Boo goes the Pumpkin

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. - Matthew 13:23

I once was a summer girl.  My birthday was in the summer. We always traveled on our biggest family vacations in the summer. No school!  We would ride our bikes - everywhere! Especially the pool! The taste of freedom on those bikes with just enough breeze a little change in the pocket for the ice cream treats and cold soda cans from vending machines.  And I used to tan this beautiful gold and the sun naturally highlighting my hair.  What happened?  Now I am so not a fan of the summer - it's buggy, hot, and I always feel sweaty and I no longer tan.  I burn pink and then red rather quickly.  No fun!  But autumn?

Oh how I have fallen in love with autumn (Secretly I would love to name a daughter Autumn Rain - I can share this with you as my husband has vetoed this a bajillion times but I am a die-hard dreamer and still holding out hope :) But the temperatures around here are just perfect for layers and jeans.  My favorite outfit.  The leaves are just majestic.  And some of my favorite produce appears in the markets.  I love my berries in the summer those reds and blues and maroon blacks - yummy, sweet and tart.  But when the crispness of the air starts to appear its apple and yes wait for it ..... the beautiful greens, oranges, reddish tones play out for the wonderful Winter squash season - can we say delicious?   And minus the turban squash (my arch-nemesis) the rest of the squash family is always a go-to for a super tasty, filling, and easy side item/entree.  You can see my entry last year how the turban squash and I fought.  I always like to claim victory but as they begin to appear in stores I physically turn my cart around at the sight of these amazingly grotesque but yet disturbingly attractive sculptures of produce.  But no handy chef knife will slide through these heavy duty squashes.  The work did not equal the reward - so I steer clear.  But if you are having an autumn party they would make phenomenal center pieces. 

But yes the squashes have hit the supermarkets and now my home.  We sit with a two spaghetti squashes and one butternut squash (by far the family favorite as it makes a simple but tasty roasted side or can also be used in a cozy heart-warming  soup. )  And here comes our fruit/veggie of the week - A White Pumpkin.  I believe the grocery store just called it a mixed pumpkin. 

Boo - Happy Autumn :)

So why the white pumpkin?  If you have read my produce of the week I am a sucker for non-typical color choices.  Pumpkins are always thought of as orange.  As the white pumpkin sat a couple of weeks on our counter (love that squash has a sturdy shelf life) I always chuckled at the sight of it.  I thought two things.  Its a ghost pumpkin which sounds like a fantastic halloween mascot/symbol.  And two it looks like someone washed away all the orange and here sits this morose pumpkin without its cheery festive orange color.  After several conversations and hints from my husband that it would just make his day to come home and the pumpkin no longer stealing our counter space I decided to tackle the pumpkin project.

Who doesn't have great pumpkin memories?  The carving, the baked goods (my dad makes fantastic pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie and even yummy pumpkin seeds.) This used to be one of our fall traditions.  My dad was in charge of pumpkin duty and I was honored to be his assistant.  I gathered and picked through pumpkin guts when we would carve our two family pumpkins which I believe I did most years up to my junior or senior year in high school.  I do enjoy holiday traditions - the cheesier the activity the better right ? :)  And I was assigned certain duties for pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread - I was ALWAYS the sifter for pumpkin bread.  We had a squeeze sifter that I used over wax paper. After I married my hubby the amazing chef of our household.  He asked me to sift and I was so excited as this was a kitchen task both familiar and fun.  Smiling to myself as I was going to dazzle my hubby with my amazing skills he hands me this tin mug with a crank.  Ummmm what is that?  He shrugged and had the audacity to raise his eyebrows with the reply "A sifter".  Ummmmm no.  My sifter of choice is a tupperware equivalent with a orange top with a handle that you squeeze and part of the top swivels back and forth as it passes the dry ingredients.  Don't give me this lose sieve with a weird crank.  A girl has her pride and loyalty to childhood traditions.  Plus my daddy used to praise my sifting skills my husband again shrugged his shoulders and offered "then don't sift its not that big of deal."  Oh its a big deal! 

But I digress back to the white pumpkin.  It was intimidating!  I tackled the pumpkin in the past as an assistant letting the leader navigate the recipe and the portions.  I don't know what to do with this pumpkin - soup, bread, pastry, treat it like squash?  And the size I wasn't sure exactly how this broke down. One dish, two, three, six? I don't know.  So I decided I wanted pumpkin seeds and to puree the rest and throw it in the freezer until I had the wits about me and measurements.  Wow - I know why I procrastinated with this huge white pumpkin.  It's a lot of work to cook this produce with no true path.  We did roast the pumpkin seeds using the fabulous "Roasted Pumpkin Seeds" recipe from www.epicurious.com    

Ingredients

Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 drops hot pepper sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. Stir together the pumpkin seeds and butter in a bowl. Add the salt, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce; stir. Spread the seeds in a single layer on the baking pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven until crispy, about 45 minutes.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/ROASTED-PUMPKIN-SEEDS-51179871#ixzz2AHWC70SU

Ohhh so good!  I am so debating if we should buy at least one more pumpkin for just the seeds.  Such a tasty snack - little savory, little spice, little salt, little sweet and fantastic crunch!!! When you first cut into the white pumpkin you may be surprised that the flesh is a pale yellow.  I think I still expected that bright orange flesh that screams "Happy Halloween".  But the seeds were pretty easy to remove as the pumpkin guts weren't as gloppy as I remember.  Not sure if that is the difference between the white pumpkin and the traditional orange carving style pumpkins.  Or if I am not the same and didn't puposely dig through the flesh in search of every single seed.

We do things - simple actions, big gestures, innocent comments that people observe, record in their memories and base opinions or judgements.  The quiet moments when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and unscripted are when people truly witness our contributions and our character.  My dad had no idea how much I would still treasure those fall days where we baked pumpkins and I still can see where I sat to sift my ingredients on the wax paper and smell the spice of pumpkin goods.  I can only hope that my son is starting to build his own scrapbook of the memories that will warm his heart about his childhood.  Our witness about our spiritual journeys, our mental conquests, our physical feats, our heartfelt passions, and/or our simple acts of charity need not be grand or over-the-top crazy or perfectly molded - they just need to be sincere.  And hopefully when we do good, with God's grace and blessing some of our actions will be seeds that fall into good soil to encourage the growth of others. May God bless you and keep you - 'til we meet again. . .

Not just a movie anymore

Alright people we have tried okra to claim our southern living.  But we felt there was another produce that screams southern that we hadn't quite fried and tasted for ourselves (but have seen the movie :) - Fried Green Tomatoes.  They are delicious!  But then fried anything tends to always be an enjoyable guilty pleasure. 

Freshly sliced and awaiting the battering & frying!

At least it wasn't deep fried.  We used one of trusted recipe books and the recipe was super simple with a four step batter process.  I was the dipper and my hubby was the fryer.  First select firm green tomatoes.  I assume that's why the South chooses green tomatoes because of their firmness.  And I also think that you want the heat to help release the tomato flavor. 

I believe I admitted that in the Pearly Vine blog I am not the biggest tomato fan.  I love tomato based sauces and I enjoy when a tomato is heated to release the sweetness. But rarely do I enjoy straight up tomato.  These fried slices were tasty! 

Back to the actual prepping of this yummy side. Once you have the tomatoes you want to slice them generously - between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Then begin the four step battering.  We dunked the slices into milk then dredged them in flour continued the process by letting the slices slip around in some beaten eggs and finally smothered with breadcrumbs -  Ummm yeah not oh so healthy (which I did promise my doctor I was going to try harder on that front - more later about that) but delicious!  After these slices were quadruple coated we let them sizzle in some olive oil.  I believe because of the weight of the tomato you wouldn't want to deep - fry because these slices weren't going to float but drown.  So we used olive oil (not too high of heat) and let the coating sizzle for roughly four minutes a side (let the batter get golden and crispy).  The process sounds lengthy but goes quickly and clean-up was all shallow bowls so they went into the dishwasher - voila!  And a quick wipe down of the pan after using it.  The rest of our meal included a steamer bag of vegetables.  Brilliant technology.  Great vegetable flavor and you take the bag from the freezer into the microwave and done!  The entree for our southern meal was grilled thinly sliced pork chops - fantastic!  Which is why clean-up was such a breeze. 

Again I urge you non-chefs and fearful boilers of water - little steps and you too can feel like a master chef in your kitchen.  I am still no Julia Child but my hubby and I find time to giggle, bond, and are more likely to eat at home (saving money, time, and calories) if we share apron duty :) 

So about that doctor visit.  My last appointment was Wednesday and blah!  Not awesome - there certainly wasn't no hug this visit but then I have been eating like a crazy ravenous tazmanian devil.  I crossed my fingers and hoped that my A1C(blood sugar average reading for the last three months) wouldn't jump to the 8's.  I started in October at 10.2 (horrible - uncontrolled full blown diabetic level reasons to have concerns).  Then in February with medication and healthier diet and some exercise my A1C read 6.1 (reason I got a hug from my doctor :)  May's reading was 7.1.  I felt blessed.  I have gotten my movement back up but let my eating slip for lots of reasons. Also a three pound weight gain from my Feb visit which isn't horrible for three months but then I also know that I had lost five to six pounds before the gain.  Which equals an eight to nine pound gain.  And honestly I had weighed myself a couple of weeks ago and had been up another four pounds.  So really there had been a 12 - thirteen pound weight gain.  Ouch!  But I lost four of those pounds which equaled a three pound gain on my doctor's charts.  I was very honest with my doctor that it was a diet issue most likely and let's not up the medication yet. She agreed but I promised better results in August.  Which means although the Fried Green Tomatoes were tasty they will not become a staple in our household.  For some of my choices the numbers (weight, A1C, blood pressure) could have been worse but I received a slight gift and I just need to get back on track. I think one of the big differences between visits is that  in October I was terrified.  That doctor visit was a huge wake up call!  And I took the process seriously which opened the door to great results - four point drop in my A1C and a 16 pound weight loss.  The numbers weren't in my favor but then I also hadn't put forth nearly as much of the effort. 

Small steps I have taken to ensure more success.  Taking my blood sugar more regularly.  Packing healthier snacks (I have honey roasted peanuts packed in snack bags according to actual serving size and sandwich bags of popcorn). Its somewhat working to have healthier options at the fingertips as I was hungry and grabbed some edamame (soybeans) instead of chowing down chips, candy, or other treats that I tend to take by the fistful instead of by the serving.  Also there are sliced strawberries and yellow peppers to eat plain, mix with some yogurt (just the strawberries on this one), or drop in a salad.  And I am back to accepting nothing less than 7000 steps on the pedometer hoping for more but that is my bottom out number.  Which means I fell asleep on the recliner two nights ago at 6000 steps and woke up and walked my last 1000 steps before actually retiring to bed.  Its the little choices that make a big difference.  I can't do it all in a day, but I can do something right now to keep me motivated and on track.

May your HealthFULL Journey share the wake up calls when you need them, encouragement when you're struggling, and applause for a success whether it be big or small because all successful steps lead to the big prize of you living as your best and healthiest version. 'Til we meet again. . .

The Heart of the Matter

Today was a great day!  Today was a follow-up appointment with my doctor.  She entered the room with a big hug for me.  I have to tell you doctors, hospitals, and the like make me nervous as I tend to have bad experiences or what we'll call "interesting" visits.  But I do believe today was the first doctor visit my doctor entered the room with a smile that only proud parents tend to share.  My A1C Results were in....*Drumroll please*  6.1  !!!! Yay!  That is awesome compared to four months ago and my results were *gulp* 10.2.  For those who don't know the A1C test is a three month average of your glucose levels.  Healthy people typically range 4 - 6 on this test.  Pre-diabetics run about 5.7 - 6.4 ( I fell in this range this time around :)  People with diabetes usually have a result of 6.5 or over.  I believe 12 is the highest score.  But doctors tend to get nervous with anything above a 7. Some would describe this as uncontrolled diabetes and research tends to push that concern as a score above 7 on the A1C tends to be a patient with a lot of complications from diabetes.  So a score of a 10.2  is cringeworthy.  It means on average my blood sugar readings were around 246 mg/dl but now my sugar readings are closer to an average of 128 mg/dl.  That's a pretty awesome change in results and now you understand why my doctor greeted me with a hug.  I am pretty excited.  Especially, as I was hoping for a little more weight loss on the scale.  But since my first visit to the doctor on October 4, 2011; I have officially lost 15.2 lbs.  So yay (and that included the feasting holidays.  Also it was the first good blood pressure reading on the first attempt I have had in the doctor's office on the first try.  As I mentioned I get super nervous and anxious in a doctor's presence and that tends to mess up my blood pressure readings.  So overall good visit with actual tangible results showing me that the extra effort is most definitely paying off.

So to celebrate my hubby and I planned to celebrate Valentine's day a day early due to our schedules.  We had a lovely steak dinner with a heart-shaped rib-eye (my husband is a meat manager) so this held some sentimental factor.  He also surprised me with a dozen white roses which happens to be my favorite flower.  They smell divine and already are so pretty.  After our delicious steak dinner with a baked potato, green beans, and lovely salad (strawberries, avocado, mushrooms on mixed greens) we tried our first chocolate souffle.  Oh they were delicious !!!  And so much fun to create together.  When cooking together we have so much fun.  We laugh, we talk, we get frustrated, but through it all we work together as a team to create something worth remembering - a treasured memory and hopefully a scrumptious meal. 

So the heart of the matter is enjoying health.  I still have a long ways to go but it was so uplifting to hear positive feedback through the test results and affirmations from a super pleased doctor.  But what was even better was enjoying a special evening with my forever valentine: who was ecstatic about the results, happy to share time with me, and reminding me that we both still have a lot we want to accomplish - as individuals, as a couple, and as a family. And by making a lot of small choices the benefits of a healthier life are already coming back tenfold.  My heart is growing stronger and filling with a bit of extra pride.

May your HealthFULL Journey help to pump up your heart; so that is may be stronger, happier, and healthier.  'Til we meet again. . .

12 Resolutions for the 12 months of 2012

Well this has been quite a journey and it still continues.  You think you found the perfect path and then you hit a dead end, a crazy detour, or get lost and end up back in the same spot.  So you turn back to your trusty compass and gaze at your map.  Circle the paths that were working and figure out a new route.  There is no time better than the present.  Today is the first day of the new year.  And rumor has it the end of the world is nearing.  If that be true I want to leave as the best version of myself.  Of course with my Christian belief the Bible states (my paraphrase follows) that we don't know what hour our Master will return - so basically, let's get to work and do it now.  So if this journey is to be FULL of Health that means my goals should be all encompassing, a little physical, a little mental, emotional, spiritual, you get it, it should be for the whole picture so lets count em down.  12 goals for the next twelve months in this fabulous year of 2012.

12.  Lose 102 pounds.  The weight isn't my number one priority but it is a goal.  It is an unusual number.  I like even stevens usually a bold hundred a perfect ten.  But 102 pounds would bring me to 178 pounds.  I have never seen that number on a scale in my adult life.  179 is the lowest number I have seen and it was when I was nineteen - twenty years old.  So let's eliminate decade within a year.  Its a daunting number but attainable - pound by pound.  It also means I have lost nine pounds since this journey started 2 1/2 years ago.  But also in that time I did gain a total of forty one pounds (mostly pregnancy related) so in actuality I've lost fifty pounds again. So we'll keep on the downstreak!

11.  Another physical thing is to continue the new produce or grain once a week.  This helps make a game out of eating healthy and stretching the horizons of what we imagine we could eat, should eat, and would eat.  This allows 52 opportunities to consume a variety of vitamins and minerals in combinations we wouldn't otherwise know.

10.  The perfect ten has to go to cooking myself at least twice a week.  And not just cooking but learning a new recipe at least one of those two times but hopefully twice.  This enables me to take more control of my health.  It will help me not get caught in the trap of helplessness, boredom, or being overwhelmed by all the life matters we can't control. 

9.  To round out my physical improvements means I need movement.  Documented exercise.  I want to work out thirty minutes five days a week.  But even more specifically to cover at least 366 miles this year of walking.  I will count walking as part of my exercise during the week.  But it would be awesome on those days I can count it as a bonus.  That means one mile a day.  Let's pound some pavement or at least some carpet!

8.  I need to be more charitable.  It is time to research some charities.  And to be more consistent in giving and less about the taking, demanding, and whining.  My goal is to donate to at least one charity every month: whether it be time, money, or donated goods.  There are a lot of people who are doing amazing things to help those who need the extra hand.   My soul thirsts to be more like a servant as I have ignored the calling several times.

7.  Speaking of the Call.  It is time to reconnect in a stronger fashion with God.  I plan to read the Bible in one year's time and to take true meditative time with God on a daily basis (not just in times of distress which is too common for me).  God is blessed me with too much that I have taken for granted too often. 

6.  Another calling  - what next?  I finished my B.A. this year which feels pretty darn good to mark that of the to - do list.  It waited for nine years but it is crossed off.  But now I have to figure out what's next?  A new vocation?  Start a business?  Attain a masters?  Lots of ideas but no true road map.  Time to get research done and by 2013 working towards the next great challenge.

5.  Let's get creative.  This may be my favorite goal.  I love to be creative and playful.  Each month I am going to learn either a new skill or build upon a creative process.  This might mean taking a class to learn how to do pottery.  This may mean picking up  a how to learn a new language.  This might mean trying out for a play.  Perhaps I establish a routine to write fiction/poetry.  But it is time to get the juices flowing and the heart pumping.  It will feel good to awaken that part of me once again.

4.  Time to ...I even feel anxious typing this. Time to Socialize more.   I tend to lead a hermit lifestyle.  In the past I used to have people demanding jobs that I was pretty good at.  But I tend to get easily connected emotionally to people and it would zap a lot of my energy.  Other people's dramas, creating my own drama, and then stressing that I wasn't helping enough or that I wasn't capable to do more and I had a rough year that I shut down.  I lost 10 people close to me in one year.  All different levels of intimacy and relations, some were sudden some were expected.  And these deaths were sandwiched between my mother in law being diagnosed with cancer (a survivor of 8+ years Amen!) and my own mother's diagnosis of cancer (a survivor of 7+ years - another Amen!) and in that time I quit college (nothing to due with what has already been mentioned I just didn't know where I was going or what I wanted at 22), got married (to the most amazing man in the world and still my best friend), moved, and started my first salaried position where forty-four people's lives were under my care. That was all in one year and also in that one year I gained seventy pounds.   Sooooo yeah I kind of needed a break from people, responsibility, and instead of taking a break I kind of just shut down.  So its time to wake up and get out.  So I plan to have at least one extra outing a month not just family or work related.  For some that sounds super easy but this may be one of the hardest areas for me to stretch.  (and in honesty if I try a class or group activity - I'm counting it!)

3.  Budget - I don't like to budget: not money, not calories, not time.  I like to be spontaneous, at least I say that.  But really it is another way to say I don't like to be controlled or pressured or to stick to rules.  It crushes my freedom, it suffocates the spirit of fun.  But not really I just allow myself to feel that.  We all can use a cushion for "those days" and if you have read my blog I tend to have a lot of out of those blue kinds of experiences.  So my hubby and I are going to sit down and comb through expenses and start true rainy day funds and not just talk about it.  Blech! My stomach is already churning.

2. Time to organize the chaos.  Some people are naturally gifted in completing tasks in a timely manner, keeping things together, and just letting objects gleam in cleanliness.  I am not one of those people.  I try hard to have routines that keep me and my family being swallowed up by household clutter and try to designate areas for those have to grab items.  But it is a challenge. I am going to do a thorough cleaning (this is not the weekly or daily cleaning necessary to keep the household moving - laundry, dishes, vacuuming, ect.) in every area of our house once a month and each week take an hour to truly organize (actually create an address book, gather recipes that we enjoy in one spot, designate locations for important papers - declutter the filing cabinet).   

1.  The big number one is to truly be grateful within each and every day.   To count a blessing every day. Hopefully this will take down the stress but more importantly remind me that it truly is a wonderful life and that all of us are granted a gift of life on a daily basis.

May your 2012 be a chance to let go of what brings you down and to welcome all that builds you up. 'Til we meet again. . .

Life Changes

Here is a top ten list of how I know my lifestyle is improving healthwise:

10.  No longer do I believe the mean laundry fairies are shrinking my jeans but actually replacing them with bigger sizes.

9.  My tag was hanging out of my shirt the other day and instead of freaking out that someone might have seen the size.  I was like I hope someone saw the size this shirt is from college - my first go around - which means it was purchased over ten years ago.

8.  Instead of being nervous about my blood pressure and blood sugar being too high I wonder if they are too low.

7.  We need to get out of the house.  (I am borderline hermit! - this is major!)

6.  Soup or salad can be the whole meal and not just the side/appetizer.

5.  Oh I'm thirsty I should grab some water.

4.  When can I fit in my thirty minute work-out today?

3.  I'm cooking, by choice, and enjoying it!!!

2.  I have great parking karma today.  There is a spot right next to the steps.

1.  I feel good and have tons of energy (most of the time :)

Some random thoughts but showing the big picture.  Little by little I'm finding the healthier version of me.

May your healthFULL Journey delight you with the simple blessings of how your effort equals true results.  'Til we meet again. . .

The Art of the Salad

Ahhh! Salad can be the tastiest meal and fairly easy to make.  Now if you are thinking of plain old lettuce as salad, no that's lettuce.  A salad is a wonderful conglomerate of whatever you want to combine.  If I was to title the salads my husband and I make it would have to be along the lines "The Kitchen Sink - Fridge - Pantry Salad".  Start grabbing supplies and mix it all together.  And what is great about individual salads.  Do you like raspberries?  No, leave them off and I'll add extra because I do like them.  I would say to fix a truly satisfying meal salad our household follows an adaptable formula.  Greens + veggie + fruit + filler/protein + crunchy and then topped with dressing.  Sounds like a lot doesn't it?  Its your whole meal make it tasty and filling.  It does no good to eat a plate of lettuce without dressing and call it supper but before going to bed you are starving and down a triple scoop ice cream sundae with extra hot fudge.  You would have saved a lot of calories and a ton of empty calories if you had a more filling supper. 

Let's start with the greens, I am going to be completely honest.  We usually start with a bagged salad.  They are so easy to pour, split in half and build a great foundation.  Some packages come with a mix of greens, some assorted veggies, or beautiful rinsed baby spinach.  Now some of these packages you should re-rinse your greens and I know a lot of people say you should always wash your lettuce/greens yourself.  Again I confess sometimes/most times, the salad mix comes straight out of the bag and on to the plate.  Great start.  If iceberg is the only lettuce you will eat because it has little flavor , so be it.  But I so strongly encourage a deeper green especially as you are going to top it with so many goodies.  Baby spinach is a great foundation and packed with tons of vitamins (folate powerhouse for those who are upping your folic acid intake and iron).  Be like pop-eye :)  Also there are tons of other great choices and if the change is too scary.  Half of a darker green with the comfort and safety of your iceberg.  You might realize how your light lettuce carries no extra flavor and is boring like ice.  (No wonder you don't like salads.)  But moving on.  The theory of nutrition, the darker the color the more vitamins and minerals it holds.  (Iceberg borderline white, light green compared to the deep green of spinach.) 

Next up what kind of veggies.  So many choices. Big favorites in our house: our colored bell peppers (we included an orange one tonight).  I just slice them or dice them, slices give you a little more crunch, the diced makes the salad look festive with confetti.  Sliced mushrooms give you that meaty texture you might crave. Tomatoes tend to be a favorite.  I prefer cherry or grape for convenience and flavor.  Grape tomatoes I just wash them and throw them on the plate.  And cherry I tend to wash and slice into halves. Carrots shredded and cucumber slices (I know cucumber is a fruit but then so is a tomato, they just fit better into this section) and a mellow flavor with great texture.  If you like sweeter tastes add beet slices; they do stain whatever they touch so make sure you cut them into bite size pieces before adding them to the salad masterpiece.

Let's discuss fruit.  Ohhhhhhh have I mentioned how much I love summer produce?  Melons, berries galore, thank you!!! I love every kind of berry.  And all berries mix well into a salad.  We added strawberries to ours tonight and some cherries.  Usually we have blueberries on hand and I finished our raspberries last night for my bedtime snack or they would have been on my plate tonight.  Pomegranate seeds can be fun on a salad crunchy while still a tad juicy, tart, and sweet.  This was how I tried kumquats on a spinach salad.  Orange sections can be quite good in a simple salad.  I am very picky with my citrus mixes as I tend to not like that sour bite that's almost bitter.  So very few flavors do I mix with oranges.  Grapes especially seedless and half add a good juicy bite to your salad.  And apples can add a bit of sweet crunch.  But hands down we tend to use berries the most.   

Filler/Protein - Choices, lots and lots of choices.  My hubby and I really like hard-boiled egg in our salad. We also like chickpeas/ garbanzo beans (we used canned after we rinse them thoroughly and then just plop a handful on your salad - so good!) which is filling and gives a unique bite; not quite a crunchy texture but that makes you bite down.  We also have tried grilled chicken and grilled shrimp.  Grilling the meat gives it that perfect flavor for a salad.  It's simple but retains its moistness.  We had grilled chicken tonight.  And then numerous cheese choices depending on what other ingredients you have.  I went shopping at my favorite store today and picked through the Bit O' Cheese basket.  My own little special pick-me-up.  And the winner was Manchego gently grated over the chicken.  *humming* Yes quite tasty. 

Crunchy - Absolutely the key component in our household.  What little ingredient will make our salad sing?  We use a variety of nuts for this component.  Obviously if you have a nut allergy steer clear but if not, options upon options.  Also wasabi peas are a good bet.  They add sweetness with a kick.  Just don't ever add them early on and then let your salad sit and then take a bite.  They become mushy and no longer that crunch one craves in a salad.  Always a crowd pleaser = croutons.  Some other items that may be hanging out in your cabinets that would work, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax), pretzels (if you really like that saltiness),and  sesame sticks. 

Then top with your favorite dressing.  We usually stick with ranch, creamy with a bit of spice.  I also tend to mix it up with a variety of different vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar and olive oil the most popular as we tend to have big bottles of both on hand at all times.)  Now again the beauty of a salad is it can totally echo your favorites.  Perhaps I gave you a helpful suggestion but by all means you are the one biting down.  Make it what you like.  Let your ingredients play off each other, let the colors splatter the plate, for this is your chance to create art.  Forget mom's scolding and play with your fruits and veggies. Because after a couple of choices you have a tasty and somewhat healthy (depending on those choices) satisfying meal full of beautiful colors.  Bravo on your masterpiece.

May your HealthFULL Journey guide you to your preferences and inspire you to choose in a way that both delights you and creates a healthier you.  'Til we meet again. . .

Getting Sloppy

This HealthFULL Journey is about changes.  Trying a variety of patterns and seeing what works, what sticks, and what can be forgotten.  Tofu has became a staple in our house.  I usually have a package or two in the freezer of Extra Firm.  Now I know for many of you TOFU is a four letter word.  Which is true but it doesn't have to sound like a curse upon your house.  Do you eat hamburger out of the pack uncooked, unseasoned?  Or chicken?  No, so treat Tofu as the base.  Yes you can eat Tofu straight out of the pack, but I wouldn't recommend it.  Let's start with what is Tofu.  It is a great source of protein without using any animal product.  Because Tofu is pressed soybean curd. You have several different textures which play into the savory or sweet side of meals.  Usually the silken tofu is used for dessert and the firm/extra firm sponge blocks are used for savory dishes.  It is relatively cheap and fills you up if prepared with a little extra TLC.  My hubby is a man who likes meat but has willingly tried and appreciated most of the dishes we have tried.  I have mentioned our tofu challenge in the past and might have even mentioned one of our favorites.  Which is what we ate for dinner tonight, Sloppy Tofu (think sloppy joes).  Delicious.  It is filling, it has lots of flavor, and a great introduction for those who haven't "really" tried tofu.  If you freeze the extra firm all you have to do is take the block out at the beginning of the day (great if you work) and drop it in your sink.  Again not animal byproduct so there isn't the contamination fear.  After eight hours it is thawed and you can begin to rinse and squeeze.  It holds quite a bit of liquid, it really does resemble a sponge.  So remove it from the package and run some tepid/cool water and begin to rinse the liquid it has been soaking up in the package.  From what I understand if you leave it in the fridge versus the freezer it gives a different texture.  I really like the freezer approach.  As we always have a block or two on hand and aren't tripping over it.  Then choose any method how to prepare the tofu.  Our household three favorites are spinach rolls (if you love Italian and stuffed shells - this is the way to go!), sloppy tofu (yum) and the all-time favorite tofu tacos (so easy, prepare exactly like you would your beef, pork, chicken, fish tacos but substitute tofu).  Once you are done squeezing out the moisture.  Place a paper towel around the tofu block and then place it between two plates and a heavy object to push down the tofu for about forty five minutes to an hour.  (great time to veg in front of the tv, homework time, take a walk).  And then you are ready to cook.  This is when you can cut slabs, or crumble, or marinade a little.  Your call.  But for the tacos and the sloppy tofu you crumble. *Great kid activity*.  They can crush until their hearts content with their hands.  Because the sponge like texture will pick up all necessary flavor when cooking.  I borrowed our sloppy tofu recipe from the site http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/tofu-sloppy-joes.php . So good and fairly easy. 

So that is my soapbox speech how good tofu can be and is so simple to add to the menu rotation.  Cheap, easy to prepare, and lots of nutritional benefits.  Also tofu recipes tend to mean I'm cooking.  Now hubby is a great sport but this is a win win for us.  He'll try it if I cook it!  Which is fair.  So today my exercise and food victory was me slaving in the kitchen, I did rounds and rounds of dishes and I prepared lunch, dinner, and extras (snacks, lunches) for the week ahead.  I don't know about you but delivery, fast food, and restaurants get more of our business than necessary.  It just sounds so tempting to let someone prep, cook, serve, AND DO THE DISHES for our family.  We tell ourselves it is okay the extra cost because it saves us time, energy/sanity, and tastes good.  But is it really worth the cost.  It takes us at least twenty minutes to decide on dinner, then usually 15 - 20 minutes to drive to dinner and another fifteen - 20 back.  Then it takes 10 minutes for fast food or roughly an hour for dinner at a restaurant. So we are looking at least an hour to two hours.  And delivery is usually an hour (between decision, order, and delivery). Our last five deliveries of dinner have either been disappointing in flavor, ridiculous time, or forgotten an item.  Our last several restaurant experiences have been costly, bad service, or just okay food.  Notice the trend?  Either my cooking is getting better or quality is going down (at least at the establishments we have visited).  Plus you don't know what it is in that food.  At home with a little planning you pay easily less than 25% of what you pay at a food establishment.  And most meals take under thirty minutes of active participation (when one can grab some uninterrupted time).  We say it is great to eat around the supper table as a family but maybe it is just as important to put the family to work in the kitchen.  With a little ingenuity everyone can have kitchen duty at the same time.  Or spend a big day of prep for easy put togethers during the week.  That's what I did.  Made some egg salad for quick sandwiches, caramel corn for lunch treats or a dessert snack, prep /dice veggies  for easy flavor fillers (pepper, onions, jalapeno) and steam some rice.  Yes we still have a menu to cook the night of, but at least with a menu and some prep work done we are much more likely to raid our pantry then pick up the car keys.

May your HealthFULL Journey include some focus, preparation (as opportunity is 90 % preparation), and ingenuity. Not only will you be ready for surprises but hope for them.  'Til we meet again. . . 

Golden Opportunity

Have you ever tried honeydew melon?  Really tried it.  I know many of us may associate the honeydew melon with that dreadful frozen fruit cup that many restaurants offer as their standard fruit cup: one or two red grapes, cantaloupe, and honeydew.  All three fruits lose their delicious sweetness as the ice overwhelms their subtle flavors.  Now honeydew is actually an attractive and usually a mellow companion to most fruits.  Most of us know that pale green color but there are two other colors Honeydew can wear.  There is the orange flesh which I believe would resemble cantaloupe and might be hard to decipher the two.  And then there is the Golden Honeydew which is the fruit of the week for my own honey and myself :)  We made it into dessert after we had a delicious dinner.  My hubby is not a fan of the honeydew melon.  So I did warn him before he tried it to see if he was game and agreed.

I cut up the melon and either I hit the perfect ripeness or the golden honeydew is way juicier than its relatives. The seeds scooped out very easily and I poured the pool of juice into the bowl where I was preparing the fruit salad.  Very simple prep but delicious results.  I added just under half of the melon into the bowl and the other half cubed for snacking as it is sweet and light on its own.  For the dessert I added a dozen strawberries quartered and a dozen cherries ( I love summer fruits!!!) halved.  I then added a small amount of coconut rum and a sprinkle of sugar to pull out all three fruits' sweetness.  I also toasted a 1/4 cup of hazelnuts and then drizzled honey just enough to get the nuts sticky into little mini-clumps with a dash of cayenne for that little kick of heat at the end. And just to boost that toasted nut flavor I added a drips of sesame oil.  YUM!  I left the nuts to cool on the cupboard and let the fruit soak in the fridge for thirty minutes.  Combined and ate.  Great summer dessert with lots of flavor and aroma.  I thought a dollop of whip cream would be nice but we didn't have any in the house.  After tasting the finished product I didn't see the need for the cream at all.  My hubby said that the fruit didn't even need the rum.  But I actually liked the coconut aroma, I bet coconut milk/juice might add the same appeal.

Not bad.  It was a fun little find that screams summer.  And melons need very little prep which I love.  Also again this might have been the ripeness or the actual fruit but the rind isn't that thick.  It was extremely easy to half the melon which on some produce is a nightmare.  One simple chop and the knife slid through the fruit.  Love that, then easy scoop, quick cut to remove the rind, and cube chop.  Maybe a ten minute prep (and I am the slowest in the kitchen) to prepare a yummy snack with tons of servings (roughly ten is what nutritional data suggests).

It was fun to chop, toast, and macerate in the kitchen.  I felt very chef-like as I grabbed ingredients through suggestions I found on the web and chose myself.  My hubby and I chatted while I "cooked" as the only item truly cooked was toasted hazelnuts and he stayed out of the kitchen which is complete role reversal.  But that is why I like this new produce for the week challenge.  It is not only allowing me a new taste of the product but encourages me to learn and have more confidence in the kitchen.  Fear holds us back a lot.  What if I don't like the flavor? What if I mess up the recipe? What if I. . . and the list continues.  Fear is usually about the unknown.  But the more we equip ourselves with knowledge, experience, and permission to error; we gain back in tenfold.

May your HealthFULL Journey discourage fear and encourage opportunities.  We only fail when we don't try.  'Til we meet again. . . 

"Real"ly finished

Wow ten days are signed, sealed, and delivered.  There were moments I thought this ten day challenge of real food was going to break me (standing overwhelmed in the supermarket after reading label after label, no morning soda, and my go to snacks had but vanished).  I'll do this challenge again as I keep trying to modify my real life on this real food challenge.  It was a huge eye opener.  I don't need three snacks a day, I don't have to have a dessert to fall asleep, and no chips, soda, or ice cream is okay.  I became acutely aware of the difference between overstuffed and full, and felt actual hunger.  That to eat real food takes some prep time and requires actual cooking.  But this is not  a bad thing.  The food tastes better (and looks better).  Also it helps discourage those heapings of calories that come from mindless eating.  If you have to cook and do the dishes to have an extra snack, it cuts down those bored munchings.  Also I have become reacquainted with water.  Your body is seventy percent water and it needs to be replenished to filter through the organs and keep everything in the body working properly.  I can feel the difference.  It's like certain parts of my body are waking up and letting me know when things are in balance or out of whack.  I have had a couple more headaches than I've had in the past several years but again I don't think this is horrible.  Its my body saying, "I need more water and more sleep (I'm in the heart of finals which have included several late nights after the lil' one catches his shut eye and mommy can think without interruption.) and also I believe it is my body's way of saying good bye to the build up of toxins.

Overall this challenge of real food helped in ways that I could have only hoped.  It made me more aware of my choices, reminded me some tricks to keep my choices on the healthier side, and inspired me to cook more.  Which is a plus in my book as well as my hubby's. 

New DVD from the library finally.  I enjoyed Hula so much that I found a DVD from the same instructor and fumbled my way through  "Tahitian Hip Hop".  Ummm, my hips don't lie, because they don't shimmy.  But I am trying to reacquaint myself with my hips that are in their own way shaking the answer "NO!"  I think part of the benefit of picking out new exercises to follow it keeps things interesting but also keeps me involved.  I pay attention because I don't know what is coming next.  One minute I am thinking will I make it to the end and the next minute it is cool-down and I am another movement checked off the to do list.  This Tahitian Hip Hop was a lot more challenging than the Hula.  What I feel in my movements doesn't feel close to what I see the girls on the DVD leading.  But the good thing is an attempt in exercise still burns calories. So I continue to attempt, fumble, and dance my way to cheery success in saying good-bye to the excess.  I FULLy am on board this HealthFULL Journey and am Fully Understanding Life by Living.  It feels good to be part of the living once again.

May your Healthfull Journey engage you, surprise you, and soothe your weary spirit. "Til we meet again. . .