Today I received a present in the mail. My brand new copy of Gather, the Art of Paleo Entertaining by Hayley Mason and Bill Staley.
I like to brag about all of the good food I eat. And all people hear is what I don't eat. Gather shows how cooking high quality food in your home can create traditions and memories. There are some great recipes. There are two cauliflower rice recipes that sound yummy, shrimp fried rice and saffron rice. I make cauliflower all the time but would not have thought of a saffron rice.
I am most looking forward to the Yorkshire Pudding. My grandmother learned to make Yorkshire Pudding when I was in high school. I didn't like bread but, I loved that rich puff. I feel like I should send the authors flowers as a thank you for recreating a version that won't give me a migraine or kill my stomach.
I like Bill and Hayley's recipes. They use ingredients I can find. They cook simply. Ok, maybe there is a little more intensiveness compared to Make It Paleo. But, this is a book for special occasions. So, like others will do, I will make their General Tso's Chicken for a special occasion for someone special. But, I will likely make Eggs Benedict piled on Roasted Asparagus often.
This book is a keeper. This book shows what creative food folks with a great eye can do with food. Yeah, you should buy this book.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Childhood and gummy snacks
It's been a long week.
It has been a week that made most of America weary, tired, and bleary eyed. I have never been so grateful for law enforcement and first responders. But, I have had to talk to my children about tragedy and about helpers.
When I was explaining the now well known Mr Rogers quote about looking for ones who help in times of chaos and tragedy, my six year old gave me a great analogy. When you are at a big dinner at someone's house, someone has to get the kids more milk. It is always the same people who get up and help. But, someone always helps. When a kid falls on a playground, a grown up always checks on the kid. People help. I love that she has faith in fellow man after this week. I love that she knows that though there are bad people; there are more people who are good. I don't try to shelter her from the world. She will have to go into that world. I can't control whether I get to be by her side. Unfortunately, she realizes that there are things neither of us can control.
What does all of this have to do with the current recipe? Well, today I took a break from spring cleaning to make some gelatin snacks. They are jiggly, silly, and yummy. I need to get cool shapes. That is what everyone wants kids to have - silly, jiggly fun.
The basics of gummy snacks are easy. You should have some high quality gelatin. I buy Great Lakes orange label gelatin. The ratio of liquid to gelatin is for each cup of liquid, you need one tablespoon of gelatin. Now a lot of times I add liquids like kombucha which I do not want to heat. Not a problem, I warm one cup of liquid, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of gelatin, then let it cool before adding the kombucha.
Today's treat - Orange Kombucha Gummy Snacks:
I squeezed 2 oranges and got almost a full cup of juice. Since it wasn't a full cup and I was out of orange, I juice a lime. Yeah that made it tart. I warmed the juice and dissolved the 2 tablespoons of gelatin. It was tart so I added 1/4 teaspoon of honey. I wouldn't have needed the honey if I would have left out the line juice. I poured it in a bowl to let it cool a bit, like 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the kombucha. I have a silicone mini muffin pan. It makes a perfect mold. I poured the mixture into the mold which I had resting on a cookie sheet. The whole thing went into the frig for 30 minutes. Yeah, this is yummy. I pop them put with a butter knife and store in the frig. I don't know how long they keep because they get eaten in about 3 days at my house.
Another versions- sub grapefruit juice for orange juice - YUM!!
- purée over ripe strawberries and sub for the orange juice. (You can also use blackberries but strain out the seeds).
- you can make these with over ripe bananas but you need to strain well and add pomegranate juice.
- blood oranges seem a bit tart so I add a little honey.
Actually, pomegranate juice is great to add anytime it will have an odd color.
Have some yummy gelatin post workout!
Have fun and don't take life too seriously, Mom
It has been a week that made most of America weary, tired, and bleary eyed. I have never been so grateful for law enforcement and first responders. But, I have had to talk to my children about tragedy and about helpers.
When I was explaining the now well known Mr Rogers quote about looking for ones who help in times of chaos and tragedy, my six year old gave me a great analogy. When you are at a big dinner at someone's house, someone has to get the kids more milk. It is always the same people who get up and help. But, someone always helps. When a kid falls on a playground, a grown up always checks on the kid. People help. I love that she has faith in fellow man after this week. I love that she knows that though there are bad people; there are more people who are good. I don't try to shelter her from the world. She will have to go into that world. I can't control whether I get to be by her side. Unfortunately, she realizes that there are things neither of us can control.
What does all of this have to do with the current recipe? Well, today I took a break from spring cleaning to make some gelatin snacks. They are jiggly, silly, and yummy. I need to get cool shapes. That is what everyone wants kids to have - silly, jiggly fun.
The basics of gummy snacks are easy. You should have some high quality gelatin. I buy Great Lakes orange label gelatin. The ratio of liquid to gelatin is for each cup of liquid, you need one tablespoon of gelatin. Now a lot of times I add liquids like kombucha which I do not want to heat. Not a problem, I warm one cup of liquid, dissolve the 2 tablespoons of gelatin, then let it cool before adding the kombucha.
Today's treat - Orange Kombucha Gummy Snacks:
I squeezed 2 oranges and got almost a full cup of juice. Since it wasn't a full cup and I was out of orange, I juice a lime. Yeah that made it tart. I warmed the juice and dissolved the 2 tablespoons of gelatin. It was tart so I added 1/4 teaspoon of honey. I wouldn't have needed the honey if I would have left out the line juice. I poured it in a bowl to let it cool a bit, like 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the kombucha. I have a silicone mini muffin pan. It makes a perfect mold. I poured the mixture into the mold which I had resting on a cookie sheet. The whole thing went into the frig for 30 minutes. Yeah, this is yummy. I pop them put with a butter knife and store in the frig. I don't know how long they keep because they get eaten in about 3 days at my house.
Another versions- sub grapefruit juice for orange juice - YUM!!
- purée over ripe strawberries and sub for the orange juice. (You can also use blackberries but strain out the seeds).
- you can make these with over ripe bananas but you need to strain well and add pomegranate juice.
- blood oranges seem a bit tart so I add a little honey.
Actually, pomegranate juice is great to add anytime it will have an odd color.
Have some yummy gelatin post workout!
Have fun and don't take life too seriously, Mom
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Treats
I have spent a few years trying to lose the "baby weight". But, really, that is a lie. I gained weight because I was eating really awful food. I was employing as many short cuts as possible in the kitchen. I mean, I was tired. I was making and having babies. And nursing those babies.I thought eating these fake foods was a good idea. I kept gaining weight and I hated my body.
I decided to fix that. I didn't want to be sick like older family members. I didn't want my daughters to grow up with such a complicated relationship to food and their bodies. I heard about the work of a fellow Chico State grad, Robb Wolf. Seemed to make sense; eat real, whole foods. Stop eating processed foods.
A few years in - I have to say it is going great. I love food. I am done with worrying about being thin. It doesn't measure my health, it doesn't measure my worth, it doesn't measure my happiness. There is one ongoing thorn in my side - snacks and treats.
If you have been to my home in the last few years, you know that for parties, we will have chips and sweet treats. But, in everyday life, I don't keep those things in the house. (yeah, babysitters bring their own food) Chips, goldfish crackers, 100 calorie snack packs, - it's not food. If someone is hungry in my home, they can have some food. But, treats are typically not good nutrition. I am not a eat purely for fuel person. I love food. I love yummy food. I have lots of yummy food at my house without having it filled with junk food.
I am surprised by the amount of treats offered to my children, many times as a snack. It should be obvious that candy is not a snack. Well, that's not obvious to a three year old. And, if candy is given to a six year old by a doctor or a dentist (I am currently changing pediatric dentists but that is another story), it can be construed as good as other food. But, something without real nutrition shouldn't be a snack either. A snack should quell hunger between meals. An active child needs to not only eat enough to fuel their play and learning but also their growth.
Think about that. The food a child eats becomes their body. It literally becomes them.
Besides the fact that a snack should be providing nutrition, what would I be teaching my children about food if I give them a treat when they ask for a snack? I consider treats to be a maybe once a week thing.. Making them a daily thing replaces a time when my children cold be eating real food. It also gets them in the habit of eating treats often. Eating treats often didn't work out well for me. If I can prevent my kids from going down that path, I did a good thing.
Have a nice cup of bone broth (it's my favorite snack), Mom
I decided to fix that. I didn't want to be sick like older family members. I didn't want my daughters to grow up with such a complicated relationship to food and their bodies. I heard about the work of a fellow Chico State grad, Robb Wolf. Seemed to make sense; eat real, whole foods. Stop eating processed foods.
A few years in - I have to say it is going great. I love food. I am done with worrying about being thin. It doesn't measure my health, it doesn't measure my worth, it doesn't measure my happiness. There is one ongoing thorn in my side - snacks and treats.
If you have been to my home in the last few years, you know that for parties, we will have chips and sweet treats. But, in everyday life, I don't keep those things in the house. (yeah, babysitters bring their own food) Chips, goldfish crackers, 100 calorie snack packs, - it's not food. If someone is hungry in my home, they can have some food. But, treats are typically not good nutrition. I am not a eat purely for fuel person. I love food. I love yummy food. I have lots of yummy food at my house without having it filled with junk food.
I am surprised by the amount of treats offered to my children, many times as a snack. It should be obvious that candy is not a snack. Well, that's not obvious to a three year old. And, if candy is given to a six year old by a doctor or a dentist (I am currently changing pediatric dentists but that is another story), it can be construed as good as other food. But, something without real nutrition shouldn't be a snack either. A snack should quell hunger between meals. An active child needs to not only eat enough to fuel their play and learning but also their growth.
Think about that. The food a child eats becomes their body. It literally becomes them.
Besides the fact that a snack should be providing nutrition, what would I be teaching my children about food if I give them a treat when they ask for a snack? I consider treats to be a maybe once a week thing.. Making them a daily thing replaces a time when my children cold be eating real food. It also gets them in the habit of eating treats often. Eating treats often didn't work out well for me. If I can prevent my kids from going down that path, I did a good thing.
Have a nice cup of bone broth (it's my favorite snack), Mom
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Spring - just kidding (easy soup)
Dallas is having two days of the cold spring that most of the US has been living through. Instead of chili (who doesn't love chili when it's cold outside), I made some easy beef soup.
This morning I threw a package of meaty stew bones from Slankers into the crock pot. Yes, I went straight from the freezer to the crock pot. If you aren't comfortable with that, then thaw in the refrigerator first. Also into the crock pot went an onion, garlic, and sea salt & white pepper. At lunch time I added enough filtered water to cover the bones.
After the gym, I cooked some turnips and carrots in butter over medium heat. I added Celtic sea salt, white pepper, chili powder Once slightly browned, I added the broth from the crock pot. I pulled the meat from the bones. and added that right as I served it.
Why did I use turnips and carrots? Yeah, that's all I had in the veggie drawer that I didn't need for a meal later this week. And, I am not going to lie, when I have the leftovers tomorrow, I am going to stir in a spoonful of sour cream.
After I pulled the meat off the bones, the bones went back in the crockpot. I added a beef knuckle, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and filtered water. I will let it cook about 36 hours.
Keep it simple, Mom
This morning I threw a package of meaty stew bones from Slankers into the crock pot. Yes, I went straight from the freezer to the crock pot. If you aren't comfortable with that, then thaw in the refrigerator first. Also into the crock pot went an onion, garlic, and sea salt & white pepper. At lunch time I added enough filtered water to cover the bones.
After the gym, I cooked some turnips and carrots in butter over medium heat. I added Celtic sea salt, white pepper, chili powder Once slightly browned, I added the broth from the crock pot. I pulled the meat from the bones. and added that right as I served it.
Why did I use turnips and carrots? Yeah, that's all I had in the veggie drawer that I didn't need for a meal later this week. And, I am not going to lie, when I have the leftovers tomorrow, I am going to stir in a spoonful of sour cream.
After I pulled the meat off the bones, the bones went back in the crockpot. I added a beef knuckle, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and filtered water. I will let it cook about 36 hours.
Keep it simple, Mom
Monday, April 1, 2013
Need to reboot
I had a great weekend. I was in Austin for Paleo f(x). Now I don't totally identify my way of eating as paleo or primal. Really because my focus is eating whole, real foods and arguing about a label doesn't help anyone.
This year I listened in on some of the speakers and panels but I also did some of the Strength and Conditioning classes. Last year I walked away from PaleoFX wondering about very low carb and how much liver consumption is too much. Through out the year I figured out that very low carb is not for me. And because of the synergy between vitamin A & D, I don't worry about eating too much liver. This year I am left wondering about adrenal fatigue. Most importantly, I am super focused on not going down that path.
Most people are exhausted. Most are confused by the latest and greatest diet. Most people have an unhealthy relationship with food. Most people don't sleep. Ok, I can see why people are winding up with adrenal fatigue.
So, I am declaring now that I am going to rest more. I am going to take some down time every day. I am going to stop trying to be the most productive person. I need to stay healthy. I need to take care of my family. I need to take care of my clients. This can all be done with less stress. That is my focus.
I am feeling super tired and run down from the weekend and the business of the last few months. So, I am going to do the 21 Day Sugar Detox. If anyone would like to join me and needs the guides, Click to buy 21 Day Sugar Detox guides.
Time for me to get back on track. take a break today, Mom
This year I listened in on some of the speakers and panels but I also did some of the Strength and Conditioning classes. Last year I walked away from PaleoFX wondering about very low carb and how much liver consumption is too much. Through out the year I figured out that very low carb is not for me. And because of the synergy between vitamin A & D, I don't worry about eating too much liver. This year I am left wondering about adrenal fatigue. Most importantly, I am super focused on not going down that path.
Most people are exhausted. Most are confused by the latest and greatest diet. Most people have an unhealthy relationship with food. Most people don't sleep. Ok, I can see why people are winding up with adrenal fatigue.
So, I am declaring now that I am going to rest more. I am going to take some down time every day. I am going to stop trying to be the most productive person. I need to stay healthy. I need to take care of my family. I need to take care of my clients. This can all be done with less stress. That is my focus.
I am feeling super tired and run down from the weekend and the business of the last few months. So, I am going to do the 21 Day Sugar Detox. If anyone would like to join me and needs the guides, Click to buy 21 Day Sugar Detox guides.
Time for me to get back on track. take a break today, Mom
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