Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I hate not being able to update! Should have internet this weekend. Don't forget to check out real food wednesday at Kelly the Kitcken Kop.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Sorry!

I have a ton to blog about but am out of internet at home and can't upload pics at my office! Be back sooooon.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Let Them Eat CAKE

I rarely ever make desserts. Mostly because they just go to waste. I'm not that big on sweets, and with baking you have to bake a decent amount. I also try to stay of away from the crap that is gluten and sugar. Refined flour and sugar is terrible for your guts, and literally contributes to making you fat. Insert the gluten and sugar free cake. Sounds sketchy I know, but if you substitute the proper ingredients it's really not.

  1. 6 eggs
  2. 1 cup milk
  3. 3/4 cup honey (I used raw)
  4. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  5. 1 cup coco flour
  6. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  7. 1/8 teaspoon salt

Bake at 350 until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I didn't have any traditional frosting ingredients so I made a raw whipped cream topping. I just mixed a bunch of raw cream and raw honey with a hand mixer till it was stiff.
I'm not a great baker yet, but practice makes perfect. I actually much prefer cooking to baking.

On another note, I got up early to work out this morning! Even though Kait's stupid rabbit kept me up a lot hoppin' around. It felt really good and I've definitely had more engery today, especially considering the lack of sleep. Tomorrow I have a hot yoga class scheduled and tonight Kait and I are getting manicures and pedicures. I'm so stoked.
For today's challenge I'm supposed to talk about why I hope my future will be like. I did that enough with the whole where I'd like to be in ten years.


Friday, March 18, 2011

Why I have Beef With Soy

Ahh...where to begin. I should start by saying that I used to consume a lot of soy. I went vegetarian at 16, and like most people, didn't really do a lot of research on what was truly healthy. I'd heard that soy was healthy, lower in fat and could still provide my body with the nutrients I needed that I wasn't getting from meat. What. A. Joke. I ate processed, horrible meat substitutes in the forms of various tofus, meatless meatballs, chick'n strips, beef strips, etc. I also ate a lot of carbs. I didn't know it at the time, but I was poisoning myself.

It is important to note that two of America's biggest cash crops are soy and corn. Not to mention that rain forests are being torn down for soy to be grown in South America (eating soy ain't so environmentally friendly now is it?). From soy and corn we get a lot of terrible food additives, cheap corn and soy oil, high fructose corn syrup, soy flour, etc. It's no wonder that soy is pushed as a health food, there's a lot of it in this country that needs to be sold. It is mostly grown by giant factory farms that want to make money. Their interests are not your health, their interests are solely based on how much they can profit off of you.

I have a lot of beef with soy. First, is it extremely processed. How do you think it goes from a soy bean, to a white, mushy block of tofu? Or a bean to a fake meatball? Or made into soy milk? Processing the crap out of it. We already know we shouldn't be eating processed foods. Here are some specific issues I have with soy:
  •  Turns out, MSG, a neuro toxin is formed when soy is processed
  • Lowers testosterone in men
  • Has been linked to breast cancer
  • Most soy is genetically modified
  • Interferes with protein digestion
  • Interferes with mineral absorption
  • High in aluminum, a toxic heavy metal (this is also why I use aluminum free deodorant)
  • The isoflavones in soy promote thyroid suppression
  • Soy has caused: infertility, cognitive disorders, a weakened immune system, poor digestion and a host of other health issues
What it comes down to is soy is toxic. Whether it is organic or GMO (though if you're going to eat soy, organic is the better option). It drives me nuts to see people in health food stores buying soy products. They're clearly making an effort to eat healthier, but they're just missing the mark entirely. By no means am I saying you need to eat grass-fed meat. What I am saying, is that you should not be eating soy. If you're wondering why Asian nations are healthier than Western nations and are known to consume soy, it is because the soy they eat is fermented (like is miso soup. I can dominate some miso soup). Fermenting the soy eliminates a lot of the health risks associated with soy. And also, most Asian cultures do not consume massive amounts of soy. Americans absolutely consume more. For vegetarians or vegans, there are whole, unprocessed, non toxic forms of protein. For me, however, I found that eating grass-fed meat from a local farm was the best option. The animals are free ranging and treated well. They're not cooped up in some farm and fed soy and corn (as all factory farmed animals are, which in turn makes the toxic to consume). I do not eat soy at all. Which kind of sucked at first, as I actually do enjoy tofu dishes. But consuming soy is not worth the health risks associated with it. If you're considering eating healthier, or eating less meat, please do some research on soy. For more information you can go here for some very well researched articles.

This post is part of Monday Mania. And also Real Food Wednesday.

Veggie Quiche!

So! The other (meatball) night I had a bunch of leftover broccoli and asparagus. I really hate to waste food so I brainstormed which ways I could transform them. A quiche! I really like quiche. And because I'm not into eating grains, I made a crustless quiche (a good low-carb recipe if you're trying to lose some fat). I threw the leftovers into the vitamix with 5 eggs, a cup of spinach and a boat load of pepper jack, though I would've preferred cheddar. This took all of about 2 minutes. On the side, I sauteed some mushrooms in butter, and spread them on the bottom of the baking dish. This made my total time to assemble about 4 minutes. Popped it in the oven on 350 for about 12 minutes. I've had breakfast ready everyday this week (since Tuesday), and had my last piece this morning.

Topped with even more cheese. Not sure why some of my pictures are loading upside down. You get the drift though. I really wish I had cherry tomatoes to add to this.

Using leftovers seriously stretches the money you're spending on food. I usually always make a big dinner so I can have leftovers the next day at lunch. So yes, I do spend more on the food I buy. But I also save more because I don't eat out. It drives me nuts when people say they can't afford to eat organic...yet the buy all of their meals. It's completely an excuse. And for a lot of us, if we cut down on our booze consumption we can save a lot of money.


Thursday, March 17, 2011

spaghetti and meatballs...and chipotle/zodiac

Last night I headed to Ikea after work to pick up things I needed for my new digs. I sort of hate shopping at Ikea (alright, alright, I sort of love Ikea). So, starving, on the way home and not wanting to wait to cook, I stopped at the only fast food joint I eat: Chipotle! God I love Chipotle. If you haven't heard me say it before, this is absolutely the best option for fast food. The meat is even grass-fed! I get:
black beans
peppers and onions (occasionally)
chicken and/or barbacoa
2 scoops maters
lettuce
sour cream
guacamole (sometimes two scoops)
Looks like frickin caesar salad! They jipped me on my maters!


But I figure I'll also supply you with my spaghetti and meatball recipe. I really love spaghetti and meatballs. I also prefer my spaghetti sauce creamy, if you do not then just omit the cream.
Sauce:
-organic marinara
-diced tomato
-diced onion
-garlic
-cream
-butter
Sautee garlic, tomato and onion. Add the other ingredients.
Meatyballs:
-grass-fed beef
-pastured egg
-garlic
-parsley
-onion
-spinach (occasionally)
-sun dried tomato (occasionally)

And I use gluten free rice pasta. Assemble.
Super simple:

I like mushrooms sauteed in butter.
Served with a side salad.

Today's challenge I'm supposed to talk about my astrological sign and if I think it fits me. I don't really think any of you care. So, there is a description if you want to read here. And yes, I do agree.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

30 facts and Chicken Parmesan...ish

From the meatball dinner the other night I used the leftover for breakfast AND lunch. I used the leftover meat and sauce to make a pasta (I used rice pasta). From the leftover broccoli and asparagus I made a quiche! Which will last me till Friday. So from one meal I got several. I'll post the quiche recipe later this week.

For dinner last night I made chicken parmesan...except for not really. But the same idea. I made my own bread crumbs and since the only cheese we have is raw pepper jack, I used that. I started out by making my own sauce:
-1 can diced tomatoes
-several cloves garlic
-half a large green pepper
-whole onion
-several small sweet yellow/red peppers
-butter
I sauteed the onions and sweet peppers till translucent. In the vitamix I blended the tomatoes, garlic and green pepper. I added this to the pan and let it reduce.
For the bread crumbs I just toasted 1.5 pieces of sprouted wheat (if you're going to consume grains, they should be sprouted or soaked to make them more digestible) and crumbled it up in the vitamix. I whisked one egg in another bowl. Look how big the eggs are we get!

I dipped the chicken into the egg, into the bread crumbs (this step turned out to be unnecessary) and fried them in butter until each side was crispy. I put the sauce in a baking dish, then the chicken over the sauce, and then covered the chicken with cheese.

After we stole two pieces from the dish already.
Sorry for the shoddy picture:
Served with my beloved buttery lima beans. I'm also having the leftovers for lunch today, with a salad.

A little while after dinner I was feeling kind of snacky and wanted something sort of sweet. So I made a green monster. It hit the spot.

You tell 'em, Peter.


Today's Challenge, 30 Facts:


  • My middle name is Jade


  • I was a swimmer for a large portion of life


  • I went to private Catholic schools from k-12 (AWESOME)


  • My mom was adopted, and is Russian


  • I was more or less raised by my Grandmother, who is AMAZING

  • Can't step to this!
    • I haven't had any sort of relationship with my mom in a really long time...like, years and years
    • My dad is the strongest person I've ever met
    • I really love DC sports, including the Redskins, even when they're losing.
    • I think Dan Snyder is a bad person
    • I don't believe in prescription drugs. Pain killers for surgery or something like that I can understand. But meds for anti depressants/cholesterol/blood pressure/ADD/etc have more side effects than they're worth, they are a way for pharmaceutical companies to make money, and most of these conditions can be corrected with food. I don't even take advil
    • I really consider my friends as my family, and I love all those suckers 
    • When I was in 8th grade my mom made me go to the gym every single day for hours and hours, I think this is partially why I have trouble motivating myself to work out
    • I have three brothers, or 2.5, one is half from my dad's first marriage and we aren't close
    • I'm not close with my brothers, and won't be until they get their shit together and stop being such douchers
    • I love to dance! Even though I'm white and bad at it
    • I love visiting new places and am really stoked to spend time in Hatteras again this summer
    • I love to ski
    • I've wanted to get a half sleeve dedicated to my grandma for a while now, but was worried if I'd be judged, now I think that being judged is even more of a reason to do it, as it will help weed out superficial bammas
    • I'm fortunate enough to have several best friends
    • I'm still friends with friends from high school, and I wish I got to see them more
    • True Romance is one of my all-time favorite movies
    • I love to be outside. I'd live outside if I could. And if it were warm enough.
    • In fact, I'd be perfectly content living in a shack on the beach
    • I've lived on my own since I was 17.
    • I wish I had the ability to be way more self-sufficient, and grow all of my own produce
    • One of my best friends, Kait and I are moving into an old house, and my room has large windows and a door that opens up to the roof of the room below. I'm going to grow a garden out there, and drink wine with Kait while we look at the view of DC.
    • I'm really trying to be a better, nice, more forgiving and patient person
    • I have the cutest puppy in the entire world and I love him SO much
    • I think running sucks and is kind of bad for you, I'd rather swim in the ocean everyday as my #1 form of exercise
    • I love you!
    Don't forget to check out Real Food Wednesday over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop!

    Tuesday, March 15, 2011

    MEATBALLS

    Prior to this dinner I'm not sure I ever had a meatball sub. I know, that's nuts. I heard really good things about them though and decided to make a Dani version of a meatball sub.
    Ingredients:
    -green pepper
    -onion
    -garlic
    -can of diced tomaters
    -butta
    -eggs
    -spinach
    -sun dried tomato (can omit, I just like to use mine in meat)
    -Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs if you got 'em, mine aren't ready yet)
    -grass-fed ground beef
    -cheese of choice (we only had raw pepper jack)
    -bun (I used Ezekiel sprouted wheat hot dog buns)

    Dice the onions and green pepper (reserve some for the balls) and sautee in butter. In the Vitamix went the can of tomatoes, tons of garlic and a little Italian seasoning. I added this to the sauteed onions and pepper to make a sauce, let it thicken. In the same vita mix add an egg, onions, green pepper, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and garlic. Pour this over 1 lb of ground beef, mix up, form into balls and add into the tomato sauce, cook through.
    Simmerin'.

    Toast the buns in the oven with some cheese on the bottom. Top with the meatballs and sauce, and then add more cheese. Serve this joint with something green, like broccoli and asparagus.
    This only took me a half hour from start to finish! I get home around 5:30 and this was finished by 6:03, except the clock on our over hasn't been turned back yet so just ignore that little fact.
    Mmmmm...
    With recipes like this there is just no reason to not cook for yourself. Yes, it is a little more time consuming than running to Subway. But it's so much more rewarding and infinitely better for you. Subway, is terrible for you. Did you know they use ammonium sulfate in their multi-grain bread? Yeah...that's a common fertilizer. Their whole  wheat is "enriched". And their meats? Full of nitrates, nitrites, hydrogenated oils and processed cancer. Don't believe me? They admit it themselves: http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/nutrition/frmusingredients.aspx

    For today's 30 day challenge:
    For today's challenge I'm supposed to talk about a time I thought about ending my life. Fortunately, I really don't think I have. Sure, I had those passing thoughts when I was a teenager and I wasn't sure things in my life would improve, but never really, truly considered it. To those who have considered it: I understand. But especially at this point in my life, it is something I would never consider. I love my life and my friends and my family and I'm so, so thankful that I'm alive. I think life can be really hard, but most of life is what you make of it. I honestly think it's easier to be sad than happy. Happiness takes work! And you know what I bet will make you happier? Meatballs!

    Monday, March 14, 2011

    weekend

    This weekend was pretty chill. I didn't go to Shamrock Fest on Saturday, mainly because it's a day of non-stop drinking and I just can't hang anymore. It was really nice to just hang around the house though, and Mike and I got  a late lunch with his sister and his adorable nephew. I would have taken a picture of my food, but I got chicken curry, and instead of chicken I asked for extra veggies, which I more or less did not get so it was unsatisfying and sucked for $13.
    On Friday Nick, Tasha, Dale and I went to the Calvert House Inn where I got an amazing organic bison burger and a side of sweet potato fries. I was really stoked they had organic meat, and even more stoked it tasted so awesome. Sorry for the worse than usual picture.

    On Saturday night after everyone got home from Shamrock I was feeling kind of snacky, so I made some guac. I think I make the best and simplest guacamole in the world:
    -avocado
    -tons of cilantro
    -lots of onions
    -tomato
    -course sea salt (swear it makes a difference) and pepper
    -occasionally: garlic/lemon juice/jalapeno
    Hola, upside down guac!

    On Sunday we were preparing to watch the Caps game. After I got back from grocery shopping, a hankering for crab legs hit the house. Mike did some Yelp research and found a place with good reviews nearby called Ruff 'n' Ready. We got gigantic crab legs and some shrimp. Seriously, I ate one cluster of the legs and was full.
    The scrimps are in the Chinese takeout box.
    PS- If you're not familiar with Old Bay, you need to be. It's amazing and I genuinely feel sorry for you if you've never tried it.

    On Sunday night, Kait, Jackie and I split a bottle of organic red wine while I made some lasagna and asparagus. For my lasagna I use rice noodles instead of the regular wheat, and I blend raw cottage cheese in the Vitamix instead of using ricotta (cottage cheese has a much better protein content). For the sauce I usually use an organic marinara, and add garlic and onion sauteed in tons of butter. Last night however, I was super low on sauce so I just mixed it with some raw cream. For the cheeses I use a combination of whatever we have, usually a raw mild cheddar and pecorino romano. Last night I used pecorino, parm and mozzarella. It came out pretty good. I added a little chicken stock and butter to the asparagus and let it cook down.



    Get stoked on tonight's dinner! I'm making meatball subs and will tell you how tomorrow!

    Friday, March 11, 2011

    Low Fat vs. Low Carb: The Healthiest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

    People often misinterpret the reasons for the way I eat. I cannot emphasize enough: I choose to eat this way to be healthy, not to lose weight. I absolutely believe in food as medicine. I think the cure to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc, is prevention (obviously not in all cases). That being said, down the line I do want to help people who are overweight. I find that the most common misconception with people trying to lose weight is that they should eat low-fat. This low-fat trend became popular in the 80's and I don't find it merely coincidental that during this time America's obesity rates began to rise. It is also ironic that the instances of heart disease began to rise right along with the trend of low-fat diets of Americans. The country was consuming less saturated fat, yet becoming fatter and unhealthier than ever. The fact is that this is not a coincidence. Our bodies need fat.  Saturated fats are not to be feared, my friends! Fat consumption does not increase the chances of becoming overweight or contracting heart disease. So what exactly will increase the likelihood? Well, let's look at the facts. When low-fat became popular, so did fake food. Margarine with hydrogenated oils, refined carbs, chemical additives, sugar, these are the culprits. With people so concerned with consuming less fat, they're less concerned with what they're consuming that is making them fat and unhealthy: fake foods, chemicals, toxic additives, carbs and sugar.

    By no means am I saying to avoid carbs and sugar at all costs. People should absolutely be consuming as many vegetables (excluding taters and the like) as they want. I would never tell someone they need to portion control all that steamed broccoli they're eating. Nor do I avoid all sugar. Do I eat granulated sugar? No, I don't. It is horrible for candida. Do I eat raw honey? You bet your boots I do. It is essential for our bodies to consume whole foods. Not "low-fat" foods, which have been altered from their natural state. I do not generally eat pasta or bread. If I do, the grains have been soaked, or I consume brown rice pasta/bread, and I only do so sparingly. Grains are not an ideal food to eat regularly. They are not easily absorbed or digested by our bodies. Granted, not all fats are created equal. I do not buy processed cheese from the grocery store. Do I buy raw cheese, from a local grass-fed farm? Do I eat butter, cream and raw milk? Hell. Yes. They are really invaluable sources of fat that are extremely nourishing to our bodies. Yet, these saturated fats are touted as being unhealthy. Too bad they're absolutely essential for our hormone function, serotonin function, nervous system, etc.

    If you are trying to lose weight, I will say that the safest and healthiest way to do so is by cutting out carbs and adding in veggies and fats. Your body uses carbs for energy. After that, it uses fat. So wouldn't it make sense to cut out the middleman? If your body doesn't have a ton of carbs to eat up, it will use your fat stores next. Here is an example of an ideal day of eats:

    Breakfast: 2-3 eggs topped with salsa, or a breakfast scramble

    JUICE

    Lunch: grass-fed chili filled with veggies & beans, or a taco salad on romaine (sans tortilla strips)

    Snack: cottage cheese caprese

    Dinner: salmon and Mexican veggies or filet mignon and veggies or chicken with raw cheese stuffed peppers and a salad

    I eat a lot of fat. I have coconut oil in my tea every single morning. I drown everything in butter. I eat as many veggies as possible. I do this to be healthy, and as an added benefit, I maintain my weight. I urge you, if you are trying to lose weight, please do so in the healthiest way possible.

    *disclaimer: I am not your doctor, check with a doctor before you start any diet plan and please refrain from suing me.

    Thursday, March 10, 2011

    Salmon with Green Beans and Taters plus Religion

    Today I'm supposed to discuss my views on religion. I always say that it's not polite to discuss religion or politics, mostly because people end up screaming at each other (sometimes...myself included). So I'll try to just keep this short and sweet. I went to Catholic school for twelve years. The way I was taught and treated grades k-8 definitely left something to be desired. The school made religion something to be feared for me. While a lot of people think of religion as their home, or consider some sort of comforting embrace, I have the exact opposite feelings. I always believed in God, but not the same God Catholics believe in. A loving, all forgiving God. Now I'm not really sure what I believe in. It's hard for me to get past my logic these days. While I think religion can be a great thing, I also think it can be one of the worst things ever created. Anything that can make people fight and kill, can make people turn against each other because of their sexual preference, is not something good in my eyes. And I wonder how many people have actually read the bible. I have. It's not some loving, happy book. It at times is violent, and brutal. I do want to believe in something, but I absolutely do not agree with organized religion.
    Salmon:

    • parsley
    • lemon juice
    • butter
    Green Beans:

    • butter (though preferably lard)
    • onions sauteed in butter or lard
    Taters:

    • boiled in chicken broth, just covering the potatoes, until it simmers out

    Of course I put some rooster sauce on the side, which turned out to be unnecessary.

    Wednesday, March 9, 2011

    Chicken/Rice/Beans/Veggies and My Views on Drugs and Alcohol

    First: food. I'm all about the Mexican style food, so when I got home last night, I put one cup of rice, two cups chicken broth and some butta in the rice cooker while I worked out. I also poached chicken, to the water I added chipotle, chile, cumin and garlic powder. My new workout obsession is Body Rock. That girl is ripped, and I'm not that fond of working out, but her exercises are simple, quick and to the point. They also aren't easy, which I appreciate. After this, I chopped an onion and a mater and sauteed in butter. I added beans, cilantro, and all the spices I used to poach the chicken plus red pepper flakes. Once the chicken was done I shredded it and mixed in with some raw onion, tomato and cilantro. Avocado over chicken and veggies over rice:

    Sorry for the teeny tiny photo.
    And if you want some more recipes just mosey on over to Kelly's blog for some real food Wednesday recipes at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

    So Mike found this bodyrock.tv for me and I'm really stoked to start working out daily. I also bought a jump rope because it's supposed to be great for cardio. People underestimate the value of working out. I don't mean just to make you look better, but to make you feel better. When I'm working out regularly my mood is definitely elevated. Same thing with food, if I'm eating regularly and eating well, I feel a million times better than when I'm not. This leads to my views on drugs and alcohol (the next question of this 30 day challenge). When I drink, which I do, I feel terrible the next day. Even if I don't drink very much, I notice the differences in my body. Alcohol is terrible for your mood and I often get what I dub "the anxiety hangover." The hangover that makes my heart race and puts me in a terrible, terrified mood. It's not good for me or the people around me. I've recently decided that when I go out, I'll have max 2-3 glasses of wine. I really love wine with my food but it's easy to drink a lot of it.

    I think that drugs and alcohol can get out of hand easily, especially alcohol. I detest drug addicts and I have very little sympathy for them. This is because I've always grown up around drug addicts and alcoholics. That being said, I think alcohol can be just as dangerous as any drug. I don't really consider weed a drug. And I actually don't smoke it. I can't comprehend those anti weed commercials, why aren't there more anti drinking, or crack, or meth commercials? Especially drinking. I know that drinking was very prominent at my high school, and kids often got drunk and drove their cars, or got drunk and got into fights. I've never seen someone get high and get into a fight. Ever. I also think that way too many people are being killed in the "war on drugs."And for what? I really don't see the results of that "war." So those are my two cents.

    Tuesday, March 8, 2011

    30 Day Challenge and Asian Shrimp Wrap

    I saw this challenge on Love Veggies and Yoga and thought it'd be fun. I'm going to try to do the entire 30 days, answering each question everyday...minus weekends probably. But I'm going to start with number 2, we'll come back to number 1 at the end of the month.


    Where I'd like to be in 10 years. I feel like most people would start this out with saying in ten years they'd like to be married. I don't care if I'm married or unmarried, what I care about is having a partner. Before I met Mike I never wanted to get married legally. I didn't want to institutionalize it. Now, after Mike, it doesn't really bother me either way. If the legality of it meant a lot to my partner I'd do it. But in 10 years I'd like to be happy. Living with him, maybe someplace warm and tropical. I'd like to own my own holistic nutrition business, in which I spent my days with other holistic nutrition nuts, helping people (especially the elderly, because I freakin' love old people, no joke). I'd like my days to be less dramatic than they are right now, and I'd like to spend more time in the sunshine and ocean. If I picture my life in 10 years and what I'd like to be doing, I'd like to be at my house, having a cookout with all of my friends in my backyard (a very common occurrence in the summer). I'd also like it if my dad and grandmother stopped eating crap and started listening to me about what they should eat. In 10 years I just want to be happy and in love.

    Asian Snack:
    (Sorry for the lack of a better picture, I ate this at my desk)

    • rice paper
    • carrots
    • rooster sauce
    • yogurt
    • lettuce
    • red onion
    • scrimps
    Shred your carrot and mix with yogurt and rooster sauce. Chop lettuce. Slice onions. Emerge rice paper into warm bowl of water for 10 seconds. Take out. Add carrot mixture, top with lettuce, red onion and shrimps. Roll up.  
    Eat halfway and take a picture:

    I like to make this for appetizers at cookouts, and randomly when I'm craving it, like the other night.

    Monday, March 7, 2011

    My Kind of Green Monster and My Grocery List

    Green monsters are pretty popular in the blogosphere. Today I made my first one. I'm not going to lie, I really do not enjoy the taste of raw spinach. I used to, well, I used to be able to tolerate it at least. No mas. Not one bit. Last night we had some raw milk that needed to be drank so we could make way for the new gallons I picked up. Instead of chugging it down (which I would happily do), I decided to make a green monster. I was actually nervous it would completely taste like spinach. But it was delicious. So delicious, that this morning when I was seriously not feeling eggs, I had this for breakfast instead:
    • one cup raw milk
    • as much spinach as you want, I probably used about half of the bag
    • cinnamon
    • two scoops of raw Warrior Whey vanilla protein (which has NINE grams of fiber, tiiight!)
    I blended it in my best friend, the Vitamix until it was perfectly smooth.


    What's up Bud Light glass.

    I like to post my grocery list because a lot of times people are just unsure of what to shop for. So hopefully you can get some good ideas:
    bread-brown rice/soaked spelt (ended up getting sprouted wheat bread, forgetting to read the ingredients, which had soy unfortunately)
    zucchini
    rice
    lemons/limes
    garbanzo beans
    canellini beans
    maters
    diced maters
    avocados
    cilantro
    kale
    spinach
    dandelion greens (couldn't find)
    cinnamon
    potaters
    salmon x4
    kombucha tea
    *also ended up grabbing some shrooms, and organic cheese ravioli because it was only $1.69

    I went to Yes Organic Market and spent $81.

    We already have all of our eggs and dairy as well as chicken and beef products from the farm. Mike picked up a bunch of veggies last night so I don't need to buy too much stuff this week. It's mostly comprised of veggies that I'll be using to juice, which I haven't been doing enough lately. 

    Friday, March 4, 2011

    Most Yogurt...is BS

    Yesterday I stopped by Safeway on my way home from work to pick up some things we're out of (organic onions, and rooster aka sriracha sauce, which I cannot give up). I was walking by the dairy isles when I saw it...red velvet yogurt. I love red velvet cake. I figured, hell, how bad can it be? And grabbed it. By then time I got to check out, I realized how freaking terrible it was. Let me just show you some pictures:
    Nonfat? Pssshaa. I don't think so. Sweetened with apartame and "other sweeteners?" No effing way was I buying it. Then, I turned it over:
    I think by now we know how I feel about pasterurized and nonfat milk. Gross. The very next ingredient is HFCS! Which is actually linked to obesity and is toxic for your body. Awesome. Modified corn starch (GMO) I don't like modified anything. Nonfat (processed) milk. APARTAME. It's literally a poison. It's a dangerous food additive that not only disrupts your proper serotonin function (proper function makes you feel happy!), it's been linked to cancer, insomnia, mood swings, birth defects, ADD and the list goes on. It is made using methanol, which breaks down into formaldehyde. Yummy, right? And not to mention the preservatives and other crap at the end of this ingredient list.

    In conclusion, while most people think they're doing their bodies good by eating yogurt, a lot of times, they aren't. This is why it's so important to read ingredients. Clearly, I asked the cashier if I could put it back. I'll buy my yogurt from farmer Dan (that's literally his name).

    Thursday, March 3, 2011

    Chinese-ish Food with Kelp Noodles

    I think Chinese food is one of the hardest foods to make. I try to make it taste like the MSG/sugar/flour/preservative laden food I used to love, but a lot of times, I just fall short. This meal however, I really enjoyed! If you're not familiar with kelp noodles (or sea spaghetti) hear are some of the benefits:
    • helps remove heavy metals from your body
    • high content of iodine (which most people are lacking in)
    • aid digestion/metabolism
    • more than 21 amino acids
    • contain potassium, magnesium and iron
    I know they sound like some crazy obscure ingredient that only a health nut would use. But you can find them in your local co-op or Whole Foods. The noodles do not taste like the sea at all and have a crunch, like you're biting into a pepper. They're very versatile.  
    I wanted a crispy chicken, so I dredged some chicken in eggs, then in coconut flour mixed with garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Coconut flour is low carb, high protein and fiber and gluten free. I fried them in butter/olive oil. In another pan I sauteed peppers and onions in butter. For the sauce I used:
    • almond butter
    • liquid aminos
    • garlic
    • a little bit of hoisin
    • sesame oil
    Combine all of this and mix in the kelp noodles at the very end, to heat through. I do not cook them.

    Wednesday, March 2, 2011

    Filet Mignon with Veggies and the Importance of JUICE

    I cannot stress enough the importance of raw veggies in your diet. Some juicing benefits:
    • to detoxify
    • to detoxify your blood and liver specifically
    • delivers antioxidants
    • full of enzymes
    • alkalize your body
    • improve hair and skin
    • energy (way better than coffee)
    • improve immune system
    These are just some benefits among many. I find that when I'm juicing, I'm much more regular (which is wildly important). It gives me more energy and I feel a stronger sense of well being. Juicing provides enzymes, which are necessary to your body, and are often destroyed in the cooking process. Juicing also helps with my candida issues. It's estimated that around 80% of Americans have candida. And my issue with candida has been a struggle that I'm still fighting.
    The great thing about juicing is that you can consume way more veggies than you would normally be able to in one sitting. Last night's juice consisted of:
    • 4 large carrots
    • whole head of romaine
    • 2 cups spinach
    • half cucumber
    • half beet
    • 5 stalks celery
    • a large handful of random salad greens
    Do you know how long it would take me to eat all of that? Most people add some form of fruit to sweeten it up, but since I have candida, I opted out of fruit. Surprisingly, the carrot and beet sweetened it up enough. It was actually pretty awesome.
    I took this picture from my deck.
    For dinner Mike made filet mignon with asparagus and snap peas. I have no idea how that man makes steaks taste so good, but he's so much better at it than me. I think this steak was the best I ever had.

    And because he is the sweetest, most adorable puppy in existence:
    My baaaaby!

    Tuesday, March 1, 2011

    Mexican Salmon

    I LOVE Mexican food! The flavors are so bold and it's so fresh. The other night, I was seriously cravin' some Mexican food. We were sort of low on groceries but had salmon. Thus, Mexican salmon was born. This was definitely one of my best recipes, especially for salmon, which can get kind of bland if you eat it often (which you should, because it's great for you).
    Ingredients:
    • onion
    • raw butter
    • garlic
    • tomato (fresh and/or canned)
    • cilantro
    • peppers
    I sauteed the onions, fresh tomato and garlic in butter until translucent. I had canned whole tomatoes, so I pulsed them in the vitamix with cilantro. Add this and the peppers and let the sauce thicken a bit. I then added the salmon straight into the mixture and cooked until done. Even Mike agreed it was one of my better recipes, and that man is picky!
    I really cannot emphasize how good this was. Not to toot my own horn. I added some guac on the side.
     Served with my delicious, beloved lima beans:
     One of my all-time favorite dinners. Full of healthy fat and veggies.