Smoothie!! 09/17/2009

So, after a very long absence from blogging, I’m back!  It took a bit of time to get settled into my new (beautiful) home, get internet access and start getting into making food again.  But I can say that I’m back with full force and life is good!

First of all, I have the most wonderful kitchen I could ask for.  And with the addition of all my roommates kitchen stuff, we have it pretty well stocked with gadgets.  Which leads me to this morning’s breakfast…a smoothie and let me tell you, it was one of the best homemade smoothies I’ve had (probably because it’s been years since I’ve made one).

My recipe was pretty simple, a couple ice cubes, a handful of frozen strawberries and blueberries, rice milk, coconut water, a banana, a dash of cinnamon, about a tablespoon of ground flax, 2 heaping tablespoons of hemp protein powder and a teaspoon of coconut butter (for some fat and staying power).  It was thoroughly delicious and such a nice change from my usual warm cereal grains.

I was mostly inspired to start making this at home for weekend use.  I am up early almost every Saturday and Sunday going to yoga, and being the food hound I am, pretty much need a protein shake sometime in the AM while I am away from home.  My quick fix has been drinking Odwalla (especially the vanilla almond protein one) for years now.  But since I’ve been taking my nutrition education courses, I’ve leaned that these really aren’t good for you.  They contain far too much sugar and they have soy protein isolate which is pretty much toxic.

Living in a studio in San Francisco pretty much limited my kitchen space, so I didn’t get a blender, because I simply didn’t have room for it.  Here’s where the roommate comes in.  She totally has a nice one, so sorry Odwalla, but I won’t be needing your drinks anymore!

Cheers to homemade smoothies!!!

moving day in 3…2…1 08/28/2009

having just recovered from being completely out of commission with a brutal cold and packing up my studio to move across the bay, I have had VERY little time to focus on eating let alone interneting.

official moving day is the 31st and I’ll be back in full effect after that…

kale, figs and coconut water 08/19/2009

Kale and coconut water have become my new obsessions, an interesting combination to say the least. One is easy to love, the other takes a bit of getting use to, and I would say both are unexpected additions to my staple household items.

I actually have developed an obsession with anything and everything coconut – water, butter, oil, dried, chutney, etc.  Coconut is amazing and I think more people need to embrace its wonders.  I use coconut oil in my cooking and as a lotion. Got a sunburn? Put some coconut oil on it.  Feeling a little dehydrated?  Drink some coconut water.  Want to add some flavor to oatmeal, granola, anything baked?  COCONUT!!  I should be it’s unofficial cheerleader.  And considering how many products are currently in my home, I should probably take out some stock in it as well.

On to the kale…now this was an unusual addition to my life.  Although I eat incredibly healthy (for the most part) I don’t think I have much variety in the kinds of leafy greens I eat.   I do eat a variety of lettuces, cabbage (not really leafy), endive, radicchio and occasionally dandelion greens but I rely heavily on the lettuce factor and I am in serious need of some branching out.  So, I decided to try out a recipe from a classmate and along came my obsession with kale.  There is something about it that keeps me coming back and it leads me to think that it also contains something my diet was lacking. Whatever it is, I think everyone should embrace this green and I’ve added the recipe below for those who are interested.

And finally – to the figs! I really don’t like fresh figs and this taste was reinforced when my CSA box arrived this week with a basket full of them.  I tried eating one fresh and there really is just something about the texture that does not agree with me.   I decided that I would try and dry them instead.  So, while I’ve been stuck at home all day working on homework, I have also been slowly drying my figs – a process that can take up to 12 hours in the oven!  I’m almost finished with the process and can’t wait for them to cool so that I can put them in salads or make fig squares.  Kind of makes me want to call home and boast to my mom about my new found kitchen skills!

Here’s the kale salad recipe…enjoy!

Basic Ingredients:
1 bunch kale of any variety – chopped into strips
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt (Himalayan, Celtic Sea Salt are best)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
*combine the ingredients in a bowl and massage the kale for 3-5 minutes to tenderize it. Cover and put in the refrigerator to marinate. You can use this as a substitute for other types of salad greens or mix in spring greens with the kale and build your salad on top (which is what I have been doing).

Additional options:
shredded/grated carrot
shredded/grated beat
sliced red pepper
sliced cucumber
avocado
tomatoes

Tonight I massaged the kale and let it stand for over an hour.  I then added in grated carrot, grated golden beat and a chopped tomato. To finish off, I added a splash of red wine vinegar and some freshly ground black pepper. It was delicious!

29-Day Giving Challenge 08/14/2009

So a friend of a friend started this wonderful project at a crossroads in her life where she was seeking more…the 29-Day Giving Challenge.  It has grown into a huge internet phenomenon and they are looking to grow to 29,000 members by September 29, 2009.  All you have to do is give something away for 29 days – easy and totally fulfilling.

Take on a challenge in your life and support this wonderful community!  It might just change the world.

Visit 29-Day Giving Challenge

Kitchen Time 08/11/2009

My teacher, Nori, posed  an interesting question to our class last week – how many of you (refering to the class) spend at least 25% of your time either thinking about, reading about or preparing food?  My response…I easily spend that much time with food, if not closer to 30-40% of my day.  This, in part, has to do with being a student of nutrition, but it is also a choice.  Well before I started the program at Bauman College, I was known throughout my office as a healthy eater with my daily salad for lunch.  Hey – it’s a great and tasty way to get in some vegetables and is a lot less draining than eating Thai or burgers for lunch.  But I’ve also made the choice to nourish my body in the best way I know how.

This has changed dramatically over the past few months, and I’m sure will continue to evolve over time, but one thing that has remained consistent is, with my ever increasing obsession with food comes an ever increasing amount of time spent in the kitchen!  And considering I currently live in a studio and my kitchen is micro, this really is a labor of love.

I think I mentioned before that I grew up in the kitchen and have always loved cooking, especially for other people and now I am really learning to love cooking for myself.  I appreciate the quietness of a morning where I start out making coffee and decide which grain I’ll soak while I practice yoga.  I like preparing vegetables for salads and taking 20 minutes to chop everything – and if you think this is just too much time to prepare just a salad, I would invite you to try one of my delicious combinations.  Not to brag or anything, but last Thanksgiving I made a beet salad that is still talked about, thanks in part to my still as a salad prep, but also Maggie’s good taste in balsamic vinegar.

I think I’m going to take it on as a challenge to time myself for a week to figure out just how much time I spend in the kitchen.  I think we all might be surprised.

On another note, I have connected with another woman with MS via my above mentioned teacher, Nori.  I am excited to learn more about the challenges she has faced and get some much needed support from the greater MS community.  I’m not dogging my friends in any way, but there is something to be said about those who can share in and relate to a unique experience.

Also, I have started investigating yoga certification programs.  I have known for awhile now that I would eventually become a yoga teacher, but now I think I have found the gift that I can offer and hopefully a target audience who will be interested in what I have to say.  Yoga, nutrition and MS.  My life has taken me on a pretty interesting journey.

Catching Up 08/10/2009

I guess I have been kind of slacking off lately and, although I swear I have been meaning to write things down, somehow just haven’t gotten to it.  A lot has happened in life,  both personal and food related, so I guess I’ll try and remember this most important morsels.

Well, first off, I’m moving.  I have been wanting to get out of my neighborhood for quite some time, but was unsuccessful in finding casual roommates.  Mostly this had to do with my cat – either people already had pets and didn’t want more, or they flat out refused to entertain the idea.   I was beginning to think that I’d never be able to move and was getting pretty frusturated at being stuck.  But then one of my friends decided that she is moving to SoCal, and just like that, it was pretty much instant roommate.

Cara and I found a really nice house (yes, it’s an actual full level of a Craftsman style home – 1400 square feet baby!) in Oakland, so back to the other side of the bay for me.  Kind of funny, I started out over there and pined for the city the whole time, thinking that somehow I might be happier or life was easier or something.  Granted, I have had a blast over here and met some really fantastic people, but it’s time.  I’m sad to leave behind the convenience of being so close to certain things; Dolores Park, my yoga studios, the actual ocean side of SF, coffee snobbery…you get the idea.  But I’m also excited to open some new doors.  It’s always good to shift your energy around and I have a good feeling about this one.

As far as the food department goes, things are progressing nicely.  I’m starting to remember more when I’m ordering in restaurants that I need to remember to abide by my strict diet.  I’ve gotten use to answering the never ending question of “well, what DO you eat?” although I’m not any less annoyed at having to repeat it so much.  I’ve also not become any less annoyed that people want to immediately throw out suggestions as to what I should be eating – mainly soy.  Sorry, that’s not going to fly so well, and all things considered is probably GMO.  Soy beans are beans are legumes are bad for my MS.

I did buy a bunch of kale when I was at Rainbow the other day and have been super into eating it this week.  I kind of surprised even myself, especially when sometimes I have a hard time finishing lettuce before it gets a little nasty.  I have been “massaging” it with oilve oil, lemon juice and salt and then refridgerating it for a few hours before I add it to my salad greens.  Pretty tastey and I feel great.  Maybe it’s from the vitamin and mineral punch the leaves pack…who knows but it gets my seal of approval.

I will be ending the first half of my Nutrition Educator program tomorrow, which is also a little bitter sweet.  I LOVE being in class and I’m finding so much value in the education I’m getting, but I’m also excited to put all my new found knowledge to use.  We have started discussing our final presentation topics and, of course, I’m going to be talking about what you should be eating when you have MS.  I have outed myself to many of my classmates and it actually feels pretty good.  People have been so supportive and have really made me feel like I’m in exactly the right place I need to be.  I’m actually really excited about giving my lecture in December and it’s also going to give me a good excuse to do more research on this topic.

Granola Making 07/29/2009

I have either reached the end of my boredom rope or found my calling in life – not sure which yet – but I have been cooking a lot these days.  I think there are two definite causes for this sudden finding of my inner chef, the first being monetary and the second being health related.  Considering the cost of purchasing certified gluten free foods, it just makes economical sense.  Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of these foods for purchase still contain ingredients that I would rather  avoid (soy protein isolates, high fructose corn syrup, puffed corn and rice, etc) and by making things in my own home, I can control the quality of my food.

This afternoon I decided to make granola.  Inspiration came from reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver, although at the section of the book I was on, they were canning their bountiful tomato harvest.  There is something romantic and very satisfying about providing your own goods, and since I can’t have a garden for space reasons, the next best thing is providing the other items needed to stock my kitchen shelves.  This was my second attempt at making granola and I did ok.  I think I left it in the oven a tad too long, although at a lower temperature and less time than the recipe called for.  This makes me think I might need to get an oven thermometer to make sure things are accurate.  I am looking forward to eating the final product tomorrow morning for breakfast, which will be a nice and easy meal compared to my usual soaking of grains and 20 minute cook times.

I realized something when I was in my kitchen today, letting my mind wander while I was stirring my beautiful combination of oats, nuts, seeds and fruits.  I LOVE being in the kitchen and I always have.  I started cooking for my family when I was very young, probably 10 or 12, and prior to that, helped my mom with canning and made jams, jellies and pickles every year.  I regularly entered my masterpieces into the county and state fairs and I even won some fairly impressive ribbons for some of my pretty preserves.

I’m not a great cook by any means, but I do like trying new things and making food for others.  It makes me feel useful and proud to have made a tasty dinner that fills up friends and family.  Maybe my true calling is personal chef for clients looking to eat organic, holistic and mindful.  Or maybe I’m just looking forward to the point in my life when I have a family to make all my delicious and slightly alternative foods for.  Who knows, but right now I seem to be a cooking machine.

Here’s a picture of the finished granola…

Southwest Polenta 07/28/2009

I made my southwest quinoa polenta tonight and for an on the fly recipe, it turned out pretty tasty!  So here’s what I did…

First I baked a chicken breast with some garlic and salt until it was done, which I then shredded with a fork.  At the same time that was going on, I made a tomato sauce using fresh heirloom tomatoes, red onions, a clove of garlic, and seasoned with chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.  I also fried 1/2 inch polenta slices in a tiny bit of olive oil until they were brown on the outside.

Next come the assembly.  I used a square baking dish and layered in the polenta, followed by the chicken, 1/2 red bell pepper (sliced), poured the tomato sauce over everything, then added a small can of diced green chili peppers, and a small can of sliced black olives.  I put the whole thing into the oven at 350° for about 10-15 minutes.  Finally, I covered the polenta bake in sliced avocado…and voila!  Dinner was served.  I did end up doing a final salting and added some additional chili pepper, but all in all this dish was a huge success and I will definitely be making it again!

I do have to say that I missed the deliciousness cheese adds to such dishes.  The creamy richness of the avocado really only goes so far.  But I have yet to think of a proper substitute for dairy, and realizing now how much it effects me, am just not willing to add it back into my diet yet.  Until then, I am ok with doing without.

My new favorite thing 07/24/2009

It’s actually been kind of fun discovering new foods to eat that follow in accordance to my strict diet.  Since I have been eating pretty much the same things my entire life, there is a sort of novelty involved with trying new items, and I’ve actually found some stuff that I think is even better than what I was use to eating before.  Making your own granola is guaranteed to give you as many delicious bits of dried fruit and nuts as you want, and it’s a whole lot cheaper, too!

Among experiments with everything from different non-glutenous grains for breakfast to adding dandelion greens to my salad mix, I have discovered Ancient Harvest quinoa polenta.  It’s has cornmeal and two kinds of quinoa and is pretty freaking delicious.  Organic and certified gluten free, and I have zero complaints!  I have just had it fried in a bit of olive oil, but my interest is peaked to try and figure out how I can make it into a southwestern dish (think green chilies, olives, salsa, avocado).

I’m so happy that it seems to be getting so much easier to eat the way I should be, although I really have been struggling when I eat out.  I slipped up yesterday and had a falafel sandwich BUT I did pass up pizza later on and opted for a much less tasty salad instead.  At least I’m making the 110% effort at home and I have been feeling great about it.  I was having some weird symptoms, like itching around my face and chin as well as a numb upper lip, both of which have disappeared.  I’d like to think this is a positive result from my diet.

Good Friends 07/23/2009

There are many people I am thankful for these days, some of whom I’ll mention here.  My friend, Patricia, another faithful yogi who never gets tired of talking with me about my diet, who also just introduced me to a wonderful new yoga teacher.  Cara, Mags and Antonia who have been supportive and understanding through my hardships this year, and pretty much any other hurdle life has thrown at me in the past few.  Lori, my running partner who I feel like I’ve known far longer than I actually have.  Paul, for kicking my ass in my first yoga class and always listening and supporting, even when I can be difficult.  Erin for making me part of her family and always pouring me an extra glass of wine.

But one in particular prompted this post.  My friend, Griffin, just left to take a red eye back home to Jersey and I was pretty sad to see him leave.  Maybe it’s partly because I never really get to see him (until this week, it had been a solid 2 years), but more likely it is the fact that when we do see each other, he makes me feel pretty freaking good about myself.  So thanks Griffin for adding a bright spot to my otherwise tiring week.

I was just mentioning how I wasn’t sure where I have been getting all of this positivity from, but it could possibly be from all the love and support I receive from these very special individuals.  After spending so much of my life with friends who were, and still are, totally self absorbed, it is refreshing to know that there are truly great individuals out there.  And I hope that these people will be around for a long time to come.

Love you guys!!!