My Muse...

When I was single, I ate fairly bland, healthy food. When I met my husband, I stretched myself to make delicious healthy food to keep him interested in eating well. Now that I'm a mom, I work overtime to create healthy, scrumptious food that my toddler will eat.

Here are two dishes that my daughter LOVES.

This first one is tofu dip. Well, she'll eat any and all of my dips, but recently I improvised an old favorite because I had no Tahini in the house (I know, a totally tragedy). I was so surprised by how much Mylah loved what I came up with. Here's what I did:

2 boxes silken tofu

3 T fresh lemon juice

1 T garlic powder

Salt to taste (about 1/2 T)

2 T apple cider vinegar

about 1 T German, grainy mustard

1 T Sesame seeds

Mix in food processor and adjust seasoning to taste. Super easy and yummy!

The second dish I make often is oatmeal. I know...not newsworthy. However, the way I make it, she gets all of the nourishment I could hope for in one dish. Here's what I do (and it's different from my earlier blog):

1/2 c oats

1 c soy milk (unsweetwned, with only 2 ingredients: soy beans and water)

2 T apple sauce (unsweetened, organic)

1 T Honey (local, unrefined)

a dash of cinnamon

! T ground flax seeds

Add all ingredients to a saucepan--except for the flax--and cook over medium heat until oats are tender. Then I add 1 T ground flax meal. Mix it together, and let the little ones go to town!

Yummy...more, please!

What inspires you?

Aside from health, comfort is what inspires me in the winter. I want comfort foods that are warm, full of flavor, and make plenty of left-overs. Tonight, I thought I was going to make my version of Pad Thai for dinner. I even started marinating the tofu, chopping the onions, and formulating the rest of the dish in my head. But that's not what happened. Nope, we had Italian instead.

I'm still marveling over this huge leap from one culinary staple to another, but I saw it unfold before my eyes and I just had to go with the flow. Oh, and it was so worth it. The delicious, healthy casserole that emerged from my waning inspiration was loved by all and hailed as "glorious" by my husband.

Here's what I did:

I sauteed 1 chopped yellow onion in olive oil, then after about 5 min added chopped garlic and chopped artichoke hearts (canned in water). Then I added chopped Kale, garlic salt, and dried basil, thyme, and sage. After the Kale wilted, I removed the heat and crumbled a whole block of firm tofu in the skillet and mixed it together.

While this was happening, I boiled "rice spirals" by De Boles. I used these not because we're gluten sensitive, but because I think that too much wheat is never a good thing. These noodles are nothing like what you'd get in an Asian dish, and have all the flavor of traditional Italian pasta.

When the pasta was finished, I mixed the veggie/tofu mixture and the noodles in a casserole dish. Then I Mixed in some crumbled Chevre, olive oil, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning. Mm, then I sprinkled some grated Mozzarella on the top. I baked this at 350 for 10 min and then I broiled it for about 5 more minutes. Below you will find a picture of the "glorious" masterpiece that was fully inspired by this very cold winter weather.

Simply Seasonal

I was offered watermelon yesterday, and then today Mylah whined for grapes while shopping at Whole foods. Maybe you think I'm crazy for thinking that's crazy, but watermelon and grapes in the middle of January in Colorado are just WRONG on so many levels. Watermelon season is July. Grape season is autumn (not so bad), but these "whole foods" grapes were conventional from Chili.

This reminds me of when I was pregnant and had asked my husband to go by the store to get some fruit, and he came home with apples...it was June. June is the best fruit season of the year. You don't buy a fall fruit when the abundance of June is all around--berries, plums, apricots, peaches, etc are what I expected to see.

Why would this matter?

1.) Food grows best under certain environmental conditions, and your body burns those foods best under those SAME conditions. 2.) The food that's in season provides your body with minerals and nutrients that you need during that season. 4.) Seasonal food is cheaper because it's currently growing in abundance. 3.) Food that grows in Chili ought to be eaten be those people living in Chili...where it's "always summer."

Instead of giving Mylah grapes, I washed off a lovely red pear for her to nosh on (from Washington, but hey some concessions must be made).

The truth is, ever since leaving California I have found it increasingly difficult to eat seasonal, local food. Winter gardens are sparse here, and even Summer gardens leave a lot to be desired. Regardless, this is an issue that is close to my heart, and I hope to pass this way of eating onto my daughter...and my husband.

Do you Love Food?

While cooking in my kitchen moments ago, I had an epiphany: I am a food geek. I love watching people cook on TV, I really enjoy reading cookbooks, I think it is so fun to peruse cooking stores, and I'd rather cook then go out to eat (any day of the week). Chances are, if you're reading this, you are a Food Geek, too (or on the quick path to becoming one). I use this term with the utmost reverence and love, because food is everything. It's nurturing. It's health. It's medicine. It's illness prevention. It's grounding. It's uplifting. It's growth. It's awareness. It's life. It's pure energy that feeds your brain, your body, and your soul.

I LOVE FOOD!

With that said, I have got to share with you a recipe I've been cooking all fall and winter: Pumpkin Bread. I know, it does not sound like rocket science, and I certainly am not the first person to cook such a wonderful, nurturing "staff of life." (I swear, this is a synonym for bread. I just looked it up. Here's the link if you don't believe me:http://www.synonyms.net/synonym/bread).

It's typical of a home cook to not write down recipes. Even though my good friends always ask/tell me to, I get so caught up on the creative process that I just do what feels organic (Hence, the term "glob" used several times in my previous post). However, because this pumpkin bread has been so consistently spectacular, today I measured.

Here is how it goes:

2c whole grain spelt flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

1 can pumpkin puree (yep, I use the WHOLE thing)

2 T Ghee, melted

2 eggs, lightly scrambled

2 T Maple Syrup (grade B)

2 T Black Strap Molasses (So healthy and full of iron)

1/4 c sugar (Add more sugar or don't add any; it's up to you)

1/2 t vanilla extract

Mix the dry, mix the wet, then mix together. Here at altitude, they take about 25 minutes to bake at 350 if I use a muffin tin. Otherwise, in a bread pan, they may take well up to 50-60 min.

Wholesome, delicious, life-giving bread. Pumpkins are full of beta-carotene, potassium, zinc, and fiber. I eat these with a peaceful mind, because they truly are a food geek's dream.

A New Year...2011

Making a commitment or resolution for the New Year is common. It's a ritual. It's an empowered decision. It's typically centered on a healthy lifestyle. It's an important moment of conscious living, even if it is a bit clichéd (and only if it does happen once a year).

The concept of a commitment to health is one that I wish people would make on a daily basis, on an hourly basis, or even on a moment-to-moment basis. This is a wish I have for you, as it is a wish I have for me. Maybe this should be the resolution for the New Year: To live consciously and make healthful decisions throughout each moment of every day. Except when you don't, because sometimes you won't (to steal a wonderful phrase from Dr Sues' "Oh, the places you will go"). In which case, love yourself more in those moments than you ever knew possible...because that's what you're really craving. Right?

I write this now as I sit here feeling the aftermath of the Holidays. Since the gluttony has hit the fan, so to speak, I am ravenous. Hungry. All of the time. For everything. Even when I'm not hungry at all. Yuck (Love self. Love self. Love self.)

Anyways, some people are doing cleanses and detoxes. Some people have given up sugar or alcohol or carbs. I, however, have chosen to give up nothing. I am adding MORE abundance into my diet. Does that even make sense? Let's see: I'm adding in more balanced meals. More tea. More protein. More creative cooking. More sitting down and eating. More joy of food. More breathing when I'm anxious. More noticing when I'm restless. More rest when I'm tired. And more luxury...whenever I feel like it.

On that note, I'm going to share with my secret for something that I think is so luxurious, so indulgent, and SO MUCH FUN: Fondue.

This is what I do for Fondue three ways:

The protein:

We make a meat fondue with Ahi Tuna, Salmon, and/or chicken by making a lovely broth with stock, garlic, ginger, white wine, and lemon slices. Cut the meat up into cubes, and then dip it in one of the five creative dips that I love, or some of your own.

Miso Dip:

A glob of miso paste, grated fresh ginger, 1 T of Tamari, 1-2 T of Honey, and mix together.

Tahini Dip:

A glob of sesame tahini, grated fresh garlic, 1 T honey, sesame seeds (or Gosomai), lemon juice, and mix together.

Honey Mustard:

A glob of grainy German mustard and a glob of local, unrefined honey. Mix...yummy!

Wasabi mayo:

A glob of grapeseed veganaise and some wasabi powder. Mix together.

Tzatziki inspired delisciousness:

A glob of whole fat yogurt, lemon juice, fresh grated garlic, dried dill weed, and mix together.

And then we make CHEESE FONDUE!

A little olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, feta, ricotta, and spinach. Cook, and dip lightly steamed broccoli or cauliflower in it...or a rustic spelt round if your lucky enough to have one at your health food store.

And then we finish this luxuriant meal with CHOCOLATE fondue!

I put some vegan chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with some soy milk. Microwave for about 30 sec. Stir and then see if you need to heat it up for another 20 sec. Do this until it is gorgeous and creamy. I dip candied ginger, Barbara's animal crackers, fruit, and nuts in this lovely mixture.

Yummy!!!!!