It is so economical of time and effort to engage in periodic cook-a-thons; they save on food prep and clean-up time. Such was yesterday afternoon when my kitchen was all about carrots—shredded carrots. No use dirtying up the food processor three separate times … just do it all in one day and create three nutritious recipes!
Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad
1 broccoli crown- stem removed and tiny florets created
2 celery stalks, sliced lengthwise and cut into small ¼ inch pieces
¼ red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise and cut into small thin slices
¼ cup red onion cut into thin semi-circular slices
1 cup shredded carrots
Handful of Craisins (cranberry raisins)
2 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
Just enough mayonnaise to “glue” things together. I use Duke’s because it has the fewest number of ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup.
1 Tbs. coconut milk
Salt
Pepper
Method
Start with maybe a 1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise, stir in the coconut milk to thin it, and season with salt and pepper.
Toss all ingredients into mayonnaise mixture, adjust seasonings, and enjoy!
Carrot Salad
Shredded carrots—quantity is up to you
Handful of golden raisins
Minimum quantity of mayonnaise
1 Tbs. of coconut milk to thin the mayonnaise
Salt
Method
Thin the mayonnaise with coconut milk and season with salt. Add carrots and raisins. Combine well. Adjust seasoning.
Carrot Pear Nut Muffins
About 2 cups shredded carrots
1 pear, shredded
½ tsp. Anise seed
½ cup coconut flour
1 cup hazelnut flour
Hand-full of activated walnuts (remember: soaked and dehydrated)
Walnuts
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
tsp soda
¼ cup sugar
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
Method
Put carrots, pear, anise seeds, salt, both flours, nuts, and melted oil into a large bowl and combine well.
Whip eggs with a whisk, add brown sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine well. Pour wet ingredients into carrot mixture and mix well. If the batter is too wet, add a bit more coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each spoonful.
Carrot Pear Nut Muffin
Put batter into a greased muffin pan or use baking cup liners. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven or 325 degree convection oven for 25-30 minutes until toothpick can come out clean once inserted into the middle of a muffin. Yield: one dozen.
All a part of a well-rounded dinner: raw broccoli salad, raw carrot salad, one muffin, sliced left-over steak with sautéed mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Even Mr. Virgil liked the muffins…They were sweet enough for him even though they are super low sugar! Yay!
The Ten Carrot Plate
Best wishes for successful cooking! Remember to breathe, walk in the sunshine and fresh air, do a few slow-motion squats and counter top push-ups. It’s been a few days since the last time I did those moves and after just five or six “slo-mo” squats and push-ups, I feel decidedly more invigorated and tighter around the tummy! So little work and so much benefit!
Being “Designed for Health” means more than learning how to return to eating nutrient-dense foods; it means creating and maintaining that healthy balance in all areas of our life: mentally, spiritually, and physically.
Stress-related insomnia
“Fixing” the food part to meet physical needs is just one part of that healthy triad. Many of us are spinning so many stress-filled plates, the mental and spiritual part of ourselves is going lacking…which then circles back to an unhappy body. Stress hormones play into poor sleep which plays into morestress hormones which play into hormones designed to push us to more starch and sugar which plays into…… well, it’s a mess!
Did you ever say “Stop this stress-go-round, I want to get off!”?
Are you experiencing a dark existential ennui?
Just breathe….
If there is a sunbeam shining right now, make sure to head for it! Take a 20 minute walk in the sunshine every day that you possibly can. Breathe in that fresh air. Look for things you have not noticed before. Something seen. Something heard. Something felt. Something smelled. Even this most basic exercise helps on all aspects of the health triad.
Pet a puppy. Who doesn’t love a puppy?
Breathing helps, too! Not the everyday kind. The stop for a minute and take slow breaths kind. See, our over-active minds are hard to shut off even during a walk – hence the idea of noticing new things – so five methodical breaths are a great way to cleanse the mind, stop the stress-go-round, and lower the anxiety level.
You know the drill:
1. Stop everything
2. Close eyes
3. Drop shoulders
4. Inhale slowly for a count of five
5. Let the air circulate inside of you for a count of five
6. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of five
7. Repeat four more times
Concentrate….
Concentrate ONLY on this procedure; if another thought drifts in then gently release it. Concentrate on the feel of the air coming into your body. Imagine it swirling around inside you. Feel the release while you exhale. Mindful breathing can be a beautiful, life-saving thing. Try it right now. Whew…I just did, and the release is just amazing!
Another way to shift our mental and spiritual focus away from the negative can be through being a part of what I have named a Tapestry Group. I am facilitating a Tapestry Group at our church. It is an easily replicated concept you may want to try yourself. The name of this group reflects the thought that each one of us is a part of the larger Tapestry of Life; that each one of us provides a meaningful thread to this tapestry; that the color of our thread may change over time; and that the threads of others are woven along with our own to create the rich and beautiful tapestry we call Life.
Our purpose is the sharing of experiences, reflecting on matters or topics of the day, expanding or clarifying our view points, learning from others, and supporting others and ourselves through the exchange of ideas and thoughts.
At our last monthly meeting, I shared four talking points taken from a book by Karl Moore entitled, “The 18 Rules of Happiness: How to be Happy.” His first four “rules” provided a great resource for reflection and sharing. To paraphrase his book:
1. Stop the pity party; self-pity eats up everything around, except for itself. Elsewhere, I recently read that we have 60-70,000 thoughts each day; while some are not that significant, others may color our whole day. So, stop the negative thoughts and go to rule #2:
2. Be grateful. Well, sure, we’re thankful that semi-tractor trailer missed hitting us on the interstate, but on a daily level—moment-to-moment—we need to be grateful. I have heard of people keeping a gratitude journal whereby they make daily entries, morning or evening, for their items of gratitude. You’ve heard of that old hymn that goes, “count your blessings, name them one by one”? There’s a lot of truth in this process as counting our blessings— mindfully reviewing the positive in our lives—can create a mind-set shift, a general re-focusing on what is important, and a re-framing of how we view what’s on our personal plates.
3. Open yourself to selectively saying “Yes” more. I know, I know; aren’t we supposed to learn to say “No” more….I mean, we are being stretched too thin, right? Well, sure, but some of us have gotten too good at saying “no” and have shut too many doors, shut out light, shut out life. There are random twists in life and unexpected opportunities that come knocking that we need to seize. Sometimes it’s even easier to say “yes” because you participate in a positive flowing forward instead of saying “no” which goes against the flow of life. You be the judge; say “yes” to good things that may be unexpected and that can open up a positive flow in your life.
4. Follow your bliss. This is an idea originally from Joseph Campbell. I remember an example of bliss in my students as they practiced what they learned in the classroom and became hands on caregivers to real patients. Their eyes lit up! They couldn’t start their clinical rotations soon enough! The joy poured out of their very beings and flowed around and caressed their patients! Time flew by! Bliss is something money can’t buy. What is your bliss? Probably everyone knows what needs to be done to be happy, but few are brave enough to take the steps to do it. Follow your bliss.
Get a room full of people to reflect and talk about the first four rules of happiness, and you will have a room full of refreshed folks who have a new perspective on life; who have shared and received inspiration; and who have said “Yes” to an opportunity to get outside of themselves, engage with others, and who shared their bliss!
Consider being a part of or forming a Tapestry Group. We were designed for health, and we were designed to be social beings.
Since April of last year when this blog was officially “born,” many topics have been touched upon about moving to a more harmonious relationship with our bodies by eating foods that naturally promote health.
With the idea that we were designed for health and not disease, there must be a way to live, eat, move, and think that boosts health. The world-wide trend toward obesity, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases as western fast-food eating styles that are embraced can be reversed through eating what we were originally designed to eat.
These thumbprint summaries of last year’s material are hopefully a good way to see the bigger picture as we approach our health choices this year. Where we’ve been serves as a launch pad for where we are going, so to speak.
1. It starts in the mind. How we relate to our bodies, health, and the world around us all starts in our mind. The first class session of The Designed for Health series I teach in New Bern, North Carolina, always starts with a sort of “rededication” exercise whereby we reconnect with our body in appreciation for how we are so wonderfully made, and how we want to be in greater harmony with our body by actively listening to how it responds to what we feed it and how we treat it. We are accepting the responsibility for its care rather than just mentally going along for the ride.
2. Something “do-able”: a Keystone Habit. No matter how we want to improve our lives, whether we want to write the great American novel or we want to eat healthier, we have to concentrate on the steps, the repeatable steps, we must take each day to get there. Surely, we are not going to write that novel in one day, but writing for a short, set amount of time each and every day will eventually get us the first chapter. Similarly, we are not going to turn our health status around in one day, but making a single, seemingly ridiculously small and easy-to-repeat tweak to what we eat or drink each and every day will eventually lead to a collection of changes easily incorporated into a new eating and living style that will definitely impact our health. Hence our motto: gradual and consistent.
3. 80/20. Unless there are health dangers such as severe food allergies, becoming totally obsessed about “healthy eating” could ruin the day for you and those around you. Trying to squeeze out that last 20% of perfection each day can actually take some of the fun out of things. So while we gain an understanding what is good or bad for us, striving for perfection can, literally, spoil the party. Aim for the “good stuff” to keep up your promise to yourself, but once in a while a dab of this or that, in the absence of food allergies, can keep the fun in holidays, vacations, and life in general. Once you have converted to better choices, the standard temptations actually will hold less appeal and may not feel “right” when consumed, but- lighten up! 80/20 is good. Having said that, making exceptions back-to-back can be the start of a slippery downward slope!
4. Create an environment for success. Clean up what’s available to eat in the kitchen based on how you want to eat. No more chips and ice cream in the kitchen means you won’t be looking at chips and ice cream praying for the strength to turn away. Enlist the help and support of family and friends. Share what you are learning so you can be a part of a team. Reward your milestone successes frequently with appropriately healthy treats; maybe a walk around the waterfront instead of in the neighborhood.
5. Understand “macro-nutrients.” Understanding how our bodies naturally respond to proteins, fats, and carbohydrates really puts us in the driver’s seat for health! Want to stabilize blood sugar? Dedicate carbohydrate intake to veggies instead of grains and eat good protein and healthy fats which have higher satiety levels than starchy carbs and will not upset blood sugar levels.
6. Enhance your flavor palate. Looking for a sense of sweetness without the added sugar? Try spices and flavorings that remind you of sweetness by using cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and extracts such as vanilla or almond. These “sweet spices” are a great way to enhance the flavor of smoothies without added sugar. Explore various herbs and oils to add endless variety to veggies and salads. Simple asparagus is different each time when lightly sautéed in a choice of olive oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, or toasted sesame oil. Whenever I get a little tired of any cooked veggie, I usually turn to a finishing drizzle of toasted sesame oil to liven things up. Pesto can easily combine with shrimp, gluten free pasta, quinoa, veggies, or scrambled eggs to make a brand new eating experience.7. Keep this plate in mind. Strive for a plate balanced with these proportions. Imagine your plate is half non-starchy veggies. The other half is two-thirds protein and one third good fats and/or fruit. That’s pretty much it!
8. Inflammation is a key and common evil. Food choices can actually ramp up the inflammatory process which is bad because inflammation is at the root of every disease process. Sugar and grains are the biggest culprits; read: wheat, barley, rye for the inflammatory gluten and corn for the phytates.
9. Strive for nutrient dense foods. Nutrient density relates to higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and the essential fatty acids and essential amino acids which we have to get from our diet because our bodies can’t make them. Currently on a fat- free diet? Forget it! You’d be missing out on vital fatty acids that your body demands for proper functioning and certain vitamins must have fat in the diet for their absorption. Proper fat ingestion is vital. The good fats contain a better fat profile than we get from the Standard American Diet. Good fats have more omega-3 fatty acids and can be found in avocados, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds. Protein ingestion is vital. Strive for clean protein sources that are minimally processed, grass fed if possible, and fresh seafood. There are NO essential carbohydrates; none. So carbohydrate consumption will best serve your body if coming from non-starchy veggies that are packed with nutrients and will not disturb your blood sugar levels.
Planking
10. Less exercise can be more! One of my Keystone Habits is doing a bit of exercise during coffee brewing time, and I have learned from many sources that slow-motion exercises can yield a better effect than those done at regular speed, and that fewer repetitions are needed. Works for me! Counter top push-ups and squats are infinitely more effective when done in an 8-8-8 fashion. For a squat: 8 counts down to the squat, 8 counts holding the squat, 8 counts up. You’ll know when to stop, believe me. A few will do! If that becomes easy, just add a small weight which will increase the workload of the muscles; that’s the key: workload, not repetitions.
11. Other possible Keystone Habits. Consider slipping in a daily boost to hydration by drinking a glass or two of water before leaving the bathroom first thing each morning. Try converting other hydration fluids from juices, colas, or coffees to green tea. Green tea contains poly-phenols that help prevent a host of diseases and conditions and also work with the body to burn fat! Try a more concentrated green tea brew to ramp-up consumption of those helpful components. Some experts aim for 10 bags of green tea a day which would necessitate concentration, indeed!
12. Non-starchy green vegetables. I have dedicated a lot of “blog time” non-starchy green vegetables and colorful vegetables. Eating non-processed foods necessitates cooking, but I have tried to show that becoming a master chef is not required. Basically doing a light sauté or stir fry in a healthy fat is all that is needed for most vegetables, possibly followed by a light steaming on lower heat with minimal or no added water. Cooking veggies without added water is vital because a good portion of the nutrients leech out into the water, never to be consumed. I still read recipes from those who should know better that call for boiling asparagus, for example. No! No! Just roll those babies around on low to medium heat in some good oil until desired doneness… not mush, but still a little crisp…sort of Al dente! Certainly, sneaking baby spinach or kale into a smoothie is a super easy way to add nutrient-dense goodness in a snap!
2014 is over??
Well, that’s foodtalk4you from 2014 in a condensed form. Next, my editor, Sheree, and I will be working on a free e-booklet of last year’s recipes for easy access. Such a feat will require some diligent work on both our parts…just part of my New Year’s goal to be more useful to you, my dear readers!
Please share this site with a friend or two, so we can reach more people with the message that improved health is within reach without reaching for another pill!
Remember “gradual and consistent,” the concept that success comes from consistent small efforts over time will yield greater results versus giant goal-setting?
With the New Year upon us and with conversations whirling around us about resolutions, it would seem an excellent time to reconsider how we can apply this gradual and consistent concept to our daily health and life issues.
Just because the calendar page now says “2015” does not mean we have to reinvent ourselves. But in looking at the array of life issues we are handling, does it not make sense to make sure our minds and bodies are at their best so we can optimally approach our personal challenges? We cannot be creative, resourceful, cooperative, considerate or anything else we may strive to be if we feel awful physically or mentally.
Want to lose 50 pounds by June? Forget it! Just concentrate on how your next meal looks. Then concentrate on how the next meal after that looks. Want to tone up to wear a smaller size by a particular date? Don’t spend a week shopping for the right exercise clothes; what kind of push-ups or planks are you doing right now?
I think one of the biggest successes at health transformation is balanced blood sugar. This may be of particular importance now as we are coming off of holiday indulgences. Even gluten-free starches can add to the waistline. To paraphrase Dr. Mark Hyman’s article from December 26, 2014, here are three thing that we all can do to help end that need to roam around the kitchen looking for holiday delights.
Broccoli and eggs for breakfast!
1. Commit to booting unnecessary starch. Carbohydrates are an important macro-nutrient vital to body function, but we need to embrace plant carbohydrates and use nuts and seeds as healthy protein snacks. My immediate goal is to incorporate plant carbohydrates at every meal; half my plate is usually vegetables. Even at breakfast.
Prior to the holidays, I activated many bags of nuts to prepare for gift-giving and snacking. My recent reading about nuts have again reminded me that daily eating of walnuts is extremely beneficial as an omega-3 and anti-oxidant resource.
2. Emphasize water and green tea consumption instead of calorie-laden drinks. Forget thinking artificial sweeteners are a caveat to this rule. There is a host of badness happening with those devils that I will share about in a coming post. At the very least, artificial sweeteners tell your body that glucose is on the way, and it’s not; many studies point to over-eating as a natural response to this conflicting communication with the body.
3. Make sure that every meal has high quality protein; especially the first meal of the day. Protein is a vital macro-nutrient that fills, satisfies, and energizes the body for the rest of the day. Do not start your day on an empty tank! From last night’s leftover meat to eggs, nut, seeds, nut butters, or a protein shake/smoothie, high quality protein will keep you going for hours and eliminate the need to roam to a snack machine. Also, use quality fat to cook that protein such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or ghee. A quarter of an avocado will also augment your power resources as well.
So, how to gradually and consistently apply these guidelines?
Start now! Don’t wait until everything in your kitchen is perfectly aligned or the last slice of (gluten-free) bread has been consumed. Whatever you are going to eat or drink next is what counts. Reflect on the adage from Alcoholics Anonymous, “One day at a time.” How about one meal at a time? One snack at a time? Such next-moment goal setting is a proven winner!
In a restaurant? Wave off the bread rolls, peel off the hamburger roll as you eat the insides, double-up on the veggies instead of having a baked potato, choose broiled seafood or fish instead of breaded and fried. You get the picture.
Are you eating Frankenfood?
In the market? Stick to the perimeter of the store as you choose protein and veggies. Skip the isles which generally carry starchy packages of highly- processed “Frankenfood.” Better yet, stop by the farmer’s market for locally grown veggies picked that morning!
Plan for ease of success. I have really become partial to marathon cooking events. Many families gather in the kitchen during the weekend to share in advanced prep-work and actual cooking for the week’s menu. For instance, someone can peel the meat off of a rotisserie chicken in preparation for lunch boxes. Chicken is easily thrown on a salad for a handy meal at home or at work or school.
Today, I prepared a crock pot full of Italian Meatballs—recipe follows. A family could incorporate these in any number of meals or snacks. I will simply freeze half of them for future use. Gluten-free spaghetti is off the menu for a while, so pairing these meatballs with at least half of a plate of veggies and some good fat will more than fill our tummies.
Tonight, our plates will sport leftover collards, raw broccoli salad, and avocado. Mmmmm. When’s dinner?
Italian Meatballs
Yummy! Italian Meatballs!
For the meatballs:
1(ish) pound of ground turkey
1 pound of sweet Italian ground sausage (I used Johnsonville brand because it’s gluten-free and has the fewest ingredients)
¼ of a red onion minced and divided into 2 portions- one portion for meatballs, one portion for sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced and divided into 2 portions- one portion for meatballs, one portion for sauce
2 eggs
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (or to taste)
One handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
Few shakes of sea salt to taste
1/3 cup gluten-free Panko, Italian Style (I used Ian’s brand)
For the sauce:
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
One portion of the minced onion
One portion of the minced garlic
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 tomato paste cans of water
1 tsp. gluten-free fish oil (for that “je ne sais pas” or umami effect)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
1 cup chopped Crimini mushrooms a.k.a Baby Bella mushrooms
Method
Scooping the meat into a ball
Ready for the oven!
Put all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well using gloved hands. Using a 1 ½ inch scoop, push a scoopful of meatball mixture into the side of the bowl to help pack it into shape. Eject the meatball into your other hand to gently finish and place the meatball on an ungreased baking sheet.
The 1.3 lbs. of turkey and 1 lb. of sausage yielded me just shy of 50 meatballs on two cooking sheets. Place cooking sheets into a preheated 350 degree oven or 325 degree convection oven. Roast meatball for 15 minutes, remove pans from oven, turn meatballs over, and return pans to oven for another 15 minutes.
While meatballs are baking, prepare sauce as follows:
Stirring spices into tomato sauce
Gently sauté minced onion in a sauce pan on medium heat for a couple minutes, add minced garlic, and continue cooking for 30 more seconds.
Add tomato paste, 2 cans of water, fish oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning.
Adding in mushrooms
Stir to combine.
Add chopped mushrooms and let mixture simmer.
When meatballs are done roasting, put meatballs and sauce in crock pot, making sure all meatballs have been coated in sauce. Set crock pot on low for longer cooking or on medium or high heat if dinner is to be sooner.
Put a book in the hands of a child and he or she will be transported to worlds unknown. Put a book of lasting value in the hands of a child and he or she will be changed forever!
The magical embrace of a story can lead to places unknown~
Georgie Who Saw the Angel by Sheree Alderman is such a book! As you may know, Sheree edits and enhances these posts with pictures that are both appropriate and humorous at times. Sheree is also a gifted author and editor of books and screen plays. She has been working on this Life Series for children for quite a while, and this first of four books just came out! It is available on Amazon either in print or for any e-reader.
While lessons in trust and self-esteem are always in season, this book is also enhanced by being based smack in the middle of the Christmas story! Just in time for the holidays, this book can become a family treasure; ready to be re-read every holiday for years to come!
I have invited Sheree to supply a description of her first children’s book below! If there are children in your family, there is a need for this tender story to be shared by one and all!
Deidre
Thank you, Deidre!
Georgi is a young camel who just cannot find his way … to anything. His friends, Mya and Rafa, take turns making sure he gets back to the barn in the evenings so he doesn’t spend the entire night outside by himself. Then, one moonlit night, an angel comes to visit Georgi and tells him how special he really is; and how one day he will be the leader amongst kings.
This is the story of how the most unknown, unwanted, and unimportant little camel came to guide a King’s procession to one of the most important events in human history.
Georgi Who Saw the Angel is a “Life Lessons” book from author Sheree Alderman. When you purchase a Life Lessons book, you can feel confident to share it with children and adults of any age. Life Lessons books are wholesome, engaging, and reflect positive values.
Besides, reading Georgi Who Saw the Angel is just good for you!
I just read the title of the food section in today’s newspaper: “Sweeten up the Holidays!” Gadzooks! Do we really need lots more sugar? Now to be sure, Christmas cookies happen; but we should be looking for ways to celebrate using less sugar!
Medi brand knee highs
I want to share with you the results of yesterday’s cookie baking marathon! Thanks to my new Medi-brand maximum-support-knee-highs-without-a-prescription, I was able to happily crank out three batches of macaroons and not kill my legs. Seriously, a wise young Physician’s Assistant recommended these to me and I can genuinely recommend this leg-saving approach to all those who stand a lot. Save your legs NOW! These knee highs are super sheer and really have made the difference in my legs not getting achy and complaining. The best $45 Christmas present to myself … EVER!
Macaroons
Back to macaroons. After our daughter treated us to some designer coconut macaroons from a whole-food-type grocery store, I have longed to recreate some of that tastiness. I think I have found a recipe that can be tweaked in different flavor directions such as mocha, peppermint, cherry, and the like, that could become the centerpiece for your SANE-ish cookies.
Lemon Coconut Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
3 extra large egg whites, room temperature (save those yolks for scrambled eggs using egg whites from a carton)
3 Tbs. raw honey
Honeycombs
2 Tbs. lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
Zest from a whole lemon
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
3 Tbs. all-purpose gluten free flour
1/8 tsp. sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Macaroons
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine coconut, gluten free flour, and salt in a prep bowl.
Beating egg whites
Using the whisk attachment to a hand-held or standing mixer, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the honey, lemon juice, zest, and extract while continuing to whip until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
Pour dry ingredients in and gently fold to incorporate using a rubber/silicone spatula.
Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to drop ball-shaped scoops of cookie mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending upon the size of your scoop.
Yield is about 22 cookies if you use a 1 ½ inch scoop like I did. That size gives a good dimension that is not excessive (trying to hold things down for the holidays), but is enough for a treat.
Now, sugar and honey net the same bodily response. They both turn into glucose and cause an insulin response. My goal with a sweet treat is to keep the sweetness in rein so there is not a major swing in blood sugar levels. Many prefer the unrefined nature of raw honey as in the previous recipe, and that is good. I did use white sugar in the next recipe, but there is just 1/3 of a cup spread out over 20 small macaroons, so I am happy with that. I am sure the sugar could be replaced with honey (probably less than 1/3 cup) if you wish.
Chocolate macaroons
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbs. all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ cup cocoa
2 extra large egg whites, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp. almond extract
Chocolate drizzle macaroons
Chocolate Drizzle: ¼ cup dark chocolate morsels melted with 1 tsp. coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Blend coconut, gluten-free flour, salt, and cocoa in a prep bowl.
Using a hand-held or stand mixer with whip attachment, whip egg whites to the soft peak stage. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and almond extract and whip until glossy and stiff peaks can be formed.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber/silicone spatula until all is incorporated. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, place ball-shaped scoops of mixture onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake about 25 minutes for 1 ½ inch scoop-sized macaroons which will yield about 20 cookies.
If desired, drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
I can easily see how this recipe could use espresso, mint, or finely chopped almonds to change up the flavors!
My third recipe? Well, always being one who is keen on the flavor of almonds, I bought my first-ever box of almond paste and I followed the recipe as printed on the box for almond macaroons. No coconut in these. The reason was, I really wanted to pipe these out with a pastry bag! But because they are sooo sweet (in my book), I made them quite small. You know, “a little dab will do ya’?” My sweet-aholic husband loved these the most, of course! The box’s recipe is follows:
Almond cookies
Almond Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
1 carton Solo Almond Paste
1 extra large egg white
½ cup sugar
They called for maraschino cherries halves for the top, but after reading an article about what’s in those little delights, I decided not to. Yes, I will eat one once in a long while but not this time.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Break almond paste into food processor, add sugar and blend together. Add egg white and blend until a dough ball forms.
Bam! That’s all, folks!
Form into desired shape. I used my largest star tip, (#1M), to create many little treats! Bake in prepared cookie pans. Time in the oven depends upon size. My little guys were done in 12 minutes.
I hope this helps you get into a festive mood to fix treats that aren’t so awful for your health. As you start heading off to holiday parties, remember to either eat correctly before going out and then just nibble at the best choices you can make at the party, or concentrate on the veggie and meat trays and eschew the sweets altogether. If gluten is an absolute no-no for you, remember most store processed meatballs are made with gluten-y bread. Also, no one would fault you if you brought your own gluten-free crackers for dipping or spreads.
Holiday exercise? What holiday exercise? I am trying to awaken my “sleeping bear” of a body now! Let’s not wait until January to fix the damage. Not a big deal, but in addition to the jog out to the mail box, I am dedicating coffee brewing time for a little bit of kitchen exercises: kitchen counter push-ups done in slow motion—eight will do, thank you. Eight slow motion squats. Eight palm-up, straight arm, slow motion arm “flaps.” It’s amazing how refreshing coffee-brewing time well used can make me feel!
Best wishes for a blessed, safe, health holiday season to one and all!
Don’t despair at the thought of having to re-invent your yearly feast. You do not have to throw everything out the door either. We are talking about quality protein; check. Non-starchy vegetables; check, check, check. A small bit of stuffing that’s gluten-free; check. Minimal sugar- yes, it can happen.
A free-range turkey
Let’s look to see how our plates can look still brimming with Designed for Health goodness.
Turkey hunter
Protein: Turkey for me! There are many approaches here. If you have deep pockets, free range turkeys would be the optimal choice. If you don’t have deep pockets, maybe you know a hunter who could supply you with a real prize bird! I am left with the local grocery store, so I aim for a bird that is minimally processed and minimally “enhanced” with very salty broth. Honestly, eating turkey should NOT cause us to have nearly unquenchable thirst after dinner!
If turkey is not your forte, then ham. Certainly, ham will be a big hit on salt, but if you can cut down on adding a lot of salt to the rest of the meal, go for it. Just check the labels on the ham. I have seen hams at Sam’s that are labeled gluten-free. Apparently somewhere in the processing of hams there is gluten involved; maybe as wheat starch. So if you are especially sensitive to gluten, better read the labels carefully. If you are one to use the glaze packets that come with many hams, beware of the long list of ingredients which can contain the unpronounceable Franken-chemicals we do not need to be eating. Try stirring up some organic marmalade with a bit of Dijon mustard for a healthier glaze.
Kale
Non-starchy vegetables are a cinch at Thanksgiving! Collards; Mmmmmm! Asparagus. Carrots. Kale. Spinach. Green beans. The list goes on. The problem, if there is to be one, is what we add to these wholesome foods that renders them unfriendly to our happy, non-inflamed, functioning belly. Adding a can of condensed soup is going to add, not only gluten, but also a long list of unfamiliar ingredients, and an excess of salt. Try just cooking with good fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil) and season with herbs.
Olive oil
Many clean-eating, SANE-eating, Paleo-eating folks really enjoy their sweet potatoes and yams. Bravo to you all; wish I could join you but those healthy tubers just are not in love with my belly. Again, enjoy your tubers, but pouring on brown sugar and marshmallows is a recipe for skyrocketing blood sugars! Be careful. Roasting a pan full of all kinds of root vegetables, tubers, broccoli, onions, and garlic that all have been coated in olive oil and seasoned with herbs is a feast in itself and will not destroy inner balance- even for one day!
Mashed cauliflower
Okay. Mashed potatoes….. Many people have switched out mashed potatoes with mashed cauliflower! I have done that, but I have not been happy with the leftovers. Since there are only two in our house and one of those two declines cauliflower in any form, then it’s sort of hard to fix just a small amount. For me, there will probably be a very modest portion of garlic mashed spuds.
Turkey gravy is great! I hope you are using all of the giblets finely minced in your gravy! Organ meats are infinitely good for us to eat. I save the liver for a pate to help tide us over until dinner is ready; great on gluten-free crackers. Thickening the gravy can easily be done not with flour or corn starch, but with arrowroot flour. Just stir the arrowroot into a half cup of water and stir into the gravy pot as you would have done with cornstarch. Just another way to love your belly!
Stuffing
Stuffing or dressing? Which do you say? I think I switch back and forth! Anyway, since going gluten-free, I have relied on Bob’s Gluten-free Cornbread Mix as a basis for the dressing, augmented by a few slices of gluten-free bread. Sauté a bunch of onion and celery in “happy” butter (Kerrygold brand) with a generous addition of poultry seasoning. Maybe add some chicken broth. Stir in dried and chopped up cornbread and sliced bread, maybe some nuts and dried cranberries, bake, and voila- stuffing! Pass the gravy!
Cranberry sauce is a family favorite, not only as a tasty additive to
Cranberry sauce
our meats, but especially because of the tradition that goes with its preparation. Cleaning and sorting cranberries was my first job in the kitchen as a young child. Such pride and joy in actually helping cook! So much fun to play with the bright red berries floating in the rinse bowl of water! It’s a tradition lovingly passed down to both our children and our grandchildren. We will have to wait until Christmas time to once again to watch our grandchildren being tutored by our daughter, their auntie, in the fine art of cleaning, sorting, seasoning, adding other fruits, and stirring the mystic pot-full of glorious red!We have come to learn that just a half-cup of sugar is enough for one bag of berries when you add the flesh of a sweet orange, a minced Gala or Fugi apple, and a minced pear. I have also added some raspberries for a subtle added flavor. With fresh clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon, it is a family favorite.
Pumpkin pie
Pumpkin pie, anyone? Oh, yes! Where we will be eating this year, I’ll just not eat the crust because of the gluten, but sometime soon, I’ll be preparing a pie of our own using a gluten-free crust. I have used the mix by Glutino which gives a good result, but do not expect to roll it out as with standard pie dough. It’s better to just press the dough into the dish; I have never succeeded rolling out that dough and have always ended up pressing it into the pie pan. There are certainly many gluten-free recipes out there for pie crust; I just haven’t personally settled on one as a favorite. Pie crusts merit a separate blog on another day. If you are really benefiting from going absolutely gluten-free and fixing any kind of crust is too much bother then there is really no hard and fast rule that there has to be pie crust at all! Grease a dish with coconut oil, fill with pie filling, and bake!
Sheree
Best wishes to one and all for a truly heart-felt day of thanks– hopefully with the loving companionship of friends and family. It’s a time of sharing our plenty and giving our thanks. I am so grateful to my co-creator, Sheree Alderman, who fleshes out my ramblings with creative titles and extra pictures when needed. Many thanks to my Designed for Health class participants for their enthusiasm and encouragement; keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your progress with me!
In the coming months, my goal is to give my subscribers a free download ebooklette! It’s still under wraps, but is definitely coming your way! Please share this site with your friends so we can journey together toward the health we were designed to have. As always, your personal information is never shared when you subscribe; you will just get an email notice and link when a new post is made.
We all were reluctant to bring our Designed Health Series to an end. After setting the ground work for a new way of thinking about our entire approach to what is the best for us to eat and why, we were smack in the middle of reconstructing our menu content and sharing recipes when time ran out! But our link remains here until we meet again for follow-up sessions.
NOPE! THE OTHER MOOSE…..
Have you made any “Magic Mousse” yet? There is nothing to it! It really is: just melt the chocolate while stirring in the water and dash of salt, then beat the melted mixture in a bowl placed in an ice bath for several minutes with a whisk attachment to your mixer and “Voila!” mousse appears! Check the Halloween post for details. You can do it! Use regular whipped cream if you have to, but the Coconut Cream is so yummy and dairy free!
Our early sessions had to do with our mind-set. Everything starts with that ole’ central computer! All of what we do, really, is a habit, so we deconstructed what habits were and how they worked in order to understand how to “tweak” them in a more favorable direction for improved health. Understanding that a habit “trigger” could be just walking out to get the newspaper each morning, which could easily be switched to jogging out and back to the mail box. Not a big deal but a little something in the right direction. With this cooler fall weather, it’s a cinch to jog out and back to the mailbox. Then, maybe, once the daily quick jog is second nature, longer walks or jogs could be added; maybe just around the house before returning inside to read the paper. Most of us are using the initial swish of water first thing each morning to be our trigger to drink 1-2 glasses of water. It’s a habit now, with no real thinking involved.
Something I am working on is finding the motivation to start a load of laundry. True confession: I tend to let things pile up in that regard until I am faced with marathon loads. So, I am starting a load of laundry now as I make my path to the kitchen to start the coffee. No decision making. No conversation with myself on if I want to start a load. Just, “what am I washing today?” So far, this has been very successful for me to incorporate into my daily pattern. We agreed that the goal is not the “Goal” but the process of minute gradual improvements that are consistent.
We began following Jonathan Bailor’s explanation of the Calorie Myth concept wherein counting calories is pretty pointless if that process is in exchange for looking at the quality and content of our food. Clearly, 300 calories of candy bar will have a different effect on the body than 300 calories of leafy green veggies or 300 calories of protein. He cited studies and individual cases where simply reducing the number of calories consumed each day—and possibly exercising more—was actually a recipe for failure at long-term weight loss and control. Disaster, really.
We studied what major nutrients are derived from food and how they interact with our body. Starchy carbohydrates and sugary foods not only cause great swings in blood sugar, but can actually feed the craving for more starches and sugars through the stimulation of the opiate receptors in our brains. Thus, starchy and sugary foods are not satisfying in the long term.
What is satisfying? What can we eat to “hold” us for hours? Proteins, whole food fats from avocado, coconut, olives, nuts/seeds, and non-starchy vegetables. Class participants shared how a veggie-filled omelet held them past their usual lunch hour! No toast, no bagel—just protein and veggies cooked in a pan with “good” fat—“happy butter” from grass fed cows, coconut oil, or olive oil.
We looked at what constitutes an anti-inflammatory diet. With virtually all diseases having roots in the inflammatory process, not contributing to inflammation through our food choices seems natural, basic, and what we were designed to do. Sugar is inflammatory. Grains are inflammatory. Grains—that includes wheat, barley, and rye to eliminate the gluten, and the other grains as well such as corn, soy, rice, and the legumes to eliminate the phytates which block absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and others.
While not everyone has the natural response to gluten which should be a total “no-go,” some of us have evolved to tolerate some level of the “poison” in our bodies. Which are you? How do you know for sure? There certainly are blood tests which are delineated on the Celiac.org website, but try going totally gluten-free for 30-60 days. Not only will you lose weight because of not eating starches at every meal, but you will likely discover a more pain-free body. Those achy joints won’t be crying out for more pain meds. You belly will be happier. Less bloating; less gas. Then, at the end of 30-60 days, see how going back to gluten works for you………….
One of my sweetest moments recently was when a Designed for Health class participant pulled me aside to show off her remarkably slimmer body; her decidedly slimmer face; and best of all, her ability to once again wear a ring! Getting off gluten and onto an anti-inflammatory diet clearly took away the inflammation in her previously swollen finger joints. She was joyous to don that precious family heirloom on her finger as a testament to how much better she was feeling!
One night in class, we changed the old IN-SANE food pyramid to create a SANE plateful of food:
We then started sharing how we were doing this. Recipes started flying around the room! Norman has much success grilling not only his meats but his vegetables—all coated with olive oil—even beets! Ellen described her carrot/beet/parsnip fritters. Someone else offered her recipe for chocolate pudding: ¼ cup cocoa, 1 avocado, 3 Medjool dates, ¼ cup coconut/almond milk all whipped up in a blender or food processor.
Raw ingredients
Speaking of beets….with much fear and trepidation, I bought my first EVER fresh, raw beets to use in fixing Ellen’s fritters. My childhood exposure to canned, diced beets used to stretch left-over stew into something called “Red Flannel Hash” had left me permanently traumatized! It would be hard to appreciate what it took for me to “man up” right there in the green goods isle at Harris Teeter to look at, touch, and put three fresh beets with long stems and admittedly beautiful leaves into my basket! But with Ellen and Norman’s words ringing in my ears, I did it!
We were leaving the class the last night and Ellen was trying to remember all of the ingredients to her fritters, and I added some onion as well, so here’s our recipe”:
Carrot, Beet, Parsnip Fritters
Put ingredients in mixing bowl
2 carrots- peeled and grated
1 parsnip- peeled and grated
1 beet- peeled and grated
¼ of a large onion- grated
1-2 eggs
1-2 large cooking/serving spoons of coconut flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Place all of the grated vegetables into a bowl.
Toss/mix veggies
Mixing up veggies
Add first egg and first large spoonful of coconut flour along with salt and pepper. Combine to incorporate all ingredients. If your mixture looks and feels like it needs more “glue” to stick together into patties, then add the additional egg and coconut flour. I did because the beet and parsnip seemed to be large.
Adding in the egg and flour
Here’s the tricky part. I formed the patties by hand, squeezing a little extra as Ellen advised, but they still seemed a bit loose. Next time, I will be tempted to use a hamburger press. Just be aware that there will be beautiful red juice dripping out when squeezing and forming these patties, so have a juice catcher handy or squeeze over the sink. Amazing though. As beautiful and rosy red as the beet juice is, it never stained my counter tops! I’ve had strawberries stain my counter and I was prepared to have quite a time cleaning up, but there were no problems! Beets! My new friends!
Saute
Anyway, form the patties and place in a hot skillet with olive oil and fry a few minutes on each side.
In the meantime, slice up the beet tops and sauté in olive oil and season with a bit of crushed red pepper and sea salt.
Beet tops cooking
When everything is done, you will have a beautiful serving plate full of color and nutrition! I was absolutely amazed at the mild yet wonderful flavor of the beet tops! And the fritters were such a treat.
This recipe ended up making a lot of fritters! I enjoyed them as-is as leftovers, but one thing I really loved was adding some of the fritters (or the crumbly parts that didn’t want to stick together enough) to my chicken soup. Turns out I was working on gradually eating a fresh “vat” of rich chicken bone broth soup that I have posted on before. By adding the beet fritters, not only did I add even more nutrition to my soup, but I instantly turned it into Borscht (Russian for beet soup)! What color! What flavor!
Finished product!
Beets are not just red. They are more like a deep raspberry red. What a great color! Now I have a new, powerhouse vegetable to love!
Until next time when I’ll share a great resource for kid-friendly recipes that are “Designed for Health” and two versions of gluten-free waffles. Just in time for a chilly morning!
At the conclusion of the seventh and last session of my Designed for Health series, I was able to share with the participants a little magic secret: Two (or three) Ingredient Chocolate Mousse!
No, not this kind of moose!
With the Halloween season upon us, it’s only fitting to add some magic to the scene. Knowing that chocolate is a very allowable whole food fat source, this is a tasty, satisfying, and potentially elegant way to enjoy all of the goodness that chocolate can impart. The best part, this is so rich that one recipe will go a long way—I seriously wanted to use demitasse spoons to serve this, but I didn’t have any.
Anyway, there are a few versions of this floating around cyberspace, but this one does it for me and proved to be a real crowd-pleaser. Follow me as we journey through the land of Magic Mousse!
Recipe for Magic Mousse
4 oz. dark chocolate
3 oz. water **
Pinch of salt
Recipe for Magic Whipped Topping
Coconut cream from one can full fat coconut milk
Vanilla or almond extract
½ tsp. sugar- optional
Method
While higher concentrations of cocoa are desirable– because a big hit of sweetness is not the goal of eating chocolate that is good for you as opposed to sugary concoctions disguised as chocolate that are not good for you—I settled on a bar that’s 60% cocoa and is also flavored with mint. This is a good level of cocoa especially for palate’s not accustomed to higher concentrations.
I actually doubled the recipe for the mousse, so these chocolate pictures reflect double ingredients. Place the chocolate and water in a sauce pan and slowly melt, stirring with a whisk. Being someone who does not waste a drop of chocolate, I used the whisk
Melting chocolate
attachment from the electric beater I will use in a few moments.
**Note: the fluid amount of 3 ounces could be a combination of 2 oz. water and 1 oz. of spirits! I have used brandy in the past, and the results are superb!
Melted chocolate
Once the chocolate is melted and the fluid incorporated, remove from the heat. Transfer the melted chocolate mixture into a small bowl and place that bowl in an ice bath (ice cubes and water).
Chocolate in ice water
I am blessed to own these flexible silicone bowls (thank you Pampered Chef!) and the flexibility really comes in handy here. I pinch the bowl top together during the first few minutes of whipping to avoid chocolate spray going everywhere! What you do here is beat, beat, beat….
This double recipe took me every bit of 12 minutes! I remember the single recipe taking over five minutes. But this is where the MAGIC is! You think nothing is ever going to happen. You check. Nope. You check again. Nope. Then you think you noticed a slight change in the texture…was it real? Then, BLAM! It’s mousse! It can actually be easy to over-beat this and get something much firmer than mouse– which would require re-heating and re-beating. My mousse has turned out a little on the firmer side, but it is still nice!
So now, you dish this Magic Mousse into the desired serving dishes. I was taking this batch to class, so I used 2 ounce condiment containers with snap lids, but at home I would use 2 ounce soufflé cups. For extra fanciness, one could use a pastry bag and prettily pipe the mousse into the cups!
Moose
For the Magic Whipped Topping, chill the can of full fat coconut milk for 2 hours in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer so when you open the can, you are greeted with beautiful, white coconut cream.
Carefully spoon the coconut cream into (the same) small bowl—again, I just do not want to waste a drop of the chocolate, so if there is left-over chocolate on the whip or in the bowl—fine by me! Save the rest of the coconut milk for a smoothie, a gravy, or cook in some rice for added lusciousness.
Whipped cream in ice bath
With the coconut cream bowl in the ice bath, whip, whip, whip… when things start looking like whipped cream, add the vanilla or almond extract and dab of sugar, if desired, and keep beating away until it looks like this:
Whipped cream
Then put a dollop of the whipped cream on the mouse, and voila!
You have yourself an amazing creation that looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen— but that can be our little secret!
Seriously, this is rich! I prefer to savor this using a tiny spoon we used to feed our babies, so I am definitely in the market for demitasse spoons now!
My next blog will be a summary of what was covered during our Designed for Health Series and will also include some recipes the class participants shared as they are eating foods that are naturally healthful.
I never thought I would really get weighed down by stuff. I am not a collector. Collecting figurines or a pretty series of don’t-eat-on-me plates just never appealed; maybe because, at heart, I detest dusting. I have learned through the moving process, though, we generally saved either the wrong stuff or, mostly, too much stuff.
Having moved into our home some 34 years ago, raising two wonderful children, starting and pioneering a video production company in Eastern North Carolina, returning to college for nursing, teaching for 17 years, collecting partial household goods from both sides of our family, and retiring from video and teaching, we have gathered a lot of stuff.
Stuff can eat you alive. It creeps in around you, slowly but surely getting a choke hold around your neck.
Eating too much of highly processed foods, oils, and truck loads of sugar can be like accidentally gathering too much stuff, too. You just know you don’t feel as light and free as you used to. You are literally weighed down by what feels like sludge.
While I exercised a throw-out mentality at least twice a year with the closet change of seasons, clearly I was not doing enough. Similarly, we all may be seen making brief spurts in “eating better,” only to return to gathering sludge.
As the participants in my Designed for Health class are learning, making small, sustainable changes in their eating and life styles is becoming a daily habit. Change is no good if done in a quick flourish with over-charged engines. Gradual and consistent. A couple glasses of water first thing in the morning. The “ah-ha” moment of enjoying a Keystone breakfast’s lasting energy until past lunch time– which begs to easily be repeated.
These are sustainable. And liberating. Lightening. Empowering.
Right now, I am in the throes of moving most of my “stuff” from one level of the house to another in preparation for installing new flooring throughout the main living level. Closets, too! With an installation date finally on the calendar, I have to take a back step on meaningful food blogs.
However, as I am seeing ways to sell and give away as much as possible—believe me, if I am not going to realistically be using or wearing something, it will not be returning to its original location in our living space—I can see a distinct parallel to eating pure, whole food that is easily digestible. Like the excess stuff, body sludge will be gone with better, cleaner food choices!
You may find a little closet and drawer cleaning to be liberating, too! I have vowed to my children not to leave them with our house stuffed to the rafters with “stuff”. Really, there will be no museum in my name to document every breath and possession. I have done that kind of post-mortem “museum” clean outs twice, now, and I wouldn’t wish that task on anyone.
Similarly, in taking better care of our bodies, we are lightening the load for our families as we maintain our health to enjoy their company, not to rob them of their energies taking care of the avoidable diseases we are headed for with unwise eating patterns.
So, whether you are just starting out, wishing you could afford good “stuff”, or you are just plum proud of the good “stuff” surrounding you, or you are over-loaded with “stuff” and wondering what to do with it all, I challenge you to understand what life is all about. At the end of our life, will we be wishing for more “stuff”? No. We will want more time with our loved ones.
It’s a matter of choice. Everything is. And it’s a responsibility. Choose to lighten your load. Your physical load and your material load. It just feels so darn good to be free of physical sludge and environmental clutter. Freedom!
Nut Muffins
