Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Favorites Part II




My winter favorites are:                                            
Green Olives
Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
Butternut Squash
     Somehow, using these three foods seem to make winter eating, a little bit zestier, a little bit warmer.  The green olives are not like tart martini olives, these are from a can and have a milder taste than black olives. 

     I use the balsamic dressing on salad, rice, cucumbers, and for dipping crusty bread.  It has a strong taste so, I only use a little bit at a time.  My last favorite I have blogged about before.  Butternut squash.  I like it roasted with some cinnamon and honey on it or I make a savory soup with chicken broth and onion.  Either way, I can feel the vitamins and nutrients reviving me. 
     For me, winter is about finding happy things, lovely things, to share with others.  I hope you can find some favorite things that are good for you other than the normal fudge and sugar cookies.  My dad came up to share a meal with my family and I had him try the green olives, he said, "these are my  new favorite too."
     From my kitchen to yours, revive eating well, living well!
    

Friday, November 30, 2012

My Favorites Part 1

     I have a few foods that are my go to if I'm feeling like I need to get back on track with my daily intake of energy.  Celery is my number one choice.  It is crisp and it feels like it cleans my taste buds of wanting to have sugar. 
     The way that I get my family to eat it is by making a homemade ranch dip.

I make it in small batches.  With just a few ingredients:
Mayo
Greek yogurt
fresh chopped parsley
Ground pepper
pinch salt
 fresh minced garlic to taste
dash of hot sauce
     I try to cut clery up in the morning so that when I get hungry, it is already to go.  It is also great for taking in the car for a snack,  it wards off those temptations.  As we start driving through town, my kids start smelling the fast food places, like the burger joints.  They instinctively say, "Im hungry."  because their noses are leading them.  I also try and pack apples when ever we travel to ward off those spontaneous fast food stops.     
     Packing healthy snacks is a sure way to eat well.
Eat well, live well!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful

I have been following many of my friends thankful journals on facebook over this last month.  It is has been sweet, thoughtful and inspiring.   I love photos.  So I thought I would use photos from this past year to express my thanks. 








Happy Thanksgiving!  

Pie


Blackberry

Pear Custard Pie
     The more I learn about myself the more I realize I do better with a plan. It is hard to escape the holidays without pie being offered.  My plan is stick with small portions on dessert.  Plus, I am going to just have my favorites and not fall into my usual social eating .  I don't really care for egg nog.  So, just because it is offered and smells yummy doesn't mean I need to drink all that fat.  Rebellion runs deep for me if I feel like I'm being deprived.   I think for me, it is more manageable on holidays to think small.  On regular days at home, to limit the desserts all together.  As, you can tell, I'm giving myself a pep talk before Thanksgiving. 
     The other thing that helps is to offer to make the fruit pies or crumbles.  Yes, they do have sugar, but if they are made at home, I can control how much fat and sugar go into them.
     The second part of my plan is that since I'm not cooking dinner, is to exercise twice.  I hope the Thanksgiving break is prosperous and full for each of you.  Eat well, live well.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Energy Bars


Kids seem to be able to tap into this never ending well of energy.  Running, squirming, bouncing, dancing,  just to name a few moves.  I was interested in making some energy bars for my family.  I went to allrecipes.com.  They have many to chose from.  It is so much easier than making cookies and better for them. 


     I tried two different kinds.  The first one consists of pumpkin, oats, sugar, eggs, and a little flour.  The second bar has ground up almonds and sesame seeds, mixed with oats, whole wheat flour, eggs and sugar.  To get my kids to eat them I added chocolate chips. 
     Wrapping them individually and putting them in the freezer has really helped me to not eat to many.  Even though these have healthy ingredients, it is easy to eat too many.   If you buy store bought granola bars or energy bars, it doesn't hurt to try and make your own.  Your budget and family just might thank you.  The Internet has a ton of energy bar recipe suggestions. 
     Eat well, live well, and try something new today.  Today is a great day to stay the course, and be steadfast in eating right.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Pepper Jelly

 The only time I like it when my nose runs is when I'm eating something spicy.  I canned a batch of pepper jelly.  It is a sweet, heat combination.  My favorite way to eat it is on a flax seed cracker. 



The cool thing about this "hot" project is that it only cost about a dollar a jar to make.  I love a good deal!  Friends, eat well, live well, let your nose run a little and enjoy something hot today.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Oats on the Go


     Our mornings can be rushed and fast paced.  "Oats on the go" have been a great solution.  I put in a Mason Jar:
 cooked steel cut oats,
apples,
and milk

     This works out great for our breakfasts on the go.   I am loving the plastic lids that go on top of jars, to help with no spilling. 
     I hope this helps inspire you to not forget a healthy  breakfast.  Live well, eat well.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Roasted Veggies



      My daughter was so sweet with her pig, playing doctor.    When I talk about food with my kids I try to talk about balance and fueling our bodies.  I  keep thinking about how food is like medicine.  It can fuel our bodies, protect, heal.   
     Recently, I roasted cauliflower and broccoli with a dash of olive oil, on a high heat in the oven.  It was some of the best cauliflower I've had in a long time, crisp flavorful, not mush.  I added a dash of red pepper flakes for a kick.

I squeezed lemon over my veggies and noodles.  This dinner was so simple and easy to prepare.   Lately, for our family simple is good.  Embrace the simple things today.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Black Rice


     Black rice is my current favorite rice.  It is a little sweet a little nutty tasting and overall great for you.  The package I got at Costco says that it is "loaded with antioxidants, vitamins E and fiber. . .one serving has as many antioxidants as a single serving of cultivated blueberries."
     The first three times I served it to my kids, they were very unsure, skeptical, and verbally complained that I would serve such a strange thing.  They have accepted now that I'm going to keep cooking it, and now all eat it just fine.
     I cooked the rice with two cloves of garlic, minced.  When it cooled I added,
1 jalapeno
1 red pepper
1/2 c. corn
1/2 pound  ground sausage
Then I served the mixture in green peppers. 

    With the left overs, a few days later, I sauted garlic, onion and baby kale in the skillet then combined it with the rice mixture.  The flavors were yummy and the rice very filling. 
     I have had several people ask me where I get my kale.  I usually get it where other greens are sold, like spinach and collards.   Most recently, I noticed at Safeway, they have a baby kale in a plastic container.  It worked great for the above recipe. 
     Trying new things is intimidating for some.  I know for me I have learned to like kale because of the health benefits.
  Friends, live well, eat well.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

End of Summer

Summer has faded and I am in full swing of planning meals, sports schedules and racing from event to event.  Motherhood is my marathon not a sprint.  I have found that the more I keep to a meal schedule the smoother our days go.  I must admit that I took a big break this summer from my  normal meal planning.  My husband noticed the hap hazard meals.  He said, " I think you took a vacation, when are you coming back?"  When I don't plan, I seem to have missing ingredient in the kitchen, get irritated and overall don't seem to get enough veggies into our meals.
     I really like to play  at the beach during the summer, which is a huge distraction from a routine.  I'm motivated, and  ready to go now.



    My three goals for this school year is to:
1.     Pack a variety of veggies and fruits into sack lunches
2.     Use less plastic bags
3.     Stick to the menu plan

     Celebrating my dads birthday with fresh produce from my brothers garden, sitting around a table with a bowl full of sweet cherry tomatoes is an ideal way to end the summer.

One of my personal goals for this blog is to include what I'm eating.  My hope is to encourage myself to be accountable and second to give you the reader ideas.
Today's menu:
Breakfast:  steel cut oats, raisins, coconut milk,
Snack:  half apple
Lunch:  black rice, stir fried kale, corn, zucchini with salsa
Snack:  carrots, almonds
Dinner:  whole wheat pasta, kale, green beans, sausage
Dessert: peach smoothie
Friends, eat well, live well.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Summer Basil



 I love to cook with fresh basil.  It makes my heart happy.  The above bruschetta is a simple yet elegant way to eat dinner.  The ingredients are simple.
Sourdough bread
4 Roma tomatoes
Feta
Grated Parmesan
Hand full of Fresh Basil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper



     For the past nine summers,  I make pesto and freeze it for the winter.  It is a tradition that is well worth the time and cash investment. The olive oil, almonds, lemon, Parmesan and fresh basil and garlic from the farmers market adds up to about 25 dollars.  Basil pesto for me, has awakening properties.  I feel better, think clearer, when smelling and tasting it.   I put it on
sandwiches,
pasta,
eggs, 
veggies,
and make lasagna and spinach enchiladas with it.
     I am thankful for basil!