Have some yogurt with your granola.

I made the granola recipe posted below this weekend, and it is pretty incredible. I used dried cherries and dried figs instead of the blueberries and cranberries because that's what I had on hand. SO delicious! I really recommend this recipe if you like granola AT ALL. It makes a big batch so you're covered for quite a while.

My favorite way to eat granola is with yogurt, and as it turns out, yogurt is a superfood that everyone should be eating regularly. Let me tell you WHY:

-Yogurt has active bacteria in it. Sounds gross, but the bacteria does a lot of good deeds in your tummy. It helps your digestive tract keep all its other bacteria (called microflora) in a good balance and resistant to infection.

-YOGURT IS CHEAP.

-Yogurt helps with digestion and immune function.

-Yogurt is a great source of animal protein, calcium, vitamins B2 and B12, potassium, and magnesium.

-Yogurt can help prevent osteoporosis, lower high blood pressure, discourage vaginal infections (yogurt helps maintain the vaginal pH at a normal 6.0 level).

-Yogurt is one of those foods that makes you feel fuller. At about 100-150 calories per 6 oz container, it is a great snack to tie you over until the next meal.

A regular intake of yogurt is a great idea if you are looking for some extra calcium or protein, or if you're trying to solve your digestive issues, or if you're trying to ward off sickness for the rest of the cold season (or any season!).

Chick Peas or Garbanzo Beans?

Same thing. No difference.

I want to share with you one of my favorite chick pea recipes, and a good one for hummus also. Chick peas are a great source of vegetarian protein and quite inexpensive. They also offer a generous portion of iron, fiber, folic acid, copper, magnesium, and molybdenum (there's a word-of-the-day for ya!). They are known to help lower cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels at bay, making them a good food for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. You don't have to sacrifice taste for health with chick peas, either. Especially with these recipes:

Kelcie's Delectable Chick Pea Salad
Ingredients (roughly):
Lots of chick peas, drained and rinsed
Red or orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Plenty of cherry tomatoes, chopped
Parsley
Feta Cheese crumbles
Annie's Green Goddess salad dressing, OR your favorite salad dressing

(I like this recipe because you can experiment with the amount of everything you want, so the ingredient amounts are vague.)

Directions:
These are hard directions. Brace yourself:   ..... Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Here's an easy hummus recipe:

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. can of chick peas, plus 1/4 cup of the can's liquid
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1.5 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend on low for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth. If desired, place hummus in a serving bowl, create a shallow well in the middle and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and parsley. Eat with toasted pita bread or veggies!!

Chick peas are also great to throw into soups and on top of salads, if you have a can laying around and don't know what to do with it. You can also just shovel them into your mouth as a snack. That's what I do.

Granola

Everybody loves granola. You can't not love granola. Right? It's sweet and crunchy and often associated with the 60's movement of peace, love, and health food (yeah, totally, man!). But here's the thing: granola is an awesome way to start your day. Usually consisting of rolled oats, nuts, dried fruits, some spices and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. The fiber in the oats aid with your digestion and get your metabolism (and your bowels) going, while the fruits and nuts provide lots of essential vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system up and running strong. I eat my granola with yogurt (Greek yogurt!! yumm) and sliced bananas or strawberries or blueberries if I have them. You can also turn granola into cookies and granola bars.

Be weary of which brand of granola you choose - check out the ingredients and make sure you can pronouce them all, and check the sugar content also. Contrary to popular belief, granola is quite simple to make, much cheaper than buying it from the store, AND makes a really great gift when put into mason jars and tied with a pretty ribbon :)

Here is one of my favorite granola recipes.

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray OR line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix everything except the honey, syrup and dried berries.

Combine the honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Pour the heated liquid over the oat mixture, stir and toss until everything is mixed well.

Spread granola on the baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

When granola is cooled completely, add the dried berries.

Be advised: I know the ingredient list looks intimidating. Of course you may use whatever combination of nuts, fruits and spices you want! There are tons of ways to make a great batch of granola tailored to your liking. Experiment with brown sugar, butter, dried banana or apple, or spices like cardamom and even cayenne pepper!

http://www.withamymac.com/news/wp-content/granola.JPG

Short Hiatus

Life has proven to be most hectic lately and I've not had much time for updating. However, I'm back and kickin' and have some great recipes to share with you. I'd like to extend my warmest congratulations to everyone who was involved with the Growing Our Food Systems Conference, as it turned out to be a great success. Its really quite encouraging to see so many people that are engaged in moving towards a healthy and sustainable food system.

So I have a little personal anecdote to share to emphasize my strong belief in regular exercise and a healthy diet for warding off the last of the pesky, end-of-winter colds and flus: I went up north to visit my rather ill boyfriend this weekend who had come down with a miserable cold, and I have yet to catch it! Maybe it was the running we did this weekend, maybe it was the anti-cold teas we were drinking, maybe it was all the green and red and orange and yellow veggies and fruits we ate, and MAYBE it was the turmeric I put on top of my oatmeal this morning (an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal spice)... but boy howdy I feel great. Often its hard to avoid illnesses in the winter since we're all cooped up inside and more prone to contract germs floating in the air from others, but don't underestimate your body and how effective it can be to deal with those germs. If you treat your body right, it will return the favor.

Last night we tried something new for dinner. Check it out.

Chicken-Pineapple Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 cup sliced or cubed pineapple chunks
1 green, red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup Jamaican jerk sauce or marinade
1 lime
as many tortilla shells as you can handle
a little olive oil
cilantro, fresh or dried

We first marinated the chicken for a couple of hours in the fridge with some of the Jamaican jerk sauce. Then we tossed the pepper slices, jalapeno pieces, and chicken into a large skillet with a little olive oil and sauteed for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Then we added the rest of the jerk sauce and cooked for another 7 minutes or so. We threw the pineapple chunks into the skillet last until they browned a little on each side. Meanwhile, we toasted our tortilla shells in the toaster oven. When all was ready, we prepared our fajitas and sprayed lime juice and sprinkled cilantro over the top.

Delish!!

To all you Michiganders out there- stay warm, drive safe and go snowshoeing!! And, check this article out. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216903.php

Its Not Too Cold to Get Outside!

I hope everyone is staying warm while its so chilly outside, but don't let the bitter cold deter you from getting your heart pumping. Regular exercise is essential for everyone, but that doesn't mean it has to be torturous and grueling. Things like having a snowball fight, building a snowman, and skiing or snowshoeing actually burn a ton of calories. I know its tempting to stay under your covers and hibernate during the cold months, but what better way to beat the winter blues than getting your blood pumping any way you choose- a run, a walk, a yoga class, a spinning class, a workout video maybe? Here's an article for further inspiration:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1594

So when you're done exercising today, here's a nice side dish to add to your dinner tonight.

Sauteed Greens (kale, collards, mustard, turnip...)

Directions:
Be sure the greens are washed and dried thoroughly, and the stems are removed. Chop the greens. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp of salt and the greens to the water and stir. Cover the pot and cook the greens for 5-8 minutes. Drain the greens in a colander over the sink. In a large skillet, add a little extra virgin olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoons), 1 clove of minced garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like it spicy. Heat on medium heat for 1 minute, then add the greens and stir. Add 1/3 cup of veggie or chicken broth, cover skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until most of the broth has been absorbed. Serve immediately with a little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar on top.

nomnomnom.

Feeling Fat?

Remember the trendy low-fat diet that came around in the 90's and hasn't fully disappeared from our grocery aisles yet? We still see lots of low- or no-fat food items that once had fat in them but got processed out in order to look more appealing to the customer who is watching his or her weight. The thing we must remember about fat is that IT IS GOOD FOR OUR BODIES. We need 25-35% of our total daily calories to be from fat in order to synthesize certain enzymes and essential fatty acids that keep us healthy and functioning properly. The important thing to know about fats is that they are not all the same, and they are not all good for us. Here is some general information about fats:

Unsaturated fats- Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are associated with lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol). Our bodies love these fats!! Examples of monounsaturated fats: olive oil, peanut butter, avocados. Examples of polyunsaturated fats: salmon, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils.

Saturated fats- These fats are associated with raising LDL cholesterol and can cause any number of health problems if consumed in higher-than-recommended amounts. Examples of saturated fats: fatty red meats, bacon, butter, tropical oils such as coconut oil and palm oil.

Trans fats- These do not actually occur naturally. We humans have engineered this new fat within processed foods in order to increase the food's shelf life. Trans fats are CLOSELY related with health problems and raising bad cholesterol. It is best to avoid these fats altogether, but this is hard in a country full of commerically packaged goodies (doughnuts, crackers, cookies to name a few) and fast food french fries. Anything containing "partially hydrogenated oils" in the ingredient list contains trans fats. **BE AWARE: if a product contains less than .5 grams of trans fat, the package can still say "contains 0 trans fats". Be sure to check the ingredient list before you believe the package.

A tip for cooking with fats- if the fat you're using to cook with is liquid at room temperature (ie olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil), it is typically unsaturated fat. If you're using butter, bacon grease, or margarine, these are solid at room temperature (saturated fats) and thus will solidify after you've consumed them in your arteries. This can cause potential artery blockages if you consume these types of fats often.

So, choosing fats wisely will help keep you at a healthy weight, a healthy cholesterol level, and keep your heart healthy.

Some of my favorite fatty snacks:
Avocado toast: Toast a couple slices of whole-wheat bread and spread with ripe avocado!
Oatmeal: Microwave some rolled oats and douse it in olive oil, along with your favorite savory spices.
Salmon: Pan-fried salmon sprayed with lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
Trail mix: Almonds and cashews mixed with dried cherries and dried figs.

Hodgepodge

The USDA and the USDHHS have updated the dietary guidelines for Americans. It happens once every 5 years and this time they have really focused on cutting down on sodium, saturated fat and refined grain intake. While the government can't exactly say "eat less meat", as industrial agriculture has a pretty large say within the government structure, everyone seems all-around pleased with the new guidelines. Here's a great article to read for more information:

http://www.good.is/post/government-releases-new-dietary-guidelines-for-americans/

While I'm perusing this website (http://www.good.is/ is one of my favorites), check out how disgusting this is. Go Starbucks!

http://www.good.is/post/starbucks-trenta-is-bigger-than-your-stomach/

OK, I've been slacking on the recipes lately. Here's a great soup to make tonight while the storm is raging outside your window, and you'll have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow when you're stuck in the house doing nothing but eating and reading my blog. :)

Lentil Potato Spinach Soup (makes 10-12 servings)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
6-8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 quarts canned vegetable broth
4 cup lentils, rinsed, picked over
2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 lemons
1 lb torn fresh spinach leaves (about 6 quarts)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh mint (dried will suffice if you cannot find fresh)
Crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir about a minute.
2. Add vegetable broth and lentils; cover and bring to boil.
3. Lower heat, and let simmer 10 to 12 minutes with the lid still on.
4. Add potatoes; cook uncovered until potatoes and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
5. Grate 2 teaspoons peel from lemon (should take 2-3 lemons); squeeze enough juice from lemons to measure 6 tablespoons. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, spinach and cayenne to stew. Cover and simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until spinach wilts and is cooked through.
6. Mix in mint—fresh or dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
This can be prepared a day before. Just cover and refrigerate and re-heat over low heat (or in the microwave) before serving. After dishing out, top off with some crumbled feta and enjoy.



Makes for a good lunch, hence the lunchboxes.