seriously?!

So the symphony and Eighth Blackbird were amazing. I loved Jennifer Higdon’s modern piece using bowed piano, meaning the musicians actually used violin strings to play the strings of the piano. Pretty cool stuff and definitely outside the normal realm of classical music.

 

Our theatre is gorgeous and not used nearly enough. My fave seat is in the back balcony because the acoustics are almost perfect up there. Nerdy, but music makes me incredibly happy.

When I lived in St. Louis, zucchini was my fave purchase at the farmers’ market every weekend. So versatile (I actually like it raw sometimes) and useful in all sorts of recipes.

 

I was flipping through my folder of bookmarks marked “recipes to try” and decided that zucchini quinoa lasagna would be an exciting culinary adventure.

 

It was super easy to make…and now my freezer is stuffed full with leftovers (I did use daiya vegan cheese but omitted the tofutti sour cream).  

I ran 6.5 miles yesterday in the sun and thought that winter was finally over (my new Brooks are awesome btdubs, like running on marshmallows)…

Until I woke up to this. Uggh. Seriously? I mean, I guess I should have expected it because I do live in Michigan (it has snowed here in May before) but still disappointing.

Umm, so I definitely did not bring anything snow-related back with me, like a winter coat or boots. This could be interesting…

Happy Monday?

*good luck to all running Boston today!

sustainability fused music

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that music has been a big part of my life. Last weekend I went home to see an orchestra concert centered around the theme of sustainability. Super nerdy, but I actually like going to concerts alone; I don’t enjoy them if I’m constantly worried that the people I’m with are bored or want to leave.

[I used to spend HOURS in a practice room…in college and grad school, I played at least 2-4 hrs/day!].

While there were some absolutely fantastic musical moments, the corresponding media presentation left a lot to be desired. But still, it was refreshing and exciting to see that my hometown is beginning to explore the concept of sustainability.

Speaking of green-friendly things, lately, I’ve been all about the smoothies. I especially crave them after running…

kale + banana + almond milk

kale + blueberries + banana + almond milk

Can you tell I’m kind of obsessed with kale right now?! And I’m excited for more produce to be in season. This summer, I’m pretty sure I’m going to pick a crazy amount of blueberries.

Also, CSN sent me this lovely set of knives to review [while I received them for free, the following review is my own opinion)].

After picking them up at a Fedex holding center (which very much resembled a maximum security prison), I tested them on some celery.

Their sharpness didn’t blow me away, but then again maybe that’s a good thing…I’d like all my fingers to remain intact, thank you very much. And let’s be honest, the last knife set I owned was a Target special, so these are a huge improvement.

favorite smoothie ingredient?! ready, go…

p.s. did anyone see the article in the NY Times about food dyes and behavioral problems?! pretty interesting stuff…but I still think companies should be required to disclose GMOs just as they’re required to alert us to artificial food dyes.

winter, etc.

Well, the snow is back…I saw some sledders during my run this afternoon, which reminded me that I haven’t been sledding in forever.

     

This is partly because I’ve most recently lived in places without sledding hills…and going back farther than that, in highschool, I was always afraid I’d break my arm and have to miss the rest of my gymnastics season. Too bad I managed to tear my hamstring and sprain both my ankles in two separate seasons…without any help from the snow.

Anyway, while enjoying the lovely 19 degree temps, I’ve been wearing my favorite warm scarf (made by the ex-roommate), cooking up comfort food, and doing some quality reading.

apple crumble [martha rose shulman]

Incredibly easy…I substituted oats for the quinoa topping simply because there is only one oven in the kitchen I’ll be teaching in, and I’m trying to time all my dishes carefully.

I know I’ve talked a lot about my appreciation for Michael Pollan’s books, but a friend recommended Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals to me, and I haven’t been able to put it down.

 

While Pollan does an excellent job digging into the history of food and explaining how our country developed such a problem with agriculture and eating food that is not food, Foer speaks more to the tie between human experience relevant to food.

Foer talks about the process behind his decision to eat (or not to eat) animals in a completely entertaining but thoughtful way. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in food responsibility. Perhaps a more detailed review to come in the future…

vegan un-mac & cheese [my breakfast blog]

My taste testers said calling this dish “mac & cheese” was misleading because it doesn’t taste like the mac & cheese. Fine then. Call it magical vegan pasta or whatever your little heart desires.

Day 11: The gift of affirmation…

Words can be very powerful. Let your friends and family know what you appreciate about them. Your words of encouragement just might fall at a time when someone needs it most. A little cheesy, I know, but it’s definitely happened to me before.

Have you read Eating Animals? What is the best book you read in 2010?

Coming up…

the LAST day in the 12 days of giving series. I’m really excited about this one because it features commuter cycling, which is becoming a semi-hot topic in the blogworld.

reasons to celebrate the new year…

Thanks for your comments on my 2010 recap. It was important for me to look back and remember all of the good things that have happened. The uncertainty of the future is overwhelming, but I was reminded that despite all of the challenges ahead, I am incredibly blessed.

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Warm weather! We had some unseasonably warm weather here in Michigan, which led to a 5 mile run in shorts in the middle of winter. Crazy.

As you can see, the snow melted (I’m completely ok with this). So sorry to anyone currently dealing with snow and shoveling and people who don’t know how to drive…but don’t be too jealous, I’m pretty sure it’s blizzarding outside right now.

 

Everything is pretty brown and ugly, though. I have to admit that the snow makes the park much prettier.

 

Homemade pizza…I love adding my own toppings and making the crust. Perfect for dinner parties with picky guests (ha).

  

Hello, new camera. Goodbye, old dinosaur camera which required me to take 60 billion photos(+) before getting a decent shot.

Ice cream is seriously my favorite thing ever, although I really don’t eat it a lot in the winter. CSN was kind enough to provide this Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker for review. I like the idea of adding my own ingredients without additives, preservatives, and a plethora of food dyes.

The Cuisinart was super easy to use, and it didn’t take long to make this vegan coconut mango ice cream. One note on the recipe: cut the sugar in half or leave it out completely; coconut milk is definitely sweet enough on its own. 

Catching up with friends…on life lately. Sometimes I’m bad at keeping in touch, but I really appreciate the friendships that pick up right where they left off.

 

Obviously 12 days of giving was not completed in December. But who says that giving needs to be isolated to the holiday season?! So…I’m extending the series into January.

Day 8: Donate your surplus sweaters…

The Salvation Army is a great place to donate your gently used but no longer worn clothing, furniture, and housewares (especially as you’re making room for your Christmas presents). When you donate or purchase from a Salvation Army store, you are also supporting their Adult Rehabilitation ministry. Find a store near you!

What things are you celebrating so far in 2011?

de-stressing

I really loved reading about your life ambitions…they definitely made me smile. Dream on, blogworld…you’re all amazing.

Even with a crazy workload this weekend, I didn’t exactly bury myself in the books. I ran in my favorite park, made a trip to Soulard, and went to yoga {stress = unbelievable muscle tightness…ick}. My roommate (also a dietetic intern) got a bunch of basil from the community garden at her rotation site, so we had our first experience with homemade pesto. It was pretty delicious.

 

[note the tomatoes, lettuce, and zukes from farmers’ market]

I also made a coconut black beans, which incorporated 3 of my favorite ingredients: black beans, avocado, and coconut milk. This dish is also a good way to include protein, fiber, and monounsaturated fat (and medium chain triglycerides in the coconut oil) into your eats. Oh, that’s also mango on top. Interesting combo, but I promise it’s really good!

 

I baked homemade bread from scratch. There is something really therapeutic about sticking your hands in dough or mixing ingredients with a spatula. Baking has always been one of my stress relievers.

    

Why is chronic stress harmful?

When faced with stress, a flood of hormones is released in the “flight or fight” response. Normally, the body is able to recover from acute stress. However, continual or chronic stress can be damaging and may lead to conditions such as

• impaired immunity
• depression
• diabetes
• hair loss
• heart disease
• hyperthyroidism
• obesity
• ulcers

What are some ways you ease the stress in your life?

I have a huge test tomorrow, but I’ll be back after that for a post on the progress the SLU interns made in our gardens this morning [it was a seriously good time].

I also start my cardiovascular rotation tomorrow, so there’ll likely be some posts on heart-health coming soon...

p.s.

Kristen of Eating RD tried out Dan’s Pumpkin Spice Bars…read her review here!

is it amazing? [my take on amazing grass…p.s. i apparently like brackets]

Sorry for the lack of post-age this week. I’ve completely switched gears [to distribution aka foodservice], and I’m finding myself completely out of my element. I do have foodservice experience, but honestly…I feel uncomfortable in this setting. Needless to say, this experience is really stretching me in many ways. 

Teri Jo from Amazing Grass sent me a generous sampling of their products {thanks, thanks!}, and I was really excited because other bloggers have raved about them…and I was super excited because I love snail mail and anyone who uses the traditional postal system.

 All of the energy bars from Amazing Grass are:

Raw

Cold Processed

Alkaline

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Vegan

One problem I have with any sort of supplement is the bioavailability of the nutrients in pill versus whole food form. I’m a big advocate of consuming whole foods because you receive nutritional benefits beyond just a concentrated burst of one nutrient or a bunch of random vitamins and minerals in pills that may actually work against one another and inhibit absorption. In addition, some compounds in whole foods work synergistically in ways we don’t understand. When we separate these compounds, they may lose their ability to confer increased nutritional benefits.

Creators of Amazing Grass Green SuperFood say it is considered a whole food because it contains cereal grasses that can’t be isolated and put into a synthetic multi-vitamin. So many Americans fail to include the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables into their daily diets, and just one serving of AG Green SuperFood can provide the antioxidant power of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables.

More about Green SuperFood:

Naturally balanced source of antioxidants, B- vitamins, carotenoids, phytonutrients, enzymes, dietary fiber and essential fatty acids

Sustains energy naturally and boosts your immune system

Probiotics and enzymes to aid digestion and absorption

Complete raw food with powerful antioxidants

Alkaline green plant foods help balance acidic pH levels

Non dairy, Gluten free, Non-GMO, Vegan

Sounds pretty impressive so far, right? I’ve only tried the Chocolate SuperFood and have to say it did taste a bit grassy, but hey, it is composed of organic wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, spinach, and broccoli. While I can’t really comment on the effectiveness of the products, I like that they are organic and do not contain GMOs. I’ll keep you updated on the correlation between AG consumption and energy levels. Has anyone tried AG and noticed any benefits?

 

Sorry for the lack of recipes lately, but I’ve been eating quick fixes like hummus + zukes & tomatoes in tortillas for lack of time. Hopefully, my upcoming posts will make up for this.

Coming soon…reviews of raw organic vegan energy bars from Love Force and a guest post slash energy bar tutorial from one of my fellow dietetic interns {get ready blogworld, it’s gonna be sweet}!