Old Traditions With A New Twist

Happy New Year! One year ago today, my husband and I were moving the last of our belongings from our tiny apartment into our lovely new home. We felt it was only appropriate to host New Year's Eve for our friends and mark the occasion of being settled. It won't be a big blowout, a small crowd of about 8 friends, which is personable & comfy.  We like our gatherings to reflect our tastes. We both love learning about other cultures and we also like the old blended with the new (such as Victorian homes with modern interiors). And I also like to keep things healthy. There's nothing worse than leaving a holiday party feeling overstuffed and bloated.

We decided to reflect all three of these things in our dinner menu.  Our food choices are taken from how they celebrate New Year's Eve form around the world.  So here's some of things we'll be eating and the symbolism behind each.

In China & Japan they have a number of food traditions. The one we chose was eating noodles. My husband loves Soba, which are buckwheat noodles from Japan. In these countries, long noodes symbolize longevity, so I made a cold sesame noodle salad.  Its super easy to make:

- Cook, rinse and drain 1 package of organic buckwheat noodles

-in a bowl combine 10 teaspoons tamari soy sauce, 4 teaspoons of rice vinegar, 4 teaspoons of sesame oil and about 2 tablespoons of honey. Whisk the liquid all together.

-add some chopped scallions and toasted sesame seeds to the noodles and toss with the dressing.

In England, and many parts of Europe dishes featuring lots of leafy greens are popular. Greens such as collards, kale and cabage are said to represent money & wealth. My husband and most of our friends don't share my love of Kale, so instead I feaured cabbage by making an Asian slaw with a miso ginger dessing. It also goes nicely with the noodle salad.

In Turkey, pomegranites are traditonally eaten. Their red color is seen to symbolize a healthy heart and fertilityas well. I don't know much about Turkish recipes so I incorporated the pomegranite seeds into waldorf salad.  Egglpant dishes and hummus are also popular in this part of the world, as well as in Egypt and Lebanon. I'm serving up some eggplant tapenade and the hummus with pita chips. The way I see it, feeding my friends lots of fruit and veg is a good way to start the new year! 

Next stop in our culinary world tour is Italy. I diverted the wisdom of Mario Batai & my favorite of his restarants, Babbo, on this one. This dish is one of the most traditional dishes to eat at "Cenone", the Italian traditional New Year's Eve supper. Here is a link to the recipe : http://www.altacucinasociety.com/recipes_detail.asp?id=100

When you eat the lentils within an hour before midnight, they are said to symbolize the wealh you will acquire in th coming year. The sausage is a special one from Modena that is difficult to find. I was able to purchase some on amazon after no luck at any of the ocal butcher shops.

Sticking with the sausage theme, pork is a lucky food throughout most of the world, unlike chicken which is apparently bad luck on his fesive night. In the Netherlands they enjoy little pigs made out of marzipan. Germany has sausages and sauerkraut. I thought this would be easy and got a nice variety of handcrafted german sausages from Wegmans. The sauerkraut is my grandmother's recipe. Her father was an immigrant from Poland and her mother one from Hungary, so she knows her pickled vegetables. Not to mention, she doesn't consider it a proper holiday celebration unless theres sauerkraut and some type of pork. 

Also paying tribute to my cultural heritage, my grandfather on my father's side of the family is Greek. Normally on new year's eve you would enjoy a St. Basil's cake.  I'm sill watching my gluten intake, and settled on making Spanikopita instead, with some special gluten free phyllo, of course.

In Spain and Portugal it is tradition to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one at each of the twelve "bongs" of the clock. Each chime represents a month of the year. This way you will have good luck for each of the twelve months in the coming year. I'll be serving these with our Champagne toast.

True Champagne comes from the region of Champagne France and is often made from Chardonnay grapes. My father's mother came over on theboat from France when she was a girl, so in our home drinking true champagne was a must.  If its not from this region, you are technically drnking sparkling wine. Most sparkling wines sold this time of year can be pretty awful. This is the one time of year most people try champagne unfortunately so it get a bad rap. An alternative that many people enjoy is a sparkling dessert wine from Italy, called Prosecco. It is sweet and light so most people will drink this happily.

Here are a fewgood toasts that I especially liked:

Be at war with your voices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin

For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. ~ T.S. Eliot


The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt


However you celebrate tonight,I hope you do so safely. I wish each and every one of you a happy and HEALTHY 2013, full of good cheer.

Channeling my Inner Cookie Monster

Its been a busy and exciting last few weeks for me.  For those of you whom I haven't talked to, I am finally leaving my full time job at Lowes. The best part is that I'm leaving it so I can expand my coaching practice. I'll be doing what I love full time! Not to mentino the change in schedule... first time having evenings and weekends off in quite a few years.

What prompted my decision? It struck me that I talk about evaluating quality of life issues and time management with a lot of my clients. I have been juggling this crazy Lowes schedule, not seeing my family adn definitely not getting paid enough for my efforts for way to long. My dream was to be coaching full time. I started building my business but it got to the point that my job at Lowe's was preventing me from pursuing my dreams.

So now that I am free to enjoy my family and my home more, what will I be doing? I've got some great classes and workshops I've been developping that I want to start offering. My favorite ones are using creativity using rubber stamps and papercrafting. Keep your eyes peeled for my monthly gratitude project series.  Over the next 2 weeks I also plan on thoroughly enjoying the holidays by baking, handmaking my holiday cards and gift tags and baking in my newly rennovated kitchen. Tommorrow evening my husband and I will be enjoying a nice quiet dinner at home and burning of the Yule log before all the holiday hoopla starts with our families over the next week. 

This time of year is one of indulgence for me. I let myself take the extra time to treat myself to a day of baking,  and to enjoy the occasional treat or two.  As with everything I try to stay balanced about my choices as possible, enjoying these indulgences in moderation. One of our favorite indulgences lately is the chocolate milk we get from the local farm. If you happen to live in PA and are near Strites' Orchard or see it anywhere else, the chocolate milk from the Apple Valley Creamery is amazing! Its like drinking a milk shake.

 I have discovered that living a gluten free lifestyle does not mean I really have to give up my favorite holiday foods. I just get to morph the recipes a bit. I love baking cookies this time of year.  Here are a few that I plan on making over the next few days during my extra fee time.  Note: the recipes below are gluten free, if you need to make them vegan as well, I've had a lot of luck using the earth balance buttery sticks in my cooking and baking. they're in the dairy case of the natural foods section at the grocery store.

Ginger Molasses Cookies
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/gluten-free-Ginger-Cookies

Traditional Sugar Cookies
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Gluten-Free-Sugar-Cookies

In our family its not the holidays without peanut butter cookies, occosionally topped with a chocolate kiss, luckily for me they are naturally gluten free!

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Gluten-Free-Peanut-Butter-Cookies

This was a neat dessert that I plan to take to my parents' home, Gluten free sugar Cookie blueberry cheesecake:


http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=752638



Lastly, my piece de resistance I'll be making my famous Pumpkin Amaretto Chessecake for Dessert for the holiday celebration with my husband's family. I'll use the ginger cookies pictured above to make the crust so I can keep my cheesecake gluten free as well. I'll  post some pictures as soon as I have some. I'm sorry to say that recipe however is top secret.  I'll be posting next about the approaching new year. In the meantime, happy holidays regardless of how you celebrate them.

My crockpot is becoming my best friend.....

...not because it's chilly this week either.  I came home from work yesterday to discover my husband had finally demolished our kitchen so our new one can be installed. This is exciting on several levels but really scary to me for one reason: I don't want to compromise my personal food values just because I don't have a normally functioning kitchen at the moment, I'm not sure where everything has been stashed and lastly everything is covered in about a quarter inch of dust.

I teach a lot of my kitchen design clients about the need to be prepared and organized during their remodels, but much like my struggle with my new gluten free diet, talking about something and living it are two completely different things.

I decided, in advance, I was going to set up my kitchen like I do when on a camping trip. My friends at festivals joke that I'm glamping because we always have such a nice kitchen for the week. What it really boils down to is that just because I'm at a festival doesn't mean I should start suddenly eating a ton of junk food that makes me feel crappy just because it's easier. This remodel, I feel the same way except this time I have one added bonus, electricity.

On our side porch I'm setting up my camping kitchen table with bins of my basic necessities underneath. My husband was happy with having a hot dog roast over our backyard firepit, but with his brother staying with us to help with the kitchen, I had a nicer set up in mind. We have a grill, a single butane burner stove, a convection toaster oven, but most importantly a crockpot. I used to think the only things to make in a crockpot were hearty stews and overnight applesauce, boy did I have a lot to learn!

One of the most surprising resources I found for crockpot cooking was Pinterest. Yes, I've filtered out a lot of recipes that contained a lot of processed junk, but I've also found some gems and learned a lot of new techniques. My most recent discovery was that you can roast an entire chicken just like you would in the oven, in a crockpot. Just place the onions, potatoes and carrots underneath the chicken like you would in a roasting pan, season it up and cook on low between 4-6 hours. This has proved invaluable to me. I come home from a long day of work to dinner that is already done. Talk about a great way to make sure I can relax and enjoy my time with my family.

This week I don't have a full kitchen, and I'm on jury duty so I have the challenge of packing gluten free lunches. I am refusing to eat takeout during this remodel, (as if you hadn't guessed). The crockpot is helping me create dinners that easily can become leftovers that can be eaten the next day, without a lot of dishes or mess (especially important since I'm currently using our bathtub to clean dishes).

This week I'll be doing meat free Tuesday since I have the house to myself and I'm not entirely sure what my brother in law is and isn't willing to eat while he stays with us.  Tonight we are having pulled pork barbeque, a super easy dish to make. I rubbed on a pork shoulder with my family's secret spice rub. I then placed it in the crockpot, fat side down) with some apple juice (local of course), beer works well for this also.  I put the crockpot on low and left for court. 8 hours later I have wonderful pork that is juicy and falls apart that can be used Ina multitude of dishes. I shredded some of the pork and am heating it up with 1 part cider vinegar, 1 part water and 1 part homemade BBQ sauce. My husband and his brother will be having it over whole grain rolls to soak up the juices, while I will be enjoying mine plain.

For a side dish: zucchini corn salad, fresh from our garden. Simply toss corn kernels and diced zucchini with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss with some fresh chiffonade basil from the garden. Let the flavors marinate about a half hour before serving.  It's a simple dinner that is full of flavor and does not take a lot of time to make. Once the kitchen is finished I'll be posting about how my homemade tomato sauce is coming along as our harvest should be just about ready as well as my first attempts at making catsup. In the meantime, be well and treat yourself to all the wonderful flavors this season has to offer.

Gluten Free... Not by Choice

The latest health craze for a lot of people is going gluten free. With books out like "The Wheat Belly Diet", wheat in our food supply had become the next food enemy number one.  Whole grains are a wonderful thing, when they truly are whole grain. The problem with the latest media blaze against wheat is that the media is not recognizing the difference between the wheat our ancestors ate and the stuff that is mass produced and put in almost all of our food supply.  

I've tried the occasional gluten-free cookie and have even developed recipes for my clients, but these were infrequent meals.  What happens when you are forced to eat gluten free all the time? I am about to find out.  I was diagnosed with a very unhappy thyroid this past week.  My doctor was ready to prescribe me a pill that I would have to take for the rest of my life.  I knew there had to be another option and it would involve my diet.  I talked with my doctor and presented her with testimonies and studies from experts in the nutrition field and professors from my schooling at the Institute for Integrative nutrition, such as Andrea Beaman. These people have shown that through nutrition therapy it is possible to reverse some thyroid conditions if caught early on. We made a deal, if after one month some of my symptom haven't lessened in severity I try the pill.  I may be creating a lot of extra work for myself but I'm willing to try it. 

 Let me start by saying I am not allergic to gluten, but it, as well as soy, happen to be things that make a inflamed thyroid grumpy so I have to give them up.  This is a bit brutal for me, having grownup in a heavily French influenced family, where my father did not consider dinner to be ready or even sit down unless the bread was crusty, warm and ready on the table. And I admittedly really LOVE bread. I don't even like anything on it because I love tasting the complexities of the crust. I love baking it even more.

Its the beginning of day three for me and I'm learning that I can't do this cold turkey.  Yesterday's provided labor day lunch at work was a real wake up call.  Staring at macaroni and pasta salads, cookies, cupcakes and a whole slew of food and not being able to have any of it was not an easy feat.  I was able to eat a plain hot dog, no bun....That was literally the only thing in the spread that I was able to eat by my nutrition plan guidelines.  

 I can't be superwoman in the kitchen every day, I work too much for that, so I headed to the natural food section of the store. I don't like buying pre-made food of any kind, but drastic times call for drastic measures.I bought some gluten free bagels and English muffins to try to make my hectic mornings a bit easier, not to mention the transition to go a bit more smoothly.

The flavor of these breads is actually pretty good and they look normal enough, but the texture is the main difference I notice. They are Very  crumbly, not exactly the best choice to eat on the go unless you want everyone at work  to know what you had for breakfast, because your clothes are covered in it.(learned that the hard way) SO in a nutshell some of these products are pretty good but I definitely will be experimenting with baking some of my own when I have a bit more time on my hands.  In the meantime, I am developing an entirely new level of respect for my friends struggling with Celiac disease. I will definitely be sharing my experiences on this journey, as well as the recipes I develop while on it. 

The english muffin looked and tasted pretty good but it fell apart when I spread my almond butter  & homemade fig jam on it.

A Little Indulgence

I love  food and especially food that is whole and natural. I have found a lot of substitutions for foods I used to eat that were bad for me that taste pretty much the same. Every once in a blue moon though, I come across something that I just can't substitute. A dish that just tastes like comfort and smiles. Today is my one weekend off a month. When my husband and I get time off together we love enjoying a lazy morning and a yummy breakfast.

About every six months or so I give in to the power of sugar and make our favorite breakfast sandwich. It happened by accident a few years ago and has become a symbol of  a mini vacation for us.  Not to mention I can reward my hubby for being so open to trying so many new healthy alternatives and sticking with me on the journey.   It doesn't have a name, we just call it yummy. Here's what you need for two of these addictive sandwiches:

• 3 eggs
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 Panera Cinnamon Crunch bagels
• 3 tablespoons of organic milk

Cook the bacon to your desired level of crispiness. Toast the bagels. We like to put the bottom hal fin the toaster oven first with the slice of cheddar cheese so it gets melty.  Meanwhile scramble the eggs with the milk. Divide the eggs in half and place on the bagel bottoms. Top each sandwich with 2 slices of bacon.  Place the top halves of the bagel in the toaster oven. Then place on top of the assembled sandwich. Enjoy!

The crispy sweetness of the cinnamon sugar crunchies goes great with the saltiness of the bacon and cheese. Sure its definitely not a very healthy breakfast, but we can't all be Mary Poppins every day. Moderation for me is the key and when I do eat something this out of the ordinary I'm sure to savor the experience. 

Hakuna Fritatta & a cup of Jo

Happy Friday all! Sorry I've been a bit more absent than I like lately but all this rain has me working over time in my garden. I had no idea a garden would be so much work. I am happy to say that I am finally reaping a bunch of rewards.  We have a had a ton of rain this summer in Central Pennsylvania and my plants have gotten huge.  There has also been twice as many weeds to pull. I was feeling a bit frustrated because as big as the plants are, I haven't been seeing any veggies yet, but the plants have had a ton of flowers.

 A few weeks ago I talked to a fellow backyard gardener and she explained when you see lots of flowers but aren't getting any fruit there is usually a mineral or nutrient deficiency.  I have been determined to keep my heirloom vegetables 100% organic, gmo and chemical free so I hopped online to do some research and was surprised at the solution I found.

There is one thing that almost every home across the country has and surprisingly enough we consider it trash: coffee grounds.  Coffee grounds are approximately 1.45% nitrogen. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals. They are great to add to your compost bin to create some really great fertilizer.  You can also give your plants the benefits by simply sprinkling the used coffee grounds around the base of your plants before watering or it rains.  Tomatoes and roses especially like this method.

You can also use the grounds to create a slug and snail barrier. Coffee grounds are both abrasive and acidic, so a barrier of grounds placed near slug-prone plants may just save them from these garden pests

I gave it a try and the garden exploded, especially the zucchini and cucumbers.  Ironically enough, Wednesday was National Leave a Zucchini on Your Neighbors Porch day.  I understand why, because there are is only so much zucchini you can eat at a time when your garden decides to let loose.  I spent yesterday baking zucchini bread and a few other yummy treats to portion and keep in the freezer. After all of that work I wanted an easy dinner (and I still had more zucchini to use up), so I made a frittata.

A frittata traditionally is an open faced omelette that the ingredients are added into the raw egg mixture before it is cooked (instead of being added after the eggs are fried and folded into the middle).  THey typically are cooked over low heat for about 10-15 minutes, although I prefer to make mine in my convection toaster oven.  Here's what I did:
First off, I beat 4 eggs in a glass bowl with a whisk & added in about 2 tablespoons of flour.  Then I folded in  1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, about a 1/2 cup grated carrot and about 1/2 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar works nicely)  to the mixture. 

I lined my stoneware baker with a piece of parchment that had been greased and poured the mixture into it. I then baked it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  When it was done I lifted the parchment out of the baker and cut it into wedges. Add a nice glass of pinot grigio, a side salad and you've got one quick & easy dinner.

Today the garden harvest madness continues with making tons of pickles and oven roasted tomato sauce.  I'll talk about the cucumbers next week. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying all the wonderful produce this summer has to offer!

Breathe Easier at home with VOC free paint

I talk about the importance of eating whole food free of chemicals, dyes and toxins  in about 90% of my posts. Food is not the only place toxins come from, they are all around us and especially in our homes.  Many of you have asked about the progress we are making on our new home, that we moved into over the winter. Until very recently my answer was not much. We've spent a ton of time cleaning everything and also reclaiming the yard to get our organic garden growing in time. Other than unpacking, not much progress had been made indoors.  Until my home is very bright and colorful it just doesn't feel finished to me yet. We had to delay painting when we first moved back in December because it posed two main problems:
1) if you paint when its too cold the paint get air bubbles trapped in it

2) you can't open a window for fresh air in so yo get all fuzzy headed from the fumes and feel like you need a gas mask.

We got some basic painting done with the use of some extra space heaters. Now that the warm weather is here, we're painting like crazy.  As far as the euphoria  & nausea created by  fresh paint fumes, we had none because we discovered VOC free paint.

VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, a fancy term to describe chemicals that leak out of solids and liquids in the form of a gas. When you hear articles in the media about carpets or paints off-gassing, the VOC's are the primary culprits they are talking about.  The most common places you find it in our home are in new wallcoverings, furniture such as matresses, carpeting and most predominately in your wall paint.

In extreme cases exposure to too many  toxic VOC's can lead to symptoms such as sensory irritation of the eyes, nose, throat; neurotoxic or general health problems; skin irritation; nonspecific hypersensitivity reactions; and odor and taste sensations. This is known as sick building syndrome.  People with allergy concerns, especially those suffering from asthma tend to be the most affected.  

The way I see it, being surrounded by too many toxic chemicals is never a good thing so I choose to use VOC free paint.  I 've tried several and Olympic brand is very inexpensive compared to its competition and i like the selection of colors too.  It actually makes painting much more pleasant, there is no strong paint smell hanging in the air for days, actually not even while you're painting. You an start combating indoor air pollution by making sure there are plenty of nature's air filters,  plants, in your home and good ventilation. You can also help reduce VOC's in your home with a few easy practices, courtesy of Gaiam. com:

Formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds are guests that have worn out their welcome.

Our indoor environment is often far from pristine places. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates people spend as much as 90 percent of their time inside, mostly in their homes. You work hard to create a sense of comfort and peace in your everyday spaces. Shouldn't you also decorate with health and quality of life in mind?

Eliminating the hazardous chemicals found in traditional household cleaners is a great start. But you and your family may also be cozying up to hidden toxins lurking on walls, under the couch cushions and beneath your feet. These chemical concoctions off-gas for years into indoor air, potentially impacting your long-term health.

1. Find Formaldehyde-Free Furniture

Most people don't think of their furniture when assessing their indoor air quality, but if yours is made from treated wood or particle board, it probably contains formaldehyde, the same chemical used in funeral homes as a preserving agent. A study by the California Environmental Protection Agency says indoor levels of formaldehyde are typically several times higher than outdoor levels.

Formaldehyde was recently classified a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization. And according to the American Lung Association, short-term effects of exposure to formaldehyde vapors include eye, nose and throat irritation as well as coughing, skin rashes, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and nosebleeds.

If you're planning to remodel your kitchen, choose cabinets made from solid, untreated wood. And phase out your particle-board furniture, such as shelving and office desks, with pieces made of natural materials such as hardwood, rattan and iron.

2. Stop Sleeping with Chemicals

You've heard that you spend approximately a third of your life in bed. That's roughly 25 years in this one room in your house.

Most mattresses contain considerable amounts of synthetic and chemical-based foams, plastics and artificial fibers, and most box springs are made with chemically treated wood and chemical adhesives. Next time you buy a mattress consider one made from more health-conscious materials, such as natural fibers and untreated wood. In the meantime, a mattress cover made of barrier cloth can help isolate a chemical-laden mattress.
Also consider that most bed sheets are made from cotton, a crop that takes 25 percent of the world's pesticides to grow by today's common agricultural methods. And most conventional sheets have a formaldehyde-resin finish to make them "easy care" and/or water-resistant, and to reduce shrinkage. Use organic sheets made from natural fibers — organic cotton is readily available in a wide range of styles and colors from low-impact dyes.

3. Change Your Paint Color Along with VOC Levels

You know that new paint smell? It usually has something to do with the chemicals added to paint to improve spreadability and durability. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporate at room temperature and can damage the kidneys, liver and central nervous system, according to the EPA. While the paint is drying, VOC levels can be up to 1,000 times outdoor levels, and VOCs will continue to off-gas at much lower levels after the paint dries.

When shopping for paint, look for one that contains VOC levels of 150 grams per liter or lower, advises Mother Earth News magazine. Or, better yet, choose from the growing selection of no-VOC paints.

4. Walk Away from Synthetic Carpets

VOCs don't just come from your walls; they can also come from your wall-to-wall carpeting. The American Lung Association says new carpet — as well as the adhesives and padding used during installation — can be a source of VOC emissions and act as a "sponge" for chemical and biological pollutants. For example, pesticides used on lawns can be tracked inside your home and remain inside the carpet fibers.

Leave your shoes at the door and opt for natural flooring such as sustainably harvested hardwood, bamboo, cork or tile, and no-emission carpeting of natural fibers such as sisal or wool.

All of these simple changes improve the quality of your indoor environment — as well as the environment outside. Sustainably harvested natural materials are gentler to the planet and can actually help promote healthier ecosystems, so you'll help clean your surroundings outside your home, too.

Beat the Heat a Little More Naturally

The heatwave beating down on most of the country has gotten me thinking. I have had a number of friends and family that were without power for over a week. Someone at my muggle job had mentioned the other day that all terrorists would really have to do to take over our country is wipe out the power grid.  It makes me very sad to think he may be right. We as a society have gotten way too comfortable.  People on this planet have dealt with the heat of summer for centuries before air conditioning existed. Its time we learn how to take back the summer a bit and enjoy it more.

I am now the proud owner of a new home, without air conditioning. I am  also happy to report  that I haven't shriveled up and died, even when temperatures reached 100 degrees last week.  Here are a few tips I've learned to help keep cool without an air conditioner and helped me save a bit of money by keeping my energy costs down:

1) window screens are wonderful they keep the bugs out and if opened to create airflow across a house, really do help you keep cool, especially if you have a whole house attic fan like we do.
2) running cold water on your the pulse points of your wrists will really make you feel much cooler. A similar trick is to soak your feet in  a tub cool water for about 20-30 minutes. If you're outside this works with lounge chairs and your feet in the kiddie pool.
3) unplug as many small appliances and chargers in the house as possible when not in use. They not only raise your electric bill, but those tiny little clock timers also generate heat, which may not be much but put all those appliances together and that is extra heat you don't need in your home.
4) Run your big appliances like the dishwasher and laundry machines after the sun has gone down and things cool off a bit.
5) take a lukewarm shower just before bed. It will help you sleep easier.  Do not take a freezing cold shower. IT may feel better initially but afterward your body will work to raise its temperature and will make you more uncomfortable in the long run.
6) speaking of sleep, ditch the comforter and just use a light breathable cotton sheet. If you have a hammock or a floating type bed where air can circulate under you (as opposed to a heavy latex matreess) you will feel cooler. Also switch to all cotton breathable pillows instead of the typical foam ones until the heat is a bit more manageable. You can also put your pillowcases in ziploc bags in the freezer during the day and then put them on your bed just before its time to go to sleep. 
7)Eat lots of cooling foods like fruits and vegetables, they will also keep you hydrated.  There is a reason why watermelon and gazpacho soup taste extra amazing on a hot day. Stay away from heavy meat dishes. It may seem to hot to eat, but spicy food is also your friend, it will help you sweat.  Sweat is the body's natural air conditioning.
8) Stay Hydrated. I cannot stress this enough. Not a huge fan of plain water? Make a pitcher of cold water in the fridge and add some herbs and fruit to it. Let it marinate for about a day... do not add sugar.  We currently are enjoying pineapple mint water. Strawberry basil is another favorite.

These tips won't make your house feel like the north pole by any means, but at least they make what can be a very uncomfortable time of year a bit more bearable and productive. We're off to the eastern shore of Maryland to catch up with my family for a few days. I'll be posting about some great yoga classes I'm taking there once I get back. Hope you're enjoying the summer!

Getting Patriotic...... With Produce

Happy American Independence day weekend dear readers! For those of you who haven't met me in person in the muggle world, I have a secret..... When I'm not doing Reiki or helping clients with stress relief or ways to improve their diet, I have a full time job to help pay the bills. I actually am a kitchen designer at Lowe's. It's a rewarding job (people sending me pictures of their completed kitchen and telling me how much they love it, not to mention they now have a space that they enjoy cooking more is great
), but it has one downside, I work most weekends and major holidays.

Our entire store is ready for the fourth, all decked out in red, white and blue. To make working on a day that most of us would prefer to be grilling with friends and families a little less painful, the company tends to have a BBQ for all the staff. They grill off the meats and main dishes and the employees all have a potluck with side dishes and desserts. Our challenge this year was to bring red, white and blue food. Most folks will use food coloring or additives to accomplish this. I was determined to make my contribution a healthier one.

There are so many great red white and blue produce items in season right now, making it so easy to celebrate the fourth in a healthier way. So, I headed around the corner to Strites Orchard to see what I could come up with.   If you live in the Harrisburg,PA area, I highly recommend this family run farm.

I decided to save the raspberries, blueberries and beets to enjoy at home. For the gang at work I decided on a red, white & blue potato (as in the types of potatoes, I am using sweet potatoes for the red to change things up a bit) salad. I thought I could enjoy this with my chicken way more than blue raspberry kool aid or the bright blue dyed cupcakes.

Want some other great ideas to celebrate the 4th? Here are a couple of gems I found while surfing Pinterest:
I was very impressed by these Americana bento boxes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karetchko/3823328294/

Here's a fun frozen treat, Berry Bliss Rocket Pops... no food dyes here:

http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2012/06/18/berry-bliss-rocket-pops-recipe/

Here's a flag made of fruit skewers. Serve with your fvorite fruite dip

http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2011/06/centerpiece-snacking-more-flag-food-fun/

i thought this salad flag of watermelon & feta was super cute too, bet it would be awesome with a balsamic reduction drizzle.

http://wenderly.com/2010/07/02/patriotic-watermelon-feta-flag/

I hope however you celebrate our National Day of Independence, that it is a day filled with great friends, family, lot of laughter and delicious and  healthy food!

Easy Dinner: Crab Tostadas

A very Happy Birthday to my dad today! When I think about home and my dad, I think of happy weekends spent on the boat, usually crabbing.  Luckily for me, my parents came to visit last week and to check out our progress on making this house a home. They brought us a few pounds of crabmeat from home as a treat. It was to help hold us over on our food cravings until we get to visit them down the Eastern Shore next month. Seafood, especially crabmeat, always help me feel a little less homesick. 

Here is a recipe for one of my successful dinner experiments that I made last week with the aforementioned crabmeat. It was a nice dinner to enjoy on a very hot summer night. It was also a great way to use up some of the wonderful produce that keeps best when not in the fridge.  A lot of my facebook friends have requested this, so here you go:

Michelle's Black bean & Avocado Crab Tostadas
Serves 4

You'll Need:
1/2 lb fresh Blue Crab Meat, preferably jumbo lump, but backfin works nicely too
1 can Black beans
1 1/2 Cups Cooked  fresh corn cut off off the cob
1 Cup diced Jicama
1 1/2 fresh avocados diced
Organic Corn Tortillas (Small whole grain wraps will work too)
Lime juice
1/2 cup  salsa verde (if you use store bought instead of homemade, Wegman's brand works well)
1/2  red pepper, diced
1 tomato diced
Monterey Jack or Mexican blend of shredded Cheese

Preheat your broiler (I use the one in my convection toaster oven). Toss together beans, corn, red pepper, tomatoes, avocado, the salsa and lime juice & salt to taste. Place corn tortillas on broiler pan and let them begin to crisp in the oven slightly. Once crispy, top each tortillas with a scoop of the bean mixture. Then top that with a handful of the lump crabmeat. Cover the entire pile with a generous amount of the shredded cheese. Then place the loaded tortillas under the broiler until the cheese is completely melted. 2 of the small corn tortillas is a pretty generous dinner portion for 1 person. Goes great with a refreshing watermelon aqua fresca to drink.

I'm Waging war on cute fluffy creatures

A few months ago I posted about starting my first real backyard garden (as opposed to the container gardening I've been doing the last several years).  This larger than expected undertaking is most of the reason why its been a month since I last posted.  In many ways it has been rewarding. I get some good zen moments weeding and digging in the dirt each day and am having fun watching my future refrigerator contents growing and becoming ripe..... not to mention creating recipes to enjoy them.

Unfortunately two major issues have halted my progress: a large groundhog and a very cute baby bunny. I noticed about a month ago my lettuce plants weren't thriving the way I expected and some of them had been munched down to the stalks.  The following morning I let a loud squeal as I viewed my first groundhog in super proximity. My husband thought it was hilarious. Groundhogs are not something I ever dealt with in Maryland and they definitely are much bigger than I expected.  I had no idea how destructive they could be either (his tunneling seems to be part of the cause of all the moisture in our basement too).

I begged my husband to try to come up with a humane way (most people around here just shoot them) of dealing with our unwelcome garden inhabitants.  They have taken residence under our deck it seems and enjoying each others company as roommates. After finding their entrance routes we tried blocking the area with stones and spraying the area with vinegar. My understanding is that if the groundhog is grumpy he'll go away on his own.

We thought this was working, no major munching for about 2 weeks and then I came out one day and my new broccoli plants had been eaten down to the roots. Apparently the ground hog love broccoli, while the bunny friend has been working on my newly sprouted cabbage leaves. I'm starting to feel a bit like Bill Murray in Caddyshack ( I know he was matchign wits with a gopher but it feels the same), constantly researching and trying new strategies to deter this groundhog as he seems to be getting fatter and my yard is paying the price.

Here are the latest tips I'm going to try I'll let you know how it goes:
1) groundhogs don't like areas with out a lot of cover so I'm making sure the piles of brush from our yard are to be moved elsewhere/ destroyed so its no longer near our garden
2) groundhogs don't like motion or noise so some pretty pinwheels and windchimes will be finding their way into my garden. Scarecrows apparently seem to help as well.
3) I'll be fencing in the lowest of my 4 raised garden beds (which I find frustrating but oh well. The taller beds are too high for the groundhog and bunny to get into, so those plants have escaped the carnage.  Fences should be about 3 ft tall and a foot deep into the ground from all the articles I've read
4) Groundhogs don't like the smell of epsom salts and apparently the plants in question like it. I'll be sprinkling them around hoping it will help deter the groundhog's healthy appetite.

Wish me luck! In the meantime I'll be posting some of my recent food experiment successes. It is summer so I am now officially craving crab and am a bit homesick.  Check out the blog tomorrow for my crab tostada recipe. It was delicious!

Healthy Breakfast Challenge Day 2: Strawberry Banana Breakfast Wrap

Morning! I've had a very busy week and in continuing my daily breakfast challenge I've been making a lot of grab n go and make ahead breakfasts to help manage my time. The last few days I've been munching on organic blueberry yogurt with my homemade granola and previous to that I was a glutton on a weekend away. If my day goes well you'll see the gluttony posts later. In the meantime, here is a favorite quick breakfast for on the run that still gives me the energy I need to start my morning. 

take your favorite wrap or flat bread (I prefer whole grain ones, gluten free  and vegan ones are also available) and smear it with 2 tablesspoons of peanut or almond butter.  Then I like to sprinkle some granola  into the nut butter. Then I slice up a  few strawberries and place them as the next layer. I like to toss in a couple blueberries as well. Then I put half of a banana in the center. Roll up you wrap around the banana like you are making a burrito.  This breakfast is easily portable and I find the granola gives it a nice crunch.  Then simply enjoy.

One of Our First Milestones

Today is the one year anniversary of my husband and I getting married.  After all the stress, drama and chaos of the previous year of wedding planning we were so looking forward to a break.  We imagined the first year as husband and wife to be one of relaxation, bliss and lots of wonderful time together. Whomever started this rumor, I want to smack them. Apparently, so do all of our friends who've been married recently. 

For today's young, or even not so young, newlywed couples this vision truly is a fantasy. We juggled jobs, a new home and school..... not to mention trying to maintain a good relationship with our families who are just as busy  as we are and rather far away.   We've talked to a number of fellow newlyweds and the fact of the matter is that we're all too exhausted to be making whoopee all the time. I honestly felt relieved that it wasn't just us.  From the first week of our marriage we began running to family events, even before we left for our honeymoon. As soon as we got back we dove into work and were house shopping. Not exactly a relaxed lifestyle. My husband and I have decided that is not going to be the case for the rest of our marriage. I talk to make clients about creating their own "Life in Balance", and this is the year my husband is teaming up with me to make our home life just that. 

On Wednesday we're getting out of town for a few days to enjoy Virginia wine country and renew our vows.  We found some great restaurants that specialize in local sustainable foods.  Time away for us has been long overdue.  Charley and I have decided this is going to be the the beginning of "our year". We have vowed to travel more, spend more time turning our new house into the home we've dreamed of, get in shape together and he is helping me turn my dream job into a full time career. This is huge since currently my job to pay the bills has a very inconvenient schedule that is one of the reasons we don't see each other enough.  I am really excited about all the adventures we will have this year and maybe with all of this new found time spent together one of those adventures will be to become parents. 

Here's to hoping. I'm not going to stress about what may or may not happen this year, but one thing I will definitely be doing is enjoying the ride.

Is there a 12 step program for Pinterest users? & The Healthy Breakfast Challenge

I have discovered that I have an addiction.... to using Pinterest.  For those of you whom are unfamiliar with this marvelous little app, it allows you to "pin" pictures with links you've found around the web to your own virtual styleboards. Then your friends can follow and look at your boards and "repin" the ideas you've saved and liked to their own boards.

I am a very visual person who also has a million and one "to do" projects in my brain. I am also a list maker and a dreamer. For me, Pinterest fits all of those needs and I don't have to lose any of my ideas. Previously I spent hours making a board manually. Now it takes seconds. The only problem with that is that Pinterest has become a major way for me to unwind and I seem to be losing hours of my life. I have decided that I need to to come up with a way to make my time a little bit more bankable or productive.

Being the food obsessed individual I am, my favorite ways to use the boards is to categorize recipes that I's like to try. I started  reviewing my boards this morning and had a light bulb moment. I will be blogging about my recipe adventures that I've saved on Pinterest. The first board I'd like to tackle is one I've entitled "The Healthy Breakfast Challenge." 

Eating breakfast every day is hugely important. I am challenging myself to make a different breakfast every day and share what worked and what didn't with all of you out there in blogland.  I will only be sharing successes, to hopefully save those of you attempting to do the same some time and frustration.  The first recipe I'd like to share is one of my own concoctions, after that you'll get Pinterest recipe central.

my egg poaching cup- makes it so easy!

I love poached eggs.  Unfortunately they can be a royal pain to make, not to mention time consuming. About a year ago my mom got me these marvelous silicone cups to make poached eggs in. That was the moment when the egg experimentation started. One of the by-products of these experiments is my recipe for Poached Italian eggs.

A few years a go there was a dish on the brunch menu of my parents restaurant called Italian eggs.  Essentially it was a variation of  the English "toad in the hole". They took Texas toast garlic bread and baked an egg in the middle of it. IT was wonderful but rather greasy and not exactly on the light side.  I took the concept and ran with it.

I love savory flavors like rosemary oregano & tomatoes, so why not enjoy them at breakfast?! I take a piece of my favorite whole grain bread and lightly toast it. Meanwhile I poach my egg using my egg cups on the stove top. Next I take the toast and smear on some pasta sauce and sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese and italian herbs. I pop this back in the toaster oven so the cheese melts slightly. By the time the cheese is toasted my egg is ready (I like my yolks nice and runny and the timing seems to always work out). I place the egg on top of my pizza toast (as the hubby calls it), sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little bit more herbs.

Italian Eggs

I love the way the yolk soaks into the bread and all the flavors blend together as I cut this breakfast into bites. Not only is it delicious but it gives me the energy I need to get my day started. Bon Appetito!

Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day everyone! This Sunday, April 22nd is Earth day. It is a holiday very near and dear to my heart since I was in middle school and met a  biology teacher, Mr. Thompson, who taught me about conservation and the importance of taking care of our home planet.  On some fronts we've come a really long way since I was a kid: recycling is a standard curbside service at most cities across the country, eating local organic foods is getting increasingly popular and a lot of people are using less energy by switching their light bulbs and major appliances to more energy efficient models.

We still have a long way to go though and everyone's participation and attention to what is happening around our little green planet is so crucial. There are also a lot more of us around, using up the resources even faster. We need to work together to make a much smaller impact so our grandkids won't have to live  a life without the things like water and trees that so many of us take for granted. Want to plan a fun earth day with your loved ones but don't know where to start ? Here are a few suggestions and links to help you on your way.

1) Have a Picnic- whats a better way to appreciate the outdoors than to spend a day outside. A day outside is a great way to enjoy the natural surroundings mama nature has provided for us. It also is a great opportunity to get your family active and moving with a game of frisbee or catch. You can get your kids involved by letting them help plan your menu. This is also a great opportunity to talk to them about where their food comes from.
Another bonus of a picnic is that by enjoying the energy of the sun you will not be raising your electricity bill by staying home watching tv or playing video games.

The nature conservancy is sponsoring a worldwide event called Picnic for the planet. They are trying to break a record. Check out this website to see if there is an event already being hosted in your tow, or you can organize one to join the movement: http://www.nature.org/earthday/attend/index.htm

2) Catch a Flick
If the weather doesn't cooperate and you end up being stuck inside, why not watch a great movie with the family that has an environmental message. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) Ferngully, the Last Rainforest
2)The Lion King
3) Finding Nemo
4) Happy Feet
5) WALL-E

If the kids want to go out to the movies (or you're a big kid yourself) here are two great choices currently in the theatres
1)Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
2) Disney Nature- Chimpanzee

3) Have a special Earth Day Meal
This is a great time to introduce concepts like the importance of eating local and organic foods. Head to your local farm or farmers market to pick out the ingredients for your meal and talk to the people who grew them. You can also talk about going meat free at least once a week and why it is important. You also could find a local grass fed meat farm locally. It is so important for us as a society to start eating a more sustainable diet. 

4) Plant a Tree

Every day we cut down thousands of trees around the world and only a small fraction of them get replanted. This not only destroys the landscapes and creates more desserts, but also depletes our planet of oxygen. Trees also act as natural filters and help clean our air. There are a number of places to buy seedlings online.  Local businesses like hardware stores and nurseries will also have special deals on Earth day to help plant more trees.

5) Help Clean up
Tons of trash is left along our roadways and get into our water supply every day. Spend a few hours with some of your neighbors cleaning up a local park or stream area. Not only will it make the area more beautiful, but it also will be a much safer place for local animals to live.

6) Go on a Hike
get some exercise and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while you're at it.


7) Where's My Water?
Water is a precious resource on our planet and most of us don't realize how much we waste everyday.Do some exercises around the house to measure how much water you use and then work together with your family to figure out how you can bring that amount down.  A good place to start is http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html.  There is also a great ipad app created by Disney called "Where's My Water?" to help explain the concepts to the younger members of your family

8) Head to the Zoo
Zoos are a great way to learn about how our actions every day affect lives of animals all over the world. The kids will be fascinated and who doesn't love pandas or polar bears?!

9) Start a Home Garden
You don't need a big  yard to have a great garden. You'd be surprised at what you can do with containers when space is a luxury.  Start small with a few easy to grow staples like tomatoes, lettuces or culinary herbs. Then you can branch out from there.

And the most important rule of all no matter how you celebrate is to have fun & enjoy your time together!
Remember: Every day is Earth Day. Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every day. Don't restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time. And put it into practice - every day!

We're building a grocery store.... in the back yard

parsley, mint & rosemary

OK, so this post took me an entire month instead of a few days to get written.  About a month ago, I mentioned I was planning a garden. As life got busier and more stressful, getting the garden started has become my lifeline. Getting seedlings started, nurturing them to life and getting my hands deep in the earth really relaxes me. Plus, the warm weather showed up about a month early so I had some outdoor catching up to do.

My first task was planning out what we wanted to plant. I wanted to choose things we eat a lot of and really enjoy. The prospect of a much smaller grocery bill was really intriguing.  I also wanted to make sure everything I grew was an heirloom organic variety. This took a little research on my part to find companies that had seeds not only to meet those high standards, but also that would do well in our growing region.

I see blueberries starting to form! yay!

I settled on 4 different companies based on what each had to offer:
1) Seeds of Change- asparagus crowns, catnip, cucumbers, lettuces & marigolds
2) Annie's Heirloom Organics- 2 tomato varieties, celery, watermelon, carrots & golden beets
3) Shenandoah Farms- organic herb plants
4)True Vine Ranch - Organic blueberry bushes

Next once the seeds arrived I set up a little incubator area in my living room. I bought some organics seed starting mix, moistened it up and then put a small scoop in each of my biodegradable seedling containers. I placed each container on a tray covered them with plastic wrap and put a grow light above them. Then was the hardest part.....the waiting. I am definitely an instant results kind of gal so this has been really tough. I'd water my seedlings every day and finally after about a week and a half I started to see sproutlings.

A word to the wise, just because the sprouts are looking healthy does not mean they are necessarily ready to leave their warm cocoon yet. I made that mistake to early (like I said, I'm crazy impatient) and had to start the process all over again with my beets and cucumbers. 

one of the overgrown & neglected raised garden beds we inherited with the house

While I was waiting on my seeds to grow, I've had plenty of work to do to get the yard ready. First I had to clear out all the leaves, weeds & dead plants left behind by the previous owners.  I also cut back the existing raspberry bushes so they could get healthy again and have some breathing space (they were completely overgrown).  Next I had to empty out the raised beds of the old dirt and put in new, organic dirt, since I had no idea what had been in there before and I didn't want to contaminate my wonderful organic heirloom veggies. What I thought was a simple job turned into a very grueling week-long project. So yes, gardening is definitely hard work but it will be so worth it! (not to mention my arms are starting to look great form all the digging).

Our cat, Isis, seems to enjoy all the outside activity too. She's never been an outdoor cat before, but with the security of a nice fenced in yard, we can't seem to keep her inside. She loves being out in the garden, and munching on leaves of my raspberry bushes (when she thinks we're not looking).

Another related project we started is a compost pile. I bought a nice stainless mini bucket for my countertop, complete with charcoal filter so it doesn't stink up my kitchen.  I place all my vegetable scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds in the pot. When it gets full, I empty it into a a bin my husband rigged up out of an old storage tub. He just drilled some holes into it the mixture could breathe. We have plans to get a big double barrel composting bin, but this was an easy to do free way to get started.  Once the mixture breaks down, it becomes a natural and effective fertilizer for my garden crops. No chemicals needed.

After the the little shoots get some bigger leaves on them and the ground is warm enough you can plant them in a pot, raised bed or a traditional garden bed. Be sure to keep watering regularly and to cover your plants in the event of a chilly night since it is a bit early in the year to be planting in some parts of the country.

I'll follow up and let you know how the garden is progressing. I also will talk about natural pest control.  Hopefully you'll be inspired to start your own garden. The food really does taste so much better when you grow it yourself!

Coming Full Circle

Isn't it funny how you can start a journey because you get an inkling to do something  and have no idea where its going to take you? I was pouring through some old files and realized that this month is the three year anniversary of this blog.

When I started writing, it was to figure out my own feelings as to what the term "holistic health" meant. I knew I wanted to invite more holistic concepts into my life. I couldn't even dream of having a holistic career (although I knew I wanted to spread Reiki but that was about it). My first two posts to this blog were about enjoying simple healthy foods and also relaxing a bit by planting something. It seemed like a good place to start.

Here I am three years later, as a Holistic health coach and I love what I do. I get to talk about food and nutrition with my clients all the time. I also get to see how they become happier by taking control of their lives, and learning how to reduce stress. For me, it is the coolest job ever! I had no idea my journey would land me here, but its great knowing I helped make it happen by listening to my intuition and taking baby steps along the way.

Speaking of celebrating and baby steps.... I'd like to congratulate my dear friend Kerri on the birth of her son, this morning. She has met many obstacles on her journey over the years and it is wonderful seeing her live her dreams and be so happy!

Stay tuned later this week for my regular post. In the spirit of the warmer weather and years past, its time to start talking about gardening again. This year will be a little different because I don't have to use containers. Since I have the room, instead of joining a CSA, I am undertaking a fairly large gardening project. All o you will get to learn from my mistakes and hopefully enjoy my successes as well. The first two topics are going to be prepping and composting. I hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful day, its beautiful out!

ITs Spring! While the Hubby is Away, I will play....with food that is.

With the warm weather starting about a month early in my area, it feels great to get a jump on my spring projects. Spring is such an inspiring time of year and a great time to begin new journeys and goals. I also tend to find time alone very productive.The whole house, and my mood, feel so much fresher and more vibrant.  My husband has gone out of town for work for a few days and they also happen to be my days off, so I am in a project frenzy. I miss him already, (and he's only been gone a few hours), but I have to admit I get twice as much done around the homestead when he is not here. I am updating my resume and putting the finishing touches on the website for my coaching business.  I look forward to contemplative time working in my garden, sowing seeds for my summer veggies and even spring cleaning.  Note: If you want to clean without the chemicals, checkout a post I did a few years back on Homemade household cleaners.

My husband also tends to be a rather picky eater. He will not eat a number of my favorite veggies. Unfortunately, my remedy has become to only make the foods I crave (that he won't eat), when he is not around. His latest seasonal veggie victim is peas. No sense in denying myself the pleasure of some amazing veg, so I am using his time away to make all kinds of wonderful spring dishes. 

Here are a few spring recipes and yummy snacks that I will be treating myself to:

• pea & mint bruschetta, a yummy appetizer and I get to use mint form my garden, yay!
• Protein Power Goddess Bowl,  from the Oh She Glows blog
• Baked Kale chips, yummy & easy snack recipe by the gluten free girl
• Greek Quinoa salad, from Kath Eats Real Food

For dinner I'll be making pasta, since its something else I don't get often that Charley doesn't enjoy too much.
I'll be using whole grain pasta with homemade oven roasted tomato sauce.

Michelle's Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
For the sauce take a couple of organic tomatoes and cut them in half. Drizzle with olive oil  and minced garlic and place in a baking dish. Slow roast them for about 2 hours at 250 degrees. The roasting will concentrate all the wonderful sweetness of the tomatoes & you won't need to add any sugar, like all the bottled sauces are full of. When the tomatoes are done roasting puree them in a blender or food processor. Then toss with your favorite cooked pasta. I'll be adding some zucchini and spinach to mine.


 I hope you get to enjoy all the beauty of the spring renewal season that is all around us and get some good quality time to relax and ground yourself like I am over the next few days. Happy Spring.

Healthier Convenience Baked Goods? Am I dreaming?

Happy Saturday! Its my one weekend off per month...hooray! I'm happy to report we have lots of fun things planned but the best parts are that my brother in law is spending the weekend with us and I get to see my good friend Sara later tonight. Whenever we have weekend guests I like to wake up and have some nice warm baked goods ready for our guests. After a crazy night out, the thought of getting up, proofing and baking dough is not exactly at the top of my wish list.  Despite it making my life easier, I refuse to buy the biscuits with a certain giggling rotund boy in a chef hat. I don't trust the chemicals & preservatives in the prepackaged doughs. This youtube clip pretty much demonstrates what I think of them , its entitled where croissants come from:



I was faced with this same dilemma about a month ago until I discovered the Immaculate Baking Company while in Wegman's. Their products were right on the refrigerated shelf next to the other pre-packaged doughs and cookies....so I almost missed them. Here's the skinny on what I thought of their products.

1) I love the fact that I can not only pronounce and recognize every ingredient on the label but they even explain they use non GMO Canola oil and aluminum fee baking powder

2) They also have gluten free and dairy free cookie lines as well

3) The scones are more like biscuits and have yummy things like cranberries or cinnamon in them.  They also don't leave that yucky film on the roof of your mouth when you eat them at room temperature like that other popular brand does. They also keep for a few days.

4) They actually taste pretty close to homemade...... almost as good. Homemade for me, is always best.

5) My husband really likes the cookies.

So basically yes, you can actually buy good tasting pre-made dough for baking that isn't full of nasty chemicals. I will still make 99% of my baked goods myself, but it is nice to know I have a trustworthy option if I decide to take  it easy and cheat once in a while.  (They have no idea I'm giving them this glowing endorsement BTW, I just was very pleasantly surprised by their products)