Chocolate Fix

Here's a tip. Let's be honest, sometimes throughout the day or even when you are done with your tasks at night, you need a little chocolate fix. You don't need a whole bar, just a square, a snip-it, a morsel that soothes that inner chocolate gland that's sounding like an alarm. I know this alarm well, so it makes me extra conscious of the treats I keep in the house, this being the only one I bring home, it's my one cheat. So let me spill the beans. I buy the Dark Chocolate "Pounder Plus" from Trader Joe's. It's more than a pound of dark chocolate (72% cocoa) goodness that comes in perfect, little bite size squares. I chop it up on my cutting board and store it in a little jar on my butcher block- out of constant sight, but not in a secret hiding spot... somewhere in between the two. Then when the moment hits, I simply indulge in my chocolate fix, replace the lid, and carry on as I was before! Only one rule for me: only one trip to the chocolate jar each day.... that's not to say that there haven't been days when those sneaky fingers of mine grab a second piece on that solo trip though!


** And if you prefer, they carry Pounder Plus in Milk Chocolate too!

Oil of Oregano... a diamond in the rough!

Okay, this is my newest find, and I am so EXCITED about it! I am just sad to know that I am just now discovering it. I wish I had know about it in years past, especially when I was teaching!!! Anyhow, for those of you who have not met, without further a-do, I present to you... Mr. Oil of Oregano.

This little bottle packs a big punch and helps ward off sickness like nothing I have tried before. It blows Airborne and E-mergency out of the water by a long shot. It is completely natural and is derived from wild oregano plants (much different than the oregano we cook with) and is considered a purifier to the body and an excellent early defense mechanism when you feel sickness coming on. It destroys bacteria especially in the skin and the digestive track, increases respiratory health, aides in sinus congestion, and strengthens your immune system remarkably. It also is know to calm and aid in digestive issues and calm irritated gums or itchy skin. If you have kids, work around kids or with the public this is a great item to keep in your medicine cabinet.

If you are in the need for an immune booster, consider purchasing this oil (make sure you get the right kind, Carvacol concentration that is at least 70 %) and be sure to dilute it in a bit of water or juice (when used internally) or oil (when used topically) because of the high concentration levels. You can use olive oil or coconut oil as transfer oil (I used a drop of this in a tsp of coconut oil on my daughters face when she had a bacterial rash on her chin). If you end up taking this supplement continuously then you may need to look into an iron supplement because it can block iron absorption over a long period of time (so thus not recommended to pregnant moms to take continually). The ONLY down fall to this fantastic little gem is the strong taste and burning in your nose feeling you feel for about 30 seconds afterwards (I felt compelled to be a straight shooter with you my readers!) But you would rather a nasty taste for a few seconds or a nasty cold??? That's what I thought!

Cleanse Update...

Here's a NOT-SO-QUICK update on the cleanse I am doing!!! I am still eating a vegan/vegetarian diet (I say that for clarity sake because I have incorporated eggs back into my diet more than once a week and I have continued to cook with chicken broth) AND I did have a "Cheat Day" for about 24 hours because we had a birthday party (and I made & brought dessert = majorly tempting!) and we went to a wedding in LA and didn't think I could ask the waiter man for a "Vegan Friendly Meal".... so I ate the vegetarian one that had cream sauce and cheese. But can I tell you this, I felt like CRUMB afterwards. I had the worse stomach ache, I felt heavy, bloated, and overly full- and it was enough to convince me that I wanted to hop back on my cleansing diet as soon as I returned home because I feel significantly better eating this way.

Now that I am coming up on the 6th week here, I had been mulling over in my head what I will do when my cleanse is through, and for the most part I think I will stick fairly close to what I am doing now. Here's my game plan, not perfected, but what I am thinking as of now:

I will continue with lots of raw fruits and veggies, I will continue to incorporate eggs, brown rice pastas, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fish (twice a week) and chicken once a week (this is for convenience sake more than anything else so I don't feel trapped when eating out or away from home). To ME there is a need for balance and flexibility, I don't want my diet to rule my life but I know it plays a HUGE role in HOW I feel in this life and that is where, for me, the balance lies.

One of the important questions that has been on my mind as I have made this shift in my diet is making sure I am doing it in a healthy manner. I wanted to make sure I get enough protein because you can't just stop eating meat and start considering yourself a vegetarian, it's more than that. And actually, many people have asked me what I do for protein now, so here's a quick blurb on the issue of protein:

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, in his book Eat To Live gives an easy way to figure out how much protein you body needs daily, simply multiple your weight times 0.36 g. So, for a 120 pound woman, 44 grams of protein would be sufficient. For a 150 pound male 54 grams would do, and for a 25 pound child 9 grams would be the requirement. (If you are pregnant or nursing you should up your intake by 25 grams or multiply your weight by 1.1 grams instead). A diet too high in protein can be hard on your kidney and cause other complications such as kidney stones.

Here's a Quick List of Protein Amounts (I chose to include foods that I eat lots of, but there are charts all over the Internet if you are looking for a specific food that's not listed here)...

Grams of Good Protein: (everything is measured in 1 cup unless otherwise noted)

Lentils- 18 g

Adzuki Beans- 17 g

White Beans- 17 g

Split Peas- 16 g

Black Bean- 15 g

Kidney- 13 g

Pinto- 12 g

Kidney- 13 g

Quinoa- 9 g

Peanut Butter (2 TBSP) - 8 g

Almonds (1/4 cup)- 8 g

Sunflower Seeds (1/4 cup) 8 g

Pistachio (1/4 cup)- 6 g

Couscous- 6 g

Oatmeal-6 g

1 Egg- 6 g

Steel Cut Oats (1/4 cup)- 5 g

Cashews (1/4 cup)- 5 g

Brown Rice- 5 g

Spinach- 5 g

Brown Rice Noodles- 4 g

Broccoli- 4 g

Brussel Sprouts- 4 g

Potato- 4 g

Sweet Potato- 3 g

Ezekiel Bread (Cinnamon Raisin)- 3 g

Kale- 2.5

Rutabaga- 2 g

Squash- 2 g

** For reference, a grilled chicken breast has 42 g of protein and aFillet Steak has about 30 g and a Salmon Steak has about 25 g (per 100 grams).

As you can see, it is quite easy to fulfill your protein intake even without the consumption of any meats. Other questions I got asked was do I eat any carbs and do I get enough calories? I do eat carbs such as Quinoa, Brown Rice, Brown Rice Pasta, Couscous, Harvest Grains, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, other roots, spelt or corn tortillas, Ezekiel bread, nuts and seeds, and more that I am not thinking of right now. As far as calories go, I get plenty of them! I am snacking all day on baby carrots, hummus, fruits, veggies, a handful of nuts and I eat 3 good meals each day. I do feel like I have more energy than normal (plenty of energy to work out to answer Christy's question!) and feel lighter and "overall better" consuming these foods than the ones I was eating pre-cleanse. Hope that answers some of the questions I've been asked that maybe were floating around your head too, but keep them coming and share your wisdom with me, this is all a learning process!

*** One last note- regardless of the diet I choose, I always make it a priority to continue my intake of supplements. One of the most important supplements you can take, especially for women, is Vitamin D. See this post for more.

Abundant Harvest Organics

A few of my friends in town and a handful from out of town have told me about different co-ops that they have joined to support local farmers and have access to fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce. So after way to long, I decided to give one a whirl and I was pretty impressed with the quality and price. I logged onto Abundant Harvest Organics and signed up to receive a large box of produce and picked it that week at their drop off location on Saturday. Here's a sneak peak at what I got:

In the box was a TON of fresh spinach (3 Large Ziplock Bags full), green cabbage, butter lettuce, 12 crowns of broccoli, 2 rutabagas, 3 parsnips, a dozen oranges & tangerines, and a dozen apples. Next week, I am going to change my order to a small box (because we had broccoli coming out our ears!) and I am going to do some add-ons like black beans, brown rice, some herbs, and possibly some eggs. They have a ton of different add-ons ranging from more citrus or fresh, seasonal fruit to dried beans and lentils, to chickens, grass fed beef and dairy products. It may be something you might be interested in looking into. They have many locations and seemed really reasonably priced (to me) for fresh, seasonal, local, organic produce, just thought I would pass on the info! We are going to try it out for a bit and see how it works for our family.

New Year Cleanse....

So, it has been awhile since I have posted, the holidays kept us busy with lots of cooking and baking, delivering and traveling, and eating, too much eating- so I am just now getting a moment to post my newest New Year's Plan- I am doing a vegan cleanse to kick off the New Year. I have done a handful of cleanses in the past and love the way I feel physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally when I follow through with it. If you've never done one, it's a great challenge in discipline, it helps you see what you REALLY are eating, the "detox" part helps you see how many toxins you have built up in your system, and the clear mind, energy, restful nights, and overall good healthy feel makes you realize how much food really does impact your day to day life.

So, here's my 6 week plan for the cleanse, I am already finishing up week 1 and feel great- honest, really, REALLY great (although I felt really junky the first 4 days, not going to lie about that) but it was evidence to me that my body needed to detox and get rid of the junk in my system and get a fresh start. I am not claiming to be a "certified anything" on here so look into what would be right with you, especially if you have previous health conditions, but I think you would be amazed at the results- so if you feel up for it give it a whirl, join in the fun! For clarity sake, I have cut out all animal products (including meat, dairy, cheese, butter, limited eggs- I per week) as well as sugar, processed foods, and minimal wheat (like 2 pita's a week). Any snacks or munchies during the day are raw fruits and veggies. And when I am about to loose my marbles on any given night... I sneak a bite of 71% dark chocolate bar to help me with my sanity!

This is just what I have mapped out from my reading, research and studies- mostly from some favorite places and people :

• Dr.Furhman
• Eat to Live, Disease Proof Your Children (Furhman's books)
• Dr. Mercola
• Clean Food (cook book)
• Gearsen Therapy

So, for this 6 weeks I have made it my task to remove any animal products from my diet- which seemed daunting at first, but with a few new recipes and my new Christmas Present Cook Book "Clean Food", I felt encouraged and like I had some direction. I would challenge you, even if you aren't up for the cleanse to see if you can eliminate some animal products from your meals, maybe just one meal a week- to not only save around your waist line, your internal health, but also in your pocket book!

My cleanse started out with a 24 hour water fast... that's right, nothing but water from 3 pm until the following days dinner. And like with any fasting, break your fast gently with something light like a baked sweet potato or light bowl of soup.

Here's what my breakfasts will look like for the week these 6 weeks:

Sunday: 1 piece of Ezekiel (cinnamon raisin) bread, almond butter, 1 piece of fresh fruit

Monday: Green Smoothie (kale, tomatoes, carrots, flaxseed, brewers yeast, + fruit) & 1 handful almonds

Tuesday: 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 oz raw cashews, 1 piece fresh fruit

Wednesday: 2 egg whites or 1 egg, 2 oz raw walnuts, 2 pieces fresh fruit

Thursday: Green Smoothie (kale, tomatoes, carrots, flaxseed, brewers yeast, + fruit) & 1 handful almonds

Friday: 1 cup steel cut oats, 1 oz raw cashews, 1 piece fresh fruit

Saturday: 2 pieces fresh fruit, 2 oz. mixed nuts, 1 TBSP flax seed

* I also start the day with a glass of water with a half of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

When I first looked at that line up I thought "yeah right I will starve" and the first few days I did feel super hungry, but as my body adjusted to the new "normal" I felt really content, light, and energized by these breakfasts.

You may also have noticed I did allow myself 1 egg per week (not very vegan of me) but it was allowed by Dr. Furhman in his book, "Eat to Live" in which he reminds you to give yourself some room for adjustment- I chose to allow myself 1 egg and the use of chicken broth in some of my soups. That was worth a cheat for me.

As for lunches and dinners, I got a few recipes from my sister and used a few recipes I already had on this blog- using some small modifications where necessary. I will list some recipes I used and then post some new ones as well. Even if you're not doing in the cleanse, you still might enjoy the change up, you would be surprised how tasty they are!

Vegan Recipes Already on this Blog:

• 17 Mixed Bean Soup (minus the ground turkey)
• Spinach Salad with Nuts, Crans, & Apples
• Black Bean Soup
• White Bean Salad
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Brown Rice Medley
• Grilled Veggies
• Swiss Chard
• Harvest Grains (minus the butter)
• Mango Sorbet
• Santa Fe Salad (minus chicken & chesse)
• Oat 'Nana Pucks (minus the chocolate chips... or not, I won't tell!)
• Green Veggie Salad (Lots and lots of this!!!)
• Guacamole
• Snappin' snap Peas
• Asparagus
• Confetti Slaw
• Cucumber Salad
• Artichokes
• Strawberry Salad (minus the chicken)
• Steel Cut Oats
• Taco Salad (minus the meat & cheese)
• Kale Smoothie
• Split Pea Soup (minus the ham)
• Harvest Potato Soup

***The only thing that would disqualify any of these recipes would be the use of chicken broth (so you can use veggie broth is you prefer) or a pinch of sugar in a salad dressing.... but I never was one to comb through things with a fine toothed comb anyhow ;)

Let me know if you try it out.... I will tell you that you won't feel the results of the cleanse without doing it with complete commitment (24 hour detox first, then the healthy eating to follow) how do I know this??? Reason # 1. because I used to think I would have an eternal headache if I didn't eat meat and I don't- I actually feel WAY better off of meat than I every would have imagined. AND Reason # 2. because my sweet husband is eating what I am eating for the most part (with the exception of some lunches and snacks) and he's not feeling it like I am! Thanks for being a good sport honey, I always seem to drag you into my crazy ideas!

So, if you don't have a New Year's goal OR if your New Year's goal was to eat better or loose weight, you really might want to consider this! ("Eat to Live" says you can loose up to a pound a day up to 20 pounds or more by switching to a vegan life style).

Kreativ Blog Award...

Here's a little something funny, my wee little recipe blog got itself nominated for a wee little award.... Here's what I was to do since being nominated...

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. ---A big Thank you to my sister, Danika, for her encouragement and swapping recipe ideas with me, it's always fun to cook with someone even if it's over many miles!!!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award. (Is It Lupus)
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know. (see below)
5. Nominate Kreativ Bloggers.
* I also herby nominate Little Birdie Secrets for their great ideas, they have some of everything on their blog, I don't know how those girls do it, but they are one crafty bunch and I love getting inspired by their blog! Thanks ladies, keep it up!!!
* I also herby nominate Jill at Home made by Jill for her creativity and serious sewing skills, there are oddles of things I would love to make on her blog... if I only had the time!!!
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated.

Seven Things You May Not Know About Me:
1. I only blog on Tuesday's during my daughters nap, with the rare occasion that I forgot to post my meal plan, then I quickly post that on Sunday's if I remember. Love that "Post Option" feature so I can spread my posts out during the week!

2. I never cooked until I got to college... and even then I didn't even take up a love for it until the last few years!

3. I have never taken a sewing class and I have only ever used one pattern, but I would love to eventually do both!

4. I used to teach 1st grade and I miss that as my creative brain outlet.... but I don't miss the stress!

5. I love to create, and cooking has become that outlet for me ever since I made the decision to stay at home with my daughter! It gives me something new to try and keeps my routine from getting stale!

6. I wish my entire family could live within a few minutes drive, that would be sweet to my heart.

7. I heart Christmas ... and chocolate. :)

Fresh Ginger Tip!

A "nugget" of ginger, usually they are larger and look like a piece of coral...

The "nugget" without his skin, a yellowish color inside

Ok, I use ginger in a TON of recipes, here's a way to save some cash and use fresh ginger at the same time. I buy a peice of ginger root, peel it with the carrot peeler, then pop it in a zip lock bag and stick it in the freezer DOOR (so I can find it quickly!). Then when ever my recipe calls for ginger, I use a grater (which works great of frozen hard ginger!) and it's fresh to boot! Hope that helps!