Happy Halloween!

There are no jack-o-lanterns, candy corn or trick-or-treaters to be found where I am at, but that doesn’t mean I’m not celebrating! Halloween is the time when treats come to mind so I’d thought I’d share one of my favorites with you today.

When fall gets into full swing (or it seems more like winter from what I hear) I always start craving my Mom’s Caramel Corn. She has perfected the art of making it and it is often the go-to food gift when someone has something to celebrate in our circle of family and friends.

The best part is that it is so easy. You’ll need a little time to be around the house because it is in the oven for about an hour, but you can use that time to catch up on your food blog reading or do a few crunches in anticipation of the tasty treat.

Before I go on with the recipe let me share the 3 reasons why yours won’t look like mine (and why mine doesn’t look like my Mom’s). Brown sugar, corn syrup and a really hot oven!

The brown sugar in Brazil is heavy on the molasses with a much different flavor and consistency than that found in the States. The only corn syrup here isn’t quite as sweet and it is a light amber color, not clear. Finally, my oven only goes down to about 360 degrees F and the recipe calls for a 200 degree F oven.

All these factors lead to mine being quite a bit darker. It still tasted great, just a little different. I’ll make some when I’m in the States for the holidays and post some more pictures then.

Speaking of the holidays, last year I made this recipe, mixed some nuts in and then drizzled it with dark and white chocolate after it cooled. It made great Christmas gifts for friends and neighbors.

Caramel Corn

½ stick butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
4 quart pot of popcorn (about 1 cup unpopped)

In a saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring often. Once completely melted add baking soda and vanilla. Stir until combined and fluffy.

Pour the mixture over popcorn and stir to coat well. Dump caramel corn onto a cookie sheet and spread evenly. Bake at 200 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on wax paper or foil. Once cool, break apart and enjoy!

Since I don’t have much going on for Halloween you have to tell me what you are doing today. Have a fun weekend with or without a Halloween celebration!

All That Holiday Eating Advice

Halloween is on Friday and it is, what many people consider, the start of the holiday season. It’s about that time when little blurbs of information pop up everywhere offering tips on how to maintain or lose weight during the holidays.

When I read the bounty of tricks for avoiding holiday eating my first thought is usually an accusation that the person writing has obviously never been to a holiday party, or at least the kind I’ve been to.

Most of the tips are just too simple and I begin thinking – why do we need tricks to fool ourselves into eating healthy? It feels a little dishonest and sneaky. Why is it wrong to thoroughly enjoy the holiday season even if it means putting on a couple pounds?

I do believe the information out there saying that weight gain overtime can be attributed to the small amounts that people gain year after year at the holidays which they never seem to take off. This makes sense to me. It becomes a serious problem if you never lose holiday weight.

I struggle like crazy with the holiday eating because for the past few years my husband and I have taken an all-inclusive vacation the week before Christmas. After all that eating and drinking we head right into Christmas and New Years. We balance two families in the same town so that usually means 2 – 3 massive meals in the same day, everyday. Explode much? It’s a lot of food!

So I started thinking about all those tips that don’t work for me and here are a few.

Eat before you go. This one makes me laugh every time because all it has ever done for me is resulted in two meals instead of one. I understand the idea of not feeling starved when you get there, but why would I want to fill up before getting to all that tasty food.

Arrive late. Have we really gotten so out of control with our eating that we must be rude to the host in order to control ourselves?

Fill your plate with veggies. Okay, this can work sometimes, but after the carrots I usually go back for the stuff I really want.

You can’t take the food out of the holidays. Enjoying (and cooking) these meals with family and friends are a huge part of what memories are made of. It doesn’t mean we have to overeat and gain weight, but it does mean we have to develop a healthy relationship with food (and exercise) so our thoughts and energy are focused on the experience and not the size of our waistline.

These are a few things that I try to incorporate around this time of year.

I start right now. I mentioned that yearly vacation right? I’m always motivated this time of year to hit the gym a little harder and cut out excess calories in preparation for things to come. I get a head start so I’m not left with a ton of weight to lose come January.

Practice mindful eating. Don’t mindlessly stuff your face with food as you talk and talk. Take a second to enjoy each bite and recognize when you are full. Appreciate this time and all the wonderful foods that go with it.

Choose what you really want. It has taken me several years to make this change. I used to eat everything and anything offered. Now I’ve begun to recognize what I can pass up. For example, rolls, chips and other unexciting things I can get everyday (if I wanted it) I pass on, but that special mac n cheese or pecan pie only comes around about once a year.

Exercise, exercise and exercise some more. Keep up the workouts. The only real way to curb weight gain while enjoying the foods of the season is to burn it off. The bonus is that it will also relieve that holiday stress many of us feel.

Eat real foods (you had to know this was coming). The holidays aren’t an excuse for me to indulge in processed, chemically-laden junk. I focus on the homemade stuff with real ingredients. Spare me the calories of the chips and store-bought cookies.

Stay away from the food table. Okay, this one is usually listed with most tips and for me it definitely works. If I take a seat away from the buffet of holiday goodness, I end up eating less.

Don’t skimp on actual nutrients. Make sure you are still getting those leafy greens, fruits and calcium which can sometimes be lacking in holiday foods. Don’t make your body go without necessary nutrients for healthy function. Decide how you can include them.

Accept and appreciate yourself. So you gain 5 lbs during the holidays? So what? The bigger question is – 1. did you enjoy the foods you ate? 2. did you enjoy the time spent with the people you love? Give yourself a break and commit to returning to a healthy weight as soon as the holidays are over.

How do you feel about holiday eating “tricks”? Let me know what works for you.

Photo by Marica Umland, morguefile.com

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Country-Style U.S. Breakfast in Brazil

If there is one thing I’ve missed throughout my ex-pat experience it is waking up on a weekend morning to a table full of hearty breakfast treats. I’ve learned that few countries celebrate this meal the way we do in the US.

Most often breakfast in Brazil is bread with butter, coffee and maybe some fruit. Breakfast is a bigger deal to me. While I’ve been known to have toast now and then, eggs, oatmeal and yogurt usually join the mix. If it is a weekend, well, things get a little more extravagant.

After sharing stories of cozy weekends filling our stomachs with country breakfast favorites, we found that many of our new Brazilian friends wanted to experience it too.

With plans to have a breakfast party at some point the October Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event gave me the motivation to put things together and enter the idea.

Well, here we are! On October 25th we took part in this exciting event with a Country-style US Breakfast in Maringá-PR, Brazil.

Making your favorite foods in a new land is an interesting challenge. Not to mention the fact that when you are living in a place for only a short time (and can ship few things along) elegant dinnerware and serving platters are the first to go.

I made the best of it and along with my husband, a ½ size oven and some borrowed forks and knifes, we exposed our friends to some of our favorite foods from home.

Let’s start with the menu. I’ll warn you, it is a bit carb-loaded, but then again what great US breakfast isn’t. I wanted to give our guests a taste of many things without making a ton of separate dishes.

Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake
Ham and cheese sandwiches turn into a breakfast casserole in this recipe my mom received from a friend a few years ago.

Oven Home Fries
Potatoes, onions, and peppers baked topped with grill seasoning.

Pancakes with Maple Syrup
Pancakes made from scratch, topped with syrup brought to us by coworkers visiting from the US.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon sweetness adapted from a recipe at The Salty Cod.

Fresh Fruit Salad
In an effort to offer a healthy option, fruit salad in a watermelon boat made from fruits popular both in the US and Brazil – watermelon, pineapple, kiwi and bananas.

Mimosas
Orange juice and champagne to cool us from the summer heat.
(I think these were for me. Entertaining can be stressful!)

One thing we didn’t have is coffee.

I know, I know – breakfast without coffee?! I started thinking about this though and there was no way to make it like what I used to have back home. The coffee here is much stronger and taken in smaller does. Warm milk is added instead of any variety of cream. So I decided to nix it.

As a substitute we made spiced apple cider. No apple cider here either, but the nectar of apple sold as apple juice is much closer to apple cider than the clear juice available in the US. I added some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, warmed it up and it turned out to be pretty tasty.

Considering the fact that we would have some guests who only spoke Portuguese, I made some little signs for each food with both languages to clear up confusion and keep me from having to explain multiple times.

Prep started the night before with the breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls, both of which rested in the fridge overnight giving me a lot less to do in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

The Ham and Cheese Brunch combines 4 favorite breakfast items into one dish – ham, cheese, bread and eggs. Unfortunately we had to make due with processed cheese. Good cheddar doesn’t exist around here. It wasn’t my first choice for keeping things focused on real foods, but what can you do?

Ham and Cheese Brunch Bake

16 slices bread (any variety would work, but I used plain ol’ white)
8 slices deli-sliced ham
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1 tsp. brown mustard
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

Layer a large casserole dish with 8 bread slices. Top the bread with the ham and then the cheese. Layer the 8 remaining slices of bread on top. Mix eggs, milk and mustard. Pour over casserole, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning add crushed cereal to the melted butter. Stir in the mushrooms and spread over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Makes 8, main course servings.

I adapted the cinnamon rolls from a recipe by The Salty Cod. For the inside of the rolls I used what I had available here – brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and some pumpkin pie spice (brought from home). I also took my chances cutting them with a serrated knife instead of floss.

Saturday morning was a frenzy of baking off the rolls and casserole, cutting fruit, chopping potatoes and pancake making. I am the worst pancake-maker you will ever meet, so this is where my husband came in and saved the day.

The original plan was to make pecan pancakes and while I promise I saw them around the holidays last year, they are no where to be found in supermarkets around here at the current moment.

Pancakes
from the Betty Crocker’s Cookbook Bridal Edition

1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Butter for the pan, if needed

Beat egg in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients (except butter) until smooth. For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.

Makes nine 4-inch pancakes. We doubled the recipe and made small, silver-dollar pancakes.

Guests arrived at 10:00 am and included friends I have made during my time here (one who found me through my blog) and my husband’s coworkers/friends and their loved ones.

My first surprise was all the pictures. Everyone had their camera out to snap photos of the food. Next came the eatin’ and I have to say I was certainly happy with the response. I think enough was said in the fact that many of them went back for seconds and even thirds.

“Muito bom (very good)” and “delicioso (delicious)” were repeated many times.

We had a wide variety of guests – some had spent time living in the US, others had visited before on business or vacation and others had never been there before.

For some this breakfast brought back memories of their travels and for others it was a completely new experience. We’ve experienced so many new things especially regarding food since moving to Brazil and it was nice to be able to provide this opportunity to our new friends.

Kind of Like a Cherry

I got something interesting at our farmer’s market this week so I thought I’d go back to my “foods of Brazil” for this post. This week, many of the booths had bags toppling over, full of these little red fruits – acerola.

I’ve had acerola before in the juice form at the hotel breakfast here in town. Did I mention we lived in a hotel of a few months before getting into our apartment? Man, that breakfast got old!

Anyway, I had never ventured to try the actual fruit. I’ve only seen it at the market a few times and considering how fast they are going in my fridge right now, they aren’t the most stable of fruits.

Acerola appears to be pretty popular in the supplement world and is often sold in a powdered form. Its popularity comes from its utterly amazing amount of vitamin C content.

In a cup of the fruit there is 1644 mg of vitamin C! Compare that to 63 mg in an average-sized Florida orange. Wow!

How lucky am I to get to eat the actual fruit and drink the juice instead of sucking down a supplement!

Acerola is in the cherry family, but different than many fresh cherries I've had before. It is available in many other places in addition to Brazil. I saw some info that it is grown in California.

The texture to me was like a cross between a cherry and a peach. The flavor isn’t very distinctive. It isn’t overly sour or sweet, kind of bland. Each of the cherries has 3 seeds in it which makes it difficult to get to any of the flesh. I solved that problem by throwing it in the juicer.

It made a thick pulp to which I added water. It needed just a tiny bit of sugar to enhance the flavor and ended up being a great snack. I’ve still got a couple more cups in the fridge to finish. I’m stocked with vitamin C and ready to fight any infection that may arise!

How Do You Shop?

I like grocery shopping. I should add to this by saying if I can do it on a weekday morning or late evening. I enjoy browsing the aisles and letting a sale item or new product spark an idea for a recipe.

I’m a list shopper and yes; I usually come home with something that wasn’t on the list. It often falls into the category of dark chocolate. I’m thinking I should just start putting it on the list and then I wouldn’t be guilty of straying.

As I read through food blogs I notice many people mention receiving deliveries of fresh produce at their doorstep. It got me thinking - how many people out there take advantage of online food shopping and delivery?

I’ve seen opportunities, but I’ve never taken advantage.

Then I came across an article published in the Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity that evaluated the use of grocery delivery service by overweight participants. I first saw it mentioned in Shape magazine, but I found the actual article online here if you’d like to check it out.

Each group was given a diet plan, exercise recommendations and therapy in the areas of nutritional/behavioral psychology. One group was encouraged to purchase their groceries online (the study reimbursed shipping costs only) and they also got an extra nutritional counseling session.

When all was said and done online shopping decreased the number of high fat foods purchased. Participants reported this type of shopping improved their healthy choices and helped them to avoid impulse purchases.

Hmmm…impulse purchases like, say, unnecessary chocolate.

Have you tried online grocery shopping? What do you think? And the big question for me is – is it more cost effective?



On another note, I wanted to mention that I tried the Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup Erica posted about Saturday on her blog, Itzy’s Kitchen. Very tasty! I followed the recipe, but cut the milk to 1 cup and the cheese to ½ cup, mixing shredded parmesan and smoked provolone. Then I used an immersion blender to mix it all making it more of a cream soup. It was so good!







Top photo by Clara Natoli, morguefile.com

My New Read

One of my b-day presents was this book – On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.

I read about it in a magazine a few months ago and was immediately interested. It came out in 1984 and was revised in 2004 so I know it has been around for a while. Anyone read it?

It is all about the science side of cooking and ingredients. Now, I’ll admit I’m not a chemistry lover, but I do like knowing how things work and why. This extends to my cooking. I really hope it will help me learn how to better combine ingredients and create my own recipes.

If I come across interesting information along the way, I’ll be sure to share it here. I’ve just made it through the introduction and I think I am going to learn a ton.

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetable Chili

A few weeks ago I came across a recipe for Fall Vegetable Chili in the October issue of Good Housekeeping. It looked really interesting and I thought I’d give it a try.

Then I started thinking about the different ingredients and some I also had in the fridge so I ended up making some major changes. First, I really wanted to experiment with some pumpkin. I also had some black beans on hand and chopped zucchini leftover from last night.

So this is what I came up with. What makes it a little different than some of the pumpkin chili I’ve come across is that I kept the pumpkin pieces pretty solid. I didn’t want them to be roasted first and turn into mush. I liked the chunky veggies. They gave it a good texture. I also like my chili really spicy.

It made a filling, fall-inspired lunch for my day. It takes a little time with the challenge of chopping up the pumpkin, but it is worth it.

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetable Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin (no seeds or skin), chopped into small pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups zucchini, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. spicy chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
½ cup water
1 ½ cups black beans, pre-soaked and cooked (no canned in these parts, but use them if you have them)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in soup pot, add pumpkin. Cook about 5 minutes. Then add carrot, zucchini, onion and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes more, until veggies begin to brown.

Add chili seasoning, cook an additional minute; add tomatoes and water. Simmer covered for 5 to 10 minutes or until veggies reach desired tenderness.

Using a fork, mash ½ cup of black beans. Add the 1 cup of whole beans and ½ cup mashed beans to the chili. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes more, heating the beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 4 servings.

I have a question. Anyone out there eat their chili with a scoop of peanut butter?

I used to eat it with a PB sandwich when I was a kid, dipping the sandwich in the chili. I think the habit started because the standard school cafeteria meal on chili day always included a PB sandwich.

As I got older I skipped the bread and just starting putting a spoonful of PB on the side of the bowl and mixing in a bit with each bite. I love it!

Halloween Fake Food Set Back

This time of year there is one specific category of not-so-natural foods that I tend to splurge on – Halloween candy!

What is it about the overflowing candy aisles and those cute mini-packages that are just too powerful to resist? I know other holidays have their candy offerings, but Halloween candy is just so much more exciting to me.

I have come up with one health-related bonus when it comes to this time of year – portion control. The little individual baggies and smaller candy bars make it easy to have just one or two a day, as opposed to opening a standard size bag and feeling the need to finish the whole thing!

Reading through a magazine recently I saw that some companies are offering some, um, enhanced versions of candy this year. That is, candy with caffeine. It looks like the new Snickers Charged candy bar has almost as much caffeine as a Red Bull!

Hmmm…if I were so inclined to get my caffeine from fake foods I do think I’d rather have a candy bar, but that is beside the point. Let’s hope these caffeinated goodies don’t make it into a lot of trick-or-treat bags this year. As if Halloween isn’t already a wild and crazy night, no need to add extra milligrams of caffeine to the mix.

So while we are talking about it, what is your favorite Halloween candy? Anything out there that you just can’t resist?

I think Skittles, Sixlets (if you can still get them) and Twix top my list. Oh, wait, and I do like candy corn. I better stop now. The list could go on forever!

Photo by Karen at MorgueFile.com

Links to a Healthy Weekend

It is a beautiful Saturday around here. By beautiful I mean overcast. Clouds are the ultimate blessing when battling the South American sun. I hope you find some beauty in your weekend as well.

Today is going to be an afternoon of football and some web-surfing. Tomorrow I’ll probably break into the kitchen. I haven’t done much cooking or baking lately. Here are a few things I enjoyed reading this week.

Michelle at The Mindful Eater talked about a Things I Have Learned list that I found inspiring as well. My favorite was “Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid…” Check it out and see if you’ve learned some of these same things.

My Great Grandma, Great Aunt and Mom were/are excellent at canning. Their abilities and resourcefulness always amazes me. I love seeing how others extend the life of their fresh ingredients. Kat at A Good Appetite spiced up here homemade applesauce with some pomegranate juice. The combination sounds wonderful!

I have always enjoyed exercising. I doubt I would have gotten into my field of study if I hadn’t. I’m going to be honest here though, running kicks my butt. I can take any group exercise class you throw at me, stay on the elliptical all morning, but when it comes to running I’m huffing and puffing in no time. I do keep it up from time to time though and take part in race events.

Do you run? A Cheerful Scoop, which focuses on the more upbeat news out there, reported on a study showing how running may slow aging. Even more incentive to keep at it.

A Little Off Topic

If you've read my blog roll you know I am a regular reader of Owned by Pugs. I am crazy about pugs, a passion that began the minute we brought our Macy Mae home.

Well, the 2009 calendars are now available which benefit Florida Pug Rescue and I am happy to say that Macy made the photo cut. Now, there are A TON of pugs featured which I think is great. She can be found in March in a photo clipped from the one above. It was taken in spring a few years ago when we were living in central KY.

Just had to share the news and the opportunity to support a good cause. Thanks for allowing me the interruption. I'll be back to food, cooking and wellness in my next post!

Arugula and Sun-dried Tomatoes

The combination of arugula and sun-dried tomatoes has become like peanut butter and chocolate to me. Well, okay, not exactly on the same level, but they go really well together.

There is something about the bitterness of the green with the sweet of the tomato that is like a party in your mouth. The combo is huge here in Brazil. You can find it in almost every form – pizza, crepe, sandwiches.

Many sandwich shops make a spread with sun-dried tomatoes and cream cheese. It is one of my favorites so I set out to try and re-create it to could control the amount of cream cheese and enjoy it more often.

I found just a little of the spread with a lot of greens makes it a healthier option. Using whole grain bread would help too, but this time around I stuck with a fresh baguette. I made just a single serving, but you could easily use a whole block of cream cheese and add the desired amount of each ingredient if you are feeding a group or turning it into an appetizer.

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

2-4 tbsp cream cheese, depending on how you want to control kcals and fat
2 tbsp white or yellow onion, chopped
2 large sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss the ingredients in a mini-food processor or use an immersion blender to combine well. If you like a chunkier texture, feel free to leave everything as is and just stir together.

Arugula and Sun-dried Tomato Sandwich

¼ average size baguette, split
1 cup arugula leaves, washed
Sun-dried Tomato Spread

I think you can figure out the instructions from here. Just put the sandwich together and enjoy a great meal that is easy to make with simple, yet powerful flavors. Not to mention that you’ll have a least one serving of dark, leafy greens for the day.

30 Foods

Well, I turned 30 this week. I have mixed feelings about it, but I did have an awesome birthday celebration on a little island off the state of Paraná in Brazil. I walked, hiked, climbed, relaxed, drank beer and ate seafood with my best friend (my husband). It was nice.

I’m always intrigued by these lists that people talk about on their blogs - lists of things they are going to do by a certain time or lists of places they want to see.

So I started thinking that there are a lot of foods I’ve wanted to make, but just haven’t gotten around to do it. Many of them are time intensive some just unique from other cultures, but I want to try my hand at all of them eventually.

I thought since turning 30 is a small milestone for me I would think of 30 foods I want to make and accomplish the task within the next year. Some foods are simple, some complex, some foods are brand new to me and some I’ve tried a variation of, but now what to know make the real thing.

So in abc order here are the foods I’ve thought of; all I will make from scratch before my 31st birthday next October. I’ll let you know how things go along the way.

1. Beer Cheese
2. Beijinhos – Brazilian cookie/candy, the name varies from place to place
3. Brigadeiros – Brazilian chocolate caramel candy
4. Camerao na Moranga – Brazilian shrimp stew baked in a pumpkin
5. Croissants
6. Gingerbread Men
7. Guinness Irish Brown Bread
8. Hungarian Paprika Chicken
9. Irish Fruit Scones
10. Italian Wedding Soup
11. Jamaican Patties
12. Jamaican Red Beans and Rice
13. Kolokithopita – Greek Savory Pumpkin Pie
14. Medovnik - Czech Honey Cake
15. Muffuletta
16. Paçoca – Brazilian peanut dessert, similar to fudge
17. Passion Fruit Mousse
18. Pe de Moleque – Brazilian dessert similar to peanut brittle
19. Potstickers
20. Pretzels
21. Pumpkin Packed with Bread and Cheese
22. Ravioli
23. Refrigerator Jam
24. Sagu – Brazilian dessert made with tapioca and wine
25. Spicy Soba Noodles
26. Stollen Bread
27. Sweet Rice
28. Tiramisu
29. Whole wheat/Grain Bread
30. Yeast-raised Cinnamon Rolls

Blog Action Day: Influences of Poverty on Healthy Choices

When I saw that the topic of Blog Action Day this year was poverty, I knew I wanted to participate. When most people think about poverty and food the issues of discussion usually turn to world hunger.

I tend to be a person who is always in the middle. I see both sides to many stories. Similarly I try to practice balance especially when it comes to nutrition and exercise. There are a few exceptions, but in most cases you aren’t likely to find me at the extremes on either end of the spectrum.

So it is probably no surprise that when it comes to this issue my interests lie with those in the middle. Those people that hover around the poverty line. Perhaps those on food stamps or enrolled in WIC who struggle to make ends meet.

I was incredibly fortunate to have the job I fell into out of grad school. It changed my views of health in many ways. I’ll explain it and how it relates to this post later. First let me tell you the moment I realized my good fortune.

Right before leaving to make my move abroad I was asked to participate in a research focus group about sustainable practices. It turned out the professors were developing best practices for motivating people to become more green with their daily habits.

After about 5 minutes into the session I realized that I was surrounded by a group of college kids who were a bit on the privileged side and in some cases still spending daddy’s money.

They seemed to have simple solutions to every problem introduced. “Well, I recycle at our sorority,” “I only by organic produce,” or “Organic cotton is more expensive but it is totally worth it.”

I felt the need to play a bit of the devil’s advocate. The conversation had begun to drive me crazy! I asked how they would convince someone struggling with money or on a very tight budget to buy something like organic produce to benefit their health and/or the environment.

The girl next to me piped up and said, “Well, I guess I am just lucky because my parents don’t care if I spend a little more money on organic foods because they think it is important.”

My first thought was how I felt sorry for her (in Kentuckian this is often expressed as ‘bless her heart’). I feared she may never understand the true impact of poverty and what it means to not have money for such things deemed important.

I really wanted to say, “What if the money isn’t there? What if buying organic meant no electricity that month? How do you promote health and green-ness to people who fall in that category?” I didn’t. At that point I gave up and spent the rest of the session listening and trying to learn from it.

The second feeling I had was one of gratefulness that I had the opportunity to use my skills in health to try to help those that do fall into this financial category.

So, about the job. After working several years in health clubs motivating people, training people and promoting the latest fitness trends, I got a job in academia at the state level in community-based health promotion; specifically physical activity programming.

I went from helping people whose biggest problem was overcoming schedules and laziness for getting to the gym, to trying to help people who would never be able to afford a gym membership in the first place.

I was faced with the question, “How do I share my healthy passions to convince people without time AND money that fitness and nutrition are important? Is it even possible to incorporate some of these practices without money?”

It’s true that there are many people who simply don’t choose health. They dig themselves into a hole financially spending beyond their means. They want to dine at fast food establishments 7 days a week and do as little moving as possible. Money is a barrier, but they don’t care anyway.

I believe that there are equally as many hardworking people who want health for their families, but their levels of income prevent them from making the healthiest choices. For example, fresh produce, gear for sport activities or internet access to self-teach about healthy habits. These are the people that interest me, the ones I want to help.

I guess what I want to say and what I wanted to show at that focus group is that all of us with this health knowledge and skill should remember those people. What are ways we can be healthy and green without money? How can we help them be healthy when they have other more important issues like domestic abuse, putting food on the table or a serious illness to deal with?

I think sometimes it is easy to be overly proud of being a healthy person. We often think that if we can do it, anyone can. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true.

I think overall I am just thankful for the resources I have that help me to be a healthy person. It is true that some actions are free and simple. At the same time knowledge and healthy foods have a monetary cost that some people simply can’t afford.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

I had trouble keeping up with my blog reading this week, but these are a few things that I did get around to checking out and really enjoyed.

If you didn’t catch it, Mark had a great post about worry this week. I love the idea of designating and ‘worry period’. It seems that everyone is under some added stress lately, this technique can help.

I love gorgonzola and pear slices on my salads. Straight from the Farm posted an amazing recipe to turn this salad into an appetizer with Sweet Gorgonzola and Pear Bruschetta. Sounds good to me!

If you love caramel chances are that you are or will be fond of dulce de leche (doce de leite in Portuguese). How about combining that with apples and turning it into a crazy good dessert? Recipe Girl did with her post about Dulce de Leche Apple Bars with Browned Butter Icing.

Laughter is good for the soul so take some time to laugh this weekend. You can check out this autumn-themed photo by Uncornered Market to get you started.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Açaí: The Real Thing

I had something incredibly interesting last night that I just have to share with my fellow health advocates so today I’m going to back to my ‘foods of Brazil’ theme.

You’ve probably heard about açaí a million times by now. I saw infomercials for it in the States last June and I think I get a spam email about Oprah and açaí in my junk mail box at least three times a week.

People go crazy over this little berry from the Amazon with its antioxidants, essential fatty acids (similar to that of olive oil) and its essential amino acid complex. It is a major powerhouse when it comes to healthy food.

Despite the fact that I am pretty far south in Brazil, it is quite the craze here as well. I’ve had the opportunity to try it in 100% juice form and mixed with other fruits. My favorite is açaí and grape juice.

Last night I got to try it in a way I never had before. It is becoming increasingly popular to eat açaí in a tigela. This is simply açaí in a bowl. They just opened a restaurant here that specializes in these treats along with juices and many fruits from the north of Brazil.

I’ve tried to figure out a way to describe eating açaí like this. The consistency is like a thick milk shake. In my selection a huge bowl of fruit – grapes, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, mango, apple, star fruit and chunks of coconut – were covered in the açaí and topped with granola.

It has to be one of the most interesting things I have ever tried. I wish I could find another word for ‘interesting,’ but I’m not sure how else to describe it. It was complex, yet simply amazing. I loved it!

There is so much açaí in it that the pigment turns your mouth practically black. Is it possible to overdose on natural antioxidants? If so, I think I probably came pretty close to the limit.

My Portuguese is awful, but the friend I was with inquired about how the açaí mixture was made. It turns out the pulp of the berries is mixed with organic sugar and guarana syrup.

In case you aren’t familiar guarana is another berry from the Amazon that contains about five times as much caffeine as coffee! There is actually a soft drink named for it that is popular here.

Considering I had my tigela at 5:00pm I didn’t sleep so well last night. I’m thinking it should really be a breakfast food.

Oh, the juice next to my bowl in the picture is cashew juice. I honestly had no idea that the cashew nut actually came from a fruit until I visited Brazil. Maybe I’ll cover that in my next ‘foods from Brazil’ post.

My Evolving Love for Avocado

I think my first encounter with an avocado was in guacamole from Taco Bell. Ugh! Its green color and slimy texture, the thought of it even makes me cringe today.

It was at that point that I decided I didn’t like guacamole or avocados.

Fortunately I became a little more open minded as I grew up and I started to get interested in the stuff when I learned that people actually make their own guacamole. Hooray! I wasn’t locked into eating that which came out of a pump at fast food restaurants.

Lately I’ve found that I use avocado a lot. I like it on sandwiches, chopped on my salads and I too make my own guacamole. Extra chunky though, I like it to have lots of texture.

I am glad that most of us are past our fear of the fat in avocado. It was one of those good-for-you things that the fat-free craze scared a lot of us away from.

An avocado is loaded with healthy fatty acids that have actually been shown to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). They are also full of potassium, folate and vitamin E.

Okay, enough of the healthy, yet boring stuff. Let me tell you why they came to mind this week.

I have felt the need to branch out of my traditional ways of using avocado and look for some new recipes. I had marked a recipe from an Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine from over a year ago. I finally decided to give the Avocado Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing a try.



I was pleasantly surprised. It is super simple and it tasted so great! I’m always trying to figure out what kind of a side to have with tacos and this salad would be perfect. The cumin gives it a tex-mex flavor.

Instead of iceberg lettuce I used cabbage which made it a little crunchier and more like a slaw. I’d also plan to eat it within a few hours of making it. The moisture doesn’t hold up well in the fridge.

Any favorite avocado combos you want to share?

The Pumpkin Coconut Bread Experiment

Last night presented the perfect opportunity for some experimentation. I was in the mood to bake and I had two main ingredients to use up – puree from a pumpkin I roasted over the weekend and light coconut milk left over from vegetable curry recipe.

I’d made a pumpkin bread recipe in the past that used a package of coconut pudding mix, but considering my issue with that these days I thought I’d try to get the flavor with real ingredients.

I modified some recipes I have for pumpkin bread, adding and eliminating a few ingredients. I also adjusted the amount because I only wanted one loaf.

I was very pleased with how it turned out. The coconut flavor is subtle, but it keeps the bread incredibly moist. Next time I might try it with some whole wheat flour mixed in for the health benefit.

We can get finely ground coconut around here and I think it is best for this recipe because it only adds a little texture without making it chewy. If you can only find flaked, try chopping it up before adding it to the batter.

Pumpkin Coconut Bread

Makes 1 loaf (9.25x5.25x2.75 in)

8oz of fresh pumpkin, roasted, strained and pureed (or ½ of a 15oz can)
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil (I used soy)
½ cup light coconut milk
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ cup unsweetened flake coconut, chopped until very fine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour loaf pan.
In a mixer combine pumpkin, eggs, oil and coconut milk. Add sugar and mix until smooth. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Stir into pumpkin mixture until combined. Pour into loaf pan and bake about 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes and remove from pan. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

Just a few this time around. One of them is from last week, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather if you live in such places! This week was a bit on the frustrating side for me so I am looking forward to putting it behind me and starting a relaxing weekend.

The cost of healthy vs. junk food was always a topic of debate at my old job. Now some researchers have looked into it. Last week Stand Up & Eat from the Cooper’s Institute talked a bit about the Rising Cost of Low-Calorie Foods.

I first checked out Kevin’s blog a few weeks ago and he had just left for a trip to Greece. Needless to say, with my love of travel I’ve been anxiously awaiting a report upon his return. Check out Closet Cooking where he tells about his experiences including a donkey powered olive press and plenty of baklava.

I am loving all the new pumpkin recipes that seem to be popping up. Baking foods in the actual pumpkin is relatively new to me. This Pumpkin Packed with Bread and Cheese from Dorie Greenspan looks like an amazing addition to any Thanksgiving table.

The Great Sweetener Debate

Sugar and sweeteners. It is amazing how such a simple taste can be such a huge topic of debate.

Everyone has different views about which sugar, herb or manufactured product is best for their sweet foods and drinks. I know that a lot of people have turned to stevia after learning all the bad news about aspartame, saccharine, and for some, sucralose.

It is natural, right?

I’ll be honest. I’ve always been a bit skeptical. I’ve never used it simply because there has been some unclear info out there regarding its safety. Now, I don’t use hard research as a basis for every decision I make. Sometimes people are ahead of the research curve.

However, for some reason, in this case, I have listened to the research. Maybe it has something to do with being burned by believing that those fake sweeteners were good for me once upon a time.

I used to religiously subscribe to the Nutrition Action Health Letter published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. I loved the newsletter and will probably subscribe again someday, but I admit (agreeing with some of my past nutrition professors) that the center can be a bit radical with overreactions.

I do think they have good research to back them up on some of their views, though, so I check their web-site out from time to time for new info.

I came across an article that was posted about stevia. Apparently rebiana, an extract from stevia is planning to debut in soft drinks soon. The big dogs are very excited about this. Here is a quote from the article:

"Coke, Pepsi, and other companies are excited about rebiana, because it supposedly tastes better than crude stevia, which is sold as a dietary supplement in health-food stores. After all the controversies pertaining to saccharin, aspartame, and other artificial sweeteners, the food industry expects many calorie-conscious consumers to eagerly opt for this natural sweetener."

First, let’s point out that the soda companies are not excited that this could be a new healthy option for people. They are excited that we will probably buy more of their products. Big surprise there!

The problem is that some research out there indicates that the sweetener may be linked to mutations and DNA damage. This leads to speculation regarding the possibility of it increasing cancer risk.

Right now stevia is not considered GRAS. Okay, first of all I really don’t like this term. It stands for Generally Regarded as Safe according to the FDA. Knowing something is generally regarded as safe to put in my body causes a bit of concern for me. I still question foods that even make this category.

I am all for the use of alternative medicine, herbs and the like. It is true these things have been used throughout time to cure, sweeten and do just about everything. The problem is they were used in a manner unlike how we use them today.

Case in point, mass production in soft drink products. These days there are things we eat or chemicals in other products that these natural substances can react with making them unsafe. Just something I think about.

I bring this up only to inform. As I said, many people have differing views when it comes to sugar replacers. Personally, I use plain old white sugar in moderation. I have no problem with it and aside from its overuse being associated with weight gain and diabetes I feel it can be enjoyed in moderation. Yes, I do know about the addiction speculation, but moderation is key to me. I also use honey.

So tell me, what is your preferred sweetener? Why is it the best choice for you?


Photo of Stevia rebaudiana by Ethel Aardvark, Wikimedia Commons

Mock Foods

I just love it when you are trying to come up with a post topic and one just falls into your lap. My good friend just sent me an article on fake foods. Thanks Karen!!

The wacky world of fake food published on chicagotribune.com today.

This article is entertaining and full of information. It provides an interesting look at our food history from trying to make one food look like another to all those manufactured substitutes that have snuck into our daily routine such as sugar replacers.

Some of these things are actual food made to be other foods while others are those fake products a lot of us are trying to reduce in our diets.

One interesting thing it brought up is that some foods such as peanut butter have requirements regarding the percentage of an ingredient (peanuts) that must go into the product. Other things, can contain little of the product it is actually named for.

The example mentioned involves a lawsuit filed against Kraft and their Guacamole. Apparently it is less than 2% avocado.

It even gives some reasons why fake food has become so popular.

Here are a few:
impress
deceive
fun
religious reasons
nutritional reasons

Some of the things mentioned I have never heard of. Read the article to find out more, but here are some that either brought back memories or gave me a good laugh.

Ritz Mock Apple Pie
City chicken
Turkey Bacon
Cheese-food
Mock Lobster made of soybeans????

Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did!

Photo by Hillary, www.morguefile.com