Recipe Special- Lets Have a Fiesta
Over the past few weeks I have really been lacking in the kitchen; less recipe creating and more eating up grains and veggies. I also have been unable to spend as much time focused on blog writing as I would have liked. This will continue on for a few more weeks. At this point you are probably wondering, well why??? Well I am getting ready to finish up my certification from IIN to become a completely 100% certified holistic health counselor (coach – which term do you prefer?). In addition to finishing up my work to complete the program the Hubz and I have been spending a lot of time working on my new website for my health counseling practice (by the way if you know a graphic designer who would like to do a logo on the cheap let me know).
So between the IIN completion, website launch, working on new ways to expand my business, I have also been working on recipes for the Cookbook Club and on a number of new projects which I will discuss when things become more concrete. Needless to say this is a busy month and I hope that come April things will quiet down a bit more and I can get back in the kitchen working on new recipes, new and interesting blog posts and discuss the new projects.
Lastly, I would like to put it out there that if you have blog post requests please let me know because it really helps to drive me to write more, and to write better posts. I have had a few health and wellness requests lately and will be working on these requests posts- so let me know what you want to read about.
For now I will leave you with a recipe from my last E-book for you to try out:
Sugar Blues
Like heroin, cocaine and caffeine, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet we consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread.
–William Dufty, author of Sugar Blues.
It is that time of year again (Lent) when many people choose to give something up for 40 days. This year I have been reading on a number of blogs and hearing from friends that they will be giving up sugar or sweets. I had a friend ask about tips for giving up sugar here are my top 5 tips:
Tips:
1. Chew More! Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets. Chewing also reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
2. Eat more grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins. When whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules. These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.
3. Be aware of hidden sugars. The recommended daily intake of sugar is 10 teaspoons. There are many “healthy” foods that contain massive amounts of sugar for example a lemon poppy seed Clif Bar has 21 grams of sugar, or 5 teaspoons. The worst part is that a chocolate-glazed cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, has less sugar at 14 grams/3 teaspoons than its “healthy” counterpart. Additionally, don’t forget about your morning or afternoon Starbucks run that Grande Frappuccino actually contains 44 grams of sugar, or 10 teaspoons- a full days allowance!
4. Eat balance foods and find balance in your life. If you focus on eating foods that make us feel balanced you can naturally reduce cravings and feel healthier and happier. Balanced Foods include: Brown rice; Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, oats; Vegetables: squash, carrots, parsnips, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.; Dark, leafy greens; Beans and legumes. Along with eating balanced foods you also need to take time to make sure you are finding balance in all other aspects of your life including your relationships, physical activity, spirituality and career. When you have balance in all of these you will then find that your cravings will start to disappear.
5. DRINK WATER! One of the primary causes of cravings is dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as a mild hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water. However like everything else you need to find a balance because excess water can also cause cravings; don’t over hydrate.
Snowcation…..I’d Rather Be On Vacation
“Vermont Shuts Down
With Snow Over the Top”
With headlines like the one above I can’t help but want to go on vacation. The Hubz and I are heading to Portland for VidaVeganCon but we are looking forward to an adventurous vacation, preferably with no snow in 2012. So we have been thinking about it and are compiling a list of destinations and hopes of figuring out the costs so we can start saving our pennies now. This is where you come in- I am looking for any suggestions you have the only requirements are:
- NO SNOW (or at least no more than on the tip tops of mountains)
- Adventurous and/or eco-tour or a place that we can participate in things like hiking, ziplines, surfing, other outdoors activities.
So what ideas do you have? Have you done any adventure or eco-tours?
Barney the Butter Not the Purple Dinosaur
Barney Butter sent me a few packets of their smooth almond butter to sample and with that they are going to provide one reader a giveaway, but more about that later. This almond butter is the most like peanut butter that I have ever tried. I even got my parents who are peanut butter-aholics into Barney Butter. It is smooth and creamy and wonderfully spreadable. Barney Butter is also peanut and gluten free which is great for those who have allergies. Barney Butter makes both creamy and crunchy almond butters and my favorite thing is that they have snack packets which are great for traveling. Also love the new packaging- it really gives it a fresher look.
My favorite ways to enjoy almond butter are stir into oats, on a spoon or my favorite lately is to warm it up with a few chocolate chips and spread it on green apples. Now that you know my favorite ways to enjoy almond butter now it’s your turn to tell me yours:
To Enter to win 24 snack packets: (You must leave a separate comment per entry)
The Winner is:
Giveaway is open until March 10th at 8pm. CLOSED
- What is your favorite way to enjoy almond butter?
Additional Entries:
- Follow Barney Butter on Twitter
- Follow Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Twitter
- Tweet “I want to win the @BarneyButter giveaway on @cookveganlover http://wp.me/pFVWo-1FS”
- Like Barney Butter on Facebook.
- Like Cook.Vegan.Lover. on Facebook.
Additionally if you would like to purchase Barney Butter from their website you can save 20% off you order buy using coupon code Almond20.
Cookbook Club: Book#3
- Start Date: March 20, 2011
- End Date: April 16, 2011
- Post By Date: April 23, 2011
When doing your final review of each months cookbook each of us will address the topics in our blog post:
Layout
Is the layout clear?
Are you able to easily tell the ingredients apart for the instructions and the notes?
Are the instructions easy to follow?
Are the recipes numbered or is the section labeled?
Aesthetics
Does the cookbook feature photos?
If yes, is there a photo for every recipe?
Do the photos of the recipes look like the actual results?
What kind of paper is the book printed on?
How is the quality of the photos?
Recipes
How many recipes are in the cookbook?
What kinds of recipes will you find in this cookbook?
Is there a theme to the recipes?
Are the recipes complex or simple? would they be good for seasoned cooks and/or beginners?
Ingredients and supplies
Are the recipe ingredients easy to find?
Are there any items that stand out as being expensive or specialty?
Are there particular appliances that will be required such as blenders, juicers, dehydrators, ect?
Information
Does this cookbook provide additional useful information?
What additional information beyond recipes does this cookbook include? Is it easy to follow?
Other important Information
You need to make the recipes! Yes, to get an accurate representation of the cookbook you need to try out at least 3-5 recipes. Additionally when you right your review you should make sure to include your experience while cooking the recipe:
How did the recipe turn out? How did it taste?
Was the recipe easy to follow?
Be honest when discussing the recipes you tried- if you didn’t like it then explain why.
Okay now that you know what this is all about are you interested in participating? If you answered yes then please email me your name, twitter handle (optional) and blog URL to lindsay@cookingforaveganlover.com by March 20, 2011 put “Cookbook Club” in the subject line. Additionally if you have not yet please vote here for future books. Also remember you are not required participate every month pick the books that interest you!
This months participants:
Lindsay (http://cookingforaveganlover.com/) (twitter: @cookveganlover)
