Lentil Soup

With super cold temperatures plaguing us, I thought it would be a good idea to make a big pot of soup to keep me warm. I had some red lentils that I needed to use so I looked up some recipes and found a really simple one that has roots in middle Eastern culture. This soup is very easy to make, cheap and delicious. It is also a great source of fiber and protein.

Lentil soup
2 tbs of olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
4 stalk of celery
1 tsp of curry powder
2 tsp of coriander
2 tsp of cumin
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of red lentils
1 cup of brown rice
4 cups of vegetable stock
2 cups of water

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, meanwhile dice the onion. When the oil is hot add the onion and saute until softened. Add in the chopped celery and spices and saute for 2 minutes. Add the the rice, lentils, stock and water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the rice is done. This should take about 45 minutes. The lentils break apart in this recipe and give the soup a nice texture and complements the chewiness of the rice nicely. Serve with fresh lemon slices and olives. I like to put artichoke hearts on it as well. Enjoy!!

What Kate Ate 12/2/10

Wheat toast with Marmite
Mini pumpkin cupcake
Burrito
Ginger spice tea
Lentil soup

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks, no really! The name doesn't give it away or anything! I spent to the day with my wonderful family, whom I am thankful for. One of the things I love about thanksgiving is the food. My family likes to try new recipes and alternative foods so I am able to throw something odd into the mix.


This years menu was:
Steamed green beans with pomegranate seeds and roasted almond slivers
Roasted parsnips, potatoes, and sweet potatoes
Quinoa goodness
Organic turkey
Yorkshire pudding (English bread)
Cranberry relish
Vegan banana rum cheese cake



I didn't get pummeled by the family for substituting quinoa goodness for stuffing so that was good. My sister did however threaten to put me in a closet while she made stuffing! Did you notice that stuffing wasn't on the menu?! The cheese cake was really good. Easy enough to make and even my mother ate it. This is huge people. My mother hates tofu and stays at least 10 feet away from the stuff. But she ate it and said it was "very good". So, two for the vegan team.

Thank you to everyone who told me they like my blog. I am most appreciative for the support and love.

What Kate Ate 11/28/10

Quinoa goodness with almond milk (it makes a wonderful breakfast dish as well, I am so clever!)
Veggie and hummus sandwich
Apple bread
Ginger tea
Brown rice with quorn and veggie sauce

Quinoa goodness

This weekend we had our Thanksgiving potluck at our spiritual community. I signed up to take the vegan dishes of course. I made greens and this new dish I made up that is basically quinoa goodness! If any one can think of a good name let me know. The recipe for my quinoa goodness is below. I think it will be perfect on Thanksgiving day. I intend to rock the boat and suggest that we don't have stuffing and replace it with my quinoa. If you don't see any blog entries from me you will know that I have been viciously attacked by my family because I thought stuffing was too stuffy!

Quinoa goodness
1 cup of quinoa
1 apple, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 dried cranberries
1/2 chopped pecans
1 cup water
1 cup butternut squash soup
2 tbs of fresh chopped sage, or 1 tbs dried sage
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of coriander
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan heat about 1 tbs of olive oil and saute the onion and apple. When the onion starts to turn opaque add in the sage and spices. Let this cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the quinoa, soup, water, pecans, and cranberries. Bring to a slow boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for about 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.
Serves about 4 to 6 people.

What Kate Ate 11/21/10

Apple cranberry bran muffin
Lots of yummy goodness at the potluck
Green curry with rice

Pull this string as I walk away

Living a holistic lifestyle for me includes be consicious of my carbon footprint. Before I throw anything away I think about where it is going, usually the land fill, compost heap or recycling bin, and if I can use it in another way before it leaves me. When I am thinking about clothing, I like to buy clothes that have already been used. Thrift shops, consignment stores, friends unwanted clothing and fabric or yarn that has been abandoned become my new wardrobe. Besides I am not one to spend copious amounts of money on clothing when a) I have two children to dress and b) have two children who will destroy what I wear!
I found a house coat or long cardican, whatever you want to call it, a couple of years ago at a thrift store and just had to have it. The length was just right and the color was so me. I tried it on but it swallowed me up. This didn't dissuade me from purchasing it, besides it was only $7 and I just had to have it. I wore it a couple of times, but the akward fit made it difficult to wear. A couple of weeks ago I switched out my summer clothes for my winter clothes and I was reunited with my coveted cardigan. Alas, you are too big for me. Never the less I will hang you in my closet so I can admire you. But wait, I have an idea! Marissa Lynch, who stared a blog about taking clothes and altering so that they are wearable again, inspired me. I know how to knit. I am pretty savvy. I could take this misfitting beauty and make it smaller. So, where to start? I took the sleeves off as they were way too big and undid the side seams. I then took the two side panels and un-knitted them!! Scary stuff for people who don't know how to knit. I re-knitted the side panels so that they would hug my side. I then undid almost all of the sleeves. Not a terribly smart move as I had no idea of what pattern I was going to follow. I found a pattern online and had my fingers crossed that it would work. Sure enough the pattern worked and I sewed them back on. Ta-da I now have a cardigan that fits me like a glove and only cost me $7. I think I learnt this skill of taking what you have a making it into something that works from my grandmother. She could practically take a holey sock and turn it into a sweater!

What Kate Ate 11/18/10

Green tea
Banana
Omelet
Panang curry
Chai white tea
Crackers and hummus
Bean and veggie burrito

Troll hair

I washed my hair the other day, and yes, I don't wash it everyday!! Well, I thought I would do something special and put some mousse in it and blow dry it to extenuate my natural wave. So much for looking good. My hair felt tacky and looked frizzy, kind of like a troll doll hair! The mousse I used was made from organic ingredients and contained no chemicals of any kind. I like the idea of using all natural products, but this one just didn't seem to work as well. I think I will stick to hair serum. It seems to work better and I don't have to blow dry my hair. After all, I end up looking like a bad version of Diana Ross after the hair dryer has attacked me!

I don't wash my hair everyday because the natural oils that my body creates, keep my hair clean and shiny. When we wash our hair everyday our body creates more oil because we have washed all of the goodness away. You can retrain your hair so that you only wash it twice a week or so. The extra oil that your body creates because you haven't wash it out will be reabsorbed by your body. The body is an awesome machine and will readjust itself according to supply and demand. For those of you who have breast feed, it is just like milk production!!

No more hair dryer and mousse for me. So long Diana Ross troll doll hair!

What Kate Ate 11/17/10

Green tea
Oatmeal
Green salad and awesome veggie chili that my fabulous friend made
Chai tea
Crackers and hummus
Indian (very descriptive, I know)

Apple Cider Vinegar Experiment

I have been drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water 3 times a day for about a month now. The outcome is good. My skin is clearer, I am sleeping better, and my sugar craving are not as severe. I did discover that it isn't a good idea to drink the stuff straight. My friends mother is a nurse and had suggested to my friend that she drink it without diluting it. Well, the result is that your insides become twisted and your face has to be freed from inversion by the use of a vacuum cleaner!! My stomach hurt so bad from drinking the vinegar straight that I was almost doubled over. I drank some Chamomile tea and it fix the problem. Thank goodness for Chamomile. It has saved me from two rather painful situation so far. I am thinking that my body has become a living laboratory for holistic remedies and treatments.
Regarding my skin, I used to break out on my forehead and that seems to of cleared up. According to Chinese medicine the skin on your face directly correlates to what is going on inside of your body. So, if you breakout or have skin issues on your face something is going on internally to cause it. Breaking outs on the forehead would indicate an issue with the small intestines. I believe that the vinegar regiment has helped the function of the small intestines, thus my skin has cleared up.
Much to my dismay and my tongues relief, I ran out of vinegar and didn't take it for a couple of days. Through that small window of time a cold snuck in. Slimey bugger! I think the treatment is also helping to keep my body clean and bulsters the immune system so that it can eradicate illness before it becomes a problem. It would make sense if this is the case. If the body is able to clean out toxins and absorb nutrients with more ease then it can expend more energy to protect the body from invaders of the germy kind.
I have found this experiment to be very beneficial. So much so that I have incorporated it into my daily regime. My daughter even likes it and often asked to take sips from my drink. Her reaction is hilarious as she scrunches up her face and says "yum" at the same time!

What Kate Ate 11/15/10

Green tea
Banana
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Green salad and veggie sauce over zucchini
Red pepper and crackers with hummus
Sugar plum spice tea (no sugar actual in it)
Broccoli and salmon

Poke Berry Root

After doing some research and learning about plants that grow in my environment I decided to take a stab at harvesting some Poke Berry root. You have probably seen this plant and chalked it up to being an annoying weed. The reason it is so annoying is that if you try to pull it out of the ground the stalk breaks off of the root and so you are left with the plant growing back and taking over your garden. The plant is poisonous and so I did a lot of research to make sure that I knew what I was doing. Medicinally you can use the berries to treat arthritis by swallowing a berry a day. Be sure not to chew the berry as the seeds are poisonous. The leaves can be boiled twice in fresh water in the early spring to make a nutritious meal. The root can be made into a tincture to treat tumors, lumps, and boost the immune system. It can also be made into an oil. This oil can be applied to the lymph nodes to reduce swelling.

I got my shovel ready, gloved up and was ready to do battle with the Poke Berry bush. It was a beast to get out of the ground. I discovered why it is so hard to pull it up. The root grows horizontally rather than vertically. Thus when you try to pull it out the stalk breaks off. I must of been in the garden pulling, tugging a cursing for about an hour until my I birthed that stubborn root from the ground. It was quite large and should last me for the next ten years!
I scrubbed the root clean and chopped it up into rather small pieces. I put some into olive oil and set it in the window to make an oil. In another jar I covered it with alcohol to make a tincture. The rest I am drying for a later use. Apparently when using the tincture you only use a drop at a time. It is that potent! Too much of it and you can have hallucinations, vomiting, diarrhea, and feel as though you are not really in your body. Sounds fun!!

The day after creating all of these wonderful potions I think I got some Poke Berry in my eyes!! I awoke to my eyes glued shut and very puffy. Some saline solution and Chamomile tea compressed set me right. I spend the next two days looking like I had smoked way too much marijuana and had to wear my glasses. I hate wearing my glasses. So, if you decide to harvest your own Poke Berry, be VERY careful. I like to think that this experience is a valuable one as I learnt to have a deep respect for the potency of the Poke Berry root and love of the Chamomile flower for soothing my eyes and ego!

What Kate Ate 11/14/10

Oatmeal
Mini molasses cupcake
Veggie sandwich on wheat bread
Zucchini topped with veggie sauce

Trick or Treat?

I think the "treat" is the "trick"!!! Here little one, have some candy. The only catch is that you won't have any self restraint as an adult and become addicted to sugar. How evil of Halloween to set up unspecting children into thinking that candy is good. I proud to say that I didn't have any candy yesterday. My children went to a Halloween party and chowed down on a trail mix that had cereal, raisins and chocolate candy pieces in it. It was the healthiest snack there was so I let them eat it. I did however observe both of them going up to the food table and snag a chocolate chip cookie. In both instants they were without a parent and looked around to make sure my husband and I weren't in close proximity. Little sneaks knew they were doing something we won't normally allow. I was torn between letting them eating it seeing as they had touched it and them needing to be able to regulate themselves around sugar consumption and totally flipping out that they were eating a cookie. After we got home, my daughter was riled up and screaming that she needed chocolate. Oh no, what have we done? Our daughter has turned into a sugar head. I calmly explained to her that she would not be getting any more candy and that rewards for potty time would no longer be of the sugary variety. She seemed to be ok with it. Time will tell if she is able to go on with out her sugar fix. Maybe I should start a sugar rehab center? I could make a killing around the holidays!

What Kate Ate 10/31/10

Whole grain toast with pumpkin butter
Curried chicken and salad sandwich on whole wheat bread
Trail mix
Salad with balsamic dressing

Crash and burn

I did something really silly the other day; I ate five cookies in one go!! This is by no means an excuse, but it was that time of the month and that is when I am at risk for falling off the path. I didn't just fall, I plunged into a horrible mess. The after math hasn't been too pretty. I have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms ranging from wanting to crawl out of my skin, losing focus and only being able to think about sugar, itching, irritability and a host of other lovely things. You may be asking "all of this from five cookies?" The truth be told the five cookies is only the start of this slippery slope. Once I have binged it goes on for a couple of days whereby I have to ween myself off of sugar. After putting some thought into it I think that the reason I as at risk during that time of the month is because my body is needing additional nutrients and instead I eat crap. I am losing my patience with my inability to stay on course. My finger nails have white spots, which is an indication that I need zinc. Iron, calcium, protein, magnesium are also important for replenishing the body after having your period. Cookies don't exactly have those nutrients. In an effort to regain some order and to get back into my pants, that now don't fit because of my error in judgment, I will have to run, eat nutrient packed food, and do some soul searching while doing yoga. What a week!! Cookies should be banned..... at least in a five mile radius of where I am.

What Kate Ate 10/28/10

Green tea
Banana
Oatmeal
Steamed broccoli, Thai rice with lime and coconut milk, curried tofu
Rice crackers
Chips and chocolate covered almonds
Salad
And yes, more chocolate covered almonds

Calming Chamomile

My day did not start of well, in fact it was rather traumatic. On my way to my daughter's school there had been an accident involving a pedestrian. Emergency services had not arrived so we were trying to go around the scene as best we could. As I drove around the cars involved I saw someone laying on the pavement. Something about this was terrifying for me. People were standing there in shock. No one was with the victim, which really upset me. I thought about pulling over, but I had my daughter with me. Had I been alone I would of stayed with the victim until the authorities arrived. I am by no means condemning the people who were standing there, in fact I have a lot of compassion for them. How terrible to have witnessed the event or potentialy struck the individual. I was in shock until the time I got to work. I decided that a cup of green tea and a piece of dark chocolate would help me settle down. The tea had mint in it which can help settle the stomach and the chocolate can help the body to release serotonin, our happy hormone. I felt better after that, but still rattled by it all. I was able to get my hands on a chamomile tea bag. Chamomile helps the body to relax and calms the stomach, which is exactly what I need. Although the people directly involved in the accident will need a lot more than a cup of chamomile tea, it is still a soothing agent when we have experienced something traumatic and upsetting. My thoughts go out to all involved and I hope that they are taking care of themselves in healthy ways.

What Kate Ate 10/20/10

Green tea
Oatmeal with banana and walnuts
Greens, sweet potatoes, black beans and a small piece of tofu sausage
Hummus and carrots
Chai tea
Veggie burger wrap

Tis the season for greens!

Tis the season for greens! I love greens; turnip, mustard, collard, kale, spinach and beet. This is the time of year that greens are in season and plentiful at the local market or grocery store. I can often find them sourced from local farms at the grocery store I go to. This makes it even better because I am supporting local farmers and not having to wonder which state they traveled hundreds of miles from. I like to cook them with onion, garlic, a splash of Tamari sauce and finish them off with a drizzle of sesame oil. This healthy side packs a good punch of fiber, iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A and C. The next time you are wondering "what should I have for dinner?" think greens as they are in season, cheap, easy to cook and wonderful for you.

What Kate Ate 10/19/10

Oatmeal with banana and walnuts
Veggie sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie
Hummus and soy rice crackers
Chai tea
Brown rice and veggie stir fry

Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes

Well, I am super proud of myself! I did it again; I made vegan cupcakes that tasted really good, so good that you wanted more than just one! It was cupcake Sunday at my spiritual community and I volunteered to bring my experiments with me. The other good news is that the frosting did not end up all over my kitchen. My husband was making jokes the whole time I was making the frosting about making sure that the blender wasn't too close to the edge of the counter and that I needed to be extra careful when removing the blender from the base, yada yada yada. He said that I should be able to laugh at the experience now that this was my second time making the frosting. I wasn't laughing. Instead I was holding my breath hoping that all went well. Thankfully all of the frosting ended up on the cupcakes or in my mouth!! Now I can laugh and start breathing again.

The recipe is as follows:

¼ cup plain almond milk or soy milk
1 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tbs. vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

2. In a small cup, combined the almond milk (or soy milk) and vinegar. Allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

4. In another mixing bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond milk-vinegar mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just combined. Divide the batter into the cups, filling each liner about ¾ full. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake emerges clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1 tub of tofutti cream cheese
1/2 block of extra firm tofu
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup powder sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Throw ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Put into the refrigerator until ready to use.

As we all know I like to tinker with recipes. With this one I reduced the sugar in the cupcakes and replaced the white sugar with brown. I also used whole wheat flour instead of white. With the frosting I like to use the zest of one lemon. It gives it a nice tartness that counteracts the sweetness. This recipes also didn't distinguish between teaspoons and tablespoons!! I could of ended up with some interesting cupcakes if I didn't know a bit a about cooking. The original recipe came from About.com and was submitted by Ashley Skabar.

What Kate Ate 10/18/10

Oatmeal with walnuts and banana
Vegetable Panang curry with rice
Oatmeal and cherry cookies (they were small so I had four, and they are semi healthy)
Veggie and hummus wrap

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is my new favorite find. This stuff is wonderful and very versatile. You can cook with it, clean with it and use it as a preventative and healing agent. What more could you ask of such an extraordinary liquid? May be to put the kids the bed and wash the dishes!! I stumbled upon apple cider vinegar when I had a sinus infection a couple of weeks ago. I discovered that you could put into a bowl with steaming water and use it as a steaming treatment to help chase out the infection. It worked wonderfully by the way. While reading about this one use among many, I found a lot of other wonderful uses that I would like to share. For instance you can add a tablespoon to 8oz of water and drink it before meals. I like to add honey or agave nectar to take the edge off otherwise your whole faces scrunches up for at least half an hour! Drinking this concoction can aid the digestive system in riding the body of toxins and add back in beneficial micro organisms and minerals. People with diabetes can benifit from this regime as it helps the body maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It also aids in weight loss by shrinking the fat cells and curbing the appetite. I must say that my evil sugar cravings have been squashed by drinking this potion. I am loving the freedom of not having to talk myself off the cliff of potential sugar suicide. Apple cider vinegar can also be used to clean with. Pour it down the drain and it takes care of nasty odors. Pour it in the toilet and you have a toilet clean enough for the dog to drink from it. There are so many uses that it is impossible to list all of them. The internet has lots of helpful recipes and ideas on how to use it. I like apple cider vinegar because it is cheap, easy to use, versatile, and green. Now, if only it would do the laundry! Oh wait... it can!
When choosing which apple cider vinegar to use for consumption purposes it is best to buy the ones that are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and made from raw organic apples. If the label states that the product has trace of "The Mother" in it, you are in good shape. The mother is what makes it so good for you. I have found repeatable products at my local grocery store so it isn't too hard to find.

What Kate Ate 10/17/10

Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Vegan pumpkin cupcake
Salad, humus, crackers and carrots
Chai tea
Salmon, greens, and sweet potatoes roasted in a honey and lemon dressing

Southeast Women's Herbal Conference

This weekend I went to the Southeast Women's Herbal Conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina. My friend Lauren and I made the 3 and a half hour trek to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. The Conference was held at Camp Rockmont, which is on Lake Eden. The weather was cold, but absolutely beautiful when the sun came out.
I got to meet Rosemary Gladstar, for those of you who don't know her she is the godmother of herbalism and is responsible for bringing it back to the forefront of healing traditions. I hugged her twice and nearly drooled on myself! I also met Suki Roth, who is an herbalist in Graham, NC. Suki took us on an herb walk which didn't actually walk anywhere! Instead we sat down next to the lake and meditated while ingesting herbs. The point of the exercise was to let the herbs talk to us and tell us their message. It was a very moving experience that had a lot of value to it. If we are able to take the time to listen the plants, they do speak.
The food was absolutely wonderful and I was in heaven. Fresh organic local sourced food, what could be better? Rosemary's tea company, Traditional Medicines, supplied all of the tea. I love this tea. It is so wonderfully crafted to have a good flavor while being good for you at the same time.
I learnt so much that I can't wait to put into practice. As I try out what I learnt I will provide the recipes and instructions so others may use them.

What Kate Ate 10/3/10

Egg strata with grits and fresh fruit
Ratatouille with basmati rice and black beans, and Greek salad
Vegan cookies
Ginger and lemon tea
Minestrone soup

James Bond Marathon

Despite my best efforts to keep the germs away, I lost the battle this weekend. All week I had a slight sniff, but nothing too much to worry about. I was taking echinacea, netti potting, eating healthy foods and getting my rest. On Friday evening I felt like a mop that had wiped the floor of the dirtiest bar floor you could imagine. I had had a busy week trying to take care of things at work, wrangle the kids and manage their lives as much as could so my husband could rest, and deal with the grief of Grace's uncertain future. My body must of felt Friday coming and was holding out until it could collapse in a heap on the sofa and watch hours of James Bond movies. I had a fever and a terrible sinus head ache. The pain was somewhere between a migraine and giving birth!! I caved in a took an Exedrine. For those of you who don't know me, this is a big deal. I couldn't take any more echinacea, as it starts to lose it's effectiveness after five days and Friday was day five of the pill popping routine. As I lay in bed shivering I remembered another secret weapon I had stashed in my vitamin cabinet. I would have to whip it out in the morning and see if I could work some magic. When morning rolled around I went down to the kitchen and took out the grapefruit seed extract. This stuff is awesome, but tastes awful. It is super bitter and could strip paint if you needed it to. I mixed it with some juice and downed it. I think I may of lost some of the taste buds on my tongue. Grapefruit seed extract kills bacteria, viruses, micro organisms and taste buds!!! It is very effective and works pretty quickly. Hopefully this will work and the elephant that is currently sitting on my sinuses will get up of its rump.

What Kate Ate 9/26/10

Tuna and salad sandwich
Peas, baked beans, and fish sticks ( super healthy choice, well the beans and peas are!)

In memory of Grace

It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to a wonderful young woman. Grace White was a wonderful, intelligent, kind, giving, sweet, ambitious young woman. Although I didn't get to spend much time with her, I got a sense of who she was and what she stood for. She was interested in biology and serving others and causes bigger than herself. She had recently graduated from NC State and was going to start a new job in Ecuador teaching English at the Marine Research Institute.
One of the last times I saw Grace she was over at my friend Annie's house. A group of us were just hanging out and Grace had come over to see her sister Kelly. Grace had recently broken up with her boyfriend. I had asked her how she was doing. Her response impressed me. She said that she was sad but that she was moving forward and creating a new space for herself because she needed to be happy and life was waiting to happen. For a 22 year old, she had a lot insight. I knew that she was going to be ok and that she would weather this storm. Grace did move forward. She was having a wonderful summer with friends and landed a job that would provide a wonderful life experience.
Grace had elected to be an organ donor, as only Grace would. Grace will live on and once again is giving back to others. She truly lived up to her name and lived life with the utmost grace and kindness. When I close my eyes I see her beautiful face smiling; that is how I will remember her.

What Kate Ate 9/25/10

Oatmeal
Thai vegetable curry with rice
Tofu and vegetable stir fry with rice
Lemon and ginger tea

Goodbye Grace

Well friends, it doesn't look good. Grace isn't responding well to treatment. The family will probably turn off life support tomorrow. I really don't have much more to say other than I am in shock and hope that something might change between now and tomorrow.

What Kate Ate 9/24/10

Oatmeal with blackberries
Punjab eggplant and pea curry with rice
Kind bar of the walnut and date variety
Tom yam soup

Saving Grace

Yesterday I was told that my friend Kelly's little sister, Grace, had been in a serious wake boarding accident. She is currently in ICU and things are looking very precarious. I spent a lot of yesterday thinking about her and sending positive thoughts and energy her way. Grace is an intelligent, beautiful, and promising young lady. She lives up to her name and has a lot to offer this world.
I truly believe in the power of positive thought. Some may call it prayer. Whatever you choose to call it, it has an impact. Studies have been conducted to look at prayer and recovery and it shows that prayer does in fact play a vital role in the healing process. So, if you believe as I do in positive thought, please keep Grace, Kelly and their family in your thoughts.

What Kate Ate 9/23/10

Baked apples with oatmeal
Pasta leftovers from equinox dinner
Green tea
Granola bar
Bean and veggie burrito

1-Healthy protein option

Last night for dinner I gave my daughter the left overs of the Autumn equinox dinner. She loved it!!! 1-healthy protein option, 0-evil vegan food. Order has been restored. Fortunatly for me she likes spicy food. As she was shoveling it in she was drinking her almond milk to cool her mouth. At one point she said "more milk mommy, this is spicy!". We did however have a little melt down when it came to eating all of the spinach. She ate most of it, but wanted help. Did your arm break or is the grossness of the spinach just too much for you little hand to take?! Whatever her reasoning, I succumbed to helping her because I wanted her to eat it.
Kids will actually eat things that most grown ups turn their noses up at. The way to do it is to mix the new food in with something you know they like. As time goes by you lessen the ratio of food they like to the new food. Children often want what the grown ups have, so eat your vegetable and your children will too!

What Kate Ate 9/22/10

Oatmeal with baked apples
Brown rice with zucchini and white kidney beans
Green tea
Granola bar
Multigrain pilaf with Punjab eggplant and peas

Autumn Equinox

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. There is something magical about it. Maybe its the fact that the trees know that they must prepare to sleep, and so they give us a spectacular encore by changing color. Kind of like the finally at a fireworks show. Or maybe its the way in which mother nature supplies us with an abundance of foods which we are able to harvest and enjoy after a hot summer of toiling over crops. Note to self: must plant a vegetable garden so I can toil. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoy Autumn. To honor the Autumn equinox I wanted to make something special for dinner that said goodbye to summer and hello to Autumn. What I came up with was whole wheat penne pasta with spinach, Italian Tofurkey sausages, sun dried tomatoes in a basil tomato sauce. It looked amazing. My God Mother was joining us for dinner and noted that it even looked like fall. The red of the sauce and the crimson of the sun dried tomatoes really gave it the appearance of the leaves turning their majestic colors.
My husband isn't a big fan of tofu or anything that is a meat substitute. I thought I might try the sausage seeing as it does a good job of being un-tofu like. Despite my best efforts I was foiled again. 1-evil vegan food, 0-healthy protein option.
For desert I baked some apples with agave nectar and cherry granola. Unfortunately dinner was so late that we didn't have time to eat them. Have no fear apples, you will be eaten for breakfast!

What Kate Ate 9/21/10

Blackberries with oatmeal
Elderberry and echinacea tea
Veggie wrap, pasta salad and an oatmeal raisin cookie (yah me!!! I only ate one)
Granola bar
Whole wheat pasta with spinach, Italian Tofurkey Sausage, sun dried tomatoes in a basil tomato sauce
Green tea

Germs be gone!

With the changing of the seasons it seems that sickness and germs have a festival of sorts. They are celebrating our vulnerability and lack of self care. They set up campsites, that turn into mini cities if you aren't careful, in our bodies. All sorts of wonderful rides and attractions can be seen. After it is all over they move on and leave a mess behind. I, for one, have chosen to not host a camp site, revival tent, fate, festival or anything that remotely looks like a germ fest this season. To make sure that no trespassers come on my property I am gargling with salt water, neti potting, eating healthy foods, and taking echinecea. So, a notice to all germs, viruses, bacteria, and other gross things, I am not and will not be opening my doors to your celebrations this year. I have better things to do, like staying healthy!
Love, Kate

What Kate Ate 9/20/10

Blackberries with Greek yogurt, honey and granola
Quinoa with black beans and a green salad
Salt and vinegar chips (interesting choice, probably a bad one!)
Brown rice, sauteed zucchini and white kidney beans, and a green salad

Vegan Cupcakes

So, I don't know if you remember me saying that I was on a mission to make vegan cake taste good or not, but I think I did it!!! This weekend at our spiritual community I volunteered to bring in cupcakes to celebrate people's birthdays. Seeing as it is about to be fall I thought I would make something Fallesque. Fall makes me think of crisp morning air, juicy apples, snuggling up by the fire, taking long walks through the forest and listening to the crunching of leaves under foot. What better representation of Fall could I come up with than apple cupcake with cream cheese frosting? It was very easy and they tasted amazing. My daughter and friend Annie helped me make them. Thank you both for all of your help.
I just have to tinker with recipes. I like to add my own flair. In this case I took out half of the sugar. Don't worry they still tasted sweet! I wanted to rely on the sweetness of the apples. Most of the apples ended up in the cakes, despite my daughter pinching the apples from the cutting board! I had a total disaster with the frosting and I thought I might implode at the devastation I was feeling, but I survived. Basically the frosting ended up being splattered all over the kitchen. The cabinets looked quite lovely, as did the floor! And to top it all off I broke a glass. I am such a klutz. Anyways, people were gobbling them up and I don't think they knew my little secret about them being vegan. Sometimes people turn their noses up at vegan food. They think it is going to taste like dirty socks or something! No dirty socks here, just yummy healthy goodness.

For the cupcakes:

-1 1/2 cup veggie oil
-2 cups sugar (I use 1 cup)
-1 cup apple sauce
-3 tbsp. vanilla extract
-3 cups of whole wheat flour
-1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. nutmeg
-1 cup chopped/crushed walnuts
-3 cups (equivalent to about 3 medium apples) chopped apples

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the wet ingredients with sugar (oil, apple sauce, vanilla). In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet mixture and stir by hand until it is thoroughly mixed. The batter should be stiff. Fold in the walnuts and apples. Pour into cupcake liners. Bake for about 15-20 mins.

For the frosting:

-1 tub tofutti cream cheese
-1/2 block of extra firm tofu
-1/2 cup powder sugar (I use 1/4 cup)
-1/4 cup agave nectar
-1 tsp. lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Cool in the fridge.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for a about 20 minutes, then another 40 outside of the pan before attempting to frost them.

I got this recipe off of a fellow bloggers page by the name of Imaginary Ordinary Vegan.

What Kate Ate 9/19/10

Quinoa with banana, almond milk and walnuts
Vegan apple cupcake
Pad Thai
Fish fingers and peas (total comfort food)

Oneness

Last night was yoga class at my spiritual community. I have to say the more I do yoga the more meaningful it becomes. While in savasana or corpse pose, our teacher told us to totally relax our bodies and become observers of our bodies. Something about that pose and statement struck me. I have achieved totally relaxation in savasana before. I couldn't feel my body and I felt like I was floating on a cloud. But last night was different. As I laid there relaxing each muscle something shifted in my awareness. I felt a sense of oneness with divine, the source, life energy, God, whatever you choose to call it. I could feel my limbs but I was observing them rather than being them. I don't know if this makes sense but it was a transformative experience. I felt calm and at ease with the world. Nothing else mattered in that time and space. I could of stayed there forever, but life is more than savasana. I have children to care for and dishes to wash! What I can do is take the feeling of oneness and try to find it in the everyday things of life that I don't enjoy so much, like washing dirty diapers or arguing with my three year old about eating her peas!
Namaste

What Kate Ate 9/16/10

Banana
Quinoa with walnuts, raisins and almond milk
Left over pasta with green salad
Green tea
Granola bar
Kind bar, macadamia nut and apricot variety
Thai green curry and jasmine rice

I was hungry today!

Hocus Pocus

I am reading How To Be A Wicked Witch by Patricia Telesco. It outlines the basics of witchcraft and how to use it. For those of you who are thinking that I have fallen into a dark hole of evil doing, have no fear. Wicca, Witch Craft, White Magic, whatever you want to call it, is actually a love centered religion that honors Mother Nature. One of the main tenets of Wicca is that you do no harm to others or yourself and that all deeds come from love and goodness. The book has a fun and positive spin that encourages the reader to find their own magic and way. What I like about Wicca is that it fosters a sense of oneness with the earth and the gifts it has to offer us. The practitioner is empowered due to the power of intention and positive thoughts. I believe spells are like prayers because the premise is the same. You are setting the intention for positive change and help. I also like the use of plants and tapping into their properties. Plants, like humans, have life and purpose. One of their purposes is to help heal us and keep us healthy. Using plants, positive thought and respecting oneself and others is right up my alley. Don't worry you won't have to burn me at the stake just yet!!!

What Kate Ate 9/15/10

Banana
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Salad, hummus, whole wheat pasta with sweet potato (basically a smorgasbord board of left overs)
Chai tea with almond milk
Granola bar
Whole wheat pasta with tomato, fresh herbs, and olive sauce
Green salad with balsamic dressing
Chocolate covered pretzels (I was able to walk away from the bag!)

Sleep?

Last night was awful. I haven't had that little sleep since my son was born. He has croup and couldn't breath so my husband and I took turns through the night making sure that he didn't stop breathing. On top of that our daughter wasn't sleeping well and ended up in our bed. She has slept in our bed since I don't know when. Sleep is a glorious thing and is very much missed when you don't get enough. Sleep makes everything so much more enjoyable. It reduces disease, stress, obesity, the aging process and a host of other things. I tend to veer of track when I don't sleep so it takes extra work on my part to eat sensibly.
The first thing on my mind was taking care of my son and trying everything I could to prevent a trip to the doctors. I had the humidifier going with essestial oils that help to reduce chest constriction, echinacea tea, and positive energy. Unfortunately my efforts didn't prevent a trip to the doctors but I am sure that my methods helped to ease some of his discomfort. They gave him a steroid shot that was to help his wide pipe expand so that he could breath easier. The treatment worked thank goodness. I had mixed feelings about it all though. I am glad that we have access to such treatments but it is a shame that we can't look into holistic remedies that work just as well. I will continue to supply him with the echinacea tea, humidifier and essential oils. What can it hurt? If anything it will compliment the shot and speed up his recovery time.

What Kate Ate 9/14/10

Quinoa with raisans, walnuts and almond milk
Greek veggie wrap and salad
Tom yam soup

Children's book

My God Mother and I are creating a book for children. I can't say what it is about because it is a secret!!! I will tell you this, it is going to be awesome. I am doing the illustrations and she is writing the text. We started this project awhile ago and it just seemed to fizzle out. Since doing yoga I have found new creative energy to put towards the things I enjoy. She came over for dinner and we got our creative juices going to see if we got jump start our project again. I always find that I am more creative if I have good food to eat. We had a delicious dinner that was super healthy and it was just what I needed to get going again. She is currently enrolled in weight watchers so it was interesting to see how many points the dinner was. It may of been 5 points total. Anyways, we were both happy and excited about our venture.

What Kate Ate 9/13/10

Oatmeal with banana and walnuts
Whole wheat pasta with spinach and cherry tomatoes in a garlic, lemon, and dill sauce
Green salad
Granola bar
Green tea
Quinoa with mushroom, tomato, parsley, and walnuts
Green salad with avocado and cucumber

Selling the goods

Yesterday was totally awesome!!! We had an Art and Business Expo at our spiritual community. I took some of my scarfs there to see if I could sell them; I sold four and made $95. I am thinking that I might create an Etsy account to sell more of them. It brings me much joy to be able to create something that not only is profitable but also makes someone else happy. One of the scarfs was purchased for a little girl. She was wearing the scarf at the expo not caring that it was 90 degrees outside and totally not scarf weather! As I watched her she sat down and rubbed the scarf against her face. Soothed by the texture of the material she sat there for awhile just being. We should all try doing that once in awhile. Forget the troubles of life and take the time to appreciate something small that brings us joy.

What Kate Ate 9/12/10

Trail Mix
Hummus and veggie bagel
Tom Yam Soup

Mindfulness

Last night was free yoga night at my spiritual community. Loved it!!! Doing yoga with a group is so different than doing it solo. The leader of the class is wonderful and has such a calming presence.
Over the last couple of days I have been trying to be more aware of hunger and when to eat. Why do we eat by a clock? Isn't it a better idea to eat when you are hungry? I decided that I would only eat when I was hungry rather than eat because it was "lunch time" or "dinner time". The results, I feel more satisfied and have found I am eating less. I carefully pick what I am going to eat and savor every bite. Eating mindfully is a totally new way to eat. You taste things you may of missed before. Like the taste of balsamic vinegar, it starts off sweet and morphs into tangy and acidic. Textures change the taste and the emotion of the food. Crunchy is release of tension and smooth is soothing.
Yoga is about being mindful and present. I try to be present when I eat and not just shovel the food in. As I watch my children eat, I am reminded that food is an experience and not a competition to see who can clear their plate the fastest. Goodness know it takes my daughter at least 45 minutes to complete a meal. She must of inherited my father's genes. If he could take as much time as he wanted to he would never leave the table! A meal would last forever.
Yoga is also about treating your body with respect. Respect means not eating junk to deal with emotions. I have instead tried to breathe through hard situations and frustrations. So far I am doing well, and haven't touched chocolate in 2 days. That may not seem like a long time but it is for me!!

What Kate Ate 9/8/10

Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Spaghetti with tomato sauce
Kind bar, the Date, Cashew and Almond variety
Green tea
Whole wheat crackers with olive tapenade and a handful of corn chips with salsa ( didn't have time for dinner as I was running late for yoga)

Epic journey

The word holistic means to take into account all of the parts that make up the whole. Having said this I am realizing that I need to learn more about the parts of my life that are interconnected with food and the role it plays as a healer. Food is connected with health, community, healing, spirituality, creativity and so many other facets of life. Over the next year I will be writing more broadly about these topics and my thoughts about them. Some of you will become uncomfortable with my findings, others of you may resonate with my view points. This is my own personal journey to a holistic life that has started with food and my relationship with it. My hope is that I will learn more about who I am and how I fit into this crazy world.
Thus far I have learnt that I need more time to be creative. Helping me to get into this space is tricky. With two children who have demands and needs that I can not ignore, creativity has to come in short waves. I have found knitting scarfs is mundane but satisfying at the same time. My hope is that I will be able to sell them to fund other projects that I want to do.
Yoga helps to relax and ground me. Creativity is able to flow, now whether or not I have the time to follow through on all of my ideas is another matter entirely! Yoga is also a spiritual experience for me. I feel at one with the universe and the divine that is within us all. I try to do yoga everyday whether I feel like it or not.
I have also started to go to a spiritual community. This community embraces all faiths and religions and states that we all have our own journey and that no one way is right. Positive thinking and the power of choice is stressed as tenets of the community.
How does food fit into all of this? Well, when practicing yoga it is best if you eat a clean diet. A clean diet helps one to focus. When I am able to focus I am in touch with divine. The divine helps me find my creative groove. My creative groove is where my joy resides. My joy is plants and their medicinal uses. Basically I need to eat a clean diet so that I can live the life I dream of. As I write this I am having a hard time fighting off the urge to eat chocolate. Chocolate consumes many hours of my day. If I don't taste it I am fine, but the moment a sweet morsel of chocolate touches my taste buds I am in trouble. Discipline and a strong will is what I need. I am trying to convince my ego of this but it can be hard. Maybe I should meditate on it?
I will continue to write what I eat everyday to keep myself accountable and hopefully honest. Please feel free to add in your thoughts and view points. I am collecting information and applying it when it feels right to do so.

What Kate Ate 9/7/10

Oatmeal with banana, walnuts and raisins
Brown rice with chickpea curry
Kind bar, Mango and Macadamia nut variety
Green tea
Green salad and half a tuna and tomato sandwich on wheat bread
Handful of cashews

Cone Flower

Cone flower or echinacea is a wonderful plant. If I could convince everyone I knew that this is in fact true and not just an old wives tale, I could die knowing that I had done something good for the human race and planet Earth. Echinacea is great at helping the body fight off illness. It does this by boosting the bodies T-cells. T-cells are responsible for eliminating foreign contaminates, i.e. viruses and bacteria.
The ever ongoing cycle of colds hit my house again the other day. My daughter was sent home from school with a fever. We gave her echinacea tea and she was quickly on the mend. To ensure that the rest of us didn't get the grossness we also consumed copious amounts of tea!! It worked and none of us suffered another grueling cold.
Echinacea is mild enough for my one year old. We give it to the children in tea form mixed with almond milk and honey. I prefer to give them herbal remedies instead of allopathic medicines. Allopathic meds don't work with the body. It takes more effort on the part of our bodies to digest and figure out what to do with synthetic substances than I feel is necessary. I would much rather give my children something safe and gentle than something not so safe and strong.
If one does decide to use echinacea to ward off illness then it is recommended to drink 5 to 6 cups of the tea during the day and taper off as the symptoms lessen. Echinacea can lose its effectiveness if taken over an extended period of time. It is recommended to take it in a cycle of 5 days on and 2 days off.
I have an echinecea plant growing in my garden. I hope to be able to harvest some of it next year so that I can dry it and use it for some of my herbal concoctions.

What Kate Ate 7/22/10

Berries and cherries
Oatmeal
Tofu, tomato and cucumber salad, wheat bread
Granola bar
Chai tea with almond milk
Salt and vinegar chips (I know, this is lame. I didn't feel like cooking dinner for myself)

Downward dog

Yesterday I got the fabulous opportunity to go to a free yoga class. It was great!! The person teaching it is a student teacher and has to teach so many hours of free yoga as part of her program. She wasn't the most limber or fittest of teachers but she was calming and patient. Her voice really helped me to relax. Yoga has a wonderful way of easing the mind and body. You are able to just be without having to analyze everything. I left the class feeling rejuvenated and calm. I am contemplating taking yoga classes again. Seeing as I don't have my studies I need something to learn about. Yoga also has a profound affect on my diet. When I am practicing yoga I am more in tune with myself and become more conscientious of my diet. Meat, alcohol, and junk no longer seem appealing. They interfere with the process and muddy the clarity that is found within yoga.

What Kate Ate 7/21/10

Banana
Oatmeal
Salad with beans, avocado, corn, cucumber and ginger dressing
Kind Bar, the Mango and Macadamia nut variety
Green tea
Portabello burgers on whole wheat buns with lettuce, toms, avocado, garlic aioli mustard, and ketchup

Lost student

Well, it has been awhile since I have written anything, but I have something to share! My school has closed! I am taking the news relatively well I think. I could be a total mess and declaring that I will drag them to court and demand my money back. Instead I am quite calm about the whole situation. I am appreciative of the time and work I have put in. I have learnt a lot and gained knowledge that has broadened my horizons. I am sadden to think that I must start all over again but this is an opportunity to reflect. I am also feeling a sense of relief. Life as a full time worker and the mother of two young children leaves little room for school. I now have the space to be a mother and focus on my family.
The last course I took was learning about medicinal plants. This struck a cord with me and touched me at my very core. Sure, I am interested in nutrition, but herbs and medicinal plants is where it is at! I loved every minute of this course. Instead of going back to school to study nutrition, what if I studied herbalism? Rosemary Gladstar, my personal hero, wrote one of the books that we studied and I want to be like her when I grow up. How do I get there though? My dream would be to grow lots of medicinal plants and know how to use all of them. I would teach others how to use them and help to heal others. I just need to figure out how to get there.
The other thing that keeps coming back into focus is my desire and pull towards yoga. I have been studying yoga since I was in college. It has always provided me a grounding space to think and let go. Now that I have some space and time I am liking the idea of taking classes again and seeing where it takes me.
Time will tell as to what direction my life will take. I can only be patient for the outcome. Plants will always be a source of interest for me and yoga will always be a calming release.

What Kate Ate 7/20/10

Banana
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Salad, steamed veggies, tofu, and noodles
Salad with tuna, black beans, cucumber, corn, avocado and ginger dressing

Birthday cake

My mother came to visit me for my birthday and made the most wonderful cake!! The thing that was so wonderful about it was the fact that it was vegan. No eggs, butter or milk. I have no idea how the thing doesn't crumble. My husband and mum both thought it tasted like playdough!! Annie and I kinda liked it. My daughter helped her to make it and she loved it. She loves anything that is cake related. She isn't really allowed to eat sugar but I thought it might be nice of me to let her have a piece seeing as she helped to make it and it was healthier than the cupcakes that she devours at school. I am on a mission to make vegan cake and frosting taste oh so good. My lucky family!!!

What Kate Ate 5/4/10

banana
whole wheat bagel with honey
chow mien with tofu
melon

Falling off the wagon

Well, I haven't been writing because I have been too ashamed to post the fact that I have fallen off the wagon. Sugar and my ego ganged up on me and I am too weak to say no. How pathetic can a girl get? If you know me personally you will know that I am pretty stubborn and once my mind is made up there is no going back. So for this to of happened is rather embarrassing. The reason being is that I am studying to become a holistic nutrition consultant!! If I can talk the talk I should be able to walk the walk.
After thinking about it for awhile and realizing that condemning myself to a life of hiding chocolate in secret spots so that I can get my fix was no way to live; I am once again back on the wagon. I am hoping that my struggles with sugar will illustrated that fact that we all have demons to fight and that just because we fall of the wagon doesn't mean we can't get back on.
I plan on staying on the wagon and in order to do this I must have a plan.
1) Don't eat sugar! (duh)
2) Make sure to eat all meals so that I am not tempted to snack
3) Do yoga everyday so that I may manage my stress in a health manner
4) Continue to run so that if I do fall of the wagon I can burn of the calories as soon as possible!!
5) Don't go down the chocolate isle
6) Find other things that satiate the taste need, like Chai tea
I know that I can do this. I need to be strong and slap those sticky fingers away from the cookie jar. Ego and sugar, you are going down!! I have my game face on and I am not taking any prisoners.

What Kate Ate 4/21/10

cookies (yes, I had cookies for breakfast, thanks Noah!)
steamed veggies, tofu and noddles
chips and salsa
steamed broccoli and carrots with crab stuffed flounder

Beef cake

So my husband has started to go to the gym again. He has been lifting weights since he came out of the womb! Since we have had children there has been as much time to go and work out. After a hard work out and slinging heavy objects around he was tired and hungry. He said that he "needed" meat. I was curious about this "need". We train our bodies from a young age about what we "need". These "needs" become so ingrained in our lives that we don't think about them and accept them as normal patterns. I took the opportunity to educate my husband about meat and possible alternatives. Animal protein provides a full spectrum of amino acids. Amino acids help us to build muscle. It also contains heme iron. Heme iron is more readily absorbed by the body. Non-heme iron is found in dark leaf greens. Animal protein is also considered a higher grade of protein. Having said all of this, there is a dark side to animal protein. It takes a lot more work for the body to digest meat, which may make us feel tired and lethargic. In the book China Study, the most extensive study done around nutrition and its affects, the researchers found over 8000 correlations between diseases that we attribute to aging and eating animal proteins. Lastly, producing animal protein requires lots of resources that can contribute to environmental distress. Obviously ones decision to eat meat is a personal one, but we have learnt that we "need" meat and haven't questioned the reasoning behind it. I personally don't believe that we "need" meat. I instead look to plant based foods for my protein. Granted I have to eat more food and I like the idea of that! Quinoa has all of the amino acids that one needs and also provides quite a bit of protein. We don't need to eat all of the necessary amino acids in one meal. It is suggested that we eat them within the same day. Nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, sprouted seeds and beans, mushrooms and tofu all contain muscle building fuel. Eating these things can aid us in keeping up our energy levels, being kind to the environment and other animals, respecting our bodies and aid in general feeling of aliveness. So the next time you feel the "need" to eat meat think about what is behind that "need". I would invite you to think about other choices that maybe healthier for our bodies and the environment.

What Kate Ate 3/16/10

Orange
Oatmeal
Spaghetti with sauce
Celery and pita with hummus
Steamed bok choy and carrots with spicy tahini sauce

The case of the growing child

I went to the grocery store with my 2 and half year old daughter this weekend to pick up a few things. She promptly told me that she wanted blackberries. Delighted that she was making such healthy choices I picked some up. She also informed me that she wanted pizza! Why oh why does her school have to corrupt my sweet little girl into a junk food deposit?! They fed them the most nutrient deficient food you could imagine. If you have ever had a discussion with a small child about food you will know that it often involves lots of crying, yelling and persuading, on either side. I told her that yes she may have some pizza, but that broccoli would also be on the menu. We came to the frozen pizza isle and I asked her which one she wanted. She of course picked the most unhealthy one there was! I instead showed her one that was made from organic ingredients, had a multi-grain crust and lots of vegetables on it. She surprisingly said yes. As a parent I have learnt that you have to be willing to compromise and to teach your child how to make healthy choices about foods that we consider junk food. Even though she had pizza this weekend, I am happy to report that she was quite content when she shoveled down beetroot, quinoa, kale, salad, broccoli, berries, granola, and sardines on toast. I often let her pick what she is going to eat and if I deem it "unhealthy" I try to make it more mommy approved.

What Kate Ate 3/14/10

Banana
Ceral with rice milk
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with cucumber
Yogurt and berries
Cauliflower curry with brown rice

The Top Ten

I recently had to come up my top 10 foods for a school project. I thought I would share with you what my picks are and why I choose them.

Broccoli: Broccoli is a well rounded vegetable and contains many useful nutrients. Indole-3 carbinol helps to protect DNA and increases the amount of "good" estrogen you have. Sulforphane increases phase-2 enzymes, which fight carcinogens. You can eat the stalk, head and leaves. I can see you turning up nose, but it really is quite tasty! It is also one of the least contaminated foods.
Kale: Kale is part of the cabbage family. It dose the best job of all vegetables of fighting free radicals. Like broccoli it contains sulforphane. My mother tells me that kale is used to feed cattle and that she doesn't want to eat it. Well, call me a cow because I love it!
Kiwi: Kiwi is the most nutrient dense fruit. It has the highest level of vitamin C and lots of magnesium. They contain more potassium than bananas. Kiwi can help to prevent oxidative damage and help to repair damage that has occurred. Kiwi has the ability to thin blood as aspirin does but without the harmful side affects. It is also one of the least contaminated foods.
Quinoa: Quinoa is a grain like seed. It has all of the essential amino acids and is a great source of protein. It has a low glycemic index, so it is ideal for diabetics.
Pomegranate: Pomegranate contains lots of antioxidants called flavonoids. The flavonoid level in a pomegranate is higher than green tea and wine. They help to combat cancer and heart disease. Pomegranate may also prevent LDL cholesterol from being oxidized.
Sardines: I know, I know. Sardines are yucky! Have you actually tried one? If not, they are edible and are tasty when served on toast. They contain omega-3 fats that are vital for heart health among other things. Because they are small you can eat the bones. This provides one with 25 to 38 percent of your daily calcium. They also contain significant amounts of selenium and B12. When buying Sardines pick ones package in their own oil, olive oil, tomato sauce or mustard. When packed in vegetable oil you will be consuming omega-6 fats that can cause inflammation.
Walnuts: Walnuts have the highest level of omega-3 oils of all nuts. The omega-3 oils can help to lower triglycerides and help to support brain function. When picking walnuts, I suggest picking the ones with white flesh. Yellow flesh indicates that the oil has gone rancid.
Garlic: Garlic has been used through the ages as a medicinal agent. The greatest of its qualities is its ability to help lower cholesterol, fight off bacteria, parasites and viruses, reduce hypertension, and has antioxidant qualities. I also think that garlic tastes great and keeps vampires at bay!
Ginger: Ginger is also used a medicinal aid. It can help to soothe upset stomachs and nausea. Ginger contains antioxidants that have been shown to help soothe inflammation and inhibit cancer cells from growing. It is possible that ginger may cause the body to absorb other drugs at an increased rate and can act as a blood thinner.
Lentils: Lentils are high in fiber. This fiber can help to reduce cholesterol and control ones blood sugar levels. They are easy to cook and taste great.

What Kate Ate 3/10/10

Orange
Oatmeal with raisins and almonds
Beans on toast
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and a salad with yummy sunflower seeds and cranberries
I also had green tea, Chai tea and immune system support tea. I think I like tea!

Fresh Fish

Last night my husband and I were at the grocery store trying to decide what to eat for dinner. We came to an agreement that fish would be good. As we approached the fish counter we could hear the fishmonger talking to another customer about the great steel head trout that he had. Granted it looked good and rather tasty, but upon further inspection I noticed that it was farm raised and color had been added. We decided upon wild caught Alaskan salmon. I told the gregarious fishmonger our order and his face dropped! He told us in a disappointed voice that he was just telling the customer in front of us about the fantastic steel head trout. Why didn't we want it? My husband told him rather politely that it was farm raised and that we preferred not to eat corn fed fish!
Fish that is farmed tends to be fed corn and doesn't eat its natural diet. When oily fish, like salmon, don't eat their natural diet the composition of the fish changes. The omega acids are no longer effective. You might as well eat a slab of cardboard! When purchasing fish look for wild caught fish. The color that they add is totally unnecessary and who know what it is that they are coloring it with.

What Kate Ate 2/24/10
Banana
Oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Cauliflower curry and lentil curry with brown rice
Salmon, bok choy and steamed carrots

I may or may not of eaten some chocolate covered pretzels!!

The Virgin Palette

My son has recently started eating solid foods. This is a wonderfully exciting time for me!! Despite the disgruntled looks, foods flying every which direction and the huge mess that it creates, I treasure the first few months when you can start to introduce solid foods to a baby. They have no idea of what food is. They have been eating nothing but milk for months and the taste of food to them is either exquisite or totally disgusting! I make my own baby food, as I like to ensure that it is holistic. Making baby food is super easy to do. You just steam some fruit and veggies and throw them in the blender. Put the mush into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer. You just thaw out as many cubes as you need, whenever you need. The exciting part for me is being able to mix things together that us adults would never think to combine. For example, pear and sweet potato anyone?! I didn't think so, but my son loves the combo. When he tastes something new his little forehead gets wrinkled and his noses curls up. He is deciding upon whether he likes the taste or not. As a parent I have the awesome responsibility to help him create healthy eating habits. Hopefully what I am teaching him will stick. My daughter on the other hand has a concept of what sugar is, thanks to pre-school. But at the end of the day she loves her cucumber and hummus. Eating patterns are so ingrained in our culture, family life and personal preferences. Getting it right, or mostly right, from the start gives us a better chance of living healthier and longer lives.

What Kate Ate 2/22/10
Kiwi fruit
Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts
Falafel pita with hummus
Udon noodles with peas and shrimp, side of broccoli

Food is Medicine

So, I am sick again!!! I recently went on vacation and managed to eat reasonable healthy. On my journey home I picked up some sort of virus from the plane. Planes are like classrooms. They are Petri dishes for all sorts of germs, viruses, bacteria, and other microscopic beings. Determined to not let this foul thing take over my immune system I have turned to my trusted friends, garlic and ginger. I make a tea of sorts that helps to kill off unwanted aliments. Both garlic and ginger are powerful agents against viruses, bacteria, germs, and microbial beings. I am also chugging done some grapefruit juice with some grapefruit seed extract added. The grapefruit seed extract is yet another powerful destroyer of germs. It is also helpful in killing strands A and B of the flu virus. The only problem with it is that it is incredibly bitter. I am also using salt to gargle with and Neti potting to dry up my sinuses. Avoiding sugar, refined flour, preservatives, additives and other such horrors can help to stave off illness. Sugar feeds the germs, allowing them to multiple and take over. It is advantageous to create a hostile environment within your body. To do this you can eat lots of fresh produce and not eat anything processed.
The tea that I make is a variation from Chinese medicine. An acupuncturist instructed me to drink ginger tea three times a day if I felt as though I was getting a cold. This truly does help as long as your mucus is clear.

Tea Recipe
1" piece of fresh ginger
2 medium sized garlic cloves
2 shakes of red pepper flakes
3 cups of water

In a saucepan put 3 cups of water, thinly sliced ginger root, crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Bring the contents to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Watch out it is spicy!! This will serve two people.

I am sick of being sick!

I have been sick since the day after Christmas. First it is was a stomach virus, then it was a respiratory infection, and now it is a sinus thing. I keep asking myself, why? Why am I not getting better? Why do I feel yucky? How is it fair that I have a 5K coming up and I feel like crap? After lots of whining and thinking things over I think I know the answers. The stomach virus basically wiped out all of the healthy bacteria in my digestive tract and since then my body has been under attack by all of those germs that my daughter brings home from school. For those of you who don't know, our immune system is very much a part of our digestive tract. Everything is processed through our gut and if we are unable to keep up with the demands our bodies we get sick. I need to really look at what I am eating and come up with a plan to finally shake this mucus monster. The holidays didn't help. Sugar, alcohol, baked goods, chocolate, and uncontrolled eating send me into a tail spin of over indulgence and saying "just this little bit won't hurt, will it?" The answer is unequivocally "YES".
I think my plan of attack will be comprised of eating more fresh fruits and veggies, drinking garlic, ginger, and red pepper tea. And I hate to say it, but totally abstaining from sugar. Sugar feeds the infection. I should probably eat some yogurt too. The live cultures in yogurt help to build up the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract. Hopefully this will strengthen my immune system. I should also be taking in more antioxidants to get rid of those pesky oxidants that I create whilst exercising. Pomegranate juice would be rather tasty choice don't you think?
So, no more "just this little bit won't hurt", because it does. And back to writing this blog because it holds me accountable for my choices. Whether or not anybody actually reads it or not is an entirely different matter.

What Kate Ate 1/24/10

Pasta with mushrooms, veggie protein and tomatoe sauce
Brown rice with red curry tofu and vegetables
Brownie