Hot Yoga, Turkey Day Wrap-Up and Recipes

Wow, turkey day is over. The fun times always seem to go the fastest. It was two days full of cooking, eating with some relaxing mixed in for me.

First I have to tell you about my yoga experience. Last week I was driving by the yoga studio in town and saw that they had a sign outside about a free Hot Yoga class on Thanksgiving Day. Apparently, it is a tradition used to get people in to workout on the holiday and to give newcomers a chance to try it for free.

I'd never done hot yoga before. I’m not a huge yoga fan because it is a little slow moving for me. I love mind/body fusion classes, though. I take Body Balance in Brazil which is a combo of tai chi, Pilates and yoga. I enjoy the techniques and principals of yoga, but tend to like it mixed with other things.

Anyway, I was just too intrigued by an opportunity to try it for free. I couldn’t pass it up. It ended up being amazing! If you have the chance to try it definitely take advantage.

The room was packed with over 50 people. It was an intermediate level class and the temp in the room ranged from 96 F to 102 F. It is amazing what the heat does for you regarding concentration and focus. Hopefully, I can incorporate it into my regular workouts when we move back to the States. I haven’t seen it where I’m at in Brazil and even if they did have it, surprisingly that type of thing is more expensive there than in the States.

So after sweating my buns off I was ready for some cooking and eating too. I promised some pictures so here is my Thanksgiving recap. I altered the recipes to my liking so below I’ll tell you what I did.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

This is kind of a combination of a couple different types I’ve made over the years. It is easy and they always turn out great.

15 white mushrooms, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T butter or olive oil
¼ c grated parmesan
½ block cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Place mushrooms in baking dish and brush with a little olive oil or melted butter. Finely chop mushroom stems. Add butter or oil to skillet and cook stems and garlic until tender. Add parmesan and cream cheese, mixing well. Finally stir in spinach. Allow mixture to cool enough to touch. Fill each mushroom and bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve hot.

Rum and Sweet Potato Casserole

This is probably my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I made quite a few changes to this one because I thought some of the ingredients were adding unnecessary fat and calories. I’m not too worried about this on Turkey day, but why add what isn’t needed. I left out the ½ c melted butter in the potatoes, I used only 2/3 cup sugar and a little less milk. It turned out great. I had bourbon instead of rum and this was a great change to make. The sweet flavor from the bourbon really stood out. I’m glad there are some leftovers.

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

This recipe is pretty basic, but the nutty pecans and tart cranberries give is such incredible flavor. I doubled up on the chicken stock to keep it from getting to dry. Yum!

Cranberry-Jalapeno Relish

This stuff is the perfect combination sweet, spicy and sour. I love it spread all over my turkey and the leftovers are great on sandwiches. My brother even mentioned the idea of eating it with chips as a salsa. I used less sugar than what the recipe called for and I also chopped up all my oranges in the blender instead of leaving large segments as the recipe calls for.

I’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving. How did it go? I’m really looking forward to moving into the Christmas season and all the baking that goes with it.

The Line Up

Well, I was trying to come up with some really interesting health or recipe post for today. Then I thought, really the only thing to talk about if you are in the US and into health and food is Thanksgiving.

Why fight it?

So I just thought I'd post my cooking line up today. I actually get to celebrate two times. Once tomorrow with extended family and then with immediate family traveling in on Friday.

So here is the list of my Turkey day contributions. Pictures and additional recipes will go up on Friday or Saturday.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cranberry-Jalapeno Relish - I've made this before and it is amazing. Thanks Emeril!

Rum and Sweet Potato Casserole - Except this year I'm going to use bourbon.

Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing - I made this a couple years ago and it was so good it is making a comeback.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

So, tell me. What are you making for tomorrow?

Happy Thanksgiving blog friends!!

Photo by P. Winberg, www.morguefile.com

The Positive Attributes of the Thanksgiving Meal

Okay, so when it comes to health Thanksgiving tends to get a bad rap. Yes, there are a lot of calories being consumed, not to mention fat, sodium and sugar, but for some reason I feel the need to stand up for the Thanksgiving meal. I’m not sure why; maybe because I enjoy it so much and, to me, it isn’t all bad.

There always seems to be a trend in media around Thanksgiving time. I remember that last year’s was the comparison of pie calories. Every magazine I opened had a handy chart to help you decide if you should have pumpkin or pecan pie based on its nutrition profile. I haven’t stayed up to date with my magazines lately so I haven’t really noticed a trend this year. If you have, throw it out there in the comments.

Anyway, Thanksgiving always fills us with visions of overeating, under-exercising and passing out on the couch. I’m not saying that we don’t consume too much of a good thing on this day, but I’m just saying it is not all bad.

I mean, I know people who don’t ever eat a sweet potato in their normal daily lives, but end up having some on Thanksgiving. Surely they are getting some amount of nutrients from this rare occasion.

So join me as I outline some of the positives that I see in the Thanksgiving meal.

Turkey – Okay, don’t attack me with the hormone injection stuff. I know where your turkey comes from is important. However, you have to admit it could be worse main dish. If you are a meat eater, poultry is a good source of lean protein and getting it fresh from the bird is so much better than that over-processed lunch meat version.

Cranberries – For a lot of people this is probably the only time of year they eat them, which is somewhat due to availability of course. If you make your own sauce you can control the sugar and use whole berries to ensure you are getting all the vitamin C, fiber, manganese and vitamin K these little gems have to offer.

Sweet Potatoes – Their bright orange color gives a lot away. Take a serving and you’ll be getting vitamins A, C and B6, manganese, copper, fiber, potassium and iron. Wow, that’s a lot of good stuff!

Nuts – Protein and omega-3 fatty acids can be found in all those nut-based toppings and pies.

There are many more, but I don’t want to give you a book to read. I know you have a lot to do if you are preparing a Turkey Day meal.

Let’s move away from physical health and focus on mental health. The act of cooking together, eating together, sharing traditional recipes and laughter are good for the soul. They improve mood and well-being. Sure, sometimes stress gets in the way if you are the planner, but overall my Thanksgivings have always been a fun time.

So squeeze in an extra workout (or 3) to combat the calories, eat mindfully enjoying each bite while taking only what you truly want and enjoy any precious time you have with family and friends.

Celebrate the healthy side of Thanksgiving!!

Irish Steel Cut Oats

First of all let me say the oatmeal craze among food and health bloggers has been off the charts lately. It is making me crave oatmeal like never before. Growing up oatmeal was always an “old person” food to me – something grandparents ate. I’m so glad the health benefits have come out and now it seems to be enjoyed by just about everyone.

Once I found out how good homemade whole oats were I left instant oatmeal behind a few years ago. All that artificial flavor just can’t compare. The time issue isn’t an argument either. It takes me 2 ½ minutes to make my oatmeal in the microwave and maybe an extra 5 to add ingredients and the flavor is 10 times better.

Before I go on, I have to tell you some very cool news I found out last week – I’m part Irish! As I’ve gotten older I’ve become a lot more interested in my roots especially regarding food. I’ve always known I was German and I’m very drawn to that culture and food. My recent trips to Ireland over the past two years have created similar feelings.

I have an uncle who has followed our family tree back and last week he shared some of the information with us. Apparently my grandfather’s family (not sure how far back yet) came over from Ireland to Virginia. I have to say I’m very proud of this. Bring on the brown bread, scones and Guinness pie!

So anyway, this really doesn’t have anything to do with my new family history finding, but I have always wanted to try Irish Steel Cut Oats. I’m pretty sure this is what I had in the form of porridge while in Dun Laoghaire this year, but I had never made them myself.

The difference in the steel cut oats isn’t really in the nutritional value, but as the name implies, in the way they are cut and processed. They are the whole grain groats cut into 2-3 pieces. Everything I read talked about the heartier texture and I agree. They have a bite to them; a chewiness. Boiling them also results in a creamy texture so there is no need to make them with milk.

I was worried I wouldn’t want to put in the time to cook them, but I have learned it is completely worth it. I may not always have time to make them during the week, but Irish Steel Cut Oats will definitely be a part of my regular weekend breakfast.

For this type of oat, ¼ cup dry is considered on serving. I prepared a ½ cup and it really made three small, but adequate servings. Combine ½ cup of the oats with 2 cups of water and boil stirring often. Watch them because they might boil over if the heat is too high. As they begin to thicken, stir constantly until they reach your desired thickness. The whole process took me about 30 minutes.

I topped mine with frozen blueberries, brown sugar and walnuts. If you’ve seen these oats in stores and haven’t tried them yet, I say go for it. They are one of my new favorite breakfasts.

PS. I also wanted to mention that I got my Larabar JamFrakas thanks to Megan's Munchies! They were pretty good. I saved the banana chocolate one to the very last because I thought I wouldn't like it, but it ended up being my favorite. I've eaten a lot of bars in the past when I worked in gyms from the ultra high protein to those filled with ephedrine (when it was allowed). I try to steer clear of them now and go for real food, but from time to time they are convenient. I did like the health profile for the Larabar. A good choice for traveling for me.

Pumpkin Veggie Lasagna

I am hurtin’ for pumpkins. I guess I didn’t realize how plentiful they were in Brazil, all kinds of varieties. I’d gotten so used roasting them on my own it is hard to get back into using the canned stuff.

I know. What kind of crazy person with over-abundant free time am I?!! Seriously though, I have learned there is nothing quite like the flavor of a slow roasted pumpkin.

I’ve only seen a few pumpkins around since I’ve been home, but luckily early last week I used up the last of what I had in Brazil. I was so happy with the result.

My mom has made vegetable lasagna for as long as I can remember. She shreds various veggies, sautés them up and uses a basic white sauce. I love pumpkin with pastas and I had a great one at a restaurant in Brazil a few months ago so I decided to incorporate the pumpkin into the lasagna. I already can’t wait to make it again.

I made a small pan so we wouldn’t have a ton of leftovers. This will fit in roughly an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. You can use whatever cheese you like, but I think a smoked variety really compliments the flavor of the pumpkin.


Pumpkin Veggie Lasagna

12 to 15 lasagna noodles, cooked or no-boil (whatever you like)
1 head of garlic, roasted for about 1 hour, cool enough to handle
1 medium zucchini, shredded or thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, shredded
2 cups fresh spinach (frozen would work too, just cut down on the amount)
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 ½ cups skim milk (a stock would work too)
¾ cup roasted pumpkin, pureed
Dash of pumpkin pie spice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of smoked provolone and mozzarella)


Veggies:
Combine veggies in a skillet coated with olive oil. Cook until reduced and tender. Squeeze in 1 to 2 cloves of the garlic and combine. Set aside.


Sauce:
Melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour. Whisk, cooking the flour until combined into a paste. Slowly add the milk as you continue to whisk. Allow to bubble and thicken as you continue to stir. Whisk in the rest of the garlic, then the pumpkin and spices.

I’ll never claim to be a lasagna expert so just layer it your favorite way. This is what I do. Spread a tiny amount of sauce in the baking pan, top with noodles. Next comes the veggies, sauce, then cheese. Repeat and I end with noodles and top it with more cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden on the top.

I’m Back and Have a Question

First of all I want to thank each and every one of you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. I’m settled back in, this time in the States, but thoughts of Brazil aren’t far behind.

I’ve been bitten by the baking bug and plan to share some Brazilian treats with my family which I will also share with you. I’ve also got some travel lined up at the end of the year which will hopefully mean some good food discussions.

I am really excited to try some new things that I’ve heard so much about through food blogs. I went to a small health food store here in my hometown and I was able to pick up some quinoa today. I plan to head back and eventually try the black rice, among other things. On the flip side the HFCS is everywhere! I’ve been checking labels closely.

Okay, so now I have a question…

What in the heck is a Grapple??

The local grocery store here just went through a big remodeling and they have all kinds of new produce. Sorry the picture is blurry. It was taken with a camera phone.

According to the sign it is a grape crossed with an apple – an apple that tastes like a grape. Unfortunately my curiosity didn’t win over my thriftiness. At $6 for 4 apples I passed them up.

My first thought, however, was – what a great idea for a pie. My mom used to make grape pie all the time. Grapple pie might prove to be delicious.

Have you seen grapples or had one? I’d love to know what they are like. Maybe you’ll convince me to make the investment.

Words I Won’t Forget

“The key to not making a mess when you bake is to put each ingredient away as you use it.”


I have no idea why these words stuck in my head, but they did. The one thing I can always remember baking with my grandma was chocolate chip cookies. They were on the agenda every time I came over. It was during one of these baking sessions that she told me the above tip. I put it into practice each time I bake and she was right. I’m left with a much smaller mess at the end and as a result I think of her.

Friends, I tell you these words and this story because my grandmother passed away yesterday. While it is a sad day and there will be more to come I have no doubt that she is in a heavenly paradise with the Lord.

So I’ll be taking a break from the blogging world for a few days as I travel to the States. Don’t go too far, I should be back late next week with regular posts. See you then.

God Bless!

Kids, Cooking and a Love for Food

I took these photos at a mall here in Brazil on a holiday called “The Day of Children”. They had the coolest set up of a little bakery/kitchen and they held sessions throughout the day. Each session offered the chance to create a different food and the kids were given all the gear including the cutest chef hats and aprons.

We watched the children become completely mesmerized as the leader explained what they would be making. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was such a great reminder of how much children actually like cooking and how learning those skills can affect their health and future.

I don’t have children of my own, but I know the importance of learning how to cook and bake. Why? Well, like most of us, my family taught me the basics. My mom, grandmothers and great aunt all provided me with the skills I needed. My mom had a cake shop in our house and I was able to help at an early age. I think I’ve taken this love of food and cooking to a whole new level, but that is where it started.

I love that new programs are being developed and efforts being made to get kids back into the kitchen. I just completed an article for a client about the importance of family meals and cooking together is a big part of it.

I’ll be honest. I am always completely amazed when people say they can’t cook. I guess this is because I equate cooking with making any meal. If you can throw yourself a salad together you are cooking in your own way. It is about putting together a great meal. It doesn’t mean you have to be any good at it. The failures in my kitchen overwhelm me sometimes. It just saddens me when I hear people have never learned to simply make a grilled cheese.

Cooking and baking for me goes way beyond just having food. It is a huge component of health. I realized long ago that I would never be able to maintain a healthy weight if I ate out all the time. Over the years it has become a source of peace and stress release for me as I moved from the all-in-one boxed meals during the college days to baking my own chicken as a grown up.

So tell me where your love of food and cooking comes from? Is it about health for you too?

Black Bean Burgers

I'm not sure if it is obvious or not, but I’m trying to find a bit of a balance with my blog. My goal is to provide you with thought provoking health information related to fake vs. real foods. In addition, I’ve really fallen for this world of food blogging and it has helped me gain a renewed love of cooking which had been wavering since my move abroad due to various barriers.

So my plan is to feature a few real foods with recipes each week along with plenty of posts about health and wellness. Have some thoughts? Tell me what you think in the comments today. I’m open to all suggestions and opinions.

Now on to today’s subject – Black Beans!!

Black beans are so popular these days they seem to be a staple in most of our kitchens. I happen to love them. I have them in anything from salsa to salads to my scrambled egg omelets.

We can’t forget that they fall into that category of black foods which offer so many health benefits. In addition, to the protein and fiber those rich, dark pigments provide us with unique set of disease fighting antioxidants.

I’ve had a black bean burger recipe sitting out on my counter forever. I finally got around to trying it late last week and they were so great! They were featured in the August issue of Shape magazine and I highly recommend them.

They tend to have a bit of a summer feel, I know, but they could be just the lighter fair you are looking for among all the heavy comfort food around at the moment.

I followed the recipe pretty closely, however, I used white onion instead of red and I also cooked them in a little olive oil. The recipe had a pico de gallo with it, but I just used some of the same ingredients to make my own salsa. I also skipped the tortillas that the original recipe called for.

Black Bean Burgers
Slightly modified from a recipe at Shape.com

1 tbsp olive oil
16 oz. cooked black beans
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt
Dash of pepper

Sautee the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until slightly browned and tender. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, mashing the black beans as you combine everything together (I had to add about a tablespoon of water for moisture). Shape into 4 patties and cook in skillet coated with olive oil until browned on each side and heated through. Top with salsa.

For the salsa, simply chop the following ingredients and toss together with lime juice, salt and pepper.
Tomato
Onion
Avocado
Jarred jalapeños
Cilantro

Water Intake Is Not a Myth to Me

If you’ve kept up with current health news over the past year you’ve probably come across all the hype about the need for 8 – 8oz glasses of water a day being a myth.

I talked a little about this when I commented on the popularity of tap water in Ireland during my travels this summer. However, I have some new readers so I thought I’d introduce the topic again and get your thoughts.

There was a review of studies that came out mid-year saying most of the things we believe that water does for us aren’t scientifically supported. I am an 8 – 8oz glasses a day girl and I routinely come back to thoughts of these claims when I see them mentioned in magazines and on web-sites.

The truth is most people working in the nutrition field were well aware that the original recommendation was simply 8 glasses of fluid a day, not specifically water. As we began to see that the most popular drinks were sugar-laden fruit juices and soda, the recommendation moved to water because it is a healthier choice.

I think many of us reach the point in areas of health where personal experience overrides some of the research we come across. This is one of those areas for me. I know the placebo effect is alive and well, and some things can be all in our heads, but I am a firm believer in water being a healthy and beneficial drink.

The reasons I drink water don’t have anything to do with many of the things the research points out as being false. I mean, I had kidney function on the back of my mind, but it wasn’t my main motivator.

Drinking water makes me feel good. It gives me energy, clears up my skin, makes me feel less bloated and helps prevent headaches. When I don’t have enough, for example when I am traveling or out all day running errands without a bottle near me, I can definitely tell. I get dehydrated quickly and it greatly affects my energy levels.

So I say listen to how water makes you feel before you listen to the media’s twist on some research.

Is drinking water an important part of your health routine? How do you feel about all these claims of 8 x 8 being a myth?


By the way, I was able to find the editorial article on this in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Yay!!

Photo by David Ellis, morguefile.com

Links to a Healthy Weekend

Happy Saturday! I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I hear it is snowy in many parts of the US so I thought a picture of warm sunshine might cheer you up if you aren’t too fond of it. I would love to see some snow about now and I am hoping for a white Christmas during my time home in December.

Here are a few things I really enjoyed reading this week. I hope you will too.

The Tangled Noodle had a really great post about cultural identity, ethnicity and food. It was a reminder to me how food can be a comfort and in some ways defines us. Sometimes I think this is forgotten when it comes to health. Food is such an important part of our lives we can’t remove it we should embrace it and work on developing a healthy relationship with it.

Back to the Fridge brought up an interesting question about the cost of food, wondering if it is still cheaper to eat-in with current times. My take is that for unhealthy foods, those dollar menus may make eating out less expensive, but for wholesome, healthy foods it is still less expensive to eat at home. Eating at home is one of the main ways my husband and I save money for travel.

That’s Fit had a what I consider a rather saddening post about the rise in prescription medications among children for obesity related conditions. I wish so much this was a problem that as a society we could get under control. Changes are moving in the right direction, but I fear we have a long way to go.

The ACSM released their predictions for the Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2009. Looking at the list not a whole lot has changed from last year, but this is a positive thing in my opinion. It is nice to see that we’ve come across tools and exercises that have staying power like the stability ball and group cycling. I’m definitely glad that number 1 and 2 will continue to be a priority.

Savory Squash and Healthy Supermarkets

I’ve really gotten into the pumpkin craze and have been amazed at all the recipes floating around. I still tend to lean towards sweet with my pumpkin and butternut squashes so I continue to look for more savory recipes.

I found this one for butternut squash, but I didn’t have it on hand at the moment. I decided to try it with pumpkin instead since I had some already roasted and waiting to be used.

I loved the combo although I think next time I will caramelize the onions before throwing them in. They needed to be more soft and tender.

Savory Pumpkin Side
Modified from Amazing Butternut Squash

2 cups roasted pumpkin puree
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c crushed crackers, cereal or bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tbsp butter, melted

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl until combined well. Transfer to a baking dish. Mix butter, Parmesan and crumbs and sprinkle on top of pumpkin mix. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Did your favorite grocery store make the top 10? I got this article from Health Magazine yesterday. Top 10 include:

Whole Foods
Safeway
Harris Teeter
Trader Joe’s
Hannaford
Albertsons
Food Lion
Publix
Pathmark
SuperTarget

If you are located near a Trader Joe’s let me say I am so jealous and I hope you have counted your blessings. I love that store and have only been able to go when I travel. I keep telling my husband we should base our next move on their locations!

We had a SuperTarget near us when I was in undergrad and I loved that too. I was always able to find unique and fun things there. I was also able to visit a Harris Teeter while traveling in Alexandria, VA and really liked it.

What’s your favorite?

How Does Your Juice Rank?

1. Pomegranate juice
2. Red wine
3. Concord grape juice
4. Blueberry juice
5. Black cherry juice
6. Açaí juice
7. Cranberry juice
8. Orange juice
9. Tea
10. Apple juice

I was looking through some of my magazines this past weekend and came across this article about a recent study that looked at the antioxidant level of popular drinks and juices.

After my post about my fortunate access to açaí I had to write a post about this. I was so amazed to see it so far down on the list. However, I was very happy to see red wine up there and to know that cranberry juice made the top 10. I love cranberries!

Normally I like to go back and read through a study when I find research like this which brings me to one my biggest pet peeves in the research world. I understand that it is a money making business, but the prices of access to research journals are absolutely ridiculous.

What good are you doing for society when you produce great research, but no one can find it due to it costing a fortune? It does make me miss the days when I worked for academia and had free access to just about any research journal I wanted.

Anyway, I thought I’d also give a little update on açaí. I had heard that it is really caloric. Now, I know a ton of foods that have nutrient benefits that far outweigh the calorie content, meaning it is worth it because they are so healthy.

They often sell little packets of natural fruit pulp here to be made into juices. A friend of mine bought one pack of pineapple and one pack of açaí. This was just natural pulp, no sugar or anything.

The pineapple had 60 calories. The açaí…250 calories!! That is just in the berry itself. I found it quite amazing. The health benefits are probably worth it and I’m not giving it up, but I might need some extra time at the gym!

Did your favorite natural fruit juice make the list?

By the way, I didn’t have access to the whole research article, but here is the abstract if you want to take a look.
Comparison of Antioxidant Potency of Commonly Consumed Polyphenol-Rich Beverages in the United States

Photo by Emily Roesly, morguefile.com

A Quest for Pasta Sauce

After learning about all the added sugar in jarred pasta sauce a long while back, I really wanted to make the change to homemade sauces. Even though everyone seemed to rave that they were so easy to make, I couldn’t find one that I really liked or that was easy enough for me.

Moving to Brazil really threw my quest into overdrive because the canned pasta sauces here are not to my liking. They leave an aftertaste that is not appetizing at all. I finally gave up on them a few weeks ago.

The main problem I was having was that canned tomatoes were no where to be found. Seriously, I couldn’t find them anywhere. People kept telling me they had them in larger cities, but our stores here only had those not-so-tasty sauces.

To my delight about a month ago I spotted some on the bottom shelf. Grocery shopping here is like that. Something non-existent will randomly show up. Then you better stock up because it is sure to be gone again in a month. Quite frustrating when you are trying to plan meals ahead of time.

So I started throwing my own sauce together with canned tomatoes that I diced up myself. I’m really happy with the results.

Last weekend my husband said he had a craving for chicken parmesan so I decided to try an easy skillet version. I was surprised that it turned out so well. Not that this dish is incredibly hard to make, but it had been a really long while since I’d put it together. With my new sauce I find it to be even better.

Easy Pasta Sauce

One can of whole tomatoes, diced with juice
2 tbsp tomato sauce or paste (what I get here is like a mix between the two)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.


Skillet Chicken Parmesan

About 6 very thinly sliced chicken breast pieces, or chicken cutlets
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomato Sauce
¾ cup shredded cheese (I used a combo of parmesan and smoked provolone)

In a bowl beat the egg a bit. In another bowl add the bread crumbs and mix in the oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg and then the bread crumbs. Place into a skillet coated with olive oil until nicely browned and cooked through.

Top chicken with pasta sauce and let simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Top with cheese while still hot and allow it to melt before serving. Makes 3 servings without pasta and 4 servings with pasta.

Do you have a favorite pasta sauce recipe? If so, I’d love to have the link or hear about it. My next step will be putting in the time to make it with fresh tomatoes.

Ready for New Nutrition Guidelines?

Looking around on the USDA web-site today I realized something. It is almost the end of 2008. Well I already knew that, but I had forgotten how close we are to 2010.

My point? The USDA and Health and Human Services release dietary guidelines every 5 years. That means the release of a revised set is right around the corner.

Like most people, I’ve had issues with our national guidelines in the past. That being said, I am grateful to live in (or I guess be from) a country where this information exists. It is at least a starting point and provides thought provoking information to reflect on.

I also think we’ve come a long way. For example, the importance of physical activity finally found a place in the 2005 guidelines. I’m actually really hopeful for changes to come.

I had a pretty cool job working in Cooperative Extension before our move abroad. I got to work on a project with other nutritionists and exercise professionals to develop a curriculum tool based on the 2005 guidelines.

This meant that I had access to notes and research that went into the development of those guidelines – two massive binders full. It was really eye-opening to see how much work and science goes into their creation.

While I was always critical of the old pyramid with all the carbs on the bottom, seeing the basis for the development of the 2005 guidelines I became more appreciative of their presence. It can be difficult to translate science into something usable and understandable to the general public. Change can be confusing and nutrition tends to be a complex subject with all those macro and micro nutrients to worry about.

Personally, I’m all ears about what is to come in the new guidelines. Even if I don’t agree with it all, I know it will give me new ideas to explore.

The committee will be holding public meetings in Washington DC (the first one was last week) for the next several months. The new/revised guidelines will be released in fall 2010.

If you have something to say regarding the 2010 revision, you can submit and view public comments by visiting the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.

So how do you feel about government-based nutrition information? Do you use it to guide your choices or do you have other resources you rely on?


Photo by Heather Kitchen courtesy of Free Range Stock

Links to a Healthy Weekend

Happy November! I hope everyone is having a great weekend and recovering well from a night of Halloween fun.

There was some excellent reading this week around the web regarding food, health and wellness. These are a few of the things that I really enjoyed.

Fit Bottomed Girls reported on a new study released about the safety of Splenda. As you know, I gave it up a while back and I think as the results of these kinds of studies keep coming I’m going to grow more content with my decision.

The Discomfort Zone had an informative and entertaining guest post about the raw food diet. I learned quite a bit by reading it. While I eat a lot of raw foods I couldn’t go 100%, but I really enjoy learning about what works for other people.

The Art of Non-conformity offered a thought provoking and motivating post reflecting on the phrase “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Need some inspiration this weekend? Definitely take a few minutes to read it.

This non-American Life is one of my favorite ex-pat blogs. This week she reported on her recent trip to Italy and has some photos of the amazing food she ate there. Don’t click the link if you are hungry! You can check out the rest of the blog for more beautiful photos of her travels.

From French Fries to Flaxseed had one of my favorite fall recipes of the week – Turkey Mushroom Shepard’s Pie. I liked the healthier spin with turkey and the use of white cheddar.

Photo of Cape Meares, Oregon coast