Flowfit

Did you know you need to keep nuts and seeds in the freezer?

Neither did I!

In a nutrtition seminar last night, we learned that nuts AND seeds go rancid VERY quickly!  Not surprising, but exactly HOW quickly they turn was!  Just blending them in with your smoothies is enough to start them on their way to rancidity….. unless you freeze them.

Being the need to know kinda girl I am, I started researching, and sure enough it’s true!! (not that I doubted you Big Dawg).  Not only nuts and seeds, but flours as well should be kept in the freezer.

Because of their high fat content, many seeds, nuts, and flours, can go rancid quickly, especially at room temperature. Even more so if they are chopped or ground or blended.

Freezing them makes them last longer.

Enter mason jars….

I love mason jars… especially the vintage ones with the glass lid inserts.  You can either get a new box of mason jars for about $20.00 or go to your local vintage shops or garage sales to hunt for them and pay only a few cents.  I love the trill of a good hunt and finding exactly what I was looking for – the season is upon us (yay!). How environmentally friendly to use your handy (and free of the icky chemicals in plastic) storage containers for your pretty little nuts and seeds.

LOVE it!

When you are ready to eat your nuts (or seeds) or use them in baking, there is no need to thaw.  Personally however, I like my nuts gently roasted to give them that extra little crunch and bring out that toasty flavour.  And since I don’t buy salted nuts, adding a bit of avocado oil and sea salt (even some cumin or chili powder for excitement) makes a tasty treat.

YUM!

AND!!  Since I was reorganizing my pantry anyway, my little line up of mason jars were not only filled with nuts and seeds, but with dried coconut, lentils, beans and wild rice.  Why not, right?

I woke up this morning to the sound of birds.  I love the sound of birds, especially in the morning.  Their happy little songs make me smile. I wonder what they are saying to each other?  ”Hello, good morning, hi there, oh hello….”?  I always peek out to see what they are doing.  I think the same three little birds hang out in the tree just below my bedroom window.

I wonder if they are related?  When I peeked out this morning, however, not only did I see my familiar trio, I saw SNOW!!

Wha-a-a-a-at?!

Even the super soakers left on my covered front porch are nearly burried in snow! That’s March for ya… a tease of spring, kids playing outside without coats – even using squirt guns and carrying out buckets of water to make their mud pies.  The bikes and scooters, footballs and bubble blowers were littered on our front lawn…. SPRING!!

We love the sound of the birds being back in town, the feel of the warm sun on our bodies and even the damp smell of compost that permiates the air.  And then – BAM!  Another snow fall.  Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?  You’ve gotta laugh!

We all have our favorite comfort foods, ones we turn to on days like today.  For most (myself included), cold weather food is coated in gravy or spices or oooey gooey cheese!  Today, for me, I was craving colour… something green that reminded me of spring!!  My lunch was green indeed!  I made sauteed bok choy and mushrooms.  So totally yummy I had to share!!

Bok Choy with Mushrooms:

No amounts needed here, it’s all just to taste.  You really can’t go wrong…. get out a bowl and some chop sticks and enjoy!

• Baby Bok choy, ends cut off and washed
• Shiitake mushrooms (thank you Plan B – my new favorite!)
• fresh garlic
• fresh ginger
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Tamari Sauce
• sprinkling of Tom Yum seasoning
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp water

Heat oils in skillet.  Add garlic and ginger and mushrooms and saute for 1 minute.  Add tamari and bok choy followed by water mixed with Tom Yum seasoning.  Saute until bok choy starts to wilt.  Done!  Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

YUM!

I know the snow will once again melt away, and the newness of spring will shine through.  As I write this, lunch eaten and my belly full, I keep peering out at the falling snow. I am listening to Bob Marley – the man, the poet, the musical prophet.  I adore him, wish I was fortunate enough to see him live.  He is a legend that believed in peace, equality, living without judgement, spirituality and most of all love.

Sit back, take a moment and enjoy the feeling this song creates.  I hope it makes you smile ….

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

First, I’ll explain my lengthy absence…. back track to two weeks before Christmas – illness hit our house, first with my daughter, then me.  And it didn’t end there… from stomach bugs to headaches, ear infections, kidney infection, laryngitis, body aches and chills (not necessarily in that order), it was a hellish month!  Add to that our trusty van dying, the dog nearly dying and all of it sans hubby.  Let’s hope there is something to be said for ending a year with difficulty.  Out with the old and in with the new!!

Hello 2011!

01/01/11 That date has a whole lot of ones…. does that mean this year will be full of firsts? New beginnings?  I’m sure an astrologer would have an answer to that question.  For me however, 2010 had a lot of firsts… starting with this blog!  That was a huge first.  Followed by adopting a strict vegan diet (I lasted 8 months), my husband started a new business which took him to China for 3 weeks at a time… a HUGE first for both of us.  From the two of us working from home side by side 24/7, his absence was a big adjustment.  2010 was the first year I did NOT send out Christmas cards.  Sometimes, you have to let things fall in order to get through a challenge.  So, if you noticed you didn’t get a card from me, you were not on my naughty list this year, I simply had to lessen my load.

Now, looking into 2011, I can see a lot of firsts already…

First #1 – a renovation – my kitchen!!  A long awaited venture (16 years!!) for which the hugely exciting planning process has already begun.  Look out cookbooks!  A new space is being created just for you…. ;o)

First #2 – Paris France – a place I’ve longed to visit… a foodie heaven…THE most romantic destination in the world!  I WILL see Paris this year!  Two firsts already and January has just begun.  I say 2011 looks like a pretty exciting year so far!

What about resolutions?  People always talk about resolutions come the new year…. I hear a lot of talking about diets, cleanses, new workout routines, less wine, more family time and personal promises to make big changes…. .  Although starting a new routine is good, especially one that will improve your overall health, it’s important to go into such big changes with the right attitude and expectations.  People often ask me, “how do you stay so thin when all you do is cook and eat?!”  Well, I am not a certified nutritionist, not even close actually, but I do love food.  I always have.  I remember loving watching my mom cook, then my sisters.  Watching, helping and learning and tasting.  Paying attention to their ease and imagining myself one day in a kitchen of my own, cooking and feeding friends and family.  Whenever I was in a waiting room, it would be the Gourmet or BonAppetite magazines I would pick up.  I would read the recipes and dream of creating them one fine day.  Today my cookbook collection covers many different countries and ethnic cooking methods.  Over the years, my cooking has changed from trying to create fancy gourmet meals to making clean, wholesome, comfortable food.  ”Fancy” as my husband would stay still happens sometimes, but it’s more about balance and awareness.

I love the word awareness… being aware of  your surroundings, your body, your feelings and your instincts.  So… getting back to the question (how do you stay thin?)  I am aware of what I eat – I eat real food, unprocessed food, local and chemical free food as often as I can.  I read labels always.   I rarely eat fast food and I never drink pop (that’s soda for my American friends).

I am aware that the world we live in has families that eat pizza, hot dogs, chicken fingers and fries, hamburgers and kraft dinner most nights of the week.  I am aware that the companies that make these foods tell us it is good for us (shame on them!).  I understand that not everyone has the time to make a perfect healthy meal every night of the week,  but you can start by making simple changes:

• omit white bread, buy wholesome whole grain bread without chemicals.  No excuses.  See Rudolph’s Bread
• include a variety of fresh local fruits and vegetables daily
• don’t buy soda pop, don’t even bring it into the house.  No excuses.
• read labels on everything you buy – if you don’t know what it is, it probably isn’t food.  Don’t buy it.
• refined sugar – it’s nasty.  Look for it, watch for it, stay away from it.
• visit local farms, meet the farmers, find a home delivery resource, it makes life sooo easy.  See Plan B Organic Farms.  Support local sustainable farmers as often as you can.
• Eat less meat.  Pay attention to the amount of animal products you are eating – eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, lunch meat, chicken for dinner.  You don’t need that much in your daily diet.  Attempt one, then two, three or four days without any animal products.  Your body will thank you.
• Create a new habit of eating salad every night with dinner.  It’s a gift to you and your children.

Even if you can only manage two or three things on that list and make them your new normal, you have done good.

I will never be a true “vegan”.  This I discovered when I broke down in tears in a local cheese shop.  I spent eighty dollars on cheese that day and was happy I did!  It was over just like that.  Eight months of a vegan diet ended in eighty dollars worth of wonderful cheese.

SMILES

Maybe the word “Vegetarian” feels more comfortable?  It did until my husband said we eat fish, so we’re called “pescitarians” and if we eat turkey (or chicken) once in a while, we’re called “poulitarians”.  He added, we could also be called “locavours” because we eat local food.  He smiles.  Okay okay!!  Enough of the labels.  I never did like labels, so I’m removing labeling what we may or may not be because of what we may or may not consume from my vocabulary.   Done.

I’ve been seeing this poster popping up on quite a few blogs lately and I think it sums it up quite nicely.  Such simple wise words.  Can you believe it was created in about 1917?  Amazing, isn’t it?  I think I will have it framed and hung in my new kitchen!

Lastly, (my rant is nearly done, really) I am also aware of a shift in awareness.  Do you feel it?  More people are reading labels and asking questions.  They are listening to their instincts that prompt them to make a change in the way they eat and feed their families.  Awareness is spreading it’s lovely wings and creating a change for the better.  Excellent!

Oh!  I forgot to mention…..I believe in having  one (okay, maybe two) hotdogs a year – on that perfect summer day, by the pool, with the kids.  So there!

Rant officially over.

I wonder what November the 11th will bring?  How rare are those numbers?  11/11/11

I love that this important health information is becoming more and more mainstream.  How connected are diet and disease?

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES – In Theaters March 11, 2011

Please visit the official website:

http://forksoverknives.com/

Lately we’ve been talking a whole lot about healthy foods – not that it’s really a new topic at our table, but my son has been very curious lately about the foods he sees his friends eating at school.  Well, maybe curious isn’t the right word – he is aware.

We’ve really gone back to basics in talking about what really constitutes a healthy choice and what does not.  For me, basics with kids means talking about COLOUR and how important eating a rainbow of colourful foods is.  We started naming all the foods we knew that were green, orange, red, purple, etc.  We made our list – it was a very long and what a completely healthy list it was!  Now, I know some of you are saying, yes, but my kids would say smarties are colourful, suckers, fruitloops, etc!  Those don’t count because….. THEY’RE NOT FOOD! If it doesn’t fall into a food group, it’s not food!  So!  With rainbows on our minds, we decided to pack lunches together this week and fill each day with a different colour.  Here are couple of our lunches from this week:

GREEN

Green seems to be the easiest colour in our house.  We always have plenty of green things.  Here, Owen chose baby cucumbers, green olives, snap peas and kiwi.  To this we added baked chicken fingers with parsley (green) and a multi grain crumpet with goats milk cheddar and green mustard.  The green mustard is by Maille and is AMAZING!  You must try it – it’s loaded with herbs and adds such a punch of flavour to nearly anything!

ORANGE and RED

We put red and orange together because, well… we didn’t have much in the house that morning ;o)  Sarah chose carrots, red peppers, and red grapes.   The gluten free crackers were orange-y coloured to her as was the red pepper hummus to dip them in.  Inside the wax paper bag is a grilled cheese made with gluten free bread and orange Diaya cheese.   The cucumbers were added because, “I love them mommy”.  Hard to say no to that.

Some quick nutrition facts using the RAINBOW idea:

GREEN foods have a nearly uncountable nutrition content - Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these fruits and vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity…. whew!  Lots of reasons to love GREEN!  And if that’s not enough…..

They are filled with the building blocks to help your body heal and repair itself and make new cells.  In order to make these new cells as well as build and strengthen muscles, your body needs protein.  Dark leafy greens contain all the amino acids necessary for your body to create protein.

Lastly, if eaten raw, they are packed with water which saves your body energy in digestion, not to mention the wonderful anti aging effects.  Feeling green yet?  Puts whole new meaning to going green huh?  Get some greens, eat them with your kids – YUM!

ORANGE and YELLOW fruits and vegetables contain beta carotine, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration (your precious eyes – remember your mom saying, carrots are good for your eyes?!  She was right!) and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.  Pretty intense huh?

BLUE and PURPLE fruits and vegetables contain nutrients which include lutein, zeaxanthin, reversatrol (yep – you heard it that anti aging “miracle” is right here, in your foods!), vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the orange and yellow foods nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.  Another wallop of wonders!

Get started today!  Teach your kids about the importance of eating a piece of the rainbow everyday!!  Here are some ideas to get you started…. thankfully, nature provided an enormous selection of colourful goodness….

YUM!

GREEN - artichokes, arugula, asperagus, avocados, broccoli, broccoli rabe, brussels sprouts, celery, chayote squash, chinese cabbage, cucumbers, endive, green apples, green beans, cabbage, grapes, green onion, green pears, green pepper, honeydew melon, kiwi, leafy greens (salad mixes), leeks, lettuce, limes, okra, peas, sno peas, spinach, sugar snap peas, watercress, zucchini.

RED - beets, blood oranges, cherries, cranberries, guava, papaya, pink grepefruit, red grapefruit, pomegranate, radicchio, radish, raspberries, red apples, red peppers, red grapes, red onion, red pears, red potatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon…

YELLOW and ORANGE - apricots, bananas, butternut squash, canteloupe, gooseberrries, carrots golden kiwi, golden raspberries, grapefruit, lemon, mango, nectarines, oranges papaya, parsnips, peaches, persimmons, pineapple, pumpkin, rutabaga, sweet corn, sweet potatoe, tangerine, turnip, yellow apples, yellow beets, yellow figs, yellow pears, yellow peppers, yellow potatoes, yellow summer squash, yellow heirloom tomatoes, golden watermelon, winter squash…

BLUE and PURPLE - black currants, black salsify, bladkberries, blueberries, dates, dried plums, eggplant, elderberries, grapes, plums, pomegranates, purnes, purple belgain endive, purple potatoes, purple asparagus, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple figs, purple grapes, purple onion, purple peppers, raisins, shallots…

Say goodbye to summer shares and hello to fall shares!  The fall shares from Plan B are honestly the ones I look forward to the most every year.  This will be my third fall with Plan B. The boxes truly hold all that autumn harvest has to offer….

Each fall share contains:

Root Veggies – for example, local carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, & squash.

Fresh Veggies – for example, broccoli, celery, peppers, zucchini, leek, tomatoes, chard & kale.

Salad Greens – for example, local greenhouse grown lettuce, salad mix, arugula, & herbs.

Fruit – for example, local apples, oranges, banana, pears, avocadoes, mangos & lemons.

(Examples of 1 item are: 1 bunch broccoli, 2lbs potatoes, 5 pears, 1 bag salad mix, 1 bunch of basil etc.)

What is Plan B?

Plan B is a local, family run organic farm – Melanie, Alvaro and Rodrego and their children are passionate and honest about what they do.  Their passion is contagious and their authenticity admirable.  Years ago, people had to eat local, seasonal foods because that’s all that was available to them.  But with today’s technology and  ever growing grocery chains, we are eating strawberries in December (which scientists are now saying is not such a good thing after all).  Things always seem to come full circle, don’t they? and we continually learn from our mistakes.  Sadly, these lessons often come through illness or environmental concerns.  Regardless things are changing….we are learning and we are becoming more aware of the effects that the foods we eat have on our bodies.  More and more people are supporting our local farmers, eating organic and aiding in the overall health of our planet (and our bodies) YAY!  It makes me giddy when someone tells me how much they love their Plan B Box because it means there is a greater understanding.  An understanding of how beneficial eating local seasonal organic foods is to not only our health but also to our environment.

Here are some of the great reasons to order and enjoy Plan B produce all winter long!

Why buy produce from Plan B in the fall instead of the supermarket?

• The best selection & value of local and imported certified organic produce – directly from farmer to farmer
• Keep your food budget on target – I’ve saved money ordering from Plan B!
• Plan B “puts local first” in the shares, with stored root crops, local greenhouse greens, and local apples all season long.
• The imported foods in your share are as fresh as you can get. They don’t sit out on a store shelf losing valuable nutrients, they go straight from the ground to the cooler to you.
• Supporting Plan B in their ongoing work of developing a local organic farm business helps your local farmers AND your environment!
• Best of all – opening your weekly Plan B box is like opening a gift from the earth.

I hope that many of you will choose to support Plan B through the fall, winter & spring instead of returning to the supermarket, for your fresh certified organic produce.  This off season income is a crucial part of this family run farm business and is what makes it possible for them to keep farming year after year!

Mention this post when ordering and receive $5.oo off your first share!

For more information or to order your share, please visit:

http://www.planborganicfarms.ca/

Do you order ‘chocolate milk’ for your child’s lunch?  If so, these articles may surprise you and make you double or triple check the labels …

‘ Chocolate milk’, ‘chocolate drink’, ‘chocolate beverage’?  Have you noticed the label on your favorite ‘chocolate milk’  carton has changed?  Might be hard to notice as the packaging has remained exactly the same.   Seems a little unfair and sneaky doesn’t it?

If you would like to know what is REALLY in your kids chocolate drink…. please check out these two articles – one from CBC News and the other from a Canadian blogger who has made it his mission to identify both the ingredients and reason for the change in name from ‘milk’ to ‘beverage’.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/08/25/f-food-chocolate-milk-ingredients.html

http://talkinghead.ca/2009/11/26/chocolate-dairy-beverage/

My thoughts on the matter….. Always read the labels.  Ask questions.  If you don’t know the ingredient, don’t buy it.  If they put “colours and flavours” on the label, don’t buy it – what are those colours and flavours anyway?  YIKES!

What I found interesting, is in my own personal research, when I visited the Beatrice site, they did not even have chocolate milk, chocolate drink or chocolate beverage listed on their site yet it is still sold in stores and schools!  Hmmm….. very intersting…..

I like to think of myself as a person who is ready for anything.  I am fairly adaptable and can easily switch gears when needed.  Most of the time…

Today I entered the grocery store, and what I saw I was totally not ready for.  Pumpkins!  What?!  Gourds!!  No!?  Dried corn stalks?!!!  Seriously?  SERIOUSLY?!!

Anyone that really knows me, knows I have a huge sense of fairness.  I don’t like to see anyone being treated unfairly or taken advantage of!  Well, I have to say, seeing all those fall decorating items today in the sunshine was just not fair!  These things mean fall – full on autumn and for that I am truly not ready!  Looking at the calendar, I realized fall is officially only two weeks away.

So, what did my adaptable self do in the face of this unfair shocker?  I bought pumpkins of course!  As I type I can smell the pumpkin and cinnamon wafting from my oven…. stay tuned for pumpkin bisque, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and I’m even thinking pumpkin ravoli!

YUM!

See…. change can be good!  Suddenly I have a whole new outlook.  Although I was not ready to say goodbye to summer, I am already looking forward to cozy fires, hearty foods, red wine and the smell and colour of falling leaves.

Do you feel it?  I do.  It’s been slowly creeping in over the last few weeks.  It started with a sense of urgency, almost panic – like forgetting your purse on the counter at Starbucks… but that wasn’t it.  What was it?  I had no idea…. then it hit me.

Back to school.

I am so totally and completely not ready!  Not ready for the schedules, rushed mornings, homework battles, heaps of paperwork from the school and most of all, I’m not ready for the quiet house.  Not ready to say good-bye to my daughter entering grade one.  SO not ready for that!  Sniff sniff…

It’s been a great summer.  A good old fashioned laid back, do what you want kind of summer.  We had many lazy days, just hanging around.  This summer my kids learned how to play gin rummy, Rummoli and how to dive.  They learned not to swing sticks at bee hives, spray the hose directly into your mouth or try the slip and slide before it’s wet.  I learned to relax more and care less about the things that were hard lines before summer came – They tried cola for the first time (gasp!), went skinny dipping before the sun went down and ate popcorn in our bed watching a movie.

We’ve made memories this summer.  Ones I know I will never forget.

Lollygagging with the kids hasn’t been the only thing I’ve done this summer.  As you may or may not have noticed, I’ve also been blogging!  What a simply wonderful outlet it has been creating, documenting and sharing my recipes and thoughts.

Cook.  Photo.  Eat.  Blog.  Repeat.

It has truly has been a joy and I’ve learned many things and made many friends (fellow bloggers) along the way.  Thank you to you, my readers for following along with me, commenting and experimenting with healthy meals.  I’ve loved every moment of it – well, there may be one exception…..my only grunt would be continually eating cold meals.

Along with September’s arrival came my thoughts for the upcoming school year.  I’ve already met with the Principal and VP of our school and chatted about the new food and nutrition memorandum (150) –  See this article for more – Food for Thought. What I shared with them was my on going search to find a healthy hot lunch program that tasted great and was reasonably priced.  It came down to two companies that touted fresh, healthy, tasty choices. We shared a sample lunch from one and sadly none of us were impressed.  It didn’t taste fresh, it didn’t look fresh and we didn’t think it was a healthy choice.  One down, one to go.  Fingers crossed.

This fall, I will be adding something new to my blog!  With the kids back in school, my focus will change (have I said I’m not ready?) and I’ll be making two packed lunches five days a week.  Naturally, something that happens as often as that will appear on my blog.  I am pretty sure I am not the only one that feels occasionally uninspired when it comes to packing daily healthy lunches for kids.  Honestly, as creative as I am in the kitchen, I sometimes feel challenged to come up with something exciting and nutritious that the kids will actually eat!  So my next challenge is this:

What to do for lunch Wednesdays

Every Wednesday I will post a healthy, kid friendly and fuss free lunch idea.  I like the sound of that!

What I don’t like the sound of is that the day after tomorrow…. the day after tomorrow….. the day after tomorrow is the first day of school.  Have I mentioned I’m not ready?  Sigh….. like the Green Day song says…. “wake me up when September ends”…. maybe then I’ll be ready.

Colourful, comfortable and fashionable.  Havianas are the most comfortable flip flop you will ever wear.  Honest.

A Brazilian company, Havianas have been making flip flops since 1962.  However, it wasn’t until the 1998 World Cup where they created a “Brazilian Flag” flip flop did they earn world recognition.  And it’s really only been the last 5 years or so that they have gained popularity, including celebrity status.

Available in a rainbow of colours – solid or patterned.  If you’re feeling fancy-schmancy, you can go all out and have them adorned with Scharowsky chrystals.  They even have an on-line “design your own” feature.  How fun is that!

Their claim and reason for the popularity?  They don’t wear, flatten, stretch or split.  For me personally it is the comfort factor.  So comfortable in fact, I wore them an entire day walking around an amusement park and my feet were not tired!  Now that’s comfort!

For about $20.00 a pair for the basic style, they even make a great house slipper.  Check them out:

www.havianas.com