(I'm sort of forcing myself to post this because apparently I'm existing in a brain fog. Doctor said it should clear up in another month though. In the mean time I do sort of really hate that this fatigue set in right after I decided to make a public commitment to blogging more. Way to save face there, Natalie.)
Ok, so why are marriage blogger and food bloggers alike? Because a lot of them post based not on what is normal but on what is abnormal. And even if they're supposedly writing about what is "normal" (marriage bloggers) they often come out of abnormal contexts. Let me give you an analogy. What does a healthy person eat? A healthy person eats ice cream and carrot sticks and pizza and salad and bagels with jam and grilled salmon and occasionally washes everything down with an ice cold root beer. If you're absolutely aghast at what I'm writing then I invite you think hard about your own life. Why do you eat healthy? Because at some point you felt really lousy and decided to change your diet. You were unhealthy. If you're still not getting it, let me further point out that, based on what I see around the internet, most people who are switching over to a "healthy" diet aren't doing it because they were eating a steady diet of cheetos and twinkies. They ate a perfectly normal diet that sustains hundreds and thousands of perfectly normal people. Who is the healthier person? A person who can eat a hamburger and fries without feeling like they're about to die or the person who ends up curled up in a bed a week later?
Now, because this is the internet and people assume things, let me hasten to add that not all hamburgers are made alike and not all diets are made alike. On the other hand, a Five Guys burger shouldn't actually make you wish you were dead. Go ahead make your own burgers from grass fed beef and freshly milled flour - sure it's going to be healthier and quite possibly tastier. Go ahead and eat plenty of veggies because they're so good for you. I'm totally in favor of that. Just understand that when your body really is strong and healthy and whole it doesn't require a whole lot of catering to in terms of allergies and sensitives and things like that. It can handle it.
So on to marriage bloggers. I'm thinking about a few blogs I know of either through reading them regularly or the contributions of their authors in other contexts. Most of them are written by people from rather dysfunctional backgrounds. These are people who experienced, either first or second hand, (ie through their spouses) promiscuity, infidelity, addiction, etc. The Driscolls would be another fairly high profile case (of Mars Hill Seattle fame). I don't have any particular insight here, but it does make me curious about the prevalence of dysfunctional people turning around and teaching others about marriage. Perhaps since so much marriage is dysfunctional now that's exactly what we need? Perhaps people who have seen abnormal can teach us more about normal? Is it possible that a couple who married young and made it work with minimal fuss for fifty years really can't articulate what made their marriage so strong?
Ok, that last thing sounds suspect to me. Like I said, I don't really have anything insightful to say here. It just struck me as odd that we take health advice from a blogger with a list of allergies longer than my grocery list for the week and we take marriage advice from men/women who were promiscuous growing up or who slept around for the first ten years of their marriage and yet now consider themselves very, very capable of pointing out just how wrong other people are. And sometimes they really do have valuable insights. I get this. On the other hand, there are some wounds you really only grow around and not over. Like a tree shaped by a boulder or the wind, the impress is still there, and I occasionally wonder if a person from a normal background and a normal marriage would see the same issues and if not does that tell us more about marriage in general or about the people critiquing it?
If I can try to bring this home - God uses wounded people. This is one of my chief comforts in life. Sometimes though, I wonder if maybe we're ignoring the ordinary stories. Why aren't we learning more from the altogether functional family of six that honestly does get along pretty well? Why not take a little health advice from the 75 year old cake lady at church?
I don't know. You tell me.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Brussel Spouts are yummy
There. That's probably the most controversial blog title you'll see all year.
As you can guess I am firmly, much to my own surprise, in the pro-brussel sprouts category. If you don't believe me just go to P. F. Chang's and order their lemon brussel sprouts that have been shaved and cooked on the wok until just tender and slightly charred. They will change your mind forever. That's not all you can do with them though. Basically my technique is to avoid anything like steaming or boiling and instead focus on roasting and sauteing so that you get as much flavor into the sprout as possible. I had pretty good success this evening with a simple vegetable and sausage casserole.
After spending a long weekend down at the beach and eating fairly standard restaurant fare I was filling the need to bring in some serious vegetable power. Fortunately pinterest gave me some inspiration. The original recipe is here, but I'm sure you can guess I didn't follow it completely. Basically I browned some kielbasa while I cut up sweet potato, carrots, a turnip, mushrooms, onions, and pound of brussel sprouts. I tossed the veggies with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and poured a vegetable broth that I'd seasoned with lemon juice, garlic, sage, and tarragon over the top. Then it all went into the oven as described. It came out quite well, and, even though I'd cooked the brussel sprouts with some liquid, they still came out very tasty. While I'm not a rabid seasonal cook, I do like generally cooking with the seasons, and this really easy root vegetable casserole (although it's more of a roast) was a great choice on a day when my brain was fogged up with "just back from a trip" and "let me take a flying leap at these responsibilities I haven't thought about for four days."
Pictures coming soon. I really like my new 50mm lens. It does stuff my other lens just can't do, as you'll see.
Also, I have a post in the works on Christian progressivism. I've just got some church stuff I need to get sorted out before I move on to play time.
And yeah. Eat your sprouts. They're good for you.
As you can guess I am firmly, much to my own surprise, in the pro-brussel sprouts category. If you don't believe me just go to P. F. Chang's and order their lemon brussel sprouts that have been shaved and cooked on the wok until just tender and slightly charred. They will change your mind forever. That's not all you can do with them though. Basically my technique is to avoid anything like steaming or boiling and instead focus on roasting and sauteing so that you get as much flavor into the sprout as possible. I had pretty good success this evening with a simple vegetable and sausage casserole.
After spending a long weekend down at the beach and eating fairly standard restaurant fare I was filling the need to bring in some serious vegetable power. Fortunately pinterest gave me some inspiration. The original recipe is here, but I'm sure you can guess I didn't follow it completely. Basically I browned some kielbasa while I cut up sweet potato, carrots, a turnip, mushrooms, onions, and pound of brussel sprouts. I tossed the veggies with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper and poured a vegetable broth that I'd seasoned with lemon juice, garlic, sage, and tarragon over the top. Then it all went into the oven as described. It came out quite well, and, even though I'd cooked the brussel sprouts with some liquid, they still came out very tasty. While I'm not a rabid seasonal cook, I do like generally cooking with the seasons, and this really easy root vegetable casserole (although it's more of a roast) was a great choice on a day when my brain was fogged up with "just back from a trip" and "let me take a flying leap at these responsibilities I haven't thought about for four days."
Pictures coming soon. I really like my new 50mm lens. It does stuff my other lens just can't do, as you'll see.
Also, I have a post in the works on Christian progressivism. I've just got some church stuff I need to get sorted out before I move on to play time.
And yeah. Eat your sprouts. They're good for you.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Creamy Chicken Autumn Soup
We had the good fortune to have our pastor and his wife join Allen's folks over here for dinner, and since I'm a huge fan of keeping things simple for company I decided to have soup and cornbread with chocolate pudding for dessert. It's a basic menu, but when you combine a flavorful autumnal soup with an absolutely flawless cornbread recipe you really don't need anything else.
Cornbread:
I use the link above with a few minor changes. When using buttermilk you can get good results changing the baking powder to baking soda. I didn't realize this, but when my mother-in-law mixed offered to mix up the cornbread for me she said that's what her mother used when mixing up cornbread with buttermilk. It must work because we ended up with a pan of moist, perfectly brown cornbread with a delightfully dense, spongy texture. A cast iron pan is crucial for this. Also, I cook with lard. You should too if you possibly can.
The second change I made is that I soaked my cornmeal overnight in the buttermilk. Trina, along with others, recommends soaking grains, and I really think you get the best cornbread this way. Sacrilege I know, but I've been known to add a pinch of sugar to my cornbread batter just to counteract the slightly bitter corn taste. When you soak your cornmeal though you lose that bitterness and end up with a lighter, just barely sweet cornbread without adding any sugar or wheat flour. I have to think it's more digestible too. Just put your cornmeal in a bowl with the recommended amount of buttermilk and let it sit until you're ready to bake. Mix in the rest of the ingredients as normal and enjoy some excellent cornbread.
Creamy Chicken Autumn Soup:
Ingredients
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
4 large carrots
2 med sweet potatoes
3 med parsnips
4 stalks celery
1 celery root (or 1-2lbs potatoes)
portabella mushrooms
frozen corn
frozen spinach
milk or almond milk
rosemary
parsley
salt
pepper
chipotle
chicken stock
2lb chicken thighs
cheddar cheese
bacon bits
I made this soup potato and dairy free since Allen and my mother-in-law feel best on that diet, and that's why I used celery root and almond milk. If you eat potatoes you can just sub the potatoes back in for the celery root.
Ok, basic soup recipe here. Dice your onions and add them to a pot with a little oil and the minced garlic and let them cook down a bit while you chop the other veggies. Add everything to your pot (except the potatoes or celery root) along with salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Top off with water and bring everything to a boil. While that's cooking boil up your diced celery root with a little salt and pepper until very tender. Add some milk and some of the soup liquid to the celery root and puree until very smooth. I had a large pot of soup, so I added some cornstarch and white rice flour for extra thickeners. About 2 tablespoons each I think. Pour your puree into the soup and let simmer.
While your soup is simmering brown some bacon in a pan until very crispy. Drain the bacon and immediately add your chicken thighs to the pan and cook them in the bacon grease until just barely cooked through. While the chicken is cooking crumble the bacon and set aside and grate the cheese to set aside. Cut the chicken into bite sided pieces and add to your soup pot along with the frozen spinach and frozen corn (if you haven't added them already).
Season the soup with salt, pepper, chipotle powder, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, and roughly a tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary and simmer 10-15 minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles on the side.
This is one of those recipes that sounds so simple - chicken soup with root vegetables - but the flavors are delightfully interesting. The parsley is bright and fresh; the rosemary is pungent; and the bacon and chipotle add a delightfully smoky warmth and depth to a soup under-girded by juicy chicken and a cozy blend of fall vegetables. If you're looking for a new fall soup I recommend you give it a try :)
Cornbread:
I use the link above with a few minor changes. When using buttermilk you can get good results changing the baking powder to baking soda. I didn't realize this, but when my mother-in-law mixed offered to mix up the cornbread for me she said that's what her mother used when mixing up cornbread with buttermilk. It must work because we ended up with a pan of moist, perfectly brown cornbread with a delightfully dense, spongy texture. A cast iron pan is crucial for this. Also, I cook with lard. You should too if you possibly can.
The second change I made is that I soaked my cornmeal overnight in the buttermilk. Trina, along with others, recommends soaking grains, and I really think you get the best cornbread this way. Sacrilege I know, but I've been known to add a pinch of sugar to my cornbread batter just to counteract the slightly bitter corn taste. When you soak your cornmeal though you lose that bitterness and end up with a lighter, just barely sweet cornbread without adding any sugar or wheat flour. I have to think it's more digestible too. Just put your cornmeal in a bowl with the recommended amount of buttermilk and let it sit until you're ready to bake. Mix in the rest of the ingredients as normal and enjoy some excellent cornbread.
Creamy Chicken Autumn Soup:
Ingredients
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
4 large carrots
2 med sweet potatoes
3 med parsnips
4 stalks celery
1 celery root (or 1-2lbs potatoes)
portabella mushrooms
frozen corn
frozen spinach
milk or almond milk
rosemary
parsley
salt
pepper
chipotle
chicken stock
2lb chicken thighs
cheddar cheese
bacon bits
I made this soup potato and dairy free since Allen and my mother-in-law feel best on that diet, and that's why I used celery root and almond milk. If you eat potatoes you can just sub the potatoes back in for the celery root.
Ok, basic soup recipe here. Dice your onions and add them to a pot with a little oil and the minced garlic and let them cook down a bit while you chop the other veggies. Add everything to your pot (except the potatoes or celery root) along with salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Top off with water and bring everything to a boil. While that's cooking boil up your diced celery root with a little salt and pepper until very tender. Add some milk and some of the soup liquid to the celery root and puree until very smooth. I had a large pot of soup, so I added some cornstarch and white rice flour for extra thickeners. About 2 tablespoons each I think. Pour your puree into the soup and let simmer.
While your soup is simmering brown some bacon in a pan until very crispy. Drain the bacon and immediately add your chicken thighs to the pan and cook them in the bacon grease until just barely cooked through. While the chicken is cooking crumble the bacon and set aside and grate the cheese to set aside. Cut the chicken into bite sided pieces and add to your soup pot along with the frozen spinach and frozen corn (if you haven't added them already).
Season the soup with salt, pepper, chipotle powder, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, and roughly a tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary and simmer 10-15 minutes to let the flavors combine. Serve with grated cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles on the side.
This is one of those recipes that sounds so simple - chicken soup with root vegetables - but the flavors are delightfully interesting. The parsley is bright and fresh; the rosemary is pungent; and the bacon and chipotle add a delightfully smoky warmth and depth to a soup under-girded by juicy chicken and a cozy blend of fall vegetables. If you're looking for a new fall soup I recommend you give it a try :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
a satisfactory pot - Black-eyed Peas and Greens
Yesterday ended up being a tad strenuous at times. I was making a meal for a family in my former homeschooling group (the mom had been the hospital with pneumonia and was just recently back home recovering), and suddenly I found my schedule ramped up by a couple hours so that I could hand off the meal while the father was up our direction. My unhurried plan for making dinner and driving it down went right out the window! So in the midst of scurrying around trying to get veggies chopped and cornbread baked I had a tiny blissful little interlude while fixing a pot of black-eyed peas and collard greens.
I theorize that in cooking, as in the rest of life, there are certain sweet spots. Perhaps in your life there's an ideal amount of yard work or a perfect running pace or a peaceful time of day to fold laundry. Whatever you're doing suddenly seems a little more satisfactory. The pace seems a little less frantic. Chopping the onions and searing the roast and stirring up pudding - those things all felt more of less like work. I had a schedule to keep, and gracious knows the one time you send your chocolate pudding off to someone else's house you don't want it to scorch. The peas and greens though. Those were different. I was still bustling around trying to get everything done, but there was something so satisfying in putting some fat back in a pan with a few seasonings and then stirring in the peas and greens with some chicken stock and letting it all simmer until the pot liquid becomes this rich broth just begging to be soaked up with some fresh cornbread. It's simple, instinctual fool. Soul food really. There's just enough slicing and stirring involved to enjoy cooking without it becoming tiring, and especially for those of us in the South it just tastes like home. My father-in-law is pretty darn southern, and he couldn't say enough nice things about this dish.
Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens:
1/4 cup fat back/side meat/or uncooked bacon sliced into thick matchsticks
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (or sub onion)
2-4 cloves minced garlic (around 2tsp)
2-4 bay leaves (depending on size)
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups frozen black eyed peas (I used 1 1/2 packages since that's all I had on hand)
2 cups frozen collard greens (or a similar amount fresh - I'll use either depending on what's available. You can also use kale or turnip greens)
Salt, pepper, red pepper (if desired)
Tamari Sauce/Braggs Amino Acids/Worcestershire Sauce
Put a heavy bottomed sauce pan (or cast iron pan) on medium heat and add your pork. While the fat is rendering mince your garlic and slice your shallots and then add to the pan along with the bay leaves and salt and pepper. Stir frequently for a couple minutes until the shallots and garlic start to turn brown and smell amazing. Pour in your chicken stock along with the collards and black eyed peas and a dash of Tamari Sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and taste to correct seasoning. I like plenty of pepper on mine. You can also play around with a little cumin or freshly chopped marjoram. Simmer for another 15 minutes (up to an hour with low heat and enough liquid) and serve with fresh cornbread or biscuits.
Caveat: This is more cultural memory than recipe so all amounts are estimates. Just use your common sense (and your nose and your tongue), and everything will turn out great!
I theorize that in cooking, as in the rest of life, there are certain sweet spots. Perhaps in your life there's an ideal amount of yard work or a perfect running pace or a peaceful time of day to fold laundry. Whatever you're doing suddenly seems a little more satisfactory. The pace seems a little less frantic. Chopping the onions and searing the roast and stirring up pudding - those things all felt more of less like work. I had a schedule to keep, and gracious knows the one time you send your chocolate pudding off to someone else's house you don't want it to scorch. The peas and greens though. Those were different. I was still bustling around trying to get everything done, but there was something so satisfying in putting some fat back in a pan with a few seasonings and then stirring in the peas and greens with some chicken stock and letting it all simmer until the pot liquid becomes this rich broth just begging to be soaked up with some fresh cornbread. It's simple, instinctual fool. Soul food really. There's just enough slicing and stirring involved to enjoy cooking without it becoming tiring, and especially for those of us in the South it just tastes like home. My father-in-law is pretty darn southern, and he couldn't say enough nice things about this dish.
Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens:
1/4 cup fat back/side meat/or uncooked bacon sliced into thick matchsticks
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots (or sub onion)
2-4 cloves minced garlic (around 2tsp)
2-4 bay leaves (depending on size)
2 cups chicken stock
3 cups frozen black eyed peas (I used 1 1/2 packages since that's all I had on hand)
2 cups frozen collard greens (or a similar amount fresh - I'll use either depending on what's available. You can also use kale or turnip greens)
Salt, pepper, red pepper (if desired)
Tamari Sauce/Braggs Amino Acids/Worcestershire Sauce
Put a heavy bottomed sauce pan (or cast iron pan) on medium heat and add your pork. While the fat is rendering mince your garlic and slice your shallots and then add to the pan along with the bay leaves and salt and pepper. Stir frequently for a couple minutes until the shallots and garlic start to turn brown and smell amazing. Pour in your chicken stock along with the collards and black eyed peas and a dash of Tamari Sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and taste to correct seasoning. I like plenty of pepper on mine. You can also play around with a little cumin or freshly chopped marjoram. Simmer for another 15 minutes (up to an hour with low heat and enough liquid) and serve with fresh cornbread or biscuits.
Caveat: This is more cultural memory than recipe so all amounts are estimates. Just use your common sense (and your nose and your tongue), and everything will turn out great!
Monday, October 8, 2012
A little bit of community
People talk about all sorts of communities. Gaming communities. Trade unions. Congregations. Here's one for you. Looking down the sign up list to bring a meal to a family I noticed my aunt by marriage had snagged the slot right before mine. Even when I feel like I'm not getting anything done, that my personal sanctification moves at a glacial pace, I'm reminded that I'm part of that vast army of women who look at these small moments of service and ask themselves "Pot pie or beef stew?"
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Just a little motivation
Hawaii trip this Spring.
High Sierra backpack this Fall.
I'm still trying to get my head around these events. The high Sierra route is still a little tenuous, but we've got the tickets to Hawaii :) If that's not motivation to get myself in shape I'm not sure what is. The problem now is just breaking down the steps into pieces small enough for me to get my brain wrapped around them. Also, my MIL makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Hands down. No contest. Did I mention we're staying with my in-law's currently? On the other hand, she's something of a health nut, so I'm thinking that will balance out the cookies. Am I kidding myself here? I'm thinking that if I can't loose 15lbs for a Hawaii vacation I'm not sure what could motivate me, but then again I've learned my head can be a strange place. At least I've got September pushing me to get my rear in gear (most literally!) so that I don't just sit down and give up half-way from the summit of some pass. I'm hoping that if I can manage to think about California while I'm training and Hawaii while I'm eating I'll end up happy on both accounts. Just long as I don't reverse the two. I can scarf down the calories while I'm backpacking (can anyone say endurance sport?), but I don't expect Hawaii will be all that strenuous. Yeah.
High Sierra backpack this Fall.
I'm still trying to get my head around these events. The high Sierra route is still a little tenuous, but we've got the tickets to Hawaii :) If that's not motivation to get myself in shape I'm not sure what is. The problem now is just breaking down the steps into pieces small enough for me to get my brain wrapped around them. Also, my MIL makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Hands down. No contest. Did I mention we're staying with my in-law's currently? On the other hand, she's something of a health nut, so I'm thinking that will balance out the cookies. Am I kidding myself here? I'm thinking that if I can't loose 15lbs for a Hawaii vacation I'm not sure what could motivate me, but then again I've learned my head can be a strange place. At least I've got September pushing me to get my rear in gear (most literally!) so that I don't just sit down and give up half-way from the summit of some pass. I'm hoping that if I can manage to think about California while I'm training and Hawaii while I'm eating I'll end up happy on both accounts. Just long as I don't reverse the two. I can scarf down the calories while I'm backpacking (can anyone say endurance sport?), but I don't expect Hawaii will be all that strenuous. Yeah.
Monday, October 10, 2011
food theology
Lately I've been getting increasingly frustrated with all the food hoopla that's been going around on the internet - largely of the "Don't eat x" crowd with "x" increasingly coming to mean sugar, flour, dairy, coffee, alcohol - basically all the stuff that makes eating fun. Now I've read the blogs, and I know that most people would jump on here telling me how much better they feel and how they really don't miss whatever it is I'm not supposed to be eating and that if they do miss it they just remember the days when they couldn't leap tall buildings and bench press cars and tell me that it's all worth it. The problem is that I don't buy it. That is to say, I don't buy the philosophy that seems to be behind it. A lot of it seems to be driven by speculative forms of evolutionary biology and theories about so called primitive man and doesn't take into account some of the Bible's rather clear teachings on food. For instance, you'll find a whole group of people who will tell you (loudly) that gluten/wheat/grains are bad for you, and I have absolutely no doubt that for some people they are extremely harmful. However, when Christ instituted the Lord's Supper He did it with a baked product made (to the best of my knowledge) from some type of ground grains. Throughout the Bible bread is a powerful image of comfort and provision. God could have chose root vegetables or goat cheese or various other images, but He chooses to tell us about salvation with bread. So, I can't reject bread out of hand. Even if I got to a point where it seemed wise to avoid grains altogether I would have to admit that the problem is with my body and not with the bread. Ditto for things like wine. People who argue for this or that sort of diet (particularly Christians) point out that we have a duty to care for our bodies and keep them in good running order - Christians trot out that old verse about our body being a temple to justify any number of strange eating habits. And yet, few of them consider passages like Colossians 2:16 in which the Church is warned against people who judge other based on what they eat or another passage in Timothy 4 where God talks about the food He's made to be received with thanksgiving. Now I don't want to get simplistic here. Clearly there are some things we shouldn't be eating every day. There are other things we should only be ingesting after careful consideration and for clearly defined reasons (such as prescribed drugs of various kinds). This isn't carte blanche to go and be stupid about a mushroom patch in the woods. There's a whole lot of wisdom to be applied here. What I dislike are the repeated statements about how God designed people to eat as though God handed Eve a poached egg topped with grated carrots and told her to have fun. So maybe Adam and Eve didn't enjoy dark chocolate stout or a creme brulee after their pasta primavera. They also didn't have orthotic footwear, refrigeration, and paved roads. When Adam and Eve set out to cultivate the world I think there's an implied call to growth and maturity that wasn't confined solely to things like architecture and metal working. In fact, I think things like whiskey and soda and pumpernickel bread and chocolate chip cookies are part of that maturation process since they all result from exploring and probing God's creation to get all the goodness out of it that we can. The person who makes chocolate chip cookies takes God's bounty and through grace is allowed to transform that bounty into something even more desirable. It's the same way with babies and iron ore and sheep's wool. God gives us something and gives us the chance to transform it. It's a beautiful thing. That's why it irks me whenever I hear talk about what we were "designed" to eat or how we "evolved" on a certain diet and need to stick with it. We were designed to explore God's creation and shepherd it and transform it against Christ's return. This means, among other things, not acting as though the earth was a library book we had to return in the same condition it was issued.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Flax Seed is my new friend
Recently I've started adding flax seed to my fruit smoothies, and I think it's really improving my focus and energy levels. Yesterday I spent the whole day cooking giant batches of everything to share with some friends of ours who have twin babies and recently moved. When I was done we had some lovely pot roast, zucchini bread, garlicy rosemary dinner rolls made with fresh ground flour (love my vitamix so much!), and two chicken pot pies made with homemade stock, and I didn't crash once. Yeah the kitchen still isn't back together, but with my history of depression, low energy, and poor focus I felt really good about what I accomplished. Taking my supplements regularly is a huge part of all that, but I'm also thinking that the extra omega-3s and antioxidants are helping. That's brain food right there.
In case you're wondering what I put in my smoothies here's my basic formula:
1 scoop whey protein powder (got to have protein!)
1 scoop fiber blend (helps slow sugar absorption and keeps me feeling good)
1 scoop green food mix (pick your favorite powdered greens supplement)
1/2 frozen banana (makes it sweet and creamy)
small handful whole flax seed (a genuine super food)
1T cocoanut oil (If you don't like nut oils then leave it out. All I can say is that my cholesterol is just fine, and I haven't gained any weight on it.)
From there I add whatever sounds good at the moment. Peach Mango Strawberry is great, and I really like making an all berry blend with a bit of pineapple. I top it off with kefir and orange juice, but yoghurt and any other fruit juice on hand will work. I've used carrot juice in the past occasionally with good results. If you have any blood sugar issues a bit of cinnamon will help even things out.
I know that sounds like a whole lot for one meal, but I keep everything by the blender and can put together lunch in 5 minutes max. Plus, it really does taste great. Just make sure you pick a fiber that doesn't have an offensive taste. Slippery Elm powder, for instance, can be pretty nasty. Apple pectin and psyllium hulls do much better. Once you drink a class of this you've gotten in good oils, probiotics, your fruit for the day, fiber, and gotten a start on your leafy greens. Did I mention that it's also taken care of my ice-cream cravings? Not bad for lunch :)
In case you're wondering what I put in my smoothies here's my basic formula:
1 scoop whey protein powder (got to have protein!)
1 scoop fiber blend (helps slow sugar absorption and keeps me feeling good)
1 scoop green food mix (pick your favorite powdered greens supplement)
1/2 frozen banana (makes it sweet and creamy)
small handful whole flax seed (a genuine super food)
1T cocoanut oil (If you don't like nut oils then leave it out. All I can say is that my cholesterol is just fine, and I haven't gained any weight on it.)
From there I add whatever sounds good at the moment. Peach Mango Strawberry is great, and I really like making an all berry blend with a bit of pineapple. I top it off with kefir and orange juice, but yoghurt and any other fruit juice on hand will work. I've used carrot juice in the past occasionally with good results. If you have any blood sugar issues a bit of cinnamon will help even things out.
I know that sounds like a whole lot for one meal, but I keep everything by the blender and can put together lunch in 5 minutes max. Plus, it really does taste great. Just make sure you pick a fiber that doesn't have an offensive taste. Slippery Elm powder, for instance, can be pretty nasty. Apple pectin and psyllium hulls do much better. Once you drink a class of this you've gotten in good oils, probiotics, your fruit for the day, fiber, and gotten a start on your leafy greens. Did I mention that it's also taken care of my ice-cream cravings? Not bad for lunch :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)