Monthly Archives: May 2012

The Sitch In The Kitch

I’m always tweaking recipes to make them healthier. I love a challenge like that.

So it seems we’re always talking about healthy ingredients, and that’s great, but what about the health and safety of the the cookware we’re using?

Ah…perhaps you didn’t think of that?

Perhaps you did?

Well, if you’re anything like me, you’ve wondered what’s best to use. And I have asked around and done my research, so now I’m sharing with you my picks for best performance and safest cookware. That’s right. No nasty chemicals getting into your food from plastic or non-stick coating or other suspect materials. No impossible cleanup. And all are extremely affordable. Yeah, no bank breakers here. Can you believe? I hardly can!

Let’s get to it, then!

1. Bialetti Aeternum Cookware

This is one kickass line of cookware, people. I’m not going to lie…I’m a lotta bit in love. This thing cooks in a non-stick way and cleans up like a dream but doesn’t have the chemicals that are in that non-stick coating. It’s eco-friendly and because it’s ceramic, it’s free of PFOA, PTFE, and Cadmium. Those chemicals are bad. But the Aeternum line is so good. I love you, Bialetti. Thank you for this.

2. Stoneware

My awesome study group steered me to unfinished stoneware for all of my baking needs. I love my group and I love baking, and now I love my stoneware, too. Thank you, dear group. Stoneware is amahzing. Yes, it’s so amahzing that I had to put an h in there. Dig it.

3. The Steamer Pot

This is just the best way to make asparagus I can’t even handle it. And if you know me, you know I love asparagus. I don’t love the aftermath of asparagus, but I’m willing to put up with it for a few reasons:
1) asparagus has a fantastic amount of protein for a veggie and I don’t know why people don’t talk about that more
2) asparagus is a great detoxifier (that gets back to the whole aftermath situation I was talking about), as it is an anti-inflammatory food and helps with digestion
3) it’s super quick and easy to make and take on the go or snack at home and if you know me at all, you know I love a quick and easy snack
4) and because it’s a green, it’s low in calories but high in antioxidants and nutrients and basically all the good things you want in a food

The steamer pot is ideal because when you boil veggies you lose a lot of the nutrients in the water. So with this steamer pot and basket, you’re keeping the veg out of the water and the nutrients in the veg. Yeehaw!

4. The Wooden Spoon/Spatula

Toss the plastic, folks. You may recall that I am an anti-BPA crusader. I avoid plastic whenever and wherever possible. So you better believe I avoid it in my kitchen (the husband can attest to that). So thank goodness for the wooden utensil! Wooden spoons and spatulas won’t scratch your pans (you would NOT want to do that to your brand new Bialetti) or contaminate your food with BPA (you would NOT want to do that to your body). Wood and bamboo options are inexpensive, work great, and look great. And contrary to what some might think, wood does not harbor bacteria. Just clean it like anything else and you’re good to go.

5. The Chemex

This is simply my most favorite way to make coffee. No plastic. No contraptions. Just a glass pitcher type thing that looks like something out of a science lab (you’ll need filters and the world’s best kettle, too) that makes a fantastic, clean cup of Barefoot Coffee. Barefoot Coffee? Qu’est-ce que c’est? Only the most delicious coffee around, which also happens to be direct trade (better than fair trade, people!), sustainably grown, and de facto organic. How do I know? Oh, I know things. 😉

So there you have it. I’ve just made your kitchen a whole lot healthier. Now I just have to post some more recipes so you can get cookin’!

Question of the Day:
What’s your favorite dish to cook? Let’s hear it!

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Filed under BPA, Product Review, Products, Tips and Tricks

To All my Email Followers…

My apologies. Today’s post went out a little too quickly. Please visit my blog for the updated and CORRECT recipe for It’s Bananas Bread.

Do not use your email version. It will taste weird.

Blog version only.

Apologies again.

And I promise, the blog version is SOOOO good that you’ll forgive me lightening fast. 😉

But yes, sometimes we make mistakes.

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Filed under Uncategorized

It’s Bananas Bread

Good morning!

You know I love you folks, right?

But do you know how much?

So much that I’m now going to share with you my recipe for It’s Bananas Bread.

This is a fave recipe, folks. And it’s high time you get in the know.

This bread is bananas. It has whole wheat flour, no refined sugar, is really easy to make, and tastes AMAZING.

Can you believe?!

If you can, here’s the recipe!

Ingredients  (About 13 servings)
1 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups of ripe bananas
2 tbsp of applesauce
3 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tsp of vanilla
30g of coconut sugar
4 tbsp of coconut nectar
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In larger bowl mix together bananas, egg whites, “sugar”, oil and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture until moistened.

Add in 3/4 of the walnuts.

Pour into sprayed 8x4x2 inch loaf pan.

Sprinkle the rest of the walnuts on the top.

Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 mins until toothpick comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 mins.

Remove from pan and enjoy.

And you will because it’s so good, so good…

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Filed under Recipe, Sugar

Address The Mess

Wow, I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve had a blogpost here. I’ve missed you!

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. And I hope your Memorial Day was chock full of memorable events that left you feeling happy, recharged, relaxed, and reconnected to the people and things that you love most.

I happened to do quite a bit of cleaning this past weekend. In fact, every kind of cleaning up. From laundry, to house, to diet, to dog grooming, to relationships…suffice it to say, it was a weekend for tending to some messes.

While it feels good to get some things in order, there is always more work to be done. So with that, I want to share with you my favorite ways to address the mess.

1. For the Spirit
Meditation is my answer to tidying up the internal stuff. Take some time to get centered. We’ll revisit meditation again in another post. But for now, I recommend starting by downloading the Relax and Rest app for $.99.

2. For the Body
My favorite soap hands down is Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap. Smells amazing. Feels tingly. Fair trade. Organic. Only $9.99 at Trader Joe’s for a big ol’ bottle. Awesome.

3. For the Face
I love, love, love Be Natural Organics Rose Hip Seed Facial Cleanser. It works so well. It gets makeup off. It gets the face clean. And it only has a few ingredients, none of which are harmful to you. Yay.

4. For the House
The husband, while wonderful in so many, many ways, hates the smell of vinegar. I have to be very careful about how I use it. But when I do get away with it, it is a wonderful cleaning product. Click here to get recipes for all different surfaces and needs. Works great to clean and disinfect while being safe.

5. For the Diet
Get back on track. For me, that meant getting more protein this weekend. If it means eating less sugar or drinking more water, do it. If it means getting more fiber or less protein, do it. Listen to your body. It tells you what it needs.

6. For Relationships
Communicate. Listen. Love. Respect.
Be patient. Be grateful. Be understanding.
Be able to admit when you are wrong.

7. For Your Heart
Take a moment to get out of your routine. It only has to be a minute or two of your time, but it should be a minute that makes you happy.
Kiss your dog (she did just get groomed, after all!)
Pump up the jams and bust a move
Make someone laugh
Do a quick flip through that magazine you haven’t gotten to read yet

So there you have it. Keep your house tidy. And by house, I mean your life.

Here’s what I heard over the weekend:
“To solve any problem, you must always begin with yourself. Be open to changing and learning. Be grateful for your life – for your illness, for your conflicts and your resolutions, for everything. Be grateful for the light days and the dark days. They teach you who you are.”

Question of the Day:
What was memorable for you this past weekend?

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Filed under Meditation, Products, Sugar, Tips and Tricks, Water

What I’m Loving Right Now

Quite a bit! That’s the short answer. But I can’t write a blogpost with a short answer because that would just be silly.

Now, I should tell you that I am very happy these days. Very busy. But very happy. I recognize that I have so much to be grateful for. So I’m loving quite a bit at the moment.

In addition to having lots of wonderful people in my life and lots of wonderful things going on, I have some foods that are really hitting the spot. Yes, that’s right. I’m giving a shout out to the foods I’m loving right now.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Goji berries

These little fruits are really getting to the point of being addictive for me. And that is, of course, when I know I need to scale back. They’re like little chewy candies and it’s the chew, more than anything, that keeps me coming back for more. Admittedly, they’re not for everyone, but I recommend them for more than just their chew. This Himalayan superfood is loaded with vitamins A and C, a good dose of protein, fiber, iron, and amino acids.

I will confess, our relationship started off pretty rocky. I didn’t see the love affair coming. It was about 7 years ago when I first tried a goji at work, and then the phone rang, and the goji lodged itself in my throat, and I choked my way through the entire call. Horrified, I vowed never to eat goji berries again. Until a couple weeks ago. Someone recommended them to me and I decided to give them one more go. Now, my second bag of them is nearly gone. Buy online, at Whole Foods, or your local health foods store. And eat carefully. 😉

2. Maranatha Organic Peanut Butter

You probably saw this jar making an appearance in yesterday’s post. It’s such an integral part of my day that it’s starring in it’s second post…in two days! This is good stuff, people. Nut cravings are a sign that you’re in need of fun and with all the work I’ve been doing lately, I believe it. But if this satisfies my need for fun and then I can get back to work, that sounds pretty good to me!

3. Yogi DeTox Tea 


On the front of the box, it says this tea supports liver and kidney function. Okay…so? Well, the liver and kidneys help get the junk out of our bodies. And this tea helps them do that better…all the while tasting amazing. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s complex. Gonna go make a cup now! Buy online, at Whole Foods, or your local health foods store.

4. Baby carrots

This is just the easiest snack in the world. I buy the organic peeled baby carrots, leave them on a shelf in my fridge, and grab a couple every time I get a little hunger. So refreshing. So sweet. A perfect little snack for warm days.

So there you have it. My favorite foods right now. That being said, it’s important to remember that health isn’t just about food. It’s also about the people and the things that make your life incredible.

Give some thought to who and what those are. Take a moment to be grateful. And feel free to share below!

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Filed under Organic, Snacks, Superfoods