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Links to a Healthy Weekend

December 5, 2009

My Saturday is going to be a full day in the kitchen and I couldn’t be happier about it. I am co-hosting a cookie exchange on Sunday so I’ve got a lot of baking to do. I can’t wait to share some of the goodies with you next week!

Tonight we have my husband’s company Christmas party which is always a lot of fun. We missed last year so it has been a while since I’ve seen some of his coworkers and their spouses. The dance party and local beer make for a good time as well.

I’m very slowly getting back into something that resembles a familiar groove. Writing, reading and networking is making it back onto my daily agenda. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the holidays, though. Moving back was a huge event and I feel like I’m running to catch up with the holiday season. I hope I do soon because I’m worried it is going to be over before I have time to enjoy it fully!

How is the season going for you this year?

Some great reads from the week and a bit before…

Art and Lemons cooked up some Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding. I’d never thought of a pumpkin twist on rice pudding. Two of my favorite desserts all rolled into one. It looks so good!

Not Derby Pie shared Eggnog Ice Cream. I had just been thinking about making this when I found the post. I’ve been craving eggnog lately and have squeezed in a couple Eggnog Lattes so far this season. I think I’ll make this ice cream for New Years.

Delicious Delicious Delicious brought back memories of Southeast Asia with Black Sesame Madeleines. We tried a lot of black sesame desserts while there and I loved the nutty flavor. These sound great with coffee.

Have you heard about Terra Madre Day? It will take place on December 10 to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Slow Food Movement. Check out the site to see if there is a foodie event taking place near you.

Homegrown gardens yield better nutrition, boost self-esteem was an article on TriCities.com that I enjoyed reading this week. It’s amazing what a simple garden can do for both physical and mental health.

Photo of a gingerbread house display at the resort during our visit to Jamaica last December.

Links to a Healthy Weekend Is Back!!

November 21, 2009

Well, hello there! It has been a long time since my last edition of Links to a Healthy Weekend, but I’m back and ready to start sharing the great things I read once again.

Things here are going great! Of course, we’ve been running around like crazy since my plane landed from San Francisco a week ago last Monday, but now we both have vehicles, our desktop is up and running, there are pots and pans to cook in, a kitchen table to eat at, and a TV watch.

Our apartment has an excellent gym so it is making getting back into my regular workout routine very easy. I’m especially glad to be back to weight training. I’m determined to get off some pounds I’ve gained over the past two years and during our recent trip and I’m happy to say I’m down 4 lbs since I’ve been back.

Several months ago I mentioned an ebook I was working on. I’m not sure if you’ve seen the link on my left sidebar, but the ebook I coauthored for Charity Mile is now available! If you are ever involved in planning a charity run/walk event or know someone who is, this guide is designed to help. I am so happy to be a part of it!

To top off all that good news, as you read this I am on my way to Las Vegas for our annual trip. We’ll be spending a few days there before we head to our hometown to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. I’ve got some posts lined up for next week though and I’ll be checking in.

How are things going for you this holiday season?

On to the links…

SJ Gourmet has me thinking about all things holiday-related with Cream Cheese Cake with Cranberry Chambord Sauce. Not only does that combination sound wonderful, but the picture of the individual cake is beautiful!

ayurveda on my plate has a post about making your own coconut oil. Yes, I said making your own! I never would have considered doing something like that, but this step-by-step guide makes it look doable. Sangeeta was nice enough to link to my post about coconut oil from a while back as well as listing a multitude of uses for coconut oil that I was unaware of. Be sure to check it out!

Trend Central had an informative article about what is new in the world of community-supported agriculture from Frozen Produce CSAs to Alcohol CSAs.

Science Daily recently reported on findings which show that how fish is cooked affects heart-health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

Charity Mile, the site I blog and wrote the ebook for, is looking for guest bloggers. If you’ve participated in an athletic fundraising event for charity or have an interest in them check out the guidelines and consider doing a guest post.

Photo of a cute pup who stuck her head out of a housing compound during our visit and trek through a village outside Ubud-Bali, Indonesia.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

September 27, 2009

Hope you are enjoying this September weekend! I think we are actually all packed up! Well, except for the last minute things. I mean, I still need a plate to eat off of this week.

This time next week we will be landing in the US. No doubt we will hit the ground running as we drop things off, pack the rest and head out on our month long trip throughout Southeast Asia. Then I get to finish that off with a week in San Francisco and the Foodbuzz Blogger Fest! It is an exciting time for sure.

This will be the last links post for a while. They’ll return in November because I love sharing what I find and the posts keep me motivated to stay on top of my food and health reading around the web. I think you’ll be pleased with the great stuff this week!

Meeting demand for ancient grains on FoodNavigator.com
I am gladly welcoming all the ancient, yet new-to-me, grains that I have recently discovered. I am also thankful for all the food bloggers out there who show me how to use them! This is an interesting post about how companies are trying to keep up with our demand for gluten-free and other nourishing grains.

The Foodiots from the New York Observer
A wonderful article that creatively expresses how conversations around the water cooler have changed. Our new focus seems to be all about food!

Make Your Own Sausage on Chow
It’s Oktoberfest time! One of my favorite foods in the world is authentic German sausages. Given that they are accompanied by pretzels and spicy mustard, of course. I’ve never made my own, but this article will show you how!

Cauliflower & cashew pilaf with chickpea curry on the BBC Good Food Channel
The cauliflower and cashews in this dish sound fantastic! I would likely substitute in my chickpeas in curry as opposed to using a jar sauce, but this is a combination I would not thought of pulling together on my own.

Guilt-free Snacks Challenge at the Health Nut
If you have a favorite recipe for a healthy snack, head over to the Health Nut and submit it for the Health Nut Challenge 2. Entries are due by Oct 31st. While you are there you can check out the great recipe for Roasted Vegetable Wheat Crackers!

Photo from the Farmer’s Market (feira) in the Batel neighborhood of Curitiba-PR, Brasil

Links to a Healthy Weekend

September 20, 2009

It’s likely no surprise that the weekend has been filled with lots of cleaning out, organizing and packing for me. Today I hope to do a little cooking for the week. How about you?

I’ve been having a hard time keeping up with reading, but thanks to Twitter some great posts and articles crossed my path this week. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy reading!

Chai Peach Yogourt Muffins from Food Gourmand
I could have gone for one of these at breakfast this morning! These beautiful muffins combine whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and all the spices from Chai. I will be trying them as soon as I get back to my muffin pan!

Bacon Salted Caramel Pecan Bars from Savory Sweet Life
You know how on occasion you stumble upon these popular blogs with awesome recipes having no idea why it took you so long to find them. Well this blog is one of those for me. These bars are going on my holiday baking list. Considering I have many unadventurous eaters in my life, I’m not telling any of them there is bacon in there until they taste it!

Creamy Homemade Nut Milk from Sense and Serendipity
I’d honestly never thought about making my own nut milk. Here’s a step by step guide and it really doesn’t look that difficult. I especially like the tips for how to use up the pulp considering nuts aren’t the most affordable ingredient around.

Nofu to Tofu from Making Love in the Kitchen
If you haven’t noticed yet, soy was a really hot topic on many nourishing and natural food blogs this week. I especially enjoyed this post and the recipe. I’ve been researching the topic to do a post of my own for a while now (one of those things on the list I just haven’t gotten to), and found much of the same health information, so definitely check it out.

Ice cream and burgers can control your brain: study from Reuters
Some really interesting information about how fats from certain foods can reduce our ability to listen to those helpful hormones which tell us when we are full.

Photo from Dun Laoghaire, Ireland

Links to a Healthy Weekend

September 12, 2009

I hope this September Saturday is treating you well. It’s a beautiful one here. I’ve only posted a little bit about our trip to Curitiba last week, but I have to share a picture of one of my favorite parts and it has nothing to do with food. Well, actually, now that I think about it, it does have a little to do with food, just not food for me.

I’ve been completely intrigued by the Capivara (Capybara) since living in Brazil. It is the world’s largest rodent and often referred to as the “water pig”. Really, they are like great big, overgrown guinea pigs. They are so fun to watch because the young ones like to play and they seem to be incredibly docile. They hang out at the local parks in Curitiba paying no mind to the huge crowds that gather around them to watch.

When we arrived at the park last Saturday it was dinner time (hence the food reference) and they were just munching away.

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So that really has nothing to do with the links this week, but I figured there are probably some animal lovers out there who would enjoy the photos as much as I do.

May favorites from the week:

Ria’s Collection featured a lovely chocolate cake this week. A simple, straight forward recipe and her photos are always so pretty to look at.

Meatless Mama shared a Sweet Potato Quesadilla. What a great idea! I love sweet potatoes and while I’ve had small pieces in a wrap once, I’d never thought to mash them up with great flavors and make a quesadilla.

Big Food vs. Big Insurance was an article in the NY Times this week from Michael Pollan. The article focuses on how our food system fits into healthcare reform. There are a lot of great points here, a really informative and thought provoking read.

Pure Travel showed off a cool graphic – Around the World in 80 Beers. It’s just a lot of fun to look at.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

September 5, 2009

I hope you have had a great week! Any big plans for this holiday weekend?

My posts have been short on the recipes this week because I’ve been away from the kitchen. Next week I hope to have the time to do some more creating. I’m definitely feeling the urge to cook and bake.

Since I couldn’t give you much to fill your recipe box this week, I’ve found a few from around the web (along with a foodie travel adventure) for this week’s installment of links. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Not Derby Pie showed off a delicious No-brainer Zucchini Soup. I’ve actually never used zucchini in soup except to toss it in as a chopped veggie.

Farmgirl Fare is a blog I found not long ago and I really enjoy catching up on it when I can. This week there was a wonderful recipe pulled from the archives for Green Tomato Relish.

Food for Living caught my attention with Banana Date Walnut Bread. Made with date sugar and oat and whole wheat flours this is would make one healthy and delicious breakfast!

I Like Granola takes us on a tour of foodie adventures in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Complete with beautiful pictures of all that was eaten along the way.

In other news, I completely forgot to spread the word about Feet on the Street at Off Her Cork. I was honored to be featured for the August edition. If you want to know a little more about me and what it is like to run and exercise in a foreign country, check it out.

Finally, if you happen to participate in athletic events for charity I’m always looking for people to interview for posts at Charity Mile. Let me know. I’d love to feature you in a post.

Felt like the weekend links were about due for another Macy Mae photo!

Links to a Healthy Weekend

August 29, 2009

I’m happy to say that I’m back with some great links this weekend. I hope you are having an enjoyable Saturday! It is bright and sunny here, but the temps are creeping up ever so slightly, not letting us forget that a hot summer is right around the corner!

On this last weekend in August, I find that my thoughts of food are looking forward to the autumn ahead (in the northern hemisphere anyway). I’m having visions of apples, pumpkins, hot cider and, as premature as this may be, I’ve even bookmarked a few cookie recipes I’ve come across for my holiday baking!

So are you finding yourself hanging on to the final days and foods of summer or are you ready to open your arms to cool-weather comfort food?

On to some of my favorite reads this week…

My Feasts had a post for the Indian dish Matar Paneer – a recipe including grilled cheese, peas and wonderfully spiced tomato sauce. The grilled chunks of cheese reminded me of the kind they grill here in Brazil at the churrascos. With all those flavorful spices I really want to give this one a try.

Vegetarian Perspective offered up a great Pineapple Salsa recipe to extend the flavors of summer a little bit longer. I’ve had mango and peach salsas but I’m not sure I’ve experimented with pineapple. Sounds great!

The American Council on Exercise published an editorial in response to a recent Time article which proposed by exercise won’t make a person thin. They, of course, make great, scientifically accurate points. Keep exercising!

The American Heart Association (AHA) is recommending a crack down on sugar consumption. Previously there have not be any specific recommendations on intake, but now the AHA is speaking out to say that women should limit intake to 100 calories or 6 teaspoons and men 150 calories are 9 teaspoons. Some research suggests we consume an average of 22 teaspoons a day! I’m now wondering how HFCS fits in the picture though. I haven’t done an extensive amount of sifting through the recommendation and related articles yet.

In other, maybe controversial, news, I found the article Is Whole Foods Losing Its Sustainable Luster? to be really interesting. The food store has been in the news a lot lately. I really don’t have an opinion to state one way or another at this point because I don’t feel I’m as fully informed. I just thought I’d share the article for those who may be interested.

Have a great weekend!

Photo of the Cathedral in Maringa from my apartment window one day this week.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

August 15, 2009

Their back! Sorry I had to skip out last weekend. The week before didn’t leave me much time for reading so there wasn’t much to go on for a links post. I returned to some fun and informative info this week, though.

Don’t you just love the bananas! I took the photo while my husband and I were out and about last weekend. When we decided to make a camera upgrade my main motivation was so that I could capture some photos of fruits and vegetables while we were still here. I know bananas aren’t all that exotic to most, but I love seeing them growing on the tree!

Enjoy your weekend and do something healthy for yourself! I’m taking a break the beginning of next week, but will be back soon enough with what I’m hoping will be lots of fun food photos!

Don’t (White) Sugar-Coat It had a post about a recent visit to the farmer’s market which featured a Brazilian vegetable that I haven’t had yet. The Maxixe is a small cucumber with a lemon flavor. I have seen this name before (although I think it may have been spelled differently), but haven’t branched out to purchase some. Just the other day I read about the lemon cucumber and had no idea that it might be the same thing. They are going in my bag if I can find them again!

La Fuji Mama did a review of Palm Leaf Plates. I’ve never seen these before, but they look like a fun and eco-friendly alternative to paper plates. Of course, they are a bit pricey, but you can compost them!

Our Best Bites featured Grilled Stuffed Zucchini. I’ve done stuffed zucchini before, but would never have thought to incorporate the use of a grill! Turkey sausage was also used and I’m sure that would add such great flavor.

Selby’s Food Corner shared a post about Putu Bambu, an Indonesian dessert of rice flour, cane sugar and coconut steamed in bamboo. This especially sparked my interest since I’m headed to Indonesia in October. I can’t wait to try it!

This is why you’re fat. Have you seen this site? Simple, yet powerful it is a blog for people to upload the most overwhelming unhealthy foods they’ve experienced. It will make you laugh, gasp in horror, groan in disgust and remind you why you love to eat healthy, nourishing foods!

Links to a Healthy Weekend

August 1, 2009

As a kid, whenever August rolled around it always marked the end of summer. As an adult I enjoy the fact that it still feels like there is a bit of summer left, well, at least when I’m in the U.S. Still more hot days, summer salads and frozen desserts. So how has your summer been so far?

Last Sunday was my 6th wedding anniversary! My husband was away on business that took him to Ecuador, Costa Rica and the U.S. If you are feeling bad for me, I’m sure that will quickly go away when you read my posts later in December of celebration trip to Antigua. Since our honeymoon we’ve tried to go to the Caribbean each year and have since moved that trip from July to December.

I did end up with some great food gifts out of the whole deal though. Nut butters and energy bars were among the goodies as well as some chocolate from Ecuador. Then to top it off, he brought me Bourbon Balls!

If you’ve never had a bourbon ball then you are missing out. It is a bon-bon of sweet creamy filling with a hint of bourbon flavor, covered in dark chocolate and topped with a pecan. It is difficult to leave Kentucky without picking up a few so if you ever make it there try them out.

Such great reading throughout this last week of July! Here are some posts I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did.

The Road Forks is a great blog I’ve come across recently and I just have to share. I don’t have a specific post but this blog is all about travel and food. So if that is your thing you are going to love it. Check it out!

The World Tastes Good celebrates the foods of Hawaii in a post this week. If, like me, you ever thought Hawaii was just pineapples, coffee and macadamia nuts this post is going to prove you wrong!

The Daily Spud offers all of us foodies some much needed help with her failure rating scale. Sometimes I think we are bit hard on ourselves when our hard work doesn’t turn out quite like we planned. Now you can analyze if it was as really as bad as you thought!

Health Nut shares some tempting Egyptian fare this week. This is a cuisine that is completely new to me, but I’m quickly learning has so many delicious flavors. I’m ready to start experimenting!

The Split Pea has just the recipe for using up fresh corn from summer. My mom used to make a fried corn growing up which I loved. This Trio of Corn Salad reminds me of that, but utilizes grilled corn with all kinds of additional tasty flavors.

Links to a Healthy Weekend

July 25, 2009

Happy Saturday! Around here it is cool and gloomy. I am loving it because it means we still have at least a few days of winter left before things heat up.

I had a day full of fitness planned and started it off by sleeping too late to make it to the gym for spinning! Oh well, the rain has come now and I wasn’t feeling up to a walk through it anyway. However, I do need to get back into spinning or some other cardio to balance out my running. I’m really craving some cross-training.

Today I also wanted to mention that, if you haven’t noticed, my posts are swaying much more towards the Brazilian side of things lately. I have a feeling this is going to be a theme for the next couple months. We move back to the US in October and I am feeling the need to try out many of the recipes I’ve had on my list here and keep putting off. The time is now or never, it seems.

So if you enjoy that cultural side of things, stay tuned! The blog is going to be evolving A LOT this last half of the year. As I move from Brazil, to our trip in SE Asia and back to settling into a makeshift US kitchen and then perhaps a permanent one a few months later if we found a house, things are sure to be interesting!

Here are a few of my favorite things from the week. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Food o’ del Mundo posted a tasty Curried Rice Salad this week. I love the use of dried cranberries. I never have been able to get into raisins, but the cranberries I like.

A Life Less Sweet posted one great pie this week with Fantasma Pizza. Cathy participates in Meatless Mondays and this is a recreation of one her favorite pizzas from a local restaurant. I’ll be trying it soon!

Not Derby Pie put a refreshing spin on a tart and tangy dessert with her Cherry Pistachio Crisp. It looks wonderful and I never would have thought of adding pistachio nuts to a crisp dessert. Yum!

Tossing Out the Diet and Embracing the Fat was an article from the NY Times this week. I enjoyed the fact that they included Steven Blair’s research. I’ve heard him speak several times and I enjoy learning about his findings. He is a major researcher in the whole “fit and fat” philosophy.

My personal opinion is that health is about fitness, not weight. It should be about how you feel. If you truly feel great, then that may be the best weight for you. At the same time though, I don’t believe in using that as an excuse. If you say you feel great yet you are overweight, get no exercise and eat fast food five times a week, well, I don’t think you are being honest with yourself.

Eat right, exercise and strive to be at a weight where you feel vibrant and energized! If that is 15 pounds more than what tables and charts tell us it should, so be it.

Photo of a sunset on the island of St. Lucia, 2007