Free advice

I'm going to get a little more serious with my Tumblr account which has an awesome ask feature.

So if you have a nutrition question, feel free to post it there - through an account OR annonymously.

Again that's:

My Tumblr account (I'll post info, recipes, answers to questions, photos of my meals)

The ask page

Enjoy!

Mini Blackberry-Oat Scones

I have been a die hard devotee of Heidi's recipe feed - 101cookbooks.com - for a long time. But like any blog-fan, I only manage to try the recipes every so often.

Today I knew I needed a scone recipe for the day care that I work as a dietary planner so, so I pulled up her Orange and Oat Scone recipe. I swapped the fruit and made them minis, and they were a huge success.

Mini Blackberry-Oat Scones

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 pint blackberries, chopped
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse 15-20 times or until it looks like sandy pearls. (If you are working by hand, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter.) Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir in the oats and berries. Stir in the buttermilk until just moistened.

Bring the dough together with your hands. If the dough is still too crumbly, stir in more buttermilk a tiny splash at a time, but try to avoid over mixing. After bringing the dough together, gently pat it into small rounds. Cut with an apple corer/slicer yielding 6 small triangles and 1 small-circle (baker's treat) per round. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with some room between each scone. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. Bake for 10 to 13 minute or until the bottoms are deeply golden.

Makes many, many mini scones.

Magical Breakfast Cream Recipe

You'll never believe it, but I just made a recipe from a weight loss cookbook. NO, I am not trying to lose weight and/or begin a new chapter of my life in which I believe in trendy weight loss diets... but I saw a movie called Midnight in Paris and it got me re-interested in French culture. I'd already read Bringing Up Bebe in which Druckerman suggests exposing your young to strange cheeses and this has been very successful with Oliver. He is now a connoisseur of bries, aged cheddars and even the little gem that Calvin brought home the other day that cost more per gram than most drugs. So that was my experience with popular books that comment on French eating patterns, and I thought I'd give "French Women Don't Get Fat" a try.

The author claims her recipe helps you to drop pounds fast - if you eat it every day for breakfast.

It goes like this:

• 4-6 tablespoons yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably Meyer or organic)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons finely ground cereal (with zero sugar, such as Post Shredded Wheat)
• 2 teaspoons finely ground walnuts

Blend.


Well, what'dya know, I had to go and change it. So I did this:

• Yogurt stayed the same :) - I used PC's Natural line, in vanilla bean
• I have only capsule flax oil at the moment, so I took a huge leap and added a Tablespoon of peanut butter (ha ha)
• All out of lemons, so I replaced the juice, and the honey, with a couple of pitted dates for flavour and sweetness
• I used oats as cereal
• I used almonds for nuts

And it was good! In fact I lost 9 months halfway through the first serving - kidding. But I actually don't tolerate dairy well in the morning so although I liked the taste I probably won't be whizzing this up again any day soon.

Favourite Recipes

I was just dusting off our collection of holiday recipe books and magazines and had a looksy through my recipe book which was started by my mom, that I now add to.

Here are some of my top favouite go-to recipes that I've made a million times. They aren't necessarily healthy!

Freezer Cookies - Calvin's Favourite

I always have a minimum of 12 of these in the freezer at any given time.

Boil: 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, 2 cups raw sugar, 1/2 cup milk & 4 T cocoa powder, for one minute. Add 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 cups oats and 2 tsp vanilla. Drop on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen you can keep them in a container.

Small batch of Lemon Curd

I use this on ice cream, in yogurt parfaits, on pancakes, and in tarts.

In a double boiler, whisk 1 egg, 4 T sugar and 2 T lemon juice until thick, then add 1 T butter and a pinch of salt.

Orange-glazed Tempeh

We figured this one out at a health food store I worked at and now I'm obsessed.

Fry 2 packages of tempeh, cubed. Mix together 1 c orange juice,  1 T grated ginger, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp mirin, 2 tsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp ground coriander and 2 cloves minced garlic. Pour the sauce in the warm pan and let thicken. Add fresh cilantro and lime juice.

Polenta Pie

Another health food store winner.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix 1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups milk and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and add 1 c cornmeal. Simmer for 8 minutes. Mix in 1/4 c parmesean and 1 T butter. Press half into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Mix the other half with 1 c ricotta or feta, 1/2 c chopped spinach, 1/4 c chopped bell pepper, 1 juiced and zested lemon, 1 T dill and 1 egg. Press on top. Bake 12 minutes.

Jody's Secret Apple Crisp

A family recipe. The secret is no oats and a long cooking time.

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and dice a 5 lb bag of apples (Macs). Fill a deep dish with the apples - make sure it has a lid. Top the apples with a mix of 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Press on top. Sprinkle heavily with allspice. Lid it and bake for an hour. Then bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

Best, best, best Salad Dressing

4 T tahini
2 T oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic salt
Fresh chopped cilantro

Keeping Cleaning Under Control

Although I claim to be the queen of green clean, I'm actually a terrible house cleaner. I'm better at coming up with eco-friendly recipes and making suggestions than actually pulling out the vacuum and doing something. The good news is, I love lists. Recently, my husband came up with a fool-proof plan to satisfy my love of checking off "to-do" items and his love of living in a clean home. We each have a weekly cleaning list. Now, he works 40 hours a week at a high-stress fast-paced job, whereas I work 20 at a breezy fun-fest so they aren't perfectly even. They go like this.

Amy

Daily | Help Oliver with tidying his room/toys | Sweep after meals

Monday | Laundry
Tuesday | Dust
Wednesday | Showers, tubs
Thursday | Fridge clean-out | Coffee zone clean-up
Friday | Mop wood floors
Random | Take out recycling

Calvin

Monday | Deep clean kitchen
Tuesday | Vacuum
Thursday | Deep clean bathrooms
Random | Shovel snow/cut grass | Groceries


Both
Daily | Load/empty dishwasher | Tidy

Oliver
Daily | Put toys in bins when not using | Put cup and bowl back when done

It helps so much to get cleaning done without feeling overwhelmed. If I have only one task at hand I can do it with ease and I feel so accomplished when our home is spic and span. And P.S. I do everything with Dr. Bronner's soap!!

Beauty Secrets from my Best Friends: Part Two

Our next set of tips comes from the very best friend of Jill (see: Part One). Jessica has been mentioned on here before where I directed you to her awesome Youtube channel. She recently travelled to LA for Fashion Week where she was an honoured guest at a major show.

Skin: Rose Salve

I am the type of person who likes to get the most bang for my buck. That’s why I try and use products that do double duty. One of my favorites is rose salve. I put it on everything. Dry lips, elbows, hands, even my nose. It moisturizes while keeping skin healthy and free of chapping.

Accessorize

Fashion is my passion. It goes without saying that the world is my runway and I never miss a beat to pose. While I enjoy playing dress up, on a college budget it can be quite expensive. To keep up with the ever -changing fashion world, I always recommend expressing yourself through accessories and keeping your clothes classic. A black fitted blazer will always be chic, so dress it up by adding a bright scarf or strands of beads. If all you have is a pair of jeans and a white tee, the options are endless with just the right amount of accessories. Choose stores that offer of the moment items at low prices, then you won’t have buyers remorse when it goes out of style

Try It On

This might seem like a no brainer, but so many times I see women buying things without trying it. You should always try. Just because it looks good on the hanger, does not mean it will flatter your figure. You should also take 2 different sizes with you into a change room. Not every stores sizing is the same, so to avoid a pesky sales person as for 2. Also on the flipside, if you see something that looks like nothing you would wear, give it a try, it might be your next favorite closet item.

Find Your Signature

It’s fun to try different makeup looks, but you should have a signature look. For me it’s winged eyeliner and a red lip. I also promote picking a signature scent (mine is dkny delicious) because when you smell and look the way you desire, you will be your most confident self. When you know you look good, you feel good.

Smile

I use to hate getting my photo taken. I never really understood why, until I looked at old photos and realized how miserable I looked in them. Now, I look forward to taking photos because I’m smiling. A smile does wonders for you. It’s warm, approachable and always beautiful. Smile often and you will have a more positive outlook on life.

Good Christmas Gifts for the "Natural" Toddler

The Holidays are just around the corner. Did I just say that? Have I become my husband?

Even though my birthday is Saturday and I really should be making a wish list for that I am instead thinking of my little tornado who is currently trying to figure out if his piece of cheese will fit in the XBox. So many commercials and paper flyers circulating now are marketing toys for his age group but I can't help but pray that he won't be given a heap of them. Our home only needs one Elmo!

So here's a list of really nice things that you can buy for a 1 - 2 year old that Mama will be happy about.

Wooden toys

Eco friendly craft supplies

Mini garden tools (and mini versions of other things like kitchen tools)

BPA-free bath boat

Eco friendly training pants

Homemade Granola - Oh The Possibilities

You can't argue with me: granola is pretty freaking delicious. If I have a carton of almond milk chilling in the fridge it has no chance at surviving me and my trusty cereal bowl. I would eat granola for breakfast every day (if it wasn't for my love affair with toast - sigh.)

Granola is really easy to make and I'm very sad if you buy it prepackaged unless you have a valid reason like you're preoccupied with 15 children or you have no arms or you can't afford a baking sheet.

Here's my bare bones method.

Preheat your oven to ANYTHING. I suggest 375 or 400F but let's not get technical.

Line a baking sheet (the kind you make cookies on) with butter or coconut oil or tin foil or parchment paper.

Warm up a mix of butter (or coconut oil) and honey (or maple syrup). Maybe a 1/2 cup of each - don't worry about it.

Now fill a mixing bowl with a whole bunch of stuff. Go on. I would suggest oats but this isn't a dictatorship. It's granola making, lighten up. A recent favourite that I made contained dried blueberries, pepitas (that's hulled pumpkin seeds), shredded coconut, salted pretzels and dark chocolate chips. You can put nuts, seeds, spices, other cereal. Try granola crumbs. The sky's the limit but I wouldn't suggest ground beef or grape popsicles. At this point I add a pinch of salt but it's very naughty and I can't condone you doing it to your batch.

Go back to that butter-honey you warmed up. (It wasn't in the microwave was it? Use a pot on the stove you high-tech clown.) Pour the mixture over the bowl of odds and ends. Use a wooden spoon to toss it all together then spread it on your sheet.

Bake it for 10 minutes then take it out and stir it with the spoon. Keep doing this every 10 minutes until it looks toasty. Then let it cool and store it in a large glass mason jar.

Mmmm, see aren't  you glad you didn't follow a MarthaStewart recipe or anything like that? You go granola-maker!

Grocery Store Dilemma

Today I shopped at a different grocery store than I'm used to.

It's a lower-end chain in a lower-income area. And my usual is Sobey's or Loblaw's - so I knew it'd be a little different.

It was a lot different.

You had to pay to get a cart, probably because they are often stolen.

It didn't open until 9am. (What? The stores near me are all 24!)

The shelves were primarily No Name brand, and offered a lot less variety.

Not a single bell pepper looked appetizing. I felt nauseous from looking at them.

I took 2 bags of pita bread, which wiped the shelf clean.

The checkout conveyor belt was about 1 foot long. I filled it like 8 times.

Did I mention they didn't even have strawberries, cherry or grape tomatoes, or any fresh mushrooms what so ever?

I felt really mad, not because I was having a bad time there but because many people have this as their standard. And I'm not saying - you better improve this store! Or, make mine worse! It just bothers me that there's such a massive difference.

I guess it hit me hard because I do these nutrition education talks and I promote things like "For a quick and easy breakfast - just blend some fresh fruit with some flax seed oil and chilled green tea, then sweeten it with raw honey! Delish!" And now I realize - have some of these people even seen flax seed oil? I mean, they can't even get strawberries, maybe I need to cool it on the raw honey promotion.

What do you think? Should the field of nutrition education take income-level into account more? Are we a bunch of snotty nutritionists? I'm interested!

The Real Food Guide

Have you ever looked at the "Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating" before? It scares me. So if I eat a block of cheese, a box of Cheerios, a jar of peanut butter, and finish it off with some apple juice, I'm good? Every day?

I agree with getting variety and I think there are general categories for how to make sure you get the right nutrients every day but I see it slightly differently.

1. Colourful fruits and vegetables

Enjoy an unlimited amount of fresh produce. You can't go wrong with fruits and vegetables - they are the backbone of so many healthful foods like smoothies, soup and salad. Eat at least 1 fruit or vegetable from each section of the rainbow every day - reds/purple/blues: berries, pomegranate, apples, tomatoes; orange/yellows: bell pepper, squash, carrots; and green: kale, spinach, cucumber. When in doubt, add more vegetables. Lettuce and tomato never hurt a hamburger, steamed broccoli never hurt a macaroni and cheese, and I don't think it's complete until a taco has corn and tomato on it.

2. Omega fat-rich foods

Nuts and seeds (and their delicious byproducts nut/seed milks and nut/seed butters) should find their way into your diet with no regret. Also eat ample coconut (as milk, oil, toasted flesh), olives (perhaps the oil will be familiar to you) and avocado. If need-be add a fish oil or algae omega capsule to your routine. Nothing contributes to weight gain and poor health like a diet that doesn't have enough healthy fats.

3. Protein-rich foods

Often related to the aforementioned category, protein needs to be eaten daily too. Yes, think of eggs, natural meats and organic yogurt, but think also of beans, lentils and seafood. Many vegetables contain protein so don't limit yourself to the old thinking of "meats and alternatives" which basically branches as far as tofu (oh! ah!)

4. Fibre-rich foods

If you've already eaten some baked eggplant, a bowl of edamame and some stir-fried mushrooms you probably don't need a piece of bread. The "grains" group is out-dated - many people are healthy without grains.

5. Bone mineral-rich foods

Say goodbye to the old thought that you need dairy for bone health. You can find the popular calcium and its lesser loved sister magnesium in many foods. I'm not saying don't drink milk (I myself am a cheese lover) but just realize that you can find these uber-special dairy nutrients in many other foods. As long as you're eating some of them every day you're in the clear.