I created this recipe a couple of years ago as an alternative to commercial nutrition bars. I could only stand the Lara Apple Pie bars for so much longer. Since creating these, I have shared them with athletes that I coach and also with kiddies that I teach...and both groups LOVE them. They are high in protein and fiber. I will say that they are slightly high glycemic, so not the best choice for those who have diabetes. However, endurance athletes need high glycemic carbs and a decent amount of protein immediately before, immediately after and during (especially you cyclists out there) exercise to keep the energy levels stable and to prevent glycogen depletition. This is also a great snack to take when hiking! Sticky, but fun!!!
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1 ¼ cup brown rice kipsie cereal
- ½ cup oat bran
- 3 Tbs ground flax (optional)
- ¾ cups nuts of choice
(dry roasted slivered almonds work great as do chopped walnuts or pecans)
- ½ cup dried fruit of choice
(dried cranberries or cherries have been favorites among many..dried mango is great..and sometimes I'll add in 1/4 cup of dried coconut when I use the mango)
- 1 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/8 cup date sugar, beet sugar, succanat, or natural cane sugar
- 2 Tbs vanilla extract
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the last three. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat the brown rice syrup with the “somewhat-healthy” sugar of choice until it boils. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and mix well. Pour this over the dry mix and stir well. Pour the mixture into a non stick pan and flatten using a metal spatula with olive oil cooking spray sprayed on it. Let sit for 45 minutes and the cut into bars.
This post is more of a reflection than an informative or educational entry. This spring and summer, Brent and I have had the delight of having fresh, local greens every single day. We both agree that the local varieties of chard, arugula, mesclun, green leaf lettuce, spinach, and red leaf lettuce are the tastiest greens we have ever had. They're so fresh, crunchy, and juicy; and I swear you can taste their dense nutrient levels!
We get these greens from our local CSA and from our local Farmer's Market. We always wash these greens thoroughly as there will often be some residue of dirt, and occasionally some pebbles. I LOVE that! You can't get earthier than that; it makes me feel connected to this globe that we live on, nourished straight from the earth. So many people are disconnected from that.
Despite my thorough cleaning job, Brent and I will occasionally find blades of grass or pebbles in our salad. Thankfully, we still have all of our teeth. When I find a blade of grass or pebble in my salad, I smile thinking of this wonderful earth and hoping that organic farming will one day defeat industrial farming practices!
Based on the title of this book, one might assume that the recipes are geared toward families and children. Yes, this book is a great resource for moms (and dads) who want to cook delicious but healthy meals for their families. However, by perusing through this book and trying out some of the recipes, I'd highly recommend this book as a cookbook staple for anyone interested in adapting a healthier lifestyle.
The book is a collection of recipes from moms who are part of the Holistic Moms Network , a national organization for moms who prioritize healthy living to be able to connect with one another. These are the recipe categories and some sample recipes from each category.
Appetizers & Beverages - Roasted, Red Pepper, Asparagus, and Brie Quesadilla - Homemade Chai - Applesauce smoothie
This & That - Chicken and Brown Rice Puree Baby Food - Play Dough - Non-toxic Cleaners
As you can see, there is a wide-variety of recipes in this excellent 232-page resource. There are recipes for everyone: vegans, vegetarians, non-vegetarians, macrobiotics, raw food devotees, etc. For example, I am a semi-vegetarian (80 % of my diet is vegetarian; I occasionally eat meat and I rarely have dairy); while many recipes had too much dairy for my taste, I was still able to mark over 100 recipes that I wanted to try. And for those moms out there with picky eaters, there are dozens of recipes that deliciously disguise veggies.
I give this cookbook a two thumbs up! The book can be ordered here.
This is a quick meal I prepared after becoming quite hooked on whole grains again during my quasi-10-day cleanse. Because I only had 1 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of millet in my pantry, I decided to mix the two and was extremely pleased with the result. This is better than rice any day! This meal was made with some healthy prepared foods (like canned beans and salsa), so it's excellent for those nights when you want to make something quick and easy. And don't let these whole grins intimidate you. They are widely available in most grocery stores, especially those with a decent organic section.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of millet rinsed - 1 cup of quinoa rinsed - 4 cups of water - 2 cans Eden brand Aduki beans, drained - 1 jar of organic salsa of choice (I like Newmans) - 1 zucchini chopped in small cubes and steamed for 5 minutes
Directions: Bring quinoa, millet and water to a boil in water. Once boiling, turn to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes. Immediately transfer grains to a big mixing bowl and fluff with a fork. Add beans, salsa and zucchini, and voila! You can add a small amount of part-skim cheddar if you are a cheese fan…and put it in a tortilla if you are more in the mood for a burrito. Any way you have it; this is a tasty, easy way to get in good, hearty whole grains.
So you’re almost done with your seasonal detox and you’re worried about getting back to your more familiar way of eating; perhaps you’ve been dreaming of chocolate chip cookies and you’re afraid that once you are “free” to eat as you please, you might indulge. Or maybe you’re afraid that once you start incorporating meat back into your diet, you might forget about the antioxidant and fiber rich veggies and whole grains.
The key to transitioning out of the detox/cleanse program is to use the cleanse as the foundation to your diet and slowly start supplementing other foods. Read your body—it’s the best barometer of your needs.How does it respond when you incorporate say, dairy, back into your diet? If it doesn’t respond pleasantly, then you know dairy is not for you and should be kept to a minimum in your diet. When you incorporate caffeine back into your diet, do you feel all jittery or to you feel easy going and cool?
I suggest keeping a food + body/mood response journal for the first few weeks after your cleanse; it will help tremendously and will still keep you in check…transitioning out of this structured diet should be slowed and controlled. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was eager to have a beer and chicken fingers once I completed my cleanse, and I did just that, but I waited for about five days and I felt fine. So if you are having a super strong craving, do wait a little bit and go easy with it. I had one beer and three chicken fingers…so tasty and fulfilling.
Here’s an example of my food + body response/mood journal the day after the cleanse:
Wednesday May 6: Post-Cleanse Day 1
8:00 AM: 1 cup millet with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup chopped mangos + ¼ cup rice milk and 1-2 Tablespoons of agave nectar:
(SO YUMMY…feel energized for my workout)
9:15 AM- 11:00 AM…1 Hour spin class followed by 45 Minute tempo run on the treadmill with 3.0 grade…my first serious triathlon brick workout this season.
(Feeling tired-probably a little “much” after just coming off of my 10-day Detox)
11:15 AM: “Apple Pie” LaraBar + 1 liter of water.
(I almost forgot what bars taste like…tasty and simple, the ingredients are merely dried fruit and nuts)
12:30 PM: 2 cups homemade lentil soup with carrot, onions, lentils, wild rice and cabbage. (hit the spot…I was craving smoothing warm…felt really nice…and my digestion is still working as well as it did through the cleanse)
3:30 PM: ½ banana chopped with 1 teaspoon sunflower seed butter on kamut cake
(tasty….needed a little energy increase…went for this instead of caffeine. but it’s not working. Ah, well)
6:30: Dinner: 6 ounces wild-caught haddock grilled (marinated with lemon juice, olive oil and ground pepper). 1 cup wild rice. Huge salad with mixed greens, grapefruit, fennel, cucumbers and shredded carrots with balsamic vinaigrette.
(Felt really full. had a hard time finishing salad...saved half of it)
8:30 PM: Starting to feel hungry---so rest of my salad
(Note to readers…my former go-to bed-time snack would be ½ cup kashi heart to heart cereal with rice milk)
I continue logging my nutrition and body/mood response and as a result, I’ve been able to set some “rules” for myself. I feel so in-touch with my body now. Rules don’t have to be followed strictly, but they help set the standard for your healthy lifestyle. Here are the rules I’ve come up with so far:
1.)No thank you to ice-cream. This past weekend while dining at a friend’s house, she offered ice-cream for dessert. It was a delicious rendition of Moose-tracks. I had a mere scoop and my intestines were quite peeved at me.
2.)As for caffeine…Try to start the day without it. Encouragemyself to exercise first. If that wakes me up, great! If not, go for green tea…and if that doesn’t work…a teaspresso is okay. (Note: So far I have only had green tea once..and no teaspressos yet).
3.)Eat whole grains for at least two meals a day…It makes you feel good! (Wow, I can’t even say how grounded and satiated I feel with a cup of whole grains for breakfast and a cup of whole grains at lunch or dinner).I made the BEST “Better than Rice and Beans”---super quick and easy…using millet and quinoa…I’ll post the recipe on my blog very soon.
4.)Meat only three times a week…better if fish. (I’ve been loving eating vegetarian…and 3 seems like the perfect number for me. I have fish once or twice a week and then organic chicken once or twice a week. When I’m in a phase of my menstrual cycle where I need more iron, I’ll have grass-fed beef and fish).
5.)GET SLEEP! (The other night I was up working on an article and I went to bed at 2:00 AMand had to wake up at 7:30 AM the next morning…felt so off the next day…and craved packaged goodies)
6.)Raisins instead of gels on the bike. YUM and all natural!
7.)Keep doing sun salutations and meditation each morning. What a great way to start the day!
8.)Keep dry brushing after showering. My skin is super-thankful!
9.)No pasta or bread. Okay, well maybe good hearty breads for special occasions. (Note: I had whole wheat pasta the other night and felt really bloated after. I haven’t had bread yet and don’t really care to. No more sandwiches for lunch…salads (with grains) or soup instead and I feel great)
10.) As far as baked goods...they're permissible, but must be low-fat and homemade (I made strawberry muffins a couple days ago-YUM)
This past weekend I lead a spring cleansing and detoxification workshop at Easton Yoga. I presented three different types of cleanses that individuals could experiment with based on their current eating style, whether or not they cleansed before, and what would be possible for them to accommodate. I wanted everyone to acknowledge that a detox of any sort will reap a plethora of benefits. Detoxing is a gift you give to yourself.
As I am one who most certainly walks my talk, I started one of my detox programs myself. Even though my lifestyle and eating habits (lots of vegetables daily, little to no weekly alcohol consumption, no coffee consumption, little meat consumption, little dairy consumption, daily consumption of whole grains) qualifies me for my most stringent cleanse (mostly raw veggies and veggie juices), I chose to implement my most lenient cleanse (raw veggies and fruits, some whole grains, and steamed veggies with a savory sauce). And I chose to make the cleanse even MORE lenient by implementing more legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. This decision was practical for me. I am an athlete, so I need these complex carbohydrates and protein to fuel my running, biking and swimming. And I feel great!
How has my diet changed these past few days? No caffeine (I am quite astounded by the fact that I actually have MORE energy than ever). I am drinking even more water than usual. No processed foods and no animal products. I confess that I am missing my morning egg wraps. And my husband melted my heart when he ate a yummy Nature's Path pop tart in front of me yesterday. However, I feel vibrant and balanced.
Perhaps the most beneficial part of my cleanse has been the complementary practices. I have been doing sun salutations every morning. I have been dry brushing my skin after every shower. I have been reflecting more on all that I am grateful for (where I live, my family, my friends, my talents, my dog).
So when will I stop my cleanse? Probably soon. When my husband is finished with his semester at school, I think a toast with a nice frothy beer is due! And I may just have some chicken fingers as well!
This biography of Alice Waters, written by Thomas McNamee is absolutely phenomenal. Whenever I read a biography, I do so "with a grain of salt" because you can't assume that every bit and piece is true or in the appropriate context. So when reading biographies, I disregard anything that is remotely controversial or gossipy. With that said, there was very little gossip in this book. Sure there was some mentioning of people who didn't get along with Alice, but beyond that the book was a microscopic look at how a young Berkeley student revolutionized the GOOD food revolution in this country from the opening of her restaurant in 1971 to the creation of the Edible School Yard in recent years as well as creating the Yale University Sustainable Food Project.
How did one person's dream of prioritizing local fresh food become a reality? It all started in France (my most favorite country in the world). Alice studied abroad and was so awed by the deliciousness of the food. It was always fresh and always scrumptious. Alice wanted to replicate that quality of food here in the United States. With the help of several friends and family members, she opened Chez Panisse and for the past 38 years she has been serving local food in a classy gourmet French-inspired fashion. In fervor, she also applied the importance of local foods to children and young college students through the Edible School Yard and the Yale University Sustainable Food Project. She is such an inspiration. There were so many "opportunities" for her to give up but she kept marching on. I am certainly inspired by her. I give this book a "two thumbs up" for sure!!!
