Living tree tasting

Good morning! April is SO close!
I have been sooo busy this week with so many things. I gotta say. April is going to fly by, I can already tell. I love the Spring and Summer. I get so much done and it seems that I am on the go until about 9:00 p.m. I am so excited to see the weather getting up into the 80's this week! The summer clothes are coming out! I am ready.

The Living Tree was so wonderful yet again to send me some amazing products. I just cant tell you enough how great Mr. Schwartz (president of The Living Tree) really is. This is by far my favorite company and my favorite products in the world.This small company knows about raw,living foods. Created in Berkeley, California, a wellspring of the human spirit. Over 21 Nobel Prize winners have taught there.

I have eaten jar after jar of raw almond butter but nothing compares to this one!

Almonds are a premier source of vitamin E. One ounce of almonds (about 23 almonds) contains 35 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin E. Since the National Academy of Sciences increased the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for this important antioxidant in 2001, many Americans aren't getting enough of the essential nutrient.The Almond Board of California continues to invest in research on the impact of antioxidants on chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, revealing some promising results.

In a Nutshell: Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that is essential to overall well-being. Almonds are one of the best food sources of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, which the National Academies of Sciences has identified as the only type of vitamin E that makes itself available to cells in the circulatory system. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (see chart below) almonds rank strongly among food containing alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, and one ounce of almonds contains 7.4 milligrams or 35 percent of the Daily Value of this nutrient. Now according to the latest research, Vitamin E reduces the risk of lung cancer. Check out the full report here. Also recent research indicates that Vitamin E inhibits prostrate cancer.For more information please click here. They also have 20% of the USRDA of Vitamin B2, and 20% dietary fiber. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats (the "good" kind) and are known to help lower cholesterol.

I LOVE almond butter, especially like this!

Spread almond butter on top of the raw bar recipe that I made last week. Top it with some fresh fruit and you have yourself a power breakfast!

I also got some pecan butter! Pecan butter is the BEST butter to stuff dates with....trust me on this one.

The pecan was the food of Native Americans for millenia. One of the most nutritious of nuts. Pecans are loaded with heart-healthy unsaturated fats and recently published studies show that pecan consumption can help lower cholesterol.

Banana, raw coconut and raw pecan butter. Heaven on earth...

I also got two other products that rocked my world!I received Raw Tahini and Alive Tomato Pesto!

Here is the Tahini up close and personal...This is the most amazing Tahini I have ever tried...I made some alive hummus that was to die for (I have been saying that a lot lately but seriously, it's true every time I say it)...Keep reading to see how to make some of your own!

Living Tree does not grind,rather they slice the sesame seeds,let them rest overnight and then slice again.They invite you to savor the flavor and ponder the texture. Mix tahini with their Living Tree Alive Organic Honey and you have halvah, a Middle Eastern delight!
Made from mechanically hulled sesame seeds of outstanding quality.

Here's the Sun-dried Tomato and Almond Pesto.

Created with sun dried tomatoes, almonds, sesame seeds, basil, thyme, garlic and Living Tree Alive Olive Oil. Delight family and friends with simple and quick hors d'hoeuvres: Swirl this pesto on flax seed crackers or cucumber slices. Great with carrot and celery sticks too. Spoon in some Pesto into a bell pepper for alive stuffed peppers.Contains a dash of curry powder. Tumeric is the spice that gives curry its kick. Its a clinically proven antioxidant. When I first tasted this pesto I knew that it would be perfect on any vegetable, pasta, bread or cracker. However, since I got the tahini too, I had to make some hummus stat. I allowed many to try these products out and they ALL got raving reviews. I swear this hummus was so easy and because of the amazing pesto...It really needed to be put in the blender and served. Check it out. I made three different types of hummus. Black olive Pistachio, Sun-dried tomato and almond and lastly and "Original" hummus. All served with fresh organic veggies. Delightful! Here is my Sun dried Tomato Almond Hummus recipe!

-One can of organic garbanzo beans (I like no salt added)

-Two heaping tablespoons of Living Tree Raw Tahini

-Two tablespoons of Raw Sun-dried Tomato Almond Pesto

-1 lime squeezed to death

Blend and blend and blend.

I pour a little of the water from the garbanzo beans in the dip because I like my hummus spreadable. Depending on how thick you like your hummus you can add water or not.

I love this hummus! Because the pesto is packed full of flavor and amazing olive oil. I didnt have to add anything to the the hummus but the essentials and pesto mix. So easy and oh so good! I have been snacking on hummus and veggies almost every day for lunch. It is GREAT as a dip, on sandwiches (try hummus instead of mayo next time), even as a pasta sauce! Add hummus to your marinara and see what happens. It makes it creamy! No dairy so it would be great for vegans or if you are lactose intolerant. I have even stuffed chicken with a chunky hummus and fresh basil! Hummus can be used for so many things, just use your imagination...I cant wait to make Halvah! I have yet to make it and all you have to do is mix tahini and raw honey together...

I doubt that I even have to say this....I LOVE AND ADORE THE LIVING TREE PRODUCTS. In fact, I dare you to try some out!

Go to their site....NOW!

www.livingtreecommunity.com

I promise you wont be sorry you did.

Mr.Schwartz, thank you a MILLION times, you make my whole month every time I get something from you! I am going to yelp about it ;)

-Heather

a zero calorie food made to taste as if it were 2000.

I saw a recipe for Saffron Braised Celery and knew that I had to make it. Hugh....your in trouble though...I am making so much fricken food I cant even eat it all!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved the dishes I have made thus far but usually what I do is make a dish and have it for lunch Monday-Friday or dinners for the week. Your recipes make me so curious that I am finding myself making more than I originally thought I would. My initial plan was to make a dish twice a week. I am on a roll so I am just goin with it ;)

Your in luck though! I have decided that I would share the dishes if I know in advance that I will be making more food and cant possibly eat it all. I will document the comments from the ones that par-take and post them here. That way, my readers get a idea of what it is like AND you get more input ;)

I'm awesome....I know.

Ok guys and gals. This is a great post because your getting a two for one! Something else that I have decided is if there is a way that I can incorporate TWO recipes that have the same items or close I will let you in on the one that I made. This is of course not going to happen every time that I make one of chef Acheson's creations but I will do my best...I am kind of overloading my plate right now (in more ways than one) with cooking all this awesomeness, working, training and breaking shit around my house. I will get into it later but the laptop is on it's way out...I guess a new camera and laptop will be bought this weekend (maybe). Anyway. Enough of that. Lets get to it, shall we.

I saw this recipe for Saffron Braised Celery and honey....it was already made in my mind. So simple and soooo good. I had it alone. Gasp! I know. I should have had it with maybe some chicken and rice but I loved it all by it's self. I did go a little crazy buying celery though so here is when the two for one comes in. First though....Mr.Acheson....Your celery sir. Get the most GREEN celery you can find...

Braise it!

oooohhhhh lala!

I had to add some parsley... I have a confession... I didn't peel the celery, I used some parsley AND I chopped the leafy tops for a little garnish. Ooooppss! It was amazing...You guys need to find the greenest celery that you can because it looses color fast. I was surprised how much it lost it's vibrant color after a few minutes.

So I was left with a ton of celery left...What does a girl do with a bunch of celery....make ants on a log??? Nope.

How about Baked Celery and Pears! I never would have thought to marry the two but you know what I have found...Celery is a diverse veggie....You can add it to almost anything (almost).

To make this, you halve and core Bosc pears and lay them in a bed of sliced celery and pour over everything a lemony, sugary syrup spiked with expensive dessert wine. I used the cheapest dessert wine I could find, it cost $15 for a half bottle, which gave me pain.
You roast the pears until tender, remove them from the oven and place them in a serving dish while you boil down the syrup and celery. When the celery is shiny, sticky, and almost jammy, you take it off the heat, pour it over the pears, and serve.

Next time this is made I will be adding a ton of spices and some fresh herbs. I think that cinnamon sticks would not only look pretty but would be a great addition. Rosemary would be wonderful as well. I have never baked nor braised celery before. Usually I just eat it raw or use it in soups. This dish would be a glorious ice cream topper. Just imagine vanilla bean ice cream with baked pear and celery infused with cinnamon and rosemary (or thyme or heck, both!). I think that this will be made again and better! Try it out and let me know what you think. I enjoyed this novelty dish. The celery tasted only vaguely of celery, mostly it was just achingly sweet. So...if you are not a fan of celery you just may be after tasting this!

I hope you enjoyed this double whammy (god, I just had a flash back of that game show, press your luck) of a post! I really had a a lot of fun with both recipes and I think that I got my celery craving outta the way for a while. Stay tuned people...FAVA beans were hand delivered to my desk and I am going to be making a dish that sounds to die for. (Hugh...I may need a personal trainer after all this tasting) :P

I gotta say. I have only worked with Fava's a couple of times.

Can I tell you a secret?

You see,years a go I worked in the produce section of Earth Fare (two and a half years to be exact). What I would do is order all kinds of interesting produce and then go to the cook book section and find a recipe that looked interesting to me. Back then I had absolutely no idea what I was doing in the kitchen. When I got hired I had no idea about health foods. My food consisted of the Wendy's dollar menu. Well once I worked there for about a week I was determined to be the best (I don't do ANYTHING half ass) produce worker. I had customers asking me all kinds of questions about the produce we sold. "What can I eat that has potassium?" "What is burdock root and what is it good for?" "What the heck is a Dorian fruit!?!" Just tons of questions like that all day and I had no idea. I started researching and reading about the products that we sold but I knew that the best way to really get a idea of what they were all about was to actually try them. Back to what I was saying...I would order things that looked interesting to me. I would get a cook book and find a recipe that grabbed my attention and then take it to the copy room and copy it. Before leaving work I would grab all the items and when I got home the chemistry lab of food would start.

See you Monday!

-Heather

I love my readers!!!

Thanks so much for this video testimonial!!!!

I got this via e-mail the other night and it just made my night! Traverse Bay Farms...If you like Cherry Juice go here. THANKS so much for this video! You made my whole night. Andy, you rock!

After getting this and realizing that I have it good I decided....why not just make a breakfast that only the blog world would respect.

RESPECT.

Oh yeah... This my friends is the breakfast of champions...Protein, fat and carbs. P-E-R-F-E-C-T (in my world anyway).This fueled me through the workout from HELL. 4 egg whites (hidden spinach, red onion, garlic and red pepper inside) with aged cheddar cheese atop, sliced strawberries, fig and kiwi along side. I did have a huge mug of 1000 faces coffee to go with, naturally.

After the breakfast that kept me going and going I decided to try something right before the gym today.

GU Chomps utilize GU Energy Gel's proven blend of carbohydrates, amino acids, antioxidants and electrolytes to make a chewable form of GU. Each packet contains 2 servings. Ok, so I am on NO supplements...NONE AT ALL. I don't even take a vitamin.You are talking to someone (ok not talking purse really but reading) who use to literally spend hundred's of dollars a month on supplements. I use to time it to the T when I would pop another pill or drink another shake. Back when I was competing I would even wake up in the middle of the night and eat three egg whites to preserve and gain muscle. It did only one thing...drain my bank account. I took so many different supplements that I had to use a flat tackle box to keep them all with me. HA! It is funny now but I know I looked like a freak back then. I was ripped though...That was what I wanted back then. I wanted to be a body builder/figure competitor. Can you believe that?!? Ha! I just wanted to push the envelope and see just how fit my body would get. Well...2 years of training and absolutely no fun eating I had a 8 pack, veins popping out of my arms and legs and the tightest butt in Georgia. One thing though....It is impossible to keep it up for life. I had no life. My life was training, eating and sleeping. For real. After two long years of hard work I decided that I needed a happy medium, that it wasn't worth it all in the end. I could still be super fit AND not drain my account of funds. I had read about vegan and even raw foodist that were ripped with no help from supplements. I was scared...I didn't know what I would do if I wasn't popping pills, drinking shakes and counting grams of protein (I use to aim for 200 grams of protein a day....gross). I just did it. Cold turkey. Limited my meat intake, completely stopped the Whey Protein, stopped the pills (L-Glutamine (for recovery), CLA and L-Carnatine (amino acids and fat burner), BCAA's (branch chain amino acids), MSN (sleeping aid), Super Pump (to jack me up before getting in the gym), The ultimate meal (a shake with every vitamin under the sun in it), I would actually still have this in my diet if I could afford it. There was more I just cant even remember. If something was new or I read about it having some great results I took it. That was WAAAAAAY back then when I first started and what I found was by a health diet you need nothing. I figure if I need a vitamin or mineral, it should come from my food. Now I just try (TRY) to eat as "clean" as possible and it has proven to give me the results that I want. That and kicking my own butt in the gym ;)

You see, when you go to the gym, make it count. If you are going to be there for 45-60 minutes, get yer ass movin and movin quick. Yes....it sucks. I in no way LOVE to sweat, get my hair messed up, make a total butt of myself running around and have people stare at me. But you know what?!? Who cares? When I go to the gym honestly I just want to get the hell outta there. I want to get in, bust my butt and get out. I don't want to talk to the old dudes there, I don't want to get hit on by gross dudes (I swear all the cute, NORMAL guys are taken) and I don't want to be stared at all day. I would rather blow in, get it done and blow out. At least I can go home and feel like I did something. I am a super busy person...I work a full time job, personal train, blog, volunteer and still find time to be social and play music on occasion. I don't have time to sit on a machine for 20 minutes. Sorry. I work smarter AND harder and that's the way I roll. Ok back to my original thought (sometimes I rant). I tried out this product GU CHOMPS and I have to say....It worked. I got these (I received the gel, chomps and powder) and they really helped with keeping me hydrated. I only ate these because they don't have any harmful chemicals and mainly because electrolyte's are what I need. I sweat. I mean SWEAT. I drink coconut water like it is going out of style and these little guys really did the trick. I didn't even have a whole serving. I only ate half but it was just fine. I didn't feel the energy boost that they claimed but I didn't feel worn out and dry like usual. I think that I am going to continue to try out the others now ;)

So now that is done lets head to lunch shall we?!?

Ahhhhh, another raw plate. I have to say...This weeks raw lunch and dinner has been amazing. I am in love with the way that my body feels after eating a huge plate of raw food. Light but I have enough energy for the whole day and the best part is, I am not starving...Bread almost always makes me hungry. Not so this week. I am not saying that I am going back 100% raw but I am saying that 80% is pretty darn fine with me. I cant wait until I can make smoothies again! Amazing grass...look out!

A very moody picture if I do say so myself ;)

Raw crackers with hummus (made from Living Tree Tahini, raw garbanzo beans, raw alive pistachio pesto, lime and garlic and herbs) with chopped heirloom tomatoes.

with a side of collard wraps.

The pine nuts were a great addition! You see...It is not that I am dieting...This is what my body is asking for. So, I am giving it what it wants. I swear, I craved this meal. I did exactly what I wanted. I wanted a cold plate so to speak and something crunchy but with tons of flavor. Did I mention pink Himalayan salt?!? I love it....I have this duo in the kitchen at all times! This cube of top-quality, hand-harvested rare sea salt that came with its own grater! Ethically collected, this gorgeous natural product comes from a protected source deep within the exotic and remote Himalaya Mountains. Bring it to your table to salt over all sorts of food, especially desserts. Some of the possibilities: edamame, ice cream, caramel, salads, grilled fish, watermelon, chocolate ganache, rice, beans, and raw vegetables. I use it and don't feel bad. I think that the minerals that you get from sea salt and pink salt are beneficial for you if used in moderation. I tell you what...Sea Salt and dark chocolate is one of my favorite things on this planet. OK, I have about 10 things that I can say that about but seriously, this rock is always ready to go in the kitchen and I have used it with just about everything I can think of. A little goes a long way!

Wow, I rambled today. I guess that is what happens when you miss a day. I took yesterday to catch up with all of you. I haven't been able to read any of YOUR blogs and I missed you guys so. I am glad to see that everyone is in the same boat as I am. Ready for spring, kicking it up a notch in the gym to prepare for summer and eating healthier than the heavy winter foods we all love dearly.

On to dinnah....I will get into this more (dont have the time nor the space right now) but I am going to be making a lot of chef Hugh Acheson's creations. I recently got asked to be a taste tester for his upcoming book! One of the things that I can do to help is try out his recipes and give feedback. You all know that I am all about new recipes (and photographing my eats) so this was simple for me to say yes. I wasnt sure what types of recipes would be offered and if I would even like them but so far sooooooo good! I have made two already and this soup was my dinner last night. It was to die for!!! I mean that. I LOVE peanut soup and this version was perfect. I wanted to make this because the weather is slowly warming up and you know that when it does, I tend to go towards cold food. I only wish I would have made this when I was going through my soup craze over the winter...Looking back, damn I ate a lot of soup over the winter. Ok, without further ado...

This soup actually had a avocado salsa. I have to say, the green and orange hues were gorgeous. I added some heat to mine and that is why it is so bright. More crackers were eaten with this. I will admit....multiply this by 2. I couldn't stop.... Oh so good. Expect to read a full post devoted to Hugh and who he is. I am in the process of digging up some info so you guys can get an idea of who he is and his food. I plan on making one of his dishes twice a week. I love the fact that most of his ingredients I have on hand. I am in the process of hunting down some fava beans, even if I have to order some! I am so happy to get to try new recipes and hopefully meet some new people.

OK, one last random thing...I am in the market for a new camera. I am going to bite the bullet and buy a new one (more than likely this weekend). Do you have a recommendation for a all purpose camera? A digital point and shoot with great quality shots? I am not looking for a SLR I want something that I can use everyday. Something fairly small and light. I want something to photograph food of course but for traveling and events as well. What is your favorite brand or camera?

I will be in and out this week but prepare yourselves for some great news that will be blogged about. (Sorry, I have to keep you waiting). I have some amazing, I mean AMAZING products to tell you about and some personal stuff. All I can say is....My dreams are coming true!

Whew! I am off and I will see you tomorrow! Have a great day.

-Heather

Chocolate covered Friday.

Dude...I am soooo freakin glad it's Friday. I am in one of those moods today where you want to be anywhere but work. It is a half day for me though so I am just counting down until I can get out of here and enjoy this nice weather. It should reach the 70's today and boy oh boy am I excited. I hope to go for a nice run today after work. I still plan on going to the Y to do some weights/intervals but getting some sun is first priority. I feel so much better when I get some much needed rays. My mom is coming to visit tomorrow and so I need to pack in the works outs as best as I can today and tomorrow morning. I started off today with some odd ball things. I couldn't help myself. For some reason Fridays become a free for all lately. I went with what my gut wanted and I am glad that I did ;)

The Raw Bakery™ produces raw, sprouted, super foods. All of our nuts and seeds have gone through the Better-than-Roasted™ process, which means that they have been soaked, sprouted and dehydrated. This process removes digestive inhibitors that are naturally occurring in all nuts, seeds and grains, resulting in a tastier product. The BTR™ process makes our foods easier to digest, which means that your body gets the most nutrition possible from these yummy foods. I have had this baby in my fridge for a few days and knew that it would be sooooo good with my coffee this morning. For some odd reason...I wanted chocolate as soon as I woke up this morning. I dont know why ;)

Blue Mountain Organics is a mission-focused company, founded to demonstrate the holistic and symbiotic relationship between people, food, and environment and between worker and business. We accomplish these goals by bringing to the public the most deliciously raw and pure organic products sourced from the most fair and conscious providers. We commit to working towards a more harmonious and sustainable world. We exist to demonstrate that business is naturally moving beyond being destructive, and even beyond sustainability, to serving as a regenerative force on earth. Click here if you want to see all that Blue Mountain Organics has to offer. They have some pretty amazing eats. I LOVED what I have tried so far...I want more!!! Thank you Serena for being so sweet and sending me Coco Joy! I loved it and now would like to try other products of yours!

After coffee and sweets I was buzzing around the office. I have been under the weather for almost a week now and I just decided this morning. No more. Fake it til you make it. I am faking it but it is working! After a few hours this was had.

12:00 p.m. Chobani peach yogurt with Kaia raw granola....Ummm can you say peach cobbler? Yep. That is what I was thinking the whole time I was eating this. My sweet tooth is out of control today. Just you wait.

After this snackage it was time for the gym. I got my carbs, I got my protein. I got these headbands in the mail too!

Pink and Brown pineapple paisley on VL SIGNATURE buttery soft stretch fabric

Eggplant purple in a super soft rayon / lycra fabric blend. Violet Love is rocking the charts with their stylish couture fashion headbands and inventively patterned tights. They just love breaking the rules, shaking things up a bit, and standing apart from the crowd, and they know you do too! Their fashion headbands can turn up the notch on your little black dress, and our sexy tights and leggings can really get heads turning. Whether you're looking for a stylish low-maintenance hair day, or you need that extra pop of color, Violet Love Headbands and Leggings are the perfect accessory to wrap yourself up in! With hundreds of fashionable prints, and the ultimate in comfort and quality, Violet Love Headbands and Tights are your new best friends. You've seen all the celeb's sporting tights, leggings, headbands and hair accessories that you love, so why let them have all the fun? Be sexy, be stylish, be fashionable, but most of all, be YOU! click HERE to see them all! This company ROCKS! I love that the headband actually fits and stays in place. I always have issues finding headbands that do the trick! This company knows what they are doing for sure! Thank you so very much for surprising me and sending me these two lovely headbands!

I put the eggplant headband on and off to the gym I went. It was a shoulder day so I really pushed it and did 60 minutes of intervals plus shoulders in between. I got off work today early and didn't have to go back so I didn't care how sweaty I got.

When I got home this was consumed promptly. Electrolytes I now know is my friend. I gulped this down and immediately felt better. I think that every ounce of water that was in me was on the gym floor when I left today. This worked it's magic in a matter of minutes! After about 30 minutes my tum tum was like "Jeeze girlfriend, put some fuel in me!" I obeyed the calling.

Raw veggies and hummus. I loved this cool refreshing lunch. I am loving raw foods right now. During the Spring and Summer it is so much easier for me to eat this way.

I have no idea what will be for dinner. It is Friday and I plan to meet up with a friend for dinner somewhere. I will have to wait and see what happens. I hope you all have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend! I will follow-up with you all on Monday morning with the visit that my Mom is paying me. It should be FUN!

See ya!

-Heather

Five ways to explain "real food" without driving your family insain.

This morning is going to be a NORMAL post! I have been reviewing so many products here of late! I hope that you don't mind (I know that I don't!).

The weather should be gorgeous today and I cant wait for a beautiful weekend. I plan on getting out and enjoying every moment. My mom is coming to see me this weekend! I am so happy because I can count on one hand how many times she has payed me a visit. I have no idea what we are going to do yet but I know that we will enjoy ourselves. One of the things that is talked about as soon as a day and time is set for her to visit or for me to visit is food. I know that sounds weird but is something that comes up right away. You see, I come from a SUPER southern family and the way that I eat doesn't match the way that they eat (this photo makes my tummy hurt just looking at it). They think that my food is "different". Which is my mom's way of saying "your health food is weird and I don't like it." When I cook a meal (and don't think that when I cook for my family I don't down play every course) I try my best to keep it simple and use ingredients that I are familiar to them.

For example, last time I came home I made dinner. I made something so simple (almost too simple in my book) and they still turned there noses up. What did I make? Brown rice tossed with chic peas, corn and fresh herbs, Feta stuffed Chicken smothered in a red wine marinara sauce with olive oil infused garlic spinach and carrots. Fresh rosemary bread was served as well. This meal to me was so easy, so simple and didn't have really any frill. Yes, it does sound fancy but in reality, it wasn't. I put the meal together and had it ready in less than a hour. They ate it, but slowly and none of them finished it. My sister, grandmother and mother just kinda laughed throughout the meal and made me feel like what I had prepared was some foreign food from another planet. It hurt my feelings but I just shrugged it off.

Do your parents poke at your eating habits? Do they make fun of your exercise regiment?

Mine do.I cant even count how many comments I get a day..."Did you bring your workout clothes?" "can YOU eat that?" "Did you bring your health food with you?" These are all questions followed by laughter and really meant to make me feel like my lifestyle is "weird". I get it at work and at home. Even some of my friends don't get me. I have over the years found ways to get around the questions and allow myself to be comfortable in settings that are not what I like to call "healthy". It took some time and with the heard head that I have on my shoulders. I never settled. I have been know to bring my own food. In fact, you better believe that when I visit home or go on vacation, I have a cooler stacked with goods. My home town doesn't have a health food store so I like to bring my own food. Usually when I get to the house I slip my food in the back of the fridge or a drawer. Once placed out of sight...I feel at ease. If I should arrive and the kitchen is full of people, I just wait. If I were to get the cooler out and start unloading fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, protein powder, raw food bars and probiotics I would get it. Big time. Something else that I am known for is getting a workout no matter where I am. Vacations, holidays or even having guests doesn't stop me. I can always say "do you mind if I take a thirty minute run?" Even when I went to New Jersey to meet my boyfriends parent for the first time I woke up extra early to sneak in my workout before everyone was up and moving. I always get the most flack when I visit home. Holidays are the worse. I always (for the last three years anyway) go for a nice long run. Christmas and Thanksgiving Day to me are two of the best! I love running on those days because it is dead outside and no one is out. I have found myself being "poked" at as I leave the house. "There goes Heather, she's gotta go run off that turkey she is going to have later." Even when I am sitting at the table and having a nice slice of pie or something I hear "Ooopps! Heather just ate some pie. Better go run it off." Then the laughter comes and I loose my appetite. So with all this being said...Food came up and it came up quickly. My mom will be bringing her fiance' with her and I want to make sure that they have a good time. Last night my mom said the dreaded words to me....

"Heather, I want to go to that restaurant that I went to that one time." "What restaurant Mom?" "I think it is called...OUTBACK." AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I paused and calmly said "Well, don't you want to go to a restaurant that you cant go to where you live?" I want to go to OUTBACK, I want a strawberry daiquiri." I didn't know what to say....Outback and strawberry daiquiris are not in my vocabulary...I didn't know what to say. So I just went with my gut. "Mom, I am sorry but I cant eat there." Well, why not?" She asked. I have been poked at, laughed at even yelled at because of sitting at a restaurant with the request "No oil, no salt, no butter please...STEAMED only." I had flashes of sitting at Outback with the two of them with a 10 dollar salad picked apart and bland as hell. Iceberg makes me want to kill myself. The thought of my mom paying 10 dollars for some iceberg makes me want to even more. I could suck it up and just go. Order what she wants me to and literally get sick. I could, but I wont. I said "Well, if we are going to be drinking (which did I tell you my mom can throw em back?) we should just pick a restaurant downtown and then have drinks downtown. That way no one has to drive. This was my plan...My mom is responsible so the thought of me wanting to be responsible I thought would work. I told her "I tell you what...you and I will take a stroll around downtown, look at menus and you can pick any place you want and we will eat there." Most of the restaurants are ok with me downtown so this makes me feel a little at ease. We went back and forth for almost 30 minutes on this idea. Finally I just broke and said "Mom, I respect that you want Outback but the truth is, I cant eat there, it will upset my stomach and I don't want to routine the whole night." "Ok, fine." She was ok with that. I then said "I could cook!" "Oh no....I will pick a place downtown." That got her.

So sorry for the rant but this is my life....This is the stuff that I have to go through when I visit or someone in my family pays me a visit. I get this question about 5 times a day when I go home or get visits "Heather, what can you eat?" "Can you eat this?" It makes me feel at times like I am a outsider. The truth is....I am. Today I have tips for you and your diet, even when you go home to visit Mom....

I have so many friends that when they go home to visit there families, everything goes out the window diet wise. I tend to lean towards my Mom's comfort food myself. I get stressed out and even grab things in the cupboard. If you’ve been making some big changes to your diet recently, a couple things are probably going to happen — you’re gonna struggle with all the food served at big traditional gatherings, and — if you’re anything like us — you’re probably going to be telling people about some of your new approaches towards eating.

This is great — especially if you’ve started to really get in shape, people are going to ask, with legitimate interest: “what have you been doing?”
‘I Have Discovered the World’s Greatest System and You Absolutely Must Follow It’
Yep, there’s one particular problem with this — people often call it the ‘convert’s zeal’, and it manifests itself in a kind of ultra-high enthusiasm for a recently-adopted system — an enthusiasm that can often turn into serious evangelism.
How come? Well, for one thing, it’s difficult to explain all the great changes you’ve been making, both in your eating and in your activity level, without coming across as though you’re selling something, or maybe even being too pushy about it. Usually this happens without you realizing it, either.
With that in mind, we put together 5 ways to help you out this Christmas (and anytime) — with any luck, they’ll save you from going on a 2-hour rant at the dinner table, and hopefully they’ll help you win over a few ‘converts’, too.
#5: Whenever You Can, Take the Positive Route.
This is an obvious point, but no matter how conscious you are, it’s still remarkably easy to forget — people just respond better to positive suggestion rather than negative criticism. Sometimes this requires you to spin your thoughts around in your head, before you speak them aloud.
An example: if someone offers you a Diet Coke, don’t put your hands up, shake your head, and say “no way, I never drink that stuff — it’s full of hideous crap!” Yes. I know it’s loaded with crap, the person offering it to you probably knows the same thing, but in general, this approach doesn’t really stick.
Try something different — less “hell no” and more “no thanks. You know, I read a really interesting thing about diet drinks recently…”
#4: Start Small, Start Small, Start Small.
I have a little theory. Some of these fad diet books gain so much popularity in North America because, lacking the same grounded food culture of many European countries, we’re more susceptible to full-on, 100% revamps of everything we eat.
When you’re unsatisfied/confused with almost everything you eat, the idea of a magic little book coming along (Grapefruit, South Beach, whatever’s popular this year…) and promising to solve the what-to-eat headache is extremely tempting. But the fad diets keep selling because none of them really work, as none of them are really sustainable. The key, it turns out, is starting small — but it’s hard to sell a diet book with that kind of pitch.
And, coincidentally, the philosophy behind the ‘Real Food’ movement is exactly that — if you’re going to start being conscious about the food you put in your body each day, it’s got to be done gradually. The same goes for telling someone else about your exciting new discovery — if you unload 4 hours of information about feedlot beef and processed corn on your poor Uncle Mike over Christmas, is it going to stick?
But if you suggest a couple easy replacements instead, and then follow up at your next family dinner, your new found evangelism will have a bit more staying power.
#3: Be Ready For Skeptics.
The ‘additives are bad’ argument doesn’t always convince everyone — it’s helpful to have a few facts about why eating 15-ingredient bread or crackers isn’t the best idea, as just saying “it’s bad!” can appear somewhat ill-thought-out.
The context of the food, the lack of history when it comes to ‘food-like products’, the way additives change how our body breaks down particular foods — all these things can help you make your case.
#2: Have An Easy, Convenient ‘Way In’.
So — despite all your sales acumen and sly charm, you’ve failed to sell your gathered family on the true benefit of unprocessed, real food. No worries — sometimes we have to rely on tried-and-true pieces of content to make the case for us.
There are four that work wonders. In order of easy digestibility, they are:
Mark Bittman’s TED talk on Real Food (a short online video)
This Time magazine cover story about the food system (a great, clear article)
The wonderful, well made documentary Food, Inc. (a super-watchable film)
Michael Pollan’s fantastic The Omnivore’s Dilemma (a top-shelf book)
#1: Remember — You Can’t Convert Everyone.
Don’t get down if it feels like your pleas are falling on deaf ears. In the end, the evangelism comes after you’ve taken care of your own food needs, and those of your immediate family.
Sure, there’s something about reading this ‘Real Food’ literature, and really starting to learn how the food system works, that is alternately infuriating and inspiring — the perfect recipe for wanting to spread the word. But convincing people of something as big as ‘your entire diet is wrong’ will never, ever be an easy task, so don’t take it personally if your friends & family aren’t rushing to the farmer’s market after your impassioned celebration.
Keep at it, do all you can for yourself, and let the benefits to your body and lifestyle keep making the case for you.

I hope that these tactics help you. It took me a long time to figure it out.

Have a WONDERFUL day and I will see you with the last post of the week!

-Heather

Zadies knows best.

When Janice Freed started making her own granola she wasn't thinking about starting her own business, she just wanted to eat some granola that was good tasting and good-for-you . Her interest in good- for-you foods is the real thing (you can tell at first bite).

It's always fun to see a passion turn into a profitable business, and that is exactly what Janice and Shelley Freed are doing with Zaydie's Granola.


I was lucky enough to get these two wonderful bags of granola from Zaydie's Granola!

This company makes homemade granola out of Richmond Virgina. I have to say. I got this spoon out and tried the Walnut Cranberry first. One spoon became another which turned into this.

I decided that instead of dipping my spoon into the bag (I knew that if I kept on half the bag would be gone) I would just go ahead and have 1/2 cup of granola with 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. I thought at first "I should add some cinnamon, maybe some fresh fruit to the mix." I didn't and was so glad that I made that decision. It was perfect! Just like the bag says, it was sweet but not too sweet. Just the way I like it. I am totally addicted to this granola. So many times when you see granola you see these HUGE chunks of oats and dried fruit held together by sugar, oil and butter. Not the case with Zadie's! There are plenty of "chunky goodness" it is more of a loose mix. I like that because I could tell that it was just simple ingredients and wasn't they weren't going for a sugar laden cereal of sorts. What I also like about this granola is because it is not so bulky I can use it in more ways that just to top my yogurt. I can make homemade power bars, have it as a cereal, top my yogurt, mix in my pancakes, have on fruit or even eat alone.

I opened the other bag (Blueberry Almond) and of course was just as delighted! After I opened both huge bags of granola I realized..."Heather, you now have two huge bags open and ready for you to eat." Ahhhhh! I was scared for a second (don't leave me with granola...it's gone in minutes). I had a idea though! After a few seconds of thinking I decided, why not put them in a jar so that they could last? Well that is just what I did. As you can see above, I got a jar and filled it with my precious granola. I was going to mix the two together but decided on having two seperate mixes! The more the better, right?

I have been eyeing this granola recipe and decided that I would just make my own using one of my favorite bloggers ideas!

Easiest Zadie's Granola Bars Ever

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cup Zadie's Granola

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1/2 cup tbsp Agave or Honey

- 2 egg whites

DIRECTIONS:Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until evenly distributed. The granola should stick together but no liquid should pool at the bottom (if there is excess liquid, add another tablespoon of Zadies granola).
Pour the granola out into a small baking pan lined with parchment paper and mold it into the shape you want (I used my fluted tart shell because it was nearly the perfect size, and the fluting wouldnt show through the parchment paper).


Bake for about 35 minutes, or until granola is lightly browned on top and no longer feels wet. Allow to cool, and cut into bars.
I stored these in plastic wrap and it ruined their texture. Eat them within a day or two, or store them in an airtight container, not too close together, unrefrigerated, for up to a week.
Makes 8 small granola bars.



Mine turned out just like hers! I was sooooo excited to make my first batch of the easiest granola bars ever! The best part....knowing that they were made with Agave and had absolutely no added oil or butter! YAY! I used a mix of the Blueberry and the Cranberry Granola and couldn't of made a better batch. I am so happy to that I STILL have some left over for topping whatever I want with the wonderful mix!

Zadie's Granola is amazing. If you want sweet but not too sweet granola that will knock your socks off, you want Zadie's. Please go to their site to see for your self. They have a list of stores that carry their mixes and I would seriously look for them if I were you! You can buy Zadie's Granola here:

abesmarket.com

I give them a 10! Thanks Shelly for being so great and sending me some of the best granola I have ever tasted! You guys totally know what you are doing!

Hope you all have a great day!

-Heather

leathers, granola and sprouted seeds...

Let me tell you about kaia foods: Kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. We sprout, mix and dehydrate our organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!
They keep it simple: That's their philosophy towards food and their philosophy towards life. Eat whole foods for great health. Exercise daily. Laugh and smile often. Hug everyone. Be mindful of your choices and their impact on the earth. The keys to health and happiness are really that simple.

Their story: Kaia foods was born in the summer of 2006 when Nick was hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado with his friends Nina and Billy. Somewhere just below the tree line on a sun-drenched day, inspiration struck. I decided to leave behind the world of finance and follow my dream to make minimally processed, truly healthy food more readily available to everyone and have fun doing it. Fifteen seconds later he passed a horseshoe on the trail (no joke!) and he interpreted it to be a good sign for the journey ahead. I loved reading this! People that follow their hearts make me smile. No matter what it is! I am so glad that I found Kaia Foods...I got this in the mail!

Here's a run down of their product list:

organic buckwheat granola: Made with sprouted buckwheat, sprouted walnuts, sprouted sunflower seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, ground flax seeds, and agave nectar, plus dried fruits and seasonings - our innovative buckwheat granola is delicious as a snack or as a cereal!
organic sprouted sunflower seeds: All we do to our sunflower seeds is sprout, season and dehydrate them at low temperatures instead of roasting them. The nutrients and great taste stay intact and aren't processed away.
organic fruit leathers: To make our fruit leathers we puree whole organic fruits and dehydrate them at low temperatures, without adding sugars or concentrates. Yum!

I they sell a variety of amazing granola. Cocoa Bliss Buckwheat granola was the one they sent me . This bag of granola was dipped into several times once opened.
OMG!!! OH SO GOOOOOOOD!

Check out the nutritional facts:

I like that I can have a whole half cup of granola! Usually a serving of granola is 1/4 cup and has just as many calories. All flavors of the granola look amazing. I am totally going to try the others out.

I also got a variety of sprouted seeds.

Take a salad and sprinkle it with some of these...

Sprouted seeds!

This is a fairly simple wheat berry salad that I saw and knew that the garlic sea salt sunflower seeds would be the perfect topper. I LOVE wheat berries and I LOVED these seeds sprinkled throughout this salad.

Kaia sunflower seeds really turned my simple (sometimes boring) salads into awesomeness! With flavors like Garlic & Sea Salt, Teriyaki, Sweet Curry (my Fave) and Cocoa Molé you seriously can turn something bland into grand. Loved. Them. So. Much.

The sweet curry flavor was amazing with this dinner!!!

When I read the words "sweet curry" for some reason jasmine rice came to mind. Just knowing that sweet curry sunflower seeds were sitting in my cupboard was driving me crazy. It was so cold (where the heck is Spring?) and I thought "I better get all my cozy winter foods out of my system". So to the kitchen I went. With my comfy rob on and knowing that I was in for the night (yes, curry Saturday's alone with a bottle of red is how I roll) I started pulling items that I didnt even know that I had! I used things like coconut oil and coconut milk (mmmmmm). I used a twist with my usual green bean curry and subbed them for okra. I saw this on another site and thought "this could be the answer to my fried okra craving!" I love okra but I must say, picked or fried is usually the only way that I eat it. You have to really know what you are doing in the kitchen to have sauteed okra that doesn't turn into a gooey mess. Luckily, I know my way around. I blenched these to perfection and with crunchy carrots, Yukon gold potatoes, chick peas and sweet curry sunflower seeds. I. was. in. curry. heaven. Curry's make my heart skip a beat (I seriously can make mine hotter than hell) and so very glad to have this meal with the best sprouted seeds ever!

I got two flavors of these sweet treats in the box as well.

Fruit Leathers was a nice surprise!

I had never tried fruit leathers before. I have seen them in stores but never bought one. Kaia Fruit Leathers are like fruit roll-ups but all natural.

Why didn't they have these when I was a kid???
Vanilla Pear and Spiced Apple are the two that I received.
I really thought these were fun! I loved that I could throw one in my bag and have it for a snack whenever I wanted. These will be in my life for sure from now on! Lime Ginger, Spiced Apple, Goji Orange and Vanilla Pear are the flavors that they offer and they all look great.
Pretty good facts if you ask me!

As part of their mission to improve quality of life through proper nutrition they invest 1% of sales in fighting hunger. They currently donate to The Hunger Project and to the United Nations World Food Program. I love it when I hear of a company that gives back! They rock!

PLEASE go to their site!

www.kaiafoods.com

You will want to try something as soon as you click the link ;)

They also have this amazing recipe down loadable booklet!

http://www.kaiafoods.com/simplicity.pdf

I LOVED Kaia Foods and THANK them so much for allowing me to try out their truly amazing products! Heidi, you rock!

You guys get two thumbs up from me!!

-Heather