to open a carton of nut milk, or to open a can of beans in a jiffy because I forgot to thaw some out & we need them NOW for our salad.
Well, I will be poring over the recipes for next weekend to see what fun things I can come up with for the following week. You see, I apparently have orthorexia nervosa, a condition that is specific to those who are healthy eaters. We tend to focus on food and plan our meals well in advance. On the self-diagnosis quiz, I believe I scored an 8 (or 9, depending on one answer) out of 10. I wonder what they cure is... GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES; that's it!
So it only took five hours to roast 42 red peppers on the grill. We saved three out to eat fresh, mainly because I was tired of the every-15-minute trip to the barbecue to flip and rotate.
Here is the timeline of my morning:
 | |
| Here is the first batch taking a bath |
 |
| All clean and ready to go |
 |
| Roasting away |
 | |
| Cooling & waiting for bagging |
 | |||
| Bagged and ready for the freezer |
Let's see, in the last month, in addition to my regular fare, I have made oil-free basil pesto stuffed mushrooms (twice), no-tuna salad, roasted red pepper hummus, my own sunflower seed butter (a desperate attempt to replicate the store-bought stuff), Thai coconut curry, Aztec stuffed pitas, mushroom oat burgers and "fries," homemade muesli (that one got shipped off to our son who longs for normal food -- notice I said "normal" and not "Mom's cookin'"), a couple of different salad dressings, creamy zucchini bisque, and a bunch of other things that I can't think of right now.
A friend of mine told me the recently that I spend more time in the kitchen in one day than she does in an entire week! I love this way of eating. We try so many new things -- some we don't like & I'll never make them again.
People often ask us "what do you eat?" It's like they have the idea we only nosh on heads of lettuce for dinner and nibble on carrot sticks for lunch. Au contraire, my friend. We eat incredible food, including green smoothies that taste like chocolate milkshakes, veggies stuffed in a pita topped with dijon/date dressing, and oh, wow, we even eat lasagna or "spaghetti" squash topped with our favorite sauce. Don't forget the black bean lettuce wraps that are so fresh & tasty you won't even know they're healthy! And for dessert, you say? We've had banana "ice cream," black bean brownies and chocolate truffles. And there's always the old standby dessert, FRUIT! One of my favorites is an apple sliced up, dipped in almond butter and then dipped for the second time in currants.
I really do think we have greater variety now that we've been "Eating to Live." Maybe it's because I work hard to plan our meals. I don't remember putting nearly this much thought into meal planning when we ate meat and had a processed food at almost every meal. Now our meals are full of things from the refrigerator. Very few items come out of the pantry anymore unless it's to open a carton of nut milk, or to open a can of beans in a jiffy because I forgot to thaw some out & we need them NOW for our salad.
Well, I will be poring over the recipes for next weekend to see what fun things I can come up with for the following week. You see, I apparently have orthorexia nervosa, a condition that is specific to those who are healthy eaters. We tend to focus on food and plan our meals well in advance. On the self-diagnosis quiz, I believe I scored an 8 (or 9, depending on one answer) out of 10. I wonder what they cure is... GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES; that's it!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Fiona? Fiona? Fiohhhnnnnaa!?
So I don't know if you know what a monster smoothie (or green smoothie) is. I drink them multiple times a week because they're good for you -- blah blah blah. This morning I make myself a tropical green smoothie, complete with orange, banana, coconut, mango & spinach. Freshly poured, my cold cup is sitting on the counter and as I go to put
the lid on the cup, I hit a salad bowl that was tilted up on the counter
drying and it falls over hitting the cup of green smoothie. It tips
over -- towards me, of course -- and it splashes/spills ALL OVER ME. So
now I'm standing there looking at my shoes and the green goo all over
the kitchen thinking, "Oh my goodness, Shrek just shit all over me!"
Of course, this entire thing happened within 5 minutes of me needing to leave the house. So, what do I do first -- strip naked in the kitchen? wipe down the counter? mop the floor? No... I just stand there, staring for a few minutes wondering WTH do I do.! So I strip down to my undergarments and grab a large towel. I start from the bottom up, wiping the floor, the cupboard doors & then the countertop. I finished off with wiping down the fridge, the dishwasher & cleaning my shoes. Tossing my green-puke blouse & sweater in OxyClean, I trod upstairs to pick out a new outfit. At this point I've already missed the bus and am wondering if it's even necessary for me to go to work & perhaps I should just climb back into bed. But realizing that I am a highly-valued employee, I grab some quick-change clothes, put them on & out the door I go, 30 minutes later than usual. I drive to work, praying the entire way that the start to my morning is an isolated incident and that I can arrive at work on time, unscathed by any further harm. Alas, I did... only to spend 10 minutes in court and the rest of the day in my office! So, again, I ask... Can't I just climb back into bed?
Hope you're having a happy day!
Of course, this entire thing happened within 5 minutes of me needing to leave the house. So, what do I do first -- strip naked in the kitchen? wipe down the counter? mop the floor? No... I just stand there, staring for a few minutes wondering WTH do I do.! So I strip down to my undergarments and grab a large towel. I start from the bottom up, wiping the floor, the cupboard doors & then the countertop. I finished off with wiping down the fridge, the dishwasher & cleaning my shoes. Tossing my green-puke blouse & sweater in OxyClean, I trod upstairs to pick out a new outfit. At this point I've already missed the bus and am wondering if it's even necessary for me to go to work & perhaps I should just climb back into bed. But realizing that I am a highly-valued employee, I grab some quick-change clothes, put them on & out the door I go, 30 minutes later than usual. I drive to work, praying the entire way that the start to my morning is an isolated incident and that I can arrive at work on time, unscathed by any further harm. Alas, I did... only to spend 10 minutes in court and the rest of the day in my office! So, again, I ask... Can't I just climb back into bed?
Hope you're having a happy day!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
These are a few of my favorite things
As mid life cruises along, I've realized it ain't that bad. I'm wondering more if I shouldn't change the name of my blog to something like My Midlife Mumblings Make Me Miserable. Because, after all, misery loves company, right? If you complain, you'll be unhappy.
I think I will focus more on food. A blog seems to be a good outlet for a lot of my grumbling about unhealthy food choices that I make, mostly sugar! Most of you know that I follow a diet-style like none other. Most people look at me like I'm nuts, but (ooohhhh, nuts... yum! Oh, look, a shiny thing) I really enjoy the challenge of being healthy.
Recently, I posted a question on the Dr. Fuhrman forums asking what "avoid" really meant since Dr. F has a number of foods that we should avoid for better health. For me, one of those foods is gluten. Gluten, as you know, is in wheat and other grains. It was advised that I "avoid" gluten to help with what appears now to be an undiagnosable autoimmune disease. (More on that in a different post.) So there's a couple things going on here. What really does "avoid" mean? and Why avoid gluten?
First, "avoid" means avoid like the plague. And that answer comes not only from the forum, but also my handsome husband. I hate it when he's always right. If you knew there was a 10-mile backup on I-5 and you were told to avoid the area, you would, right? If there was a man with a gun running around and you were told to avoid him, you would, right? So when you're told to avoid a certain food, you don't eat it, right? Well... only if you want to get sick. But darn if it doesn't taste good. I have learned that gluten isn't for me. (The answer to the second question) This recent discovery as to why I've felt lower belly discomfort a lot of my life has led me to avoid gluten as much as possible. It has also made me realize that I need a substitute. Gluten-free breads are good, though many of them are not vegan & still contain sugar -- Gasp! So does regular wheat bread, duh -- they also are expensive, and really good GF products are only baked at our local bakery certain days of the week. I have learned to make my sandwiches in lettuce wraps. It's one of my new favorite meals -- and snacks, for that matter. Anything you put on bread, you can put in a romaine leaf!
Top it off with some yummy nut dressing & you've got a wholesome meal. I usually eat two of these. And no meal would be complete without dessert, so this is my new addiction. Apple slices with almond butter with currants!
So now, I feel like a million bucks and I have another game to add to my list of healthy eating challenges . Now, if I could just as happily take on sugar.
I think I will focus more on food. A blog seems to be a good outlet for a lot of my grumbling about unhealthy food choices that I make, mostly sugar! Most of you know that I follow a diet-style like none other. Most people look at me like I'm nuts, but (ooohhhh, nuts... yum! Oh, look, a shiny thing) I really enjoy the challenge of being healthy.
Recently, I posted a question on the Dr. Fuhrman forums asking what "avoid" really meant since Dr. F has a number of foods that we should avoid for better health. For me, one of those foods is gluten. Gluten, as you know, is in wheat and other grains. It was advised that I "avoid" gluten to help with what appears now to be an undiagnosable autoimmune disease. (More on that in a different post.) So there's a couple things going on here. What really does "avoid" mean? and Why avoid gluten?
First, "avoid" means avoid like the plague. And that answer comes not only from the forum, but also my handsome husband. I hate it when he's always right. If you knew there was a 10-mile backup on I-5 and you were told to avoid the area, you would, right? If there was a man with a gun running around and you were told to avoid him, you would, right? So when you're told to avoid a certain food, you don't eat it, right? Well... only if you want to get sick. But darn if it doesn't taste good. I have learned that gluten isn't for me. (The answer to the second question) This recent discovery as to why I've felt lower belly discomfort a lot of my life has led me to avoid gluten as much as possible. It has also made me realize that I need a substitute. Gluten-free breads are good, though many of them are not vegan & still contain sugar -- Gasp! So does regular wheat bread, duh -- they also are expensive, and really good GF products are only baked at our local bakery certain days of the week. I have learned to make my sandwiches in lettuce wraps. It's one of my new favorite meals -- and snacks, for that matter. Anything you put on bread, you can put in a romaine leaf!
Top it off with some yummy nut dressing & you've got a wholesome meal. I usually eat two of these. And no meal would be complete without dessert, so this is my new addiction. Apple slices with almond butter with currants!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Bumbing Mumblin
This is supposed to be a midlife mumbling blog & I haven't been mumbling about anything lately much less midlife. So I will do some catching up. If this post doesn't explain the inner workings of a pre-menopausal, midlife woman, I don't know what will.
My very smart, talented, handsome, free-spirited, high-on-life son has made the decision that college isn't really all it's cracked up to be and he wants to follow his dream and work with kids in the outdoors. By now you're saying, Well, that all makes sense; you should follow your dreams. I wholeheartedly agree. It's taken me a number of weeks to get over the idea that right now college is not his thing and while he's still young he should travel and live the life of a single, free guy. So at the end of May, we will pick him up from his dorm; he will say goodbye to his very special roomie and we will bring him home for a few weeks before he packs up all of his belongings -- all of those that are extra special to him like his climbing gear & guitar -- and he and my handsome hubby will head off to Wyoming. Yes, Wyoming. Do you notice that word? Say it very slowly... WY-OH-MING. Doesn't it sound like "Why, oh me"?
When we have kids, we have dreams for them. Our dreams are not their dreams. They must stretch their wings and leave the nest at some point. I'm okay with that. I don't think that having him gone for the summer is all too different than when he worked at Boy Scout camp near Bumping Lake. He will be home after a few short weeks & then he'll tire of us after a bit and be on to something different. Au contrair, mon ami! After he works at the kids' camp, he will be moving over to the resort owned by the same folks. He plans on being gone until at least October, maybe longer. He assured me he'd come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'd better start planning my menu now!
This idea of him moving to a different part of the country does give me some travel ideas, however! Grand Tetons. I think I was there when I was five or six and I'm sure I didn't appreciate the scenery at all. And how nice would it be to have my son waiting on ME at a resort?! Oh, there goes that dreaming again.
So another day that I'm feeling older & one step closer to emptynestedness. I'm not sure I'm complaining, just mumbling.
Tomorrow I will post about food. Today I just HAD to report my latest midlife crisis. I think I'm lovin' it... at least embracing it.
Toodles,
My very smart, talented, handsome, free-spirited, high-on-life son has made the decision that college isn't really all it's cracked up to be and he wants to follow his dream and work with kids in the outdoors. By now you're saying, Well, that all makes sense; you should follow your dreams. I wholeheartedly agree. It's taken me a number of weeks to get over the idea that right now college is not his thing and while he's still young he should travel and live the life of a single, free guy. So at the end of May, we will pick him up from his dorm; he will say goodbye to his very special roomie and we will bring him home for a few weeks before he packs up all of his belongings -- all of those that are extra special to him like his climbing gear & guitar -- and he and my handsome hubby will head off to Wyoming. Yes, Wyoming. Do you notice that word? Say it very slowly... WY-OH-MING. Doesn't it sound like "Why, oh me"?
When we have kids, we have dreams for them. Our dreams are not their dreams. They must stretch their wings and leave the nest at some point. I'm okay with that. I don't think that having him gone for the summer is all too different than when he worked at Boy Scout camp near Bumping Lake. He will be home after a few short weeks & then he'll tire of us after a bit and be on to something different. Au contrair, mon ami! After he works at the kids' camp, he will be moving over to the resort owned by the same folks. He plans on being gone until at least October, maybe longer. He assured me he'd come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'd better start planning my menu now!
This idea of him moving to a different part of the country does give me some travel ideas, however! Grand Tetons. I think I was there when I was five or six and I'm sure I didn't appreciate the scenery at all. And how nice would it be to have my son waiting on ME at a resort?! Oh, there goes that dreaming again.
So another day that I'm feeling older & one step closer to emptynestedness. I'm not sure I'm complaining, just mumbling.
Tomorrow I will post about food. Today I just HAD to report my latest midlife crisis. I think I'm lovin' it... at least embracing it.
Toodles,
Friday, April 13, 2012
Age is just a number... really?
I've been thinking about age a lot recently. As a mom of an adult child <gasp!> and a wife a retiree, I've been feeling old lately. I keep plugging away and going to work each day which I like. I like routine and organization so work keeps me on target. It seems easier to work out and eat well when I'm in my groove.
Speaking of being in the groove... What really made me think today that I was getting old was when I clicked on the radio to the "oldies" station, Michael Jackson's PYT: Pretty Young Thing was playing. After singing along and doing a little car dancing on my way to the Park & Ride, I realized I was listening to what is termed an oldies station. Seriously? Oldies? That song was released in, oh... 1982 on the Thriller album. That really wasn't that long ago. After all in 1982, I was just a pup in high school, eager to get my driver's license and start my own life as a PYT (okay, that was added as humor).
For the last couple of weeks when I've looked into the mirror, I've seen an old lady. I really think I'm becoming my mom. My neck is getting wrinkled, my eyes look tired and we won't even talk about my hair!! I've been focusing on eating so healthy & feeling great I've forgotten to look at ME closely. And my hands... Oh my goodness. The hands really tell a woman's age. Yep. If I didn't know that I was in control of my fingers, I'd say they were my mother's! Perhaps when God was mixing the X & Y chromosomes and creating my DNA, I got all of my momma's characteristics. But that's okay. My mom was a great woman! I'll gratefully take her grey hair, her wrinkly, stubby fingers & her lines around her mouth. I'll accept all of that to have a happy & long life. In order to do that, I think I'll go eat a salad!
Speaking of being in the groove... What really made me think today that I was getting old was when I clicked on the radio to the "oldies" station, Michael Jackson's PYT: Pretty Young Thing was playing. After singing along and doing a little car dancing on my way to the Park & Ride, I realized I was listening to what is termed an oldies station. Seriously? Oldies? That song was released in, oh... 1982 on the Thriller album. That really wasn't that long ago. After all in 1982, I was just a pup in high school, eager to get my driver's license and start my own life as a PYT (okay, that was added as humor).
For the last couple of weeks when I've looked into the mirror, I've seen an old lady. I really think I'm becoming my mom. My neck is getting wrinkled, my eyes look tired and we won't even talk about my hair!! I've been focusing on eating so healthy & feeling great I've forgotten to look at ME closely. And my hands... Oh my goodness. The hands really tell a woman's age. Yep. If I didn't know that I was in control of my fingers, I'd say they were my mother's! Perhaps when God was mixing the X & Y chromosomes and creating my DNA, I got all of my momma's characteristics. But that's okay. My mom was a great woman! I'll gratefully take her grey hair, her wrinkly, stubby fingers & her lines around her mouth. I'll accept all of that to have a happy & long life. In order to do that, I think I'll go eat a salad!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A way of Life -- Eating to Live rather than Living to Eat
You've read my last couple of posts, I'm sure, & know that I struggle with sugar addiction. Hello... who in America doesn't? Okay, maybe there's three people that have no cravings mid-afternoon for a cookie or a hunk of chocolate. But I'm not one of them.
I've done fairly well keeping it to just one day a week. Last weekend was no exception. Friends came over for dinner & I tasked them with dessert. Holy cow! Did I know they would bring an ice cream cake and the slices would equal one-eighth of the cake itself?! Did I politely say, no thank you? No, I ate it anyway. Not sure if it was the dairy or the sugar, but I suffered long after that. I vowed not to have sugar EVER... until it was time for coffee with my handsome hubby. Yep, I had a chai tea. It settled fine and I went about my merry day.
The more I read, the more I learn. So after much reading, contemplation and prayer as to what my purpose in life is, I decided to enroll in NEI which stands for Nutritional Education Institute. Yep! I'm "going back to school." Okay, but it's not like school, school. It's on-line and self-paced. There is a TON of required reading and only three exams. Heck, who can't handle that, right? It can't be that hard... Until you start reading about the genetic makeup of phytochemicals and the effects micronutrients have on your body and how it can literally heal itself.
People have asked me what I'm going to do as a Certified Nutritional Education Trainer. Heck, I dunno. I just want to learn more about this style of eating, see how it can help me live to be 150, and hopefully I can educate friends and family and help them turn away from the SAD (standard American diet) and turn towards Eating for Health.
As Lent winds down, I have plans to keep my sugar intake to a minimum as I wrestle with cravings. I will continue to post my midlife mumblings (but not the grumblings) and keep you updated on my educational journey. Wish me luck. The box of reading materials & course outline arrive next week!
I've done fairly well keeping it to just one day a week. Last weekend was no exception. Friends came over for dinner & I tasked them with dessert. Holy cow! Did I know they would bring an ice cream cake and the slices would equal one-eighth of the cake itself?! Did I politely say, no thank you? No, I ate it anyway. Not sure if it was the dairy or the sugar, but I suffered long after that. I vowed not to have sugar EVER... until it was time for coffee with my handsome hubby. Yep, I had a chai tea. It settled fine and I went about my merry day.
The more I read, the more I learn. So after much reading, contemplation and prayer as to what my purpose in life is, I decided to enroll in NEI which stands for Nutritional Education Institute. Yep! I'm "going back to school." Okay, but it's not like school, school. It's on-line and self-paced. There is a TON of required reading and only three exams. Heck, who can't handle that, right? It can't be that hard... Until you start reading about the genetic makeup of phytochemicals and the effects micronutrients have on your body and how it can literally heal itself.
People have asked me what I'm going to do as a Certified Nutritional Education Trainer. Heck, I dunno. I just want to learn more about this style of eating, see how it can help me live to be 150, and hopefully I can educate friends and family and help them turn away from the SAD (standard American diet) and turn towards Eating for Health.
As Lent winds down, I have plans to keep my sugar intake to a minimum as I wrestle with cravings. I will continue to post my midlife mumblings (but not the grumblings) and keep you updated on my educational journey. Wish me luck. The box of reading materials & course outline arrive next week!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Shamrock Shake, not so lucky
Today being Sunday & a "little Easter," permission is granted to leave my Lenten promise behind for the day. So... I took it upon myself to overindulge in the sugar category. Apparently, my chai tea outing with my handsome hubby wasn't enough.
But we must go back to last week when I realized March is the month for Shamrock shakes at McDonalds and I questioned my giving up sugar as my sacrifice for 40 days. I planned for this day for nearly a week! I even suggested to my son that I stop by his dorm with a chilly treat for him & his girlfriend. They accepted the invitation. So after spending an hour in the office on Sunday (not normal), I drove past a number of McDonalds, dreaming of the minty goodness that would soon pass my lips. I stopped at the last Mickey D's closest to the campus and ordered three medium Shamrock Shakes and one chocolate for hubby waiting at home.
Boy, was a surprised when I watched the young guy behind the counter fill the cup with something of a color that seems inedible, topped with whipped cream from a can & a cherry the color of a Crayola crayon. Since when do they put toppings on a milkshake? After making my delivery to the two young 'uns who were waiting with great anticipation, I could hardly wait to rip the wrapper off the straw and take that first long slurp....
"What the heck is this?" she says. Sugar and green food coloring? I think that's about what it was. I even questioned what it really tasted like. I remembered Shamrock shakes being minty, refreshing and, yes, a tad sweet. But this was disgustingly sweet and a flavor indiscernible! Is it because sugar has become sort of not the center of my world and only the center of my thought processes? I was terribly disappointed, though I did not stop sucking the green goop up through the straw, and even skewered the cherry with the straw, being careful to bring it out through the large hole in the lid without knocking it off.
Was it all worth it in the end? No way. The gut ache that ensued, and still does six hours later, is not what I was looking forward to. One day I will learn.
There you have it, my final commitment to steer clear of a McDonald's shake. And for that chocolate shake that Hubby consumed, he admitted it wasn't so tasty either. I guess we will stick with our green smoothies as a sweet pick-me-up.
Or maybe next Sunday I'll give a peanut cluster a whirl!
But we must go back to last week when I realized March is the month for Shamrock shakes at McDonalds and I questioned my giving up sugar as my sacrifice for 40 days. I planned for this day for nearly a week! I even suggested to my son that I stop by his dorm with a chilly treat for him & his girlfriend. They accepted the invitation. So after spending an hour in the office on Sunday (not normal), I drove past a number of McDonalds, dreaming of the minty goodness that would soon pass my lips. I stopped at the last Mickey D's closest to the campus and ordered three medium Shamrock Shakes and one chocolate for hubby waiting at home.
Boy, was a surprised when I watched the young guy behind the counter fill the cup with something of a color that seems inedible, topped with whipped cream from a can & a cherry the color of a Crayola crayon. Since when do they put toppings on a milkshake? After making my delivery to the two young 'uns who were waiting with great anticipation, I could hardly wait to rip the wrapper off the straw and take that first long slurp....
"What the heck is this?" she says. Sugar and green food coloring? I think that's about what it was. I even questioned what it really tasted like. I remembered Shamrock shakes being minty, refreshing and, yes, a tad sweet. But this was disgustingly sweet and a flavor indiscernible! Is it because sugar has become sort of not the center of my world and only the center of my thought processes? I was terribly disappointed, though I did not stop sucking the green goop up through the straw, and even skewered the cherry with the straw, being careful to bring it out through the large hole in the lid without knocking it off.
Was it all worth it in the end? No way. The gut ache that ensued, and still does six hours later, is not what I was looking forward to. One day I will learn.
There you have it, my final commitment to steer clear of a McDonald's shake. And for that chocolate shake that Hubby consumed, he admitted it wasn't so tasty either. I guess we will stick with our green smoothies as a sweet pick-me-up.
Or maybe next Sunday I'll give a peanut cluster a whirl!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Addiction Reflection
This whole idea of giving up sugar should have really been more deeply contemplated. What was I thinking? I did it during Lent so I wouldn't cheat, as I feel cheating on God is much more heinous than cheating on myself. I have kept true to my word, but definitely look forward to Sundays so I can indulge.
When I started this 40 days of wandering in the desert, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. I have definitely discovered something about myself... I am definitely an addict. Sugar (and maybe food as a whole) has a firm grasp on me. Eating sweet peas or a pear after a meal isn't enough. How about a brownie, a cookie, or something similar? My daily chai tea lattes are gone. I've had one since February 22 and I have to say it wasn't really that good. So I thought it was just as simple as "Nope, doesn't taste good" and I would be over it. Not so easy. I long for Easter morning when I will rush to the closest coffee shop & splurge for a sugar-laden cup of goodness. I will accompany that chai latte with a big slice of a Butter Braid pastry. Ahhh... I can taste it now!
Why do the Girl Scouts sell their cookies at this time of year? Don't they know what we Catholics go through? The temptation of those sweet girls holding those boxes of delectable, tasty rounds of love sometimes are hard to pass up. I know someone who bought some and stuck them in the freezer for "after." Someone else donated them to Operation Cookie Drop. Another just gave cash to the girls in green.
I now have a greater appreciation for those who are truly addicted to harmful substances. Do you think there's a 12-step group meeting at the local Eagles Aerie for sugar addiction? If not, maybe I'll start one. Sugar is a harmful substance. There's many studies out there about how it affects our aging process, our weight, and the all-around way we feel. It's not, though, as harmful as cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine and perhaps that's why there's not a group meeting on Tuesdays called SA.
I plan to continue only imbibing on Sundays after we celebrate Easter. I just hope I can do it.
When I started this 40 days of wandering in the desert, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. I have definitely discovered something about myself... I am definitely an addict. Sugar (and maybe food as a whole) has a firm grasp on me. Eating sweet peas or a pear after a meal isn't enough. How about a brownie, a cookie, or something similar? My daily chai tea lattes are gone. I've had one since February 22 and I have to say it wasn't really that good. So I thought it was just as simple as "Nope, doesn't taste good" and I would be over it. Not so easy. I long for Easter morning when I will rush to the closest coffee shop & splurge for a sugar-laden cup of goodness. I will accompany that chai latte with a big slice of a Butter Braid pastry. Ahhh... I can taste it now!
Why do the Girl Scouts sell their cookies at this time of year? Don't they know what we Catholics go through? The temptation of those sweet girls holding those boxes of delectable, tasty rounds of love sometimes are hard to pass up. I know someone who bought some and stuck them in the freezer for "after." Someone else donated them to Operation Cookie Drop. Another just gave cash to the girls in green.
I now have a greater appreciation for those who are truly addicted to harmful substances. Do you think there's a 12-step group meeting at the local Eagles Aerie for sugar addiction? If not, maybe I'll start one. Sugar is a harmful substance. There's many studies out there about how it affects our aging process, our weight, and the all-around way we feel. It's not, though, as harmful as cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine and perhaps that's why there's not a group meeting on Tuesdays called SA.
I plan to continue only imbibing on Sundays after we celebrate Easter. I just hope I can do it.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Hello, my name is Jan and I am an addict
If you are reading this, you know me well and know that last summer I changed my lifestyle as it relates to food consumption. I've been pretty good except for the last four weeks. I have come to the realization that I am a sugar addict. It all started with one chai tea latte on a crisp fall morning. This program that I've been following with great success -- goodbye 35 pounds of flab -- calls for no refined sugar. That means fruit sugar is okay... as long as it's still in the fruit when you eat it.
My chai tea lattes were my gateway drug. I wasn't happy with just a cuppa cuppa in the morning. It led to biscotti at break, peanut clusters to pummel PMS, mochas in the market. It was out of control. I planned my driving routes based on where the nearest fix was. I even went so far as to get a supplier in Bend, Oregon, that would set me up with wholesale prices. Now, that, my friend, is a serious addiction.
Though I haven't gained any weight as a result of my "problem," I know that it's contributing to the aging process, the aches in my muscles and the overall sluggishness that I sometimes feel.
No matter how hard I tried to cut down -- I came up with a schedule to imbibe only on certain days of the week -- I was continually drawn to the latte hut near the bus station, the SBC RedBox at the grocery store or <gasp!> the coffee cart in my building. I won't mention my Sunday morning coffee dates that I've been taking for about nine years with my husband. I think Starbucks puts crack in their coffee (or milk for those of us who do not drink coffee). I really know that it's the sugar that keeps me coming back. Sugar is highly addictive. It's toxic for our bodies and yet we consume it. I wouldn't put crack or methamphetamine or any other elicit drug in my body because I know it's bad for me -- and probably would land me in the Gray Bar Motel -- so why do I consume sugar at such an alarming rate? Perhaps because it's legal and accepted. But I digress...
Enter... LENT! What a fine time to break the cycle! Today, Ash Wednesday, is Day 1 with no sugar. Yesterday was Fat Tuesday. I celebrated with... no, not pancakes, but by having my final chai on my bus ride to work. I finished off the day with a box of Junior Mints that were screaming at me from those little racks near the checkout. They scream loud, I tell you.
So what does it mean to "give something up" for Lent? For me I see this as a struggle, as a huge sacrifice. Oh, wait... isn't that what Lent is all about? We are to acknowledge the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross. Think of the struggle Mary had when she handed over her son for us. I can give up my sugar. I know I can. I expect it to be a daily pull to enter the dark side, but through prayer and remembering why I'm doing this, I know I will make it. I don't intend to go back to my old sugary ways come Easter, but it's too early to tell. Six and a half weeks should be enough time to cleanse my entire system of the sweet stickiness that currently swims in my veins.
Will you join me on my journey? I won't, however, give up my Sunday dates. The order may be just orange tea, but you will still catch me sitting in the big leather chairs of our local Starbucks catching up with my hubby on the week's details.
My chai tea lattes were my gateway drug. I wasn't happy with just a cuppa cuppa in the morning. It led to biscotti at break, peanut clusters to pummel PMS, mochas in the market. It was out of control. I planned my driving routes based on where the nearest fix was. I even went so far as to get a supplier in Bend, Oregon, that would set me up with wholesale prices. Now, that, my friend, is a serious addiction.
Though I haven't gained any weight as a result of my "problem," I know that it's contributing to the aging process, the aches in my muscles and the overall sluggishness that I sometimes feel.
No matter how hard I tried to cut down -- I came up with a schedule to imbibe only on certain days of the week -- I was continually drawn to the latte hut near the bus station, the SBC RedBox at the grocery store or <gasp!> the coffee cart in my building. I won't mention my Sunday morning coffee dates that I've been taking for about nine years with my husband. I think Starbucks puts crack in their coffee (or milk for those of us who do not drink coffee). I really know that it's the sugar that keeps me coming back. Sugar is highly addictive. It's toxic for our bodies and yet we consume it. I wouldn't put crack or methamphetamine or any other elicit drug in my body because I know it's bad for me -- and probably would land me in the Gray Bar Motel -- so why do I consume sugar at such an alarming rate? Perhaps because it's legal and accepted. But I digress...
Enter... LENT! What a fine time to break the cycle! Today, Ash Wednesday, is Day 1 with no sugar. Yesterday was Fat Tuesday. I celebrated with... no, not pancakes, but by having my final chai on my bus ride to work. I finished off the day with a box of Junior Mints that were screaming at me from those little racks near the checkout. They scream loud, I tell you.
So what does it mean to "give something up" for Lent? For me I see this as a struggle, as a huge sacrifice. Oh, wait... isn't that what Lent is all about? We are to acknowledge the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the Cross. Think of the struggle Mary had when she handed over her son for us. I can give up my sugar. I know I can. I expect it to be a daily pull to enter the dark side, but through prayer and remembering why I'm doing this, I know I will make it. I don't intend to go back to my old sugary ways come Easter, but it's too early to tell. Six and a half weeks should be enough time to cleanse my entire system of the sweet stickiness that currently swims in my veins.
Will you join me on my journey? I won't, however, give up my Sunday dates. The order may be just orange tea, but you will still catch me sitting in the big leather chairs of our local Starbucks catching up with my hubby on the week's details.
Friday, February 10, 2012
build a bridge today
The Bridge Builder
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Too Yummy for my Tummy
Last summer the family & I went to a restaurant in Eugene, OR called Cafe Yumm. A little place that, at first glance, seemed a little strange. A healthy menu, order at the counter with table service. I've been dreaming of a Yumm Bowl ever since and now with the great benefit of GOOGLE, I was able to make our very own Yumm Bowl. This comes as a great benefit because it was either replicate it or buy a franchise into Cafe Yumm, and the beloved husband was having none of it! I guess a close duplication is better than investing $250k in something that perhaps not everyone on South Hill would appreciate as much as we do. So tonight we tried them and I would say it will do... until my next trip to Oregon, that is. You can buy the sauce by the case from the company, but I modified the recipe just a bit to make this as healthy as everyone knows I eat (most of the time). You will see my changes in parenthesis. Try one for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised.
YUMM BOWL!
For the Yumm Sauce:
YUMM BOWL!
For the Yumm Sauce:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grape seed or canola oil (omitted)
- 1/2 cup almond meal or finely chopped almonds (used whole)
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (omitted)
- 1/4 cup cooked soybeans or 1/3 cup tofu (used 1 c. cannellini beans)
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- Brown rice, cooked
- Black beans, cooked
- Shredded cheddar cheese (omitted)
- Salsa
- Diced fresh tomato
- Sliced fresh avocado
- Sliced black olives
- Sour cream (omitted)
- Fresh cilantro sprigs
- (subbed in cucumber)
directions
For the Yumm Sauce:
- 1In a small measuring cup, mix together the water and lemon juice. In a separate small measuring cup, measure out the appropriate amount of oil. Set both aside.
- 2In a blender or food processor, process the almonds, nutritional yeast, garbanzo beans, soybeans or tofu, garlic, salt, curry, oregano, and cilantro together until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds.
- 3Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, add lemon juice-water mixture in steady stream through feed tube. Scrape down bowl and continue to process for 1 minute. With the machine running, add the oil mixture in a steady stream through feed tube; continue to process until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
(who reads instructions? Not me... I just threw it in the VitaMix & blended til smooth) - 4Transfer the sauce to a clean bottle or jar, cover, and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.
To assemble the Yumm Bowl:
- 1Place a scoop of brown rice in an individual-sized serving bowl, then layer a scoop of black beans over the rice. Drizzle the rice and beans with a desired amount of Yumm Sauce, then sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the rice.
- 2Spoon a dollop of salsa in the middle of the bowl, then spoon the tomato, avocado, and olives around the perimeter. Place a dollop of sour cream in the center of the bowl, garnish with some cilantro sprigs, and serve.
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