currrrific.

Trader Joe’s Red Curry Sauce is one of my new favorite products and kitchen staples. I have only tried it with stir-fry so far, but might try using it in other dishes. Last night I made a yummy stir-fry with brown rice and the vegetables I happened to have on hand – red skin potatoes, carrots, and green peppers and tomatoes from the garden. Stir-fry the veggies in a wok, let simmer with sauce and serve over cooked rice. De-lish!!

book review: you are what you eat

It's a phrase we've heard often, and often thought absurd. Dr. Gillian McKeith, however, gives a good argument as to why this common saying may ring true. You Are What You Eat is geared towards those who want to lose weight and feel better, but the tips and tricks can be useful for anyone. And while the beginning dieter who is used to 3 fastfood meals a day will most likely feel the advise quite daunting, Dr. McKeith provides good reasons to follow her plan. The main idea is not to eat less, but to eat an abundance of good foods, and these healthy food choices can make you look and feel great. She encourages readers to take a look into their own bodies and how they feel each and every day, providing checklists of symptoms and feelings. She then shares lists of foods and supplements that may help with various ailments.

The list of foods to eat in abundance is plentiful (thank goodness!), and is mostly made up of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans and herbs. Of course there are many favorites featured on Dr. McKeith's no-no list: coffee, cocktails, refined foods such as potato chips, baked goods... the list goes on. But my favorite part is that she suggests following the 80/20 rule. Follow her advise 80% of the time, allowing 20% for "food naughtiness". I also love her idea that if you eat dead, lifeless food, it's only fitting that your body will feel the same way. But if you eat vibrant, fresh foods, you will feel vibrant and full of life as well.

You Are What You Eat is a colorful and quick read, providing great information on the healthiest foods one can eat. So if you think your diet is pretty healthy, think again, and read this book! There is always room for improvement in each and every one of us. Just remember to take one step at a time.

product review: peanut butter

There are so many choices when it comes to peanut butter these days - crunchy, smooth, organic, salt-free, chunky, etc. I have finally ventured from the everyday, chock-full of hydrogenated oils peanut butter, to try and find the perfect no-fuss all natural peanut butter. Being a vegetarian, this smooth tasty treat is a great source of protein, and who doesn't love a classic pb & j sandwich for lunch? The two contenders are:

1. Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread

• $2.99 @ your local grocer for a 15 oz. jar
• 180 calories & 16 grams of fat for 2 Tablespoons
• Ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt
• No need to stir

2. Trader Joe's Creamy Salted Peanut Butter from Unblanched Peanuts

• $1.79 @ your local TJ's for a 16 oz. jar
• 210 calories & 17 grams of fat for 2 Tablespoons
• Ingredients: dry roasted peanuts, salt
• Do need to stir & keep refrigerated

As far as taste goes, I would say they were pretty equal. I had them both on whole wheat bread with raspberry preserves, and both sandwiches were dee-lish. The TJ's peanut butter does require stirring, but once you get past that, the texture was very comparable. So I guess it all comes down to price per ounce ($0.20 compared to $0.11), and if you don't mind taking a moment to stir before spreading. Personally, I think I'll stick to Trader Joe's. The less ingredients, the better, and you certainly can't beat the price.

the little veggies that could

Well, I've been quite worried about my fragile little seedlings that I planted over a week ago. I somewhat expected them to take off and grow quickly after planting them, but have yet to see such progress. Out of the 6 tomato plants, I'm hoping at least half make it. They've developed a few more leaves, but at this rate I'm expecting to finally have tomatoes around... let's see... Christmas? Mmmm.... a yummy Christmas tomato pie.

I was fortunate to receive a few onion bulbs from someone at work who had extras. The morning after planting them, one turned up on top of the soil, so I'm assuming a little neighborhood critter dug it up and decided onions weren't for them.

Looking forward to seeing how everything turns out, and hoping to have lots to harvest and share!

:)

What a great weekend!

Kicked off Friday night with a movie - Angels & Demons. Saturday morning had the Race for the Cure and I beat my goal time by 16 seconds! Finished in 31:44, which is my best time ever. It was a great experience to share with 30,000 other Michiganders, and it gave me chills to run by all of the pink ribbons with people's names on them. I hung out with my Mom Saturday afternoon in my new favorite place - our finally finished screened in porch. We went to a Cuban restaurant downtown Royal Oak for dinner that we've been wanting to try. I had cornmeal cakes with herbed goat cheese and pico de gaillo, with mashed boniatos and spinach. Wonderful! Friends came over Saturday night for drinks and Red Wings hockey. Today I spent the majority of the day planting my vegetable garden.

I planted tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions, so hopefully I'll get some great veggies. I also met a friend for lunch and now another hockey game. Just an all-around awesome weekend. Looking forward to many more great summer weekends!

thought for the day.

So, I try really hard not to preach about being a vegetarian. I'm a big believer in leading by example, and I don't think pushing ideas on people has a positive effect. Of course it would be great if more people in the world made the choice to cut back on eating meat, but I try to just focus on myself and know that I'm making a difference in the lives of animals, my body, and the planet. I've been meat free for almost one full year, and I think that's pretty damn great.

I'm not sure how well my quest of keeping it to myself is working out, though, because my parents have dubbed me with the nickname "food nazi". But it's taken me this long to post about being a vegetarian, and that's gotta say something, right? My poor husband takes the brunt of it, but he's a good sport and thankfully lets me say my peace and move on when I get all up in a tizzy. Anyway, I just heart this picture of little Lisa Simpson. She's so cute, no?

day 5 and pouting.

Okay, so it's the fifth day of my quest to give up patially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup for Lent. I've already encountered two separate events where I would have consumed the evil trans fats. Dun! dun! dun!

First of all, my poor husband had an episode at urgent care and then a skin graft surgery the following day. He's doing fine, but I'm a firm believer that if you're sick or recuperating from a stressful event, you should be waited on hand-and-foot, and be given whatever you want. So I splurged and bought him his favorite candy - Reeces Pieces, which I am never willing to buy for him based on the lack of nutrition of this tasty treat. Anyways, while he was enjoying them, I, of course, wanted a handful! But, alas, I had to refuse, as they contain partially hydrogenated oil.

And, just now, reaching for a mid-afternoon snack to get me through to dinner. A small, Quaker Oats chocolate chip granola bar. Dang ingredient list! But, my willpower prevailed, and I'm still going strong.

Here's to another 35 days!

40 Days & 40 Nights

Well, you know me... I'm always up for a challenge! And this comes as inspiration from my fellow vegetarian friend, Nicole. She's got more experience as a health nut than I, so I often turn to her for advise and discussion on all things wellness. And, it helps that we work together and this is part of our job!

So, what may this challenge be, you might ask? Well, I'm not as gung-ho as Nicole, but she has vowed to go on a modified detoxification for the 40 days during Lent. She is giving up coffee, artificial sweeteners, as well as cutting back on dairy and a few other things.

No coffee??!! I'm not going that hard core, but I have decided to give up artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) for the 40 days during Lent. Thankfully, I don't eat very much of these three items to begin with, so I have that going for me. I guess my goal is to just be much more aware of consuming these foods. For instance, I know the ketchup I occasionally use has high fructose corn syrup in it. So, for 40 days, no Heinz for me! We'll see how it goes... and I'll keep you updated!

the miracle seed.

Breakfast has become one of my favorite meals of the day because I float between two yummy dishes, and I know both are extremely good for me. Between what I'm in the mood for, and what I have on hand in the kitchen, I either have:

• Organic yogurt with my homemade granola and dried fruit
• Hot oatmeal with ground flaxseeds, brown sugar, and cinnamon
  

Both de-lish, both make me feel great. And speaking of flax seed (which is also incorporated in the homemade granola), I'd just like to take a moment and tout this little miracle seeds' health benefits.

Flax is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help in reducing risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and LDL cholesterol. It is also one of the best sources of lignans - a natural antioxidant that may reduce cell-damaging free radicals and slow the aging process. Lastly, flax is packed with fiber which is essential for your heart, colon, and digestive health.

Visit this site for some excellent ideas on how to incorporate flax into your daily routine.

Now if only I could eat as healthy a breakfast on the weekends!

oh, so sweet.

My latest health adventure? Trying to cut out sweetener in my daily morning coffee. I’ve always been a 2-sugar packet kind of gal, but after learning scary details behind chemically created sweeteners, bleached sugars, and added calories, I decided to give it a try. I know there are much better alternatives, such as Raw Sugar and natural sweeteners like xylitol and stevia, but I love to see how far I can push myself. So, this morning, instead of my normal 2 Splendas and skim milk, I’ve knocked it down to 1. We’ll see how long I last before my sweet tooth starts begging for the little white granules.

Looking for a healthier alternative to your daily sweetener? Try these, mainly found at Whole Foods and natural food stores:

Emerald Forest
SweetLeaf
Truvia
Whey Low

6/3/09 Update: After himming and hawing over which sweetener to choose, I decided to choose the one closest to mother nature with the least amount of processing, regardless of caloric amounts. So, organic raw sugar is the way to go for now... unless something better comes along or someone has a better suggestion!