Archives for October 2010

Fall Fest 2010: Autumn Dinner Party

October 30, 2010 By

I love having guests for dinner! I love everything about it: the fellowship and conversation most of all, but also all the preparation involved. Planning and executing the menu are probably my favorite things, but I also love decorating for my guests, too. This time, especially, because the excitement of having guests over for dinner prompted me to do something I haven’t done in a long time: create a centerpiece for my dining room table!

Parents of toddlers will understand, I’m sure, why I just don’t bother with a centerpiece most of the time. Before my Certain Little Someone came along, I always had a pretty little seasonal something in the center of the table, if only a candle of some kind. It’s been a while, so I had fun allowing my creative juices run in a direction other than food for once.

Not that the food was neglected, naturally. We had a delicious autumn-inspired menu to go with the table decor, which I will tell you about in a minute. First, though, my super simple, super cheap, but warm and cozy autumn centerpiece:

It’s an all natural display of autumn’s splendor, which is my favorite kind of decorating. There’s just something so simply elegant about arranging creation into a delightful design. I think it speaks to the soul, but I’m probably making too much of it.

Here’s how I did it, in case you’re interested.

You will need:
1 pie pumpkin
1 small oval or round basket, just large enough to fit the pumpkin
a couple sheets of newspaper
a basketful of freshly fallen autumn leaves (not dried)
a few decorative pumpkins and gourds
turbinado sugar
tealight candle

After cooking the pumpkin, scoop all the flesh out of the shell (You will need a pumpkin with a really hard shell. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly which variety of pumpkin has this type of shell, because for me it seems to be hit or miss. Sorry.). Use an old toothbrush to really get all the pumpkin goop off the inside of the shell:

Save the pumpkin flesh and seeds for consumption.

Allow the pumpkin shell to dry on the counter top for at least several hours, until no moisture whatsoever remains.

Place a few pieces of crumpled newspaper in the bottom of the basket to give a little lift.

Place most of the leaves in the basket on top of the newspaper, being sure to cover it. Save the prettiest leaves for later.

Fill the pumpkin with turbinado sugar (brown rice or another brownish grain would probably work well, also). Push a tealight candle (either in a small glass holder or by itself) into the sugar to stabilize it. Place the pumpkin and candle in the basket on top of the leaves.

Artfully arrange the prettiest leaves around the perimeter, leaving some to hang over the edge a little.

If you have an appropriately colored and designed runner or placemat, place the whole basket in the center of the runner or placemat. Arrange a few small pumpkins and gourds decoratively around the basket. Voila!

You can also place a few more pretty leaves strategically around the placemat as well, which I did after I took this picture.

Then, all you have to do is remember to actually light the candle when it’s time for dinner. Which I did not. Oh well, I am enjoying the pretty tableau now as I write this post.

As for the food, this was our very autumnal menu (a little too heavy on the pumpkin perhaps, but nobody complained!):

Savory Pumpkin Pasta (I panfried a lb of boneless skinless chicken breast, and added it to the pasta, together with some crumbled dried sage leaves just to up the ante a little.)

Artisan Bread with Honey Butter (Disclosure: clicking on the link will take you to Amazon.com, and I will receive a small commission on any resulting purchases in the next 30 days.) (I was in a hurry when I baked the bread, and unfortunately it was a tad under-done. It also did not have as much flavor as usual; not sure what happened there. Oh well, the honey butter was good!)

Better than Fruit Salad (I doubled it, and only used apples and pears, no peaches or nectarines. Very autumnal flavor that way!)

Steamed Carrots (exciting, huh?!)

Salad (which my friend brought to share. Yum!)

And for the dessert… (drumroll, please)….

Pumpkin Mousse Parfait
adapted from All You magazine
1 cup pureed sweet winter squash, such as Hubba Hubba or Buttercup
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup honey
1″ piece of ginger root, chopped, or 1 tsp dried ginger
2 tsp cinnamon (or just go for a whole tablespoon!)
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup gingersnaps, crumbled
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or wafers, melted

Place squash, milk, sugar, honey, ginger root, spices and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves. Stir corn starch into water and whisk into pumpkin mixture. Bring pumpkin mixture to a boil, continuing to whisk constantly.

Reduce heat and simmer, still whisking, for about two more minutes. You should have a pudding-like texture. Pour pumpkin mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.

Cool completely. Whip heavy cream and vanilla until firm peaks form. Fold a small portion of whipped cream into pumpkin pudding mixture, then gently fold remaining whipped cream until there are no more streaks.

Spoon a small portion of pumpkin mousse into each serving container (clear glass bowl or drinking glass). Top with crumbled gingersnaps. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Repeat. Top with whipped cream if desired.

This is a great QUICK dessert recipe, especially if you make the pudding mixture a day ahead. All you have to do the day you serve it is assemble the parfait, which takes 10 minutes max.

It’s also very EASY. Even the pudding mixture is uncomplicated and easy enough for anyone to do.

It’s pretty CHEAP, except I did have to pay through the nose for the gingersnaps. Urgh. I did not have any molasses on hand, and no way to get any in time to make the dessert, so I had to pick up some store-bought gingersnaps. Again I say, Urgh! You can use pretty much any kind of crumbled cake or cookie in the parfait; it doesn’t have to be gingersnaps. Granola would also be delicious.

It’s pretty HEALTHY for a dessert. I even bought a very healthy brand of gingersnaps, that only had one potential icky ingredient (possible soybean oil, which I do not like to use.). I think next time I might try to reduce the sugar, but I didn’t want to gross out my guests if it wasn’t quite sweet enough to serve as dessert. It definitely helps to start with a sweeter squash. You could use whipped topping instead of whipped cream, but whipped cream is a much healthier option (no chemicals or hydrogenated oils or other fake ingredients).

Oh, and be sure to call it “Pumpkin Mousse Parfait”, not “Squash Mousse Parfait”. That rose by any other name stuff? Not true.






4 Comments Filed Under: Celebrations, Dinner, Home, On The Table Tagged With:

Fall Fest 2010: The Downside of Fall, or Counteracting the Flu Season

October 29, 2010 By

This time of year is traditionally the beginning of cold and flu season across much of the US. Companies, schools and students suffer because so many people have to call in sick from now until the worst of winter is over. Most people either do nothing and hope to sail through the season on a wing and a prayer (oftentimes, that’s me!), others get a flu shot and then do nothing, others are more pro-active about their health and actually take steps to prevent catching all those cold and flu bugs flying around out there. That’s the kind of person I want to be this year.

In my house, we choose not to get the flu vaccine for a lot of different reasons. There are a lot of people on every side of the issue with a lot of information about why you should or should not get the flu shot, but suffice it to say, we don’t. Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. This blog isn’t the greatest place to delve into the whys and why nots of the flu shot, so let’s just say this:

Whether or not you get the flu shot, you should be taking measures to protect yourself from all those cold-weather germs.


In keeping with the theme and purpose of this blog, most of these suggestions are inexpensive, easy to incorporate into your daily routine, and healthy for you. By “healthy” I mean all-natural, helpful, and not harmful (no side effects!).  Pick and choose what works for you… or better yet, do all of them and watch those germs disappear in front of your eyes.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, a P.A. or a nurse. In fact, I have no medical training! All of this knowledge was passed on to me by my mother, by informative medical personnel, and studies based on the subject. Oh yeah, and a little bit of my own common sense, too, if you trust that. So please, consider this advice in light of your own intelligence and research, and your doctor’s recommendations.

1.Get plenty of sunshine… or vitamin D3.
The following is my personal opinion. You are forewarned. I believe that the recent epidemic of vitamin D deficiency is the direct result of a long advertising campaign urging consumers to use sunscreen every time they step out the door. It really shouldn’t surprise anybody that since the sun is our best source of vitamin D, the direct result of removing its effects on us is a lack of vitamin D. This lack of vitamin D really affects one’s immune system negatively, so either get outside for at least 15 minutes every day (with NO sunscreen!) or talk to your doctor about taking a D3 supplement (D3 is absorbed more easily by the body, and is therefore more useful, than other vitamin D supplements). Be sure to consult your doctor because taking too much vitamin D can be bad for you, too. Also, drink whole milk - removing the fat from milk also removes the vitamin D, so the vitamin D in reduced fat milks is synthetic and therefore not as easily used by your body. Other dietary sources of vitamin D include fish and fish liver oils (yum!).

2. Get plenty of rest.
Adults need an average of 7-8 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep harms your body in all sorts of ways, including lowering your immune system’s ability to fight off illness. Get serious about removing anything from your life that keeps you from getting the rest you need. And if you have to, take a fifteen minute nap during your lunch break!

3. Wash your hands, but not with antibacterial soap.
I often scratch my head about the popularity of antibacterial soap considering the common knowledge that overexposure to antibacterial products and antibiotics contributes to the development of resistant bacteria like MRSA. For that matter, I scratch my head about the propensity of doctors to prescribe antibiotics at the drop of a hat for the same reason, but that’s a whole ‘nother issue I’m not going to get into here. The point is, frequently using antibacterial soap could be damaging in the long run, and there are plenty of other options that are safe and just as effective. I don’t have links or resources handy, but I have read about studies that prove alcohol- or soap- based cleansers clean off just as many - or almost as many - germs as antibacterial products, yet they don’t create mega-bugs. Sounds like a win-win to me. My personal opinion, based on what I’ve read from a variety of sources, is that if you have simple soap and water handy, that’s your best bet. When that’s not available, use an alcohol-based hand cleanser. Whatever you do, please do wash your hands. The quickest way for a bug to get inside your body is that trip from your hands to your nose, eyes and mouth. And do you realize how many times you touch your face? Try counting one day… you’ll get tired of it quickly because it happens so often.

4. Try a neti pot, or a saline spray.
Last year - before flu season ever started! - my Certain Little Someone had a terrible cold that left him struggling to breathe. I knew that the people of India were famous for using neti pots to keep their respiratory systems healthy all year long, but that seemed a bit impractical (impossible?) for a babe. Then I read that using a nasal spray is almost as effective as a neti pot. A lot easier, too, especially for a little one. I squirted a little saline solution up his nose morning and night and he remained healthy throughout the cold and flu season. I finally got a neti pot (I don’t know what took me so long!) for myself when I had the mother-of-all-sinus infections back in September, and I really need to get a habit going of using it every day. Either way, studies I have read suggest that keeping your nasal passages moist and clean (both accomplished by a mild saline solution) goes a long way in preventing colds and flus from developing.

5. Eat your yogurt.
Your digestive tract plays an important part in your overall health, so you need to feed it well. Aside from eating healthy foods in general (and limiting sugar, alcohol and tobacco), give your innards a little help by eating yogurt every day. Real yogurt, I mean, not the sugared-up dessert stuff. Make it yourself if you can, or buy a good quality low-sugar yogurt. You can also take a probiotic supplement.

Here’s to a healthy cold and flu season! By which I mean, here’s to the lack thereof!

2 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health, Home Tagged With:

Fall Fest 2010: Squash-Potato Soup, Comfort Food at its Best

October 25, 2010 By

I am home now from the Relevant Conference, and can I just say that I had an amazing time?! I don’t have the time or space on this blog to tell you about all the wonderful bloggers I met, new blogs I found to follow, exciting blogging tips I’m dying to implement, and even more than all that, surprising spiritual refreshment and challenge. Suffice it to say, it was a great experience and one I look forward to repeating next year!

I haven’t cooked a homemade meal in almost a week, what with getting ready, going to, and recovering from the conference, but before I left, I made some super delicious and very flavorful soup. It was initially a potato soup recipe (one of my favorite kinds of soup, by the way), but I altered it by adding squash… and a few more things.

This soup is made in the slow cooker, which I personally think is the best way to make soup. To me, it’s more convenient because you can pile all the ingredients in the crock pot whenever you have the time, and let it go all day if you need to; whereas cooking soup on the stove top usually takes a couple hours and requires more hands-on management. I rarely make soup on the stove, but I make it fairly frequently in my slow cooker.

One thing I love about soup is its flexibility. Don’t have celery? Leave it out (or maybe add some celery seed). Love onions? Double the quantity! Only have 5 potatoes? No problemo; your soup will be more broth-y, but it will still taste great! When making soup, don’t worry about exact ingredients and quantities: use what you have and adjust seasonings until you get the taste and texture you’re looking for.

Here’s my most recent version of Potato Soup (It never turns out the same way twice!). You will notice, by the way, that most ingredients in the recipe below are ranges rather than specific quantities. I did that on purpose to emphasize the flexibility of soup, but if that scares you, just choose one end of the range and stick with it throughout the recipe.

Squash Potato Soup
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 delicata squash, cubed (or 1-2 cups any cubed squash)
1/2-1 cup chopped onion
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
6-8 cups chicken broth
1-2 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp pepper
2-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2-1 cup milk or plain yogurt
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 handful each fresh chives and parsley

Place vegetables, broth, salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 4-6 hours, until vegetables are tender. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup, being sure to leave about half the vegetables intact. Alternately, you can pour a portion of the soup into a blender and pulse for a few seconds, or you can just skip this step. Make sure heat is on Low (or Warm) and stir in bacon, milk or yogurt, cheese and fresh herbs. Let the soup sit for a few moments while you prepare the rest of the dinner. Sprinkle extra parsley or chives on each serving as a garnish, if desired.

Soup is not QUICK in the strictest sense of the word, since ideally it requires some time to blend all the flavors together. Using the slow cooker greatly reduces the amount of hands-on time required, however, so that you are free to go about your business during the day while it cooks.

It’s very EASY! Like I said, soup is flexible, and very difficult to ruin.

Soup is so CHEAP, too, because it’s largely based on broth (which you can make at home for practically nothing), and because you can adjust it to whatever ingredients you happen to have on hand. Many people even save leftovers of vegetables to throw into their soup, which makes it even cheaper and very frugal!

Another thing I love about soup is that it is sooo HEALTHY, provided you stay away from soups based on canned goods. I always feel so healthy when I plop all those vegetables into the pot: vitamins galore!

Find more tasty recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday.

(Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Amazon.com, which means that if you click on links in this blog that lead you to Amazon.com, I will receive a percentage of the profit from any purchases you make there in the next 30 days.)


4 Comments Filed Under: Dinner, Home Tagged With: ,

Fall Fest 2010: Guest Posting Galore, Pumpkin Seeds and More

October 19, 2010 By
If you’re visiting from Money Saving Mom, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed my guest post there! Please browse around, and if you like what you see, you can find links on the sidebar to the right for subscribing or following via Google, Facebook, or Twitter. I hope you stop by again soon!

Guest posting is in the air today! You can find my guest post at Money Saving Mom about frugally feeding your family even when encumbered by dietary concerns and restrictions here.

Meanwhile, here at home, I am hosting Sara of Thriving Mama! She blogs about living frugally and contentedly and I love how her recipes are wholesome and healthy. Be sure to check out her blog, where she has a companion post to the one below.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds




Roasted pumpkin seeds have been a hit or miss fall snack. Often they end up a little more chewy and a little less crunchy. This year, I ended up with great, crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds and only wish I had more seeds to roast. There are a couple extra steps but they are, easy and SO worth it for a great cheap snack! Here goes.

While the artists are carving up their pumpkins, separate out about three cups of seeds. Or save the seeds from any winter squash you are chopping up for your meals. I’ve done this with butternut seeds and they had a slightly different flavor, but were fantastic! Separate the seeds from the pumpkin guts and rinse them.

Next, Boil a salt water solution of 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of water. Add the pumpkin seeds and allow to boil for 20 minutes. Drain in a strainer and rinse one more time.

Lay the seeds out on a cookie sheet and let them dry overnight. It’s ok if they’re still damp in the morning. Mine didn’t dry completely.

Mix your marinade: Combine 1 Tablespoon of honey, 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground Cloves thoroughly. If you like stronger spices, feel free to add more.

Toss your pumpkin seeds in your marinade. Spray your cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spread your seeds back out on the tray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Once seeds seem “dry” and golden brown, remove a couple from the oven and let them cool. If they are crunchy, they are done. Let the batch cool and enjoy! Store in an airtight container, if they last that long!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks, Sara! I wasn’t going to roast any pumpkin seeds this year, because, believe it or not, I still have some leftover from last year, but I definitely have to try this recipe. I have 2 little pumpkins sitting on my counter waiting to be cooked and pureed… and now seeded!

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Basics, Home, In The Budget, On The Table, Snacks, Waste Not

International Fare: Russian Blini, Greek Yogurt and Cardamom Coffee

October 18, 2010 By

Every year in October, my church has a “Missions Banquet”, where, ideally, everyone brings a dish representing their ethnic background. Both my DH and I have a lot of mixed European blood, but we also each have a strong presentation of one particular European country that dominates the mix. My mom is 100% Finn, and my DH’s mom is mostly Greek, both of which provide a great deal of inspiration for a variety of delicious ethnic foods. On top of that, I spent some time in Russia in my teen years, and gained an appreciation for a variety of Russian foods, my favorite of all time being blini.

Blini are kind of like the Russian version of crepes, or very thin pancakes. They can be served with savory or sweet accompaniments. Caviar is a favorite (not for me, but for people who happen to like caviar!), and sour cream (or plain yogurt/kefir) is also very common. Smoked salmon is popular, and I recall once having them as a snack for tea in a Russian home, served with jam. In my brief research, it seems like there are about as many different recipes for blini as there are people in Russia, but I use a recipe very similar to what was taught to me by a friend in Russia.

I am no blini expert, so I will just give you the ingredient list that I used, and then direct you to this site, which has very specific instructions for the method that is a lot more precise and helpful than I would be. In Moscow, my friends would say that the first blin was for the cook, meaning that the first blin never quite turned out the way it should. When I make them, the first 2 or 3 are for the cook!

Here is the ingredient list that I used (more accurate, I think than the one in the link above. My recipe doesn’t have buttermilk or kefir, but you can certainly substitute part of the milk with either of those).

Russian Blini
2 eggs
1 TBSP sugar
1/3 tsp salt
3/4 flour
2 cups milk
1 TBSP oil

Whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and then stir as you slowly add the milk. Mix until smooth and well blended - no lumps of flour. Stir in oil. Continue as directed here.

The other component of my international potluck offering was Greek yogurt. Oh. My. Word. I’d eaten Greek yogurt from the store before, but this was homemade, and WOW! It was sooooo good. The best yogurt I’ve ever had. I made my own yogurt with whole milk in my yogurt machine the day before, but you can use any plain yogurt.

Greek Yogurt with Honey and Vanilla
2 cups plain yogurt
1 TBSP honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Line a strainer or colander with cheesecloth (or…. paper towels, she whispers embarrassedly. No cheesecloth here, so I had to make a quick substitute. And no, there were no flecks of paper in the yogurt!). Pour the yogurt into the colander or strainer and place over a bowl. Allow to sit for several hours to drain out all the liquid in the yogurt (I left mine in the fridge for a large part of the day). You should have almost a sour cream consistency with the remaining yogurt.

Remove yogurt to serving bowl, and stir in honey and vanilla until well blended. Prepare for bliss… and taste!

SOOOO EASY, and aside from the draining time, very QUICK too. It’s a great CHEAP dessert (or snack or breakfast) AND it’s very HEALTHY to boot. And did I mention that it’s fabulously delicious?! A winner in my book!

My final contribution was cardamom coffee, a nod to my Finnish heritage which I have already blogged about, so you can read here if you’re interested.

I think I have just given you the components for a yummy breakfast… Enjoy!

4 Comments Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Home, On The Table Tagged With: ,

Fall Fest 2010: Experimenting with Delicata Squash

October 14, 2010 By

This fall, in accordance with my goal this year to try new foods, I’ve been experimenting beyond the typical acorn/butternut/spaghetti squash trio I normally use. Right now, I have a Hubba Hubba squash (isn’t that the greatest name for a squash ever?) sitting on my counter waiting for me to be inspired, but a few days ago, it was a Delicata Squash.

This one and only Delicata Squash is all the experience I have with this particular variety, but it’s enough to know… I love it! Mostly because you can peel it with a vegetable peeler!

Amazing, huh? I didn’t think there was such a thing as a peel-able winter squash, but here you have it, folks. No super-sharp, extra-long knives or hack jobs just to get the peel off of this baby. Seriously, when it comes to ease of use in cooking preparation, this particular winter squash takes the cake, hands down. No contest! So if you want to add more winter squash to your autumn repertoire, but don’t feel like spending the time and effort on cooking or boiling or roasting the squash just to get the peel off… this one’s for you!

Here’s how I prepped my delicata squash before including it in my dinner recipe.

First, wash and peel with any vegetable peeler or paring knife.

Then, using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash lengthwise into halves.


Up until this point, you might be thinking: “Is this really a winter squash? It seems more like a yellow summer squash!”, but then you will look inside. And the fiber and seeds galore will tell you that, yes, my dear, this is indeed a winter squash!

Scoop out the seeds and fiber with a spoon and dispose of however you desire.

Cut each half lengthwise into quarters:

Then chop those quarters into cubes:

 

Your delicata squash is now ready to be included into any recipe that calls for winter squash. Really, it can be used in almost any recipe that calls for vegetables! I actually cooked mine up into a this recipe to see if we like it just as well. (Incidentally, that recipe mentions that the peel is edible as well. Not sure I’m ready to take that plunge quite yet, but thought I’d let you know, just for information’s sake!).

I’m so happy I could find for you a winter squash that is really and truly QUICK to prepare.

And EASY, too!

Delicata is the same price as all the other winter squash, so it’s just as CHEAP as any of them. Around here, that means $0.99/lb or less this time of year.

Delicata shares the same nutritional qualities as other winter squash, meaning it’s full of HEALTHY nutrients: vitamins A and C, fiber, and some vitamin B. The lighter color of its flesh does indicate a lesser presence of beta carotene, but that’s the only drawback. It’s low in calories and fat, so eat up!

1 Comment Filed Under: Basics, Home, Knowledge, On My Mind, On The Table

Finding Your Healthy Balance

October 12, 2010 By

This topic has filled the corners of my mind lately (the ones not filled by all the other really important stuff going on in my life, like little toddler boys pooping in the potty instead of in the diaper for the first time!), mostly because I follow a lot of blogs that focus on healthy food preparation (surprise, surprise!), the majority of them being in the “whole foods” camp. I more or less align myself with the “whole food” line of thinking, which means that I believe an ideal diet includes the following (among other things):

  • no processed foods
  • minimal sugars, and those only natural (honey or maple syrup for example)
  • whole grains
  • organic milk, meat and produce
  • healthy fats (which differs from the usual perspective of what makes a healthy fat)
  • and much more, but that’s the basic gist of it!

The reason this has been on my mind lately is that I find myself struggling to match up to the ideals I see in the blogs that I follow (even though all of them are very encouraging to anyone in any stage of their “healthy foods” journey). I get discouraged and upset with myself for not making certain food choices, and then I get frustrated by my circumstances that hinder me from eating more whole foods than I already do.

Not anymore.

 I am beginning to realize that if I focus too sharply on the healthiness of the food I eat and make, then I will lose focus on other aspects of my life, some of which are far more important than even health and nutrition (as important as those are). This post is as much for me as it is for you, to encourage all of us who struggle to eat healthier, and to provide healthier food for our families. Here’s what I’ve come to realize: while health and nutrition are incredibly important in life, there are other existing factors that create checks and balances and prevent or encourage different levels of healthiness.

Disclaimer: this does not mean that eating healthy and nutritious food is unimportant! On the contrary, it definitely deserves a priority status in anyone’s life. I believe that everyone should make every effort to eat as healthy as they can. All I’m saying is that sometimes life interferes and we have to make the best food choices we can with what is given to us. 


Everyone’s life looks a little different, but maybe some of the following things keep you from eating as healthy as you’d like:

Relationships
This is big for me, a priority that trumps healthy eating each and every time. What I eat is a very personal choice, and I can’t force it on anyone. And I mean anyone, even my husband (thankfully, my child is a different story!). Early in our marriage, I was very gung-ho about changing my husband’s diet and was surprised and irritated when he resisted my efforts. It was for his good, after all! But after we had a few really serious fights on the subject, I learned to back down… or at least to choose my battles! Our relationship is more important than what we eat.

There are other ramifications as well. I learned (a little too slowly, perhaps) that other people were not as interested/passionate/enthusiastic about healthy food as I was. In fact, that was my one and only reason in the beginning for starting this blog: to create an outlet for myself to rant about healthy food and nutrition without offending and insulting everyone I knew or wanted to know. Whenever I am at a social function, I keep my opinions about the food being served firmly clamped inside my head. It’s not worth it to offend other people or make them uncomfortable by my assertions or indignant explanations of why xyz food is not fit for human -or even animal - consumption.

Along the same lines, I’ve learned not to complain when family and friends choose to go to places like - oh, the horror! - McDonalds. I go with them, and you know what, I eat the junky food. The point is fellowshipping and having fun with people I love, not agonizing over the food I eat.

Budget
This one’s another biggie. Unfortunately, I simply can’t afford to eat organic, grass-fed meat most of the time. If it’s on sale for a similar price to conventional meat, sure! I’ll take it! Most of the time, though, I can only afford whatever’s on sale at local grocery stores. I know it’s not the healthiest meat, but at this point in my life, there’s nothing I can do about that. People have recommended other options to me, like buying half a cow or the like, which is a wonderful idea… but not possible at this time in my life, and for more reasons than budget.

I have made room in our budget for more organic items, and hope to increase that as time goes by. Currently, I exclusively buy organic milk and use it to make my own organic yogurt. I also buy certain choice produce items (on the dirty dozen list) organic only, and in any case, I purchase locally farmed produce all season long. I do what I can, which may not be as much as I want to do, but it’s what I can do.

Space
One of the best ways to eat frugally and healthfully is to store fresh fruit and vegetables in season, either by canning, freezing or drying. I currently don’t have the means to dry anything, but I freeze and can what I can fit in my freezer and pantry… which isn’t much! Also, buying the aforementioned half a cow would be a great cheaper option for healthy meat… but I have no place to put it. I barely have a place to put the regular sized packages of meat at the grocery store, let a lone half a cow. Additionally, I would love to buy wheat berries in bulk and grind my own flour, but I have no room for the berries OR the grinder.

Time
This is not as big a deal for me as it is for others, since I am a SAHM with currently only one little charge to look after, and no car at the moment to keep me busy running around doing stuff. I have plenty of time at home to make all kinds of things from scratch, which I enjoy immensely. However, my time, as plenteous as it may be, is not enough for me to consider soaking grains (check out this link if you have no idea what I’m talking about) at this point and time in my life. Many people who advocate soaking grains experience an improvement in their digestive health, but I’ve looked into soaked grains at length and have come to the conclusion that the scientifically proven benefits are too minimal for me to invest such a lengthy amount of time. Everyone has a different threshold of how much time they can (or will) commit to making their food healthier, and that’s mine!

Let me reiterate: healthy eating is a top priority for me, and I think it should be a top priority for everyone. It’s a balancing act, for sure, though: you have to fit your healthy lifestyle into the limits created by your relationships, budget, space and time.

What about you? What hinders you from eating as healthy as you would like to, or what do you struggle to keep in balance as you strive to eat healthy? Does any of this resonate with you?

6 Comments Filed Under: At Home, Health, Home, On My Mind, Reflections

Fall Fest 2010: Soup or Stew?

October 8, 2010 By

What exactly makes a recipe a soup and not a stew? Or vice versa? The ingredients? The broth? The texture? Its place on the menu? Is it just in the name? Does anybody really know? Do you know?


I don’t. Not really, anyway. I just did some quick research to settle this question burning on my heart and mind and pretty much came away more confused than before. Perhaps I need to go to culinary school to get a definitive answer…

The only thing I could come up with is that generally speaking, stews are heartier than soups. There are apparently other factors but they seem to fluctuate depending on the kind or type of stew/soup in question. Here’s an article that explains it very well, but still didn’t help me decide if this recipe is a stew or a soup or what.

This is actually a combination of two different recipes, both labeled “stew” by the authors. While the ingredients were essentially the same, one called for significantly more liquid than the other, so I compromised. One was cooked slowly in the crock pot, while the other was finished on the stove top rather quickly. I opted for the slow cooker because that is a lot more convenient for me and does seem more stew-like to go along with the name.

I will confess that, although I found this stew/soup delicious, my DH was turned off a bit by the presence of the apples. This is a switch for us: normally I hate cooked apples, but for some reason, they didn’t bother me as much in this recipe. Personally, I think the unique contrast of the sweet apples with the savory meat and vegetables was intriguing and still comforting, as a soup/stew should be. Why don’t you give it a try and decide for yourself? And while you’re at it, let me know if it’s a soup or a stew!

Chicken Apple Stew/Soup
4 medium potatoes, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 small-medium apples, peeled if desired, and chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
1 rib celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups cooked cubed or shredded chicken
2 cups chicken broth
1-1 1/2 cups apple cider or juice

Place the vegetables in the crock pot. Sprinkle the spices evenly on top, and then place the chicken next. Pour the broth and juice over all. Cook on high 4-6 hours.

You can certainly adjust the ingredients to your family’s tastes. You can increase (or decrease) the onion and garlic, or you could add some parsnips to the mix. If you want a thicker stew, decrease the liquid. Typically, this type of stew would be made with chicken breasts, but I used what I had (which ended up being cheaper!), which was shredded chicken from a previous meal.

This doesn’t seem like the QUICKest recipe I’ve ever made or featured here on my blog, if only because of all the vegetables that need prepping. The good news is that the time spent is all on the front end: once it’s loaded in the slow cooker, your job is done, and when it’s time for dinner, dinner is ready. This is the perfect recipe for those days when you have a little more time in the morning than in the evening (if that ever happens!).

Again, for the same reason, it’s not the EASY-est, either. On the other hand, it’s not exactly complicated. The hard part is chopping veggies, and anybody can do that.

It’s very CHEAP, especially if you do as I did, and use any old chopped up chicken rather than boneless skinless chicken breasts, which are rather expensive. I also used homemade chicken broth, and juice rather than cider (although this is the time of year to get cider at the best price possible… unfortunately, we had just enjoyed the very last drop of cider the day before I made this stew!).

This is a very HEALTHY soup, with all those vegetables. A couple servings of this soup, and you’ll have your quota of veggies for the day! OK, slight exaggeration, but still. Lots of vegetable goodness in this recipe!

Find more soup and stew recipes at:
Whole Foods For the Holidays: A Real Food Progressive Dinner
OR

1 Comment Filed Under: Dinner, Home, On The Table Tagged With: ,

Fall Fest 2010: Chicken Spiral

October 6, 2010 By

One of my favorite pastimes is browsing through my vintage cookbook. Even though it’s old, I always find so many great ideas for new recipes and new twists on classics and standard home-cooking repertoire. When browsing through it last week, I came across a whole section on variations for biscuits. One variation was “Pinwheels”, where instead of cutting out individual biscuit rounds before baking, you cover the whole surface of the biscuit dough with some type of filling (either sweet or savory), then roll it up cinnamon-bun style. Depending on the filling, you bake it whole or in slices.

I want to try the sweet option soon, but today for dinner, I tried one of the savory options with meat. The instructions were pretty vague, so I was free to use my imagination. (Yes!) Naturally, I added a fall twist to the whole thing, mainly by using my pumpkin biscuit recipe (minus the sugar and cinnamon). Once cooked and sliced, I made a sauce that didn’t turn out so great, but we ate it anyway! You can also eat the biscuit spirals plain, or top them with a Southern style gravy or white sauce.

Chicken Spiral
1 pumpkin biscuit recipe (minus sugar and cinnamon)
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded semi-soft cheese
1TBSP fresh chopped sage
freshly ground black pepper

Roll out the biscuit dough to about 1/4″ thickness (thinner than you would for actual biscuits). Evenly sprinkle chicken, cheese, sage and pepper over surface of the dough. Roll up from the long edge into a spiral, and place seam-side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450F for about 15 minutes. Allow time to cool slightly and slice to serve.

This is a very QUICK dinner recipe that’s ready in about half an hour. It makes a great meal when combined with some steamed vegetables, side salad, or even fresh fruit.

It’s also super EASY, just as easy as making biscuits (maybe even easier).

It is definitely CHEAP, as most recipes involving shredded chicken are. Besides the chicken and cheese, the ingredients are pretty much pantry staples.

It’s pretty HEALTHY, too, with whole grains in the biscuit recipe, as well as the the sneaky vegetable (pumpkin). Chicken and cheese add protein as well as healthy fats.

3 Comments Filed Under: Dinner, Home, On The Table Tagged With:

Fall Fest 2010: Changing Up a Classic

October 5, 2010 By

When I first started searching for ways to include more winter squash in our diet, I happened by chance up on a recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto in a little pamphlet that came with a magazine. Although I did not have much experience with either squash OR risotto at the time, the ingredients sounded good and it looked easy enough for me to try. Both my DH and I were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed it, so I’ve hung onto the recipe and made it a few times since then.

Of course, you know, I’ve changed it up a bit! For one thing, I try to use brown rice instead of white, so I made that little switcheroo. Also, the original recipe called for bacon - which is delicious - but I don’t always have that on hand, so I don’t always use it. Finally, it calls for butter and Parmesan cheese to be stirred in at the end, which tastes great but makes it unsafe for my Certain Little Someone to eat, so I just leave those out.

Of course, traditionally, risotto is made with Arborio rice, and Chef Ramsay (who seems to have a particular fondness for risotto, but only if it’s perfectly cooked) would be horrified, I’m sure, by my version made with brown rice. Whatever. It still tastes good. Maybe it’s not exactly risotto, then, perhaps we should give it a new name. Any ideas?

At any rate, using brown rice will be better for you, and although it takes longer to cook, it will actually make the process a bit easier. Traditionally, risotto has to be stirred and stirred and stirred forever and ever, but brown rice takes longer to cook, so you can let it go for a few minutes while you work on other dinner preparations.

And of course, including squash in the risotto adds a little flavor, not to mention vitamins galore! And it makes the risotto seem that much more homey and cozy, perfect for autumn. I used acorn squash, but you can use any pureed squash (including frozen butternut, if you’re in a hurry!).

The picture is terrible. I apologize.

Brown Rice Risotto with Acorn Squash
1 TBSP oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onions or scallions
1 cup brown rice
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1 cup acorn squash puree
1 TBSP chopped fresh sage
salt & pepper to taste
1 TBSP butter, optional
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, optional
3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled, optional

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and onion, and saute. Add brown rice and stir until coated with oil. Slowly pour in 1 cup chicken broth, and stir. Continue cooking and stirring frequently until liquid is mostly absorbed. Do the same with the remaining chicken broth, adding 1 cup at a time until each is absorbed. To the last cup of chicken broth, add the squash puree before mixing it into the rice. Stir in sage and salt and pepper. Cook until rice is creamy but still somewhat firm (you may need to add more broth if it is all absorbed and still not completely cooked. Sometimes brown rice is like that.). Remove from heat and stir in optional ingredients (one or all), if desired.

This is not the QUICKest way to make rice, and it’s probably the most time-consuming version of risotto. You have been forewarned. However, like I said before, it doesn’t require the constant watching and stirring of regular risotto, so it frees you up to make the rest of your dinner. If that’s not good enough for you, you could probably make a decent resemblance by cooking quick rice in chicken broth, and mixing it with the vegetables, seasonings and squash. I suppose it definitely wouldn’t be risotto then, but it would have a lot of the same flavor and the same general idea. And if you’re not competing on Hell’s Kitchen, then that’s good enough!

It is somewhat EASY-er than regular risotto, though. AND it’s actually an easier (for me, anyway) way to cook rice, since as you know I struggle with that on occasion. Or all the time .

It’s very CHEAP, especially now that squash is in season. Because I used homemade broth and fresh sage from my (loosely termed) garden; and because I omitted the more expensive optional ingredients, the total cost for mine was probably around $1.

There is no doubt that this is a very HEALTHY side dish because of the brown rice and the squash. Homemade chicken broth or stock is the healthiest option because then you can control the sodium (and homemade chicken stock is chock full of wonderful things for you, as well).

 

3 Comments Filed Under: Home, On The Table, Sides Tagged With:
Next Page »