Throwing Things Together

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I’m not the best at following recipes, sticking to exact measurements, or using required ingredients for that matter. Instead I prefer to ‘intuitively’ throw things together – which sometimes works, and sometimes just really doesn’t.

Last night I (kind of) followed this recipe from 101 cookbooks for a cauliflower rice bowl (which also included a lovely insight into blogging + the process of creating recipes). I made a few alternatives based on what I already had in the kitchen.

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I swapped the spices for fresh thyme, the radishes for roasted carrots, hazelnuts for walnuts, goat cheese for brie with bread on the side, and added the whole juice of an orange… instead of 1 T (oops) and it turned out just fine.

It reminded of me that I can use recipes as a guide to PLAY, which takes the pressure off – and leaves me with an edible dish.

So do your thing just as you do and enjoy the feast that follows.  And if you are in need of a few guides / recipes for fall squashes, these might just do the trick for :

acorn squash or butternut squash.

 

 

 

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Raw Chocolate

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This recipe from Wellness Mama guided me to make the most delicious little chocolates. The only problem is they are REALLY good at disappearing… like I made them on Tuesday and they are practically all gone. Oops.

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This recipe is simple and waaaay better than any processed halloween candy you may or may not have lying around the house. So throw that out – and make this instead, or just get yourself some good quality chocolate.

Here’s what you need:

1 cup of cocoa butter

1 cup of cacao powder

1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of coconut sugar (or your sweeter of choice)

1 t vanilla

optional: sea salt + peanut butter !! These make them rock extra hard!

some kind of mold (I used a rubber ice-cube tray and this chocolate mold – I suppose you could also make a bark in a sheet pan too)

Here’s what you do:

Melt the cup of cacao butter in a double boiler. Once it is melted, take off heat and mix in cacao powder + vanilla + sugar. Mix, mix, mix. Taste – and adjust as needed.

Get a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper – place molds on top. Pour liquid chocolate into molds. If you want to add peanut butter – fill mold with a bit of chocolate, then add some peanut butter and cover it up with chocolate. Add a sprinkle of good quality sea salt to the tops and let rest to harden. You can transfer to fridge – or let sit until it’s ready.

I put mine in a tupperware in the fridge… so they’d keep well and they would kind of be out of sight out of mind… that only kind of worked.

Let me know how it goes if you try it!

 

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Scared of Fat

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I used to eat Greek yogurt, the 2% or fat free kind. Since I have been in Greece I have been enjoying Greek yogurt again, but this time – the full fat kind.

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A few years ago (before Integrative Nutrition) my friend Ashley got a full fat Greek yogurt by mistake, but she ate it anyway. I was horrified – that was so much fat! I was under the impression that fat made you fat, so clearly fat free was the healthier choice.

I’ve learned a lot since then, and I’m not scared of the good fat anymore. Ashley was on to something. Our bodies need fat, and if we don’t give it the good kind we are going to seriously crave the bad processed kind. Plus, full fat Greek yogurt tastes like an absolute dream.

There are so many diets, theories, and guidelines out there, but the most important thing you can do is listen to what your body wants. The more you listen to it, the more it tells you and the better you will feel.

For more on fat: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fat-is-where-its-at/

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Refined Sweetness

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I used to eat sugar cubes by the handful. I have since learned the effects of sugar and now I make sure to have good quality sweetnes whenever I can.

There are so many alternatives to white sugar and I am wondering how they are made and what the differences are.  Here is the first of series of sweet posts.

Since studying at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition I have become increasingly curious about how food ends up on the shelves at the super market, and which products are the best for my body.  So let’s start with what nearly every American consumes daily:

domino-sugar

Refined White Sugar:

It begins with sugar cane (or the roots of sugar beets).   The tall grasses have stalks filled with cane juice.  The  juice is released and then there is the boiling, filtering, evaporating, crystallizing, separating from the molasses, washing, and de-coloring process that produces the fine white sugar crystal that we all know and sometimes love (or hate that we love).

All the trace minerals and nutrients are stripped away during this process.  You end up with a powder that spikes your blood sugar and leaves you hungry for more sweetness once you crash, and the crash is inevitable.  This is why sugar is so incredibly addicting.

Enter big gulps, and bite sized candy that you can never just have one of.  I do my best to stay away from sugary processed foods, because otherwise a fun size bag of kit-kats will be gone in one afternoon.

Now I wonder what goes into making brown sugar, sucanat, turbindo, stevia, coconut sugar, or agave and if they are any better.

Stay tuned.  There is tremendous power in being informed.

 

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Clear out the Cupboards

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We are moving to Germany for 6 months (!), and this relocation has prompted an early cupboard spring cleaning.  I rarely clean out the cupboards, and to my delightful surprise, I had so many healthy gems hiding in the backs of the shelves that I completely forgot about.  Luckily, I was able to rescue some before their expiration date.

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Here is what I rediscovered:

  •  Yerba Mate Tea: Great alternative if you want caffeine without the coffee.
  •  Amaranth, Teff, Buckwheat, Barley: Grains were a staple in ancient civilizations’ diets for a good reason.  They are easy to prepare and highly nutritious, complete with protein and fiber.
  • Quinoa Flakes:  Can be used in baked goods to add a nutty flavor and a bit of protein.
  • Hazelnut Butter: My, oh my – this stuff is so divine, I can’t believe I forgot it was in the cabinet.  Use like you would any other nut butter, or add a bit of cacao powder to make homemade Nutella.

So as spring emerges and you tackle your closets, give your cabinets a sweep, and let me know what you find.  You may find it oddly satisfying as you are motivated to get creative with your discoveries.

We are all way more likely to eat healthy if we have healthy options available and on hand.  Just make sure that they can be seen when you open your cabinet doors!  I packed the essentials: my cacao powder, cacao nibs, and Vitamix will get prime real estate in their new cabinets.

Even though our little family is trading in Brooklyn for Frankfurt for these next 6 months, business will be as usual.  I even have some fresh new programs ready for you, so take a look!  Don’t hesitate to reach out if you feel like your health and wellness could use an upgrade.  I’m here for you – that’s what I do.

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