Holiday Adjustments...

       The holiday season brings with it, recipes of family favorites both old and new. But when you are trying to avoid that certain ingredient because of wanting to be healthier or for dietary reasons, it can leave you feeling confused.
        One of my favorite pie's is pumpkin whether it's for Thanksgiving or Christmas ( I'll take one for both ) and having to avoid gluten and dairy, I have to say I hadn't been as eager to make it as much as I once did... Until I learned to "adjust" my ingredient and realizing it was just as good as I remember. The more you exchange ingredients the more your palate becomes accustom to the taste. A lot of times the difference is so subtle that you don't even notice. Below is my mothers Pumpkin Pie recipe I grew up making every year. I only made a few minor "adjustments" with the ingredients and I was a little too happy with the results, as you can see from the last couple of pieces left in the pie pan.

Mom's Pumpkin Pie ( original recipe)

1 1/2 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

11/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3 beaten eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 - 6oz can ( 2/3 cup) evaporated milk

 1- 9 in pie shell

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices. Blend in eggs, milk, and evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife is clean.

* my "adjustments"

~ 1/2 cup of organic coconut sugar ( which makes it a bit darker in color)

~ no nutmeg

~ 2 cups of organic coconut milk in a can ( used a little less because when exchanging non dairy milk for regular milk, it sets up better is you use a little less

~ And a store bought pie crust... because there is nothing wrong with making life easier!

This is the store bought crust I purchased at Earthfare. When we took our first bites - almost right out of the oven the crust seemed a bit tough. But the next day it actually softened with the moisture from the filling.

The pie looked beautiful going in the oven and it tasted SO good when it came out ~ as you can see from what is left! I have another pumpkin recipe that I altered over on my website http://wholefood-living.com/recipe.html check it out. Can you tell I LOVE everything pumpkin!

If you would like some help making Holiday Adjustments to your recipes or just some "adjustments" to your everyday meals...

Contact me at: http://wholefood-living.com/contact.html

Food Traditions and there Benefits…

Traditions: the handing down of statements, beliefs, customs, etc. from generation to generation, by word of mouth or by practise.

         As my children are getting older I find myself looking back and remembering all the ways we chose to stay connected as a family, and one of those ways, was through food. We used traditions passed down from our families when we were growing up and created new ones.

          Every Friday is pizza night and on the rare occasion when we are not available to have it, we find ourselves craving pizza. Saturday morning is biscuit’s ( anyway you want them) , and Saturday dinner consists of hamburgers or hotdogs. And our Sunday is called “syrupy sunday” because we have something that needs syrup, pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Holidays can lend themselves to traditions too. For Christmas we decorate a homemade gingerbread house and give friends homemade goodies and meals as gifts. Our New Year eve use to be making dinner of all finger foods, but we ended up nibbling so much during the making and baking, that we weren’t really hungry when it was time to eat. But it was fun every year coming up with new and exciting things to make. We have since found this wonderful French bakery http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com/ that has become our New Years eve tradition.

          Food traditions do have benefits, and here are a few to tempt your palate.

1.) They create warm and lasting memories. As the children get older, they too look back and remember all the great times that a gathering of family, friends and food offered.

2.) It connects people together and provides a way to pass on stories of other past generations even if they’re not exactly from your family. The stories can be about food from your own or other cultures and the meaning behind them.

3.) From a cooking and planning perspective, it’s nice to not have to plan and think about what will be for that meal. I always know that Friday is pizza night!

4.) It provides consistency and knowing. Life can leave you feeling uncertain sometimes, whether it’s your job, relationships, money,  whatever it may be. But you and your children know for sure what to expect with whatever tradition you choose.

Don’t be afraid to change and experiment with ideas. As life marches on, flow with it and remember, just because the tradition is not kept forever doesn’t mean it has lost it’s original intent. Play with the concept and see what benefits it offers you!


~ visit me at http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

The Three "Ps" in the Kitchen...

1.Priorities ~ precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.

2.Planning ~ a process of thinking about and organizing activities required to achieve a desired goal.

3.Preparing ~ to make ready before hand for a specific purpose.

Has your kitchen become a place of convenience rather than a place of intention? Is your kitchen a place where healthy food options have taken a backseat to just getting something, anything on the table? If so, maybe the Three “Ps” can help.

“Priorities” help remind you of the importance or urgency when striving to make a lifestyle change in your eating habits. It can feel daunting, and full of new information, and it’s easy to want to give up before you get started. But keeping it a “Priority” will offer the little nudge you need to continue to move forward. It’s also about balance, if your eating strays and you find yourself back to (what feels like) square one, there is always another meal with which to start over. Be kind to yourself when learning a skill, it’s a process and that’s where “ Planning” can help.

“Planning” starts with finding a good system of writing down the meal ideas and shopping list. I have a calendar hanging up in my kitchen and each week at the top of the square, I put what we’re having for dinner. The kids love to go over and see what their eating that day. Often they have their own ideas which makes my job easier. Plan simple meals ( maybe crockpot meals) for days your schedule is hectic, I like to plan the meals that are more time consuming on Sunday when I have the most time. Finding the recipes is easy these days. If you don’t already have a great cookbook or recipes that have been handed down through the family, ask you friends what are some of their favorite meals and remember “google” is only a few clicks away. Once you have a plan, I keep a running shopping list on the side of my refrigerator so when I’m out of something or in need of an item for a recipe it’s already on my list. It may take a few tries to learn what works for you, but when you find  just the right rhythm, it will leave you confident in “preparing” that meal you can feel good about serving.

“Preparing” is where the magic happens. It’s where you marry flavors and then relish in the love affair of a healthy meal. Starting with reading over your recipe ( even the day before) so you can organize what is required to get done. If meat needs to be taken out of the freezer, put it in your refrigerator the night before or beans need to be cooked you can soak them ahead of time. Things like, stirring, chopping, measuring, and pouring can be assigned to others ( if you have helpers in the kitchen). The most important step is to have fun and savor feeling good about your decision to make eating healthy a priority. I promise you, you won’t regret it!


~ If your ready to make a change and/or need help with better food options - contact me at:
~ Nancy@wholefood-living.com http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

1

See No Evil~Hear No Evil~Speak No Evil~ TASTE NO EVIL...

YES... this beautiful juicy red strawberry you see, is more then meets the eye. It is on the list of the Dirty dozen http://www.ewg.org/foodnews  and just because you can't SEE the pesticides, or you haven't HEAR about it, or there hasn't been people SPEAKing out about it in your community, doesn't mean what your TASTing isn't one of the highest pesticide sprayed fruits and vegetables in your grocery store or even at your local farmers market.  

I use this as an illustration to bring awareness to "eating more consciously." Just because there is not a label around what your eating, doesn't mean you assume you know what is in your food. 

We have to become advocates for our own health and those of our children. Ask questions and ask until you get a reliable answer that you feel comfortable with. Research and "google" your concerns. It can be overwhelming, but take small bites ~ like that strawberry you are getting ready to put in your fruit salad: Find out where it came from ( how far it traveled to get to the store), how was it grow (organic, sprayed), is it in season, is it GMO http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo.

When we are informed we can then make better choices about what we choose to eat. It's not about perfection, it's about progress, awareness and food investment ~ self investment http://whole-food-living.blogspot.com/2013/06/food-investment-self-investment.html.

With awareness comes change ~ one food at a time, one meal at a time. We can do this!

Here are a few resources to help make the research for those strawberries a little easier:

http://www.localharvest.org

http://www.ncstrawberry.com

http://www.pickyourown.org/NCpiedmont.htm

I'm daughters idea for strawberries:
Hollowed them out and put peanut butter inside!

~ Ready to Make a Change : contact me at http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

Food Investment ~ Self Investment...

Invest : to commit something of value for future profit.

In life, we commit to saving and investing in our future. We have emergency funds for the unexpected, college funds to offer the children, vacation funds planned for quality time together, we work longer hours to provide better schools, clothes, electronics, and cars.

But...

Our bodies need investing in too, it's "self investment." We eat three meals a day and that is at least 1,095 meals in a year, not including snacks and drinks. Do you know what is in the food you just ate today? It requires a little extra time to educate yourself on reading labels, knowing what is the better choice and listening to what our body is telling us about what we're eating.

It's an investment in your future and it even comes with benefits, like; feeling better, chaos restored in the household, stronger immune system, boosted energy, mental alertness, and possible weight loss. Sound good...

Here are a few ideas to get you started ~

~Love yourself enough to know your worth investing in!

~Start small - Big changes start with small steps. Pick one food your going to change!

~Enjoy the journey with family and friends. Plan ahead, share ideas, look for support!

* ready to invest in your health - contact me at http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

What is Salicylate

Salicylate are organic compounds that can affect the human body and occur naturally in many plants, which include fruits, vegetables and herbs, as well as tea and coffee. Plant salicylates are stored in the roots, seeds, and leaves. They act as a natural immune hormone and preservative, protecting plants against disease, insects, fungi and harmful bacteria. Salicylates are also created synthetically and you will find them in medicines, perfumes and preservatives.

       I mentioned this because it’s something to keep in mind when you’re wondering, “what can I try next.” You’ve tried eliminating gluten, dairy, soy, etc. from your diet and some symptoms still persist. There is a lot of great information on the “web” to help deciding if this is something that may be an issue for you.

http://salicylatesensitivity.com

http://www.feingold.org/sas.html

http://www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk/library/content/salicylate.html

http://www.psha-inc.com/guai-support/sf/Sal-Free/FAQ.htm#Landing

Facts about Salicylates:

*Salicylates have a cumulative effect in the body and build up over time.

*Histamine and Anine Intolerance may also coincide with salicylates – 70% of foods that are high    in salicylates are high in amine.  link for more info: http://salicylatesensitivity.com/info6

* Typically, the content of salicylates can vary from one item to another and even among batches of the same item from the same source.

* Salicylates can also be found in sweets, chewing gum and toothpaste.

* All meats, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy, cereal and bread are all low in salicylates.

Remember to listen to your body. It is telling you what you need to know. There is trail and error in finding out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t get discouraged, there is help and support available :

http://tinnitussupport92262.yuku.com/reply/45641/t/Salicylates.html#.UWXFxka_4vo

http://www.salicylatesensitivity.com/forum

for help with your meal planning experience contact:

http://wholefood-living.com/index.html

Does What's in Your Pantry Give you Cause for Concern?

The year 1987 changed the way I looked at food forever. It began as I was searching for answers to my son’s behavioral issues. I came across a small ad in a magazine that offered hope. Their suggestion: maybe the food your child was eating could be the cause of the unexplainable behavior. Little did I know the answer was right in my own pantry. I was skeptical that food could be the answer, but I was willing to try anything. I signed up for a membership and sent for the packet of materials at http://feingold.org and followed their suggestions – certain foods and additives can trigger a variety of symptoms. It only took one summer and a little extra time and order was restored. I became a believer!

Food dyes were the main culprit for my son. There is a saying on the Feingold website, “there’s an ugly side to those pretty colors.” When I started the elimination diet http://www.allergy-and-diabetic-health.com/feingold-program.html, I cleaned out my pantry and made most of my food from scratch. No processed, boxed, or convenient foods. From that summer, until today, my son has had no behavior problems and was bought back to his original state of being ~ a normal healthy young man. The diet doesn’t ask you to cook everything from scratch but I was in a desperate state and may have gone a little extreme.  The materials they provide will take you through the process and offer recipes and products that work with the diet. There are success stories, forums, support groups like facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Feingold-diet/106072546089880?v=desc, that are available so you are not feeling lost and alone.

This Feingold Diet may help a multitude of symptoms:

*ADHD

*Aggression

*Asthma

*Bedwetting

*Depression

*Dyslexia, Learning Disability

*Ear Infections

*Eczema, hives, urticaria

*Eye problems

*Headaches, Migraines

*Irritable Bowel Syndrome

*OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

*ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Conduct Disorder, Violence

*Seizures

*Sleep Problems

*Speech Problems

*Tourette Syndrome

~ To read more…

http://feingold.org

http://www.allergy-and-diabetic-health.com/feingold-program.html ( about the Elimination Diet )

~ for more in depth help with meal planning or to schedule a group class, contact me at:

~ http://wholefood-living.com/index.html