Meat Free Monday: Keeping Cool on a Hot Summer Night

Hi everyone. I'm back from my month in Maryland and am slowly readjusting to the temperatures back at home. Here in Florida it is crazy hot and humid this time of year. My husband works for a major home builder and the last thing he wants after a long day in the heat is warm food. It was also the first day of school, so after a lot of chaos, I wanted something easy. Tonight's meat free Monday meal is a different take on salad for dinner. I give you "Pizz'alad". Sounds ridiculous,  but hear me out.

Just take your favorite pizza dough.... something thin & crispy tends to work best. Tonight, I did a whole wheat crust I like to make, but a store bought lavash/ flat bread or a naan works equally well for this. It can be gluten free or whatever kind you like it really doesn't matter. Fathead dough if you're doing the keto diet works great for this as well.  Crisp it up in the oven and then let it cool to room temperature.

Next , I like to spread a thin layer of an herb cheese or some kind of a spread like a tasty hummus. then I load it up with some chopped salad and whatever veggies I need to use up. For example: tonight I have a mixture of thin sliced romaine lettuce, sliced red bell peppers, cucumbers, a handful of alfalfa sprouts, blanched green beans & snap peas, as well as my new favorite obsession, mini san marazano tomatoes.  then I drizzle the entire thing with my dressing of choice.... tonight its an Avocado ranch that I made.

And voila. slice & eat it up. its cool, light, crunchy, refreshing and an easy dinner that doesn't add to the heat in your system from the craziness outside. on another note, if your kids are pizza fans, this is another way to get them to eat some veggies in a fun way.   Hope you enjoy this easy weeknight dinner as much as we do.  Stay cool!

My Son the Superhero and a Yummy recipe

Hello from Sunny Orlando, Florida! Yes, we've moved again, this time to the land of all things Disney (which I love!). We had a dream, saw an opportunity and took it. We've been here for about two months now and life is finally normalizing as much as it can for our little family.  We've been pretty busy with big lifestyle changes lately, so I've been posting more on Facebook as opposed to different posts here as well. I'm trying to streamline all these accounts together so bear with me.

A few months ago our son was identified as having a neurological condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder. I had never even heard of this a few months ago and now it tends to occupy most of my  time; whether I'm learning more about it, taking care of my son, or juggling speech and Occupational therapy appointments. We're dealing with a number of what most people would consider quirks in a two year old.  With sensory processing disorder, funny things that my son does are not things he will outgrow, they are a part of who he is. A simplified explanation of kids with Sensory Processing Disorder, is that I like to think of them as superheroes. Absolutely every sensory kid is unique and different, as is how they feel things.  These kids are amazing. They literally have super senses, which could be insanely hard and frustrating for them to cope and deal with, not just daily, but minute to minute.

 In my son's case, his nerves don't feel it when he's exhausted,  things such as textures or even if he's cold or overheated. His body craves stimulation and feedback. In the SPD community of parents, he is known as a "seeker". Its kind of  like he has super strength because he just goes and goes. He also has insanely sensitive super hearing. People speaking loudly and crowded places with lots of background noises are completely overwhelming for him.  Even things that I take for granted, such as my love of food, are extremely hard for him.  Don't get me wrong, he's a great eater for a two and a half year old, but its the same things all the time because trying new foods are literally almost painful to him because he feels things so intensely. A new texture can make a favorite flavor taste disgusting to him so he spits it out.  On days when his nerves are really seeking he only eats super crunchy or super smooth things. On these trying days, I end up cooking multiple meals.  This is quite time consuming so I need something easy.

 Here is a grilled sweet potato salad does double duty in our home.  I grill a whole sweet potato for my son (so he can it eat it mashed), while I grill off slices for this yummy side dish that is ready in just a few short minutes. Its also gluten free and Vegan friendly for those of you living those kind of lifestyles or just a nice choice for a friendly potluck to share. It is a dish that is light and delicious on a hot day.  I am quickly learning that this is the norm here in Florida, so we will be eating this A LOT. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

By the way, this post is a new feature I'm running on my Facebook page,  (facebook.com/lifeinbalancewellness),  I'm calling Tasty Tuesdays.  Check back every week and you'll find a new recipe on Tuesdays by lunchtime.  I will also post these on my Pinterest board the following day. Let me know what you think and if you're craving a certain type of recipe. I'll do my best to help.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Basil Viniagrette
Serves 4

4 Sweet Potatoes ut in 1/2" slices
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsely

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp chiffonade basil (fancy term for sliced into super thin ribbons)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
dash of dry yellow mustard

1) lightly coat sweet potatoes with some avocado oil ( i find spraying them with a misto works best)
2) grill potato slices until they are tender.  If you're like me, I love the smoky char taste using wood lump charcoal creates.
3) cut up the potatoes into small 1" cubes and then combine them with the bell pepper, onions and parsely.
4) whisk together dressing ingredients
5) toss the salad mixture with the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. this can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

A blizzard, turning forty and yummy stew

Apologies for delays in posts here but I've been all over the place.  I never know where best to put my thoughts.  I've got a facebook page, twitter and this blog. They tend to overlap and I forget which spot I place my posts and regardless, they always end up on facebook.  With that being said I'll be publishing some back pieces that I've written over the last year that have remained in drafts. But before I get to those, lets live in the now.  I've just spent the weekend in a blizzard. Also,  I am turning forty tomorrow and I'm freaking out a bit about that.  I don't feel like what my mind thought a forty year old person should be like. I think its actually a good thing though. I like my life and I think it shows through in photos, especially when I'm with my two favorite people on the planet, my husband and my little boy.  The picture below, taken earlier this morning as we were digging ourselves out, is the perfect example of this. Other than the fact I was going on no sleep and didn't have basic makeup on, I really enjoy seeing myself happy and  beaming in this photo.

 While our family was holed up, we had what I like to call Soupapalooza. I made a different soup or stew every day. Batches of soup are great to use up leftover bits (like carcasses,  bones and random leftover vegetables) and you can stock your freezer with yummy, homemade & healthy meals for when you need a lazy dinner night.

One dish that I've have had recipe requests for is my Bavarian Lentil Stew.   My husband called it "rich and meaty  with a hint of sweetness".  To me, it reminds of one of my favorite comfort foods that I enjoy in the summer, my maternal grandmother's German potato salad.  The best part of the Stew is that the meatiness comes from lentils. The only actual meat in the recipe is the bacon I rendered down at the beginning of the cooking process. The other thing I love about making a stew like this, is that it gives me the perfect excuse to break out my favorite tomato red, cast iron dutch oven. I hope you enjoy this hearty meal as much as we have and that it warms you up on a chilly night.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. sliced bacon, roughly chopped
• ½ c. diced onion
• 3/4 c. diced leeks (white parts only)
• ½ c. diced celery
• 2 medium carrots, unpeeled & diced
• 1 qt. chicken broth
• 1½ c. brown lentils
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 3 medum sized, raw, yellow potatoes, unpeeled & diced
• 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 generous splashes of red table wine (make sure its one you would drink yourself, I used "19 Crimes"

Instructions

1. Heat a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has rendered into the pot and the bacon is crispy.
2. Add the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots to the pot. Saute five minutes, or until golden.
3. Pour in the wine and scrape any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the lentils, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, stock and nutmeg. Cook for 30 minutes on medium, covered.
4. Add the potatoes and cook an additional 15 until lentils and vegetables are tender.At this point decide if its thick enough for you.  I wanted mine extra thickso it could almost pass for a side dish as aopposed to a stew.  I fixed this by adding a small amount of roux. I took 1 tablespoon of butter and melted in a pan with 2 tablespoons of flour until it is dark golden to light brown in color. then stir it into yoiur soup mixture.   Stir in vinegar and sugar, then add salt to taste. Serve with warm bread and butter.

Serves Six.  Once you prep by chopping up all the veggies the actual cooking time of this rich dish is about an hour give or take a few minutes. 

New Beginnings & Finding Home through Banana Bread

I know I haven't been on my traditional blog page in months. Our family has had quite a huge period of adjustment and transformation.  In order to keep things balanced for us, I had to take a bit of an internet break.  Things have finally settled down... a bit so I'm getting back to doing what I love.

In mid February my husband received a job offer that was a complete surprise to us. it seems too good to pass up. As with any situation like this it had a catch.  We had less than 3 weeks to pack up what we needed immediately and move to Charlottesville, VA.  We have been ecstatic but also very stressed at the same time. My son had just turned one and the house was still recovering from his first birthday. All of a sudden I had to figure out what we needed to get started in a new city, pack it up by myself and take care of a toddler all at the same time.  Sometime in all the chaos we also had to keep returning to Harrisburg (about a 4 our drive) to continue packing up our home and put it on the market as soon as possible.

This is  a huge task for anyone and it was about to get harder.  We arrived in Charlottesville excited about all the new possibilities this new city offered.  After all, here is a city known not only for wonderful education like UVA, great hospitals, especially for children, lots of participation in the arts,  an area with a ton of American history and a proud tradition of locavore chefs.  (Guess what I was most excited about?!)  When we pulled up to the apartment we had found in a hurry it all went horribly wrong.  The space was not what we were told we would be living in at all.  It was a dark basement apartment with moisture issues, fleas  and a very funky smell..... not exactly where you want to live with a 1 year old.  We unfortunately didn't have anywhere to go and had to sign the lease.

After a few weeks of injuring myself in a kitchen that no one could cook in, cat acquiring fleas from the apartment and finding any excuse to get out to be around people &  fresh air,  we had had enough.  We had been spending every other weekend heading back to Harrisburg to work on packing up our home and getting it market ready.  My husband was settled at work and I'd been researching places to move to the entire time. Our son definitely was getting frustrated and all three of us started getting sick from the air quality in that awful living space (despite purifiers running 24/7.) We found somewhere we actually wanted to live that was available right away. The decision was made to break our lease (a very expensive move that I don't recommend unless truly necessary) and carry on.  I am happy to say that 3 weeks ago we made our move and today is the first day I truly can begin feeling at home.

For me, being able to cook comfort food for my family is how I begin to feel at home.  Today I am starting that process by making banana bread.  We had a ton of ripe bananas from running around so much (easy to carry in bag and purses, no refrigeration needed), so I'm making a double batch. I divided the batter in half. The first half I'm turning into mini muffins for my son. They 're convenient finger food for toddlers on the go. The second half I have added chocolate chips and walnuts to bake into a loaf of bread for my husband and I.   I have made a lot of different versions of banana bread over the years, here is my current favorite.

You will need:
1 2/3 cups flour ( I like organic whole grain white flour for this recipe)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamon
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 eggs (I prefer extra large organic)
1/2 cup oil ( if you don't mind a tropical infusion I love coconut oil. It also gives the bread a beautiful rich color.  Avocado oil is a great alternative to keep in your healthy fats without changing any flavors as well).
3 1/2 very ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp Organic Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 cups nuts or fillers of your choosing***

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper.  If making mini muffins, I like to use silicone molds and I spray them with coconut oil.  First sift together the baking soda, flour and spices. Set these aside in a bowl.  Then, beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer with the whisk attachment and run for about 10 minutes, until light and fluffy. Next, drizzle in the oil and add the mashed bananas, greek yogurt and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients and any fillers.  For the mini muffins bake about 40 minutes or if you're baking a loaf 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool a bit and enjoy! If you have any left at the end of the day, the slices of bread and mini muffins freeze well for future grab n go snacks.

***Note: a few optional fillers other than nuts that our family enjoys are raspberries, blueberries, strawberry pieces or chocolate chips. Sometimes I make a tropical version with macadam nuts, coconut chips and crushed pineapple.  The batter is fairly versatile.

"Fight the Fear and do it Anyway"

Its the second week of February and by now many of you are truly taking stock and are ready to put a lot of those New Year's resolutions into action. You've thought about how you are going to do something and what it will take for you to start..... but what is generally stopping you from an exciting new adventure? Fear.

Starting anything new is scary.  A new beginning can be a big thing like a move but it can also be simpler acts such as starting a new healthy habit, meeting or talking to someone new, and even trying a new food.  Fear causes stress and we naturally tend to think of stress as being a bad thing.  When fear starts running our lives it can prevent us from experiencing some really awesome events and feelings.  New starts and resolutions tend to get stopped before they even start when fear of change kicks in.

Change is stressful, but that can be a good thing too.  I know, you think I'm speaking like a crazy person.... but hear me out.  Stress is defined in the dictionary as a response to a stimulus that interferes with the normal equilibrium in the body.  We constantly associate stress as a negative thing but by definition if I try a new ice cream flavor and have a positive reaction (such as being super excited about this taste explosion in my mouth), that technically is a response to stimuli that is changing the normal equilibrium in my body. I generally don't walk around giddy constantly.

So as you see, some stress can be a good thing.  Change can lead to so many wonderful possibilities. If you have a job you really hate and decide to find a new one thats a big change. It is also one that can lead to your general everyday contentment if you find your dream job that fulfills you.  if you dont embrace the chance to change you could be missing out.

I like to think of fear as a doorway. It is preventing us from seeing all the really great possibilities that are waiting on the other side of it. If we choose to challenge our  fears and open the door an entire world of imagination exists.  Our wildest dreams truly can be  our reality.

My husband was just offered a new opportunity that will have huge changes for our entire family but limitless possibilities as well while we move to a new state...... with only  a few weeks to do it.  Am I stressed? Hell yes!  My house looks like a bomb went off from my son's first birthday party and he just started walking/ getting into everything.  I need to pack up our essentials by myself while my husband finishes up his last two weeks of work. This is one of the riskiest things we've ever done.  Stay tuned to find out how those possibilities worked out.  

Summer Nostalgia/ These aren't your grandma's pork chops

I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer yet. I've been so busy with clients, visiting family and chasing after the new crawler in our home that I feel like summer just blew past me and I've missed it.  With this in mind I spent this holiday weekend making lots of summer favorites. Friday's dinner was really more tropical in theme, but it features two of my favorite flavors on the planet: coconut and mango. I'm making Coconut crusted pork chops with fresh mango salsa.

The salsa is best if it can marinate  a few hours before serving or even overnight, so we'll start with that first.  Some of you may be unfamiliar with fresh mangoes because you've only bought them as a puree or already sliced and frozen. So step one is how to cut a mango.  A mango has a big almond shaped pit in its center that is usually about 1/2 inch thick. Instead of cutting it directly in half where you see the spot where the vine was attached, cut down on either side of it.  When you're done you will have 3 pieces: the one with the pit and the two halves.  I cut the little bit of flesh around the pit and use that too because I can't stand wasting any bit of a mango.  For each of the halves, score with a knife (cut into the flesh but don't go through the skin), lines across and down so you have the effect of a tic tac toe board. Then from the skin side push in the center which will cause the squares of flesh to pop away from the skin. From here, you can curt them off more easily (see the photo).

After your mango is diced up, toss in the juice of 1 lime, some kosher salt, chopped fresh cilantro and finely diced Jalepeno.  A note on jalepenos (especially if you wear contacts):  When cutting them up wear rubber gloves so you don't get the heat on your hands because you will never get it off before a few days. If you take out your contacts and then go to put them in the next day without having worn gloves, you will get a nasty surprise.  Also, if your guests don't like really pict food, be sure to remove all the ribs and seeds from the inside of your Jalepeno.  Here's how my salsa turned out. The little red bits are actually Jalepeno... Thats what they do when you leave them on your garden vine extra long, just like a bell pepper would do.


I used thick cut pork chops tonight for my meat but chicken breasts that are split would work very well for this recipe as well. Just cut down on your cooking time.  To bread the chops I used three shallow containers: 1) 1/4 cup flour- I used whole wheat flour with a 1/2 tsp of salt  2) 1 egg with a tablespoon of milk whisked together  3) 1/2 cup flour with 1 cup of coconut flakes also known as coconut powder if you're shopping in an Indian market.  Dredge the chops through the containers in order (flour then egg mixture and finally coconut mixture.

Now you're ready to cook them.  You can use butter to fry these up in the pan, but I prefer to use coconut oil, about 2 Tbsp.  It blends with the coconut flavor and is a little healthier for you. Brown each side of the chops so they begin to get crispy. About 5 minutes total, then transfer them to the oven. I like to place them on a rack raised over the pan so they stay nice and crispy. Cover with foil and bake about another 20 minutes. I actually do this in my convection toaster oven at about 350F so you might have to adjust your time to a bit longer for your oven.

Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Then serve up with the mango salsa and enjoy! NOTE: this recipe is gluten free & pale friendly if you use coconut milk & coconut flour in place of the regular flour and milk.

Soups On!: Homemade stock.

Happy Food Revolution Day! I'm posting every hour on my Facebook page today: Facebook.com/lifeinbalancewellness.  I'm sharing recipes and cooking techniques throughout the day. As promised, first up is a basic necessity in every kitchen: Chicken stock... or for you Paleo heads out there, Chicken bone broth.

Its a rainy and chilly spring morning here in PA so I think of soup on damp days like this. Not to mention, the baby has been ill a few days and now I'm feeling a tad queasy. Some homemade chicken soup is just what I need. The base for every chicken soup and a lot of other things is stock.  I just can't justify paying a few bucks at the store for something I can make at home with things I have in my pantry and freezer all the time.  Not to mention, who wants all the added salt and preservatives in their food? Not me.

A lot of people don't roast their own chickens fro dinner anymore. Its pretty easy to do but most don't have time so they pick up one of those rotisserie style ones for about $5 a the grocery store.  I bring this up because you will need your own roasted chicken or one of the rotisserie ones for these recipes.   I keep things easy by any time I do roast a chicken or a turkey I take the leftover carcass, pop it in a ziploc bag and toss it in the freezer. This same bag is a good place to pop the neck that comes in the package too (that most people never use.)

So, take the carcass from your freezer or the leftover one from your rotisserie chicken and begin letting it thaw. Next take your favorite stock pot and add  your mirepoix to the bottom: thats equal parts diced carrots, celery and onion for those who don't use culinary speak.   (I used 4 carrots, 4 ribs of celery and 1 large onion here.) I like to use my dutch oven when dealing with a smaller carcass. Sweat the mirepoix with a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes and then place the chicken carcass on top.  Pour in cold water until the carcass is submerged. Fill a sachet, muslin bag or tea ball with a few peppercorns, a garlic clove, 2 bay leaves and  some parsley stems. Drop this in the pot as well.

Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon or fine mesh strainer every 10 to 15 minutes for the first hour of cooking and twice each hour for the next 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours.

Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids. Cool immediately in large cooler of ice or a sink full of ice water to below 40 degrees. Place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Prior to use, bring to boil for 2 minutes. Use as a base for soups and sauces.

Gluten free update & some meatballs

Note: This Post was writen back in October 2012. It never made it up until now due to computer issues.

Sorry for the long delay between posts, been having some computer issues so I'm posting some that I actually wrote over the last several weeks and haven't uploaded yet. Hope you find them useful!

 My kitchen remodel finally is done and its amazing the difference a functional layout can make. My husband and I noticed I've been cooking nonstop since it was installed. This gluten free diet is so much easier being able to finally cook again. I've had a few yummy successes this past week.

First up I sautéed some andouille sausage in some olive oil & garlic. Then I added broccollini, zucchini, shrimp and tossed in some cannellini beans. This was definitely a winner. The smokiness of the sausage flavored everything else. The dish was nice and filling too. It didn't need any kind of side dish or starch accompaniment either.

My mom came to town and I made a paleo recipe of pork with apples slow cooked in the crockpot. Quite yummy!

The next night I was feeling lazy but still did not want to order takeout so I made meatballs. Growing up, I loved helping my mom make meatballs, especially when she'd quote that tv commercial in a funny accent and exclaim "that's a spicy meatball". The spiciest always came from loads of garlic in the meatball mix. I decided I wanted the garlic but I also had to de-gluten her recipe And wanted to make them a bit healthier. They turned out really yummy & I created a new recipe. Score!

Here's what I did:
I mixed 1package of ground turkey, tossed in a half package of thawed frozen spinach, 2 very large cloves of garlic minced, 1 egg and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. I also tossed in about a cup of gluten free panko bread crumbs. Next I sautéed the meatballs in some olive oil with about 2 more cloves of garlic mixed in.  As soon as the meatballs are browned on the outside I place them In a stoneware baker. I pour some of my slow roasted tomato sauce over the top and let it bake for about 30 minutes. Then enjoy!

I'm noticing the more cooking I do and the longer I go without gluten, the easier these new dietary changes are becoming.  Hopefully those of you pursuing gluten free diets will have as many successes as I have had these last two weeks.  Happy eating!

Channel Your Inner Lorax

Happy Earth Day! This is a holiday that has always been an important holiday to celebrate in my household. I feel like this year, it can't be a more appropriate time with so many headlines in the news of chemical & oil spills, fracking and all the controversy surrounding what is actually in our food supply. It is so important that future generations understand how important it is to live in balance and harmony with our planet. My son may be too little to understand what we're doing today but I feel the exercise is still important, so I'll tell you about my plans for the morning and maybe it will inspire you to incorporate some of these activities into your day, week or even month. It sounds cliche but we really should live our lives as if it were Earth Day every day.

We are starting our morning off by heading to a local farmers market. Not only will be getting some really yummy food from framers and local food artisans (in my neck of the woods there are a lot of Amish food crafters), but we'll also be reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our local farmers. Be sure to remember your reusable shopping bag when you go.

Then we'll enjoy a nice long walk outside (weather permitting) , enjoying all the signs of spring that are finally blooming and appearing all around us. My son enjoys seeing the pops of color and hearing all the birds chirping.

Next we'll be focusing on growing things. Planting a tree is always a popular activity in celebration of Earth Day. We don't have much room for another tree in our yard so we're working on our yard instead.  This is a great day and time of year to plant seeds for your summer garden. This is a perfect activity to get little ones involved and teach them where their food comes from. if you don't have a nice yard to plant in, start a container or windowsill garden.  The kids can have fun painting the pots that their plants will grow in. We're making some keepsake pots like this one to give to our parents' for Mother's Day.  I love the butterfly wings made from little feet.  Little hands also make a great tree trunk and then the kids can paint on leaves of a tree with their fingerprints.

Finally we'll wrap up the day with a nice home-cooked dinner. You can introduce the family to a new vegetarian dish or if your family are meat eaters, introduce them to some grass fed meats, often available at your local farm market. Grass fed beef is not only better for the environment but its better for you as week. Its a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids and it tastes amazing!

However you decide to celebrate Earth Day, I hope you have a happy one.

Chia Seeds- not just for growing windowsill pets anymore

Yup! You heard me correctly, the seeds they used to grow those silly Chiapets are  the same ones that natural health food stores are selling like crazy these days. I began to wonder why so I thought I'd research & try these little seeds out for myself. Here's What I found out.

Chia is undergoing something of a renaissance after centuries of neglect. It was a major crop in central Mexico between 1500 and 900 B.C. and was still cultivated well into the 16th century, AD, but after the Spanish conquest, authorities banned it because of its close association with Aztec religion (Indians used the seeds as offerings in rituals). Until fairly recently, chia was produced by only a few small growers, but commercial production has resumed in Latin America, and you can now buy the seeds online and in health food stores. 

These little Chia seeds are one of many grains that provides excellent health benefits when grown in to sprouts. The difference with Chia seeds is that you don't have to sprout them to get a really good nutritional punch. They can be sprinkled on hot cereal and used in baking, for a nutritional boost comparable only to flaxseed in Omega 3 and dietary fiber content.

Chia seeds are full of  protein and dietary fiber. Chia seeds are also high in anti-oxidants and have been found to be beneficial to diabetics due to their ability to inhibit the speed of carbohydrates being turned into sugars. The seeds are also being used as a diet aid because they help a person feel fuller and, therefore, curb hunger. There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure. They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!

Why should you should eat chia? Here's a few more facts: just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds has:

1. Five times the amount of calcium in milk (plus boron which helps you absorb it)
2. Three times the amount of antioxidants in blueberries
3. Three times the amount of iron in spinach
4. Three times the amount of fiber in oatmeal
5. Two times the amount of protein of any other bean, seed or grain
6. Two times the amount of potassium in a banana

Because chia seeds expand up to 3 times their original size when wet and have such a high fiber content (great for regularity!), they can help you eat less and stay full longer by bulking up your meals and crowding out fat, sugar and calories (great for weight loss!). Consuming chia seeds increase energy and endurance (great for runners!). They also help your body rebuild muscle after exercise and during and post pregnancy. Chia seeds have more Omega 3’s and a much longer shelf life than flax (and can be substituted in any recipe for flax).

I've been experimenting with them & discovered that they really give me a nice burst of energy when I mixed them into pudding, mixed them into my snacks and I really love them in my breakfasts.  While there are countless ways to incorporate chia into your daily meals, here is one particularly delicious (and easy!) dessert that you can feel great about eating.

Chai Chia Pudding (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened almond (or coconut) milk
• 5 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chia seeds in a high-speed blender and whirl on high until smooth. Whisk liquid into chia seeds in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours, until thick or overnight. ENJOY!

Chia has a nut-like flavor. You can mix seeds in water and add lime or lemon juice and sugar to make a drink known in Mexico and Central America as "chia fresca." As with ground flax seeds, you can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, in yogurt or salads, eat them as a snack, or grind them and mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods.

I had a late work morning today and thought I'd treat myself to a yummy and power packed breakfast to help me get through my busy day. I decided on a recipe that I'd seen on the Oh She Glows Blog : Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole. 


I thought it was pretty yummy. I hope you enjoy these recipes too. Have a great week everyone!
 

Celebrate the Small Stuff

It is so important to celebrate not only the big victories in one's daily life, but the small ones as well.  Case in point : we received quite a bit of snow overnight and this morning was trash day. Due to snow last week, we slept in and missed trash day entirely. I don't know about you, but the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year's are probably the most trash we put out all year... Filled an entire can (so not normal for us).  Anyway, as many of you know, I'm expecting a baby in three weeks or so.

Warning...Small side rant: Throughout my pregnancy everyone keeps telling me, "take it easy, you're doing too much."  I have to be honest. Every time I hear this, it really pisses me off. I'm pregnant, not recovering from major surgery or a mega ordeal that affected my body drastically... yet.  While pregnant, I wish people could realize that I know my body and my limits. I will definitely know and feel it if I overdo things. When I need to take a break or a nap I will.  I will definitely suffer for not listening to my body, so please, just trust my judgement and that of the other pregnant overachieving women in your lives.   Americans tend to be one of very few cultures in the world that makes a big stink about this.  I think the rest of the world is smarter in their  thinking: let the lady take it easy for a while after she gives birth.  Its a major ordeal to recover from and she is going to need some help for a few weeks.  

Back to the point: This morning I woke up and realized I had to get the trash out. I'm in nesting mode, so needless to say I'm cleaning a ton and clutter is driving me insane. The trash needed to go away. So I chucked on my boots and picked up a shovel. Before I realized it, I had shoveled the entire driveway. I wheeled the trash out just in the nick of time, as the truck was coming around the corner. Woohoo!  I felt like doing a cartwheel, except my lack of balance these days and my large protruding belly spoke to my common sense and prevented me from doing so.

Instead of celebratory gymnastics,  I'll be  treating myself to a good nourishing breakfast: a cinnamon raisin ezekial muffin with almond butter and a glass of green juice.  I'm turning today into a "hooray for me" day, so naturally I will be relaxing in my kitchen (and maybe do a little prenatal yoga). I 'm going to make a nice loaf of banana raspberry oatmeal bread for future snacking and a yummy pot black eyed pea stew  for dinner, while jamming out to some of my favorite tunes. Goal setting is so much easier when you celebrate the things you do every day.  Its amazing the difference a little bit of positive reinforcement makes when you get some every day. So yes, celebrate your big accomplishments, but don't forget to reward yourself for the little ones too. It will make the week fly by and your gratitude jar will be overflowing at the end of the year.

P.S. for those of you who are curious, I will be posting the banana bread and stew recipes later in the week on my pinterest board: LIB recipes.   You can follow me on pinterest.com/LifeinBalanceHC

"Today I will Live inThe Moment, Unless Its Unpleasant...In which case I will eat a cookie"- Cookie Monster

Being very pregnant, getting lots of fiber in my diet is super important to me right now.   One of my favorite ways to eat more fiber is incorporating lots of oats into my meals.  Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain. I use them in oatmeal, muffins, breads and is even a great binder in meatloaf to use instead of breadcrumbs.  If you're trying to lower your cholesterol consuming 2-3 servings of oats per day day can really help. I'm not saying eating 3 servings of cookies every day will help, but the extra fiber in your diet is always a good thing.

With the holiday season upon us, I've got baking on the brain...specifically cookies (as if you couldn't tell where I was going already with this post).  One thing that always bugs me is why do people add regular white flour to oatmeal cookies.  Why add something that doesn't really add nutritional value, when you can use the good stuff for no extra cost? I like to use all oats in my oatmeal cookies. its easy. Just take half of your oats and pulverize them in the food processor to make your own oat flour. As an added bonus, this makes these cookies naturally gluten free. 

16oz rolled oats toasted at 375 for 20 mins

Place half of toasted oats in food processor to make a flour. Once pulverized add 1tsp cinnamon and 1tsp aluminum free baking powder and a pinch of sea salt.

In a mixer, combine your wet ingredients on high speed:

10oz unsalted room temp butter, 6oz dark brown sugar, 3.5 oz organic cane sugar, and beat together to cream until smooth ( about 3 mins)

Slow mixer to low and add 1 large egg, & 1tsp vanilla extract.

Add flour mixture slowly into wet ingredients. Next add optional ingredients such as nuts, chocolate chips or raisins. Also add the other half of the rolled oats that weren't pulverized. Bake 375 12 minutes. If you use 1 tablespoon size drops of dough, this recipe makes about 4 dozen nibbler sized cookies. 

Note: if you have a gluten intolerance, make sure to buy certified Gluten Free rolled oats. Oats do not contain gluten but many brands are processed in the same plants as conventional flours/ I tend to trust Bob's Red Mill brand the most.  Also, if you are vegan or have a dairy intolerance, you can substitute Earth Balance Sticks for the butter. I find they do not alter the texture.

Now the hard part is keeping my husband out of the tins through the week so we have some left for when company comes over.  Hope you enjoy them! 

Too Much Sugar + lots of fake stuff = Overstimulation!

Morning! I've been experimenting on where I get the most followers from and make daily posts on my Facebook page regularly. So, if you feel you haven't heard from me in a while, that's where I've been. Anyway, It's still dark out as I'm writing this at 0-dark-thirty, but I can't sleep.
You can already see why the title of this post fits, as I've already gone off on a tangent before making it to the 2nd sentence of this post. If you haven't kept up with me on Facebook, you may not know that I'm pregnant.... About 6 months, to be exact. I always have been a mindful eater and this month I've really been focusing (more than usual) and pledged, to spend the month of October not eating processed foods at all.

Yesterday morning, I had to have a test to see if I had gestational diabetes. I had asked my doctor in advance if I could try a more difficult way to take this test that my blood tech from my previous doctor had told me about. This phlebotamist had gotten to know me and the work that  I do pretty well. She explained there's a way to take the test eating only natural foods but it was an insane amount of food and a lot of work. I was willing to try it.  I asked my doctor about this and they said there was no such thing that was accurate and this was my only choice. (red flag!!, but I'll get to that later)

Basically, the normal version of this test is an insane amount of glucose & dextrose that you have to drink straight. They call it Glucola.  You also can't eat anything for two hours beforehand. To make it worse, they add a ton of artificial flavors and colors to it. Most people say it's not that bad and it reminds them of drinking orange Hi-C. It was truly disgusting.  For someone like me, it was a swift reminder of why I have avoided eating/ drinking chemical laden foods several years ago.

Needless to say, my body did not react well (by my standards) and here it is almost 24 hours later and I'm still feeling the effects. The first thing I noticed right away was sweating, jitters and mild shakes. The next thing I noticed while driving to the doctors was that I was in a  very cranky & in a very agitated mood. When I brought up these symptoms, the staff said this was completely normal (scary).  Ok, mini divergent rant: Is this why our kids have no attention span, are anxious and have behavior problems..... If you add up what most kids eat in a day now, compared to what I drank, there is not a whole lot of difference. Makes me wonder....yeah, after yesterday, not so much.

I left the docs and was given the go ahead to start eating and drinking again. I started chugging water like it was my job, but no matter how much I drank, I was still thirsty. I had to run home, finish packing an overnight bag and drive down to MD to see my family. I couldn't focus. I forgot several important things I needed. As I drove, everything was distracting me and I continued being agitated and cranky. My face had horrible red blotches on it. I looked terrible, despite a good full night's sleep.

I pulled over and stopped at a store to get some nuts and other protein hoping to regulate myself out. I couldn't take these symptoms. The protein definitely helped me to focus more on my driving. An hour and a half later, once arriving, I ate some more protein and veg. Leveled out a bit more.  My mantra for the day became no sugar or carbs....only water, protein and vegetables in hopes I could even myself out. It did start to work eventually and spending some happy time with my mom and eldest nephew also helped considerably.

I was doing great until we went to dinner at a neighborhood spot and I forgot myself a moment and got a bread pudding for dessert (one of my favs). I have been tossing and turning all night, with racing thoughts and hyperactivity. I haven't felt like this since college ( not good. I was on medication to treat these symptoms back then). Just after college is when I learned the benefits of changing my diet and never had to be on meds again. The change in how much sleep I began getting, not to mention how much calmer and happier I felt was miraculous.

I am hoping getting back to my normal eating habits today, I'll continue to feel better. But this experience taught me three things
1) I need to stick with my gut feelings and if something doesn't gel with what my doctor recommends I need to speak up and get other opinions/ find another solution we both agree on.... or find a different doctor.
2) I will not be abandoning my eating plan again. It does too much that affects my well being and happiness
3) once my son is born I will be enforcing my healthy habits because I don't want him growing up having to feel miserable and not know there is a better way

I hope my own aggravation during this experience can hopefully help some of you from having to go through the same thing.  I hope all of you have a great day.... and be good to yourselves!

Nobody's Perfect, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Many people assume that those of us who are health coaches eat perfect all the time and are always blissfully happy. While this is true quite often, here is a newsflash: we are only human and we have bad moods too. I believe we've just learned how to turn things around by finding the smallest little postive niblet to focus on.

This morning was a prime example for me. As many of you nkow, I'm about 4 and a half months pregnant. Like many women, at this stage in my pregnancy I am frustrated with a lot of things. Some of which being that my bump is growing quickly but its at that awkward stage where I look really paunchy in the middle, I have no energy and I'm way behind on my daily to-do lists (including keeping up with this blog and my daily chores around the house). I also crave and occasionally munch things I hardly ever eat (I have an unusal fascination with birthday cake lately). These feelings also tend to put one's self esteem in the toilet, despite the fact my brain gets the logical reason for these symptoms, my heart does not understand. I have always been an over achiever and find all this beyond exasperating.

The alarm went off today and I was grumpy. I didn't want to get so early for a part time job,  (that is not exactly all that challenging)... I'm behind on my laundry and since I haven't really made the switch to maternity clothes yet, my choices were limited. I grimaced as I reached for the only dress hanging in my closet. It is a cute little black linen number that I picked up on my honeymoon in Hawaii two years ago. I slipped it on thinking it would get stuck around the middle, but the most amazing thing happened. It fit and with room too!!! I wanted to let a whoop of joy but didn't want to wake up my hubby who was still asleep in bed.

I could not figure out how this was possible. I thought about it on my drive to work and then it hit me: I had a flashback to two years ago.

Just before getting married, to say I was a stressed out mess would be a serious understatement. I was working in a job with a very unhealthy environment that was also rather sedentary. Planning a wedding between two states with lots of friend and family drama did not exactly help either. I became bloated and literally sick. I had already studied Reiki, as well as other holistic health modalities, so I knew this lifestyle wasn't working for me. I needed a big change. That fall I started attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. As a health coaching and nutrition student I decided to learn by immersion about all the dietary theories we were studying in school. Please understand, I wan't on a crash diet to lose weight or working out with a trainer like crazy. All that I have done since embarking on this journey a few years ago is change my eating habits to what people now call "clean eating". Ironically enough, this is how I pretty much ate growing up, but its easy to forget because there wasn't so much processed stuff in our food supply back then..... at least not that my family ate.

The other thing I learned at IIN is to balance my work life and relationships better. What works for me is a daily goal to find mini victories each day to help me maintain my focus. Staying healthy and happy is easy once I've done that. 

 

Now, as an IIN graduate these concepts are what I help my clients learn too. Everyone needs a different approach, one that works and suits their own personal lifestyle. Your daily goals and challenges will be different  than mine, but the concept is the same.   No one is perfect and there is no point in beating up oneself. Especially for things that we have the power to change, even when it feels like we can't. My exciting revelation with the little black dress this morning proves that this approach works, even after a long period of time.  Let me help you discover your own personal gifts and power to change your own life.  Call  or email me to book your free initial health consultation today. I'd love to help you find your own path to happiness. In the meantime, be good to yourselves and remember to celebrate your own daily mini victories. I think after work I'm going home to try on my wedding dress to remind myself how far I've come. Have a great weekend!

Warning: Contains Awesome Food Related Profanity

Its a hot early summer day here in Harrisburg. On days when I wake up sweating I usually start looking for some cool recipe inspiration for dinner first thing. In my perusal of recipes featuring lots of cold salads and grilled yumminess, I saw an article on Saveur.com about the winne rof the best new food blog and had to check it out for myself.

I know its weird..... a blog post about another blogger. This blog took me by surprise though. I'm talking about "Thug Kitchen".  You've probably seen the pictures from this blog on Pinterest or floating around Facebook. I find them really funny. A lot of people find them offensive because of the profanity.

Yes, there is a lot of profanity on this blog because this guy is completely passionate about eating healthy. I know I'm not the only person who get s so frustrated seeing what other people eat sometime and find myself swearing. For me, this is usually an internal process. I like the brutal honesty and intensity of this blog. The author wrote it for entertainment purposes, but also to put some good healthy food recipes out in the universe. Bonus if you're a vegetarian because the recipes are, for the majority, plant based. (His girl friend is a vegan.)

So if you have a few minutes, and no children in the room, I suggest you check out ThugKitchen.com 

I'll be back to my old every other week posting schedule shortly. Lots of big news is on its way.... and lots of new recipes too since my garden is going to explode very shortly.  Hope everyone had a happy & healthy memorial day weekend!

"Oh, he occasionally takes an alcoholiday".- Oscar Wilde

Please Note: I actually wrote this post last year and forgot to publish it. Hope you find it enlightening.

St Patrick's day is one of those holidays that has become for most Americans, to drink way too much alcohol and pretend that they're Irish by wearing lots of green. Its supposed to be a celebration of Irish American culture.  Unfortunately,  most partyers don't even know the history of the holiday. Out of respect for the Irish I'd like to set the record a bit straighter.  Here's a mini history lesson.

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people by driving the away the snakes.  Or to put it more bluntly, he was the person who got the credit for stomping the Pagan religion out of Ireland (which is another reason why I usually don't celebrate this holiday). In the centuries following Patrick's death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.  

March 17th is celebrates the day that died St Patrick back in the 5th century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage (not corned beef which is a collaboration that originated in New York  between Jewish & Irish immigrants).

I'm all about having a good time, and love some good boot stomping Irish music, but St Patrick's Day is one day of the year you can't pay me to be in a bar. Instead of a nasty light beer dyed green,  we will be enjoying some nice stouts and lagers in the comfort of our home. If you do enjoy a nice pint of stout, please do not drink it cold out of the fridge.  Drink it like they do in Ireland, sip it at room temperature, all the wonderful coffee and chocolate flavors will develop and it tastes so much richer. We prefer to enjoy comfort food on chilly March evenings. Since its rainy and cooling down a bit from last week's heat wave I made up a nice batch of Guiness beef stew for the weekend (complete with local grass fed beef & organic veggies of course).

One thing I particularly admire about most Irish cuisine is that its main influence is what is locally available and seasonal. Its also usually made from simple and inexpensive ingredients.
If you want to celebrate by incorporate more green in to your diet (which is always a good thing to do)  here are a couple of tasty recipes (not necessarily Irish) that are good anytime of year :
-  Pea & mint Bruschetta, a yummy appetizer & a great way to enjoy the flavors of spring
-Colcannon Quesadillas - a yummy vegan bar food twist on the traditional Irish dish
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with White Beans & Kale
-Some great Greens recipes from fitsugar.com
-and don't forget your morning green smoothie!


Here's an Irish Toast to all of you:
"May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire."

Soup's On!

The high today without the windchill is about 20 degrees farenheit...brrrrrrr! My husband has the unfortunate experience of having to work outside today.  This time of year I crave comfort food, and in this type of weather means a lot of soups and stews.

Last week we had several successes. First up for Meat free Monday we enjoyed a broccoli and cheddar soup, recipe courtesy of Wegman's. We had margherita pizza (fresh tomatoes with basil) to go with it. I used Udi's gluten free pizza crust. My husband actually likes these because they make a really nice thin crust pizza.

 Here's the link to the soup recipe: http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=732692

Next up was a recipe I discovered on Pinterest, Octoberfest Stew. IT was pretty quick, easy and I already had all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  http://thecozyapron.com/oktoberfest-stew-and-shiny-happy-people/

I liked this recipe a lot, it was really hearty. the only thing I would change is that I'd add the cabbage in a bit later so that it wasn't so overcooked. I'd rather have some more vitamins that weren't completely cooked out of it.

Tonight I'm making up some good spicy Indian food, lentils and cauliflower in a spicy tomato curry. I figure the rich sauce and some good Naan bread will help to heat my husband up after a long & cold day.

Tomorrow is a busy day so I'll be using my crockpot to save time and make greek chicken pitas, you'll need:

1 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

1½ teaspoons lemon pepper

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

4 pita pocket breads

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tomato, sliced
½ cup chopped cucumber
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips

Directions

1. In slow-cooker, combine onion, garlic, chicken, lemon pepper, oregano, and allspice; mix to coat chicken with seasoning.
2. Cover and cook onLOWfor 4–6 hours.
3. Heat pita bread as directed on package. Meanwhile, remove chicken from slow-cooker; place on cutting board. Using two forks, shred chicken.
4. To serve, stir yogurt into onion mixture in slow-cooker. Spoon chicken onto warm pita bread. With slotted spoon, transfer onion mixture onto chicken; top with tomato, cucumber, and red pepper strips.

Hope these recipe ideas help keep you warm this week! For my next post I'll be giving you healthier options that will still take care of the hungriest apetities for the upcoming Superbowl celebrations.

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