Stress, Pray, Eat

There is no better time to peak your stress potential than the week before Christmas! This weekend, in particular, seems overwhelming to me as my husband and I attempt to wrap up house projects before our holiday party tonight and my Mom’s arrival on Wednesday.

To help me de-compress, I stopped by our local coffee shop to steal away 15 minute of alone time on my morning dog walk. I grabbed the funnies from the paper and delighted in reading them while sipping my short rice milk latte (went for the caffeine version this morning!)

One cartoon brought tears to my eyes though. It was a family in a store with signs above each display saying “Don’t Forget Candy! Don’t Forget Lights!” Then in the last screen the family (loaded down with purchases) is walking past a church. In front of the nativity scene sprawn out on the lawn is a sign..Don’t Forget.

I remembered something I had forgotten to do for myself. Pray.

Prayer is such a powerful stress reliever. And what an amazing time of year to utilize the gifts Jesus gave us.  This simple act has been the number one coping skill that helped me push through and overcome many hard life circumstances. I use it often; although lately my heart has been in giving prayers to others. This, of course, is really great too.

On my walk back home this morning, I started piecing some recent memories together. In several different situations, the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr has popped up in front of me; twice in different books, another in a TV show, then again in a conversation.

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

   
I used this prayer a lot the year I got married but haven’t really focused on it since. Another quote that has come up time and time again over this year has been one from scripture.

“Because, of whatever you do, eating or drinking or anything else, everything should be done to bring glory to God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Has this ever happened to you? Something sparks your memory and then different events and signs start falling into place. That is kind of where I feel I’m at today.

The power of prayer in stress management. The eating component is that myself, much like many of you, are prone to emotional eating when faced with too much stress. I often counsel my clients to go underneath that umbrella term and name the causes. For example, I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list and short time line. I feel pressure to be perfect and complete the entire list today. My tendency to deal with this is eat something chocolaty or cheesy.

However, just because that is my tendency, it does not make it a reality. So for today, I will say the serenity prayer and remember this scripture.  And say good bye to sweet cravings.

How is my story similar to yours? Has this inspired your own memories?

Zen Recipe Corner:
Healthy Holiday Brunch menu by Food Network.

Vitamin D Breakdown

The release of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) new Calcium and Vitamin D recommendations has many people curious about how much THEY need to take and what is the truth about Vitamin D.

Here are some quick facts on Vitamin D:
1.    It’s isn’t really a vitamin. It’s actually a secosteroid hormone.
2.    It’s presence allows our body to efficiently absorb Calcium, Phosphorous, and Magnesium
3.    It activates DNA transcription, aids in bone growth and development, and can be metabolized by             macrophages to defend our body against microbes.
4.    This hormone comes in 4 varieties.  The main 2  are: D2-from food, D3-from the sunshine
5.    Food Sources:
Fatty fish species, such as:
Catfish, 85 g (3 oz) provides 425 IU (5 IU/g)
Salmon, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz) provides 360 IU (3.6 IU/g)
Mackerel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 345 IU (3.45 IU/g)
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 50 g (1.75 oz), 250 IU (5 IU/g)
Tuna, canned in oil, 100 g (3.5 oz), 235 IU (2.35 IU/g)
Eel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 200 IU (2.00 IU/g)
A whole egg provides 20 IU (0.33 IU/g if egg weighs 60 g)
Beef liver, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), provides 15 IU (0.15 IU/g)
Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, 1 Tbs. (15 ml) provides 1360 IU (90.6 IU/ml)
Mushrooms are the only vegan source of vitamin D (besides UV light or sunlight exposure).[29][30] 100g provides: (regular) 14 IU (0.14 IU/g), (exposed to UV) 500 IU (5 IU/g)[31]

Vitamin D Fun Facts:
1.    It is found in nearly every cell of our body
2.    Our body takes D2 and D3 and converts it to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol in our liver and kidney before it will use it for anything.
3.    If we have enough of the active form of Vitamin D in our blood, then our body will not convert the D2 and D3.
4.    You can’t overdose on Vitamin D from the sun, this is only possible by ingesting too much via supplements
5.    Living in the Pacific Northwest = not enough sunshine due to our latitude and longitude, so the only way to get enough Vitamin D is through supplements
6.    Toxicity (greater than 10,000 IU/day on a consistent basis over time) can lead to kidney stones, high calcium levels in the blood, bone loss and calcification of organs
7.    High Doses are used in rodenticide baits

Supplement Recommendations for You:
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, get your Vitamin D tested. If within normal limits, take 1000-2000 IU/day. If you live just about anywhere else in the US, take 600-1000 IU/day.

Zen Recipe Corner:
ASPARAGUS WITH WARM TARRAGON-PECAN VINAIGRETTE
Click Here to see this delicious recipe!

Because I WANT to eat it!

So many of the people I have worked with over the years have echoed the same desire, "I want to eat what I want, when I want, without the consequences."

Their heart felt frustrations rang in my ear as I read Portia de Rossi's words this weekend. In the epilogue of her book, Unbearable Lightness, she speaks of learning how to do just this by following a role model. Her role model was her partner at the time and she was intrigued at how she stayed a constant weight, was healthy, and ate whatever she wanted.

Like many people who are first walking down the path towards peace with food, Portia began looking at the people around her to try and understand what "normal" eating was. Portia writes how she noticed that her partner stopped eating when she was full, ate more sometimes because it was delicious, and chose to stop in other moments because there would be more to eat tomorrow.

Do you have any role models in your life that do this? How do your eating habits differ from theirs?

In order to begin cultivating this same perspective on eating, it is best to start at the fundamental understanding of hunger and fullness.

Weekly Challenge: Rate your hunger and fullness at least once a day for the next 7 days. Use the definition list below.

Black Friday Survival Guide

There are tons of tips out there for how to handle Thanksgiving.  For example:

*Put a normal portion on your plate and wait 20 minutes before thinking of seconds
*Don’t skip meals just because it’s a holiday
*Go for a family walk or play outside at some point in the day
*Limit alcohol & if drinking, place it in your least dominant hand

I want to talk about Black Friday. You know, the day after Thanksgiving. When people wake up at un-Godly hours to wait in line for the stores to open so they can get all the gifts on their family’s wish list. It’s the day that most people spend hours preparing for what stores they will go to and when, yet don’t plan for meals or snacks. Thanksgiving day takes so much food thought we often space out on how to eat well for the days immediately following it.

Well, you’re about to get equipped with a Black Friday Survival Guide. So no more excuses!

Tip-1: Eat! Seems simple, but for many folks, they aren’t feeling too well from the day before. Some people feel guilty for overdoing it the day before and choose to skip meals to make up for their mistakes. That in itself, is a mistake.  You will be more able to “self-correct” any eating mistakes by getting right back to your set meal times. While you are minding the times the stores open, be aware of your meal times.
•    Eat breakfast within an hour of waking and continue to eat every 3 hours until bedtime

Tip-2:  Pack food in your bag. While organizing your store ads and circulars, toss a couple of snacks into your purse or bag. Some tasty ideas are: dried cranberries and almonds, cheese cubes and apple, sliced veggies and leftover turkey wrapped in a tortilla, and low sodium jerky and fruit leather.

Tip-3: Know your Lunch. Determine your lunch destination and check out the menu ahead of time. Find options that include lots of veggies and lean meat. Stay away from buffet restaurants and don’t be afraid to ask for modifications.

Tip-4: Wear your pedometer. Aim for 10,000 steps on Black Friday. Increasing your spontaneous physical activity will improve your mood, relieve some of the stress from dealing with the other shoppers, and help you manage your post Turkey Day food coma.

Have fun and Happy Shopping (or not, if you choose to abstain)!

Zen Food Corner
Leftover Turkey Recipes…click here

Thanksgiving Day Feast

This year is going to be a special holiday season. I can already feel the holiday spirit percolating inside me.  Yes, I know it isn’t Turkey Day yet and I’m already excited to pick out a Christmas tree. I will also confess that I’ve created a new Pandora radio station on classic Bing Crosby Christmas songs.

Among all the things that come along with the holiday spirit, planning delicious meals for the main events has been on my mind. This part actually hasn’t been too much fun for me. It’s been my FROG! (For those of you who have no clue what I mean, watch this: Eat That Frog Movie)

Last year I was overwhelmed during the holidays and made the executive decision to order a complete Turkey dinner from QFC. It was probably the worst meal I’d ever had. The rolls were white and doughy and the remaining foods all looked like some form of regurgitated food stuffs. Not my finest hour.

My husband’s adorable parents will flying into town soon and I owe them a re-do (they were the unfortunate subsidiaries to last year’s massacre). Having said this, planning for the meal isn’t something I will feel like spending time doing once they arrive.  So, after putting my little one down for a nap yesterday, I sat down with a cup of tea and some good friends (Moosewood Cookbook, Cooking Light, and Feeding the Whole Family Cookbook). Together, we ate my FROG!

My Thanksgiving Menu:
Butternut Squash Dip with Veggies (Cooking Light-appetizer)
Pistachios mixed with Dried Cranberries (my own idea-appetizer)
Roasted Turkey (using Williams Sonoma Brine)
Savory Herb Gravy (Cooking Light)
Massaged Kale and Currant Salad (Feeding the Whole Family)
Comprehensively Stuffed Acorn Squash (Moosewood Cookbook)
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Hazelnuts (Cooking Light)
 

I’m asking guests to bring:
Stuffing and Desserts

Planning the menu felt like ACT 1. ACT 2 was figuring out the execution.  I, among many people I know and love, am not very good about asking for help. However, since I will be working right up until the holiday itself, I am succumbing to the realization that I can’t do it all by myself. (That is so hard to believe sometimes!)
Luckily, my father-in-law is a great cook and I am sure he will be delighted to learn which delicacies I’m holding in his charge.  Hee, Hee, Hee.

Zen Recipe Corner:
Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Hazelnuts:
See the Cooking Light Recipe Here

Weekly Menu

I  don't normally due this but I'm so excited to eat the foods I've planned and prepared for this week that I just had to tell someone.

Here is the menu:
Breakfast:
Vegetable Hash with Scrambled Eggs or Turkey Bacon and Rice Milk
Veggie and Egg Samosas (some with cheese for the rest of the family)

Snacks:
Miso-Almond Dip with Carrot Sticks (I'm going to have a hard time slowing down on this one...yummmmm)
Banana and Peanut Butter
Salad People (by Mollie Katzen's Salad People Cookbook-got the dip from this book as well.)
Edamame and red bell pepper strips

Lunch/Dinners:
Roasted Pork in Enchilada Sauce and served on tostadas with lettuce, fat free refried beans, avocado, and salsa (side salad included).
Hot & Sour Coconut Soup (with added chicken and cilantro wantons)
Singapore Mai Fun
Baked white fish with sauteed green beans and black lentils
Roast Beef with a Load of vegetables (my slow cooker recipe for the week.)

I have to say that one of the benefits of getting to prepare our meals for the week is that I also get to taste test! I am always surprised at how much more I look forward to the week. I get to eat my yummy food and I don't have to cook until Friday. Love it!

Creative Breakfast Ideas

Most of us know how to go about planning for our dinners each week. It is also equally important to plan ahead for breakfast, lunches, and snacks as well.  I recommend planning for 2 breakfast ideas, 4 snack ideas and 4 lunch/dinner ideas to complete the meal planning for an entire week.

This week entails several tasty breakfast combinations for you to experiment with. Most will make many servings-great for heating up quickly when you are rushing around in the morning.

Sweet and Salty Quesadilla
Brown rice tortillas with sliced bananas and peanut butter warmed up in the microwave.

Breakfast Samosas
Dough: 2 ½ c flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 c buttermilk or yogurt, extra flour as needed
Directions: Mix dry ingredients then wet ingredients, knead for 5 minutes, roll out (leave it a little thick), use a biscuit cutter or the top of a large glass and cut out as many circles as you can. Roll out each circle to make them flat. (Usually makes about 6.)
Filling: Cook 4-5 scrambled eggs (put a little raw egg white from one egg in a small dish and set aside for later) with 1-1 ½ cups of fresh spinach and which-ever seasonings you like. Add a little shredded cheese if you like. Fill ½ of each samosa. Fold the other half over and use the tines of a fork to pinch dough together. Brush tops of samosas with the reserved egg white. Baked at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Vegetable Hash with Turkey Sausage
Take whatever veggies you have in the fridge that you think you won’t eat up before they die, add to it a potato or two.  Dice and chop them up. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle 1-2 tsp of olive oil, season with salt and pepper then roast in the oven at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until veggies are cooked.

Meanwhile brown some bulk turkey sausage in a skillet. (You can also use bacon, chicken sausage, turkey kielbasa, or left over pre-made frozen meatballs.) When veggies are done, mix it all together. Taste for seasoning and enjoy.

Quick Oats Surprise
Ingredients you’ll need: instant regular oatmeal, ½ scoop vanilla or natural flavored protein powder, ½ cup low fat milk or milk alternative, ¼ cup of dried fruit, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 cup nuts or seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
Directions: Add everything but the nuts/seeds and protein powder to a bowl and microwave to cook the oats. Stir in the protein powder and top with the nuts. Enjoy.

Egg Muffins a la Mollie Katzen from Sunrise Café Cookbook
Ingredients: 8 eggs, leftover veggies, about ½ cup bread crumbs and 2 tbsp of canola or olive oil.
Directions: In a muffin pan, drizzle the bottom of each tin with a little oil. Sprinkle in bread crumbs. Let the crumbs absorb the oil while you scramble eggs in a bowl, add in chopped leftover veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture into prepared tins. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through. This is a great weekday treat when paired with a piece of toast and a small fruit.

Weekly Challenge: Try out ONE of these recipes within the next 2 weeks.

INVOLVED = INVESTED

Week 3 in our Guest Writer Series 

Kids want to help; take the time to find ways to channel their eagerness and energy into helping you (while capitalizing on teaching moments) instead of letting that surplus energy turn into an annoyance.  When kids are invested they are engaged (read: not causing trouble) and more likely to try a new food if they were involved in the planning, shopping, and preparation of it.

•    Menu Input – ask the kids for input as you put together your weekly menu plan.  This is a great opportunity to discuss the types of foods needed to create a nutritionally balanced meal (Okay, you chose some meat and pasta.  What’s missing?).  It’s also your best bet to ensure that the kids are going to come to the table ready to eat what’s being offered, leaving dinner to be quality family time rather than  whine time.

•    Kid Cookbooks - Depending on the general chaos of our family calendar, we try to do a few kid cooking projects each week.  The kids are now at the age where they are generating the recipe suggestions on their own.  We love Mollie Katzen’s Salad People and Pretend Soup cookbooks, which are geared toward toddlers/preschoolers with its pictoral recipes.  The kids like to be part of my Sunday morning menu planning ritual.  They pour over their cookbooks and decide what to make while mommy pours over hers with a cup of tea and 30 minutes of happy, distracted kids.

•    Open Discussion – Be open with the kids about the reasons you make certain nutritional decisions.  This is not only another weapon for combating the I-wants in the grocery store, but is also a great way to introduce the purpose of advertising to your young child.                     

Zen Recipe Corner
Left over Halloween Candy?
Check out this recipe to get some inspiration:
Butterfinger Banana Cake

INDEPENDENCE = RESPONSIBILITY

Week 2 in the Series by our Anonymous Guest Blogger

Set your preschooler up with chances to be just like the big kids/grown-ups.  You can create these opportunities in areas you want them to excel; their pride will tickle you both.

•    Kid Grocery List - Grocery shopping with my kids became an exercise in parental torture when they hit about two and a half.  I needed to improve the experience for all of us, so I developed a tool to keep them busy and helping instead of testing my patience.  A page with photos and words of foods we most eat, categorized by food group and laminated for endurance serves as our kid grocery list.  We put ours together in Publisher, but it would be just as easy to have the kids create their own by letting them cut up the grocery store ads.  We keep ours in the car with a few white-board markers.  When we get to the grocery store, I read off my list and the kids circle the items we need on their list.  Each time we get an item into the cart, they get to erase the circle around that item.  When there are no more circles, our errand is done.  This was also a great tool for educating the kids about the various food groups and quashing the I-wants (Bummer, that’s not on our list today.  What do you see that we still need?).

•    Packing Lunches - About once a week we do an errand picnic.  The kids love the idea of packing a lunch (like Daddy does for work).  They each picked out a lunch box they liked (control) and help to pack it (independence).  It’s a great way to help them feel like they are more invested in tackling our (my) list of errands.  Many stores now have café areas near the deli.  We settle in for lunch among the hot-case diners on grocery day.  Other days we’ll find a park to burn off energy and get the wiggles out during a lunch break.  This is a great tool for kids who eat at daycare/school as well.  Letting them pack their own lunch translates to a lunch more likely to be eaten and enjoyed.

•    Cooking Camp; Meal Preparation – Kids are often underfoot in the kitchen.  They love watching the grown-ups use the kitchen gadgets and are eager and curious to be part of the fun.  It is easy to capitalize on this natural interest; the key to making cooking with your little one fun is regulating your expectations.  Expect to do as much of the adult jobs as possible before starting.  Expect your child to follow safety rules.  Expect the clean up to take longer than the project itself.  At 4, we are making scrambled eggs, egg salad, tomato soup, etc. with limited supervision (mommy = shell patrol).  It’s a terrifying leap, but one that pays me back every time with how tickled they are with their accomplishments.

Zen Recipe Corner:

Gumbo: Cajun Style

Each fall when cool weather approaches I begin cravings comfort food. For me, it's all about the GUMBO! In my hometown in Louisiana, a Gumbo cook-off is held in September, right around the Sugar Cane Festival. Other than Mardis Gras, it's about the best time to be had all year! Here is my personal favorite recipe for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 Jar of Kary's Dry Roux
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell-pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 chicken breasts, 1-2 inch diced
2 chicken legs
1 package turkey keilbasa
2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth
2.5 quarts water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp-1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 cups of cooked brown rice

Directions:
Warm a large pot or dutch oven to medium heat. Add in canola oil and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Add your onions and all your meat, turn heat to medium-high and brown the outside of your sausage and chicken. (Doesn't need to be cooked through.) Then take out and set on a plate until later. Turn the heat off. Pour in the water and broth. With a whisk, stir in the dry roux and mix until dissolved. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for while (about 20-30 minutes). Meanwhile, chop up any remaining veggies if you haven't yet. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the browned meat and onions. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for about an hour and a half.

Serve over a scoop of rice, with the gumbo filled to the brim of the bowl. For traditional Cajun sides, serve also with fresh french bread and potato salad. (I know, Carb overload!) 

Picky, Picky, Picky!

 Week One in our Guest Blog on Picky Eating
...written from a Mom's Mouth (who prefers to stay anonymous)

Food is a common battleground for parents of toddlers/preschoolers.  Kids are exercising their budding independence while parents walk the fine line of encouraging that independence without letting the inmates take over the asylum.  This delicate dance can evolve into a power struggle as uncooperative kids quickly dissolve parental patience.  The key to toddler/preschooler cooperation (as all parents of young children are well aware) is keeping them interested, invested, & involved. 

Knowing that independence is their currency can be used to your advantage by offering them as many opportunities for control (choice) and responsibility (independence) as you can.  Pair this with consistency and you have a recipe for cooperative kids and relaxed parents.  So, how do you translate these preschooler basics to nutrition?  Here are a couple of tips & tricks to turn your food power struggles into opportunities for quality time while laying the foundation for a healthy relationship with food.

1.    CHOICE = CONTROL in your preschooler’s mind.  Hand them the control they crave by giving them choices whenever possible, then covertly direct that control by offering only options you are happy for them to make.
•    Breakfast/Lunch Menus – Young children love to play restaurant.  Creating a simple menu with pictures and corresponding words for our most common breakfasts & lunches was my way of tricking the kids into eagerly selecting exactly what I wanted to them to pick when it was time for a meal.  “I’m sorry, sir.  That’s not on our menu.  Can I tell you about our daily specials?” is much better received than grouching at them that I am NOT giving them brownie leftovers for breakfast.  Yes, it takes more energy than I generally am willing to dole out at 7 am, but the goal is to get through breakfast without a fight.  We made ours on the computer, a fun cut-and-paste craft for the kids works just as well.
•    Produce Pickers – The kids are responsible for picking a fruit and a veggie each week.  It’s a great way for them to experiment with trying new things and, as an added bonus, also helps massage the junk requests at the store (I’m sorry, that’s not on our list today, but I do need you to pick out a vegetable.  Which one would you like?).  It also means that the items they selected are showing up on the table at meal times, so they feel like they have more control over what they are offered.
•    Muffin Pan Meals - This is one of my favorite weapons.  It is something I like to employ when things are stagnating or starting to lean toward power struggles over food.  It’s a great way to reboot the system (both for parents and  kids). 
Serving lunch buffet- style with a muffin pan for a plate appeals to the preschooler’s desire to sort/organize and keep foods separate. The kids love participating in the whole process from  peeling hard-boiled eggs and cutting out fun shapes of bread/cheese, to helping themselves to the buffet of choices.  It hits a control/choice grand slam because there are lots of options and the whole experience is an exercise in self-help independence, which is right up your preschooler’s alley.  It is also my favorite way to start introducing new foods because it is the perfect setup for that sneaky initial exposure with no pressure to eat it.  Some ideas of what works at our house:

DAIRY	PROTEIN	GRAINS	DIPS
mozzarella balls	nuts/seeds	bread	soups
cheddar	tuna salad	pretzels	hummus
milk	egg salad	crackers	nut butter
yogurt	chicken salad	pita/tortilla	tzatziki
cottage cheese	lunch meat	quick breads	ranch

                             

VEGGIES	FRUIT
cherry tomatoes	grapes
celery sticks	apple slices
carrot sticks	mandarin orange
pepper slices	fresh berries
cucumbers	dried fruit

Show Me the Love!

Week 4 in the Series, I love you, Eat this!

 
This week we are talking about all the different ways you can show others how much you care about them, in a NON-Food manner.

1.    Touch-hug, kiss
2.    Tell Them
3.    Ask them about their life and if there is anything you can do to help
4.    Invite them on a walk, hike
5.    Give them a compliment
6.    Snail mail, text, email a card or a note
7.    If you know they dislike a specific chore, do it for them without saying anything
8.    Give a giftcard to their favorite bookstore
9.    Leave them a special note in an unusual place-like the bathroom cabinet or their tea cup
10.  Be open about your own thoughts and feelings. Show them your vulnerable side.

Do you have any other ideas or thoughts to add to the list. We’d love to hear them. Leave your comments below!

Zen Recipe Corner:

Cauliflower and Leek Saute’
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium leaks
1 medium head of cauliflower
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Slice leeks lengthwise and rinse well under running water. Be sure to get into all the folds to remove hidden dirt. Chop them and set aside. Cut up the cauliflower into florets and rinse well. Heat a large skillet on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add butter and melt till bubbling. Add in leeks and stir to coat with the butter. Saute leeks for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in cauliflower, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and let cook for about 4 minutes. While cooking, heat small skillet on medium high heat for 2 minutes. Add pumpkin seeds to the dry skillet to lightly toast. Stir frequently. When evenly browned, add to leek and cauliflower mixture. Continue to cook until the cauliflower has reached your desired level of doneness-maybe another 2 minutes or so.

Serving suggestion: serve with grilled lemon pepper salmon and black beans.

Do I feed you? Do I feed you not?

Week 3 in the Series…I love you, Eat this!

Welcome back! Last week we explored my personal thoughts on how we learn to love others through food. I realize that there is so much more that could be discussed on this topic, however we must move along for now. Feel free to write a comment below to continue that discussion.

This week we will answer the question: When is it appropriate to show our love for others through food?

Let’s start with new Moms and Dads: If your little one is crying, ask yourself: Is he/she tired, bored, gassy, has a dirty diaper or just wants to be held? If it has been about 2-3 hours since the last feeding, then hunger may be the answer.  Try not to automatically serve the breast or bottle at your baby’s every whimper. This will reduce the development of picky eating and eventually emotional eating in the future.

Parents of toddlers: Don’t succumb to being a short order cook. Whatever you plan for dinner, is the dinner. It is actually normal for toddlers to be picky, eat sporadic amounts, and even go with-out dinner occasionally.  This is a great time to start them on a supplement and demonstrate gentle boundaries at the table. Trust me, kids LOVE to eat. Even the most picky eater will come around. (Stay tuned for my Table Talk Workshop coming up in October, more info to follow.)

Parents of kids age 4 and up: Same rules apply as the toddler years, only hopefully they’ve gained a few more manners to go with those creative bargaining skills. It is normal for just about everyone to have a favorite meal. Incorporate these requests by having your children and spouse have a turn in the kitchen. Allow them to come up with their own dinner menu for one night a week. They can also share in the shopping and cooking. It teaches your family life long tools, makes the meal that much more special, and gives them more buy in when eating your meals during the rest of the week.

Special Occasions such as birthdays and holidays are wonderful times to love through food…with-in reason. Ask the special birthday guest what meal they would like that day and serve that meal. If having a party, offer a balance of more healthful and less healthful items as not all of your guests may want to eat cake and chips.  Holidays can be tricky. Choose NOT to leave bowls of chips, candy and nuts out 24/7. Offer vegetables with your meals and immediately put the food away for safe keeping afterward.

Vacations are a great time for relaxation and experiencing new things, even food. However, it is not an excuse to eat too much junk food, skip out on your lean protein and vegetables, or avoid exercise. It is my personal belief that most people get off track from their health goals when they go on vacation or have vacationing guests in their home.  It is possible to enjoy company, relax and experience a new place without compromising your health or your family’s health.

Next week we will explore ways that you can show love, but not with food.

Zen Food Corner:
My Favorite Leek and Potato Soup
(Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, America’s Best Recipes Cookbook)

Ingredients:
3lbs leeks-cleaned well and chopped (discard dark green tops)
2lbs red potatoes-cleaned and diced into inch cubes
1 tbsp flour
5-6 cups of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
¾ stick butter (yup, I just said REAL butter!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Clean and dice and chop up your veggies. Pre-heat a dutch oven or large soup pot on medium heat. Add in the butter and let melt. When the butter begins to foam, add in the leeks.  Stir to coat the leeks and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally or until the leeks are nice and tender-don’t caramelize them. Add in flour, stir quickly to coat the leeks. Add in broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add in potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Use a hand blender to puree in the pot or let cool slightly and transfer mixture in small batches to a blender to puree.

This dish goes well with a small grilled chicken salad and crusty whole grain bread.

In the beginning…..

Week 2 in the Series.. I Love You, Eat This

 

When I think back to the roots of how we learn to love one another through food, it can really be honed in on one specific day and time for all of us. Our birthday. When we are born, we desire simple things, one of which is food.

We equate being loved by the attachment we feel during our meals. And our parents show us love by feeding us when we are hungry and responding to our cues.  This rhythm continues as we grow. However, the feeding ritual becomes much more complicated as we begin to individuate and exercise our own personalities and limits through the toddler and preschool years.  Our parents had to embrace these years-much like you may do with your own children now, with sensitivity and firm boundaries.

Unfortunately, this is the part that can get all wonky. If our parents didn’t have the emotional support and appropriate coping skills for them to deal with having children and handle their own lives, then they were not very likely to pass these things onto us. For example, your parents (one or both perhaps) eats when they are tired, bored, lonely, and frustrated. When they saw you tired, lonely, bored, or frustrated they fed you because that is what made them feel better. That is how they learned to show love from their parents and that is the way they show love to their spouse and friends. 

Here is where it can get even more confusing. Showing love through food is socially acceptable.  Think most major holidays, birthdays, when someone dies or is ill, when someone has a baby, when someone is going through a rough time for any reason....someone else buys or brings them a nice meal.
Showing that you love someone through food isn’t taboo and can be a lovely and generous gift. However, when it comes to overcoming our own food issues or if our kids are picky-beyond the norm of what can be expected in the toddler years (ie you now have a picky 8 year old) then you may need to question your own behaviors.

Weekly Challenge: In what ways do you show love through food? How do you love yourself, through food?

Zen Recipe Corner:
Since we are talking about food and love language. Here is one of my favorites. (I’m from Louisiana in case I hadn’t mentioned that before!)

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (recipe from GumboPages.com)
Ingredients:
•    1 cup oil
•    1 cup flour
•    2 large onions, chopped
•    2 bell peppers, chopped
•    4 ribs celery, chopped
•    4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
•    4 quarts chicken stock
•    2 bay leaves
•    2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
•    1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
•    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•    1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
•    2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
•    1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
•    2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
•    Filé powder to taste

Directions:
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.

Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls.

YIELD: About 12 entrée sized servings.

I love you, eat this!

A New Series, Week 1

Raise your hand if you’ve ever shown you loved someone by feeding them. I know I’m guilty!

Over the next few weeks we will explore what it means to love through food. We will also define what this means for our own love language and how it could be impacting our relationships for better or worse. Finally we will look at alternative ways to show affection and love in a non food related way.

Stay tuned!

Zen Recipe Corner
-Recipe Modifications suggested by a fabulous client!
 
This granola bar recipe is a kid pleaser here.
 It freezes well for batch cooking quick/easy on-the-go snacks.  I would suggest using parchment paper and a rolling pin to really tamp it down, b/c they turn out too crumbly if you don't pack them well.  I sub Whole Wheat for All Pupouse flour, 1/4 c flax seeds & 2 scoops protein powder for the wheat germ, dried cherries for the raisins, 1/4 c almond butter & 1/3-1/2 c applesauce for the oil, and chopped, dried cherries for the raisins.

School Lunch Ideas

This is the mission: Fun and Nutritious Lunches at School or at Home.

Step 1: Get Inspired!
Think protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources as your baseline, add in veggies, fruit and dairy to make it balanced.  Ask your kiddos (and yourself) what do you want to eat for lunches this week?

Need ideas?
Amazing Moms 
School Family
Brown Bag Lunch Recipes

Step 2: Write It down
When is your regular grocery shopping day? Have you remembered to include lunch items on the list?

Step 3: Make It to Go!
A few tips when it comes to prepping lunches:
1.     Stock up on small storable containers and lids to make packing up easy.
2.     Save time by chopping up veggies for the whole week or purchase them pre-cut. Examples: slicing 2 bell peppers, halving a ½ pint of cherry tomatoes, slicing up carrots or broccoli
3.     Is there anything that you can cook ahead of time…likes hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, a cold pasta salad, blanched veggies?

Prepping ahead choices:
A.     The Morning Of
B.     The Night Before
C.     2-3 Days at a Time

There is not one right solution to when to prep your lunches. The important thing is that it gets done and you find a time that you can be consistent with doing it.

Zen Recipe Corner:
Homemade Pita Chips with Yogurt Dip
1 package whole wheat pita bread
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup plain, whole milk yogurt or traditional Greek yogurt-like Fage or Quark brands

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With pizza cutter, slice pitas into mini triangles. Using small brush or paper towel, brush a little oil on each triangle slice. Place on baking tray oiled side down then brush the opposite side with oil. Bake for about 5 minutes or until desired browness, turn pitas then make opposite side for another 5 or so minutes. Let cool. Serve with yogurt to dip. Enjoy!

Variations:
Mix different herbs into the oil before brushing it onto the pita.  Try adding salad dressing mixes to the yogurt to make tasty new dips. Ranch is a go-to favorite in my house.

Why Continental Breakfast’s Suck

What is wrong with this picture?

I can say that I’ve done a fair bit of traveling over the years; enough to have sampled a healthy share of random hotel continental breakfast options.  Rarely am I satisfied with the options available.
This weekend we spent some time in a nice hotel in Santa Barbara, Ca. Although looking at their breakfast selection you would never guess the cost of the room! So this is my list of why continental breakfast’s suck.

10. Stale coffee
9. “Fresh” 2-4 day old pastries laden with hydrogenated oils
8. Artificially sweetened and flavored yogurt
7. Broken machines like a toaster that has two settings-burnt or burnt on one side and not toasted on the other side
6. High sugar cereals with no whole grains and no fiber
5. Fresh fruit-with no option of wiping it clean or washing it prior to eating
4. Carbonated fruit juice with more fizzy than juice
3.  Got milk? Maybe, somewhere and only whole milk
2.  Plastic silverware and paper plates with no recycling options
1. No real protein options just carb, carb, carb. Good luck if you have blood sugar issues or would like to not be craving sweets all day and hungry again in an hour.

Zen Recipe Corner
Recently, I've purchased a pressure cooker. This website is a great resource for those looking just to tackle the basics of using this wonderful addition to your kitchen.

FastCooking.CA