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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
 One word: drool. (Pic by Georgia Almond Commission) The Deceptively Delicious idea of sneaking healthy ingredients into recipes is so good that I’ve been thinking, why not apply it to grownup food as well? Especially during the holidays, we have such big expectations of deliciousness, usually in the form of not-so-figure-friendly foods.
For all of our beloved classic food traditions, there’s usually some small modification you can do to make a dish healthier without sacrificing flavor.
Swap in the good wholesome stuff: When baking, swap out plain refined flour for healthy whole grains. For example, try whole oatmeal in your pie crust this year—the soluble fiber in oatmeal has been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol or “bad cholesterol” by 10-15 percent, and decreases risk of high blood pressure. For cheesy casseroles, puree pumpkin or cauliflower to cut some of the fat content while contributing to the creaminess.
(Read More Here …)
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Friday, October 12, 2012
 Three cheers for pumpkin season! While it might be a fun treat, I don’t actually need Ty Pennington (or anyone else really) to come to my house and announce that I could use some help when it comes to buying in-season foods. Did I recently buy a bunch of asparagus and a half dozen mangoes? Guilty as charged. What can I say, a craving is a craving!
The way I see it, sometimes you just need to go for those healthy cravings, even if they’re not completely local or seasonal. Though there are loads of environmental issues around it, I’m actually thankful that I can get things like mangoes, which my parents could never even dream of eating.
And yet, there’s also something really noble and fun in eating locally grown, in-season food. Maybe the best thing we can do is just do our best…to eat in season as much as possible but not punish ourselves when we don’t. Fall is one of the easiest and best times to eat in season—there’s so much great ritual around harvest time, after all.
 Good gourd! Yeah, I wouldn't mind a few of these beauts in my kitchen right about now. So this fall, I challenge you to join me in making even more of an effort to keep things seasonal, and to consciously think of food in the same way we think of our wardrobes. I mean, every year about this time I put away all my tank tops and shorts to make room for the cold-weather gear. Couldn’t the same philosophy hold true for making space in the cupboard or crisper for fall foods like squash, bell peppers, apples, cabbage, greens, peas, sweet potatoes, and more?
And yes, probably every once in a while I’ll feel compelled to buy a basket of strawberries grown on some other continent. But in the meantime, fall foods are where it’s at! For inspiration (both yours and mine!), here are some of my own fave fall fashion recipes:
(Read More Here …)
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 Meet the lovely Jillian McKee! (Source: Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance) Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Today, as we start a fresh new month, I’m sending out hopes for a fresh new day to my friends and family who are living with cancer. They are each a hero in their own way, and every day they teach me new reasons to be thankful for life.
In honor of their fight, I wanted to share these nutrition tips from Jillian McKee, a complementary medicine advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. She developed this list based on what she’s found are the most and least effective foods for cancer patients.
(Read More Here …)
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Friday, June 15, 2012
 Apple is the star ingredient, but Red Jacket does fun blends too, like strawberry apple and even blackcurrant apple. Juicing is my life! Oh, okay, maybe that’s an overstatement, but I really do love making my own juices and smoothies. Juice master that I may be, though, I still like to have a few RTG options available for those times when you just need something you or the kids can grab without much fuss. Problem is, so many store-bought options are overloaded with sugar, so you’ve gotta be vigilant in choosing your stuff.
One goodie I can recommend for the job is Red Jacket Juice. The upstate New York-based biz has been at it since 1958, so you know they know their apples.
Ingredient-wise, it’s got the good stuff: just whole fruits and nothing else. RJ simply cuts up fresh apples, cold presses ‘em, and bottles its juice and cider cold so it’s still fresh when you get it. Nutrition-wise, the fact that they leave it cloudy/unfiltered also means it’s got more antioxidants and fiber than clear juice. Plus it’s all made in a LEED-certified facility that uses Integrated Pest Management to keep things green, which is another checkmark in my book.
All in all, it’s definitely got the RMLTE stamp of approval. Cheers!
Related posts:
Juice Up: Watch Smoothie Magic Happen in This Video
Best in Show Week: Healthy Juice for Tots
Shopping List: Juicing Edition
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Thursday, May 10, 2012
 Lemon and green tea=bliss! CC has a new low-cal sweet tea, too. Now I’m a modern girl, but one of my favorite summer pastimes is decidedly old-fashioned: Sitting on the porch with a glass of iced tea, watching the kids play in the yard. And since I’m a sucker for anything liquid with lemon involved, I was interested in the new Green Tea with Lemon by Community Coffee, which recently debuted at the National Restaurant Association show*.
(Read More Here …)
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Friday, February 17, 2012
 This gooey-licious pic comes to us from Nomadic Lass/Flickr. Anyone who subscribes to a food magazine has probably seen what I think is one strange trend: PB&J-inspired desserts. In the last few months I’ve seen a recipe for PBJ cupcakes, cake, brownies, galette, and french toast. Am I crazy?
I don’t know why there’s all this renewed buzz for the classic sammy, but I say it’s a good thing. It’s one of the great easy comfort foods—we all grew up with it, and as long as you use quality ingredients, it can be good for you to boot.
Why love the classic combo? Let me break it down, nutrition-style.
(Read More Here …)
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
This week I had a bit of a second Christmas. I received a gift basket in the mail from Mooney Farms, a Sonoma County farm that’s known for its healthy Mediterranean-inspired products.
Among the gourmet picks were a few varieties of sun-dried tomatoes, one of the most flavorful, single-ingredient creations on this planet. (And pretty healthy to boot, when you consider tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a phytochemical and antioxidant that fights free radicals, and sun-dried ones boast 12 times more of it than raw ones!)
Needless to say, I immediately spooned a few pieces on crackers, and the resulting flavor burst was enough to inspire me to plan dinner around them, too. That night I whipped up my famous raw lasagna (recipe below), and the Bella Sun Luci sun-dried tomatoes gave it the most intense flavor and texture.
(Read More Here …)
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Monday, January 9, 2012
It’s citrus season, baby! In Florida, that is. This weekend the mountain of gorgeous ruby reds at the store got my heart all aflutter. I just love those juicy orbs, don’t you?
Aside from the refreshing sweet-tart flavor, there’s plenty more reason to toss a few of ‘em into your grocery cart next time you hit the store.
(Read More Here …)
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
 This pic of Vosges' candy cane truffle had me licking the screen. (Don't judge; you know you want to, too.) Aside from being a good mom, wife, friend, and community member, there’s another role I take very seriously: chocoholic. After all, chocolate is obviously one of life’s greatest gifts, so I’m proud to celebrate it every chance I get.
For proof of my devotion, just refer to my new book, hitting stores in a few weeks. The numbers kind of speak for themselves:
- 365: number of days per year I advise eating dark chocolate in the book
- 349: number of pages the book contains
- 140: number of times I mention the word “chocolate.” (By comparison, that’s twice as many as the times I used the word “diet.”)
- 0: number of reasons I can think of not to eat chocolate.
Basically to me, eating chocolate is a vital part of conducting a real and lasting love affair with food while still looking fabulous. It’s delicious, it makes you feel marvelous, and you need it! Okay maybe “need” is a strong word, but when you go with the good stuff—aka high-quality dark chocolate that’s not filled with crap/cheap fillers and processed sugars—you’re getting a whole bunch of random benefits on top of the good taste factor.
From more elastic blood vessels to lower cholesterol to relaxed brains to, wait for it, longer life, dark chocolate is packed with health perks. But I digress—all the cool health stuff and fun recipes are in the book. What I want to do here is tell you my favorite gift and stocking stuffer ideas for this holiday season:
- Vosges: I could do nothing but eat Vosges chocolates (with my husband, kids and friends, natch) for the rest of my life and be completely blissful. The Holiday Truffle Collection is $43 so a bit pricey as a stocking stuffer but the perfect gift for Santa, ahem. It’s got obsession-worthy flavorers like Plum Pudding, Peppermint Candy Cane, and Eggnog and Jamaican Rum.
- Green & Black: Tasty organic chocolate that’s certified fair trade, this company makes a great variety of tasty bars, baking, and hot chocolates. And for my fellow chocoholics on your list, the perfect gift is their brand new Ultimate collection of chocolate recipes—talk about food seduction—the cover alone makes me drool uncontrollably.
- Divine Chocolate: I love this palate- and conscience-pleasing company—it’s fair trade, plus the chocolate growers themselves own a substantial portion of the company. The Limited Edition Dark Chocolate with Hazelnuts and Cranberries is going in every one of my family’s stockings this year.
Ugh, I’ve gotten myself all worked up now. Where’s my chocolate stash when I need it? Time for a grocery run!
Related posts:
The Three Mousseketeers: Easy Chocolate Seduction Recipe
A Match Made in Heaven: Wine and Chocolate Pairings
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Monday, October 31, 2011
Antioxidant-packed Halloween dessert anyone? In honor of today’s impending tricks and treats, I decided to share a super-easy recipe for classic Caramel Apples that all your little goblins will enjoy.
Now I know you probably don’t have much time, with last-minute costume changes and such, so I’m going to keep this simple. And when I say simple, I mean simple: You only need three things from the store.
Too busy for words? Your kids can safely make these guys, with minimal help from mom, since there’s no stovetop or oven involved.
(Read More Here …)
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